Here come the dandelions! I’ve harvested my first colander of the season from the back yard. Lovely, nutritious, FREE! Weeds, you say? Oh ye of little imagination. (Of course I have noticed no one came over for supper the night I put the word out that we were having dandelion greens.)

Made low-fat gluten free granola the other day and have concocted my third batch of Thermos bottle yogurt, here’s how ya do it: heat some milk to just below boil (about 120 degrees - use candy thermometer), cool it to between 112 and 115 degrees, mix in a few tablespoons plain yogurt (make sure to use live-culture yogurt) and pour the mixture into a pre-warmed Thermos bottle, screw down the lid and wait 6 to 8 hours. That’s all there is to it. I like to drain off the whey for a cream-cheese consistency. (Put yogurt into a cheesecloth lined strainer over a bowl. Let drain in the fridge overnight.) Be sure to save a few tablespoons of yogurt as starter for your next batch.

What’s next in my getting-back-to-basics, living-off-the-land campaign? Tie dye peasant skirts? Macramé plant hangers? Dumpster diving? Backyard chickens? Stay turned.