Idle hands

Over Christmas I took photos of some of the handmade things the talented women in my family has made over the years.  It is amazing what people can do with idle hands. 

 

These pot holders were tatted by my Great Grandmother, Mammy. I never met Mammy, but she sounds like a woman after my own heart.  She had a big orchard and garden and loved berries.  My Mom decided to display these works of art and hung them in the kitchen.   

 

 

I really love to look at the detail in them.  I'm so glad my Mom decided to display them.  There were many more.  I just posted my favorites.

 

Not much else is going on here.  It was a warm weekend, but now it sounds like we are in for a cold spell.  I hope everyone is staying warm and enjoying the winter.

 

 

 

 

A winter's day...

 

It has been a wonderful weekend.  I finished the top to my quilt.  I bottled my favorite raspberry wine and made rolls for the an annual awards banquet.  I even managed to clean and do some organizing around the cabin. 

 

I've been making plans for next year's garden.  I read The Square Foot Garden.  I have somewhat followed the theory in the greenhouse and am excited to expand it to the my new outdoor beds.  I also read The $64 Tomato.  I found it quite funny.  Probably because the truth hurts:)

 Everything is pretty quiet around here.  The roses are all tucked in.  We haven't had a lot of snow.  It has been quite cold.  I wandered around and took some photos of the first snowfall of 2013.

 Ella is enjoying fun in the snow.  She tears around in the drifts.  More than anything she loves to ride in the truck when we plow.

 Kelly and Ella were able to get the property cleaned up a bit and burned some piles.  Our goal is to plant a Christmas tree in that spot next year.

 

All in all a great peaceful and productive weekend.  I hope everyone enjoyed it as well.





Something old is new again...

Ok, maybe this stuff wasn't that old.  The log slabs on the top and bottom were leftover from making the stairs when we built our cabin ten years ago.  The tongue-in-groove is left over from when we finished the basement about five years ago.  The antler handle was a shed found by Ella last spring.   My husband put it all those leftovers together and created a wonderful cabinet.

My husband is very talented when it comes to woodworking.  It fills me with joy that he continues to make things for our cabin.   

 

I am a lucky woman.

 

 

Company from up north...

In December, I was happy to get a visit from our neighbor's up North.  It was the Gray-Crowned Rosy-Finch. 

Once a year, for the past 4 years, we have been visited by a flock during the winter months.  This is the earliest and the fewest we have had.  The most we had was about 50 in February in 2009.

"These birds are common and widespread in Alaska and northwestern Canada. Locally common on alpine tundra. They have been known to migrate as far as the Great Plains during the winter months."

"Like all Rosy-Finches, during nesting season these birds develop a gular pouch in the upper throat with an opening to the floor of the mouth, which helps them carry large amounts of seeds to their young.  They live in flocks and loose colonies all year." Smithsonian Handbook Birds of North America 2001

My company has long since gone, but I enjoyed the few days they visited.  I do have a feeling the chickadees and redpolls are happy to have their feeder back. 

 

Caramel Apple Pie Pizza...

This Caramel Apple Pie Pizza recipe is perfect for potlucks. If you are like me and freeze lots of apple pie filling, it is also a very fast and easy dessert.

First, make a pizza crust.  I use my Mom's tried and true pizza crust recipe.  Then I boil my frozen apple pie filling for five minutes, until the apples are soft.   Spread the pie filling on the crust and bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes.  When it has cooled pour a caramel sauce over the top.

Mom's Pizza Crust

1 pkg yeast 1 c. warm water

1 t. sugar 1 t. salt

1 T. olive oil 2 1/2 c. flour

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in ingredients, mix until doughy, and allow to rest 5 minutes. Roll out.  For more uses of this crust recipe please see the following posts:

 http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7809908055754014264#editor/target=post;postID=1168981944315052635

http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7809908055754014264#editor/target=post;postID=4703432488840942105
 

Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook (New in 1955ish)

Apple Pie Filling

5-7 tart apples

3/4 c. sugar

2 T. flour

dash of salt

1 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. nutmeg

 

 

There it is.  Fast and easy.  As good as apple pie, only faster.  Hope it helps you out in a pinch.  Enjoy.

How goes the greenhouse?

After two years, I cannot say the greenhouse is an experiment anymore.  I'm getting the hang of it.  I have learned that planting lettuce and spinach in the fall and moving my herbs there to overwinter are positive practices.

 

I'm excited at how well the lettuce, spinach, parsley, and sage are doing. I even added some lavender seedlings based of the Rainy Day Gardener post on starting plants from cuttings. http://rainydaygardener.blogspot.com/2011/10/plant-cuttings-and-raintree-catalog.html

As soon as it warms up this spring the lettuce will go crazy!  Last year we were eating salads in early April.

I love my Haas watering can.  I have used it quite a bit this year.  It comes in especially handy in the winter when I wander out occasionally to water inside.  I don't know if you are supposed to, but it sure hasn't hurt anything. 

Parsley is one of my favorite herbs.  I've had these plants for two years now that there is somewhere to overwinter them.  I put them on the deck in the summer so fresh parsley is handy.  Then in the fall I cut them short and plop them in the dirt inside.

The greenhouse has been a fun endeavor.  I especially like that even in the middle of winter I can wander in to smell fresh soil and even do a little gardening.  My husband enjoys the fact that in March and April when I am itching to garden, I have somewhere to go and putter around.  It certainly expanded my gardening season.  Thanks again Kelly.

A review of 2012 and goals for 2013...

Well, 2012 came and went.  As I have said before I don't make resolutions.  I'm more of a goal setter.  I like to see how I did achieving last years goals then set new ones for the upcoming year.   I hope you enjoy my overview.

My many goals for 2012:
 

-To have our cabin filled with the laughter of family and friends. We didn't have as much company as last year, but we did host a rollicking game of kickball and some sad sledding.

-Fence my orchard, so the deer stay out.  The ultimate goal is that my berries will flourish and so will the wine and jam.  We have the orchard 2/3 fenced and I had no deer damage this year.  Just 12 more post holes to go. I can't say I did too bad in the jam and wine making portion of life.  I still sulk at the thought of digging post holes.
-Small adjustments to the greenhouse, with salsa at the final result.  It was a great year for the greenhouse.  I did get sidetracked making some very bad tomato sauce, but still managed to make some jars of salsa and added awesome canned vegetables to my repertoire.

 

-To be able to run 10 miles, in one shot, by 2013.  I'm up to six miles in one shot.  I figure that is ok, because later on (when I got the ice cream maker from my parents for Christmas) I added a goal of gaining 10 pounds.  I gained 6 pounds and can run 6 miles, so if figured I broke even on this one.  To some people that would be a lose/lose, but I'm being optimistic.

-Celebrate my 40th with gusto and appreciate what I have done and have yet to do. I enjoyed my birthday thoroughly.  Age is awesome.  My husband and I also celebrated 18 years of marriage.  I have a good life and look forward to what the future has to offer.

-Teach Ella to roll over.  We didn't achieve this one, but we did take her on her first pheasant hunt, which included taking my nieces on their first pheasant hunt. Ten times better than teaching the dog to roll over. 

 

-Go snowmobiling with my husband (bravery will be needed for this one). Darn, no snow.  I'm heartbroken to not have met this goal;)

 

 -Build a peony bed with Kelly.  The bed is built and I got one peony in.  (Mom I need some peonies.)

-Fill our little pond with fish.  Our pond didn't fill up this year due to the drought, so no fish.

-Make a quilt.  I'm making great progress, but figured out that a quilt every two years is a more reachable goal.

-Finish my rose garden. It is exactly how I want it. (Now if I just don't lose any roses over the winter)

-Keep in touch with my blogging friends and continue to keep my little world a place where people want to come and sit on the porch and share in my adventures.  I'm still here and still getting feedback so I'm happy with this one.

 My goals for 2013

-Visit Christina in Denmark for 2 weeks. and see Hamlet in the actual castle, Elsinore.   I am so excited about seeing my friend and touring her country.

-Finish my quilt and start another for my parents.  Since Mom taught me to quilt, perhaps I should make one for her.

-Plant a Christmas tree, with the goal of posting it on December first 2013 loaded with lights.

-Read 10 books.  (Ten is such a nice round number for such things as jogging, weight, and # of books read.) 

-Get a successful harvest from the expanded vegetable beds.

-Focus on salsa and canned vegetables and try making eggplant soup.  (Any recipes sent my way would be appreciated).

-Finish fencing the orchard (I'm going to keep this one up until it is done.  I don't think Dad will hire me fence his cows in.)

 -Run the half marathon on the Mickelson trail in June, then I'm done running.  (I really hate running, but I keep my promises, so 13 miles it is.) 

-Landscape below the fire pit.  I'm leaning towards an alpine rock garden (If I can get my husband to move the rocks with his tractor)

-Continue to enjoy my life.  I have an incredible husband, wonderful family, and great friends.

I say it over and over, but I am a lucky woman.  I have a wonderful life and it is because of everyone I share it with.  Here is wishing you all a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous 2013.  Thank you to everyone who has supported me and my blogging habit.

 HAPPY NEW YEAR