Homemaking Mondays: Frost and Focus

 

Hello!
I hope your homemaking day 

is going smoothly. 

It's a gentle morning here as the light 

slowly creeps into the sky. 

It's cloudy and we have a fresh dusting of snow.

I have a candle burning to give 

a touch of soft light to the room.

The curtains are now opened and

even through it's partway through the morning

the light begs to be noticed.

Such are winters in the north.

When you can wake up at a reasonable time

and still see stars shimmering in the sky.

A lovely part of winter here

is when the ice freezes before the snow comes.

This year it has frozen really hard and is very safe.

My children and I have been out enjoying 

skating all around the lake.

The one morning it was super foggy

and added a kind of cozy feel.

It just lightly touched you as you glided through it.

The ice wasn't clear anymore but like frosted glass.

I made it around the lake just a couple times

more then I used to so that was a win for me.

With this diet I'm finding I can physically do more and that is nice.

I'm 50 lbs down at 25 weeks on Carnivore.

Then while I waited for my kids to go around a couple more times,

I snuggled under a blanket and enjoyed the sounds 

of the lake as there was movement over it.

There was a grey jay that came down to keep me company.

Fresh and peaceful.

The day before the sun shone bright in a blue sky.

I took the chance to take some pictures of the frost in the sunlight.

It never ceases to amaze me how the Lord Jesus

has created such an intricate masterpiece

that stays for just a short season.

The snow crystals often blowing apart with a breeze

or melting in the brief sunshine.

I have added a couple more plants to my home.

Yes, I killed the one plant that was in this pot.

I love plants and have quite a few...but I can't keep them all alive.

I have learned that it's ok to fail at some things and to just move on.

This time I found a lovely ivy and tucked it in a new space in the house.

I have this lovely red table and added a large plate to the bottom supports.

Then I put a doily on top of that under the pot so it wouldn't slip around.

I hope it thrives here.

The other plants I added to my kitchen windows for now.

As the seasons change the kitchen windowsills change.

No more cut flowers from the garden.

Time for something a bit more green as the world outside turns white.

My violets are blooming purple and pink 

and they add a wonderful pop of colour as well.

It's been a week and just the bare minimum 

of household jobs have been done.

We've been out of the home more and then enjoying the outdoors.

So this coming week I'll need to focus on getting corners 

that had been neglected last.

If we leave some things too long it just builds up to 

a bigger job then need be.

An effort a day keeps failure away.

With homeschooling I have a stack of books 

that need to be looked through to decide on study projects.

I have that alongside my knitting so I can take breaks 

from one task and do the other. 

Very convenient so there is no excuse not to get it done. 

Sometimes I find I have to be more focused 

on managing my time. 

That is a challenge of being home.

We must be the ones to set our limits/boundaries

and then stick to them.

I hope you have a lovely 

homemaking 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: Shades of Winter

 

Hello! 
I do love the shades of winter.

The layers of frost on the trees, 

the shades of grey in the sky and the brightness

that comes when the sun shines.

We've had a bit more snow

and it is amazing how it brightens up the darkness of winter.

With winter comes different kinds of 

delicious foods and treats in the home. 

My family doesn't observe holidays but with the change

of what is available brings a fresh batch of ideas.

I love spiced breads and cookies.

Squash and other foods that come with winter storage.

More hot beverages and warm dishes. 

Sorry...salads are more for summer.

Some have asked how to make vanilla.

It's just as simple as this.

Take a few vanilla beans and cut them in half.

I also cut mine in half lengthwise to allow better penetration.

My husband bought vanilla beans for me off of Amazon.

Then cover with alcohol (like vodka) in whatever container you have.

I use mason jars as they are plentiful in my home and have lids.

Then you sit it in a dark place in your cupboard and wait. 
You can shake it every so often but it's not necessary.

Then after a couple month start checking it to see 

if it's got the flavour you want.

Oh, and it's good like with all pantry items 

to label it for what it is and when you started it.

