Friday Fotos

 

 

 My daily walk (weather permitting),

centers me like nothing else.

Although I prefer to start my day with a power walk,

sometimes the weather does not cooperate,

and it must be postponed until later in the day.

No matter,

the important part exercise plays in my life

makes it worthwhile to adapt to any changes.

 

Lovely, sweet carrots were pulled fresh from the garden bed.

I can assure you, they didn't last long in the fridge,

as most were used as a snack all by themselves.

Yes, they're THAT good!

Another round will be planted soon for a spring harvest,

although there are still quite a few in our winter bed.

It's so rewarding to know that there are a few stalwart crops

that can grow and feed us through the colder months.

A sampling of Vates kale yesterday proved to be oh-so-sweet.

 

Onions are one of the easiest crops to grow.

and require little attention.

What you see here is the Walla-Walla variety,

which is a new-to-me plant.

The goal with this crop is to never  have to buy them again

at the grocery store or farmers' market.

Garlic and onions will be a winter garden staple from now on.

 

 

Yesterday a few spring bulbs were spotted popping up.

Our winter has thus far been consistently cool,

even downright cold at times,

but not so frigid that the bulbs couldn't wait to awaken.

These hyacinth flowers surprised me with a burst of color

in an otherwise barren and clay-laden bed.

I had hoped to fill this front flower bed with bulbs this fall

for spring blooming,

but I just didn't get a jump on it.

Maybe I'll try to plant in spring for the fall.

One problem is that the chooks enjoy dust-bathing and scratching in this area.

That's the reason I had laid the welded wire panels here

and it's worked fairly well.

These chooks have encouraged me to come up with creative solutions!

 

I had been communicating with someone on Next Door,

which is a local social media app, similar to Craig's List.

She is also a chicken keeper and she has the covetous conundrum

of too many eggs and not enough crates.

Which happened to be the exact opposite of our situation.

The good news is that we bartered empty egg crates

for eggs.

It was her idea, and I'd say that we got the better end of the deal.

Timely, as our girls are not laying much. 

It looks like there will be quiche in our future.

 

Some time was taken to

pulverize egg shells in the Blend Tec for use in the spring garden.

C enjoys watching the contents being crushed beyond recognition,

so I am happy to let him lend a hand.

The shells will be stored in the freezer until spring planting.

 

A few new recipes have been tried in the last couple of weeks,

with much satisfaction.

It certainly does make it easy to go meatless,

which is how I've been leaning for years.

Recipes will be shared soon,

if you are looking for something clean, healthy and off the beaten path.

Here's where you'll find me on most cold, rainy winter days.

Grateful for our toasty, cozy nest.

Hope you have many blessings to count this weekend.

Need Flags?

 

 

Our living habits are fairly simple.

We believe in the homesteading lifestyle which means

that we make do with what we have,

reuse or find a new purpose for items

and invest in quality merchandise when new elements must be replaced.

Shopping at thrift stores is always preferred,

as you never know what vintage treasures might be found.

 

That being said,

we were in the market for some new flags

for the garden and the house.

I've bought flags in the past from the usual places,

and been disheartened at how little use we got out of them.

For the most part,

they could not stand up to the elements,

fading with the sun and ripping with the gusts moving across the property.

 

Until now.

For the last year or so,

I've purchased several a dozen or so flags from 

Discount Decorative Flags

and been pleasantly pleased with the quality of their products.

Even with the windiest of conditions and ample sunshine,

the flags we've purchased still look brand new.

Their collection also includes door mats,

mailbox covers, windsocks, and more.

The bonus is that the flat rate shipping of $5 for orders under $49,

makes it that much easier to dress up your home and garden.

Orders amounting beyond that, include free shipping.

 

The selection of subject matter is diverse.

Everything from seasons, to specific holidays,

to sports teams to any number of animals, floral,

military, nautical, outdoor, and patriotic

themes are available.

There really is something for everyone here.

With the average price of house flags hovering around $10,

this company gives you your money's worth.

And if that isn't enough,

there is a clearance section with a wide variety of choices.

I find it difficult to restrain myself when perusing this area on the website.

I do change our flags out with the seasons,

so this section makes it easier to add to the collection.

I think I might just need a few more flag poles around the homestead. 

 

This website is a fabulous place to find a thoughtful gift.

