I'm as restless as a willow in a windstorm

February is a month of anticipation around here, as the weather starts to get a little warmer and we start looking forward to spring. I know that stores have had the bathing suits out since New Year's, but I really don't think that I'm jumping the gun here when I say that we're getting close now. 

This gives you a good idea of their variation - the lady

on the right is the most mature and the left is the least

The chickens are fully grown (or nearly) and at varying stages of maturity, some have fairly substantial combs and have become quite red around the face. Eggs shouldn't be too long off now! Scratch that, we got our first egg yesterday!

Tiny first egg

The trees and shrubs are full of buds.

This forsythia is going to go off any day now

The seeds are organized and ready.

The garden is tilled and the drip line is laid.

Yep, it's definitely starting to look like (nearly) spring around here.

Schnitzel with noodles

HAPPY WEEKEND!


Got to see these two on their way to Hawaii (this is obviously
not a photo from our house, but somehow we didn't manage
to whip out the cameras in our whirlwind 15 hours together)

Something delicious: Ok, I haven't actually tried any of these yet, but I think that the idea is brilliant. Not sure if we'll get to try it this weekend (And what would I pick? Carrots? Beets? Parsnips?), but I'm anxious to do so soon!

Something neat: I found these quite compelling (I was going to say entertaining, but that seemed a bit flip, some are rather serious)- I think that pogonotrophy might be my favorite, but it's hard to pick.

Something to read: While more than a bit disheartening, I found this a very interesting read. I imagine that most of us realize that we're being heavily manipulated by the marketing and engineering of processed foods, the lengths companies go to to do so (and their complete disregard for the health of their consumers) is pretty mind boggling.

Something to make: I made Tres orange marmalade a few Christmases ago that was a dismal failure. This both inspires me and gives me hope that I can get it right yet.

Reading in his little house

The bees are buzzing in the trees

The bee on the right is a Carniolan*

Well, I did it. I just ordered us two packages of Carniolan honey bees. Which means that, in about two months, we will have two hives going. I'm super excited to be finally starting on this project, after talking about it for a few years now. I'm off to do some reading, to get ready for my bees!

* This photo is from here.

Doorbells and sleigh bells

HAPPY WEEKEND!

We've been having wonderfully spring-y feeling sunny weather this week,
so I coerced Tres into getting out (and using) the grill last night

Something delicious: Since Reid recommended it in the comments a few weeks ago , we have made this recipe twice and it is definitely a keeper. We preferred it in a cast iron pan (be careful to control the heat, though!) to the pizza stone, but both were good. Naan is by far my favorite part of eating in an Indian restaurant and one dish we weren't able to (nearly) duplicate at home until now. Hooray - thanks, Reid!

Something neat: Low tech meets high tech, this is basically a slideshow for the smartphone age. I dig it.

Something to read: I'm pretty sure that you already knew that most tomatoes you can buy at the grocery store (particularly when tomatoes are not in season where you live) are gross. What makes this worth the read is all that you learn about the industry itself, particularly how flagrantly they flout regulations when it comes to protecting the people who work growing and picking tomatoes. It's not a happy book, but it's an important one.

Something to make: At the last minute, I was inspired to make Silas a little something for Valentine's Day. I printed this on freezer paper, swapped out the bowtie for a heart, and painted it Wednesday night after he'd gone to sleep. It was my first time using a freezer paper stencil and I was really impressed by how simple it was (especially if you pick a simple design, that's key). Definitely a technique to revisit. Here's a basic introduction to the process.

Cupid, draw back your bow

Happy Valentine's Day!

We hope that you have a wonderful day, full of people you love.

Crisp apple strudels

HAPPY WEEKEND!

Our seed inspector gives things a sniff

Something delicious: A big fan of potato pancakes, I have struggled a bit in recent years to find a recipe that works consistently and is up to snuff in the taste department. Search no longer, this book comes to the rescue yet again! I am especially enamored of the technique she suggests, filling a small cast iron pan (I think ours is 6") to make giant pancakes. I doubled this recipe, doubling the potatoes, onions, and flour and keeping the rest of the ingredients the same, and we were very happy with the results. Our current favorite topping: sour cream and paprika.

Something neat: This guy is planting clones of ancient redwoods on the Oregon coast, which is pretty neat in and of itself, but it also happens to be in Port Orford, one of my sister's and my favorite towns on the coast. If you happen to stop by, pop into The Crazy Norwegian's Fish and Chips for a malt (the fish and chips are excellent too) and then over to Humbug Mountain for a hike.

Something to read: I'm not going to lie, I cried on at least two separate occasions while reading this, but it's a goodie. Perhaps a bit heavy handed with its message for adults, but I think it's spot-on for  older kids. Books like this and Charlotte's Web are such a powerful way to teach kids about being respectful and caring toward animals.

Something to make: I've had new hot pads on the brain lately (wild and crazy lady, I know!) and these both look like good potential candidates for me.

Man, it's hard to get a non-blurry shot of this kid these days!

Bubble, bubble, pasta pot

This is a photo from last summer because fresh tomatoes

are just so much more appealing to look at than canned

I thought that I must have posted this already, but that doesn't seem to be the case, so here goes. This is a delicious, (relatively) quick dinner item that we don't make often enough. I especially like to make it when we're cooking for other people and are unsure of their tastes, as it's a pretty universal people pleaser. I also realize that, despite the fact that probably 75% of what we eat is vegetarian, this is another recipe with meat. I think some smoked mozzarella, chopped up and tossed in near the end, would be a nice substitute.

Creamy (bacon) tomato sauce (adapted from Eugenia Bone's Well-Preserved)
four slices of bacon (I like to cut this up ahead of time, but it's up to you)
one medium onion,chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 medium carrots (about 1 cup), chopped
1 quart canned tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)
1/2 cup cream or half and half
salt and pepper to taste
pasta of your choice

In a large pot, cook the bacon  until crispy, set aside. Cook onion, garlic, and carrots in bacon fat until soft (about 10 minutes). Add tomatoes and crumbled/chopped bacon, simmer for 15 minutes. Puree sauce in food mill, food processor, or with immersion blender (I know I've said it before, but if you are using a regular blender, you need to let it cool first - trust me on this one). Pour sauce back into pot, add spices, and cook gently for another 15 minutes. Stir in cream/half and half and serve (don't worry if it looks curdled, it will bind to the starch from the pasta and smooth out). I like to have some grated Parmesan on top myself.

Cream colored ponies

Whew, the end of this week (and month, zoiks!) really snuck up on me. Nonetheless,

HAPPY WEEKEND!

The gray gloom has finally lifted and we've had a few
beautiful sunny days, everyone here has been enjoying it!

Something delicious: This isn't so much amazingly delicious as it is practical, but boy is it practical (and certainly can be delicious, depending on how you use them later). I've used this method probably 10 times since discovering it at the end of last summer and it's worked swimmingly every time. Different beans take slightly varying amounts of time, so be sure to give yourself at least a couple of hours.

Something neat: These are super neat, they show the "movement" of stars, as the earth rotates.

Something to read: As is often the case with books of this nature, covering so many topics means that not all are covered in as much depth as one might like, but this is a useful resource for looking up quick questions or basics and a good jumping off point for new lines of inquiry. It's also a pretty amazing time capsule of the homesteading craze. Our copy is from Tres's parents, so not the most recent edition, but I'm hoping that it still has the same happy hippie quality to it. I suspect that Carla Emery was a pretty amazing lady.

Something to make: We used this to make shirts at camp and they always looked amazing (plus it was so cool to watch the colors change), but then the dye immediately came out upon washing. I wonder if it's because we didn't use 100% cotton? Apparently, you can use it to transfer photos onto cloth too. . . looking at this makes me want to try it again.

Don't forget, weekends are also the time
for eating delicious breakfasts