FROM SCRATCH CLUB

Guess what kids… it’s still winter. At least it is here in Upstate New York. While the temperatures are supposed to hit a “balmy” 40 degrees this week, there is still a decent blanket of snow and ice covering everything on my little farm. While the terms “hot chocolate” and “hot cocoa” might seem interchangeable, […]

Recently, I came across a fellow food swapper who had milk kefir grains, and was in search of water kefir grains. I had water kefir grains, and was excited to try milk kefir. A happy swap was born! Like water kefir, milk kefir is fermented at room temperature, so it is easier to make than […]

I’ve been doing some pretty interesting kitchen chemistry experiments as of late. Glass bottles full of mysterious liquids topped with paper towels and rubber bands populate my kitchen counter. Lucky house guests get to try my creations, and most seem to like them. It all began when I got water kefir grains from a friend. […]

My friend Julie turned me on to homemade infusions years ago. She has a big shelf in her amazing kitchen/dining room filled with homemade bitters, digestifs, infusions, shrubs, and the like. It’s like walking into a delicious apothecary. Julie recently attended the FSC Schenectady Food Swap and brought with her a bunch of her homemade bitters […]

As spring gets underway and summer looms closer, popsicles, cool salads and fruity cocktails are on my mind. This weekend is Cinco de Mayo, which also happens to fall on Kentucky Derby day – both cause for celebrations in my family! Because I won’t be enjoying any margaritas or cervezas this year with baby #3 […]

It’s officially flu season. According to the CDC, the onset of flu season has been delay recently. If (like me) you thought that you were in the clear, think again. The nasty virus might still be lurking, waiting to take you as its next prey. And then there is all the other yuckiness that’s been […]

{Grape Expectation} Holiday mode is in full effect. Tonight is the third night of Hanukkah and Christmas is this weekend. Or maybe you are more of a Winter Solstice person. And let’s not forget New Years Eve is next Saturday! Either way, you are probably going to get down with your bad self over the […]

Every few months or so the topic of flavored creamer comes around in my circle of friends. Many of them are curious as to how to make their own for various reasons, usually it is because they are concerned about the chemicals in store bought flavored creamers,  they are allergic to milk, or because of […]

As an avid chai drinker, I was ecstatic to stumble upon the realization that I could make my own creamy, spicy chai concentrate! This recipe is a cinch to make- just add the ingredients to a jar and stir- and is a perfect from-scratch holiday gift. You can make several batches at once and bottle […]

Our old farm has a fun history. From the reseach I’ve been conducting on the property, here’s what I’ve found: The original farm was started by the Gaige family pre-Revolutionary War (the Gaige family can be traced to our area since the 1730s). The house across the street was built in the early 1800s by […]

Lemon is a confused fruit. There, I’ve said it – lemon doesn’t know what the heck it is doing. While it is really a fruit harvested in our winter months, we best enjoy it and associate it with the hazy temperatures of summer. Lemon ice? Check. Lemonade? Check. Lemony, fruit white wine? Check. We can’t help it. It […]

When I was young I remember my parents hosting dinner parties for their friends. I also remember them cooking fancy meals for each other. I will never forget them eating escargot and feeling totally freaked out as a five-year-old watching them eat it. I just always thought this is what adults did with their friends. […]

Editor’s Note: For our last St. Patrick’s Day themed post, Alexis has a delicious way for the 21 & older crowd to get into the spirit of the holiday. – Christina No better way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with the thousands-year-old Irish tradition of Guinness Floats!  Ok, so maybe the Irish haven’t been making […]