How to Make Homemade Vanilla Extract
I’ve decided this year to make gifts for my friends and family. I LOATHE holiday shopping....
Spring is HERE and our garden is rocking away. The strawberries are ripening and we expect some blueberries and raspberries soon. Aren’t these strawberries AMAZING! Normally we do not have enough berries to make a dessert but we added some more strawberries and our raspberry and blueberry bushes have doubled [...]
One of my favorite things to make and eat is quiche. I love great quiche. It is great for brunch, lunch, dinner…practically anytime. One of the great things about quiche is if you know how to make a basic one, it is so easy to change the flavors and ingredients [...]
I love springtime. The fruit trees are blossoming and setting fruit. I know summer is right around the corner so we can harvest fruits and vegetables from the garden. I especially love the fruits and vegetables that are in season….asparagus, artichokes, rhubarb, spring onions and especially strawberries! We can never [...]
Spring is definitely here! The plum and peach trees are blooming. My chickens are laying and in a few weeks we will plant our summer garden. We are also lucky enough (or maybe not so lucky for my chickens) to have a hawk nesting in the big pine tree in [...]
My girlfriend, Becky, is coming over on Thursday for lunch. I am super excited to see her because since the babies came along I have very little time for my girlfriends and cherish every minute with. A fond memory I have of Becky is when we had afternoon Ladies’ Tea [...]
I’m RICH!!! Rich, I say! I am rich in meyer lemons and eggs. The ladies are loving the sun and warm weather and have been laying up a storm and our meyer lemon tree is loaded with golden orbs of deliciousness so don’t be annoyed if all of my posts [...]
It is springtime and we have an abundance of eggs. My younger son loves scrambled eggs but I have not been able to get my 4 year old to eat eggs yet. It is a bummer because the eggs we have are so delicious. I came across these cute japanese [...]
My dear friend Wendy is expecting a baby girl so the ladies decided to throw her a small baby shower. We had a pretty mixed group of vegans, vegetarians, gluten-free peeps and major carnivores so I had to make food that would appeal to them all. One of the highlights [...]
We love our chickens. They give us the most amazing eggs. So fresh and full of nutrients. Many people do not know that it is much harder to boil fresh eggs. Normally the eggs that you find in the supermarket are at least a few weeks old if not closer [...]
I love bean dips…hummus….yummy….mexican bean dip…delicious. One of my favorite dips to make when I have a brunch or party is this cannellini bean dip. It is great because it is vegan, gluten-free and is a crowd pleaser. Everytime I make it, I am always asked to get the recipe. [...]
I know…I watch way too much tv! I go through periods where I will watch hours of cooking shows…now I am more into Zombie shows, I guess that I why I am trying to become self-sufficient but I’ll save my zombie apocalypse post for another day. Ok, back to my [...]
My friend Kat came to San Francisco to visit. Unfortunately I was not able to see her (sick babies) but I did get to live vicariously through her. She had a great time and was able to partake in one of San Francisco’s treasures…DUNGENESS CRAB! Kat and her husband went [...]
This is a really easy sauce to make and it goes with pies, on sundays, and much more. It is a sweeter caramel sauce than I normally make. Usually I make a fleur de sel caramel but that is a little more difficult to make than this one which is [...]
This pie crust is so superior to what you can get in the stores. It is really simple to make and you can freeze it for later use. Perfect Pie Crust 1-1/2 cup Crisco (vegetable Shortening) 3 cups All-purpose Flour 1 whole egg lightly beaten 5 Tablespoons Cold Water 1 [...]
I watched a few episodes of Pioneer Woman on Foodtv. I actually really like her show and seeing snippets of her family. Some of the other females on the show can be a little annoying (my husband can’t stand Ida or Paula…says they give him the heebie-jeebies but I do [...]
I love making this bread because not only is it really easy to make, it does not take any fancy appliances, AND it costs less than $1 to make 2-3 loaves. It’s also great because you can make the dough and bake 1/2 of it one day and the other [...]
This is one of my favorite salads and it has all of my favorite things in it: Bacon, carmelized onions, eggs, and brussel sprouts…YUMMY! INGREDIENTS: The Dressing 2 large shallots, diced 4 small garlic cloves minced 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 2 tablespoons extra virgin [...]
Ingredients: 1/3 cup warm milk 2 tablespoon instant dry yeast 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon kosher salt 4 tablespoons granulated sugar 3/4 cups cold unsalted butter, cut in pieces 4 Extra Large eggs, cold from the refrigerator (or 5 large eggs) Directions: 1. Dissolve yeast in the milk. [...]
We have a Cheesecake Factory about 15 minutes from our house. I LOVE their White Chocolate Truffle and Raspberry Cheesecake. Unfortunately I am not a huge fan of the rest of their food so we rarely go there to eat. I used to go to bring a whole cheesecake home [...]
