The weekend is a good time for grazing. This is a summary of some of the delightful Blog articles I have been reading during the week. I invite you to graze through these, and also through the archives of the creative writers who have written about appetizing recipes, food preparation, gardening, canning and preserving, and many other aspects of nutrition, homesteading and living a sensible and healthy lifestyle.

We begin this week’s review with Daisy’s World and a rather appetizing tour of New York City by way of a food review that is, in itself, a delicacy. My first thought upon diving into this article titled “New York Trip Report – Part #1: Top 6 Dishes of the Week,” was that the author should submit it to a travel agency. You could have your own column in their NY City brochure, I suggested: NY’s Best Bites by Daisy. The tag line would read something like: Tourist and foodie? Discover NY City one flavor at a time.

“New York City, with every kind of restaurant imaginable, is a food lover’s paradise. It is one of my favorite cities and I’ve had the good fortune to have visited there four times in the past year and a half, including a trip last week…  I made it to all of the restaurants on my list… I wanted to share with you the top 6 dishes I enjoyed this week.  Why 6?  Well, because I just couldn’t get the list down to 5…” [Read full article]

I read this post backward. It made the progression from dismay to acceptance even more evident. In “The Carnage Continues,” Organic Urban Farming explores the challenge of working hard to create a harvest only to have it stolen from right under your nose. Your open mind toward the masked critters who only took what in their minds is theirs, highlights the miracle of the broader picture. This, in turn, makes for a very enjoyable, appeasing article.

“I came out the other morning to find my zucchini still on the vine, but half gone and sporting bite marks… Again my money is on those blasted raccoons.  They must be pretty confident and relaxed, taking their time and enjoying their meal on the spot.  I am so unimpressed, but again, what do I expect?  I’m living in a forest…” [Read full article]

Next, we discover a new Blog: Savoring Every Bite. The author had kindly stopped by Granny’s Parlour, so I returned the favor. What I found was a fresh, Cartesian approach to the whirlwind of the Holiday season. In “Thanksgiving Countdown,” the author humbly refers to herself as a “control freak”. This, it turns out, is not a flaw, but an ability to plan and, most of all, to inspire others to see the steps in a process rather than be overwhelmed by its magnitude. Food preparation requires that we be present to the moment. Perhaps it is the sanest of all activities.

“The Thanksgiving Dinner can be a challenge for even the best of us.  Let’s face it, Thanksgiving is a feasting holiday.  This is the dinner your guests have been waiting all year to enjoy…  It’s a meal that needs to be timed to perfection… And to top that off, it seems that reviews of past years’ prize winning pies or failed attempt at biscuits are remembered, year after year… This year I’d like to share with you my Thanksgiving Countdown…” [Read full article]

Next, we return to Emerson’s Acre, where another chapter unfolds in the productive daily grind we discovered last week. This particular article being Part II, it only made sense to check in again. I especially enjoyed how the author humorously illustrates his decision to skip the trip the Home Depot. It made me realize that while creativity requires hundreds of miles of neurons, it is the shortest distance from an idea to its materialization.

Cold Frames II begins, “Sunday morning I got up and made breakfast. Sunday breakfast is best because it is then that I have enough time to devote to making a proper breakfast. Monday through Saturday I get up early for work and breakfast is usually a protein shake… Sunday I… set about to feeding my family properly. This past Sunday’s breakfast consisted of free range organic eggs, spicy pork sausage and sliced tomatoes. Once properly fueled I set about the day’s project, the much anticipated cold frames…” [Read full article]

This last article is beautifully written and clearly comes from a big heart, but one that knows to allow others their own path. In “The Plight of The Drone,” Leslie Ann Lloyd observes the unique plight of the male bee in autumn and considers what might be learned from this. Observing requires self-restraint. Perhaps this is one of the hidden lessons.

“It breaks my heart each time I find one of these guys on the floor. What these poor bees go through is a sad and sorry tale… It may be difficult to understand the efficiency of Nature’s way, for she can be coldly pragmatic, in a way that may seem heartless… You see, the male bee (called a drone) lives a privileged life until the autumn rolls around. He is fed and groomed by worker bees… of course the drone must be cared for this way. He cannot feed himself…” [Read full article]

Happy Reading… take a moment to leave a comment on each author’s page, if you like what you read and feel so inclined.