Egg and Rutabaga update

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It's been almost three weeks since we found our first egg. It was a few days before we found any more. When we did, we discovered that they had made a nest under the coop in the sheltered part of their yard and had been laying a couple of eggs each day!

a topper for our tree

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I love traditions, and I love celebrating. A loved tradition that my husband and I have been able to bring along and make our own is our Christmas Tree. As we continue to purge and downsize our physical belongings and the entourage of stuff we possess, our tradition of a little tree has been able to stay with us. While it was originally a necessity because of the size of our apartment (and budget) it has become a matter of pride. 

 

Happiest Rutabaga

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Since the end of our farmshare we have been gathering vegetables from farmer's markets, my step-father, and our own stores and gardens.

From the Coventry winter Farmer's Market we got some rutabagas a couple of weeks ago as I'd wanted to make a better Upper Peninsula (of Michigan) pasty.  I made some improved ones a few weeks ago and while they were fantastically delicious, I knew I could do better. 

We got an egg!

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We moved the chicken coop to their winter spot. There's not enough left growing on the ground to be able to leave them in one place for more than a day or so. We've moved their pen to a spot in our back yard where it will stay until spring. We will spread dried leaves and other bedding materials in their yard and they will poop, scratch, and peck it to lovely compost throughout the winter.

As Joe went to move the coop he found an egg! Our very first pullet egg!

 

Our House in the Storm

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I've just about gotten everything ready for our mini-Thanksgiving break and so have time to come up for air and make a post. 

Just about three weeks ago our area of the country was hit by an extra early snow storm - before leaves were even off the trees which caused a fair amount of trees to break and caused quite the rukus. Our street was out of power for a full week with our house just a little bit longer. 

Both my husband and I were out of town (in different directions) for the storm itself but our dearest cousin Ben was able to snap the following picture:

Garden Bed Cleanup and Planting Garlic

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Due to a week without power (almost two without internet) following a freak pre-haloween snowstorm I'm a bit behind on posting. I've had a couple saved up and here we go!

The week before the storm I finally got around to cleaning up the garden beds - with a little help from the girls!

New Windows!

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Work trips, being sick, school deadlines, our newest addition to the team, as well as the work that goes with the change of seasons would be enough but on top of that we got all of our windows replaced! 

 

New Addition to our Homestead

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With a house that is more than 75 years old, there are lots of places where the darned varmints can easily come in to escape the cold. In a place like this mouse-catching is a very valuable skill. While we've caught a few with traditional traps and even found one of the less-than-intelligent ones in a water jug one morning, it was time to bring in an expert.

Meet Thelma our new "barn" cat. 

Three Amazing Years.

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Last week my husband and I celebrated our 3rd anniversary. Complete with a brand new pantry (for me -below the white beam to the right of the stairs), wild grape jelly (post to follow) and whiskey (for him), brunch at O'Rourke's in Middletown and just a grand day together overall.

Family Traditions - Franklin County Fair

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While there were several yearly fairs within an easy driving distance of most my childhood homes, the Franklin County Fair has always been a favorite. While it has its share of carnival rides and games like the rest, my favorite parts of the Franklin County Fair have always been the produce and craft competitions.

Modern Foraging and Sumac Lemonade

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One of the many things I love about having access to wild land is the ability to forage.  

On a walk the other day, I came home with blackberries, a few raspberries (the last of the season), wild grapes, and a big pile of staghorn sumac drupes 

(not to be confused with poison sumac).

Where I've been these last few weeks:

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In the kitchen!

Between the beginning of fall harvest and the abundance of our farm-share, we have been keeping busy putting food by.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

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I've come across many recipes for homemade laundry detergent and have always kept them in the back of my mind to try. I even got all the ingredients and had them around for months. Finally our detergent ran out. We went to the store to get more and managed to walk out with everything we needed but not the detergent.

Good Fences Make Good Neighbors

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"Before I built a wall I'd ask to know
What I was walling in or walling out" 

-From Mending Wall by Robert Frost

We are happily back home with our dog and our girls. I'm getting excited about putting up the  harvest and looking forward to trying out some new recipes. I start school again in a couple of weeks and am interested to see how that fits in with our other adventures this fall!

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Quick Cucumber Salad - CSA Veggie Challenge

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Between our veggie CSA and our own garden we have lots of cucumbers! We've been enjoying blueberry cucumber smoothies, cucumber and dip, and of course, cucumber salad! 

Kitchen Blackboard

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It's been quite a while since I discovered the existence of blackboard paint  - paint that creates a blackboard surface. While I enjoy the idea of a blackboard wall (how I originally saw the paint used), our kitchen has no feasible walls for this purpose. After one of the last kitchen-reorganizations we ended up with a big empty space on one wall.

(taken at night) 

Homemade Hard Cider - made with wild yeast

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Hard cider is not only delicious and easy to make, it is a traditional and historic New England beverage. While I only find some of the commercial ciders worth drinking, they hardly compare to the crisp, slightly sweet and bubbly beverage one can make for oneself. 

