see elizabeth floyd’s new still life series, visit airdrome’s outdoor dining room, learn how to make a trompe l’oeil butterfly under glass, see post scripted nesting surprise, and get the recipe for white bean and garlic dip!

are you making something? inventing recipes? taking photos? getting crafty?  redecorating? share with us how you roost in ghtr’s flickr group!

wrap up: {flickr group} {photos} {projects} {readers} {recipes} {roosting}

boy do i have a treat for you today! my very naughty mother has introduced to me my latest obsession- the ginger people! they make an abundance of all natural ginger products, everything from baked goods to beverages.  she’s made these ginger cookies for us twice now, and they don’t last very long- they are truly the best ginger cookies i have ever had! always moist and perfectly balanced, yum.

Ingredients

¹/₂ cup granulated sugar
¹/₄ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1¹/₂ sticks unsalted butter, softened
¹/₂ cup molasses
2¹/₄ cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1¹/₄ teaspoons ground ginger
¹/₂ teaspoon ground cardamom
¹/₂ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¹/₄ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons Ginger People
Crystallized Ginger Chips
1 large egg at room temperature

wrap up: {cookies} {ginger} {molasses} {recipes} {the ginger people}

hi lovelies! did you have a good weekend?  i spent most of mine prepping and canning green beans with my grandma!  oh if only i could download all of her knowledge into my wee brain… i think she knows everything there is to know about everything- it’s so fun to spend time with her!

today i want to introduce to you a very special guest poster, amanda joy! she sent me the most delectable looking garden salsa recipe and i was so eager to share it with you.  with seasonal veggies this catch-all salsa recipe is the perfect addition to our summer recipe collection. make sure to stop by amanda’s blog joy ever after for inspiration, handmade goodies and diy projects!

Hello! My name is Amanda and I’m super excited to share my recipe with you. Bonnie has been so informative and such an inspiration to eating more local and seasonal foods. My personal strategy involves small, subtle baby steps towards a more sustainable lifestyle, as the lifestyle does not come naturally for me. This recipe is one of my favorites and is perfect for summer produce.

With gardening you suddenly have twenty tomatoes, right? Or in my case, my lovely neighbor has plenty of peppers, onions, and tomatoes so she gladly gives me a bag full. (Lucky, I know!) The great thing about this salsa is I like to think of it as a “catch all” recipe. Basically you can add more or less of any ingredient and it still comes out great. And every time I make it, I think of another meal that it can be used for. Below is the basic recipe, but remember, you can be creative!

ingredients:

4 large tomatoes, chopped
2 medium peppers, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp vinegar
2 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp chili powder
dash of hot sauce

I hope you make an opportunity to taste this versatile deliciousness! And I would love to hear what ingredients you added or meals you used it in. My most recent was an amazing taco pizza. Thanks to GHTR for letting me share with you!

wrap up: {avocado} {eat local} {pepper} {recipes} {salsa} {seasonal} {summer} {tomato}

hello lovelies!  today i have two of my favorite veggie recipes to share with you! between the abundance of veggies at the local market and my small veggie garden, it’s been pretty easy to eat local around here.  how has it been for you?

the first recipe is for roasted veggies with fresh garden herbs.  this is such a hearty dish that it could be used as a main course! served with pepper fried eggs over top would  make this a meal of it’s own.

ingredients:

• - 2 medium potatoes
• - 1 beet
• - 1 medium zucchini
• - fresh herbs (i used sage, dill, rosemary and basil)
• - 2 tbs olive oil
• - salt and pepper

directions:

cube your veggies and toss with the olive oil, salt and pepper.  place on a lightly greased baking pan in a single layer and add your herbs on top.  roast at 450 for 45 minutes or until lightly browned.

i bought these heirloom purple green beans at our local market, aren’t they pretty?  this recipe is for my favorite way to prepare green beans- the flavors go so well together and they look beautiful as a side dish (any green bean will work, these turn green as you cook them)!

ingredients:

• - fresh, local green beans
• - 1/2 cup of almonds (whole or sliced)
• - 1 tbs of olive oil
• - 1 tsp of lemon juice
• - salt and pepper

directions:

thoroughly wash, cut and remove the ends (or string) your green beans.  boil in a pot of salted water until bright green, about 15 minutes.  meanwhile, head the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  add the almonds and stir until lightly browned (about 4 minutes).  add the green beans, lemon juice, salt and pepper.  toss until coated and serve!

want to learn more about eating locally?  check out the eating local page for seasonal veggies, recipes and tips on eating in season!

wrap up: {almods} {eat} {green beans} {local} {potatos} {recipes} {roasted} {seasonal} {veggies}

one of my dear friends, katy, shared this recipe for blackberry cobbler with me this week, and i couldn’t wait to make it!  i knew the blackberries in my yard were on the verge of perfection and sure enough, i had exactly 2.5 cups of yummy homegrown berries when i was done picking them.

ingredients:

