Homemaking Mondays: Hope for What is to Come

Hello!
I hope you are having a beautiful day!

There are so many little things that have been 

coming into my days this week to make me smile.

Like pulling out the last of the garlic from the pantry

to tuck up with the ginger and onions by the stove. 

I also decided to hang up my ladle measuring spoons.

Convenient and pretty as well.

With the spring has brought bouts of snow and rain.

Oh I do love the sound of the rain on the metal roof

as I go to sleep at night.

The plants are doing well and I look forward to planting 

them out in another month or so.

I've had some computer issues this past week

and I'm so thankful that I have a husband and son 

that are skilled at getting me what I need to be 

back online again.

I've opened up my greenhouse again for the season.

I've been arranging pots to organize them 

for the plants I'll be growing in them.

Even with all the snow outside it's quite nice in there.

I plucked off my boots and went barefoot.

Hung up my coat and enjoyed the warmth

and cooling as the clouds passed over the sun.

I started my first greens out there:

Spinach, lettuce, kale, & swiss chard.

It's not a heated greenhouse so I've put on some frost protection.

Some plastic and then a couple layers of row covers.

I'm starting small.

Trying not to get too ahead of myself. 

It's hard when you have the itch to grow things again.

I will be planting my carrots in pots today.

Just one more little step.

I took my seeds out to the greenhouse

and the sticks to mark things

but then had to go back to the house for a marker.

One can never seem to remember everything on the 

first trip out there.

I also got the staple gun and patched up a spot in the plastic

that had come apart with all the snow on the roof.

So...it's all good now for the season.

I also would like to share with you the pillow cover 

I crocheted. 

I had started it as a blanket but found

that it was just too heavy and dense.

I loved the pattern so I finished it off into

a pillow.

It's so soft and beautiful.

The colour was called night sky.

Here is a little touch of green for you.

I love how in the spring 

the first signs of colour come

from the mosses.  

Some tucked in the garden as this is,

some amongst the rocks in sunny patches of the yard.

Little bits of hope for what is to come.

Thanks for dropping by! 
I pray you have a delightful day! 

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer

Homemaking Mondays: Life is Blooming- Canning, Baking, & More Plants

 

Hello! 
Life is blooming regardless

of the big fluffy flakes of snow descending 

on us once again.

Yesterday we had quite a bit of sunshine 

and that has prompted more blooms to open 

on the geraniums. 

It's bringing lots of colour to the windows. 

It's been a lovely week of projects.

I was gifted this wonderful new blue bundt pan

by a dear friend.

Then given some bananas by another friend.

SO...I made some banana bread.

I find that making the same old recipes

in new pans makes it feel new and fun.

This past weekend I went to a plant swap

that was held at one of the local garden centres.

It was mostly for house plants but I did take some 

tomatoes and traded for these lovely new to me plants.

Well, when I was young my mother did have a couple of them

and it's nice to have those varieties in my home now.

They will need to find special homes inside the house 

but for now I'm keeping them off to themselves 

just to make sure they didn't bring any visiting bugs.

Last week when I went to the grocery

I was able to get a bunch of chicken and beef

on discount and so I did some canning.

I canned up some beef strew as well as 

cooked up some for a meal.

I didn't add any carrots to the canned stew 

as I will be adding in dehydrated carrots when I warm it up.

I have a bunch of dehydrated carrots to use up.

My stew is simple

beef, potatoes, onions, garlic, and salt. 

When I open the jars 

I add in pepper, worcestershire sauce, & carrots.

I find if I add the pepper when it's canned it

can be a bit strong.

The chicken canned up nicely as well

and looked so pretty as the sun was shining in

on them all nicely washed up and ready for the pantry.

I had canned a dozen but one of the jars has been 

used up for chicken gravy over biscuits.

As the day goes

the boys are doing their lessons

and I am needing to go putter in the kitchen.

I have dishes to put away that were washed last night, 

and bread to make.

Lovely acts of homemaking.

Thanks for dropping by!

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer

Homemaking Mondays: Time for Homemaking

 

Hello!
Time for Homemaking.

All of our homemaking days look different

and then each home is different. 

Today I want to just share a few aspects 

of homemaking in my home. 

Above I found this cute little clock 

to sit on the bookshelf in the living room.

It helps me to keep track of where I am in the day.

From my chair in the living room I can no longer see 

the clock in the kitchen as my pothos plants have grown too big.

Now I have no excuses. 

I love to be in the kitchen making and creating

healthy from scratch things for my family. 

That said, not all the from scratch things are healthy.

Sweets are just that.

Below I was making cinnamon coffee cake.

It was a recipe that used sour cream 

and I had to sub some yogurt as I was short on the cream.

