Surprise , Surprise

Late this afternoon , I let the chickens out to free-range for about an hour. I went to check on their food and give them fresh water , I happened to spot a egg in the nesting box. I think Fern the dark red chicken , laid our first egg. I noticed a couple of weeks ago that her comb looked larger than the others , so I figured she was older. I guess I was rewarded for cleaning out the coop , I'm so excited , just had to share.

~ Blessings ~

JoyceAnn

* Happy Hens *

The hens are Happy , I got their hen house cleaned and fresh straw added . The flies were getting bad , so had to make it top priority. I used the straw to mulch my tomatoes , mulching and composting at the same time , love it. The hens have grown so much , their colors are quite beautiful. I tried to get some close-up pics so you could see how beautiful they look.We started them on laying mash and oyster shell about a month ago. I hope to have fresh eggs in June or July. Thought I would share a pic of my kitchen windowsill over the sink , I have quite a collection of chickens in the kitchen.

~~ Be Blessed ~~

JoyceAnn

~ Spiral Herb Garden ~

I started hauling rocks for the herb garden last week , but decided to redo the fire circle first. I took up the slate rocks and added flint rocks.

Then I got to thinking I needed to redo the rocks around the cilantro bed (LOL) , so I took up the rocks around it and replaced them with flint.




I finally got the spiral herb garden started, it's almost finished. I have some flint rocks I gathered in the woods , just need to haul them out and complete the spiral. It's rained almost everyday this week , so they'll have to wait until it dries up some. I planted the herbal seeds , lemon balm in the center , stevia and lemon basil. I'm already planning the next herb garden, want to create a garden with wild herbs.



Do you have a herb garden ?



~ Herbal Blessings ~

JoyceAnn

* Clay Pot Irrigation *

~ Clay Pot buried , shows cork plugging hole ~

~ Clay Pots filled with water ~




~ Clay Pot with saucer used as lid ~




~ Needed 1 more lid , so I used a hubcap (LOL) ~




I'm experimenting in the garden this year with clay pot irrigation. This technique has been used for thousands of years , so thought I would give it a try. Last year I used plastic 2 liter bottles for this process , they worked well but I would like something that's better for the environment and easier to fill with water.


I have a few clay pots that I'm not using , they're 6 inch pots. Two of the pots had saucers , so I'm using those for lids. I dug holes between my Roma tomatoes and buried the clay pots. The article I read recommended using silicone to plug up holes in the bottom of pots , but I wanted something natural , decided to use corks. I hope they work , you need the water to seep out slowly.



I'll probably use some 2 liter bottles too , but I love the clay pots. I'm going to scout some yard sales , thrift stores for more pots and saucers.



~ Garden Blessings ~

JoyceAnn

~~ Those Crazy Guineas ~~

Well , those crazy guineas are laying eggs and they're just laying them out in the open. We've collected 5 eggs and 3 of those were lying on the ground near our table in the yard , the other 2 were found near the chicken coop , lying in the open field. I guess it's because they're young and inexperienced.

Curious J found the smallest egg , he was so excited. He kept shaking it and wanted to know if there was a baby chick inside , so I let him crack one open to see what was in it. The shells are very hard , takes a few whacks to break them , the yolk is school bus yellow and they taste delicious. I sent 2 little eggs home with him for breakfast , but I'm not sure he'll eat them. When we got our hens , I told him they would lay eggs for us to eat and he told me " I'm not eating those eggs (LOL) ".

~ Many Blessings ~

JoyceAnn

~ Memorial Day ~

Let us remember all whom have given their lives for Freedom !

~ Special Blessings ~

JoyceAnn

Clip art copyrighted by Bobbie Peachey, http://webclipart.about.com

~~ Lambsquarters ~~

~ Notice : The top center leaves that are emerging are powdery white ~

~ Lambsquarter ~





Friday I tried lambsquarter for the first time , it was delicious. The garden is full of this wild weed , I plan to harvest as I pull weeds from the garden. I created my own recipe and it turned out well , so here's how I made it.

~ Lamb's Quarter Stir-Fry ~

2 tbsp of bacon grease or olive oil

2 cloves of garlic (minced )

1 quart of lamb's quarter leaves

Lemon pepper seasoning

Parmesan cheese

Cooked noodles or rice

Saute minced garlic in oil of choice , until it is clear looking. Add lamb's quarter and stir-fry until done , add lemon pepper seasoning to taste. Serve over noodles or rice , add cheese and enjoy !

I used store bought lemon pepper seasoning , but I plan to make my own lemon basil / Pepper seasoning soon. Let me know if you try this recipe , would love to know what you think about it.

If you would like to know more about lambsquarter , be sure to check~out this link below

http://prodigalgardens.info/june%20weblog.htm#Lambsquarters

Annette has a yummy sounding recipe

( Lambsquarter & Navy Beans ) posted here

~ http://the-wardhouse.blogspot.com/2009/05/lambsquarters.html ~

I plan to try it soon.

~ ~ Greenest Blessings ~ ~

JoyceAnn

~ Wild Herb Walk ~

I found these beautiful flowers growing in the front yard , never really noticed them before. The plants are called Cat's Ear , they're in the dandelion family. I'm not sure if they're edible , but they sure are pretty .

I finally got a descent photo of Yellow Wood-Sorrel.
( Click Photo to Enlarge )


~ Wild Grapes ~


~ Elderberry starting to bloom ~




~ Red Clover ~






~~ Herbal Blessings ~~
JoyceAnn

~ In the Garden ~

~ Potted Herbs ~


~~ Cilantro ~~

~~ Broccoli Head ~~

~~ Potatoes Blooming ~~

~ Garden Blessings ~

JoyceAnn

~ Happenings on the Homestead ~

We've been busy around the homestead , cleaning flower beds ~ fertilizing fruit trees ~ fighting snakes ~ harvesting wild herbs ~ picking strawberries , pulling weeds , shoveling compost and the list goes on and on.

I froze most of these berries and made a strawberry cobbler , it was sooo ...... good. We are planning to go this weekend and pick more berries to make jam.


The blueberry bush I moved has a few blueberries on it this year. I need to cover it with netting so the birds don't get them. The other two bushes died , I plan to replace them this Fall.


The hens have really grown , they're clucking and starting to develop their own personalities. I let them free range while I'm working in the garden , they love digging around in the compost bin. I think some of them will start laying next month or July , I can hardly wait for fresh eggs.




Yesterday I found my first black snake in the chicken coop , sooo ....... he's a goner , Shadow had fun with it after I killed it. Dh moved some steel and tires that were near the coop last week , it was under that stuff. He wanted to kill it then , but I told him not to , thought maybe it would head for the woods.




I found 2 guinea eggs last week , she had laid them in the pathway to the chicken coop , they didn't have a shell , guess it would have been a double yolk. I think it was her first time laying , so maybe they're just beginning to lay eggs.





Doing Not Thinking Update ...... I didn't get anything done in the kitchen. I did start a list of things that need to be done , so I guess that's a start.



~ Many Blessings ~
JoyceAnn

~ Apifera Farm and Pino ~

Katherine Dunn is a wonderful artist who gives from the heart. She is planning a charity event to honor Hospice Caretakers , please checkout her website and consider donating an Aporn or Quilt Square for the upcoming event. I will be donating this vintage aporn to the event , hope you'll help Katherine and Pino make this event the best ever.

...... Read All About It !!! ......

http://donkey-dreams.blogspot.com/2009/05/pinos-call-for-aprons.html

http://www.donkey-dreams.blogspot.com/

~~~ Donkey Blessings ~~~

JoyceAnn

~~ Wild Herbs ~~

~ The blackberries are blooming ~

Look who I found peeping out under some violet leaves !

(Click on Photos to Enlarge)

~ Violet Wood-Sorrel ~

~ Venus Looking Glass ~

~ Herbal Blessings ~

JoyceAnn

* Doing Not Thinking Challenge *

Kathie over at Two Frog Home is encouraging us to take the * Doing not Thinking Challenge * again this year. I've been thinking about decluttering and reorganizing my kitchen. I hope to make it easier to work in , I did a few things last year , but there's so much more to be done. I want to clean out all of the cabinets , get rid of things I haven't used in 30 years (LOL). I need to reorganize and move things to make them more convenient to use.

I hope to find space to put my canning supplies together , so they'll be handy when I need them. Today I plan to make a list of everything I want to accomplish and hopefully get started on some decluttering.

If you would be interested in taking the challenge , check~out the link below. Do you need a reason , push or boost to get started on something you've been thinking about , if so this might be a challenge you would like to try.

http://twofroghome.com/2009/04/21/doing-not-thinking-challenge-spring-to-autumn-2009/

~ Many Blessings ~

JoyceAnn

~ Around the Homestead ~

It's that time of year , there's so many things going on around the homestead. We've been busy planting seeds , plowing and pulling weeds. We've had to work between rain showers , it has rained everyday for about a week , hopefully it will make for a good garden season.

I've also been potting up my herbs and working on my herb bed. The cilantro is coming up from the seed I saved last year. I still have a few herbs I want to buy , will probably take a trip to our local strawberry farm tomorrow and see what they have in their garden center. I'll be picking some strawberries too , time to make strawberry jam and freeze some berries.

Dh got us a load of compost Saturday , we need more than we are making. He's also working on a sandbox for the grands , it will be boxed in with cedar logs. We have several dead cedar trees around the homestead , so we're using them for the sandbox and garden beds. He also made the potato plow and a rake for the tractor , he's so talented and saves money by making this equipment.

I had a wonderful Mother's Day , Saturday night my Son-in-law cooked a steak dinner for his Mom , my Mom and me. He's a good cook , the meal was delicious. My oldest daughter gave me a keepsake box called " The Transition " , it has a beautiful butterfly on it. I found the perfect spot in my bedroom to display it. My youngest daughter , her boyfriend and the boys gave me a garden wagon. I 've always wanted one , it's raining today , so I'll have to wait until tomorrow to fill it up and pull it around. I'm sure I'll find many uses for it , riding the Grands ........ for sure !

Hope Your Mother's Day was Wonderful too !

~ Many Blessings ~

JoyceAnn

~ Happy Mother's Day & Take another look at your Laundry ~

Kathie over at Two Frog Home wrote some beautiful thoughts about laundry ( Yes Laundry ) please click on link and enjoy , you'll see your laundry in a different light ( http://twofroghome.com/2009/05/06/laundry-line-lesson/ )

Happy Mother's Day !!

~ Love & Hugs ~

JoyceAnn

~*~ Dandelion Stir Fry ~*~

The May issue of Herbal Roots is all about those wonderful Dandelions. Check it out , you maybe interested in buying this months issue of Herbal Roots just for the info on dandelions , here's the link ( http://fieldoftansy.blogspot.com/2009/04/herbal-roots-may-2009-issue.html ). Please add my name as a referral , if you purchase. I'll be gathering more dandelion greens today , before Dh mows. This Dandelion stir fry is delicious , thought I would share the recipe.

Dandelion Stir Fry

3 boneless chicken breast or pork tenderloins cut to bite size pieces

2 cups or more of dandelion greens

1 or 2 cloves of garlic

1 small red onion

Crushed red pepper

Sea salt

Olive Oil

Add washed dandelion leaves to a pot of water and cook 10 minutes , drain water. You may want to boil a second time if they're bitter. Saute red onion in olive oil , remove when tender and browned as you like. Add minced garlic cloves to oil , saute to they turn clear , add chicken or pork to sauteed garlic and stir-fry until done. When chicken is done , add dandelion greens , caramelized onions , sea salt and crushed red pepper to your liking. Continue stir-frying until greens and onions are heated through. I have served this stir-fry over rice and angel hair pasta , it was delicious both ways.

~ Dandelion Blessings ~

JoyceAnn