My Mama's Pumpkin Pie

For DIY, almost healthy pumpkin pie recipe, take a peek at my column The Alchemical Kitchen in November's Catalyst Magazine...

November Issue of Basil

Happy November friends! Check-out our new issue of Basil Magazine. This issue is full of amazing recipes, tips, and ideas for a delicious and fun Thanksgiving. Be sure to read my articles on Sustainable Thanksgiving Turkey and preventing Childhood Diabetes.

Homemade Tea

After a wonderful summer beginning at Westminster College, moving into our busy time at Copper Moose Farm, and surviving the nausea of our wonderful surprise - you may have noticed I took the fall off. I needed a little traveling, lots of dancing, and many, many naps. I woke up this morning to our first snow and felt inspired to share with you a warming reminder of those abundant summer months. Cheers!

Homemade Tea
1 part dried rose buds
1 part dried lemon balm
1 part dried motherwort
1 part dried chocolate mint

1. Combine all parts. If going for a larger combination, store extra tea in a glass container.

2. Boil on cup of water and steep 1 teaspoon of loose tea for 5-7 minutes.

3. Strain tea, add honey or agave nectar, and enjoy warm.

Wild Berry Picking on the Beach

Who has a rose bush out there in blogger land? If you do, do you know you also have this vitamin packed cherry-sized berry called a rose hip right there in your own yard? While we were in Washington, my dear friends Nala and Keeth {you should really click on thier names and see the amazing things these two are up to} took us on a beautiful sunset walk along the beach. With lots of light, Nala and I gathered rose hips from a wild rose bush for me to bring back to Park City for tea, breads, pies, and soups. Once they are dried, I'll share what shenanigans they get into here at Playful Noshings.

Gathering the Last of Fall Fruit

We're back from our Northwest adventure...and I have lots of foodie and local goodies to share with you. Coming from the high desert of Utah, Allan and I were joyfully overwhelmed with the abundance of local fruit, vegetables, meats, and artisan foods like cheese and microbrews that the islands in the Northwest have to offer. My favorite example of this is all of the fruit surrounding our tent on the San Juan Island.

My favorite example of this is all of the fruit surrounding our tent on the San Juan Island. There were two huge blackberry bushes...

One large pear tree...

and a beautiful old apple tree. Just a little gathering and we now have everything we need for...

Blackberry Apple Pear Tarts

Pastry:
1¼ cups all-purpose organic flour
2 tablespoons organic brown sugar
¼ teaspoon local salt
½ cup organic cold butter, cut into small pieces

Fruit Filling:
4 cups blackberries, chopped pears, chopped apples
2⁄3 cup organic brown sugar
Zest of 1 organic orange
1½ tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon confectioners’ sugar

1. Pastry - combine flour, sugar and salt in a processor; pulse to combine. Add butter pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of ice water; pulse until dough clumps together. Shape into a 4-inch disc; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate about 30 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 375F.

3. Roll pastry into 2 small circles on a floured surface. Place in 2 small pastry pans, pinching the tops.

4. To prepare the filling, combine local fruit, granulated sugar, orange zest and cornstarch. Spoon into pastry.

5. Bake 40 minutes or until crust is golden and filling is bubbly. Cool on wire rack. Sift confectioners’ sugar over pastry before serving.

The Alchemical Kitchen

Time for another edition of The Alchemical Kitchen. This month I focus on growing, harvesting, and preserving your own culinary herbs...definitely one of the easiest and most satisfying ways to get started being a bit more self-sustainable in your own kitchen. I'd love to hear the small (and big) ways that you and your family stay a bit more self-reliable...

Allan and I are off for a 10 day northwest adventure...yippee!!!! We're looking forward to the car trip, good music, yummy snacks, visiting friends, seeing the ocean, sea kayaking, and hopefully meeting a whale or two. I'll see you back here in a couple of weeks...until then may you and yours have amazing health, delightful food, and an abundance of joy!

Happy October

Welcome to October my friends. The beginning of each month brings some fun new updates, health tips, recipes, and readings over at my business website - Park City Holistic Health. Be sure to check-out the new recipes, recipe re-dos, and health tips. I would love to hear your thoughts on this months health tips.

The start of a new month also brings a new issue of Basil Magazine. Basil Magazine is a global foodie mag for food enthusiasts. I am the editor for the Live section and this month we focused on National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. There are some amazing recipes, smart, healthy tips for staying healthy, and inspiring stories. Pop on over and have a look...