Ginger, Chamomile and Berry Soda?

To your health! My first ginger soda (I’m going to call it soda as of now because otherwise my European readers think I am brewing alcoholic beverages) lost its fizz at some point. Probably when it was in the carboy, before I bottled it. It’s still mighty good to drink but I want to make …

Bug to Beer. And Growing Ginger and Turmeric

Bubbles! The Ginger Bug is bubbling so I’m moving on to the next stage of brewing a good beer: adding the culture to the base (water, more ginger and sugar/honey) and letting it ferment away some more. I’m making a little less than a gallon,  about 6 wine bottles, I should say. DH made some …

Ginger Bug and Ginger Beer

Yesterday I had great fun at the NOFA Mass. Winter Conference. (I took my red scarf off, I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking.) One of the things I learned, from Sarah Shields of Birch Moon Farm & Herbals, was how to use fermentation from airborne yeasts to carbonate drinks. I just started my first ginger bug, …

Neem for Aphids and Whiteflies

This is what the view out of the window looks like at the moment. Glorious! DH and I spent three hours digging out our driveway on Wednesday (1 1/2 feet of heavy  snow over about  2000 sq.f) and it had been a long time since I had been that exhausted. As I trudged back up …

Last Summer Harvests

Today’s harvest of pepper, from the pepper plants I brought indoors. The bell pepper is from a plant I started from seed in March 2009. We finished the last tomatoes that were still ripening after I pulled them green, in November. of all the tomatoes in that picture, 99% ripened and was eaten. The cherry …

What’s Growing in the Hoop House: Anti-Stress

Sorry to be so absent. It will get worse.  We are traveling to India on the 10th – will be back  on New Year’s Day. That is the plan. Thing is, our passports are still at the Indian Consulate without any explanation, or response to our emails, and no one ever answers the phone. If …

(Mostly) Homegrown Split Pea Soup

I love it! Scarf wound ’round, hat down on over ears, zip up coat, grab the harvest basket and run out. Loot: celery, leeks and pea shoots Rinse, chop, sweep into the pot, add homegrown chopped onions and carrots, as well as split peas (bulk, dry) that have been soaking overnight, water, pepper and salt …