Dear Sisters,
Dear Sisters,
“When chickens get to live like chickens, they’ll taste like chickens, too.”
-Michael Pollan, The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals
Bacon. It is my weakness. You may wonder why I have a quote about chicken as an introduction to this post–but we’ll get to chicken later. Right now I have bacon on the brain. In recent years, bacon has become a kind of fad–chocolate covered bacon, bacon scented cologne, bacon salt, bacon cookies, bacon martinis, bacon t-shirts; I do, in fact, own a pair of knee socks that say in large block letters up the shin: BACON.
A trendy bacon cupcake
Fall! The crisp air, foliage, pumpkins, and Halloween! Grab some cider and turn down the lights…if you dare! Let’s do some farmgirl decorating and spin a spooky yarn or two. Did ya know Connecticut is chock-full of places supposedly haunted?
“There’s nothing better for the inside of a man than the outside of a horse.”
Ronald Reagan
How have I lived 49 years without a relationship with a horse? I don’t know. My insides could use it. I have been afraid of them most of those years. And then something happened. I moved to a farm and am getting to know horses.
“In all the world, no rarer treat than the lantern light of Bittersweet.”
As much a symbol of autumn in America as pumpkins and indian corn, American Bittersweet is in need of caring stewards who will offer it a home and salvation. Rather than search high and low for it in the wild, make a place for it on your own homestead. In doing so, you’ll help save an endangered native species.
Well, Im not really in a pickle, but its the catchiest phrase about pickles out there. About a month ago, it was jam making time–but now tis the season of canning and pickling! Throughout the busy-ness of a summer of farming, Amanda, the other interns and I would lament every once in awhile about the dissonance between our intense relationship with growing food and the lack of energy we had to spend quality time in the kitchen actually preparing meals. With that said, we didn’t starve or consume all of our food via the microwave and ramen noodles. All of us did get to chop, toss, saute, puree and steam much more than the average twenty somethings out there…but we have special relationships with food that often necessitate at least an hour to prepare meals (or at least we like to think our food relationships are special!). Sometimes, we just didn’t have that hour!
(p.s. if you read to the end of this article, cuteness awaits!)
Dill Pickles!
Making Home “HOME SWEET HOME.”
I know FOR SURE we must have talked about this before, but it’s on my mind with this new old farmhouse I’ve got. How does one MAKE a home HOME? How do you take four walls and make them your own HOME SWEET HOME? How do you create a HOME that nourishes and nurtures your family?
I’ve come up with FIVE WAYS to do that.
I have to tell you. When I first saw this old farmhouse (a year ago now!) and stepped through the door for the first time…well….
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