Monday 20 December 2021

Homemaking Mondays: Local Tea and Winter Days

 


Hello! 
Deep in winter and the days are darker
and the cold is settling lower.
It's nice to hunker down and enjoy some times just 
watching winter from the inside 
of the windows.

The birds have been a source
of wonderful entertainment as they
gather round the feeder and perch up in the trees.
We have lots of chickadees, pine grosbeaks, and 
also some regular grey jays.
My younger daughter is especially friends with them 
and they come and eat from her hands
and will perch on her hat or shoulders.


When the weather turns a bit colder
or the the winds pick up they come to the feeder
more often and the flocks of "regulars" gets bigger.
The resident squirrel at this feeder is often chasing 
the birds away for her chance to snag some seeds.
She's one tough squirrel and has lived through visits by 
a weasel that comes around.


Fry bread/ bannock is a great quick bread to make
when I don't feel like baking.
Below this one turned out like a heart 
and my son says he can see the word love 
written in it.


For the comfort of tea
it's nice when you can enjoy some local 
blessings with it.
I have some wonderful fireweed tea that I bought from a local lady 
with some added rose and calendula petals.
Can't just have one cup so you need to make a pot.
Stir in some local honey and it is a wonderful treat on a cold day!


My daughter has been making some of these beautiful snowflakes.
They are crocheted and she says they are 
very easy even though they appear quite intricate.


With the cold we've been using up a lot of our canned chicken.
So when I found some chicken breasts on sale, 
I bought a bunch and canned up some more. 
The jars are wonderful to have on hand for quick meals.


Here is a sunrise we saw this past week.  
The light is precious at this time of year and when
the sky starts to glow I find myself at the window just watching.


Well today is my daughter's birthday 
so I'm off to put some chilli on and ice a cake. 

Praying you have a beautiful day!

Love and Prayers,
Jennifer

Monday 6 December 2021

Homemaking Mondays: A Bit of Time in the Kitchen

 


Hello!
I know I've been quiet on here but I needed a bit of a break. 
A bit because I needed a refresh 
and a bit because of needing to attend to some other 
things more. 
Time...it goes swiftly. 
Yesterday evening I sat in my chair by the window 
and was enjoying watching the sun set 
through the trees. 
Yes, it was early..about 3pm. 
Soon it will be the shortest day of the year.


I've been spending a bit more time in the kitchen. 
Below is a pic of the crumb mixture that 
I was making for apple crisp. 
I love the frothy warm melted butter. 
With this I mix up the crumble by hand.  It just seems to 
come together easier for me for some reason.


I have also started to propagate some more violets. 
The main plants have started to die off so I thought
it was just time for something new. 
I have to break off the big leaf so that I don't end up 
with a whole forest of violets. hehehe
I have two kinds started. 
One is a double purple and the other is a purple with a white ruffle.


I made some more apple hand pies.  
They are a delicious snack and the addition 
of chunky sugar on top is perfect.


In the picture at the top of the blog you can see 
the reflection of my geranium in the tea.
I love that my geraniums bloom in the winter. 
Also...I like to have a cup of tea while I work in the kitchen. 
Do any of you like to do that? 
Do you find that you have a special kind of tea for when you're
working from when you just sit and rest for a bit? 
I like black tea with peppermint for when I'm working 
and herbal mix tea for relaxing. 

Praying you have a blessed day! 

Love and Prayers,
Jennifer

Monday 8 November 2021

Homemaking Mondays: Frosty Air and a Cup of Tea

 


Hello! 
The air here is getting frostier!  
Before the dusting of snow came there were lots 
of fun frosty things to see.
Down at the water's edge the grasses had some great spiky frost.
The time of running around without mittens is over.
It's strange how when you first head out into the cold air
the first shiver seems energizing. 

I brought home some tea from a friends estate.
We always enjoyed a nice cup of tea when we had visited.
Now I shall drink tea as I remember her. 
On cold days a nice hot cup of tea 
is just the thing to make me feel cozy...
that and snuggling under a warm afghan or shawl. 

I also changed out some of my canisters on the kitchen counter top.  
I got these big glass ones (to the right in the pic below)
to put the sugar (B/W) and baking powder in.  
I kept my salt canister as it's just the perfect size for me. 
The white ones I had are washed and put away 
and the blue ones I stashed in the cupboard.
It makes a nice fresh look and is less cluttered.


Down at the lake the ice is nice and thick.
It still makes noises and cracks...but is safe to be on.
There are now lots of skate marks as the kids and neighbours 
have been out enjoying the clear ice before the snow.
The little tufts of frost are very cool and sprout up all over.


The frost on the wind chimes is so pretty.
As is the frost that covers most surfaces.  
One of those incredible canvases of God's artwork.
The only place I don't enjoy frost is on the truck windshield
when it's so hard that it won't scape off well. :) 


Down by the lake we've put out a bench.
For changing into skates or just sitting 
to enjoy the scenery.
When we go skating I take a blanket down to sit on.


