Feather you Nest Friday, 29th January. 2021.

 The week is ending well as we had a downpour last night and everything is soaked!  This is good! 

I was able to get quite a bit done this week.  Having a "normal" week is honestly quite exciting!  

Each day I have brought produce into the house.  


I am trying to base my meals around what we have.  Later today I will go out and bring more tomatoes in.

This week I had a few small op shop finds.  The best was a very old tin canister that I love.   I also made up a big batch of laundry liquid as my bottles were getting low.


In the laundry I have made sure I have good supplies stored to make loads of batches of laundry liquid.  The old tin might be good to store soap flakes with a pretty tea cup as my scoop.  I have a few odd tea cups I could use this way.  I love the pretty pink and rose ones! 

On my trip to town I checked some apple trees I have had my eye on.  I had to drive an extra ten minutes to check on some on the other side of town.  Well, it was worth it! 


If I go back next week with my ladder I can get as many again, maybe more!   So today the apple processing begins.   Last year I had a month of apples coming in.   At least with apples they keep a while.  I put some into the crisper in the fridge.   The rest I usually use my method which is to do something with a dozen a day.   This way it is surprising how fast you get through them.   By the end last year I had containers of apple puree for baby food,   stewed apples frozen,  apple pies and apple crumbles in the freezer plus we all ate apples some way pretty much everyday.  I did baked apples once a week and ate them for breakfast.  They are so nice.  This year I will keep Thomas and Sidney and the girls in apple puree.   Oh,  and I made cakes and covered them with apple slices.  When they were cooked I just sprinkled them with icing sugar.  Everyone loved these cakes.  So simple.  I even did this with a packet mix gluten free caked it was so nice!

I have lived here two years now and I am still discovering fruit trees.   On Wednesday I had a good day.  As part of my shopping trip I was picking up three new chickens!   The man who breeds them lived out of town and I passed the biggest old fig tree on the road side.   The figs were not ripe yet.  But I will go back and check on it in a couple of weeks.   

All my life I have wanted Wyandotte chickens!   Mine are scrawny teenagers at this stage.  So instead I will show you one of his nice mature chickens.   Mine are "blue" and gold laced.  He was very nice and showed me all his chickens, pigs, ducks, pheasants, quail... yes I was getting all kinds of ideas.  He also told me if I have a broody chicken to ring him and he will give me a dozen Wyandotte eggs!   


On the theme of chickens I have been making pot holders.   I had these panels for a while in my sewing cupboard.



I cut up an old pure wool blanket for my padding.  I still have about six left to do.  They are cut out ready to go.  Most will be gifts and a few will refresh my own kitchen supplies.  I really like chickens... :) 

Loads of my parsley has gone to seed.  I saved lots and let them dry out for a while.  This week I packaged them up into little envelopes.   


I can count these as part of my Make the Most of it Challenge!   
I continued on with crocheting cotton wash cloths.   This pattern is very easy!  It is Crochet Bobble Stitch blanket by Sirin's Crochet on You tube.   Rather than a blanket I just cast on what I thought was right for a wash cloth.  It works up very fast.  I am using up some cotton that is a bit thin so I am using two strands.  But I think I got six more done this week.


I wanted to make Sidney some more pumpkin puree baby food.   I still have plenty of pumpkins that I grew.  This time I made bone broth from some lamb bones.  I had that going for a full day then refrigerated it overnight so I could remove the fat.   Now I am cooking it up with a whole pumpkin cut up added to it.   This will have some very soft lamb included.   I think Sidney is going to love it.   

Harper had her first day of school!  She is so excited.  I made a couple of trays of pinwheels for the freezer to take for some school lunch boxes.    Next I will do some little apple muffins. 

Each day I got something extra done and it adds up!   A little bit of sewing every day has helped me add a lot to my gift cupboard!    Now I hope my apples can add to my pantry a lot!   I count what is in the freezer as part of my pantry.  I count what is in my sewing cupboard and gift cupboard as part of my pantry.   All these different pantries are different kinds of supplies.  Patsy  (A Working Pantry) taught me to count all these things.   So my ingredients to make loads of laundry liquid are part of my laundry pantry.    I have never felt the importance of having good stocks as much as I do now.   

There are things we can do and things we can control.   So I work on those things.
There are things we have no control over!  So I pray about those things! 

What were you able to put to good use this week?  Were you able to add to the pantry, garden or gift cupboard?   I hope it has been a good week for you.   The first month of the year is almost over.  What a month it has been.   This weekend I will try and make some plans for February.  A little review of January too!   Time flies by and we need time to think!   xxx




















Comments

  1. The rain has been glorious. I am waiting for the last bits of work the builders etc need to do before I can call my house my home again. I have pumpkin, feta and bacon which I will use to make some quiches. The sewing and sorting will continue. Barb

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    1. Dear Barb, It will be so nice to have your house back! Pumpkin, Feta and bacon lend themselves to some yummy things. Delicious! Have a good weekend! With love Annabel

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  2. Dear Annabel
    What a wonderful bounty of apples you were able to glean snd here’s to lots more
    We have no fruit trees out on the roads we use so come March I will go over to the orchard about 45mins from here and buy at least 6 large boxes the large size that they send to market
    Last years boxes held available 95 apples each and they worked out at 4c per apple
    This past week we have preserved 95 size 14 Fowlers vacola bottles ( they are about 4” tall with peaches picked from our yard
    We now have our eldest grandson just finished his HSC last year, he is 18
    He rang me about 10 days ago and asked if he could come and live with us, as he had applied for an apprenticeship here with a large farm machinery dealership
    He arrived from western Qld the next evening
    My no 25 grandchild stated Lindy in Brisbane yesterday and had to ring Ma and tell me how great it was
    XxxLorraine

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    1. Dear Lorraine,
      The orchard near you sounds wonderful and what a price! Wow it will be so nice to have this time with your eldest Grandson. Good on him for taking an apprenticeship! That is fantastic!
      I cant believe you have 25 Grandchildren! That is just beautiful. That is so sweet as I had Scarlett in Kindy and Harper start school. The peaches just sound so good. I bet your Grandson helps you eat them! With love Annabel.xxx

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  3. Have you tried drying your apples. I used to dry them really dry like potato chips and my children ate them as a snack.

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    1. I forgot drying them! I will do as I have a dehydrator thank you! xxx

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  4. Annabel, you could pay it forward by being a food forest tree planter along all your roadsides. Imagine extra fig cuttings going in here and there, a few apple trees planted in winter maybe pears etc? Paying it forward to those foragers who you've no doubt encouraged with all your blogging, and a nod to the good graces that got your favoured fruit trees growing were they did. :)

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    1. Love that idea.

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    2. I noticed the apple tress had baby apple trees all around them. In Autumn I will go back and see if I can dig up some bare root stock. I will replants some in my orchard and I have already done this with fig trees. To get them started on roadsides I would have to water them I think and around here much of the road sides are grazed when the grass gets high but I can be planting new fruit trees non the less where I can water them and protect them from being eaten down. Also I can get the girls to plant extra fruit trees out where they live too. The more the better I say! I just thought... I make be able to pot some and if they take off they would make good gifts!

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  5. What a lovely week. So happy you got rain - I know that is a pleasure to you.
    How great on all the apples - what a blessing! Your tomatoes make my mouth water, I can't wait to eat a fresh garden tomato.
    You do such a wonderful job adding to your pantry.
    Take advantage of all you can control and pray on the rest.
    Blessings

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    1. Dear Cheryl, Yes rain is the thing that helps us above anything else!
      I have been picking lots of tomatoes! Quite thrilled! Enough to do some dehydrating!
      Thanks Cheryl for your encouragement! With love Annabel.xxx

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  6. Sorry for my repetition...but once again,do you have a recipe index and if so where or how do I find it? Armenian nutmeg cake and zucchini slices(?) on my mind! Those chicken potholders are adorable!!!! Did you paint them? Thank you and God bless

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    1. Dear Mary, I went back to last weeks post and added the Armenian Nutmeg cake into the blog post for you. With the zucchini slice... I grate some zucchinis... I dont measure anything but I think maybe three cups of grated zucchini. Set it aside in a bowl with paper towel while you do other things so some of the moisture is absorbed. In a jug mix about 10 eggs with a large carton of cream or some milk, evaporated milk or any combination of these. I then add in about 4/3 cup of self raising flour. I use gluten free. Season.
      Meanwhile in a fry pan I fry up a couple of chopped onions, some bacon... you could use chopped ham. Line a baking dish with non stick baking paper so it goes up the sides and won't leak. Into my line pan I scatter the onion and. bacon. I often add chopped sun dried tomatoes. You could sauté spinach or chard if you wanted instead of zucchini. Scatter your grated zucchini over. Pour over your eggs mix. Sprinkle with generous grated cheese. Bake until puffed up and golden. Very good hot and good cold! I serve with a salad and a drizzle of sticky balsamic vinegar. Or a relish. Very good! Good for breakfast, lunch or dinner! Extra notes... you can use a sprinkle of dried French onion soup mix if you dont want to cut up onions. Hope this helps! With love Annabel.xxx

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  7. Dear Annabel,

    I love the hot pads! Very cute. I made a couple this week, too, out of a piece of heavy black and white toile and some old pure cotton black jeans for the backs...they were stuffed with an old hot pad that had seen better days and a couple of pieces of my old terry cloth bathrobe. (I got a new one for Christmas. :)). They look fabulous!

    I can't believe Harper is starting school already...it seems like just yesterday we were looking at her baby pictures!

    I've been knitting away on some socks for myself...one done, and the next one started. (The trouble with socks is that you have to knit two! Ha, ha.) I also made a batch of candied vine citron melon and a batch of citron preserves. That finally gets those melons off my kitchen counter, where they've been since late fall. And that means I can finally say I finished all the preserving of 2020's harvest! Ha, ha.

    I am planning away on Christmas projects. Lots of the fun is in the planning! Can't wait to see what you've been up to by the end of next week. Have a great weekend!

    xx Jen.

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    1. Dear Jen,
      Toile would be very pretty for the heat pads. And I love that you filled them resourcefully!
      You had a long season and lots to put up and now it is all done! Now you get a break!
      January for me has been a really run on re stocking the present cupboard. I hope I can keep up the momentum! With love Annabel.xxx

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  8. Oh, you always find the best stuff, Annabel! I love that old pink/roses canister!! That chicken fabric is darling, too :D And what pretty chickens Wyandottes are--makes me want some! That chicken man is a dear and a gold mine for you :) Great observation spotting that fig tree - bet you'll get lots of scrumptious fruit from it. Those apples are gorgeous - are they from the same area you and your Dad picked last year? by the old, abandoned stone house?
    Yay on your rain! We've been having rain, too! So welcome.
    I pray you stay healthy and Andy, too.
    xxMary

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    1. Dear Mary,
      I haven't been to that same tree I went to with Dad yet. I remember this tree was ready later than the others so we will go over to see soon. Those ones are huge green apples. So I hope it means I can spread the apple season out a bit. You remember well!
      My chickens have settled in. They were quite shy. Now the come out when I call them. Yes... this guy with the chickens I thought is a good person to know! Now I need a new chicken to go broody! Have a lovely weekend! With love Annabel.xxx

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  9. Hi Annabel, I am glad you had a great week. Mine did not go so well. I had a reaction to my first covid shot I had on Monday. Pain in leg first day. Third day really cold, chills, sour stomach, fever and so tired could hardly put one foot ahead of the other . It is Friday and my stomach is still feeling sour.. Hope I do better when I get the second shot! I love that cannister you found with the roses at the op shop. I have not gone in so long but hope to venture out after my 2nd covid shot takes effect. Your laundry soap looks so nice. I have been making the dry Molly Suds type mix but I shake it in a jar before using hoping it dissolves better in my cold water. Will have to look for your recipe but will probably have to look for soap flakes. I saw your pot holders on the Tuesday afternoon cub and they are so nice. I wonder if I could use a couple layers of sweatshirt material for lining. I just cut p my husband's sweatshirt he was throwing away to save. If I can grow enough parsley to go to seed I think I will try to save some to give away. I know one place that gives the apples for free so want to check that out next year. We noticed gas went up 50 cents a gallon here. That is quite a hike. The things our government is passing is scary but my hope is in the Lord. And we can only do the best we can do. Thank you for sharing your wonderful week. Wonderful how you are making food for the new baby! Nancy

