Late fall and winter can be a tough time for foragers in the majority of North America. After the fall mushrooms are gone, there isn’t a whole lot left in the realm of wild food. The one thing that most of us have, no matter where we live, is pine or other conifer needles. They…
Updates and Recent Happenings: Snow!
Yes, it’s true, I get excited about snow. You see, I grew up near Portland, Oregon, where we would only get maybe a couple of inches once or twice a year, if we were lucky. If it happened on a school day, it also meant that school would most likely be canceled, which was pretty…
Winter Herb Kvass: Bubbly Fermented Herbal Drink
Winter is the perfect time to make this herb kvass! It’s a bubbly, fermented drink that is traditionally made with beets, but can be made with any vegetable that ferments well. This fermented probiotic beverage is a wonderful winter drink with tons of health benefits, and the perfect drink to make for the holiday season….
Updates and Recent Happenings: Dew Drops and Strawberry Leaves
Well hello my peoples! I’ll be honest and say that I don’t have a whole lot to share this week, for several reasons. First is that it’s winter and there’s not a whole lot going on in the garden. Second is that I’ve been super busy with Coco’s Herbals, which is awesome! I’m really having…
Updates and Recent Happenings: Snow and a Winter Garden
Holy cow, how is it December already? This fall literally flew by, and now we seem to be square into winter, even though it’s not even technically winter yet. Surprisingly, we are still eating fresh tomatoes from our garden! Yes, our plants were ripped out and sent to compost several weeks ago, but we brought…
5 Ways to Protect Potted Plants in Winter
I can’t even believe it’s almost winter already, but here we are. While it’s not technically winter yet, it has been quite cold in our neck of the woods, and it’s supposed to stay that way for a little while. Over the past several weeks we’ve cleaned up the garden, harvested what we could, and…
How to Make Fermented Cranberries
These fermented cranberries are the perfect way to get some gut healthy probiotics into your diet for the holidays! Lacto-fermented cranberries are delicious and so easy to make. Lacto-fermented Cranberries for the Holidays The holiday season is here and it makes me so happy! I really do love this time of year, and Thanksgiving is…
Updates and Recent Happenings: Last Harvests and Winter Garden Prep
Well, it’s the calm before the storm right now, literally. We are supposed to be getting our first real storm of the season this weekend. Yes, we’ve had some rainy days, but this one is predicted to bring strong winds, cold temps, and possibly even some snow. At some point along the line it seems…
How to Make Hard Apple Cider Jelly
This is an exciting recipe for me to share because it is something that I accidentally stumbled upon two years ago due to a fermenting mishap. I love it when I have the ability to turn mistakes into something useful, and this turned out so good that I actually want to make it every year!…
Updates and Recent Happenings: Brussels Sprouts and Herbal Oils
Wow, just like that Halloween is over and we’re squarely into fall. It seemed to take a while to get here where we are, but now we’re getting some pretty darn cold nights. We haven’t had a hard frost yet, but it’s coming soon. The extended summer did bring us more production from our garden…