Slowing Down and Summer Goodies
Unlike many Americans, summertime is the busiest time of year for those of us who work in museums. So I often miss whole seasons of fruit and vegetables before I can fully appreciate them. Working extra hours each week and then spending the weekends DOING things because it’s beautiful weather out or it’s so hot … Continue reading
Beating the Heat, Vintage Style
I grew up without central air conditioning. In fact, mostly without air conditioning at all. Actually, come to think of it, I have never lived in a house with central air. And I grew up in a pretty hot and steamy region of the country, where the temperature in the summer routinely reached 90 degrees … Continue reading
Naked Rock Garden Ambition
My hubs, Mom, and I went on our first Open Garden Days tour of the season yesterday. Open Garden Days is a fundraising effort of the Garden Conservancy, and we are embarrassingly rich with Open Gardens in the Hudson Valley! This was the most ambitious rock garden I have ever seen: rock wall after rock … Continue reading
Seeds for the People: Hudson Valley Seed Library
I just ordered my 2012 flower and veg seeds from the Hudson Valley Seed Library, founded by the charming and über-talented duo that is partners Ken Greene and Doug Muller. You don’t have to live in the Hudson Valley to order from them. They serve all of New York and those parts of neighboring states … Continue reading
A Little Fall Garden Walkabout
I’m so glad I planted some food crops in my home garden, because the community veg garden has been repeatedly flooded since Irene, rendering all crops there unsafe-to-eat mush. My cohorts and I will be lucky if we can get in there to plant garlic before Thanksgiving! But at home I have some swiss chard, … Continue reading
$5 Meal Challenge
SlowFood USA is hosting a $5 Challenge on September 17th. The premise? That good, healthy, slow food can be had for just as little (if not less) money than the average fast food “value” meal. The challenge is to cook a homemade meal for less than $5 per person. If you know how to cook, … Continue reading
How to can peaches.
~Updated July 2018, after completion of Master Food Preservation training program. Peaches are one of my favorite canned foods, especially during those cold winter months when the snow is blowing against the window. Inside away from the cold you are just pulling warm shortcake out of the oven with an open can of summer’s peaches … Continue reading
It’s time to start canning!
Canning season is here, which means it is time to get those supplies out of the closet. For you beginners, this post should help guide you to get the supplies needed. The first step is to determine what you want to can. Depending on what you want to preserve you will either need a boiling-water … Continue reading
Fair Food: Orange Shakeups
Fresh-squeezed lemonade or orangeade (also called shake-ups) are the highlight of the fair for me. They are rather hideously expensive, which is silly, since they are so easy to make! You will need: Orange Shakeups 1-2 oranges per person sugar water ice a martini shaker Roll oranges (or lemons, or limes) to release juice. Cut … Continue reading
Antique Tractor Pull
They are more entertaining than you might think. The antique tractor pull was basically our whole reason for going to the Ulster County Fair (featured yesterday here) because Chad and I both love old tractors. Chad grew up with them and while I didn’t really, I have strong familial connections to them and first got … Continue reading
FarmHouse 