Homemade Cultured Butter

Homemade cultured butter

Today I want to talk about butter. As someone with a mild intolerance to lactose I am very grateful that butter was not something I had to restrict or limit in my regular diet. No pie crust or butter cream frosting ever had to be sacrificed for my inner health. But I never gave any thought to making my own. The notion did not ever occur to me that it could really be a simple process that pretty well anyone could make at home. I will admit the use of my Kitchen Aid with the whisk attachment helped make this process minimally physical. I do think one day it would be fun to make it the good ol’ fashion hand churned way but for now I will share my experience using the helpful appliance.

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Sourdough Waffles

Homemade sourdough waffles for Valentines Day

Well it’s February and I suppose the most notable thing about this month is The One Moto Show down in Portland, Oregon. But if you aren’t a motorcycle enthusiast, which I suspect most of those reading my pages are not, then February is most likely significant for Valentines Day. Especially if you have kids. I’m sure Valentines day cards have to be thought about and purchased or made. All the classmates names written onto each little envelope. Maybe a fun treat or two is being put together and bagged for the day at school. I am still a few years away from such things but the annual day can still be used as an excuse to make a tasty treat for someone you care about. Or heck even just for yourself!

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Letting Go of 2017 and Embracing 2018

Love for Q

I’ve been trying to figure out a way to start writing on here again. How to say what I want to say, put it behind me and continue sharing my usual nonsense with you. We’re almost a full month into 2018 and it’s been a while since I’ve put any time in here. To be honest I’ve barely checked in on the blog since the summer. I’d like to share why.

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Blackberry Basil Jam Recipe

Making homemade blackberry basil jam

I’m starting to wonder if I should’ve named this blog “breezy canned what now”! But I love preserving! And I feel no shame about it! So if you do too, hunker down and check this out.

Our yard is flanked by blackberry bushes, and as out of control as they can get, we do appreciate their presence. The first half of summer is spent watching, as the little green berries slowly make their appearance. Then more watching, with patience, as they change to a rich dark purple.

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Broody Call: Some Hens Will do Anything for a Little Nesting.

Attila the hen being broody

Attila the Hen went broody! It was mid-June and my number one layer decided her talents would be better dedicated to incubating chicks then laying eggs! Ok. What’s a broody hen? A broody hen is a hen who has got it in her mind that chicks are on the way. She is compelled to sit on the nest, irritable and aggressive, until  her sweet little chicks are born. She will not lay any eggs or come out to play. But there’s no eggs in the nest?! I practically catch them as my girls lay them! Well that doesn’t matter. She will sit there just the same and do her due diligence to successfully hatch her chicks, imaginary or not.

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Fireweed Jelly Recipe

Homemade fireweed jelly

Well we’re heading into the season of preserving. Of trying any which way to hang on to the delicate, limited flavor of a summer harvest. If you’ve followed this blog you will already know I am a fan of jams and jellies. It is such a simple and effective method to hang on to the taste of freshly picked fruit, such as cherries and rhubarb. Or a unique way of enjoying a new and unusual flavor, such as dandelion, on the dreariest of winter days. This year the cherry tree’s production has been weak to say the least and I have other plans for my rhubarb. Plans of a boozy variety. But that’s a story for another day! Today I am going to tell you about fireweed!

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How to Manage a Maggot Infestation in a Very Much Alive Dog

Q post surgery of benign tumor removal

Over the last couple weeks I have had my share of learning experiences. The kind that are learned by doing. By scrambling to figure it out in the heat of the moment. By putting aside anxieties, stresses, tolerances and stepping up to do what needs to be done… I’ll take it back a bit and tell you the whole story. Please be warned that some of the content may make some of you uncomfortable and a couple of the pictures may make your next meal unappealing. But! I did not know the things I needed to know and was thrown into a situation that demanded them. You may too one day, so prepare to feel icky and read on.

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Anniversary Adventure Roadtrip through Western Washington

Exploring back roads in western washington

You know how sometimes you just need ” a reason” to do something you’ve always wanted to do? “A reason” to allow yourself some flexibility and freedom to splurge on something long desired? Well for years I have wanted to spend a night at the Olympic Club in Centralia, Washington. My dad first showed me this gem of a place on our way home on a road trip from California. He’d been before and thought I’d enjoy the place. And I’ve taken every opportunity to stop in for a meal and a pint since.

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No Bake Steel Cut Oat Bars

Homemade, healthy steel cut oat bars

I’m sure we’ve all done it. We’ve all that “ah ha” moment with some new food or meal we are going to start eating to get healthy. That food item that will revolutionize our entire day of food preparations and make us feel better, lose weight and sleep like a baby. Right?! You’ve done that too?! Well a few years ago my “ah ha” moment was steel cut oats. I was going to make a big batch of oatmeal Sunday nights before the work week began and scoop out of it daily for my ‘eat at work’ breakfast. I was going to add things like nuts and raisins and cinnamon and almond milk. I was going to be feeling amazing and saving precious time nightly not making my ‘make ahead meal’. It was going to change my life.

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Wood Burning Mom’s Wooden Spoons

Wood burning art onto moms wooden spoons

Happy Mothers Day to all the mommas out there! Whether you grew a human inside you, have taken on one that someone else grew or maybe you’re like me, and only have babies of the fur and feather variety, this day’s for you! I know you probably think that your mom is the best but I have to break it you that mine is. Yep. She is. I, like most girls, grew up with a conviction that I would never end up like her. But now as a grown woman I am more than grateful for all the lessons I have learned and continue to learn from her all the time. To this very day she will still get a phone call at eight o’clock at night “mom? I’ve had chicken in the fridge for 7 days. It smells ok. Can I eat it?” And of course whatever she says, yea or nay, is the route taken. No more questions asked. Moms know so much!

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