吻戏叫床视频_吻戏啪啪视频_吻戏视频啪啪

2026-05-21T13:26:00.000-08:00

We were having all the family over for 吻戏啪啪视频 dinner. I was doing prep work and feeling kvetchy. Nothing was going right: dishes and countertops got dirty and cluttered immediately after I cleaned them. I couldn't get a moment's peace to create the gameplan for 吻戏啪啪视频 day. I didn't know what time the turkey needed to go in the oven, what kind of stuffing I was making, or who was sitting where at the table.

I grabbed the camera. I needed to see things differently.

2026-05-21T08:25:00.000-08:00

The more I try to simplify life, the more interested I become in simple foods. Foods with only a few ingredients. Meals that taste like what they are, not salt or sugar, transfats or MSG. The more I read the labels on food that comes in a box or a plastic container, the more motivated I become to make my own.

Mustard is super easy. Pick up some mustard seeds at the market or order them from 吻戏视频啪啪啪. You need a food processor if you like a uniform consistency, or a lot of elbow grease and a mortar and pestle (affiliate link).

With inspiration from Salt Sugar Smoke (affiliate link) and Kris at Attainable Sustainable, I created two different homemade mustards, one with honey and one without... and we love them!

Homemade Grainy Mustard Two Ways
makes about 1 cup total
keeps in the refrigerator for several weeks

2/3 cup mustard seeds
2/3 cup raw apple cider vinegar
1 tsp turmeric
2-3 garlic cloves
1 tsp raw honey

In a medium bowl, combine the mustard seeds and the apple cider vinegar. Cover and let sit overnight.

The next day, put the mustard seeds in a mortar (or food processor). They will have absorbed most of the apple cider vinegar. 吻戏叫床视频 the turmeric and garlic and pound (or process) until it reaches the desired consistency. 吻戏叫床视频 a bit more vinegar or water if it seems dry. Scoop out half the mustard and place in a sterilized half-pint jar.

To the mustard still remaining in the mortar, 吻戏叫床视频 1 tsp raw honey, and pound with the pestle until it is uniform. Taste and 吻戏叫床视频 more honey if you like. Spoon the honey mustard into a sterilized half-pint jar. Label them both. They will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks.

Both these mustards are delicious with sausages and 吻戏啪啪视频 Kraut.

2026-05-21T12:41:00.004-08:00

There's a new beer and sausage place in Oakland, Brotzeit Lokal. It's right on the San Francisco Bay, and serves up cold German beer and housemade sausages, fries, pickles, kraut, mustard, and mayo. You can sit outside, watch the sailboats bobbing on the water, and have a tasty lunch.

Have you visited Germany? They're serious about their beer gardens.There are lots of little wooded foot paths throughout the parks, and sometimes you round a bend and you've arrived at a biergarten. They appear out of nowhere like Hansel and Gretl's candy house. But for grown ups! They are a community gathering place where families can spend an afternoon, visit with friends and neighbors, the grown-ups can enjoy adult beverages, the kids can play together and eat sausages, and everyone leaves feeling satisfied and nourished. A beer garden is such a pleasurable way to spend an afternoon in Germany; I'm glad they're starting to sprout up in the states. This particular one, Brotzeit Lokal, is one of the things I miss about California.

We were eating there one sunny day, my husband, my son, and I, enjoying the food and the beer, planning our move to the Northwest, and imagining the restaurant we might open someday. Germany's climate is similar to ours, here in Washington State. We can learn a lot from their way of eating. With a short growing season, we must preserve our veggies to eat in the winter. This area of Washington is known for producing lots of cabbage, beets, and potatoes. And so, I'm learning to make sauerkraut.

Sandor Katz's Wild 吻戏啪啪视频 (affiliate link) is a great introduction to making your own fermented foods. You might also want to read up about the many health benefits of eating fermented foods.

Cabbage is so fresh. I love the crisp, icy sound it makes as you slice it with a sharp knife, like walking over snow or skiing down a mountain. As you slice, that heavenly green cabbage scent is released. Breathe in. Now is a good time to be in this moment.

吻戏啪啪视频 Kraut
Serves many. Keeps for weeks.

1 large head cabbage, shredded
3-4 apples, cored and grated
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt (about 3 tablespoons per 5 pounds of cabbage)
16 oz fresh cranberries

You need a large ceramic crock or some large mason jars in which to store the kraut as it ferments. I love these half-gallon mason jars (affiliate link). You also need something to fit inside the jar or crock to weigh down the cabbage and keep it beneath the brine. I use a bendy plastic lid. You can also use a scrubbed and boiled rock, a ziplock bag filled with water... be creative.

Finely shred the cabbage. Place it in a large bowl and layer with salt as you go. (Go easy on the salt at first; you can always 吻戏叫床视频 more later.) Toss and massage the cabbage occasionally. 吻戏叫床视频 the grated apples, sprinkle with lemon juice, 吻戏叫床视频 the fresh cranberries and toss again. Taste the mixture for salt. It should be quite salty, but not unpleasant, like well-salted broth or miso soup.

Using your hands and a big wooden spoon, pack the kraut tightly in the crock. Use the spoon like a muddler (affiliate link) to pack and bruise the cabbage as you go. This will help the salt to draw the water out of the cabbage and apples to create a brine. When the jar is full, or you run out of room, put the lid and the weight on top.

Cover the jar with a clean 吻戏啪啪啪视频 towel and place on the counter in an out-of-the-way place in the 吻戏啪啪啪视频. Over the next 24 hours or so, check the kraut frequently. Press down on the lid to extract more water from the cabbage. If the kraut is not covered in brine after 24 hours, mix some up (1 teaspoon salt to 1 pint water) and 吻戏叫床视频 to the jar to cover.

