Small Creatures & Frugal Accomplishments

Hello, friends.  Last week, J's cousin gifted us her Berkey water filter, as she wasn't using it.  It was a size up from ours, so we're keeping it, and sending ours to our daughter.  She also gifted us a pet waterer, which I'm going to try for the cat.  She rarely drinks water, which I understand is common for cats, but she said her cats loved it, so we'll give it a try.  I mostly feed the cat kibble, so I expect she could use some water.  I needed to make yogurt, but only had half the amount of milk needed.  For the remainder, I mixed up some powdered milk.  After my morning walk, I go to the garden each day, check the squash plants, often do a little weeding, and train the tomatoes.  On Monday, I saw the first tiny tomatoes.  Yay!  Every so often, we find points that previous inhabitants left here.  J found one while working in the pond garden, and gifted it to me.  I love to wonder about what their lives must have been like.

While I was powder coating orders one day, a five lined skink dropped down from the tree above, and kept me company for a bit.  It was a juvenile, with a blue tail.  Warm up shower water was used for flushing.   For a while now, I've been searching for a comfortable bra, ever since my favorite was discontinued.  The first two I tried were awful, but I believe I've found it in the third one.  It's created by Hara, is made from organic bamboo, dyed with plant dyes in gorgeous colors, and they donate a portion of profits to the Environmental Justice Foundation.  A tad more support would have been nice, but I believe comfort wins out.  Now that I'm starting to harvest summer squash, I made quinoa with summer squash, along with our chard, and a roasted radish recipe from Doug & Stacy.  I generally don't like radishes, but wanted to try them this way.  We both thought they were OK, but not great.

I strained all the jars of thieves vinegar, and put three quarts in my cleaning closet.  I had a hard time putting the 26 cinnamon sticks, which still smelled like cinnamon, in the compost, so put them in a pan to dry, and will reuse them for future cleaning vinegar.  All the overflow tomatoes, the ones that we had to stake because we ran out of cages, were tied.  A watermelon rind was shared with the chickens.  I ground wheat, so I could try a recipe for a new cake.  It's made with honey instead of sugar, and used my homemade yogurt and applesauce, so even though it breaks the no caffeine recommendation, I wanted to try it.  Neither of us likes super sweet things, and enjoyed it.  I would recommend the additional choc. chips on top.  

Healthier Chocolate Zucchini Cake

1 c flour ( I used half whole wheat/ half unbleached white)
1/4 c cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 c runny honey
1/4 c applesauce
1/4 c oil
1 egg
3 tbs yogurt/sour cream/vegan substitute
1 1/2 c grated zucchini (I drained and squeezed mine some, to decrease moisture, & it was perfect)
1/3 c chocolate chips or chunks, optional (& more for on top)

Preheat oven to 325F degrees.  Prepare an 8 x 8 pan with parchment, or lightly oil it.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together honey, applesauce, oil, egg and yogurt.  Using a spatula or wooden spoon, mix the dry ingredients into the wet, just until combined.  Add the zucchini and chocolate chips, if using, and mix until just combined.  Put in pan and smooth out top of cake.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, and the cake no longer jiggles when lightly shaken.

If you'd like to add chocolate chips to the top of the cake, sprinkle the cake with them as soon as it's removed from the oven.  Let sit a few minutes, and then spread evenly over the cake with a spatula (mine didn't melt very much, but it still turned out fine).  Allow cake to cool on a wire rack, and store at room temp in a covered container.

A melon bed was created by J.  He dug the garlic Friday evening, and we hung it under the carport to dry.  The Japanese beetles have arrived.  I began hand picking them, and gave several rounds to the chickens.  J harvested the remainder of our cabbage.  My only excursion this week was taking the recyclables to the dump.  Earlier in the week, I tried a recipe for Pasta with Smashed Zucchini Cream.  It uses 2# of zucchini, which is a plus when the zucchini is coming in.  It was decent as is, but I'm going to try various additions in the future, to up the taste.  There was one bird caught in the netting last week, which we got free.  After that, I added more rows of bright contractors tape, and so far so good.  There have been several small creature sightings this week.  One day, I came across a tortoise that couldn't have been more than 2" long.  She was a cutie.  Another day, I saw a tiny frog on it's back on the service road.  I thought it was probably dead, but when I reached down and turned it over, it sat there looking at me.  It didn't appear hurt.  I don't believe frogs can get stuck on their backs, like some beetles do, but perhaps it got washed down the road during heavy rains the night before, and had not recovered.  Here's hoping it soon after carried on with it's day.  A garter snake kept me company for a few minutes while I was picking Japanese beetles, and my GD and I spotted an anole in the garden.  The first blackberries, thornless and wild, have been picked this week, and there are a few raspberries forming.

