State Flag Christmas Ornament

Besides our large Christmas tree full of homemade and travel ornaments, every year I put up a smaller tree in my dining room. This tree has evolved and changed themes and decorations somewhat over the years. It started out as a nature tree. Then I started mixing in cardinals (our state bird), which then led me to make the tree a Nature Ohio tree.

I have added buckeyes, cardinals, morel mushrooms, pine cones, bird nests, and various other things that can be found in and around our state.

We started a Crafting Circle and have an ornament exchange with family and friends every year, so I decided to make an Ohio flag as a Christmas ornament. 

 

Felt Snowman Ornament

This is a cute little felt Christmas ornament I made for our ornament exchange one year.

We have a really large family so instead of having a gift exchange, we started an ornament exchange. It's not mandatory so not everyone participates. 

It's so wonderful to receive the little gift boxes in the mail containing each homemade ornament. And many of us add other small gifts like specialty coffee or tea, candy, fudge, cookies, jams, bookmarks, or other goodies.

Many family members live out of state but for the ones close to me and who want to make crafts for Christmas we started a Crafting Group. It's a great way to stay in contact with friends and family while enjoying time set aside just for a hobby we love.

Grand Champion Pumpkin Cake

It's November already (yikes! how did that happen!?) and I just finished packing away all my Halloween decorations.
I've been busy making a list for our Thanksgiving dinner and corresponding grocery list. I usually try out a new dish or dessert every year at Thanksgiving so have been scanning through a few cookbooks for ideas.

I found this recipe in a Pumpkin Cookbook I purchased way back in 1992. The cookbook was put together by The Crusader Sunday School Class at Calvary United Methodist Church for a fundraiser. 

 

Thanksgiving Paper Craft

I got my idea for a Fall Decorated Christmas Tree a few years ago after seeing my sister Kathy's tree while visiting her in New Jersey.  
My fall tree is just 4 foot tall and in my kitchen bay window. 

I decorate this little tree for fall with autumn leaves, acorns, pumpkins, etc., and then add Halloween ornaments towards the end of October.  In November I use a Fall/Thanksgiving theme.

Since my Christmas Vintage Paper Ornaments turned out so well last year, IMO, I decided to make Thanksgiving ornaments too!

 

Start a Crafting Group

I usually make Christmas ornaments every year and give them out as gifts to a select few friends and family. 

And now some of my sisters and I and other family and friends also have an ornament exchange.

To me, it's wonderful to see all the talent and hard work put into each home-crafted ornament and I cherish them as keepsakes throughout the years.

My daughter Alexis and I, my son's girlfriend Jennica and a couple of our friends decided to start a Crafting Group meet-up.

Halloween Apothecary Bottles

It's October and Halloween is almost here! 

Every year we host a Fall Party, put up lots of decorations, bake everything pumpkin and even dress up in costumes. 

The first week of September we had an Under the Sea Baby Shower and I used small glass bottles to make favors for that party and had about a dozen little bottles left over.

I decided to use the extra bottles to make these apothecary bottles for a Halloween display. 

 

Freezing Green or Sweet Bell Peppers

This year I had an overabundance of many different types of peppers, so decided to freeze a few of the Bell Peppers.

Not only are bell peppers packed with lots of flavor, they also add important nutrients to any dish. 
One red sweet bell pepper provides an entire day’s worth of vitamins A and C, (more than twice the amount found in an orange) and are a good source of the antioxidant vitamin E!

More Halloween Costume Ideas

My son Daniel as a ninja, early 1990s

It's nearly Autumn and October. Yeah!!

The weather has been cooler here during the day and chilly at night which to me is just wonderful. And we're already seeing the edges of leaves beginning to change color. I am in the mood for everything pumpkin and even found a pumpkin salsa! 

We have an annual Fall Party and dress up in costumes every year which is always lots of fun, I think this year is our 11^th or 12^th consecutive annual party! 

Under The Sea Party Ideas

My youngest son and his finance are having a baby in December. Daniel and Jennica had their first date on March 17, 2010, (St Patrick's Day) got engaged early this year, and set the date for the wedding for March 17, 2017. 

 

Unexpectedly, they found out in May they were going to have a baby. When they saw the doctor for the first time she told them their estimated date of conceiving was March 17^th!

