Family trees and cousins

Reading the account of my pioneer family history inspired me to try and sort out second and third cousins and cousins once or twice removed (I know I’ve looked this up many times before but I think this time I actually got it to stick in my head), and I thought I’d share some of […]

Turmeric and Inflammation

I made turmeric gummies! Actually they are more like curcumin and honey jelly squares, and they are pretty tasty. I got the recipe here, but it’s basically gelatin, honey, coconut oil and turmeric (I used curcumin powder and recommend adding more than in the recipe, next time I think I’ll add 3-4 times as much). […]

Pioneers and family history

I happen to have in my possession a copy of a family history account written by my great-grandaunt (my father’s mother’s father’s sister), that just kind of blew my mind. First off, it amazes me what a short distance I can go back in my family tree and find someone homesteading in “Indian country” and […]

150+ paleo foods (some very odd roots)

Already at food number 154 on my 200 paleo foods challenge! So far it’s been easy, not sure if this means it’s actually a pretty achievable goal or if it’s going to suddenly get a lot harder now that I’ve eaten my way through most of the odd fruits and vegetables at the grocery store […]

True Cinnamon

In the past I haven’t been a huge cinnamon fan but for some reason I’ve been eating a lot of it lately, enjoying stirring it into my tea, or piling it on baked apples or fruit. Curious as to how this might fit in with my very-conscious eating I did a little research and discovered […]

Three months working in the outback

Just came across this account of three months spent bartending in the outback of Western Australia last year and thought it might make a fun post. A little context: I spent much of 2016-2017 living in Melbourne, Australia, on a working holiday visa. In order to extend this visa for a second year American applicants […]

Some interesting dystopian and post-apocalyptic fiction

The Circle,by Dave Eggers. Definitely the most relevant dystopia as this is a future that is almost, hauntingly, already here. The main character goes to work at a Google-like company where everyone’s lives become ever more accessible and transparent, until it reaches an intolerable point. Transparency is a a good thing, but how much is […]

Duck eggs, sauerkraut, and a lizard egg

It turns out sauerkraut made from purple cabbage turns the most incredible ruby color when sitting alone in a dark cupboard for a week. Another successful attempt! I can’t believe all you have to do is pound some shredded cabbage up with sea salt, weight it down and put a special lid on it, then […]

Growing Herbs and Mushrooms

Along with cooking, gardening has never been my thing. Indeed my use of fresh herbs has been mostly limited to harvesting the occasional spring of rosemary, or making pesto from a basil plant that doesn’t live long. Actually the truth is I’ve never bothered using herbs and spices in my cooking much at all: I’m […]

The Instant Pot

Yes, we got an Instant Pot,and wow I seem to be using it almost every single day! It can pressure cook, slow cook, steam veggies and sauté. Not sure the sautéing function is that useful, (I suppose it would be if you lived in a dorm and this thing was your whole kitchen), but the […]