boulderwoodgardens

boulderwoodgardens Sharing my passion for home gardening and cooking. Growing food & sharing garden to table ideas.
(2)

12/23/2025

‼️These are not brownies.✨
✌️They’re gooey little sweet potato chocolate + caramel bites — and that’s on purpose.✨

Soft, fudgy, and meant to be chilled and snacked on 🤍

How I made them:
✨ 2 cups cooked sweet potato, mashed until very soft
✨ 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
✨ 1 cup maple syrup

Mix everything together thoroughly until smooth.
Spread into a parchment-lined pan and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.

They’ll be very soft when they come out — that’s exactly right.

Caramel topping:
✨ 1 stick butter
✨ ½ cup packed light brown sugar

• Melt together gently until smooth, then drizzle over the warm pan.
• Scatter over a handful of chocolate chips and finish with flaky sea salt.

Let the pan cool completely on the counter until cold,
then chill in the fridge for 2–3 hours before slicing into little bites.

Perfect as a:
• last-minute holiday treat
• fridge snack
• cozy, simple dessert : serve in a cocktail glass!

And yes — the secret ingredient is sweet potato 🍠🫶

Save this for when you want something fast and comforting.

My husband absolutely loved it!!

12/21/2025

It’s almost time for start our 2026 garden!!✌️✨🫶

Are you ready to start yours?🌲✨

12/21/2025

✨Last-minute Christmas gifts, PART TWO🎄

Did you know you can make a homemade gift in under 15 minutes with root vegetables you already have?

These quick pickled root vegetables are:
• Cozy
• Useful
• Beautiful
• And actually get eaten

Plus — they’re the perfect gift to pair with seeds for spring planting 🌱

I shared:
✔️ The basic quick-pickle brine
✔️ The best root veggies to use
✔️ Why radishes are a cottage-garden favorite
✔️ How this becomes a gift now and later

💬 Comment “PICKLE” and I’ll send you the full recipe + blog post with seed-gifting ideas.

👉 Save this for holiday gifting
👉 Share with a friend who loves homemade food

How Quick Pickling Works

Quick pickling skips the canning process entirely. Instead of long preservation, you’re creating a flavorful brine that lightly preserves vegetables in the refrigerator.

All you need is:
• Vinegar for acidity
• Water to soften the bite
• Salt for flavor and preservation
• A little sugar to balance (optional)

Once the hot brine hits the vegetables, the magic starts almost immediately.

⸻

Basic Quick Pickle Recipe

Ingredients:
• 1 cup vinegar (apple cider or white)
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1–2 tablespoons sugar (optional)
• Sliced root vegetables of choice

Instructions:
1. Pack sliced vegetables into a clean heat‑safe jar.
2. Bring vinegar, water, salt, and sugar to a simmer.
3. Pour hot brine over vegetables until fully submerged.
4. Let cool, cover, and refrigerate.

They’re ready in about 30 minutes, but the flavor deepens overnight.

12/20/2025

What to do with leftover bread after the holidays 👇

If you have stale bread, rolls, or breadsticks sitting on the counter, don’t throw them away. Leftover bread can be rehydrated and turned into homemade croutons in minutes.

This is one of my favorite holiday leftovers ideas — especially when you also have leftover vegetable platters that need using up.

Freeze leftovers if you can’t use them right away, or transform them a few days later like this.

Save this — leftover season always comes faster than you think.

12/18/2025

‼️If you’re in charge of Christmas dinner this year and it’s roast beef OR ANY ROAST — don’t skip these steps.
✌️They’re what take it from good to absolutely epic.

I learned all of these things when I lived in England from my mother-in-law almost 2 decades ago, and they completely changed how I roasted anything!

Tip #1: Roast potatoes (the right way)
Par-boil your potatoes in well-salted water until the outsides start to flake.
Drain, shake them in the colander to rough up the edges, then toss with reserved meat fat — turkey drippings, beef fat, or duck fat if you can get it.
Crispy outside, fluffy inside. Every time.

