Recent Posts
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Flock Update 16 weeks | Marin Chickens
Aug 12, 2011 12:05
Well the chickens are almost 16 weeks so theoretically, they can start laying eggs….most likely I will not get any...
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Garden Update July 2011: Tomatillo, Diva Cucumber, Zephyr Squash, & 8-Ball Squash
Jul 22, 2011 10:50
Another great year in the garden. I truly do not know why more people do not grow their own food. The quality and variety...
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Marin Garden: Blueberries, Raspberries, Strawberries…
Jun 26, 2011 12:37
It is berry season here in our little garden and the timing could not be more perfect. The kids LOVE picking berries when...
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First Tomatoes of 2011: Sungold Tomato (June 26, 2011)
Well, summer has officially started. We spent the week either at the beach or pool and even went to Olema for a quick “camping”...
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Giant Sequoia Redwood Pre-Bonsai
Jun 24, 2011 0:01
I started this tree from seed in May of 2007. Giant Sequoias are the world’s largest trees in terms of total volume....
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How to build a chicken coop
Jun 17, 2011 9:40
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...
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FREE Cockerels to a good home (Easter Eggers and Buff Orpingtons)!
Jun 12, 2011 13:59
We have some beautiful cockerels looking for a new home. Pick Up only. They would make great pets or be great Roosters...
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Marin Chickens: 6 weeks old
Jun 6, 2011 11:46
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...
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Modern Shed / Playhouse
May 26, 2011 10:40
In our quest to constantly improve our property, and my personal fantasy to create a magical space for my kids, I built a...
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Rat-proof compost bin
May 25, 2011 11:37
We have been composting all of our kitchen scraps soiled paper etc. for a quite a while now, but we failed to rat-proof...
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Raising Backyard Chickens In Marin County
May 23, 2011 16:29
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...
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Marin Chickens: The chicks are 3 weeks old (Easter Eggers, Silkies, Buff Orpingtons)!
May 21, 2011 4:53
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...
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Homemade Chick Brooder
May 21, 2011 2:48
I thought I would share my chick brooder. It was practically free to put together. I asked my local supermarket if they...
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RIP Alphonso Mango Tree
Well, I have a little sad news to report. My Alphonso Mango tree has died. It survived the winter and put out a flush...
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Marin Chickens: Meet the new Chicks!
Apr 29, 2011 21:42
So I thought you might want to meet the babies… Here is a group picture with the different breeds of chickens. Here...
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Marin Chickens: The Chicks are Here!!
Apr 29, 2011 16:45
Well we decided to get some back yard chickens to enhance our urban homesteading project. We originally wanted to get them...
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Chinese Elm Pre-Bonsai
Mar 27, 2011 21:26
I collected this as a volunteer in our yard. We have two medium sized Chinese Elms that send up sprouts all over the place. ...
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Japanese Maple Acer Palmatum Bonsai
Mar 27, 2011 0:04
I purchased this Acer Palmatum from Sunnyside Nursery in San Anselmo, CA in November of 2007. This maple is native to China...
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How to Make Ricotta Cheese
Mar 6, 2011 1:41
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. ...
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Momofuku Roasted Pork Belly Buns
Jan 21, 2011 18:23
I have been totally craving pork belly and came across this recipe. I modified it slightly to what I had on hand. Sorry...
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Alphonso Mango Tree in Northern California
Nov 14, 2010 21:44
This is my alphonso mango tree I got from Plantogram. It came looking really healthy and has grown alot this year. You can...
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Tropical Plant set up
Nov 14, 2010 21:40
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...
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Ripe Glenn Mango in Northern California = SUCCESS!!
Nov 9, 2010 1:53
Well, just here to report that I got a mango to ripen here in Northern California. I kept the plant outdoors without any...
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Garden Updates August 2010: Tomatoes & Peppers
Sep 1, 2010 2:24
The summer gardening season definitely started out slow. It took forever for the tomato, pepper, and melon plants to get...
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Cold Brewed Coffee cà phê sữa đá (Vietnamese Ice Coffee)
Jul 16, 2010 0:35
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...
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5 Ingredients or Less Recipes
Jun 30, 2010 2:19
We have been cooking very simply lately. If you use quality ingredients, there really isn’t much need for all the...
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Crispy 5 Spice Chicken Drumsticks
Jun 30, 2010 2:11
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...
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Mango Tree Update 2010
Jun 27, 2010 0:51
I just wanted to update you all on my mango tree experiment. My Carrie, Ice Cream and Lancetilla all died. 🙁 The...
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Meyer Lemon Panna Cotta
Jun 12, 2010 23:45
When life gives you meyer lemons…make Panna Cotta! We have a great meyer lemon tree and this year should get a bumper...
