Eating From the Ground Up

MENUMENU
  • About
  • Recipes
    • By Category

      • Bites
      • Breads and Crackers
      • breakfast
      • drinks
      • Home Dairy
      • Mains
      • On the Side
      • Pickles and Preservation
      • salads
      • Sauces, Dressings and Spreads
      • snacks
      • soups
      • Sweets
    • By Ingredient

      • apples
      • asparagus
      • Beans
      • Beef
      • beets
      • Berries
      • Broccoli and Broccoli Raab
      • brussels sprouts
      • cabbage
      • carrots
      • cauliflower
      • celeriac
      • Cheese
      • Chick Peas
      • Chicken
      • chocolate
      • corn
      • eggs
      • Fish
      • garlic
      • Grains
      • Herbs and Flowers
      • kale
      • leeks
      • lentils
      • pasta
      • pears
      • peppers
      • Pork
      • potatoes
      • Quince
      • radishes
      • rhubarb
      • stone fruit
      • summer squash
      • Tomatoes and Tomatillos
      • winter squash
      • yogurt
  • Coaching
  • Not Recipes
    • Family
    • Politics and Activism
    • The Writing Process
    • travels
    • Kids in the Kitchen
    • My Berkshires
    • 1st of the Month
    • The Garden
  • My Books

    • Signed copies from my local bookstore
      From Amazon
      From B&N


    • From Amazon
      From B&N
      From Powell's

    • Front cover The Homemade Pantry
      From Amazon
      From Barnes and Noble
      From Indie Bound

  • Yogurt
  • contact
  • Blog

what vacation looks like

Tuesday, February 19, 2013 by alana

If you could hear this picture, it would sound like Taylor Swift- LOUD.  I cannot get Rosie out of her nightgown, and work is slow-going. Joey’s home too, which means I drink beer at 3 and spend too much time making dinner. Then the girls are bored, so I offer to take them to the library if Rosie will get out of her nightgown. I cannot get Rosie out of her nightgown, and the cycle begins again. It must be vacation week!

A perfect time for mid-week reads. That’s exactly what I was thinking.

Bryant Gumble? I’m baffled, and surprised, and adding him to my list of dream future dinner party guests. (I have to admit this is my favorite of the HIGHLY DRAMATIC series so far)

If her previous books are any indication, thinking this might be the book of my Spring.

Thanks to Cheryl, for sending this one along to me and the ladies.

I think it goes a lot deeper than this, but this is a start.

Another thing to make instead of working this week. I want to pour the honey.

Reflections on The Essay. (Also wonder what Montaigne would think to know that his art is in the hands of a bunch of high school seniors.)

A chef on home cooking (reminding me it’s been too long since my last salon challenge).

Print this and put it on the fridge.

I’m solidly in the brunette category, but all this talk of salt has me lusting.

And because no list is complete without a video you’ll be embarrassed to watch at work. (This is Joey’s contribution.)

The week isn’t even half over! Send me more links- I need them! And I’m not even at work, so I can watch all the silly videos you can throw at me.

 

 

 

Filed Under: Family, Uncategorized Tagged With: Links, musings, vacation

« rose and pistachio biscotti
eclairs »

Comments

  1. Kristin says

    Wednesday, February 20, 2013 at 1:47 am

    I totally agree about the Deborah Madison book – I was dying for it after seeing a write-up in Cooking Light and the 101 Cookbooks post only revved me up some more!

  2. Cheryl says

    Wednesday, February 20, 2013 at 2:00 am

    True story: I was a camp counselor for Bryant Gumble’s daughter the summer after I graduated from high school. She was adorable. (She was probably 5.)

    That goat thing. Just wow. Please thank Joey but let him know I could only listen to 12 seconds of it. (Did it get any, you know, different?)

    • alana says

      Wednesday, February 20, 2013 at 5:19 pm

      Ha! I think there are two kinds of people: famous people, and those of us who were camp counselors to famous people. I was a camp counselor for Julia Stiles, so you know where I fit in.

      And I’ll pass along your thanks for the goats. It does not get any… different, but you can always have more of a good thing, right?

  3. Megan Gordon says

    Wednesday, February 20, 2013 at 5:30 am

    Sounds fantastic to me! Honored to be a part of the line-up (and wishing I had a good excuse to stay in my pj’s all day)

  4. Karey says

    Wednesday, February 20, 2013 at 8:14 am

    All good reads, even at 3am! I can’t wait to try the blondie bars!

