De Nuestra Mesa

08/08/2026

08/08/2026

Warm days call for something bright and citrusy! ☀️🍊🍫
The newest entry in our Coffee Companion Series is live on the blog, and this month we are exploring the quiet magic of balancing bright acidity with comforting richness.
I baked up a fresh batch of tender Dark Chocolate - Blood Orange Scones and paired them with the absolute perfect pour-over: the Colombia Peñas Blancas from Sacramento’s own Camellia Coffee Roasters. The punchy, natural fruit notes of the coffee (think dried kiwi and green apple!) perfectly mirror the sweet citrus oils infused in the scone, effortlessly cutting through the rich butter and dark chocolate. ☕️✨

Whether you are prepping dozens of pastries for a weekend gathering or just making a small batch for a quiet morning, I've broken down the exact 3:1:1 kitchen math to help you scale the recipe effortlessly.

Head over to the blog to get the full recipe, the coffee math to dial in your brew, and my favorite baker's trick for guaranteed flaky layers!

Read the full post here: https://denuestramesafarms.wixsite.com/denuestramesa/post/the-coffee-companion-dark-chocolate-blood-orange-scone

On warm days, I find myself reaching for something bright and citrusy. I may not wake up craving an ice-cold lemonade, but a gentle citrus note—especially before the kitchen heats up—feels nearly as refreshing.There is a quiet kind of magic in pairing the right coffee with the right pastry. This...

08/07/2026

Building a compost pile is one thing, but getting it HOT is where the real garden magic happens. 🔥

If you've got your 3-bay pallet system ready but aren't sure how to turn your kitchen scraps and yard waste into gorgeous soil (without creating a sludgy, smelly swamp!), the newest blog post is live!

In this blog post, we are breaking down the science of hot composting for the home garden, including:

🦠 Why beneficial microbes need oxygen (and how to keep them happy)
🧽 The exact “Wrung-Out Sponge” moisture test
🔄 A simple turning rhythm for normal humans—no Compost Olympics required!

Read the full breakdown and see the step-by-step 3-bay workflow right here:
https://denuestramesafarms.wixsite.com/denuestramesa/post/hot-compost-basics-how-to-get-heat-keep-heat-and-not-create-sludge

Let's get those piles cooking so we have beautiful, rich soil ready for the autumn garden! 🌱🍂

Now that your 3-bay system is built and you know exactly what ingredients belong in it, we need to talk about heat.You can absolutely just throw your greens and browns into a pile and let them slowly rot over the next two years. But if you want to speed things up, kill off w**d seeds, and make gorge...

08/04/2026

Ever stared at a banana peel and wondered if it actually belongs in your compost bin? 🤔

Composting shouldn't be complicated! Over on the blog today, we are talking about:
🌱 The difference between Greens and Browns (and why it matters)
🛑 The "Please Don't" list that keeps pests away
🍂 The one simple rule that stops fruit flies and odors instantly

I even put together a free printable Kitchen Counter Compost Cheat Sheet for you to stick on the fridge!

Check out the post and download your cheat sheet from the link in the comment below.

07/29/2026

Have you ever struggled with a compost pile that just won't break down? We definitely did. 🌱

Our old wire bins just weren't giving us the workflow we needed for all our garden and kitchen scraps. So, Moses put his building skills to work and constructed a brand-new 3-bay pallet compost system for us! 🪵✨

This setup moves everything from an "Active Fill" bay through a "Cooking" stage, right into "Finishing"—meaning less manual turning and beautiful, ready-to-use compost for our Citrus Heights garden.

If you want to see exactly how it was put together and what materials to look for (hint: always go for heat-treated pallets!), check out the newest post on the De Nuestra Mesa blog!

👉 Read the full guide here: https://denuestramesafarms.wixsite.com/denuestramesa/post/our-three-bay-pallet-compost-system

If you have been following along, you know we previously used round wire bins for our compost. They worked fine for holding yard waste, but turning the pile was a chore, and they didn't offer much in the way of workflow or pest control. Enter the 3-bay pallet system. Moses built this setup, and it h...

07/27/2026

M E N U
( S U M M E R - 2 0 2 6 )

07/27/2026

Ready to finally make sense of compost? 🌱

We just kicked off a massive, deep-dive series over on the blog covering everything from building a pile that actually heats up, to troubleshooting pests, to managing those city-issued green bins.

The very first post is officially live, and we will be dropping new guides twice a week, moving step-by-step from the very basics to advanced backyard setups. Whether you have a massive suburban garden or just a patio and a green bin, there is something in this series for you.

Here is a look at the full syllabus so you know exactly what to expect:

Live Now! Part 1: Composting 101. This post demystifies compost, explains what it does for your soil, and covers the basic needs of carbon, nitrogen, air, and water.

Part 2: Our 3-Bay Pallet System. We will share our very own pallet system, explain why three bays are better than one sad pile, and include a video tour of the build.

Part 3: Greens, Browns, and the “Please Don’t” List. This guide will stop confusion by defining what goes in the pile and listing items like meat and dairy that invite chaos.

Part 4: Hot Compost Basics. You will learn how microbes and oxygen create heat, and how to maintain that heat without turning your pile into sludge.

Part 5: Compost Troubleshooting. We will tackle common issues like ammonia smells, fruit flies, and rodents to keep your pile on track.

Part 6: Finished Compost. This post explains how to identify finished compost and the best ways to top-dress beds or mix it into planting holes.

Part 7: A Year of Compost. We will share our household routine and explain how to adjust your pile for summer heat, winter cold, and rainy weeks.

Part 8: Composting for Every Space. We will cover apartment vermicomposting, chicken-friendly cylinder composting, and how to manage city-issued food bins without odors.

Read Part 1 right now (link in the comments!) and drop a 🍂 below if you are ready to build some serious soil with us this season. Let me know which topic you are looking forward to the most!

07/23/2026

🌱 Ever wonder what really happens to kitchen scraps and yard waste behind the scenes? We are so excited to kick off our brand-new Compost Series on the blog!

In our first post, Composting 101: What Compost is, we're breaking down the absolute basics of turning organic matter into rich, nutrient-packed "black gold" for your garden beds. Whether you're looking to boost your soil health or just getting started with backyard composting, this guide covers what it is and why your garden will thank you. 🌿✨

(and Why Your Garden Cares)Let’s get something straight up front: compost is not miracle dirt, and it is definitely not a polite way to store kitchen trash outside until it gives up. Compost is a process: biology, chemistry, and a little physics working together... and yes, it has expectations. Ig...