My Family and friends love this dish and always rave about it. It is rich, creamy, savory and just delicious. I usually just make this dish on special occasions like Christmas and Easter because it is NOT diet food. In the past I have never used a recipe…I just use [...]
I’ve decided this year to make gifts for my friends and family. I LOATHE holiday shopping....
In this previous post I wrote about how much I LOVE getting a weekly milk delivery. It has...
I love cooking with ricotta cheese. It is great in lasagnas or you can sweeten it up and...
Well, just here to report that I got a mango to ripen here in Northern California. I kept...
Spring is HERE and our garden is rocking away. The strawberries are ripening and we expect some blueberries and raspberries soon. Aren’t...
It was a cooler spring and summer but the garden does not seem to mind much. The plants are happy and producing yummy goodness for...
Well, summer has officially started. We spent the week either at the beach or pool and even went to Olema for a quick “camping”...
My husband LOVES figs. He likes that they are not too sweet and loves the crunch of the seeds. I love figs as well,...
I purchased this Acer Buergeranum from Lone Pine Gardens in Sebastapol, CA in December of 2006. It was on consignment from a previous owner who...
We’ve been in our Atrium Eichler for 4 years now and after watching heating bill spike up during the cold months each year, we decided...
Spring is HERE and our garden is rocking away. The strawberries are ripening and we expect some blueberries and raspberries...
One of my favorite things to make and eat is quiche. I love great quiche. It is great for brunch, lunch, dinner…practically...
I love springtime. The fruit trees are blossoming and setting fruit. I know summer is right around the corner so we...
Spring is definitely here! The plum and peach trees are blooming. My chickens are laying and in a few weeks we will...
My girlfriend, Becky, is coming over on Thursday for lunch. I am super excited to see her because since the babies came...
I’m RICH!!! Rich, I say! I am rich in meyer lemons and eggs. The ladies are loving the sun and warm weather and...
It is springtime and we have an abundance of eggs. My younger son loves scrambled eggs but I have not been able to get...
My dear friend Wendy is expecting a baby girl so the ladies decided to throw her a small baby shower. We had a pretty mixed...
We love our chickens. They give us the most amazing eggs. So fresh and full of nutrients. Many people do not know that...
I love bean dips…hummus….yummy….mexican bean dip…delicious. One of my favorite dips to make when...
I know…I watch way too much tv! I go through periods where I will watch hours of cooking shows…now I am more...
I purchased this Acer Buergeranum from Lone Pine Gardens in Sebastapol, CA in December of 2006. It was on consignment from...
My friend Kat came to San Francisco to visit. Unfortunately I was not able to see her (sick babies) but I did get to live...
This is an experiment that I began on 4/15/06 where my goal is to create a ficus bonsai tree that will appear to be very...
I purchased this Arakawa online from The Growing Grounds bonsai nursery who are located in North Carolina. It arrived here...
I purchased this Cryptomeria Japonica (Bandai Sugi) from Lone Pine Gardens in Sebastapol, CA in May of 2007. It is over 20...
This is a really easy sauce to make and it goes with pies, on sundays, and much more. It is a sweeter caramel sauce than...
This pie crust is so superior to what you can get in the stores. It is really simple to make and you can freeze it for...
I watched a few episodes of Pioneer Woman on Foodtv. I actually really like her show and seeing snippets of her family....
I love making this bread because not only is it really easy to make, it does not take any fancy appliances, AND it costs...
This is one of my favorite salads and it has all of my favorite things in it: Bacon, carmelized onions, eggs, and brussel...
Ingredients: 1/3 cup warm milk 2 tablespoon instant dry yeast 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon kosher salt 4...
We have a Cheesecake Factory about 15 minutes from our house. I LOVE their White Chocolate Truffle and Raspberry Cheesecake....
My Family and friends love this dish and always rave about it. It is rich, creamy, savory and just delicious. I usually...
I LOVE peppermint bark. It is the perfect holiday gift. I remember when I worked in real estate, some co-workers used...
Almond Roca is one of my favorite candies! I have loved it ever since I was a child. I remember one of my first cookbooks...
This weekend I am scrambling to get some homemade gifts to friends and family. It seems like there is so much excess in...
We’ve been in our Atrium Eichler for 4 years now and after watching heating bill spike up during the cold months each...
I love when my friends stop by for coffee. I brew a strong batch of my favorite Sumatra coffee and I can whip up these scones...
I’ve decided this year to make gifts for my friends and family. I LOATHE holiday shopping. It stresses me out....
The holiday season is officially upon us and baking season is about to begin. Right now is the PERFECT time to make Vanilla...
In previous posts, I wrote about my LOVE of Fair Food. I posted a really easy recipe on how to make funnel cakes. Lately...
My husband is not a huge fan of sweets. He doesn’t like cake that much and prefers a crispy cookie to a mousse. One...
