Poor farm poodle, Bryony. November was such a rough month for her. Let me set the stage for you. In November: I sold the the couch and the poodle perch (i.e. the chair that the poodles claimed as their own). I ordered a new sectional, but it wasn't delivered until over a month later. Which meant a month with only one chair to sit in for two people. And the dogs. Bryony developed a pretty nasty ear infection that wouldn't clear up. Which led to three vet visits. She had a laser pointed at her ears. And they were drained with a … [Read more...]
Pumpkin Butterscotch Trifle
Every fall, I make this easy (but delicious) Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle with layers of. . . . you guessed it: pumpkin and gingerbread. But sometimes you need a change. And sometimes, you can't find any gingerbread mix at the store, so you're forced to change. Change is good, though. Without it, I wouldn't have discovered that butterscotch and pumpkin are even better than the original. I used a pumpkin spice muffin mix baked in rectangular dish instead of a muffin pan. Other than that, I followed the directions on the back of box to bake … [Read more...]
How To Dry Herbs In The Oven.
My little herb garden has done really well this year. Especially the chocolate mint. . . . that stuff is practically trying to take over the whole bed. In fact, I've been using it as the background for a lot of product photos lately. . . . I love using fresh herbs in soap making and DIY beauty treatments (like the rosemary ACV hair rinse here) and of course cooking, but sometimes you have to turn to dried herbs. And while, we haven't had any really cold weather, yet, and the herb garden is still going strong for now, those frigid temps are on … [Read more...]
Sweet Potato Cream Cheese Pie
For me, Fall is all about sweet potatoes, and the many ways to eat them. Such as: Sweet Potato Cheesecake Sweet Potato Cream Cheese Bread And the latest dessert. . . . Sweet Potato Cream Cheese Pie! I made this very same pie last year for Christmas dinner, and it was such a hit, that I've promised to never make another sweet potato pie unless it has the cream cheese with it. And I haven't :) In fact, I've already made this pie five times this Fall, and I'll most likely add a sixth and seventh time before long. [amd-zlrecipe-recipe:25] … [Read more...]
Pumpkin Icebox Cake
I've been the "cook" in my family for years now, and I love it. All the planning and preparation and trying out new recipes = right up my alley. But it wasn't always like that. Let me tell how that came about. When I was 18, my mother and grandmother were both sick with a cold during Thanksgiving, and I was basically told, "If you want turkey and all the trimmings, you gotta cook it yourself." Now, in previous years, my contribution to the meal was opening up the can of cranberry sauce and slicing it and setting the table. Not a lot. But that year? Trial by … [Read more...]
