Chocolate from Scratch

And now for a more exotic story about taking advantage of local food resources, my sister has written in to share her experience in Costa Rica making homemade chocolate. She’s staying at Finca Luna Nueva this summer in northwest Costa Rica to do research for her masters in conservation biology, looking at the types of plants that grow in old ginger fields. There’s a relic of a cacao orchard on the property from 30 or 40 years before the current...

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Blueberry Lavender Ice Cream without a Machine

I don't know why the idea never occurred to me before, but agirl recently enlightened me to the realization that ice cream can be made by hand, without an ice cream machine. David Lebovitz agreed, with detailed instructions on how to check and vigorously mix the ice cream mixture every half hour or so. I figured that if I can make bread, which involves a similar process of light work periodically over a few hours, I could also make ice cream, especially...

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Camping, Again

I have figured out that I like camping because it is simple living at its truest. It's a reminder of the bare minimum that we need to dwell on the earth. We needn't shower or wear make up every day. Comfortable and strategic layering can be more important than nice clothing. We don't need constant access to electricity or gadgets. Barring extreme weather, we can live out of tents and cars. We can eat simple meals, and find entertainment in peaceful...

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