One of my dear friends just had a baby so my nurturing tendencies kicked in. I was raised in a family that showed love...
My poor husband has been sick for the last few days so I thought I would make something yummy for him. At first I thought...
I have been in a bad mood because 2 or the 3 chickens that were laying eggs went broody so I was only getting about 1 egg...
My husband LOVES figs. He likes that they are not too sweet and loves the crunch of the seeds. I...
We had a late summer this year and it did not really get hot until September but I am not complaining because we are lucky...
It looks like we are having another Indian Summer. It is the end of October and still 80′s out. Time to harvest...
I just got a membership to Costco. I was going to make dinner and needed 4-5 carrots and bought a bag from Costco. It...
In this previous post I wrote about how much I LOVE getting a weekly milk delivery. It has inspired me to make cheese!...
As you can imagine with 2 little kids, we go through ALOT of milk. We use at least 2 gallons of milk a week and about a...
We were so excited to come home from a family wedding. We were only gone for the weekend but I did miss my chickens. When...
I have been craving oysters lately so Steve hopped in the van and made his way over to Hog Island Oyster Company. We like...
Redwood Empire Bonsai Society (REBS) 2011 Annual Show I had the good fortune to be able to visit the annual REBS bonsai show...
So I just posted about what I harvested from the garden yesterday. I have been anxiously waiting for my first batch of...
It was a cooler spring and summer but the garden does not seem to mind much. The plants are happy and producing...
Well the chickens are almost 16 weeks so theoretically, they can start laying eggs….most likely I will not get any...
Another great year in the garden. I truly do not know why more people do not grow their own food. The quality and variety...
It is berry season here in our little garden and the timing could not be more perfect. The kids LOVE picking berries when...
Well, summer has officially started. We spent the week either at the beach or pool and even went to Olema for a quick “camping”...
I started this tree from seed in May of 2007. Giant Sequoias are the world’s largest trees in terms of total volume....
I built this chicken coop for Tammy for mothers day. I had no idea what I had signed myself up for as it turned out. I spent...
We have some beautiful cockerels looking for a new home. Pick Up only. They would make great pets or be great Roosters...
Well, the chicks turn 6 weeks on wednesday (in 2 days) but I figured I would post an update today. They are growing so fast...
In our quest to constantly improve our property, and my personal fantasy to create a magical space for my kids, I built a...
We have been composting all of our kitchen scraps soiled paper etc. for a quite a while now, but we failed to rat-proof...
We are in the process of replacing our fence and my husband is building the chicken coop so of course we get alot of questions...
Well, we have hit the 3 week mark and are happy to say there have been no casualties. The chicks are growing up fast. Their...
I thought I would share my chick brooder. It was practically free to put together. I asked my local supermarket if they...
Well, I have a little sad news to report. My Alphonso Mango tree has died. It survived the winter and put out a flush...
So I thought you might want to meet the babies… Here is a group picture with the different breeds of chickens. Here...
Well we decided to get some back yard chickens to enhance our urban homesteading project. We originally wanted to get them...
I collected this as a volunteer in our yard. We have two medium sized Chinese Elms that send up sprouts all over the place. ...
I purchased this Acer Palmatum from Sunnyside Nursery in San Anselmo, CA in November of 2007. This maple is native to China...
I love cooking with ricotta cheese. It is great in lasagnas or you can sweeten it up and use it as a filling in crepes. ...
I have been totally craving pork belly and came across this recipe. I modified it slightly to what I had on hand. Sorry...
This is my alphonso mango tree I got from Plantogram. It came looking really healthy and has grown alot this year. You can...
This year we are going to attempt to give our tropical plants a little protection for the 10 or so days when the temps get...
Well, just here to report that I got a mango to ripen here in Northern California. I kept the plant outdoors without any...
The summer gardening season definitely started out slow. It took forever for the tomato, pepper, and melon plants to get...
Boy has it been hot! Today topped 90 degrees in the shade. Normally I would complain about the heat but I made a batch of...
We have been cooking very simply lately. If you use quality ingredients, there really isn’t much need for all the...
This is a great go to meal during the week when you want to just take something out of the refrigerator and cook it. The...
I just wanted to update you all on my mango tree experiment. My Carrie, Ice Cream and Lancetilla all died. The ice...
When life gives you meyer lemons…make Panna Cotta! We have a great meyer lemon tree and this year should get a bumper...
We recently got a nice load of cedar wood chips from Marin Tree Service (about 10 yards). They also removed a bunch of...
We went ahead and added some horsetail reeds (Equisetum Hyemale) to our atrium recently. I have attached some images although...
Yup, that’s what we are eatting right now. We just picked the last of the sweet peas and pulled out the plants...
Well this is our second year with blueberry bushes and so far they are doing pretty good. They are loaded with berries...
CMMNTS