Their arrival reminded me that it’s time to get started growing seeds. Accordingly, today’s small measure covers the fundamentals of indoor seed starting. Whereas some seeds are directly sown, meaning they do best by simply being planted outdoors, straight into the soil, others benefit from indoor sowing, leisurely taking their time to germinate, sprout, and transition (oh so gradually) to the wilds of the great outdoors. The backs of individual seed packets will detail which route, direct sow or sown indoors, would best suit your seed’s needs. When planning your approach, there are a few tips to keep in mind for seed sowing success (or, at least, we hope success is the outcome!). To begin, base your sowing times on the calender. We all live in far-flung locales, with wide variation in climates. A plant’s “growing season” is the period between your region’s last spring frost and its first fall frost (those designations apply to residents of the Northern Hemisphere; Southern Hemisphere folks need simply reverse that order, with growing seasons running from fall to spring). Base your planting times on your region’s growing season. If a seed packet indicates to sow indoors 6 weeks before the last spring frost, and you live in a region where that occurs sometime towards the end of April, then you’ll need to get busy sowing around the first or second week in March.

CLICK HERE for the rest of ashley’s post and step-by-step photos for growing seeds indoors!

(more…)

I wear heirloom eyeglasses. My rhinestone-bedazzled cat-eye specs belonged to my great-grandmother, Lena May. They’re from the ’60’s and, barring an unfortunate incident this autumn where they broke in half right before my eyes (thank heavens for antiquated eyeglass repair folks-they’re a dying breed, and I mean that quite literally), they’re in great shape. They garner many complements and I love relaying that they are a family keepsake. I’ve long loved the idea of heirlooms, of stewardship, and of preservation. I’ve worked hard to take care of the things lovingly passed down to me by family members.

My enthusiasm for generational hand-me-downs extends into my dietary choices, and to some of my most abiding passions. Are you aware that North America used to possess over 16,000 varieties of apples? Yep-16,000! Relayed in a lecture I attended last Friday by conservationist, lecturer, and food and farming advocate Gary Nabhan , that number has now dwindled to around 3,000. According to Nabhan, roughly 9 out of 10 apple varieties with long and storied histories of growth in North America are at risk of extinction. Gone. Forever.

Today’s small measure is on the preservation, growing, and consumption of heirloom varieties of foods. Why does that matter? Why should we be concerned about having more choices of apple at the market then red delicious or granny smith (with a few pink lady’s, galas, and fujis thrown in for good measure)? The reasons are four-fold, according to Nabhan and the organization R.A.F.T. (Renewing America’s Food Traditions) that he is a member of: ecological, culinary, cultural, and health.

CLICK HERE for the rest of Ashley’s “Heirloom Foods” post after the jump!

(more…)

When I was young, my grandmother, Ruby (more commonly known as “Nanny”), remarried, moved from her well-manicured home in the suburbs of Virginia Beach, VA to a bit of farmland in neighboring Chesapeake, and became the owner, along with her husband, of a small farm. The property came with an established blueberry orchard, which Nanny and Papa John turned into a modest U-Pick operation. There was a goat, Howard, who was completely insane. There were chickens, and dogs (Sadie and Pepper), a barn, and a big chestnut tree (I painfully remember falling into a gathered pile of its collected, prickle-clad nuts and getting them firmly lodged into the tights my 5 year-old self was wearing; many tears were shed that day). There was a tractor, and a pond (with the most amazing bullfrogs!), and lots of canning going on in the kitchen. Most importantly, there was a garden. It seemed enormous to me at the time, although it was probably in reality not nearly as vast as I recall it having been. In that garden, I unearthed, with my older brother, potatoes for the very first time. You’d have thought we’d found Blackbeard’s hidden treasure. We were so completely thrilled. I was hooked. If it come out of the ground and you could eat it, I wanted everything to do with it.

Gardening, of the fruit, vegetable, herbal, ornamental, and beyond persuasions, is now one of my favorite hobbies. I like doing it, reading about it, and being around other people who also want to read about it, do it, and talk about it. I love exploring farmer’s markets, friend’s backyard plots, and nurseries packed with growing things. I’m quite excited with the rise in gardening that has been occurring across the United States. From the garden on the White House lawn to Fritz Haeg’s Edible Estates movement (which works to replace front lawns and other unused green spaces with edible crops), people are returning to the soil.

