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

Homemaking Mondays: Burst of Spring

 

Hello! 
A week ago I got a call from my brother

and he wanted to know if we'd be around the next weekend.

He ended up coming for a visit and it was so nice!

We got to do lots of chatting and some exploring our 

favourite places that he had not seen.

Above is one evening we went out to the Wheaton River Bridge.

The sun was setting and it was stunning 

As you can see there was still quite a bit of snow...but 

with the warmer temps we have been having it would all be gone now.

With the burst of spring

things have been busy with yard work and little projects.

Little seedlings are sprouting 

in the warm greenhouse.

I have them under row covers as it's not heated in there.

It is getting warm enough during the day that it needs to be 

opened up so that it doesn't cause too much 

of a temperature swing for the little seedlings.

We're still waiting for the crocus to come out in our yard

but they are coming in other more exposed areas. 

We did a bit of raking up close to the house

but will leave the other areas till the little critters

hiding in the leaves and brush wake up.

With moving I dug up my hascap bushes 

and put them in pots while they are still dormant.

This past week I also had a little fun project to do.

I had gotten this plant from the plant swap 

and the pot was spray painted yellow. 
Yeah, not my thing so.....

I hot glued some jute cord to it and I think 

it looks way better. :) 

This past week I also tried out an idea I saw.

It was using my salad spinner to dry off my fruit after washing.

I must say it works really well

and since I already had the salad spinner 

it was worth it.

Washing the fruit and putting it in glass

really does help it last longer.

Interestingly the fruit in the jar lasted better then 

the fruit in the silicone bag.  

The burst of spring weather and things starting to grow

draws me outside and with that

the need for snacks and thermoses of tea.

The reminder to put on sunscreen as the first

sunburns of the year are felt. 

I hope you are enjoying the spring weather wherever you are.

Taking time to notice the little details.

Thanks for dropping by!
Love and Prayers,

Jennifer

Homemaking Mondays: I've Been Outdoors

 

Hello! 
I've been outside quite a bit lately.

The warmer weather and gardening is beaconing me

to the outdoors. 

I've been doing some small hikes with my daughter 

around the lake. 

It's so nice and if we go early enough the 

mosquitos are still asleep. 

There is often no real wind and the lake is 

smooth as glass!

We've done a bit of wading and my kids in the afternoons

have gone swimming some. 

We are finishing up lessons for the year in the next little bit.

The boys will be happy to have more free time.

Some places on the trail are

a bit of a challenge to traverse.

Makes for an adventure at times. 

We find lots of these little rock treasures 

along the trail. 

Along with lots of spider webs.

I think I should have collected enough

web to create a sweater! Ha! 

The birds are so pretty in the morning

singing away and fluttering about in the trees overhead. 

I made a delicious streusel for the first time.

The dough was actually really easy to make 

then I filled it with apples, hascaps, and cream cheese.

My boys went to a glass blowing workshop

and made this cool bird and paperweight. 

Then my older son bought me this cute paperweight. 

In the garden I've been busy. 

I've not taken any pictures of the progress yet.
In the greenhouse the tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash are 

in their permanent pots. 

I planted beans both in pots and in the ground.  

This year I'm trying pole beans in the greenhouse for the first time.

There are peas in the greenhouse and strawberries to. 

Things are starting to flower and it is a very cheerful sight 

when I open up the door. 

In the garden things are starting to grow nicely.

The greens are up and thus far

the squirrel hasn't eaten all of my peas.

I am keeping my two raised beds covered with row covers.

That is giving them a bit of a boost.

Soon I'll have to uncover the one side so the

garlic and chives can have some more space as they are getting tall.

We were gifted some more delphiniums and a lilac tree.

Those are planted out near the house now. 

We had our first thunderstorm of the season and it was 

very welcome!  It helped to clear the air of some of the pollen

we've been struggling with.  Just brushing up against the

evergreens sends showers of pollen into the air. 

I still have raking to do in some parts of the yard. 

Very thankful to now have all garden things planted.

Now to wait until we can eat something. :) 

I hope you are having a wonderful day! 

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer

Into the Forest with a Daypack

 

Hello! 
This past weekend I went on a small adventure

with a couple of my children and our dog. 

The weather has been so warm and the sun has been shining.

It beaconed us out to enjoy the forest.

We hiked from our place up to a lake close by.

We built a fire

roasted some hotdogs and marshmallows

and had a lovely cup of tea 

with melted snow water.

My brother's family just gave us 

a wonderful day pack to take with us on our

excursions to the wild. 

It had that lovely kettle in it along with a bunch 

of other goodies! 

It is a perfect way to carry those things needed 

to enjoy some time outdoors.

Do you have one of these?

We used to just use a backpack, 

although this is much better as it's waterproof canvas.

Below is a picture of the open running water from the

springs across the lake.  

It's lovely to stand and listen to the running water in the

middle of the winter.

It was also super warm and you could hear the snow

melting in the trees and it sounded like 

it was raining. 

Sometimes it's just good to close our eyes 

when we're out

and listen to the forest sounds. 

I think the Lord draws us out of the busyness of life

to just listen to what he has created.

The evergreens along the trail

had some amazing frost on them to.

If you look closely the snow is quite

pokey looking with the crystals.

In the daypack were some great new cups!

Perfect for holding a cup of tea.

I love going through the trails and seeing all the different ways 

the trees fall when they are covered in snow.

The sun has been beautiful these past few days.

As the days lengthen it's so nice!

I know some may create amazing structured fires

but as you can see...

mine are just functional! :)  

I created a flat area to put the kettle 

and then just built up wood around it.  

We cooked our hot dogs, enjoyed our tea

and then pulled the fire apart a bit 

to roast marshmallows on the coals. 

We could have stayed out for hours....

but alas, it was time to head for home.

Sometimes it seems hard to get things together to go out.

It does take a bit of planning...but it's so worth it!

Praying you have a beautiful day!

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer

Homemaking Mondays: The Beauty God Brings

Hello! 
It is a lovely wintery March day today.

The mercury is rising some through the day 

so that is nice and later this week it'll be warmer. 

Then the windows can once again be opened 

to freshen up the house. 

I am sorry I've been a bit quiet. 

A couple weeks ago I lost a dear friend of mine.

It is hard to say goodbye. 

I treasure the memories and times the Lord 

gave for us to share. 

The Lord has been freshening up our home 

with the beautiful flowers

that are opening and giving a beautiful light scent

to the room.

Have you ever smelled a grape hyacinth? 

Delicate and sweet!

                                        

There are still little tiny rosemary seedlings coming

in the new terrarium. 

  

There are tomato seedlings that are ready to be 

transplanted into pots.

Hopefully I can get that done today.

It is so hard when starting seeds.  

You look at the trays and all the little plants....

and then have to think ahead to how big they will 

become before going outside. 

There is only so much room next to the windows. 

So planning carefully is important.

I still always end up moving furniture to accommodate more 

before it's safe outside.

As there is lovely growing things inside...

winter is still far from over here. 

I went with a couple of  my children to go sledding

with some of their friends.

The below picture is the top of the sledding hill

where you can see for miles! 

Perfect day to be out...

the only wind was what you felt

flying down the hill.

There were skidoo rides up to the top and so I joined in the fun 

a couple of times. 

A bit sore today...but it was so worth it! 

It has been a bit since I have done a whole lot in the kitchen 

as far as fun baking.

My children have been wonderful and have been taking care of 

things as I've been busy doing things

for my friend who passed away.

I made bread...and then my daughter sliced it up

boiled some fresh eggs, sliced some cheese

and laid out a nice meal for us. 

The Lord is good to us in all the little details of life.

May we always keep in mind 

eternity.

That we can put every aspect of life into 

it's proper place. 

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer

	Romans 10:9-10  "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
	For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." -KJB

Homemaking Mondays: Quiet Days

Hello! 

It has been a season of quiet days for us.  

Not uneventful....but but quiet. 

Since things are closing down and cancelled we've been enjoying 

even more time at home. 

Homeschooling is still going on for us, for as any parent can tell you that

a child with nothing better to do will get into trouble sooner or later. 

I have been doing things a bit differently and not as much bookwork.  

We've been doing book reviews for history, &

printouts for practice of plotting locations on maps.

We have a surplus of popcycle sticks so I've just let my

boys have at er and they are having fun.  

Going through lots of glue sticks to...but keeping busy doing something 

productive for them. 

Plus there is the regular needs of the home that we are all

working together in...just like usual.

My one daughter and I have been sewing curtains. 

Below are  the ones I did.  I had a very long curtain and so 

I cut of some of the material to make a smaller curtain for my son's room. 

No need to go and find more material...and the one curtain 

came from the free store so it was great! 

She made some curtains out of red checkered material.  

They go well with her woodsy style in her room. 

I was also able to work my way to the bottom of my mending pile. 

OH that is a wonderful feeling to see the bottom of the basket! 

