In My Backyard - Issue #10 - Garter Snake

Hi, and welcome to the tenth issue of In My Backyard. Each of these I post are inspired by actual events and findings and therefore are sometimes a bit difficult to come by. The winter months especially are difficult having little to no "animal life" cross my path, except for pets, of course. I'm never truly at a loss though, for even in the most lean months there are always some bit of nature to find.With the warmer weather I've had an abundance...

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Culinary Chronicles - Kale Chips

Have you ever had kale? Do you know what it is? No, it's not collard greens (blech!) but a delicious, sturdy, leafy plant in the broccoli, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts family.I was introduced to it through a salad my grandmother made. It was covered in olive oil and sunflower seeds; I loved it! But unfortunately, some of my family didn't care for how priggly it was so it wasn't used as much in our salads.Then, a few months ago, I was reading...

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What I'm Doing and My Plans

My cutie-pie, Lizzie Beth. She was helping me take photos of my latest project.Its sometimes difficult to find the right way to start a blog post. I've heard it said that the hardest thing for a writer is staring at that blank page. Though I can't say I always have that problem, its definitely something I can relate to. Sometimes its just a matter of getting your thoughts organized. I seem to have a time doing that lately.At first it was blogging...

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Culinary Chronicles - Mexican: Stir Fried Nopales

As I have said before, having an International Farmers Market open up nearby has been the making of us. We've discovered fresh produce in a whole new way and we are totally inspired. One item in particular, that I never thought I'd buy, is nopales, or cactus. Have you ever had nopales before? Does it sound a little too adventuresome? I'd encourage you to consider otherwise. It really is a delicious food when prepared right.Before buying the produce,...

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