Award Winners

Now that I'm done with having full loads of classes, I've had more time to do fun things! Gardening, canning and crafts have been on my agenda. So this year I decided to enter some things in our local fair, The Gold Country Fair in Auburn, CA. It turned out to be a very successful decision! I ended up winning second place in every category I entered- so exciting!

Needle Felted Mushroom

Homegrown "Siamese Pumpkin"

 

Spiced Plum Butter (with Cardamon, Ginger, Cloves)

Photos by Sailors Ravine Studio

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Onions

Instead of throwing away the ends of you onions, recycle them! You can either plant it in your garden right away or put it in a bowl of water and watch the roots grow.

Voila, here are mine! The first two are leeks, then two green onions and the one in the very back is a red onion. Pretty cool, huh?!

Produce

My spaghetti squash seedlings 

Almost blue, blueberries

The Wild Table

I just got a new cookbook called The Wild Table by Connie Green and Sarah Scott. It leaves me amazed! It's all about seasonal foraged foods and recipes that compliment them. The photos are beautiful and the recipes sound delicious and do-able! The wild food they feature seems very accessible. There are excellent descriptions and instructions for each delicacy. I'm so excited to have found this cookbook!

Went on a nice hike in my favorite spot in Santa Cruz county, Nisene Marks State Park. Luckily I read all about Miner's Lettuce in my new book because I found a ton of it today! Lovely little plants that look like whimsical lily pads and have a crisp, grassy flavor. I cant wait to try out some of The Wild Table's recipes!

Edible Flowers: Borage

Borage: "Bright flowers and hairy leaves distinguish this European herb whose flavor is reminiscent of cucumber."- The New Food Lover's Companion

Borage is a tasty flower that is simple to grow! It makes for a fun and different addition to any garden.

spring into gardening

 

 

green tea

Another easy craft to do on this very rainy day. Turn an unused tea cup into a perfect spot for a little succulent!

 

add some green

...make a terrarium

locally grown

Wandered on a foothill farm and found these jems. Everything about Persimmons are wonderful! The color, taste, the time of year and climate they grow and the things you can make out of them!