Using Diffusers

Essential oils have been used in our home for several years.
We prefer the DoTerra brand,
as we've always had good experience with them.
These oils can be added to diffusers, applied topically,
and some are even safe enough to ingest.
Especially in winter, when the air is exceedingly dry,
dispersing oils into the air helps keep humidity higher,
while adding a fragrance to fit one's mood.
We usually have lemon or orange diffusing in the living room,
but we use peppermint during the holidays. 
Aromatic application can encourage
relaxation, stimulation and emotional renewal.
The diffuser shown above is our living room unit.
It gets filled in the morning,
and pretty much goes all day,
cleaning and scenting the air.
This unit has an automatic shut-off,
so if I forget to turn it off before bedtime,
it will shut off when the water is gone.

Using a diffuser with essential oils in the bedroom
encourages sounder sleep.
Scents such as lavender, jasmine, sandalwood, and even vanilla
foster a sense of relaxation and restfulness.
Eucalyptus, lemon and rosemary can aide
in breathing easier through the sleep cycle.
Along with the chosen aroma,
the vaporizing effect of the mist adds needed humidity to the air,
especially in the dry winter months.
I was even able to find a diffuser
with an added bonus, a white noise option.
Between the essential oils and my choice of rain, 
a rolling stream or incoming waves, my sleep has improved.

An important aspect when using a diffuser in any application,
is keeping it clean.
The water sometimes sits and creates mildew in the reservoir.
Simply using warm water and perhaps a bit of vinegar
will take care of the problem.
I do this at least once a month,
and more if I see it's needed.
This ensures that the diffuser will last longer
and continue to support your well being.

Our diffusers are a welcome addition to the homestead.

Garden Friday

our neighbor's daffs

It's Garden Friday!
We finally have a few lil' things to post about.
With spring mere days away,
color is popping up all over the neighborhood!

The first of the seeds were sown in one of the 4X4 beds,
including this new-to-me variety of broccoli
called Calabrese. 
One seed was placed in each of the four corners,
as they tend to take up considerable space.

 The Cylindra beet is also an untried variety
which will be planted in stages.
Each square foot contains at least 9 seeds,
with several squares designated for this crop.
Every two weeks, another square will be planted.

I'm again using these wide-wire screens
to keep out curious squirrels or anyone else who might be interested
in snacking on the seeds before they get a chance to germinate.

 The snap peas sown a little over a week ago
were towering over their cell packs.
With rain expected in the forecast yesterday,
it seemed like a great opportunity to get them into the ground.

 If the shoots weren't enough reason,
the roots coming out of the bottom surely were.

 They were tucked in next to the cattle panel arches
on the southeast side of the garden.
As the holes were dug,
it was wonderful to see how many hard-working worms 
were calling this spot home.
The soil here had been amended with eggshells, coffee grounds,
shredded mulch and worm castings.
It seems to have paid off.

 Hopefully, before long, 
this tunnel will be covered in sweet, juicy peas.

More of our spring bulbs are waking up.
Our waking temperatures have been above freezing
for the past few days,

 and the ground may be just warming up enough
to satiate these wondrous flowers.

With the first of the planting started,
we'll be so happy to fill the garden with goodies to eat,
and bunches of beautiful blooms to enjoy.

All Day Bread

 Why do I call this "all day bread"?

It really should be called,

"bread that fits itself into your day so well

that you'll just want to make it all the time".

But that seemed a bit much.

 The truth is, this bread is easy to incorporate into your daily schedule.

Whether you work at home, from home, or outside of the home,

it lends itself well to a myriad of situations.

With the mixing, the resting, the mixing and the resting,

it flowed so well into my routine 

that it was a breeze to prepare.

And this lil' number didn't hurt.

After years of talking about getting a Kitchen Aid mixer

like my momma used to have,

we were gifted one from a sweet and generous friend.

She had two and was kind enough to give us her extra.

Making bread used to be a labor of love for me,

but I found that the kneading was becoming just too much.

This workhorse brings back the joy of bread making.

Easy Whole Grain Bread

(Minimalist Baker)

1 1/2 C warm water

3/4 T yeast

2 T honey/maple syrup

1/2 T salt

1 T flaxseed meal

2 C whole wheat pastry flour

1 3/4 C unbleached all purpose flour

2 T sunflower seeds

2 T oats

Combine water, yeast, honey, salt, 

flaxmeal and flour in mixing bowl and stir.

Beat for 1 minute, and add additional flour

until dough is no longer sticky.