Hot Pepper Relish

We grow numerous varieties of peppers in our garden every year, hot, sweet, mild and use them fresh in salsas, Pico De Gallo, on sandwiches, sliced on pizza, diced in casseroles and stuffed.

If there’s any leftover at the end of the season, I dice and freeze them to use throughout the winter months.

Recently, I've read many rave reviews online about Hot Pepper Jelly so wanted to give it a try. I made a couple batches using popular recipes, but I found it seem to lack the “hot” and the pepper “flavor” and was way too sweet for our tastes.

Ariel's Candelabra and “Under the Sea” Party

I'm hosting an Under The Sea BabyShower for my son Daniel and his long time girlfriend, Jennica, (they got engaged earlier this year).

Jennica decided about 2 months ago that the baby shower was either going to be themed for a boy, (King Triton) or a girl, (Ariel). We found out in July that we're having a girl, and they're naming her Lilly! 

So Ariel's Under The Sea it is.

One of the decorations we decided to make was Ariel's candelabra.

And really it has been one of the easier decorations I've made so far!

I was able to find an old brass candlestick at a thrift store for .90 cents and used silverware which was .30 cents each.

Baltimore, Maryland and Edgar Allan Poe

Poe's Grave

Baltimore and Poe

I have always been fascinated by what drove certain authors to write what they did, or where they were living at the time of writing such great works.  I have toured a few famous authors’ homes or “chased an author” as I call it, including Washington Irving’s Sunnyside in New York. 

And we recently started a book club and along with reading books from all different genres, we also sometimes take field trips related to the current book we're reading.

For August we read two tales and one poem by Edgar Allan Poe (or more if we were so inclined). I grew up on Poe and loved his stories of lost love, terror, suspense, and horror.

Zucchini Bread

Yowza! What to do with all the zucchini my garden produced this year!

Zucchini is one of the easiest vegetables to grow and as such, it's known far and wide among home gardeners for overwhelming crops. 

When cooking, zucchini is treated as a vegetable and is usually cooked and served as a savory or side dish. 
Botanically, however, zucchini is really a fruit.

Not only is the zucchini versatile to cook with, but it’s also loaded with nutrients and vitamins that can help prevent cancer and heart disease. 

Shrimp BLT Sandwich

My son Daniel is always looking for new and unique recipes for me to make.  Recently he picked up a magazine from the grocery store and marked a few recipes to try and this one for a Shrimp BLT sandwich was at the top of his list. 

My husband Bill and I had just gotten back from visiting Historical Jamestown and Assateague Island along the coast of Virginia and enjoyed fresh seafood for 4 days straight.  Right now, anything with seafood sounds really good to me.

Building A Hog Trough

We decided to raise a feeder pig this past spring for butchering in the fall.  We purchased “Burt” a Hampshire breed, from a farmer for $50.00.

Hampshire Hog History

Hampshire hogs are black with a white belt, heavily muscled, lean meat breed.  They are the fourth most recorded breed of the pigs in the United States.

The Hampshire breed is also the oldest, early-American breed of hogs in existence today. 

Canning Carrots

We love carrots and eat them in many different ways.  There is nothing better than raw carrots dipped in Ranch dressing! I put carrots in just about all my homemade soups, chicken pot pie and we love them steamed or candied (brown sugar and butter).

I try to grow a crop of carrots every year, but some years I only get enough to eat fresh and not enough to can.  
This summer Ohio was reported to be the wettest in history, so I'm having a pretty poor crop harvest, and that goes for vegetables such as onions, garlic, and green beans too, ugh. 

Canning Whole Kernel Corn

It's summer and along with many other warm-weather activities, canning the vegetables that are ripe and in season is something I do every year.

When corn first comes in, it can be a little expensive but as the weeks pass the price per dozen is greatly reduced.

When buying sweet corn in the husk, look for bright green color snug husks and dark brown silk.

Sweet corn is a low acid food so must be pressure canned to avoid food poisoning and botulism.

Pregnancy or Birth Announcement Idea

My son Daniel and his girlfriend Jennica have been living together for a couple of years and although they have talked about when they want to get married my son decided to make it official this year.
He is a hopeless romantic like his mother (me) so planned a dreamy romantic weekend by renting a lodge in a beautiful secluded area here in Ohio called Hocking Hills.  The weekend went wonderful and Jennica came home in a princess-dreamy-state all full of smiles, butterflies and happiness. 

