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: The Snow Has Come

 

Hello! 
Well the snow has really come and the ground is quite frozen

on top so it'll be sticking around a bit more. 

I love how snowy days turn the lake a pastel green. 

The birds are coming back to the feeders more now

and it's nice to get re-acquainted.  

This week has been lovely and the last touches

of winter prep are being done. 

The last one for me is to switch out the entryway 

to the winter things.

This week I received a lovely gift

from my parents through some of their friends.

They sent me some of the old things that 

they had that they were not using anymore.

I'm glad to have a couple extra pairs of sock stretchers,

and my mom's old butter bowl with paddle and block maker.

Then they also sent up the old butter churn.

I like to make butter at times and thought it would be 

so nice to put it back to good use.

Unfortunately the glass of the original churn got broken

although a new glass was found.

The glass is too big to make the churn functional

but it's still beautiful and I love having it. 

Perhaps one day I'll find the right sized glass for it.

I do have fond memories of using the churn

and it still works smooth as butter.

This week I learned something new about canning

that I'd not thought of and that is that you can put both meat and beans

in the canner at the same time as they require the same amount of time.

So...never will there be a partial load in the canner for these items.

I canned up some sausage, ham, chickpeas, and kidney beans.

I did the no soak method for the beans and they turn out lovely to.

Plus they are faster and I could make the right amount 

of jars to fill the canner.

With the lower light and coolness I think it's spurred 

the violets to blooming. 

Anyone need an african violet?

I couldn't help saving all the starters and have 

more then enough for myself. 

 I also am making a batch of jerky. 

It's still in the oven and fingers have torn off little edges

but it's still not quite ready.

In the kitchen this week I have finally 

gotten to covering up this space.

The cupboard doors were so warped when we moved in

that I took them off.

They are right under my main work space

so lots of flour and "stuff" gets 

filtered down into the drawers.

I just hung up a string with hooks but it seems to work well.

I got this curtain from the window 

as I took them down for the winter because

it's brighter in the kitchen that way.

I did put up a lacy white valance on the window 

so it's got something there but it's bright.

How has your week been? 

Have you been getting ready for winter?

Have you made something new in your kitchen?

I hope you have a beautiful day of homemaking!

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer

Homemaking Mondays: I Love Fall

 

Hello! 
I know I've said this before

but I love fall.

I love when the colours change and set the world aglow.

 I also love it when the leaves have all fallen

leaving the world in shades of brown.

The forest darkens and as you watch the wildlife 

are preparing to bed down for the winter. 

The sunshine is more slanted and shines deeper into our rooms.

There is a coziness to it all.

In the kitchen there are also fall preparations.

Canning beef stew for quick easy meals.

Delicious apple sheet pie

enough to share.

Today there will be mincemeat cookies 

after the bread comes out of the oven.

I've finished up the cowl I was knitting.

First time knitting in the round and with the seed stitch.

It's not perfect but it's warm and comfortable.

Along with the knitting I bought some fun

crochet cotton to work practice some crochet stitches 

with another lady I met.

Easy projects to add some colour inside our homes.

The snow has come down the mountains this week.

No...it's not staying.

We have had lots of rain and some warmer temps so it's all but gone.

It's like a wake up call to all....Are you ready for winter?

Then we get a little break to get those last fall projects 

taken care of before the snow comes for good.  

For me I had forgotten to tuck up the canoes 

against the house so that will happen today.

Then I need to finish tucking steel wool into the mouse holes 

that have been created in the porch. 

The first snow is always good for snowmen or snowball fights.

This time round there was a layer of frozen rain on top

so with the crust it was best used for first sledding trips. 

This past week at the free store I found this 

beautiful crocheted afghan and I washed it up and 

it's now adorning my bed and is so cozy!

It's lovely to snuggle under for quick naps to.

Do you find you are more tired during season changes?

I sure do and take time for little rests.

I also found a couple lovely sweaters that I can wear.

It's still warm enough (just above freezing) that you can wear

just a heavy sweater over a long sleeved shirt. 

The cozy fall attire that will soon turn to winter coats. 

For now I love the benefit of layers.

Whether you are at the end of fall or just beginning 

depending on where you are.

I do hope you are enjoying the beauty 

and special moments that come with fall.

Through it all may you see the Lord's handiwork 

in all the details.

Thanks for dropping by!

