Homemaking Mondays: Gleanings

 

Hello!
It's a beautiful fall day here

and the sun is shining.

It's crisp and cool

and the colours are changing quickly 

in the trees and undergrowth.

The garden flowers are now coming indoors

as we enjoy the last little touches of summer.

Above are some flowers that I gleaned from the

community garden before the frosts killed them.

Lavatera and cosmos

are such cheerful flowers.

I now have another lovely bouquet of them 

on my kitchen table.

This harvest season is a season for gleaning.

Just as Ruth and Naomi 

gleaned in the fields to provide for their needs

so can we glean from what the Lord has provided

around where we live.

Our family is blessed to be a part of our 

community garden and we've had the blessing 

of some fresh produce.

Yesterday the community harvested the potatoes

so there are some in our pantry now.

There is also the forest around us 

that has extra food that we can glean/ forage.

I have already harvested a bunch of rose hips

and as the cranberries ripen enough I'll be picking some of those.

My father mentioned that he and my mother 

were able to glean some apples from a tree

that no one wanted and were able to make applesauce with them.

Do you have those kinds of opportunities where you are?

Sometimes it just takes asking.  

With school starting

my son moved the one desk from the living room 

into his bedroom to do his lessons.

Teenagers do enjoy their own personal space.

So into it's old place I moved my yarn stash.

It's now more accessible

so I hope it will prompt me to do more.

I have been looking for sales on yarn 

which a great way to build up 

a stash so that it's ready to go if needed.

I was asked by a lovely lady to create 

a baby boy blanket for her.  

I went on Pinterest to look at ideas 

and this one jumped out at me. 

It's Cloudburst by LeeLee knits.

I had navy/white/ & flannel yarn for the colours.

So nice to grab the yarn from the stash 

and get started right away.

With the forest gleanings I have made is

this lovely bunch of rose hips.

They will go into jam with some cranberries.

I have already dried some for tea for the winter.

Sometimes I find myself just taking a basket with me into the woods

just to see what I can find.

How about you? 

Do you enjoy gleaning for your family?

If so what are some things that you have found?

I pray you have a blessed day.

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer

Homemaking Mondays: End of Season Delights

 

Hello! 
How have your days been going? 

Some say that summer days are slow

but I find that they go by so quickly. 

Short burst of heat surrounded by clouds and rain.

Then amazing growth followed by quick harvests and 

clouds of mosquitos and black flies. 

Some do not like the wind...but it makes being outside nice.

My garden is finishing up.

I pulled the beats, garlic, carrots, tomatoes, and greens.

Above is the sweet Candy Cane beet variety 

along with the mini carrots that are best eaten just this way.

Another aspect of the garden that is coming to a close are the flowers.

The tea garden flowers are about done and the harvests

have been stored. 

There is still quite a bit more mint that will hang around for a bit 

in the cooler weather.

My old neighbour gifted me some amazing honey from his hives.

I'm not really eating honey or sugar now...but a little snitch 

doesn't hurt too much. 

I've been bringing in flowers from the garden to enjoy on the 

kitchen windowsill. 

Snapdragons are nice and hearty

and will still keep blooming through the early frosts.

This year I let my dill go to seed for the first time. 

It is interesting to see how it has changed.

I shall be saving the seeds for fridge pickles.

See Judith ---- the pink lupin has bloomed!!

It is a beautiful addition to the flowers at the front step.

The blooms are so pretty and are lasting so long!

Now the fresh herbs are about finished for the summer as well.

It's been nice to have them to season foods and soups.

A lovely aspect of summer!

Good news is that the person that has bought the house

we are living in wants us to stay for the winter.

So....we aren't moving, just yet. 

The Lord is good and we can relax and prepare for winter.

My girls are settled into their new home 

and it was a joy to be able to visit them and have them host me.

Thanks for dropping by! 
I hope you have a lovely day keeping your home!

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer

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: 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: Delights of Early Summer Homemaking

 

Hello! 
How are your early summer days going?

I think it's a delightful time of year.

The flowers outside are starting to really 

burst and flourish.

The fresh summer rains come and refresh

the dry ground

and brings a bright flush of green.

I've been enjoying the windows being open.

Then I finally took the plastic off the back screen door.

Now there is better airflow since the 

temperatures outside are more consistently warm.

I made a batch of strawberry jam 

this week that will be saved for the summer markets.

Summer is the perfect time to make jams

as they don't take a huge amount of time 

and are wonderful to enjoy fresh...you know that little

bit that doesn't fit in the canning jars.

As I was waiting in the kitchen for the canner I thought about 

this empty space on the wall by the canisters.

I had a beautiful calendar picture by Thomas Kinkade 

so I cut it down and framed it. 

There is a lot of glare on the glass,

but keeps it safe from splatters that do happen 

in my kitchen----a lot. 

The wild roses are starting to bloom outside

and it's nice to pick a couple here and there

to put in my rose bowl on the windowsill.

Soon we can pick petals to dry for tea.

As the roses are starting to come into bloom

the last of the may tree blooms are being enjoyed.

I put out a new table cloth on the kitchen table.

It's plastic so it is easy to wash but it also

has a lot of seams that have yet to be flattened out.

Then I thought I'd freshen up the spot on my counter/island

that is always getting cluttered.

I stashed my jar of muffin cups and the peace lily 

in my planter box. 

Then I cleared the board behind 

and put up an old calendar picture.

