Works of whimsy
In today's results-driven world, a person's value is often equated with the work she produces. Be it handmade goods, a small business or a best-selling book, it's all about creating things that turn a profit. Pressure to capitalize on creativity is stressful for even the most ambitious professional, diminishing her …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Sun printing
You probably know by now that I'm passionate about photography. I love capturing gorgeous images through the lens of my camera. But I have recently become fascinated with a photographic art form that skips the hardware altogether. Using photosensitive paper and fabrics, you can pare down the photo process to …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Recycling rain
As the summer heats up, water for gardens, lawns and flower beds can become a serious commodity. Many areas of the country are naturally dry this time of year, and others are hit with droughts when water is needed the most.
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Dehydration an option for saving your food
We're heading into the height of harvest time, and gardens everywhere are overflowing with the bounty of the season. At this point, there's always the question of what to do with all of this fresh, fabulous food.
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Spice it up with cayenne pepper
If I say the words "cayenne pepper," do you get fired up with excitement or recoil in fear? Either way, one thing is certain: The conversation starts with a bang!
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Fresh summer sauces are a snap
As you look forward to all of the barbecues and picnics that lie ahead this summer, you may not give much thought to three staple sauces that are bound to be in high demand: ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise. The basics. Chances are, you have a bottle of each in your …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Smooth move
I'm sure you know that old trick about freezing bananas that have seen better days. You hold onto them until the banana-bread bug bites you bad, and then you embark on a marathon baking session. Well, I'm a devotee of this method - it's as if the freezer performs some …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Open the door to prosperity
At a time when our nation is feeling the burden of financial crisis, it may seem ludicrous to talk about pursuing prosperity. What's the point when it's a struggle just to make ends meet? But prosperity amounts to so much more than a paycheck. By definition, it is a state …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Global food
Ever since I ventured down the winding dirt road that has led to my own successful small farm business, I have firmly believed that environmentally conscious small farms are the key to creating global food sustainability. It's as plain to see as the gorgeous red raspberries ripening outside my door, …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Heart of glass
Recently, I perused a few sites designed for and by Mason jar collectors. They're usually places for serious collectors to show off their finds, pick up tips on finding jars, and share stories. Then there's the occasional forum scattered with questions from excited newbies. These people have usually come across …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 12 MONTHS AGO
The therapy of handmade
When we consider the back-to-basics movement, there are a few questions that present themselves over and over again. Why have the crafts of the past gained so much momentum? Why do we still insist on the substantiality of books in a Kindle era? Why were knitting and crocheting at the …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 14 YEARS AGO
Genetically engineered alfalfa: What it means to you
If you're not a farmer of forage crops or in the business of feeding cattle, you may never have given much thought to alfalfa. It's green, cows eat it, end of story. But if you're passionate about your food choices - particularly if you are an avid supporter of organic …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 14 YEARS AGO
Incredible, edible Easter eggs
If you're looking forward to Easter and its egg-inspired festivities, you'll appreciate a letter I received from a fellow farmgirl. "I remember the excitement of dyeing eggs each Easter," she wrote. "We'd buy a supermarket dozen and a package of dye tablets, and I'd decorate until my fingers were as …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 14 YEARS AGO
Waking up to wellness
While perusing the health news segment in a popular magazine recently, I found myself cringing at the headlines. Insurance, radiation, prescription drugs and myriad gloom-and-doom medical findings - the topics sent shivers down my spine! How, I wondered, is any of this "health" news? Even as our collective consciousness is …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
The art of the any-weather picnic
Old Man Winter sure has a way of leaning on spring, doesn't he? Though a few nice days are starting to poke through, chances are you're doing your share of sighing and foot tapping while itching for your first springtime frolic in the great outdoors. Well, why wait? I say, …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Un-pinching your pennies
We like to talk a lot about frugality 'round these parts. And with the tough times folks have been facing lately, the value in such advice increases tenfold. But can I be honest with you? It's getting - well - a little old.
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Finding wild mushrooms
If you've ever stepped out into the spring woods in search of mushrooms, you probably understand how a person could get serious about hunting - mushroom hunting, that is. As winter gives way to bustling green growth, the forest floor comes alive. Some of its most dynamic, beautiful and delicious …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Why we (still) need our girlfriends
Not a week goes by that we don't hear the results of another study on human behavior. These reports often try to explain present-day relationships in the context of evolutionary adaptations and the great race to survive. And it's truly interesting stuff. Up until very recently, well before the age …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
For a touch of class, try staining
Who doesn't have a soft spot in their heart for antiques? That timeworn tint seems to hold the magic of countless years and experiences. But what if you want to help the process along? What if you want to - dare I say - fake it?
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
The power of a smile
I've felt it, and I know you have, too - the power of a complete stranger to brighten your day using nothing more than a simple smile.
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Community activism 101
We've jumped into 2011 with both feet, and now it's time to make headway in new directions. This year, we're more passionate than ever about living locally, and investing our hearts and hands in our own communities. We want healthy, we want green, we want better than ever. Idealistic? You …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Finding alternatives to dairy
You know I love milk - fresh and raw. I love milk so much that I own two dairy cows. But I realize that not everyone drinks (or even can drink) cow's milk. Plus, with the flu season upon us, stuffy noses and sore throats need a break from dairy …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
50 New Year's resolutions: Everyday Organic style
Sure, you could vow - yet again - to join a gym, organize your closet and diversify your investment portfolio. But if you'd prefer a roll-up-your-sleeves kind of New Year, here's your list!
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Kids and kindness
Giving thanks. It's a simple concept, rooted in so many of us. But how did we come by the understanding of gratitude? For me, growing up in a family that valued giving over having was key. What we lacked in financial wealth, my parents made up for in graciousness toward …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
The pleasures of potpourri
"Potpourri? I'll call it a symbol of the things we hold onto throughout our lives, little things we cherish," writes Shery Jespersen on the Ranch Farmgirl Blog (rfgblog.maryjanesfarm.org). "I've made potpourri for many, many years. It lets me bring the outside inside. Each little petal, flower, twig or natural trinket …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
Juice your fruit!
If you have yet to sip fresh fruit juice first thing in the morning, you don't know what you're missing. The taste of fresh juice is positively brilliant, made even sweeter by the fact that you know exactly what went into your glass. According to recent news reports, testing by …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
Going green ... tomatoes
Depending on where you live, you've already reeled in your green tomatoes, or you will soon. It's one of those rituals that signal the definitive end of summer, and it can be a sad day if your heart's not in it. But rather than mourn what you've lost, why not …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
An apple core a day...
Wait, wait - don't tell me. You're inundated with apples, right? Whether you picked 'em from your backyard tree, lugged bushels home from a nearby orchard, plucked them enthusiastically from a supermarket bin or discovered a mountain of them in your CSA farm, they've got you surrounded. And who could …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
Old-fashioned autumn delight: Caramel apples
Let's say that you and I are perched on a porch here at my farm. We're cradling warm cups of spiced cider in our hands and watching rust-colored leaves drift and dance on the October breeze. It's the time of year for gathering, you know. Food, friends and fond memories …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
Grind your own grain
Most of us have been buying commercially milled flour for as long as we can remember. It's just not something we think about much these days. I'd venture a guess that most school kids have only a foggy idea where the powdery white stuff in the pantry originated (before the …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
The great de-bait
We've all heard the wisdom: Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, but teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. And if I could place a fishing pole into the capable hands of each and every one of you, you …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
Random acts of green
Remember the joy of finding a penny on the sidewalk when you were a kid? Find a penny, pick it up, all day long you'll have good luck! Such a simple find, free for the taking. I had the good fortune to feel that girlish glee again recently. On a …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
Picket fence romance
Amid the hubbub of our modern must-do-it-all lifestyles, there is a longing that lingers for simpler schedules and down-home happiness. You know the feeling. It lingers in me, even as I wake each morning to my beloved farm outside my window. I find myself too busy too often, and I …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
Soothe summer skin with aloe vera
We're all familiar with seeing aloe vera as an ingredient in lotions and balms, particularly those that cool the burn of sun-baked skin. But did you know that you can take advantage of aloe straight from the source? By cultivating your own aloe houseplant, you can save money on costly …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
A fresh take on salsa
There comes a point in late summer (especially if your garden has been blessed with a bounty) when it seems you've mastered every possible fresh salad and roasted veggie recipe in the books: You've maybe even invented a few. No doubt you've canned, frozen, dried and gifted your goodies till …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
Epsom salt - forgotten but not gone
Today, Epsom salt has become an almost forgotten folk remedy -- something that might crop up among the creased and yellowing pages of a farmer's almanac. Sure, you can still find it on pharmacy shelves just about anywhere, but what the heck is this stuff, and what is it used …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Savoring summer's all-time great: Avocados
Creamy, smooth, rich and exotic - the silky green flesh of the avocado is the stuff sweet summer dreams are made of, and it's almost as versatile as it is delicious. Also known as "butter pears," avocados are actually large berries belonging to the same plant family as cinnamon and …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Chewing for change
Chewing gum has a charm that captivates the mouths of millions every day. We chew it to soothe our nerves, stay focused, freshen our breath, and to enjoy a sweet treat without counting a bunch of calories. You might say it's a modern marvel, but in fact, various kinds of …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
From threadbare to green wear
In the past couple of years, there has been a flood of "green" fabrics cropping up in stores. Organic cotton, bamboo and recycled synthetic textiles are all the rage. But even though these newfangled fabrics are indeed eco-friendlier options than we've seen in the past, we're still overlooking the greenest …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Natural dental care
When was the last time you stopped to read the ingredients on your tube of toothpaste? We're getting pretty good at scanning food labels, but it may also be time to change the way you clean your teeth. I took a peek at a tube of popular toothpaste and was …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Family treasure hunt
Looking for something a little bit different to do this summer, something that will spur your whole family to get outside and "go wild?" Try geocaching. This fun-for-all-ages game puts an exciting new spin on traditional scavenger-hunting expeditions. It can be played just about anywhere in the world, and since …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
The reel deal
"You may think I've sprung a leak in my good sense, MaryJane, but I am so excited to tell you about my new toy. Well, it's an old toy, actually, and it isn't really the kind of thing that most sane people would consider fun. But perspective is everything, isn't …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
The nature of nettles
Nature never ceases to amaze me with its boundless ability to feed, soothe and cure us - if only we open our senses to its possibilities. Part of discovering nature's nurturing qualities as contemporary humans is seeking out the lessons learned by those who have blazed trails before us. Over …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
A feast for the senses
The allure of flowers is irresistible. Their delicate fragrances beckon, and their colors are candy to the eye. But have you ever considered nibbling a flower's tender petals, just to find out whether their taste is every bit as tantalizing? If so, read on. It just so happens that there …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 12 MONTHS AGO
A Mother's Day proclamation
This spring, as Mother's Day approaches, let's join hearts to celebrate the women among us today - and those throughout history - whose families have been challenged, changed and claimed by the effects of war. I suggest this particular celebration not only because of the ongoing trials in the Middle …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 15 YEARS AGO
Grow your garden green
It's getting to be that time again, isn't it? Suddenly, gardening is no longer a far-off winter fantasy. It's here, it's now. Time to get growing! As you know, I am a firm believer in growing anything - and everything - organically. No synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. Organic farming is …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 15 YEARS AGO
Earth Day 2010
This year, on April 22, people around the globe will celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. More than just another half-hearted holiday marked by greeting cards and candy, Earth Day is rooted in a deep sense of environmental responsibility that bridges borders worldwide. It was founded in 1970 and …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 15 YEARS AGO
Saying no to 'GMO'
Living out here at the end of my dirt road, I welcome spring with simple rituals around my small farm. One of my favorites involves turning rows of earth to awaken a new year's garden and sowing heirloom seeds I've saved from last season's harvest. These are things I know …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Natural solutions to dry skin
Ranging from unpleasant and itchy to cracked and downright painful, dry skin is a common affliction that you may be spending a lot of money trying to keep under control. Unfortunately, many of the commercial "cures" found on store shelves are slurries of water and cheap chemical additives that can …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Saving on your laundry bill
You know I love line-drying my laundry. The work of hanging clothes outside shakes stress from my system like nothing else. It charges my spirit and seems to imbue every stitch of my clothing with the freshness of the outdoors so I can carry it along with me - even …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Rich in rags
Do you have a bag, basket or bin set aside exclusively for rags? If not, it's never too late to discover their many uses - everything from holding up your up-do to piecing together an heirloom quilt. Although the word "rags" tends to elicit images of tatters and stains, I'm …
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Compact composting for the rural-urban farm girl
Urban living is no reason to give up your dirt-under-the-fingernails farm girl fantasies. And believe it or not, February is a fabulous time to start thinking about your future garden, no matter how petite the plot will be. After all, spring is just around the corner.
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
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