In the Pines

Snowy weather

2012-01-15T14:56:00.000-05:00

Such unusual weather this year. Michigan has been unseasonably warm and free of snow -- until this week. Well, I guess we had one snowy day in December... but that is about it. Finally in mid-January we got a nice load of the fluffy stuff and some cold temperatures. I saw a forecast of 40 degrees and rain showers for tomorrow so I guess it will be going away again.

Don't get me wrong -- I don't like cold winters and this warmer weather suits me just fine. I'm the type that likes snow in December (gotta have a white Christmas) then by January 1st I want it gone. So, I guess I've been fortunate so far. It makes one wonder if this odd weather is part of a natural cycle or if Al Gore was right...

Anyway, after feeding the chickens and breaking the ice out of their waterer, I snapped a few photos off the other day. You can click on the photos to make them larger if you want (especially the first one -- you can see individual snow flakes!).

Homemade Kahlua and Irish Cream

2012-01-14T13:06:00.000-05:00

These two delicious liquors are easier to make than you would think. Much easier than the limoncello I made last year. I made a couple of batches of each and gave several bottles away at Christmas.
So, here are the recipes I used:

Homemade Kahlua

4 cups water

2 1/2 cups sugar

3 Tbsp instant coffee

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups vodka

Blend the water, sugar and instant coffee together in a saucepan. Just as it boils, lower the heat to medium low and simmer for a couple of hours -- stirring occasionally. Let the resulting syrup cool completely then add the vanilla and the vodka. Enjoy! This should keep for a

Homemade Irish Cream

1 cup heavy cream

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 2/3 cups Irish whiskey

1 tsp instant coffee

2 Tbsp chocolate syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp almond extract (I skipped this ingredient)

Put everything in a blender and blend on high for 30 seconds. Store, refrigerated, in a tightly sealed container. Shake well before serving. Use within a couple of months.

Both recipes are awesome and oh-so-easy to make! They are so much less expensive than the store-bought versions too.

My Favorite Things - A Nice Hot Corn Bag

2012-01-02T17:42:00.001-05:00

Just a quick post today -- about one of my new favorite things. Mom made me two "Corn Bags" for Christmas and I have been enjoying them every night since then. It is pretty self explanatory -- it is a fabric bag or pouch filled with field corn. You can throw it in the microwave then take it to bed with you. I have a large one that I keep on my feet, and a smaller one that I move around to where ever I feel cold.
We keep our heat around 60-63 degrees in the winter to help reduce the amount of money we spend on fuel oil. Before Christmas, I would freeze when I got into bed. Now I look forward to a nice warm cozy experience. I fall asleep twice as fast too.
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday week this past week! This Christmas was very pleasant for me -- one of my favorites. I had today off for the New Year holiday, but I head back to work tomorrow.
I'm not making a bunch of New Year's resolutions this year -- because it usually ends up being the same stuff anyway. I am, however, going to make a list of (fun) things I'd like to do this year. I am off to do that now...
May you have a prosperous and peaceful year!

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies

2011-12-24T13:43:00.002-05:00

Here it is, Christmas Eve again. Charlie and I are enjoying a slow paced day together, listening to Christmas music on the radio, baking cookies, wrapping a few gifts, and preparing for my family to arrive tomorrow morning. What a nice way to spend a day!

I just finished making some Peanut Butter Cookies that are moist and chewy -- and just happen to be gluten free as well. I thought I'd share the recipe because it is so simple and tasty. A friend from work brought these cookies to a potluck and they were a smash! She makes them in her toaster oven and it works out just fine. I've doubled her recipe and baked them in a 350 degree oven.

Mix together:

2 cups peanut butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla

Stir the ingredients together well. Form the dough into walnut sized balls and place on a greased cookie sheet. Use a fork to press down on the ball a little and give the cookie that signature peanut butter cookie look. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees. They will still look a bit moist when you take them out. Let them cool for a few minutes then carefully transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling. The cookies are very fragile until they are done cooling -- despite my friend's warnings, I broke the first one I took off the baking sheet.
I also added chocolate kisses to some of the cookies after they came out of the oven. Who can complain about chocolate on top of their peanut butter?!?

I hope you all have a Merry Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Solstice or "Festivus for the Rest-of-Us". Whatever you celebrate -- do it well! Live it up! Love one another -- spread Peace and Goodwill -- all of the good stuff that we need more of on this earth. Stay safe if you are traveling. Oh, and don't eat too many cookies. :)

The Chicken Coop in Cold Weather

2011-12-18T17:35:00.001-05:00

Living in Michigan, I was concerned about how my chickens would tolerate the cold weather. First, I specifically chose some breeds that do better in frigid temperatures. I looked for chickens with small combs (less chance of frostbite) and ones that don't mind confinement (some go crazy not being allowed to free-range year round).

Second, I tried to get a weather resistant coop. It has insulation on the roof and walls, and I've placed a thick layer of straw down to keep their feet warm. I've positioned the one window in the coop towards the South to take advantage of what little daylight we have.

On the day this photo was taken, it was in the upper 20's outside. Inside the coop, the thermometer read 45 degrees. I'm still concerned for when it gets really cold outside. I'll have to check their water a couple times a day to make sure it hasn't frozen over. My parents gave me a length of heat tape that I have considered rigging up somehow -- or perhaps a lamp. I guess I am still researching my options.

Anyway, they seem to be doing well so far. I can already tell they would like to be outside and eating grass and bugs. I guess we all get cabin fever from this weather.

So, we are one week away from Christmas... yikes! I've got a lot to do between now and then. I've got the week off of work (yippee!) and plan to spend a couple of days in Grand Rapids to visit a couple of friends and my family. Then I've got a bunch of cleaning and baking/cooking to do before my family comes over here for Christmas day. Oh, and don't forget about wrapping... and decorating... and...

Dutch Pancakes

2011-11-26T13:20:00.001-05:00

When you start raising chickens for their eggs, eventually you start to look for recipes that make good use of your eggy abundance. This past week I made a recipe that was both delicious and helped use the eggs that I've been stockpiling -- Dutch Pancakes (a.k.a. German pancake or Souffled pancake).

There are a variety of recipes available on-line, but I took my recipe from a book that I've been adoring lately. I've omitted the fruit topping recipe that is in the book -- although it looks amazing, I just stuck with maple syrup for the topping. I also omitted orange zest from the batter because I didn't have any. I'm going to list the recipe as I made it, then encourage you to buy the book to get the real thing.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Beat together 4 eggs, 2 Tbsp sugar, and 1 tsp vanilla extract with an electric mixer on medium speed. On low speed, beat in 3/4 cup milk then 3/4 cup bread flour and a few good shakes of cinnamon (who needs measuring spoons?). The batter is ready -- it is just that simple.

I used a nice sturdy skillet that my Grandmother gave me -- one that she used for years. You'll want something that can go in the oven and is non-stick. Heat the pan on the stove top and melt 2 Tbsp butter. After the butter stops sizzling, pour in the batter and put the pan in the hot oven. Bake for 10 minutes at 450 degrees. Then lower the heat to 400 degrees and bake for another 10 minutes.

The pancake puffs up because of the eggs and also the gluten in the bread flour. When you pull it out of the oven, the pancake deflates in the middle, but the edges stay crispy and raised. Add whichever toppings you prefer and serve (up to 6 servings, but Charlie and I split one for a filling breakfast). It tastes a lot like french toast -- yum!

Now, as I stated before, this recipe was adapted from a book that I absolutely love! When I first got my chicks this past Spring, my mother bought this book for me as a gift. It has lovely photographs (the author is a chef and food stylist) and 125 recipes that use either eggs or chickens as key ingredients. It is also a memoir about raising chickens on a small scale -- like I am doing.

The book is arranged seasonally -- which is a unique approach that I really like. For instance, it starts in early Spring -- with the arrival of young chicks in the memoir, and seasonal recipes like "Herb-Buttered Chicken with Spring Vegetables". It moves through the seasons making good use of fresh fruit and vegetables. As a vegetarian (not vegan, obviously) I really like the egg recipes. My husband eats meat though so I will make use of the chicken recipes as well. I'm looking forward to trying "Baked Eggs with Basil-Mint Pesto", "Cinnamon Breakfast Popovers", and "Rhubarb Ginger Custard Bars".

I highly recommend this book and think it would make a great gift for the chicken lover in your life. Even if you don't have chickens, the recipes are great -- and not too complicated. This is one that you will return to over and over. Lovely!

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T22:59:00.001-05:00

I hope you and your loved ones have had a pleasant Thanksgiving Day -- I know I did. I have so much to be thankful for in my life!
Yesterday was spent with my family a couple of hours away. We went out for pizza to celebrate my Dad's upcoming birthday. Today we spent with Charlie's side of the family having a more traditional Thanksgiving meal. I brought the green bean casserole -- my favorite food on this holiday (besides pumpkin pie).
We are so blessed -- with freedom, plentiful food and clean water, work with decent wages, etc compared to the rest of the world. Still, I find myself most thankful for my husband and our families and friends. It is so nice to share the holiday with them and give thanks together.

Watch Me Pull a Rabbit Out of My Hat

2011-11-10T21:11:00.001-05:00

Last week, Charlie and I went to a nearby farmer to buy a couple large bags of corn. My husband used to work at the local grain elevator (before I ever knew him) so he knows most of the farmers -- that can come in handy sometimes. Anyway, the farmer was working on getting his harvest into his grain dryers when we showed up. He said he would have the corn ready within a couple of hours and to stop back and pick it up. We went off to see "The Rum Diary" (I LOVE both Johnny Depp and Hunter Thompson! I've been waiting for this movie for years!!!) then returned to get the corn. I grinned when I saw the bags he packed it into. Simple things make me smile -- including rabbits on the front of a 100 lb. sack of Michigan navy beans.

Anyway, on Monday of this week, I got a phone call from a dear friend of mine who was trying to help another friend find a home for a pet rabbit. I had been considering raising angora rabbits for their fur -- even got a book on the subject last year. I hadn't been considering a pet though. Well, the rabbit needed a good home and the gal was also giving away everything I would need to take care of it (cage, hutch, water bottle, a bag of food, etc.) so I decided to adopt the rabbit. He is a cutie pie -- don't you agree?

So, I have another animal that I can spoil rotten. Here he is helping me dispose of some lettuce -- he also gets carrots to gnaw on. He is a mini-rex and as soft as can be. Oh, and he is litter trained. Bonus!

His name is "Kee kee" (the gal tells me she got it from a school teacher -- I'm wondering if the class room kids named him?). I've started to call him "Kinker" since it sounds like his real name but it has more meaning to me. You see, whenever we play cards with my friends, Charlie calls a pair of kings "a pair of kinkers".

I'm looking for advice from those of you who have experience raising rabbits. What should I feed him? What should I avoid? Any advice about any aspect of rabbit ownership is welcome.

To wrap things up, I just had to throw this video in-- since Bullwinkle always tried so hard to pull a rabbit out of his hat (but never succeeded). You might enjoy this -- depending on your age. : ) Have a great remainder of your week and an amazing weekend!

The New Coop and the Quiche Factory

2011-11-07T21:26:00.000-05:00

This is the new 4'X6' chicken coop that the chickens are going to call home this winter. In the photo above, you can see that it has a row of nesting boxes that are accessible from the outside. On one end there is a window and a door for the chickens to enter and exit (with a ramp). On the opposite sides are the door that I can enter through and as you can see in the photo below (left), a vent for warm weather.
I've placed their water on a crate and hung their food from one of the rafters to keep the bedding from getting kicked into them. I may get a heated water dispenser for the cold -- but I'm not sure. Does anyone have any experience with those?

The interior has a couple of roosts and plenty of room for the chickens to run around. It has 6 nesting boxes -- many more than 7 chickens actually need. Here, the chickens are excited about the pile of treats I gave them this weekend (apple slices and the last of the garden squash). I call the chickens a "Quiche Factory". They are putting out a couple of eggs a day -- brown, fresh, and so tasty!

This is Ruby. She is my most aggressive chicken at this point. She comes right up to me to try to grab any treats I might have in my hands -- and she often ends up chomping on my fingers instead. She is at the top of the pecking order from what I can tell. She is a pretty chicken though and as long as she lays eggs and doesn't hurt the other ladies she can stick around.

Michigan International Alpaca Fest

2011-11-06T22:06:00.000-05:00

Alpacas!!! Lots and lots of alpacas!!! Last weekend my mother and I went to the Michigan International Alpaca Fest in Grand Rapids and had the chance to learn more about them. I knew I loved the feel of their fur and... well... they are just so dang cute!

Being able to get up close to the alpacas was a really neat experience. Did you know they hum? They don't kick and are pretty mellow, but not exactly tame. The only one we saw that really craved his owner's attention had been bottle-fed after it's mother refused to take care of it. They do need to be around other alpacas but they don't really cuddle.

We watched the alpacas compete for ribbons. Well, their owners competed -- the alpacas just tolerated it. The judge would check them all over and pull out tufts of their coats and lay them on his sleeve. It was fun to watch.
The owners proudly displayed various ribbons from prior shows in their stalls -- along with information about breeding or buying their alpacas.

A gal I work with raises alpacas and was there with three of her own (shown above). They won several ribbons the day after this photo was taken. Way to go!

There were also numerous booths with socks, mittens, yarn, etc. for sale. The only thing I really wanted was a drop spindle and some fiber to try making my own yarn. I've been messing around with the one I ended up getting, but I can see this is going to take a little practice. Once I get the hang of it, I'll have to post a bit of a how-to on this blog.
What a fun experience we had at the Alpaca Fest! Can you believe it was a free event? Oh, and I was invited to a farm open-house in December by one of the breeders at the show. I'm not looking at owning alpacas at this point -- but I definitely enjoyed learning more about them and being able to start crafting yarn with their fluffy coats.