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer

Homemaking Mondays: Seedlings and Canning Chickpeas

 

Hello! 
It's been a lovely week with some sunshine and a few snow flurries.

Last Monday my boys helped me with starting seeds. 

Now we have a whole bunch of little seedlings

sprouting and reaching for the light.  

Yes, some will be a tad spindly in the end

but they'll still be beautiful! 

My friend Judith gave me some pink lupins and I'm happy 

that some of those are starting to sprout as well. 

Last year our resident squirrels ate off the ones I planted out

so this year I started a bunch more and will put 

up some protective structure around them. 

I like the squirrels and sharing seeds with them...

but some things I won't share! 

This week I also canned up some chickpeas for the first time.  

I have lots of things I want to try in canning and this is one of them.

First time canning anything like this.  I'm going to be 

trying some black beans next. 

I didn't soak the peas overnight so used the quick method to re-hydrate them.

The bag of dry chickpeas I used filled 12 pints. 

I use chickpeas primarily for making hummus but am going to try 

adding them to soups as well. 

I did open up a jar of them and made some hummus right away. 

It made a great texture and it was smoother then some of the 

other canned chickpeas I've bought at the store. 

My violet is starting to flower again with the return of the sunshine and longer light.

Funny thing is I do really like the soft fuzzy leaves violets have. 

My tomato seedlings have come up and I always smile and remember

my friend Ingrid who taught me how to start them.  

Nothing better then a fresh tomato from the greenhouse she'd say! 

Makes all the work worth it with that bite of warm juicy goodness. :) 

My cosmos seedlings are super tall and so they'll need some 

extra special attention as they grow.  

One thing I do is brush my hand through the seedlings and that 

seems to help them toughen up as if they had light wind 

blowing on them at times.

I'll also be separating them out some so that they have more 

space to spread out their roots to.  

The spread of seedlings has begun and from now 

till planting out time the windows are going to be full. 

With gardening there needs to be balance between 

edible and beautiful. 

My boys are working on building small tiny houses today. 

March break in our house isn't going to be a break from all lessons.

For us the break is just going to be a change in what 

we are doing. 

So some fun projects are on the table. 

Hope you have a beautiful day! 

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer

Homemaking Mondays: What To Do In Cold Weather

 

Hello! 
It's been cold here in the Yukon 

as a deeper cold has settled in.

The activities outdoors are a bit more challenging. 

Though beautiful things such as tea throws 

are only accomplished at these temps. 

I absolutely love the sound of the water as it freezes

and the smoky clouds that form. 

The one picture shows how it is to be under 

a frosty jellyfish. 

I'd love to share with you this beautiful quilt 

my daughter created for her bed.

She loves woodsy things and 

I think all the patterns she combined are very 

fitting for her room.

It's a warm quilt and will no doubt be her favourite

for many years to come.

With it being colder outside

I in truth like to spend more time inside. 

One day I was working in the kitchen

I'd found a great deal on chicken breasts so...

I canned them up and also some chicken stock

for the pantry.

While waiting for the canner 

I like to sit and knit.  

Our dog Sophie likes to hang out with me.  

Today I finally got to deep cleaning my stove fan.

Then I turned the glass light cover around so the smooth side was 

facing out.  I then added this great new 

LED light to it's place.  

I'm not a fan of the hum or radiation that comes from florescent lights

so thought this might be a better choice.

It was a gift from a friend and I'm very thankful for it!

Also I wanted to say that I love using a baking soda paste to clean 

the oily spaces...and then I 

soak the vent covers in borax and water to clean them. 

What do you use to clean these "nasties"? 

What kind of things do you enjoy doing 

on deep cold days? 

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer

Homemaking Mondays: Broadening My Canning Horizons

Hello! 

Today I would love to show you

some of what I have been learning over the past year.

As the snow falls softly outside 

I have tucked yet another item into my pantry

as I have been

broadening my canning horizons. 

I have always loved to see rows of mason jars 

full of delightful colourful things. 

I have been canning jam for quite a long time,

 relish and salsa for not as long. 

I wanted to see what else I could put up in my pantry

for the cold days of winter. 

Today I tucked in some pressure canned beef stew 

to my pantry shelves as the newest addition

to my canning journey.

I really wanted to have some meals put away 

for days that we are rushed or 

not feeling up to cooking.

