PHOTO GALLERY
There’s always some strange, interesting, beautiful or fun going on here at the Acre, so I carry a camera. Just in case.
The Hanging Gourd Garden Drawing to a Close
The gourds have been bumming around all summer, but winter is coming and it's time to go. Here's a last look video of the gourds in the hanging garden
HOME & GARDEN
Garden Season Prep: Sorting Saved Seeds
Need a winter garden project? Get that seed collection under control! Here's how to tell which seeds have passed their prime and which you can save to plant.
Checking in at the Bee Hotel
The bee hotel has plenty of mason bee and carpenter bee nests this winter. Hopefully it'll be a great spring for our native pollinators!
Vegetable Garden 2023 Wrap-up
It's the end of the year, so before we get down to planning next year's vegetable garden, it's a good time to review the good and bad of the past year's garden.
Fall Keyhole Garden Flip
If you're in USDA zone 8 or above, it's easy to switch your keyhole garden from summer to winter veggies and keep growing. It just takes a few simple steps.
How to Overwinter Tomatoes for a Spring Jump Start
Get an early start on next year's tomatoes by taking cuttings from this year's tomatoes in the fall. It's super easy and saves money! Here's how to do it:
There’s Sumthin’ About These Pumpkins
I grew Rouge Vif D’Etampes (aka: "Cinderella") French heirloom pumpkins the first time both for Halloween and for fall squash dishes (pie!). Here are my notes.
HOME & GARDEN
FOOD & RECIPES
Tapas Time!
Got a few extra veggies but don't know what to do? Make pinchos de encurtidos (a type of tapas). Easy & delicious, they're great with cheese and charcuterie.
Go Ahead, Pickle It!
Long before refrigeration pickling was the way to preserve food and keep it flavorful. Super simple, you can create any great pickled food yourself. Here's how
Summer Pickle Time
Since we're trying not to let anything go to waste, I'm packing all these extra cucumbers to make summer pickles. It's an old recipe that's easy and very tasty!
FOOD & RECIPES
How to make deli-style Italian sandwich rolls
Here's the recipe for chewy, crunchy, flavorful sub sandwich rolls so good your family and friends will have a hard time believing you made them.
Making Summer Pickles
If you love authentic dill pickles, there's nothing better or simpler to make than old fashioned deli-style summer pickles. This recipe dates back to 1900 and uses just a few spices and natural fermentation to make some of the best homemade pickles you'll ever taste. No refrigeration or fancy gadgets required.
Blackberry Jam Class of 2020
This year's "jam session" yielded about 3 gallons of blackberry and raspberry jam. We picked a little more than 20 lbs of fruit and used this foolproof recipe
Scallop Squash Stuffed with Pesto Chicken
We're up to our eyeballs in squash so I'm always looking for new ways to use it in meals. Here's an easy recipe for pesto chicken stuffed in baked squash that everyone seems to love.
AROUND THE ACRE
Live Video Stream
Visit the ChickenCam » (Tip: There are actually more ducks than chickens)
Make a live backyard or wildlife camera just like Chickencam for less than $50. It’s easy!
Weathercam
Live camera shot facing west toward the Pacific Ocean, about 7 miles away.
PHOTO GALLERY
There’s always some strange, interesting, beautiful or fun going on here at the Acre, so I carry a camera. Just in case.
The Hanging Gourd Garden Drawing to a Close
The gourds have been bumming around all summer, but winter is coming and it's time to go. Here's a last look video of the gourds in the hanging garden
HOME & GARDEN
Garden Season Prep: Sorting Saved Seeds
Need a winter garden project? Get that seed collection under control! Here's how to tell which seeds have passed their prime and which you can save to plant.
Checking in at the Bee Hotel
The bee hotel has plenty of mason bee and carpenter bee nests this winter. Hopefully it'll be a great spring for our native pollinators!
Vegetable Garden 2023 Wrap-up
It's the end of the year, so before we get down to planning next year's vegetable garden, it's a good time to review the good and bad of the past year's garden.
Fall Keyhole Garden Flip
If you're in USDA zone 8 or above, it's easy to switch your keyhole garden from summer to winter veggies and keep growing. It just takes a few simple steps.
How to Overwinter Tomatoes for a Spring Jump Start
Get an early start on next year's tomatoes by taking cuttings from this year's tomatoes in the fall. It's super easy and saves money! Here's how to do it:
There’s Sumthin’ About These Pumpkins
I grew Rouge Vif D’Etampes (aka: "Cinderella") French heirloom pumpkins the first time both for Halloween and for fall squash dishes (pie!). Here are my notes.
HOME & GARDEN
FOOD & RECIPES
Tapas Time!
Got a few extra veggies but don't know what to do? Make pinchos de encurtidos (a type of tapas). Easy & delicious, they're great with cheese and charcuterie.
Go Ahead, Pickle It!
Long before refrigeration pickling was the way to preserve food and keep it flavorful. Super simple, you can create any great pickled food yourself. Here's how
Summer Pickle Time
Since we're trying not to let anything go to waste, I'm packing all these extra cucumbers to make summer pickles. It's an old recipe that's easy and very tasty!
FOOD & RECIPES
How to make deli-style Italian sandwich rolls
Here's the recipe for chewy, crunchy, flavorful sub sandwich rolls so good your family and friends will have a hard time believing you made them.
Making Summer Pickles
If you love authentic dill pickles, there's nothing better or simpler to make than old fashioned deli-style summer pickles. This recipe dates back to 1900 and uses just a few spices and natural fermentation to make some of the best homemade pickles you'll ever taste. No refrigeration or fancy gadgets required.
Blackberry Jam Class of 2020
This year's "jam session" yielded about 3 gallons of blackberry and raspberry jam. We picked a little more than 20 lbs of fruit and used this foolproof recipe
Scallop Squash Stuffed with Pesto Chicken
We're up to our eyeballs in squash so I'm always looking for new ways to use it in meals. Here's an easy recipe for pesto chicken stuffed in baked squash that everyone seems to love.
AROUND THE ACRE
Live Video Stream
Visit the ChickenCam » (Tip: There are actually more ducks than chickens)
Make a live backyard or wildlife camera just like Chickencam for less than $50. It’s easy!
Weathercam
Live camera shot facing west toward the Pacific Ocean, about 7 miles away.