Category Archives: Sustainability

The Psychology of Homemade

Posted on September 28, 2014 by Laura Rittenhouse

I’m a huge fan of marmalade. I gobble the stuff and don’t always need toast to put it on. You might go so far as to call me a marmalade glutton. Which might not sound like a big deal except … Continue reading →

Posted in Garden, Recipe, Sustainability | Tagged , , , , , , | 19 Comments

Dad’s Banana Bread – sort of

Posted on September 1, 2013 by Laura Rittenhouse

My dad makes a yummy banana bread and I’ve followed his hastily jotted-down recipe faithfully for years. But since my garden and kitchen habits have changed, it was time to reboot the recipe. Hopefully without losing any of the yumminess. … Continue reading →

Posted in Recipe, Sustainability | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Pecan Milk

Posted on July 15, 2013 by Laura Rittenhouse

I’ve been making my own Almond Milk and Meal for over a year now. It is one of the simplest, most reliable and most money-saving food tricks I’ve discovered. But with my new pecan orchard giving me absolutely free pecans … Continue reading →

Posted in Garden, Recipe, Sustainability | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Strawberry Fields

Posted on June 11, 2013 by Laura Rittenhouse

Back in September of 2011, Frank and I bought some strawberry plants. They spread and filled their tiny bed but didn’t produce a lot of fruit, probably because they didn’t get enough sun.  So, almost exactly one year ago, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Garden, Sustainability | Tagged , | 8 Comments

Passata, tomato sauce and tomato juice

Posted on June 3, 2013 by Laura Rittenhouse

Tomatoes are growing like weeds in the heritage rose garden at the Richmond Farm. They’re all cherry tomatoes so probably came up from compost. Frank and I picked several batches and roasted them with a bit of olive oil and … Continue reading →

Posted in Garden, Nature, Recipe, Sustainability | Tagged , , , | 11 Comments

First Season Honey Harvests

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Laura Rittenhouse

Brag alert! This post is all about my fantastic honey harvests. I’m unashamedly blowing my own horn while modestly giving a nod to my hard-working bees who actually did all the work. To those of you who struggle with harsh … Continue reading →

Posted in bees, Nature, Sustainability | Tagged , , , | 28 Comments

Recycled Fencing

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Laura Rittenhouse

Last year we had our back fence replaced. It was totally decrepit but it had been made of hardwood palings (granted, over 1/2 century ago) and some of that wood was still “useable”. At least after a bit of work. … Continue reading →

Posted in Sustainability | Tagged , | 12 Comments

Lizard Sanctuary

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Laura Rittenhouse

Recently I went on a free workshop held by my local council. The intent was to raise awareness of the plight of lizards and other reptiles in suburbia. Like many native animals, they are suffering loss of habitat and falling … Continue reading →

Posted in Chickens, Nature, Sustainability | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

Types of Honey

Posted on May 2, 2013 by Laura Rittenhouse

Who knew there were so many ways to classify honey? Before I became a beekeeper, I sure didn’t! As I’ve studied more about my new hobby, I’ve discovered there are a lot of things that can be done during the production … Continue reading →

Posted in bees, Garden, Nature, Sustainability | Tagged , , | 28 Comments

Making Beeswax Candles

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Laura Rittenhouse

With the large harvest of wax from our beehives, I knew I was going to make beeswax candles. What I didn’t know was exactly how you go about making them. So I did what I always do when I’m unsure, … Continue reading →

Posted in bees, Recipe, Sustainability | Tagged , , , | 30 Comments