Homemaking Mondays: Summer Beauty Inside and Out

 

Hello! 
I hope you are enjoying a lovely summers day! 

Today the sun is shining although 

yesterday the clouds let down a good deal of rain.

We need both.

This week I've been pausing to enjoy the beauty 

both inside and outside that summer is bringing. 

This week I was working on painting the tray above. 

It was dark brown and I wanted something brighter.

My children had given me that thankful sticker and I had 

yet to find a place for it. 

It was like an accordion and I didn't get it quite centred. 

SO....I'm going to try to find some other sweet sticker to 

compliment it and fill up the space to the right. 

For now it looks lovely sitting on my counter

with my cloth napkins and a plant.  

Outside the garden and flowers are doing really well. 

This year I planted both herbs and flowers in the pots by the front door. 

I really enjoy this mix and time spent picking herbs

or deadheading flowers makes me smile. 

The snap dragons are growing well but haven't gotten their 

second round of blossoms out yet. 

I've been picking chamomile flowers for tea, 

then parsley, oregano, sage, and thyme for cooking.

The blue and pick pansies are such a delight with their cute faces

showing no matter the weather. 

Then it's fun to to to the greenhouse to see what little

bits we can harvest each day. 

It adds such colour and flavour.

The big tomatoes are growing nicely and I hope for some 

more sunshine to hopefully get them to ripen up.

In the outdoor garden beds the peas are blooming and starting to grow pods.

One of my favourite garden veggies to snack on. 

The wire fencing we found is holding them up nicely even with the winds.

It dropped down super cold this past week and frosted

some gardens not too far from us. 

I am thankful that our garden was not harmed.

Inside the plants are blooming as well.

My daughter's geranium next to her desk 

was almost dead and then it came back and is 

so beautiful!

I just love the look of the shadows the lacy curtains 

throw onto the geranium leaves.

All of our geraniums are blooming and they bring

a wonderful burst of colour to the inside of the home. 

We had the pleasure of visiting some friends this week.

It was a drizzly rainy day and the bugs were out in military force.

Inside their home was a welcome retreat 

sitting next to their lovely wood stove sharing time together.

I snapped this picture of their

adorable birdhouse!

They live off grid in a gorgeous place.  

Below is a view from their place. 

They live next to a creek and have a bridge

they built to get across to the spring 

where they get their water.

It was so nice for them to share a bit of 

their world with us. 

Thank you so much for dropping by! 

I pray you have a blessed day!

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer

Homemaking Mondays: Summer Food

 

Hello! 

One thing about summer is that we eat differently

then in the other seasons. 

There is all those wonderful fresh greens and herbs in the garden.

I made some fresh naan bread. 

I then roasted some grape tomatoes with feta cheese;

added some basil and garlic scape and salt.

Put it all through the blender and it makes such a 

delicious spread on the naan then add some fresh spinach

and yum!

There are so many different kinds of salads to make and 

it's nice how just changing up the greens changes things.

It's also nice to have foods that don't require a lot of indoor cooking. 

Not that it's such an issue with where I live. ha! 

We did have quite a nice hot spell but we're back to the regular summer now.

It's warm but quick meals are best so that we can 

be out doing other things. 

What are some of your favourite summer meals?

This week at the free store I scored a couple of these lovely 

blue and white floral plates. 

They are a great size for serving plates and add

a lovely touch of colour and beauty to the table. 

This week I also re arranged my tea cupboard. 

Yes....again.

This time I added a rack to my bottom shelf so that I could fit my basket of tea bags

and also the bulk tea and coffee bags. 

Now it's much easier to access for all of us.  

The rack rests on the little corked bottles of dried herbs for tea.

Here is a better picture of the tea bottles.

I have some of these in my other hutch with 

my tea cups and tea pots that will be used first.

So...they are holding up the rack and are pretty. 

I love the colour that the dried herbs keep.

This week a couple of my children and I joined a friend on a hike.

I'm not a climber that is for sure and made it just about 

halfway up the climb.  

You can see me and our dog on the one clearing 

if you look real close.  

My daughter took a picture of me from the top. 

What a beautiful view that was enjoyed! 

Plus a wonderful patch of wild strawberries to boot!

It has been quite rainy this past week so I've spent quite a bit

of time indoors.  

A time for everything. 

I hope you have a wonderful week! 

Thank you for dropping by!

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer

Homemaking Mondays:Colour In Our Day

 

Hello! 
It's been a beautiful summer. 

A lot more sunshine and warmth than last.

It has cooled today and we've had a few showers. 

The mosquitos absolutely love the cooler temps 

and when you go out they come at you in clouds.