I'm not much of a shopper, but this company provides great products at a good value,

and that's an important aspect for me.

 

If you find yourself wanting to dress up an area of your homestead,

pay them a visit and see if you can't find something

you can't live without.

 

(I'm not receiving anything for reviewing this company,

I just like to keep the good stuff moving.)

 

 

Friday Fotos

 

 

 

 It's Friday Fotos!

Would ya look at these sweet pansies?

They just don't give up, no matter how chilly it gets.

They have been going strong to greet visitors at the front door for months!

 

Our rooster, Gandalf, has been part of a little experiment.

He is being separated from the hens for most of the morning.

I had to rig up a makeshift divider between them and him.

We're trying to solve a mystery.

 

When I last cleaned the coop,

I found this in the nesting boxes.

I have caught him in there,

sometimes alone, sometimes with one of our girls.

I'm not sure if he is eating the eggs, 

or simply stepping on them while in the box.

I have no idea how he even fits in there,

he is huge!

 

 

 

So far this week, we've gotten 3 eggs,

and since we hadn't gotten any in three weeks,

I think I might be on the right track.

The experiment continues...

 

I'm overwintering the turmeric and lemongrass

in the garage.  I merely pruned it down to the soil

and left it alone.

I'll be curious to see how the turmeric comes back.

I'm hoping there will be enough to harvest for cooking.

 

 The chipping is going well and I was able to create enough

to finish around the veggie beds and had enough

to add to the pathway behind the house,

which can be slippery if it rains or snows.

With no shortage of twigs in sight,

this should keep me happily busy.

 

A peek underneath the row covers

surprised me with an array of fine lettuce.

I sampled it just to see if it had turned bitter,

and was thrilled to find it sweet and tasty.

The spinach, kale and broccoli leaves are also dee-lish!

Although overall, I'm a bit disappointed in the crops this winter,

I'll chalk it up to experience and try again next winter.

Gandalf and his harem

 

We're still enjoying winter temperatures in the 30s, 40s and 50s.

Having lived in Florida for over forty years,

I have to say, that it's a remarkable and welcome change.

The hope for a good snow day remains.

 

I am so grateful to be able to enjoy time outside,

no matter the weather!

Gluten-Free Tortillas (cf, df, ef, gf, sf, vegan)

 

 

 

I found a new website called Ela Vegan for vegan recipes.

You can find it here.

Her recipes are so simple and clean as a whistle.

These gluten-free tortillas/crepes/wrappers are fantastic!

The end product depends on how much water is added,

so these transform from thicker sandwich wraps

to less thick but hearty tortillas,

to thinner crepes for dessert.

 

They look like conventional crepes, right?

Believe it or not, they are quite healthy!

That wasn't even my first desire when I was watching her videos, 

but it is an added bonus.

 

My mom, also known as Mimi,

 being the amazing French chef that she was,

used to make us crepes every New Year's.

It was one of the traditions we adored as kids.

She would have three separate skillets on the stove,

and could hardly keep up with us devouring them

hand over fist.

Ah, the good ole' days!

 

It's been a while now that I've been frustrated

with the offerings of tortillas at the grocery store.

I wasn't even looking for something necessarily gluten-free,

but these fill the bill remarkably well.

I've reintroduced gluten into my diet

over the past few weeks with success.

But I still have a gf son, and I enjoy finding new recipes

that we can both test out.

I'm sure making them from scratch yourself

would be wonderful,

but I needed something that was quick

and didn't require a beloved abuela to teach me.

These did not disappoint.

 

They are made with 4 ingredients 

(although I added garlic powder for the savory version),

fry up fast in a cast iron skillet,

and can be made savory or sweet!

What else could a gal ask for?

 

These are too good not to share.

 

Gluten-free Tortillas

 

1 C chickpea flour

1/2 C tapioca flour or arrowroot

1/3 teaspoon salt

(1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)-savory version

3/4-1 C water

 

Add dry ingredients to bowl, whisk to aerate.

Add water as needed to acquire desired consistency.

Pour 1/3 C batter into skillet or pan.

Cook 2 minutes each side.

Enjoy!

 

Friday Fotos

 

Carolina blue sky

 

Hey there!

It's Friday Fotos

and we're here to share a little piece of our world.

I'm asking anyone who is so inclined

to continue to pray or light a candle for peace for our country.

Let's keep seeing the light!

 

 

Yes, folks, we had snow!

Last Friday it snowed nearly all day long,

and although it didn't accumulate into a silvery blanket,

we got enough to make this gal very happy!

It's still early in the year,

so maybe we will be blessed with another frigid blast!

 

No need to worry about the wildlife around here.

There are always rations-a-plenty for wayward souls.

The seed and suet feeders have needed refilling

on almost a daily basis.

We're content to provide for those who

give us so much entertainment and delight.

Henrietta

 

The chooks are faring well through the chillier nights.

Although my heart goes out to two of our hens,

for they have decided that this is the perfect time to molt.

I'm hoping that their feathers quickly return to keep them toasty.

Until then, they have ample sunshine

and the warm bodies of their companions at night to stave off the cold.

A friend pulled up her Brussels Sprouts the other day

and the chooks enjoyed the sweet leaves for some time!

We are getting zero eggs now.

In fact, I had to buy eggs from a neighbor

lest we be without for the foreseeable future.

For the life of me,

I can't recall where I got this recipe,

but the chooks enjoyed it.

It can be altered to fit what you have on hand,

and I'll bet it will be scarfed up in no time!

Well, actually, it takes them some time to finish it,

as there are many layers of goodies.

Sometimes chickens are known to pick out

just the things they like in their feed.

They didn't seem to mind any of these ingredients!

A sticky treat

 

 

And, speaking of treats...

This has become my favorite weekend breakfast.

I'm not sure where I was when avocado toast became all the rage,

but I'm usually late to the party.

Anyway, I absolutely adore this mouthful of bliss.

Avocado spread on oatmeal (or millet) bread

(which has been sprinkled with olive oil),

and then topped with a fried egg seasoned simply with salt.

Oh.  My.  Stars.

So flippin' good.

What's your favorite weekend breakfast pleasure?

 

Change Is Good!

 

 

Let's face it.

Change can be hard.

Even though we know that 

it's best to shake things up a bit from time to time,

straying from the customary can be a struggle.

Our family thrives on routine and the familiar.

Last year, we made three big changes

that really paid off.

 

 

The Top Three Changes in 2020

 

 

Berkey Water Filter

We have permanently ditched the plastic water jugs

in lieu of this fantastic system.

For years, we wrestled with the dilemma of

needing clean water to drink and with which to cook,

while despising the idea of a steady stream of plastic 

coming into the house.

The Berkey turned out to be the best solution.

It gives us a safe and reliable source of water,

is renewable and long-lasting,

and it saves us money.

We would recommend it highly to anyone

who is looking for a way to reduce or eliminate

their plastic bottle dependence.

 

 

Getting Chickens

It was almost by accident that we acquired poultry.

My good friend was relocating out of state

and needed to find a home for her 60+ birds.

With only a little more than half an acre,

I knew we could only take a handful,

but we are so glad we did.

I had been thinking about becoming a chicken keeper

for the last few years.

In fact, one of the reasons we chose this neighborhood,

was because there were no restrictions on having chickens.

So, we took the plunge.

It surprised me how much I grew to love it.

They are so rewarding to care for and it's been wonderful

learning more about them and their habits.

Even Big K and C, who are not big animal lovers,

have become somewhat enamored with them.

Who knew?

Along with providing eggs for our family,

the chooks are a source of non-stop entertainment

and will no doubt be helpful in the garden

with their poop-laden bedding and bug patrol.

It's been a win all around,

and rumor has it that the flock may be expanded come springtime.

 

 

Misfits Produce

This organic produce delivery service is something 

that I never would have thought I would use.

I've been shopping once a week for decades,

but wanted to find a way to support organic farmers

and help stop the waste that happens with food in our country.

Misfits produce is all organic, minimally packaged

and mostly incredibly delicious.

A few times we have gotten something 

that was past its prime, but

our overall satisfaction with the service is quite high.

It feels good knowing that we are helping to use food

that might otherwise be tossed out and in keeping with our more ecological ideals,

there is no plastic wrap involved in the packaging of the ordered items.

For the last few months, we've even been able to customize our order,

making the service even more appealing.

We will continue to support and promote this valuable business. 

So, maybe these three great experiences 

will help me become less resistant to change.

It's a new year and a brand new chance

to try something different.

 

What changes do you plan for the new year?