J and I set up a trellis for the cucumbers in the main garden.  On Sunday, our son and GD came for a visit.  We grilled our yellow and zucchini squash and okra, along with corn and chicken.  She and I gathered eggs, we took a walk, she helped me with dinner, and afterwards, while I used the seam ripper on a pillowcase I'm shortening, she created some things with pipe cleaners.  She also helped me dig holes to plant seedlings of swiss chard, basil and parsley in the ground.  Laundry was hung on the line.  J moved the large house plants off the porch to their summer spots.   He also planted several varieties of melons, and made beds for and planted black eyed peas and crowder peas.  Books have been requested from the library, including some mentioned in the last post.  I'm enjoying getting up early, and being in the garden in the cool morning hours.  There are some cooler than average temperatures coming, including a high in the low to mid 60's on Monday.  These cooler long days energize me, and allow me to accomplish quite a bit.  I'm really enjoying them while they last.  Wishing you energy to accomplish all you desire this week.

Spring Harvest & Frugal Accomplishments

Hello, friends.  Monday was a gloriously cool day, with low humidity.  I took advantage, and spent time in the gardens, weeded a number of things, squished squash bugs, and harvested lambs quarter and a couple of asparagus.  I will probably leave all the remaining asparagus, to put energy back into the plants.  The pea plants were pulled, as they were nearing their end, and added to the compost after the peas were pulled off.  J stuck a few more potatoes in those containers.  Quite a few of the potatoes in the ground have been looking poorly, with so much recent rain.  A batch of yogurt was made, and a load of laundry was hung on the line.  I'm picking some pretty small lambs quarter, but I'm happy to have some to harvest this year.  Enough for two meals was blanched and frozen.  With the likely last cool day for a while, I roasted our asparagus, made autumn succotash with our squash, and a salad.  Several mornings, I've enjoyed homemade yogurt and granola, topped with fruit.

Many of our cabbages were ready, so J harvested those that were.  I made asian slaw with part of the first one.  J recently bought netting to put over our peach trees, which was said to be bird-friendly.  As it happens, not so much.  Within the first 24 hours, a dove and what I believe was a Great Crested Flycatcher became stuck in it.  Happily, we were able to get them free.  The next day, a squirrel got stuck in it, so I decided to try a couple of things, to see if they would help.  I first put bright contractors tape around the netting, to make it more visible to flying birds.  Next, I gathered in all the excess netting at the bottom, and folded it up under to the inside, and any place that had a bunch together, I gathered and twist tied together.  I'm hoping that will cut down on the possibility of anyone being caught in it.  Time will tell.  We're just hoping to get some peaches this year, for a change.  As I'm finishing this post, it's been either 4 or 5 days since I worked on the netting, and nothing else has been caught in it.  Hooray!

Not pretty, but it's working

There have still been more than the usual critter sightings.  On a walk one morning, a fox came running across the road by the creek on the service road.  I'm guessing they were drinking or hunting, or both.  The dogs took off in pursuit, but came back in short order with their tongues hanging.  I also saw a small snake on that walk.  It occurred to me that a piece of land adjoining that of the back field is being timbered, so this is likely why I'm seeing so many animals.  It's always sad to think of habitat destroyed.  You know how pleased I was that I'd finally got around to washing the windows of the storm doors around the chicken coop?  Well, while doing my chicken chores Friday evening, I found a wood thrush on the ground underneath a storm door.  I guess they can be too clean....sigh.  I love the songs of the wood thrush, which seems to be one of the first I hear in the early mornings.  Seeing this bird and the flycatcher brought home to me the diversity that is here that is never seen at the feeders.

