Plants and Plans and Frugal Accomplishments

Hello friends.  I hope your week has been a good one.  Last week, I redeemed Swagbucks points for a $25 amazon gift card.  I'm cutting back on the time I spend on swagbucks; pretty much just doing the daily list, and purchases when they have the best cash back offer.  I made cabbage and egg noodles using our cabbage, and a lambs quarter and spaghetti squash side dish with our frozen vegi's.   At Aldi's, I was tempted by marked down bags of Easter chocolate for .10, but it was milk chocolate, and neither of us cares for it, so I passed.  Even at that price, it's not a bargain if you won't eat it.  I did purchase some nice cheeses, lemons, organic strawberries and wine while there.

A batch of suet was made for the birds.  I saw the summer tanagers back at the suet feeder, and am glad we will get to enjoy them again this year.  Lovely rain topped up our tanks for the first time in months, and has made all the plants happy.  After a dental appointment, I decided to do a quick check at a thrift store I passed.  I was so glad I did!  Not many weeks ago, I broke one of my vintage glass refrigerator dishes while placing leftovers in it.  Somehow, the dutch oven hit it just right, and it broke.  I had been looking for a replacement, but they all seemed to be $20 and up, and I was hoping not to pay that much.  I lucked out, and found a set of two Hazel Atlas criss cross pattern dishes with cobalt lids for $2 total!  They're perfect, with no chips.  I saw the large one on etsy for $40.  Beautiful and useful too; the perfect combination of a good treasure.

I donned my leather gloves, and harvested nettles.  I harvested nettle tops, and pickled them with apple cider vinegar and some of my homemade Herbamare-like mix.  I pulled nettle plants that came up around our 12 apostle lilies and a fig, and started a batch of nettle tea fertilizer in a 5 gallon bucket.  In a few days, that will be a quite an odiferous bucket!  But it's excellent fertilizer, so I suppose  it's worth the stink.  I harvested our first peas, around 2 dozen pods, and a few more another day.  Not enough to do much with, but I'm thinking I may use them as part of a stir fry.  Our chard is going to seed, and I harvested 3 large bags full.  Our lettuce is too, and it's already too bitter to use, so I am doling it out to the chickens, who love it nonetheless.

Chickadees and bluebirds and an as yet mystery bird have taken up residence in the three bird houses that are closest to the house.  J & I have seen them carrying insects into the houses.  I can't remember if I knew that hummingbirds feed off comfrey flowers.  I spied one on an evening wander through the orchard, which made me smile.   I'm grateful to continue getting some nice shop sales.  Yogurt and kefir were made, and fruit and vegi bits added to the compost crock.  Laundry was done with homemade soap and hung on the line.   Most of the volunteer dill we transplanted is thriving, as well as the echinacea we relocated.

Two bags of lambs quarter were blanched and frozen.  We sadly lost one of our red hens recently.  I caught her looking off into space one day.  She allowed me to pet her while she was in her reverie, which was unusual, and I wondered if something was going on with her.  There was nothing obvious I observed.  She appeared fine, but J found her dead that evening.  We're attempting to keep the two young roosters separated from the rest of the flock, but somehow the door between them keeps opening.   It is more peaceful while they're separated, but the low hen in the pecking order still is being abused by several other hens.  I do wish they would all get along.  We're still in plentiful eggs, and some are boiled for us and the pups 2 or 3 times a week.

Many of our garden seeds are sprouting.  There are cucumbers, summer and winter squash, and various greens up.  There are also lots of apples, some plums, peaches, blueberries, pears and pawpaws fruiting.  Our little general store a mile up the road was giving plants away when J went to get gas one day last week.  He brought home a jalapeno pepper, Big Rainbow tomato and Big Red tomato.  The Big Rainbow sounds especially interesting.  Most days, two 2 mile walks were taken with the pups, with J occasionally joining us.  I switched out my summer/winter clothes and sheets.  Several shirts were added to the thrift store box, and several cashmere sweaters will be given to a niece.  As much as I love them, one can only use so many sweaters.

I wanted to try a new chard recipe, and chose this one.   Besides our chard, the recipe used our homegrown garlic and red pepper flakes, and homemade breadcrumbs.  I followed instructions and used about 2/3 of the lemon/olive oil mix, which looked to be enough, but it was a bit dry, so next time I will try adding all of it.  We all thought it was pretty tasty.  I've read the tip to use lemon seeds in place of pectin.   I remembered to add them to a bag in the freezer to try this summer.  I still have plenty of chard to make something else this week.  J sprayed all our fruiting trees and shrubs with neem oil and other good things.  Little black beetles we've not seen before are chewing on our broccoli, so J used an organic spray on those plants.  We have some pretty large plans coming up.  I will check in here as I can, and I will see you on the other side with an update.  Be well, friends!