Allow to ferment at room temperature for one week or more. I like to taste it every couple of days to see how it changes. When it is done is up to you; I like mine still quite crisp. When the 吻戏啪啪视频 kraut is done to your liking, remove the weight, cover the jar with a lid, and refrigerate.

We like to eat this with sausages, beer, and homemade mustard. It's a pleasing, quick, easy, and nutritious winter meal.

2026-05-21T09:13:00.000-08:00

We've doubled our coffee consumption since moving north. It's dark and chilly in the afternoons. When the toddler takes his nap, we usually need a little pick-me-up. Coffee is our go-to choice, but sometimes, chai is better.

This is not the chai that you get at Starbucks. I learned to make it from a friend who is from India. Start with loose black tea leaves or tea bags will do. You need an assortment of warm spices: fennel seed, whole cloves, fresh ginger, cinnamon stick, star anise, whole cardamom, peppercorns. A small strainer (affiliate link) is helpful.

We like our coffee in the morning, chai in the afternoon. But chai is good at any time of day. Like everything, chai is personal. Feel free to tweak the spice blend to your liking. It will only get better with practice. Happy brewing.

Afternoon Chai for Two

1 mug of water
2 tablespoons loose leaf or 2 tea bags black tea
2 slices fresh ginger root
3 whole cardamom pods, smashed with the side of a knife
3 teaspoons fennel seed
1 whole star anise
1 cinnamon stick
a few whole cloves
a few black peppercorns
1 mug whole milk
2 teaspoons sugar or sweetener of your choice

Slowly heat the water, tea, and spices to boil. Boil briskly until the tea is quite strong, 3-5 minutes. 吻戏叫床视频 1 mug full of milk and slowly bring to a boil. Allow the chai to foam up, then remove from heat. 吻戏叫床视频 sweetener to taste. Strain the chai into 2 mugs.

2026-05-21T15:51:00.002-08:00

A few months back, I had some fresh berries and no plans. I didn't want to make jam. We had already eaten handfulls fresh. There was no room in the freezer. It was too hot to bake. I don't mean to complain. An abundance of berries is never a bad thing.

Have you heard of bachelor's jam? Apparently, in olden times, men couldn't use a stove to make their own fruit preserves, so they covered in-season fruit with booze and called it good. There are some lovely recipes for fruity alcohols in Diana Henry's Salt Sugar Smoke (affiliate link) and a great tutorial from Erica at Northwest Edible Life.

With these ideas swirling in my head, one hot summer night my husband and I pulled some liquor from the cabinet, the berries from the fridge, some clean glass jars, and set to work. It's fun and simple to make boozy berries. You don't even need a recipe. Just fill the jars with ripe, clean berries, 吻戏叫床视频 a high-proof alcohol until the jar is about 3/4 full, then 吻戏叫床视频 herbal or fruity liqueur to top it off.

We made three jars:
Raspberry and blueberry vodka
Blackberries with spiced rum
Blueberries with vodka and St. Germain

Seal the jars and leave them in a cool dark place until the holidays.

I found our boozy berries in the pantry the other day. They are delicious. And they pack quite a kick. The blackberries and raspberries didn't hold up in the alcohol very well, so I strained them out. To a clean jar, I 吻戏叫床视频ed the berry liqueur and a small amount super-fine baker's sugar (affiliate link) to taste.

The blueberries are still lovely. They look just as good as the day I drowned them in booze. That jar needed only a bit of sugar and a gentle shake to combine. We are enjoying our homemade berry liqueur in a cocktail with sparkling wine, a few of the soaked blueberries, and a twist. It will be excellent stirred into holiday punch, a hot toddy, wassail, or spooned over ice cream.

Store your boozy berries in a cool dark place. Use up during the holiday season.

Do you preserve fruit in alcohol? I'd love to hear about it and be inspired.

2026-05-21T22:53:00.000-07:00

I visited an estate sale recently where I picked up several awesome old books: a few on canning and preserving from the 1950's, a few old nursing texts from the 1930's, and the British Columbia Women's Institutes Centennial Cook Book (affiliate link). This book is a real treasure.

Allow me to share with you Canada's Food Rules, lifted from the first few pages of this lovely book from 1958. Much of it is still good advice today.

Canada's Food Rules

These foods are good to eat. Eat them every day for health. Have at least three meals each day.

1. MILK-Children (up to about 12 years), at least 1 pint; adolescents, at least 1 1/2 pints; adults, at least 1/2 pint.
2. FRUIT-One serving of citrus fruit or tomatoes or their juices; and one serving of other fruit.
3. VEGETABLES-At least one serving of potatoes; and at least two servings of other vegetables, preferably leafy, green or yellow and frequently raw.
4. CEREALS AND BREAD-One serving of whole grain cereal; and at least four slices of bread (with butter or fortified margarine).
5. MEAT AND FISH-One serving of meat, fish,poultry, or meat alternates such as dried beans, eggs, and cheese. Use LIVER frequently. In 吻戏叫床视频ition: EGGS AND CHEESE at least three times a week each.
VITAMIN D: At least 400 international units daily for all growing persons and expectant and nursing mothers.

2026-05-21T14:55:00.002-07:00

We are enjoying the perfect fall season here in Northwest Washington.

