Chives are in bloom in Spokane, which means it’s time to infuse some vinegar! I made a batch of chive blossom vinegar last summer and ended up giving most of it away at Christmas, so this year I’m making another batch. Chive blossoms are edible…
I’m becoming a fan of making soft drinks at home with club soda and homemade fruit syrups. I don’t drink a lot of soda to begin with, but I do like the bubbly refreshment of soft drinks (especially in the summer). Making your own flavored…
Every spare moment at our house has been all about the garden for the last few weeks. We’re doing some significant landscaping in the backyard (which has been a blank slate of spotty lawn and mountains of weeds for several years). I wanted more space…
Tomorrow is a good day to be in Spokane, a day I have been looking forward to for months (really). This Satuday marks the first day of the Spokane Farmer’s Market and the SCC Garden Expo—Summer is upon us! SCC Garden Expo: Saturday, May 12:…
The last project in our series of Mother’s Day gift ideas is Tub Tea! Relaxing in a hot bath is even more invigorating when the water and steam are infused with a calming aroma. Tub teas are very simple, but also leave room for some…
Continuing this week’s Mother’s Day gift theme, today’s post moves toward pampering and relaxing—something all moms need from time to time. There is very little involved in this recipe, so little in fact, it almost shouldn’t be labeled a project, it’s more measure, mix, and…
Mother’s Day is less than a week away. I don’t know about you, but it seems that every year I struggle to think of what to give for Mother’s Day. My mom has most of what she needs and even wants (and she says she…
Serena Thompson, of Farm Chicks fame, is hosting a week of giveaways through her blog. I just saw the post today, but it's not too late to participate! The rules state that entering any day must happen by this Sunday night, even those days that…
After making egg dyes with onionskins, I was left with six skinless red onions—that’s a lot of onion if you’re counting. Naturally, the thing to do with nearly four pounds of onions is make a pickle. I did store the onions in the veggie drawer…
When I saw a note about a potato box a few weeks ago, I immediately wanted to build one. My reference led me to a Seattle Times article published several years ago. The author claims that it is actually possible to grow 100 pounds of…
I finally started seeds last Saturday. Late is better than never, right? This year I’ve done a few things differently, or perhaps I should say more efficiently. I have a few seed starting kits—plastic (I know, I know) containers with 72 spaces to start seedlings…
It is time for Funky Junk! Funky Junk is one of my favorite shows of the year in Spokane. Smaller and more manageable than Farm Chicks (don’t get me wrong, I also love Farm Chicks), it’s the perfect show for a spring afternoon. Most of…
I think these might be my favorite carrots for their funkiness and charm. I also found them easier to master than the crepe paper carrots posted about earlier. You really only nee pipe cleaners for this project, though wire cutters come in handy. I ended…
This year, my subtle Easter decorations are carrot-themed. I made two carrot projects that are very easy to create and could even become an Easter-day project for kids (with adult supervision). First up are carrots made from different carrot-y shades of crepe paper. For this…
I like dying Easter eggs. I’ll admit it: I am in my thirties and still love dying eggs. In the past I’ve made polka dot eggs, striped eggs, and rainbow eggs; one year I painted dye on the eggs with paintbrushes. This year, I kept…
Because I have made cultured butter before, I didn’t think cultured butter was quite enough to live up to the Urban Farm Challenge; I wanted to do something new. I had read about making cheese prior to this month’s challenge, but never took on the…
The March task for the Urban Farm Challenge is home dairy, which may sound like a huge undertaking, but in the confines of the challenge is less “farm-y” than it sounds. Part of the goal is to find out about local sources for milk and…
I’ve been on an organizing kick for several weeks (something about spring finally starting to appear…albeit slowly…makes me want to clean house and get rid of clutter). We’re also getting ready to start a small remodel project in our basement that includes a finished space…
When we were deciding on a guest book for our wedding, we (again) steered away from tradition. There are a couple of things I don’t love about the traditional guestbook meant for a single event: they tend to be put away after the day and…
While trying to think of a different, but still simple and quick, St. Patrick’s Day project, I remembered this post from How About Orange. That sparked the idea for today’s project: a big, funky shamrock pendant made from simple scraps of paper and glue. The…
I wrote about my adventures with citrus last week in this post. A couple of readers have asked about my marmalade recipe/method. I had not made marmalade before this season because I simply haven’t enjoyed eating it in the past—it’s too bitter for me. This…
This week Ethan and I took our first class at The Kitchen Engine (in the Flour Mill)—and we’ll likely take more. The Kitchen Engine is a local business that has become one of my favorite places to shop. They specialize in good-quality (often US-made) kitchen…
My big February project was tackling citrus preserves. I purchased my weight in several varieties of lemons, oranges, and limes (though they were not Spokane-local, they were US grown—there are some fruits that don’t grow well in our region and I love citrus, but I…
This is the weekend for spring craft fairs, let me tell you. The Custer's 35th Annual Spring Arts & Crafts Show has started at the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center (404 N. Havana St.). Admission is $7 for the weekend; kids 12 and under…
I must admit that I have not been the best composter or steward of my garden’s soil. At times, I’m a lazy gardener; I’ll admit it. I have been making an effort to be less lazy in the past couple of years. While lazy gardening…
Artist and crafter Maggie Wolcott writes about craft events in and around Spokane, as well as her own adventures in creating and repurposing. Her DwellWellNW posts include project and decorating ideas, recipes, reviews of events, and interviews with local artists. Maggie spends her days as an English professor, and when she’s not grading papers, she can generally be found with a paintbrush or scissors in hand. She can be reached at mebullock@gmail.com.
