Ah, spring — the most fickle season of the year. This is a time for tender shoots to sprout from the earth, and for migratory flocks to fill the air with their familiar songs once more. Continue reading
Author Archives: Mark Spigos
Lessons Learned from My First Sauerkraut Ferment
Taking the great leap into home fermentation can be an intimidating proposition. The prospect of throwing a bunch of vegetables into a container for weeks on end can be, well, disconcerting. Continue reading
Our Olive Oil Lamp: A Fixture of the Rural Night
I have come to know darkness as a fact of rural life. When the sun sets over the Green Mountains, ceasing to bathe the lush Vermont landscape in its golden evening light, the darkness of night makes itself abundantly known. Continue reading
DIY: How to Carve Wooden Spoons
There is an aura surrounding handmade wooden products — something that goes beyond the higher price tag and quality of the items. It is the notion that a tree sprouted many years ago; season upon season it grew; and from that tree came the raw material for the chair you sit upon, the table you set at suppertime, or the swing on your grandmother’s porch. Continue reading
Good Morning, Slow and Simple: Coffee By Hand
In my experience, every day committed to simple and intentional living begins the same way — with a quality cup of coffee. Continue reading
No Need to Knead: Dutch Oven Artisanal Bread
There is so much beauty to be found in simplicity. As far as food and daily rituals go, there may be nothing quite so simple and satisfying as making a fresh loaf of bread. You mix flour, water, salt, and yeast in their proper proportions, let your dough rise at its own natural pace, work it with your hands once ready, and toss it into the oven. Continue reading