Growing Wheatgrass

The story of my Wheatgrass plant begins in a barn in Aurora, Oregon. Actually, it begins much, much earlier than that.

While working at Pacific Natural Foods’ Organic Farm last year, my husband found a rare strain of wheat seeds in an old, forgotten barn. This strain of wheat was so old, it wasn’t in any of the plant identification books and as it turns out, was one of the oldest strains to exist in America. We decided to bring this awesome strain of seeds home to wheat-growing Pullman, Washington and try our hand and growing our own Wheatgrass for the health benefits. Continue reading

Planting Aloe Vera Pups

My Aloe Vera plant recently grew some amazing new pups! After moving twice and subjecting the plants to a lot of stress, I was surprised when they started showing signs of new growth and happiness. One of the Aloe Vera pups was dangerously close to falling from the plant, so I decided to replant it and give it a new home using an upcycled tin tuna can.

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What You’ll Need:

An Aloe Vera plant sprouting pups

A shallow planter or dish. I used an upcycled tuna can because it was shallow. Continue reading

Mushroom, Chevre and Wild Rice Risotto

Risotto is quick, easy and elegant! Easy to prepare and not hard to cook, it’s a good weeknight meal choice. Fresh mushrooms and almonds added a rustic flavor and melted chevre goat cheese added a zing!

Photo Courtesy of:  Jessica Spengler

Photo Courtesy of: Jessica Spengler

I used a mixture of white and wild rice to give the risotto more texture. All white rice tends to be too squishy and using all wild rice makes the risotto crunchy. Mixing them creates the perfect meal. Continue reading

Best of The US: Peach Picking in Aurora, Oregon

I had never picked my own peaches before until I spent a year living in Oregon. Picking peaches always seemed like a fantasy date activity: walking through the orchard on a hot summer day holding hands and choosing the perfect fruit.

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In reality, peach picking was more fun and dream-like that I had ever fantasized about. The air smelled thick and sweet and the branches hung heavily with peaches, waiting for us to pick them and take a juicy bite of their delicious fruit. Continue reading