The sun is coming out later in the day now
and when the sky is clear enough for it to shine
it's breathtaking.


As winter is settling in things are getting into a new rhythm.
More knitting and reading.
More baking and soups.

Praying you have a beautiful day!

Love and Prayers,
Jennifer

Monday 25 October 2021

Homemaking Mondays: Still Holding On

 


Hello! 
Fall is still holding on this year. 
The temps are just above freezing 
and surprisingly there is some lemon balm 
that is still alive and so I'm snitching more. 

My daughter has a horse and I went to visit.
I blew in his nose to say hello
and he asked for a kiss on his nose. 
Some disprove of this...but how can I resist 
such a sweet request.


Note to self...don't forget the greenhouse roof!
I got to where I had stopped checking on the greenhouse
after I'd cleaned it out. 
Then we got more rain and it pooled on the plastic 
creating some huge ice cubes when things froze again.
My husband and kids helped to get it off the roof
without the plastic getting damaged. 
A lady we know gave us some of her old eaves trough
and we brought it home.
Some will go on the greenhouse and some I was thinking 
might be interesting to grow strawberries in. 
Have any of you done this before?


I've started knitting more socks again.
Need to keep the toesies warm this winter.
I have socks that need darning as well...and need to get on that.
Sadly I'm more a person to create things then mend them.


The morning sunrise was so beautiful although pictures can never 
truly capture what the eye does. 


Praying you have a beautiful day! 

Love and Prayers,
Jennifer




Monday 18 October 2021

Homemaking Mondays: Delicious Smells and Flavours

 


Hello! 
Fall is starting to turn into winter. 
The ice on the lake is starting to form and thicken. 
The temps are dropping lower and summer birds are 
almost all gone. Just the last of the swans seem to be flying by.

We went frisbee golfing one more time at our 
community centre. Soon there will be snow that stays.
It's getting much darker at night and now we can see the stars well.

I have started to tidy up our shed 
where all my gardening things are kept,
along with other recreational things like snowshoes.
Things just got tossed in there and it needed to be addressed.
SO....most is organized now although there is a large pile of 
squirrel stuff in the floor that will need a shovel to clear it out.
We do enjoy our squirrel friend who lives in the shed...but she does
make a bit of a mess.  


Today I decided to make some apple tarts
and the whole house smells delicious.
Then of course there were some happy tummies to. 


There hasn't been that much sunshine as of late.
So the moments where the sun pops through the clouds it's
something to give me pause. 
Below I just had to pull over and take a picture of the light on the mountains. 


It's a lovely time for tea as well.
I bought some lovely Ivan's Tea. 
(which is a fireweed tea that is like green tea)
It has lots of benefits and is very tasty.
I added some wild rose petals to it 
and it makes a lovely cup of tea.


OH...and with the roasted tomato soup.
To roast the tomatoes it's super easy.  
Just take out the stem part and cut an X in the other end.
Lay the tomatoes out on a cookie sheet and bake for 
about 1/2 hour on 350F. 
Then the skins come off easily and you can blend up the 
rest for a nice soup...adding whatever seasonings you like.
When canning add a TBS of lemon juice to a quart jar.

Praying you all have a beautiful day! 

Love and Prayers,
Jennifer

Monday 27 September 2021

Homemaking Mondays: Changing Seasons

 


Hello! 
How are you today? 
The temperatures are dropping and the frosts have 
been coming on full strength. 
Today we had the first real snow start...and it's still
coming down.  
Sometimes hard and fast 
and sometimes soft and fluffy.  
My one daughter and I took a canoe ride in the snow. 
It wasn't too cold and it was so beautiful to be out in the open 
watching the snow fall.


With the colder temps arriving
it seems like bone broth is now more needed.
I found this cute herb heart in the bone broth in the fridge. 


We've been having more soup.
Roasted cream of tomato soup with grilled cheese 
is a family favourite.


Then with the arrival of the MacIntosh apples in the orchard 
bins at the grocery store there has been more baking.
My daughter has made delicious apple pie, (picture by her)
 

dehydrated apples, and this scrumptious cranberry apple coffee cake.
On the first picture are some sweet little apples 
that we've just been eating.  They were grown by some friends of ours.
The mug is a sweet new mug that I purchased at the final harvest market 
and it is lovely to use for hot chocolate. 


It's been time to pull out the mittens and warmer coats...
although dressing in layers is most important right now. 
The changing seasons bring new delights,
old favourite things, and a soft peace. 
Through it all the comfort that as things change around is in the world
and in nature that the Lord Jesus is never changing. 
He is that steadfast rock that we can always stand on and find comfort.

Isaiah 26:3
" Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, 
whose mind is stayed on thee: 
because he trusteth in thee."

Thank you for dropping by! 
Thank you all for your comments...and yes I think it's a comma butterfly. 

Love and Prayers,
Jennifer

Monday 20 September 2021

Homemaking Mondays: What Remains

 


Hello! 
I'd love to share with you some of what remains from 
summertime. 
The heavy frosts have come back and the snow is starting
to touch the mountain tops again.
The leaves are starting to fall and at times
the gusts of wind bring a huge shower of them 
and it's beautiful!

The last of the garden has been harvested 
although there are still calendula 
blossoms that keep coming. 


The colours are beautiful and the air crisp.
It's a wonderful time to walk in the forest.
We've been out low bush cranberry picking.
Some have been made into jam and some frozen
and some just eaten fresh...before getting to the buckets. 
There is just one more harvest market at our community centre
where I sell some jam and relish. 


I have finished the scarf I shared with you last time. 
I don't think it'll be long before I need to be using it. 
Almost time to pull out the woolies and warm coats.
The darkness is coming back as well. 
It's beautiful at night to see the stars again. 

So what remains where you are? 
What is happening in your lives right now?
I hope you are enjoying a lovely fall time and what remains 
of your summers. 
For me it amazes me how the Lord has created the seasons.
How things seem to flow into one another.
 
Love and Prayers,
Jennifer

Monday 13 September 2021

Homemaking Mondays: And Now It's Fall

 


Hello! 
Summer was lovely....
and now it's fall. 
It's been so beautiful out even with the 
frequent rainy days. 
The colours are changing and the smells in the forest
have a new heavy scent as the leaves fall
and the berries ripen. 

My family has been enjoying some time with 
family visiting.
Also spending time with friends out at their cabin. 
This is a "road" we enjoyed 
navigating to get there. 
They gave me the chance to try kayaking 
for the very first time. 
As we paddled across the lake I thought of my 
friend Ingrid and how delighted she'd 
be that I finally gave it a try. 


We had a lovely bbq and ate out at our picnic table
even though it was quite cool. 
Of course the hot coals were perfect for 
roasting marshmallows. 



I'd made potato salad and it is still 
one of my favourite dishes for picnics. 


The colours have changed and the leaves are falling. 
I love the red/orange colours the scrub birch changes to.
It follows the shoreline around our little lake. 


We enjoyed some great canoeing in the evenings. 
The lake this one night was so calm and serene. 


I've also begun a new scarf for the winter. 
It is coming along nicely and will be welcome with the 
chill that is now in the air. 


The garden is about finished..just some kale hanging on. 
I've been slowly moving things to the compost pile. 
The freezer is bursting from the garden storage and it's a great feeling.

I hope your fall has been full of treasures as well. 

Love and Prayers,
Jennifer

Monday 23 August 2021

Homemaking Mondays: Seasons are Changing and so is the Garden

 


Hello! 
I hope you are enjoying a beautiful day.
Here in the Yukon
the seasons are changing.
The frosts are coming back and the cranberries are starting to ripen.
The colours are starting to turn and there is that
crispness and coolness on the breeze. 
I feel a twinge of sadness for the fading warmth of summer.
Although I feel an excitement for the fall time. 
I love the change of colours and the change of smells in the forest.


This morning we woke to a heavy frost on our garden.
The garden is changing to.  
Some things are finishing up and others are hanging in there.
I love how kale handles frost....it gets crunchy and then thaws,
 then tastes so much sweeter afterwards. 
The peas...we are going to pick and eat what is left right away.


The strawberries are done for the year. 
They have been such a delightful treat when we've beat the 
squirrels to their juicy sweetness.


I have harvested my garlic from the garden.
It was my first year growing garlic at this place. 
The bulbs are not very big but are nicely formed. 
They will be going into the freezer for delicious meals this fall and winter.
I learn more each year and with each attempt it's getting better.


The tomatoes have been ripening nicely in the greenhouse...
but now I'm going to need to bring the rest of the green ones 
inside to keep them from getting frozen in my unheated greenhouse.
I'm going to be making some green tomato mincemeat with my mom soon. 


I have been making some roasted tomato soup, salsa, relish, and jam 
for the pantry shelves.
I need to can some more chicken for soup so I'm watching the sales.
I always feel like a squirrel at this time of year tucking things away for winter.
There is fresh bread cooling on the counter awaiting lunch
and it is nice to be able to pull fresh homemade jam out of the pantry to spread on it.

As the seasons are changing I enjoy the fact that the Lord has given me this 
eatable hobby.  Gardening and canning to help take care of my family.

Then there are the flowers...
they are starting to fade as well with the colder weather. 
Some are covered in frost blankets again...
and some will be brought inside. 
I am going to try to see how long I can keep my lavender plants going.
Then there are the herbs...
the rosemary and chocolate mint will come inside. 
The rest of the herbs are tucked in to the freezer or dried and jared.
It's a lovely time of year! 

Praying you have a beautiful day!

Love and Prayers,
Jennifer