Today, I needed to meditate on the garden. It is an important garden chore, you know. The sun came out, lighting the sky all brilliant blue. The golden light glinted through the dancing red and yellow leaves. The wind scuttled the leaves across the grass and the seagulls and crows swooped through the air, calling calling. A glorious fall day. I went out, planning to just sit on the step with my coffee, staring at the soil with a soft, unfocused gaze and an empty, peaceful mind.

I pulled a weed. It came up easily, revealing beautiful, dark, soft soil. So I grabbed a shovel, moved around some heavy wooden beams left by the last owner, and formed a bed. I turned the soil over: full of earthworms. We will 吻戏叫床视频 leaves, our 吻戏啪啪啪视频 scraps, some manure and grass trimmings, and in the spring we will we ready to plant. This is satisfying work.

The waiting is delicious.

Then I came inside and ate toast with apple butter made from the apples from our tree. It is this apple butter I actually want to tell you about today. I am thinking about apples a lot lately: what I love about them, and what I love about fall. I love gingerbread, apple crisp, big soft molasses cookies, apple cake, wassail, mulled wine, and walking into a warm house full of these warm spicy scents.

I wanted this apple butter to taste like that. The apples from my tree are sweet, so I didn't 吻戏叫床视频 much sweetener: just a touch of molasses, for sweetness and body, and some spices, because it's fall. The resulting apple butter is full of apple flavor and not heavy on the molasses. It can easily be paired with savory dishes like pork chops or roast turkey. I'm enjoying it with peanut butter in sandwiches or on toast with labneh.

Spiced Molasses Apple Butter
makes about 6 cups

First, make the apple puree:
8 pounds apples, cored and quartered
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
4 cups apple cider

Peel the apples if desired. Remove the core, quarter them, and place in a large pot with the apple cider vinegar and the apple cider. Cook over moderate heat until the apples are very soft, 20-30 minutes. When cooled slightly, puree the soft apples using an immersion blender(affiliate link) or food processor.

Next, prepare the apple butter:
8 cups apple puree
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Measure the apple puree back into a heavy pot. I use a dutch oven. 吻戏叫床视频 the molasses and spices and cook uncovered at a bare simmer for several hours, until the butter has thickened to your liking and mounds on a spoon. Stir occasionally. Do not allow to burn. When the apple butter has reached the desired consistency, taste for sweetness and adjust the spices, if you like.

Prepare your water bath, jars, and lids. Fill sterilized 1/2 pint jars with the hot apple butter, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Wipe the rims with a damp cloth, affix the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

2026-05-21T19:20:00.003-07:00

We are here.

Our first night in our house in Oakland, we couldn't sleep for the noise: the BART train, the dogs barking, the traffic, the neighbors arguing. We thought it was strange, having moved from San Francisco, that our new neighborhood seemed so much noisier.

It is peaceful here. The fog, the cool moist mornings, the dew on the apple tree; everything is beautiful and quiet. We are slowly unpacking. The boxes don't bother me. Neither does our long to-do list.

Under these tarps is our veggie garden area. I hope to build raised beds in the next couple of weeks, and allow them to compost until it's time to plant in the spring.

There are lots of little bird houses all over the place.

We harvested lots of apples from our tree. I don't know what variety they are, but they are delicious fresh and in the apple cake I made.

This box is in cold storage in the garage.

The rest I will be turning into apple butter, pie filling, apple crisp, pickled apples... yum. Recipes coming soon.

2026-05-21T15:15:00.003-07:00

I wish I had a photo of all the half-packed boxes around here, but we must've packed the camera charger because no one can find it and the battery is dead. We are moving to the Pacific Northwest in 11 days.

I am daydreaming about the projects we'll do, the garden we'll grow, the things we'll cook, the fresh Dungeness we'll catch and eat, and the simple, frugal, local life we'll lead.

Thanks for your understanding of the radio silence around here. I hope to be back soon.

2026-05-21T10:43:00.003-07:00

"Modern housekeeping, despite its bad press, is among the most thoroughly pleasant, significant,and least alienated forms of work that many of us will encounter even if we are blessed with work outside the home that we like... Seen from the outside, housework can look like a Sisyphean task that gives you no sense of reward or completion. Yet housekeeping actually offers more opportunities for savoring achievement than almost any other work I can think of. Each of its regular routines brings satisfaction when completed. These routines echo the rhythm of life, and the housekeeping rhythm is the rhythm of the body. You get satisfaction not only from the sense of order, cleanliness, freshness, peace and plenty restored, but from the knowledge that you yourself and those you care about are going to enjoy these benefits."
-Cheryl Mendelson, Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House (affiliate link)

This book is inspiring me to turn over a new leaf this season. I wish someone had given it to me when I got married, or left the nest, but I am happy to come across it now. I think I'll go clean out the refrigerator now.

2026-05-21T22:43:00.000-07:00

I don't even like mushrooms. Well, I didn't until I learned about the amazing medicinal properties of mushrooms. They fight cancer! They are antibiotic, antiviral, antifungal, and they lower cholesterol. Anyone who has used them recreationally knows that mushrooms have powerful bioactive effects, but those are not limited to the psychedelic ones. Paul Stamets, a mushroom expert, calls them a "functional food." I love that term. The Huffington Post ran an interesting article about the properties of different medicinal mushrooms. Mushrooms as medicine is well documented since ancient times.

This is not a beautiful soup, nor is it quick. But it is robust, nutritious, medicinal, and delicious. It doesn't take long to cook, but there is quite a lot of chopping involved. You could throw it all in the food processor to save time, but I find the chopping meditative. Especially on a rainy day like today. I started making this immunity soup last winter, and I have noticed many fewer colds, sniffles, flus, scratchy throats, and cold sores blowing through our household. Now, I crave it a couple of times a month.

Even if you don't like mushrooms either, don't be afraid to give this soup a try. It's medicine! I find if I chop the mushrooms finely enough, the texture doesn't bother me, and the flavor is pleasant. You can always 吻戏叫床视频 plenty of ginger, garlic, jalapeno, and miso to cover the mushroom flavor if you like.

Magic Mushroom Immunity Soup
makes 4-6 servings

2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 small onion
8 ounces medicinal mushrooms (I like shitakes and forest nameko)
a knob of fresh ginger, grated (at least 2-3 tablespoons)
1-2 (or more) hot peppers, minced, plus more for garnish if desired
4 (or more) garlic cloves, minced
1 daikon radish, sliced thin
1 bunch kale, or sea vegetables, or other hearty green
2 cups veggie broth, preferably homemade
fresh (unpasteurized) miso paste
fresh herbs
fresh lemon juice
rice noodles or steamed rice

Heat the coconut oil in a soup pot. Put a separate kettle of water on to boil. To the coconut oil, 吻戏叫床视频 the onion and allow to soften while you chop the mushrooms. Remove the woody stems from the mushrooms and put the stems in a mug or Pyrex measuring cup (affiliate link); cover with 2 cups hot water and allow to steep. (This is your mushroom "broth" and separate from the veggie broth. You will 吻戏叫床视频 both later.)

吻戏叫床视频 the chopped mushrooms to the onions and saute gently while you chop and 吻戏叫床视频 the ginger, garlic, hot peppers, and daikon radish.

When everything has softened, after 10-15 minutes or so, strain the mushroom stems from the broth and 吻戏叫床视频 the liquid to the pot, along with 2 cups of veggie broth and 2 cups of water. 吻戏叫床视频 the kale. Bring to a simmer and cook until the greens are tender, 20 minutes.

(During this time, make the steamed rice or cook the rice noodles to the package directions in a separate pot.)

When you are ready to serve, place 1 tablespoon miso paste into the bottom of each bowl. Ladle the soup over top, stir to combine. Then 吻戏叫床视频 the steamed rice or rice noodles. Top with a squeeze of lemon juice, fresh herbs, sliced hot peppers, and hot sauce.

I wish you good health!

2026-05-21T22:48:00.000-07:00

Start with the highest-quality, bone-in, rib chop you can find. Organic, pasture-raised pork is best. You want thick chops, about an inch and a half. This is not a quick recipe, but it isn't difficult, so plan ahead. It's a nice thing to make on a chilly fall day when you want to spend time in the 吻戏啪啪啪视频. My pork chops are a three step process: Brine, bake, sear, eat.

Okay, four steps.

These pork chops are worth all the trouble, though. This method tenderizes the meat, cooks it gently, then the last sear in a hot pan gives it a fragrant, crispy, bacony crust. This method works well for thick steaks, too. Check out The Science of Good Cooking (affiliate link) for details on why it works.

Plan to allow the chops to brine for at least 1 hour, but not more than four hours or they will get soggy. I mix up the brine in a large liquid measuring cup.

For the brine:

1 cup hot water
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1/4 cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon peppercorns, crushed
1 teaspoon mustard seeds, crushed
a few whole allspice berries, crushed
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
a handful of fresh herbs from the garden: rosemary, thyme and sage are good

吻戏叫床视频 the hot water, salt, sugar, and vinegar to a large measuring cup and stir well until the solids are dissolved. Lightly crush the spices in a mortar and pestle or with a rolling pin. 吻戏叫床视频 the remaining ingredients to the brine. Make two 1 inch slits in the fatty edge of each pork chop with a sharp knife: this will help them lie flat as they cook. Nestle in the pork chops (吻戏叫床视频 a bit more water or broth if needed to mostly cover the meat) and place in the refrigerator to brine for 1-4 hours.

To bake the pork chops:

Remove the pork chops from the brine. Pat them dry and allow to warm on the counter for about 45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 275F. Place a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet. Put the pork chops on the wire rack, and bake until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 120-125F, 30-40 minutes. Pay close attention toward the end of cooking time; overcooked pork is tough and tasteless.

While the pork is baking, start the applesauce:

2 tablespoons coconut oil
1/2 red onion, chopped fine
2 small apples, chopped
1 pear, chopped
pinch chili powder
pinch ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons jam (homemade nectarine habanero is great here)
1 cup chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste

In a saute pan over medium heat, warm the coconut oil. 吻戏叫床视频 the onion, apple, and pear and allow to soften, stirring frequently, 10-15 minutes. 吻戏叫床视频 salt, pepper, chili powder, and cinnamon and toast until fragrant, about 1 minute. 吻戏叫床视频 the jam and chicken stock and stir to combine. Simmer over low heat until the fruit is broken down and thickened, and the pork chops are nearly ready. Puree with a food processor or immersion blender.

Pan-Fry the Pork Chops

Remove the pork chops from the oven. Heat a heavy-bottom pan over high heat until screaming hot. 吻戏叫床视频 1 tablespoon coconut oil. When smoking, place in the pork chops. Let sizzle until golden brown and crusty, about 2 minutes per side. Brown the fatty edge by holding the pork chops upright with tongs. Allow the pork chops to reach an internal temperature of 145F, then remove to a plate and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Top with the skillet applesauce. Serve with mashed potatoes, something green, and a glass of wine.

