I thought it was a crazy wish that my dying rural community would someday be revived. But even crazy wishes can come true. I first wrote this essay back in 2001, and I re-run it today to show the power of a simple wish. At that time, West Fulton, my hometown, was a dying […]
Bolognese Short Ribs
Bolognese Short Ribs This is a frequent go-to recipe in my house for it’s satisfying flavor, and for it’s meal-stretching economy. Grassfed short ribs are an inexpensive cut that are high in fat (the source of those amazing Conjugated linoleic acids and Omega 3 fatty acids), which makes them a calorie-dense food that can keep […]
I Thought My Children Were Eating Me Alive
…until I realized I was consumed by guilt. Ula is hiding beneath the covers. She is embarrassed. We’ve just come home from yet another eye appointment that stretched out for several hours. It ended abruptly when she accidentally broke an eyeglass display on the doctor’s desk. She didn’t mean to. She was examining […]
Lamb Riblets in a Garlic Mustard Herb Paste
While standing at my farmers’ market stall, I am often surprised by how many customers completely overlook the lamb riblets. While riblets do, admittedly, make for some messy eating (a fact I find quite delightful), they happen to be one of the most flavorful cuts on the animal. In my fat-loving estimation, they are the […]
Homespun Mom Comes Unraveled: Reading & Signing Tomorrow @ Noon, Washington Park, Albany
Friends; I will be doing a reading from my newest book, a collection of essays titled Homespun Mom Comes Unraveled, tomorrow at noon in the teaching tent at the Local Harvest Festival in Washington Park in Albany, NY. Officially, the book will not be released for sale until November 15. However, we will have a limited number […]
Regrets: When your past stays with you
One girl’s bad choice could follow her for life. Maybe it should. By Shannon Hayes I was meeting with the school psychologist over Ula’s vision therapy program last week when a wail came from down the hallway. It grew progressively louder and more despondent as it came closer. Occasionally the words “I WANT MY MOMMY!” could […]
Teriyaki Short Ribs
The fall grassfed beef harvest has begun. Time to braise some short ribs… We’ll be cutting beef this week, and with the temperatures turning cooler, my mind is going to the rich, creamy fat of short ribs. They are an inexpensive cut, but so full of flavor and good fat cover, even the smallest […]
The Feathered Cat: Lessons in the Power of Believing
This chicken thinks she’s a cat. Find out what other impossible things can happen on this unconventional farm. On Thursday, Mom and Dad sit down on the back porch to listen to the chorus of afternoon crickets. Mom’s cat, Tayla, hops into her lap. Dad’s cat, Strawberry, hops into his. Tayla has long calico […]
Anything But Science
“Anything but science.” I’m not sure when that became my mantra. Maybe it was in ninth grade, in Earth Science, when the belligerent varsity soccer coach/teacher loomed over me as I stared through the stereoscopic lenses at the aerial topographic photograph. Lacking depth perception, I couldn’t see a single three dimensional image. He breathed heavily […]
Oven Crispy Lard Potatoes
Huzzah! Fall is in the air, and the pigs are starting to come in for harvest. With all those new potatoes coming out of the ground, and all that pork fat in the rendering pot, a great combination was bound to result. For the past two weeks, our family hasn’t been able to get enough […]
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