Food
A New Lens and Breadcrumbs
“We must look at the lens through we see the world, as well as the world we see, and that the lens itself shapes how we interpret the world.” ― Stephen R. Covey I’ve been savoring our foggy mornings out in the garden while playing with my new macro lens. It’s a Canon – EF 100mm […]
Creamy Scrambled Eggs for Dinner
This fall, My Pirate’s work schedule shifted from traveling out-of-town four days a week to an in-town local route without a long commute. After years of us living opposite hours, now he gets up at 5:30 in the morning to go to work and he’s home every night for dinner. I’m thrilled to have him […]
Parsnip and Barley Soup with Chicken
Barnaby and I are home sick with a cold this week. Yes, that’s right. The dog and I are sniffling and coughing together on the couch watching old sci-fi movies while My Pirate tends to us. Barnaby picked up a case of kennel cough from his dog park friends. My (poor) Pirate is home on […]
Reuben Panini Sandwich
I recently learned that my Artichoke Glow photograph was selected to compete in the Peoples Choice portion of the Oregonian’s garden photo contest. I was elated. I grew up reading the Oregonian and always looked forward to seeing the garden photo winners announced in late December. It brightened my spirit to see so much beauty […]
My Minestrone Soup
Last week, I finished planting all of my new plant acquisitions with Barnaby’s help and uncovered our front walkway. My Pirate was ecstatic. The very next day a windstorm blew in with 50+ mile-per-hour gusts and stuck around for over 24 hours. The roaring winds knocked over large fir trees and fences throughout our neighborhood. […]
Giving Thanks and Cranberry Chutney
Raise your hand if you grew up eating canned jellied cranberry sauce! I did. And I’m not embarrassed to admit that I loved my sliced Frisbee of cranberry goodness. But, then I grew up and craved something more sophisticated: sweet and sour with hints of orange and ginger. I searched for a cranberry chutney recipe […]
Time For Soup
A windstorm is blowing in and the fir cones dropping on our new pergola roof sound like bombs going off. The Assistant, Sadie, is hiding in the bathtub and I’m the idiot sitting out under the pergola listening to the breeze blow through the fir trees and the crows angrily complain. So far, we’ve only […]
Celebrating with Limeade
My sweet Pirate gave me an early birthday present of plants from my favorite nursery, Xera Plants! I was beyond thrilled. This was the first time that My Pirate has picked out plants for me and he did a great job. There was only one way to celebrate; I made my favorite Limeade recipe. And […]
Swooning Over My Violetto Artichoke
Beautiful vegetables are essential to appeasing your neighbors when you grow your edibles in the front yard. Sure, your neighbor’s lawn might be brown in the summer heat and littered with white plastic resin furniture and toys. And their front patio is punctuated with hanging resin pots holding the desiccated remains of forgotten plants. But, […]
Roasted Baby Carrots
On warm evenings, you can find me out front watering my Victory Garden while chomping on a fresh Nantes carrot pulled out of the soup themed garden. I’ve been happily ‘thinning’ my carrots this way for the past month. Have you ever eaten a carrot fresh out of the garden? They are crunchy and sweet […]