Salt Is Doing More Than You Think
the simple pantry, written down as it happened
The plain box of salt in the cabinet is one of the most quietly useful things in a home, from the stove to the laundry room.
I would rather show you the batch that failed.
I make most of what is written about here in a small kitchen with ordinary equipment, and a fair amount of it does not work the first time. When a salve separates or an infusion tastes like lawn clippings, that goes in the post too, because knowing where a thing goes wrong is most of knowing how to do it.
Nothing here is medicine and I do not pretend otherwise. It is a record of what I use, what I make, and what I have quietly stopped buying.
Eight things this site keeps returning to
"For a long time, paper towels sat under my sink in a stack that never seemed to shrink."
Lately on the bench
What I Replaced Plastic Wrap With
A quiet account of phasing plastic wrap out of the kitchen, what worked, what did not, and why the box still isn't empty.
What a Root Cellar Mindset Looks Like in an Apartment
Water Temperature and What It Actually Changes
Knowing When a Skin Issue Is Not a Routine Problem
The Quiet Work of Early Spring, Before Anything Looks Ready
Dried Herb Bundles for Drawer and Closet Scent
Tying small bundles of dried rosemary, mint, and bay leaf for closets and cabinets, what combination held its scent longest, and what dried too…
The Fifteen Second Face Wash
How Dose Changes Everything
The Slow Way to Try Something New on Your Skin
Oil, Water, and What Your Skin Actually Needs
The Slow Way to Clear Out a Cabinet
When a Plant and a Medication Do Not Mix
Herbs and medications can affect the same systems in the body, sometimes at the same time. Natural does not mean separate from what a…
The latest from every section
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How to Recognize Common Garden Herbs by Sight and Smell
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Plants That Look Alike but Are Not the Same
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Drying Herbs for Later Without Losing Their Scent
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Dried Herb Bundles for Drawer and Closet Scent
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Soft Scrub Paste for the Sink and Stove
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All-Purpose Cleaner With Vinegar and Citrus Peel
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Water Temperature and What It Actually Changes
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Building a Simple Herb Blend at Home
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What I Actually Reach for in the Evening
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Knowing When a Skin Issue Is Not a Routine Problem
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The Fifteen Second Face Wash
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Oil, Water, and What Your Skin Actually Needs
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Storing Herbs So They Last Past the Season
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What a Root Cellar Mindset Looks Like in an Apartment
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The Quiet Work of Early Spring, Before Anything Looks Ready
One letter, when there is something worth making.
Written by hand, sent when a batch turns out well, usually once a month and sometimes not at all. Leave whenever you like.