The wedding is set for March 2017, a date they have had set all along because St. Patrick’s Day 5 years ago was the date of their first date.

Fast forward to April and Jennica sets me down in a teary-eyed state letting me know she thinks she is expecting! 

After a visit to the doctor’s, it was confirmed they got pregnant on St. Patrick’s Day.  How fitting.

Moving a Shed

Moving a small gardening shed or other small building is not impossible.  There's a couple of ways to move a shed; one takes hard work and numerous people, but no lifting. 

The second is to hire out the work.

We learned how to move a shed with PVC pipes and jacks from a guy who moved a shed for us about 20 years ago. 

The shed was sitting directly outside my kitchen at our newly purchased home and in the center of the yard.  Eyesore!  

Blackberry Cobbler (or One Cup Cobbler)

This is a really quick and easy dessert, and it quickly becomes nearly everyone’s favorite.  
You will get repeated requests for this dessert! 

A berry cobbler is a very homey comfort food. It's a dessert that’s not really fancy but gets the same reaction every time:  Dessert Heaven!

Blackberry is our favorite berry to use but just about any fruit works well.  Our next favorite fruits to use are peach and cherry.  

Black Bean, Tomato and Corn Salsa

We love salsa and pica de Galla and eat both year-round.  

I have a favorite Honey Lime Chicken Kabob recipe that's grilled and needed a new side dish to complement that recipe.

 
Salsa of course came to mind, and although I make different kinds of salsa, like strawberry and peach, I decided to try a new version. 

This is way easy and super delicious!  We ended up eating nearly half of it with tortilla chips before dinner was even ready.

Strawberry Pie Filling

Strawberries are among the first fruit to ripen in the Northeast.  

In my area of Ohio, strawberries are ripe around the first week in June. 

Every year we make Strawberry Freezer Jam and freeze cut-up strawberries to use during cold winter months. Sometimes we use fresh strawberries for other recipes like Strawberry Schnapps.

This year I decided to try homemade Strawberry Pie Filling.   There is nothing better than a cool dessert on a hot summer day. But a strawberry pie with whipped topping is a great dessert anytime.

For me, strawberries mark the passage from spring to summer each year. And besides, making delicious fresh strawberry edibles gives me something to do while I eagerly wait for my garden vegetable to ripen.

Propagating a Clematis Vine

I just love flowering clematis vines!  

There are so many different colors and types and all are beautiful growing up a trellis, over an arbor, up a lamppost, along a fence, or just anywhere really. 

The best way to grow clematis is from clematis cuttings.

Propagation is pretty easy and you can have anywhere from a 50% to up to a 90% success rate.

The Clematis is in the Buttercup family and hundreds of species and cultivars of clematis exist around the world. 

Cheesy Bacon Dip

Summer is nearly here along with endless barbecues, July 4th parties and family gatherings.  Looking for recipes to take along I thumbed through a cookbook my daughter Alexis gave me for Christmas last year.  

Trisha Yearwood’s cookbook Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood is full of really yummy recipes which were passed down through the years from Trisha’s mother, aunts, cousins, and longtime friends.  I love those kinds of recipes.
 

The Birth Tree

My daughter Jami

The last time my daughter came to visit she had a surprise for us.  She asked if we would be willing to plant a memorial tree on our farm using the placenta from her last child’s birth to place under the new tree.

My grandson Dax was born in Texas, so his placenta had to be frozen until the planting ceremony.

Truthfully I had never heard of this before and it all happened so very quickly that I didn't have much time to prepare. 

Afterward, I did a little research and found out quite a lot. 

There are simple ceremonies, eloquent ceremonies, and elaborate ceremonies performed to honor the placenta all over the world. 

Many cultures, including the Navajo Indians and New Zealand's Maori, bury the placenta to symbolize the baby's link to the earth.

Blueberry Lemon Jam

Blueberry season is fast approaching! 

The blueberry-picking season depends on the geographical location of your blueberries, but most blueberries are ripe in June and July.

