Like Stinging Nettle Spanakopita, Stuffed Grape Leaves are another Mediterranean food that we just love. While we aren’t Greek, our community has an amazing Greek festival each year and we never miss it.Continue Reading
Cheesy Creamy Broccoli Soup with Bacon
So, my sister-in-law makes THE BEST cream of broccoli soup. EVER. And she won’t give me the recipe because the person who gave it to her made her swear never to give it away.
Can’t she cheat a little? I was determined to make this cream of broccoli soup and it had to be just as good. In the end, it was my husband who made a suggestion that made the soup rock. I was missing the cheese!Continue Reading
Book Review: Growing Mushrooms for Beginners
A Simple Guide to Cultivating Mushrooms at Home
While I love foraging and eating wild mushrooms, when it comes to growing my own mushrooms, I am completely inexperienced. Thanks to the new book, Growing Mushrooms for Beginners, by Sarah Dalziel-Kirchhevel, this will be the year to remedy that. Continue Reading
How to Forage Ostrich Fern Fiddleheads
What are Fiddlehead Ferns
Fiddleheads are simply the furled fronds, or tender shoots, of a young fern in spring. As the fiddlehead unfurls, they become the ferns new frond, or leaf. Their name comes from their resemblance to the scroll head of a violin and can be found throughout most of the NE U.S. and all of Canada. And they are a wonderful plant for spring foraging. Continue Reading
Lemon Balm Cold Sore Lip Balm Recipe
Lemon Balm for Cold Sore Lip Balm
Do you suffer from cold sores? If so, I highly recommend that you grow lemon balm, Melissa officinalis, in your herb garden. Also called Sweet Melissa, its oil has a strong antiviral effect on the herpes virus and can easily be made into a healing cold sore lip balm.
What this means is that if you apply this lip balm for cold sores topically, it can inhibit the virus directly and can help speed up the healing time (source).Continue Reading
3 Ways to Exercise to Prepare Seniors (like me) for Gardening Season
Fitness and Gardening
Yes, gardening is definitely exercise and can help to keep us fit. But today I’m concentrating on getting fit before gardening season hits so that you can prevent injury and have more energy for all those spring tasks in the garden.Continue Reading