Homestead RVA

This kefir cheese is a bit like a cream cheese feta hybrid. I like to add fresh or dried herbs, like Boursin without the preservatives. Really nice on toast with fruit compote, too. 🤩🌱

Maple Berry Cardamom Kefir! Tried some fruit roll ups with the discard from the berry syrup. I put little strips of it in tea. YUM!

You know what to do! 🤩💥❄️

Did a little combination simmer pot/onion skin dye bath on a repurposed stained shirt from the free group! Came out surprisingly well!

Making kefir cheese these days. 🤩🌱Also using it in delicious apple pie spice and strawberry shortcake smoothies. Hello, delicious probiotic friends!

Second of today’s soda: satsuma, cranberry, cardamom and juniper!

Today, I said goodbye to my trusty old shovel and pitchfork. There is true comfort in those handles.

The last of the summer garden.

I don’t know why it is that when I make something on the fly, it comes out so much better than recipes! These are sprouted bean cakes with super seed flour and Kala Jeera. So tasty!

I don’t like killing nature, even little insects, but they have been coming through the back door and swarming Snug’s food. I tried a water moat bowl underneath, but it got gross when the food would fall in there. I tried cinnamon oil and rosemary, lemon grass and so many things that worked for a minute, but we’re not effective long-term. One application of ginger oil along the doorway, and done. Zero ants!

I love that my only squash, pumpkin or melon that actually survived this year was a volunteer in the front of my yard, in the neighborhood where everyone wants perfect lawns. I keep things up just enough with my little quiet battery Weedwhacker so I don’t get too much of a side eye while still allowing the wonderful normal biological diversity to rage free, like sweet little ferns and violets.