Filling & Healthy Breakfast Ideas

By rachelvanduzerJanuary 26, 2023 Featured

As the price of eggs rose to shocking levels early this year, I began to consider whether eggs really were the most affordable and filling option for breakfast. The verdict? Even though the price of eggs has doubled — even tripled over the last year, eggs remain a low-cost option for the amount of sustained…

Seasoned Jicama Fries

By recipesJanuary 19, 2023April 21, 2023 Appetizers, Featured

Jicama is a crunchy, juicy root with a neutral and refreshing flavor when eaten raw. Here, boil and roast jicama slices to make a healthier version of French fries!

Kid-friendly Apple Peanut Butter Baked Oatmeal

By rebeccatalbotJanuary 12, 2023April 21, 2023 Apples, Breakfast, Featured

Days with a small child can be unpredictable. Some mornings my 19-month-old daughter will go straight to her shape sorters and forget the rest of the world exists for a while. Other mornings it can take some ingenuity for Mom to make a pot of coffee without interruption. Having breakfast already planned makes one variable,…

Feed Your Feathered Friends!

By Brandon HertzlerDecember 27, 2022December 29, 2022 Crafts, Gardening Advice: Flowers, Gardening Advice: Vegetables, Fruits & Herbs, Gifts from the Kitchen

As the weather changes, and the thermometer takes an absolute plunge, having small kids who love being outside presents a challenge. Trying to impart the logistic reality that going outside in single digits means triple layers of clothes just doesn’t seem to compute. Then, of course, there’s the reality that by the time two kids…

Caramel Apple Bars

By rachelvanduzerDecember 2, 2022December 2, 2022 Apples, Breakfast

This is a delicious recipe for caramel apple bars. I used a blend of homegrown apples that I’ve had in my fridge over the season: Empire, Macoun and Pink Lady. Any apples will be excellent in this recipe! It calls for a shortbread crust with oatmeal and a hint of brown sugar. I used caramel…

Spiced Pear Galette

By Abigail BullNovember 10, 2022November 10, 2022 Desserts

When people think of autumn fruits, their minds almost always go straight to apples. However, there are many other fruits ready to harvest in the fall—including pears, which tend to be harvested between August and October. I’ve always loved pears, but I almost never buy them because I’m not sure what to do with them…

Classic Apple Pie

By Abigail BullOctober 18, 2022October 18, 2022 Apples, Desserts, Recipes

Nothing tastes quite like a classic apple pie. Growing up, my Dad’s favorite dessert was always my Mom’s homemade version, and that marked it as pretty special in my mind. No pie crust was as flakey as hers, nor apples so sweet and tart, and I have so many memories of sitting around our kitchen…

No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Dip

By rachelvanduzerSeptember 28, 2022 Desserts

When the weather gets cooler and everything pumpkin spice comes back on the menus, I turn to my recipe collection for all things pumpkin. I love to use fresh pumpkin when I can. One large neck pumpkin or heirloom pumpkin can make so much pumpkin puree! The best way to preserve any leftover pumpkin puree…

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

By Abigail BullSeptember 15, 2022September 15, 2022 Breakfast, Recipes, Vegetarian/Vegan

I discover new things about my husband every day, and one of those things is that he loves zucchini bread. And now that the seasons are shifting in the direction of autumn, I’m beginning to find the shelves at our local farmers market full of colorful gourds, perfect for making such fall-themed baked goods. With…

Sweet Pickles

By Abigail BullAugust 16, 2022April 21, 2023 Gifts from the Kitchen, Recipes, Seasonal, Summer Produce

A friend recently gifted me a bag of homegrown cucumbers. It was more fresh veggies than my husband and I would be able to eat in a week, so I started brainstorming ways to preserve them. I needed a quick, simple way to put the cucumbers away without the lengthy process of canning. Enter refrigerator…

Summer Greens with Roasted Vegetables and Blackberry Vinaigrette

By Brandon HertzlerJuly 26, 2022July 27, 2022 Berries, Featured, Leafy Greens, Root Vegetables, Salads

