making life delicious blog
This year started off with a bang and hasn’t stopped yet. I had surgery in February and spent several weeks recovering with assistance from many. Friends made meals and helped with the kids, and our parents stayed with us for a few weeks helping with food, cleaning, and laundry. When times were tough, the love [...]
Have you ever wished you could customize a cookware set for the way you love to cook? Well now you can, with Your Set by Calphalon. I was lucky enough to receive two incredibly versatile pieces, and I used them for some of my favorite dishes. See how I used the AccuCore Stainless Steel 3-quart [...]
Life always seems to get a little crazy around this time of year. We get caught up in school events, hockey, work, finishing up the summer garden and prepping for winter, but no matter how busy we get, I always set aside time to make apple butter. Whether we use purchased apples or pick them [...]
It’s apple butter season! Ok, well, it’s apple season, and just like every year I find myself craving apple butter, apple pie, apple dumplings, apples in salads, apple cakes, apple cider, I could go on for a while. I like Empires, Honeycrisp, Cortland, and Fuji for eating out of hand, and usually bake with Granny [...]
Last year we planted three apples trees: Honeycrisp, Gala, and Granny Smith. All three are dwarf trees, so they won’t get very tall or take up too much yard space as they spread their branches, and each will take a few years to work up to full production. This summer the Gala apple tree had [...]
Mommy: Do you know what day it is? Chorus: No. Mommy: It’s Pancake Day. Chorus: Pancake Day! Wow! Can we have pancakes? Mommy: We’re going to have an apple cinnamon pancake. Chorus: Yay! Yummy! Top Gun: Mommy, we need more than one pancake! Mommy: We are only making one pancake. (Chorus silent. Probably planning how [...]
Inspired by cranberry orange upside down cake, I wanted a good easy hot breakfast for holidays mornings such as Christmas or Thanksgiving when I don’t have much time for a big breakfast. Baking French toast is an easy and delicious way to make it without having to stand over the stove while cooking each slice. [...]
This week marked the end of the first quarter for school and the teachers had work days to prepare report cards and attend staff development. Oh, how I remember those days! Even though I was an early adopter of electronic grade books—I kept all my grades in ClarisWorks spreadsheets on my first Mac—I always had [...]
The mint bush continues to thrive, even with some killing frosts in the past two weeks, which just amazes me. Supposedly the plants grow best in wet soil with partial sunlight, though this bush has grown in a south-facing garden with full sun and has far exceeded my expectations. I have to trim it frequently [...]
I remember seeing Peter Reinhart’s The Bread Baker’s Apprentice for the first time at a bookstore the year it was released. The striking photo on the cover immediately grabbed my attention and I heard my own voice say aloud, “I want to make bread like that.” The book did not go home with me that [...]
It's spring in the U.S. and the following foods may be in season in your area:
artichokes, fennel, fiddleheads, radishes, broccoli, rhubarb, kale, cresses, spinach, spring lettuces, chard, cabbages, chives, cilantro, collards, tatsoi, mustard greens, spring onions, asparagus, rosemary, wild garlic, ramps, strawberries, blueberries, cherries
Eat fresh seasonal produce to stay healthy and help your food budget.Learn more about seasonal and sustainable cooking at Sustainable Table - In the Kitchen.
