Is there anything cozier than a cold winter morning curled up with a mug of tea while you pour over recipes from a good cookbook? That is how I have been spending my weekend mornings this past month. I borrowed several cookbooks from the library, but one in particular has stolen my heart: The New Cast Iron Skillet Cookbook, by Ellen Brown. I am not getting
Planting Near Black Walnut
Every garden has its unique set of challenges, which is part of the reason I love garden design so much. There’s always a new problem to wrestle with in creating the perfect urban oasis. One particularly pesky problem is trying to plant near an existing Black Walnut tree. These trees are giant, strong, majestic specimens that are prized for their nutrient-rich nuts as well as
DIY Laundry Detergent
How is it that I have never posted my recipe for homemade laundry detergent? I started making my own homemade laundry detergent about a decade ago, tweaked the process over time, let the recipe evolve and even included it in my book Modern Homestead: Grow, Rasie, Create. It just takes a few simple ingredients and about thirty minutes to make a huge batch. Ingredients 1/2
Signs of the Homesteading Movement
Earlier this week I had the pleasure of sitting down in my kitchen for an interview with garden guru P. Allen Smith (well, I was in my kitchen but Allen was in Arkansas…). He was talking with me via Skype about my book, Modern Homestead, for his public radio program Garden Home. We chatted about our personal journeys with homesteading, keeping backyard poultry, what we are preserving
Book Review: Plant-Driven Design
One of the best winter gardening activities is actually spent indoors, reading all those gardening books you never have time to get to in the growing season. I have wanted to share a few titles that I have been reading lately. Disclaimer: I am not receiving any incentive to write this review, but the book link will take you to my Amazon store page. If
Recipe: Apple Almond Tart
This fabulous apple almond tart recipe walked into my life recently a la All Recipes and has become a new favorite. I love it’s rustic appearance and understated sweetness. In a sea of decadent holiday desserts, this one won my heart with it’s restraint. You could use any combination of good cooking apples, although I used half Granny Smith and half Honey Crisp. The color
Edible Hedge of Artichokes
Artichokes are hard-working, versatile additions to any edible landscape. They are perennial plants, which means they will come back year after year. One of my favorite vegetables, we eagerly harvest their unopened flower heads from spring through the fall. Artichokes also make an excellent edible hedge. I planted a row of them from 4″ pots in the early spring to function as a living wall.
Homesteader Reunion Weekend
Suitcases are being packed for Labor Day weekend – a sign that summer is coming to a close and fall is knocking on our door. I am being whisked away to the Homestead National Monument of America in the gorgeous state of Nebraska for the Homesteader Reunion Weekend that takes place over the holiday weekend. The event celebrates the 150th anniversary of the Homestead Act
HipChickDigs Turns Five + Giveaway!
Hip Chick Digs turns five today! I wrote my first blog post about nine months after we moved into this teeny 1927 bungalow on a tenth of an acre covered with lawn. It’s easy to lose sight of how far I’ve come amongst the weeds and planting chores. But marking this anniversary is a time to acknowledge how hard work combined with fertile Willamette Valley
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