helping out

please consider lending a helping hand. thank you
http://www.gofundme.com/5ilsw0

January Planning

Here winter is in full swing...the ground is frozen solid and covered in snow...that makes it the perfect time to plan for the spring.
While reading through my Freecycle emails, I was able to procure some wonderful old storm doors that are going to be perfect for a large cold frame to get my tender veggies started in.

so plan ahead...spring is right around the corner and there is lots of work to do...

It's a good time to order any fruit trees from online you are planning to put in as well....many nurseries sell out early.

Beijing Egg House - Beijing architect lives in egg-shaped house on sidewalk on Shine

Beijing Egg House - Beijing architect lives in egg-shaped house on sidewalk on Shine this is an awesome concept....and solar powered as well.

truffle hunting

This is the time of year to check around your trees for naturally occurring truffles. Yes, they grow in this country and no you do not need a pig to find them...though certainly a well trained pig or dog would be helpful. Truffles like to grow at the base of Oaks, Beech, Birch, Hazel and Pine trees. I have some of those trees and in the next few days I am going hunting for those culinary delights. keep you posted....

the last ripe tomatoe

I picked my last ripe tomato yesterday. Thanks to the difficult but necessary aggressive pruning a few weeks ago, I am left with 3 good sized green tomatoes, and that is a lot less then in past years, so that mid august prune really did help grow and ripen the last of my harvest. I can't help but feel like I barely scratched the surface on what I wanted to accomplish this year, as we are well into fall here in the poconos. But I guess with my son's cancer, I have an excuse. Except that if there was some type of "emergency" where I would need to be ready, I am not and it makes me unhappy. In the next few weeks along with trying to get some wood chopped for winter, I am going to work on the list for spring. What I want to get done, what I need to get in order to accomplish my goals and how I can on a shoestring budget bring it all to fruition. what's on your list?

medicinal oregano oil

Here's a simplified explanation of the good uses of oregano oil. Personally I think it is a very useful and important plant to keep for it's uses. there are worse things then smelling like a pizza..

oh so good....

Oregano oil....I am making oregano oil today from my herb garden. These are some fresh young growths after I cut the garden all back and dried most of the oregano. I took some of the leaves and ground them up in the food processor with some olive oil, then strained it through some cheese cloth. I then pour it into a small bottle adding a whole spring of oregano to decorate it. It is simply delicious on bruschetta, added to a little spaghetti, and even spread on the crust of homemade pizza. Also excellent for salad dressing. There is also medicinal uses for Oregano, but it is not the "standard" grown herb, and differs slightly. I grow both types, once for the more medicinal uses and one for eating, but both are delicious and can be added to your favorite dishes. The medicinal type is Oregano oil made from Origanum Vulgare more on that tomorrow....yum..time for dinner