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Author Archives: denise and sandy
A ROAD TRIP TO THE GARDEN STATE
We drove to New Jersey last weekend to pick peaches and plums and spend the weekend with Denise’s family. Denise grew up in New Jersey and I spent a lot of my adult life there. I suppose it’s no surprise … Continue reading
DISAPPOINTMENT AND UNEXPECTED TREASURE IN THE EMPTY NEST
It has been an odd summer. Lots of rain. Temperatures rising, falling and rising again. And there has been the humidity. 89%, day after day, for weeks, yet, it doesn’t rain. We’ve had cleaner breaths standing over the canners. Saturday … Continue reading
CONGRATULATIONS FROM THE EMPTY NEST
Some time ago, a blogger called TBM left a comment on our site. Of course, we visited her site and this is what we found. One day she made a decision to change her life. She wanted it to … Continue reading
Posted in ALL
Tagged canning, cantalope jam, empty nest, pickling, Preservation Kitchen, preserving, salsa
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THE AUCTIONEER AND THE FARMERS AT THE PRODUCE AUCTION
THE AUCTIONEER: The Auctioneer of the produce auction is Gene Daniels. He has impressive credentials-former president of the Virginia Beach farm bureau, former president of the Ruritan Club, former president of the Tidewater Pork Producers, former Farm Bureau farmer of … Continue reading
Posted in ALL
Tagged auctions, canning, empty nest, farmers markets, Preservation Kitchen
4 Comments
RINGERS, EXPERTS AND AMATEURS AT THE PRODUCE AUCTION
This is our second year at the produce auction. We have a permanent number: 274. We go every other week so we are regulars now. We are two of the faces the auctioneer looks for when he’s watching for bids. … Continue reading
THUNDERSTORMS AND BLACKBERRIES IN THE EMPTY NEST
The message on the answering machine of Pungo Blueberries, said “blackberries are plentiful”. We were in the car by 7AM, hoping it wasn’t an old message. It wasn’t. The blackberries were everywhere. They were ripe and they were sweet. There … Continue reading
VITAMIN C IN THE EMPTY NEST – FRIEND OR FOE?
This year’s challenge is, of course, about canning and preserving. We are going to attempt to cook only with what we preserve and to use what we preserve in creative, unexpected ways. Hoping the “unexpected” is the pleasant sort of … Continue reading
NO GMO’S IN THE EMPTY NEST
We write a lot about food and our search to find good food. We’re not obsessed with organics, but we want fresh food, minimally processed at the very least. There has been a lot written lately about GMO’s, genetically modified … Continue reading
AN ARTICHOKE GROWS IN THE EMPTY NEST
Last year we took a field trip to a farm to buy heirloom plants for our garden. The farmer had a flat of artichoke plants. She told us that it probably wouldn’t grow but, if it did, we wouldn’t get … Continue reading
WHEN WISHES CAME TRUE
Toddler wishes turn to teenage dreams. With hard work, opportunity and a little luck, those wishes that turned in to dreams can come true. That’s every parent’s wish. We lived in a small town. We would walk to school on … Continue reading
empty nest, full stomachs 