  5. ritu says

    Wednesday, February 20, 2013 at 3:37 pm

    Completely agree on the Bryant Gumbel Piglet decision (I forwarded that to my husband immediately after reading it). Funny, smart, and seems to know his way around a kitchen. And based on that one recipe, I am looking forward to perusing Deborah Madison’s new book as well. Also, thank you for the link to the Samin Nosrat piece.

  6. kate says

    Wednesday, February 20, 2013 at 11:35 pm

    omg, i have tears from the goats. just too funny. i don’t know if you are “cat people” but we just LOVE simon’s cat. watched the vids multiple times. here’s a favorite:
    http://www.simonscat.com/Films/Double-Trouble/

    • alana says

      Sunday, February 24, 2013 at 7:18 pm

      AH- I love this! Very much like the 3-cat dynamic in our house, too.

  7. Jennifer says

    Thursday, February 21, 2013 at 2:05 am

    My son and I laughed so hard at the goat video…we played back the part with the goat spitting at that one guy a bunch of times. On another note, I went to amazon and bought the River Cottage cake cookbook after reading that post bout the honey cake. I can’t wait to try that recipe (and the one she posted a while ago for cardamom cake)!

    • alana says

      Sunday, February 24, 2013 at 7:16 pm

      You know, I didn’t even know River Cottage had a cake book until I saw Megan’s post? They’re preserves book is a favorite of mine–now I’ve got the cake book on my list, too. I just want to live inside those books.

  8. Liz says

    Thursday, February 21, 2013 at 10:20 pm

    Please tell Joey that video made me cry from laughing. And I’m at work. Headphones!

    • alana says

      Sunday, February 24, 2013 at 7:15 pm

      🙂

  9. molly says

    Saturday, February 23, 2013 at 5:28 am

    Hey! Did you steal into my hallway and snap a picture?

    Oh wait, my boys don’t wear nightgowns…

    Snow day today. No school. Me, well past noon: “Clothes! And I MEAN it!!”

    😉 So it goes.

    I’ve been dreaming of rose and pistachio biscotti, ya’ know, and it’s all your fault. next summer, saving rose petals…

    m

    • alana says

      Sunday, February 24, 2013 at 7:14 pm

      Ha! Just think, in hallways all over the country, the same kids in pjs, running up and down the hall. And I’m sorry about those biscotti, but now that you’ve put those blondies in my mind, we’re even. xo

  10. sac lancel says

    Tuesday, April 16, 2013 at 4:48 pm

    I realize everybody will hate with them, but I don’t believe they take a look so lousy.


Welcome!

I’m Alana, and I write about food, family and the wonderful chaos that ensues when the two combine. If you’re new to the site, here are a few good places to start, or learn more about me on my about page.

Follow me on Instagram.

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
Become a Sponsor

One_Alana_Ad 2016

alanachernila

The Homemade Pantry, The Homemade Kitchen, Eating From The Ground Up 🍳

Instagram post 2337331591407595410_13442450 Sending off my taxes today with intention and prayer that they will be used to support programs for the most vulnerable, and that my little contribution will join with others to help move us towards the country I know we can be. #taxmagic ✨
Instagram post 2335726864949371764_13442450 Goodies en route to @north_plain_farm today for pickup! Word about town is that LOTS of moolah was raised for BRIDGE in this little #bakersagainstracism bake sale. Thanks to North Plain Farm and @raisinporpoise for the organizing, to everyone who bought and bid, and most of all to BRIDGE for the essential work they do. (Want to learn more about BRIDGE? Head to the link in my profile.)
Instagram post 2332756427273440195_13442450 So technically you’re not supposed to send food when trying to find an agent, but I did it it. 10 years ago, my granola helped seal that deal, and he insisted I send it to publishers when we were selling The Homemade Pantry (another general publishing no no) That Landed-a woman-with-no-platform-a-book deal Granola is up for grabs in this amazing bake sale, as well as goodies by some of my very favorite bakers (@madeinghent , @raisinporpoise , and @thedooryard to name a few). Oh and maybe my favorite item in there are the magical @susanspungen ginger chocolate cookies I mentioned a few weeks back, made by Sadie herself. All of this is to support the work of @multiculturalbridge , and the order form is up in my bio. Get to it! #bakersagainstracism
Instagram post 2330317921708403058_13442450 My friend @afgoldfarb has been part of a team of people working on this vital project. The link to learn more and help out is in my profile.
Instagram post 2330131706816229761_13442450 I’ll be baking up a storm for this! Local bakers- there’s still room for more! Let @north_plain_farm know that you want IN.
Instagram post 2324845496300301430_13442450 To those who ask here? In Great Barrington? YES. In Great Barrington.
Instagram post 2324091364266290851_13442450 I know there are so many resources out there right now, but I want to share one that’s been really helpful for me in the last several months. There are many seasons of this podcast, but I recommend Season 2 on Whiteness as well is Season 4 on Democracy. #sceneonradio
Instagram post 2322615811734696638_13442450 Black lives matter.
Instagram post 2319329508599466327_13442450 I did not bake these cookies, as I am no longer the cookie baker in this house. But this is the second time that  Sadie has made @susanspungen ‘s Triple-Ginger Chocolate Chunk Cookies (and also the second time I’ve talked about a recipe Sadie has made from the #openkitchencookbook), and I think these might actually be the best cookies I have ever had. I’m often looking for the perfect ginger cookie and this is it, and I’d also choose it over a chocolate chip cookie (or let’s be honest-any other kind of cookie) any day.
Instagram post 2316311882260313364_13442450 No matter how many rulers and pizza cutters and other magical tools I use, it seems that the straight line will always elude me.
Instagram post 2314127252740427104_13442450 Living it up. 💥
Instagram post 2312088043104000827_13442450 Every day my neighbor’s yard gets prettier.
Instagram post 2311325683330503572_13442450 @paulaperlis sent us @susanspungen ‘s new book and of course the first recipe Sadie picked is marked with the *project* heading. She’s been cooking all afternoon and the house smells like ✨✨✨ (With gorgeous images by @gentlandhyers ❤️)
Instagram post 2311141543964321092_13442450 When I took on a day job a few years ago, I found that the first thing to go was all the homemade stuff I’d been making and writing about over the years. I’m still going out to work most days, but I’m finding now with a full and captive house and more downtime in general that those things I love to make are back. For me, it’s granola, yogurt, bread. Hello, old friends!
Instagram post 2308503311808232748_13442450 All the things in the house pasta: roasted cauliflower, a few sad leaves of kale, one jar of fancy tuna saved for a special occasion (how about Wednesday?), Rosemary, homemade breadcrumbs from the freezer fried in butter, crispy sage leaves, pasta water, salt, so much pepper. Success!
Instagram post 2307412630968777107_13442450 @artbywoodgy made this beautiful thing for me for Mother’s Day. All the veggies are on Velcro so I can plan to my hearts delight.
Instagram post 2306345003953662730_13442450 Happy Mother’s Day to my brave and beautiful mom, who birthed two different humans in such different times in her life. With me she was so young, and she figured it all out just as she was learning how to be an adult. This picture was taken nineteen years later, when she was pregnant again and I was almost an adult myself. Thanks for keeping at it, Mom, and for always showing up with love. ❤️
Instagram post 2304888771283579843_13442450 What we do for cake.
Instagram post 2302665269449083186_13442450 It’s a magnolia year for sure.
Instagram post 2295808104927071821_13442450 A long time ago, Joey talked about his crush on this particular alien-like flower with a good friend of ours. Months later, little bulbs arrived in the mail. We put them in the ground last fall, and now they are everywhere. If that isn’t some kind of magic, I don’t know what is. ✨ (🙏🏻 to @wildflowers1 for the cool vase, too.)
Follow on Instagram
This error message is only visible to WordPress admins

Error: API requests are being delayed. New posts will not be retrieved.

There may be an issue with the Instagram access token that you are using. Your server might also be unable to connect to Instagram at this time.

Error: API requests are being delayed for this account. New posts will not be retrieved.

There may be an issue with the Instagram access token that you are using. Your server might also be unable to connect to Instagram at this time.

My books!

Signed copies from my local bookstore/Amazon/Barnes & Noble

Front cover The Homemade Kitchen

Amazon /B&N /Powell's


Front cover The Homemade PantryAmazon
B&N
Powell's


Tense moments

failed cornbreadPan shattered in the oven? Jelly didn’t set? Trying to find a solution for a problem in the kitchen? Let’s get through the tense moments together, starting here.

Classes and workshops

My latest book!

Learn more about my latest book, Eating from the Ground Up. It's perfect for all you vegetable lovers out there.

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

COPYRIGHT © 2025 EATING FROM THE GROUND UP.