The Dirty Life

There are not many books I’ve read more than once. My appetite for the written word is voracious–my loved ones might say insatiable–but it’s almost always focused on  tantalizing new territory. Fortunately, this is not as much of a vice in reading as it would be in other spheres of life. But every now and then, a book comes along…

The Licorice Flower

Exploring my new yard has led to many lovely surprises, and this week I discovered one more. There’s a flower I’ve been trying to grow for years: anise hyssop, or Agastache foeniculum (pronounced ag-ah-STACK-ee foe-NIK-yoo-lum). It’s a medium-sized, licorice-scented plant with spikey purple blossoms that are supposed to be very attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds. Over the years, I’ve probably bought four…

Making Time for Fresh Food

Why is it that when the fridge is full to bursting with garden-fresh produce, I can still find myself reaching for a box of Cheez-Its? It’s happened more than once this week, and as someone who writes a blog about fresh food, I am more than a little embarrassed. I know that the answer has to…

Whole Wheat and Cavities

Flour probably isn’t the first thing that springs to mind when you think of fresh food, but what baker hasn’t opened a container of whole wheat flour only to smell that it’s gone rancid? Refined flour’s staying power on the shelf is one of the things that has led to its popularity, but unfortunately, the reason it…