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!

Homestead Happenings

 

Welcome to Homestead Happenings.

We weathered the ice storm this week

and it thrills me to say that we had no damage.

In fact, by yesterday, most of the ice was gone,

except for the shadiest of spots on the homestead.

It has been predicted that we will have snow

all day tomorrow.

You won't hear me complain,

I think the stuff is magic!

The chooks are not as thrilled with the white stuff.

They did venture out into the woods on the east side

of the property, to see what they could find.

There is really nothing to report in the garden,

unless you count me being so happy

that the row covers did not get damaged with the

weight of the ice.

So far, so good.

I'm hoping to start my winter sowing next week,

so that I can get a jump start on the spring crops.

With no desire to spend time in the frigid cold,

more indoor projects have been taking up our time.

Here, C is helping out his momma

by constructing a file cabinet.

Voila!

Of course, the grain mill has been working hard

as I discover new things to make

with fresh milled flour.

These tortillas are fantastic and so easy.

I'll never buy storebought again.

A few things were made for sister,

including these mouth-watering rolls

made with a combination of hard white wheat,

hard red wheat and kamut.

The new mixer came yesterday,

so I will be busy today breaking it in.

The fresh milled flour journey is a lifestyle change,

and I can't imagine ever going back to 

storebought breads and baked goods,

so I thought it wise to invest in a heavy-duty mixer.

I rarely buy new things, and in fact I got a good deal on this

because it is considered "refurbished" because the box

had been opened. 

We've always had good experience with refurbished products.

The original warranty is still valid as well.

The younger chooks have been laying up a storm!

We are getting 3 or 4 daily from our four girls

who still lay.

We have 3 other chooks who do not lay anymore

and are just living out their lives here.

We lovingly call them "freeloaders".

three of our four olive eggers

Last time I posted, a picture of Buttercup

was featured, showing her looking into the house

from the front porch.

Unfortunately, she became poorly this week,

and I'm not sure she will be with us much longer.

Sometimes we just don't know the cause.

We will pray for a quick and easy passing,

and hope that she comes back to our family again someday.

With the wicked weather coming our way,

we make sure to keep the bird feeders filled,

the suet feeders stocked and even put out

sunflower seeds for the squirrels.

I know they can be a nuisance,

but they are so fun to watch out the kitchen window.

Grateful that we can nurture the wildlife around our homestead.

With trees on three sides of our home,

we are able to catch sight of many varieties of birds.

They are fascinating and provide plenty of entertainment.

There is so much for which to be grateful,

including the creatures that share this space with us.

I hope you have something interesting

right outside your window.

Homestead Happenings

 

Welcome back to Homestead Happenings.

It's been a bit wild and wooly these last few weeks,

but things are slowly progressing toward spring.

No matter the weather,

it's so amazing to watch the changes all around us.

This honeysuckle is planted on the far end of our property,

and it was rather shocking to see it in full bloom.

Knowing that more cold temperatures were ahead,

we will see just how resilient it is.

This is a great plant to use as a hedge,

or clustered together, to provide a bit of privacy.

The spider wort is growing well,

despite the frigid temps and snow

we've had in the past few weeks.

This is used as a border along our

wood chip walkway alongside the chook run area.

I'm not sure why some folks don't care for it,

it's very low maintenance and will flush back easily

to provide even more blossoms later in the season.

It will be exciting to see these tulips blooming

in another few weeks.

These are the double bloom variety

and they are planted around our dogwood tree.

In the fall, a mix of allium bulbs were planted

in various beds.

Every year, I try to add a few more bulbs.

Many of the sedums have either continued to grow right through the winter,

or are coming back without hesitation.

Sedums have become one of my favorite plants,

as they are so easy going.

They don't require much in the way of water,

adapt to different sun exposures and don't need fertilization.

The garlic is looking mighty happy these days.

The abundant rainfall we've had this month

has boosted their growth.

Hoping for a bumper crop this year,

with almost 200 cloves planted.

In the month of February so far,

we've topped six inches of rain,

not including melted snow.

