Tag: canning

  • Berry jamboree

    Berry jamboree

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    by

    Chandler
    in ,

    Because we’re having a record-hot summer this year, everything is coming into season early. And it’s all ripening at once, which made us look at the shelf of canning jars in panic. But there was nothing for it but to dive in and start filling jars (and jars and jars).

  • The canning season

    The canning season

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    by

    Chandler
    in ,

    It’s the time of year where our kitchen is a lot hotter—and the days much longer—than anything summer might throw at us naturally. The Tailor and I have been up late with the dilly beans, out at dawn at the Blueberry Park, and across the mountains to get peaches right off the tree. And then…

  • With a cherry on top

    With a cherry on top

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    by

    Chandler
    in , ,

    Picture a Chuck-E-Cheese-ball-pit-sized vat of pie cherries: that’s what our kitchen feels like right now. The Tailor loves fresh sour pie cherries with a fiery passion, but they don’t grow well in western Washington (not enough sun). And they’re both hard to transport commercially (thin skins) and not super popular with folks under the age…

  • Holdouts and harbingers

    Holdouts and harbingers

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    by

    Chandler
    in ,

    Somehow I’ve managed to tear myself away from the massive pile of drawings a couple of times in the past two weeks—once for a quick trip to the wonderful Olympia Farmers Market to pick up a few things. (Look, fractal geometry!) Okay, maybe “few” is stretching the truth a bit, since one of those items…

  • Just peachy

    Just peachy

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    by

    Chandler
    in , ,

    Earlier this month, my best friend Elizabeth flew in for a visit. Each time she’s come to town I’ve taken her to see a different part of the state—and since we’re in the middle of fruit season, this time we headed for the Yakima Valley. At this time of year, the roadsides are piled high…

  • Squirreling away

    Squirreling away

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    by

    Chandler
    in ,

    If you had seen our back porch last weekend, you’d probably think we were starting our own farmers market. But this is a typical sight for many seasonal foodies like us; when you swear off strawberries in January, you need enough fresh autumn fruits and veggies to last you until the end of April (notwithstanding…

  • Bountiful harvest

    Bountiful harvest

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    by

    Chandler
    in , ,

    Autumn is, hands-down, my favorite time of year. So many of the things I love about fall have to do with food (mulled cider, pumpkin pie, spiced apples, butternut squash, fried green tomatoes, celeriac—the list goes on and on), and since the Tailor and I eat as seasonally and locally as we can, it’s a…

  • Red kitchen redux

    Red kitchen redux

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    by

    Chandler
    in ,

    The season is turning ’round these parts—it seems the whole world is tinged with hints of red and gold. We had another warm weekend, but I’m not fooled; behind the hot sun are chill mornings and the rush of the harvest. So it was another canning weekend for the Tailor, supplied by our latest farmer’s…

  • Red kitchen

    Red kitchen

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    by

    Chandler
    in

    Here at Chez Anagram we’ve got some serious sketching, sewing, stamping, sawing, stirring, scribbling, and, well, scrambling goin’ on. So this is just a quick gasp of air at the surface before I dive back in. I’ve got a few things to show and tell, but they need a little tweaking first. In the meantime,…

  • Kerplink, kerplank, kerplunk

    Kerplink, kerplank, kerplunk

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    by

    Chandler
    in , ,

    Maybe I’m still not over the shock of moving from Zone Two to Zone Eight, but the sheer variety of fresh produce ’round these parts never ceases to amaze me. Now, if I can barely contain my excitement over what I see at the farmer’s market every week, you can imagine the heart attack I…