Lift dough out and grease bowl.

Cover and let rise 2 hours at room temperature,

then 2 hours in refrigerator.

Create a hole in center of dough

and add seeds and oats.

Knead in to incorporate.

Place seam-side down in greased loaf pan,

cover and let rest 45-60 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and place

a bowl or skillet of water on the rack below the bread.

Bake 26-35 minutes.

Let cool before slicing.

Enjoy!

Community Garden Workday for February (2020)

It was a bit nippy out there on Saturday,
when we got together for our monthly workday
at the Community Garden at Sally's Y in Denver.
Jackets donned, a handful of hearty souls 
got us closer to our goals for the upcoming spring season.

Before getting started with the tasks at hand,
I took a moment to check on our garlic bed
and a few more things growing through the winter.
The garlic was planted in fall
and will be donated to the local food bank.
Lookin' good!

Some of the beds contained winter crops like this gorgeous curly kale,

as well as cabbages.
There are over 30 beds for "rent" by folks
who, for some reason or another, can't grow elsewhere.
Some may have limited space or
live in a restrictive community.
These raised beds are theirs for the season
for a nominal fee.
This fundraiser supplies the garden with a revenue
for maintaining the garden and purchasing supplies.

This red kale was sampled and found to be quite sweet!
The colder temperatures have that affect on greens such as these.

It was good to see someone growing greens out there,
considering that I had very little success 
growing my own food at home this winter.

One of the main tasks on this workday
was to clear the walkways of mulch.
We will be replacing this bark mulch
with a gravel-like material,
with the goal being weed prevention.

Last week the first crew got a great start,
with the center aisle being nearly cleared
from one end of the garden to the other
and several interior rows.

The removed mulch was added to beds that were in need of topping off.
In this way, nothing goes to waste
and it should add some nutrients to the beds.
Here, one of our members added almost a full 2 inches to the planting area.

Most beds have irrigation intact,
so we merely placed the mulch underneath.
The drip irrigation has been in place a short time,
and we think we have finally worked out the kinks.

There will be plenty of mulch to add to other areas
on the outside of the fence.
Repurposing the materials will save the community garden money
and assist in sprucing it right up.

With upcoming planting for spring looming,

we look forward to having this huge task behind us.

The installation of the gravel will be a considerable project

and we will once again be asking for volunteers.

The end result will be worth all of our hard work,

and hopefully give us far fewer weeds to pull!

"What is a weed?
A plant whose virtues 
have never been discovered."
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Garden Friday

 Welcome to Garden Friday!
It still feels like winter,
but the pansies don't seem to mind one bit.
I'm amazed at the fortitude of these blooms!

 The garlic just keeps on keepin' on!
I'm so glad that we planted three times the amount as last season.
The goal is to never buy store-bought garlic again.
Yeah, 
     it's 
          that 
                 good.

The cover crops are getting tall and filling in 
our two new beds.
These will house sweet potato, Yukon Gold potato
and butternut squash plants.  
As they were constructed last year,
they have yet to be planted,
and I'm looking forward to seeing how the cover crops affect them.

 The straw bales on the perimeter of the garden's south side
will be replaced with new bales purchased last fall.
The plan is to grow bush beans, cucumbers and okra in them.
The "discarded" bales will be used elsewhere on the property.

 Whaddayaknow?
This parsley plant is still hanging on
without much care.
Adding some worm castings and compost tea
should perk it right up.
Parsley is grown not only for cooking,
but also for the black swallowtail caterpillars to enjoy.

Our "spa" room is a makeshift greenhouse
where seedlings can be started while the cold wind blows outside.
Our aloe vera and lemongrass have overwintered in here as well.
Once temperatures warm up, they will head back to the garden.

 This week, I started working on our garden plan,
using the free planner offered on the Gardener's Supply website.
I've used it for the last few years and it's so easy to lay out your plan.
I'm still tweaking it, and hoping that by next week
I'll have the entire layout complete and printed out.

 A few packs of seeds came in the mail,
with more on the way.
This is a thrill every single time it happens.
Better than Christmas!
I've grown the tatsoi and tithonia previously,
but the Dragon Tongue bush beans and Cylindra beets will be a new crop this year.
It's so fun trying new varieties.

 The first of our daffs showed up this week.
It's been a rainy, windy and cold winter,
with intermittent gorgeous sunny days in the 60's.
It's no wonder that the plants don't know what to do.
I'm just grateful that spring is around the corner
so that we can grow some goodies!