Is A Tomato A Fruit or a Vegetable?
A hotly debated question: what, in fact, is a tomato? A sweet fruit or a savory vegetable? The answer depends on whether you’re a botanist or a chef.
Read MoreEdgar Allan Poe: A Cottage in the Woods
It wasn’t exactly a romantic Kingdom by the Sea, but it was in this quiet cottage that Edgar Allan Poe wrote one of his greatest poems.
Read MoreWhat To Do With An Old Christmas Tree
Balsam fir tea soothes the sinuses, opens the nasal passages, and evokes the depths of the wild forest in your stressed-out soul.
Read MoreDeck The Halls: A Field Guide
One of the remarkable things about December, whether you celebrate Christmas or not, is that almost everywhere you go, there are evergreens draped all over things. The more urban the setting, the more greenery. Shopping malls suddenly resemble forests. I found plenty of foliage today at the grocery store. And the botanist in me always glances at the evergreen decor with an eye to identification. Now evergreen isn’t a type of plant, it’s a lifestyle. There are evergreen ferns, oaks, and mosses. It just means they keep some (but not all) of their leaves green all year long. (Needles are...
Read MoreMint: Is It Your Cup of Tea?
Upset stomach. Ugh. Not horridly painful, nothing serious, just out of sorts and a bit, acidy, you know—really don’t feel like eating. So I’ve been trying to use more herbal remedies for the little aches and pains of life, and I googled herbal remedies for upset stomachs. Came up with mint tea—specifically, peppermint tea. Ah, okay, lots of peppermint growing in the backyard, so let’s give it a try. Making mint tea is simple. Rinse off the mint leaves and stems (any part of the plant will do), put a handful in a Mason jar, and pour in boiling water. And that’s it. Let it steep for a...
Read MoreSamoa: Fish-Watching
Coral reef fish are the craziest, gaudiest, most unlikely colors, like a kid run wild with a paintbox. Splashes of lemon, stripes of neon blue, turquoise, and the hottest of hot pink. Each fish is a work of art that’s looking you right in the eye.
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