A Fairy Ring & Frugal Accomplishments

Hello, friends.  So many things are coming into bloom here, the sights and scents are lovely.  On Monday, I hung a load of laundry before heading out to run errands and deliver soap.  Then I processed the 15 spaghetti squash, freezing most in meal sized bags.  I tried a recipe for sp. squash carbonara for dinner, using vegetarian bacon, which I would make again.  I shared some with M, and froze the rest.  I changed out sheets, swapping out the winter flannel for cotton sheets.  Batches of hummingbird food and bird suet were made.  Wanting to eat more legumes, I tried a new recipe for roasted spiced lentils, which are meant to be added to salads.  They were OK, but next time, I'll tweak the spices a bit, to make them more to my liking.  If I get them perfected, I'll share the recipe.

mushroom fairy ring

Last week, J worked out of town several days.  I decided Tuesday would be a me day, to take advantage of it, and do whatever I wished.  I gathered a bouquet for the house, gave myself a pedicure and painted my toenails.  I give them a break over the cooler months, and always find it cheering to have pretty toe nails again.  I was hoping to finish sewing the summer bed cover, but the machine didn't cooperate once my bobbin ran out.  If J can't fix it, I'll bring it in to be serviced.  Seeds of zinnia and jewels of ophir were planted.  While planting the zinnia seeds, I noticed a nearby fairy ring.  I made dinner from almost entirely homestead ingredients... sweet potato, lettuce with cat brier tips and violet leaves, asparagus, and maitake mushroom with garlic.  Except for salt, olive oil and a couple more salad ingredients, it was all home grown or foraged, which is a satisfying feeling.

On Wednesday, I used up the left over asparagus and maitake in an omelet.  I finished cleaning the last several kitchen cabinets, which was started during spring cleaning.  I fertilized several new plants, then picked up trash from the ditch at the road.  I started out with a regular grocery bag, but had to come back and get a feed bag, and filled them both up.  I just don't understand the sort of person who would throw their trash out the window.  There was even a chewed up tire out there.  Sheesh!  A friend had shared a couple turmeric in the fall that another friend had grown and given her.  I had thought I might try dyeing with them, but decided to try growing them, for future food and dyeing.  I planted them in the largest available pot.  A batch of sweet potatoes was started in the dehydrator.

My main goal on Thursday was to clean a winter's worth of straw and poop from the chicken coop, which I succeeded in doing. Over the years, we've tried various things over the colder months, and the deep litter method has worked best for us.  Some time in October, I stop removing any straw, instead just throwing the used nest box straw on the floor before replacing the nest boxes with new straw.  The material on the floor keeps the coop noticeably warmer during the cold months.  Does it get stinky?  Yes indeed, but that's life.  I noticed earlier in the week that some of the long ago planted mint (bad mistake) was edging its way into the garden, so I took the opportunity to pull up a 5 gallon bucket worth, and distributed it among the nest boxes.  It smells lovely in the coop for a couple of days, and now that I've gotten up all the old stuff, and there's more ventilation with the warmer temps, it should be more pleasant in there.  I'm happy to cross that chore off my to do list.  I made an asparagus frittata with our eggs and asparagus.

The winter clothes were switched out to summer in my dressers.  I also switch around my sock drawers and closet arrangement, to make it easier to access the current seasons things.  While I was adding the summer things to the drawers, I decided to try the Marie Kondo method of folding clothes where you can see them all, rather than piled on top of each other.  So far, I like the ability to see my choices.  Whether I can keep the drawers tidy remains to be seen.  Though I haven't mentioned it in a while, I'm still growing my gray hair out.  Who knew after 8 months, there would still be such a long way to go?  J was able to fix the bobbin problem on my sewing machine, so I need to get back to sewing. 

Almost every day, there are a few asparagus to harvest.  A friend and I went to a local antiques festival on Friday.  She kindly printed a coupon for me, saving .50 on admission, and gifted me 2 hazelnut and 2 persimmon trees.  We each brought home one small treasure.  Mine was a vintage glass refrigerator dish.  On Saturday, I ground all the dried bread ends up into bread crumbs, and froze them.  Egg shells were crushed, and added to the compost bin.  I tried another recipe for lentil salad sprinkles, and baked them during the cool morning hours.  J's son came, and helped him fill the remaining raised Trex beds with soil.  I shared a dozen eggs with he and his partner.  J plasma cut 6 metal barrels into thirds, giving us 18 containers to grow tomatoes in this year.  I put layers of newspaper on the ground before placing the barrel pieces.  In the evening, we bought top soil and mushroom compost to fill them with, and will mix that with our shredded leaves and aged mulch.  We're hoping for a bountiful tomato year.  I was mad at myself for a frugal fail, a $10 off $50 coupon I forgot, which expired that day.  I did find a 6 pack of lavender, normally $9.98 for .50 on the mark down rack, which eased the sting slightly. 

