Lexi McCologist @leximccologist.bsky.social · 3hShe was absolutely adorable. My stepfather, her dad, was a beat poet and teacher in San Francisco in the late 50s and 60s. His friends were musicians and dancers and craftspeople, and my mother was an artist. In the late 60s and 70s, they were all going for a gypsy vibe.  010
Lexi McCologist @leximccologist.bsky.social · 12hLove the dress in pic #2. My sister was born in 1978 and always laments photos of herself as a baby and toddler. "Oh my freakin' God, it's my folk-baby era." At four years old, she started insisting on Gunne-Sax-inspired dresses and patent leather shoes. 110
Lexi McCologist @leximccologist.bsky.social · 07/10/2026I'm a fan of long pencil skirts with kick pleats but the thing that icks me out is the presence of chest pockets. Never a fan. However, I also love clothes with secrets. Bright and wild linings. Colorful slips and underskirts. Gold sequined tops beneath staid suit jackets. 110
Lexi McCologist @leximccologist.bsky.social · 05/10/2026Perhaps the teenagers could be persuaded to help out? With a reward of meatballs? Making them is a life skill for adulthood, like knowing how to do laundry without dyeing all your whites pink. 110
Lexi McCologist @leximccologist.bsky.social · 05/10/2026All I want to eat when the weather changes is soup. My made-up recipe uses a pound of hot Italian sausage and a pound of ground turkey. I regularly double the recipe. I've also been known to have Viet-flavored and Swedish meatballs in the freezer at the same time. 110
Lexi McCologist @leximccologist.bsky.social · 05/10/2026Happiness is a big bag of homemade meatballs in the freezer. Just bought some sausage yesterday with visions of a bowl of minestrone soup with meatballs and a dusting of parmesan. 110
Lexi McCologist @leximccologist.bsky.social · 04/10/2026I'm self employed, and my primary client hired a third party to verify independent contractor status — including proof of filing taxe returns and carrying errors/omissions insurance. 020
Lexi McCologist @leximccologist.bsky.social · 04/10/2026He makes it look effortless to dress like a grown-up man. 020
Lexi McCologist @leximccologist.bsky.social · 30/09/2026The dress is just perfect—simple and elegant. The ensemble, as shown in the first image here, is dramatic and regal; it's got everything going on. 000
Lexi McCologist @leximccologist.bsky.social · 27/09/2026But I'm in complete agreement: Because of the time and increasingly ridiculous cost of jars, lids, rings, and farmstead produce, I think it's best to focus on the things we will actually enjoy eating when it's dark and cold. Gift/donate produce that feels like a burden. 010
Lexi McCologist @leximccologist.bsky.social · 27/09/2026Sugar in its many forms (grape juice!) helps fruit keep its shape and color but isn't necessary from a food safety standpoint. So unsweetened apple, peach, and pear sauces, butters, and compotes (rhubarb-strawberry!) can all be canned safely. 110
Lexi McCologist @leximccologist.bsky.social · 27/09/2026Yum! We had a rain and wind storm the night before last but it’s supposed to clear up for the next few days. I got some apples from a friend’s tree and made applesauce to can. There are enough left over to make apple crisp, one of today’s projects. Stay cozy! 000
Lexi McCologist @leximccologist.bsky.social · 27/09/2026Have you ever had Slipskin Pie? It’s incredibly delicious. Squeeze the grapes to separate skin from innards, cook the innards, put them through a food mill , and then add sugar and lemon. Combined this with the skins and put it into a lattice-top pie crust. Heaven.  100
Lexi McCologist @leximccologist.bsky.social · 27/09/2026That is a magnificent dress. I love cut velvet. 020
Lexi McCologist @leximccologist.bsky.social · 27/09/2026I'm really loving them! My giant zinnias are still colorful though a recent windstorm blew one over. But my smaller ones are finished. I think of marigolds and zinnias as old friends, must-have companions in the garden year after year. 110
Lexi McCologist @leximccologist.bsky.social · 27/09/2026I have marigolds started from seed. They're still going strong as the weather has cooled; they're not bushy but are rangy with flowers on long stems reaching in every direction...bright orange to deepest red. 110
Lexi McCologist @leximccologist.bsky.social · 26/09/2026When I was in third grade, we had weekly nutrition lessons and got to cook a recipe in the school kitchen. The things I remember are wheat tortillas and sloppy joes. I'd never had a sloppy joe before, and I've never had one since, but I have a golden memory of deliciousness. 010
Lexi McCologist @leximccologist.bsky.social · 25/09/2026Lucky you! Squirrels dug up my radish seeds. And carrots. And spinach. And three kinds of beets. 100
Lexi McCologist @leximccologist.bsky.social · 24/09/2026I'm left wondering if I dare plant bulbs. 210
Lexi McCologist @leximccologist.bsky.social · 24/09/2026Squirrels are pissing me off this year. My neighbor has a walnut tree that hangs over the fence, and they're leaving incredible messes everywhere with husks and shells. But the kicker is that they're eating all the perennials I planted and digging up flower beds and seeds for fall and winter veg. 120
Lexi McCologist @leximccologist.bsky.social · 22/09/2026Lay’s potato chips just went from 32 to 27 ounces with no decrease in price. 000
Lexi McCologist @leximccologist.bsky.social · 22/09/2026I have two green rhubarb plants. I usually make compote with it and freeze. In June I bought a flat of strawberries and made rhubarb-strawberry compote. I thought about adding orange zest and ginger, but it was so delicious with just the fruit that I let it be. I usually eat it atop yogurt. 000
Lexi McCologist @leximccologist.bsky.social · 22/09/2026Maybe try omitting the molasses — taste with just prunes, then slowly add molasses if it needs depth of flavor. Rhubarb, lime, and brown sugar? Keep it light and bright with just a little sweetness (if you do sugar). Rhubarb and apple? Sour with a hint of fruity sweetness. 110