Cilantro Chutney - CSA Veggie Challenge

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If you're one of those people who doesn't like cilantro, I apologize and suggest you skip the rest of this post. 

For the rest of you, read on!

Painting the Livingroom - Another pre-party project

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One of my big goals for the summer break from school was to paint my living room.

A coop for the girls

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These last few weeks have been a little crazy. On this past Saturday we had about 30 people over for a graduation/promotion/celebration party for my husband. One of the big projects we wanted to get done before the party was to get the chickens out of the house (more pre-party projects in subsequent posts). As tempted as we were to open the door and toss them out (they were getting kind of loud!), we figured it would be better to give them a house of their own. 

Quirky Lamp - my favorite piece from Ceramics II

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I finally got around to finishing the wiring on one of my pieces from my ceramics class last semester. Thanks to my mum for the nudge and some of the parts!

Worms! (or: More fun things you can get in the mail!)

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We got worms! In the mail! Vermiculture, or worm-farming (for compost or bait) has piqued my interest for some time. We had an electric indoor composter for the first year or so we lived here in our house and slowly killed it as it was not the right composting method for our family. Since learning about worm composting I am excited to be able to harness these blessings for our gardens and plants.

Worm poop, or "castings" are a natural fertilizer that will not burn plants, even when applied directly, unlike most commercial fertilizers. Also, they don't smell! The more I learn, the more I am excited about all the benefits! Plus it's kind of cool to have a big bin of worms. 

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eSCAPES!

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Garlic scapes are one of my favorite things. One of the delights of growing ones own garlic is getting to walk out into the yard and pick scapes yourself!

Here they are escaping! (haha! get it? didja? didja?) 

I love how wild they are! And how delicious!

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Earl Grey Ice Cream - mmmm!

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A few years ago I had Earl Grey ice cream and have been in deep smit ever since. It has also been a few years since I've seen it again. Then I had a brilliant idea: I make things. I could make my own!

Ingredients:

1qt half and half (4c, use whole milk if you don't want it as rich)
4 egg yolks (egg whites are excellent for making meringues)
1/3c sugar (I used an unrefined but use what you have)
2t vanilla extract (I used my homemade)
4 Earl Grey Teabags

Twig Trellises and a Chick Field Trip

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My mother's gardens have always inspired me and she has always encouraged me in my own experiences with gardening. Before I even started kindergarten I had a little circle garden at the side of the house. This led to my first prize petunias at the county fair. My luck with annuals coming back continues to this day!

Hortopita - Spanikopita's delicious cousin

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Many people have heard of Spanikopita or spinach pie, which is a Greek dish mainly made with phyllo dough, spinach, and feta cheese. Fewer have heard of the much more common hortopita or greens pie. The Greek word "horta" literally translates as "grass" but means any number of edible wild greens such as kale, chard, dandelion greens, etc.


Having gotten a splendid brick of feta on a recent grocery trip, I was excited to try. I headed out to the lawn and picked a couple cups of dandelion greens to add to chopped chard and leeks and a layer of butter puff pastry.

The end was a scrumptious and nutritious mealtime treat. My dear husband gave it a twenty out of ten.

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We got chicks!

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After months of waiting, our chicks finally arrived! We missed the call at 4:50 but heard the call at 7am. 

We quickly set up the homemade tub brooder (inspired by this post) with food, water, and the heat lamp. We plugged in the light to  "pre-heat" and off I went!

Here is a video taken by Jesse Stanley of their first few moments in the house:

Thanks Jesse!

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Bit by Bit

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   Inspired by a recent trip to visit my mother, I decided to make a crate to house all of our jar and container lids rather than purchasing something similar. Using scrap wood and some lath, I pieced together this little number.

It's a good reminder that not everything has to be complicated or requires a lot of planning. Sometimes things just fall into place.

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A Grand Day In

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Last week we celebrated my birthday and I cannot remember a better birthday. Much of it was spent gardening with my mum. We then went to see my pieces in the student show, and had a lovely lunch before she headed home.

After a little bit of knitting, my dearest husband arrived with flowers from some dear friends and a feast! He shucked raw clams and oysters, made bacon wrapped scallops with garlic broccolini on the side and even brought a piece of my favorite cheese-free veggie-loaded pizza for me to eat right away.

Thank you everyone for all the wonderful birthday wishes and love from near and far. Thank you for helping to make it such a lovely day. I'm still enjoying the beautiful flowers, made-for-me cards, inspiring book, big-girl trike, and even the sheets to use when I'm Away!

I feel so loved!

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Raised Beds: making my own

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When we started our gardens here a couple of years ago, I was fortunate enough to trade some work for some beautiful cedar raised beds. Our dear friends over at The Farmstead, in Leverett, Massachusetts make gorgeous raised bed kits based upon a 17th century design and also make other garden gems like trellises and benches for local sale.

Geeking out with my new capsule machine!

