Feather your Nest Friday, 19th August, 2022.

After being away last week I did some catching up.  I was only home a day when Quail started hatching and over three days I got  seventeen chicks!  


The secret to a good hatch rate is not wanting them all to hatch!  I had so many eggs I was wondering what I would do if they all were successful!   I was back to watching eggs wobbling.  I find it absolutely impossible not to look every five minutes!   

In the mornings I would run out to see how many babies arrived overnight.  I would lift the lid to find another few.   






In between all this fluffing around I caught up with the washing, floors, garden, linen and so on!

Mum came home from the city so I made her some Blueberry Muffins as they have been a hit with her.


I have been asked for the recipe so here it is:

Note... I make the Gluten Free.  I do not use any special GF recipes.  I just use GF flour where a recipe calls for regular flour.  So you can make these either Gluten Free or regular.

4 cups Self Raising flour,
1 cup melted butter,
2 cups raw sugar,
4 eggs,
2 teaspoons vanilla extract,
1 cup milk,
2 to 3 cups Blueberries.  (or any berries.  If you are short of berries add a spoon of berry jam or chop an apple and throw that in.) 

Mix your eggs and sugar, add butter, milk, extract then flour.  When well mixed add your berries.  Mix until some of the berries burst making your mixture pink.    Put into muffin cases/liners, sprinkle the top of each muffin with a little bit of raw sugar.  Bake around 200C for about 20 mins. Test with skewer.   When cool dust with icing sugar.   Muffins freeze wonderfully! 


Every day I have tried to add to my pantry or freezer.   I joined the #everybitcountschallenge and I will report in on Monday with each thing I did towards this.  It has given me an extra bit of motivation and it is working!

I tried a new pasta recipe.  It was pretty good.  It was basically chicken, sun dried tomatoes, parmesan, onion, garlic, spinach and cream...    

I have a funny story.  The friend who bought me two bulls on loan was preparing to sell them.    It worked out I had the bulls for two months exactly.   This means I can expect calves between the end of March next year and the end of May.  I write dates into my diary.  I was so thankful for this.   Anyway our friend said he had a stock agent coming to look at the bulls and they would be out in the front paddock.   He knows our cows are pretty tame and he praised me up for turning the wild cows from out the back into docile cows.  He said he never would have believed it possible!   So he and the stock agent were out there in the ute with the windows down looking at the bulls when my big steer Loui came along and stuck his whole head through the window into the ute.  I think they nearly jumped out!  Loui was just looking for biscuits. They were totally amazed how he was so friendly and had to have his head in the window.  I think there was a lot of laughter after the initial shock!   Then he told me his two bulls were now so docile and had put on a heap of weight and he was so happy!   Win win!  😊

I only have photos from a year ago but this is my friendly steer.  He has grown so much since then. 


This was his head in Andy's window.   But his head is a lot bigger now and I doubt it even fits right in.  I will make a point to get some up to date photos of him as his size is DAUNTING.



Now I have another story.  I file these away in my head as when I see Harper and Scarlett they say "tell us a story!"  They mean real life stories as we have plenty of hilarious ones like the time my Dad jumped off the chook house when he was little as he thought he could fly.   They love that one.    Anyway....  when I hatched Bantams in the incubator I had a mixture... regular hens and Bantams of several types.  I wasn't even sure the names of them as I was given the eggs.   When they hatched there was one tiny chick that was maybe a quarter the size of the rest.  He was so small I didn't think he would survive.   But he turned out to be small but with plenty of pluck and also noisy!    
Recently the chicks were promoted to a cage which is inside of the big outdoor hen house.  Like a house within a house for extra protection.   This is my way of keeping little ones safe and also introducing new hens to the flock.  The trouble was I found that Pipsqueek could just walk through the bars of that cage.  He mainly stayed with the group but if he saw me coming he would slip through the bars and terrifyingly he would also come straight under the gate of the big hen house into the outside world.  Being completely tame he would just run towards me.   I thought his days are numbered at this rate.  Each day I would pick him up and put him back where he is meant to be.


The little guy here is Pipsqueek.   