• - 2.5 cups of blackberries
• - 1/3 cup of milk
• - 1 cup of sugar
• - 1 cup of water
• - 1.5 cups of self-rising flour
• - 2 sticks of butter (1/2 cup)
• - a dash of cinnamon
• - 2 tbs of extra sugar

directions:

preheat your oven to 350.  place half of one butter stick into a 9×11 baking pan and place in the oven until the butter melts.  meanwhile, place the water and 1 cup sugar into a saucepan and heat over med-high heat until all the sugar dissolves, then set aside (you’ll use this later!).  cut the remaining butter into your flour until it becomes crumbly.  add the milk while stirring until a dough forms into a ball.  take your dough and after kneading it a few times, roll it out into a rectangle about 1/4″ thick.  spread your yummy berries over the top and sprinkle it with cinnamon.  from one end, roll the dough up like you would a jelly roll, pinching the ends closed so as not to loose any berries!  once you have your roll, cut slices 1″ thick and place them in your baking pan (on top of the melted butter).  pour the sugar water all around your rolls (it will get absorbed) and place in the oven.  bake for 30-45 minutes, sprinkle the tops with the extra sugar and bake for another 15 minutes.  serve with ice cream and enjoy!

i’m telling you, this one is really delicious- i planning on making it again tonight!

{photos: bonnie forkner}

wrap up: {blackberries} {blackberry cobbler} {eating local} {recipes} {seasonal} {summer}

with some local corn, i made these scrumptious little corn medallions last night, and they turned out so well!  easy to eat, too- they were deliciously crunchy around the edges and just fell off the cob as you ate them.  plus, i think they made for a prettier side than a whole big ear of corn on your plate!

ingredients:

2 ears of corn, shucked and sliced into 1.5″ medallions

2 tbls of butter, melted

1 tbls of fresh herbs; chopped (i used sage, rosemary, dill and oregano)

coarse salt and ground pepper to taste

preheat oven to 450°.  place the corn medallions into a greased baking pan.  mix your chopped herbs into the melted butter and pour over the medallions, tossing to cover them with the mixture.  bake until browned around the edges, about 20 minutes. enjoy!

wrap up: {butter} {corn} {herbs} {medallions} {recipes} {seasonal} {summer}

i love coffee. in fact, i’m sipping on my second cup right now.  and, i have to admit, i’m a sugar and cream kinda a gal.  the hub won’t touch my coffee as he thinks it’s nothing but a blob of sugary goo.  i’ve tried to drink it black, but i just can’t. you know i’ve been reading those beekeeping books?  there’s a point to this, i promise.

{coffee pot with wallpaper}

for now, i think the only think i got out of those (extremely) interesting books, is how good honey is for you!  i knew honey was healthy and that local honey would help your allergies but i had no idea that it had so many ‘healing’ properties.  there are all these studies showing how traditional beekeepers never get diseases like arthritis and the like, and they think it’s because of the honey and the bee’s stings.  i’m not saying go out and get stung (lol) but i am saying you should try to eat more honey!

for 1000′s of years honey has been used to help everything from skin conditions to digestion issues to diabetes and high cholesterol.  so, i thought i should get on this!

here’s what i learned:

- their are hundreds of health benefits to eating honey (here’s a start: honey)

- honey naturally contains so many vitamins and minerals!  niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid (b vitamins), calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, potassium and zinc.  whoa!

- you should always buy local honey, especially to help relieve your allergies.

- buying organic honey is important!  many beekeepers put antibiotics in the bee’s water supply, which end up in the honey.  go organic!

- the darker the honey the more antioxidants it has.

so, what’s my point?  well, i’ve started using honey in my coffee instead of sugar.  and, it’s *delicious!!

how do you drink your coffee?

p.s. since i’ve recently been converted to the amazing wonderfulness of honey, you might find me ranting about it even more with some beauty and food recipes. stay tuned!

wrap up: {books} {coffee} {honey} {organic gardening} {read} {recipes}

we meet another friday! we’re off to greenville again this weekend- and i’ll be busy catching up on some sunshine and good reading.  i just got my ‘spring reading’ books this week and i’m so eager to get started on them!

my reading list: less is more, keeping bees, simply in season, beekeeping, the backyard homestead, fresh from the farmers market

keeping bees & beekeeping

why beekeeping? that’s a good question.  i read a snippet about it lately and next i knew i was in the beekeeping section in barnes and noble.  after that? the checkout line.

simply in season & fresh from the farmers market

i’m always looking for new in-season recipes, i’m excited to start folding some doggie ears!

the backyard homestead & less is more

i’ve heard really good things about the backyard homestead, so i planning to start with that one.  plus, i’m itching for spring and yard work so this will really get me motivated! have you heard of less is more? it’s a compilation of articles written by sustainable, positive-thinking writers.  it’s supposed to be a real pick-me-up!

have you read any of these?  what are your spring must-reads?

wrap up: {beekeeping} {books} {homestead} {in season} {less is more} {reading} {recipes} {spring}