Projects, projects...

I'm finally feeling better and happily working on projects.  I was excited to make homemade lotion bars.  I have plenty of beeswax from our hives, coconut oil, shea butter, vitamin E oil, and lemon essential oil.  I put it all in a double boiler and viola... lotion bars.  I love the photo below.  The bars were beginning to harden,  thus the middle is clear and the outer edges are starting to solidify.    

 I really like my new molds.  The bees look great.  The speckles are from the beeswax.  My brother made the little rectangle container and it works perfectly for holding them.

I am doubtful about my next project.  This garden stake is quite old and fell apart a few years ago.  The red glass faded beyond recognition.  I read on Pinterest that if paint on glass fades try using nail polish.  Well, I tried nail polish, but am very doubtful that it will work.  I don't think the polish adhered to the glass like I hoped it would.  I guess we will find out this summer.

Sixteen years ago I made the curtains in our guest bedroom.  They are faded and weren't overly heavy fabric to begin with.  My husband and I found a new material and I will make curtains next weekend.  We like the material so much I may also make a quilt for that bedroom with it.  Right now it is just hanging over the window for inspiration.

Last but not least, my husband smoked and grilled a chicken this weekend.  The chicken was perfectly delicious.   It was a great time to try the garlic cheddar biscuit recipe I had seen on Pinterest.  They were amazing.

Garlic Cheddar Biscuts
2 c. buttermilk biscuit mix (Jiffy)
1 c. grated cheddar cheese
1/2 t. garlic powder
2/3 c. milk
2 T. butter
2 t. dried oregano
1/4 t. garlic salt

Bake for 10-13 minutes at 400 degrees.

That is it in a nutshell.  It feels good to  be busy again.  I am super happy about the lotion bars, as I don't have very good luck with store bought lotions.  Most of them cause me to break out.  The curtain project is going to be on the list for next weekend.  I'm seriously considering going back and getting more material for a quilt.  We shall see.  What are you working on?  What new recipe have you tried?  What was your last sewing project?  Have you ever experimented with lotion bars?

Garden Plans...

 January is a time for garden catalogues, hot cocoa, and planning.   There were a few things I did last year that I will definitely incorporate into this year's garden.  

I love using basil, oregano, parsley, and garlic in an ice cube tray covered with olive oil.  I froze them and then add one to two cubes when I brown meat or saute vegetables.  They are wonderful and easy to use.  The herbs taste fresh.

 I've never planted basil or oregano before.  I enjoyed them profusely.  Especially basil leaves on pizza.  I know it sounds crazy, but it adds a bite.   The other Pinterest project that I found incredible was cutting my cherry tomatoes into quarters, drizzle with olive oil, herbs, garlic, salt, and pepper.  Roast at 350 for 45 minutes.  Freeze on the pans and then transfer to a freezer bag.  These are amazing.    They are great fresh out of the oven and also tasty on pizzas.

  Lemon cucumbers and geherkin cucumbers are also at the top of my list.  I try to plant the tiny geherkins somewhere where they are easy to see, but find they do better if they are running rampant and are hidden under the lemon cucumbers or beans.







I also plan on planting more of these little acorn squash.  They worked great on the grill this winter.  I have two left and I wish I had a few more.  They were the perfect size and tasted great.

Loofahs are again on the list.  I grew one once 3 years ago and haven't been able to replicate the success again.  The loofa was wonderful and I used it of a long time.  I want to grow several and give them away as gifts.  Maybe this will be the year.  

I will again grow my pumpkins in the green house and let them crawl out the top.  I still have my platform incase one grows on the roof again.

 I am going to take a small red box and fill it with moss.  It will be the perfect setting for the little garden house my brother made me.  I am super excited about this project. 

Last, but not least, I plan on continuing with the sunflowers in the washtubs.  They looked great this summer and it was fun to watch the goldfinches eat the seeds this winter.