 

Then this year I also learned to can chicken.

I canned up some pint jars because they are the perfect

size to make a pot of chicken noodle soup. 

The chicken pared with some canned bone broth

and some canned carrots is perfect.

Throw in some noodles and 

you have a hearty meal for the whole family.

This  year I also learned to can 

roasted tomato soup. 

It is so delicious and next year I want to 

can a lot more of it.

I also learned to can pears.

Well....I do have a bit of learning left as you can see

my pears ended up floating.

I canned quart jars of carrots for meals,

and pint jars of carrots to go into soups.

I learned a new salsa recipe 

and it's delicious with chips 

or put into a meal. 

I like to mix a pan of chicken with a

jar of salsa and then put it into 

tortilla wraps with some cheese. 

So..just thought I'd share that as I was puttering in my pantry today.

This past week has been full of wonderful 

outdoor activities.

My boys have been working on building a snow castle

at the local community centre.

We had a nice break partway through our first day

and enjoyed some frozen M&M's on a "couch"

my son had chiseled out.

We've been meeting other homeschool families for outdoor 

skating at the rink.

The one day I forgot to bring my skates but enjoyed staying 

close to the wood stove.

I sure miss the feel of wood heat at home. 

~So this is a nice treat! 

Our community centre is hosting Saturday Family Fun Days.

We were able to borrow some skis for the winter,

and then get a ski lesson.  

Our family has never been cross country skiing together 

and so a couple lovely young ski coaches 

gave us a private lesson. 

I was so impressed with how well the children did for their first time

and it was really fun. 

SO now as the snow is falling outside 

and the children finish up their lessons for the morning

I shall make some lunch and then 

settle down for some knitting. 

Thanks for dropping by! 

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer

Homemaking Mondays: Preparing for Fall

Hello! 

Today I'd like to share with you some of the 

preparations I'm making for fall.

Yes fall! 

Here in the Yukon it's upon us and the temps are dropping

and the colours changing. 

The garden flowers are starting to fade,

although some of the heartier ones are still 

looking vibrant and lovely!

The ducks have started to gather together.

The squirrels are fluffing up their nests 

and the mice are looking for warm places to 

live for the winter.

I'm not going to be sharing my home 

with them though. 

I have been doing a bit more canning. 

I made tomato soup, salsa

and banana jam.

Now I've since learned that banana jam 

doesn't last long so I won't be making a huge 

amount of it to store.

It sure is delicious though!

I've pulled out my sourdough starter from the fridge

and woke it up to make more 

delicious sourdough breads.

This loaf I baked in my dutch oven 

and then listened to the delightful

crackling sounds as it cooled. 

The colours are starting to creep into the green.

Down close to the water's edge the scrub birch are starting 

to show their lovely hues.

The bear berry leaves are brilliant red, 

and some of the Labrador tea have gone a bit orange.

The timber berries are bright orange now with the lovely 

reddened leaves.

The sap in the trees is running again...but down to the roots. 

In places you can see these fun little drops

on the evergreen trees.

Now is not time to be tree hugging...

unless you want to be stuck to one.

The fungi are abundant this year and 

as we tromp through the woods we discover their varied 

and interesting shapes and colours.

In the garden the rhubarb is starting to show off it's bold colour

letting us know that it's done for the season.

The garden is finishing up it's growing and with the cooler temps

and this year with the rain it's not doing much more.

Some root veggies will stay for a few more weeks

and the potatoes if I can keep them from getting 

frozen off. 

For the beans and lettuce, tomatoes and squash

it's time to finish up the last of the harvest and 

prepare their soil for winter.

I learned from a wise permaculture friend

that the soil needs bedding down for the 

winter as well. 

To help the bacteria and micro organisms that 

help our plants grow to overwinter well. 

I'll be adding some extra compost and soil 

as a mulch.

I personally love the fall.

So this time is just a time for doing new things,

enjoying new smells and new tastes.

I bought a pumpkin patch candle...

and it's time to start making pumpkin spice bread as well.

Then there is the lovely season for starting to drink the tea 

from the herbs that I've been harvesting all summer. 

This year I've been blessed to have some 

chamomile, mint, yarrow, calendula, sage,

spruce tips, fireweed, and red raspberry leaves. 

Do you love the fall? 

What kinds of things change for you in the fall time?

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer