2016
06/21

Category:
food
spinning

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Thankful for a kitchen

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Yes, that is where I spent today.   In addition to the normal things that happen in a kitchen, I made

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and canned 24 pints of split pea soup.   If we had nothing else in the house, my DH would still be happy.   He could eat this soup every day and be happy.   Of course. he also wants some type of bread with it.  This kettle can cook that much at a time – right up to the top, but the pressure canner takes a long time for each 10 pints.

IMG_4768So in between, I took the woody stems out and using a coffee grinder, ground up some of the dried herbs,

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I worked with part of a fleece.   I dyed it once, but when I started spinning, I realized it was too light,

IMG_4771so I flicked open the locks.

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 and used a darker color

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Even though it always dries lighter, I think I’ll like this color better.  And that is how I entertained myself today.

2016
06/20

Category:
Garden

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Hoop house update 6/20/16

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Sweet potatoes in the front and tomatoes in the back.  The tomatoes are loaded with blooms.   With the exception of one tomato that was a gift, all others are volunteers.   This, even though the bed was covered with cardboard for the winter.

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The cabbages are happy and I probably will have some to give away.

IMG_4764.  We have picked some of the broccoli, and replanted the lettuce.

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The newly planted basil.

IMG_4757And replanted parsley.   I had some outside, but the sheep REALLY enjoy them.

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The zucchini are trying to go to the roof, but have produced mostly flowers so far.   I may have to talk to them a bit.  There is a single volunteer sunflower in the back which is very near the top of the house and starting to flower.

2016
06/19

Category:
food
Life

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HAPPY FATHER’S DAY

IMG_4730Our daughter has the perfect kitchen for gatherings.  So we usually meet at her house for our family gatherings/potlucks.  This table is perfect.  And Father’s day was the occasion.

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IMG_4734Just a few photos to show how much fun we have at our gatherings.   We have many cooks which means that I just bring my dish and enjoy the party.   The girls and granddaughter take over.  Come to think of it, once one gets past the teen years, daughters are pretty nice to have in the family.

I hope that each of you had an equally fun time celebrating today.

2016
06/17

Category:
food
Garden
Knitting
quilts

COMMENTS:
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June 17 recap

I’ve pushed hard this week to finish two flimsies – one is 73″ square and the other is 59 x71″   And the report is in for the test quilt.

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Today there were two potato casseroles made – one for Father’s day and one for us, plus I cleaned 6 gallon bags of picked greens.  Tomorrow, I will grab some from each bag and combine for a salad for the celebration.

The garden is doing good.  The hoop house with 7 zones needs daily watering and the big garden will need watering after the rains cease.  I let someone else pick the pea pods for their use as I just didn’t keep up – especially between the rain squalls.    The strawberries are on their way out and the raspberries are coming in good.   I didn’t get to the blueberries today, but they are just starting, so they can wait until Sunday and the rest of the lavender will also wait.   The peppers need to be tied up – maybe Monday.   I did plant carrots in the hoop house for a winter picking.  The zucchini are so huge, I think they are trying to be tropical plants.   There are 6   4-5″ zucchinis growing.  And the cauliflowers are starting tiny little flowers in the middle.

The bees have been checked for this week.   I added a box to their unit and set up two new hives if they would like to swarm – which doesn’t guarantee they will stay here, but as they are in the peak laying time as well as honey collection time with blackberries blooming, I don’t want to bother them.

The floors are mopped.    Can I just say that I am collecting dust?   That didn’t get done, but DH was good enough to clean the bathrooms, so we are ready for the weekend.    Housework is one of those things that waits until it is so bad, I don’t feel I have a choice.   But I am so thankful to have a roof and things to clean that it doesn’t seem like a chore – just a priority matter.

Today I had a man here to help with some of the larger and heavier pots that needed to be transplanted, but the rain got in the way, so he will be back to help on Monday.   Last week he cut down most of the nettles and blackberries, which is a great help.  At our speed, we can’t do it all by ourselves, so we do hire out the more difficult jobs.  Knowing that moving and using our muscles keeps us younger longer, we do as much ourselves as time allows.

When I needed a break, I did knit couple rows  on the socks.  But 2 days this week, I didn’t get all my steps in so I will have to work harder on that next week.

These days so much of our time hinges around the gardens and soon will include saving the produce for winter.   So even though we are constantly busy, it sometimes seems we get nothing done, because we start again the next day.    I am very thankful that we are able to have the gardens with their produce.

IMG_4725This is what we found when we went into the hay building.  Isn’t she a beautiful bird?    Sadly for her, we took the eggs.   We no longer have a rooster, nor do we want more chickens right now, and we do have someone who wants the eggs.

