Homestead Happenings

 

snacktime!

Welcome back to Homestead Happenings.

We are still in a bit of a holding pattern

with outdoor projects,

as the weather has been keeping us inside.

A few fair-weather days did allow for 

a tidy-up of the garden equipment.

Things were rearranged and quite a few

items have been slated for giveaway,

as we continue to streamline our possessions.

Less to keep track of, less to maintain.

Saffron and Henrietta are not the least bit

daunted by the size of the compost pile.

The other pile (just to the right),

will be sifted through and placed in

buckets until needed to give the garden beds a boost.

I did manage to get a bed of Yukon Gold potatoes planted.

The next time I get to the hardware store,

I will look to see if they have any seed potatoes

so that I can plant a few more beds.

They are so fun to harvest.

The winter sowing is going well,

with kale and lettuce looking strong.

We've had adequate rain in the last couple of weeks,

so no additional watering on my part was needed.

What could be easier?

Spring is definitely on its way,

as this display of almost-open daffodils shows.

The nigella in this bed is also spreading,

and we've had candytuft blooming for two weeks.

Crocus has also been spotted in the flower beds.

The elderberry is leafing out and

I'm hoping that I get better use out of the berries this year.

Elderberry syrup is often used by locals

to ward off colds and allergies.

I'm thinking of adding one of our plants to the chook run,

as it makes a great hiding place for the girls.

They eat the berries too!

crocus

Inside, we managed to get the master bathroom and

the adjoining room painted.

The color is "Warm Putty" and it makes the room look complete.

Sometimes just reading the names of the colors makes me smile.

The living room/office area is next in line for painting,

with a Robin's egg blue chosen as the color.

Pizza crust was made with the fresh-milled flour,

although it doesn't look as appetizing here.

This was before the pesto was added,

but it only enhanced the flavor of the crust.

This recipe will make it into my FMF binder.

Alas, the snow is gone,

but the anticipation of germinating seeds

is something to look forward to.

We are ready to spend more time outside.

What's the end of winter looking like where you are?

Homestead Happenings

 

Here we are back at Homestead Happenings,

and what a wild couple of weeks it's been!

We were blessed with at least 6 inches of snow,

enough to stay on the ground for several days.

What a rush!

I haven't made a snow person in nearly 60 years!

I'm a bit out of practice, I'd say,

but I gave it a go.

The experience still left me feeling

like I was six years old again.

The baby girls were hesitant to venture across the snow,

but as usual, our independent Matilda, showed them how it's done.

It's funny how she is the runt of the flock,

and given the chance, she just steams right along,

ignoring their bad attitudes.

daffodils emerging 

Even with row covers on the beds,

the temperatures were a bit too severe

for our lettuce and kale.

We had a string of constant teens and single digits,

and it was more than these varieties could handle.

The girls nibbled whatever was left.

The leeks are still hanging in there,

although they were started in May of last year.

Leek and potato soup is one of my favorite dishes,

especially when the frigid winters make it

difficult to keep warm.

Not to fear, though.

Winter sowing has begun.

Just yesterday several varieties of lettuce,

kale, parsley, chamomile and broccoli were sown.

These containers stay outside until they are ready

to be transplanted to their final growing place in beds or grow bags.

If you've never tried winter sowing, read this.

I started using this method two years ago,

and will never start seedlings another way.

The forecast looks promising,

with spring-like temperatures expected 

throughout the rest of February,

and a full day of rain this Sunday.

There are signs of spring popping up already.

This bread was the latest in my bread making adventures.

It is a boule, which is baked in a dutch oven,

and turns out a loaf that is crisp on the outside

and soft and tender inside.

With a little butter, 

you've got yourself a piece o' heaven!

We have two painting projects lined up 

before winter is over.

This color, called "Warm Putty",

will be used to brighten up the Master Bath

and adjoining room.

Having color on the walls just makes things cozier.

neighborhood visitor

We lost our girl Buttercup on the snowiest day of the year.

She had a good life with us,

but it's still so hard to let them go.

The two flockmates that shared her run

seem to miss her, which makes it even tougher.

Hopefully, she is with our other chooks who have passed,

and they are all pecking and scratching

to their hearts' content.

Worms for everyone!