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    1. Dear Nancy,
      So sorry you have had a reaction. I would do some research about it as the second shot seems to be when more people have a really bad reaction. Also there are several types and one of them contains DNA. Very different from past immunisations. So look into that.
      If you can get Ivory soap flakes they are suitable. The recipe is on The Bluebirds are Nesting which you will find if you look up the blog and laundry liquid. It is very good!
      This parsley seed comes up so fast! It is beautiful to have an abundance of seeds and get others started with their won sparsely patches. A good gift!
      Yes the sweatshirt fabric should be fine for filling. Old towels too. As long as it is thick enough no one knows what is in there!
      Have a lovely weekend and I hope you feel much better. With love Annabel.xxx

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    2. Cozy Thyme - if it helps I had a reaction to my first shot but none at all to the second. I have allergies that can cause an anaphylactic reaction so I was worried but it was just a bit of a sore arm and noticeable fatigue for a couple of days. I had the Pfizer shot which is an MRNA - family and friends were pretty evenly divided between Pfizer and Astra Zeneca (not MRNA) and no one had any problem beyond a bit of a tender arm for a day or two. Hope it goes better next time!

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  10. What incredible wisdom:
    "There are things we can do and things we can control. So I work on those things.
    There are things we have no control over! So I pray about those things!"
    Some things are hard to do! I did several this week, just by putting one foot in front of the other.

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    1. Dear Maxine, I am sorry it sounds like you are struggling. Do not worry, do not listen to they lying media. God has got this! With love Annabel.xxx

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    2. I didn't think I was struggling at the time, but looking back on it...I was. I had a lot of medical going on and didn't fully understand the diagnosis, which is scary (but not potentially fatal). I'd also agreed to help a friend with a resume that proved difficult.

      What I did--I re-wrote my notes from the doctor's visit. I looked up the correct spellings of the names and terms I didn't know, then the definitions. I put them in order. This led me to do the same with the medications (to be prescribed by someone else) he recommended. My insurance company won't give me the price of one until they approve it (!) and the other will cost $7,000 A MONTH after insurance. I crossed those off the list. I talked to several friends who take meds for the same condition (it is to build me up for surgery), wrote down the names of what they are taking, and researched those. Several are hard on the esophagus (and I have severe esophageal problems) and at least one shouldn't be taken by anyone with a history of endometriosis...which I had in SPADES. Later, when I picked up my $6 blood pressure drug, I talked to the pharmacist, and she suggested several that come as a nasal spray. Now, I'm not prescribing for myself, but when I see my family doctor Monday for my annual physical, I know what to discuss. Also, the recommended surgery can be risky (again, not fatal). I know someone who had the surgery and it failed. But, as I talked to her and wrote it down, I realized her underlying health problems (which I don't have) probably were the reason it didn't work. I am still not 100% at peace with this, but I am feeling a lot better about it.

      When I looked at my friend's notes, I didn't have a clue what to do or where to start. She has been everything from a construction worker to a nurse, and right now she just wants a job with a steady paycheck. I decided to just put everything down and see what to do next. I came across a resume template and entered it all there. Then I started rearranging. By golly, it worked! I was able to pull together a nice paragraph of the skills any employer would value, then listed her experience by the type of job. She was absolutely thrilled--couldn't see how to do it herself. Well, I couldn't either, until I started writing it down.

      This is a method I highly recommend for any task where you don't know where to start. START WRITING. I was a newspaper reporter, and whenever I had writer's block, I would write a general paragraph to start, then work off it to add supporting information. Once in awhile, that was as good as it got, but mostly it released my creative juices...and it always got me started (important when you are on a deadline).

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    3. Maxine, you did so much to help your friend! That is wonderful. Writing helps me too. It organises my thoughts from something that looks like a bowl of spaghetti into something more organised! xxx

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  11. Just a little test to see if my post gets through Annabel. If it does I’ll post properly later xxx Lorraine W.

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    1. Hello lovely, finally I am here with you and fellow Bluebirds.
      It’s been so long since I posted but I love catching up with everyone weekly.
      Your rosebud tin is just beautiful. I like to think of what it has been used for in its previous lives. Your idea to use it in the laundry with a pretty teacup sounds lovely. You’ll smile every time you make your laundry liquid.
      Apples- what a gift for you. I know you’ll make and use up every one. To make the little grandies so much goodness with them and the pumpkin mix for Sidney will certainly be a godsend for Lucy and I’m sure for Chloe later too.
      Your dishcloth is so pretty, you are such a prolific maker, I am in awe.
      I absolutely love your potholders- that material and ric rac finish are perfect. That’s another make that you’ll enjoy using as well as gifting. You’ve inspired me to make some for myself as yesterday I burnt 2 fingers trying to remove my banana cake from the oven with tea towels.
      What size is your finished holder please Annabel?
      Our 2 boy goats have left the nest, finally! Jeff just didn’t want them to go but they needed to be with their herd. They are Billy’s and getting to the age where they were too big for me to handle anymore- lots of testosterone and head butting etc. You get the picture.
      But the most wonderful thing is Louie, the biggest boy will leave the herd when Jeff calls him, run to him for a pat and scratch and happily rejoin his harem. He’ll never forget the human who raised him 💕
      I’ve been doing lots of mending, sewing laundry bags for my delicates, card making for numerous birthdays, decluttering and organising. Yes even though we’ve been in our little home for 10 months, I am reassessing what I really need and use to free up valuable space. I’ve taken loads of kitchen stuff- plastic ware, pots, Pyrex dishes etc and put them in ‘Quarantine “! In a storage container in the shed and if I haven’t used it in 6 months, then I don’t need it and will donate to the op shop.
      I’ve also swapped what’s on different shelves to make my kitchen, or should I say me, function more efficiently.
      My veggie garden is prolific. I’ve been picking loads of zucchini, capsicum, beetroot, potato, celery, strawberries, tomatoes and cucumber. I’ve been busy making tomato relish, zucchini dishes and grating, freezing and dehydrating lots. I never knew gardens were so much work in a good way.
      Well I’m looking forward to participating more this year my lovely friends. Have a great week everyone,
      Xx Lorraine W

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    2. Dear Lorraine, My finished pot holders have two layers of wool blanket and are 26cm square (10 inches) it seems a good size. For a really big baking dish I will use one on each side.
      Some animals remain your friend and good buddy forever. Sounds like you have one of these!
      You have been busy with lots of good things. As you have only been there for 10 months the fact that you have a prolific garden is amazing. You really hit the ground running when you got there! I have loved your whole journey! Thank you for persisting with posting! With love Annabel.xxx

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  12. Dear Annabel,
    I have just finished bottling eight jars of apricots and peaches - my first attempt at using my Fowlers preserving unit. I have been reading your blog and love your descriptions of your family and the life you lead on the farm. I wish I could find fruit growing on the side of the road as you describe ; it certainly is making the most of things. I remember going blackberry gathering as a child on the outskirts of Sydney and how lovely the sun warmed berries tasted.
    How exciting that one grand daughter is starting school - a whole new world for everyone !
    Virginia

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    1. Dear Virginia, Congratulations to starting bottling! Since you are in Australia try RipenearMe to see if there is any free produce near by. Also maybe your local buy swap and sell and family and friends. You never know. Many people have produce and waste it!
      Thank you very much! I am glad to have you here. Yes we can just take every opportunity and it is fantastic you are up and running with your preserving unit! With love Annabel.xxx

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  13. Annabel, you have such a good eye for finding treasures at the op shops plus gleaning fruits as you go out and about! I think it is such a good idea to pray and to expect great finds before we go out searching. It works for me. Your rose cannister is beautiful and also useful. You sure had a fantastic "normal" week!

    I had accumulated a big stack of items that needed repairing. I used a strong glue to patch up several things thereby extending the life of some flip-flops, a pair of shoes, a Christmas angel and a few small items.

    Garden preparations are in full swing. Raked-up leaves and pulled weeds go straight to the chicken pen or the compost pile. We are still harvesting spinach, parsley, green onions and cabbage. I need to start some seedlings in the green house and there is tilling to be done. We have been blessed with spring-like days and it is such a pleasure to be outside.

    Yesterday we canned jalapeno jelly and that's about all we have room for in the pantries. Everything, including the freezer, is chock full and I know all the hard work has been worth it!

    I love chickens, too, and your pot holders are the best! I could sit and watch my chickens all day. Ha! Like that's going to happen. Thank you, as always, for your wonderful inspiration.

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    1. Dear Pam,
      Well done on your repairs! I am a fan of superglue!
      Nice weather is such a bonus. You are still bringing in good things! What is left the chickens will take care of. There is no waste!
      I am happy to hear you are full up!
      I agree... chickens are happy and relaxing. Very joyful to have in our lives! With love, Annabel.xxx

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  14. Dear Annabel,
    You had such a beautiful week. Those apples are such a blessing- I know you'll put them to good use. I'm also excited for your laced Wyandotte chickens! We tried to get some a couple years ago but the store had their chicks labeled incorrectly so that's not what we ended up with lol.
    This week Colton worked on building an addition to the chicken coop. This will be used for hatching/raising our own chicks this spring.
    It was very much a "use it up" week in the kitchen. I'm working hard to eliminate as much waste as I can (and save money in the process) and what little their was went to the dogs or compost pile. I baked two apple cakes and we ate all meals at home. Colton brought a big tray of leftovers home from work so that was incorporated into the menu and helped stretch things.
    I made up a batch of miracle cleaner and decanted it into thrifted glass amber bottles. My FIL brought over a stack of newspapers that I'll use for cleaning glass. I also filled our foaming soap pump using baby shampoo. I have tons of this still left over from John so it is time to use it up! I also got some more jars washed and put away in the kitchen ready for use.
    In an effort to save even more, I dried all clothes on the line, or on the shower curtain rod if the weather was bad. I am interested to see how much it will save. I once read that the dryer is one of the biggest energy users, so hopefully it helps.
    I hope everyone is doing well. I know it has been awhile since I've commented. I feel like I've been tired for the past 5 months lol. But all is well here and we are all enjoying our little James, including John who is an excellent big brother and has decided that James is "his" baby. 😊 I hope everyone has a lovely weekend.
    Love, Kelsey

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    1. Dear Kelsey,
      It is so nice you are finding a little more time now James has settled into the family! But I know you would have your hands pretty full.
      I am so thrilled how John has decided to be such a beautiful big brother. Beautiful!
      You already have a good variety of chickens. I will post photos of these ones as they mature a bit.
      I like indoor drying racks. They do well and can dry quite quickly. When there is no sun or breeze I do this. But we dont get it so cold as I think you would. Have a great new week Kelsey! With love Annabel.xxx

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  15. Annabel, I love reading your posts - they inspire me!

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  16. What a nice catching up time I've had. Here we are in the middle of winter and there's no produce to be had from yard or field. However, there are still things to do. I worked on my pantry this week and found I had quite a lot that was near best by date. It's all canned and dried goods and I'm not worried, but it is incentive to use those things FIRST and then use the ones that are further out later. I made a separate list of just those items and will incorporate them into our meals starting this coming week.
    I have always called what I do to save extra items as 'harvests' at home. I saved bread end pieces from purchased bread to make croutons and crumbs and stratas and Fruit Betties. I also saved onion tops and tails to use in seasoning broths. I keep these in my freezer and then use them when I've a chicken or turkey frame to go into the soup pot. I normally do the same with fruit peels and cores especially apple as you can make jam with those.
    I checked my vinegar's progress in the pantry this week. It is beginning to smell of vinegar but hasn't yet formed a scoby. It's only 1 month old so there's plenty of time for it to do it's thing and form.
    We did not go into the grocery at all last week, all week long. That's a savings right there!
    I made a lovely pizza for our Saturday lunch. I've been doing these from scratch for several months now, since our favorite pizzeria closed down some time ago. It's saved us loads and I've learned to make quite a good crust and to use the pizza stone I bought years and years ago.
    I've spent the past month organizing my home and now it's time to sock into cleaning it deeply. I like to do this at the front part of every year as we acquire more than we think in a year's time and just need to let things go for others to use.

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    1. Dear Terri,
      I think the winter can be lovely for a break and to do other things! You are making good use of it!
      I very much like your thought of harvests at home! This is a good way to think of things.
      I am making my first vinegar. I will see how it goes! The first time is a bit uncertain!
      Your pizza sounds good. I have a lot of cherry tomatoes so I might make one too! You had a really productive good week Terri, with love Annabel.xxx

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  17. Such lovely photos this week Annabel! Apples are really expensive here at the moment, yours look great. I think it is so helpful for you to prepare food for your grandchildren, Lucy must be very grateful.

    School starts tomorrow, I have two heading to new schools so there are a few nerves in with the excitement. And so much to buy! I’ve decided to make Feb a spend-free month to recover lol.

    I cut out loads of squares to make a quilt for my nephew due in April, I really wanted to make a crochet blanket but I don’t have much yarn. I do have a lot of fabric so a quilt it is! I am forcing myself to stick to not buying more craft supplies, it is a struggle for me!

