Leigh Tate

Spring palettes. I've always thought of natural colors as being subtle and muted. But these flowers show that isn't necessarily so!

Azaleas

Azalea color palette

Daffodils

Daffodil color palette

Irises

Iris color palette

Tereza Okava wrote:I did some dying with the fresh leaf and am saving the seeds for next summer, I think.

I hadn't even thought about fresh leaf dyeing, so thanks for that!

I also recently found a source for true indigo seed and want to add that to my list.

I'm trying to build a dyer's garden, so I'm going to try my hand at some dye plants - Japanese indigo and woad. Both produce blue dye. The idea is to see which one grows best in my garden and make it a garden staple.

Because today is Pi Day . . .

Why did the pie go to the dentist?  
Because it needed a filling!

What do you call a pie that can fly?
A pie-lot!

Why did the apple pie cry?
Its peelings were hurt!

Happy Pi Day, Permies!

(This is my very favorite pie in the whole world)

Lots of good responses to the question.

I tend to write reviews based on the kinds of information I look for when I read reviews. I'm basically wanting to know if the book is worth my time and effort to read. I like reviews that offer a somewhat objective summary of the author's basic premise and goal for writing the book. Does the author define their terms? Is the book based on theory or practical experience? Do they differentiate between fact and personal opinion?

I like to read a chapter or section breakdown, so I have an idea of what kind of information I'll find. Do their ideas make sense? Other things I find useful is how well the author stays on track. Do they stick to the topic or throw things in that are completely off topic?  How well do they resolve or conclude their goal?

Lastly, I'm really interested in the reviewer's personal opinion. What did they get out of it? Did they find the information personally useful?  Did they agree with the author or disagree?  I also appreciate it when the reviewer can frame their criticisms in an objective way and back up what they disliked with examples. Either way, would the reviewer recommend the book?

I think it takes a bit of work to write a good review, but I also think it's worth the effort.

I recently found goodness exchange which doing a google search for 'no politics websites.' I really like it. Lots of interesting stories in numerous relevant categories, all with a positive, solution-oriented focus.

hans muster wrote:I finally bought 2 of Lloyd Kahn's books from worldofbooks.com. They arrived within the announced time, and the condition was, as stated, very good. Although one had a cut in the cover.

Kate, I really like your approach of NOT going through affiliate links owned by Amazon. But to manually search for the books independently. Thanks, I pick it up!

It's a good reminder to always do a search for price comparing any book. I just found one at world of books that was priced $6 higher than buying directly from the publisher.

Anne Miller wrote:

AI said, When making a pie crust, cold ingredients, especially the butter, are crucial because it prevents the fat from melting into the flour, allowing for the creation of distinct layers that result in a flaky, tender crust; essentially, the cold fat creates small pockets of air that expand during baking, leading to flakiness.

This is what I was taught in 7th grade home ec class, long before there was internet and AI.

I've actually had a hard time finding a relatively authentic recipe (which I'd really like to do because it's about cultural cuisine.) So many recipe sites have too many popups and block the content. So, to Nancy and Anne's point, puff paste may not be how a traditional Normandy apple tart is made. But the recipes that call for it did get me thinking about learning how to make it!

Kate, your method sounds pretty easy. Easy cooking is me!