Lexi McCologist @leximccologist.bsky.social · 22/09/2026For dal, it was simmered with red lentils along with tomato, ginger, garlic, spices and a tadka of onion and cumin seeds. 010
Lexi McCologist @leximccologist.bsky.social · 22/09/2026I didn't make rhubarb paste per se. For the BBQ sauce and ketchup, I cooked the rhubarb in a little water until it melted and then added vinegar, aromatics, and spices, and simmered until it was the right consistency. You could even put it through a sieve for a smoother sauce. 210
Lexi McCologist @leximccologist.bsky.social · 22/09/2026I've used it as the base for barbecue sauce and ketchup. Also as the souring agent in dal. 100
Lexi McCologist @leximccologist.bsky.social · 20/09/2026I looked for peaches at local orchards a few weeks ago, and there were none to be had; season over. And sadly, a lot fewer orchards / farms than just a few years ago. But I did get some apples from a friend — last of the season from his trees. Made a small batch of applesauce Friday, more today! 000
Lexi McCologist @leximccologist.bsky.social · 18/09/2026It was slow to grow but now has small green tomatoes. Hoping the largest one will start to change color before it's too chilly. 110
Lexi McCologist @leximccologist.bsky.social · 18/09/2026All of the larger ones are from the same batch of seeds? They're stunners! I grew Pineapples a number of years ago, also Ananas Noire. I still have some of the seeds and started them in a paper towel to see if they'd germinate. One did, and I transplanted it. 100
Lexi McCologist @leximccologist.bsky.social · 16/09/2026The plant that grew this Red Sun sunflower was mercilessly attacked by crows. This flower bloomed inside and has all the pollen bees would normally collect. 161
Lexi McCologist @leximccologist.bsky.social · 16/09/2026What a wonderful array of colors and sizes. 000
Lexi McCologist @leximccologist.bsky.social · 15/09/2026I haven't had a large garden in several years. This year I was a lot more ambitious, though our weather (and squirrels and crows and a bunny) were not helpful. I want to plant more plants of more varieties in 2027. 120
Lexi McCologist @leximccologist.bsky.social · 15/09/2026I'm also an experienced enough home cook that I substitute/omit/add ingredients when I follow a recipe. I feel like successful baking is more science, so I try to make recipes as written — at least the first time. 220
Lexi McCologist @leximccologist.bsky.social · 15/09/2026I never know what a recipe calls for when it says "green tomatoes." "Unripe" would be a lot more helpful! I started my tomatillos indoors from seed and transplanted six. Squirrels took out three and one didn't get enough sun so it's not as productive. 120
Lexi McCologist @leximccologist.bsky.social · 15/09/2026Question was for the person who said unripe tomatoes made good salsa. I grew tomatillos this year and have been making salsa verde. Love it! I'm sticking half-pint jars in the freezer to eat in winter. And right now, I'm making Chile Verde, also a favorite. Portions also go in freezer. 120
Lexi McCologist @leximccologist.bsky.social · 15/09/2026Curious: Do you substitute the unripe tomatoes for tomatillos in salsa verde, or do you have another recipe? 120
Lexi McCologist @leximccologist.bsky.social · 14/09/2026I pick a lot of tomatoes when they start to change color because the growing season is short, and I want to encourage the plants to ripen more fruit. They line my kitchen shelves and ripen nicely. Have to get the green ones picked before it turns too chilly or they never ripen at all. Good luck! 120
Lexi McCologist @leximccologist.bsky.social · 14/09/2026Wow! I was able to harvest tomatoes throughout August but now I only have green tomatoes, some large, some small. I'm hoping they start changing color soon because my growing season typically ends the last week of September. 220
Lexi McCologist @leximccologist.bsky.social · 14/09/2026Quite likely, but there are all kinds of crackpot Christian communities in Pennsylvania. In Lancaster County, tourists visit Amish businesses, the train museum, etc. In Lancaster City, Amish farmers and food producers sell at Central Market. Amish communities aren't as isolated as some think. 110
Lexi McCologist @leximccologist.bsky.social · 13/09/2026Hey there! I saw this one. Very striking. tomato-king.com/captivating-...tomato-king.comCAPTIVATING HEART TOMATOCAPTIVATING HEART. A new collector's variety bred by Sofia Saakova (Stavropol), which was in the F7 stabilization stage in 2025. Despite its high level of stability, individual plants may still display slight segregations, a natural characteri... 010
Lexi McCologist @leximccologist.bsky.social · 12/09/2026I freeze minced garlic, ginger, chiles, and herbs by the tablespoon in a mini muffin tin, and then pop the frozen pucks into zip-top bags. 130
Lexi McCologist @leximccologist.bsky.social · 12/09/2026I like to try new varieties each year, but I don't have the space to waste on edibles that don't taste good. I would move on. Someone told me De Barao Black tomatoes were a favorite. tomato-king.com/tall/3447/ 110
Lexi McCologist @leximccologist.bsky.social · 12/09/2026I'll portion some out and stick it in the freezer for fall and winter meals. Love stews and soups on a chilly day. Enjoy your feast!! 010
Lexi McCologist @leximccologist.bsky.social · 11/09/2026Sounds like good eating. I'm making chile verde today with five pounds of pork shoulder; salsa for braising is done but I'm waiting for the pork to thaw completely. 120
Lexi McCologist @leximccologist.bsky.social · 11/09/2026I have some of those Purina boxes decorating my house. I had a fruit box on my dining room table, the kind a flat of strawberries comes in, for more than three years because one of my cats napped in it every day. 010