That is a few of my gardening plans.  It was nice to relax and think about warmer weather.  I am feeling much better and even painted the upstairs bathroom this weekend.  I also took Ella for a much needed snowshoeing trip.

 

What are you excited to plant in your garden this year?  Do you have something that is tried and true and then something you haven't tried before?

Coffee and Donuts...

 I have wanted to try making donuts forever.  I've never been brave enough.  Also there is the fact it takes over an hour to make them.   This weekend was the perfect weekend to give it a try.  It snowed heavily all Saturday.  While my husband was plowing, I made the dough then went out to do some snow blowing.  When we came back in I kneaded the dough, cut out the donuts, and fried them up.  I was extremely nervous.  I don't know why I was so sure this was going to be rocket science.  It wasn't.  In fact, I was so excited at how easy they were to make I forgot to take a nice photo of them glazed beside a cup of coffee.  

Krispy Kreme  Recipe

3 T. milk
3 T. boiling water
1 t. sugar
1 t. dry active yeast
Stir gently and leave it to activate.  

1 3/4 c. flour
3 T. sugar 
2 T. butter
dash of salt
1 egg 
Add the egg to the yeast mixture, then add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture.  Knead for 5-10 minutes.  Let rise 1 hour.   Go blow some snow.  Roll out the dough and then cut donuts.    I fried them in almond oil (I was out of veggie oil) at 350 degrees.  The recipe said two minute, but I think it was less than that.  Glaze with 1t. butter, 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar, 3 T. milk and 1 t. of vanilla.  

They turned out pretty darn good despite my apprehension.  Much easier than I had anticipated.   I found the recipe on Pinterest, but it doesn't go to a website that I can share or give credit to.

 While enjoying my coffee and donuts, I watched and got a few photos of the wildlife outside.  My visiting Evening Grossbeak was a nice addition to the feeders.

 I always feel so bad for the deer when the temperatures dip so low.  They wander through the yard often looking for spilled seeds from the bird feeders.  It was seven below today.

It was another slow weekend.  We are pretty much in hibernation mode.  It is too cold to do much of anything and we are both slowly recovering.  I hope it warmer where you are.  

All you need is just a little squash...

 Of course, with the new year comes garden planning.  One thing I will plant more of these little squash.  They have kept well this winter and are the perfect treat for me.  My husband isn't a fan, so they are just the right size for one person.  I put a tablespoon of brown sugar and a pat off butter.  Bake at 350 degrees for an hour.  As Goldilocks would say, "they are just right.". I will have to look at my seed packets to see what type it is.

 I am feeling tremendously better.  I was able to sit outside with Ella on Saturday morning for the first time in for weeks. I was enjoying my coffee and Ella was gnawing on a bone, when smart as you please a coyote comes trotting down the road right in front of the cabin.  I've seen them go after dogs, so I jumped up called Ella to the house and sent the coyote trotting off.  Ella was oblivious to it all.  She was just happy to be outside.

I have never been so happy to be healthy.  I was able to go for a short walk and check the property.  There bees were active.  The birds were very busy.  I even saw an Evening Grossbeak.  Only one.  I remember when we moved her there were 40 to 50.

Well, that's all I know.  It was a pretty calm weekend.  How has your new year started?

2017 you were horrible; 2018 here I come...

Here comes 2018.  Where did time go?  Goals again for the new year.  I hope I do better than I did in 2017.  I think it was the most unfilled goals I have ever had.  Optimism.  I am sure that I have learned from past failures and will trudge ahead.  As the sun sets on this year, I am positive that 2018 will be better.

My number one priority this year is my health.  I spent way to much time visiting doctors in 2017.  I will drink more water, eat better, exercise more, and go to bed when I am sick.  

I want to spend a week off with my husband.  Normally, every year we take a week off and do projects together.  Our timing was off in 2017 and it didn't happen.  I missed it terribly.  My husband is my strength.  We have fun together and I look forward to our time with each other.  

Home improvements are again on the list.  This will be our 15th year in the cabin and it is time to spruce things up.  I am hoping to host several visitors this summer and I want them to be comfortable.  I am not going to wait until the last minute and will start in January.

To successfully implement a strawberry bed, more grapes, and add a shrub bed. I haven't had a good strawberry bed since we first moved to the cabin.  I make wine and hardly have any grapes on the property.  Doesn't make much sense.  I need to landscape a road that we took out and I want to do it with shrubs and grasses.  

Add a butterfly/hummingbird garden somewhere on the property.  Hopefully, on the slopes in front of the barn.  I had more butterflies this year than I've ever had and enjoyed them immensely.  I am hopeful my lost hummingbird found its way south before the freezing weather.  I would love to have a buffet for it this year.

Make a barn quilt for our shed.   I have been wanting to do this project for several years and maybe if I write it down I will get on it.  

I have to say that 2017 was not one of my favorite years.  Work was extremely stress filled and I spent a lot of time wishing I was healthier.  I visited the doctor more in 2017 than the last 20 years combined.  A review of my goals will show that it was a sad year for success.  

~Family and friends are always at the top of my goal list.  I don't think I could beat last year with hosting.  We had a lot of company and and loads of fun.  I would like to expand our repertoire things to do while at the cabin including gifts, projects, games, and adventures.  I need more indoor games and kid friendly projects.  I think this was a successful endeavor.  We hosted several people this year and I can say that the card games and game room that Kelly created definitely helped alleviate any boredom.   I hosted the nieces for a week and we kept very busy the whole time.  I was extremely proud at how well the girls did on their birdhouse project.  

~Home improvements are on the list.  I need to update our guest bathroom.  It needs a fresh coat of paint, new curtains, and a new theme.  We have been in the cabin for 14 years and it is starting to look shabby.  The outside of the cabin also needs re-stained.  Thankfully, it is small and shouldn't take long.  It is just it takes some serious acrobatics to get to a few areas.  This was a total fail.  I didn't get the cabin stained and only 1/4 of the bathroom painted.  I thought I could still pull out painting the bathroom, but bronchitis put an end to that delusion.  

~Host a barn dance.  We have a new barn and I really want a barn dance.  Maybe we won't dance.  Food, fun, and wine is fine. The timing was bad and a barn dance wasn't to be had.

~Landscaping.  We have the new barn and there is plenty of landscaping to do around it.  I also want to add hardscapes like trellises and more garden art.  I am satisfied with my garden plants, now I need to include some art to tie it all together.  My sweet husband got me a truckload of compost and landscaping here I come.  I did numerous projects this fall and have one final big one this spring.  I added trellises and garden art.  I am extremely happy with the landscaping of our property and truly enjoyed all the work that it required.

~Gardening goals (this is a gardening blog) are to focus on soil, fertilizer, and water.  I was negligent on my composting this year and it showed.  I need to keep my compost turned so it can enhance my beds.  The clay soil is persistent and it doesn't take long for it to overpower any improvements I make.  I started with a drip watering system in the vegetable garden and then when there were issues abandon the project.  If I don't focus on those little things, all the big things I do won't make a difference.  I also want to include hugelkulture into my beds.  This is the practice of covering wood with soil.  The wood retains water and fertilizes as it breaks down.  I did much better this year at keeping my compost pile turned.  The soil my husband got me will help immensely in improving the beds.  I didn't quite incorporate hugelkulture into the red/yellow bed like I wanted, but that doesn't mean I can't still this spring.  My husband did an incredible job with a watering rotation this year.  It was one of our drier years, but his system didn't miss a beat and the beds stayed happy and healthy.  I used a lot of fish fertilizer and my roses thanked me for it.

