The Funky Spork

09/04/2026

I was finally able to yield enough of a small harvest of my cowpeas to cook them last night!

I let em soak all day, then slow simmered them for about 2 hours with some seasoning, cornstarch, and spices. They came out so delicious!!! 🫘🍛

09/02/2026

After over a week of curing, I finally cooked and ate 'Big Potat'. He turned out to be a very large and woody PURPLE sweet potato!!!

Because of its size, Big Potat was initially hard to cut into. However, after some elbow grease, I sliced it up into steak fry shapes, seasoned, corn starched, and baked em in the oven until they were crispy on the outside and tender inside.

As you see in the pictures, there was a lot I was able to use, but also a lot of extra pieces I didn't (but threw back in the potato patch!).

The flavor? Very mild, yet slightly sweet. The texture? Starchy, but also surprisingly stringy and fibrous! I think its because of the size that gave it that stringy texture (and waiting too long to harvest it). But aside from that, it was pretty good (we still have PLENTY of leftovers!).

I cant wait to eat the other (smaller) sweet potatoes!
🍠🥔✨️

08/25/2026

Considering all of the news about cattle supply in the US, why aren't other livestock, like goat and rabbit more popular here? They're smaller and assumingly cheaper to raise. And also delicious!

08/23/2026

What a realistic home gardening legume harvest looks like...

08/22/2026

Y'ALL, ALL MY FOOD GROWING IS FINALLY PAYING OFF.

One year later, and I have a nice Lil harvest of moringa and katuk leaves, cowpeas, and now....SWEET POTATOES!! Not sure how many pounds from this mini harvest, lol!

Now I have to let my taters cure before I feast on them!!

This is my joy and wealth right here. 🥰🙏🏽💚

🍠🥔🫘🌱

08/16/2026

08/15/2026

🌱 Summer joy!!:
1. My mini speckled pea harvest!!🫘
2. My brand new beetle friend gifted to me by my neighbor. Naming this lil green beetle, Gregory. I hope he had a good life...🥺🪲

07/24/2026

Southern speckled cowpea blossoms are BEAUTIFUL!! 🥰🥰

07/17/2026

This cyclospora outbreak is NO joke. It's really exposing the cracks within our industrialized food system: MAHA/MAGA's laxing of regulations and food safety programs, farmworker exploitation, and massive scale farming. The perfect storm. And to be frank, if things keep operating under these conditions, we WILL see more outbreaks. And possible food shortages.

Times like this remind me of why I have been trying so hard to grow my own food, and create, connect, and even barter with local food networks within my community. We are all we have.

Anyways, pictured are the greens I harvested from my home as part of tonight's chickpea and chicken pasta dinner: moringa, katuk, and cranberry hibiscus. I also picked a ripened peruvian apple!

07/17/2026

I KNOW this will be a good listen!!

What if your backyard could become a food forest? 🌿🍊

On this week’s Sustainable Living, Amanda Pike joins host Anni Ellis to share how everyday landscapes can be transformed into thriving food forests that provide fresh food, support pollinators, build climate resilience, and strengthen local communities.

FULL STORY ⬇️