If you are fortunate enough to have an American witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) in your yard, you can stop buying witch hazel astringent and make your own. It’s important that you distinguish between the American witch hazel and Asian witch hazels (H. mollis). Only the American witch hazel yields the astringent. It’s easy to tell them apart. American witch hazel … Read More
DIY Candied Ginger
One of the classic flavors of the Christmas season is ginger. Gingerbread, ginger cookies, ginger cakes, the list is endless. Another way to add ginger flavor to your holiday desserts is by using candied ginger. Candied ginger is fresh ginger that has been first cooked and then dried with sugar. Use it in moderation. It has more sugar in it … Read More
Patience
This is what patience (and procrastination) looks like. Back in February, I decided to try growing ginger. I purchased a hand of ginger at Trader Joe’s so I could get an organic one. I made sure that it had eyes. Then I planted it in a deep pot so that it would be the required three inches deep, watered it … Read More
The Fun Begins
Remember those seeds that I sowed two weeks ago? This is what they looked like today: It’s amazing what a heat mat and misters can accomplish in a short period of time. The basils are overflowing their containers and need out immediately. Hey, what happened to that missing square? Did the seeds fail to germinate? Did the seedlings die? Nope! … Read More