Homestead Happenings

 

Welcome back to Homestead Happenings.

There's not much to share this week,

as we are still dealing with some of winter's weather.

We have had a few quite pleasant days in the 60's,

so spending some outside was possible.

It's always nice to start out with a hearty breakfast.

Hot cocoa, fresh eggs from our girls,

and fresh-milled English muffins kept me full until lunch.

An online crossword puzzle every morning gets my brain jump started.

Outside, the row covers were lifted so that

I could take a peek at some of the beds.

The cabbage is forming heads and looks like

it may make it to harvest.

The frigid temperatures haven't seemed to bother it.

A couple of kale plants are hanging on,

although not enough to get my fill.

Kale is added to greens daily for my noontime meal.

Thankfully, I am usually able to acquire kale from

our local farmers, Piedmont Farmstead.

There is some kale springing back in another bed,

which had been left for the chooks to snack on.

That kale is some hearty stuff!

Another plant that has started to pop back up

is the sedum grown in pots on the front porch.

The discolored stems had been trimmed away

once they looked raggedy,

and new growth has begun showing itself.

Buttercup's curiosity got the best of her.

She is dying to know what's going on inside!

Perhaps she was attracted by the 

handsome devil on the screen door?

The Foghorn Leghorn craftwork,

(given to me many years ago),

is used to prevent bird strikes on our front door.

I'm not exactly sure what's gotten into me,

but I have been on an organizing spree the last two months.

So much satisfaction can be derived from retooling

the everyday areas that get messy over time.

One of the projects was revamping the "junk" drawer

in the kitchen.

We have a couple of bigger projects to tackle

over the next few months,

but until then, I am tickled pink to get things tidied up.

Sister's closet was worked on by her sweet dad.

She and I went through and sorted and purged

what was no longer needed or useful.

No doubt she loves to open these doors now.

It really is so rewarding to take care of what we've been given.

The latest recipe tried with my newfound love of

fresh-milled flour is crackers.

This was the first attempt, and I can't say

I'm thrilled with the results.

The flavor is great, but they may not

have been rolled thin enough.

I'll try them again at some point,

but since I don't eat crackers that often,

(especially when I have all of this wonderful bread),

it'll go on the back burner.

I'm hoping to try making bagels soon,

as Big K and I both really enjoy them.

Not sure what those who visit here are paying for gas

these days, but I had to share this most glorious bargain

I got just last week when I filled Ginger's tank.

The number on the top is what our Ingles' gas station

was charging.

Since I had reward points to use from shopping there,

I got an additional 65 cents off each gallon!

I haven't paid less than two dollars for gas

since I don't know when!

I hope the new year is treating you well.

God bless.

Homestead Happenings

Welcome to the first Homestead Happenings of 2026!

It's been a quiet couple of weeks around here.

The holidays are over, and we are getting back into our groove.

The weather has been wavering from frightfully frigid

to downright delightful.

Christmas day had us at 70 degrees and sunny!

The garden is still growing,

though ever so slightly.

Leeks were harvested for the makings of soup,

but for the most part,

harvesting is just not happening.

I'm starting to gear up for another season of

winter sowing.

I'm currently saving my lettuce containers to use for the project.

Thankfully, the girls are sailing right through winter,

and all have now grown back all of the feathers they lost from molting.

Their coops are still stuffed with straw as needed,

and cracked corn allows them to maintain their body heat.

We look forward to adding to the flock this spring.

Life is just better with chickens.

A few thrifting trips have been taken.

It's one of the things that all of us enjoy.

We actually found a couple of new to us shops,

so it was fun to get out and spend some time together.

I also found a new local feed store,

so that I can pick up rations for the chooks.

We prefer to support small businesses when we can.

The colder weather outside has been the perfect reason

to force me to stay indoors and bake.

The fresh milled flour recipe library

continues to grow.

I never thought it would be so much fun to learn

how to bake all over again!

Bread and rolls are pretty much a weekly task now,

and I don't mind it one bit.

It's absolutely unbelievable how much better I feel

now that I've been making my own bread for these 3 months.

This past week, I tried my hand at making

English muffins, one of my favorite breakfast foods.

They turned out pretty good,

but I have a bit of tweaking to do.

It's so rewarding to know that I am creating food

that nourishes my body and feeds my soul.

This week, honey was purchased from our neighbors,

three doors down from our home.

We've been using this honey for years.

You can't get more local than that!

Their honey is wonderful,

and it is being used in most of the bread recipes.

It seems everyone is recovering from the holidays.

Even one of our resident squirrels was spied

napping on the back deck.

Nothing wrong with a little sunbathing.

I hope that your year has started out on a good note,

and that it just keeps gettin' better!

God bless.

New Year's Day 2026

 

"Celebrate what you want to see more of."

~Tom Peters

Christmas Tidings

 

Homestead Happenings

 

Welcome to Homestead Happenings!

We've had some bitterly cold weather in the last couple of weeks,

but it looks like things are warming up.

Next week's forecast is looking downright mild!

Here are some things happening inside and

outside on our Piedmont homestead.

Some of the crops are a bit worse for wear.

The lemon balm finally succumbed to the freeze,

and the kale and broccoli aren't looking too good.

With the rain we got yesterday,

I'm hoping some of it will perk up.

The cabbage seems to have survived,

and I am still hoping for a harvest

sometime this winter.

Of course, it doesn't help that we have infiltrators

who help themselves to whatever they can find

under cover.

Matilda is one smart chook,

and has now taught her sisters to look for goodies

underneath the row covers.

We've been using the new Omlet waterers 

for a couple of weeks now.

I have to say, there are so many wonderful features

with these, including the "window" on the side

to indicate when they are running low.

I've been pleased with how well they keep the water clean,

as the top is completely closed.

However, when our temps reached 28 overnight,

the cups we had initially installed did freeze.

I prefer using the cups, as it seems to be

a more natural way for the chooks to drink.

We have since replaced them with the 

optional nipple waterers.

We'll probably go back to the cups in warmer weather.

We did a minimal amount of decorating outside,

including adding lights to the chicken runs.

After all, why shouldn't the girls enjoy some of the festivity?

Inside, we keep things very simple.

Our new curtains were added to the living room,

and I really enjoy the farm print.

We had these made by Stephanie at SewManyLinens on Etsy,

and plan to order another for our office window.

You can find her website here.

The curtains that used to hang in the living room

have been repurposed in our "spa" room that we did a

minor makeover on earlier in the year.

They hang just beautifully as is,

and I feel good being able to use them elsewhere.

Our refrigerator always gets the snowman 

treatment when the colder weather hits.

It's so easy to do, having a white fridge.

He always cheers me when I head for the kitchen.

This year, our mantle has the simplest of displays,

simply using what we have around the house

and adding tiny fairy lights.

The white illumination just adds a touch of magic to everything!

The annual Madeleine baking has been done

and they are already being enjoyed by my farmer friends

in Florida.

One more big batch to go for sister

and her peeps.

The Fresh Milled Flour is being incorporated into my

weekly baking routine now.

This bread may not look too pretty, (I'm still learning),

but it's absolutely my favorite sandwich/toasting bread so far.

Recipes may start showing up here in the new year.

The health benefits have been amazing!

This week, chocolate chip cookies were made,

using FMF and coconut sugar instead of the white stuff.

Coconut sugar and maple syrup do not seem to have

a negative effect on my health,

and so that is what I choose to use as a sweetener.

Recently, a bag of date sugar was purchased, and

that will be tried as well in the near future.

These cookies were soft, flavorful, and not too sweet.

Creature comforts are so centering.

The days are full, but not too busy,

and there is always time to slow down

and take in a holiday movie without leaving home.

Here's hoping you are making great memories

with those you love most.

~"God bless us, everyone!"