Garden Plans, Blooms & Frugal Accomplishments

.50 jar Grandma Wheatons Old Fashioned Receipts

Hello, friends.  I forgot to mention we planted garden peas last weekend, the first planting of the year.  I harvested the spilanthes blooms, which filled a pint jar, and began a batch of medicinal tincture.   The six spilanthes plants were trimmed and repotted, and it looks like at least some should make it.  I mended a throw rug with carpet thread and needle.  Sloppy joes were prepared one night, using sauce and two partial packages of "meat" that had been frozen.  That felt like a small accomplishment, to use up three packages in the freezer, making just a bit more room.  I brought home half of my Valentines entree, and had it for dinner the next night.  The sweet potatoes were sorted through.  Some went directly to the compost, small ones were given to the pups after the bad bits were cut out, and two huge ones (one weighed 2 lbs 12 oz) were peeled & steamed in 1" slices, because I didn't want to run the oven as long as it would have taken them to bake.  We live without a microwave.  Peelings went into the broth bag in the freezer. I'm joining in with Frugal Accomplishments today.

anemone

Yogurt and kefir were made.  As usual, the pups got a spoon of yogurt with their breakfast, and kefir at night.  Half a dozen eggs were boiled, and fed to the pups over several days.  I made cookies on Valentines Day... ww chocolate chip & GF peanut butter.  J had clients visiting in his shop, so they got the first round, then I took a plate to Hospice to share with my massage clients.  I also made up little bags of homemade soaps and shower tabs for several people at my bank and Hospice, as a small token of appreciation.  I dropped off three boxes at Goodwill that had been collecting decluttering items.  Thankfully, we received just under a half inch of rain, which was sorely needed.  I'm not sure what exactly I'm doing wrong with my moringa, but it's died back again.  It typically reaches about a foot, then starts looking poorly.  I hope it will send up another shoot again.  Because my great nephew loved the wood tractor I gave him soon after he was born, it was requested I get him another wood toy for his 1st birthday.  I returned to Raven Pottery & Craft Gallery, and  fell in love with this truck.  I thought it needed some "logs" in the bed.  I love that with care, it's possible this toy may be around a good long time, maybe even passed on to another generation.

J & I made our list of what we're growing in the garden this year, and the dates we need to start tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and possibly cucumbers.  It's helpful to me to have things written down as a reminder, or they often don't get done.  Lists work really well for me.  I don't go by a list every day, but it definitely helps me stay on track with things.  J made a plan of where the plantings will go in the gardens this year.  I made swagbucks goals several days.  I've added a morning walk, to the evening one.  I gained a few pounds during the darkest days of winter.  Eating denser foods and being less active does that to me these last few years.  I'm determined to lose what I gained, plus a few more pounds.  I took homemade fire cider after feeling a slight sore throat, and it quickly went away.  I've been very impressed with how well fire cider has worked each time I've used it.  I highly recommend it.  There are variations on the recipe (here's one), so just use what you have and what appeals to you.

Another small tuft of usnea was found in my wanderings, and added to the jar of tincture.  Laundry was done with homemade soap and gel, and hung on the clothesline.  The guys finished working on a biodiesel plant, which is soon heading to Bad Axe, MI.  That's them above preparing it for shipping.  The rhubarb has begun poking up.  I expect it will need to grow more this year, before I'm able to harvest any, but I'm happy to see it.  The snowbells have begun blooming.  I didn't know about them until a few years ago, then fell in love with them.  J told me they were getting ready to head to lunch on Friday.  Cleaning the fridge was on my to do list, and I'd just gotten all of the top shelf set out on the table, when he came back into the house to say they'd changed their mind, and were eating here.  A quick clean of the shelf and bottles wiped, with a few things past their prime kept out, and all was put back in.  Perhaps doing it one shelf  a day will work better than doing it all at once anyway, if I can just keep it up.  I don't enjoy the process, but the end result is a good thing.

rhubarb

The pups went for their annual well visit.  Both were at their perfect weight.  Guinness has a bit of a hip issue, and the vet wanted him a bit leaner to make it easier on that hip.  He's on a glucosamine chondroitin supplement, but I'm glad his weight is ideal too.  At one point around the end of his treatment for happy tail, McNibs decided he was not going to cooperate at the vet. True to form, he did not yesterday.  He's such a powerful dog, with an equally powerful jaw, you don't want to mess with him if he doesn't want you to.  I like to think it would never happen, but just the possibility of him biting someone is enough to give pause. I'm going to bring him by for visits, to see if they can rebuild his trust with lots of love and treats for a while.  BTW, a muzzle was tried by the vet last year.  Not only did he get it off, but it escalated his agitation and he fishtailed his powerful self all around so they couldn't do what they needed anyway.  So, lots of love, calmness, and treats is the new plan.  Hopefully, the sweet, silly boy I see at home will decide they're friends again there too.

While walking to the mailbox one day, I noticed a bright pop of red.  One of the anemone hollandia's had bloomed, then got frostbit, so it was hanging over.  Not to waste such a cheery bit of color this time of year, I cut it and brought it in the house to enjoy.  I planted a dozen containers of wintersown medicinal, herb, pollinator, & dye plants.  The ones I planted were eyebright, woad, columbine, 2 types of milkweed, lovage, echinacea, rosella, and one plant I'm not sure about.  It's a nubby seedpod I got somewhere, which I believe may be a kousa dogwood.  Don't know why I didn't label it, but there you go.  I cleaned another shelf in the fridge.  Just one more shelf, the crispers and the door (ugh!) to go.  Eggs were boiled, with 6 made into deviled eggs and a couple given to the pups.

As Tuesday is my usual day in town, and the day I run errands, I skipped the grocery store this week.  I had just enough time after Hospice work to get home and get ready for dinner out with my Valentine.  J picked up 1/2 gal. of milk, but otherwise we've been eating out of the pantry this week.  I suppose you could say our grocery money was spent on dinner, and a lovely one it was.  With warmer temps, I uncovered and weeded around the lettuce, chard, and celery.  Pasta Norma was made for dinner, using our tomatoes, eggplant, garlic, oregano, parsley, basil and chives.  Today has been a flurry of activity...  doing the biochar burn, sealing jars, repairing the wardrobe and siphoning and bottling the mead.  I'm thinking this post is long enough.  It's officially a new week, so I'll share these things in another post.  Be well, friends!

The Elf in my Driveway

Several months ago, the city of Raleigh delivered a trailer to the guys, for them to turn into a mobile biodiesel unit.  I had to smile when I arrived home and found this.  The view at my kitchen sink looks out in this direction, and what better to look at than an elf, flowers and a magic tree.  There are a lot of different tractor trailers out there, but few as charming as this one.

folks preparing to tour the trailer

They worked hard through some mighty long, hot summer days, and delivered the finished trailer to Raleigh last week, where an unveiling was held. There were speeches, and a Dept. of Agriculture official in attendance.  The unit is pretty impressive, using sunflowers from fields fertilized by the water treatment plant, crushing, cleaning and pressing those seeds, and turning the oil into biofuels to run some of the cities' fleet.



The elf was eventually covered up, but it's still a nicer than average trailer.  There are photos of the job as it progressed, if you'd care to follow the "finished trailer" link above.  That's Joseph and Rick, and David Thornton, who helped with the initial concept.  I'm proud of all they do to make this beautiful planet just a little bit nicer.

Small B and B and Cafe

Today I want to tell you about a wonderful local spot, Small B&B and Cafe.  Dave and Lisa moved to Pittsboro from Minneapolis, where they had a seasonal, local, organic eatery for several years.  They also found time to be regulars at the farmer's market there.

Their energy and enthusiasm hasn't waned any since their move to NC.  They opened their cafe in late 2011, and the B&B followed in 2012.

The B&B has two small units, with incredible woodwork by a local artist.  The first unit includes a tree which climbs up the wall.

The second includes a sun and moon on the door to the bathroom.

The third unit is a large, separate suite which includes a kitchenette and living area.

These folks are passionate about supporting local businesses.  When you enjoy a meal at the cafe, you're eating a meal that at a minimum is 60% locally sourced.  Local art abounds on the grounds.  New Earth Fabricators played a part in their rainwater collection system.  In their guest rooms, they use Abela Soaps created just for them.  They're only a couple of blocks from downtown Pittsboro, with antique and thrift stores, a tap room and more.  They're pet-friendly, and are within an hours drive of Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Pinehurst and the NC Zoo.  If you're planning a visit to central NC, Small B&B and Cafe is a great spot to relax, eat well and have fun. 

The Bohemoth in the Driveway & Catching Rain

One of New Earth's jobs at present is refurbishing this biodiesel demonstration unit for Polk County Schools.  The large, colorful trailer is pretty impressive.  I'd show you the other side, but they've dismantled it and it is quite empty at the moment.

We've been getting some serious rain this evening, and while it was still light out, we could see the pond visibly rising from our front door. Yippee! 

While at the hardware store yesterday, J picked up parts to make our rainwater catchment system automatic.  For all the years I've lived here, someone had to go out and open the cistern once enough rain had fallen to clean the roof, and begin collecting rainwater.  And then it had to be closed back up, once the rain had finished.  On the days no one was here on the homestead, no rain was collected.  Our new system is based on this design, which is a fairly standard one.  It's working perfectly!

Pride and Passionfruit

Well, the Oxford Biodiesel Plant is now officially open.  I must say, the photo they're using for the link is somewhere other than there.  The plant is in a bucolic setting, amid farmland and pastures with horses and cows.  Neal, in the center below, is a gentleman they enjoyed working with during the build.  I know many folks come here for more homestead-type news, but I'm so proud of these guys, forgive me for posting a few pics of the day.

There were several speakers, including Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack.  Well done, guys!

OK, now on to the homestead.  Several types of fruit were frozen at the end of last season, and knowing I needed to make room for the coming season spurred me on to canning them this week.  I made an elderberry/blackberry jam, an elderberry/blueberry jam, and a passionfruit/lemon/vanilla curd that made the house smell heavenly. 

Joseph & I planted seeds this week of suyo long & national pickling cucumber, tromboncino squash, early golden crookneck squash, and Georgia candy roaster squash.  Corn was also planted, though I'm not sure which variety. Something chewed off one of our tomato plants... grrr.  I'm off to begin listing some of my glass garden flowers in the shop.  Figuring out shipping is going to be the toughest thing, as they will all be different due to varying weights and sizes.  Wish me luck!

A Pretty Special Event

I don't do well with chaos.  Usually on either side of a show, the house is rather chaotic.  And then I get stressed. Finally, on Saturday, I got the last of the show stuff put away, and the rest of the house in some semblance of order.  The shows are great, but ahhh..... peace again makes me happy.

The guys have a pretty special event this week.  The opening of the Biodiesel plant they fabricated for the NC Dept. of Agriculture occurs.  Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, will be speaking, along with other notable folks.  Way to go, guys!

Over the weekend, I made more lavender lemonade.  Some friends at the show told me about rosemary lemonade, and cumin lemonade.  I want to try both! 

I also gathered nettles.  Some are drying, and some I'm tincturing for medicine.  I've taken nettles for hayfever for a number of years.  I planted several plants a couple of years ago in a far corner of the garden, and began making my own medicine last year.  Nettles, along with Quercitin, has made a huge difference in my hay fever.  Funny, but I'd never had any allergies until I moved to L.A., then returned to NC.  It was pretty awful at first, but every year has gotten better using the remedies above, sometimes adding in Eyebright, or the Similasan Allergy Eye Relief drops when needed.  I just wanted to pass on what works for me, in case anyone else is suffering from hay fever.  When I researched it years ago, these were at least in part what Dr. Weil recommended, and they really work.

Can you tell what Guinness is carrying?  Joseph has been away, and he grabbed an old glove of his.  I'd say he's missing him, as I hadn't seen him play with it until today.  He is such a sweet boy.  I really had a taste for kale salad last week.  The only thing available was the commercial, non-organic curly kale in the local grocery store, so I gave it a try over the weekend.  Let's just say it doesn't come close to the ones I've made previously.  Tough and pretty tasteless would be kind.  If you're going to make the salad, folks, get some nice organic kale.  Or better yet, some tender, local kale, if you don't grow your own.  Trust me on this one.  Your tastebuds and your teeth will thank me. 

So many things are blooming now, it makes me happy every time I go outside.  I transplanted some Amsonia (bluestar) and some Chrysogonum virginianum (Green & Gold) from down near the creek to the part-shade garden, and a couple of other places.  I've got some pink Speedwell, and a mixture of coleus to plant this week.  Wishing you pretty blooms and a happy week, friends!

Roses, Rain & a Little Crochet Project

It's a rainy Wednesday, here on the homestead.  The guys asked me to take some pics of one of their shop projects, and I snapped a quick one of this rose along the walk, the first one planted here. 

 Anne helped get me started on a potholder Sunday, and I've added a few rows every day. I'm really liking the thick feel of it. You crochet a long strip, fold it upon itself, then sew it together. What crafty fun are you up to these days? 

Earth Day 2012

My favorite watering can had sprung some leaks, so Rick & Joseph created a new one for me in their shop.  As it's stainless steel, it's a bit heavier, but it will never rust.  I hope one of my nieces or nephews gets bit by the gardening bug, so I can pass it on to them. 

I'm looking forward to another fun day at Mud & Suds. As we have time in between customers, Anne is going to teach me to crochet a new item or two.  Happy Earth Day friends!

The Green Industrial Revolution

Today, I want to share the new website and facebook page of New Earth Fabricators.  Joseph and Rick have been hard at work, doing biofuel-related projects, as well as other fun jobs, including a base for a table destined for a lakehouse.  Check out their website here, and like them on fb, to keep up with their latest adventures here.  Wishing you a wonderful weekend!