I purchased my blueberries while on one of our trips to Michigan.  Once home I froze them until I could make blueberry jam and syrup, add to muffins or mix up a batch of blueberry pancakes.  

Besides Michigan being a beautiful state, it is the leader in highbush blueberry production.  Michigan farms produce approximately 220,000 tons (490,000,000 lbs) of blueberries, accounting for 32% of all the blueberries eaten in the United States.

Zombies and the Zombie Walk

With the popularity of the TV show The Walking Dead, more and more people are getting into zombie fandom.  But where did all this zombie love come from or what started it all?

First, What are Zombies? 

Zombies are fictional undead creatures, usually depicted as mindless, reanimated human corpses with a hunger for living human flesh. Zombies are most commonly found in horror and fantasy genre works.

The term Zombie comes from Haitian folklore:  The Haitian /French “zombie” and the Haitian / Creole “zonbi” is a dead body animated by magic. Modern depictions of zombies do not involve magic but invoke other methods such as a virus or illness.

Toinette's Limoncello

I met Toinette, (Antoinette) through our friend Larry whom Toinette was dating.  Not only is she a great cook, but she’s fun to be around and a good conversationalist.  We used to meet for lunch once or twice a month. And oh, did I mention smart?  

She was a college professor at a local college here in central Ohio but took a position in back in her home state. 

 

I do have a few of Toinette’s recipes, like her Shrimp Salsa, (a fav) but I never got a chance to ask her for her Limoncello recipe.  Toinette makes beautiful little bottles of this delicious adult citrus beverage to give out as gifts during the Christmas holidays.

Recently because the weather is finally improving and summer is right around the corner, I started thinking of a drink we could enjoy on hot summer days after a hard sweaty day working in the garden and around our little farm.

Building a Greenhouse (Part One)

A greenhouse has always been on my list of things I want to help with gardening.  

When we lived in the burgs (city) our house had a 3 seasons room (sometimes called a Florida Room in this area), which was the closest to owning a greenhouse I have been.  

Because of all those windows it was easier to get my seeds going in early spring.  Having an actual greenhouse will give me a head start on planting and will also extend my growing periods. 

How a greenhouse works is simple. Sun streams through the windows and warms the surfaces inside. The glass or glazed panels trap the heat, keeping the temperature inside the greenhouse warmer than outside. 

Because the sun is key, it is best to build the greenhouse on the south – southeast side of the house and away from the shadow of other structures or large trees.

Strawberry Jam (No Canning Required)

Strawberry Freezer Jam in 30 Minutes

Strawberries are ripe here in central Ohio around the first week in June. 
I started making Strawberry Freezer Jam in the early 1990s and now my kids will not eat (or even like) commercially produced jam. Every year we go to a “Pick Your Own” farm to pick the strawberries fresh. 

When choosing strawberries, homegrown or farm fresh strawberries produce the best jam.  Store purchased lack the intense sweet strawberry flavor. 

I have also made cooked strawberry jam and it’s great for shelf life but there is just no comparison with Strawberry Freezer Jam for flavor. 

Chicken Spaghetti (Tetrazzini)

Whatever you call it; Chicken Spaghetti, Chicken Tetrazzini or Chicken Noodle Casserole, it doesn't really matter, this stuff is delicious!

My husband’s family seems to have a lot of good recipes.  And although I only have a few of them, the ones I have are great like this super moist Banana Nut Bread and this fav, Grandma Elder's Carrot Cake. 

On one of our trips to visit my husband’s cousin Krista in Illinois, she made two big casseroles of Chicken Spaghetti and we were hooked. 

The Carnton Plantation and the Battle of Franklin

My great uncle Andrew Curtis fought in the Civil War, mustering out of Zanesville, Ohio.  I'm proud of my ancestor for fighting for the cause to free a people and to fight for freedom. Which has lead to curiosity about the battles of the Civil War and wondering which ones my Great uncle may have been involved in.

 

My husband and I tour Civil War historical sites and have been to quite a few. The Antietam Reenactment, with 13,000 re-enactors was the largest, most dramatic, and absolutely best one we have been to.  

Recently I picked up a book called The Widow of the South, written by Robert Hicks.  The book is a mostly true story and factual, with other parts created to fill in the gaps.  It’s a book about the Battle of Franklin and one family’s home being turned into a field hospital.  

Brenda's Sourdough Waffles

It’s Maple Sugaring time again here in Ohio and I have been busy boiling down the sap.  Every year I try out a new recipe to go along with the season and use some of the fresh maple syrup; like pancakes, waffles, maple cake, and even maple cookies.

I have also been baking Sourdough Bread most of this winter. I shared my Sourdough Starter with whoever wanted a start, one of which was my friend Brenda.

Brenda sent me a text that the sourdough starter I gave her makes the best sourdough waffles ever.  She sent me the recipe and I gave it a try.  These are Oh-My-Gosh-Good!  

The waffles turn out light, crisp and flavorful!  And using my homemade Maple Syrup was just the “icing on the cake!”

St. Patrick's Day and Sauerkraut Balls

At the Irish Parade

St Patrick’s Day has always been a fun holiday for us and a reason to spend time with family and friends.  Our day always starts with a stop for breakfast then off to our favorite tavern, then an Irish parade, followed by the Irish Family Reunion and then back to our favorite St. Patty’s Day tavern, the Hey Hey Bar and Grill.

The Hey Hey serves traditional food on St. Patrick’s Day including Corned Beef and Cabbage and Irish Coffee. And their famous Sauerkraut Balls are served every day.  These delicious morels were even featured in MidWest Living Magazine!

The Hey Hey is actually located in an old immigrant neighborhood called German Village where my mother grew up. When young, my father (who was mostly Irish-German) was visiting his sister Mary, (who lived near German Village) and met my mother (who was German-Irish).  And I also married a 1/2 Irish- 1/2 German man.

Cancun Mexico

Our first trip to Mexico

Relatives called me a couple days ago to tell me that they’re invited to a destination wedding in Cancun, Mexico.  I’m so excited for them.  

We've visited Cancun, Mexico both during the Christmas Holidays and during Spring break.  Their call got us reminiscing about our trips to  Mexico and going through all our photos.  

What a beautiful country it is!  On all our trips, we chose to stay at All-inclusive Hotels.  All-inclusive means the meals and drinks are included in the price.

There are dozens and dozens of hotels to choose from, with pricing ranging from affordable/moderate to over-the-top expensive.  It’s best to shop around for the best deal.

Building a Wine Rack

Small Pantry Wine Rack 

Last year we remodeled our kitchen, which took nearly a year.  And while at it, I also build a new pantry.  
When I built the pantry I didn't paint it right away because summer was fast approaching.   Instead, I filled the shelves and waited for colder winter months.  

So last month, while the snow was flying I decided to paint the shelves. And while the shelves were bare, I came up with the idea to build a wine rack.  

This wine rack is a simple design and easy for just about anyone to build.

Aunt Janey's Sour Cream Coffee Cake

My daughter Jami met her husband Donnie, fell in love and got married a few years back.  (Seems like yesterday!)  

We are really pleased with her choice for our son-in-law, just a great guy.  We also have had the pleasure of meeting many of his family members, which, happily we love too!

Donnie's mother Julie and grandmother Mary are wonderful cooks and I'm still trying to get their Apple Pie recipe (best I've ever tasted) and homemade Chicken and Dumplings recipe. 

Donnie's Aunt Janey and Uncle Eddie live in southern Ohio in a beautiful hilltop home.  Aunt Janey shared this recipe with me after bringing it to one of our fall parties. She told me she originally found the recipe in a magazine years and years ago.
It is absolutely delicious!

Dry Rub Mix

While searching the Internet a few years back for a good homemade dry rub mix I came across this recipe on The Yummy Life Blog. 

I decided to give it a try and I was not disappointed.  Turns out it’s great on chicken, beef, and pork and I have even used it on fish or when grilling shrimp.

Most of the spices I already had on hand and only had to purchase one or two.  I love spices and when I find one we like I usually purchase an extra. 

This dry rub mix took me back to long ago memories of my sister Debra and her wonderful recipes and spicy cooking.  One summer weekend years ago, she even spent the day showing my husband Bill and me how to make homemade barbecue sauce.   I lost my sister a few years back, but this dry rub mix encouraged me to try to reproduce her barbecue sauce. And I have to say, it turned out wonderful!