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Tree Services / Free Mulch
May 18, 2010 16:12
We recently got a nice load of cedar wood chips from Marin Tree Service (about 10 yards). They also removed a bunch of...
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Horsetail Reeds (Equisetum Hyemale) in Eichler Atrium
May 18, 2010 16:07
We went ahead and added some horsetail reeds (Equisetum Hyemale) to our atrium recently. I have attached some images although...
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May Garden 2010: Blueberries, strawberries and peas
Yup, that’s what we are eatting right now. We just picked the last of the sweet peas and pulled out the plants...
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Blueberry Update: Misty, Sunshine and Sharpblue
May 1, 2010 1:22
Well this is our second year with blueberry bushes and so far they are doing pretty good. They are loaded with berries...
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Cherimoya Review: Selma, Dr. White, Chaffey, Booth, Hybrid
Apr 30, 2010 1:26
We are in the midst of cherimoya season. Boy are these fruit delicious. I ordered a box from calimoya.com to...
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Transplanted Bamboo privacy hedge
Apr 18, 2010 16:04
.. or ‘bamboom’ as my 2 year old calls it. I recently installed a 30 foot long bamboo hedge as a privacy screen...
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Cherimoya Update: Fino de Jete budding and Chaffey molted leaves
Just a quick update on the cherimoyas…yes that is cherimoyas, plural. I got a fino de jete from Roger Meyer. ...
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Spring update
I haven’t had much computer time so I have greatly neglected my blogs. Here is a brief summary of what is happening...
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Growing Tomato (& Tomatillos) from seed without artificial light (Pictorial)
Mar 21, 2010 19:47
Hey everyone, This will be my second year gardening and I decided to try growing plants from seed. Last year I mostly...
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Spring is Here!!
Mar 20, 2010 18:58
Spring is finally here. I am so excited to get back into the yard and start gardening. Here is a picture of my Babcock...
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Barbecue Chicken with easy balsamic BBQ sauce
Mar 20, 2010 18:15
Yay, we just barbecued for the first time on thursday. I just love the weather in California. It was 80 degrees in mid-march!! Here...
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Red Lobster Chedder Biscuits
Mar 20, 2010 17:55
I love the biscuits from Red Lobster. I remember going there with my parents and just filling up on these tender and savory...
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Blackened Salmon
Mar 20, 2010 17:50
I picked up some salmon from the Farmer’s Market and it was the best I have ever had. It was so fresh and full of...
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Braised Pork Belly Sandwich
Mar 20, 2010 17:44
One of the latest fads at trendy restaurants is the use of pork belly. It is like what seared ahi tuna was in the middle...
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Sauteed Swiss Chard with Bacon
Mar 20, 2010 17:30
One of the easiest things to grow in my garden is swiss chard. It grows through the winter and is one of the few things...
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High Velocity Space Pak HVAC Eichler installation
Mar 18, 2010 16:02
We ended up going with the Space Pak brand of high-velocity HVAC system instead of Unico due to a few aspects that make the...
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How to build DIY Eichler globe pendants for $37/ea
Mar 17, 2010 18:58
Here’s a quick and dirty how to article for an inexpensive way to create original looking Eichler ceiling pendant globes. 1....
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Superbowl Sunday = Fruit Tree Planting time
Feb 20, 2010 3:21
I received my trees from Raintree on thursday so we decided to plant all the trees on sunday before they came out of dormancy...
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Cherimoya review: Bays, Pierce and Fino de Jete
Feb 20, 2010 2:55
I ordered some cherimoyas from Dario at cherimoya.com because I want to purchase one more cherimoya tree and wanted to taste...
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Chayote Sprouted: 3 months
Feb 20, 2010 2:44
I am taking pics of my progression trying to grow chayotes. I bought these chayote from Safeway in december and put...
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Pho | Vietnamese Beef Rice Noodle Soup
Jan 20, 2010 1:47
I love making this soup in the winter. It is the ideal comfort food for me. I will add a picture of a bowl of soup as...
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Roasted Pork Bahn Mi Vietnamese Sandwich
Jan 20, 2010 1:37
I love these sandwiches. They are very common in vietnam and are like sub sandwiches but with better flavor. You can...
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Tammy’s Apple Crisp
Jan 17, 2010 1:33
My husband loves crisps and cobblers. So much more than pies because he loves the crispy, buttery goodness on the top...
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Cauliflower Gratin
Jan 17, 2010 1:26
We have had fabulous luck with our fall garden and one of the great things to come out of it has been our cauliflower. ...
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Farmer’s Market Finds: Cowgirl Creamery Gruyere & Brioche
Jan 16, 2010 17:55
I have been loving my sunday morning visits to the farmer’s market. I find going early when there is still a chill...
