For several days now, we have been socked in under a layer of frozen fog here in the Willamette Valley, and although this has been a somewhat cold and dark mid-winter experience, I have been noticing some breathtaking frozen formations on the trees, plants, leaves, spiderwebs, and even tiny water drops of fog. I often find a lot of cheer in taking the time to notice these things when Winter is ...
Life
From Every Mountainside
This evening, my son and I hiked to the top of a nearby mountain, to watch the sunset and take in the chilly, fresh air. On the walk down, in the fading light, I thought of some of my favorite words from a speech by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that seemed fitting to share in his honor today: "Let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring ...
Do-it-yourself Rustic Ladder Kitchen Rack
I am happy to share a project that has been a long time in the works, and has been so enjoyed in it's completion, I haven't even had a down moment to write about it. In fact, I think it's so exciting, I have made it into a little how-to building project post. For those of us folks who spend a lot of time in our kitchens, it is well known that you can never really have too many places to ...
A Moonlit Hike
Last weekend, I headed out for a Winter adventure up the Mckenzie River to see the Blue Pool in the snow. Blue Pool, also called Tamolitch Pool (from the Chinook word for "bucket"), is the site of an old waterfall where the Mckenzie River emerges from beneath basalt lava flows, forming a clear blue pool before tumbling along on it's course. In low water flows, the water follows the path of ...
First Snow of the Year
Yesterday morning, we awoke to find the first snow of the year had fallen during the night, covering the orchard in a blanket of white. We wasted no time in running out to enjoy the changed landscape and even before breakfast, there were tracks trailing across the driveway and little snowmen appearing here and there. I got a warm fire roaring in the woodstove, some hot coffee brewed, and ...
Surrounded by Nuts
Living in this part of the Willamette Valley, one gets accustomed to being surrounded by nuts. Now, I am not simply referring to all the colorful characters who reside in Eugene, but to the acres of hazelnut orchards covering the landscape in their patchwork of long, straight rows. I had the good fortune a couple of years ago to connect with a local farmer who invited me to come out and glean the ...
Queen Winter Arrives
With wintry weather settling in, I though I would share a few of the Queen Winters I've made over the years. I really enjoy seeing how each one comes out with her own unique character. Here is the most current one on my Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/listing/63664982/queen-winter ...
A Kaleidoscope of Kelp
While I was up on the Olympic Peninsula visiting family, I took my son for a walk on my favorite beach near the mouth of Sequim Bay. I used to go on excursions there with my parents when I was growing up, and have always made a point to stop by and walk along the shore collecting stones and shells when I go back to visit. To me, returning to visit the outdoor places we love, is right up there ...
Harvest Cake
One drizzly morning last week, I got a wild hare to do some baking. I ended up making a pumpkin pie, pumpkin butter, and a buttermilk spice cake with apples and hazlenuts. I must say, that cake was something else. I started with the Buttermilk Spice Cake recipe in the Betty Crocker Cookbook (vintage 1969 edition) and went from there. Here is the recipe below. I suggest you play around with ...
Pumpkin Pie
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