With inspiration from:
Cook's Illustrated
Nopa, my favorite restaurant in San Francisco, and my favorite pork chop
and Married with Dinner

2026-05-21T14:56:00.000-07:00

"Your body is an ecosystem that can function most effectively when populated by diverse species of microorganisms. Sure, you can buy 'probiotic' nutritional supplements containing specific selected bacteria that promote healthy digestion. But by fermenting foods and drinks with wild microorganisms present in your home environment, you become interconnected with the life forces of the world around you... Wild 吻戏啪啪视频 is a way of incorporating the wild into your body, becoming one with the natural world. Wild foods, microbial cultures included, possess a great, unmediated life force, which can help us adapt to shifting conditions and lower our susceptibility to disease. These microorganisms are everywhere, and the techniques for fermenting them are simple and flexible."

Sandor Ellix Katz, Wild 吻戏啪啪视频 (affiliate link)

2026-05-21T11:40:00.000-07:00

My babe is 17 months old and still not walking. We have some anxiety about this. Okay, a lot of anxiety. Sure, he's still in "the window," but what happens next month if he hasn't decided to walk? How much do we encourage him to stand and walk? Should we push him more? Some birds need a little shove out of the nest. He can walk, we think, he just doesn't know it yet. He is strong and active. He walks around the furniture, and he pushes his train or my birth ball around the yard. He's a quick crawler. Give him 2 seconds and he's across the room, opening the baby gate and climbing the stairs, or crawling down the driveway toward the street.

We love our big baby. We love that we've had this extended period of not-walking, not-chasing. Of babyhood. He'll do it when he's ready. He had a rough start as a young baby: months and months in the PICU with breathing problems. Maybe he needs to be a baby longer because he missed out on so much during those months in the hospital. That's fine.

And yet. We wish he'd walk, on time, like the other children. Is he wounded from his hospitalization? Did the drugs stunt his development? Is this a harbinger of difficult times to come? It's hard to not wonder.

Every day, for months now, we wonder if today's the day that he'll take off running. Each day is not the day.

When you're a parent, struggling through the day-to-day mucky-muck of parenting, every little thing seems like a big hairy deal. Probably, in another few months, we won't even remember this anxiety, as the three of us transition into toddlerhood.

Sometimes, in those faint fleeting floating dreams as you're falling asleep, I dream he's choking and I wake with a gasp. Anxiety is a puma that lives in our house. Does every mother experience this?

We strive for a peaceful life. So, instead of worrying, we are working harder at play. I want him to use his whole body, I want him to find the pleasure in movement. We dance. We do yoga (affiliate link) (he thinks Mama's downward dog is hilarious). We pretend we're elephants or monkeys. We climb on top of and into the laundry basket. We make forts. We chase the cats. We chase each other. We are having so much fun!

Really, mostly, we're okay with our big boy who prefers crawling. There are important lessons in parenting here.

Be patient. Everything changes.
Be kind. Kindness toward himself and others might be the most important lesson I want him to learn.
Relax and find the humor. It is present in everything and so much easier to find if you cultivate a light heart.
He'll do it when he's ready. Relax and yield to the power that's larger than you.
He is the teacher. Look for the lesson.
Childhood is fleeting. It's not a race. We're on a long lazy float down the river, and we're here to enjoy it.
Just because he's not walking now doesn't mean he won't get into college.
Show him what is possible. He may not know what he can do.
He is perfect in every way. Treasure his tiny, strong body.
Do not compare your treasure to your neighbor's.
Play more.

2026-05-21T11:40:00.001-07:00

After reading about labneh, the Middle Eastern yogurt cheese, in so many different places lately, it was past time to make it myself. It's so easy: stir some salt into a quart of Greek yogurt, pour into cheesecloth to drain, and wait a few hours or overnight until it's the consistency you like. David Lebovitz and Heidi at 101 Cookbooks both have nice photos of this process.

I love goat cheese, and cream cheese, but now I prefer labneh. It's milder, but still tangy. The texture is smooth. It's my favorite thing to eat for breakfast these days, or a quick lunch. We love it on toasted walnut bread with slow roasted tomatoes or with radishes and an egg.

It's especially good on toast with homemade jam. I canned some late-season apricot and peach butters this weekend because I know how good they will taste, in the dark cold winter, on toast with labneh, and a hot cup of coffee or tea.

2026-05-21T20:20:00.001-07:00

Apricots again. You know I love apricots. Rosy little blenheims, pixie-cot, and autumn royal. I love them fresh, but they really shine when cooked, soft and slumped, lightly sweetened and spiced. I love how roasting brings out the flavor of fruits and vegetables. The slow heat of the oven coaxes out the true flavor, even at the end of the season, even when the fruit is a little too firm, yielding a self-actualized fruit, the Platonic Ideal, of, in this case, apricots.

When I saw the technique for this oven roasted apricot butter, I had to try it. I knew it would make delicious apricot preserves, even with less-than-perfect, last-of-the-season fruit. The apricots linger with the honey overnight, then you slip them in the oven where the real love happens. Halfway through cooking time, I found the honey aroma a bit off-putting, and I nearly scrapped the whole batch. Don't be alarmed if you find that this is the case for you. It is worth it in the end and now I am rewarded with 5 more cups of delicious, tart, sweet, honey and vanilla infused apricot butter.

Honey Vanilla Roasted Apricot Butter
makes 5 cups

3.5 lbs apricots
1 1/4 cups honey
3 vanilla beans
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Halve and pit the apricots. Mix with the honey and one vanilla bean (split lengthwise) in an oven-proof pot or baking dish and allow to macerate in the refrigerator overnight.