The little hats on the leeks make me smile

While shelling the last of our peas, I enjoyed watching the first episode of HomeMade.  With the peas, I made soup, and snipped dill and chives to top it.  A year with fresh pea soup twice is a banner year in my book.  I saved enough peas for seed for next year.  Besides the soup, I sauteed our first two zucchinis with onions, and made salads.  I gathered more lambs quarter, in between checking the squash for pests. One of our cabbages was used to start a batch of sauerkraut, and one was given to a friend.  I made a cauliflower salad for our dinner, and a broccoli salad and herb tea to bring when visiting J's family on Sunday, the first we've seen them this year.  A friend shared a slug bait recipe (1/4 tsp yeast, 1 tsp sugar, 2 c warm water), which have been pretty rampant this wet spring, eating a number of my seedlings and the cabbage.  I made some on Saturday.

I've typed different things here, and deleted them.  What I will say is I plan to further educate myself.  On my book list at the local library are A Testament of Hope, Behind the Scenes: Or, Thirty Years a Slave, and Four Years in the White House, Dreams from My Father, and The Cooking Gene.  Alicia from Posie Gets Cozy shared a document she received.  Much of the information is specifically related to Portland, but pg. 3 has a list of things to read, watch and listen to, if you are so inclined.  My greatest hope is that these times bring about change, and that on the other side, the world will be a kinder and more peaceful place, where all people feel safe and valued.  Wishing you kindness and peace this week, friends.

Words For These Times & Frugal Accomplishments

Hello, friends.  Last week, I found two more volunteer tomato plants, which J transplanted.  We trained beans up the strings several times.  On a rainy day, I caught up on ironing and mending.  I mended 3 sweaters, a carry bag for a camp chair, and three pairs of J's work pants.  Yogurt was made.  For a business purchase, I combined going through swagbucks for 2% back, $25 off a $75 order, and 25% back through rewards.  J was able to get our a/c running with supplies we had on hand.  Hallelujah!  I listed an item on ebay.  Our library has reopened for curbside pick up, and I requested three books.  A celery end was planted in the garden.  It's been so wet, all the previous ones have rotted.  Several items were added to the thrift store donation box.  I harvested a grocery bag of mint for my niece.

The library called, and said books were ready for pick up, so I went to town, and got groceries while I was there.  There were some good produce prices at Aldi's, such as a seedless watermelon for $1.89.  Food Lion had avocados for .89.  Dog food has stayed on sale $3 off the usual.  I mostly shopped from my list, but also picked up produce that had decent prices.  I ran into the garden center at Lowe's, and got marigolds on the clearance rack for $1.  It was an 8 pack, and only 5 were good.  Still better than $1.98 ea. on the regular racks.  Just couldn't seem to start any this year.  I had hoped to find an oregon grape, which it appeared online they might have, but no luck there.  I put gas in my car for the first time since April 10.  A jar of our canned crowder peas was opened for dinner.

I finished weeding the carrot bed.  The chard, basil and parsley seedlings were transplanted into larger pots, where they'll hopefully grow further before planting.  We got tomato cages on the tomatoes.  A neighbor recently brought us a pile of tobacco sticks, which we used for a few tomatoes that we ran out of cages for.  There are quite a few with blooms.  I found several squash lady beetles on the summer squash, and shortly after, we saw our first squash bugs.  So, we're picking and squishing.  Hummus and taco soup was made for lunches.  We tasted our first service berries, as a few had ripened.  It's rained so much, they were a bit watery, but still had a nice flavor.

Another amaryllis

There have been a bounty of critters this week.  In my daily wanderings, I've come across skinks, lizards, wild turkeys, snakes and a tortoise.  I'm thankful to share the land with them.  I added some of our service berries to a fruit salad on Sunday.  Orders were created and packed over the weekend.  We enjoyed a relaxing dinner at a table near the pond on Sunday.  Many birds, butterflies, a skink and a lizard accompanied us.  We all have different ways of dealing with the current days.  One of the things that has uplifted me is poetry, as it speaks so beautifully to this time we are living in.  Here are two recent findings I'm very much enjoying:  First Sip and A Hundred Falling Veils.  Wishing you peace this week, my friends.

To Do Lists & Frugal Accomplishments

Hello, friends.  With cloudy, cooler and rainy days in the forecast, I moved the house plants from the great room and bedroom out on the porch, and will move them onto the plant stand in the next day or two.  Some things were put in the ground that I started from seed, including nettle leaved mullein, and harlequin livingstone daisies.  I pulled a bag of our lima beans from the freezer, and we had them with mashed potatoes and broccoli salad.  Homemade blueberry pancakes were pulled from the freezer. I enjoyed them with jam for breakfast.  J's favorite way to eat peas is "peas and pastry", which he had as a kid.  I made them, along with roasted asparagus, a nice spring on the homestead meal.  My Mom's ricotta pie was made for dessert.  I'm enjoying roasting and baking while we still have some cool days.  I shelled the peas while watching youtube episodes of Deep South Homestead and Off Grid with Doug & Stacy.