2016
06/16

Category:
food
Garden
Life
quilts

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Daffodil flimsy and produce

IMG_4722I really need a better background to hang these larger quilts, but until then, I’ll make do with this.   Here is the finished flimsy.   The pattern is called “Summer’s Promise” by Ann Lauer.   The instructions are excellent.  I found it in the American Quilter magazine dated May 2016.   It does a good job of showing off the focus fabric.   In this case, I had the daffodil fabric hanging on the wall, just waiting for the right pattern.

 

IMG_4720This afternoon’s harvest was three lovely heads of broccoli.   I had planned to pick berries and lavender, but after fertilizing the hoop house and getting it water, the heaven’s opened and it poured.   So maybe I can pick berries tomorrow as there is only a 30% chance of rain.  And that will give me a break from the housework from which I am way behind.

 

a

2016
06/15

Category:
food
Garden
Knitting
Life

COMMENTS:
4 Comments »

Summer socks again

IMG_4711This bit of unused yarn from a pair of socks is a very soft yarn from Lorna’s Laces.   I made a full pair of socks from this yarn which I absolutely loved.   However, last winter when I washed several pair of socks, the pair vanished.   I have looked everywhere for them and they haven’t shown up.   So, I will see how far I can get with the yarn left and finish with another yarn.    I understand a single sock disappearing, but a pair of socks, where ever could they have gone?

 

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Today I picked the first head of cabbage out of the hoop house.   It’s a small one, but was really good in

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the stir fry we had for lunch.   This included pea pods, Swiss chard, and garlic scapes from the garden.  From the store we added onion, cauliflower and celery which needed to be used.  It was delicious!

2016
06/14

Category:
Life
quilts

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Why we test quilts

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There is no pay for testing quilts and often it isn’t a pattern I would have chosen.   I am testing this one, because the other testers were avoiding it.   However, it really needed to be tested before being published as there were a few errors that might make it become a ufo for someone.  I can’t show  you the quilt until September, but here is a section of the border.  One of the pieces was not quite long enough – so that will be a correction in the pattern.   Also I tried different methods of putting it together and decided one really needs to make a template for each half of the block to trim it before putting it together. It’s a pretty border, but also a more advanced one as there are 5 pieces to match in each half of the chevron.

Yes there are places it doesn’t match perfectly.   Since testers are to follow the instructions, some of the pieces are too short and I tried to make it work anyhow.   Some of the other mismatches are due to my imperfect sewing.

2016
06/14

Category:
Life
quilts

COMMENTS:
4 Comments »

Daffodil quilt progress

IMG_4673A little at a time, the center is now finished.  Next will be the borders.    I’m liking it more and more and hope you are too.

2016
06/12

Category:
Life

COMMENTS:
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Making Soap

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I promised myself after last Sunday’s strawberry episode, that today was going to be a fun day.   Our youngest daughter and her DH came over and while he went out and harvested our berries, we played.

IMG_4697We assembled the lye, fragrances, colors, and other items needed (we didn’t use the borax as we didn’t make laundry soap)

IMG_4701Then we mixed the water and lye – using old peanut butter jars – outside and let it cool until it reached 110 degrees.

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For one batch of soap, we mixed lemon juice instead of water with the lye and it produced this color.

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While the lye mix was cooling we mixed our oils, – predominantly coconut oil, with some avocado and olive –  and warmed them to 110 degrees.

IMG_4703Then we slowly poured the lye/water into the oil, while stirring with the hand blender.  We blended until it looked like thin pudding, maybe 5 minutes.   At that point we added fragrance and could add the colors.

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We beg for Pringles cans to put our loofahs in and then pour soap over and through that.  The batches were small, so one batch filled two cans.   When cooled, we slice them.

IMG_4705Another batch filled the casserole dish you see in the back and the third batch filled a loaf pan the two small containers in front.    The loaf pan and two small containers have poppy seed in them.  We will wait until tomorrow afternoon to pop them out of the containers and slice the soap.   Then it needs to set for  two months to cure.   After that we will enjoy it.    Meanwhile, we will probably be making more soap.

 

 

2016
06/10

Category:
Garden
Life

COMMENTS:
2 Comments »

Lavender

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The lavender was planted 3 years ago, but has not had any attention.   It was so full of blooms today, I decided that it was time to pick.   So pick, I did.  This was a first time experience.

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Here I have heaped it on the table as I filled my pan.

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And then I bundled it

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and hung it to dry in the area with my yarn and fabrics.   I had no idea this would consume a good part of my day.    In retrospect, I should have had the rubber bands with me and I could have saved a lot of time, just bundling them as I picked.  Live and learn.    I am about 1/2 done.   And the blessing of rain arrived.   We get a whole week off of watering outside (still have to water the hoop house, but this will save some time.   Sunday should be sunny and I’ll have more pea pods and possible more strawberries to pick as well.

 

a