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The Romance of the Harvest: How to Dry and Store Your Own Garden Herbs

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There is a quiet magic and romance in drying and storing your own garden herbs. Bringing in the Thyme, Oregano, and Rosemary is the simplest way to bottle up the summer. It is a bittersweet but peaceful time of year when the garden begins to sleep. It's late September. We've had 3 light frosts already and the garden is winding down.  The tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and basil are done. But the hardy fall vegetables like carrots, beets, and the late-planted radishes are actually tasting sweeter now, I have a crazy huge zucchini that is still producing fruit.     The leaves are just displaying their colors. Black Mountain isn't looking black anymore. What is happening  over there Ida Mae ?    I hope the sunflower seeds  will have time to reach maturity so the birds can enjoy them.        No black striped seeds yet.   Thyme                    Rosemary    ...
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A Quiet Update from the Craft Desk

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  I found time to create some cards for birthdays, did a bit of collaging and some junk journal pages.   I haven’t had quite as much time for crafting lately, but I did manage to finish a few projects that I’m really happy with. I dug out some papers and ephemera that I've had in my stash for a while.  They are from a several different companies.   I've mixed them up and used them sometimes all on the same card.   It is a great feeling to use up older pieces so nothing goes to waste.     It's so good to find new ways to use them... "Unscripted".   If I remember correctly,  The typewriter key stickers on the right are from recollections (Michaels craft store).  The typewriter I think might be an old Prima Marketing piece.  The background paper is from Photo Play Birthday Bash collection. The clock and rolled up paper bin come from Stamperia A new Beginning collection.  I used some of the vintage ephemera...
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My Sourdough journey: Ancient Grains, a Standalone Mill, and a Lot of Help from AI

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  I am certainly no expert baker, but I wanted a loaf that was custom-tailored to be gentle on my system. I wanted to use ancient grains to take advantage of the higher protein they provide. So, I asked Google AI to help me and she gave me this recipe! It combines old-world stone milling with a 24-hour cold ferment and a hands-free bread machine hack to make a truly gut-friendly masterpiece.   I've recently made a lot of changes to my diet. I gave up all artificial sugars. I've been making most of my own foods fresh from scratch. I learned to make sourdough starter.  About every 2 weeks I make myself 2 loaves of bread.  Making this bread has become a regular part of my life that I enjoy.    I have a redundant colon with a bend. This means my large intestine is longer than normal, so it has to loop and twist around to fit inside my belly. I have slower digestion and harder stools. I've been changing the way I eat to keep things moving smoothly....
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