Our first service berries

Each day, I've collected mock strawberries and greens for the chickens.  One day, I gave them a small amount of leftovers that were a little older than we'd like to eat.  M gave me a washable fabric mask he'd been given.  After a six pack of dental floss hadn't arrived five days after promised, I contacted the seller, who told me it seemed to be lost, to keep it if it showed up, and they refunded me.  Well, it did show up a couple of days later, so free dental floss!  Just before shelter at home started, I purchased paint for our bedroom and great room.  J began mudding the needed places on Tuesday, did more and primed some places on Wednesday.  Several days ago, he requested spaghetti with olives and bread crumbs, a dish my Mom shared with me, and I made that Wednesday, along with a kale salad, which used the last of our kale.  I finished moving all the house plants out to the porch, and planted stevia and all this winter's amaryllis in the ground.

While J was working on mudding, sanding and priming, I tackled a project that's been on my list for a while. While at the coast last September, I found a watercolor painting I liked for $5, and a wood frame for $5, which I preferred to the metal frame the painting was in.  To fit the other frame, though, I needed to trim the mat quite a bit.  My preference would have been to not cut the mat down, but having a nice piece of art for $10 won out.  Once the house painting is done, I'll play with a new arrangement for all the floral paintings.  It seems like I had just canned broth, but between the asparagus ends and pea pods, along with all the usual, I already had almost 3 gallons of vegi scraps.  With the cool, rainy days, I decided to can broth, and have another 9 1/2 pints to add to the pantry.  With all the garden we've planted, I expect to be canning plenty during the hot summer, so this is one less thing to can during the heat.  A bonus is a bit more room in the freezer.

I went through swagbucks for a purchase.  It was only for 1% cash back, but it all adds up.  The painting job was hard work, for both of us, but especially for J, working many hours up and down the ladder.  Every piece of furniture had to be moved away from the walls, or into another room.  And everything in the rooms had to be cleaned.  Some of it needed it anyway, but after getting covered with powder from sanding, it all did.  Ah well, it's a good spring cleaning, and will feel nice for a little while.  When we attempted to turn on the a/c, it did not come on.  Though it was warm (mid-80's outside), we mostly turned it on to help dry the paint.  J brought the dehumidifier up from the basement, and we also had a fan blowing.  It's been very humid, with rain most evening or nights.  Thankfully, the forecast is for temps in the 70's for a few days.  Hopefully, we can get the a/c fixed before it's really needed.

I gathered seeds, which were a mix of kale and turnips.  As difficult as it's been to buy seeds this year, I want to be mindful of saving what I can.  The first two tomato plants have blooms, which is one step closer to fruits.  With the kitchen being part of what we've been painting, meals had to be simple for a few days.  One day, we had egg salad sandwiches and waldorf salad.  Another day we had vegi "chik" patties with fries and baked beans.  On Sunday, I made pasta salad and a green salad, using up most of the beautiful local bibb lettuce.  I gathered a sprig of basil to go in the pasta salad.  I washed all the rugs I pulled out of the rooms that were being painted.  They were hung on the line to dry.  My spring allergies have really kicked in.  I'm thankful for homemade nettle tincture, which I take several times a day.  Of course, part of it may be all the dust in the house from mudding and sanding, but it helps me breathe easier in any case.

All of the house plants were moved on to the plant stand for the warmer months.  Well, all but the biggest plants, like lemons and avocado, which I'll probably needs J's help with.  They're happy on the porch for now.  We're getting a serious rain as I type this.  I did some weeding in the carrot patch this evening, but the mosquitoes convinced me to go back inside.  Photos were taken of two items for ebay.  Some peas were harvested, but it looks like they will soon be done.  Eggs were gathered, and more suet made for the birds.  They are going through it in record time.  Orders continue coming to both my online shops, and I feel blessed.  The governor said last week that massage therapists may return to work, with stipulations.  Many of the Hospice employees continue to work from home, so it may be a while before that resumes.  Wishing you a peaceful Memorial Day.

May Blooms & Frugal Accomplishments

Hello, friends.  Monday evening, we again covered everything up, due to a frost warning.  It didn't appear we got any, but it's worth it not to lose future food.  On an evening walk last week, I spotted a new to me frog.  It was sitting right on the path, and I was afraid the dogs might walk on it, so I picked it up and set it on a nearby tree branch.  The next morning, I found it happily sitting several feet away on the same tree.  For the first time, I redeemed cash back on a credit card, for $31.98.  I did pay off each bill early, and incurred no debt, so it was a good experiment.  A pan of dried bread ends was ground into bread crumbs and frozen.  I thinned all the fruit trees as far as I could reach with a ladder.  A new sweet potato recipe was tried while we still had a few.  It was good, a nice change, and beautiful to boot.

A code for $15 off courses for massage CEU's was used.  As we're still mostly sheltering at home in NC, the board is making an exception this year, letting us get all our hours online, which is several hundred dollars in savings from live classes.  It won't be the same as hands on learning, but I'm thankful they made this provision at this time.  I froze the last of a bottle of apple juice, for 2 future batches of granola, so I won't have to buy more just for 1/4 c of juice.  J asked me to freeze some of our eggs, instead of giving quite so many away.  He eats 4 scrambled for breakfast, so I froze 2 pucks of 4, and individual ones in a muffin tin.  With research, I learned that some salt (or sugar) helps keep the yolk more like fresh, which has a tendency to get rubbery.  I froze the first 4 whole, but then learned it's best to mix them first.  A batch of yogurt was made.

Weeks ago, I started four o'clocks with seeds shared by a friend.  They were big enough to be put in the ground, so I did that on a cloudy cool evening.  We got a little shower that night, which was perfect.  Another friend had given me zebra hollyhock seeds, which I planted last year.  This week, it started blooming.  J had an online Dr's appointment, which saved gas and risk.  We got the summer sheets down from the attic, now that the nights are in the 50's and above.  I created three more sheet sets.  With the linens all being second hand, some become threadbare and tear each year, so I enjoy mixing and matching, and putting new sets together.  My summer clothes were taken down too, and the clothes swapped out.  Sweet potato was grated for a few of the pups dinners.  I took the recyclables to the dump.

I've been keeping alfalfa sprouts in constant rotation, to supplement any lettuce we have.  All laundry was hung on the line.  We did get a surprise shower one night, but the laundry was dry the next afternoon.  I made two salad dressings.  I t looks like we are finally done with needing heat.  I've been opening windows every chance I get, but need to be closing up during the day soon.  Of the recently gifted foods, I've been using blueberries in my oatmeal, goat cheese in fritters and pasta sauce, and made a cobbler with the apples.  The pasta sauce used our fresh peas, and called for boursin cheese, which I made using our herbs and the goat cheese.  I enjoyed watching Call the Midwife online, and continue online guitar lessons and spiritual classes.

I'm starting to miss the discount grocery store, and the local thrift stores.  I expect the grocery store is open, but I've been shopping minimally, and not quite ready to venture there yet to look for bargains.  A batch of hummingbird food was made, as well as lemon iced tea (lemon balm, lemongrass, lemon verbena) with local honey.  Speaking of hummingbird food, in the last week or so, I've had a squirrel jump on and start sucking on the feeder like a bottle.  It's broken all the little spots where the hummingbirds can stand.  I am not happy about this.  We moved the feeder to a different spot, and I rigged up a way to pull it farther from any poles or trees.  The sad thing is I can no longer see the feeder at the kitchen sink, because of a tree in between.  I wouldn't have believed it without seeing it... several times.  Crazy squirrels.

walking onions

I believe I forgot to mention last week that we started up the solar hot water, now that the freezing temps are behind us.  I went through swagbucks for a needed business purchase, for 4% back, and went through The Prudent Homemaker's site to buy a birthday gift on amazon, so she will make a tiny commission.  Swagbucks were redeemed for a $25 gift card.  One of my local potter friends put up a post that she had veggies and plants to share.  I went by there and bought a beautiful bibb lettuce, and parsley, basil and echinacea plants.  Her prices are already very low (ie: $2 for a 4 pack), and she always seems to throw extras in.  This time, I got four free yellow pepper plants, a mystery butterfly plant, and an extra echinacea.  Everything I've gotten from her in the past was beautiful and healthy.  I'm so happy she is again sharing her bounty.  Bonus is she's only 8 mins away, which is close, when you live out in the boonies like we do.