Broomcorn and Chickens

2011-10-22T19:20:00.001-04:00

I saw broom corn in a seed catalogue last winter and decided to take a stab at growing it. No - I don't intend to construct a broom -- but I could if I wanted to. I knew that broom corn is decorative and I pictured a large cluster of broom corn, pumpkins and mums on my front step. That hasn't come together yet, but the corn looks nice leaning against the house. I read somewhere that chickens enjoy broom corn after you take down your Fall decorations. That convinced me to try it!
The broom corn did much better than my sweet corn did. It was quick to shoot up and grew quite tall. Bugs seemed to leave it alone and it was basically carefree. Just plant it and a few months later, harvest it. Now that is my kind of gardening!
Oh, and the chickens LOVE it! I will stick one of the stalks in to the coop and they'll have the corn picked off within a couple of hours -- leaving the broom bristles behind. I give them one stalk every few days as part of a steady rotation of treats.
They get chicken feed and fresh water every day, but that must get boring. They get fresh grass when we move the chicken tractor around to a new patch of grass -- but that doesn't happen often enough because of how much it weighs. So, every afternoon I try to give them something special to switch things up. Today they got 2 pieces of stale bread and some leftovers from a baby shower I attended today (an oriental style salad with baby corn, peppers, chow mein noodles, etc. and some fruit). Oh, and they got a couple of cherry tomatoes too. That little bit of variety makes them very happy.

Aren't the girls beautiful? And they are quite large now too! My little chicks have grown up it to lovely young hens. Oh, and they finally started laying eggs to earn their keep. I'm steadily getting one or two eggs a day between the seven of them. I'm sure production will increase as they mature. The eggs are small, but beautiful. They are different shades of browns, and different sizes and shapes as well.

This week we ended up purchasing a new coop. This is the last one, darn it! Charlie had bought me one for Christmas last year -- but it ended up being too small and I had some security concerns (it didn't look predator-proof). Then, we built a nice summer home for them. It worked out very well, but I'm concerned it is not going to keep the cold of winter out and that it is still too small for seven full grown birds. So, we broke down and did it. We bought an Amish coop. It was not cheap. I hate spending that kind of money on some chickens, but the coop will last for many years to come. Let me tell you -- keeping chickens is an expensive hobby. I know we could do it for a lot less money than we have so far, but I guess it is part of the learning curve.

2011-10-19T20:45:00.001-04:00

So, I'm wondering what you think of this new layout that blogspot.com has offered. I like how you can choose different ways to browse through the various blog posts and the emphasis on the photography on several of those views. I don't like the fact that I can't have my listing of favorite blogs on the side.

So, what do you think? Should I keep the new style or go back to the older version?

Also, what kind of content would you like to see more of in the future? (garden, chicken, crafts, recipes, photography, etc)

I can't guarantee anything -- but I'd love to hear what you think. Please, please comment. Thanks y'all.

Tetons, Yellowstone, and Little Bighorn -- the Last Batch of Vacation Photos

2011-10-17T21:31:00.000-04:00

This is the last batch of vacation photos that I am going to post. Enjoy...

Just east of the Grand Tetons

View of a Glacier

A view just north of the southern entrance of Yellowstone National Park

Old Faithful

The effects of fire

Wyoming was a beautiful state -- this was shot as we were leaving and entering Montana

Wide open spaces, awesome wildlife!

We took a back road -- desolate and beautiful

Buzzards - catching some rays

Finally, we visited Little Bighorn. So full of history you can almost hear an echo of the battle.

Native American encampment area at Little Bighorn.

You can click on any of the photos to get a larger view of the details. I know a lot of people compress their images or add watermarks to their images to prevent theft. I don't compress mine very much. Perhaps I should, but I tend to trust most people not to steal my photography. If you want to use one for something, just ask me.

Anyway, we've been back from vacation for a couple of weeks now. I'm getting used to my new position at my company. It is VERY fast paced and the day just flies by. Things are still new to me and I can't wait to feel comfortable with my daily tasks.

It is almost 9:30 PM and I am thinking about going to bed. 4:30 AM comes quickly and I need to be well-rested. I have some nice Autumn photos to post this week and I want to show you how I am putting up the harvest.

Heirloom Tomato Panzanella Salad

2011-10-07T20:33:00.001-04:00

I'm taking a break from all the nature photography to offer up a recipe I made from my last good haul of tomatoes from my garden (a few weeks ago). It's called Panzanella salad -- it is easy to make and you can add or subtract from this recipe as you please:

Gather heirloom tomatoes and fresh basil from the garden, red onion, garlic, green olives, and fresh mozzarella -- chop, chop, chop. Blend olive oil and balsamic vinegar, add salt and pepper. Mix it all up. Use day old crusty bread and chunk it up. Mix the bread in a few minutes before serving. It soaks up all the juices and softens up. This salad doesn't really keep more than a day because the bread gets too soft -- but don't worry -- it disappears quickly. Healthy and delicious!!!

See, I told you it is easy! You could also use cucumber or bell pepper and feta cheese instead of mozzarella. It is really up to you. Look around the internet for other recipes to see the variations or if you are the kind of person who wants to know specific measurements.

Vacation Photos - Part 2. Some of my favorites

2011-10-04T19:57:00.000-04:00

The day we spent exploring the Grand Tetons, smoke was thick in the air. The smoke came from control fires that had been lit nearby. I'm really happy with the resulting photographs though. We kept running into photographers with their tri-pods and huge lenses that were complaining about the smoke, but you gotta roll with it -- use it to your advantage, ya know? The mountains were breathtaking! These photos hardly do them justice...

Vacation Photos, Part 1

2011-10-03T20:21:00.000-04:00

As promised, I have some photos to share from our vacation "Out West". I'll be posting them over the next several days. I hope you enjoy them. This first batch is heading from East to West through Nebraska and Wyoming.

2011-09-28T10:27:00.000-04:00

I am still alive folks -- I know it has been a long time since I have posted anything on here. I am on vacation (with plenty of photos coming soon). It has been a very busy month for me with starting a new job and then taking a long vacation. Please don't give up on me.... I really will post something on here soon.

They keep growing, and growing, and growing...

2011-09-10T20:02:00.001-04:00

The raised bed garden is still in full swing, although I can tell the end of the season is very near. The sunflowers finally decided to show their beautiful colors. I tried growing a giant variety and they seriously are huge! I'm talking 12 feet tall! I've also got broom corn that towers 9 feet tall as well. The green beans have grown up an 8 foot teepee and are finally producing a large quantity of beans.

This was the first time I've ever tried growing okra before and I will continue to grow it in the future. It is a unique and decorative plant that is absolutely carefree. I planted the seeds and then next thing I knew I was frying up okra. They show no signs of disease, mildew, pests, etc. The unique foliage helped choke out weeds too. If you've never tried growing them before - I would highly recommend it.

This is also my first time growing sweet potatoes in my garden. I want to dig them up to see how big they are, but it isn't time yet. Both the okra and the sweet potato would make an excellent addition to any edible landscaping project. They are pretty and carefree.

The stray kitty keeps growing too. He is a very handsome cat and he has a lot of energy! He is always running around the yard, climbing up trees, jumping on top of the chicken coop, or attacking my leg. Yes, he likes to play - but sometimes he gets carried away and starts getting too aggressive with me. I'm hoping he calms down with age.

And finally, here is a photo of the chickens in their chicken tractor. I think they are just about done growing and they are bound to start laying eggs soon. They are turning into gorgeous birds, don't you think?

Ripe

2011-08-27T13:35:00.001-04:00

Here is a look at what I have been pulling out of my garden lately and a bit of good news I'd like to share. Things are finally starting to ripen.

I have a plethora of tomato varieties this year with different colors and flavors. Green zebra, pink brandywine, white currant, etc. They are like the jewels of the garden.
This year I haven't had success with my zucchini at all but the yellow summer squash and patty pan squash are doing great! I've also had a few "volunteer" squash plants growing out of the compost pile. The plants on the compost pile are going insane! Leaves that are bigger than dinner plates on waist high stems!

This year I tried a few items I've never grown before. Sweet corn is one of them. I need to get the corn in the ground earlier next year, but I've been able to pick a couple of ears so far. I also tried planting broom corn and have had incredible luck with that. My intentions are to use it for fall decorations then feed it to the chickens (they already got one stalk that broke in a rainstorm. They loved it!).
I had some amazing results with the okra I planted and Charlie and I ate fried okra this week. Yum! Soon I will post some photos of the unusual plants I grew this year and discuss some of the failures I've had as well.

I know I have been neglecting this blog lately and I apologize for the lack of updates. I have had something else the has had my attention this month that is very exciting to me -- another thing coming to ripeness...
If you have been following my blog for any length of time, you have probably noticed that I don't talk about my job very much. I really believe that talking about work in a public manor is not usually very beneficial. On this occasion, I am going to break my own policy because I am very excited and want to share my joy with you.

For those that didn't know, I have worked in the Customer Service Department for a large utility provider in Michigan for the last 6 years. I am very blessed to have had steady employment during this time since Michigan is really having a rough time with it's economy right now. In fact, we have had a lot of overtime for the last 3+ years and the paychecks have been really nice. The job I have can be very stressful though and I was really starting to feel discontented in that position -- I needed more of a challenge.
So, for the past few years I have been waiting for the right position to open up elsewhere in the company so I could apply for it. Finally, the department that I wanted to get into had an opening and I applied for it. I managed to get an interview that was scheduled last Monday. That is why I only have one blog post in August before this one -- I've been prepping for the interview in my spare time and brushing up on some of the computer programs they use in that department. The interview was intense! Five people sat in on the interview - which lasted an hour and 20 minutes.
Anyway, to make a long story short, on Thursday I was notified that I got the position!!! I will be in a scheduling department which will involve a lot of technical skills (like reading prints) mixed with customer service skills (interacting with a variety of departments). I'm sure there will still be overtime involved in this position, however the shift is earlier than the one I have now so I will be getting out of work earlier. I will be working in the same building as before so I will still have contact with all of my dear friends I have made over the years. Oh, and the people in the scheduling department are nice as can be and I already love my new boss. I really am lucky and I'm happy that all of the hard work I have put into this company has finally ripened into something I could call a career!
So, I have a couple more weeks before I make the transition. Then Charlie and I are going on vacation at the end of September (I hated even bringing up the vacation we had scheduled when I was hired - but it didn't end up being a problem at all). Charlie and I are going to go on a road trip but we are still determining which way we want to go. We were thinking of heading westward to see what we could see -- toward the Badlands or the wild west. I'd be happy heading east though too -- to Vermont and Maine and to see the ocean again. Does anyone have any suggestions for a good road trip starting in Michigan and lasting about a week?

Pullets, Portable Coop, and One Scary Predator

2011-08-09T22:48:00.001-04:00

The pullets are growing quickly and developing some beautiful feathers. They are 3 months old now and so far they are staying healthy (knock on wood). Their portable coop has been a secure home for them so far. We have raccoons and possum in the area and so far they haven't been able to get in.
There is one predator that constantly hangs around the coop -- shown in the photo above. He is the little stray kitty that I have been harboring. At first the chickens pecked at him when he would stick his paw inside the coop. Now he just likes to sit on top of the coop instead.
To be quite honest, I think the kitten is just looking for a play-mate. He has been orphaned and his siblings disappeared shortly after his mama vanished (you can see a photo of his mama here). He sits on the same back step that his mama sat on to beg for food. Because his siblings are gone, he pounces on tufts of grass and bats at flowers instead. I've given him a few toys and I play with him when I can, but he is still lonely.
This evening, when I was feeding the chickens, the kitten was on top of the coop again. I pet him for a while (something he just discovered last week -- being petted by that big scary human feels nice) and he even started purring for me. I noticed one of his toes on his hind foot looked wet, as if it had been bleeding or something. I vowed to keep an eye on it to make sure it didn't get worse, then husked the corn for dinner and left him alone outside. While cooking the corn, I discovered the cause of the wet toe. The baby had fallen asleep on the back step and was "kneeding" the air and sucking on his toe. It was the most adorable thing I have seen in a very long time (since Sassy used to suck her tail when she was very little)! I'm glad his toe is okay, but I feel bad for the little guy because he obviously misses his mama. I crumbled and gave him a little bit of milk to comfort him. Yeah, I'm a push-over.
Anyway, we need to figure out what to do with the chickens this winter. The coop is too small for them to be closed in and it gets wet inside too easily. We would like to get a shed, but they seem pricey. We are, of course, concerned about security for the chickens so it needs to be a sturdy home too. If anyone has a brilliant solution, feel free to share your ideas.

My Favorite Things -- Chocolate Makes It All Okay

2011-07-27T22:07:00.000-04:00

I just thought I would share an old photo of me and my grandma. Just before this photo was taken, I apparently had been crying as I still had big tears in my eyes. I'm not sure why I was crying (it was my birthday party, after all) -- but that first taste of homemade chocolate frosting made everything better.

Nowadays, I'm in love with Lindt Excellence - Touch of Sea Salt. I ate the last square of my bar last night (I can make them last a long time) and today I am left with only the memory -- LOL. Is it bad to feel that way about chocolate? The flakes of sea salt in this bar are what make it so wonderful. If you like chocolate, you absolutely must try this!

Garden Update Through Photos

2011-07-17T22:23:00.001-04:00

Chard

Okra

Jalepeno

Cucumber

Pole Beans

Wild Black Raspberry (just harvested a bunch - I'm thinking raspberry wine...)

Yellow Pear Tomato

Summer Squash

And I had to throw in one photo of the chickens in their mobile coop. They are getting big, aren't they?

Olivia, Prudence, Egglentine, Gertrude, Mabel, Ruby and Myrtle.

Garlic Scape and Mushroom Quiche

2011-07-10T16:37:00.001-04:00

I wanted to make something other than pesto with my garlic scapes this year. I've also been wanting to brush up on my quiche making skills. The chickens are still a couple of months away from egg-laying, but I must be prepared (I already have friends lining up to try a quiche made with happy chicken eggs). So, the natural choice was to try making a garlic scape quiche.

For those that don't know, garlic scapes are the curling tops of garlic plants. The are milder than the bulb of the garlic and can be used much like other vegetables. They do make an awesome pesto and I've read that they are really good in stir fry.

Today I chopped up about a dozen scapes (cut off the flower part and just use the green "neck") into small pieces. I also used a small can of mushroom pieces and some grilled onion I had left over from another meal. Anyway, saute' them with 1 Tbsp. butter until they are softened a bit then add the mushrooms to join all the flavors for a few minutes. Remove them from the heat and let cool a while.

I used a frozen pie shell (deep dish). If you have time to make your own pie crust - I salute you. Maybe someday that will be me. So, I put the frozen pie shell on a cookie sheet, then add the veggies to the bottom. On top of that I grated parmesan cheese. I was thinking a little swiss cheese would have been nice too.

I whisked 5 eggs and about 1 cup of half and half together then added salt and pepper. Some recipes call for nutmeg -- I didn't add it, but the amazing thing about quiche is that you can pretty much make it however you'd like. I then carefully poured the egg mixture over the veggies and cheese, then put it into my preheated 375 degree oven for 40 minutes. The timer is actually about to go off....

Wow! It looks really good! I can hardly wait to cut into it -- but you gotta let it rest at least 5 minutes. It keeps cooking after you take it out, so don't worry if it doesn't look quite done. I imagine there are a thousand varieties of garlic scape quiche that could be made. Just pick and choose other veggies (or meat if you eat it) and different cheeses and herbs.

I'd be very curious to hear what your favorite combination of quiche fillings are. I've got to start stockpiling ideas because my little chicks are growing up quickly.

Crop Tour and the Holiday Weekend

2011-07-03T00:15:00.002-04:00

Charlie and I enjoy driving around the countryside checking out the various crops and taking in the scenery. Corn, soybeans, wheat, sugar beets, pickling cucumbers, alfalfa -- the fields stretch on and on. I enjoy looking at the pretty white farmhouses and the variety of barn styles and colors. Every once in a while we come across something interesting. The other day we found 5 or 6 flatbeds with hives of bees, busy with their work. Charlie stopped the vehicle while I snapped off a few photos from the passenger seat. Just as we began to leave, we saw the scene below...

I thought it was a lovely thing to do to some ugly pieces of concrete, don't you? It also appeals to my inner-hippie.
Today I talked Charlie into coming with me to the Farmer's Market (he usually doesn't like getting up that early on a Saturday). We bought cherries, some meat sticks for Charlie (elk and beef with pepper jack cheese) and a bar of soap - patchouli scented (that inner-hippie is on the loose again). Oh, and don't forget the caramel toffee frappes from the coffee shop next to the market. Yum!
After we got home, we moved the chicken coop to a fresh patch of grass and I finished my chicken chores. By that time, it was getting very hot and humid outside. I filled my galvanized bucket a few times to haul water around to the fruit trees/plants that I put in the ground last week. By the time I was done, I was fairly wilted myself. Since we don't have air conditioning, we ended up turning on the sprinkler and sitting in lawn chairs in the water. It looked redneck, but it felt exquisite!
Tomorrow we take the long "crop tour" to Grand Rapids to spend an afternoon with my family. We are going to eat all your typical 4th of July picnic food in the comfort of their air-conditioning. Then we are going to try to make it back to catch some July 3rd fireworks in the evening with some friends and family from this neck of the woods.
I hope you have a safe and happy Independence Day.

Creative Juices

2011-06-26T11:56:00.001-04:00

It amazes me what a few vacation days can do for my spirit. I feel bursting at the seams with creativity right now but I'm not sure where to direct this creative energy. It all started with a visit from my mother. We both needed some down time -- some girl time -- some anything-but-the-same-old-thing time. On Wednesday our first stop was to a book store. I found a publication called "Artful Blogging" which is giving me some inspiration (the photographs in it are lovely). Mom got "Where Women Create" which showcases artists' studios.
We then went shopping in Frankenmuth. We visited Those Nature People -- a wonderful smelling shop full of lotions, soap, oils, teas and spices, etc. I found an oil blend to help me deal with my daily headaches that I get at work. I also found more inspiration to get back into blending essential oils and making bath products. It is something that I used to do, but have neglected for a long time. Perhaps it is time to revive some of my forgotten interests and see where they take me.
We went to my mother's favorite shop -- Rapunzel's. They have lovely home decor items, jewelry from local artisans, clothing and hats, and yarns/patterns for knitting and crochet. She found a blouse and earrings for herself and I found a funky, eclectic purse which she ended up getting for me for my birthday (thanks again Mom). I debated for a long time about whether I wanted it or not. The purse is bright and has a variety of fabrics and textures. It has some spirals, peace signs and some ॐ symbols (Om). The purse resonates with me, but still I hesitated. Mom said I needed to express my creative side more and I realized she is correct. I have been becoming dull -- I need to liven things up in my world and get out of this rut that I am in. Due to the nature of the internet (open to everyone and permanently out there) I cannot really go into my dreams and schemes that I am thinking in my head. Let's just say that I am working toward de-rutting myself.
On Thursday, Mom and I enjoyed good conversation over coffee and a muffin at the Harvest Coffeehouse and Beanery. More ideas swirled in my head. Finally we went to Healthy Habitz -- my local health food store. It turns out that they are opening a new space for a wellness center. I am considering returning to doing some Reflexology on the side and that space is available to be rented for sessions. Just one more idea to toss around for a while.
Eventually Mom had to go back home. I still had a couple of days left of vacation and a husband willing to take me anywhere I wanted for my birthday. Friday we went out to lunch together but I could find little energy for much else. I think my body was trying to catch up for a lack of sleep from the long hours I've been pulling lately. It was nice to take a day to just relax -- I even took a nap in the middle of the day. I pulled some old photographs out and scanned them and posted some of them on facebook for friends to look through. Yesterday, I worked outside. I planted two blueberries, one raspberry, one blackberry, six sand cherry, two elderberry and one mulberry tree. My knee is a bit sore from all that shoveling, but I'm feeling accomplished. Charlie made a platform for the chicken coop to keep the chickens elevated above the wet floor (I think I mentioned that we regretted not having done this in the first place).
Today we are going to go out and enjoy the lovely weather after I finish this post. First, I felt like using a bit of my rediscovered creativity to produce some art. The photograph above was an image I made of some wildflowers and foliage I found in our yard. I cut the flowers and arranged them in a small vase -- and I was pretty proud of how the arrangement turned out. I used to arrange flowers in a previous job, another art that I would like to delve into again. Anyway, I added some texture to the photo and de-saturated the color a bit. I'm pretty happy with the result. I am open to any and all critique of the photos. I have been considering printing some of my images and matting them to sell. Please let me know what you think.

Thank you for listening to my ramblings today as I strive to store up some of the "juices" that are flowing through my blood right now (to save for days of drought to come).

Nelson Sprinkler

2011-06-25T19:34:00.001-04:00

Last year my sprinkler was broken accidently when my friends' kids were playing with it. One of the kids stepped on the part that moved and that was the end. This year I found a product that replaced the old sprinkler and will certainly outlast any other sprinkler in the store. It is a Nelson Sprinkler.

It doesn't have any moving parts, so it cannot break. It sprays a nice large square pattern (they also have circular ones) and it is easy to move around the garden. The sprinkler was only around $5.00 and I figure it will last forever. What a deal!

I highly recommend these sprinklers. Finally, a quality product for an affordable price. I wish everything was this easy.

Mobile Chicken Coop and Garden Update

2011-06-19T11:02:00.000-04:00

Two weekends ago we finally got around to making a more suitable summer home for the chickens. The chicks were quickly outgrowing the brooder box they were staying in and we had to pull something together soon. Charlie and I went to buy lumber and wire mesh, then recruited Charlie's father to help out. That weekend we got a basic frame and the walls for the coop put together, but we ran out of time. Charlie had to go out on the road for work and the chickens would have to wait another week.

Last weekend, we recruited Charlie's father and nephew to help finish up the project. I mostly just painted the coop and helped attach the wire mesh and then stayed out of the way for the rest of the time (I supervised and worked in my garden).

The guys did a really nice job on the coop. We didn't have any coop plans, they just started building it. I think the only thing we regret is that we didn't make the floor of the coop raised off the ground. We are worried that the wood will get soggy when it rains. Other than that, it came together quite nice. We extended the mesh on the floor of the coop, but not all the way in. I wanted the chickens to have some room to scratch around without wire under foot. Hopefully it is still enough mesh to keep predators out of the pen.

The guys made sure that the coop is as secure as possible. It has two doors that I can open to get to the food and waterer. In the photo below, we used a large rock to keep the pen door closed for the last week. This weekend, Charlie added latches to that door too so I don't have to keep moving that rock. We have padlocks on all the latches. Predators are going to have to really work hard to get into this coop.

We moved the ladies into the pen last Sunday night and they were a bit scared at first. By morning, they were exploring the pen and enjoying the feeling of grass under their feet for the first time. They love eating the bugs and grass and are thriving with all the extra space.

My garden seems to be doing well this year, but it feels like it should be progressing faster than it is. We are already one month past the last frost date and the only thing that I have been able to harvest are a few peas, some lettuce and some radishes. I guess I got a bit of a late start on getting everything into the ground. I have been doing pretty good at keeping the weeds picked out of the garden -- so far.

The item that seems to be doing the best of all my plants so far is an heirloom pumpkin plant. I had bought an heirloom pie pumpkin at a farm stand last year and saved the seeds instead of roasting them. The pumpkin cost me less than a packet of seeds would have cost.

I've also spent a good amount of time weeding my asparagus beds and adding more soil to them. Last year the weeds took over the bed and I was worried I'd never get it under control. Well, it is under control for now. I'm hoping the asparagus will be strong enough next year to choke out any weeds that try to intrude.

Here is a photo of some radishes that I harvested yesterday. This variety is English Breakfast. I love the coloring on this variety.
I should get going for now -- I've got house cleaning to do and I need to feed and water the chickens. I have to work Monday and Tuesday (23 hours between both days) then I have the rest of the week off. It is my birthday next week and I am treating myself to some time off of work.

Pets are welcome at the Farmer's Market

2011-06-11T17:25:00.002-04:00

I always enjoy seeing all the happy dogs at the farmer's market in Frankenmuth. They are fun to watch - they are so social with the other dogs. There is also a stand with homemade dog biscuits and I'm sure the dogs love their own special food booth.

I was a little surprised this morning when I saw this little guy. What an unusual breed of dog...

I'm sure some of the people at the market thought that it was a dog. It is not often that you meet a goat out in public. So cute!!!

Exhaustion

2011-06-11T16:46:00.000-04:00

I am so exhausted lately. I feel so badly about not posting anything lately. This winter I struggled to find things to blog about, and now I have so much to talk about that I don't know where to start. I've been working the same long hours lately (57 a week average) but now I also have gardening to do in my spare time and chickens to look after too. I'm not complaining -- those are things that give me joy -- its just that I don't have much down time to write about what is going on.
This photo is of some white bleeding heart flowers in the morning, covered in mist. The plants in my shade garden came up nicely this year. I'm still filling it in with more plants as I go, but it is a nice start.
I've been busy planting things and pulling weeds. I'll be posting photos soon of the garden.
We are also trying to finish building a chicken tractor tomorrow. We got a good start on it last weekend, and it is not optional to not finish it. The chicks are now pullets and need to get out of that brooder box before they murder each other.
On top of work and the garden and chickens, I still have the house cleaning, bills, laundry, cooking (what cooking? who has time for real food?) to do. I'm about out of energy reserves and need a break. Luckily, I have next Friday the 17th off as a vacation day. It will be my 6th year married to the love of my life. We don't have big plans, probably just dinner and a movie -- but a date night would be relaxing and recharging to me. The week after that, I have Wednesday thru Friday off along with the weekend. YES! A five day weekend!!! It is my Birthday treat to myself. I am going to be 35 (gasp! Where does time go?). Maybe that is why I am so tired lately -- I am getting old.

My hometown

2011-05-29T12:31:00.000-04:00

This video melds just about everything I love about Grand Rapids into a humorous little music video. I love the community of people, the art and music, all the things to do downtown, etc. Two minutes into the video they show a group of people having a pillow fight in the area I shot photos of people ice skating in January. At the end of the video, there is a large grassy hill -- that is where my friends had their "Plan B" Artprize installation.

Next weekend is Festival -- a yearly arts festival with numerous stages and exhibits. Admission is free. The food booths will blow you away (my favorite is the buddhist booth with veggie fried rice)! It has been going on for years -- I've even been on one of those stages with my church choir, and I've had one of my pieces of photography in the juried exhibit in the art museum. If you have never been to festival, you should check it out. I'm going to try to go this year... hopefully.

Then and Now

2011-05-21T22:05:00.000-04:00

I've just uploaded a few videos that I took with my phone of my little brood of chickens. The first was shot on the night I got the babies - about 3 weeks ago. The second was shot just a few moments ago. The chickens are getting big and gangly looking. They are eating a lot more and they flap around quite a bit now. Their feathers are developing and I can kind of tell which one is which.

I really do have more going on than just the chickens - even though I haven't blogged about anything else recently. So much to do - so little time.

Pics of Chicks

2011-05-15T11:57:00.000-04:00

Catching Up -- Chicks!

