An Oregon Cottage Podcast: Simple Real Foods, Gardening DIY

Jami and Brian discuss the positives and negatives of being your own general contractor to oversee your remodeling project. It all really depends on your budget and what you hope to do. They have some farmhouse updates. Jami lists her top 6 recipes to can or freeze in September. And Brian talks about surfing in Oregon.

 Jami and Brian talk about what they found as they removed the vinyl siding from most of the old farmhouse: Missing windows, a phantom door, and what did the original trim look like? They discuss restoration vs. renovation and how to have modern updates while being authentic to the house style. Jami shares her best zucchini recipes, and during recording Brian spots the neighbors removing a major eye-sore. Plus lots more.

Jami and Brian remember the TV cabinet they bought that Brian thought was great because it was cheap and Jami was disappointed because it was so beat up. Now fixed up and one of their favorite pieces of furniture. They discuss their favorite TV shows from the very late 80s to today. What's the common theme here? Jami gives a real-life example of a week of menus, plus lots more.

Jami lists her favorite cookbooks, the ones that have survived both recent moves and that she still finds favorite recipes in. She discusses with Brian about how well cookbooks survived the ebook and online recipe revolution. They share some happy farmhouse updates and some sad garden updates. And then talk about some cool things they've discovered. Leave your feedback for the podcast on a voicemail by calling (541) 658-0215.

 Jami and Brian talk about why reading books is so much better than reading little social media posts. They discuss the different formats (yes, audiobooks count and are sometimes better). And how to find the time to get books read. Then they get into just a brief overview of some of their favorite books. And Jami goes through an example week of menus. THIS IS OUR LONGEST EPISODE TO DATE. But it easily could have been twice as long.

Jami and Brian talk about the costs of eating out all the time. It's not just expensive in terms of money. Jami shares some of her favorite go-to meals that you can make quickly and easily when you don't feel like spending a lot of time cooking. Brian talks about the latest updates on the farmhouse. Plus lots more.

Jami and Brian talk about the bane of Northwest gardeners--the invasive Himalayan blackberry and how they've dealt with it in the past. This time around they've had to take extreme measures. They give some updates on the remodeling progress of their hundred year old farmhouse fixes. There's food coming in from the garden, so Jami shares some early harvest recipes. Plus some cool things they've discovered and lots more.

 Jami and Brian discuss Remodeling Magazine's list of remodeling projects that give you biggest and smallest return on your money when you sell your house. Then they talk about their own projects compare and the "you have to live there" factor. Jami shares recipes from the garden for spring, and they both discuss a riveting book series they've been listening to together.

Jami and Brian talk about how much average people are spending on new cars and how you much more freedom you have in your life if you don't spend that much. They discuss what they've found to be the used-car "sweet spot," not too cheap but still nice, and then list off the things you need if you're going to drive used vehicles--like a mechanic you can trust. They give a wild goldfish update on the Farmhouse, plus talk about cool books and TV shows they've recently discovered.

Jami and Brian talk about the kitchen gadgets and small appliances that are worth taking up storage space and spending $$ for. The bottom line is it has to do something really useful or replace one of the more standard small appliances. Jami talks about the advantages of freezing your garden produce. Brian discusses health sharing ministries as an alternative to high insurance rates. And much more.