Our first amaryllis is blooming.  The birds are really going through the suet, and another batch was made.  Instead of fritters, this time I made fried rice with leftovers and bits that needed using... chard stems, broccoli stems, leftover cauliflower, and a carrot.  It was good.  With a return to temps in the 80's, I open lots of windows in the morning, and close the house as it warms up.  Though it was 86 on Saturday, doing this kept the house cool enough where we did not have to turn on the a/c.  I'm hoping to keep it off as long as possible.  J planted the basil and peppers in the garden.  I sold an item on ebay.  The gifted milkweed were planted, as well as the nasturtiums I started from seed.  We worked on a bunch of orders over the weekend.  I'm looking forward to cooler temps and some rain this week.  Wishing you a most pleasant week.

Peas, Bees & Frugal Accomplishments

hawthorn

Hello, friends.  Last week, though the kale is flowering, I was able to harvest enough tender leaves for one more salad, and then J pulled up all but three plants, and gave them to the chickens.  The remaining three are for seed saving.  I'm happy to report seven chard plants are up as I type this (update: 14 on Sunday!), and many little parsley too.  I made fritters to use up some leftovers; this time, black beans, asparagus, and autumn succotash.  Oregano was harvested for roasted potatoes.  Episodes of Call The Midwife were enjoyed, and another free Kindle book was read.  The hawthorn I planted years ago is finally big enough to flower.  The haws or berries support heart health, so it's a good plant to have around as we age.  It is susceptible to cedar rust, and we have many cedars, so I'll keep my fingers crossed.  The black currants have put forth new growth.  One in particular is looking happy.

I've been saving up peas for at least a week, so I could make Fresh Pea Soup, which is the main reason I grow peas.  It is so amazingly good.  I doubt we'll have enough asparagus to make soup, as I need 2#, so I'm glad I was able to make at least one of my favorite spring soups.  The chives and the dill in the basket were harvested for the soup.  I'm not getting a lot of anything right now.  There were 4 asparagus and 4 more eggs from the morning, but it all adds up.  The eggs are bountiful, and I do share those as I can.  While I shelled peas for the soup, I watched youtube videos from a girl in calico and fairyland cottage.  I made a loaf of bread.  There was no ww flour ground, so I mixed in some oats, cornmeal, and ground some flax to go with the unbleached flour.  It turned out well.  I ordered a pair of shoes at 75% off.  J has been transplanting all the volunteer tomato plants he sees in the garden.  I received a $50 check from my car insurance company, due to COVID-19.

Miner bees next to the pond.  If you look close, you can see several flying.

When I was at the dentist last week, I asked how many more teeth I had with amalgam.  It turned out there was just one more.  It happened to be next to the tooth he was working on, and he said he would do it for free.  That was a real savings, as they charge a $300 fee each time they remove mercury fillings, for all the fancy equipment they have to do it safely, and I expect a hazmat fee added in.  As a thank you, I sent several of my soaps to the dentist, as well as one to his assistant.  Hummingbird food was made.  As we've got more garden planted and less wild areas this year, I've begun collecting dandelion greens to add to the lambs quarter.  I have a goal to create a separate area for the lambs quarter.  It's such a tasty, nutritious and reliable wild food here.  Purslane is beginning to pop up.  I munched on some while working in the garden.

Our anniversary was Thursday.  I asked J what he'd like for dinner and dessert.  He decided that pulling some things from the freezer was a good idea, and I had to agree.   I made eggplant parmesan with our frozen eggplant slices, pasta, and apple carrot zucchini bread with our tromboncino squash.  Though the lettuce is bolting, I'm picking small amounts if it passes the taste test.  J sprayed the fruit trees with an organic spray.  Bird suet was made.  I'm still using the dehydrated canning leavings from last year, tomato skins and bits, and berry seeds and bits.  Here's the basic recipe I use.  I baked 5 of our sweet potatoes.  There are enough left for one more round, then that's it until the fall, when we'll hopefully have plenty harvested.  Saturday night was forecast to freeze, so we scrambled getting everything tender covered, with tarps, buckets, boxes, canning jars and anything else we could come up with.