Tip #2: Clean + revive your vegetables
Soak vegetables in cold water with a little baking soda to thoroughly clean them.
Then give them an ice bath to revive and crisp them back up.

Tip #3: Perfect gravy (this is where people miss it)
Use actual meat drippings, not just fat.
That’s what gives gravy deep flavor and richness — it makes all the difference.

Yorkshire pudding (don’t skip this):
– Make the batter ahead of time
– Equal parts egg, milk, flour
– Let it sit at room temperature, whisking a few times throughout the day
– Preheat your oven hot and use beef fat or duck fat

👉 If you have empty trays in the oven, fill them with water.
This creates steam so the Yorkshire puddings rise better and prevents trays from burning or warping.

Bake at 425°F for 25–30 minutes and do not open the oven door.
They need to cook fully so they rise tall and don’t collapse.

Roast beef:
Let it rest at least 15 minutes before slicing so the juices redistribute and the meat stays tender.

Homemade horseradish (optional but incredible):
Fresh grated root, lemon juice, a little sour cream, salt and pepper.

Finish with maple-roasted carrots or crispy Brussels sprouts and you’ve got the perfect Christmas roast.

🎥 I have a Reel showing how I make the perfect gravy step by step.
💬 Comment “gravy” and I’ll send it to you.
📌 Save this for Christmas OR ANY SUNDAY😘.

12/16/2025

✨🍞 Cozy Monkey Bread ⬇️✨

Dough amount:
• About 2-3 cups worth of proofed bread dough — not batter, not flat, just soft dough that’s had time to rise (overnight fridge dough works beautifully).

Instructions:
• Cut the dough into small, bite-size pieces.
• Toss with flour, white sugar, and cinnamon until coated.

• Generously butter a Bundt pan.
• Add the coated dough pieces to the pan.

Caramel glaze:
• Melt 1 stick of butter with ½ cup packed brown sugar.
• Heat on low until it gently simmers and turns glossy.
• Pour evenly over the dough.

• Bake at 350°F for 30–40 minutes.
• Add a few ice cubes to a pan on the rack below to create steam.

• Rest briefly, then place a plate on top and flip.
• Best served warm, but equally cozy once the caramel settles.

Save this, try this OMG YUMMMYYYY!!!!!

Have you tried monkey bread before?⬇️✨🌲

12/16/2025

Herbs feeling sad this time of year? 🌿
This is my go-to way to bring them completely back to life.

✨ Ice bath
✨ Paper towel squeeze
✨ No bruising, no tearing

Perfect for cilantro, parsley, and anything going into winter salads or fresh guac.

Save this for later & share with someone who hates limp herbs 🫶✨👋.

12/13/2025

Since we’re getting an outside pizza oven I figured we better start a pizza series!!

What type of pizza context are you here for?👋⬇️🫶

12/12/2025

🫢 You’ve probably never wondered what happens when you mix fermented cranberries with real maple syrup BUT maybe now you’ll try it!! 🍁

Okay, science-y but fun: these cranberries started as a simple wild ferment — just water, a little sugar, lemon, and the natural lactobacillus floating around in the kitchen. After about a week on the counter, they got tangy and probiotic-rich, then I popped them in the fridge to slow things down.

Tonight, I poured a pint of maple syrup — a gift from a cottage guest — right over them. And here’s where the magic happens: maple syrup is hygroscopic, which is a fancy way of saying it loves water. So it literally pulls ruby juice from the berries, creating a sweet-tangy, probiotic syrup that tastes like holiday cheer in a jar.

Uses? So many:
• Mocktails & sparkling water
• Yogurt bowls or porridge
• Glaze for roasted veggies
• Salad dressings or cheese boards
• Pancakes or waffles

💡 Fun little science twist: the maple adds sugar and draws water but keeps things gentle enough that the probiotics stay happy while the syrup naturally thickens.

I’m not a scientist — I just learned this today and had to share! This is raw, living, cozy magic in a jar — anyone can make it. 🍁

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