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Classic Homemade Basil Pesto

Classic Homemade Basil Pesto

Here's my classic homemade Basil Pesto recipe that's perfect for using up extra herbs from the garden. Each year, I make sure to harvest the last of the basil in our herb garden before the first frost. You want to harvest your basil leaves before they flower or they can be bitter, and since basil is very sensitive to the cold, harvesting it earlier than later is always a good idea. Any variety of basil works in pesto, as does parsley or even mint, but I'm partial to purple Thai basil. My favorite way to use all that basil is in homemade pesto.  And if you have home-grown garlic as well, all the better!


Molt Busting Granola Bites for Chickens

Molt Busting Granola Bites are a great source of protein for molting hens. The shorter days of generally fall trigger a molt  in backyard chicken flocks across the country, which is basically the loss of old, dirty or broken feathers and the regrowth of new feathers in chickens and ducks. The timing of the molt ensures that your hens have nice new, fluffable feathers for the winter that will help keep your chickens warm.


Freezing Herbs for a Winter Treat for your Chickens

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Instead of drying all your fresh herbs, why not try freezing some for your chickens to enjoy this winter? I grow an abundance of herbs and edible flowers each spring and summer to use in my cooking and also to share with the chickens fresh from the garden.


Blackberry Rosemary Herbal Fizz Soda

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Rosemary infused simple syrup serves as the base for this delicious fizzy cocktail. Fresh rosemary paired with blackberries really gives this simple, homemade soda a nice, complex taste. I like to whip up a batch of the herbal simple syrup, then add it to a glass of ice and club soda for an all natural flavored "soda" mocktail.


Cardamom Ginger Zucchini Bread with Streusel Topping

Add some cardamom to a basic zucchini bread recipe for the best bread you've ever tasted. 'Tis the season of an overabundance of zucchini in every backyard garden. This zucchini quick bread is one of our family favorites because it uses fresh eggs, homegrown zucchini and one of my favorite spices - cardamom. It also comes together very quickly and is easy to make at a moment's notice.


DIY Wood and Wire New England Clam Hod Egg Basket

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Make this DIY wood and wire New England Clam Hod to use for eggs or vegetables. When you raise backyard chickens, you can never have too many egg baskets.  Since both my husband and I are New Englanders born and bred, I have long admired the traditional Maine clam "hods" which were used to gather and rinse shellfish and have also recently gained popularity as garden baskets for collecting and rinsing produce. 


COOKBOOK REVIEW | Extra Virgin by Gabriele Corcos and Debi Mazar

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One of the fun things about being an author and blogger is that I get sent lots of book to review - and I mean lots. On all different topics. I can't possibly read them all, nor do I want my blog to turn into book review central, so I am extremely choosy about which books I ultimately do decide to review. Extra Virgin: Recipes & Love from our Tuscan Kitchen    was a no-brainer. 


Good Bugs vs. Bad Bugs | The Struggle between Good and Evil in the Garden

Not all bugs are bad. Learn the difference between the good bugs and bad bugs and let the good guys wage war on the bad bugs in your garden. The combination of warm sunny days, cool nights and plenty of rain has conspired to help our melon and squash garden flourish. There are cheerful yellow blossoms everywhere and even the beginnings of some tiny fruit.


Basic Backyard Chicken Keeping Etiquette

Raising backyard chickens is a wonderful and joyous undertaking. From the adorable cuteness of baby chicks, to anxiously awaiting their first egg, you will quickly become enamored with everything chicken from the very start. But beware, not everyone will share your joy - and some basic etiquette must be followed if you expect to continue to be well-liked by family, friends and neighbors.