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MCM Approved Landscape Trees and Plants
Jan 8, 2010 13:24
Now that our home renovation is relatively under control, we’re starting to consider how we want to update our yard...
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Beef Tips and Gravy
Jan 4, 2010 1:20
This is another dish I made on Halloween. It was perfect because I could throw it in the crock pot and it cooked while...
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Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
Jan 4, 2010 1:03
I forgot to post this recipe back in October and November when I was making a sheetpan of pumpkin bars almost weekly. ...
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Growing Chayote in Northern California
Dec 29, 2009 5:00
Growing up, I remember my aunt growing this odd vegetable in her backyard. The plant was huge and took over her the...
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Farmer’s Market Finds: Musquee de Provence & Swiss Chard
Dec 29, 2009 4:42
I love going to the farmer’s market and it has become something I look forward to every sunday morning. I sneak out...
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2010 Garden: Planning in process
I just started receiving all the gorgeous catalogs and am so excited for my 2010 garden. I think I have decided what...
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The fruits of Vietnam
Dec 23, 2009 5:02
Well, it is officially winter. We had our first low temps of 29 degrees when an “arctic blast” came through. ...
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Fall Garden: Broccoli & Cauliflower
Dec 19, 2009 20:10
My fall garden has not been as successful as my summer garden. I need to figure out the timing to put the seeds in. ...
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How to install Backyard Drainage / French Drain
Nov 18, 2009 16:14
With all the recent rain, we discovered that there are some drainage issues on our property, so we’ve decided to do...
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Repotting the Chaffey Cherimoya
Nov 15, 2009 1:48
We bought our Chaffey cherimoya tree this spring and never got around to putting it in the ground. The tree lost all...
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Vegetable Garden Update: November 2009
Nov 15, 2009 1:33
I can’t believe we are still picking ripe tomatoes in November. Granted, they are not as sweet as they were in...
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Guilty Pleasures: Tammy’s Red Velvet Cupcakes
Oct 26, 2009 18:55
Tammy’s Red Velvet Cupcakes I have become well-known for my red velvet cupcakes. When I am invited to potlucks or...
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Pictorial on How to make Naan
Oct 26, 2009 0:42
I have had a few people email me because they were a little intimidated by all the steps involved with making naan so I thought...
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Mango Update: Lancetilla Mango Tree
Oct 25, 2009 23:21
Here is an updated picture of my Lancetilla Mango tree in a container. It is the most vigorous grower out of my 4 mango...
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“Wild” arugala and lettuces
Oct 25, 2009 23:19
I call this my “wild” arugala and lettuce because we planted it in the late spring but got hit by a hot spell...
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Tulle Covered Garden
Oct 25, 2009 23:11
For our fall garden, we decided to grow cauliflower, broccolli, swiss chard, beets, lettuce, and arugala….all the things...
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Shaded herb garden: 1 month update
Oct 25, 2009 23:02
Here is the shaded herb garden 1 month after planting…you can see the pics in the post below to see the progess it...
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Video documenting what’s in the walls of our Eichler
Oct 23, 2009 13:16
I shot this video to document the electrical wiring, data cable, plumbing, and interconnected/hardwired smoke alarms before...
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Guilty Pleasures: Funnel Cakes
Oct 15, 2009 22:44
I am not a big fan of the Marin County Fair. I think it is kind of dusty, dirty and way too hot but every year I drag myself...
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Pok Pok Chicken Wings
Oct 15, 2009 21:20
One of my favorite shows to watch is Guy Fieri’s Diner, Drive-ins, and Dives. I can watch hours of this show and...
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Guilty Pleasures
Although I try to eat organic, sustainable, healthy food I have the hugest sweet tooth and am such a glutton for high fat,...
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Zuni Roast Chicken with Bread Salad
Oct 13, 2009 20:44
Some people claim that the roast chicken at Zuni in San Francisco is THE BEST roast chicken dish around and I have to agree. ...
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Chive Risotto Cakes
Oct 13, 2009 5:11
I saw this recipe on The Barefoot Contessa’s episode on herbs a few months ago and was amazed at how easy it looked...
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Cream Of Tomato Soup
Oct 13, 2009 3:41
We have a surplus of tomatoes. We have given so many away, have frozen bags of tomatoes and eat them daily but never get...
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Jan Birnbaum’s Cowboy Steak with Tomato Relish
Oct 13, 2009 3:12
I LOVE a good steak and one of my favorite cuts is a nice, marbled rib eye. You can’t beat the flavor! When we were...
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Chicken Tikka Masala and Naan
Oct 13, 2009 2:00
We moved out of San Francisco less than a year ago and one of the things we miss the most about living in the city is late...
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