While working in my kitchen I often pause 

to watch the birds and squirrels that come to the feeder

and also I think to watch us. :) 

Below this grey jay seemed keen on what I was doing in the kitchen.

This week I cleaned and re-organized the dining room hutch.

It's not a necessary part of homemaking,

but it is nice to change things up some.

I moved the candles about so that they can be lit without 

needing to be moved much or at all.

Then I was gifted a basket and so I tucked my tea set in there.

Easy to access and safe.

I had found this lovely towel at one of our local stores.

A local artist puts her work on tea towels

and it's beautiful and affordable.

I ironed it up and tacked it on the wall leading to the basement.  

There isn't great light in that space,

but it adds a wonderful splash of colour in a space 

that was before bare.

I also potted up some cuttings of this wandering jew plant.

My mother had sent up a plant with a friend from where she lived.

It got a bit damaged in the process getting home

so I just started yet another plant. 

I love this variation of wandering jew with the purple undersides to the leaves.

When I was young my mom's plant would bloom 

with these tiny delicate purple flowers.

I wonder if mine will to.

Thank you for dropping by today! 

I hope you are enjoying the shades you find in your winters

wherever you live. 

Little things to make you smile and bring contentment 

to your time as a homemaker. 

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer

Homemaking Mondays: Treasuring the Flowers

 

Hello! 
This past week I have found myself treasuring the flowers.

The geraniums and violets are blooming inside still

and the garden flowers are so beautiful right now.

The nights have been cold and the plants are showing 

the signs of cold damage. 

Soon I will move my flower pots to the greenhouse 

so they can last just a bit longer.

I have very much enjoyed having fresh herbs

right up by the house this year.  

I planted lemon thyme this year and never really enjoyed 

using it, but oh the beautiful blossoms it gives. 

The bees have truly enjoyed them.

Inside my pothos has been growing like crazy again. 

My one wall looks lovely but the plants are 

getting a bit heavy for the pots.  

I shall be trimming it up today.

I've already had a pot fall off and shower dirt all over.

I picked more fresh flowers for the table 

as the others had faded and were 

dropping petals all over.

The dinning area is quite dark during the summer 

as the light doesn't shine all the way into the room. 

A good place for the flowers so that 

they last longer.

Then some more for the kitchen window above the sink.

These don't last as long here in the bright light

but it is so cheerful.

This past week we had an issue with our stove. 

The oven/broil stopped working and we thought it was 

the control panel.  

In looking into it, it exploded in flames and signalled 

the final death of the stove. Ha! 

I was very delighted to find another one 

almost exactly like the old one. 

It works great thus far 

and there is bread rising in it at the moment. 

The window is much bigger as well and our dog

enjoys checking out how things are progressing. 

At the community garden where my daughter works

I was watching the busy little bees in the comphrey flowers.

In our garden I have been enjoying seeing the nasturtiums blooming

in the old wheelbarrow we found back in the trees.

They are like my frost signal as they are so sensitive.

The leaves have been touched with cold but no big frosts have come

to our yard yet. 

Today I'll be harvesting more so there won't be much left outside

that will be harmed aside from the flowers of course.

Some will go to the greenhouse and some will be covered 

with frost blankets for the night.

In our home the boys have started homeschooling again.

So that fills up our weekday mornings.

It's still so beautiful out that outside time is still a must. 

My husband bought a power washer and so it's fun to see 

how the boys are eager to wash the vehicles. 

I hope you are enjoying your week! 

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer

Homemaking Mondays: Pesto Cheese Buns and Sunshine Inspirations

 

Hello! 

It's been a lovely week here and I have been 

enjoying the longer daylight and the fresh air. 

It's been warm enough to open up some windows and 

air the house out. 

The air has that smell of the early days of spring.

I got a post from a site I follow 

Farmhouse on Boone. 

She posted sourdough herb buns. 

Yeah...I had to make my own version of them. 

I added pesto and aged cheddar cheese to my buns today.

With the coconut oil in the pan and the olive oil from the pesto

the bottoms were so crispy and flaky!

Then of course there needed to be some loaves

for sandwiches and toast this week.

