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New fruits, the joy of shopping local somewhere else
Len was in south Florida for a work conference, and while he did bring me a souvenir from a gift shop, he also brought souvenirs home from an even better spot -- a fruit stand.You know you can find...
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Brandied cherries
Cherries are not exactly in season in February, but you can find them in the store. (Likely not locally sourced, a relevant note per my last post.) Still, I found myself with a bag of cherries in the...
View ArticleSeasonal doings, early March
I've earned my badge for first bike ride of the year -- a 3-mile evening jaunt on a relatively mild March 1 to attend a local Pinewood Derby. Weather-wise, I could have been a real eco star and hung...
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Adventures in Cake Decorating #12 - Sonic the Hedgehog Cake
One of the niblings just turned seven, and he's already very into video games. Hence, a Sonic the Hedgehog cake.Given the block-grid look of the landscape in the Sonic the Hedgehog games, this would...
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Lemon Shrimp, Tomatoes, and Spaghetti Squash
For lemon lovers only.1 spaghetti squash1 lb of shrimp, peeled and deveined10 oz. cherry tomatoes4 tbsp butter, divided2 tbsp olive oil2 cloves garlic, minced3 lemons - 1 zested and juiced, 1 juiced, 1...
View ArticleHumane harassment, or how to get your neighbors to move (if they are squirrels)
The evidence was there in early winter. Scatterings of rough-edged little squares of paper and cardboard. Shredded leaves. A random sock. One evening, Len and I went out to the garage, armed with a...
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Mobile bike repair shops
Here's a fun and useful thing: Mobile bike mechanics who run their business out of their own home or even set up shop like food trucks, maybe with a regular tent at your local farmers market, or an...
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Parts of the whole – a more sustainable way of looking at things
Things. If there is one thing we humans all have in common, it's things. We tend to have a lot of them, whatever the things are, and we use them until they wear out. So let's talk about the importance...
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Article 16
Last Thursday, we had 45 mph wind gusts as the temperature slowly climbed from the 30s into the upper 40s. And, it was sunny. Time for the first line-drying of 2022. As the laundry basket became...
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Say yes to less
Earth Day was last week, and so my question to you is, What were your Earth Day Resolutions? Oh, you didn't make any? It's not too late -- let's resolve to change something now. I propose a resolution...
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A new old furniture thing
Someone was throwing out this cool piece of furniture. Of course we carried it home, where Len got to work refurbishing.The drawers didn't fit -- they were separating at their corners, and the wood had...
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Adventures in Cake Decorating #13 - Dinosaur Cake and Cookies
Three years after I made it, let me tell you about this dinosaur cake and cookies. It's a good example of combining two simple decorating components into one impressive overall look -- a frosting petal...
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Homemade tomato paste and a sun-drying experience
Don't underestimate the power of tomato paste umami. The times I leave tomato paste out of recipes that call for it ("oh, it's only 2 tablespoons"), the recipes turn out just fine, but... they lack a...
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Adventures in Cake Decorating #14 - Spider-Man Cake 2
It's really more of a building cake or a city cake, and you certainly could top it with any superhero (or no superhero at all), but let me tell you the story of how this so-called Spider-Man cake came...
View ArticleGas or clothes? A math problem for a hot day
Here's a hypothetical situation (or maybe it was real...) that weighs the cost of having the wrong clothes. You work at an office 12 miles north of your home, a 25-minute drive in normal workday...
View ArticleAnother post about gas: good news and bad
Have you been driving less because of the high gas prices lately?The flexibility to work from home has been a boon for us while higher gas prices have coincided with some office renovations that made...
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Ad hoc agua fresca - Watermelon, Cucumber, Mint
Watermelon and cucumber are possibly the most refreshing fresh produce you can eat in the summer, what with their crisp textures and high water contents. They're the perfect duo for a refreshing...
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Tortilla soup with roasted tomatoes and peppers
Summer fades, and we stand at the confluence of cooler evenings and the long-awaited bounty of edible nightshades (if your garden has been lucky in tomatoes and peppers). Now is the perfect time for...
View ArticleBrandied cherries - shelf life
An update on the brandied cherries I made and stored earlier this year.Last week, I tried a new combination. I won't say I discovered it, because others have surely tried this or similar combinations...
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Nostalgia rattling in the kitchen
Does everyone have shelves of pantry overflow in their basement (or some other room beyond the kitchen)? Or is it just my family?This week, we added six pints of canned tomatoes to the wooden shelves...
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New Orleans by foot and streetcar
Let's do another adventure flashback.It's pretty great to arrive in a new city and not have to rent a car. We've taken a few nearly carless vacations. None were completely car-free, because there is...
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Gingerbread Experiments
Happy New Year! It's time to catch up on some holiday baking.We did not make a gingerbread model of our own house this year, but I did experiment with gingerbread in other ways. First were these...
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Mini Lemon Crepe Cakes For Two
Roses are red... sugar is sweet... Yes, I like Valentine's Day, and I prefer the simple, sweet celebrations over grandiose (expensive and stressful) romantic ordeals.A short story: One Valentine's Day...
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Adventures in Cake Decorating #15 - Football-themed Cakes
Eight-year-olds and football. Apparently.I have now made two different football-themed cakes for two different little boys. The latest one just recently for my nephew's 8th birthday, and the first one...
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Upcycling fuzzy socks, for people with dogs
As we put winter in the rearview, some of your fuzzy socks are probably near the end of their useful life. ...Or are they? Gather your fuzzy socks that have holes, that have lost their elastic, or that...
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