Mother Nature must be breathing a sigh of relief,

knowing she'll start off the spring

with ample stores of water.

Winter sowing has begun

and it feels good to have seeds started again.

Because I am using a new source for the topsoil

in my soil mix, only a handful of containers were sown.

If these do well with germination,

we will keep sowing each week.

This season, the focus will be on the crops eaten daily,

like kale and lettuces.

It makes sense to me to grow the things I enjoy most often.

So far, in this batch,

kale, leeks, lettuce and turnips (grown for greens) have been started.

I am working toward growing for myself,

as well as the chooks, who enjoy greens of all kinds.

If you want to learn more about winter sowing,

read this.

As I write this, I am pup sitting

and this morning's snow is just about completely melted.

It's such a beautiful sight on the bare tree branches and shrubs,

(although I'm not sure my Element, Ginger thinks much of it).

I never tire of its magical quality.

The rest of the week is warming up

and we may not see any more snow until next winter.

I'm grateful for the peace it brings me.

There is something to look forward to in each season.

The task is ours to find the blessing in the everyday.

Homestead Happenings

 

Welcome to Homestead Happenings,

where we share the news about our

Piedmont homesteading adventures.

Not much to share this week,

as we are having a chilly winter, 

just like most of the country.

With snow predicted (yippee!) for the next two days,

I'll be hunkering down and enjoying the snowfall.

Amazingly, the kale is still growing,

despite some frigid temps overnight.

The row covers give us a few extra degrees of warmth,

and kale is one hearty crop.

What a treat to be able to enjoy kale

as I am working outside.

In another bed we have one Napa cabbage 

still hanging on,

and broccoli, which has been

oh-so sweet, thanks to the cold snap.

Some of the broccoli will be harvested

to make a vegan broccoli-cheddar soup.

The garlic seems to be oblivious to the weather.

It keeps growing, despite what the thermometer says,

and I'm hoping for a bumper crop this year.

Still a long way to go though,

with harvest time in May or June.

It looks like the welded wire around the bed

is keeping the chooks from scratching up the soil.

One of the tasks I enjoy doing in the winter

is clearing out the woods surrounding our home.

We have trees on three sides,

though not very deep,

but I've managed to do some serious tidying this season.

It's easier for me to catch rogue chooks when the woods are clear.

We have color even on the dreariest of days.

This nandina has a beautiful spray of red berries

and red tinted leaves as well.

The berries last well after the holidays

and provide food for the wildlife here.

There is a large holly bush that is 

absolutely loaded in berries this year!

I have trimmed a few of the branches

to bring some of the outdoors in.

The rest will be left for our feathered friends.

It's so nice to have a pop of color out there.

The girls are enjoying the pulled broccoli stalks.

They pick apart whatever is left in no time.

*Note to self-plant more food for the chooks!

Site supervisor Buttercup makes sure that I am 

doing a good job spreading wood chips.

We were gifted a load via Chip Drop this week,

so I will have plenty to do to keep me warm outside.

This was an especially good load,

as the chips are quite small and they even threw in

a substantial log that I can use as a perch for the girls.

If you can use woodchips for your garden, animals or

pathways around your yard, Chip Drop is a great free resource.

Since we signed up with them online,

we've gotten 5 or 6 nice loads.

I made some tortillas with the chickpea flour 

I had in the cupboard.

They are so good with cheese, beans and sprouts.

The recipe is simple, quick and requires only a few ingredients.

I got the recipe here.

Last year, I made a batch of vanilla

using the simple combination of vodka and vanilla beans.

Can I just tell you how amazing it turned out?

I left it in a dark cabinet for a full year,

and it has the most wonderful smell and taste.

I decided to start another batch for next year.

So easy, and much better than what you can find in the store.

Here's where I plan to spend the next couple of days.

I tend to do indoor projects during these times

when the great outdoors is inaccessible.

If we get snow, I'll be out in it, for sure,

but eventually, I'll have to come inside to warm up.

Counting my blessings 

every

             single 

                     day.