Who knew figs grew so well in zone 8 Seattle? There are many many varieties that do well both in ground and I containers. I was first introduced to fresh figs by a co-worker who has several Desert King trees in his West Seattle yard. He always brought in some of his harvest to work… Read More Figs in Seattle
This recipe is adapted from the recipe found in the Pomona’s Universal Pectin instruction sheet that comes in the box. Pomona’s is a preservative free citrus pectin that uses calcium instead of acid and sugar to create a gel, making it perfect for low sugar or honey jams. It can be found in most grocery stores… Read More Spicy Currant Honey Jam
Have you ever thought about making your own vanilla extract but didn’t know where to start? Vanilla beans and extracts have become increasingly expensive in the past few years and making your own can save a little money and ensure you are getting the real thing. The recipe for a single fold extract is simple,… Read More Homemade Vanilla Extract
This recipe works best with hulless pumpkin seeds either store bought or home grown. There are many varieties of pumpkins that have hulless seeds. The ones I used came from an F1 hybrid variety called “Naked Bear Pumpkin”. This variety is said to contain more seeds and is more disease resistant than many other varieties.… Read More Spicy Roasted Pepitas
I received my first sourdough starter from a friend recently and I made my very first loaf. I was actually surprised how well it turned out and after sharing the photos on social media I had lots of requests to share my recipe. I didn’t follow any one recipe or method for my first loaf.… Read More Artisan Sourdough Bread
I was gifted a sampling of cacao tea to try out. It’s funny because I had recently seen something about cacao tea on Instagram just before and was instantly intrigued. The tea is made from the husks (shells) from cacao beans after they’ve been fermented and roasted. Cacao Tea Co’s tea is 100% natural and… Read More Cacao Tea Banana Bread Recipe
It’s the beginning of March and that is the time I start my tomato seeds. I love trying new varieties every year, but I always grow a few I’ve grown before because they are so good that I just have to grow them again. I will be growing 20 varieties this year and these are… Read More Must Grow Tomatoes
I’ve been wanting to try making brandied cherries for a long time and finally got around to it after picking up some organic Rainier cherries at Costco this year. There are lots of variations of brandied cherries out there. Most recipes use a simple syrup of sugar and water but I decided to use honey… Read More Limoncello Brandied Cherries
I grew so many peppers this year that I’ve been trying to find all kinds of things to make with them. One of the things I did was dehydrate and grind them into a powder. I grew a couple peach peppers this year that were very productive, Sugar Rush Peach and Jays Peach Ghost Scorpion.… Read More Chili Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
For my 42nd birthday, Mark took me out for dinner at Flavour Bistro, a new restaurant in Duvall. It was previously known as Fall City Bistro which we had been to once before. They moved to Duvall last month and have a new name. They serve a lot of the same dishes they did in… Read More Flavour Bistro
