Homemaking Mondays: Spread Your Wings

 

Hello!
I hope you are enjoying your day.

It's another lovely summer day here

beginning cool and warming to uncomfortable temps.

It's nothing like the southern people get

but the heat is not our usual so we feel out of place

and often hide in the shade. 

Things are changing like the seasons in our home.

Another season in our home is beginning as our daughters

step out on their own.

It's a beautiful time

as we watch them take the lessons learned at home

and apply them to theirs.

There will be flowers in their garden

and homemade items in their kitchen.

Above all the Lord will be the one building their home.

The snapdragons we planted by seed 

in the end of winter indoors have begun to bloom.

They are a lovely late summer flower that

continues into the cool of early winter.

It lives through some tough frosts 

and adds come colour to the yard as the other 

flowers have faded.

I found this delightful little hand basket 

at the free store.

What would you use it for?

Yarn, books, or shopping the farmer's market?

I'm still enjoying bacon for breakfast. 

I saw that if you twist up your bacon 

to bake in the oven you can get a lot more on the pan.

Yup...works and it's fun to eat to. 

The clouds have been just glorious

as of late.

The Lord has been sending rain to our part of the world.

I could sit and watch these clouds for hours.
One thing I love about the mountains 

when you get higher up you can see for miles.

The expanse of the heaven stretching out before you.

One of my fun garden experiments this year

was growing sunrise bumble bee tomatoes.

They are very fun and delicious!

The delphiniums are blooming

but are also starting to wane

just as the fireweed....and that is an indication

that fall is not too far off.

With August up here comes the first frosts

and the burst of fall colour creeping in.

I do love fall

so that is not disappointing to me.

For me I struggle to enjoy change.

As all things change

our families,

our flowers,

our homes,

one thing stays the same.

The Lord's presence in our lives.

In Him I find that stability and comfort.

Even when change is good and beneficial,

I hold to those memories of sameness.

Treasured memories of those things I love.

Thanks for dropping by!

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer

Homemaking Mondays: Time to Fly the Nest

 

Hello!
How are your July days going?

Here we are preparing to move 

with all that goes with it. 

My girls are preparing to fly the nest as well

and have been preparing along with us.

It is a bitter sweet time.

I will greatly miss them being home

but I'm so happy and excited for them

as they go and prepare a home for themselves.

It is a pleasure to watch them prepare

as I see and hear of all the things

they are considering.

They have been listening and learning

about homemaking as they grew up.

Now they can put all of that into practice

in their own home.

Above is a few of the things I put 

together to help them in their home.

We've been having some darker cooler days

with some much needed rain.

Sometimes a candle just needs to be lit 

to help dispel the drab darkness of those days.

The garden has been giving lots of beautiful

greens and veggies for the family.

This week I had the pleasure of helping a friend

decorate a wedding cake with some fresh flowers.

It was so lovely and I heard they enjoyed it.

So this past week has been filled with sorting and packing.

Re-homing items no longer needed 

and boxing up those things we want to keep. 

We have a few weeks left before we must be moved

but it's good to be prepared.

The community market we attend

has begun again and we have a table there. 

I love going as it's so much more then just selling some things.

It's a time to enjoy each other's company in the community.

Thanks for dropping by! 
Love and Prayers,

Jennifer

Homemaking Mondays: Summer Flowers and Time To Breath

Hello!
I love summer for the flowers.

Flowers to make you smile, to pick for tea, 

& to pick for vases through the house.

This week the roses were on the end 

so I picked a bunch to dry the petals for tea.

Then the calendula is coming

into full bloom and so I'm snitching blossoms

to dry the petals for tea.

The chamomile is still going strong as well.

I am so blessed to have been given this little

dehydrator that I sit on a stool outside.

Up next to the house I have some flowers and mint growing.

It is growing well and I'm keeping it trimmed down 

as I'm using quite a bit lately.

As the wild lupins and roses are coming to an end 

for the season

it's time for the next round of wildflowers.

Bedstraw...smells so good and it keeps for a long time

in a vase in the house.

The gentle aroma filling the cool of the house in the evening.

As we trek back and forth to the greenhouse to water

there is this special space waiting partway.

The hammock is so inviting on hot days 

as the shade from the evergreens invites us

to sit awhile and breathe

and enjoy the clear blue of the sky

through the branches.

Little breaks through the day are so important.

The mint is used for tea

and also to make mint water that is cold in the fridge.

I've put a few little shoots in some water to root

because well....can you have too much mint?

Don't answer that if you live in a warm climate! 

Here in the Yukon it'll never become invasive.

The final radishes are coming out of the garden

as the heat is sending them bolting.

The zucchini is starting to come out of the greenhouse

and that is nice to add to the menu.

Then of course....more mint. 

Thanks for dropping by! 

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer

Homemaking Mondays: Summer Foods and Flowers

 

Hello! 
Summer is upon us now and with it brings 

so much beauty and delicious treats.

Yesterday I picked our very first ripe strawberry 

from the greenhouse.

The chamomile and lemon balm are growing nicely.

I've started picking them for tea.

Do you have a tea garden?

This is one thing I really enjoy.

I don't have a lot of variety but each year I plant

chamomile, calendula, mint, & lemon balm.

Then there are the wonderful local tea items that can be foraged

like spruce tips, rose petals, rose hips, coltsfoot, yarrow, & horsetail.

There are more but those are the ones I usually go for.

With the lovely days I long to have meals outside.

I do love picnics, but just even taking our food out to the picnic table

is something I enjoy very much.

This year the bugs haven't been bad so it makes it even more pleasant. 

Do you have a place to eat outside in your yard...or a favourite

place to go to enjoy your summer meals?

As the garden is growing 

the calendula are erupting in blooms.

Right now the bright orange is close the bright

pink of the wild roses and it's beautiful 

to see from the kitchen window.

The chamomile brings it's cheerful little blossoms

to cheer the garden and the little bees.

With the flowers in full bloom 

I like to take my little basket out to collect

what I can find to harvest.

Right now I am enjoying adding 

roses to my grandmother's rose bowl.

They float in a little bit of water

and the beautiful scent of the roses

floats out and freshens the space about it.

This week I tried something new in the kitchen.

I've been wanting to do this for a long time 

but I've just not gotten around to doing it.

So...I made some mayo! 

Yes, it's super easy and this version is carnivore diet

compliant as I made it with melted butter instead of a plant oil.

It needed to sit for awhile before it thickened, 

but wow! It's so good!

Creamy and full of flavour 

so devilled eggs were on the menu.

I dehydrated some apples and strawberries.

At first I was going to save them for tea....but well,

the kids seemed to enjoy them so much 

it's all gone so I shall make more. 

I've been making bacon and eggs for breakfast.

I saw someone who doubled up the bacon on the pan

when cooking it in the oven and thought

I need to try that. 

I can now make so much more at the same time

and if I pour the bacon fat off partway

through the cook time it crisps up much nicer.

I'm going to be trying to cook up big batches 

that can just be stashed in the fridge for snacks

or when we go out and can't cook. 

This past weekend my children went camping all together.

It was so much fun for them and then for my husband and I it was

the first time since before we had kids we were home alone.

So it was really nice all around.

As the kids grow up and are off on their own more

it's a new time for my husband and I to re-connect 

in a new way. Another chapter in our marriage.

Thanks for dropping by!

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer