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Abundance of Green Tomatoes and a Great Recipe to Use Them

/ My Garden / Recipes / By / Leave a Comment

green tomatoes

I’ve been putting up all the last of my fall crops: Asian pears, pumpkins, concord grapes, raspberries, aaaaaand lots of green tomatoes. Time to get preserving.

I’m not a fried green tomato fan, so I went looking for a recipe for something different. I found Beryl’s Mom’s recipe for pickled tomatoes. It’s a keeper.

Since I’ve got a mix of cherry, Roma, and an heirloom variety that I’ve been growing from seed for so long that I no longer remember … Read More

Dog Neutered and Freaked Out Wearing a Cone? Use a Doggie Diaper Instead.

/ Dogs in General, My Dogs and Me / By / Leave a Comment

cavalier in doggie diaperRiley is home from neutering surgery and we were told to have him wear a cone so that he can’t lick himself. Even though we got a soft, flexible cone, it made it hard for him to see. And that made him feel nervous and scared. He stayed frozen on the spot. No amount of coaxing or reassuring helped.

The cone lasted 5 minutes. Andrew went and got a washable female doggie diaper one size larger than Riley needed (so … Read More

I See a Lot of Dehydrating in My Future

/ Life / By / Leave a Comment

Asian pear harvest I love my Asian Pear trees. I have two different varieties, both of which are prolific without spraying. One ripens by mid-September, and this tree ripens mid to late October.

The first time I tasted these, I was surprised by the satisfying crunch followed by a rush of sweetness and juice. They taste like a cross between a sweet pear and a hint of concord grapes!

As part of my food forest, these pears provide food to snack on … Read More

Want to Extend Your Dog’s Life? Add Another Dog

/ Dogs in General / By / 2 Comments

2 cavalier puppies sleeping on 1 dog bedLong-time readers know I’m a big believer in multiple dogs. I’ve written numerous posts on the subject. I don’t have many soap boxes, but this is one of them. Pack and herd animals, in my opinion and experience, should not be kept alone. Just because dogs can seem to do fine as singles in a household doesn’t mean there aren’t significant benefits when adding another dog.

Science concurs. The following article speaks to the many ways we may be … Read More

Core Dog Vaccines 2023 Protocols—If You’re Revaccinating More Frequently Than Every 5-7 Years, You’re Probably Vaccinating Too Often

/ Dogs in General / By / Leave a Comment

puppy getting dog vaccinesA lot has changed when it comes to dog vaccine protocols—from automatically vaccinating yearly to giving initial vaccinations and then titering. So, what’s a responsible dog person to do?

If you go to the American Animal Hospital Association or the American Veterinary Medical Association websites and search for core vaccines, you’ll find that the core vaccines—distemper, hepatitis, parvo, and rabies—should be given no more often than every 3 to 5 years. It’s really more like 5 to 7 years.

Veterinarians … Read More

Best Pie Crust Recipe

/ My Garden / Recipes / By / Leave a Comment

3 piesApropos of the fall weather and the approaching holidays, I thought I’d share my secret pie crust recipe. Good for any and all types of pies—single crust, double crust, lattice, you name it.

There are a bazillion pie-crust recipes out there. So why is this perhaps the best? Because it uses science to help get the best flake and the best taste.

PIE CRUST RECIPE

2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 stick cold unsalted butter
8 oz shortening
1/4 cup … Read More

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