A few months ago, I signed up for three months of Ancestry.com for $1. I’m a genealogy junkie, but have never really known a whole lot about my father’s side of the family, other than a couple generations back. My … Continue reading What did they eat in 1400s Scotland?

Not long ago, my friend Marlen was telling me about her kitchen woes that surfaced during a remodel. Somehow, somewhere, some wires in her fabulous new double oven and stovetop went awry and left her without an oven or stove … Continue reading Jumping from the frying pan to the electric skillet

The cat’s out of the bag and the coffee beans have been officially spilled – my husband and I recently launched our new business, Texas Coffee Roasters, to the local public. As y’all can imagine, it’s been pretty hard for … Continue reading Spilling the beans on our latest endeavor – let’s talk about the grind!

This column marks the beginning of our fifth year together, here on the pages of the Alpine Avalanche. It’s mind boggling how the last four years have flown by so quickly. A lot can happen in four years – just … Continue reading Savoring West Texas for four years… and counting

I recently ran across a large envelope filled the seeds we had leftover from our garden in the Hill Country. What a surprise! The seeds, all Heirloom variety seeds, were packaged for use by 2012. It is now 2020. They’ve … Continue reading Old seeds and herbal teas – properly stored, both can stay viable

I like to collect things… a minimalist I will never be. My husband and I joke that we are “optimalists,” which often closely resembles the opposite of minimalism. When we made the move from the Hill Country to Fort Davis, … Continue reading Cast iron cookware – it gets better with every use

My dear friend, Elaine Harmon, often leaves books at my doorstep. She has a true knack for finding the perfect treasure and matching it with a happy new home. A few weeks ago, she gifted me with a copy of … Continue reading Cookbooks from friends are such a treat

I ordinarily buy onions in bulk in the large sack. I cook with onions every day, but try as I might, I usually don’t use up the onions before green sprouts start emerging from the bulbs. Our last trip to … Continue reading When life sprouts your onions, stick them in the dirt!

In an effort to stay out of the stores as much as possible, I’ve started baking lots of bread at home. This is unusual for me, because I’ve never been the bread-baker in the house… that’s always been my husband’s … Continue reading Sourdough vs. yeast – what you knead to know

Today is the first day of spring. Can’t you just feel it in the air? Even with all the crazy uncertainty going on around us right now, it’s still the first day of spring. New life is happening all around … Continue reading Today is the perfect day to plant some seeds