# Homestead Style — Full Content Index > Source: https://hscom.vercel.app/llms-full.txt > Generated: 2026-10-05T20:10:24.134Z --- ## About URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/about Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/about/llm.txt Type: page Living a homestead style life anywhere. --- ## SUPER DOG - YouTube URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/super-dog-youtube Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/super-dog-youtube/llm.txt Type: post Check out this super dog. > "TreT - American Staffordshire Terrier" via [SUPER DOG - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPyP_7Xuqr0&feature=player_embedded). --- ## Beautiful Cob House URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/beautiful-cob-house Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/beautiful-cob-house/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/3120264741_5b35f725e7.jpg "3120264741_5b35f725e7") Beautiful Cob House interior!  Love the stairs. > "Meka Bunch of Wolf Creek, Oregon built this stunning cob house over a four year period. Complete with hand-sculpted furniture, shelves and nooks built directly into the walls, arched windows, and a killer custom staircase, his cob building is a divine artistic achievement." via [Most Beautiful Cob House Ever? | Cob Houses and Design](http://small-scale.net/yearofmud/2009/04/09/most-beautiful-cob-house-ever/). --- ## Italian Gravy Recipe URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/italian-gravy-recipe Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/italian-gravy-recipe/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Italian-Gravy-on-Plate-560x592.jpg)YUMMY! > "Italian Gravy" via [Julia Janzen](http://juliajanzen.com/). --- ## Gnome Wizard Waldorf doll by EvesLittleEarthlings on Etsy URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/gnome-wizard-waldorf-doll-by-eveslittleearthlings-on-etsy Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/gnome-wizard-waldorf-doll-by-eveslittleearthlings-on-etsy/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Gnome.jpeg "Gnome")Beautiful handcrafted creations. > "A sweet and humorous face, grand whiskers and lively eyes makes this forest gnome a special friend." via [Gnome Wizard waldorf doll by EvesLittleEarthlings on Etsy](http://www.etsy.com/listing/99787739/gnome-wizard-waldorf-doll). --- ## Our Adorable Past URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/our-adorable-past Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/our-adorable-past/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/WilmaHurskainen1-580x431.jpg)One of the coolest ideas I've ever heard of! > "Photographer Wilma Hurskainen and her three sisters spent a lot of time together growing up, vacationing with their parents, and being silly. She had the idea to do it all over again, 15 years later and turned the resulting photographs into a book called Growth. Take a look at some of the intricately set and posed photos they wound up shooting together." via [Our Adorable Past | The Mary Sue](http://www.themarysue.com/category/our-adorable-past/). --- ## Homestead for sale in Floyd, VA URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/homestead-for-sale-in-floyd-va Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/homestead-for-sale-in-floyd-va/llm.txt Type: post Sweet little homestead for sale in Floyd, VA Our Homestead For Sale Priced to Sell at $139,999 > "We will be selling our working organic homestead priced to sell in Floyd, VA. available. 1940 farmhouse has 4 bedrooms, 1 bath, original hardwood floors, wood burning stoves and furnace. Straw bale construction milking barn and hen house. Multiple out buildings including big old barn and a spring house. Multiple enclosures for livestock and gardens. Nice flat pasture area, fully fenced, with slight incline. 3.85 acres. A newly captured spring. Full dry basement. Convenient to Floyd, Blacksburg/Christiansburg and Roanoke. See videos for more details. For more information, please contact us at this link and watch the following three videos below." via [Homestead for sale Floyd VA Priced to Sell](http://www.pocketsofthefuture.com/). --- ## Pine Top Tiny House Homestead URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/pine-top-tiny-house-homestead Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/pine-top-tiny-house-homestead/llm.txt Type: post > ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/023.jpg)"...tiny home on 3 acres in the Ozark Mountains" via [Pine Top Homestead](http://tinyhouseblog.com/stick-built/pine-top-homestead/). --- ## Vincent Callebaut Architecte CORAL REEF, MATRIX URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/vincent-callebaut-architecte-coral-reef-matrix Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/vincent-callebaut-architecte-coral-reef-matrix/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Eco-Village-Coral-Reef.jpeg "Eco Village Coral Reef")Incredibly creative architectural design! CORAL REEF, MATRIX AND PLUG-IN FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF 1000 PREFABRICATED PASSIVE HOUSES > "Called «The Pearl of West Indies», Haiti was during a long time the most visited country of the Greater Antilles representing the occidental third of Hispaniola Island. Devastated in 2010 by an earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale, the country has now to be rebuilt from new innovative architectural and town-planning concepts. The Coral Reef project plans a matrix to build a three dimensional and energy self-sufficient village from one and only standardised and prefabricated module in order to rehouse the refugees from such humanitarian catastrophes. This basic module is simply made of two passive houses (with metallic structure and tropical wood facades) interlocked in duplex around a transversal horizontal circulation linking every unit. Inspired from a Coral reef with fluid and organic shapes, the overall project presents itself as a great living structure made of two waves dedicated to accommodate more than one thousand Haitian families. These two inhabited waves undulate along the water on an artificial pier built on seismic piles in the Caribbean Sea. From concave curves to convex curves, the housing modules are aligned and piled up by successive stratums such as a great origami. Between the two inhabited waves is created a sumptuous interior canyon in pixels with terraces and cascades of food gardens. Actually, the laying-out in staggered rows of the plane-parallel base modules enables to superimpose the passive houses in cantilever and to multiply the vision axes towards an endless number of perspectives. Each roof of each module becomes then an organic suspended garden enabling to each Creole family to cultivate its own food and to use themselves their own wastage as compost. This canyon is a true tropical ecosystem for the local fauna and the flora. Ode to the urban biodiversity, it is also the central axis of the communitarian life of this futuristic village and respectful of its environment. Between the waves of these ecological housing, the sinuous lines of the anti-seismic basement (absorbing the vibrations in case of earthquake) integrate the public functions of the social life. Aquicultural farms welcome pisciculture pools whereas the purification plant lagoons recycle the used waters before rejecting them in the sea. The Master Plan can evolve and extends itself according to the «plug-in» principle. The urban framework of this ecological village remains thus undetermined, flexible and develops itself continuously according to the time and the space. New extension modules, also prefabricated in factory and brought by cargo will be actually added such as a giant meccano set to correspond to the needs of inhabitants completing the basic matrix. The visible sinuosity of this built landscape is structured by eight spine columns integrating all the vertical circulations linked together by two horizontal storeys crossing through a straight line the whole village from end to end. The whole set forms a compact orthogonal system that distributes all the flows through each module. The project is eco-designed and integrates all the bioclimatic systems as well as the renewable energies. Actually, the sea thermal energy conversion is made in the coverage of the pier by using the difference of temperature between the superficial waters and the deep waters. The kinetic energy from marine currents is converted by hydro-turbines under the pier into electrical energy; the sinusoidal pergolas on the roof attract the solar energy by photovoltaic panels and a park of spiral wind turbines is planted in the great tropical garden that covers the logistical basis. Taking advantage of the same natural and climatic conditions from the beginning as its neighbour island, Dominican Republic, Haiti is one of the countries that profits from one of the biggest potentials to reinvent a new sustainable urbanity and to implement the biggest challenges of reconstruction as a matter of urgency. The Coral Reef prototype project is in this context of humanitarian crisis a positive and dynamic answer fighting for the sustainable industrialised and standardised rebuilding of collective social housing of humanitarian and environmental high quality in disaster area. Vincent Callebaut Architect" via [Vincent Callebaut Architecte CORAL](http://vincent.callebaut.org/page1-img-coral.html). --- ## Fairy Tale Cottage URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/fairy-tale-cottage Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/fairy-tale-cottage/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Small-Cottage-House-in-grassy-fields-582x776.jpg)Can't you just picture yourself living here?  I know I can! > "Cottages houses like what we feature today have been romanticized since the early fairy tales of Little Red Riding Hood and Hansel and Gretel and have a way of infinitely reminding us of gingerbread houses, and cookies, and sugar! What makes a cottage so distinctive from other small homes is its dark thatched roof, and the way it envelops the cottage like melted cheese. (funny how cottage cheese looks nothing like this) These homes were traditionally built by a waterfront and made out of logs or other natural materials. Also known as a cabin, they were used as a way of modest country living, but are now more popular as weekend and summer homes for city dwellers who are looking to get away. So the next time you stay in a cottage estate for your summer vacation, remember who inspired you! via [Fairy Tale Cottages](http://www.home-designing.com/2010/11/fairy-tale-cottages). --- ## Tiny Free House URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/tiny-free-house Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/tiny-free-house/llm.txt Type: post [![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Tiny-Free-House-front-door-window-600x833.jpg)](http://www.tinyfreehouse.com/) This is the tiny free house that my husband is building out of pallets.  It's been a while since he's had time to work on it but it's going to be amazing when it's finished!  Now I need to learn how to do stained glass for those cute little windows! > "...a tiny house that's cross between Henry David Thoreau’s cabin at Walden Pond and a Tumbleweed-like Tiny House on wheels, the only difference is that it will cost nothing." via [Tiny Free House | Searching for the true value of a home…](http://www.tinyfreehouse.com/). --- ## How To Harvest Honey From Natural Comb URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/how-to-harvest-honey-from-natural-comb Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/how-to-harvest-honey-from-natural-comb/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/warre_honeycomb_03.jpg) Someday I'd love to try have a little Bee & Bee.  :) > "Once you’ve harvested your natural honeycomb from your Warré (or other kind of top bar) beehive, it’s time to make get some of that goodness into jars! Fortunately, like many other aspects of natural beekeeping, getting the honey out of natural comb is easy and simple, once you know how." via [How to harvest Honey from Natural Comb « Milkwood: permaculture farming and living](http://milkwood.net/2012/01/19/how-to-harvest-honey-from-natural-comb/). --- ## Start A One Acre, Self-Sufficient Homestead URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/start-a-one-acre-self-sufficient-homestead Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/start-a-one-acre-self-sufficient-homestead/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/MotherEarthNews.jpeg "MotherEarthNews") "Mother Earth News" never disappoints.  Another interesting article. > "Expert advice on how to establish self-sufficient food production, including guidance on crop rotations, raising livestock and grazing management." via [Start a 1-Acre, Self-Sufficient Homestead - Modern Homesteading - MOTHER EARTH NEWS](http://www.motherearthnews.com/modern-homesteading/self-sufficient-homestead-zm0z11zkon.aspx). --- ## Amish Move Barn By Hand URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/amish-move-barn-by-hand Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/amish-move-barn-by-hand/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Barn_Moving_1.jpg) Now this is some team work! "Around 150 Amish men from the Kalona area help to carry one of four pieces of a large barn Friday morning along Highway 22 east of Kalona. The men moved the barn by foot to the homestead of Paul T. Miller, who purchased the structure at an auction from Randy Billups of Kalona. It took the group about four hours to finish the task, and they drew the attention of numerous passersby. "I've never seen anything like this. This is something from 'Ripley's Believe it or Not, '" Dick Schlatter of Kalona remarked. Press-Citizen/Matthew Holst" via [Amish Move Barn By Hand - Mission to Amish People](http://www.mapministry.org/news-and-testimonies/amish-move-barn-by-hand). --- ## Kelly Kettle URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/kelly-kettle Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/kelly-kettle/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/kettle1.jpeg "kettle1") Have you seen this?  What a great idea! > "The Kelly Kettle®, also known as the Volcano Kettle, has been an essential piece of kit for Irish fishermen for generations. Quickly boiling water using virtually any fuel, the Kelly Kettle lets you enjoy a freshly brewed cup of tea or coffee in minutes rather than the stale version you can look forward to from a flask. Compact, durable and lightweight and can be operated with virtually any fuel: sticks, dry grass, heather, birch bark, pine cones, even dry camel dung!?d" via [Kelly Kettle 1 Pint - €42.33 : Zen Cart!, The Art of E-commerce](http://www.charlescamping.ie/onlinestore/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=65_95&products_id=500). --- ## Redneck Kelly Kettle URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/redneck-kelly-kettle Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/redneck-kelly-kettle/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/1218618150_07167.jpg) and now for the redneck version of a Kelly Kettle. > "...volcano kettle is complete. It weighs 42g or 1 1/2oz and the stove weighs 31g or just over an ounce. I just finished and tested my first customer's kettle and it boiled 2 cups (16oz 474g) of 17C tap water in 3 mins 30 seconds using 13 grams of alcohol fuel. I think that's as fast as the quickest gas and canister stoves using a conventional pan set up isn't it? It has a thermal efficiency of 60% and has met all my targets for weight, speed, economy, and ergonomics. I can also make these using heineken keg cans with a slightly smaller capacity if they use the fast 1oz stove or a full 2 cups using my 4g lip balm pot stove. Boil time with the small stove is around 9 mins." via [Make Your Own Gear » 2 cup Volcano kettle boils in 3 1/2 mins with 13g alcohol ! -- BackpackingLight.com Forums](http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=15404). --- ## Sweet Cob Home Kitchen URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/sweet-cob-home-kitchen Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/sweet-cob-home-kitchen/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/cob-home-kitchen.jpg) Beautiful cob house kitchen. > "A cob home will have a very distinct and unique quality to it that you will not find among conventional homes. Living in a cob house is more than just abiding in a shelter. It includes a unique experience that is both uplifting and healthy." via [14 Characteristics of Cob Homes - This Cob House](http://www.thiscobhouse.com/characteristics-of-cob-homes/). --- ## Nut & Seed Nutritional Chart URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/nut-seed-nutritional-chart Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/nut-seed-nutritional-chart/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Nut-Seeds-Chart.jpeg "Nut & Seeds Chart") Something to take into account if you're looking at adding to your garden.   We were hoping to add a walnut tree this year as another source of protein but maybe a pumpkin patch might be a better choice after looking at this. --- ## DIY Toothpaste URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/diy-toothpaste Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/diy-toothpaste/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/DIY-toothpaste-e1342547999803.jpg) Easy homemade toothpaste recipe. > "For flavor variety, switch the peppermint oil to sweet orange or clove. Happy brushing!" via [DIY Toothpaste | The651.com](http://the651.com/diy-toothpaste). --- ## Bamboo Soil Clock Powered by DIRT! URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/bamboo-soil-clock-powered-by-dirt Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/bamboo-soil-clock-powered-by-dirt/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/soilclock1.jpg) Cool clock! > "Nothing gets kids up in the morning like the thought of going to school – not! If your youngsters are anything like others around the world, they need something interesting to get them out of bed, and this living Bamboo Soil Clock is fascinating enough to fit the bill. It’s a great way to teach your children about alternative sources of energy because it’s powered by something kids love – DIRT!" via [Bamboo Soil Clock Powered by DIRT! | Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building](http://inhabitat.com/bamboo-soil-clock-powered-by-dirt/). --- ## Beginning Farmer Programs & Resources URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/beginning-farmer-programs-resources Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/beginning-farmer-programs-resources/llm.txt Type: post [![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/cfra_logo.gif "cfra_logo")](http://www.cfra.org/renewrural/farm#beginning) [Center for Rural Affairs](http://www.cfra.org/renewrural/farm#beginning) is a great resource for somebody who would like to learn how to be a farmer and rancher! > "Beginning Farmer Programs & Resources First, Finding Land Matching and Land Linking Programs: Learn about and find programs across the US and abroad that match beginning farmers with retiring ones Land Link: The Center’s Land Linking Program Transfer Strategies: Examples of successful linking arrangements Navigating Land Transfers for Retiring Farmers/Ranchers: Workshop series to help retiring landowners secure their retirement planning and farm transfer Other Programs Conservation Reserve Program Transition Option: Incentives for landowners to return land to production and rent to new or socially disadvantaged farmers Beginning and Socially Disadvantaged Farmer and Rancher Land Contract Guarantee Program: Incentives for landowners to sell to new or socially disadvantaged farmers Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program: Grants designed to provide support to collaborative networks or partnerships." via [| Center for Rural Affairs](http://www.cfra.org/renewrural/farm#beginning). --- ## Chocolate Cake Baked in an Orange URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/chocolate-cake-baked-in-an-orange Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/chocolate-cake-baked-in-an-orange/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/campfire_dessert_620x413_chocolate_cake_oranges.jpg) I'd choose this over s'mores any day! > "Chocolate Cake Baked in an Orange Cut the tops off about 10 oranges and scoop out the pulp. Fill the oranges three-quarters of the way with chocolate cake batter (cake mix works fine), then put the orange tops back on and wrap each orange in aluminum foil. Place directly onto the smoldering coals of the campfire, avoiding any intense flames, and cook for about 30 minutes, turning once or twice." via [Step Up the S'more: 7 Ideas for Campfire Treats by Chris Rochelle : Chocolate Cake Baked in an Orange - CHOW](http://www.chow.com/galleries/315/step-up-the-smore-7-ideas-for-campfire-treats-by-chris-rochelle#!7324/chocolate-cake-baked-in-an-orange). --- ## Lilacs & Laughter: A Cottage For Sale in Carmel-by-the-Sea URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/lilacs-laughter-a-cottage-for-sale-in-carmel-by-the-sea Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/lilacs-laughter-a-cottage-for-sale-in-carmel-by-the-sea/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Carmel-Cottage-for-Sale.jpg) I'm not sure anything that's $1,395 million could truly be called a "cottage" but it sure is cute isn't it? > "At first glance, this cottage in Carmel, California, looks like it could be one of Hugh Comstock’s Fairytale Cottages, so I was surprised to learn that it’s much newer, built in 1992. Comstock was building his charming little houses, with names like Hansel and Gretel, back in the 1920s. This one, called “Lilacs & Laughter,” is on the market for $1.395 million." via [Lilacs & Laughter: A Cottage For Sale in Carmel-by-the-Sea](http://hookedonhouses.net/2011/11/13/lilacs-laughter-a-cottage-for-sale-in-carmel-by-the-sea/). --- ## Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association Conference URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/biodynamic-farming-and-gardening-association-conference Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/biodynamic-farming-and-gardening-association-conference/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Sacred-Agriculture.gif "Sacred Agriculture") Interested in learning more about biodynamic farming?  Here's a conference that may shed some light. > "Join us on November 14-18, 2012, at the beautiful Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center in Madison, WI, for an extraordinary event — the 2012 North American Biodynamic Conference. This biennial conference will bring together hundreds of farmers, gardeners, educators, activists, and interested newcomers for five days of inspiring keynotes, informative workshops, networking, exhibits, film screenings, art, and organic and biodynamic foods. This year’s theme, Sacred Agriculture: Creating a New Relationship with the Earth, will focus on how we can build a sacred relationship to the earth through farming, gardening, and transformational work in our communities." > via [Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association](https://www.biodynamics.com/). --- ## The "Dome Lady" Tile House URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/the-dome-lady-tile-house Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/the-dome-lady-tile-house/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/DomeLady-w.jpg.w300h369.jpg) Take one very creative and patient lady and millions of little pieces of tile and look what happens.  When my husband was in his 20's he had the opportunity to help her with a few projects.  I especially love the planter women she made.  Someday I envision an outdoor bread oven shaped like one of these lovely ladies. > "This Dome Lady stands 26 feet tall, about 19 feet wide. She overlooks Beverley's prior residence in Apache Creek, New Mexico. The skirt is made of a concrete foundation, rebar reinforced concrete walls, with mosaic tile on the exterior, and stucco finish on the interior. The torso is constructed of metal lathe with a bondo finish, then painted. The entrance through a door in the skirt leads you to an adorable guest house, equiped with a kitchen with mosaic countertops, dining table, and sleeping quarters. All incompassed under a circular petticoat, with brick floors and a mosaic rug." via [Tile House](http://www.abqartglass.com/id15.html). --- ## Ultimate Campground Cruiser URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/ultimate-campground-cruiser Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/ultimate-campground-cruiser/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/d0c9848580a925fa4bb76ab9686c5451.jpg) How fun would this be to cruise around in? > "The Ultimate Campground Cruiser - An all wood "Electric Horseless Carriage". It's a hand crafted work of art that actually carries two people. This amazing vehicle attracts attention. People honk and wave everywhere you go. You will know everyone in the campground within a day or two.  It can be carried in a RV or with a motorcycle lift eliminating the need to tow a car. It is legal for Seniors to use on roads as a Quadracycle - Ca. Veh. Code Sec. 407. Go anywhere you can walk or ride a bike. It has a thirty mile plus range for short trips and can be recharged from your RV. The perfect way to explore your favorite destination communities, parks, and events.I have one available and it will be 3 months before there is another. The price is $10,000 and I expect the value will increase as I build more. This is a lifetime vehicle - built like fine furniture. The Maintenance is furniture polish, battery water and simple adjustments. Remember taking "Sunday Drives" as a family activity? Well, you can do it again and enjoy it even more with the "SunshineCar".A few more pictures at: www.SunshineCar.net Call Steve at 530 888 1419  A Horseless Carriage, A Wooden Car, A Quadracycle, An Electric Car, A Solar Car? It's all of those and more. " via [Home Page](http://www.sunshinecar.net/). --- ## Modern Straw Bale House URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/modern-straw-bale-house Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/modern-straw-bale-house/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/house8-04.jpg) Beautiful example of straw bale construction married to modern aesthetic.  Make sure you check out their page for more great photos! > "Patterson Straw Bale Cottage Beals, Maine Started 2001" via [Strw Bale Maine](http://mhc.com/Maine/straw.html). --- ## Homemade Whole Grain Chicken Feed URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/homemade-whole-grain-chicken-feed Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/homemade-whole-grain-chicken-feed/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/2012-06-29-04.jpg) What a great idea to make your own chicken feed!  Especially if you have a child with food allergies. > "Garden Betty’s Homemade Whole Grain Chicken Feed Makes 8 1/2 pounds (fills 10-pound feeder) 4 cups oat groats 4 cups black oil sunflower seeds 4 cups hard red wheat berries 2 cups soft white wheat berries 2 cups kamut 2 cups millet 2 cups whole corn 1 cup lentils 1 cup sesame seeds 1 cup flax seeds 1/2 cup brewer’s yeast 1/4 cup kelp granules free-choice oyster shells free-choice grit" via [Garden Betty’s Homemade Whole Grain Chicken Feed | Garden Betty](http://www.gardenbetty.com/2012/06/garden-bettys-homemade-whole-grain-chicken-feed/). --- ## Crusty Bread Recipe URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/crusty-bread-recipe Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/crusty-bread-recipe/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Crusty-Bread.jpeg "Crusty Bread") Just nothing better than the smell of bread baking is there? [Crusty Bread Recipe](http://www.serenejourney.com/2009/03/quite-possibly-the-best-homemade-crusty-bread-ever/) > "There’s just something about the smell of fresh baked crusty bread that makes you feel at home." via [Crusty Bread Recipe](http://www.serenejourney.com/2009/03/quite-possibly-the-best-homemade-crusty-bread-ever/). --- ## Early Earthen Homestead URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/early-earthen-homestead Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/early-earthen-homestead/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/hult_sod_05.jpg) Original earthen home. > "Pioneer family dressed up for the itinerant photographer, early 1900s" via [Pioneer family (photograph)](http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/award97/ndfahtml/hult_sod_05.html). --- ## Heirloom Exposition Event URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/heirloom-exposition-event Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/heirloom-exposition-event/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Heirloom-Expo.jpeg "Heirloom Expo") Learn more about Biodynamic farming at the [Heirloom Exposition](http://www.theheirloomexpo.com/) in Santa Rosa, CA in September. > "Demeter Association, Inc. is the United States’ representative of Demeter International. We are a not-for-profit incorporated in 1985 with the mission to enable people to farm successfully, in accordance with Biodynamic® practices and principles. Demeter’s vision is to heal the planet through agriculture." via [Demeter Mission - Demeter USA](http://www.demeter-usa.org/about-demeter/). --- ## Adobe Windmills URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/adobe-windmills Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/adobe-windmills/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/adobe-windmill1.jpg) Great idea. > "Basically the adobe structure provides support for a vertical wood-bladed mill that can be used to grind grain or put to other use. In some cases the adobe structure can also provide a channel for directing the wind toward the mill." via [Adobe Windmills](http://naturalbuildingblog.com/adobe-windmills/). --- ## Bean & Pasta Soup Recipe URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/bean-pasta-soup-recipe Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/bean-pasta-soup-recipe/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Healthy-300x200.jpg) Just because it's almost soup weather and this is my all time favorite soup recipe. > "Bean and Pasta Soup 8   cups of free range organic chicken stock (substitute veggie broth or low sodium stock) 2   15 oz cans Cannellini beans (white kidney beans) drained 2   carrots cubed 2   stalks of celery cubed 1   small onion diced 2   large whole bay leaves 1   cup of uncooked Barrilla Plus Farfalle or bowtie pasta 4   Tbls extra virgin olive oil 4   cloves of garlic minced 1   tsp of red pepper flakes 1/2 cup either sundried tomatoes or Just Tomatoes (dried tomato product) roughly chopped 1/2 cup of finely chopped fresh parsley Shredded Parmesan cheese to taste In a large pot heat olive oil on med-high and add carrots, celery, onion, red pepper flakes and garlic.  Cook stirring until onions are almost translucent.  Add bay leaves, reduce heat to low and cover until carrots and celery are tender. About 5 to 10 minutes.   Add broth, & beans then bring to a boil.  Next add sundried tomatoes or “Just Tomatoes” product and bowtie pasta.  Cook until pasta is al dente.  Approximately 10 minutes.  Add  chopped parsley to pot, stir and ladle into serving bowls.   Garnish with Parmesan cheese to taste.  Approximately 6 dinner size servings for the hungry.  Enjoy!" via [Julia Janzen » Search Results » soup](http://juliajanzen.com/?s=soup). --- ## Building a Root Cellar or Pantry into Your Basement URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/building-a-root-cellar-or-pantry-into-your-basement Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/building-a-root-cellar-or-pantry-into-your-basement/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/root_cellar.jpeg "root_cellar") Cutest root cellar ever! > "Ditch that energy-sucking (and jam-packed) second fridge and build a root cellar or cool pantry into your basement design." via [Building a Root Cellar or Pantry into Your Basement Design p1 - LogHome.com](http://www.loghome.com/building-a-root-cellar-or-pantry-into-your-basement-design/). --- ## How to Build a Compost Fence URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/how-to-build-a-compost-fence Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/how-to-build-a-compost-fence/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Compost-Fence.jpeg "Compost Fence") > _Would this work?_ "DIRECTIONS FOR BUILDING A COMPOST FENCE Courtesy of Boy Scouts from Troop 348 MATERIALS: 4x6 fence posts (can use 6x6 also). 4 inch x 4 inch galvanized steel "hogwire" (comes in 4 foot x 6 foot sheets from farm equipment stores) Get enough for 2 layers for each section of fence. 1 x 4 facing boards-(1x 6 if you use 6x6 posts). 2 boards for each post long enough to cover the above ground portion of each post. large nail-pound staples to attach hogwire. nails to attach the facing boards. crushed rocks to anchor the posts. If posts are treated, get end sealer to treat cut surfaces. DIRECTIONS Cut posts to desired lengths. Taper top ends by cutting approximately 30 degrees off the 4 inch sides (which face front and back.) The 6-inch sides are the thickness of the fence where the compost will go. Treat cut surfaces if desired. Dig holes and anchor posts into the ground with the 4 inch sides facing forward. Cut hogwire to the exact width between the centers of the posts for each section. Height should be 2-3 inches below the cut surface of the post. Cut two sheets for each section. Attach hogwire to posts with large staples. (One sheet on the front and one sheet on the back). Cut faceboards to approximately one inch below the cut surface of the post. Taper the top edge of the faceboard. Treat faceboards if desired. Attach faceboards to cover seams in the hogwire. Fill inside of fence with compost as desired." via [my cottage yard farm](http://pinterest.com/pin/177681147768224924/). --- ## Yummy Healthy Peanut Butter Fudge Recipe URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/yummy-healthy-peanut-butter-fudge-recipe Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/yummy-healthy-peanut-butter-fudge-recipe/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/ChocolatePeanutButterFudge_thumb.jpg)                     Wow this recipe looks so yummy! > "Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Ingredients: 1/2 cup coconut oil (slightly melted, but not hot) 1/2 cup good quality cocoa powder (such as Scharffen Berger) 1/2 cup natural peanut butter (I used my homemade peanut butter) 1/4 cup mild raw honey 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract (I use my homemade vanilla – Only $0.32 an ounce!) Preparation: Prepare a muffin pan with 10 muffin liners. Put all ingredients in the bowl of your food processor.  Pulse a few times until everything is smooth and nicely combined.  (It will be very liquid-y.)  Don’t over-mix. Pour the liquid fudge into the prepared muffin liners dividing evenly between the ten of them.  There will be about a half inch of fudge in each muffin liner. Place the muffin pan in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or until the fudge has hardened. (Sometimes I use the freezer and it only takes about 10 minutes) Remove the muffin liners from the pan and enjoy your delicious, healthy fudge!  Store in the refrigerator." via [Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge | The Purposed Heart](http://thepurposedheart.com/healthy-chocolate-peanut-butter-fudge/). --- ## FOLK Subscription Giveaway URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/folk-subscription-giveaway Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/folk-subscription-giveaway/llm.txt Type: post > ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Fall%2B2012%2BOfficial%2BCover.jpg)                 Go to [American Folk Life](http://americanfolklife.blogspot.com/2012/08/finding-fall-with-folk-subscription.html) to enter now. >  "AMERICAN LIVING BY GENERATION Y. FOLK brings the perspective of the rising generation to present what it means to be part of the American culture today. As well as standing up, through a grassroots movement to share the American story, preserve the past, and further the Made in America movement. The time is now to show we care too." via [Finding Fall With FOLK | Subscription Giveaway | FOLK](http://americanfolklife.blogspot.com/2012/08/finding-fall-with-folk-subscription.html). --- ## Barn Raising URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/barn-raising Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/barn-raising/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/history-barn-raising-800x800.jpg)               Heartwarming to see so many people working together!  Let's bring this kind of teamwork back! > "The family farm has been a vital image in the American consciousness for centuries. The thought of a rural barn raising creates a picture of community spirit. Many American farm families can look at their barns as links to the past. A barn raising shows the strength of a community in more than riches. These old barns are community landmarks and make the past, the present." via [History of Barn Raising | eHow.com](http://www.ehow.com/about_4672919_history-barn-raising.html). --- ## Earthbag Storm Shelter URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/earthbag-storm-shelter Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/earthbag-storm-shelter/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/owen1.jpg)   I don't know if this is below ground enough to be used as a storm shelter but this would be a beautiful root cellar!  Check out [Earthbag Building](http://earthbagbuilding.com/projects/mendome.htm) for how to build it. > "One of the most practical structures on a small farmstead is a multi-purpose garden structure that can serve as a storage shed or cool pantry above ground, or as a root cellar or storm shelter below ground. You can build this multipurpose structure for about $300 using earthbag construction (bags filled with earth and stacked like bricks). And the skills you learn by building the dome will serve you well if you plan to build a larger earthbag structure or even an earth home." via [Earthbag Building: Low-Cost Multipurpose Minibuilding](http://earthbagbuilding.com/projects/mendome.htm). --- ## Freeze & Preserve Fresh Herbs in Olive Oil URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/freeze-preserve-fresh-herbs-in-olive-oil Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/freeze-preserve-fresh-herbs-in-olive-oil/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/2012_07_02-FreezeHerbs02Ed.jpg) Some ice cube trays, fresh herbs, a little olive oil.  What a great idea! > "Pesto, peach puree, tomato soup — stash them away now for the winter! One of my favorite ingredients, a handful of fresh herbs from the garden, is one of the simplest things to preserve in the freezer, and I just learned a new, better way to freeze herbs: In oil!" via [Freeze & Preserve Fresh Herbs in Olive Oil Kitchen Tip | The Kitchn](http://www.thekitchn.com/freeze-herbs-in-olive-oil-173648). --- ## Hoes Down Festival URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/hoes-down-festival Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/hoes-down-festival/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Full-Belly-Farm1.jpeg "Full Belly Farm") Sounds like fun! Check out [Full Belly Farm](http://www.fullbellyfarm.com/) for more information. > "The 25th Annual Hoes Down Harvest Festival will be on October 6 and 7, 2012. Make plans now to join us! > > This all-day celebration of the harvest season offers a unique opportunity to enjoy rural life on an organic family farm, with educational tours, workshops, hayrides and an abundance of food and music. > > Saturday Festival MAIN FESTIVAL: Saturday, October 6, 2012 11am - 11 pm Admission Prices Adults: $20 each when purchased online; $25 when purchased at the gate Children (2-12): $5 each anytime! Under 2: Free Saturday Night Camping: $25 per car- no reservations are needed!" > > [![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/hdrichardsbarngorgeous-2.jpg)](http://www.hoesdown.org/) via [Home](http://www.hoesdown.org/). --- ## KoMo Magic Grain Mill URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/komo-magic-grain-mill Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/komo-magic-grain-mill/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/komo-magic-grain-mill.jpg)                 My latest drool over dream appliance. > "Constructed with stainless steel encased in a frame of beechwood, the KoMo Magic Grain Mill is exactly what its name says it is –magic. The main housing is cylindrical with a bowl-shaped hopper sitting at its top. The top and bottom ends of the cylinder are each ringed with bands made of beechwood. These bands are joined by a slat, also made of the same material, that spans the height of the stainless steel housing. Close to the top, a hole is drilled on the wood slat for a spout where ground grain fall out. The lid of the hopper is also made of beechwood. This combination of wood and stainless steel lends an aura of elegance and flair to the mill. Its successful mix of old and new materials makes it look like magic." via [Mill – Electric - Spice Grinders](http://www.spicegrindersgrainmills.com/mill-electric). --- ## The Bigger Picture URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/the-bigger-picture Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/the-bigger-picture/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/grains-of-sands-3.jpeg "grains-of-sands-3") I found this image online of grains of sand magnified to 250 times their real size.  I'm blown away by how incredibly beautiful each grain is.  It's amazing the things you can see when you take the time to really look. --- ## Dried Tomatoes URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/dried-tomatoes Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/dried-tomatoes/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Tomatoes1.jpg "Tomatoes1") Well it's time again to start harvesting the last of the Sun Gold Cherry Tomatoes and drying them.  They make the most delicious snacks and are terrific in soups. ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Tomatoes2.jpg "Tomatoes2") --- ## Apple Orchard For Sale URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/apple-orchard-for-sale Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/apple-orchard-for-sale/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/31083-00185-2188326.jpg) Any apple lovers out there? > "Well established NY State U-Pick Apple Orchard farm located in the famous Finger Lakes region near the progressive city of Auburn; short drive to Syracuse, NY. Hilltop setting with restored loft barn and century old farmhouse makes this farm a well known local destination. Orchard has 16 varieties of apples such as Cortlands, Macintosh, Empire, Jona Gold, Red Delicious, Macoun, Northern Spies, Crispin, & Yellow Delicious all laid out in wide easy to pick rows. The farm is a well known destination during the late summer and fall apple harvest seasons. Owners also grow pumpkins, goards, Indian Corn, & Squash for "U-Pick" participants. Well appointed Apple House has a farm kitchen for pie baking, apple crisps, hot dogs, ice cream, cookies, popcorn & cider. This part of the business could easily be expanded. Very well restored Circa 1840's Early American 4 bedroom farmhouse boasts 1,700 + SF of comfortable living area. Master bedroom has a gas burning fireplace. Oversize upstairs bathroom has walk in double shower, jacuzzi tub w/ TV; big double bedroom with built in desk & storage. Impressive hard wood floors, all with radient heat. Basement is clean & dry. Two well water system runs through specialized reverse osmosis micron filtratation system that eliminates use of chlorine. Full line of very well maintained farm equipment customized for orchard & vegetable production. Farm is located in protected agricultural district with ag-exemption in place. Very good 25 acre woodlot with native hardwoods such as hard maple, ash, beech & cherry recently valued at $40,000. Maple syrup making could easily be an added enterprise. Business enjoys a good loyal customer base that returns year after year for apple picking, pumpkin harvesting, haunted hayrides, apple store products and other fall harvest season activities. Placement of a greenhouse would allow for year round flower and fruit growing. Plenty of flat tillable fields are ideal for strawberries, respberries and garden vegetables. This fine agri-business opportunity is bound to excited the alert investor seeking a good opportunity with plenty of upside potential. Financing options available to credit worthy Buyer. Call Tom Mullen for confidential discussion. Asking: $795,000 Contact Information: Name: Tom Mullen Phone: (607) 565-3491" via [New York Orchard For Sale - U-PICK Apple Orchard - OrchardSmart.com](http://orchardsmart.com/real_estate/listings/united_states/new_york/new-york-orchards-for-sale/Apple-Orchard-For-Sale-0511/new-york-apple-orchard-for-sale.html). --- ## Cob House With Earthen Roof URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/cob-house-with-earthen-roof Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/cob-house-with-earthen-roof/llm.txt Type: post Sweet cob house with an earthen roof. Check out "[The Year of Mud: Cob & Natural Building](http://small-scale.net/yearofmud/2009/08/21/build-cob-house-for-3000/)" ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Cob-House.jpeg "Cob House") --- ## Homemade Nutella URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/homemade-nutella Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/homemade-nutella/llm.txt Type: post [![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/DSC_043322.jpg)](http://theeccentriccook.blogspot.com/2011/07/homemade-nutella.html) I can't wait to try this recipe! Check out [The Eccentric Cook](http://theeccentriccook.blogspot.com/2011/07/homemade-nutella.html) for the full recipe. > "Homemade Nutella makes for 3 jars 200 g Hazelnuts 1 can Condensed Milk 255 g Chocolate - the darker the better 1/2 cup hot Milk" via [The eccentric Cook: Homemade Nutella](http://theeccentriccook.blogspot.com/2011/07/homemade-nutella.html). --- ## Treehouse Pod URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/treehouse-pod Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/treehouse-pod/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/treehouse-pod.jpeg "treehouse pod") Incredible design!![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Treehouse-pod2.jpeg "Treehouse pod2") --- ## Italian Cone House URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/italian-cone-house Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/italian-cone-house/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Italian-Home1.jpeg "Italian Home1") Interesting Cone House for sale in Ostuni Italy.  ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Italian-Home2.jpeg "Italian Home2") --- ## Quaint Thatched Roof Cottage URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/quaint-thatched-roof-cottage Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/quaint-thatched-roof-cottage/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/fairytail-cottage3.jpeg "fairytail cottage3") I just love the look of a thatched roof.  Straight out of a fairy tale. --- ## Hoosier Cabinet URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/hoosier-cabinet Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/hoosier-cabinet/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Hoosier_lead.jpeg "7750-LEA") I love the look of these Hoosier cabinets.  They could be ideal in a tiny house. --- ## Tasting The Rainbow: The Ants Whose Multi-coloured Abdomens Show Exactly What They’ve Been Eating » Design You Trust – Design Blog and Community URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/tasting-the-rainbow-the-ants-whose-multi-coloured-abdomens-show-exactly-what-theyve-been-eating-design-you-trust-design-blog-and-community Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/tasting-the-rainbow-the-ants-whose-multi-coloured-abdomens-show-exactly-what-theyve-been-eating-design-you-trust-design-blog-and-community/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/124.jpg) Cool! "[Tasting The Rainbow: The Ants Whose Multi-coloured Abdomens Show Exactly What They’ve Been Eating » Design You Trust – Design Blog and Community](http://designyoutrust.com/2011/08/tasting-the-rainbow-the-ants-whose-multi-coloured-abdomens-show-exactly-what-theyve-been-eating/)." --- ## Nestrest URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/nestrest Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/nestrest/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/NESTREST.jpeg "NESTREST") How cool would one of these be? [DEDON: Nestrest - Hanging lounger - chalk](http://www.dedon.de/en/collections/detail/collection/nestrest-171/hanging-lounger-1412/chalk-75.html). --- ## My Dream House URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/my-dream-house Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/my-dream-house/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Cottage.jpeg "Cottage") I just love this place. --- ## Cottage Bath URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/cottage-bath Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/cottage-bath/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Cute-bathroom.jpeg "Cute bathroom") Pretty. --- ## The Urban Homesteading Gurus URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/the-urban-homesteading-gurus Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/the-urban-homesteading-gurus/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/nytimesgrd.jpg) When I think of Urban Homesteading ideals the Dervaes family come as close to perfection as I can imagine.  They have been successfully homesteading in a city for several years.  Go look at [Urban Homestead](http://urbanhomestead.org/) for the wealth of information that they have. > "URBAN FARMING: Jules Dervaes and three of his adult children live on one-fifth of an acre in Pasadena, Calif., a block away from a multilane highway. On this tiny sliver of land, they manage to be mostly self-sufficient. “This is our form of protest,” says Dervaes, who is 60, “and this is our form of survival.”" via [NY TIMES: THE GREEN ISSUE | Little Homestead in the City - the Urban Homestead Journal](http://urbanhomestead.org/journal/2008/04/19/ny-times-the-green-issue/). --- ## Fall Gardening Time URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/fall-gardening-time Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/fall-gardening-time/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/MEN-AS09-fall-garden-vegetables-lead_resized400X266.jpg) Anybody who knows me knows that I'd rather have a subscription to [Mother Earth News](http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/Fall-Gardening-Best-Fall-Garden.aspx) about a thousand times over Vogue or Cosmo.  I'm just that kind of gal.  So in celebration of Fall here's a great post about when and what to plant this fall.  Enjoy. > "Planting seeds for your fall garden. As summer draws to a close, gardens everywhere can morph into a tapestry of delicious greens, from tender lettuce to frost-proof spinach, with a sprinkling of red mustard added for spice. In North America’s southern half, as long as seeds germinate in late July or early August, fall gardens can grow the best cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower you’ve ever tasted. In colder climates it’s prime time to sow carrots, rutabagas and turnips to harvest in the fall. Filling space vacated by spring crops with summer-sown vegetables will keep your garden productive well into fall, and even winter." via [Grow Your Best Fall Garden: What, When and How](http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/Fall-Gardening-Best-Fall-Garden.aspx). --- ## Log Cabin Bath URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/log-cabin-bath Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/log-cabin-bath/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Wooden-Clawfoot-tub.jpg "Wooden Clawfoot tub") Perfect tub for a log cabin. --- ## French Country Kitchen URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/kitchen-oldtime-style Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/kitchen-oldtime-style/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/typical-turn-of-the-century-French-country-kitchen.jpeg "typical-turn-of-the-century-French-country-kitchen") Typical turn of the century French Country Kitchen.  It's beautiful but can you even imagine how hot that would be to cook in? --- ## A Simple Solar Oven Makes Salt Water Drinkable URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/a-simple-solar-oven-makes-salt-water-drinkable Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/a-simple-solar-oven-makes-salt-water-drinkable/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/eliodomestico-20.jpg) Wow very innovative! Take a look at [Fast Co Design](http://www.fastcodesign.com/1670546/a-simple-solar-oven-makes-salt-water-drinkable#1) for more information. > "It functions by filling the black boiler with salty sea water in the morning, then tightening the cap. As the temperature and pressure grows, steam is forced downwards through a connection pipe and collects in the lid, which acts as a condenser, turning the steam into fresh water. Once Diamanti established the fundamentals were sound, he experimented with a series of concepts for the aesthetic of the object. “My goal was to design something friendly and recognizable for the users,” he explains. “The process developed quite naturally to determine the current shape; every detail is there for a reason, so the form, as well as production techniques, represent a compromise between technical and traditional.” Primary field studies in sub-Saharan Africa revealed the habit of carrying goods on the head--also a common practice in other areas around the world--and this was integrated into Eliodomestico’s plan. And while solar stills aren’t a totally new concept, Diamanti says it’s rare to find them in a domestic context rather than in missions or hospitals, or as large plants overseen by qualified personnel that serve entire communities. “I tried to make something for a real household that could be operated directly by the families,” he says." via [1 | A Simple Solar Oven Makes Salt Water Drinkable | Co.Design: business + innovation + design](http://www.fastcodesign.com/1670546/a-simple-solar-oven-makes-salt-water-drinkable#1). --- ## Air Cleaning Houseplants URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/air-cleaning-houseplants Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/air-cleaning-houseplants/llm.txt Type: post [![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/PJ-AZ877A_AIRPL_G_20110314203346.jpg)](http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704893604576200423930895948.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLE_Video_Third) I need more plants!  Check out this article on [The Wall Street Journal](http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704893604576200423930895948.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLE_Video_Third) that talks about the benefits of houseplants and how they clean the air in our homes. > "The humble houseplant is on the attack. Building on NASA experiments for air purification in space, scientists are pinpointing plant species—from the peace lily to the asparagus fern—that are particularly skillful at cleaning indoor air of pollutants that can cause a range of health problems." via [A Superhero Scrubs the Air: The Mighty Houseplant - WSJ.com](http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704893604576200423930895948.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLE_Video_Third). --- ## Mason Jar Herb Garden URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/mason-jar-herb-garden Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/mason-jar-herb-garden/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/herbs1.jpg) What a creative use of mason jars! Check out [Camille Styles](http://camillestyles.com/2011/transformed-mason-jar-herb-garden/) for more info. [Transformed :: Mason Jar Herb Garden | Camille Styles](http://camillestyles.com/2011/transformed-mason-jar-herb-garden/). --- ## Peanut Honey Toffee URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/peanut-honey-toffee Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/peanut-honey-toffee/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Peanut-Honey-Toffee.jpg) Peanut brittle made with honey?  Yum. > "This toffee recipe, featuring honey, peanut butter, and whole peanuts, is a delicious twist on an old favorite. The honey adds a slight chewiness and a subtle note of sweetness to the double peanut flavor. A good candy thermometer is essential to this recipe. Be sure to stir constantly and monitor the temperature the whole time, since candy can quickly become burned at high temperatures. Cook Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 20 minutes Ingredients: 1 cup water 2 cups granulated sugar 2 cups shelled and roasted peanuts 3/4 cup honey 1/4 cup light corn syrup 2 tbsp butter 1 tsp salt 1/2 cup peanut butter 1/4 tsp baking soda Preparation: 1. Prepare a large baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil that extends over the edges, and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray. 2. Combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Stir until the sugar is entirely moistened, then add the honey, corn syrup and salt. 3. Cook the candy over medium-high heat until it reaches 225 degrees on a candy thermometer. At this point, add the peanuts and stir to combine. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 290 degrees. 4. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter, baking soda, and peanut butter. Mix until well-combined, and then pour onto the prepared pan. 5. Spread the candy as thin as possible with a spatula or spoon and allow it to set at room temperature. Once it is entirely cool, break it into small pieces to serve. Store the brittle in an airtight container or plastic bag at room temperature." via [Peanut Honey Toffee | Better Bee Honey](http://betterbeemktg.com/peanut-honey-toffee/). --- ## Chest Freezers 10 Times More Efficient URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/chest-freezers-10-times-more-efficient Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/chest-freezers-10-times-more-efficient/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Chest-Freezer.jpeg "Chest Freezer") A chest freezer is 10 TIMES more energy efficient than a standing one.  In a nutshell, if you need 1 solar panel to power a chest freezer you would need 10 panels to power a standing one!  I've been hesitant to get a chest freezer because it doesn't seem as easily organized but I'm willing to do a little extra organizing in order to benefit from the savings of a chest version. Read more about it here at [Off-Grid](http://www.off-grid.net/2009/05/23/yes-its-true-what-the-say-about-chest-freezers/). > "The theory is that a chest freezer will use less power because the horizontal lid doesn’t let cold air fall out when it’s opened, and it has very thick insulation compared to a fridge." via [Yes, its true what they say about Chest Freezers | Living Off the Grid: Free Yourself](http://www.off-grid.net/2009/05/23/yes-its-true-what-the-say-about-chest-freezers/). --- ## Pumpkins! URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/pumpkins Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/pumpkins/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Pumpkin-varieties.jpg) One of my favorite things about Fall are PUMPKINS!  I love their colors, the shapes, and the way they smell.  Pumpkins are one of those things that can trigger such happy childhood memories. > "Perhaps the quintessential symbol of autumn, the pumpkin is a Mexican native and an ancient staple food. The oldest pumpkin seed found dates back as far as 7000 BC, according to archaeologists excavating a tomb in central Mexico. Botanically classified as a fruit rather than a vegetable, the pumpkin has been cultivated in the Tehuacan and Oaxaca valleys and in Tamaulipas since 6000-5000 BC." via [The Pumpkin: an ancient Mexican native | La Estancia Vacations](http://blog.laestanciavacations.com/mexico-food-and-drink/la-calabaza-grande-the-pumpkin-an-ancient-mexican-native/). --- ## Pumpkin Soup with Candied Pumpkin Seeds URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/pumpkin-soup-with-candied-pumpkin-seeds Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/pumpkin-soup-with-candied-pumpkin-seeds/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/pumpkin-soup-ct-1585202-l.jpg) Yummy Pumpkin Soup with Candied Pumpkin seeds recipe. > 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large Vidalia onion, chopped (4 cups) 3 fresh thyme sprigs 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 3 cups diced calabaza or butternut squash 2 (14-ounce) cans low-sodium fat-free chicken broth Candied Pumpkin Seeds Garnish: fresh thyme sprigs Preparation 1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and next 3 ingredients; cook, stirring frequently, about 6 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add calabaza and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes; remove thyme sprigs. 2. Transfer mixture to a blender or food processor, and puree in batches, scraping down sides. Return to clean saucepan. Reheat soup if necessary. Ladle soup into 6 warmed bowls. Add Candied Pumpkin Seeds to each; garnish, if desired. via [Pumpkin Soup with Candied Pumpkin Seeds Recipe | MyRecipes.com](http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/pumpkin-soup-with-candied-pumpkin-seeds-10000001585202/). --- ## 12 Things To Do With Pumpkin Seeds URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/12-things-to-do-with-pumpkin-seeds Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/12-things-to-do-with-pumpkin-seeds/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/1_rect540.jpg) For some useful ideas for things to do with you pumpkin seeds check out [The Kitchn](http://www.thekitchn.com/12-things-to-do-with-pumpkin-s-131061). > Now that you've carved the pumpkin, what can you do with all the seeds? To start, you can roast or hull them. And then there are brittles, garnishes, sweets, and savories… TOP ROW • 1 Roast them: Here's a basic recipe from Whole Foods; also check out this good tip for brining the seeds first. • 2 Hull them: Need a quick way to hull a bunch of seeds? Heritage Farms has the answer. Pictured: Candied Pepitas (Sunset). • 3 Spice them: Spiced Pumpkin Seeds (Real Simple) • 4 Make pesto: Pumpkin Seed Pesto (Whole Foods) • 5 Add them to granola: Granola with Almonds, Apricots, Cranberries, and Pineapple (The Kitchn) • 6 Make sauce: Zapotec Pumpkin Seed Sauce & Chicken with Pumpkin Seed Sauce (Saveur) • 7 Garnish soups: Sweet Potato and Tempeh Stew (The Kitchn) • 8 Garnish salads: Fall Greens Salad with Pumpkin Seeds and Asiago (Whole Foods) • 9 Garnish desserts: Pepita Rice Pudding (Food Network) • 10 Garnish baked goods: Breakfast Muffins (Olive Magazine) • 11 Make brittle: Pumpkin Seed Brittle (Gourmet) • 12 Make spicy brittle: Spicy Pumpkin Seed Brittle (Woman's Day) via [12 Things To Do With Pumpkin Seeds Recipe Roundup | The Kitchn](http://www.thekitchn.com/12-things-to-do-with-pumpkin-s-131061). --- ## Why Heirloom Seeds? URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/why-heirloom-seeds Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/why-heirloom-seeds/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/corn.jpg "corn") Ever wonder what the big deal is about heirloom seeds?  Read [Living Seed Company's](http://livingseedcompany.wordpress.com/2012/01/09/the-renaissance-of-heirloom-seeds/) article and find out. > Seed saving and seed knowledge became an integral and sacred part of ancient and modern civilizations.  A ritual that was naturally passed on from generation to generation, from neighbor to neighbor.  Seeds became such an innate and valued part of civilization that they were used as a form of currency throughout the world.  Seeds were considered a fundamental part of every day life. via [The Renaissance of Heirloom Seeds « Living Seed Company](http://livingseedcompany.wordpress.com/2012/01/09/the-renaissance-of-heirloom-seeds/). --- ## Raising Chickens URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/raising-chickens Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/raising-chickens/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Chicks.jpeg "Chicks") Some people take raising chickens to a seriously whole new level!  Too cute! --- ## Home Gardening URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/home-gardening Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/home-gardening/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Home-Gardening.jpeg "Home Gardening") Don't just eat local GROW local!  Even if you start with one simple potted tomato plant.  It's so incredibly rewarding! --- ## Your Spring Vegetable Garden: When to Plant What URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/your-spring-vegetable-garden-when-to-plant-what Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/your-spring-vegetable-garden-when-to-plant-what/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Radishes-and-Carrots-at-Market-%25C2%25A9-2009-Michaela-at-TGE.jpeg "Radishes-and-Carrots-at-Market-©-2009-Michaela-at-TGE") Reader, Derae Jarvis suggested some southern hemisphere subscribers might appreciate some spring gardening suggestions.  Here's a great [resource](http://www.organicauthority.com/organic-gardening/organic-gardening/your-spring-vegetable-garden-when-to-plant-what.html#s.aboouvkgiayaa) that describes what and when you can plant things.  Thanks for the suggestion Derae. > "You don’t have to wait until the last average frost date in your area to start a vegetable garden outdoors. As soon as the ground can be worked, onions, peas and spinach can be added to your garden. If you are going to grow your own onion seedlings, start them indoors approximately eight weeks before transplanting time. Onions sets, which are small onion bulbs, can also be purchased for planting. Peas should be directly seeded in your garden and do best with support from a trellis or other structure. Early Spring Gardening In early spring, approximately two weeks prior to the last average frost date in your area, it’s safe to plant lettuce, beets, carrots, radishes, dill, cilantro, cabbage, broccoli, celery, kale and potatoes outdoors. Both lettuce and celery seeds need light to germinate. Be careful to only cover these varieties of seeds lightly with soil during the planting process. Directly sow carrot, radish, dill and cilantro seeds. Transplanting is not recommended for these types of vegetables and herbs." via [Your Spring Vegetable Garden: When to Plant What | Kitchen Garden](http://www.organicauthority.com/organic-gardening/organic-gardening/your-spring-vegetable-garden-when-to-plant-what.html#s.aboouvkgiayaa). [Image Credit:](http://www.thegardenerseden.com/?p=19371) --- ## Nutella, Meets The Fluffernutter! URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/nutella-meets-the-fluffernutter Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/nutella-meets-the-fluffernutter/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Fluffernutter.png "Fluffernutter") Since I posted that yummy [Homemade Nutella](/post/homemade-nutella) recipe I thought why not take it a sticky and sweet step further.  Enjoy! > "INGREDIENTS: 1 1/2C. FLOUR 1 1/2C. GRAHAM FLOUR 1 TSP. BAKING SODA 1/2 TSP. CINNAMON (OR 1 TSP. IF YOU LIKE) 1/2TSP SALT 2 STICKS BUTTER, SOFTENED 3/4C. LIGHT BROWN SUGAR 2T. HONEY ELECTRIC MIX THE BUTTER, SUGAR & HONEY. ADD THE DRY INGREDIENTS AND PROCESS TILL FORMS A DOUGH. IF TOO DRY, ADD 1-2T. WATER SLOWLY. WRAP DOUGH IN PLASTIC AND REST 20 MINUTES. ROLL OUT ON FLOURED BOARD AND CUT SQUARES WITH COOKIE CUTTERS. I CUT MINE ABOUT 1/4" THICK. BAKE ON PARCHMENT PAPER LINED SHEETS 10-15 MINUTES AT 350 TILL LIGHTLY GOLDEN. ONCE COOL, SPREAD ON A THICK LAYER OF NUTELLA & FREEZE. NEXT, SPREAD ON PEANUT BUTTER & FREEZE. FINALLY, SPREAD ON FLUFF-USE A DROP OF WATER TO SMOOTH THE TOP AND FREEZE. MELT DARK CHOCOLATE CHIPS AND DIP EACH COOKIE! WHEN SET, DRIZZLE MILK CHOCOLATE ACROSS THE TOPS AND ENJOY!" via [Hugs & CookiesXOXO: NUTELLA MEETS THE FLUFFERNUTTER!!!](http://www.hugsandcookiesxoxo.com/2012/02/nutella-meets-fluffernutter.html). --- ## The Dirty Dozen & The Clean 15 URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/the-dirty-dozen-the-clean-15 Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/the-dirty-dozen-the-clean-15/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/dirty-dozen-list.jpeg "dirty dozen list")This is the shopping guide designed by the Environmental Working Group.  I know for some people the cost of organic produce is sometimes prohibitive but here is a list that may be helpful in making choices.  If you can't afford organic apples then how about some pineapple or watermelon?  Even better how about taking these "dirty dozen" and grow those yourself?  All of these things can be grown in containers and some of them even INDOORS!  For more information regarding healthier produce check out the [EWG](http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/). --- ## Growing Apple Trees Indoors URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/growing-apple-trees-indoors Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/growing-apple-trees-indoors/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/apple-dwarf-fruit-trees.jpeg "apple-dwarf-fruit-trees") Who knew you could actually grow apple trees INDOORS?  Check out [eHow](http://www.ehow.com/how_6586513_grow-apple-trees-indoors.html) to learn more. > "Apple trees, known botanically as Malus domestica, are fruit-bearing, deciduous, perennial trees that grow best in USDA plant hardiness zones 3 through 8. If you live in an unsuitable climate or simply don't have the space in your garden or home landscape to grow an apple tree, you don't have to give up your dream of fresh, home-grown apples just yet. Apple trees are just one example of the many types of fruit trees that respond well to being grown indoors in containers. Because standard size apple trees can reach heights of 39 feet, indoor apple growers should select a dwarf apple tree variety." via [How to Grow Apple Trees Indoors | eHow.com](http://www.ehow.com/how_6586513_grow-apple-trees-indoors.html). --- ## The Tiny School Bus House URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/the-tiny-school-bus-house Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/the-tiny-school-bus-house/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/110.jpg) I have an affinity for tiny houses.  Probably because my husband designs them, blogs about them, and talks about them non-stop.  This converted bus is so beautifully done. Visit [Tiny House Listings](http://tinyhouselistings.com/old-school-bus-turned-into-a-tiny-house/) for more information and additional photos. > "I was recently sent these photos of an old school bus turned in a tiny house on wheels. The bus was completely remodeled and lined with a beautiful wood interior. It was recently sold to a young couple that has made it their home in the North Cascades." While it’s doubtful this bus is good on gas, having the ability to move your home where you’d like and travel with it is very appealing." This little home looks so inviting that I could imagine them living in this converted bus long-term." via [Old School Bus Turned Into A Tiny House](http://tinyhouselistings.com/old-school-bus-turned-into-a-tiny-house/). --- ## Cob Tiny House Rental in Santa Cruz, CA URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/cob-tiny-house-rental-in-santa-cruz-ca Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/cob-tiny-house-rental-in-santa-cruz-ca/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/large.jpg) Here's a great affordable opportunity to try out what it would feel like to live in a tiny cob house and get to spend some time in Santa Cruz as well. > "Great opportunity to experience sleeping in an all-natural hand-sculpted stand-alone room with large sunny window and skylights, warm well-insulated floor, view of green backyard, private and sweet. Bed is between twin and full-sized so great for one person and cozy for 2. Possibility of putting a mattress on the floor if desired. Part of an ecologically conscious homestead with a treehouse, streetcar house and another bigger cob studio. We also have a barrel sauna (may be available with advance notice), big trampoline, chickens, 2 ctas,gardens and a quiet, mellow neighborhood off of downtown Santa Cruz. EVERYTHING is in short walking distance (beach, downtown, markets, wildlife lagoon refuge) and we have wetsuits and a few beginner surfboards and boogie boards to lend you. We are just a short walk from bus station, or take train from SF to San Jose ($10 to $15) and then Metro Bus to Santa Cruz ($5) and walk to our place. You wont need your car to visit Santa Cruz or beach! Host is full of information and ideas on food, hikes, nearby visits and local events and has lived in SC for 20 years. Bathroom is in the main house shared with others. Rustic country style living in the city. Safe and secure. WIFI available. Parking permit is $3 for overnight and weekday parking. You'll want to leave your car and walk! We love hosting our guests and speak French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, German and a little Chinese!" via [Adorable intimate earthen "cob"room in Santa Cruz](https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/176753).![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/inside-house.jpeg "inside house") --- ## Homemade Cherry Pie Larabar Recipe URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/homemade-cherry-pie-larabar-recipe Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/homemade-cherry-pie-larabar-recipe/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/homemade-cherry-pie-lara-bar10.jpg) Never mind the expense of a LaraBar.  What I don't like about them is reading that they are supporting banning our knowledge of GMOs by contributing financially to the campaign against Prop 37.   If passed this would require that all genetically modified food be labeled as such.  Here is a fantastic recipe that [Use Real Butter](http://userealbutter.com/2012/02/26/homemade-cherry-pie-larabar-recipe/) came up with.  Go check them out for additional photos of the process. > "Homemade Cherry Pie LÄRABAR   based on the LÄRABAR site 1 1/4 cups medjool dates, pitted 1 1/4 cups dried cherries 1 1/2 cups almonds, toasted (optional) To toast the almonds, place them on a baking sheet and bake at 400°F for ten minutes. Remove from oven and transfer the almonds to a bowl or plate to cool. Place dates and cherries in a food processor and pulse until a gooey semi-paste has formed (you want some bits of fruit, but not huge pieces). Empty the dried fruit into a large mixing bowl. Put the almonds in the food processor and pulse to coarse bits. You don’t want to make this a powder. Empty the almonds into the mixing bowl with the dried fruit. Knead the dried fruit and almonds together until combined and evenly distributed. Press the mixture into the bottom of an 8-inch or 9-inch square pan to about 1/2-inch thickness. Refrigerate the mixture for 30 minutes. Invert the pan’s contents onto a cutting board and slice to desired size. Makes about a dozen 1.5- x 3.5-inch bars with a few odd pieces leftover." via [homemade cherry pie larabar | use real butter](http://userealbutter.com/2012/02/26/homemade-cherry-pie-larabar-recipe/). --- ## A Log Cabin Or A Music Studio? URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/a-log-cabin-or-a-music-studio Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/a-log-cabin-or-a-music-studio/llm.txt Type: post [![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/woodcabin-ed01.jpg)](http://inhabitat.com/modern-log-cabin-hidden-in-a-stack-of-wood/) This is a creative way of camouflaging a studio.  Check out [Inhabitat](http://inhabitat.com/modern-log-cabin-hidden-in-a-stack-of-wood/) for more information. > "Set on wheels, the studio shares its transportable potential with a certain Mobile Tree House, but aesthetically it is very much aligned with OLGGA’s Portable Log Cabin. The rough-hewn exterior artfully creates the sense that the structure is a simple stack of log rounds. The window coverings even have a painstakingly placed log façade to complete the illusion. The structural element is a salvaged steel frame and the walls are painted plywood. The Log Studio kindles a creative spark and reminds us how beautiful small-space living can be." [![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/new-91.jpg)](http://inhabitat.com/modern-log-cabin-hidden-in-a-stack-of-wood/) via [Prefab Contemporary Log Studio | Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building](http://inhabitat.com/modern-log-cabin-hidden-in-a-stack-of-wood/). --- ## Yarn Bombing Fun URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/yarn-bombing-fun Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/yarn-bombing-fun/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Yarn_bombing-collage.jpeg "Yarn_bombing-collage") Have you ever seen something that's been "Yarn Bombed"? --- ## Caramel Apple Recipe URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/caramel-apple-recipe Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/caramel-apple-recipe/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/JusselPhoto.jpg) Ready for carmel apples yet?  Here's an easy recipe from [The Family Kitchen](http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/tag/caramel-apples/). > "Ingredients 16 oz caramel squares 3 tablespoons milk a double boiler Lollipop sticks or sticks as shown above 6 apples Optional Ingredients melting chocolate chopped nuts or candy bars Instructions 1. Unwrap caramels and add to double boiler with milk. Boil water to melt caramels. Mix until smooth. Clean apples and insert lollipop sticks in them. 2. Dip apples in caramel and then in chopped nuts if desired. 3. If you want to add chocolate, melt chocolate according to package directions and drip melted chocolate over the tops of the apples with a spoon. Makes 6 caramel apples." via [Caramel Apples | Family Kitchen](http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/tag/caramel-apples/). --- ## Beautiful Bookcase Door URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/beautiful-bookcase-door Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/beautiful-bookcase-door/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Turqoise-Door.jpeg "Turqoise Door") I absolutely love this.  I found it on a cute blog called, [Turquoise, Tulips and Bliss](http://turquoisetulipsandbliss.tumblr.com/post/1609989030). --- ## Attic Bedroom URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/attic-bedroom Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/attic-bedroom/llm.txt Type: post [![](http://st.houzz.com/simages/279459_0_8-4153-contemporary-family-room.jpg)](http://www.houzz.com/photos/279459/Attic-Loft-space-contemporary-family-room-) [Contemporary Family Room design](http://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary/family-room) by [General Contractor](http://www.houzz.com/professionals/general-contractor/) [Borges Brooks Builders](http://www.houzz.com/pro/lisamarie63/borges-brooks-builders)   Beautiful example of a attic bedroom. Check out the other amazing images at [Houzz](http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/2542181/list?utm_source=Houzz&utm_campaign=u109&utm_medium=email&utm_content=gallery23). > "There is something undeniably romantic about an attic bedroom. No matter what the style, it has an away-from-it-all feeling." via [Converting an attic to a bedroom adds instant allure, romance and design cache. Oh, and lots of extra space](http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/2542181/list?utm_source=Houzz&utm_campaign=u109&utm_medium=email&utm_content=gallery23). --- ## Easy Separating Egg Yolks Trick URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/easy-separating-egg-yolks-trick Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/easy-separating-egg-yolks-trick/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/EGG.jpeg "EGG") What a great trick!   > "You can use a bottle to easily separate an egg yolk from the egg white." --- ## Miah Maull Lighthouse For Sale URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/miah-maull-lighthouse-for-sale Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/miah-maull-lighthouse-for-sale/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/magsa003-1.jpg) Now this would be an interesting place to turn into a home.  Assuming there weren't any tsunamis coming your way. For additional interior photos go to [Historic Properties](http://historicproperties.com/feature.asp?listing_id=magsa003). > "Built in 1913, this light station named for an eighteenth century Delaware mariner, marks one of a series of shoals along the eastern side of the shipping channel between Cross Ledge and Brandywine Shoal Lights. Lighthouse keepers occupied the quarters until 1975. The property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NR# 90002188). The former Coast Guard light station will remain an active aid to navigation for the shipping channel with its light and fog signal horn. The light is constructed of cast iron and lined with brick. It is approximately 18.5 miles northwest of Cape May and offshore of Downe Township in New Jersey."   ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Lighthouse-stairs.jpeg "Lighthouse stairs")![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Lighthouse-door2.jpeg "Lighthouse door") via [Historic Properties and Old Houses For Sale](http://historicproperties.com/feature.asp?listing_id=magsa003). _Photo credit: Dave Sleeper_ --- ## Converted Gristmill For Sale URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/converted-gristmill-for-sale Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/converted-gristmill-for-sale/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Secom006-1.jpg) I really like when people take buildings and repurpose them into homes. You can click [here for interior photos](http://historicproperties.com/more.asp?listing_id=secom006). > "This is one of the most unique properties in the state of Georgia. This gristmill was built in the year of 1790. It is one of the few properties that is truly “green”. The property has a 200 ft. granite dam with a 2 acre retention pond, granite gate house, and spillway. The mill has been converted into a 3200 sq.ft. heated house. It is a three story, 5 bedroom, 3.5 bath home." via [Find a Home - Property Listing](http://historicproperties.com/detail.asp?detail_key=Secom006). --- ## The Stanford Inn by the Sea~ A dream vacation spot! URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/the-stanford-inn-by-the-sea-a-dream-vacation-spot Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/the-stanford-inn-by-the-sea-a-dream-vacation-spot/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/The-Stanford-Inn.jpeg "The Stanford Inn") Most people go on vacation, gorge themselves on junk they don't allow themselves to eat normally, and come home feeling full of regret and wearing clothes that are feeling a little tight.  Ok, well maybe most people don't do this on vacation, but I do!  Anyway, I did until I found [The Stanford Inn by the Sea](http://www.stanfordinn.com/default.html).  Staying there and eating their food you are filled with  peace and nourished by healthy vegetarian or vegan food.  My favorite dish is the Citrus Polenta with Cashew Sauce topped with their homegrown garden greens.  It's divine!  So if you're looking for a place that fills you with beautiful surroundings and wonderful food then The Stanford Inn by the Sea is the place to stay.  It's locate in Mendocino, CA just a couple of hours north of San Francisco. ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Citrus-Polenta-with-Cashew-Sauce-and-Greens.jpeg "Citrus Polenta with Cashew Sauce and Greens") > "Nestled on a Mendocino Coast hillside, Stanford Inn, a Mendocino Resort, sits atop a meadowoverlooking Mendocino Bay. Embodying the best of the rugged Mendocino Coast, this Mendocino Resort is a haven ... an exquisite opportunity to reconnect with nature. The rambling lobby, guest rooms and suites of this boutique hotel in Mendocino are paneled in pine and redwood. Every detail is attended to, from wood-burning fireplaces set and ready to light to the sumptuous chef-prepared organic breakfasts. Inspired by the Stanford’s Certified Organic gardens, The Ravens' Restaurant, featured in Oprah Magazine, is outstanding and nationally acclaimed for vegan cuisine. Guests at Stanford Inn, as well as local Mendocino residents, consider Ravens' Restaurant to be an essential dining experience on the Mendocino Coast. The Inn’s Massage in the Forest and The Mendocino Center for Well Being provide a variety of life-enhancing experiences. Located on Big River and part of Stanford Inn, Catch a Canoe & Bicycles, Too! offers a wide selection of kayaks, canoes, outriggers, and bicycles for exploring beautiful Big River and beyond." via [Mendocino Hotels Mendocino Bed and Breakfast Inns Mendocino Green Lodging in Mendocino CA](http://www.stanfordinn.com/default.html). --- ## Sweet Cottage Kitchen URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/sweet-cottage-kitchen Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/sweet-cottage-kitchen/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/151081762469051994_pQIXPjHO_c.jpg) I just love how much light is in this kitchen.  Beautifully done. [Cottage, Sweet Cottage...](http://pinterest.com/pin/235172411761441279/). --- ## Do You Know What PANNA Stands For? URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/do-you-know-what-panna-stands-for Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/do-you-know-what-panna-stands-for/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/24d-corn.jpeg "24d-corn")Have you heard of the [Pesticide Action Network of North America](http://www.panna.org/) or PANNA?  They have a lot of information on the latest legislation surrounding pesticide usage.  One of the issues they are talking about now is getting the USDA to reject Dow’s 2,4-D corn and soybeans. Check out their [PANNA](http://action.panna.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=11457&utm_source=action&utm_medium=kicker&utm_content=corp&utm_campaign=24D) for more information. > "Dow has introduced another product in its suite of 2,4-D-resistant GE seeds. First corn, now soy. Both products in the pipeline are very bad ideas, and — should USDA approve them — will dramatically drive up the use of this antiquated, dangerous herbicide. Scientists warn that 2,4-D corn alone could increase the herbicide's use by 30-fold, and soybeans will cause an even more severe spike. More widespread use will destroy vulnerable crops, while placing the burden of increased costs and health risks on farmers and rural communities. With superweeds and superbugs emerging all over the country, Monsanto’s RoundUp Ready strategy of stacking seeds with herbicide-resistant traits is fast coming apart. Instead of abandoning a losing strategy, Dow is trying hard to get us all running faster on the same broken pesticide treadmill. Tell USDA to reject this new herbicide-resistant crop. Dow aims to get 2,4-D-resistant corn and soy to market as soon as possible, with cotton likely on its way in 2015. Now is the time to say no to this pipeline of bad ideas. Please sign below and urge USDA to say no to Dow's 2,4-D soy." via [Tell USDA to reject Dow’s 2,4-D soybeans!](http://action.panna.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=11457&utm_source=action&utm_medium=kicker&utm_content=corp&utm_campaign=24D). [![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/ad-24d-spray.jpg)](http://action.panna.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=11457&utm_source=action&utm_medium=kicker&utm_content=corp&utm_campaign=24D) --- ## Hario Coffee Mill URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/hario-coffee-mill Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/hario-coffee-mill/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Hario-Grinder.jpeg "Hario Grinder") I just love that this is a person powered appliance but more importantly no loud EEEEEEEEE sound first thing in the morning!   You can find this on [Thanksgiving Coffee's website](http://store.thanksgivingcoffee.com/hario-coffee-mill-p200.aspx).  Your support of their business goes toward a special effort to have coffee sailed to the United States via wind power using no fossil fuels.  Go check them out on Carrotmob for more info. Below is a little video from Carrotmob that talks about how your purchases can help them succeed at being the first coffee company to transport their coffee to the United States with a big boat, lots of wind, and some burly sailors. > "A beautifully designed and highly functional hand-cranked burr grinder. This graceful hand-cranked burr grinder combines high fired ceramic burrs with a simple and functional design to create the ideal home grinder. Easily adjustable and able to produce a grind suitable for espresso, various pour-overs, and French Press, the Canister Mill is a must have for the coffee connoisseurs home brewing or travel kit." via [Hario Coffee Mill -- Thanksgiving Coffee Company Online Store](http://store.thanksgivingcoffee.com/hario-coffee-mill-p200.aspx). --- ## Handthrown Beauty URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/handthrown-beauty Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/handthrown-beauty/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Picture-2.png "Picture 2") I just love handmade things.  Especially handmade things that are so incredibly unique and beautiful.  This porcelain pitcher was made by potter Jeff Campana.  After throwing the pot he somehow carves it apart giving it those beautiful sections and then reassembles it.  You can check out Jeff on his blog [Jeff Campana](http://jeffcampana.com/) or find him on [Etsy](http://www.etsy.com/shop/CampanaCeramics?ref=seller_info). --- ## Velvet Plush Pumpkins URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/velvet-plush-pumpkins Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/velvet-plush-pumpkins/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Picture-11.png "Picture 1") Pretty plush pumpkins with a natural stem.  Check them out on the [Love Feast Shop](http://shop.lovefeasttable.com/product/velvet-plush-pumpkin-hostess-set). > "3" Velvet Plush Pumpkins and put them in a set of 6. These would look gorgeous at each place setting at your holiday feast. The pumpkins included in this set are 3" Apricot, Carrot, Curry, Sage, Chocolate and Saffron. Each pumpkin is finished with a natural, organic stem." via [LoveFeast Shop — Velvet Plush Pumpkin Hostess Set](http://shop.lovefeasttable.com/product/velvet-plush-pumpkin-hostess-set). --- ## Raising Goats URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/raising-goats Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/raising-goats/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Goats.jpeg "Goats") We've been wondering about the benefits of raising goats for a long time now.  Here's a perfect article by [Cheryl K. Smith](http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/the-benefits-of-raising-goats.html) that describes multiple reasons why every homestead should raise goats. > "The Benefits of Raising Goats By Cheryl K. Smith You get a lot from keeping goats. Raising goats can help you achieve a sustainable lifestyle. You can milk them or eat their meat, use their fiber and their skin for making clothing, and even use their dung for fuel (if you are so inclined). You may want to raise goats for a variety of reasons: Becoming more self-sufficient: Goats can give you milk to drink and food to eat, and even help you carry your belongings when backpacking. Cutting your dairy bill: If you raise dairy goats, you might not have to buy cheese or milk ever again. Your goats need to have kids to give you milk, and then you can milk them throughout the year for up to three years without re-breeding. Raising your own meat: Goat meat has always been popular in the developing world because goats are much more affordable and use fewer resources than animals such as cows. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the demand for goat meat is expected to continue growing. Growing your own fiber: Some of the finest fiber comes from goats: Angora and Pygora goats produce mohair, cashmere goats produce cashmere, and crosses between the two breeds produce a fiber called cashgora. If you raise fiber goats, you can spin your own yarn and make hats, blankets, sweaters or other products. You can also sell the fiber to spinners or to companies that make these products. Harnessing goats' power as living weed whackers: Goats are well-known for their ability to wipe out weeds. In fact, some people have made businesses out of renting out their goat herds to cities and other municipalities to clean up areas that are overgrown with weeds or blackberry bushes. These leased goats decrease the need to use herbicides, improve the soil's fertility, decrease the risk of fire, increase the diversity of plants in the area, and control weeds in hard-to-reach areas, such as steep hills. Breeding and selling: Unless your goats are just pets or brush eaters, you probably want to breed them. If you have dairy goats, you need to breed them to keep a good supply of milk flowing. And you need to replace any goats you sell or slaughter. Keeping goats as pets: You can leash train goats and take them on walks throughout the neighborhood or around your property, which provides exercise for all of you. Using your goat for packing: Goats are social animals and, after you establish a relationship with them, they love to spend time with you. They enjoy going for hikes and can carry your belongings; they find plenty to eat right there in the wilderness. Raising goats as a 4-H project: Getting children involved in raising goats is a good way to teach responsibility. Keeping goats requires twice-a-day chores. Children quickly learn that the goats depend on them. They also find out about the cycle of birth and death and get outdoors to get regular exercise." via [The Benefits of Raising Goats - For Dummies](http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/the-benefits-of-raising-goats.html). [image credit](http://lawrules.wordpress.com/2011/10/14/more-goats-more-in-depth-commons-problems/) --- ## Got Raw Milk? URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/got-raw-milk Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/got-raw-milk/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Raw-Milk-Vending-Machine.jpeg "Raw Milk Vending Machine") Apparently if you live in France you can buy RAW milk out in the open without being arrested!  Can you imagine?  They even have these cute little tiny house dispensers in front of grocery stores where you can help yourself while you get to hear mooooing while your milk jug is being filled.  Check out [French Letters](http://frenchletters.wordpress.com/2009/10/01/got-raw-milk/) for additional photos. > "in a French supermarket parking lot, was a little hut with a raw milk distribution system that was even more ingenious.  The machine will sell you a sterilized plastic bottle for 20 centimes, or a glass bottle for 3 Euros.  The milk is 1 Euro a liter, but you can get smaller amounts if you wish.  You buy a bottle, or bring your own, insert it into the machine, and immediately ice cold milk issues, accompanied by loud mooing sounds.  They might even be described as bellowing sounds, loud enough that every person in the parking lot, and possibly some shoppers in the store who are busy buying milk in small cardboard cubes that keep forever, know that someone somewhere is buying raw milk.  It couldn’t be less secret. The sign on the machine instructs you to use a perfectly clean bottle, to refrigerate the contents immediately, and to drink your milk within three days of purchase.  In other words, the machine treats you like the adult you are, except that it moos at you, in a most delightful way." via [Got (Raw) Milk! « FRENCH LETTERS](http://frenchletters.wordpress.com/2009/10/01/got-raw-milk/). --- ## Raw Peanut Butter Brownies! URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/raw-peanut-butter-brownies Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/raw-peanut-butter-brownies/llm.txt Type: post [![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/015.jpg)](http://www.fragrantvanillacake.blogspot.com/) Don't these look amazing!  I can't wait to try this recipe from [Fragrant Vanilla Cake.](http://www.fragrantvanillacake.blogspot.com/) > "Raw Peanut Butter Brownie Cakes Makes 4 Brownies: 2 cups raw peanuts 2 cups dried shredded coconut 1/2 cup raw cocoa powder 2/3 cup raw agave nectar or honey 1/4 tsp sea salt Filling and Frosting: Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter\* 1/2 cup chopped raw peanuts To make brownies, combine all ingredients in the food processor and process until finely ground and starting to hold together.  Press mixture into a square, and place in the fridge until firm (about 2 hours).  Cut into 8 squares.  On four of the squares, spread about 1 1/2 Tbsp of the chocolate peanut butter, then sprinkle with a bit of the chopped peanuts.  Top each with another square.  Spread about 1 1/2 Tbsp of the peanut butter on top of each, and top with more peanuts.  Serve! \*Dark Chocolate Peanut ButterMakes about 3+ cups 2 cups raw peanuts 2 tsp sea salt 1/4 cup agave nectar or honey, or to taste 3 Tbsp raw cocoa powder 1 tsp pure vanilla extract About 1 cup raw almond milk In a food processor, blend peanuts until very smooth. Add sea salt, agave nectar (more if you like it sweeter), cocoa powder, and vanilla. Process to blend until combined, then with the motor running, add enough almond milk to make it smooth like frosting consistency, and blend until well combined. Enjoy!  Store in the fridge in a jar with a lid." via [Fragrant Vanilla Cake](http://www.fragrantvanillacake.blogspot.com/). --- ## Eglu Cube: A Coop for Mod Chickens URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/eglu-cube-a-coop-for-mod-chickens Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/eglu-cube-a-coop-for-mod-chickens/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Eglu1.jpeg "Eglu1") I'm not really into plastic anything but these modern coops look really modern and what I like about them is they are portable and easy to keep clean.  Check out [Omlet](http://www.omlet.co.uk/products_services/products_services.php?cat=Eglu+Cube&subcat=The+Eglu+Cube) for more information. > "A Revolutionary Chicken House Give your chickens the best! The Eglu Cube is designed around you and your chickens. With its many innovative new features, the Eglu Cube that leaves you with much more time to enjoy your hens. The Eglu Cube makes light work of the weekly clean. Inside chickens have a large roosting area fitted with a slatted floor. All the droppings fall through the slats onto the slide out dropping trays, which can then be simply emptied onto the compost heap." via [Eglu Cube | The Eglu Cube | Products and Services | Omlet UK](http://www.omlet.co.uk/products_services/products_services.php?cat=Eglu+Cube&subcat=The+Eglu+Cube). ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Inside-Eglu.jpeg "Inside Eglu") --- ## The Gypsy Daydream Hen House URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/the-gypsy-daydream-hen-house Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/the-gypsy-daydream-hen-house/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/daydream_darcy_500_c.jpg) By leaps and bounds the cutest hen house EVER!  Check out [FLYTES of Fancy](http://www.flytesofancy.co.uk/chickenhouses/The_Gypsy_Daydream.html) to see all of their cute houses.   > "The Gypsy Daydream is as individual as your own imagination. Whilst the Daydream shown here explores the delights of dancing daffodils and delicate ivy on a base of Cornish Butter, the decorative design of your Gypsy will be entirely inspired by you. Three coats of the Heritage colour of your choice will be applied by brush and by hand before our resident artist Andrew begins to explore and express your own ideas to create a design that is completely unique. When you start to think about your bespoke design, please also be aware that our Artist can decoratively inscribe a name, personal message or scrolled commemoration (to celebrate an anniversary for example) onto your Gypsy. Individually hand-made by Craftsmen in our rural Dorset workshop, your Gypsy is created from air-dried Joinery grade timber from sustainable sources, lavishly double-protected against the elements before any paintwork is applied. Built as a romantic hideaway for up to fifteen lucky ladies, The Gypsy Daydream boasts an impressive list of quality features including: Solid Marine Chandlery Brass fittings; Heavy gauge Steel galvanized and trim-finished roof; Hand-made solid Steel, steerable wheels and axles; Double plated screws and Stainless Steel nails throughout; Detachable external nestbox; Removable perches; Easy-clean slide-out double-sealed Marine grade ply dirt tray; Upper double Stable door and lower single door with pop hole; Twin trademark Heart-shaped sliding windows; Fold-up lockable steps and a custom-made Steel handlebar attachment for steering and relocating your Gypsy. For a complete list of features in greater detail, please see the 'Design' and 'Features' sections. The Gypsy Daydream is offered at £3900.00, depending on any additional bespoke requirements and your delivery preferences. For further information, a brochure or simply to discuss your ideas, please telephone Anne or Phillip on 01300 345 229. Please note that due to the bespoke nature of The Gypsy Daydream, your Gypsy can only be ordered by telephone or in person. You are also welcome to send your enquiry to info@flytesofancy.co.uk" via [The Gypsy Daydream Hen House](http://www.flytesofancy.co.uk/chickenhouses/The_Gypsy_Daydream.html). --- ## Beauty Carves Out Function URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/beauty-carves-out-function Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/beauty-carves-out-function/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Fusionwood-2.0.jpeg "New West Knifeworks by Corey Milligan") I just love utilitarian but beautiful things.  These knives from New West Knifeworks accomplish both with style. Check out out the [New West Knifeworks](http://www.newwestknifeworks.com/product/kitchen-knives--fusionwood-20-line/chopper-chef-knife-fusionwood-20-/3563) website for additional styles and prices. > "Highly skilled hands and modern precision tools work in concert to create a new standard in quality and workmanship. The finest materials are sculpted, assembled and hand-finished to ensure every piece is a perfect work of art." via [About Fusionwood Chef Knives : New West KnifeWorks](http://www.newwestknifeworks.com/content/about/about-fusionwood-knives). [![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/FusionwoodBox.jpg)](http://www.newwestknifeworks.com/content/about/about-fusionwood-knives) --- ## Grain Mill Family URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/grain-mill-family Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/grain-mill-family/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Mill-Family.jpeg "Mill Family") Daydreaming about this beautiful grain mill.  Check it out on [The Puppenstube.](http://www.thepuppenstube.com/GrainMills)  > "Beautiful European wooden manual and electric stone flour mills and grain flakers. Mill output on fine: 170g/min. Funnel capacity: 1.5 kg 360W motor, 35cm tall Grinds all grains, beans, and more Stone pine housing& naxos-basalt millstone Made in Austria Price: $875.00" \[caption id="attachment\_930" align="alignnone" width="596"\]![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Picture-4.png "Picture 4") photo credit: The Puppenstube\[/caption\] via [Grain Mill Family | The Puppenstube](http://www.thepuppenstube.com/node/2538). --- ## Homegrown Organic Restful Tea URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/homegrown-organic-restful-tea Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/homegrown-organic-restful-tea/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/herbs-660x436.jpg) On a cool fall fall evening there's just nothing like a warm cup a tea to help relax you.  Here is a recipe for "Sleepy Tea" from [Nourished Kitchen.](http://nourishedkitchen.com/sleepy-tea-recipe/)   What I especially like about this recipe is that you can actually grow all of the ingredients yourself! > "Ingredients 1 tablespoon dried lemon balm 2 teaspoons dried peppermint 1 teaspoon fennel seeds 1 teaspoon dried rose petals 1 teaspoon dried lavender flowers 2 slices dried licorice root honey (as needed) heavy cream or milk (as needed) instructions Place a kettle of filtered water onto the stove and bring to a boil. While the water comes to a boil, place herbs and spices into a mortar and crush with a pestle until roughly combined. Transfer to a teapot, pour boiling water over the herbs and steep for three to five minutes. Strain and serve with honey and cream, as you like it." via [Sleepy Tea](http://nourishedkitchen.com/sleepy-tea-recipe/). [![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/tea.jpg)](http://nourishedkitchen.com/sleepy-tea-recipe/) --- ## Pink and White Kitchen URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/pink-and-white-kitchen Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/pink-and-white-kitchen/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/pink-white-kitchen.jpeg "pink & white kitchen") Such a cute vintage little cottage kitchen.  Who knew you could paint appliances like this? > "Custom-painted appliances and two-tone cabinetry introduce an element of surprise." via [Pink and White Kitchen < Gorgeous Vintage-Inspired Kitchens - MyHomeIdeas.com](http://www.myhomeideas.com/room-galleries/stunning-vintage-kitchens-00415000070965/pink-white-kitchen-00400000052869/). Photo credit:Deborah Whitlaw Llewellyn --- ## Charming Garden URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/charming-garden Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/charming-garden/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/2113217663_042c091b9b_b.jpg) Some people dream of having huge homes filled to the brim with stuff.  I dream of a little charming cottage with an amazing garden.  Just like this. > "Cecile's garden at Lee County Master Gardener Tour 2006" via [paradis express: Cecile's garden](http://paradisexpress.blogspot.com/2010/11/ceciles-garden.html). [![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/2113221041_6546eb9720_b.jpg)](http://paradisexpress.blogspot.com/2010/11/ceciles-garden.html) [![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/2113203683_baa4a89dab_b.jpg)](http://paradisexpress.blogspot.com/2010/11/ceciles-garden.html) [![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/2113233277_2b8e99bd37_b.jpg)](http://paradisexpress.blogspot.com/2010/11/ceciles-garden.html) [![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/2113234205_e78889e909_b.jpg)](http://paradisexpress.blogspot.com/2010/11/ceciles-garden.html) [![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/2113240301_7b36afded5_b.jpg)](http://paradisexpress.blogspot.com/2010/11/ceciles-garden.html) [![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/2113951298_1ba1a66a70_b.jpg)](http://paradisexpress.blogspot.com/2010/11/ceciles-garden.html) [![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/2113985844_ebb72ff5c3_b.jpg)](http://paradisexpress.blogspot.com/2010/11/ceciles-garden.html) --- ## Cottage Sink URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/cottage-sink Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/cottage-sink/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/kitchen-sink.jpeg "kitchen sink") Beautiful vintage kitchen with a fantastic sink! --- ## James Harvey Furniture URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/james-harvey-furniture Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/james-harvey-furniture/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Elephant.jpeg "Elephant") There is a certain soulfulness to toys handmade with natural materials that plastic toys can never attain.  [James Harvey](http://www.jamesharveyfurniture.com/rocking-elephant/)'s rocking animals will be treasured for generations.  Besides the aesthetic beauty of these fabulous toys I love that with each purchase James donates a portion of the sale to a charity that helps conserve elephants and rhinos in East Africa. > "The combination of African wildlife and working with wood led James to design and hand-make quality rocking rhinos, hippos and elephants under the name of 'Rocking Rhinos'."![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/rhinoelephantboys500.jpeg "rhinoelephantboys500")   via [James Harvey Furniture - About Me](http://www.jamesharveyfurniture.com/about-me/). --- ## Meatless Monday: Organic Cheese Enchiladas Recipe URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/meatless-monday-organic-cheese-enchiladas-recipe Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/meatless-monday-organic-cheese-enchiladas-recipe/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/exps37968_TH1115463D27D.jpg "image credit: taste of home") Are you participating in "Meatless Mondays"?  If you are here is a yummy recipe from [Taste of Home](http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Cheese-Enchiladas) . I've modified it a bit as to make it organic and gluten free.  Since we don't eat gluten we use corn tortillas instead of the flour. > "Ingredients 2 cans (15 ounces each) organic tomato sauce 1-1/3 cups water 2 tablespoons chili powder 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 16  organic flour or corn tortillas (8 inches), warmed 4 cups (16 ounces) shredded organic Monterey Jack cheese 2-1/2 cups (10 ounces) shredded organic cheddar cheese, divided 2 medium organic onions, finely chopped 1 cup (8 ounces) organic sour cream 1/4 cup minced fresh organic parsley 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper Shredded lettuce, sliced ripe olives and additional sour cream, optional Directions In a large saucepan, combine the first six ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 4-5 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Spoon 2 tablespoons sauce over each tortilla. In a large bowl, combine the Monterey Jack, 2 cups cheddar cheese, onions, sour cream, parsley, salt and pepper. Place about 1/3 cup down the center of each tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down in two greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dishes. Pour remaining sauce over top. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese. Bake 4-5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Garnish with lettuce, olives and sour cream if desired. Yield: 16 enchiladas." via [Cheese Enchiladas Recipe | Taste of Home Recipes](http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Cheese-Enchiladas). --- ## Freezing Apples URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/freezing-apples Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/freezing-apples/llm.txt Type: post [![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/freezing-apples-300.jpg)](http://www.traditional-foods.com/food-preservation/freezing-apples/) I've canned a lot of apples in my life.  Apple butter, apple jelly, apple pie mix etc. but I've NEVER thought of just freezing them before.  So incredibly easy!  This fall I will definitely be preserving my apples this way too!  Check out [Traditional Foods](http://www.traditional-foods.com/food-preservation/freezing-apples/) for more information. > "Frozen apples are great to have on hand for pies, cakes, and other treats throughout the winter. The process is simple: peel and slice your apples, freeze them on a cookie sheet, and then put them in a plastic freezer bag for longer-term storage." > > [![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/freezing-apples-3001.jpg)](http://www.traditional-foods.com/food-preservation/freezing-apples/) via [Freezing Apples (How to Freeze Apples)](http://www.traditional-foods.com/food-preservation/freezing-apples/). --- ## Healthy Hansel & Gretel House URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/healthy-hansel-gretel-house Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/healthy-hansel-gretel-house/llm.txt Type: post [![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/eethuis_01-300x300.jpg)](http://www.landezine.com/index.php/2010/12/eathouse-by-marijke-bruinsma-marjan-van-capelle/) Who needs a house made of icing covered gingerbread with gum drop gables when you have the Eathouse?  