Perhaps, though, you don’t have the time, or perhaps even the inclination, to grow your own food. Maybe you’re short on space or worried about killing off crops accidentally or finding things overcome by a blight or an infestation (it happens to all of us, eventually). You love the idea of eating locally grown produce, but you don’t know if you’re the one that should be growing it. For you, then, the solution can be found in today’s small measure-C.S.A. shares. C.S.A.’s are Community Supported Agriculture operations. In this situation, a consumer (you) pays a farmer a predetermined amount in advance of a growing season. As my farming friends Kevin Toomey and Christina Carter of neighboring Ten Mile Farm expertly describe it on their C.S.A. page , C.S.A. shares represent “A seasonal contract between the farmer and the members. You, as a member, purchase a share of the season’s harvest in advance. By purchasing a share in advance, you enable the farm to have the much needed collateral at the beginning of the season, when a majority of the spending happens all at once. We, as the farmers, commit to providing you with a weekly box of healthy, locally grown food throughout the growing season. This interdependence helps to ensure the longevity of small farms, while also reconnecting people to the land that helps to sustain them.”

CLICK HERE for the rest of Ashley’s post on CSA shares and how to participate in one near you!

(more…)

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the birds and the bees. I mean that in the most literal sense, not in any corporeally suggestive one. I’m wrapping up a book on beginning beekeeping and have been attending honeybee workshops and classes lately, looking online for beekeeping information, and chatting with other honeybee enthusiasts. To put it as Meg of Brooklyn Honey recently described it, I’ve been “beeking” out on honeybees.

All of this talking, researching, and pondering about bees has naturally lent itself to the discussion of pollination as a whole. Honeybees are the rock stars of the pollination world. Their bodies are remarkably adept at transferring pollen across and between flowers. However, if honeybees are the lead singer of the band, then all of the other pollinators constitute the band’s musicians, the back-up vocalists, the manager, the publicist, the road crew, the accounting agents, the record label associates, the fans-in short, everyone else that makes sure the lead singer gets the job done, and does the job well.

Pollinators of all sorts play a crucial role in the environment. According to the Xerces Society “The ecological service they provide is necessary for the reproduction of nearly 70 percent of the world’s flowering plants, including more than two-thirds of the world’s crop species.” In other words, if you eat it, chances are it was made possible by the efforts of the world’s pollinator population (including products derived from animals, who rely on a number of pollinated crops for their own food).

Unfortunately, the incalculably valuable services put forth by native pollinators, offering their prodigious efforts completely on a pro bono basis, are at risk. Due to a number of factors (among them heavy pesticide use, habitat loss, and foreign diseases introduced into the greater environment), pollinator populations are dwindling. Speaking on behalf of pollinators everywhere, I’d like to suggest they’re well overdue for some reciprocal love. And so, today’s small measure, which could have massive cumulative effect if implemented on a wide scale (the ultimate goal of small measures, anyways!), promotes the creation of native pollinator homes.

CLICK HERE for the rest of Ashley’s post and tips for housing local pollinators!

(more…)

February is the love month. Whether you participate in celebrating Valentine’s Day, with all of its attendant delights, temptations, suggestions, and paraphernalia, is completely irrelevant. The month is rife with love, especially here in the states. From celebrating African American history all month long, to being dubbed “American Heart Month” by the American Heart Association (not to mention “Library Lovers Month,” “Potato Lovers Month,” and, especially relevant, “Weddings Month”), February incites pulmonary and aortic valves to pump more intensely, to perhaps love a bit more fully.

Whether you’re partnered or loving life as a party of one, February serves as a gentle reminder that, not only is love all around us, but there are also plenty of people, places, and things to love, care for, and diligently attend to. If that love should manifest itself as awareness about your and your family’s health (remember, heart disease is the number one killer of women in the United States), remembering and respecting the sacrifices of others who bravely and intrepidly forged a path towards better lives for all, or participating in fundraisers for your local library is entirely up to the individual.

You can also choose to manifest that love in a decidely more carnal fashion. Again, whether your status is partnered or solo is inconsequential. Today’s small measure celebrates invoking physical pleasure, via an herbal elixir. Heightened senses and healthy bodies make everything, and everyone, more open to embracing all the loves available in life, I’ve always maintained. This elixir, concocted by my gifted friend Heather Houdek, a certified herbalist, is her take on a love potion. Brewed with four herbs easily sourced from most natural foods or medicinal and culinary herb stores, Heather’s love potion fires up the cardiovascular, circulatory, nervous, and adrenal systems. The herb damiana works as an anti-depressant, aphrodisiac, hormone regulator, reproductive system balancer, nervine tonic, and libido enhancer. Roses support heart emotional well-being and are historically used as a “love” flower. Milky oats strengthen, repair and relax the nervous system; they’re also a mood elevator, chi tonic, and are nutritive. Hawthorn berries are excellent for the heart, as well as the entire circulatory system. The elixir is ready in mere hours, and, according to Heather, is perfect as an after-dinner nip or tucked into hot coffee. Share a sip with your partner, your mom, your closest friend, or yourself. What’s not to love?

CLICK HERE for Ashley’s Love Potion #9 recipe after the jump!

