Linda Ly's Blog, page 24

Holiday Gift Idea: A Signed Copy of The CSA Cookbook!

Now that we’ve made it past Thanksgiving, it feels like we’re hurtling straight toward Christmas. I can’t wrap my mind around the fact that it’s less than four weeks away! We have a tree to cut down, a house to decorate, parties to attend, and presents to buy — all while digging over our garden beds, transplanting the last seedlings, and mulching the rest of the yard before El Niño moves in.

Sometimes I wish we had a “real” winter here where all we do is sit inside the house, stoke the fire,...

Hello Sprout

After gestating the “baby” that was my book all of last year and the ensuing book tour this year… I’m thrilled to say another baby is on the way. A souvenir from the book tour, as I like to joke. I’m pregnant! Or we’re pregnant, I guess is the proper term, but I’m the one putting on the pounds over here.

There are so many thoughts going through my mind right now as I’m belly-deep in my second trimester… though maybe not the same thoughts that other soon-to-be moms might have.

I dream about t...

Choco Banana Date Cookies aka Breakfast in a Bite

Confession: I never really liked bananas until I moved into a house that had several banana plants on the property. I always found them a bit dry and starchy, and unless they were soaked in rum and set aflame in a pan (or blended with espresso in a frosty smoothie), I usually passed them up in favor of fruits like oranges. Peaches. Strawberries. Bold, juicy, refreshing fruits.

But then I tried one of the bananas that we grew. They were fat and short, unlike anything I’d ever seen in the mark...

Homemade “Tin Can” Cranberry Jelly

Growing up, I always ate Thanksgiving dinner with my friends’ families since my own family never celebrated it — not because they weren’t thankful on that day, but because it was never a part of their culture. So when that fourth Thursday rolled around every November, I couldn’t wait to partake in the classic American holiday.

I loved watching the grand entrance of the turkey, steaming hot from the oven and being carved up at the table, I loved the green bean casseroles with French fried oni...

Five Things Friday

The five little things that made my week…

1. After two years of trying to convince Twitter to release the name, I finally got @gardenbetty as my official handle! If you’re already following me on Twitter, there’s no need to do anything on your end. The name transfer was seamless and all tweets and followers remained intact. But be sure to tag @gardenbetty in all your tweets from now on!

2. This poor chicken. I feel bad laughing at her, but it seems her molts are more and more dramatic ever...

Navigating the Big Wide World of Blog Monetization

So you’ve poured your heart and soul into your blog, it’s got a good motto or mission at its core, people are connecting with it and the next step in cementing its status as a full-fledged business— what will launch you from a passionate hobbyist to a full-time blogger— is monetization.

Monetization is the machine that keeps a blog running. It’s also a highly controversial subject, as often there are naysayers who believe monetizing your blog means selling yourself out. But let’s be realisti...

Tips for Becoming a Full-Time Blogger

I’m not sure how it happened, but since my series of biz tips last November during National Career Development Week, I went from a serious blogger earning part-time income from my posts to a professional blogger making a living from writing about my life.

Saying that out loud is something I can’t even convince my own mother is true. Blogs, for her, are still a new world— and a strange one at that for a career. And honestly, even I am baffled by this transition. Blogging was (and still is) a...

Chicken First Aid: How to Wrap a Sprained Wing

Working from home all day means I’ve become accustomed to the various sounds coming from my chickens in the backyard. There’s the egg song, which they trumpet upon a successful lay. There’s the cooing chatter as they happily scratch and peck at the dirt. There’s the homing squawk when one of them suddenly realizes she’s alone, and the frantic flap of wings meant to shoo the neighborhood cats as they dart across our garden.

Then there’s an entirely different sound I’d never heard until recent...

A Day in Pennsylvania Dutch Country

What is it about the Amish life that’s always drawn me? Perhaps it’s the throwback to simpler times in the way they eschew modern technology in their homes, the romantic scenes along a country road of horse-drawn buggies and one-room schoolhouses, the traditional form of dress or the charming Pennsylvania Dutch accents.

It feels like the pages of a history book opened up before my eyes. Thousands of years of religious faith, persecution in Europe, and eventual settlement in Pennsylvania hav...

Five Things Friday

The five little things that made my week…

1. So surprised to see a small bumper crop of figs this late in the season!

2. And my first strawberry this fall! (Well, it’s coming.)

3. Every once in a while I give the chickens free roam of the entire garden, and they always end up under a tree in the mulch, excitedly scratching up grubs, beetles, and other things I’m thankful don’t make it into the house.

4. Chinese pak choi seedlings reaching for the sun.

5. Lots of fermenting going on this...