Basic Macaron Shell (Italian Method)

For years, I dreaded trying to make French Macarons at home. The instructions were complicated. The ingredients EXPENSIVE. There were so many “if you do THIS, they will be horrible” caveats in the posts that I over-hyped the difficulty and under-anticipated that even poorly executed macs are DELICIOUS. And the worst thing? I stopped myself…

Simple Vanilla Buttercream

This is a fabulous quick reference recipe for the start of any great filling or frosting. I love a simple vanilla buttercream: there are literally 4 ingredients and based on your level of sweetness, you can adjust this with a few minor additions to loosen, spread out the sweetness or basically flavor this to your…

Macaron Challenge: Salted Watermelon Poppy Seed

Ahhhh summer. You elusive, oft cursed in the heat of July but yearned for in the depths of January fickle timeframe. I will say up front: I am not a huge summer fan. Never have been beyond the age of 12 (my mother worked at a campground close to my house every summer while I…

Flock Prep: Chick Planning

Raising chickens for multiple purposes requires a few things: patience, planning and persistence. We have had chickens for egg production since moving to our small hobby farm in 2016 and while it is never easy, it is a great way to have animals on your land that help produce food for you and your family….

Chasing Dreams: What It Means To Really Do It

So real talk moment here: I know how lucky I am to be able to do what I am doing right now. In fact, a good amount of my daily motivations comes from the fact that I need to make sure that the privilege that I have right now does not go to waste… whether…