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Memories of Halloween Kayelle - I sure hope you got a picture of your little Harpo Marx! It would be awesome!

Finally, we have a touch of Fall here in New England. The color on the trees is starting to show. We've had a few brisk nights, almost touching the freezing mark. With Halloween just ten days away, memories of past celebrations floating in the back of my mind come forward. As children, my...

Craig C: I'm betting Florida. This tourist is coming after the holidays for several weeks. Tried moving down after retirement, but so hot in May I knew I couldn't do summer there.

Oh, but you have so much beauty there. You may not get the colors of fall, but with temperate weather most of the time, it has to be a great place to be year round.

I'm just wondering if you have a state left after your hurricanes! We got the gypsy moths right after the leaves came out on the trees. Ate then right down to nothing and the trees grew a whole new set for the second year in a row. We wonder if they will survive a winter now. WE did get a lot...

I have just spent a week in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The foliage was just starting to turn into a wonderful koliascope of colors. Unseasonably warm then while there, we are now getting back to the usual temperatures of October. The gardens are wilting down, the skins on the...

I guess I don't cook enough anymore. I never thought of making roux ahead but I can see the advantages.

Looks wonderful, and from the responses you got from neighbors they agree. The Meyer lemons I am used to have a very mild flavor. I'm used to the others. I like almost a bite to the lemon taste. We don't often see Meyer lemons in New England.

A quarter dose of dry ginger powder is one fourth of what you would take of grated fresh ginger. You don't read well, do you? And, the grated dose is dependent on the amount that you prefer in your cup of tea. Thank you Blissful for such a nice explanation of non medical/herbal suppliments.

I'm sorry you feel that this is medical advice. But there are many people out there taking random vitamins and supplements for various reasons. This is just one more bit of information for their armory.

Some people take a 'shot' of ginger every day in the morning, claiming it kills all the bad things inside of them. While not exactly true, there are many health benefits to ginger. Ginger has been shown to slow the growth of pathogens like E. coli and Staph. Although still in the testing...

August is the month of birthday and anniversary celebrations in my family. Both children married in August, and each of their spouses has birthdays in that month. Add to that the children's aunt, it ends up being a month for party and family get-togethers. From the time the child is able to...

WoW! Sounds like a foreign exchange student, but for four years? My patience would run thin after a bit. I like the suggestion of baking a tater and a chicken leg while you make your own meal as you usually would. Eventually, he will get tired of that. It might push him to expand his...

Jams and jellies this year. Bread and butter pickles. Watermelon pickles. Our gardens are just coming in.

As the summer wanes and things are brought in from the garden, it is time to start making delicious things. The aromas coming from the kitchen make this a great time for the family to hang around. Most are willing to give a hand, but others just offer to test the finished products. Today I...

eclipse Missed the whole thing. Cloudy most of the time, then I got occupied. Guess I'll just have to wait for 2024 to see the next one.

Bolognaise and garlic bread. Happy Anniversary!

Water, frozen to act as a coolant. Granola bars and beef jerky. Fruit. Precut veggies - carrot, celery, red pepper (and green). For lunch, we like to bring a stromboli. Once baked and chilled, I slice it up and it makes a perfect size to handle while driving. Paper towels rather than...

I've been spending the past few days in the kitchen, surrounded by canning jars, kettles, ingredients and just an awful mess. It has not been all good. Maybe I was rushed. Maybe I was careless. Maybe I just made bad decisions. My first try was with strawberries. I bought six pounds of...

Oh great! I was afraid that the rind would be too close to the peel and might be bitter. This helps me greatly. Our canning season starts at the end of June when the strawberries come in, then nothing much but cold weather vegetables and I don't do much with them. It starts in earnest about...

Canning and Freezing The first two batches of strawberry jam are cooled and shelved now. Canning season has officially begun. I'm having a hard time finding appropriate watermelon for making the rind into the pickle. This seedless variety, although wonderful to eat, do not have a thick enough...

Beef Jerky There are so many ingredients that you can use for beef jerky. I developed my recipe after years of trying. I do use a dehydrator, but it can be done in a low and slow oven. 4 Tb Worcestershire Sauce 4 Tb Soy Sauce 2 tsp liquid smoke 2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp ground peppper 1/2...

Peaches are ripe, strawberries have been picked, watermelon is coming into season. With all this abundance, how do we use this bounty? We Put-By. An old fashioned term meaning we can, freeze, dehydrate and otherwise prepare for the coming winter, it is time to use our skills to make things...

Wow! That sounds awesome. Looks like a trip into the city is in the near future. We have a large Italian population in RI, much of it on Federal Hill in Providence. Took a walking tour through that neighborhood once, and I'm sure I can find guanciale there if it is available in our little...

After my trip into the baking world at age seven with a failed whoopee pie attempt, I kind of just gravitated to the baking world. I'm sure it was mostly because of my preference for something sweet at that age. I didn't get into cooking right away. But as my parents both worked, we children...