During the week we did a renovation job on an old cage... this is quite a big old low cage with a mesh bottom for grazing.  It had rotted out on top and that needed new wood and a general mending.   The plan was to use it for my mature Quail cage.   It is too low for chickens but just lovely for Quail!

I decided to see if Pipsqueek might get on ok with the Quail.   He is so small he is around one third the size of them.   I took a box with me to catch the Quail and move them into this renovated cage.  We had it on grass under a tree all ready.    I filled the nesting area with soft hay to keep them warm.


Catching the Quail just means bending over and picking them up as they come to me and they don't run away.  Except for the very last one which is my only white one.  I went to get her and she flew straight up into the air like a helicopter and flew straight over the fence.   I had to leave her go and deal with the ones I had.   Then I went for a walk with my butterfly net and listened.   Listening didn't work but after a little walk her bright white colouring showed up in the grass under some branches.   She was easy to catch thankfully.    Now I had all of them I watched them for a while. They seemed to take no notice of Pipsqueek and no aggression or anything, maybe they think he is just another Quail.   So I hope now he is safe and sound where I can keep an eye on him.    



All of this messing around takes up a lot of time.   Just saying!

I had plenty of eggs so I made up two big Quiches/Impossible pies (no pastry) and they were delicious.   I used a heap of sun dried cherry tomatoes in them,  from summer.


Also more scones.... they are basically weekly.


As well as putting the eggs to good use I had another put -it -to -good -use  project.   Amongst my Uncles things there was an outdoor table and chairs.   They really needed a make over.   In the city I found a soft green spray paint and now they are part of the courtyard where I have my container gardens.  I think they look lovely!  


Today I made a batch of cup cakes with pink icing as tomorrow I am going to see Lucy and her family.   Due to covid, other illnesses,  Mums surgery...  I haven't seen them in weeks.   It is the longest I have not seen them EVER.   It has been really hard especially when they were sick.   I have loaded the car with eggs,   veggies and Bay Leaves for the swap table,  I have the cup cakes and spaghetti sauce to take.    I am so excited!    

Tonight it is steadily raining.   I am happy to get to the end of the week and lay in bed listening to the rain on the roof.

How was your week?  I hope you found many ways to build up your home and feather your nest.  xxx

























Comments

  1. Your table and chairs look lovely, it's amazing what a coat of paint can do.

    It's blackberry (bramble) time here, so I have been picking and am in the process of making bramble jelly. I also picked rose hips to make rosehip syrup, apparently they're better after the first frost, so I'll make this batch then wait before I pick anymore. I already have a favourite bramble patch!

    I tried making yogurt from evaporated milk, very easy but a distinctly odd consistency. I also made oat milk, I am not vegan nor have any intention of so becoming, but I thought it might be a cheaper milk alternative for on cereal. What a faff! I have tried 2 different methods and I can't say that I am impressed with either, frankly I have better things to do with my time!

    I found interesting instructions for making up a daal mix in a jar, so I have made 3, the instructions say to use 2 jars of water to cook it in, but I'll probably use tinned tomatoes and add whatever veg I have to hand, not authentic but it should work ok.

    Now for my bargain of the week, a really beautiful little chair for my bedroom. It's got lovely turning on the back and the cane seat is still intact, I paid a whole £1 for it. A older gentleman got talking to me, it turned out he used to restore furniture for a living, apparently it's a 1940's child's chair with a boxwood inlay. He was amazed at what I paid for it. He was most insistent that I only wiped it down with a damp cloth, so that is exactly what I have done. I absolutely love it, it's perfect for my tiny bedroom, I shall cherish it.

    I have been cross stitching this week, nothing fancy, just pre-printed stuff, but I do like a nice repetitive craft. The one I am currently doing came in a bundle of patchwork fabrics last week, I already have threads, so it really cost nothing!

    I hope everyone has a good week, take care and stay safe.

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    1. Dear Su, How fantastic to have Blackberries to pick! I know picking berries takes ages (Well Mulberries do!) but it is worth it. And Rosehips are so full of vitamin C they are wonderful too.
      I have also done a few experiments with yoghurt. Some have worked some not! But the chickens seem to like the failures. I like yoghurt to be thick and creamy... it seems high fat milk gets the best results. Powdered milk on hand is my emergency plan. I have sachets of starter. But these contain soy and I hate that so I am working on having my own starter frozen..
      I love the sound of the chair and that you got it for one pound! Nice work!
      Something to work on quietly I think is very relaxing. I need this of an evening it helps me relax and sleep. Have a beautiful Sunday and new week! With love Annabel.xxx

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  2. I love the table set, what a pretty soft color! I've not seen the muffin liner cups like you have. They are very pretty. I saw Patera from Appalacias Homestead use a canning ring and paper cup and will have to try that.
    * I have two refrigerators with freezers and then two upright freezers and they are all full. My husband told me that I couldn't buy anything else for the freezers as nothing would fit...challenge accepted, lol. No, really I have a goal to can as much as I can from the freezers. I am afraid of power outages. My only problem is things keep coming in from the garden and I need to can them and am not getting my freezers done. I'm trying to spend all day on Mondays canning. This past Monday I canned pureed tomatoes. pickled jalapeño peppers, and I had enough cucumbers to pickle 10 pints. I may do two days canning for a few weeks to get more done.
    * I took two boxes and went through my inside freezer and seperated meat in one box and vegetables and fruit in one and then put them back in the freezer more organized. I made a lost of what I have in it and then came up with a menu for 7 days to use items. My husband always like my cooking and I was laughing because I made one up last night and after eating I asked if he wanted me to put some in a container for lunch and he said, "No. " He never complained eating it, but I guess wasn't going though that again, LOL.
    * I am hosting our Bible Study at my home every Friday, which is great because I am forced to keep everything really clean. I have done baseboards, kitchen cabinets, windows, refrigerator.
    * We have finally gotten a few rains after months of dry temps over 100⁰. My garden loves it and it looking good. My rain barrels are full. I need to plant my fall garden this weekend. I have tomatoes, and about 15 plants I took the suckers and put in water that have good roots and are ready to pot them up. I have zucchini and yellow squash still producing well. My okra was doing great and ants have ravaged them. They are clustering at the base of the okra eating into each pod. I've been cutting the pods and cutting off that section and salvaging what I can. I need to treat the beds with ant bait that carries the bait to the queen.
    *I rarely shop anymore. I went out Wednesday and got a top, picture, and Paula Deen cookbook from a thrift store. I found a cute top at TJ Maxx and a set of three glass storage containers I use for husband's lunch and leftovers. Online yardsale I got a sofa for $50 for my bedroom. It was her grandmother's fancy couch with wood trim that she had reupholstered in an ivory linen/canvas type material. When I picked it up she had a bookcase and I asked about it. She said $20 for it so I put it in the guest room to display my quilts on.

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    1. Dear Holly, What a wonderful week! My tip on the cup cake/muffin liners is try eBay or Wish as they have a lot in any designs and colour. Very cheap too. Just check the dimensions you dont want small it is better they are medium or large. Otherwise cut circles from non stick baking paper then cut into the circles slits so they will sit in a muffin tray as a liner. That also works pretty well.
      You found amazing deals at the thrift store! I love the sound of this couch! Also the quilts looks so nice in the bookshelf! (for those reading Holly shared how it looked in the Tuesday Club) You did so much work with your pantry and freezers! And I agree... there is nothing like house guests to motivate extra cleaning and tidying up! That is true for me!
      Really a very productive week! With love Annabel.xxx

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  3. Dear Annabel, The chicks are so cute. They do all look different, it would have been fascinating watching them all hatch. I am crossing my fingers and toes that the eggs under my little bantam will hatch tomorrow or Sunday. We have unbelievably had sickness in the house again. We are all very tired of it. We cannot wait for Spring. I have had two daffodils come out. I have been able to give away 2 dozen eggs this week. Love Clare

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    1. Dear Clare, I am hoping your chicks hatch! You might already have some! However if none appear today just leave her as I have had them arrive a couple of days later than I expected. I hope to hear good news though!
      I am so sorry about the sickness. This happened to Lucys family. They recovered from covid then had repeated rounds of relapses. It was a nightmare. Finally now they are all well and I went to see them yesterday and it was a celebration! Spring is close too! We see the signs everywhere. Daffodils are a wonderful sign! It is great you and two dozen spare eggs too! I hope you all get a good rest today and everyone is on the mend. With love Annabel.xxx

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  4. Dear Annabel,

    Your stories are hillarious and made me laugh out loud. Pipsqueek is already my favourite one! although all your chickens are pretty. I absolutely adore the table and chairs, both the colour and shape of them. So elegant and stylish! And with nice memories attached. My kind of things...