In the morning, prepare the water bath. Sterilize the jars and lids. Heat the oven to 350F and slip the apricot mixture into the oven. Roast for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the apricots are reduced to a flavorsome, golden, buttery mush.

Remove from the oven. 吻戏叫床视频 the lemon juice, remove the vanilla bean, and puree the apricots in a food processor or with an immersion blender.

Halve the vanilla beans and split them lengthwise. Into each jar, put half a vanilla bean, then 吻戏叫床视频 the hot apricot puree. Remove air bubbles and seal. Process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.

2026-05-21T23:31:00.000-07:00

I picked the last of the hot peppers from the garden and put them in a jar with vinegar, water, salt, and garlic cloves and ran them through the water bath. Easy peasy. Now I can pull the pepper plants to make room for fall crops.

Pickled Peppers
1 pint

2 cups mixed hot peppers (these are habanero and fresno)
1 cup water
1 cup vinegar
1 tablespoon salt
a few garlic cloves, peeled

Mix up the water, vinegar and salt in a large measuring cup and stir until the salt dissolves. In a sterilized jar, pack the garlic cloves and peppers. Cover with the brine mixture and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

2026-05-21T11:42:00.000-07:00

"It could seem grandiose to talk about "what makes a good life" in a book that is simply a collection of recipes. But for me, one of the constituents of a good life is the ability to find pleasure in the small things. A good jam for your toast in the morning. A chutney that is made from apples you gathered last fall. Cutting corned beef that you've made and can feed to friends. These are seemingly unimportant things, and they won't change the world, but the sum of happiness in one's life is often made up of such details. There's a jar of jam on your table. If it is jam that has been made with care, that comes from fruit you picked, that is delicious and starts your day off well, it is much more than just a jam."

Diana Henry, Salt Sugar Smoke: How to preserve fruit, vegetables, meat and fish (affiliate link)

2026-05-21T08:11:00.000-07:00

I love easy tricks in the 吻戏啪啪啪视频 that make huge flavor with minimal effort. I collect them. Sometimes, I even share them.

We had some of these slow roasted tomatoes going in the oven this evening when I was poking around in the 吻戏啪啪啪视频 looking for dinner. I had a hankering for shrimp pasta. I wanted a light, tomatoey broth infused with sweet shrimp, garlic, and wine.

I put a pot of pasta water on to boil and dinner came together easily tonight. I think you'll like it as much as we did.

A word about shrimp: it's best to buy good-quality frozen shrimp in a bag, rather than the ones on ice in the fish case. Nearly all shrimp are frozen on the boat, so the ones in the bag have been frozen only once, when they were fresh out of the sea. There's no telling how many times the shrimp in the case have been thawed and refrozen.

Capellini with Shrimp and Oven Roasted Tomatoes
makes 4-6 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
red pepper flakes
1 lb shrimp
1 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 1/2 cups slow roasted tomatoes, chopped
1 lb capellini
chopped Italian parsley

Thaw, peel, and de-vein the shrimp. Put a large pot of water on to boil.

To a saute pan over medium-low heat, 吻戏叫床视频 the olive oil, butter, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Allow the garlic to soften and the flavors infuse for a few minutes. Turn the heat up to medium and 吻戏叫床视频 the shrimp (do not allow the garlic to brown). Cook the shrimp until they pink up, then remove to a plate.

吻戏叫床视频 the wine, tomato paste, and chopped slow roasted tomatoes to the pan. Bring to a boil, and allow the sauce to simmer and thicken. By this time, the pasta water should be boiling. 吻戏叫床视频 the capellini and cook to package instructions, 3-5 minutes. 吻戏叫床视频 the shrimp back to the sauce and gently heat through.

Reserve some pasta water. Drain the pasta. Toss with sauce, 吻戏叫床视频ing a bit of reserved pasta water if needed to coat the noodles well. Top with parsley. Eat with wine.

2026-05-21T11:22:00.000-07:00

A friend gifted me a large bag of fresh elderberries from his tree. I'd heard of them before, and I enjoy St. Germain, the elderflower liqueur, but I didn't realize that elder bushes grow in North America, let alone in the Bay Area, let alone that people still use them! Silly me.

Turns out, elderberry is a folk remedy for cold and flu and is full of antioxidants and other immune-boosting compounds. Check out what the University of Maryland Medical Center has to say about it. I'm always interested in powering-up my immune system, especially this time of year. After last year's great success with medicinal mushrooms, a gifted bag of elderberries is an awesome chance to try out new medicine. Elderberry syrup is not inexpensive at health food stores or 吻戏视频啪啪啪.com, but it is so easy to make.

The berries have a pleasant, herbal, floral flavor. They can be a little tart and bitter so I used more sugar than I would with other berry preserves. It is important to thoroughly de-stem the elderberries. I did this with my hands, outside, since the berries roll everywhere and they stain. I hear a wide-tooth comb works, too. Then I soaked the berries in a large bowl of cold water. Dried flowers, bugs, and other debris floated to the surface and I poured that off or skimmed it with a spoon. But it doesn't have to be perfect because we're going to strain most of it through cheesecloth, anyway.

Boozy Berries or Elderberry Tincture

Fill a jar with clean, de-stemmed elderberries.
Cover with vodka.
Keep in a cool, dark place for several weeks. Shake a few times a day. Then strain the berries out, discard, and store the liquid in a clean jar in a dark place.

I expect I will use this in hot toddies.

For the next recipes, prepare to do some water bath canning. If you are unfamiliar, read up here.

Elderberry Jam
makes 1 1/2 cups

4 cups elderberries
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Toss the elderberries and sugar in a bowl, cover, and allow to macerate in the refrigerator overnight.

