When thinking of food preservation, many people have visions of some big-production, time-consuming project with dozens of jars to fill with pounds and pounds of produce. But that doesn’t have to be the case. The first thing most people say to me, after expressing a desire to learn to ferment or preserve something, is, “But […]
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The West Sound Magazine blog is your destination for information and tips about living in West Sound — home, gardening, outdoor recreation, things to do and more.
Posted inAround West Sound
Endangered Orca Recovery Focus of Regionwide Day of Action
Ten of Puget Sound’s conservation districts have teamed up for a first-ever region-wide day of action to connect people to Puget Sound, the critically endangered southern resident killer whales and the work that needs to be done to save them. The conservation districts will host events focusing on this most-iconic species of the Pacific Northwest […]
Posted inAt Home
Seven Projects You Can Do with Leftover Tile
Have you recently renovated your kitchen walls or tiled your shower or your bathroom floor? If you did, then you must have a lot of leftover tiles. Don’t throw them in the trash — you can put them to good use. Here are some great ideas for things you can do with leftover tile. Tile […]
Posted inAt Home
It’s Pear Time Again!
Passing through Ellensburg in pear season, one is compelled to stop at a fruit stand and be enraptured by the presence of firm, ripe, voluptuous pears. Pears can be red, green and yellow in color, and they grow in sizes from prune-sized seckels to anjous as big as a fist. Pears do not ripen on […]
Posted inGardeners Corner
Fall Is the Time to Plant Your Early-Blooming Bulbs
For local gardeners, fall is the time to clean out garden beds and get bulbs in the ground. The mild climate of West Sound makes it ideal for growing a wide range of spring-blooming bulbs, with crocuses, hellebores, cyclamen, daffodils, tulips and grape hyacinth being among the most popular. Since early-blooming bulbs need a cold […]
Posted inAt Home
Polenta with Sercial-Spiked Lobster Mushrooms and Collard Greens Makes for Perfect October Meal
Editor’s note: This is an adapted excerpt from “36 Bottles of Wine,” by Paul Zitarelli, recently released by Sasquatch Books. There you are, casually negotiating pizza toppings with your friends. Someone blithely mentions mushrooms. Heads nod around the room. Universal approval. Does a single member of the party stop and think this through? Is there […]
Posted inAt Home
Top Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing Paint Colors
With thousands of color options, selecting a perfect shade for a painting project can seem like an overwhelming and almost impossible task. These are the top painting mistakes and how you can avoid them for a smooth paint selection process. Mistake 1: Assuming a color in the store will look the same in your home […]
Posted inAround West Sound
Is an Early College Application Right for Your High School Senior?
For many students, now is the time when their college lists have started to take shape. They’ve (hopefully) gotten ahead with their college essays, and now they’re sorting out one of the final pieces of the application puzzle: deadlines. After dedicating so much effort to deciding where to apply, it can be difficult to find […]
Posted inCommunity News
Oil-Recycling Station Added in South Kitsap
Kitsap residents can now recycle their used cooking oil for free at the South Kitsap Recycling and Garbage Facility in Olalla. This is the fourth cooking oil recycling station in the county. Why is it important to recycle used cooking oil? Cooking oil poured down the drain clogs pipes used in sewer and septic systems. […]