    I was thinking of you everyday of this week and you were my extra bit of motivation - I was very busy working / harvesting / crocheting / cooking / I wish my days would have 27 hours.

    I airdry / sundry herbs from my garden like basil, mint, thyme, cellery, and tarragon, and use the dehydrator for tomatoes and apples. Made some plum jam and cucumber pickles and put in the freezer a big bunch of fries eggplants - we use them with mayo and fine chopped onions spread on a slice on bread or just with onion and olive oil.

    My golden ladies are very friendly and calm, I have eggs coming in every day, they are so easy to have them I wonder why I did not do this step way before. But I guess now I felt the urge to be prepared like God is telling me to make the most of my space and my work.

    Bartering starts here too, like it was back in the communism period when everything was at a very minimum. I was given fresh produce from my new neighbor across the street from her garden and we gave her some homemade wine - we will have some good harvest this year too, our blue grapes look delicious.

    All the prices are very high, even at the farmers market - but I prefer to buy from them, like on this Sunday we went and bought the eggplants, bell peppers and cucumbers from a farmer stand in front of their gate. Nice, honest, hardworking people. It is not easy to grow food or raise animals.

    The heat is around 100 and over but we had some rain and save a good quantity of fresh rain water.

    I try to concentrate on the good and positive things and be busy everyday

    Love from Laura_s_world from Romania

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    1. Dear Laura, I am so touched that you are thinking of me as you are working away! Truly I think of you and many of the ladies as I work too. I feel it is like working along with friends. We are not alone. We have friends to tell what we did and celebrate with. This motivates me to do more always.
      I love how your hens have settled in and you are finding them so good. Yes they are so easy! They really bring joy because hens are always happy and so thrilled with greens, scraps, weeds! And the eggs... eggs are really amazing. An egg is a complete food, perfect protein, iron etc. Protein can be the thing that is harder in times of lack. But not when you have chickens!
      I think from the farmer gate is a good way to buy. Support the farmer! Now your days are already long and busy but I will tell you a tip. Leave a note for the farmer. Say you are a buyer from the stall. Im thinking this is an honestly system stall at the gate and you dont normally see the farmer? Anyway if this is the case leave a note and say you would be interested in seconds/imperfect produce as you preserve, make jam etc and you never know you might score boxes of produce very cheaply. It is possible!
      It is good some bartering is happening! You also have your needlework as an added possibility in bartering!
      The heat is difficult but it is good for your air drying! Also in the heat I wash the quilts, underlays and thick bed linens, blankets etc and sun dry them and they smell heavenly after. I love to do that!
      You did so well with a fantastic week Laura! With love Annabel.xxx

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  5. Hi Annabel. What great animal stories you have this week! Aren't they the best entertainment for us? Do you still have Laffy? I haven't seen him (her?) show up lately :-). You are such a good animal caretaker/trainer! They respond well to your loving care.

    I've put your best-use-of-time tips to good use this week and tried to keep my dawdling to a minimum. One of my bad habits! I cleaned out the upper shelf of my big freezer and found beef roasts, ground beef and soup bones that needed to be used up or canned. Out came the canner and I got that job done yesterday. I was able to buy round steak and shoulder roasts this week for $3.99 a pound. I'm sure that's the result of the big cattle sell-off in our area due to the dry conditions.

    We finally got a light rain - just enough to cause a few green things to appear. That is good news for my chicks as it's been so dry I've not had any thing green to toss to them. They get so excited over a bit of greenery.

    Your inherited table and chairs are beautiful. I bet your uncle would be happy to see them so pretty and put to good use.