Sausage Kale Soup (Zuppa Toscana)

There is something so comforting and soothing about having a hot bowl of soup on a cold winter’s day. 

If you ever wondered about soup, traditionally, soups are classified into two main groups: clear soups and thick soups. 

I always call mine soup or stew; depending on how thick it is and if there are more ingredients than liquid. 

For soup sticklers, many definitions state: 

“Soups are similar to stews, and in some cases there may not be a clear distinction between the two; however, soups generally have more liquid than stews.” 

Rabbits: A Natural and Cultural History

Lagomorphs; A Natural and Cultural History.

By Guest Blogger Alexis Lynch.

Rabbits are remarkable and fascinating creatures that deserve appreciation, so I think a bit of an overview is in order:

Rabbits (Sylvilagus) and Hares (Lepus) of North America belongs to the Order and Family Lagomorpha Leporidae, and in total there are 29 species of rabbits and 32 species of hares.

So what’s the difference between a rabbit and a hare? 

Rabbits are altricial; meaning they are born in an undeveloped state and require care and feeding by the parents. Rabbits are born naked and blind into fur-lined nests in burrows below ground. They stay in the nest tended to by their mother for a couple of weeks.

Psycho Kitty or Sybil the Cat

Our small farm was once part of a much larger property with acres of farmland.  Included in that original property were woods.  Our land is still pretty wooded and has a creek, but now the denser woods are across the road from ours.  Two of our neighbor’s homes are in and surrounded by woods, a creek, and ravines.

Because of that natural setting, we see a lot of wild animals:  Deer, fox, coyote, opossum, raccoon, rabbits, snakes, and hawks to name a few.

A couple years ago on a trip to see Maple Syrup making demonstrations, we ended up adopting 2 barn cats from Malabar Farm, the historical farm of Pulitzer Prize winning author Louis Bromfield.  Seems many cats are dumped in front of the park and end up living in their main barn.  The park workers are constantly looking for homes for the many (and I mean many) barn cats living on the property.

Make in the Morning Cinnamon Rolls

I am anxiously awaiting the perfect outdoor temperatures so I can once again tap my maple trees to make maple syrup.  The temps need to be above 40 degrees during the day and below freezing at night. This causes the sap to run.  

While waiting all I can think about are recipes using maple syrup.

This is a pretty easy homemade Cinnamon Roll recipe and perfect for a lazy Saturday morning.

These can be started in the early morning hours before everyone wakes, and are ready in about 1 to 1½ hours, start to finish.   Their also just as good the next day! (if any make it that long)

Look What I Found: Antique Handmade Quilt

I like going to second-hand stores, thrift stores, and antique shops whenever possible.

This is my latest find, a beautiful old patchwork quilt!

I know very little about old quilts or dating them, I just like them and collect them if the price is right.  

This is one of my best finds yet at $8.99.

I found this quilt especially interesting because of the quilt pattern and the stitched names.

A patchwork quilt is a quilt in which the top layer consists of pieces of fabric sewn together to form a design. Originally, this was to make full use of left-over scraps of fabric.

If you are reading this post and can shed more light on this quilt I would really appreciate it! 

Quick and Easy Strawberry Cake

This is an easy sheet cake or layer cake that's ready in no time using a pre-packaged cake mix and frozen strawberries. 

We pick our strawberries at a nearby farm every year around the first week of June to make our own natural Homemade Strawberry Jam.  And I always buy extra strawberries to chop and freeze to use with desserts, on ice cream, or in salads.  

There is nothing like the taste of summer fresh strawberries!  

Well It's January and June is quickly approaching so I decided to use up some of last summer's strawberries to bake a cake for my husband Bill’s birthday.

This cake is also perfect if you’re looking for a Valentine’s Day dessert.  Or bookmark or Pin this recipe for summer and use fresh garden strawberries.  Great to serve at outdoor barbecues and summer dinner parties too!

How I Got Started Breeding Rabbits

Rabbits:  The Beginning

By Guest Blogger Alexis Lynch:  An Introduction

Hello! I’m Elizabeth’s daughter and after many requests from my Mom, I agreed to do a little guest blogging.  

I will be blogging about Rabbits: raising, feeding, housing and breeding along with other rabbit concerns.    

As a child I had a pet rabbit. It’s been so many years ago that I no longer remember the exact day I got him but he was a grey short-haired Mini-Rex named Thunder.   He was an average example of his breed, only special because he was my very own and I loved him. He lived near our clubhouse in an outdoor hutch my mother built from salvaged lumber.  I have many happy memories of taking him out to our sunny grassy yard where we spent many hours playing together.  Time passed and as all living things do; sadly including pets, Thunder eventually died. I remember crying and running to tell my parents. I never had another pet rabbit after that; my experience with rabbits thereafter stemming from what I read from books or online, watching nature shows or rabbits I saw at county fairs.

Perfect Sourdough Bread

Sourdough bread is great buttered, toasted, served with dinner, or used for sandwiches. 

In my opinion, bread making is an art and a science.

There is a special pleasure working with bread and just the aroma of baking bread throughout the house is well worth the effort.

I grew up eating my mother’s homemade bread.  We would beg and beg her to make it and it was always eaten hot from the oven covered with butter.  
My mother never looked at a recipe to make her bread, she just mixed it up and it was perfect. Every Single Time. Sigh.

I can't just whip up a loaf of bread, I always have the recipe right next to me and I have been practicing for years.  In the past, I’ve had as many bread failures as successes I think, but I kept at it. 

Using a sourdough starter is an ancient method to make leavened bread.

Easy Shelves You Can Build Yourself

Easy Shelf Design For Multiple Use

Recently I finished painting my newest pantry shelves. The shelves were a combination of new and used wood.
When we purchased our small farm the kitchen had a 3’ by 4’ pantry closet, (with 6 inch wide shelves, ugh) and later I converted another closet for more pantry space.  But last year we did a complete kitchen remodel, going down to bare studs so I had to build a new pantry.

I use a pretty basic shelf design which can change slightly depending on the character or purpose of the shelving.  

Storage shelves are more rustic and not always “perfect”. 

Book shelves get a little added trim and detail work and are put together with better wood and more attention to ascetics.

Bean Soup

Canning Bean Soup

Our busiest canning "season" is during the summer and early autumn months while we are harvesting our garden vegetables.
During the winter months, we love lots of soups and stews.
Usually, when I cook meals or casseroles, I try to make enough for two meals to save time later.  Half we eat now, and half gets frozen or canned for a convenient meal later.  

For soup, I make a large stockpot full and have plenty left over to can.

Having jars of soup in the pantry, ready to just heat up is a huge time saver and works just wonderful for a cold winter day meal.  Just grab one or two jars from the shelf and heat.  Add a side salad or sandwich and you have an easy no-fuss meal! And one without the added sodium, additives or preservatives found in commercially canned soups.

Sourdough Bread Starter

Sourdough Starter

Let me start this post by saying I am no expert when it comes to bread making and I believe bread making is an art form. I have been practicing for years and kicked up the experimenting in the last few years.  
I have tried to get a sourdough starter going a few times with no luck.  But my son Daniel absolutely loves a good sourdough bread so I persevered. 

Making good loaves of bread is time consuming so it's not for everyone.  But the joy and feelings of accomplishment you get when the bread turns out perfect are well worth it. 
I have never actually met anyone who has been successful at getting a starter to ferment or live. 
There are plenty of websites with instructions, and even rants about how easy plain flour and water is to start,  but what good are they if they don't work for me or you? 

Well let's get started.  Here are a few tips on how I got my starter to work.

It needs restating and underscored that the better the ingredients the better the end product.  

Also, if quick and easy bread is what you are more interested in try my Easy Beer Bread recipe. 

Sourdough is time consuming.  It just is.

Building A Patio

Building / Pouring a Concrete Patio

It’s about this time of the year, right after the holidays, that I start looking forward to spring.
The gardening and hatchery catalogs start arriving in the mail and I make a list of projects I hope to finish in the coming year.

On the list was building a patio. 

When we purchased our little farm 4 year ago, (which we named Lynch’s Mt. Horb Farm), flower beds, a veggie and herb garden and even a patio were all missing from the landscape.

At our previous homes I built our patios from old salvaged bricks.  But those were smaller in size than what I envisioned for our farm. And besides, I’m saving my newest collected stash of bricks to make a floor in the original chicken coop that I’m rebuilding and turning into a camping cabin.