I have a futon in my basement that’s between the size of a twin and a double mattress. Since it’s impossible to fold a flat sheet around the corners (there’s nothing to tuck them into), it really needed a fitted sheet for those times when it is used for sleeping. It was easy to convert an old fitted twin sheet … Read more
This ice cream features fruits, flowers and nuts from plants that are from the rose family, botanically speaking: strawberries, cherries, juneberries, almonds and, of course, roses. Notes on ingredients and substitutions are at the end. Ingredients 1 cup frozen strawberries ½ cup cherries ½ cup juneberries 2 tablespoons almonds 2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut cream or coconut milk (full fat) 1 teaspoon … Read more
Making pizza dough from scratch sounds harder than it is. And this recipe makes it even easier by cutting down on the kneading. Kneading helps the gluten in the wheat form long strands that hold the dough together and give bread its customary chewiness. Gluten also develops and becomes stronger as dough rises. By increasing the rising time, you can … Read more
On my walk today, I passed five apple trees. Three of them had a few fruits on them that were mostly ripe. I couldn’t resist picking some, even if it’s too early in the season for them to have developed sweetness. I like my apples tart, anyway! Only one made it home with no nibbles from me. Another I had eaten down … Read more
As long as zucchini keeps fruiting, I’ll keep making zucchini muffins. This week I decided to make a not-gluten-free version of chocolate zucchini muffins. It has whole wheat, plus a little almond flour for richness. Notes: If you love almonds, you can increase the almond flour to ½ cup if you like, in which case you should reduce the whole wheat flour or … Read more
I went to a clothing swap today hosted by my friend Enid. She had a great set-up, posting little labels on the wall to keep the different categories of clothing organized. Below you can see the stacked sweater, pant, and shirt piles. This is what the piles looked like after we’d rifled through them.And finally, the T-shirt pile. I brought … Read more
In December, I wrote a post about this comforter from Target that had developed a few snags in it. I covered one of the snags with this applique: … and then I set it aside and did nothing about the other snags until summer came. On this snag — — I sewed a four-point star sewn from four kite-shaped pieces. I … Read more
The first time I had cardamom ice cream was in Baltimore, Maryland. It was one of the most delicious things I’d ever tested. This recipe gives homage to that wonderful ice cream, and is just as tasty. Bonus: All the sweetness in it comes naturally from fruit, and it can easily be made vegan or paleo by substituting full-fat coconut … Read more
I like to keep sweet potatoes around. They’re an easy snack for both me and the cat. Throw one in the microwave for 4-6 minutes and voila! I eat the orange part, and Lilo snacks on the skins. But sometimes I misplace a sweet potato until it’s so old, it’s started to sprout a vine. Pretty, isn’t it? Instead of … Read more
Gray water is water that’s not clean enough for drinking, but is fine for using in vegetable and flower gardens. It can include gently used water from showers, baths, dishwashing and laundry. You can build a gray water system that collects water from sink or tub drains, then pipes it outdoors. Instructions on building a gray water system are at the website of California’s … Read more