Today I finally got around to making some mittens out of an old woolen sweater. 

Yes...just in time for winter to be coming to a close. 

Two had the cuffs on them and two didn't. 

So the two that don't have the cuffs will be liners for other mittens.

Oh the weather has been so amazing and warming up to just above freezing. 

Perfect for a picnic outside!  We got our fire going on the other 

side of the picnic table...in an old satellite dish.

Hot dogs always taste best cooked over a fire!

There are some lovely icicles forming as the warmth is causing a bit of melting. 

The kids have been wanting to be outside more and more. 

The boys will play for hours in the snow. 

Below is their favourite spot...now that it's no longer a skating rink.  

Just had too much snow to keep up with it. 

They've made snow forts and trails with their GT's that they pretend 

are their snow mobiles. 

The sunshine and fresh air are so good for everyone! 

While I am not spending as much time outside with them...

I'm opening up windows to let fresh air in. 

Baking yummy banana bread and baked beans. 

It's good to enjoy the quiet at home.  

May we enjoy the company of those we love

 as we wait for things to start opening up again. 

Trust in the Lord and do not fear. 

Our lives are in His hands...just like they always have been.

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer

Homemaking Mondays: Pausing to Take Notice

 

Hello! 

What makes you pause to take notice? 

There are many things that stop me in my tracks.

Things that make me pause in my daily routine.

As I made my bed and opened up my curtains,

the view from my bedroom window had me stopping.

Just to stare in wonder as the sun was coming up and lighting 

the tops of the mountains.  The ice cloud hovering below the 

summits and the stillness that we were experienceing. 

It was -30C and the wind that brought it in the night before had 

blown itself out. 

At times like these all I can do is thank the Lord for his great creation,

and for allowing me to see it.

Praising the Lord is just giving glory due His name. 

We can praise him anywhere at anytime.

 

This week the kids and I have started another celery plant in a jar on the windowsill. 

It will be interesting to see just how big we can get it to grow. 

This week I also made some cards after a long time.

It was nice to play with the paper and lace.  

I was given some pretty brads for my birthday and I used the first one on a card for my Aunt.

For me to be able to send a card in the mail to someone is such a treasure.  

Like sending a piece of myself. 

Cards give me pause...because of the pause I get full of delight when 

I get one in the mail.  To know that someone was thinking of me. :)

 

One other thing that gives me pause is finding a special place in the woods. 

Below is a log that my son thought was a great place to sit while gazing out on the cove. 

It's in the new picnic spot that we found while we were tromping about in the woods.

Those places that make you just look around, staring up at the sky through the branches, 

taking in the other things growing about, listening for the sounds of the birds and little creatures. 

As cool as it would be to see a big creature (as a moose or bear) I would rather not be in 

their habitat when that happens. 

I know some people like to take their music with them to the woods...
I cannot fathom why? 

Just listen to the music that is around you. 

The trees and the breeze, the birds signing, the squirrels chattering.

Then you can add your part with your boots crunching the snow underfoot. 

It's all about how you listen...it really is music.

 

Thank you for taking the time to visit me today! 

When those times of pause come...thank the Lord for things.

Praise His name for the things that he brings into your life. 

Psalm 107:8

" Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!"

Love and Prayers,
Jennifer

Homemaking Mondays: Getting out of the House

 

Hello! 

It's been super cold here in the Yukon the last few days. 

The weather has warmed up from -40C to -16C today.

So....we decided that after morning lessons we'd go on a picnic in our yard. 

I made some hot dog buns and we tried out some new hot dogs that don't have all the same additives that most do. So a bit healthier choice for the rare occasion that we eat hot dogs.

 

We made hot chocolate, and pulled out some canned/boxed juice 

that had been stashed in the cupboard.

My daughter sharpened up some sticks and we were ready to roast!

 

Our dog is getting older and gets cold if she's not moving.  

So she found a pillow left on the ground by the fire and settled herself down. :)  

The sun had come out for a short while and that helped as well.

 

After a couple hours she needed a bit more help staying warm. 

We bundled her under some blankets on the pillow and she was quite happy there. 

 

We all enjoyed watching the slow retreat of the snow from around the fire pit.

 

We also had some shovelling to do.

They worked extra hard today...perhaps it was the knowledge 

that there were marshmallows to roast when they were done?

 

It was so nice to be out of the house...for four hours.  Just enjoying the outdoors and each other's company.  Taking care of some needs around the yard and having fun.

The Lord is so good and I thank Him for these moments He gives us together.

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer