My poor family. They’ve eaten lentils so many times for dinner the the past few months. Earlier this summer, I entered a recipe contest for the National Lentil Festival with this recipe but didn’t win. Even though I didn’t even get honorable mention with this recipe, it’s still really tasty and oh, so good for… Continue reading Indian Spiced Lentils with Pork
Slipcover or Reupholster? Which to Choose?
When it comes to having chairs and sofas redone, there’s usually two choices: slipcover or reupholster. But, which to choose? Either will give you a lovely end result – a new outside garment for a piece of solid furniture - but slipcover or reupholster? Having this type of sewing work done for you can be… Continue reading Slipcover or Reupholster? Which to Choose?
Places to Stay in Spain
Do we have the tent poles? Too bad no one asked that before we packed our camping gear into a duffel bag and headed to Spain for our 3-week trip. While we had a home swap in Alicante, Spain, we had also planned to camp and stay in small, family run hotels (called hostals or… Continue reading Places to Stay in Spain
Weekly Meal Plan
Do you ever plant a vegetable in your garden and then wonder if it will grow or not? For me, planting artichokes in the garden felt like a real gamble. Really? Artichokes? Actually, we didn't even plant them in our garden. They are very nice looking plants and we put them in our front yard… Continue reading Weekly Meal Plan
Easiest Applesauce Ever
The thought of making applesauce used to turn me off completely. All that peeling, slicing, and coring of apples made me a regular purchaser of “store-bought- applesauce” as we called it. Then one day, no doubt after buying a jar of very expensive organic applesauce for snacks, I thought to myself: “What if I don’t… Continue reading Easiest Applesauce Ever
Early Summer Dinner Group
Enjoying the company of good friends and sharing a pot-luck, home-cooked meal with our dinner group is the ultimate in frugal, fancy, and fun entertaining. I always look forward to these regular, neighborhood gatherings. It’s especially nice when it’s an early summer dinner group get together and we can sit outside, even if it’s only… Continue reading Early Summer Dinner Group
These Pots and Pans Need to Soak
I live with people who like to soak pots and pans. Even though my kids are supposed to clean up the kitchen after they each make dinner every week, there are numerous mornings when I find a pot or a pan sitting in the sink when I get up. Sometimes, I even spy a pot… Continue reading These Pots and Pans Need to Soak
Weekly Meal Plan
When it’s really hot outside, I have no interest in cooking during the heat of the day. This weekly meal plan was the hottest week of the summer we’ve had here so we either cooked in the morning to eat at dinner time or we cooked outside. Cooking outside meant the wok cooker. It’s actually… Continue reading Weekly Meal Plan
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
I’m not sure I would have thought to cook with olives if it weren’t for the kids from the books, “A Series of Unfortunate Events.” My children read the books years ago and when my (now) 15-year-old son read about the puttanesca spaghetti served for dinner, he had to try it. I’m not sure he… Continue reading Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
How to Make a Baking Soda Shaker for Cleaning
I use baking soda for lots of cleaning around my house and especially in the kitchen. A few shakes in a dirty pot for soaking overnight, as a mild abrasive to scrub the sink with, as a deodorizer in the compost pail that sits on the kitchen counter or sprinkled into the garbage can. It’s… Continue reading How to Make a Baking Soda Shaker for Cleaning
Go Gingham 