• Making your own Pomegranate Juice!

    Now is the time to plan for the fall harvest of pomegranates.  There comes a time each fall when the new harvest might sell for as little as $1 apiece for big juicy fruit.  Once the sweet tart red seeds…

  • The Value of Self-reliance vs the Ideology of Self-sufficiency

    None of us are self sufficient.  We all need somebody! Despite the often nostalgic retro-interpretations (our idealization of Little House on the Prairie comes to mind!) Americans weren’t self sufficient in the Colonial past, the Revolutionary Era nor the long…

  • The fun of interviews and good press!

    I’ve been very fortunate this summer with several lovely articles and interviews in local and regional news venues. Living by Hand – VirginiaLiving.com Source: virginialiving.com Our experience with ducks was profiled in C’ville Weekly’s ABODE: http://www.c-ville.com/index.php?cat=1990603072856470&ShowArticle_ID=11800408104112175 Enjoy!!

  • My garden progress report for Summer 2010

    In the empty soil days of winter and early spring my imagination fills the spaces with row upon row of veggies.  A pile of seed catalogues lives by my chair and I could spend far more $$$$$ then is in…

  • Thank you to my cooking class students

    Cooking with people who enjoy food is a great pleasure!  Thank you, Tracey and Catherine. Tracey and I canning  peaches                                        …