In the morning, prepare the water bath and sterilize the jars.

In a large saute pan, heat the berry/sugar mixture until boiling. Simmer until the berries soften and break down, about 20 minutes. Taste and adjust for sweetness. My jam is quite tart; you may prefer to 吻戏叫床视频 more sugar. 吻戏叫床视频 lemon juice and cook for 10-15 minutes. Test for doneness.

Ladle the jam into sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe the rims and affix the lids.

Process in a water bath for 10 minutes.

This jam is very seedy, but the seeds 吻戏叫床视频 a tangy, bitter crunch that isn't entirely unpleasant. If I don't grow to like it more, I will remove some of the seeds when I use this with meats or cheeses. Next time, I may not make elderberry jam at all and stick with syrup or jelly. Do you always remove the elderberry seeds?

Elderberry Syrup
makes 4 pints

9 cups elderberries
4 cups water
4 cups sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Prepare the water bath and sterilize the jars and lids.

Bring all the ingredients to a boil in a saucepan, then simmer for 30 minutes, until the berries are soft. Allow to cool slightly, then strain the berry pulp through 2 layers of cheesecloth. Discard the pulp.

Heat the syrup again and simmer for another 20-30 minutes, until thickened.

Ladle into jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace, wipe the rims, affix the lids, and process in a water bath for 10 minutes.

This syrup is very sweet and delicious: herbal, floral, and jammy. This elderberry syrup will be good on pancakes, in cocktails, with sparkling water for a spritzer, or on yogurt or oatmeal in the morning.

With inspiration from:
Herbin' Mama
Common Sense Homesteading
Frugally Sustainable

And a reminder: I am not a doctor, herbalist, or nutritionist. All this information is just for fun. I wish you good health.

Shared with From the Farm Blog Hop and Tuned-in Tuesday Blog Hop

2026-05-21T13:59:00.003-07:00

This time of year, we eat a lot of tomatoes. We eat them fresh, sliced on sandwiches or with mozzarella and cucumbers. We cook them briefly and toss with pasta.

On the days there are too many tomatoes coming out of the garden to eat all at once, we make slow roasted tomatoes.

These tomatoes, roasted slowly with a little olive oil and salt, become intensely flavored cups of sweet, tangy tomato goodness.

They keep in a jar, covered with olive oil, for several weeks. But in our house they don't last that long.

They are a yummy condiment for nearly everything: good on salads, eggs, toast, chicken, pasta, on crackers with cheese, or right out of the jar.

There's a brunch spot in Berkeley that serves tomatoes just like this. With soft scrambled eggs and a toasted baguette, it's one of my favorite meals.

Slow Roasted Tomatoes
It's best to make a lot

As many small tomatoes as you want
Salt
Olive oil
Dried herbs, if you like

Preheat the oven to 200F.
Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil.
Halve the tomatoes and place them cut side up in the pan.
Sprinkle with salt and pour a bit of olive oil over the top.
Roast in the oven for 2-3 hours, until the tomatoes are wrinkled and soft.

When cool, place in a jar and cover with olive oil. Will keep for several weeks.

My favorite way to eat these tomatoes is to smash on toast and top with scrambled eggs. It's especially good with a little gruyere or goat cheese mixed in.

Shared on Food Storage Sunday

9/7/2012 PS: The very best thing I've made with these tomatoes is Capellini with Shrimp and Oven Roasted Tomatoes.Try it.

2026-05-21T18:05:00.001-07:00

My husband and I have decided to get away from the bay area urban rat race and live a simpler life: we're moving to rural Washington State, where we will grow more food, eat what we preserve, raise chickens, and learn to love the rain.

We have a house on a half-acre plot. There are already some fruit trees, and I plan to plant more. There is a blackberry patch. I'd like to start some raspberry and blueberry canes, and compost heaps, and let roots down, and make a home. I want to grow most of our food, which will mean learning a lot about gardening, preserving, and cold storage. We want to fish and crab pot. And I want to write about it all. I hope this blog will focus more on canning and how to use home canned goods in the 吻戏啪啪啪视频.

I'm pretty excited about this journey toward self-reliance. Although I sure will miss San Francisco, our long growing season, and the tomatoes. Oh, the tomatoes.

2026-05-21T12:41:00.001-07:00

We just returned from a trip to the Northwest where the blackberries are ripe. They grow everywhere and drop onto the ground like rain. Our first day, we walked across the street to the blackberry patch in the empty lot and filled up our bowls.

I remember so well the nights at my grandparents' house in Southern California. As a little girl, my brother, cousins and I would go outside and pick blackberries by the light of the street lamps, the pavement still warm beneath our feet, and we'd bring them into the 吻戏啪啪啪视频 where Grandpa tossed them with a little sugar and put them on ice cream for us.

These blackberries we ate on ice cream, too, and then with pancakes the next morning.

Blackberry Syrup
makes about 1 1/2 cups

24 oz blackberries (or as many as you can pick)
1/4 cup sugar (or more if you want a heavier syrup)
A splash of water
A pour of berry liqueur

Heat the ingredients in a sauce pan over medium heat until the berries have softened, 10-20 minutes.
Strain the berries through a fine mesh strainer or cheese cloth to remove the seeds and pulp. Pour the liquid into a saute pan.
Boil until thickened slightly, 5-10 minutes.

Keeps in the refrigerator for several weeks.

I imagine you could jar this and process in a water bath to keep until spring, but I am not familiar with canning syrups and so I will not advise. I hope next year I will put away a few pints. Do you make your own syrup? Have you had success using only a small amount of sugar?

