baking spices – BirdHouse Diaries

Spotlight on Spring Produce: Rhubarb

Ahhh, rhubarb. There are few other spring crops that call to me like rhubarb does, saying good weather and hot sunny days are imminent (the others being stars of their own Spotlight on Spring posts this season). Rhubarb is a weirdly named plant whose imprecise origins are somewhat confusing. It was purportedly used in Central…

Recipe Post: Crispy Cinnamon Apple Chips

While I usually view apples as an autumn harvest fruit, their longevity when they’re stored properly over the winter months means that they’re usually an available crop for ages. Hence why I have received literally DOZENS in my winter/spring organics boxes this past year, and why my kitchen is currently somewhat awash in Fuji, Royal…

Recipe Post: Bread!

It never fails; within a day or two of getting a professional manicure, I invariably have an overwhelming urge to bake something that requires a great deal of hands-on effort. After Tuesday’s mani/pedi date with a good friend I hadn’t seen in a while, it was inevitable that within 24 hours I would end up…

Recipe Post: Anna Olson’s Apple Cranberry Crisp!

Spending time with family up in Eastern Ontario, I definitely see that autumn is further along the further North I travel. With the scent of burning leaves and fireplaces everywhere in this small town, and that chill of winter tickling my nose, my thoughts invariably turn towards autumn recipes that use the bounties of the…

Top Ten List: Introduction to Cloves (7th of 10)

This is a little bit of an odd Top Ten list, but I thought I’d take you through my baking cupboard (yes, I have an entire cupboard dedicated solely to baking supplies…um, and another cupboard…and a 4-tier rolling rack…but I digress). Since a Top Ten list would make this blog post too long, I’m splitting…