Happy Thanksgiving to all of you who celebrate it. We find we have a great deal to be thankful for, even in these challenging times, and hope that all of you are healthy, safe, and free from hunger. In acknowledgment of the very small group at the table this year…
The Holidays
Decorating the Yard for Christmas
Seems like everyone around here (including us) has jumped the gun a little bit in terms of holiday decorating. Usually, Stacy’s pulling out the wreaths and decor as the leftover turkey and stuffing are being wedged into the refrigerator. I’m sure it’s the effect of the pandemic and a craving…
DIY
Fall Planting and Stone Pillars
With another cold morning (including a dusting of snow), it feels like we cut it a bit close with our fall planting of bulbs. We got in just over two hundred on Sunday (mostly daffodils, with a few tulips and a handful of hyacinths). Most of them went in at…
In the Kitchen
How the Sausage Gets Made
The first batch in a while… I’ve been meaning to make another batch of sausages for ages – so this morning it was two batches. One loaded with fennel and another of breakfast sausage (seasoned primarily with sage). Dreadfully inconsistent in the size of the links, but, of course, I…
In the Yard | Gardening and Landscaping
Pond Edge Plantings
Beginning to plant perennials along the periphery of the pond (I guess today has been brought to us by the letter “p”). The surface of the water really reflects the warm glow of the late afternoon sun on the trees. We put in so many new plantings around the pond…
DIY
Making the Kitchen Fireplace
Of all of the tasks associated with the kitchen expansion project, the one that gave me the most trepidation was figuring out how to get the 750 lb (350 kg) granite hearthstone up onto its brick masonry base. In the end, I lured Drew Dow and his assistant Jake up…
In the Woods
An Autumn Hike
I always consider a walk in the woods good therapy for the soul, but there’s something about mid-autumn. It may be the colors, or the sense of impending winter, or something else entirely. And coming back to a pot of tea makes the hike even better. It makes for a…
In the Kitchen
Rose Hip and Apple Jelly
Here is the rose hip and apple jelly. I used our darkest red apples (it’s an old tree of uncertain provenance – I’m pretty sure it’s a Black Oxford) to complement the color from the hips. I wish I could describe the flavor, but I can’t. Let’s just say that…