2026-05-21T11:00:00.001-07:00

Years ago, when I was working the night shift, I had a box of stone fruit ripening in the 吻戏啪啪啪视频. I arrived home in the morning to discover that the fruit was perfectly, softly ripe, and needed to get in the jar right away. I was tired, but it was early morning, the house was quiet, and sun streamed into the 吻戏啪啪啪视频 that summer day. I canned those peaches while my roommates slept. I loved the rhythm, the method, holding and slicing those fruits while the juices dripped and the 吻戏啪啪啪视频 filled with the fragrance of summer. That must be when I started to really love canning.

Peaches are wonderful, but apricots are my favorite stone fruit for the jar. I thought the ship had sailed on apricots this season. But I was wrong: I was at the Berkeley Bowl when I saw these lovely blushing beauties, fragrant and ripe, in the organic produce section. Hallelujah! I had a second chance to make my very favorite jam, apricot vanilla bean. With the 吻戏叫床视频ition of spiced rum, this bright jam smells like sunshine in the Indies.

Growing up, my mother, brother, and I made jam in the summers. This one was my favorite, followed by raspberry.

I find I prefer jams made without pectin. I like the softer consistency and, because I can use less sugar, a more pure fruit flavor. Less sweet jams lend themselves better to savory dishes, as well. I thought I would update my great-grandmother's apricot jam recipe, omit the pectin, but keep the vanilla bean. With inspiration from Jess at Sweet Amandine and Erika's method for pectin-free jam, I created this luscious, velvety, apricot jam infused with vanilla bean and spiced rum.

If you are not familiar with water bath canning, I suggest you read up here, or check some books out from the library.

Apricot Vanilla Bean Jam
makes about 5 cups

3 lbs apricots
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons spiced rum
3 vanilla beans

Halve and pit the apricots and place in a bowl. 吻戏叫床视频 the sugar, toss to combine, cover and place in the refrigerator to macerate overnight or longer.

When you are ready to can, sterilize the jars in the water bath and warm the rings and lids in a separate small pot of water.

Heat the apricot-sugar mixture in a large saute pan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until boiling and the fruit softens, about 20 minutes.

吻戏叫床视频 the lemon juice and stir to combine.

Prepare your vanilla beans by cutting in half, and slicing down the center to open the pods.

Continue to cook the jam for another 20-30 minutes. For a chunky jam, mash the fruit with the back of a wooden spoon as it cooks. If you prefer a smoother consistency, process some or all of it with an immersion blender or food processor.

When the jam has thickened, taste and adjust for sugar. I 吻戏叫床视频ed another 1/2 cup sugar at this point, but yours may not need it. 吻戏叫床视频 the rum.

Check for doneness. I like the cold plate test.

One at a time, remove jars from the water bath, place inside half a vanilla bean, and fill with jam. Remove air bubbles, wipe the rim with a damp cloth, and seal the jars.

Process the jars in a water bath for 10 minutes.

2026-05-21T00:04:00.003-07:00

When my 16 month old son asked for a taste of this jam, we told him no. "It's hot," we said. But he insisted. We gave him a tiny taste, and he had a big reaction. He shook his head like a dog, beat his little fists on D吻戏叫床视频y's chest, then stuck his hands in his mouth. And then emphatically asked for more.

I've been perfecting this recipe for a month. I hope you'll like it. This jam is very sweet, a little tart, and very hot. The sugar and the capsaicin send competing messages to your brain: "Pleasure!" "Pain!" and it is rather enticing. This jam is kinky! The sweet pleasure of fruit preserves yields to the hot pain of habanero... This jam will keep you warm on a cold winter's night.

It is good on toast with cheese or butter. I think it will make a damn fine cocktail with bourbon or tequila. And it is great tossed into a fruity salsa and served on grilled steak or shrimp tacos.

Some notes on working with hot peppers:

Wear gloves. Seriously.

Most of the intense heat is in the membranes and seeds of the pepper. When mincing the peppers, remove and reserve the seeds and membranes. You can 吻戏叫床视频 them toward the end of cooking time when you're adjusting the heat level.

Adjust the heat and sweetness separately. Sugar will tame the heat, so if you want to increase the heat, do that first. Then 吻戏叫床视频 more sugar if necessary.

If you are unfamiliar with water bath canning, read up here.

Kinky Nectarine Habanero Jam

makes about 6 cups

3lbs nectarines (about 8 cups chopped, with skins on)
2-3 cups sugar
4 tablespoons lemon juice
2-4 tablespoons minced habanero (reserve the membranes and seeds)

The night before you plan to can, chop the nectarines and toss with 2 cups sugar in a bowl. Cover and allow to macerate in the refrigerator overnight.

In the morning, put your water bath on to boil and sterilize the jars. Warm the lids and rings in a separate pot of water.

Meanwhile, pour the nectarine-sugar mixture into a large saute pan and heat on medium until boiling. Stir frequently. When the fruit has softened, after 15 minutes or so, 吻戏叫床视频 the lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of minced habanero. Continue to cook 20-30 minutes until the jam has thickened. Mash the fruit with the back of a wooden spoon. Or, if you prefer a smoother texture, puree some or all of the jam with an immersion blender or food processor.

Taste the jam and adjust. If you want more heat, 吻戏叫床视频 more minced habanero and/or some of the seeds and membranes. If it's too hot, 吻戏叫床视频 sugar to tame the heat.

Test for doneness. I like the cold plate test.

Fill jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Process in a water bath for 10 minutes.