(more…)

When I was 8 years old, I made my mother a heart-shaped cake for Valentine’s Day. This cake marked one of my first forays into the world of baking. That fact, coupled with my making it without any assistance, resulted in an end product not without its fair share of mishaps. In addition being riddled with weird air pockets throughout, the cake was oddly spongy and chewy. I think there might have even been some bits of baking powder that weren’t properly sifted in. Essentially, it was “gross”, to use the vernacular of my 8 year-old self. Nevertheless, my mother consumed it with gusto and praise, as she did with pretty much every project my brother and I attempted. Her adulation, though admittedly largely undeserved on that particular occasion, stayed with me, encouraging me to keep it up. My nasty heart-shaped cake would later transition into a lifelong hobby (improving considerably along the way, thankfully!). I’ve been baking ever since, even working as a professional baker at a natural foods store, making a friend’s wedding cake, and cooking up all sorts of delectable baked goods while serving as manager of a bed and breakfast.

For the loved ones in your life, I offer a considerably less daunting food gift than the cake-tastrophe I baked my mom so long ago. Today’s small measure proposes crafting up batches of infused sugars. From your parents, siblings, or significant other to a valued co-worker, trusted friend, or even a life-saving babysitter or hairdresser (or, in my case, a neighbor with a chainsaw who helps you chop up the trees that fall all over your long, dirt road during a snow storm!), infused sugars are perfect for saying “you make my life better, richer, sweeter.” They’re a snap to make, cost quite little (using ingredients you quite possibly already have on hand), and bear a shelf-life far greater than a bouquet of fresh flowers (which have their place, too!).

If you know your recipients palate, you can craft the sugar to their liking. Otherwise, if you’ve got a general idea of their characteristics, use that as a starting point and assemble their sugar accordingly. Traditional parents or grandmother? Think vanilla. Girly-girl girlfriend? Lavender or rose. Intrepid foodie? Star anise, clove, or fennel. The following list (after the jump) includes several ingredient suggestions for infused sugars that I’ve had great success with:

CLICK HERE for the rest of the post, Ashley’s ingredients and infused sugar recipe after the jump!

(more…)

I grew up largely in the southeastern United States. Accordingly, I’ve been known to harbor certain “southern” traits-the use of the word “y’all”; a profound and enduring love of the film Steel Magnolias, not to mention an ability to quote it when the situation merits (I have used Clairee’s line to Ouiser “You know I worship the quicksand you walk on” many, many times on a widely varied body of individuals); and a penchant for black tea. No meal was complete without a pitcher of mom’s super sweet iced tea growing up. It didn’t matter if we were sitting down to Tuesday night’s dinner or the Thanksgiving meal. If we were eating, we were also drinking sweet tea. We downed it with thirsty devotion, as though it was the only beverage available; on many occasions, it was.

I don’t remember when the shift to hot black tea occurred (an ex-boyfriend and his British mom might have had something to do with it), but I do recall moving away from cloyingly sweet tea when I started becoming interested in health and nutrition (and became aware of the fact that heart disease and Type 2 diabetes run in my family). While I left the heavy sugar behind, I retained an appreciation for Orange Pekoe, embracing all of its kin along the way. Most mornings now find me with a mug of hot tea in hand. As January is “National Tea Month”, today’s “Small Measures” acknowledges the importance of tea, tea time, and all of its attendant pleasures.

Tea has multitudinous benefits. We’ll begin with the obvious, health. Research from Brigham and Women’s Hospital , along with Harvard University, indicates that the amino acid L-theanine found naturally in tea bolsters the body’s immune system. Drinking five 20 ounce cups of black tea daily for 2-4 weeks showed an increase in both immune system defenses and resistance to disease, the research revealed. Specifically, consumption of tea showed a significant increase in the presence of gamma delta T cells, the body’s first line of defense against disease and infection. As if that weren’t enough to fire up the kettle, this link provides more clinical research on the multifaceted benefits of tea. I’ll drink to that!

CLICK HERE for the rest of Ashley’s “Time for Tea” post after the jump! *Click here for the D*S Teapot roundup to go with your tea*

(more…)

And for good reason. Winter is peak time for a number of citrus fruits. From clementines to honeybells (I hate to pick favorites, but, if backed into a corner and forced to choose camps, I’d choose honeybells), grocery stores and produce stands are currently offering a veritable orchard of citrus delights. I’m just as large an advocate of eating seasonally as I am eating locally, and the season for citrus is right now. The nutritional profile and flavor of offerings from Temple oranges to Honey tangerines are top tier. And so, today’s small measure is all about enjoying, and whenever possible, extending (via home canning) the deliciousness of winter citrus.

My husband and I both have family in Florida. Mine recently festooned us in person with a smattering of everything from meyer lemons to grapefruits and kumquats, while his just shipped us our annual allotment from a neighboring orchard. Suffice to say, we’re awash in a world of citrus. To use up our glorious orbs, I made this Roasted Orange Tart. I’ve squeezed fresh juice for breakfast. I’m considering a citrus trifle from this lady . I also padded around in my p.j.’s earlier this week and created a Triple Citrus & Star Anise Marmalade.