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I've been eying a capsule machine ever since reading a post by Progressive Pioneer, last fall. Yesterday, while waiting for my car to have its emissions tested, I wandered over to our little local health food store. Lo and behold they had them in stock!

My work is in the show! Again! (part deux)

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As many of you know, I've been taking  ceramics courses at a local community college.

I am pleased to announce (again) that several of my pieces will be in the student art show.

The opening is this Friday at 6pm and the show will run until June 24th.

Not sure when I'll be going, but let me know if you're interested in meeting up at any point in the duration of the exhibit.


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HappyBunny Pincushion

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Over the past few weeks I've starting doing a bit more sewing again and found myself frustrated with my pincushion. I'd been coveting a wonderful little number I found on etsy but couldn't justify the expense to replace something I already have. Then it dawned on me. I could sew my own! (Gasp!)





Among the plethora of different patterns I quickly found online was a lovely tutorial for the exact same kind of pincushion I had been eying!  A few quick minutes later and I was all set!







I used fabric from my stash, stuffed it with wool from my stepfather's flock, and held together with two vintage buttons that were a present from my brother and his lovely lady.







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Kitchen Curtains - something worth a blog post

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A month and a half? Really? Time sure does slip by when you've got no time to breathe or think or do much of anything fun.

 This past weekend I not only got a bit of a breather, I had wonderful incentive to jump-start a few projects - we had a bunch of family over for an eastery/spring celebration.

Amidst the rearranging and cleaning, I managed to reorganize our kitchen shelves and remove some rather large unused things - the purging continues! To hide some of the less beautiful kitchen necessities, I turned a fat quarter of earthy polka-dot fabric and some leftover muslin into these curtains. 


With each new touch our home and life feel more and more happily-ever-after and I feel more and more at home.

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Homemade Crock-pot Yogurt

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I got several responses from my last post from people interested in my experiences with crock-pot yogurt. Super easy, definitely cheaper than store-bought yogurt, and so delicious!

 Supplies:
1.) A crock pot!
2.) A half gallon of milk (preferably NOT ultra-pasturized)
3.) At least 1/2cup of live culture yogurt - after you've made your first batch you can just save some to use for the next batch.
4.) optional: foodsafe thermometer. This isn't strictly necessary but definitely helpful.

Few week wrap up

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It's been quite a busy few weeks! Mid-terms are coming up with all the little projects I've had going, I thought I'd do a wrap up. If there's anything you would like me to expand upon just let me know!

Some recipes I follow call for whey to soak grains and make them more easily digestible, the nutrients more readily available, and cut down the various inhibitory components. I tried making crock-pot yogurt. SO easy! Straining yogurt provides us with whey for cooking and fermenting, greek-style (strained) yogurt, and the best cream cheese!

What a wonderful day!

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Windows and doors wide open, sunshine and a lovely breeze blowing through, what a wonderful day! Fresh air clearing away the smell of freshly primed cabinet and table is such a treat.

Add to that an amazing blueberry-mint smoothie, an unexpected afternoon with my man, grilling on the back porch and getting out of class early. Thank goodness for hints of spring and celebrations of ordinary life.

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Usefullness of scraps - making things from remnants

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There is something so satisfying about making something useful out of the leftovers from another project.  I love making solutions to our needs out of materials we already have at hand.

 I am so grateful to have the tools and space to make these things for our home.

Getting to class - 3-ring binder cover

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I have a professor that likes printouts. We get four to six printed sheets most every class. After only a few weeks of the semester, I was already tired of shuffling papers around.








Enter the 3-ring binder. The problem is that they're plastic.

Fabric on the other hand?

Fabric, I like.  Fabric, I have. A bunch of quick, straight steams and voila!




Instead of a jumble in a bag I have my re-vamped binder!

Night classes are a little easier when you've got butterflies and polka dots on your side.

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Handsome Visitor

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One of the latest delights of our home is a red bellied woodpecker!

I managed to sneak a few photos before he noticed me.








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Bringing ceramics home - ceramic lantern

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Between the weather and my fall, it's taken me a few extra weeks to get the last of my ceramics home after the close of the student show.

One of our first assignments turned into my favorite piece of the semester. We had to coil-build a sphere at least the size of a large cantaloupe. Beyond the basic spherical shape we were free to use our imaginations. 

I have always loved lanterns and some of my favorite pictures from my international trip last year were of similar shaped lanterns in various states of creation. I even got to watch some ladies making some pretty spectacular silk ones.

Here is my interpretation in stoneware. It's over a 12" in all directions and used over twenty-five pounds of clay.


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Happy in the kitchen - rolling pin rack

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Ages ago I saw an old timey spice rack with curved wood hooks at the bottom to hold a rolling pin. I loved the idea and was determined to make my own. As I have both a marble and a wooden french pastry rolling pin, I decided a flat shelf on the top would best suit my needs. 

Now I can keep my counters clear, use up harder to reach space in the corner and enjoy the beauty of these tools while keeping them close at hand.





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