Jamming and Canning

Saturday was National Can-It-Forward Day.  While I am a canning enthusiast, this isn’t something that I sign up for or, realistically, to which I pay much heed.  For the last two years, however, it seems like I end up canning on Can-It-Forward Day without premeditation. 

July Garden Update

A couple of days ago I received a comment on June Garden Update that made me smile.  Within this comment, the author professed to a "black thumb" and indicated that, given my container garden, I would now "have someone to gloat over".  Beyond that fact that it's not really my style, it's very easy to resist any temptation to gloat.  This is why:

Battenberg Up

When I read this month’s Daring Baker’s challenge, I was kind of excited that it was cake.  "Mandy of What The Fruitcake?! came to our rescue last minute to present us with the Battenberg Cake challenge! She highlighted Mary Berry’s techniques and recipes to allow us to create this unique little cake with ease."  It’s been awhile since I’ve made a cake and I’ve been feeling the urge a little bit.  This cake was the perfect answer as although it’s small in size, it involves a lot of technique.  Perfect!

One of Those Days

Do you ever have them?  Those days that, at some point, you realize the most challenging thing you should have endeavored was changing the channel?  Apparently, today was my day.  C’est la vie.

June Garden Update

It’s been 10 days since I took the photos of my container garden for Almost a Garden.  Every day when I walk out onto our deck I am amazed at what can happen in 24 hours, let alone 10 days.  See for yourself:

Homemade Yogurt Unplugged

Back in April, Marisa of Food in Jars posted about making homemade yogurt in mason jars.  I was enthralled.  For years – Y E A R S – I’ve looked at yogurt making machines.  Part of me felt it would be a justifiable expense as I do eat quite a bit of yogurt and the idea of experimenting with different flavors was intriguing.  But then I would read further about needing to order and reorder the yogurt cultures, think about the cost of having everything shipped, and the fact that it would be a single-use machine and eventually would talk myself out of it.