Location! Location! Location! Picking A Spot To Start A Garden.

ggphillips

Getting Started On The Right Foot Spring is here! And soon it’ll be time to get growing! And perhaps, like me, you have already set out some plants. But wait! Have you carefully considered some important facts which could make the difference between gardening success or failure? The truth is that every year many gardeners fail, because they just didn’t get started on the right foot to begin with by choosing wisely where to pick a spot to garden. Yes, location is very important. Let’s discuss some basic but essential Read More …

Learning to Draw in Winter’s Colors

irene

I have a book about nature journaling, full of enticing examples of hand-written notes, illustrated by simple, charming line drawings delicately accented with watercolors. The idea of keeping a nature journal appeals to me as a gardener of both cultivated and feral plants; in my mind I can see a garden journal of my endeavors magically appearing on the dining room table (which usually functions more as a desk than a table). But there is no such journal, the reason being that drawing is a mystery to me, an intimidating Read More …

Wild Tundra Blueberry Jam

closmanson

Gathering the blues… Growing up above the Arctic Circle in rural Alaska, blueberries were the only treat we needed and it was the only dessert we wanted. We’d have them fresh during the summer and then frozen in the winter, but my favorite was blueberry jam on a fresh bread roll from the oven. The whole family would go out picking berries and on a good windy day, we’d be out all day well into the evening. While picking our only sense of time was the position of the sun Read More …

Raspberry Muffins – A Battle for Berries

sshammond2

Fresh Alaskan berries are a hot commodity in my house, and if you don’t squirrel away your portion of the berries as soon as you get home from picking you’re likely to find that someone has eaten your portion before you know it! Luckily, after years of bickering over disappearing berries, and countless disagreements about what to use our prized frozen cache of berries on in the winter months, we came across Todd’s recipe for Blueberry Swirl Muffins and collectively fell in love with how well the recipe paired with Read More …

A Family Tradition in the Kitchen

mlmilius

Family Gatherings There is nothing better than a family gathering where food is shared, stories are told, and traditions are passed down. Holidays seem to be a good time for these get-togethers, and for some of us, they bring a sense of peace and comfort to our home. Grandma’s Applesauce In my family, a family holiday favorite is my grandma’s homemade applesauce. She used to make it for every family gathering and holiday, and it was always the first treat to have the empty dish cleared from the table. It Read More …

Tofu and Kale Scramble: Part of a Simple Life

srenard

Choices to be Made: An Introduction Fast friendly author Julie Montagu, the Flexi Foodie, has several amazing books about superfoods. Superfoods Superfast features 100 energizing recipes to make in 20 minutes or less. As a mother of a rambunctious 3-year-old, full-time employee, student, and homemaker who often takes care of her partners’ three children too, this book and style fit perfectly into my life. I find that even with all of the tasty choices that include kale the “Kale and Tofu Scramble” is one I use most often, although the Read More …

Red Cabbage Kraut Brightens a Winter Plate

MarahG

When winter gets dark and the vegetables sitting on the supermarket shelf seem somewhat sad, sauerkraut is a beautiful and healthy addition to your plate.   In Anchorage, you can buy local sauerkraut at farmers’ markets and many stores. However,  it’s easy and fun to make your own so you can keep enjoying your garden’s harvest even when it’s snowing outside! I started making sauerkraut five years ago when my boyfriend showed me how. Krauting our garden cabbages has been a part of every harvest since then. With each batch, Read More …

Alaskan Carrot Cake. . .Dogs Love It!

jcooperc

Every summer I look forward to purchasing Alaskan grown carrots when they show up at farmer’s markets then local grocery stores. Also, each winter I’m unreasonably sad when the commercial supply of Alaskan carrots is gone for the year! I’m not a vegetable gardener, choosing instead to grow flowers for cutting and arranging in vases. If I ever tried my hand at growing vegetables, I would definitely plant carrots. It’s a funny coincidence that the family recipe I cherish the most is my Grandmother’s carrot cake. I have fond memories Read More …

The Scrumptious Scramble

lldevita

One day I was hungry so I looked around the kitchen and found that there were eggs, potatoes, garlic and cheddar cheese, so I made them into a delicious scramble. I made it several times for my family and I, with varying quantities of the ingredients until I decided to make it into a proper recipe with repeatable results. Because I was making it into a recipe I thought that I might as well improve it at the same time. I was eating chili pepper on eggs a lot so Read More …