Cooking at home requires a well stocked pantry and that includes what to keep in the refrigerator. A home cook needs to be prepared. Below is a list of the basics I keep stocked in my refrigerator. This list is what you should keep on hand and make sure you have plenty of. These are… Continue reading Refrigerator Basics for the Home Cook
Raised Garden Beds
Growing your own vegetables is very satisfying. Eating food that you’ve grown in your own garden is a wonderful way to embrace the idea of farm to table. Many homeowners don’t have much space to devote to growing their own food. I definitely fall under this category. We live in the city with a small… Continue reading Raised Garden Beds
Fresh Eggs From Our Backyard Chickens
By far the biggest benefit of having backyard chickens is getting eggs. Chickens don’t normally lay in the winter months, unless they receive enough light on their eyes. This is why many chicken coops are lit. We don’t light our coop so we don’t get eggs in the winter but we do miss the fresh… Continue reading Fresh Eggs From Our Backyard Chickens
Bedding Question: New Down Comforter
Here's a question someone sent me about purchasing a new down comforter. Question: My son needs a new down comforter. Where should I purchase a new one? Answer: The Company Store. They have regular sales, a good return policy, and quality products. Only purchase it on sale. Look for channels that are stitched down all… Continue reading Bedding Question: New Down Comforter
Bed Bug Question
A reader sent me this question recently: Are you worried about bed bugs when purchasing used items? Answer: No, but I do inspect items very carefully before bringing them into my home. With furniture that has cushions or stuffing, I take the cushions apart to make sure no little creatures are living inside it first.… Continue reading Bed Bug Question
Bed Question: Where to Purchase a New Bed
This readers' question is about a new bed and where to purchase one. Question: Our son needs a new mattress and box spring. Where would you go to purchase a new bed set? Answer: Ikea. Next time a mattress and box spring are needed at our house, I’m going to Ikea. They have all mattress… Continue reading Bed Question: Where to Purchase a New Bed
Tomato Cages – Go Gingham Style
Planting tomatoes means staking the plants. For several years, I used the old standard, cone shaped tomato stake. I’ve never had much success with these. My tomato plants would get too tall or I couldn’t reach in to pick the fruit. Then, I read the book, “Square Foot Gardening” by Mel Bartholomew and got inspired… Continue reading Tomato Cages – Go Gingham Style
2nd Place Winner in Twitter Recipe Contest
"The Oregonian” newspaper recently had a contest on Twitter that involved tweeting (yes, that is now a verb) a recipe in 140 characters or less. Now, I love cooking for my family and I love talking but I’m not really crazy about tweeting – so short, so cryptic, and so much punctuation left out! I… Continue reading 2nd Place Winner in Twitter Recipe Contest
Funeral Etiquette
We had to attend attend a funeral recently. Funerals are sad, but they are also a celebration of life. Funeral etiquette is something that no one talks about and you don’t really learn about it until someone close to you dies. This past week got me thinking about how no one really talks about funeral… Continue reading Funeral Etiquette
Preparing For Tomato Season
Spring is fast approaching which means vegetable and tomato planting season. I’m a novice when it comes to vegetable gardening but I do have a few tricks to share. These tomatoes are from last year’s garden. It was a horrible year for tomatoes in Portland in 2010. Hopefully, this year will be much improved! Here’s… Continue reading Preparing For Tomato Season
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