Windows were opened for fresh air each day, and closed on warmer days, to keep the cool in.  Another batch of sweet potatoes was started in the dehydrator.  I went through the remainder of sweet potatoes in storage.  There were a number that went to the compost, and several that I used the good bits from for the pups. A recipe my MIL sent was made, a sweet potato, cheddar, pecan dutch baby.  I suppose it was geared more for breakfast, as it said to serve with bacon, but I made it for dinner.  I cut the sugar from 1 tbs to 1 tsp, but it really needed the extra sweetness.  J enjoyed finishing it the next morning with maple syrup.  Received my first free Southern Living magazine through Recyclebank.  Swiss chard seedlings were transplanted into larger pots.  Frugal fail:  I was mistaken about when a library book was due, and paid .30 in fines when picking up more books.

On Sunday, J & I filled the 18 tomato containers with a mix of topsoil, shredded leaves, aged mulch and mushroom compost.  We then planted them with the heartiest seedlings.  I replanted the two parsley I overwintered in the house, and planted the 6 Ellagance lavender purchased for .08 each.  Two are pretty spindly, but I think they might all make it.  A batch of yogurt was made.  It appears we have 3 broody hens.  As soon as I cleaned the coop earlier in the week, they must have liked those fluffy, fresh nest boxes, because they've been broody since.  So far, I'm collecting all the eggs.  We have two roosters on the side that the broody area is on, and have to do something different before we can let one sit. 

An order was placed through Swagbucks for 4% off, and a $5 coupon code used.  Our canned green beans were used for garlicky green beans.  I tried another spaghetti squash recipe, this one a vegan version of Pad Thai.  I thought it was pretty good, but J was not a fan.  Oh well, back on the lookout for other spaghetti squash recipes to try.  J & I planted the hazelnuts and persimmons.  He also dug up some figs that came up at the edge of one, and we replanted those.  We're a bit tired and sore, but it's been a good gardening weekend.  Wishing you a beautiful week!

Boys, Bunnies & Frugal Accomplishments

Hello, friends.  Last week, I made spaghetti squash primavera, a new to me recipe, using our squash (both spaghetti and tromboncino), tomatoes, parsley & thyme.  I canned 7 quarts of pumpkin & winter squash, which took care of all but one huge cushaw, the butternut squash and spaghetti squash.  Pumpkin biscuits were made with some of the leftovers from canning, which were a hit.  I picked up requested books at the library.  I also picked up 3 hostas to add to our little garden by the outdoor shower.  A frugal fail was I intended to use a $5 GC there, and forgot.  Being one of the few sunny days recently, it was like a Saturday there, with long lines.  I guess all the people watching got me distracted.  Cat brier tips were gathered and used in salads.  I trimmed my hair. 

A load of laundry was hung on the line.  I went through my closet, particularly looking at my shoes, wanting to keep only the ones that are comfortable.   Ah, life at 60.  I'll donate two pairs of sneakers, and try selling several pairs of heels on ebay.  I reached my swagbucks goal several days, contacted them about points I did not receive after a purchase, and received them last week.  A friend and I attended an annual herb sale on Thursday.  As usual, I came home with many plants... herbs, flowers, a new fig, and a 2 lb jar of honey.  The show supports the NC Herb Society and several local vendors.  As I've driven each year (1 hr each way), my friend offered to buy my lunch.  J & I got all but the tender plants in the ground that evening, before rain.  On Friday, while under a tornado warning in the afternoon, one touched down just up the road from us, less than 5 miles away.  It was a small area, and appears all the involved houses are intact, thank goodness, but there are a huge amount of trees that were torn to shreds. 