2011-05-14T11:51:00.000-04:00

First of all, I'd like to apologize for not writing sooner. Sometimes life just gets too busy to do everything I want to do. I had intended to post something two weeks ago about the arrival of my chickens.

So, perhaps you will remember Uncle Dave. He is our previous landlord before Charlie and I got our house -- if you are newer to this blog, there are plenty of posts from the farm we lived on just after we got married. We were so lucky to live with such great landlords (we had the 2nd floor in their farmhouse). Anyway, I knew I wanted to finally try my hand at keeping chickens and Uncle Dave was just the man to help me. I wanted to try a few specific breeds that they wouldn't have at the Tractor Supply Store (I love that store!!!). The problem is, you have to order 25 or more chickens at a time, and I didn't want that many. Uncle Dave said he would order mine and have them shipped when he got his. He waited a bit later in the season than he used to so that he didn't have to use as much fuel in his wood burner to keep his warm.

I got the call on a Monday morning at 6:30 AM about 2 weeks ago that the chickens would be delivered at 7:30 and to come on over. I quickly got ready for work and was able to stop by for a little while before working from 9 AM-9 PM (too much overtime happening lately). I was disappointed that I couldn't take time off of work to take them home with me and get them settled in, but luckily Charlie was able to get them for me instead.

This photo is of Uncle Dave dipping his chicken's beak into water for the first time so they learn how to drink. They are shipped together in a box (see the air holes in that box in front of him?) and live off of the embryo they absorbed before hatching. He has a very large chicken coop as you can see. This is one room off the back of where his adult chickens are housed. My chicks were still in the box and I didn't get to see them get dunked before heading off to work. I'm sad I didn't get to do it myself.

When I got home from work that night, Charlie had the brooder box that Dave so kindly made for me in the dining room. I didn't want them in the garage so I was going to have them in the basement, but the box was so large that we couldn't get it through the door. Charlie brought it in through the slider door and that is where it stayed. I moved the kitchen table a bit and found a plug for the 250 watt red light bulb. Dave said to put down wood chips, but for the first day to lay newspaper on top of that. He said sometimes they try to eat the wood chips until they learn what their real food should be.

I got them all settled in with some food and some vitamin water (it is a powder that is mixed into their water that Dave said I should use) and then enjoyed watching them explore the home. The next evening, I removed the newspaper and they really seem to enjoy the wood shavings better. It is amazing how quickly the birds start to get little feathers. The photos above were in their first week here. The photos below were shot last weekend.

The red coloring on their heads came from the hatchery. Dave had ordered chicks for someone else as well, so the hatchery marked mine so we could tell them apart. Dave also said that one of the breeds I had wanted was on back order so they substituted that one with a similar chicken. I'm totally fine with that, except that I don't know which breed I didn't get and which breed they substituted it with. Since some of the chicks look a lot alike, I probably won't know until they have their adult feathers. Oh, and I also ordered 6 chickens, but I found 7 when I got home from work that night. I know the hatchery always sends Dave an exotic species with his large order, so I'm wondering if he gave that to me. It could be interesting.

I chose breeds that were winter hardy (small combs - less prone to frostbite), are good egg layers, and don't mind being confined -- because they are going to have to endure long winters together in a small coop. I'm not really sure if they will all fit in my coop as it is, and Charlie is discussing expanding their living quarters... we'll see. Anyway, I chose Barred Plymouth Rock, Speckled Sussex, Buff Orpington, Silver Laced Wyandotte, Araucana (not the pure bred kind, but it is the only kind the hatchery offered) and Rhode Island Red. I don't see any red birds so I think the Rhode Island is the one I didn't get. Dave thought they replaced it with a Black Australorp. I actually wanted an Australorp in the first place and regretted not ordering one, so I hope that is what I got.

They are getting so big already! I have them eating hard boiled egg yolk from my hand -- what a funny feeling having them gently peck your hand. I mix up a fresh batch of vitamin water every morning and in the evening I get all the wood shavings out of the waterer that they kicked up throughout the day. I fill their feeder in the morning too, but they seem to prefer the food out of the feeder and all over the pen. They get chick grit to help them digest food. Besides that and having the red light on in one corner for warmth, they require very little attention. This morning was the first time I had to change out their wood shavings and put in fresh ones (my compost pile is gonna love having chickens poop!).
I have so much more that I want to blog about -- but it will have to wait for later. I need to go to buy some more topsoil/humus today and then get ready to meet some girlfriends for a wedding party (celebrating at a bar in Saginaw -- so much better than a stuffy wedding reception). It is raining - but hopefully it'll clear up a bit tomorrow so I can get my gardening done.
I hope you like the photos of the baby chicks. I promise to keep them coming as they grow up.

Chicks!!!

2011-05-04T22:46:00.003-04:00

My chicks are here!!!!!

(Much more to come...)

More Progress

2011-04-30T18:38:00.000-04:00

I have been busy today! I got up relatively early today and got right to work. Here is what I've done:

1. Washed the dishes

2. Assembled my new raised bed garden - decided to stack two on top of each other instead of having two shallow ones.

3. Cut cardboard to fit the bottom of the raised bed then put newspaper around the edges.

4. After replacing a worn out garden hose and digging through the pole barn for my spray nozzle, I was able to water down the sheet mulch and get ready to build the soil.

5. I decimated one of my compost piles. I hauled several large loads of composted material to go into my raised beds. I put a thick layer down on the bottom of my new one then worked some into the soil I have in my large beds.

6. I added 150 LBS. topsoil and a couple bags of composted manure. I knew I would need more before I even started, but at least I got this far before noon.

7. I went to Meijer (a Michigan based store that sells just about everything) and picked up 200 LBS. of soil and a few bags of garden hummus. I also asked the manager of the garden center if they were throwing out some 1"X1"X6' pieces of wood that were in a bin. He said they were and that I could have them if I wanted. I told him I would be back later with a vehicle to pick them up. Thank you Meijer! You rock!
8. I went to Tractor Supply and bought a chicken feeder, a galvanized bucket and a small cold frame.
9. Unloaded my plunder and finished filling the new raised bed with the dirt and hummus.
10. Assembled some shelving we bought a couple weeks ago and organized the garage.
11. Took my 2nd shower of the day and am getting ready to go out with Charlie now that he is home from work. Gotta pick up those wooden stakes and then going to Sears to look at an electric range.

I'm feeling accomplished! Gotta run!

Versatile Blogger Award!

2011-04-28T22:23:00.010-04:00

I received my first blogging "award" from another blogger recently. Girl of 1000 Faces gave me The Versatile Blogger award! I am very honored to accept it. It goes to "newly discovered" bloggers who have versatile blogs (not just pics of their kids, etc). Thank you, Girl of 1000 Faces, for finding me worthy of the award.

This was awarded this to me about a month ago, but I've not had a lot of time to accept the award.

Here are the official rules for accepting this award:
1. Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them in your post.
2. Tell us 7 things about yourself.
3. Award 15 recently discovered new bloggers.

4. Contact these bloggers and let them know they've received their award.

So, here goes:

7 things you might not know about me:

1. Other than 7 months spent living in Mali (West Africa) and a summer living in a van (traveling the country), I have lived in Michigan my entire life.

2. I've been married for almost 6 years to an amazing guy that I met on-line.

3. I was home schooled for about half of my K-12 education. I loved it!

4. I started learning about photography in 9th grade and I have an associate of arts degree in photography.

5. Along with Mali, I've also traveled to Brazil, Spain, Canada, England and at least half of the United States.

6. I was quite a tomboy as a child. I used to build forts, fish, and explore with my brother and guy friends.

7. I can't think of anything else. I will leave this spot open to questions -- if you want to know anything about me, feel free to comment and ask me a question.

As for the 15 recently discovered bloggers that I feel are versatile:

1. Girl of 1000 Faces -- I have to say, she has an interesting blog. No, I don't expect you to have to re-accept the award since you have already done that once.

2. A Country Farm House -- Gorgeous photos and stylish taste.
3. Throwback at Trapper Creek -- A great looking blog. I particularly like the handy "How-to" section.
4. Heritage Farmgirl -- Reminds me of "Mary Janes Farm" style.
5. bread and honey -- food + art = what more could you want?
6. Wow, this is taking forever! I will never get this posted if I don't stop now. It takes a lot of time to search through hundreds of blogs looking for something different, versatile and well made. Can I cheat and just accept the award without posting all 15? I've spent hours looking through blogs -- but most of the ones I looked at already have huge followings. How about this... I'll stop here and try to add more as I find them. Anyone that is listed on the side of my page here qualify as versatile blogs and I've noticed that many of the people that follow my blog also have interesting blogs as well -- I'm just outta time right now.

Supposedly we are going to have good weather on Saturday. I'll be working in my garden again because my carpal tunnel will allow it again. I also have plans to do some engagement photos for a friend. That will be cool, because it has been a while since I've done any portraiture.

By the way, I seem to be having some sizing issues on this blog post. I have no idea why. Probably from starting the blog and saving, then doing more and saving it as a draft -- over and over. Sorry it looks so stupid.

Progress

2011-04-18T19:43:00.000-04:00

I just had a long weekend by getting a couple of days off of work. I vowed to work in my garden -- and I think I made some definite progress. The photo below was shot just a few feet from our house. You can see my raised beds that Charlie and I built last year. Beyond that, a rock retaining wall that stretches the entire length of our pole barn (in our front yard) all the way to the backyard. A good chunk of our property is on this side of the house. Although the soil is sandiest there, it is the best place I have to put my fruit and nut plants. I had to amend the sandy soil first with compost and some bagged topsoil after digging some holes. I planted 3 hazelnut shrubs (from the Arbor Day Foundation's hazelnut project), 5 blueberry plants, 3 raspberry plants, 1 blackberry and 1 gooseberry. The blueberry planting instructions said to get them in the ground as early as possible in the spring, but they already look sad after a couple of cold days. Hopefully they will pull through.

I also have some wire mesh to put around the new plants -- to keep the deer and rabbits out. It is just a matter of cutting the mesh and assembling the little cylindrical fences.
You can also see in the photo above that I am working on my raised beds. Last year I put down whole bags of topsoil to start my garden inside of. I had heard that the plastic would choke out and kill the grass and that you could just grow inside the bags. It was only half true. While the grass under the bags did die, around the edges and where two bags met, the grass managed to come up anyway. And I did grow a lot of produce in those bags -- but it wasn't ideal. This year, I raked and shoveled the topsoil (emptied from the bags last fall) to one side of the raised bed. Then I put down cardboard and newspaper as a thick sheet mulch. I literally picked the grass roots out with each shovel of dirt and piled up the soil on top of the cardboard -- and then did the other side of the bed. It took a long time and made me wish I thought to put down the cardboard last year instead.

I still have to add compost and more topsoil and composted manure to build up the volume of the beds. Then I will put more newspaper on top to help keep the weeds out. I didn't get that completed though because the weather turned fowl and the carpal tunnel syndrome in my right hand became very painful (originally, my job is what caused my carpal tunnel problems -- but apparently shoveling doesn't help the situation either).

Today we picked up some shelving for the garage at a home improvement store. I need to get the garage organized so it is easier to work out of it this summer. Right now there are buckets of bird seed piled in with our camping chairs and recycling bins. I got a new garden hose and Charlie got a heavy duty pruner (he loves cutting trees for some reason). There really is a lot to do around here -- I have chickens coming later this month and raised beds to finish and get planted. Oh, and I forgot to mention that I had two more small raised beds to set up (got a good deal from the Tractor Supply store). I think I made a decent amount of progress on it so far.

First thing to spring to life

2011-04-08T08:45:00.000-04:00

The rhubarb that I planted last year is making a brave appearance as the first plant to pop out of the ground. Three of the four plants that I planted have survived, which should be more than enough rhubarb to keep my grandmother and me supplied (Grandma LOVES rhubarb!).
I haven't given up all hope on the fourth plant yet either -- I'm kinda hoping it just makes a late appearance. Last year, Charlie managed to weed-whack it on accident. I was hoping the root system was strong enough to make a come back this year, but it appears that it is not going to pull through.
I don't believe I will be harvesting anything from these plants this year. You have to let rhubarb get established before you start cutting it up.
This weekend is going to turn into a work-weekend as long as the weather is agreeable. I'm going to be working on getting my garden soil built up with compost and sheet mulch. We also need to start building a chicken tractor and finish assembly on the coop. Chickens are coming around the 25th!

Coming Soon!

2011-03-27T13:48:00.000-04:00

Hurry up, Springtime! I cannot wait for warmer days. I have so much work to be done -- all this snow and ice is slowing me down. These past couple of weeks I have started gearing up for Spring and now I just want to get started. Anyway, here is a peek at things to come...

This week I went to Uncle Dave and Aunt Mary's house (our prior landlords) to place my order for chickens. I could have picked some chicks up at the Tractor Supply Store, but I wanted a few specific breeds. Dave is ordering his a bit later than normal this year so he doesn't have to spend so much time and energy keeping them warm. I'm getting 6 chickens total -- 1 each of the following: Barred Plymouth Rock, Araucana, Buff Orpington, Speckled Sussex, Silver Laced Wyandotte and Rhode Island Red. Sounds a motley crew, doesn't it? Anyway, I'm acquiring everything I need for their brooder box to get them started.

I've also ordered my seeds for the garden and received most of them already. I've got more seeds than I have room for in my two little raised beds, so I'm going to have to expand this year. That means a lot of work -- but what's new. I've also purchased a bunch of fruit plants and a few hazelnut bushes as well. We are going to cut down a bunch of box elder trees in the back and clear out a nice area for the mini-orchard. While we are at it, I think we are going to finally tear down that cute little red shed in the back. With the roof caving in, it really isn't worth fixing up -- so down it must come. Work, work, work! I want to get started now!

I'm hoping to have some great adventures this summer once all the work is under control. Charlie and I intend to do some more fishing this year. We didn't even go fishing once last summer -- that is just sad. I'd like to travel to some new places this year as well.

Mama kitty also has some big plans in store for the warm weather. She is pregnant again and getting fatter by the day. I'll have to figure out a new shelter for her if we end up tearing down the shed. Perhaps I could find an old dog house somewhere.
Today I re-filled the bird feeders and have a bunch of happy visitors. We also had some deer in the yard and I heard a few gobbles from the wild turkeys. Things are coming to life around here. Stay tuned for the show!

After the storm

2011-03-24T21:55:00.002-04:00

Belated Winter Storm

2011-03-22T20:32:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was the first day of Spring. The weather had been getting nicer day by day. Until today.

We are getting a "winter storm" as I write this. We got some very wet, heavy snow earlier. We are supposed to get a bunch of ice as well. It's gonna be an extra-early morning for me to make sure I get to work on time.

While taking photos, I had to take shelter under one of our pine trees.

It wasn't snowing. It was snow-balling. Big clumps of wet snow.

I truly hope some Spring weather starts soon.

I've had enough of this stuff. (But it sure is pretty!)

Free and Easy Mini Greenhouses

2011-03-18T22:20:00.000-04:00

Forget those expensive plastic mini greenhouses you can find in stores right now to start up the seeds for your garden! I've saved a couple of plastic clamshell containers from when we buy baked goods or produce packaged in them. I added a little bit of seed starting mix and saturated it with water. Plant some seeds and loosely close the lid.

Add sunlight (for warmth) and wait...

And magically your seeds are started. This photo is of leaf lettuce (among other things). We'll see how things progress with them. These greenhouses work well for growing your own micro-greens in the winter as well.
I am getting excited for the gardening season to start this year. I've ordered all sorts of new seeds and plants to try this year. I always have such big plans at the beginning of the season -- but usually run out of time and energy by the end of the season. I plan to use newspaper and cardboard to mulch the veggie garden and hopefully keep the weeds down.
I am also going to be ordering some chicks within the next few weeks (with Uncle Dave because the hatchery requires a large order and I only want 5 or 6). I can't wait! I have to set up a brooder box and buy some supplies from Tractor Supply. I'm nervous about going there -- I'm afraid I may end up coming home with some rabbits too. I'm praying for strength to resist them.

Is winter over yet?

2011-02-27T15:05:00.000-05:00

Ok, I don't know about anyone else, but I am done with winter. It can stop at any time now.

Perhaps I am just grumpy today. I've been sick for about 2 weeks now and am tired of being exhausted all the time. I have a long week ahead of me at work too, but it should be a good one.

I've been training a batch of new employees and will be doing that for another month. It is a great opportunity and I am happy they picked me to do it. For those that don't know, I work in a call center for a major natural gas and electric provider in Michigan. The company is great and the pay and benefits are hard to beat. I've been in the call center for over 5 years now and am looking into opportunities to advance in the company. This temporary training position can only help me in the long run.

So, I've been trying to do the best job possible in this training position, but it hasn't been easy while sick. And the winter weather isn't helping. My normal commute is 45 minutes to work each day, but the training job is even further away. Now I drive 3 hours a day getting back and forth to work - but slippery, snowy roads increased that to 5 hours a few days last week. Yuck!

Anyway, I do see an end in sight. March is almost here and our high temperatures are in the mid 30s lately. I thought I would post a cheery photo of cut flowers to make today a bit brighter.

Wine making - cleared and complete

2011-02-20T00:32:00.000-05:00

So, my wine has been sitting in it's gallon jar for quite a while now, doing it's magic. It is finally done!
But, I need to back up a second here. This photograph was shot a couple of weeks ago. What you are seeing here is a layer of sediment that has settled to the bottom of the jar. The wine has to be syphoned off into a clean jar and the sediment gets left behind.
I've syphoned it a couple of times since this photo, and the wine is nice and clear now. Potassium sorbate (also available at the brewing supply store or on-line) can be used to make sure that fermentation is stopped. After that, you can sweeten the wine by adding sugar. Mine is sweet enough for me -- and I usually prefer semi-sweet wines. I'd like to have some of my wine loving friends taste it and see what they think.
I really enjoyed trying my hand at wine making. I have about $100 invested into the whole thing and I have 4 bottles of wine and enough supplies left over to make many more batches. Hmm... what kind of wine should I make next?

My favorite things 2

2011-02-14T20:10:00.000-05:00

I love my South-facing windows in my kitchen and dining room. When the sun is shining, the whole room heats up enough to make the furnace stop running for the entire day. Especially on these nice 40 degree days we've been having.

More tea towels from Heidi

2011-02-05T14:09:00.001-05:00

I got such a great response from my post about my tea towels that I thought you might be interested is seeing some more. My good friend, Heidi, shared a photo of hers on her blog.
Heidi is one of my friends from way-back. My mom says that we were on the same diaper changing table in the church nursery. I only saw her every four years while her family was on furlough from their missionary work in West Africa. We grew closer in our junior year of high school, which is when we started talking about the possibility of me going to Mali to visit her. One thing lead to another, and that possibility turned into reality after our senior year.

My 7 months in Mali were life changing. Heidi and I got involved with a literacy program through Gospel Missionary Union - along with another gal from Nebraska and another missionary "kid" that lived in the same area Heidi's family was in. The four of us spent 2 months learning Bambara -- at least we learned enough to get by. Then we moved into a more remote area and taught people to read (in Bambara) for the last 5 months. It is hard to describe how much an experience like that can impact a person. Mali is one of the poorest countries on the planet - but the people are so generous. And they are so happy too! They really taught me more than I would ever hope to teach them.

Anyway, Heidi is now a wife and momma, and they have all moved back to Mali to be full time missionaries. She absolutely amazes me! Although we don't get to see each other very frequently - we share a definite bond. Heidi, I know you read my blog frequently -- I hope you don't mind that I shared a bit about you. Oh, and I am still working on that package for your family as well. Gonna have fun shopping for a few things later today. :)

After the blizzard

2011-02-04T22:54:00.000-05:00

All photos shot Thursday morning at 9 AM after the big blizzard. Very cold morning!

The trees in the front yard.

Along the back side of the house (peeking out our slider). The tracks are from Mama Kitty (I feel badly for her - she always looks so cold) and I believe the tracks at the tree line are deer tracks.

The view from the driveway of our side yard (hope to put blueberry bushes up there).

The drive in to work on Wednesday morning was horrible -- but not an option. We were still in the middle of the blizzard. Our road was not cleared and I was scraping the bottom of my car along the snow all the way down the road. The highway was treacherous, but people were driving slowly and I didn't see too many accidents. Once in town, the side streets were a mess. The trick is to not stop moving. Once you stop, you can't get the momentum to go forward again. It took about an hour and a half and some white knuckles to get to work that day. Many of my co-workers were late or didn't make it in. People with normal jobs had the day off -- and all the schools were closed. We haven't had a storm like that for years!
We hired our neighbor to come over and plow the driveway. It was worth it though -- I didn't have the time or capacity to shovel 5 tons of snow off of our driveway after an 11 hour day at work and 2 1/2 hours of stressful driving to and from. $40? Sure! Cheaper than a visit to the chiropractor...

Weekend snapshots (from my cell phone)

2011-01-30T14:11:00.007-05:00

I took a vacation day on Friday and headed to Grand Rapids. Grand Rapids holds a special place in my heart. Yes, my family and closest friends are there, and visiting them is very important to me. But there is something else. Grand Rapids has a particular "vibe" to it. It is creative and diverse. It has the feeling of a big city but the people are friendlier.

I took a few snapshots with my new cell phone while my mother and I were out and about. We went to Global Infusion to get tea for kombucha making (I brought my mother some mother to make kombucha herself). The store carries fair trade treasures from around the world and also a huge selection of tea, coffee and chocolate.

My favorite purse came from this store. After my first one wore out from use, I got another one. I saw the same purse in espresso brown and almost bought it for when my current purse wears out. I was strong though and resisted the temptation.

Mom and I also went to the Grand Rapids Art Museum to see the "Diana - A Celebration" exhibit. I wish I could have taken photos inside, because the exhibit was very interesting. I was, however, able to take a photo of the entry way. Because we were there in the evening, there was a pianist and wine available as well.

This is the view directly outside of the GRAM. On the right there is an ice skating area with free skate rentals. The downtown area of Grand Rapids is lively and beautiful.

My family said some magazine had listed Grand Rapids as one of the top ten cities in the U.S. that are dying out. I was shocked! I have to disagree with their conclusion. Grand Rapids is alive and well -- and getting better day by day. New businesses are popping up, and old buildings are being renovated and revived. That is impressive considering the horrible economy in Michigan right now.

Anyway, I sound like an advertisement -- I know. It is probably odd, considering how much I enjoy living out in the country.
I am back home now and spent a relaxing morning cleaning and sorting through last years seeds to see what I need to buy. The sun is streaming in to the south side of our house -- keeping the house warm and saving on fuel oil. Charlie and I are going to get motivated and get out of the house. I think we are going to use a gift card from Christmas and eat out.

Tea towels

2011-01-30T11:51:00.000-05:00

By request from "starlighthill" after my last blog post -- here are some of the tea towels that my grandmother embroidered for me. I adore the playful squirrels -- I use these towels all the time in my kitchen.

Here are some of my new towels that she gave me for Christmas. Aren't they lovely?

My favorite things

2011-01-27T23:58:00.001-05:00

There are things that inspire me, that bring joy to my soul, or that remind me of someone special. I've decided to share some of my favorite things when they pop into my head.

Tonight I find myself craving the warmth of the sun. It has been particularly cold and dreary here in Michigan lately. I'm constantly cold and find myself somewhat depressed (seasonal affective disorder?). So, tonight as I was looking through photos from last summer, I remembered how nice it is to hang clean clothes on my clothes line. Who would have thought that some rope between two poles would bring me joy. But it does!

Clean clothes hanging on the line remind me of how grateful I am to have my own washing machine now and that I don't have to go to the laundromat. It reminds me of the fresh air and warm sun -- and the smell of the green grass and honeysuckle. This photo reminds me of how helpful my husband was with stringing up the new rope so I could hang the clothes. The tea towel hanging on the line was given to me by my Grandma after she embroidered squirrels and the days of the week on seven retro towels for me.

I just cannot wait for a nice warm sunny day. I figure two months from now and we could be getting some occasionally warm days (40-50 degrees would be amazing right now!!!). Until then, I will just be dreaming about it.

Kombucha

2011-01-23T14:09:00.001-05:00

Kombucha is a healthful beverage made with the help of a creepy looking blob of yeast and bacteria also known as a "scoby". Kombucha is said to have antioxidants and help with digestion. It also tastes very good -- kind of sweet and tangy at the same time. My first taste of kombucha came when my mom offered me a bottle on one of our sunny convertible rides to Lake Michigan. It was refreshing and fizzy -- but expensive. At around $4 for the bottle, I couldn't see myself buying it very often.

Well, it turns out that kombucha is not hard to make at home. You do need some starter, which can be found online or from someone else that is already brewing kombucha. I got some "mother" kombucha from my pals Jen and Rich last weekend when I visited. This is what it looked like when Jen sent it home with me.

I then boiled a gallon of water (do not use chlorinated water as this would kill the delicate cultures that cause the process to work) and added 1 cup of sugar. I turned off the heat and stirred in the sugar until it was completely dissolved. Then, add tea bags. Jen said she uses 8 tea bags for one gallon. Other recipes I see say 5-6. This should be tea without additives if possible -- and it should have black, green or white tea as a base. Jen has been experimenting with flavored teas (and I sampled several - yum!), but I started with white tea for mine. After brewing, remove the tea bags, cover the pot and let it cool down to room temperature.

At this point, I put my tea in my brand new crock (Christmas gift from Mom) and gently added the "mother". I let it do it's magic all week -- but was sad because I couldn't see what was happening inside the crock (it is one of those beautiful stoneware sauerkraut crocks - from the Yoder department store in Shipshewana, IN -- love it!). I switched it over to a gallon glass jar yesterday. This photo is deceiving though -- kombucha really should have some fabric over the mouth of the jar, secured with a rubber band.

The yeast and bacteria live off of the tea/sugar and the scary jelly-fish looking blob grows bigger. Mine grew another layer on the top so I have two kind of separate pieces now (because I moved it to another jar - normally you wouldn't disturb it as much as I did). When the new layer is about 1/8" it should be done. I'm gonna let mine go a couple more days because it was still quite sweet when I tasted it. As time passes, it gets more of a vinegar flavor. I've got mason jars with plastic lids to store it in and hopefully retain some of the fizziness. Before I jar it up, I'm gonna make another batch of tea and let it cool. The scoby always needs tea and sugar to live in, so there is a little bit of a time investment here. I figure 20 minutes a week is not bad for such an inexpensive, healthful beverage.
Obviously, I am new to kombucha brewing, but there are a bunch of resources available online if you want to learn more. I really found this site useful.

*It is important to note that when you first start drinking kombucha, you should start at about 2 oz. per day and work your way up to more. Kombucha can make your tummy rumble (or worse) because of all the probiotics it contains. Once your tummy is used to all the healthy stuff in it, you can drink a couple of cups a day if you want.

A sense of accomplishment

2011-01-22T21:12:00.002-05:00

Ice on the windshield

The weather has been cold and dreary lately but Charlie and I beat the weather today to get a lot accomplished. It felt really good too -- to be productive.
While I cleaned the kitchen after a week of neglect, Charlie re-attached our mailbox to it's post (I believe a snowplow launched it into the ditch rather than vandals). We also replaced our furnace filters and ran a bunch of errands. I've also baked a cake and have bread dough rising. Tonight is all about relaxing now.

Limoncello

2011-01-16T13:46:00.002-05:00

I finally had a chance to deliver some of my homemade Christmas gifts to my friends and now I can tell you about what I made. I made Limoncello for the first time and gifted bottles of it to some of my friends. You can find all sorts of recipes for limoncello on the internet, so I'm not going to post one -- just the basic idea.

I used approximately 20 lemons and 2 - 750 ml bottles of everclear (grain alcohol). You only use the zest of the lemons -- I used a very sharp paring knife to be sure I didn't get any of the white pith. The pith will make your limoncello bitter. You could also use a zester but then you have to use filters to get the particles of zest out of the alcohol. Anyway, I let the lemon zest soak in the strong alcohol for one month to infuse the alcohol with the essence of the lemon.

After one month, I made a simple syrup (about 4 cups of water and the same amount of sugar dissolve over heat) and blended the syrup with the alcohol. Immediately the alcohol gets a nice cloudy quality to it. I love the way limoncello looks! I purchased bottles from specialtybottle.com and bottled the limoncello right away. The limoncello mellows with age, so it is nice to let it rest for another month if you can resist drinking it right away. The limoncello should be served ice-cold. I'm tucking a bottle of it away for a hot weekend next summer -- I think it would be splendid in the heat of summer.

That's all you have to do to make an amazing liquor beverage that is great to give at Christmas time. It is not cheap, but it is easy (besides the hours spent to peel all those lemons). When I was done peeling, I wasn't sure what to do with all of the lemons. I ended up juicing them and pouring the juice into ice cube trays to freeze. After freezing, I put the cubes in a freezer bag and dated the bag. I figured I could then thaw them as needed throughout the year for any recipe that calls for lemon juice (I'm suddenly hungry for tabouleh salad - yum!).

As it turns out, a couple of weeks later I decided to start making wine. Making limoncello is the reason I chose to make lemon wine in the first place -- to use the abundance of fruit juice that I already had on hand. As an update on the wine -- today I syphoned the wine into a new glass jar to get rid of some of the sediment at the bottom of the bottle. I also tested the specific gravity and it is almost done.
Today I am also starting to venture into fermented tea -- or "Kombucha". My good friend, Jen, gave me a chunk of her "mother" (the mushroom culture that turns tea into kombucha) yesterday when I visited. I gave my dear friends limoncello and walked away with some of her amazing apple butter and some fungus (and got to try their cranberry wine too). Stay tuned for more info on kombucha.

Wine making - the next step

2011-01-08T15:42:00.000-05:00

The wine finally made it out of the primary and into the secondary container. Last weekend I used a syphon (that also comes with the kit) to get it into this gorgeous one gallon jar. Have I ever mentioned that I adore containers? All sorts - jars, baskets, boxes, bags. I love things that hold other things. Is that odd? This even shows in the background I chose for these photos - an Audubon Society bag I got with my membership. Whoa, sorry for that rant. I got off subject.

Anyway, the wine stays in this secondary for about 3 weeks now to finish the fermentation process before the next step. See that funny thing sticking out the top of the bottle? That is a very important contraption.

You see, the yeast is still busy at work in the wine converting that sugar into alcohol. There is a steady stream of bubbles floating to the top of the jar right now. You can't just put any old cap on the wine right now -- your jar would explode. But, you can't have it exposed to the air either (all sorts of funky stuff would try to live in it). This is called an airlock. There is water inside it. It allows air to get out of the bottle, but not let air get back in.

It is a pretty nifty contraption if you ask me. I am getting anxious for my first batch to be finished. It smells like wine, but who knows how it will taste.
Also, one of the folks that helped inspire me to make wine in the first place may be willing to sell some of his equipment to me. I guess he hasn't been making wine as much nowadays. Here is a link to the original post that talks about his homestead. He had some nice larger bottles so I could make larger batches. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he quotes us a good price.

200th post - Happy New Year!

2011-01-02T13:25:00.000-05:00

Yes indeed! I have finally made it to my 200th post. It took 2 3/4 years, but here I am. I would love to be one of those full time bloggers who manage to post something new and exciting every day or so, but that just isn't my life. For the entire time I have been blogging, I have been working a crazy amount of hours at my job (and commuting an hour and a half each day).

When I look back, a lot has happened since I started blogging. Of course, the major thing is the purchase of our home here in the pines. Now we are focused on improving the property and personalizing it. I'm interested in the homesteading lifestyle - or "simple, agrarian self-sufficiency" (according to wikipedia). Charlie is pretty supportive of the whole thing -- if I want it, he will help me make it happen. I am quite grateful to have such a supportive husband.

This year for Christmas, he got me a chicken coop! I wanted chickens last year but never got around to figuring out some housing for them. Our shed in the back yard wouldn't work for the task -- the roof is caving in and we are going to tear it down. Anyway, we assembled the coop yesterday and it is ready to go for this Spring. It is a fairly small coop, but plenty big to hold 4-6 chickens.

Charlie assembling the coop...

The finished coop...

The two nesting boxes...
We will probably raise it up off the ground about a foot. I am also going to be constructing a chicken tractor so they can spend the summer outside. I would let them free-range, but because of all the trees we have, I'm concerned about predators. I'm just really excited about the coop and the prospect of keeping chickens!
We have a few more projects planned for this year as well. We have decided to cut down some clusters of box elder trees in the back yard and to smooth out the ground back there. Right now there is a steep drop off back there from when the septic field was re-done. We are gonna try to get a more gentle slope and clear out the brush so that I can plant a small orchard. I realize it could be years before I get much fruit, but I'd like to use that space for something other than deer/turkey trails.
I'd also like to tear out that old shed, expand my gardening space (amend the soil in a few areas of the yard for plants that won't fit in the raised beds), and plant some fruit trees, bushes, canes, etc. We also need to get the wood burning portion of our furnace checked for safety and have it cleaned out. It would be nice to try it out next year, so we may need to stock up on some wood this year.
Other goals: go fishing more often, explore food dehydration/freezing techniques, look into keeping rabbits, continue pursuing home fermentation, etc. The list could go on and on. Right now, we'll see what actually gets accomplished as the year progresses. Life always seems to have it's curve balls and I hate setting anything in stone. We also have a trip to Georgia in March (for a wedding) and a week in late summer to do with as we please (perhaps travel west?). I'm itching for travel so I am really looking forward to these two mini vacations.
2011 has a lot of potential -- I can't wait to see what happens! I hope you have an awesome new year!

Wine making - problem solving

2010-12-26T22:24:00.000-05:00

I am finally moving forward in the wine making adventure. I ran into a bit of a snag on the whole process right at the beginning and wasn't sure what was going on.
I had everything mixed together and sealed in the bucket. I was checking in on it daily like the directions stated. The goal is to give the mixture a stir and to measure the specific gravity as the wine ferments. After a couple of days, I got worried. The specific gravity wasn't changing. In fact, nothing seemed to be happening at all. I added some yeast nutrients to see if that would help. It didn't. The only other thing I could think of was that the yeast that had come with the kit had gone bad. I had no idea how long that kit sat on the shelf before I bought it (or if it was exposed to extreme temperatures). It took me a week or so to get over to the local wine making supply store, but I finally purchased some new yeast.
The new packet of yeast did the trick! The day after I added it, I went to check on the "must", and was surprised at the change I found. The juice was bubbly and acted like champagne when I tried to measure the specific gravity (lots of fizz and bubbles). It continues to progress and tonight the specific gravity is getting closer to where I need it. Today it smells like alcohol. It is encouraging to see the change after the frustration of a couple weeks of nothing happening.
My only concern now is that I added too much yeast nutrient to the must. I don't know what that will do to the finished product -- if anything at all. Only time will tell.
Soon, I should be able to move the wine to the secondary bottle. I'll have more photos at that time.

An update

2010-12-19T10:51:00.001-05:00

Life is always busy for me around the holidays. I've been spending my free time doing a bit of Christmas shopping and now I have to focus on getting the house ready for guests. My family is coming over on Christmas Eve/Christmas Day to celebrate at our house.
I know I have been neglecting my blog lately. Here's what's new:
The ground is covered with snow and it is absolutely beautiful around here. I love the way pine trees look in the snow. We have tons of birds at our feeders -- I can sit in my chair in the living room and watch them for hours (if I had the time).
Charlie and I bought a chest freezer to hold a pig that we bought from Uncle Dave (our prior landlord). Yesterday we went to pick up the meat from the butcher. Charlie mostly had steaks, chops, sausage and bacon made from the pig - no hams (the extra processing costs more). We gave the hocks to his dad to make soups with this year. After putting everything into the new freezer, I still have room for my freezer jam and plenty of room for storing more produce this year. I enjoy canning and the idea of not needing electricity to put food by -- but I also enjoy how fresh food tastes when it is frozen instead of canned. We will need to invest in a generator this Spring in case of power outages -- losing $300 worth of meat is not something I want to risk.
We also bought a new refrigerator/freezer at the same time we got the chest freezer. Our old one was the original from when they built the house in 1975. The seal was bad, it was making funny noises, and I know it was using much more electricity than it should have. I'm hoping that even though we have a chest freezer now, our electric bill should go down just because both appliances are more efficient than the old fridge.
Next on the list is a new oven... but that is going to wait a while longer.
Other than the new appliances and the purchase of a pig, life is pretty much the same around here. The stray cat is pregnant (either that or she is just getting fat from all the food she begs from me) and we are waiting for her to have her litter. Work is work -- we are both blessed to have jobs that keep us very busy. I got my first seed catalogue the other day and I get to start day dreaming about how much better my garden will be next year (hey, I can always hope).
That's about it. I will try to post again soon.

Wine making -- the beginning

2010-12-04T15:39:00.002-05:00

Wine making has been something that I've wanted to try for years. For some reason I thought it would be difficult or take a lot of equipment. A few of my friends have been fermenting various things and having some pretty decent results, so I was inspired to tackle the project myself.

I purchased a simple one-gallon equipment kit from a beer and wine making supply shop in Grand Rapids last weekend. I also picked up a hydrometer at the shop as it wasn't included in the kit. After looking over the recipe book that was included, I decided to try lemon wine to start. I had a lot of lemon juice in the freezer from another project I am working on (I'll tell you more about it after Christmas). The recipe called for some white grape concentrate and some yeast energizer. Luckily, I found a supply shop in Saginaw where I could get them -- so Charlie and I made the drive on Sunday to get the remaining items that I needed. You could certainly piece together the items you need without buying a kit, and you might save a buck or two -- but I was more interested in saving time.

So, the basics: 1. Sterilization is very important. You don't want wild yeasts and funky stuff growing in your wine. You add a Campden tablet (included in the kit I got) which contains sodium metabisulfite. It acts as a sterilant and antioxidant. I'm assuming this is the stuff that causes problems for people with sulfite sensitivities. 2. Keep the air out. The kit also comes with an airlock that allows carbon dioxide to escape while preventing air from entering. 3. Patience and observation. Obviously it takes time to make any fermented item. Observation is the stage I am in right now with my batch.

On Wednesday night I mixed together lemon juice, white grape concentrate, sugar, water, Campden and yeast energizer. I covered it and let it sit for 24 hours. Thursday night it was time to add the packet of yeast and cover it again. This morning I sanitized my hydrometer equipment and did a test.

The hydrometer helps you test when the wine is "done" -- it tests the specific gravity of the solution it is floating it. You don't have to be a scientist to do this, you just have to be able to read measurements.
My recipe calls for a specific gravity of 1.04 -- mine is at 1.12 right now. After a few more days (testing on a daily basis), I should be able to syphon it into my secondary (the white bucket is the primary, a 1-gallon glass jar is the secondary) and let it do it's magic for a couple of months. Then it gets bottled. It is that easy.
The equipment ended up totaling about $40. The white grape concentrate was NOT cheap. $15 for one liter (but it will last a while). The lemon juice was something I already had on hand that I didn't want to waste. Considering this equipment will last a long long time, I think it was a pretty good investment. I'm excited to try different flavors. Now I'm going to be on the look out for orchards and u-pick places that might want to get rid of their left overs. I also want to find some elderberry bushes next Spring and see what I can get when the fruit ripens. Lastly, I want to plant some fruit vines/canes/trees around our property so I can grow my own.
Be warned -- I have no idea if I am doing things correctly. I probably should have spent some time reading a book about wine making first. I just decided to jump right in with the very basic instructions that came with the kit. Luckily, I have friends that have been doing this for a while, and another friend that works at her family's vineyard (I would adore that kind of career!). If I need help, I have some support from people who know what they are doing.
Stay tuned for more updates...

Coming soon -- wine making!

2010-12-03T07:12:00.001-05:00

I am attempting wine making! More details to come...

Uncle Cheetah's

2010-11-29T08:58:00.000-05:00

Over the weekend, I spent some time in Grand Rapids with my friends and family. My friends and I went out to a pizza joint that had karaoke going on. It was really good to get the old crew together. My mother took me to a place that she knew I would love. She was right!

It is called Uncle Cheetah's Soup Shop -- and they have some amazing food! You can sample any of their soups before ordering at their soup bar. They offer about a dozen soups and they let you know which ones are vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free. They give you a homemade roll to go with the soup as well. Mom and I actually ordered a half a grilled cheese (on dill/onion bread with white cheddar, goat cheese and sea salt -- amazing!) to go with our soup. The shop has a great atmosphere and they were playing music from the 20's while we were there. I will definitely be going back. Check it out if you live in Grand Rapids or if you are visiting. It is across the street from the Wealthy St. theatre.

Feast day

2010-11-24T22:28:00.000-05:00

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving feast day! May your table be full, your family close, and may you have much to be thankful for.

30 years ago

2010-11-20T11:50:00.000-05:00

Approximately 30 years ago this photograph was taken. Guess who was having fun in a pile of leaves...

