Lagniappe has grown. I’ve created a new online home — The UpBeet Gardener — where you’ll find composting, seed-starting, organic gardening, Alaska life, and the deeper reflections you’ve always enjoyed.
Get the most from your garlic patch! Learn when to harvest hardneck garlic and garlic scapes, plus easy tips for curing and using scapes in the kitchen.
Before I go any further… Hot Wheels is a paraplegic rabbit. And for eight days, he was left in our care while…
Last Tuesday, Cindy and Bob (not their real names) participated in an event they call ‘Tackle Tuesday’ where they select a room and clean it from top to bottom. They both love to hike…
It began as a tingling, prickly feeling in my fingers and toes as if they were going to sleep. “Wow, this is weird,” I thought.
Q: How to get rid of chickweed? A: Don’t try to beat it, EAT IT! On most Tuesdays, I teach an online class called the Compost Academy. Students, mostly women, from Alabama to Australia, meet in lively Zoom meetings. It’s not just about composting either, especially on Fridays, which have become “let’s stump Marion” Q&A
What can be better than the smell of cinnamon and a bowl of hot fruit topped with just the right amount of crunch?
Growing up in the rainy Pacific Northwest, spring and summer couldn’t come too quickly. I often tagged along with my mother on grocery shopping trips. As we wheeled the cart around the larger-than-life bins in the produce section, Mom would
Sweet or savory? Most every evening, Marty and I discuss this topic. Translated, it means, “Shall we do a sweet or savory breakfast tomorrow?”
When I think of holiday dinners of my youth, two things come to mind: Oyster casserole (topped with crushed Saltines) and a jiggling red tower of cranberry sauce. I followed the example set by the grownups and loaded my fork with what looked like an oyster and, with extreme
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is advising against the door-to-door candy quest during the pandemic. Are you surprised? But Americans are a crafty lot. Even with the CDC’s latest advice, folks are still rallying
What do sunflowers and zucchini have in common? Not much, really. It’s a trick question. After all, sunflowers grow UP while zucchini plants grow
What’s the most popular vegetable in the world? Potatoes. So, what’s Number 2? Carrots. If you’re like me, you adore carrots but struggle to find new and interesting
When I was young, I hated most vegetables. So when Grammie came to visit, there were issues. Oh, she dished up hot biscuits and gravy, salad, and fresh peas. But then… “Eat your greens,” she’d say. “Then you can have dessert.” Groan. I couldn’t bear the thought
It became my job to make the gravy the year my husband and I hosted Thanksgiving dinner. Easy-peasy. I’d made enough gravy to fill a hundred gravy boats. Little did I know, my gravy adventure would—oops,
What do red bell peppers, broccoli, and papayas have in common? They’re awesome sources of vitamin C. But there’s another source of vitamin C that blows these guys out of the water…
In Kodiak, Alaska, lemons do not grow on trees. So when lemons went on sale at Safeway, I bought a dozen. Thankfully, friends and family members sent me dozens of how-to-use lemon tips. Here is a zesty Top 20, from