Need a project for a snowy afternoon? Try making these delicious, buttery caramels, which require only four simple ingredients. I got this recipe from Willow Creek Farm’s blog and made it for the first time this past Christmas, for some much-appreciated stocking stuffers. The yield is anywhere from 75-120 caramels, depending on how small you cut them. You will need…
Category: Cooking
Christmas Oranges
Our first Washington navel oranges have ripened just in time to make super-fresh stocking stuffers! Accompanying them will be jars of homemade caramels and orange hard candies. I’ll post the recipes for the candies soon, but if you need them now for a last-minute treat of your own, you can find them at Willow Creek Farm’s…
Pie Crust: No Rolling Required
For several years, I rolled my pie crusts out, just the way the recipes say to do–and got frustrated when they would break as I was transferring them to the pan. Eventually, I realized that, if you’re only making a single-crust pie– that is, one that doesn’t have a second crust for a “hat”–there’s no…
30-Minute Mashed Potatoes
Ever been disappointed by the taste of instant mashed potatoes? You might think from the fact that instant potatoes have become so common that making mashed potatoes from scratch must be difficult or time-consuming, but it’s not so! The purveyors of dehydrated potato flakes certainly want you to think mashed potatoes from scratch are a complex art beyond your ability…
100% Real Butter That’s Spreadable
It’s a real pain to try to spread stiff blocks of butter onto toast. For a long time, my strategy was to drop a few slivers onto the bread while it was still hot and wait to spread it until the heat had softened the butter. Of course, there is the option of buying tub margarine,…
Easy Microwave Chai Latte
It’s hard to believe that just two days ago I was happily sipping lemonade in the sunshine. The weather’s turned cold and gray now, and it’s time for a warmer beverage. One of my favorite winter drinks is the chai latte. I used to have them only in coffee shops. That frothy goodness didn’t seem like something I…
November Is Lemonade Season
How long does it take a lemon to ripen? Any guesses? We bought our citrus trees a year and a half ago from One Green World. Last year, after the petals of each purplish-white flower fell off, there was a tiny, dark-green fruit. But within a few weeks, these turned yellowish brown and fell off. None of the…
Easy Chicken Soup from Scratch
The cool weather has me ecstatically breaking out all my winter recipes. This week we had roast chicken, and then, three days later, the obligatory follow-up: chicken soup. So many folks these days are deterred by the idea of cooking a whole chicken that I feel I should note here how very easy it is. You…
Sweet and Fluffy Corn Muffins
As we enter the cooler months of the year, there are a few recipes that are absolutely essential. One is for cornbread, a winter staple in our family. I make a big batch every time I cook chili, and then we eat the leftovers as snacks or with a pot of chicken soup. This recipe,…
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…
gettin' fresh! 