There is a place for all creatures in nature

even if there are some that we are less fond of. 

As it was quite cool this morning I opted for

some nice hot tea instead of a cool drink. 

I like to make fresh drinks with lemon and mint. 

My tea was just plain black tea with some fresh lemon balm.

One of my comfort drinks.

I went out to check on my garden. 

I do love all the flowers I plant but often

the ones that the Lord plants catch my attention the most.

I do love fireweed and there are places in my

yard that I purposely don't fuss with so that they will grow.

In the Bible in the book of Matthew

the Lord speaks of the lilies of the field and how 

the Lord has arrayed them. 

If we would take the time to note the exquisite detail

in which the Lord has created the flowers

we will understand that nothing we can create 

can compare to what He has already created. 

For just the brief time the flowers bloom...He made such effort.

There are other plants in my yard that I do need to fuss with.

Like the chives.  I pick the blossoms so that they don't reseed.

I missed a few last year and wow I have a forest of little chive plants

that are growing up amongst the garlic and onions.  

SO...in come the blossoms to my kitchen window to be enjoyed.  

I have at times made chive vinegar but have yet to make a new batch this year.

My family was blessed with a huge gift of delphinium plants this year.

One of my most favourite garden flowers.  

Here is the very first bloom to open this season. 

The garden is doing really well and below 

is my wheelbarrow of nasturtiums and kale. 

The flowers are just starting to come and soon my son

will be pruning it back for me.  

Never a need to dead head them as he loves to eat the blossoms.

Some friends of ours introduced us to phacelia.

I have ever since been trying to plant some in my garden 

as the bees and butterflies adore it. 

It is so delicate and beautifully scented.

This year I have just a few plants that are just inside

my greenhouse to draw in the pollinators.  

Mosquitos are also pollinators but we do our best

not to welcome them. 

My son and I went to the store this year and for the first time

bought some bug net hats to make

gardening more bearable when they are most hungry.

We had to try them on of course.  

We decided to get two like mine. 

Thank you for dropping by today! 

I hope your day is beautiful!

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer

Homemaking Mondays: Wildflowers and Greens

 

Hello! 
How are you this fine summer's day?

Here is it hot for us and beautifully sunny. 

I was out earlier this morning thinning carrots 

and puttering about the gardens.  

This time of year is one of my favourite times 

as there are so many wildflowers out growing

and the garden is starting to really take off. 

Do you put wildflowers on your kitchen window sills?

Some flowers I pick and some my children pick for me. 

I have a collection of fun little vases to accommodate them all.

With the garden staring to produce a lot it's time

to start bringing it into our kitchen and to 

the hungry tummies of the family. 

One thing I've been making is pesto.

I harvested some basil from the greenhouse, 

some bunching onions and spinach from the garden bed.

Plus a huge amount of chickweed.  

Yes you heard that right.  It's a healthy bountiful crop that the 

Lord has planted for us. 

I blend it all up with some fresh garlic and olive oil.

Then I put it in freezer bags where I just break off what I need and thaw.

It stores really well over the winter like that. 

I also enjoy the herbs that are coming on as well.

Yesterday I picked parsley and oregano to add to the chicken 

dish I was making for nachos. 

Then for the fresh salad there was more chickweed,

kale, radishes and green bunching onions.

Sadly I'm not a great radish grower so mine are kinda on the 

tiny side most of the time before they get woody.

From garden to table. 

This is what growing food is all about.

The wildflowers are so beautiful and outgrow my garden flowers

every single year. 

There are some fireweed flowers starting to bloom where 

they came up in the flower beds.

The lupin are staring to fade, but the wild roses are 

coming on to full bloom and even though 

I've been picking a lot of the flowers they are still going strong.

The greenhouse is starting to fill and soon there will be more then

just the odd cherry tomato to snitch.  

On the bench is a mound of fireweed that is now

being made into tea.

In this cool old wheelbarrow we found on our property

we have planted nasturtiums and some kale. 

This is like the one snitching part of the garden my son 

likes best of all.  He's anxiously awaiting the blossoms.

We have been having a lot of heat and thunderstorms rolling through

our part of the territory.  

There have been fires started close by through the lightening strikes. 

I am thankful for the Lord's protection in helping them to get

put out quickly.

There are lots of fires burning up here and the sky is tinged with

the colour of smoke although the smell is faint. 

With the main road up from the south being washed out and all the flooding

that has been happening this year. 

I am just thankful to the Lord Jesus for all that He has been providing for us.

Truly He is the one that is our provider! 

Thank you for dropping by! 
I pray your day is blessed with God's provision.

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer