{recipe} Chilled Mango Salsa

Summer days ahead call for refreshing food with no heat necessary to prepare them. I picked up 3 perfectly ripe mangos this weekend. 1 mango for snacking and two to use in whipping up this delicious recipe. RECIPE: CHILLED MANGO SALSA INGREDIENTS 2 large mangos, diced ½ cup blueberries 1 cucumber, diced ¼ cup onion,…

{how to} Dehydrator Swiss Chard Chips

My cold weather crops are currently in full swing and I have buckets and buckets of lettuce,  kale, swiss chard, rhubarb chard and rainbow chard. I needed something to do with all of the chard, other than freezing and plain dehydrating. Last year my kale chips were a big hit with the family so I…

{recipe} Grilled “French Fried” Potatoes

{This is what summer 2012 will be all about} Summer living, food allergies or not, is delicious and yet requires some thought if you want to eat fresh and healthy food without heating up your kitchen. French fries are in regular rotation in the Fischer family but I can’t bear the thought of turning on…

{paleo recipe} My Everything Baking Mix

I’ve been mulling over creating a great gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free baking mix in my brain for almost a year now. Finally a moment of inspiration came to me and I made a bee line for my kitchen to put together this gem of a recipe. I say gem because it is the most versatile mix…

{weekend project} Dehydrator Yogurt

$1.00 per small container of greek yogurt seems like a good deal until you learn how easy and cheap it is make your own. Last year my husband and I purchased a 9-tray dehydrator. It’s a thing of beauty in our eyes. My husband noticed the yogurt setting on the dehydrator and that was the…

{local author} Elizabeth Barbone’s Easy GF Pizza Crust

In 2009 I was a complete newbie to gluten-free baking. My husband had been following a gluten-free diet for over a year when, out of desperation, we started a gluten-free diet for my toddler. I was completely lost when it came to gluten-free baking so a friend invited me out to a gluten-free baking demo…

{recipe & tips} Incorporating Chia Seeds Into Your Diet

Incorporating Chia Seeds Into Your Diet This year the Salvia hispanica, or chia seed, is popping up everywhere. This superfood is worth all of the hype, even if it somehow possesses some people to randomly break out into song about pets. The chia seed has many nutritional benefits. According to Dr. Andrew Weil, Chia is very…

{gardening} Making the Most of One Acre

How Does Your Garden Grow? Sizing up our land and making the most of 1 acre. My husband is a cultivator; it’s in his veins. By the time most people begin their Spring cleaning he is out tilling the ground and planning the upcoming year’s garden. When were looking to build a home all he…

{the new year} A New Garden

{Our main garden in quiet rest} After the big fall harvest my garden, my husband, and I am ready for a break. We begin to put most all things outdoors to rest, batten down the hatches, and embrace winter. Our minds take a respite during the month of November and December from gardening but once…

{edible gifts} DIY Coffee Creamer

Every few months or so the topic of flavored creamer comes around in my circle of friends. Many of them are curious as to how to make their own for various reasons, usually it is because they are concerned about the chemicals in store bought flavored creamers,  they are allergic to milk, or because of…

{from scratch holidays} Roasted Root Vegetables

After a great harvest I’m always looking for a way to use up my root vegetables. It’s so easy to incorporate these little gems into your Thanksgiving festivities this week. Root vegetables are so flavorful and also oh so good for you. Back in September, I snuck out to my dad’s house for a whole…

{reflections of a daughter} DIY Coffee Roasting

There is really nothing like the smell of freshly roasted coffee. Unless of course you were like me when I was introduced to coffee roasting, seven and a half months pregnant. It was Christmas of 2004, I was in my third trimester of pregnancy, and my mother decided that for my dad’s Christmas gift that…

{Hello} I’m Heather

EDITOR’S NOTE: Well, we’ve done it again…we’ve sucked another dynamic woman into the From Scratch Club vortex. Ha! We all met Heather at the very first {public} Saratoga Food Swap back in June and since then we’ve all been smitten. Heather is a quiet force, one that walks & talks with intention. (I wish to…