You can easily substitute fresh pumpkin for canned pumpkin, but a couple extra steps are needed to ensure the final product is perfect. Follow these steps to ensure you end up with a perfectly roasted pumpkin that is superior in both flavor and texture. Selecting the Right Pumpkin Your journey to the perfect pumpkin puree begins with choosing the right variety of pumpkin. Those big
Celebrating the Solstice
Celebrating the Winter Solstice is my escape from the holiday frenzy that reaches it’s peak about this time. I am excited to see my extended family come together for Christmas in a few days, but the Solstice reminds us to slow down, savor and celebrate the simple aspects of our beautiful life. Here are some ideas on how you can celebrate the darkest day and
Goodnight Garden
Juniper and River were both sleeping inside as Jay puttered around the house, so I seized the moment by taking solitary refuge in the garden. We have had a handful of cold, hard frosts now as fall makes way for winter. What a wonderful way to spend my Thanksgiving, working outside on the homestead to clean up leaf piles, pull the remains of the growing season, fill
Frozen Garden
Being homebound all weekend during Portland’s recent snow and ice storm had it’s moments of beauty. Here are a few from the garden. First came the snow – about 6-8″ in a town with few snow plows. The covers blew off my raised beds, which were then blanketed in white. Then came the ice. Freezing rain kicked in and left 1/2-1″ thick icy over the
My Favorite Winter Plants
It’s the end of January and some of my favorite winter plants are on full display. Keep your eyes peeled for some of these beauties, or perhaps they are already growing in your garden. Every winter I am reminded of the magic that is witch hazel. Although it looks fairly inconspicuous most of the year, this beauty will fill your garden with intoxicating fragrance during
January Harvest
It is mighty quiet on the homestead right now and I’m enjoying every chilly moment. It’s my one time of year to get ahead of the garden. Most of my chores of late include cleaning out dead leaves, setting up new trellis for maturing vines, and working the compost. But there are a few things to harvest when I look carefully. Our onions are best
Homemade Pumpkin Puree
Making homemade pumpkin puree is insanely simple and the flavor is far superior to anything you will find in a can. The most important aspect is choosing the right pumpkin. Grocery stores often carry small “pie” or “sugar” pumpkins that work well, as they have a higher sugar content. I tend to favor Rouge vif D’Etampes, a French heirloom, which is sweet and a good keeper.
Cooking Winter Squash
We are up to our ears in winter squash! I decked out our front porch this year with some really fun varieties, in part so we could make some delicious meals with these beauties. There are so many fun varieties to cook with and luckily many of them will keep for weeks, or even months. Growing winter squash takes up some prime real estate on
Planting Fall Garlic
It’s not too late to get a fall planting of garlic in the ground. This easy to grow crop is adaptable to different soil types and is an incredibly low-maintenance plant. My dad shared some of his garlic harvest with us and we have been saving the best and biggest bulbs to plant this fall. Garlic generally produces the best crops when planted in the