New to cooking at home? Fear not. You can do it. People are often intimidated by home cooking. They think, “But, I can’t cook.” Or, “I’m not a very good cook.” Perhaps they’re not adventurous in the kitchen and always make the same thing. Even with the knowledge that it will cost much less, taste… Continue reading New to Cooking at Home? Fear Not
Weekly Meal Plan
I planned to catch Saturday night’s meal and cook it for dinner. That was my plan but fishing didn’t go according to plan and after 9 hours of casting and cursing at those trout, I had nothing to show for it. Wait, I take that back – I had sore muscles that hung around a… Continue reading Weekly Meal Plan
Pasta Salad with Fresh Mozzarella, Basil and Tomatoes
This is a favorite family summer recipe. My kids love this meal and each of them have asked for it as their birthday dinner in the past. The problem with this special birthday request is that both of my kids have winter birthdays, which means this meal is not in season. This meal is really… Continue reading Pasta Salad with Fresh Mozzarella, Basil and Tomatoes
Making Fresh Herbs Last Longer
I try to keep my food waste to a minimum in our kitchen. The only food I end up tossing into my compost bin at least monthly is cilantro. It gets hidden in the bottom of the refrigerator and forgotten – out of sight, out of mind. Then, I decided to think of my cilantro… Continue reading Making Fresh Herbs Last Longer
Blogging Tips for New Bloggers
People always ask me how my blog is doing and their follow-up question is, “Are you making any money at it?” I have an answer to that question and it’s got 11 parts but here's the bottom line: I’m having fun creating a business out of what I’m passionate about. It’s so wonderful to have… Continue reading Blogging Tips for New Bloggers
Weekly Meal Plan
I love this time of year for all of the fresh vegetables in my garden as well as what’s growing in our neighborhood. My neighbors, who have too much fruit and vegetable to handle, like to put out boxes, bags or buckets of what’s extra and share. During the past 2 weeks, I’ve processed 10… Continue reading Weekly Meal Plan
Souvenirs from Spain
When we travel and home exchange, we travel pretty light so we are not usually very big on bringing home a bunch of souvenirs. That being said, who doesn't like to come home with some small reminder of a great trip? Our compromise is to combine getting something we need while on the trip with… Continue reading Souvenirs from Spain
Never Spill Your Wine Again at a Picnic
Living in Portland (Oregon), we are fortunate in that our city’s park system puts on free concerts in the evening throughout the summer. I love to put together a great picnic dinner, grab a bottle of wine, and head up to the park near our house for a relaxing evening. These concerts give us a… Continue reading Never Spill Your Wine Again at a Picnic
How to Make New Candles from Old Candles
“In case you ever want to live off the grid,” was the answer I gave my 15-year-old son as the reason he should make candles with me. As you can imagine, this was met with a jaw-dropping, wide-eyed dazed look that comes from a teen who would like nothing better than to be plugged-in and… Continue reading How to Make New Candles from Old Candles
Weekly Meal Plan
I still meal plan in the summer – to keep my food waste down and to know what I should purchase at the grocery store – but I like to keep the meals simple and cook with what I can from the garden. My dinners tend to be cold ones, too, unless the plan is… Continue reading Weekly Meal Plan
Go Gingham 