I stowed the bowls under the riser some and then have 

a nice basket of towels 

which has since become the stowaway 

for our potholders instead.

Things are functioning nicely again.

I do love these lovely summer days that are beginning

where we can hang out laundry on the line

and it actually gets dry. 

Longer periods without rain or temperatures

so cool that it takes forever to dry.

That fresh air scent then permeates the linen closet

and our rooms as the sheets are snuggled into.

Do you hang your laundry to dry?

What to you use to store your clothespins?

I have had this little basket for ages 

and I find it just perfect for the amount 

of clothespins I use for a full line of laundry.

I wanted to share with you this cute little book

that I found at our used book store.

It's a reader and is super old.

As our homeschool lessons have come to a close

for the summer months

we still have interesting little things 

that we put some time into. 

Even though it's for a young reading level we all

have a gander just to learn something new.

Different vintage books have different 

perspectives on history.

Thank you for dropping by!

I hope you are enjoying your summertime.

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer

Homemaking Mondays: A Love for the Wild and Wildflowers

 

Hello!
How is your Monday?

It's a lovely partly sunny day here at the moment.

It's been getting cold again at night but everything 

has fared alright in the garden.

This week I've been spending more time

out in the forest.

The lupins are out in force

and are blanketing the forest floor.

The smell is amazing and the colour is so beautiful!

I love how the Lord colours this time of year.

I love all flowers, but wildflowers are my favourites.

We have an old hammock hanging in the yard 

and it's surrounded by the lupins

now that the crocus have finished up for the season.

It is wonderful to be able to enjoy them outside

and also to pick some to bring in for the kitchen window.

There are wild roses blooming in the greenhouse so it won't be long 

before they are blooming about the yard as well.

Out on one of our walks

my daughter caught this beautiful little moth.

There have been swallowtail butterflies and these other

little bright blue butterflies fluttering about.

My daughter and I have been harvesting spruce tips

for tea along with coltsfoot and some horsetail.

It's nice to know that we've got these 

special plants close at hand.

It is amazing how God has created these plants

to give us healing and health when we need it.

On our walk I found this fun stump in the forest.

I find it so interesting how things age.

With the moss, lichen, and spruce cone debris.  

The interesting canopy of trees that lay 

across the trails 

bring an interest element that I often like

to stop and investigate more. 

Some a bit hazardous and some that is sturdy as the 

branches have interlinked in a more 

permanent way.

The spruce tips are out in force now

and it's the perfect time to harvest some.

We use them for tea, but many use them for 

other culinary delicacies.

This past weekend my husband 

drove my boys and I up to nearby town

where the aviation group was giving rides to kids. 

It was a tad windy but otherwise beautiful day!

The wind just gave them a more exciting ride. 

It's nice to try something new and it was my boys

first time in the air.

Our homeschool season is ending this week 

and it's great time of wrapping up projects.

Then the joy of summer days to follow.

We have some special ideas for spending our summer

and we shall see how it all unfolds.

Lots of time outside: in the wild.

Thank you for dropping by!

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer

Homemaking Mondays: A New Egg Basket and Jerky Jar

 

Hello!
I hope you are having an egg-celent day!

We've been having lots of sunshine 

and then last night some rain came. 

We've been quite dry so that is a blessing.

This past weekend I scored this brand new wire basket

from the free store. It was intended for washing veggies

from the garden but it's sturdy enough for eggs.

My old basket was starting to fall apart in places so this was just right.

One part of buying farm fresh eggs is 

that they can just sit out on the counter.

They look pretty and it saves space in the fridge.

One other new thing on our counter

is that I've switched out a couple of the canisters.

I took the sugar and put that away in another cupboard

as I'm not going to be using it much for now.

I thought it would be better used for 

homemade jerky and electrolytes this summer.

The jerky jar was full...but we all knew

it wouldn't be like that for long.

Homemade jerky is so easy to make if you 

don't already make it.

Just slice up some meat thin,

put on skewers and hang in your oven on a rack

at 270F with the door ajar for a day.

(I use a wooden spoon to keep it ajar)

I turn my oven off at night and then back on in the morning

if it's still not quite ready.

Being homemade you can make it whatever flavour 

you want. I usually just at salt now.

A money saver when you eat a lot of it. 

My youngest son and I made some fun willow

supports for some of the delphiniums 

at the community garden. 

We're going to make some for ours at home as well.

With some of the sunshine we've had

the bumble bees have been coming out more.

They love the petunias up by the front step.

Below you can just see one tucked into a blossom.

I was gifted some Moroccan mint

since I'd sadly killed the plant I had before.

It smells wonderful and makes such good tea.

I have it in the house for now 

until the major risk of frost is gone.

Then I might just put it in the greenhouse. 

The pansies are growing well. 

We bought them when they were pretty tiny.

It's nice to see their cheerful little faces as we take 

the frost blankets off in the morning.

Our rosewood is blooming beautifully.

It's so hearty and doesn't mind the frosts at all.

Under a porch we have I pounded in a nail

so we could hang up the sitting hammock there.

Out of the rain but close to the flowers. 

It will make a great place to enjoy 

the shade this summer.

It's lovely to be able to enjoy being outside.

Making for days of picnics 

and dirty feet. 

We're almost finished up our yearly lessons

so summer break will be greatly enjoyed.

I hope you have a beautiful day!

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer