Tag: abundance

field trips, homeschooling

Field Trip: Rockridge Orchards

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Farmer Wade of Rockridge Orchards has been a fixture at the Columbia City Farmers’ Market ever since we started being market regulars; he likes to say he’s known Caitlyn since before she was born (which could be true since he appears at other markets in Seattle which we might have visited prior to Caitlyn’s arrival – I don’t remember). Caitlyn calls him “my favorite farmer”. Back before the economy declined and budgets were cut indiscriminately, there was a King County Harvest Festival. We meant to visit other farms, but we spent the whole day at Rockridge. Caitlyn was about 2. …

sewing

Not Stashbusting

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I’ve been very bad. Stashbusting takes two forms: First, sew up what you have. Second, don’t buy more fabric. Not only have I not participated in or paid attention to the Stashbusting Sew Along since June, I haven’t sewn much since then either. Nothing much has happened with this pile of fabric. I’ve got a skirt cut out and the darts pinned… and that’s as far as I’ve gotten. So, no points for me. Also, I’ve added all this to the fabric pile: On the left, that’s a blue chambray for me for a shirtdress, two shirts for Ian and …

homesteading, in the kitchen, Seasons

Harvest Time: Apples!

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The apple tree in the back yard has gone bonkers this year. I’ve made a first run at the apple harvest, filling this box more than half way. The apples are small and slightly underripe (read: pleasingly tart) and bake into lovely things. Like this yeast-based apple bread, which smells amazing when it’s baking and goes wonderfully with cheeses (we’ve tried chevre and cheddar so far; brie would be delightful). Or these apple muffins. I may have made 6 batches of these for a neighborhood End of Summer community event, and my neighbors may have eaten every single one. And …

homesteading, Seasons

Beginnng the Harvest, or Free Onions!

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This may be my best year ever for onions. Check out these fine things: I ordered my onion starts from Dixondale upon the recommendation of Erica over at Northwest Edible Life (’cause, as far as this urban homesteading thing is concerned, Erica is everything I only wish I could be). I’ve never grown onions this large (which is weird to say, since I think that was one of the pull quotes on the literature that came with the starts. I guess there’s some truth in advertising after all!). My Long Day Sampler of onions included white Ringmasters, red Redwings and …