FYI — My Best Homemade Bread

By adding Chia seed, Hemp seed, Sunflower seed, and organic oatmeal to my basic whole wheat bread recipe, I have  bumped up the nutritional value big time. It is truly amazing, a soft texture with a wholesome crunch. Yum!

February 26, 2014 · Sarah · One Comment
Posted in: Kitchen

Blizzard and Bread

The weather guy predicts 50mph winds today.  He said that 100 million people would be effected by this blizzard. If winter thinks it can win at my house, it is mistaken.  The wind can blow its brains out around the old farm house. It can whistle through the cracks in the brick walls. The furnace is chugging away and the wood stove is a back-up if needed.The sheep have bales of hay and are safe and sheltered in the old red barn. Their Pyrenees  guards snooze in the piles of straw next to them. The chicken house is insulated  and egg production has been good, in spite of the weather. The rabbit hutch is nestled between the chicken house and the garage. The winds do not bother my bunnies. I cancelled my hair cut appointment today. It is not my “thing” to drive into a Blizzard for a hair cut.  Instead, the kitchen will be turned into a bakery. Today, will be a bread baking marathon.  The sack of wheat is on the table next to the mill. Other ingredients are laid out on the counter. Nothing smells better than homemade bread baking in the oven.  There is a sign over my kitchen door. It says “Stress Less and Pray More”. I will be doing a lot of that today. It works for me.

 

February 26, 2014 · Sarah · No Comments
Posted in: Kitchen

Transplants–plants and people

My Heirloom tomatoes (Brandywine and Italian Paste) will be transplanted into bigger pots today. I start the seeds in 6 packs and when the tomatoes have four leaves, they are transplanted into 4’x4″ pots. This makes for plenty of room for the roots to grow. This works the same way for people. Sometimes, they are so close together, they can not grow.  My advise is to “Stay calm and buy a farm.”

February 25, 2014 · Sarah · No Comments
Posted in: Garden

Thyme, Sage, and Parsley

For no special reason, I am celebrating Monday by roasting a turkey.  What makes this fun is that the herbs growing under grow lights in the basement are tall enough to snip. The point being that Thyme, Sage, and Parsley, sprinkled over the top of my turkey are a beautiful thing.

Celebrating Monday with fresh herbs on my turkey is a great way to start the week. This is just another notch in my belt in the war against winter.  Doing something unexpected  on Monday morning defeats the cold, ice, mess that is just outside. Ha! I win again.

February 24, 2014 · Sarah · No Comments
Posted in: Garden, Kitchen

More about Heirloom Seeds

Today, I planted Broccoli Romanesque Italia under my grow lights. This is a super flavored Italian heirloom broccoli with spiraling Applegreen heads.  It is grown in northern Italy and favored with fine chefs everywhere. I bought my seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company. You can request their 124 page seed book if over 1200 pure heirloom seed varieties. (www.Rare Seeds.com)

Church activities, schools and businesses are closed today because of the wind, ice, blowing snow, and freezing temperatures. Winter thinks it is winning , but NOT in my house. My personal war against winter continues and I win again. As long as I can plant seeds and plan my garden, I win. It is my “Lock and Load attitude” that prevails today.

February 21, 2014 · Sarah · No Comments
Posted in: Garden

Heirloom Tomatoes

In 2008, I saved seeds from my best Italian Paste tomatoes.  These tomatoes were grown from Heirloom seed in organic soil. This year, I planted a handful of these seeds under grow lights. There is almost 100% germination. There is no reason to buy seed when I can save my own. There will be plenty of tomato plants for our garden and lots of extras to sell.

We are under a huge blanket of snow with more coming in.  It helps to play with my seeds and look forward to Spring. Bob is sleeping in his favorite chair. The poodle is on his lap. There  is a Indian Dal simmering on the stove for dinner. The rice cooker is  filled to the top with Indian rice and spices. My war on winter continues. It was close today, but I won!

February 20, 2014 · Sarah · No Comments
Posted in: Garden

Yum

I just ate my first salad grown under grow lights in the basement. The green things were planted on January 29. 2014.  The  plants were grown from heirloom seeds. Fresh herbs, also grown under grow lights, include oregano, thyme, Italian parsley, and garlic chives. They are wonderful gently snipped and sprinkled over the salad.

I plan on taking some of the greens things  out to the female rabbits. We will have the  New Zealand baby rabbits for sale in April. The fresh greens are really good for the Mother rabbits when they are carrying young ones.

There is still a war with winter around here. Some days, it wins, and on other days, I am victorious. Today, I won. The fresh salad and thoughts of baby bunnies bring hope that Spring will come.  I will keep on keeping on.

February 19, 2014 · Sarah · No Comments
Posted in: Garden

Garden

“What this country needs is cleaner minds and dirtier fingernails.”-  Mark Twain

February 14, 2014 · Sarah · No Comments
Posted in: Garden

Garden 2014

Garden 2014, at Milk and Honey Farm, will be planted with Heirloom seeds.  No GMO seed will go into the ground here. No, none, nada! As usual, everything will be grown organically.  Fruits, Vegetables, Herbs, and Flowers, are all part of the plan. For information on the how and why of what we do, check out the web site (www.milkandhoneyfarm.com) on the garden page. For additional info call me. This week, I start the heirloom tomato seeds under Grow lights.  Is this FUN, or what? Smiling now.

February 12, 2014 · Sarah · No Comments
Posted in: Garden

A Good Way to Live

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In ALL YOUR WAYS ACKNOWLEDGE HIM, AND HE SHALL DIRECT YOUR PATH.” Proverbs 3 :5,6

I was reminded of this yesterday. Some of my friends need to hear this , loud and clear. It works for me.

February 4, 2014 · Sarah · One Comment
Posted in: Contemplations