Made From Scratch by Jenna Woginrich
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Inspired by her growing admiration for small farmers and her equally strong distaste for out-of-control consumerism, Jenna Woginrich decided to take greater control of her life-what she ate, what she wore, and how she spent her free time.  Learn a few basic country skills, she reasoned, and she would be able to produce at least some of the food and resources she used every day.

This book and Jenna's blog,  Cold Antler Farm, are two of the reasons I found a name for what I've always felt.  She introduced me to the word barnheart, which I found out had been plaguing me for years.  In this her first book, she tackles topics on beekeeping, raising chickens, mountain music and cooking country-style.  Each section is succinctly described, so that anyone who follows her instructions can be successful at these homestead tasks.  This is the type of book that really goes down easy.  In fact, you don't want it to end because you want to hear what else the author has to say. 
I can honestly say it is one of the best that I've read on the subject.  Through this book and her blog, Jenna has taught me so much about why homesteading is the right fit for me.  From the looks of it, I'm not alone!

Non-Fiction Book Love Link Up

We've Had a Visitor

Look what I discovered under the mulch! 

Remind me to always wear shoes out in the garden!

Veggie Garden Update

The square foot garden is green again.

Yippppeeeeeee!

Carrots are something we use a lot of around here...

 

Two types of lettuce are starting to finally

fill out.  I got a late start on them.

But I can't wait to be able to pick my own salad greens.

This is the first time I've tried to grow garlic.

Being half Italian and half French, I have no choice but

to add this ingredient to almost every dish!

I use thyme for the boys' chicken recipes.

The aroma is subtle but divine.

Parsley is a staple here.  Some is

grown for caterpillars, some for our use

as well as some shared with neighbors.

I noticed quite a few ladybugs on this plant.

The more the merrier!

 

This is also the first time we are growing our own potatoes.

Being the carb lovers we are, I can imagine the magic

when we start to dig 'em up!

 

Hoping spring peas will be ready for the table soon.

Green beans are wonderful served as a side

or thrown into a salad. 

It's a wonderful feeling knowing that with each seed planted,

we are relying more on our own efforts

and not expecting someone else to feed us.

I'm so grateful I have a patch of land for just this purpose.

Even the grapevine is coming back. 

Before it could bear any fruit, the freezes came and killed off

any chance of sweet treats.

This is a volunteer, so I'm not sure exactly what to expect.

I'm open to anything at this point!

Here's hoping your harvest is bountiful! 

Let the Obsession Begin!

The Spring Obsession Festival was lovely. 

The weather was absolutely perfect for an outdoor event. 

  We got a late start and I had to get back home for work,

so I didn't have as much time to amble through

as I would have liked.

It was wonderful to spend time among

so much grace and beauty.

The best part of the adventure was that

I met a local native gardener

who does her own propagating for resale! 

The first stop at the festival was the free sample table!

I picked up two small starters of pansies for the garden.

It felt so good to know that I was surrounded by

folks who love gardening as much as I do.

Some real bargains were to be had!

Several decorated rain barrels on display

were also for purchase.

Booths carried everything from ferns to orchids

to Florida-friendly to artistic container arrangements.

Wouldn't these be a treat to have not only to

irrigate plants, but for kids to play in

on a hot summer day!

Not too water-wise though...

These glass orbs caught my eye as the light

reflected through their mottled colors.

This yard art was simply amazing! 

I could see having a few of these pieces some time in the future!

I'm a sucker for an old wash tub.

Wish I had gone back for one of these.

This piece seemed unusual to me.

I wonder what its original use was?

What a great plant stand or rain barrel it could make.

The only native plants I found were here.

I spoke with Leslie Zambito, the owner,

who was very knowledgeable

and equally supportive about my wanting

to plant mostly natives.

She is a master gardener who promotes

the use of natives and Florida-friendly plants.

She is presently working on her website,

but you can reach her at

plzambito@verizon.net

A new alliance was made and we will be

visiting her very soon.

Don't cha just love the name?

Here's what came home.

I am looking forward to seeing

how they look in the backyard.

A coontie was finally acquired.  It's one

of the plants I remember first learning about

when the decision to go native occurred.

Everything purchased was based

on the desire to support wildlife

and the need to grow in full sun.

The bamboo tepee was just too cool not to get!

Wet-n-Wunnerful