The rich, dynamic color palette of summer fruits and vegetables is always inspiring! While the culinary landscape of winter dishes tend to be monochromatic (yet super rich and flavorful), nothing can compete with the contrast of hues that we find ourselves in now. What I love personally about this time of year is that you…

Vegan Blueberry Coffee Cake

By SusanEdelmanJuly 6, 2022April 21, 2023 Berries, Featured, Recipes

If we cannot agree on politics, we can agree on something, and that something is blueberries. Young people like blueberries, old people like blueberries. Big-city people like blueberries and small-town country people like blueberries. Incidentally, bears like blueberries and, according to research conducted in my house involving blueberries that spilled onto the floor accidentally, dogs…

How To Attract More Hummingbirds To Your Yard

By recipesJune 30, 2022August 24, 2022 Featured, Gardening Advice: Flowers

If you spot a hummingbird in Pennsylvania, it’s likely to be a ruby-throated hummingbird. Incredibly small and quick, it’s the only breeding hummingbird species east of the Great Plains, according to the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Despite the name, you’ll only catch a ruby-colored patch on the throat of the males – the females instead have…

Plants that Thrive in Wet Landscapes

By Nan ReinertJune 23, 2022June 23, 2022 Featured, Gardening Advice: Flowers, Gardening Advice: Vegetables, Fruits & Herbs

Wet areas of the landscape can seem daunting when it comes to gardening. However, there are plenty of flowers, shrubs, and grasses that thrive in soil that is wet. Planting in these areas can also be beneficial to the landscape. Plants can help with water drainage and erosion. Wet areas often have compacted soil, so…

Celebrate Pennsylvania Native Species Day

By recipesMay 26, 2022May 26, 2022 Featured, Gardening Advice: Flowers

Pennsylvania is home to thousands of beautiful plants that naturally thrive in our climate and are part of our diverse ecosystems. But these systems are taking on more pressure than ever and we can’t afford to take them for granted. Climate change and a proliferation of non-native invasive species are taking up space once claimed…

Growing Heirloom Tomatoes and Peppers

By Nan ReinertMay 5, 2022May 11, 2022 Featured, Gardening Advice: Vegetables, Fruits & Herbs

Heirloom varieties are from seeds that have been passed down for 50 years or more. In today’s world of commercial farming where seeds have been altered to produce and feed a large number of people, heirlooms are a blast from the past. Heirloom seed hasn’t been modified and has been passed down through generations. They…

Gardening Goals for April

By Nan ReinertApril 21, 2022April 21, 2022 Featured, Gardening Advice: Flowers, Gardening Advice: Vegetables, Fruits & Herbs

April is a very exciting month for gardening. After a winter’s rest, the trees are starting to turn green and the spring garden bulbs are starting to emerge from the earth and bloom. Between the rain drops, it’s time to get growing outside. There is nothing like the flavor of home grown vegetables! Vegetables to…

10 Tasty Easter Sides & Desserts

By rachelvanduzerApril 7, 2022April 8, 2022 Appetizers, Featured

Whether your Easter main dish will be ham, turkey, lamb or something else, we have 10 awesome Easter side dishes and desserts to make with fresh produce. Some of the recipes can be made with local produce such as tomatoes, herbs, lettuce and apples. Remember to pick up your desired ingredients ahead of time because…

Citrus Sparkling Water

By rachelvanduzerMarch 25, 2022March 25, 2022 Beverages

We all know that drinking plenty of water is good for our health, but actually getting around to drinking enough of it is another story. Let’s face it: sometimes water tastes boring! A few ways I’ve been able to up my daily water intake is by adding a little bit of fresh squeezed citrus, like…

White Chocolate + Matcha Covered Strawberries

By rachelvanduzerMarch 10, 2022 Desserts

As St. Patrick’s Day approaches, I find myself looking for some fun, shamrock-themed goodies to make for my family. I’ve recently become a fan of Matcha, or powdered green tea, so I decided to make these cute matcha white chocolate covered strawberries. They are super simple, and a fun way to add a tiny little…