Author Archive: My Kitchen Wand

Have you ever added pumpkin puree to spaghetti sauce? Sacrilegious might be too soft a word for purists but I am going to suggest a leap of faith. Not only are there a list of benefits to getting more pumpkin in your diet, adding that container of puree sitting in the back corner of the […]

Merriam-Webster defines sachet as “a small bag containing a perfumed powder or potpourri used to scent clothes and linens.” This is a variation on that idea, made with scented wax and decorated with nature’s beauty. Glitter, embeds and other whimsical items are also decorating options. Be aware though that anything dyed (such as crafted leaves) […]

President plums are a large blue/purple plum, similar to an Italian prune plum in shape and taste, first produced in the early 1900’s in Hertfordshire, England. It is one of the last varieties of plums to ripen and brings fresh fruit long after most everything else is finished. They have only been commercially available in […]

With Hallowe’en around the corner, thoughts easily turn to things Harry Potter. One of the comments I often hear about butterbeer offerings, whether fudge or drinks or squares, is how overly sweet they can be. This recipe is not as sweet, has extra kick and is not for anyone under the age of majority. My […]

Along with the corn husks for the brooms posted a few days ago. I saved all the corn silk from the cobs and decided to preserve them as a tincture and glycerite, along with making tea. In traditional Chinese medicine, corn silk is listed in the “herbs that drain dampness” category so it will come […]

This past summer I dried corn husks, leftover from a dinner, out in sun. Fresh corn is still available here so I am hoping it is where you are too. It is possibly too late to dry outside in some places but corn husks will also do just fine drying in a garage or closet. […]

Crumb cakes have been around for generations. Most include some moisture to half the batter once the crumbling is complete. This recipe does not. The ingredients are just pressed into place. What I really like about this recipe is how simply it comes together with only a few ingredients, no milk, no eggs. As long […]

A couple of weeks ago, right in the middle of tomato harvesting time, my stepmother was given fresh small tomatoes and beans from a friends garden. The beans were purple and green and the seeds had been smuggled from the Ukraine decades ago, when families were forced to flee war. They had been faithfully grown […]

Having just finished up a batch of Greek yoghurt, I have whey on hand and raisin bread sounded like a REALLY good ideas for two friends who love raisins and think there are never enough of them in store bought raisin bread. No knead overnight bread is a simple way to produce lovely crusty artisan […]

While the website migration was happening this last week, there were periods of waiting and waiting and… did I mention waiting. This quick project was perfect for filling some of that time. Small step, wait, another small step. Use the finished bottles to create a kitchen shelf/windowsill vignette, combine with flowers and pumpkins for a […]