Gardening is definitely not a picture-perfect hobby.  There are many days spent dealing with powdery mildew, battling against bugs, anguishing over produce stolen by squirrels, and contemplating how on earth I can’t just grow a consistent tomato crop.  This year, we have been blessed with a classic Indian summer in Colorado, where the shades of […]

… with a homemade pumpkin spice latte sugar scrub, of course! It is officially time for a pumpkin spice intervention.  Don’t get me wrong – I love pumpkin and all things spice.  I even love the occasional latte {two pumps with soy milk, in case you’d ever like to send one my way}.  But the […]

…because summer is such a hard habit to break! Fare thee well, summer, but just before I officially express my sorrow, concerning your all too soon departure, I think I will sit and savor the lingering ripe peaches you’ve recently sent my way.  You’d better cue the music.  I picked up about ten last-of-the-season peaches […]

These sweltering, lazy afternoons are just begging for iced tea, time spent outside and a possible dip in a cool stream.  Well, that is exactly what happened recently.  I don’t have air conditioning in my house, so sometimes, it is necessary to scope out the coolest spot around and take full advantage of its offerings!  […]

Summer may be slowly approaching a close, but all of the vegetables and herbs in my garden are ripening faster and faster.  I can barely catch up with all of the weeding, watering, pruning, harvesting, preserving, and, the most wonderful part, enjoying.  To create this refreshing, gin-based, end-of-summer treat, I used fresh watermelon, cucumber, and […]

Quickling.  It has become a favorite activity {and all-around awesome word!} here at my house this summer.  You need not let your vegetable harvest go to waste, simply because you feel you do not have the time, space, or know-how to preserve or can your garden goodness.  Quick-pickling, or as I affectionately call the process, […]