Our granddaughter S visited us over the weekend. After our walk Saturday morning, we colored eggs, and harvested asparagus.  Then she and I went to meet my niece's new baby.  While we did that, J hid the eggs in our orchard and she had an Easter egg hunt when we returned.  She and I made hummus to take to the gathering.  A few spider plant babies were shared with my niece.  S loves to go to the chicken pen with a basket and check for eggs.  When we went one time, we found one of the roosters hanging upside down from the fence.  She quickly ran to get her Grandpa while I held him.  One of his spurs was tightly wound in the chicken wire about a foot off the ground, and the fence had to be cut away.  He and one of the other roosters "fight" across the fence from each other, and we figure this was a result of such silliness.  Boys!  Perhaps this will discourage fighting, at least for a little while.  This visit, we learned S is not fond of mango (it's a texture thing), and she loves cat brier tips. 

my little Easter bunny

After we took S home Saturday evening, I harvested herbs and lettuce, and prepared a salad and pasta with our tomatoes, eggplant, and summer squash.  We watched a movie on amazon prime.  On Sunday, I boiled eggs, then researched an issue J was having, and mixed up an essential oil blend for him.  He has been requesting a sweet potato pie, so on Sunday I boiled our largest sweet potato, a football sized one, and baked a sweet potato pie, using 2 of our eggs.  While it was baking, I also baked 15 spaghetti squash of various sizes.  I baked them whole, so I could fit more in the oven.  This looks to be the last cool day in the forecast, so it seemed the perfect day to do it.  Before we know it, we'll be sweating.  There are a few squash left on the shelf, but this takes care of the majority of them.   I froze enough sweet potato for another pie. 

I made homemade salad dressing.  After a quality issue with an Aldi's product, I wrote their customer service department.  I assisted J in changing the filters for our rainwater.  The water was starting to get dark and stinky, so I'm overly happy about that.  I continue to get orders in my shop, and work on those as needed.  Kale was harvested, probably the last of the season, as it's beginning to bolt.  I made a kale salad, and chopped up some for the pup's dinner.  My winter boots needed another coat of beeswax waterproofing.  With this likely being the last day of using wood heat for some time, I melted the beeswax on the wood stove and waterproofed them, so they'll be good to go next fall.  I hope your Easter involved good things to eat, relaxation and good people.  Wishing you a great week, friends.

Sweet Potato Critters & Frugal Accomplishments

Hello, friends.  Last week, a dozen eggs were shared with a friend.  Yogurt was made, and a batch of sweet potatoes were dehydrated.  One of the sweet potatoes looked somewhat like an animal, possibly a bird.  The summer tanagers returned to our suet feeder.  I've been wanting to plant some ferns and hosta on the path to our outdoor shower.  On Friday, I transplanted two wild ferns from a spot at the edge of the woods.  The weather was warm enough that we did not need the wood stove all week.  Windows were opened for fresh air. 

I needed to find some waterproof summer boots that would work well hiking, and not hurt my feet.  My winter boots have faux fur inside, so would be really hot for warm weather.  After researching, I went through swagbucks for 4% cash back, and redeemed a $25 swagbucks GC to pay for almost half the cost of the boots.  After an appointment, I shopped at a Trader Joe's for produce and wine, then at a natural foods co-op for additional produce.  I continue using up our frozen berries from last year in my oatmeal.

For a dinner, I made a frittata, using our eggs and asparagus, and harvested cat brier tips twice to add to our salads.  I pulled lambs quarter and spaghetti squash from the freezer for a side dish.  J & I planted the first of last week's nursery plants.  We planted 6 pink muhly grass out by the road.  For what the above link is charging for one plant, I got 6, which is pretty nice.  We also planted two chickasaw plums gifted by a friend, and 3 rhubarb plants she picked up for me at Lidl's for $2.49 ea.  A movie was enjoyed on Netflix, and a free series on The Truth About Cancer.

An omelet was enjoyed for breakfast, using our eggs and asparagus. There were still quite a few winter squash from last year's garden.  On Sunday, J & I peeled and cut up several of them, with plans for me to can them on Monday.  We worked a bit on the area around our outdoor shower, transplanting several ferns, moss and creeping jenny.  I planted the bronze fennel in the bed next to the porch, and harvested asparagus.  J finished welding three orders, and I powder coated them on Sunday.  Eggs were boiled for the pups.  Three books were requested from the library.  That's what I can remember from the week.  I hope you accomplished all the things you wanted last week.