This weather changes me

2010-11-16T22:35:00.000-05:00

The weather has turned cold, damp and dreary in the past week. It isn't any big surprise, really. I mean, it IS November in Michigan. Something happens to me around this time of the year... I change. Nothing as dramatic as when a werewolf changes from a man to a wolf. But to me it is as noticeable as that.
I get this intense urge to craft and create. Even if I don't have a major project going on, I need to find some kind of creative outlet. Unfortunately, I still have to work some crazy hours at work (it has been 2 1/2 years of overtime hours each and every week) and that makes it hard to start anything that takes any amount of time. I have a few projects in the works right now for Christmas gifts -- but I can't tell you about it, because some of the recipients of said gifts will be reading this blog.
What about you? Does the cooler weather trigger a crafty instinct in you? Do you give homemade gifts at Christmas? I love hearing what my blog readers are up to, so please comment. Happy crafting!

Farm stand and a couple cuties

2010-11-13T15:24:00.001-05:00

Mom and I went to a local farm and nursery during her visit. I have plans to visit it earlier on in the year next year. I was pretty impressed with what they had. There were bins full to the brim with squash of every variety imaginable. I stocked up on what I thought I'd be able to use this winter. Next year, I intend to grow some of my own. In fact, I bought an heirloom pie pumpkin for the seeds as much as for the flesh -- you can be sure I'll be saving some of them for my garden (and still have plenty to roast).

I also bought some onions (mine didn't grow well this year - I had plenty of pearl onions though) and a huge cabbage.

Of course, my mother and I cannot pass up adorable kittens without picking them up and letting them know how adorable they are. There was a whole batch of kittens that lived in the green houses and farm stand. Aren't they handsome? For a quick minute, I thought Mom might smuggle one home.

I spent all day so far just grocery shopping and cleaning up the kitchen. Oh, and I baked a squash to have later for dinner. Alas, I have to get the yard winterized -- I can tell that snow is not far off for us. Time to get moving if I am going to get anything done today.

My new friend -- puff pastry

2010-11-11T23:02:00.000-05:00

My mother came over for a visit this past weekend for a much needed "girls weekend". We had a great time, even though the Christmas shopping crowds seemed to start early this year. I had absolutely no groceries in the house due to all the long hours I'd been working -- so we went to the store to figure out what to have for dinner. Somehow we decided to make brie en croute with raspberry jam. This was my first time using puff pastry and I have decided I love the results!!!

Have you ever had this stuff? The brie gets all gooey and melty and the puff pastry is so flaky and delicious! I really liked the seedless raspberry jam in there. It added an interesting level of fruity goodness. I don't think I need to add another recipe for this on the internet. Just check out the Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry site.

We had only used half the package of puff pastry, so the next morning I tried a recipe I intend to use Christmas morning (My family is coming my way this year). Basically, you scramble an egg with oregano for about a minute then put it on one end of half a sheet of pastry. Top it with some cheddar cheese and a thick slice of tomato. Wrap it all up and bake it for 20-25 minutes at 425 degrees.

You absolutely MUST try this! I'm really sorry to my gluten-free and vegan friends -- you are missing out on one of the most amazing breakfasts I've ever tasted! I'll admit, our dinner/breakfast concoctions were very rich and not exactly healthy -- but they were good for the soul. They were a perfect addition to a lovely weekend with my mother.

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T12:15:00.000-04:00

I've been very busy with work lately -- working lots of overtime. The paychecks are good, but I haven't really gotten out much. Subsequently, my blog has been kind of neglected. Anyway, I'd like to kind of catch up on a few things.
The same day I shot the portrait of Sassafras, I got some photos of the stray cat and her baby. The baby kitty was finally getting friendlier (it was very wild compared to mama cat -- who rubs against my shins to get food). Sadly, I found the baby kitty had been hit by a car just a couple of days after taking the photos. I know that stray kitties don't have a long life span, but this was particularly tragic -- she was just a baby. :(

(The black one is the baby, and the grey one is the mama)

Sassy doesn't mind that the baby is gone though. She doesn't like sharing her backyard with the other cats. Sassy doesn't go outside a lot, and she has always been a scardicat. She goes outside when I am out there but when the stray cats come around, she goes on the defense. The day we shot the photos, the kitten was trying to play with Sassy - unaware that Sassy wasn't really amused. I snapped a photo at the very instant Sassy decided to take a swat at her. I guess she just got a little to close to my big old cat.

I've been feeding the birds and enjoying their presence right outside our front bay-style window. I've had finches at my thistle feeder, a couple varieties of woodpeckers on the suet, bluejays going after corn, and chickadees, nuthatches, cardinals, and juncos enjoying the sunflower seeds. Oh, and a tufted titmouse just flew up to remind me that they like the feeder too.

A pretty chickadee -- when our trees still had leaves left on them.

All the leaves came down last week with that huge windstorm that rolled through the midwest. I work in customer service at one of the large electric providers in Michigan -- needless to say, we were busy this week.
Last night I met up with three of my friends from work as they were getting ready to go to the bar. I had fun taking photos of their transformations.

Getting ready

Elizabeth as a sadistic June Cleaver, Cristin as Marilyn Monroe, and Nikki as a sexy skunk. We also hung out with Liza (Elizabeth and Nikki's good friend) and some of their guy friends...

Liza as a peacock

"Where the Wild Things Are", "The Hangover", and a couple of beat up zombies.

I hope everyone has a safe and happy Halloween!

Another Autumnal Photo

2010-10-21T08:48:00.000-04:00

Sorry, folks, for only posting photography lately. I have been very busy with work and find little time to do anything else that is really noteworthy. I have a two-day weekend though and should have something to discuss after that.

Sassafras -- Autumn portrait

2010-10-17T15:49:00.001-04:00

My beloved cat enjoying the season

Fall Photography

2010-10-10T17:07:00.001-04:00

Here are a few snapshots I took yesterday morning around the yard. It has been a lovely weekend to be outdoors. I spent some time today to pull all of the plants from the veggie garden and put some of the herbs into pots for the winter.
I've also added a few photos that I shot with my TTV camera in the previous post.

Through the Viewfinder Fall Photography

2010-10-10T16:29:00.000-04:00

Plan B

2010-09-29T23:06:00.003-04:00

This past weekend I made it to Grand Rapids to check out Art Prize. Art Prize made it's debut last year and was a hugh hit. What a genius idea! Gather artists and their work from around the world and set up different venues around the city to draw in masses of people. Businesses benefit, the artists show their work, and thousands upon thousands of people experience a free art exhibit as big as a city. The people vote on their favorites and the winning artist gets a fat check.

I've placed my vote for "Plan B"-- a collaborative project that several of my best friends have been involved with. It is in Ah-Nab-Awen park near the Gerald R. Ford museum (seen on the left side of the photo below).

So what is it? We are currently living in Plan A -- a world driven by oil and coal -- non-renewable resources. Plan B explores the "post peak oil world where electricity is only intermittent and almost everything used to keep daily life humming along has been made out of preexisting products and materials. A combination of very old technologies with what can be patched together out of the rubble of what has been made before, fallen apart and left behind".

They have a functional kitchen, tents made of recycled billboards, a stage that runs by bicycle power, water filtration (also pumped by a bike), chickens, rabbits, a garden, and the Wonder Wagon.

People are living in Plan B Town for the entirety of the Art Prize exhibit. My good friends have been spending most of their free time down there.

Here is a photo of my best guy friend (besides my husband of course) starting a fire to make tea.

I wanted to stay longer, but had to make it home the same day. Anyway, if you are anywhere near Grand Rapids right now -- you gotta check it out!

Scenery from Michigan's Upper Peninsula

2010-09-26T11:47:00.002-04:00

Here are a few snapshots I took while coming home from Minnesota last weekend. The first three photos were shot at Agate Falls. The next photo (of Lake Superior) was shot near Au Train. The last one (Lake Michigan) was shot from US-2 near St. Ignace. It was a beautiful day and the trees were gorgeous! Someday I am going back to Agate Falls to spend more time. The U.P. is an enchanting place. We both love being there!

Zucchini bread

2010-09-21T08:38:00.001-04:00

It has been a long time since my last post. I am sorry about that. I just got back from vacation in Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I have a couple of photos that I hope to post soon. For now, I wanted to get this post completed. I made zucchini bread and wanted to give out the recipe.

3 eggs

2 cups sugar

2 cups zucchini - grated (and peeled if you like) -- squeeze off excess juice

1 cup oil

2 tsp vanilla

3 cups flour

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

optional - 1 cup nuts (I don't use the nuts myself)

Beat eggs. Add next four ingredients and mix well. Add dry ingredients and mix completely. Bake 1 hour at 325 degrees. Makes 2 loaves.

This recipe has been widely used by my family. Zucchini bread is definitely a childhood favorite of mine.

Whenever I have an over abundance of zucchini in my garden, I grate it up and freeze it in 2 cup portions. That way I can have zucchini bread all year long. Yum!

Easy compost bins

2010-09-06T19:53:00.000-04:00

I put together a couple of compost bins last weekend and managed to fill them up this weekend. They were really easy to make too. I just bought some wire fencing from the tractor supply store and some zip ties. I formed two round bins -- about 3 feet in diameter. I used the zip ties to keep the bin closed. I can easily snip those off to open it up and get the compost out.

I placed them on the side of our property -- because compost piles are not exactly pretty to look at. Last Fall when we moved into the home, we raked a HUGE pile of leaves into this area. I stacked it up the best I could, but the wind and snow flattened my pile out over the winter. Some of it has decomposed, but a bunch of the leaves look like they did last fall. I'm hoping these compost bins help speed things up. I also need more nitrogen to get things going faster (I don't have a good source for manure yet). I may need to make another one to hold this year's leaves. Anyway, I'm happy with how they turned out. I'm looking forward to having all that gorgeous compost to use in my garden next year.

Farm tour and barn party

2010-09-06T00:28:00.002-04:00

Saturday, we went to a dairy farm owned by one of Charlie's cousins and her husband. Joan gave us a tour of their barns and showed us all the cows. Later in the evening, they had a party for her husband's 50th birthday -- complete with a live Polka band and a large potluck (featuring cheese and chocolate milk). Good times!

got milk?

One of the younger cows

The bull -- and some of his ladies

Time to eat

Milking time

Cake by "Rose Knows Pastries"

The band -- "Polka Riot"

Let's polka!

Partying - late into the night

Fulton St. Farmers Market -- Grand Rapids, Michigan

2010-09-04T16:38:00.002-04:00

Last weekend I went to Grand Rapids to visit my family. My mother and I went to the Fulton street farmer's market. This is the market that sparked my love for farmer's markets and produce stands. We've gone to this market since I was a kid (which also brings up fond memories of making strawberry freezer jam with Mom and Grandma). My best friends Jen and Rich and I even set up a stall once to sell our tie-dyed/hemp goods. Now with the economy the way it has been lately, combined with the locavore movement and a yearning for a sense of community -- the market is packed! It has artists and crafters, plants, meats/eggs/cheeses, and all of the fresh fruits and vegetables you can imagine. I love playing with the repetition and color the displays create in my photos.

Name change

2010-08-29T14:07:00.000-04:00

I've decided to change the name of my blog. I wanted a name that fit a little better. I've decided on "In the Pines" for several reasons. My blog is primarily about our home here in Michigan -- and we are completely surrounded by large beautiful pine trees. In fact, we are on a sandy ridge that is said to run some 35 miles through mid Michigan. It was once a Native American road and most likely a logging route after that. I guess it is just easier to travel through pine forest than deciduous forest.
The old (1870's) folk song "In the Pines" also pops into my head a lot lately. Although different versions are somewhat dark, I still love the song. I imagine years ago, an Appalachian woman tended her garden while humming the tune like I do now.
So, "In the Pines" is the name for now. The content isn't really changing at this point. It is still about my day to day life, my garden, canning and cooking, crafts, nature and travel. It's about our little homestead here in the pines.

Small-town parade

2010-08-14T18:49:00.003-04:00

Last weekend I went to the Vassar Riverfest parade with a good friend who just happens to live in Vassar. She loves living in a small town. Vassar has a lot of character, friendly folks, and they know how to put on a decent parade. I've not been to a parade that had more candy for the kiddies than this one...

We sat next to a cute little gal who thoroughly enjoyed herself.

They had lots of older farm tractors (we are in a major agricultural area)...

Kids with team spirit...

And entertainment by the shriners.

I'm jealous of this girl's horse -- just gorgeous!

And of course we have to thank our service men and women.

Sunbather

2010-08-07T10:29:00.000-04:00

My crazy, fat cat catching some rays on our retro carpet in the spare bedroom.

Closer view of a young wild turkey

2010-08-07T10:04:00.001-04:00

The new flock -- Eastern wild turkeys

2010-08-03T08:59:00.001-04:00

We are starting to catch site of some young turkeys. Aren't they great?

A view of the past

2010-08-01T12:51:00.000-04:00

Last weekend (yes, I am running a week behind) Charlie and I visited an "encampment" in Frankenmuth. I have loved these kinds of things since I was a kid -- when I went to one and learned how to make dipped candles. I understand these people. They enjoy the simpler times -- when you could learn a craft and support yourself with it. I know they all have day-jobs that they have to go back to on Monday -- but for the weekend they get to imagine a different life.

The woodworker

Hot dog

Weaving a pouch

Authentic details

The blacksmith

Pewter maker and his wife

Sassafras --mighty hunter

2010-07-20T22:18:00.000-04:00

The other day, Sassy battled with a turkey feather. She spotted the feather in the yard -- stalked it -- pounced -- and then the glorious battle ensued. The feather gave a good fight, but in the end, Sassy was victorious! She brought the kill to the door to show off to her humans. What a brave kitty!