Yes, I do know how to make both the sour cream

and the yogurt but didn't have any at this time. 

I also grind grain for baking but not this day.

The eggs are local and that makes 

me smile as I am not able to have chickens of my own.

Sometimes homemaking means grabbing an omelette 

and a store-bought croissant with tea for breakfast. 

I am enjoying Earl Grey Vanilla.

I find that in the cooler times of year I enjoy 

black teas but in the summer I'll be turning more

to the herbal teas. 

In the not too distant future there will be wonderful

things to harvest for tea in nature and in the garden.

There is homeschooling.

Today we were working on poetry.

The Mountain - by Robert Frost

We're working at kinda picking apart the poem

and pointing out things that we notice

and defining words.
It will get more detailed as we go.

I started it off to show what I meant and then 

my son was taking over.

Then there is gardening. 

I am enjoying growing starters for our gardens.

As the light come around the house they are bathed 

in a lovely glow. 

These are snapdragons and chamomile in the background.

I planted comfrey seeds today that I had 

put in my freezer to give them their "winter time".

Squash and cucumbers will be planted in a little bit.

The snow outside is melting but still has a long way to go.

I have been enjoying trying this new herringbone crochet stitch.

I was first of all thinking of making a blanket

but that is not going to happen.

It's just too heavy and even though I love the stitch

it's going to be made into a pillow cover instead.

The flowers are blooming!
There are shamrock, geranium, violet, and narcissus 

blossoms cheering our home.

This is a part of homemaking that I believe is important.

It gives colour and life. 

Real plants and flowers also make me think of 

the fact that someone needs to be around and attentive

to them for them to exist. 

Yes, there are fake flowers and plants that are looking 

quite real but it's not quite the same.

Like keeping the home fires burning, one must 

be home to water the plants.

Then baking bread is one of my 

most favourite aspects of homemaking.

With calls out there to go keto or grain free

I just cannot give up the beauty of homemade bread.

"Give us this day our daily bread"

It is still food and can still be nourishing.

I just made some sourdough bread.

It does take a bit more time then the regular 

sandwich loaves but I think it's worth it.

Making time for all the things that are needful

and then taking time for those extras

that make our homes inviting.

Cleaning is an important aspect of homemaking. 

Everything from dusting shelves to washing floors.

All has it's place and we need to make time for it.

I hope you have a wonderful day 

keeping your home! 
Thanks for dropping by to see some of mine. 

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer

Homemaking Mondays: Cutting Boards and Potting Soil

 

Hello! 
I hope this lovely spring day finds you well.

The sun is peeking out from the clouds 

and the temperature is starting to rise again.

It snowed more last night and the evergreens 

are dusted white yet again.

It is that time of year when spring and winter 

battle back and forth.

As that happens I feel 

a need for change stirring in me.

This week at the Dollar Store I found

a wonderful deal on cutting/serving boards.

I think they are beautiful in all their colour strains.

A couple are from mango wood and the other is Acacia.

Useful and beautiful

ready to be pulled out and placed on our table.

I do love the resurgence of cutting board to 

a more prominent part of our kitchens.

I've been seeing it more and more the 

cottage core ideals of displaying our most useful 

tools in our kitchens.

Beauty and practicality together.

I also have to admit I like 

what some would consider 

a more cluttered countertop.

I like to have things I need available 

without having to dig in a cupboard for them. 

I believe it's important 

to use our pretty items as our regular items

and not always saving them for some 

special occasion.

To make even the most humblest 

meal a special time.

For the homemaker to put forth

this extra effort to make 

everyone feel welcome and invited

at each meal.

Talking about digging for things.

This week my sons brought in all my little potting items

to the sunroom so that I could get started with up potting the seedlings

that are too crowded in their trays.

I organized them a bit, 

then got to work filling them with potting soil.

Sometimes I use potting soil and other times garden soil.

I find the same results with either.

I love having this shelf to work at so I'm not always 

dirtying up my kitchen.

I do enjoy having this little

wooden bench in the sunroom.

It's a lovely place to sit and enjoy 

the brightness and warmth

in the shelter from the wind.

I really would like to find another

set of wind chimes to hang on this side of the house.

As the outdoor world slowly melts and warms

I am feeling the need for flowers.

My geraniums and violets are blooming,

as well as the narcissus bulbs 

I planted are starting to bloom.

If that were not enough I bought some 

beautiful pink stocks at the grocery store.

It is really a strategic spot for them to place 

these lovely pots of flowers.

Even though it is nice to have colour in winter,

it is the springtime that seems the desire 

for colour abounds.

I pray you have some added colour 

added to your days.

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer