I’m going to make a few, quick assumptions about you: 1.) You love food. 2.) You either love preparing it or you enjoy the company of others who will prepare it for you. 3.) You probably spend a decent amount of time thinking about food and/or food politics. Am I right? Chances are you wouldn’t…
Author: Erika T.
Mom to Jack (lover of Legos) and wife to Chris (Naval nuclear mechanic) who keeps track of her family's DIY adventures at ourDIYlife.com. As a child of an Italian mother, Erika loves food in all its forms. She's also passionate about the fiber arts, sewing, photography, and writing. She can be seen skating with the Albany All Stars Roller Derby League where she proudly sports her "No Farms No Food" sticker on her helmet. Her day jobs include managing several social media accounts & a myriad of things for Kilpatrick Family Farm. Someday she and her family plan to have a sustainable farm of their own.
{gardening} My End-of-Season Garden
Remember way back in the beginning of gardening season when I showed you my garden and said it’s good to spend a few minutes in it each day? Yeah, well I’m going to be blunt and tell you that I didn’t follow my own advice this year. Last year it was so easy because I…
{events} Kate Payne Visits the Farm
EDITOR’S NOTE: Author, blogger and From Scratch Club’s inspirational springboard, Kate Payne, was in town last Wednesday and Thursday for a handful of book tour events. We will be recapping these events over the weekend, but first up, Erika will share a special {FSC Field Trip} to Kilpatrick Family Farm she organized. The FSC ladies…
{locavore challenge} Perfect Timing
As you probably know, NOFA-NY is doing a Locavore Challenge this month and we’re the official blog sponsors! I was really looking forward to this but the last week in August got more hectic than I anticipated and so I had shoved it to the back of my mind. I’ve already been eating close to…
{FSC Field Trips} Is U-Pick the new Coffee Talk?
A few weeks ago Christina and I went out to Winney’s Farm to pick blueberries. Liz came to meet us with her adorable kiddos. We only spent an hour there but I was able to get several quarts of blueberries. More recently we took an FSC outing to Fix Brothers Farms to pick peaches. I…
{pizza week} Checking our Inventory
Pizza is one of my most favorite foods. It’s something that I enjoy in all its various transformations from Chicago deep dish, to New York hand tossed, to super duper thin crust. At home I often make thin crust but have sometimes made one with a slightly thicker crust that actually bakes up in my…
{Behind the Scenes} at a working farm
This is the second summer I’ve had the chance to go out and work at Kilpatrick Family Farm. I usually only go out once a week since it’s about an hour from my house. When I started working there I really didn’t know what to expect. I just wanted to get as much experience as…
{recipe} Jerusalem Artichoke & Beef Enchiladas
Recently I’ve been trying to incorporate as many veggies as possible into our meals so that I don’t get too behind on all my CSA goodies. It’s amazing how much stuff I get each week so I really need to keep track and plan things out because I absolutely hate wasting food. This week I…
{How To} Fancy Food Club
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….
{GARDENING} Patience & Learning
Right now there isn’t a whole lot of excitement in the garden. Since the weather has been a little finicky, I’ve put off direct-planting some seeds (cucumbers and basil mostly), and some of my tiny seed starts just aren’t big enough to transfer yet. I have a feeling that the recent lack of sun is…
{Springtime} Savory Local Scones
This week has been a week of scones. I’m not even halfway through it and I’ve had three different types of scones. I won’t even tell you the actual quantity I’ve consumed, because if I did you’d insist on driving me to the gym. On Sunday night I decided that the next morning I would…
In the Land of Corn & Cattle
Recently we took a road trip to Indiana to see my in-laws. If you’ve ever driven through, or flown over the middle of the country you know there are lots of very large farms. During the several days there I kept thinking about a few things in relation to these farms. Before I go further…
When Food Becomes More Than Just Food
For most of my post-college life I’ve been into eating healthy, whole-foods. Granted, I’m not perfect and fully admit I enjoy things like fries and pizza, but I’ve tried to purchase natural and organic foods as much as possible. Several years ago I remember reading an interview with Alicia Silverstone in a magazine (can’t remember…
{Easter} Veggie-Dyed Eggs
Editor’s Note: This is Erika’s second post where she rocks the Kilpatrick Family Farm veggie-dyed Easter Eggs. Our newest contributor introduced herself in her first post. Her first contribution was an insight into her food philosophy…in case you missed it. -Christina {from L to R: carrot, golden beet, red beet, and onion skin***} I decided…
{hello} I’m Erika
Editor’s Note: We are pleased to announce that we’re growing. We’ll be introducing new guest contributors throughout the weeks to come. First up, Brass Snuggles, aka Erika, blogger at Our DIY Life. I’m very excited to bring her aboard; I met her through my new job and I think her point of view and day-to-day…