    Have a lovely week
    Jen (NZ)

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  18. I always love to read what you get from the Op Shops. I want to get over to our local "Thrift" Shop this coming week. This past week we had a snow storm that dumped 10-12" on our area. I only went to the grocery after work on Friday to stock up on produce and dairy. The roads are only now starting to get manageable.
    While you were gathering chickens, we were sorting out and weaning calves. We will have our beef butchered this summer and sell the rest. Farmer put 2 heifers in with the herd so they can be bred.
    We continue to eat from the pantry and freezers. God is stretching our food. I don't see having to get much for the next several months.

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  19. All those apples are amazing. What a blessing for your family! I second using the dehydrator for some, I cut mine up into thin slices they are yummy as a snack. I have been making the most of my free fruit and vegetables from our volunteer work and trying extra hard not to waste anything! Ive been saving the water from boiled vegies to make stock. There was lots of bok choy last week so I made a yummy soup, my dehydrator has been going every day. There is always lots of stone fruit and the good ones Ill eat fresh while the sad ones get dried, stewed or made into a crumble or jam. After my family is sorted and hampers for the community are made any leftover veg gets cooked up to feed the dogs or composted. Sunday is when we do the collection and hubby and I always get excited about what we will get, its a bit like Christmas! xx

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  20. I just love your chicken fabric and cotton washcloths! I had some chicken fabric and made place mats. So cute. Thanks for sharing your projects - keeps me inspired😊

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  21. The hen photo looks like Plymouth Barred Rock, not Wyandotte. (Though the two breeds look very similar) Either way, you will be pleased as both are beautiful breeds and good layers. Thank you for these posts....they are so encouraging in trying times. Blessings, Jessie D.

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    1. Dear Jessica, Thank you! The hen was a lovely one I got a decent photo of and I just used this photo since my three are at that awkward scrawny stage! So you are right!
      I am going to have a seperate hen house for these and hope to breed some! Well I will try!
      Thank you for your kind words! With love Annabel.xxxx

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  22. Hi Annabel! The computer updated so I'm hoping my comments will finally go through.
    Sidney is going to love is bone broth/pumpkin baby food. And the apples too. You can also sneak in a little carrot in with the pumpkin too if you have any that need used up. And I love the canister you found it's simply gorgeous! And your potholders with the chickens are just too cute. I have a few black and white chickens and they are such sweeties.
    I wasn't able to add anything to my pantry this week, but I did use up some things that needed used. I like when nothing gets wasted! Another stray showed up and she's pretty small so we took a box and put a bed in it for her and I had scraps of fabric that I was able to make a small blanket for her. It's really cold so we put a heating mat under the box to keep her warm. I like to cook and bake on really cold days and the days the snow is falling it is glorious to see especially if the cardinals and blue jays are in the trees.
    The eggs from our new layers are still pretty small so I've been using two instead of one when baking and it works out fine. Amazingly even though it's cold we are getting almost a dozen eggs a day! Lol too bad we don't have any babies here these little eggs would be the perfect size for a baby's breakfast.
    XOXO
    Vicky

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  23. Hi Annabel and Bluebirds

    Hope everyone if well and productive.

    What beautiful material for your potholders Annabel.

    We have been looking after our neighbours animals and they have chickens so we were collecting 6 eggs per day which has been wonderful. Our neighbour does share eggs with us as we keep out vegetable scraps for the chickens.

    Made up lots of different items for the freezer for school lunches and the eggs were a wonderful yellow colour in the cakes.
    There are banana & oat cupcakes, mini teddy and heart biscuits, chocolate custard,banana cookies, choc chip and banana muffins among other items. I have these all in labelled containers to make it easy for DD10 to pack her lunch. Having a variety of things lets her change up what she has each day as she rarely takes sandwiches. She will take a muffin over a sandwich with some cut up veggies, fruit or crackers and cream cheese. I am about to go and make her Le Snak cheese as well.

    As DD10 had a night away DP and I had some time alone and went out for a lovely lunch and got to planning her birthday and her presents (not until end of May) but at least we can put some money aside each week as we know what she would like and what we would like to get her.

    I have plenty of pumpkin here but sadly no babies so I might have to turn it into soup or possibly scones.

    Hope you have a wonderful week.

    Take Care
    Aly xxx

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