Such a creative idea! > "EATHOUSE A house and garden to eat! That you are able to touch, smell, taste, seed, weed, and harvest! EATHOUSE is a house in a garden that attracts visitors with delicious vegetables, fruit, herbs and flowers." via [Eathouse by Marijke Bruinsma & Marjan van Capelle « Landezine | Landscape Architecture Works](http://www.landezine.com/index.php/2010/12/eathouse-by-marijke-bruinsma-marjan-van-capelle/). [![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/eethuis_04-300x300.jpg)](http://www.landezine.com/index.php/2010/12/eathouse-by-marijke-bruinsma-marjan-van-capelle/) --- ## Beautiful Beekeeping with a Beepod Beehive URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/beautiful-beekeeping-with-a-beepod-beehive Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/beautiful-beekeeping-with-a-beepod-beehive/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/prodimage1.jpg) Ever thought of keeping bees?  Here's a beautiful beehive that's small enough to fit the tiniest of yards. > "Be the first one on your block to have a NEW BeePod in your backyard! The newest revision of our Top Bar Hive is now sized to fit 19" Langstroth length frame bars (with slight alterations) The new Beepod uses 3/4in hole entrances rather than the big sliding door entry that the bees glued tight with propolis. We've added new "pop" fittings to the shutters, lid and access doors. Also new Stainless and Zinc hardware giving it longer life, greater durability and a better fit." ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/inspectionJesse.jpeg "inspectionJesse")![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/GirlwBees.jpeg "GirlwBees")![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/HiveInspectLRZ.jpeg "HiveInspectLRZ") via [Beepod Top Bar Hive | Beepods.com](http://beepods.com/product/beepod-top-bar-hive). --- ## Green Guacamole URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/green-guacamole Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/green-guacamole/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/guacamole.jpg) What a great idea to keep your guacamole from browning from [Zen Belly](http://zenbellyblog.com/2012/01/27/never-browns-guacamole/)! > "Dissolve 1/4 cup sea salt in 2 cups of water.  Add the peeled and stoned avocados to the salt water, and leave them in for about 5 minutes.  Drain the water and transfer the avocados to a clean bowl. The salt water doesn’t make the guacamole salty, but I find that I don’t need to add any additional salt to the recipe." via [Never-Browns Guacamole | zenbelly](http://zenbellyblog.com/2012/01/27/never-browns-guacamole/). --- ## Healing with Herbal Liniments URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/healing-with-herbal-liniments Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/healing-with-herbal-liniments/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/herbal-liniment.jpg) Have you ever heard of herbal liniments?  Herbal liniments are topical remedies that can help with things like arthritis pain, sprains, and cuts to name a few things on a very long list.  They are probably well known by just a few generations back but with our increasing dependence upon pharmaceuticals it has become somewhat of a forgotten skill to make them in the home.  Fortunately the trend to find ways to take better care of ourselves and be less dependent has opened the door for learning once more how to treat ourselves.  The one place I've found online that I find myself going to over and over again is [Mountain Rose](http://mountainroseblog.com/making-herbal-liniments/).  They have a wealth of information about how to make herbal liniments, sources for buying the herbs and explanations for their different uses.  I just love the idea of being able to treat family and myself with natural remedies.  Check them out and tell me what you think. > "Simple to make, herbal liniments are a great element for any home medicine cabinet!  They offer instant relief for pain, inflamed muscles, bruises, and sprains." via [Herbal Liniments « The Mountain Rose Blog](http://mountainroseblog.com/making-herbal-liniments/). --- ## Highland Calf URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/highland-calf Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/highland-calf/llm.txt Type: post \[caption id="attachment\_1071" align="alignnone" width="699"\]![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Picture-21.png "Picture 2") photo credit: Josefine Stenudd\[/caption\] Quite possibly the sweetest calf I've ever seen.  Fantastic photo by [Josefine Stenudd](http://www.flickr.com/photos/72616463@N00/2768733826/). --- ## Fall Hanging Gourds Table Cloth URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/fall-hanging-gourds-table-cloth Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/fall-hanging-gourds-table-cloth/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Pumpkin-table-cloth-holder.jpeg "Pumpkin table cloth holder") Pretty idea for a fall outdoor or even indoor table. > "Small gourds and a no-sew cloth equal a festive table for fall activities. Measure your table; add enough yardage for a 6-inch drop and 1-inch hem all around. Notch a 5-inch square from each corner. Use fusible tape and an iron to hem at every edge. Add grommets and loop around mini pumpkins, using them as weights and seasonal accents." via [Colorful & Simple Fall Projects from Better Homes and Gardens](http://www.bhg.com/thanksgiving/crafts/colorful-simple-fall-projects/#page=11). --- ## Tiny House Beauty URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/tiny-house-beauty Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/tiny-house-beauty/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/tiny%2Bhouse%2B057.jpg) One of the most beautiful front doors I've ever seen!  Two thumbs up for [Tumbleweed](http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/) and [Pav](http://pavandkate.blogspot.com/2012/07/tumbleweed-tiny-house-ii.html)! > "In the picture above you can see the front door, window seat and storage loft, which probably won't hold much storage so as not to block the gorgeous stained glass acorn.  The window seat has three drawers below for storage and the seat lifts up for keeping blankets or other flat items." via [Owl Creek Happenings: Tumbleweed Tiny House II](http://pavandkate.blogspot.com/2012/07/tumbleweed-tiny-house-ii.html). --- ## Pallet Coffee Table From Reclaimed Wood URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/pallet-coffee-table-from-reclaimed-wood Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/pallet-coffee-table-from-reclaimed-wood/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Pallet-coffee-table.jpeg "Pallet coffee table") Fantastic job on this coffee table made with pallets.  Check out this [Instructables](http://www.instructables.com/id/Pallet-Coffee-Table-From-Reclaimed-Wood/) post to learn how to make one yourself! > "Looking to get an industrial, vintage look in your house but can't find a contemporary table to suit your needs? Frustrated at the 249£ price tag of the Legion Pallet Table offered by Made.com and think you can do an equally decent job yourself? Enthusiastic to start your own project but don't know what you'll be facing?" via [Pallet Coffee Table From Reclaimed Wood](http://www.instructables.com/id/Pallet-Coffee-Table-From-Reclaimed-Wood/). --- ## JarBox Canning Jar Storage Sale! URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/canning-jar-storage Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/canning-jar-storage/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Picture-41.png "Picture 4") I've been looking for a deal on Jarbox storage system forever and found this GREAT one at My Patriot Supply!  Today only they are $17.95 and if you order over $49 Shipping is FREE!  They also are committed to providing non-gmo heirloom seeds and a variety of other products.  Visit [www.mypatriotsupply.com](http://www.mypatriotsupply.com/?Click=30956) to get the price I got today and to check out their other great products. ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Picture-5.png "Picture 5")![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Picture-6.png "Picture 6") --- ## Maple Pumpkin Kale Chips URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/maple-pumpkin-kale-chips Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/maple-pumpkin-kale-chips/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/pumpkin-kale.jpg) I'm always looking for a good kale recipe and now I think I have a new favorite thanks to [Nouveau Raw](http://nouveauraw.com/raw-recipies/kale-chips/maple-pumpkin-kale-chips/). > "Ingredients: 1 1/4 cups cashew, soaked measures 2 cups 1 cup pumpkin puree 1/4 cup water 1/4 cup maple syrup 1 Tbsp vanilla infused agave 20 drops of liquid stevia 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon Preparation: Wash and de-stem your kale.  Starting at the bottom of the kale, strip away all leaves leaving behind only the stems. Tear leaves into approximately 2- to 3-inch pieces.   Make sure you get as much excess water off of the kale as possible.  If you don’t it will make your sauce “soupy”.  Set aside. After soaking the cashews, drain the water and rinse well.  The purpose for soaking the cashews is to soften them. In a blender, combine all the ingredients and blend until creamy. In a large bowl pour the sauce over the kale and coat evenly.  Use your hands for this job.  It is easier and more fun! Place the kale on the non-stick Teflex sheets that come with your dehydrator.  Spread out the pieces to help them dry evenly. Dehydrate on 105 degrees for approx. 6-8 hrs or until dry.  I tend to pull mine out before it gets 100% dry because I like it a little chewy. Store in an airtight glass container and be ready to nibble non-stop till the last crumb is gone!" via [Maple Pumpkin Kale Chips](http://nouveauraw.com/raw-recipies/kale-chips/maple-pumpkin-kale-chips/). --- ## Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins with Nutella Filling Recipe URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/pumpkin-doughnut-muffins-with-nutella-filling-recipe Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/pumpkin-doughnut-muffins-with-nutella-filling-recipe/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/nutella-filled-pumpkin-doughnut-muffins.jpg) Doesn't this look delicious?  I found this recipe on [Reclaiming Provincial](http://www.reclaimingprovincial.com/2012/09/23/nutella-pumpkin-doughnut-muffins/#more-4821).  It's a beautiful site with so many wonderful recipes and the photography is just amazing! > "Nutella-Filled Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins (inspired by US Masala; adapted from Martha Stewart) Batter: 10 tbsps (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened (plus more for pan) 3 cups of all-purpose flour (plus more for pan) 2 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda 1 tsp coarse salt 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg 1/4 tsp ground allspice 1/3 cup of buttermilk 1 1/4 cups of pure pumpkin purée 3/4 cup of light brown sugar 2 large eggs nutella (store-bought, or make your own!), as needed (approximately 1/4 of a cup) Sugar Coating: 3/4 cup of granulated sugar 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp ginger 1/2 tsp all spice 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1/4 stick of butter, melted Preheat over to 350°. Butter and flour a standard 12-cup muffin pan. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices together in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and pumpkin purée. In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat eggs into butter/sugar mixture one at a time. On low speed, alternately add in flour mixture and pumpkin/butter milk mixture until everything is just combined. Add 2 tbsp of batter to each muffin cup. Add 1 tsp of nutella to the center of the batter in each cup, then evenly distribute the remaining batter over top, until cups are just a little over 3/4 full. (You will likely have some batter leftover. I didn’t dare go higher than 3/4 because I didn’t know how the batter would behave, but you might be able to push it a bit more if you want.) Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until muffins just begin to turn golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. While muffins are cooling, melt butter for topping and whisk together sugar and spices in separate bowl. After muffins have cooled for 10 minutes, brush with butter and roll in sugar mixture. These muffins are best eaten immediately, or within a day or two of having been made. Keep some extra nutella handy to enjoy with them!" via [Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins, Filled with Nutella | Reclaiming Provincial](http://www.reclaimingprovincial.com/2012/09/23/nutella-pumpkin-doughnut-muffins/#more-4821). --- ## Homemade Organic Hemp Milk URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/homemade-hemp-milk Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/homemade-hemp-milk/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/HempMilk.jpeg "HempMilk") We've been drinking almond milk and trying a variety of other nut milks for the past several years after our oldest daughter was diagnosed with a severe milk allergy.  My biggest complaint about almost all of the commercial nut milks is that they contain carrageenan.  [Dr. Andrew Weil](http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/QAA44833) suggests to eliminate it from our diets stating: > "Findings from animal studies and a review of the scientific literature showed that degraded forms of carrageenan can cause ulcerations and cancers of the gastrointestinal tract." When I started looking at ingredients on product labels for it I was shocked at just how many foods contain it.  Did you know that most supermarket rotisserie chickens have carrageenan listed as one of their ingredients?  It's primarily used as a thickening agent or emulsifier and is made from a substance extracted from red and purple seaweeds, consisting of a mixture of polysaccharides.  So basically any processed food with a creamy texture I now question.  I wonder why they don't use something like chia seeds instead?   So on my path to find healthy alternatives I came across this recipe for homemade hemp milk from [Nourishing Meals](http://www.nourishingmeals.com/search?q=hemp+milk).  I've read that hemp seeds are the only edible seeds that contain the amino acid, GLA. Hemp milk is rich in protein and contains omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, vitamins A, E, B-12 and folic acid.  It is also rich in magnesium, potassium, iron and magnesium.  Another essential benefit is that it has anti-inflammatory agents and improves circulation.  So why not give hemp milk a try? Homemade Organic Hemp Milk Recipe: > "1/2 cup [shelled organic hemp seeds](http://nuts.com/cookingbaking/seeds/hemp/organic.html) 3 cups filtered water 1 tablespoon organic maple syrup pinch sea salt Place all ingredients into a high-powered blender and blend for 60 to 90 seconds or until ultra smooth. Place a nut milk bag into a large jar or pitcher and pour hemp milk through the bag, squeezing out the milk, and leaving the pulp behind. I compost the leftover pulp. Store your hemp milk in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Use it in recipes wherever milk is called for. Source: www.NourishingMeals.com"   via [The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen: Homemade Hemp Milk](http://www.nourishingmeals.com/2012/01/homemade-hemp-milk.html). --- ## Acorn Squash Polenta Stacks URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/acorn-squash-polenta-stacks Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/acorn-squash-polenta-stacks/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/173MainImage.jpg) Doesn't this look delicious? **Trader Joe's Acorn Squash Polenta Stacks**  > "2 small TJ's Acorn Squash, sliced lengthwise and cleaned of seeds and string TJ's Olive Oil Cooking Spray TJ's Sea Salt and TJ's Black Pepper, to taste 1 cup TJ's Traditional Ricotta Cheese 1 cup TJ's Frozen Kale, defrosted and squeezed of water 1 clove TJ's Garlic, chopped fine 1 jar TJ's Arrabiata Sauce 2 packages TJ's Polenta, sliced into 24 1” rounds 1 1/4 cups TJ's Shredded Mozzarella Cheese 1/2 cup TJ's Grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese Preheat oven to 375°F. Slice squash halves into 1/2" half-moon-shaped slices. Spray a large baking sheet with a light dusting of oil and sprinkle with a little sea salt and pepper. Place the slices on the sheet in a single layer. Lightly spray the tops and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until the slices are tender, about 35 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool; lower oven temperature to 350°F. Place ricotta, kale, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt into a bowl and combine. Set aside. Assemble the stacks: Coat the bottom of a 9" x 13" baking dish with a light layer of sauce. Lay 12 Polenta rounds side by side and season with a little salt and pepper; cover with sauce. Next, top each round with squash slices facing each other, trim to fit neatly. Top each set of squash with the ricotta-kale mixture and smooth out. Top with more sauce, followed by a layer of polenta and the last layer of squash. Pour over the remainder of sauce and top each stack with Mozzarella cheese, followed by Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil and bake for about 40 minutes. Uncover for the last 10 minutes or until cheese is golden and bubbly. Remove from oven and rest 15 minutes before serving. Serves: 6 - 12 Cooking Time: 2 Hours" via [Trader Joe's](http://www.traderjoes.com/recipes/recipe.asp?rid=173). --- ## A Working Kitchen URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/a-working-kitchen Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/a-working-kitchen/llm.txt Type: post \[caption id="attachment\_1156" align="alignnone" width="360"\]![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/julia-childs-kitchen-in-smithsonian1.jpg "julia-childs-kitchen-in-smithsonian") Julia Child's Kitchen in the Smithsonian\[/caption\] When did we go from functional and useful kitchens to kitchens that look more like art galleries? ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/7Maple_Kitchen_by_dutdee4.jpg "7Maple_Kitchen_by_dutdee") Perhaps when we started eating out more frequently?  I'm inspired by Julia Child's working kitchen.  I wonder if there will be a turn back to making our meals more beautiful than our kitchens?  I hope so. \[caption id="attachment\_1163" align="alignnone" width="240"\]![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/David-Tsay.jpg "David Tsay") photo credit: David Tsay\[/caption\] --- ## Salley Mavor's Birds of Beebe Woods Wren URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/salley-mavors-birds-of-beebe-woods-wren Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/salley-mavors-birds-of-beebe-woods-wren/llm.txt Type: post \[caption id="attachment\_1177" align="alignnone" width="239"\]![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/birds0001blog.jpg) Sally Mavor's Birds of Beebe Woods\[/caption\] I've been a fan of Sally Mavor for many years now.  She is an incredible artist who brings everything she makes into a whimsical world that both children and adults dream of diving into and becoming a part of the story.  To learn more about Sally and to see her work you can visit her blog [We Folk Studio](http://weefolkstudio.com/). > "I wanted to show birds of varying sizes, and the wren was one on the small side. They have such a characteristic stance, with their tail pointing upwards at a sharp right angle. I printed out tons of photos and illustrations of wrens and tried to copy their markings and feather patterns correctly." via [Birds of Beebe Woods: wren « Salley Mavor](http://weefolkstudio.com/). [![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/wren.jpg)](http://weefolkstudio.com/2012/10/01/birds-of-beebe-woods-wren/#comments) ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/wren3.jpg "wren3") [![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/wren2.jpg)](http://weefolkstudio.com/2012/10/01/birds-of-beebe-woods-wren/#comments) [![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/wren1.jpg)](http://weefolkstudio.com/2012/10/01/birds-of-beebe-woods-wren/#comments) [![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/wren4.jpg)](http://weefolkstudio.com/2012/10/01/birds-of-beebe-woods-wren/#comments) --- ## Creative Farming with Joel Salatin URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/creative-farming-with-joel-salatin Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/creative-farming-with-joel-salatin/llm.txt Type: post I first heard about Joel Salatin on the documentary "Food Inc.".  What he says just makes so much sense to me.  What do you think? > “Organic is just the beginning: why stop there?” asks Joel Salatin, entrepreneur and owner of Polyface Farm in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, known for its unique approach to sustainable farming. His home-made inventions rely on creative problem-solving and hi-tech materials to gain the most wholesome use of his land and livestock. Featured in Food, Inc. and Omnivore’s Dilemma, Salatin sums it up with his latest book title--Folks, This Ain't Normal: A Farmer's Advice for Happier Hens, Healthier People, and a Better World." via [Creative Farming - Inner Compass on Vimeo](http://vimeo.com/37522444). --- ## Pumpkin Bread with Almond Streusel URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/pumpkin-bread-with-almond-streusel Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/pumpkin-bread-with-almond-streusel/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/MG_1625.jpg) I just love pumpkin bread.  But pumpkin bread with almond streusel may have just sent me over the top in eating bliss.  Since we are eating gluten free to improve our health, I'll substitute Gluten Free all-purpose flour, and baking powder. To make this delicious bread check out [Broma Bakery](http://bromabakery.blogspot.com/2012/09/pumpkin-bread-with-almond-streusel.html).  Not only do they have some amazing recipes but the photography of the food is just beautiful as well. > "For the bread: 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 cup sugar 1 cup pumpkin puree 6 tablespoons butter, softened 1/4 cup plain, whole-milk yogurt 2 eggs, room temperature 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon 3/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract For the streusel: 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 5 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into small chunks 1 cup chopped, lightly toasted almonds Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Butter and flour a medium-sized loaf pan. In a small bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add in the pieces of butter, and using a pastry cutter, or 2 knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until coarse crumbs have formed. Mix in the toasted almonds. Then, in a medium bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, powder, salt, sugar, and spices. In a seperate bowl, cream the butter using an electric mixer on medium speed. Then add the eggs, yogurt, and vanilla. Fold in the pumpkin puree. Gradually fold in the flour mixture in three additions, stirring between each. Pour half of the batter into the loaf pan, then top with about 1/3 of the streusel. Pour in the rest of the batter, then top with the remaining 2/3 of the streusel. Bake for 55 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool and serve!" via [broma bakery: Pumpkin bread with almond streusel](http://bromabakery.blogspot.com/2012/09/pumpkin-bread-with-almond-streusel.html). --- ## Coleraine Farm Educational Homestead - School for the Arts URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/coleraine-farm-educational-homestead-school-for-the-arts Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/coleraine-farm-educational-homestead-school-for-the-arts/llm.txt Type: post Here is your chance to support a group of people that are doing something incredibly wonderful.  They are building upon an old existing organic farm and creating an educational and artistic experience for the community.  They are in need of very little support actually to make it happen.  Watch the video and share it with your friends.  Even as little as $1.00 can add up.  Let's send our well wishes for much success to the Coleraine Farm. --- ## Shrunken Heads in Cider URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/shrunken-heads-in-cider Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/shrunken-heads-in-cider/llm.txt Type: post \[caption id="attachment\_1216" align="alignnone" width="225"\]![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/4017_100708_appleheads_l.jpg) from Martha Stewart\[/caption\] It makes me smile to think of how much [Martha Stewart](http://www.marthastewart.com/317697/shrunken-heads-in-cider?center=276965&gallery=275515&slide=260158) enjoys Halloween.  Here's another of her brilliant and fun ideas for Halloween. > "Ingredients > > 2 cups lemon juice > > 2 tablespoons coarse salt > > 8 large Granny Smith apples > > 32 whole cloves > > 2 gallons apple cider > > 2 12-ounce cans frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed > > 2 cups spiced rum optional > > Directions: > > Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. In a medium bowl, mix together lemon juice and salt; set aside.  Peel apples and cut each in half through the stem; remove seeds and core. Using a sharp paring knife, carve a face, as desired, on the rounded side of each apple half. Place apples in lemon mixture for one minute; transfer to paper towels to drain.Place apples, face-side up on prepared baking sheet and transfer to oven. Let bake until apples are dry and begin to brown around the edges, about 90 minutes. Remove apples from baking sheets and press cloves into the "eye" sockets.Combine cider, lemonade, and rum if using in a large punchbowl; float shrunken heads on top." > > via [Shrunken Heads in Cider - Martha Stewart Recipes](http://www.marthastewart.com/317697/shrunken-heads-in-cider?center=276965&gallery=275515&slide=260158). --- ## Gluten Free Navajo Fry Bread  URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/gluten-free-navajo-fry-bread Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/gluten-free-navajo-fry-bread/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/frybread2.jpg) When I was in 2nd grade I went to a little school in Oklahoma.  One of my fondest memories was the school having a Thanksgiving "feast" where I  had my first Navajo Fry Bread as one of the Native American foods.  Every fall I try to make fry bread but since we are gluten free now I thought we'd miss out this year until... I found this recipe on [Better Batter](http://betterbatter.org/navajo-fry-bread)!  I hope all of you enjoy it as well. > "Because of the nature of gf flours, you’ll want to make several small batches of this, if you need more than 4 fry breads, rather than trying to make one large batch. Ingredients 1 cup Better Batter Gluten Free Flour 1/4 tsp. salt 1 tsp. powdered milk 1 tsp. baking powder 1 cup water Vegetable oil for frying Instructions Heat about 1 inch of vegetable oil to about 350 degrees in a skillet or cast iron pan before you begin. Sift together the flour, salt, powdered milk, and baking powder into a large bowl. Pour the water over the flour mixture all at once and stir the dough with a fork until it starts to form one big clump. This will be extremely sticky! Flour your hands. Separate the dough into 4 pieces and roll in more flour. The inside of the dough ball should still be extremely sticky after it is formed, while the outside will be well floured. Using your floured hands on a floured surface pat, roll or and form each piece into a disk of about 5 to 7 inches in diameter. Take the formed dough and gently place it into the oil, being careful not to splatter the hot oil. Press down on the dough as it fries so the top is submersed into the hot oil. Fry until brown, and then flip to fry the other side. Each side will take about 3 to 4 minutes. You may keep this warm in a 200 degree oven for up to an hour, if making several batches." via [Navajo Fry Bread |  Better Batter Gluten Free Flour](http://betterbatter.org/navajo-fry-bread). --- ## Bubbies Dill Pickles = A taste sensational treat! URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/bubbies-dill-pickles-a-taste-sensational-treat Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/bubbies-dill-pickles-a-taste-sensational-treat/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/prod_pure_kosher_dills_lg.jpg "prod_pure_kosher_dills_lg") I am a dill pickle aficionado.  I confidently say this because well, I have eaten a LOT of pickles.  If there was a pickle and popcorn diet I'm pretty sure that instead of my "fluffy self" I'd be a dead on double for Twiggy or Calista Flockhart only maybe not so cute.  ;)   I've however been a little turned off lately when I've looked at the ingredients that pickle makers have been shoving into my jars of deliciousness.  The number one problem I have is the use of High Fructose Corn Syrup.  Which I can pretty assuredly say is liquid GMO.  So fast forward today while I'm doing my shopping at [Sprouts](http://www.sprouts.com/) and I see they have a pickle section near the deli.  There in the refrigerated section is a cloudy bottle of [Bubbie's](http://www.bubbies.com/bubbies_products.shtml) Kosher Dill Pickles with a photo of a little Jewish grandma or Bubbie on it.  I pick it up and guess what the ingredients are??? * Cucumbers * Artesian Well Water * Garlic * Salt * Dill * Spices What no HFCS?  On closer inspection I read about the fact that it has lots of good probiotics and is gluten free.  Fantastic.  I take note that they also sell other products like sauerkraut, pickled green tomatoes,  and horseradish.  Fast forward to my getting them home and opening the jar to eating FOUR yes FOUR pickles in one day!  But they are amazing.  So amazing I had to tell everybody about them.  Thus this post.  They will be a staple item in our refrigerator for sure.  I hope you enjoy them as much as me.  :) > "Perfectly Perplexing Pickle Facts Americans have been eating pickles ever since Christopher Columbus discovered the land. Since then, the pickled cucumber has become a favored snack, available in more than 36 varieties. Even teenagers and toddlers love them. In a recent study teens have identified pickles as one of their favorite vegetables. (Some call pickles a vegetable, but Supreme Court U.S.A. has ruled that they are a fruit of the vine.) Pickle history dates back to 2030 B.C., when inhabitants of Northern India brought cucumber seeds to the Tigris Valley. Shortly thereafter, cucumber vines were growing all across Europe. People then learned to preserve the fruits of their labor by pickling them in a salty brine. During the 17th century, the pickle came to the "New World." By the 1820s, colonists had grown so fond of pickles that Nicholas Appert constructed the first pickle plant in America. In fact, America was named after a pickle peddler: Amerigo Vespucci. Vespucci was a ships chandler, outfitting vessels scheduled for long explorations with vitamin C-packed pickled vegetables (particularly cucumbers and cabbage) to prevent scurvy among crew members. You can experience a piece of early American history each time you open a jar of Bubbies Pure Kosher Dills or Bubbies Bread and Butter Chips. Consumption: More than 67 percent of all households eat pickles. American households purchase pickles every 53 days. Americans consume more than nine pounds of pickles per person annually. The Land: Approximately 100,000 to 125,00 acres are devoted to growing pickling cucumbers in the U.S. They are grown in more than 30 states, with the biggest producers being in California, Colorado, Michigan, North Carolina and Texas. Cucumbers are a cash crop at the grower level. Growing them requires no government subsidies. Health: Pickles are fat-free and low in calories. Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, believed pickles contributed to health and beauty. Particulars: Pickling is one of the oldest forms of food preservation, discovered at the dawn of civilization, thousands of years ago in Mesopotamia. North Americans prefer pickles with warts while Europeans prefer them wartless. Refrigerated versions account for about 20% of all pickle sales. International Pickle Week is one of the country's longest running food promotions. It has been observed for more than 50 years. IPW runs for ten days during the last two weeks in May. The pickled vegetable industry has its own trade association: Pickle Packers International, Inc. During WWII, the U.S. Government tagged 40% of all pickle production for the ration kits of the armed forces. Good pickles have an audible crunch at ten paces. This is measured using an Audible Crunch Meter. Pickles that can only be heard at one pace are known as denture dills. Ingredients Cucumbers Artesian Well Water Garlic Salt Dill Spices" via [Bubbies](http://www.bubbies.com/prod_pure_kosher_dills.shtml). After writing this post some questions came up about whether or not Bubbies contains any probiotics so I began a little search and found this statement by Bubbies: > “Bubbies Bread & Butter Chips are vinegar brined and are a pasteurized food product, so there are no live cultures in that particular item.  Our Pure Kosher Dills, Dill Relish, Pickled Green Tomatoes and Sauerkraut are all naturally fermented and cured in salt water brine using a lacto-fermentation process. These products contain live cultures and the enzymes that form from a natural fermentation. The Pure Kosher Dills, Dill Relish and Pickled Green Tomatoes are 100% raw; the Sauerkraut in the jars has been flash heated but not pasteurized.  This means that the Kraut is neither pasteurized nor raw.  Bubbies Bread & Butter Chips are vinegar brined and pasteurized and are shelf stable. We were forced to begin heating our jarred Sauerkraut to calm the cultures inside because they were causing the kraut to continue to ferment too much in turn causing a buildup of gas that then results in brine leaking all over our distributor’s and retailer’s equipment and shelving. When we heat our jarred Sauerkraut, it is quickly raised to about 135-140 degrees and then sealed in the jars.  The goal here is not to eliminate all the beneficial cultures, but rather to stifle them so they won’t cause the jars to leak.  When our Bread and Butter Chips are pasteurized the pickle chips and brine are heated to a boil and then allowed to simmer, to 212 degrees.  This process is designed at eliminating any potential cultures and is the style of preparation for that variety of pickle. While the heating we do for our Sauerkraut is only intended to calm the gas producing nature of the product with the specific goal in mind not to eliminate the beneficial cultures.  We do not claim that this product is raw for these reasons, but it still does have live bacteria.  From our testing, it is above 140 degrees that you really begin to eliminate the cultures present in our products on a massive scale. It is important to note that our Sauerkraut is very crisp.  It is crunchier and able to maintain its crunch for far longer than other brands.  This is because there are still vegetable fibers left intact in the cabbage which are the complex carbohydrates that break down into the simpler food that the lacto bacillus cultures feed on during the fermentation process. Hopefully this information will help in your continued enjoyment of our products and make it easier for you to remain a loyal customer. Wishing you the very best in Food and Health!” --- ## Mother and Baby URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/mother-and-baby Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/mother-and-baby/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/68753165_1294147134_2010050F2787x990.jpg) Not sure if I've seen anything as sweet as this in a long time. [С мамой. Комментарии : LiveInternet - Российский Сервис Онлайн-Дневников](http://karat773.ru/post146514185/). --- ## Pallet Composter URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/pallet-composter Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/pallet-composter/llm.txt Type: post \[caption id="attachment\_1254" align="alignnone" width="371"\]![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Pallet-Compost-bin.jpeg "Pallet Compost bin") photo credit La Bio Guia\[/caption\] Another great idea for repurposing pallets! --- ## Cordwood Shed URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/cordwood-shed Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/cordwood-shed/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/cordwood-rabbit-shed-with-thatched-roof.jpeg "cordwood-rabbit-shed-with-thatched-roof") This is supposedly a rabbit shed but wow wouldn't it make a great tiny house or playhouse?  Beautiful.  Check out [Cordwood Construction](http://cordwoodconstruction.wordpress.com/) for more great cordwood building ideas. [Cordwood Construction | Cordwood Log Cabin Building Blog](http://cordwoodconstruction.wordpress.com/). --- ## No-knead Dutch Oven Bread Recipe URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/no-knead-dutch-oven-bread-recipe Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/no-knead-dutch-oven-bread-recipe/llm.txt Type: post \[caption id="attachment\_1272" align="alignnone" width="300"\]![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Seasonal-Bread1.jpg) photo by Roger Dorian\[/caption\] I'm a huge fan of [Mother Earth News](http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/2007-12-01/Easy-No-Knead-Dutch-Oven-Crusty-Bread.aspx).  They always have the greatest articles and this No-knead bread recipe by Roger Dorian is a great example of just that.  We're eating gluten free now but I may have to try to convert this recipe and see how it turns out. _"1/4 tsp active dry yeast_ _1 1/2 cups warm water_ _3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting._  _You may use white, whole wheat or a combination of the two._ _1 1/2 tsp salt_ _Cornmeal or wheat bran for dusting_ 1. > In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add the flour and salt, stirring until blended. The dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest at least 8 hours, preferably 12 to 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees. 2. > The dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it. Sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let it rest for about 15 minutes. 3. > Using just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to the work surface or to your fingers, gently shape it into a ball. Generously coat a clean dish towel with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal. Put the seam side of the dough down on the towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another towel and let rise for about 1 to 2 hours. When it’s ready, the dough will have doubled in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger. 4. > At least 20 minutes before the dough is ready, heat oven to 475 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in the oven as it heats. When the dough is ready, carefully remove the pot from the oven and lift off the lid. Slide your hand under the towel and turn the dough over into the pot, seam side up. The dough will lose its shape a bit in the process, but that’s OK. Give the pan a firm shake or two to help distribute the dough evenly, but don’t worry if it’s not perfect; it will straighten out as it bakes. 5. > Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake another 15 to 20 minutes, until the loaf is beautifully browned. Remove the bread from the Dutch oven and let it cool on a rack for at least 1 hour before slicing." > [Easy, No-knead Crusty Bread](http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/2007-12-01/Easy-No-Knead-Dutch-Oven-Crusty-Bread.aspx). --- ## Foo Foo For Feathers URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/foo-foo-for-feathers Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/foo-foo-for-feathers/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Chicken-Coop.jpeg "Chicken Coop") I was very surprised to see today that [Williams-Sonoma](http://www.williams-sonoma.com/shop/agrarian-garden/agrarian-garden-chicken-coops/garden-chicken-coops/?bnrid=3101684&cm_ven=E3&cm_cat=EDM&cm_pla=1027_Agrarian&cm_ite=hero_cta1&cm_em=definitelyjulia@gmail.com) has come out with a line of designer chicken coops.  They are made in America, pricey and very cute.  Now to get all those pesky ordinances banished that don't allow chickens on typical family sized lots. > "Handcrafted in the USA from certified-sustainable wood, the Alexandria coop provides room for up to six hens and will keep your flock safe and dry year-round." via [Alexandria Chicken Coop & Run | Williams-Sonoma](http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/alexandria-chicken-coop/?cm_src=AutoRel). [![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/img60b.jpg)](http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/alexandria-chicken-coop/?cm_src=AutoRel) --- ## Sweet Touches URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/sweet-touches Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/sweet-touches/llm.txt Type: post \[caption id="attachment\_1294" align="alignnone" width="385"\]![photo credit: Adriana Lennon Photography](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Screen-shot-2012-10-28-at-9.14.20-PM.png "Screen shot 2012-10-28 at 9.14.20 PM") photo credit: Adriana Lennon Photography\[/caption\] I adore special little touches like these custom made labels.  They are made in the USA by a sweet military wife.  Go check her out on her Facebook page [Stay above the Frey](https://www.facebook.com/sassyfrassycrafty).  Just one more way to show our support to our country and to the families that sacrifice so much for us. --- ## Things that make you think... URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/things-that-make-you-think Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/things-that-make-you-think/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/acorn.jpg "acorn") In the world with GMOs all around perhaps abbreviating organic with "organ" may NOT be such a good idea! LoL  YES YES YES on Prop37!!!! --- ## Healing Boo-Boo Salve URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/healing-boo-boo-salve Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/healing-boo-boo-salve/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/salve4.jpg) With two little ones this recipe for Homemade Boo-Boo Salve from [Mrs Happy Homemaker](http://www.mrshappyhomemaker.com/2012/11/healing-boo-boo-salve-a-k-a-homemade-natural-neosporin/) is just the perfect thing to have on hand.  Give it a try and let me know how you like it. > "Ingredients 1/2 cup coconut oil 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/4 cup dried comfrey 1/4 cup dried calendula 2oz beeswax (equals out to 2 of the 1oz bars or 4 tablespoons) 2 tablespoons of honey 10 drops lavender essential oil (optional) jars (I use these) Instructions In a medium pot - mix the coconut oil, olive oil, dried comfrey, & dried calendula. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Strain the herbs from the oil using a cheesecloth or coffee filter. Discard of the herbs. Wipe any remaining herbs from the pot you used, and add the oil back to the pot. Turn the heat to medium. Stir in the honey until completely combined. Then, add in the beeswax - stirring until completely melted. Mix in the lavender essential oil, if using. Pour the mixture into your jars. Stir it occasionally while it cools to ensure even settling. Seal once set." via [Healing Boo-Boo Salve - aka Homemade Natural Neosporin](http://www.mrshappyhomemaker.com/2012/11/healing-boo-boo-salve-a-k-a-homemade-natural-neosporin/). --- ## Beautiful Mountain Lanterns URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/beautiful-mountain-lanterns Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/beautiful-mountain-lanterns/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/sprucelit.jpeg "sprucelit") I love stained glass.  These lanterns from [Lampa Mountain Stained Glass](http://lampalamps.com/spruce.htm) come either ready for a candle or electricity are so charming. [Lampa Mountain Lanterns](http://lampalamps.com/spruce.htm). --- ## Poland's Krzywy Domek URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/polands-krzywy-domek Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/polands-krzywy-domek/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/800px-Krzywy_Domek_w_Sopocie.jpg "800px-Krzywy_Domek_w_Sopocie") Something tells me this amazing place would not meet any American building codes.  But I find it amusing, creative and fantastic! > "The Krzywy Domek is an irregularly-shaped building in Sopot, Poland. Its name translates in to English as the Crooked House." via [Krzywy Domek - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krzywy_Domek). --- ## Pecan Cream Cheese Bites Recipe URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/pecan-cream-cheese-bites-recipe Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/pecan-cream-cheese-bites-recipe/llm.txt Type: post \[caption id="attachment\_1353" align="alignnone" width="420"\]![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/pecan-bites-sl-1932548-x.jpg "pecan-bites-sl-1932548-x") Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Marian Cooper Cairns http://www.jenniferdavick.com\[/caption\] I've been searching for great appetizer recipe and when I came across this recipe on [MyRecipes](http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/cream-cheese-and-olive-pecan-bites-10000001932548/) I just knew I had to try it.  It originated in the 2009 Southern Living Cookbook.  The only issue I have with it is that I would have to refrain from eating the whole plate!  I had a reader suggest to omit the olives, chives and pepper and instead add chopped dried cranberries.  I think I like her version even better! By the way, if you are wondering about the photographer of the amazing pecan appetizer photo go check her website out. [Jennifer Davick Photography](http://jenniferdavick.com) She has some amazing images.  I love great food photos and if I ever get around to writing that cookbook I have dreams of writing then I know who I would like to do the photography! * > # "Cream Cheese-and-Olive Pecan Bites Recipe" > > "3 ounces cream cheese, softened * > 1/2 cup finely chopped pimiento-stuffed Spanish olives * > 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives * > 1/4 teaspoon pepper * > 80 large toasted pecan halves ### Preparation 1. > Stir together cream cheese, olives, chives, and pepper. Spread onto 40 large toasted pecan halves; top with 40 large toasted pecan halves, forming sandwiches. > [_Southern Living_](http://www.southernliving.com/)  > NOVEMBER 2009" [Cream Cheese-and-Olive Pecan Bites Recipe | MyRecipes.com](http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/cream-cheese-and-olive-pecan-bites-10000001932548/). Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Marian Cooper Cairns http://www.jenniferdavick.com --- ## Turkey Cooking Chart URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/turkey-cooking-chart Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/turkey-cooking-chart/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/chart-turkeyroasting.jpg "From www.Gygi.com") Look at this beautiful chart that the folks at [Gygi](http://www.gygi.com/blog/2012/11/15/turkey-talk-roasting-a-turkey/) put together.  Very helpful! [Gygi — In the Kitchen](http://www.gygi.com/blog/). --- ## Maple Pecan Pie URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/maple-pecan-pie Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/maple-pecan-pie/llm.txt Type: post > ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/pecan-pie-horizontal-660x436.jpg "NourishedKitchens Maple Pecan Pie")   I'm a huge fan of the website [Nourished Kitchen](http://nourishedkitchen.com/maple-pecan-pie/?utm_source=Newsletter+List&utm_campaign=e45a532642-Maple+Pecan+Pie+RSS&utm_medium=email).  I find their site is really good at creating a sense of nourishment not only for the body but beyond that.  Almost anybody can put together a bunch of sugary ingredients for a pecan pie and have it taste pretty darn good but what about how it makes you feel about how it could be impacting your health?  It takes added skill to not only come up with a recipe that is delicious but one that doesn't leave you feeling like you've done something terrible to your body.  They are just really good at creating recipes that tastes great and you can feel good about.   That's why several months ago I signed up for their newsletter.  Today I received this amazing recipe for Maple Pecan Pie in my inbox and had to share it with all of you.  Here are the ingredients.  If you'd like to actually make it take a look at [Nourished Kitchen](http://nourishedkitchen.com/maple-pecan-pie/?utm_source=Newsletter+List&utm_campaign=e45a532642-Maple+Pecan+Pie+RSS&utm_medium=email) for the instructions.  I'm definitely going to give it a try during the holidays. > Ingredients > > 1 1/2 cups sifted sprouted spelt flour 1/2 teaspoon unrefined sea salt3/4 cup cold lard chopped into 1/4-inch cubes 1/2 cup very cold water 4 eggs 1/2 cup whole, unrefined cane sugar 1 cup maple syrup 2 tablespoons butter melted 1 tablespoon vanilla bean powder 1 1/2 cups pecan halves preferable soaked overnight and dehydrated via [Maple Pecan Pie](http://nourishedkitchen.com/maple-pecan-pie/?utm_source=Newsletter+List&utm_campaign=e45a532642-Maple+Pecan+Pie+RSS&utm_medium=email). --- ## A Dream Bath! URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/a-dream-bath Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/a-dream-bath/llm.txt Type: post ![High Camp Bath](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/High-Camp-Bath.png) If this isn't the most incredible bath ever I don't know what is.  Who couldn't be totally rejuvenated in something like this!  Check out more photos at [High Camp Home](http://www.highcamphome.com/interior-design/?sel=BigSprings) [Interior Design - High Camp Home](http://www.highcamphome.com/interior-design/?sel=BigSprings). --- ## Biodynamic Gardening and Farming URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/biodynamic-gardening-and-farming Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/biodynamic-gardening-and-farming/llm.txt Type: post [![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/EM_Spring_13_Bio_Horns.jpg)](http://ediblemadison.com/articles/view/cosmic-tilth-the-wisdom-of-biodynamics/P2) Have you heard of Biodynamic farming or gardening?  Check out this very in depth and interesting article over at [EdibleMadison](http://ediblemadison.com/articles/view/cosmic-tilth-the-wisdom-of-biodynamics/P2) that offers a great explanation.  > "In 1924, Austrian philosopher, scientist, social reformer and father of anthroposophy Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) introduced a series of eight lectures on agriculture. These lectures are known as the Agriculture Course Lectures and form the early foundation of biodynamic agriculture—the first intentional form of organic agriculture." via [Cosmic Tilth: The Wisdom of Biodynamics | Edible Madison](http://ediblemadison.com/articles/view/cosmic-tilth-the-wisdom-of-biodynamics/P2). --- ## Contain Rainwater Modular Slim Line Harvesting Wall - Rain Barrels at Hayneedle URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/contain-rainwater-modular-slim-line-harvesting-wall-rain-barrels-at-hayneedle Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/contain-rainwater-modular-slim-line-harvesting-wall-rain-barrels-at-hayneedle/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/masterCRSI001.jpg) Cool modular rainwater collection system! [Contain Rainwater Modular Slim Line Harvesting Wall - Rain Barrels at Hayneedle](http://www.hayneedle.com/sale/containrainwater72galmodularslimlineharvestingwall.cfm). --- ## Considering Building a Cob House? URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/considering-building-a-cob-house Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/considering-building-a-cob-house/llm.txt Type: post   \[caption id="attachment\_1419" align="alignnone" width="300"\]![Grandpa Carl's Old Adobe House](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Adobe-House.jpg) Grandpa Carl's Old Adobe House\[/caption\] The first house made of mud that I ever saw was the one my Grandfather Carl Romelsbacher built in a little town called Meridian California.   He and his father along with uncles cousins and friends farmed the land together.  By hand my grandfather built an adobe brick house some 60+ years ago to raise his little family and today it still stands.   It now sits vacant and it has been through floods, shot up by teenagers, baked in the many long hot summers in the Sacramento Valley and wet winters to boot.  Yet it still stands.  I think the idea of building with natural materials was inspired by my grandfather's choice.  Someday I hope my husband to build us our own little house made of mud and so I frequently am drawn to books that describe the process. ![BuildACobHouse](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/BuildACobHouse.jpg)Recently I was given a book called "[Build A Cob House A Step-By-Step Guide](http://www.thiscobhouse.com/cob-books/)" by Alex Sumerall.  It's one of the most thorough books on how to build a cob house I have ever read.  It covers everything from Site Selection, Materials, Foundations, how to make cob to the actual building of walls and dealing with the whole issue of windows and doors.  One of the things I was happily surprised to see was that he also added a section on earthen floors.  When my husband was a young potter he actually helped his mentor to build house with an earthen floor and I am still dreaming of the day we will build our own little dream house with one.  I have several cob building books but this one has great detailed photos and instructions so I truly believe with the book and maybe a tip or two from somebody with experience really any of us could build a cob house.  If you're interested in "Build A Cob House" or Alex's other books and more instructions check them out on [This Cob House](http://www.thiscobhouse.com) If you're dreaming of building your own cob house I can't recommend this book highly enough.  So what do you think?  Ready to get building? --- ## Neem Oil URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/neem-oil Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/neem-oil/llm.txt Type: post \[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="400"\][![Neem tree ](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/neem-oil-the-wonder-spray-o.jpg "Image source: Real Farmacy")](http://www.realfarmacy.com/neem-oil-the-wonder-spray-of-organic-gardening/) Image source: Real Farmacy\[/caption\] I have you ever heard of Neem Oil before?  It's an natural organic product that can act as a pesticide without harming beneficial insects, pets or people.  I found this great American based business called, [Neem Tree Farms](http://neemtreefarms.com/index.php?ref=188&affiliate_banner_id=5) in Florida that sells all kinds of  Neem products to use in your organic gardening as well as health supplements and even the trees themselves. Neem is used throughout India and the rest of Asia as a remedy for a multitude of ailments.  It's used for everything ranging from digestive issues to anti viral.  I wonder if this is a tree worth planting in the garden?   They are evergreen trees that can grow quite large so they may not be for every yard.  But if you have the space it's definitely a consideration. Check out [Neem Tree Farms](http://neemtreefarms.com/index.php?ref=188&affiliate_banner_id=5) for an American based business that sells Neem plants, and products.  They also have a lot of great information about the benefits of Neem Having said all that, I wanted to share the article that first got me interested in learning more about Neem.  It was this great article on [Real Farmacy](http://www.realfarmacy.com/neem-oil-the-wonder-spray-of-organic-gardening/).  Check it out for even more information on the benefits of gardening with Neem.  It's a very informative site. > "How does it kill pest insects and not beneficial insects? Neem oil must be ingested for it to work, so only critters eating plants that have been sprayed will be affected. It’s not an instant “knock-down” effect like synthetic broad-spectrum pesticides, but it only takes a few hours and is just as effective if not more at preventing harmful pest infestations. When a pest larva ingests neem oil with the plant material, a compound called “azadirachtin” starts to act on the larva’s hormonal system and prevents it from molting to the next stage, resulting in death." via [Neem Oil: The Wonder Spray of Organic Gardening | REALfarmacy.com | Healthy News and Information](http://www.realfarmacy.com/neem-oil-the-wonder-spray-of-organic-gardening/). --- ## Yarn Bunting Extraordinaire! URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/yarn-bunting-extraordinaire Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/yarn-bunting-extraordinaire/llm.txt Type: post \[caption id="attachment\_1441" align="alignnone" width="224"\]![Beautiful Crochet Bunting from Attic 24](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/6a00e551101c548834019affe10a68970c-500wi.jpg) Beautiful Crochet Bunting from Attic 24\[/caption\] Recently I was perusing art posts on Facebook and came across a feast for the eyes and soul.  "[Yarndale 2013 :: The Yarndale Bunting](http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/2013/10/yarndale-2013-the-yarndale-bunting.html)"  Apparently inspired by a knitting and stitching show put on by "Women's Weekly" magazine a blogger/artist named Lucy  set out to create a little of the spectacular creation of her own and well let's say... now I'm inspired as well!  For the full story from Lucy herself go on over to her blog.  She has some amazing photos and it's a very sweet story.  [Attic 24](http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/2013/10/yarndale-2013-the-yarndale-bunting.html) --- ## Alastair Heseltine Turns a Tedious Job into a Sculpture URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/alastair-heseltine-turns-a-tedious-job-into-a-sculpture Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/alastair-heseltine-turns-a-tedious-job-into-a-sculpture/llm.txt Type: post \[caption id="attachment\_1454" align="alignnone" width="300"\]![Alastair Heseltine's Beautiful Functional Sculpture](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/a.jpg) Alastair Heseltine's Beautiful Functional Sculpture\[/caption\] A thing of beauty.  It seems as thought everything that Alastair Heseltine touches turns into a work of art.  I wonder how long it took him to stack his wood in such a beautiful way? [Sculpture Installations Alastair Heseltine](http://www.alastairheseltine.com/installations.htm). --- ## Every Inch Used Kitchen Storage URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/every-inch-used-kitchen-storage Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/every-inch-used-kitchen-storage/llm.txt Type: post   [![Storage Solutions](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Screen-Shot-2013-11-09-at-5.52.35-PM.png)](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Screen-Shot-2013-11-09-at-5.52.35-PM.png) Just love innovative ways of purposefully using every square inch of space! What a great idea this is. [Ideas for Kitchen Storage: Great Ideas For Kitchen Storage – Vissbiz](http://www.vissbiz.com/ideas-for-kitchen-storage/great-ideas-for-kitchen-storage/). --- ## Comfort For A Cold URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/comfort-for-a-cold Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/comfort-for-a-cold/llm.txt Type: post ![photo-2](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/photo-2.jpg)It's that time of year where dreaded cold germs start invading our homes.  One of the things we find comforting during this time is using Tea Tree Oil to open up our sinuses.  A few of the ways we like to use it is by putting several drops of it into the shower before getting in and by adding a few drops to a sink full of hot water then covering our heads with a towel over the sink and breathing in the steam. Lastly instead of buying already scented tissues how about make your own?  All you need is essential oil and a tissue box.  I just reach in and move the tissues to the side and put about five drops of oil on each side of the box.  It doesn't take long for the entire box of tissues to be scented. You can control the strength of the scent by adding more or less oil too.   If tea tree oil isn't your thing you can basically use any essential oil or combination of oils you like.  I've used rose oil before and it was lovely.  Here's to a healthy winter for all! --- ## Great idea! URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/great-idea Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/great-idea/llm.txt Type: post ![Laundry room sink](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Screen-Shot-2013-12-29-at-9.38.38-PM.png)I adore this sink!  I wish I could give credit for the owner of it and the photo but I found it on Pinterest and there wasn't a link back to the source.  If anybody finds who created this fantastic sink and the image please let me know so I can give them credit!  Until then…  Isn't this the coolest idea for a laundry room sink ever?  It would make bathing fido a little easier on the back too! --- ## 2014 Sky Scarf URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/2014-sky-scarf Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/2014-sky-scarf/llm.txt Type: post \[caption id="attachment\_1480" align="alignnone" width="225"\]![Sky Scarf Gift Kit](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/photo-2-e1388550915917.jpg) Sky Scarf Gift Kit\[/caption\] One of our Christmas gifts to our older daughter this year was a Sky Scarf Kit.  Have you ever seen a sky scarf?  They are just beautiful when finished.  For every day of the year you knit a row or two of the color(s) of the sky for that day.  One could also crochet it but our seven year old knows how to knit so we are making the knitted version.  Tomorrow we will start our beautiful little project and by the end of the year we'll have a finished project to show you.  Happy New Year.  Are you planning any knew projects for 2014? --- ## Gerties Canning Hutch: Reclaimed Old Pine Wood URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/gerties-canning-hutch-reclaimed-old-pine-wood Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/gerties-canning-hutch-reclaimed-old-pine-wood/llm.txt Type: post [![Gershwin & Gertie Hutch](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/nb6851.1.jpg)](http://www.gershwinandgertie.com/gertiesreclaimedpinecanninghutch.aspx) I am LOVING this canning hutch from [Gershwin & Gertie](http://www.gershwinandgertie.com/gertiesreclaimedpinecanninghutch.aspx)!  They've got some really cute things in their shop.  I'd probably need five of these shelves to handle all of my canned food but they are simply beautiful! [Gerties Canning Hutch: Reclaimed Old Pine Wood](http://www.gershwinandgertie.com/gertiesreclaimedpinecanninghutch.aspx). --- ## Garden Shed Turned Guest Room URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/garden-shed-turned-guest-room Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/garden-shed-turned-guest-room/llm.txt Type: post   \[caption id="attachment\_1497" align="alignnone" width="602"\]![Garden Guest House](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Gardem_57.jpg) Garden Guest House\[/caption\] I'm just in love with this little garden shed conversion to a guest house.  I think I'd be spending more time there than any guest would be. [Garden Shed Turned Guest Room - Garden Designs - Decorating Ideas - HGTV Rate My Space](http://www.roomzaar.com/rate-my-space/Gardens/Garden-Shed-Turned-Guest-Room/detail.esi?oid=30943572&sc=false). --- ## Homestead Style's Latest Addition URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/homestead-styles-latest-addition Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/homestead-styles-latest-addition/llm.txt Type: post ![](https://y2ez6helhgi126su.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/uploads/Doodle-Daisy.jpg) Daisy the Doodle This past fall we lost our beloved Murphy and our entire household was just heartbroken.  It was the first experience of loss for our children and a rough time for all of us.  But yesterday... a new little love walked into our lives and while no dog could replace the love we felt for our funny little Murphster our hearts were definitely warmed up a great deal.   So having said that.... Introducing Daisy the Doodle.  She is a lovely calm puppy and we are ever so grateful to Carina and her family from [For God's Glory Farm](http://www.alittleblessing4u.com)  They did a wonderful job with this sweet puppy and are just great people in general.   They are very into feeding their dogs the healthiest of diets, giving them lots of healthy outdoor time and socializing them.  We are so grateful for how well little Daisy was taken care of.  I can't recommend them highly enough. We are so happy with this sweet girl.  She's the perfect match for our family.  Let the training and love begin. --- ## Small house love... URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/small-house-love Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/small-house-love/llm.txt Type: post [![](http://st.houzz.com/simgs/d7c14f62005384e1_8-3798/eclectic-garage-and-shed.jpg)](http://www.houzz.com/photos/1579061/Ross-Guest-Cabin-eclectic-garage-and-shed-san-francisco) [Eclectic Garage And Shed](http://www.houzz.com/photos/eclectic/garage-and-shed) by [Oakland Architects & Building Designers](http://www.houzz.com/professionals/architect/c/Oakland--CA) [Dotter & Solfjeld Architecture + Design](http://www.houzz.com/pro/nicolai2/dotter-solfjeld-architecture-design) I am totally infatuated with all the beautiful smaller houses out there right now!  Dotter & Solfjeld Architecture + Design have created my latest dream house.  It was designed to be a guest house but I could totally see retiring in a sweet little house like this in the redwoods of Northern CA.  Well done folks... well done. [Dotter & Solfjeld Architecture + Design](http://www.houzz.com/pro/nicolai2/dotter-solfjeld-architecture-design) Architects & Designers --- ## Egg Storage... Pointy side up or down? URL: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/egg-storage-pointy-side-up-or-down Markdown: https://hscom.vercel.app/post/egg-storage-pointy-side-up-or-down/llm.txt Type: post I just ran across this wonderful post on the best way to store eggs! Pointy side up or down? The answer is pointy side down but if you'd like to know why, take a look at the incredibly informative site [Fresh Eggs Daily](http://www.fresheggsdaily.com/2015/01/why-should-eggs-be-stored-pointy-end.html) to read more. [Fresh Eggs Daily®: Why Should Eggs Be Stored Pointy End Down?](http://www.fresheggsdaily.com/2015/01/why-should-eggs-be-stored-pointy-end.html). ---