At the free store this past weekend I found this cute candle.

It's beeswax and it was super dirty from sitting a long time.

After being washed up some

I popped it in a jar I had on the counter. 

I added some rocks to the sides to hold it in place. 

It'll be nice to light up some evening.

I do love the honeycomb design! 

From the top or the sides.

With all the beautiful sunlight these days

the violet starters are growing quickly. 

I hope to separate them out in to their own pots soon.

Then to find homes for them all.

With the extra warmth and sunshine the icicles on the house have been 

growing and falling in repetition. 

One of those interesting things the Lord has created 

that brings me to a stand still to just watch.  

Also with this beautiful sunshine the lemon oregano

has been exploding.  

At one point I thought the plant wasn't going to make it and 

I started some cuttings.  

Now it's growing well again and I have to say

it's one of my favourite plants now.  

Just brush the leaves and the aroma is enough to 

cheer you! 

Oh and we have a very friendly squirrel that has been running 

along the side of the house and windowsills. 

This morning it stopped in the kitchen window to listen to 

my daughter and I chat with it.  

How has your week been? 

Have you been baking anything someone inspired you to bake?

I hope you have a beautiful day! 

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: A Bit of Time in the Kitchen

 

Hello!

I know I've been quiet on here but I needed a bit of a break. 

A bit because I needed a refresh 

and a bit because of needing to attend to some other 

things more. 

Time...it goes swiftly. 

Yesterday evening I sat in my chair by the window 

and was enjoying watching the sun set 

through the trees. 

Yes, it was early..about 3pm. 

Soon it will be the shortest day of the year.

I've been spending a bit more time in the kitchen. 

Below is a pic of the crumb mixture that 

I was making for apple crisp. 

I love the frothy warm melted butter. 

With this I mix up the crumble by hand.  It just seems to 

come together easier for me for some reason.

I have also started to propagate some more violets. 

The main plants have started to die off so I thought

it was just time for something new. 

I have to break off the big leaf so that I don't end up 

with a whole forest of violets. hehehe

I have two kinds started. 

One is a double purple and the other is a purple with a white ruffle.

I made some more apple hand pies.  

They are a delicious snack and the addition 

of chunky sugar on top is perfect.

In the picture at the top of the blog you can see 

the reflection of my geranium in the tea.

I love that my geraniums bloom in the winter. 

Also...I like to have a cup of tea while I work in the kitchen. 

Do any of you like to do that? 

Do you find that you have a special kind of tea for when you're

working from when you just sit and rest for a bit? 

I like black tea with peppermint for when I'm working 

and herbal mix tea for relaxing. 

Praying you have a blessed day! 

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer

Homemaking Mondays: Friends Share Life's Journey

 

Hello! 
Isn't that a beautiful truth. 

I thank the Lord Jesus for all the friends 

He has placed in my life. 

In person and online.

The above hand towel is a gift from a friend 

as are the two banneton baskets. 

She and I share a love for making things in the kitchen.

It's so beautiful when we can 

acknowledge those simple things.

A loaf of bread...a cup of tea.

It may seem simple but over the years

those little things are precious. 

Along with the banneton baskets....

this time I used my grain mill to grind some rice flour.

It is better to use in the baskets instead of just a towel.  

The flour is not glutenous and so it doesn't 

allow the bread to stick the same. 

Of course you have to wet the basket down before adding

the rice flour to it.  

It looks so pretty when you turn it out to be baked. 

I like it better then using a towel in them.

I was wanting some comfort food this past week.

I pulled out my recipe binder and made some

apple crisp...along with whipped cream.

Today I made some blueberry buckle as well.

The little seedlings are doing well. 

Below the cosmos are getting their feathery leaves.

I potted up the tomatoes from their little

peat starter pots. 

I always take off the netting before planting in the soil.

They are doing well and if the Lord wills

we shall have lots of tomatoes growing.

It has been a lovely week.  

Lots to do, but also lots of time to enjoy 

the company of family and friends.

Thank you for dropping by!
Love and Prayers,

Jennifer