I originally posted this over on the Spruce Tips instagram, but thought I'd repost it here for folks who have yet to join the ol' Spruce Tips train. We’ve been really into homemade sodas lately: lovage syrup became homemade Cel-Ray, bits of leftover pineapple became pineapple ginger soda, and we just turned the lingering plum … Continue reading Ginger Bugs & Plum Blossoms
I am not a farmer. Well, duh. I wish I were; all of the things I wish for myself--discipline, consistency, faith, foresight, intuition, production, connection to land and season and creature-- are contained within the farm. I know some incredible farmers. I have visited some incredible farms. I've put in a couple of hours of work … Continue reading Sowing Seeds
Gather: 1 c sugar 1/2 c basil leaves, rinsed 2 tsp ground sumac or 1/4 sumac berries 1/2 c blueberries (or to taste) 1/2 tsp citric acid or juice of one lemon 1 c water Combine sugar, basil, sumac, and berries in a small saucepan. Muddle until basil is fragrant but not mushed to hell. … Continue reading How to survive your first week at home alone with two children (or one. or three. or twelve.)
When I was reworking the template for this site, trying to make it a little more blog-y and a little less Angelfire/Geocities, I added the subtitle "Family // Fermentation // Faith" mostly because those are the things I like to spend my time thinking about and doing, and also alliteration. But while I've written a … Continue reading Finally, Fermentation: Making Yogurt at Home
February in New York can be cold and gray, sludgy ex-snow lining the sidewalks, so you'd think a February vacation to someplace warm, with sun and beaches, places that don't require wool clothing or a can of de-icer carried on your person, might be in order. Or you could be like us, and drive five … Continue reading Snowy, Snowy Days
I’m working on recording our holiday celebrations— what we ate, what we carried over from years past, and what we started anew— so that we can refer back in future years and see how our celebratory canon has grown and changed. For both Mike and me, food is our rhythm, what centers us, so we’ll … Continue reading What We Ate: Christmas Eve Edition
Winnie is nine months old (and four days, eleven hours, twelve minutes as I type). She crawls faster than I walk most places. She can pull up on anything, including mom’s giant exercise ball, the corner of dad’s shirt, and anything precarious/unbabyproofed (most things). She makes the tiniest smacking kissy sounds and today gave her … Continue reading Zero and Three Quarters
Parenting is such a blast. Though I’m still absolutely in love with nursing, creating a safe space for Winnie to explore her first foods has been a thrill. She’s been snatching green leafy veggies off my plate for weeks, so we decided to start letting her sit in on mealtimes, plucking out the baby-friendly bits … Continue reading Winnie Led Weaning
This Family Anderson 