Kitchen Home News

Ms. Mugwort After a good month of warm sun and rain, the gardens looked refreshed today.  The vegetable garden is fading and many of the perennials are nodding off to sleep, but the perfect climate these past few weeks has allowed for a last burst of growth for some of the herbs.  The catnip, mugwort and even the raspberry canes are flourishing.  I gladly brought in a handful of clippings from the mugwort - a final gift from the generous plant - and hung them next to the long stems of hyssop waiting to become something marvellous. Tonight, as the hour grows late, I've had to rush out to the bed of tomatoes and tuck them in under blankets like a nervous mother.  The temperature has dipped further than expected tonight and the forecasted rains for the next few days are said to become snow on the valley hills.  If this is so, it will be one of the earliest snows we've seen here.  And the tomatoes will all have to come in tomorrow.  I have enough boxes and newspaper to create a mak

We are rocketing into the most fantastic, pumpkin-filled days of awesomeness that the year can offer. ( Pumpkin-Filled Days of Awesomeness is going to be my new book title.) Terrible, nonsense sentence aside, it is nearly October and I'm hovering somewhere between stretching out on my grandparents' graves with a pitcher of lime daiquiris for a long nap, and trying to arrange the last few items on the Great October Book Giveaway to-do list (while drinkng a pitcher of lime daquiris.) My third-annual giveaway is not the only party going on around these parts in October.  There is a crazy amount of mischief to get up to in the blogosphere this coming month. I'll do my best to point out what sounds wonderful and wicked to me, and I hope you'll let me know what kind of naughtiness you get up to as well! Just skimming the surface of the October madness, Magaly over at Pagan Culture is hosting her annual All Hallows Grim again, and the Samhain Sirens are running amok star

This morning I was walking beside the river, stopping to look closely at the plants just now blooming, and those releasing seeds or fruit, and I was struck at how strong the need to touch is for me.  I ran my palms over rabbit brush and long grasses, stopped to roll rose hips and wild grapes between my fingers, and pet and murmured loving words to the beloved mullein.  I delight in sight and get giddy with scent, but touch is intoxicating to me. Rabbit Brush We see children like this - exploring everything with their hands.  Being told "don't touch!" by their parents (or by well-placed signs) whenever they wander through stores.  My parents tried to teach us to keep our hands glued to our sides, and then they just gave up. They took us to the hills to touch and play and get dirty.  My brother had a rock collection as a child, and I was forever bringing home pine cones.  I'm sure my mother threw out buckets of each, every year, and we simply brought home more.  I neve

This afternoon, following days of rain and hot sun, clouds and wind and lightening, the weather seemed to steady itself. In need of a little steadying myself, I wandered out into the yard with fire on my mind. The rains had allowed the local burning-ban to be lifted and all I could think of was pulling out my fire bowl again after months of being without it. After starting the fire, I tossed some of my herb bundles on top.  Walking around the low bowl, I suffumigated myself with the fragrant smoke from the burning stalks of local sagebrush, yarrow and the mugwort from my garden.  The smoke was delicious, and I shook out my just-washed hair to soak up some of the scent.  It wasn't long before the neighbours murmured a greeting through the fence and then headed inside their home.  The odd girl next door was at it again. Fire is one of my favourite partners in meditation and divination.  I was raised in the woods, in front of a campfire by my outdoorsman parents, so it naturally feel

मराठीमध्ये वाचण्यासाठी इथे क्लिक करा Last week when i decided to make paratha, I didn't have green chili in the fridge so I decided to use the sweet bell pepper instead. When I minced it in the mixer, the idea suddenly came to me to use mutter as well and make this tasty mixture. When the parathas were done and we tasted it right away it was tasty and crispy. But when we actually sat down for lunch, that's when the parathas had cooled down a bit and they had started to get soggy and somewhere too difficult to eat without creating mess. So in the evening I used the remaining mixture on the bread along with some tomatoes and cucumber and it made perfect sandwich. The taste of spread comes out better too. So I think this one definitely works better as spread on bread, burgers or as side chutneys than paratha stuffing. Ingredients 2 Cup Muttor 1 Sweet Bell Pepper 1 Lemon 4 Garlic Cloves Handful of the Corriander Leaves 1 Spoon Red Chili Powder 1/4 Spoon Corriander Powder Salt to t