Okay, okay. I know it’s been FOREVER. But… I have a new layout. Oh yeah, and, uh…. some news. Kinda big news. The times they are a-changin’… I actually can’t believe it still, despite the fact we’re in the second trimester. I mean, how did this happen? Well I KNOW HOW IT HAPPENED. Thanks to […]
Author: Marilla
Exactly two years ago today, I up and got married to my one & only. Suited in black (both of us) & wearing wingtips (again, both of us), with my grandmother’s ring on my finger, photos of our departed loved ones closest to my heart and with my great-grandfather Tom Rooney’s tie clip on his […]
beverage | chocolate | desserts | great for kids | halloween | holiday | hot chocolate | I love... | no-bake | quick & easy
Hot Vampire’s blood cocktail… aka hot cocoa.
(This was originally written for a contributor post on eighteen25, go take a look and see! And look for more posts by me over there soon.) Ahhh, welcome to October! It’s finally time! I’ve been waiting for this for over a month. It’s time. IT’S TIME. It’s time for Halloween! It’s my favorite time of year. And this year, I’ve […]
basil | canning | cooking | food | fruit | herbs | italian | olive oil | oregano | puree | recipe | sauce | savory | seasonal | tomato | vegetables
Homemade canned tomato sauce.
If you follow me on Instagram, you know that we’ve been getting some insanely large tomatoes this year from our garden. Insane. I already used a bunch to make that hot tomato and peach jam, I gave some massive 1 1/2 lb. ones away and then I found myself with another 8 lbs. of them. […]
canning | cardamom | fruit | jam | nectarine | rose water
Rosewater cardamom nectarine preserves. Or jam.
And, for part FIVE of the stone fruit saga of 2016, I present to you… I received 26 lbs. of a mix of nectarines and peaches back in the beginning of August thanks to my Canbassador-ship with Northwest Cherries and the Washington State Stone Fruit Commission. As I said before, this is my fourth year […]
brown sugar | cinnamon | cobbler | desserts | fruit | mint | peaches | quick & easy | recipe | seasonal | traditional with a twist | vanilla
Quick peach cobbler.
How’s your summer going, everyone!? I hope you’re all eating and drinking and growing (veggies- not your waistline) and swimming and beaching your way through the season. I haven’t had much time to bake, plus it’s been hot. But after having some peaches left after my first foray into the 2016 peach/nectarine portion of my […]
canning | chilies | fruit | garden | jam | low sugar | peaches | peppers | preserved foods | preserves | recipe | seasonal | tomato | traditional with a twist
Hot tomato & peach jammin’!
I’ve been harvesting a lot of tomatoes from the garden lately. I know, I haven’t done my annual garden post. I haven’t had the time (yet). But just know that everything is growing like crazy. I’ve picked about 12 tomatoes and so far other than the small Yellow Taxi tomatoes, each one has been around […]
gifts | I love... | jewelry | lifestyle | miscellany | no-bake | reviews | unrelated
Larimar- my new favorite thing.
I’ve always loved turquoise. I remember as a little girl going in my mom’s jewelry box and playing around with her old silver rings and earrings. A couple of them being her turquoise from the 60’s and 70’s. I’ve always had love for that stone. I felt like it was so earthy- it seemed like […]
4th of july | almond | berries | birthdays | cake | cakes | cheese | cherry | desserts | filling | frosting | fruit | lemon | orange | quick & easy | recipe | ricotta | seasonal | traditional with a twist | vanilla
Almond ricotta cannoli cake with fresh fruit.
(This was originally written for a contributor post on eighteen25, go take a look and see! And look for more posts by me over there soon.) July 4th was America’s 240th birthday, and July 5th was my mother’s (definitely not 240th) birthday. So every year I usually ask her what she’d like me to bake for her and I do the baking […]
canning | cherry | coconut | d.i.y. (do it yourself) | desserts | fruit | mint | preserved foods | recipe | seasonal | toppings | traditional with a twist | unique
Whole cherries in coconut syrup.
Last year, I made whole canned cherries in a light almond syrup. This year, I knew I wanted to do something different, but I didn’t know what. Enter: coconut. I heard from my dad about a coconut, cherry and pistachio cake (because he wanted me to make it, natch) and I thought maybe I could […]
I'm Marilla. A 30-something artist, hobby baker, home canning enthusiast, gardener, DIY-er, wife, mommy of a baby boy and dog mom (to another baby boy) from New York. 
