Oh no, I have a glitch in the system!

Please hang in there...

...I'm working like crazy to fix it.

I've had a few people email me to let me know something isn't quite right with my blog formatting and I really appreciate them for letting me know. I'm been quietly making changes to some configurations and I guess they weren't all successful. Oops.

I'm also adding a new "subscribe to my blog updates" form plus I have a few other surprises in store, so if you wonder why I haven't blogged as often  lately, you'll soon find out what I've been working on behind the scenes.

Thank you for your patience and my sincere apologies if you've been searching for a recipe and encountered an error message.

"Dried fruit is nature's candy!"

 When I was a little girl, I really didn't like it when my grandmother said that to me. I wanted c-a-n-d-y. Something full of sugar and coated with chocolate like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. She handed me box of raisins instead.

Turns out she was right, of course.  

Now I crave fruit straight from my dehydrator, including wacky stuff like  Watermelon Jerky. 

Spotted this cute produce bin at Jay's Farmstand in Shelton, Washington and had to snap a quick picture. 

I hope this photo brings back naturally-sweet memories for you as well. Happy snacking!

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Another use for jam...as a layer between cakes!

(I apologize in advance for using my phone's camera to take the photos posted here today. The photo quality isn't the best, but sometimes a gal just has to leave the big camera at home.)

Of all the ways uses for lovingly-preserved jams, spreading it on as a layer between cakes might be my new favorite and for good reason.

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Pickling Workshop at the Mother Earth News Spring Fair

I'm excited to share some news with you: I'll be leading a pickling workshop on Sunday afternoon, June 3rd at the Mother Earth News Fair in Puyallup!

When Mother Earth News recently contacted me about leading a workshop I didn't hesitate to say "You bet...I'd love to be a part of your Fair!" I grew up reading Mother Earth News magazine and this Fair will be like seeing their fine magazine come to life.

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Felt Fruit. Not exactly fresh, but still lots of fun.

Today I found something adorable on the Internet, and I feel like I'm the last one to the party.

Food made out of felt.

More specifically, fruit made out of felt. 

  

Peach slices: LisaJHoney's Etsy shop

Where have I been?

How have I not seen felt fruit before now?

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Pear Jelly Candies

I love St Patty's Day.

No, I'm not Irish - not even a wee bit - but that doesn't mean I don't have a few favorite Irish traditions. 

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Canned Pear Hearts

I never realized until lately how much my Canned Pear Halves resemble hearts. Not perfect hearts, but still...

Once I noticed it, they all looked a bit like hearts. Granted some of the pear half "hearts" are not like the hearts created by cookie cutters or printed on greeting cards.

Nope, they aren't all the same, and the majority are far from perfect. Every once in awhile, if you look long enough you'll find the perfect other half. Probably when you are least expecting it. I mean, it probably won't ever be 100% perfect, but isn't that what loving (pears) unconditionally is all about?

Happy Valentine's Day!

Ginger, will you be my Valentine?

Like many people I know, I prefer to avoid restaurants on Valentine's Day. Instead I like to stay home and make something special for my sweetheart.  When I'm trying to decide what to make, I think romance.  

Romance = spicy + sweet = ginger root.

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Let's talk about Food Swaps again!

In her perky article "Food Swaps!", Rebecca Gerendasy of Cooking Up A Story not only wrote about one of my favorite subjects, she included one of her skillfully-made videos outlining how a food swap works. This 3 minute video follows Bethany Rydmark of Sustainable Food For Thought, (along with co-founder Emily Pastor ) on a frolic through a Portland food swap as they show how artisans like food preservers, soap makers and bread bakers exchange homemade goods.

If this doesn't make you want to start a food swap, I don't know what will!

Pink Grapefruit Marmalade, Nigella-style

February is National Grapefruit Month, but February is officially still a week away and I can't wait that long. I'm way too excited about this new method for making Grapefruit Marmalade. This method isn't exactly "new", but it was new to me, and who knows...it might be new to you too.

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