Lisa on November 26th, 2010

I was lucky — as a kid, I had the pleasure of visiting a local ice cream shop that made (and still makes, as far as I know) its own ice cream.  It was creamier and tastier than anything you could buy in a store.  Although all of their flavors were fantastic, my far-and-away favorite [...]

Continue reading about Turning Pumpkins into Ice Cream

Lisa on June 30th, 2010

Even though the simmering action of making a compote might make you think of winter, what goes into a berry compote is all summer: strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, cherries, even rhubarb.  All you need is some fruit, some liquid — wine or water works best — some sweetener, and some spices.  You’ll have a refreshing fruit [...]

Continue reading about ‘Tis the Season for Summer Berry Compotes

Lisa on August 10th, 2008

It’s easy to make potpourri, and I guarantee your own will smell better than the commercial, chemical-laden types.  Just throw the following in a small pot of water (1-2 cups) and let it simmer on a low setting: 2 cinnamon sticks, each broken in half 6 whole cloves 8 cardamom pods, lightly smashed (you can [...]

Continue reading about Homemade Potpourri

Lisa on July 23rd, 2008

What better scent is there than clove-studded oranges during the holidays?  Cloves have been a highly-sought-after spice in Europe ever since the 1400s.  Native to Indonesia, the Dutch had a monopoly on supplying cloves to their European neighbors until France managed to smuggle out some trees and cultivate the spice in Mauritius in the late [...]

Continue reading about Cloves