As a participant in the ongoing year-long “Can Jam” challenge hosted by blogger Tigress in a Jam (as well as Tigress In a Pickle ), I knew I needed to concoct something citrusy anyways. Each month, Tigress (or her participants) choose one seasonally available ingredient to render into a canned item. This month’s selection was the general category of “citrus.” Lucky me. I’ve got everything I need on hand, and then some. The sweet and sour blend is perfect for hot buttered toast, the anise giving it just the perfect hint of licorice-y sweetness and intrigue. You could also plop a dollop into thumbprint cookies or even spoon some over roasted chicken.

In the meantime, I’ve still got that mountain of citrus to contend with. Any suggestions you might have would be immensely appreciated!

CLICK HERE for Ashley’s Triple Citrus & Star Anise Marmalade recipe after the jump!

(more…)

Never one to rush through anything, he helped me learn the beauty in being aware of each experience (instead of my customary pining for the past or longing for the future), of reducing my pace enough to really see what’s occurring around me, to enjoy just simply “being”. Part and parcel of his approach includes relishing idleness-not over-planning life, simply taking the time to notice the trees, along with the forest. I couldn’t have hoped for a more perfect foil.

And so, today’s small measure celebrates the decidedly low-fi activity of nothingness, of loafing, of absently whiling away the minutes and hours. The pursuit of inactivity is seriously maligned in today’s do-more, be-more, see-more, go-more culture. “Idle hands are the devil’s tools”, courtesy of one Geoffrey Chaucer (Tale of Melibee), is a mindset so deeply ingrained in modern society that many of us feel guilty for having a long, ambling lunch, or taking an impromptu nap, or simply seeing where the day takes us.

“The Art of Doing Nothing: Simple Ways to Make Time for Yourself” by Veronique Vienne is full of insights, suggestions, and tidbits for embracing intentional loafing. From meditating to taking a long bath to staring pointlessly at the sea, Vienne engages her readers to find merit in simply “being” instead of always “doing.” In Tom Lutz’s
“Doing Nothing: A History of Loafers, Loungers, Slackers, and Bums in America” , we learn about inspirational do-nothings, from Thoreau to Oscar Wilde to Kerouac.

As for myself, I’ve learned that my finest bursts of creativity occur when loafing about. The long, lingering cup of tea whilst watching the sun rise over the ridge behind my house, the extended rocking chair session on the front porch, the purposeless gazing at the creek across the road from my mother’s house-when my focus isn’t anywhere but on that which is right before me, my mind seizes the opportunity to move freely around and about its nooks and crannies, folds and membranes, surprising me with unplanned, unprovoked, unintentional delights.

CLICK HERE for the rest of “Constitutional Rights (Or, The Art of Loafing)”, more on the walking “constitutional” and the Cloud Appreciation Society’s manifesto after the jump!

(more…)

And so, it was with no small amount of surprise that I found myself completely unprepared for what has been dubbed, (with questionable affection, I might add) the recent “snowpocalypse” that swept through the eastern U.S. the week before Christmas. Usually on top of my game when it comes to all things preparatory (see above), the snow and it’s ensuing accumulation and subsequent power outage caught me totally off guard. What was supposed to have been 3-10-inches of the wet, white stuff grew exponentially into 17. We lost power for 4 1/2 days and were trapped on our property for 6, barricaded in by trees and a Subaru engulfed in snow on the knob on which our house sits.

During those cold, cold nights (when I became a supreme devotee of our wood stove, not to mention received my master’s degree in the art of snow melting), I appraised what we could have done in advance to make the whole scenario a bit more bearable. Short of retrofitting the house with solar panels, radiant heat flooring, and wind turbines (someday, hopefully…), a few small measures of winter weather preparedness would have been worth their weight in gold (or, perhaps more aptly, BTU’s and joules).

Gathered from sources such as FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) and
the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) , the following steps towards winter weather preparation can help you achieve a modicum of comfort (not to mention peace of mind) should you lose power during a cold season storm. What does all of this have to do with design, you might be wondering? Well, for me, design doesn’t just encompass decorating our homes more expertly or crafting our gifts more cleverly. It engulfs our entire lives, the totality of their direction, from our homes, to our gifts, our actions, our choices, and beyond. Good design is about creating lives of purpose and mindfulness and beauty, made manifest in products as diverse as a gorgeously re-upholstered armchair, a thoughtfully cooked meal, a lovingly made ceramic mug, or a sturdy, durable hand crank emergency radio.

CLICK HERE for the rest of “Winter Preparedness-Beating Jack Frost” after the jump!

(more…)