Thankfully, the weather forecasters were wrong this time, and we skated by without a freeze.  We're grateful, as we sure have a lot of tender things planted at this point.  A batch of yogurt was made.  On Sunday, J & I put up twine for the beans.  It always reminds me of what I've seen of football practice, passing the ball of twine back and forth, over and under the horizontal strings.  While weeding the carrots, I was very excited to find two basil volunteers, which were transplanted to a raised bed.  Basil has been one of the challenging plants this year, with a couple of the seedlings dying, and the others just languishing at the same size.  I need to put fertilizing them on my to do list this week.  J has come up with plans for a structure to protect our corn from hungry critters, and for moving our original cold frame, which is now too shaded, to the lower end of the pond garden, and making it more user friendly for us.  A pan of egg shells was crushed and added to the compost bin. As our state was slightly easing restrictions Friday night, I went grocery shopping earlier in the day.  Like last time, I got all on my list except a couple of produce items.  All is well on the homestead.  I hope it's well where you are too.

May Days & Frugal Accomplishments

Hello, friends.  Merry May to you!  Last week, I harvested nettles, and began a quart of tincture.  Some paperwork was gone through, and shredded paper added to the compost bin.  All laundry was hung on the line.  Yogurt was made.  I was happy to see chard sprouts up, from the pots I recently seeded, though the chard I planted in the garden weeks ago still hasn't sprouted.   I do sometimes chop swiss chard stems in with the leaves when cooking, but I often end up picking around them because I really prefer the leaves.  I often chop the stems into the dogs dinner, or sometimes just compost them.  Not long ago, I saw a mention of a recipe just for them.  Though I couldn't find that one again, I found something better, 8 Ways to Use Swiss Chard Stalks.  There are a few I want to try.  I want to make good use of the plants without wasting a thing.  Maybe you do too?  I tried new recipes for chickpea curry and garlic naan that we both liked.  I had to switch up some of the seasonings due to J's allergies, but it worked well. 

I recently came across this dogwood canning jar, and as that's our state flower, I thought it was pretty special.  Last year, two people offered me canning jars, so it must have come from one of them.  I love it when I find an old or unusual one to use.  A new recipe for shortbread was tried.  This one incorporated our hazelnuts, so I first shelled 1/2 c of nuts.  Though I've never before met a shortbread I didn't like, this one was not a keeper, sad to say.  I worked on taking pics of some items for ebay.   Cat brier tips were foraged, and the first lambs quarter of the year too.  I harvested swiss chard, and added the lambs quarter and a few nettle tips to the dish for added nutrition.  Parsley was harvested for potato salad.  So far, I've not had luck getting parsley to germinate this year.  I heavily reseeded a third round, and hope to have success.  I separated beet seedlings which came up together, and had enough to fill in all the bare spots, and then some.  Peppers are another challenging plant this year, so I planted another round of three varieties.  Our peanuts are coming up nicely.

There was a pretty special moment with a coyote last week.  I know they're powerful animals, but this wasn't scary.  During our morning walk, the pups got to the end of our path, took off and began barking at the woods edge of the hay field..  When they were already a few yards away, a young coyote leaped up 5 yards in front of me in the tall grass, looked straight at me with surprise and a playful look, turned around and began leaping away from me across the hay field.  Thankfully, the pups and the coyote never crossed paths.  I imagine it found a nice spot for a nap, and the pups barking disturbed it.  The grass was tall enough that we never would have known it was there.  Perhaps my morning prayers for safety for all of us helped it turn out with the most benevolent of outcomes. 

I'm feeling very thankful to continue getting online orders.  Last week, customers let me know my soap and body care products were a part of birthday and Mother's Day celebrations.  It's a true honor to get to play a small part in loving celebrations.  I tried adding leftover sweet potato to my oatmeal for the first time, along with walnuts, and it was very good.  I'm happy to know of another way to use the leftovers.  The solitary bees are back at the pond's edge.  I finally used the last of the kale in a salad.  Four more items were listed on ebay.  Our eggs, sweet pepper and parsley were used to make quiche.  I went to the grocery store for the first time in three weeks.  No sales were found, but I was able to get all but a couple of things on my list, both produce items.  I gave myself a pedicure, and took the first outdoor shower of the year, as Sunday was in the mid 80's.  It was lovely.  Be well, friends.