Garlic scape pesto

2010-07-05T11:17:00.000-04:00

I bought some garlic scapes at the farmers market this weekend. I did some searching on-line to figure out what to do with them (I've never used them before). Most of the sites recommended making a pesto with them. Now I know why. This stuff is amazing!

Cut off the flower part (don't use this part for the pesto) and cut the long green part into little pieces. Throw them in the food processor (or blender if you are like me and haven't read the manual to your food processor yet) and chop it up into even smaller pieces. I didn't have pine nuts on hand, but you would also chop them with the scapes at this point. I only ended up with about 1/2 cup of scapes so I added some basil from the garden as well. Slowly add in olive oil (about 3/4 cup oil for 1 cup of scapes) and blend some more. Grate in some parmesan cheese.

Serve with pasta and fresh cherry tomatoes from the garden. I think it would be really good on a pesto-based pizza too.

I'm really happy I tried garlic scapes. I've found a new seasonal favorite while supporting a local farmer and putting my garden to good use. It doesn't get any better than that.

Spicy pickled carrots

2010-07-05T10:29:00.000-04:00

Back when I was in college, I had the chance to experience some carrots that had been pickled with jalepenos. The professor in the photography department held his office hours on Thursday nights at a local bar/restaurant called "Chico's". They would serve you homemade tortilla chips and salsa and a small bowl of carrots. These carrots have just the right amount of "kick". I pulled a handful of jalepenos out of my garden the other day and decided to give this a try. There are plenty of recipes for mexican pickled carrots on-line so I am not posting a technical recipe -- I just want to give you a general idea...

Use approximately 2 cups of carrots, cut 1/4 inch or less. I also diced up 4 jalepenos, 1/4 of an onion and a few cloves of garlic. In a sauce pan, dissolve 1/4 cup sugar in about a cup and a half of white vinegar. I also added a splash of water (1/2 cup?) because some of the liquid is going to evaporate while heating. After the sugar is dissolved, add the veggies to the pan. No need to boil anything here, just let the veggies heat a bit in the vinegar to get the flavors combined. I left mine on the stove about a half hour on very low heat. Carefully fill a clean jar -- I re-used an old pickle jar. These should be fine in the fridge for about 2 months. There are recipes out there that will give you more exact directions if you would like to can preserve them.
Give these a try -- they are very refreshing and because they aren't really "cooked", the carrots stay slightly crisp. They are delicious and pair nicely with a cold beer on a summer day.

State of the Garden

2010-07-04T12:55:00.000-04:00

Things are progressing along quite nicely in the garden -- considering how late I was in getting the plants/seeds in the dirt. I've finally begun harvesting a few things here and there.

Jalepeno

Roma tomato

Pickles

Zucchini

Dill

Radish

Cherry tomato

Vacation with Mom

2010-06-27T12:37:00.000-04:00

My wonderful 2 week vacation is almost over. It went so quickly! Here are some photos I shot while my mother and I went out together on Monday and Tuesday. On Monday, we went to the Lake Michigan shore and into Saugatuck, MI. We also went to a large winery in Fennville.

On Tuesday we went to Shipshewana in Indiana. If you are not familiar with it, there is a large amish community there. We drove through the countryside and also went to several stores. Oh, and we even went to an amish garage sale.

On Wednesday, Mom had set up a surprise for me in the AM for my birthday. Then we spent some time with my grandma at the craft store and getting coffee. We had my favorite pizza for dinner. It was a nice birthday. I spent an extra night so that I could go out for coffee with my dad the next day.
Thursday I spent the day in the garden planting all of the perennials that Mom had sent home with me from her own garden. The sun coaxed some freckles out. Friday I ran some errands and yesterday I spent most of the day making strawberry freezer jam. So far, today, nothing is going on. I'm going to persuade Charlie to take me to a movie and celebrate my birthday (belated) today. Then back to work tomorrow. This vacation has me dreaming more and more about how to become self-employed... any ideas for me?

Homemade elephant ears

2010-06-20T22:50:00.004-04:00

I'm at my family's home tonight for Father's day because my Mom and I are going on a couple of day trips this week. They decided to make some homemade elephant ears tonight so I thought I would learn how to do it and share the info with you. Dad learned from a friend of his that makes them professionally (at fairs, etc).

Start out with frozen white bread dough...

Let it thaw and rise...

Dad spread it thin -- very thin. He says holes are OK...

Heat up oil to around 375 degrees -- you can test it with a little piece of dough.

Meanwhile, Mom was in charge of the cinnamon sugar. There aren't any specific measurements -- just guess.

Carefully drop the dough in...

Turn it over when it is golden brown...

Coat them in sugar when they come out and enjoy...

Yum!!!

Trip to the U.P.

2010-06-20T13:08:00.001-04:00

Charlie and I went to the Upper Peninsula this week for our vacation. We went there on our honeymoon 5 years ago. We celebrated our anniversary this week. I thought I would include some of the photos I shot while driving around.

We decided someday we would have a place in the U.P. -- even if it looks like this.

We were driving down this road and saw a baby black bear tearing into a rotten log. He ran away before I could get a photograph. We never saw the mama.

Wildflowers were everywhere.

This is Lake Huron -- we drove the long way home so we could drive along the lakeshore. We didn't want the trip to end.

Fruit salsa

2010-06-13T22:21:00.000-04:00

A friend of mine threw a margarita/sangria party last night. We had the most awesome food and drinks! She made a cilantro pasta salad, layered bean dip, and an amazing sangria. Another friend brought homemade margarita mix and salsa and chips. I decided to make a sweet fruit salsa with cinnamon tortilla chips. It went over very well -- I was pretty thrilled too because I basically made up the "recipe".

I used strawberries, kiwi, mango and pineapple chopped into tiny little pieces. The fruit was fairly sweet on it's own, so I only added a couple of spoons of homemade strawberry freezer jam to pull it all together.
I also made my own cinnamon tortilla chips. Take some tortillas and spray them with butter flavored cooking spray or brush with melted butter (I did both sides). Then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Then spray again with the cooking spray. This step helps keep the sugar stuck to the chip. Take a pizza cutter and cut into wedges. I baked them for 8 minutes at 350 degrees. Yum!
So the party was awesome. It was a great way to celebrate the first day of my two-week vacation. Woo hoo!!!

Garden construction photos

2010-06-06T10:43:00.000-04:00

I finally have a photo to share of our new raised bed garden. It is a work in progress, but I think it is going fairly well so far. Things are sprouting up nicely. I'm hoping the soil is deep enough to produce healthy fruiting plants.

Yesterday I set up my salad tray. I thought I would show you the basic construction in the photo below. The screen holds in the "dirt" (but you actually use a non-soil potting mixture) and then the wire mesh gives it support. We weren't thinking and used treated lumber. I'd prefer not to poison myself, so I took the left over plastic from the topsoil bags used in the raised beds to line the edges before the dirt went in.

And here is what it looks like finished. Well, almost finished. It started raining before I could get it planted. I have a lettuce blend and I'm going to see if radish will grow in it as well. You really could grow anything that doesn't produce huge root systems. Now I'll be able to walk out onto the patio, clip off some lettuce and make a salad. I shouldn't have to worry about slugs or rabbits eating my lettuce (although if we had more deer, I'd be nervous).

I'm keeping the garden kinda small this year. It is taking up a lot of my time as it is. I may add more raised beds in the future. A tilled up plot of earth may be necessary too tfor the larger vining plants I'd like to grow.

I had also wanted to keep some backyard chickens but need to find/build a coop first. It may get delayed until next year.

I do have some vacation time coming up soon. Two weeks in a row!!! I'm very excited about it. I'm going to have some time to really finish unpacking and settling into the house (we have things in the pole barn that need to be moved to the basement, etc). Charlie and I will be going "up North" for our 5th anniversary. I also get to spend some time in Grand Rapids, MI. Life is good.

Gardening weekend

2010-05-31T20:56:00.000-04:00

Along with spending some quality time with both sides of my family this Memorial Day weekend, I was able to finally spend some quality time in my new garden. I've had flats of plants sitting on my kitchen table for the last few weeks that had outstayed their welcome. I delayed hardening them off outside because of a recent tent worm infestation in our yard. The pests are finally gone (I'm going to be prepared for them next year and stop it before things get out of hand) and the weather cooperated, so I made some progress outside.
Charlie and I constructed two 4'X8' raised beds out of some 2X10's. Instead of pulling out the grass underneath, I placed some half-composted leaves in the bottom of the beds to cover the grass. I then placed some bags of topsoil on top of the leaves. The topsoil stays in the bags -- I just cut a hole out of the bag to plant in and poked holes through the bottom for drainage. This fall when the season is over, I'm going to remove the plastic and place another layer of leaves/compost on top. Next year I'll blend it all together and hopefully have a nice rich soil. I'll keep adding to it until the 10 inch tall beds are full. This is my first time I've worked with raised beds, so it will be an adventure. I like the idea of planting things closer together and not having to weed between rows. I'll add pictures later this week as it is raining now.

Perennials

2010-05-28T08:36:00.000-04:00

I have some gorgeous iris that came up this Spring. It is interesting to see what is already planted around our new house. I'm steadily trying to plant my own perennials as well. I've got a lot to blog about but have been short on time lately. Hopefully I can catch up this weekend.

Cutie pie

2010-05-27T22:25:00.000-04:00

What's new?

2010-05-16T07:58:00.000-04:00

I am feeling the need to leave a blog post just because I haven't done one for a while. It's not that I don't have anything to blog about, I just don't feel like I have much time. We have a bunch of projects going on that are half completed that I wanted to blog about when they are done.
Spring is progressing nicely here although the weather has been a little peculiar this year. The weather has been all wrong for morel mushrooms. Apparently it has been right for tent caterpillars though. We have a multitude of them and they are driving me over the edge. I am plotting ways to kill them (usually I leave other creatures alone). I wish I just had a bunch of free ranging chickens or even a pair of guinea fowl to munch on them.
Charlie and I are working on building some raised bed gardens this year. We have the lumber and have it cut -- we just have to get it all assembled. We also are making a "salad garden" for the back patio that is also in the works. We bought a Cub Cadet tractor last weekend and finally mowed the lawn (looking for a small mower or a weed whacker to take care of the small areas the riding mower can't reach).
I saw a new bird at our feeder this morning. It is a Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Recently we have also been getting Blue Jays, Nuthatches, and Gold Finches.
This weekend my good friends, Rich and Jen came over from Grand Rapids. We went out to eat at the Frankenmuth Brewery and went to a few stores as well. Mostly, we have just been sitting around enjoying each other's company.
Once I get a project complete, I will blog more. Until then, I hope you are enjoying your Spring.

Exploring the "back woods"

2010-04-25T14:09:00.001-04:00

I spent a little time exploring our acre of woods behind our house this week. I was checking to see if I could find any morel mushrooms but I think it is to early. Perhaps this week I will have more luck. Anyway, I found many interesting things while exploring so I thought I would do a little show-and-tell. This creepy doll head was found face down in the dirt. I put it on the stick to get a better photo -- but I think it looks like it is from a horror movie. I am curious about how old it is and what happened to the little girl who owned it.

Next, I spotted some interesting plants. This is a Jack-In-The-Pulpit...

some very fuzzy fern fiddleheads...

a marsh marigold...

and a mystery item. I have no clue what this is. Charlie thinks it is a young mushroom. I'm not even going to guess, I'm just going to keep watching it to see what it does.

I also found this cobalt blue glass jar in the back. The lid is corroded and falling apart. These old items scattered about make me want to get a metal detector and see what I can find back there. We live atop a ridge of sand about 50 miles long. I've been told that the Native Americans would have had a road along this ridge ages ago. Often loggers would have used these same roads in their pursuits as well. I can really feel the history of that woods. Particularly when I come upon this tree...

This is an old oak tree. It's limbs are larger that most trees. I know it is in rough shape, but it is still alive -- still growing. Can you even imagine the number of lightning storms it has survived?
Anyway, as you can see, Sassy came with me to explore. She followed me around fairly closely. She is not an outdoors cat and a strong breeze can freak her out. Other cats scare her. Pretty much everything scares her. So to have her come back this far with me is impressive.

The first of many?

2010-04-20T21:54:00.000-04:00

Taken with my "new" camera. TTV photography is fun! I need to clean up some of the dust, and practice a bit -- but I think I'm going to like TTV photos.

Piknik in the backyard

2010-04-17T21:44:00.000-04:00

I didn't really have a picnic in the backyard today -- it was too windy and cold. In fact, today was downright nasty. I guess I have been spoiled by all the nice weather we've had up until now. I shot a few photos today on our property and then I fooled around with the photos on piknik.com. I'm very happy to have found piknik. It is a very simple way to get some interesting effects. Some make the photos look old or from vintage cameras -- or you can come up with your own effects by combining a couple of effects together. I am open to critique... please comment.

New sofa

2010-04-13T09:50:00.000-04:00

My parents and my brother came over this past weekend to bring us a new sofa. Well, a "new" used sofa. My Dad's second cousin passed away (he was elderly) and the family gave away his belongings. It is quite comfortable and looks nice in our living room. Dad decided it was a good place to take a little nap.

They also brought a vintage kitchen cabinet that I am going to re-finish and use in the basement to store some of my canning supplies.

We had a nice day visiting. The yard is starting to get greener and things are coming to life. We have tons of pine trees on our property and there are lots of baby trees coming up as well. We went around the yard and dug up several white pine and spruce trees for them to take home and plant in their yard.

My brother assembled my fire pot that I won at work last year. It promises many good evenings socializing with friends and family. I can't wait.

Spring is here

2010-04-06T08:57:00.000-04:00

Rain, flowers, and animals are pairing up. It is definitely Spring time in Michigan!