For now, an update on what I've been up to more recently.
Every year at this time, my daughter's daycare closes for two weeks. I take off work, my parents come up from Arizona, and together we work and play. I've been unplugged almost completely, and quite honestly it's been really nice. Here is some of what we did this year.
Harvesting:
Planting:
Pickling:
(Refrigerator Pickles via Instructables.com. These are truly "quick 'n' easy" and the results are great.
They're spicy and pungent, but without the strong aftertaste of commercial dill pickles. My tip: instead of trying to dissolve sugar and salt in cold water, heat the water, dissolve the sugar and salt in it, and then cool the brine in the refrigerator.)
Drying:
(David Lebovitz's Herb Rub via The Wednesday Chef.)
Pesto-ing:
(Top: Sage-Walnut Pesto via Not Without Salt. Bottom: Hazelnut-Mixed Herb Pesto. Based on the sage-walnut recipe, but sub hazelnuts for walnuts, and an unscientific mixture of thyme, oregano, and winter savory for the herbs in the first recipe.)
And thus getting the herb garden under some semblance of control:
(Yeah, that's the "After" picture. You shoulda seen the "Before"!)
Making long-lost recipes:
(Blackberry pudding, from a 1938 cookbook. This one deserves its own post.)
Conducting experiments towards new cleaning products:
(More to come, if it works.)
Prep work:
Discovering new treasures:
(Thank you to the lovely woman who sat next to us at Cafe Presse one day, and not only put up with preschooler antics all through lunch but also told us how wonderful Lincoln Park is. Dear mystery woman: you were so very right.)
And new-to-me treasures:
(Thrifting with my mom: my once-a-year treat!)
Getting ready to welcome Fall:
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