Cows For Neighbors & Frugal Accomplishments

Hello, friends.  In making a purchase for our small business last week, I went through ebates and also signed up to get the veteran's discount for J, saving 6.5%.  After an annual vet visit for one of the pups, I washed and hung two loads of laundry on the line, powder coated two orders, then weeded one of my large herb beds.  Still not done, but it's better than it was, and the chickens got two buckets of weeds to rummage through.  For a dinner, I baked sweet potatoes and made kale salad with our vegi's, and sauteed some mushrooms to go along.  Another night was pasta with sauce made from our vegi's and herbs.

It was J's birthday last week.  He requested a German chocolate cake.  I've not made enough layer cakes to get good at it, and mine always turn out a bit wonky, so I made a sheet cake instead.  Both of us tend to prefer less sweetness in our desserts, so with icing only on the top instead of also in between layers, it suited us better too.  The recipe used lots of eggs, which was good, as we have plenty.  A dozen eggs were shared with a friend.  I requested two books from the library, and picked them up on Tuesday.  While in town, I ran by Walgreens, and got their 20% senior discount on Easter cards.  I also picked up a print that I got for .23 after using a 40% off code.  I redeemed a $5 reward at checkout.

A basket of carrots, along with two beets, were harvested.  We'll eat most of the carrots with hummus or in salads.  The smallest ones will be grated for the pups dinners, or be added to the broth bag.  We shipped several orders last week, and have new orders to make another two, of which we're very appreciative.

A dear friend and I had a weekend road trip.  As we both turned 60 not long ago, she determined this would be the year of our "60th mystery tour".  We've already been to three concerts, and have tickets for another.  Besides going to see music over the weekend, we shopped at thrift stores, discount groceries and the farmer's market, visited a nursery, and ate very well.  Our bnb had cows.  There were several young calves, and we enjoyed having them for neighbors.  When we arrived back at my friend's home, she dug up several money plant volunteers, which J & I planted when I got home.  Wishing you a wonderful week!

New Raised Beds & Frugal Accomplishments

Hello, friends.  I hope the week has been a good one for you, in whatever ways are important to you.  The sunny days have been delightful.  We even got in a couple of "pond-sits" during the week, which is what we call relaxing by the pond after work is finished.  I made a new recipe, a roasted sweet potato and chickpea dish we both liked, which came from 600 Acres.  From fall to spring, we have sweet potatoes, chickpeas are always in the pantry, as well as homemade yogurt, so I can see this recipe getting lots of use in the future.

In the garden, we worked on raised beds.  J found Trex boards for less than half price on Craigslist, a significant savings.  Though it did take a trip to VA, we enjoyed the day, stopping for lunch in Mt. Airy.   We're trying Trex boards this time, for their resistance to rot and insects.  We pulled out the original raised beds some years back after they began housing asian needle ants, fire ants and termites, but there are some pluses to using them as we age.  We have two beds done, filled with soil, and planted with potatoes.  J put together 4 more beds, and filled one more on Sunday.  After making metal brackets for the raised beds in his shop, he asked if I might want to try listing some in our shop.  The Berkey stands have gone far beyond what I ever thought they'd do, so I agreed to try it.  I took some pics, and listed them.  You never know what people might find useful.

I made pasta sauce with homegrown tomatoes, eggplant, summer squash, basil and rosemary, and cooked a mix of store bought and our rutabagas.  I made yogurt and bird suet.  A couple of days, I worked on another dozen of my friends' antiques/vintage items for ebay.  A cousin of mine passed away last week.  My friends at Whynot Pottery will be providing an urn.  I purchased a beautiful urn from them for my Mom's ashes.  Though they create a multitude of useful objects I love to use on a  regular basis, I appreciate the love and craft they put into their urns.

A few days ago, we noticed the first asparagus up.  On Sunday, J harvested the first two spears.  Hooray for asparagus season!  The bachelor buttons I planted are up.  Though I'm quite late in getting started, I "winter sowed" seeds from a friend, rose campion and columbine.  We are still having some cold nights, with tonight and Tuesday night below freezing, so I hope the seeds get enough cold and will germinate.  I started three types of lettuce, and red chard earlier in the week.  I noticed the first chard up on Sunday.  There was a women's gathering I attended in the neighborhood on Sunday.  Before I left to go, I got the first six of the ebay items listed, and the remaining six when I returned.  For dinner, I made Brandy's Taco soup, which is so quick, easy and yummy.  A salad with some of my newest batch of sprouts went along.  I harvested a big basket of kale, wanting to use it before it bolts.  So many things need to be done, I'll just have to trust that if I keep working on my to do list, anything that is important will get done.  Happy April, friends!