Almost every day my youngest daughter asks if she can bake something. The funny thing is she’s not much of a sweets eater so it’s not just because she wants to eat something sweet. She just truly enjoys baking and making something for everyone to enjoy. Of course we don’t bake every day but I […]
Growing and Using Edible Hibiscus – a tasty addition for your garden and kitchen
Every year I try to grow something new in our garden. This year found us growing edible hibiscus, commonly known as Rosella and Jamaican Sorrel, and scientifically as Hibiscus sabdariffa.It’s been one of the most carefree plants we’ve ever grown. Edible hibiscus is a short-day plant that grows in tropical and subtropical areas. However, it […]
Raising Capable Children
“You know, like nunchuck skills, bo hunting skills, computer hacking skills. Girls only like guys who have great skills.” This is my favorite quote from the movie Napoleon Dynamite. We often quote it when we’re teaching our children a new skill – of course, we change it a little for our girls. Learning new skills […]
9 Foods You Didn’t Know You Could Freeze
After hurricane Harvey we were without power for eight days. We didn’t stay in our home during that time but did come daily to work on starting the clean up and to check on things. We were totally fine but one thing I was mourning was losing everything in my freezers. You see I have […]
Growing and Using Cilantro and Coriander Seed
Cilantro is one of those herbs that people either love or hate. There really isn’t any middle ground when it comes to cilantro. I happen to love it. Fortunately, most of my family does too, although not quite to the same extent that I do. Truly, what’s not to like? It’s easy to grow, is […]
Making herbal tea blends – what you need to know
We are a tea loving family. In fact, I joke that growing up while other kids drank Kool-Aid® or Tang®, we drank tea (meaning sweet iced tea, I am from the South, you know). As a young adult I was introduce to herbal teas and fell in love with them, too. At first I would […]
Fall gardening in zone 9 {with links to other zones}
Depending on where you live you are probably at least thinking about fall gardening by mid-July. You maybe doing more than just thinking and actually planting some of your cool weather crops. Every summer while our heat index reaches 100+°F day after day, I tend to get frustrated hearing about everyone’s fall garden knowing that ours is […]
Frugal Gardening Tips: How to Save Money in the Backyard Garden
I’ve heard it over and over again, “Gardening is expensive!” Well, yes it can be. But it doesn’t have to be. Our family spends about $300 a year on our garden and orchard. We’re able to grow about 75% of the produce needed for our family, which at this time is mostly 6 people – […]
Preserving the Harvest…Zucchini
We are in the height of zucchini and summer squash season right now and while it is overwhelming at times, it’s also a huge blessing. My grocery budget is happy! Because we often have a problem with vine borers, I try to begin preserving zucchini and yellow squash at the beginning of the season. Anything […]
How to eat zucchini everyday and not get tired of it
Because we grow most of our vegetables and eat very seasonally, it’s either feast or famine when it comes to zucchini and other summer squash. Right now we’re in the feast season and I’ve been looking for zucchini recipes to diversify our meals a bit so my family won’t complain about eating zucchini every day. […]