~Bring Hygge to my job.  It was a long stressful year at work.  Not just for me, but also for my staff.  I need to take what I learned from Hygge and incorporate it in the education building.  It is easy to get wrapped up in a job where you deal with young emotion filled adults and lots of government red tape.  We need to take a breath and slow down.  Another epic fail.  The government is a fickle beast to work for and instead of Hygge we felt tension, frustration, failure, and worst of betrayal from our superiors.  I love my job.  I love the students whose souls we fight for daily and the staff that give everything because they know they make a difference.  I will keep the faith that what we do means something and hope somebody above realizes it.

~To use a planner at home.  I live and die by my daily planner at work.  It keeps me focused and on task.  I want to experiment and try using a planner at home for meals, cleaning, and projects.  I'll admit I think this goal will fail (great start huh?), but I will give it a try.  This was a huge success.  My husband and I would plan our meals for the week on Sunday.  This gave me guidance when grocery shopping and eased the stress of a long day.  Knowing what you are going to make when you get home does a lot to make life smoother.  Even though it was mainly used for meals it did also help keep us organized when company came.  

I'm afraid that is it.  As I sit on the couch, the dog snuggled up to me, I count my blessings.  I have a great husband, wonderful family and friends, I work with amazing people, and live in a beautiful place.  2017 wasn't the best year, but I am still thankful for it. I have high hopes for 2018.  I wish you all a very happy and healthy new year.

The Great Chickadee Christmas Caper...

 I went to the doctor on Thursday and found out I have bronchitis.  Generally, I don't say it is lucky I am sick, but in the case of the great Chickadee Christmas Caper it turns out it wasn't a bad thing that I was home in bed miserable.  I had just returned from the doctor with some medicine and strong cough syrup.  I was headed to bed excited at the thought that I may get some sleep.  As I started to doze off, I heard a, "Bam, bam, bam, chick-a-dee."  Confused, I tried to figure out why a chickadee would be banging on my bedroom window.  The noise wouldn't stop, so I crawled out of bed and went to the balcony door to look out and see what the fuss was about.  A chickadee was on the upper deck.  He must have been the lookout, because he exclaimed, "Chick-a-deee."  and flew off.  His accomplice behind him.

I grumbled as I went back to bed desperate for sleep.  Again less than five minutes later, "Bam, bam, bam.  Chick-a-dee."  This time I slid out of bed and walked up to the door using a bit more caution.  Once more I was busted by the lookout.  He proclaimed my presence and the two deviants flew away.  I knew they were up to no good, but I could not figure out what was going on.  Back to bed and in less than two minutes, "Bam, bam bam.  Chick-a-dee!"  This time I crawled on the floor, slid in the tub, and peaked out the window....

 This is what I found. The other chickadee was slowly and methodically dismantling my screen.  Why?  Because there were some dead flies on the window sill.  Needless, to say I was not pleased with the results of my investigation.  I opened the screen and brushed out the flies.  Upon reflection, I probably should not have rewarded their efforts.   I did find some peace and drifted off to sleep watching the little buggers fly back and forth reveling in the feast of dead bugs.  The two chickadees did not divulge their treat to the 30 other chickadees that eat at my very full feeders.

I told the tale to my husband.  I don't know if he believed my or thought the sickness had made me delirious.  Then next day we heard, "bam, bam, bam.  Chick-a-deee." There they were again, the little upstarts.  I think they were expecting more bugs.  We had to take the screen down.   

I'm waiting to see if the devious duo tries to break in through the window.  Obviously, they feel they deserve a better standard of feed than the birdseed I dole out.   That, my friends, is the Great Chickadee Christmas Caper of 2017...  I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas.

Twas the weekend before Christmas...

Twas the weekend before Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring, because they had all fled due to my incessant coughing.  I am super happy I got things done ahead of time, because I can just stay home and not spread my Christmas virus.  At least it should pass by Christmas (I hope).  I was housebound this weekend, but still able to enjoy the birds from my couch.

I hope you are all making progress on your Christmas plans.  Wishing you a happy and healthy Christmas.