Things are getting sparse at the farmer’s market as everyone is now feeling the effects of that deep freeze in December and the subsequent near constant rain we’ve had. It’s ironic that food is disappearing in the face of some pretty mild-spring like temperatures. If you have been planning to make kraut and [...]
Entries Tagged as 'Dark Days Challenge'
Dark Days Week 10
January 25th, 2010 · 6 Comments
Tags: Dark Days Challenge
Tigress’s Can Jam and Local Citrus
January 24th, 2010 · 1 Comment
I’ve so enjoyed reading everyone’s Tigress Can Jam citrus posts this week that I almost forgot to write my post about it!
Citrus from the store is not local in the Pacific NW but there are some citrus you can grow at home. Unfortunately only one can overwinter in your garden and I just planted [...]
Tags: Dark Days Challenge · Local Dairy - Where To Get It And What To Do With It · Preserving Food · Recipes for Seasonal and Local Foods · Tigress Can Jam Challenge
Dark Days Week 9
January 18th, 2010 · 9 Comments
Dark days are clipping by faster than a picket fence out the window of a hot rod Chevy. Despite my distraction with California citrus this week I’ve been busy cooking up some local grub as well.
I’ve had 100 pounds of apples sitting in my garage waiting for some attention all fall. Last week I juiced a gallon and a [...]
Tags: Dark Days Challenge
Dark Days Week 8
January 11th, 2010 · 13 Comments
Week 8 and here is the lineup this week:
Homemade beef jerky. I’ve been planning this one since I got the cow but finally managed to make it happen. I used a package labeled “bottom round” which I *think* is a pretty tough cut and it came out awesome! I partially thawed it then sliced it [...]
Tags: Dark Days Challenge · Sausage
Saving Money by Eating Locally
January 10th, 2010 · 20 Comments
This post is part of Pennywise Platter hosted weekly by Kimi
When I started this journey last year I was emotionally committed and luckily had the resources to back that commitment up. I had decided that even though it costs more to eat this way we would give up other things and hopefully finances would even [...]
Tags: Dark Days Challenge · Saving Money · Wholesale Local Food Buys
Dark Days Week 7
January 4th, 2010 · 14 Comments
Another week down and over halfway to the end of the dark days challenge.
We started off the week with beef taco meat for our leftover spelt tortillas we had made in week 6. Cascade range beef, home canned tomatoes, corn from the freezer we grew last summer, Rockridge apple cider vinegar, cumin, chili powder, brown [...]
Tags: Dark Days Challenge
Dark Days Week 6
December 28th, 2009 · 11 Comments
I can’t believe it’s already almost New Years! It’s been a busy, relaxing week meaning I wasn’t schlepping my spawn all over town to their activities and things slowed down in my store so I managed to get quite a bit of stuff done, including make millions of cookies and presents and one of [...]
Tags: Dark Days Challenge
Dark Days Week 5
December 21st, 2009 · 5 Comments
Much like you I’ve been all a-flurry making preparations for Christmas – some online shopping, making as many gifts as possible and baking. While singing Christmas songs, of course.
Caramel popcorn teacher gifts made from this recipe with popcorn from Oregon.
Bath fizzy gifts made from this recipe. We scented them with peppermint essential oil in the [...]
Tags: Christmas presents · Dark Days Challenge
Enjoying December – and Dark Days Week 4
December 16th, 2009 · 2 Comments
December is my favorite month – I love thinking about the holidays, planning the holidays and enjoying the holidays. When I was young I spent time in Sweden and was struck with the beauty, simplicity and meaning of Christmas over there. This was back in the mid 80’s so I’m sure things have changed drastically [...]
Tags: Beans · Dark Days Challenge · Recipes for Seasonal and Local Foods · Snacks
Dark Days Challenge Week #3
December 3rd, 2009 · 8 Comments
Here we are well into the third week of the Dark Days Challenge hosted by (Not so)Urban Hennery so I’m posting what we’ve eaten this week.
Eggs Benedict on homemade English muffins from Lentz spelt with Thundering Hooves Ham, backyard eggs and homemade Hollandaise sauce using more backyard eggs and Golden Glen Creamery butter.
Breakfast smoothie which [...]
Tags: Dark Days Challenge







