Introducing the Herbalist Manifesto blog

There's a new blog in town. This one focuses the life of PH's professional herbalist, gardener, nutritionist and rabble rouser Sue Sierralupe. Sometimes the Herbalist Manifesto digs into soil with comments on sustainable gardening. Sometimes the Herbalist Manifesto grits her teeth at modern parenting. Sometimes the Herbalist Manifesto takes a lean, hard look at society and bites back. The blog is updated weekly, so check in regularly. The Herbalist Manifesto

Old-fashioned Apple Pie Recipe

by Sue Sierralupe

Simple  to make, delightful to eat; this apple pie is a winner all-around. Use Aunt Patty's Easy Pie Crust recipe for a perfect combination. Any leftovers I manage to save are my breakfast the next day.

It makes one 9 inch pie. If you want to use your 10 inch pie tin, just add 1/4 to 1/3 more ingredients depending on how deep you want your pie to turn out.

Ingredients for Old-fashioned Apple Pie

• Pastry for one 2 crust pie
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 dash of salt if not using self-rising flour
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 6 cups sliced tar baking apples (fresh or canned)
• 1 tblsp butter or margarine

How to Brew the Perfect Cup of Coffee

by Candace Hunter

One important key to making great coffee is to choose coffee you love. Using the process on this page, the scent and the flavor of your beans will shine, as will any unbalance or flaws. Experiment with the best quality beans you can find. Pay attention to the characteristics you like best and to which varieties satisfy your palate. Ignore any coffee experts who try to tell you what you should or shouldn't like. Coffee is highly personal.

The second key to making great coffee is to pay attention to your brew. This means bringing your water to a boil, then letting it stand for a few moments to bring the temperature down to about 204 degrees Fahrenheit. Let it steep for four minutes rather than considerably longer or shorter. Pour it with care as you strain so as to ensure that you don't accidentally spill grounds into the finished brew. All in all, it takes about ten minutes or so to make a truly good cup of coffee.

This procedure is written to make four six-ounce cups of coffee, which results in enough to fill two standard mugs. The important proportion you'll need to keep in mind when you're adjusting this procedure for a different volume is one heaping tablespoon of ground coffee for each six ounces of water.