    I am still de-cluttering and have quite a lot for donation. I baked oatmeal cookies, blueberry muffins and yesterday a big chicken pot pie. There was plenty left over for the freezer. I keep having to rotate things out of the freezer! Have a lovely weekend, all!

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    1. Dear Pam,
      Yes Laffy is still with us and she is very tame but she is not so bold as Loui. I love her.
      Your chicken pot pie sounds delicious. Also cookies and muffins sound lovely.
      I understand how much chicken like some greenery. I just took mine some scraps, some spinach and some weeds. They were very happy!
      Great work on the freezer! Also very good buy on the meat! This sell off situation... I think now is the time to stock up on meat all you can. After a big sell off there will be a big lull and prices could go way up then. You had a very good week! With love Annabel.xxx

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  6. A cup of coffee or tea with your muffins at that beautiful table would be just lovely! Your story about Pipsqueek is so hilarious! I hope you will continue to update us on his progress and what he grows up to be!

    We are like you in that we are trying to put something away or work on that every day. I have to confess to have gotten weary of the worry over it all. We went to Aldi this week and many prices were down significantly. This is something that I hope will continue! I am thinking that we are still in for a long rough ride.

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    1. Dear Lana, You are doing great working on something every day. Do that and try not to worry. Faith + action = peace. I 100% believe God has told us what to do and we have been doing that and He is guiding us. I think you are right but we will make it. I am glad I could make you laugh too! With much love Annabel.xxx

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  7. Looks like you have been really busy and productive this week! Love the little quail! Your baking and cooking look great and your newly painted bistro set is very nice!
    I have canned another 17 pints of salsa from my garden tomatoes and frozen peppers from last year’s harvest! Small amounts here and there seem to be adding up! It’s now 24 jars of salsa canned, counting last weeks 7 jars! And I dehydrated the tomato skins again and my jar is half full of tomato powder! Those skins otherwise would have gone to chooks or compost pile! While those are good things, I think this is even better!
    I finished quilting and binding the quilt I am donating to the fundraising auction my friend is running for Pelatonia (a cancer research non-profit). I love the quilt. It is made 100% from my stash of scraps! I pieced the batting together too. It delights me to see how leftover bits can be turned into something lovely and useful! ❤️
    I had 4 different events that came up- 3 new families moved into our Church congregation and another person was baptized so I baked cookies- tons of cookies- for all 4 occasions! That’s when I’m so grateful for my abundant pantry with my flour (50 cents/5 pounds), sugar (99 cents for 4 pounds) and other baking ingredients that I bought on sale/clearance and have in my food storage! So much easier to share when we already have the supplies/ingredients right here at home!
    Our end of summer veg are starting to shoot up so hopefully, we will have another big harvest of green beans and peas!
    I love this time of the year and am grateful that there are still so many opportunities out there if we open our eyes to them!

    Gardenpat in Ohio

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    1. Dear Gardenpat, I think the quilts you make from your fabric scraps are the best quilts. The use of scraps and old clothing etc... that is why I love quilts so much. Women being creative with what they had. Just beautiful.
      The salsa sounds so good! I think baking for the new families and the baptism is lovely. Yes... with a well stocked pantry we can feed people, help people... at a moments notice.
      I hope your beans and peas give you a great end of summer harvest. With Spring ahead I am getting excited... usually the end of summer is exhausting but the produce coming in is fabulous! Yes there are opportunities... if we keep our eyes open as you say. So many of the fruit trees I pick from I only know about from keeping my eyes open! As things begin to blossom right now I think ohhh I wonder what kind of tree that is... and check back later in case it might be fruit I can pick! I have a lot of apple trees I found this way! Have a great new week Pat. With love Annabel.xxx

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  8. Your stories about all your animals and birds leave me chuckling, Annabel. You certainly have a way with your critters! Great job on all the foodstuffs and repainting the patio table and chairs, I love that soft green color. Enjoy your long-awaited time with family, too!!

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    1. Thanks so much Jill. It was hard to pick a colour for the painting but I imagined it in my back yard and fitting in... and now I like it. I did have a beautiful day seeing my youngest daughter and her family. It was fantastic. I feel so much better having seen everyone! Have a great new week! Love Annabel.xxx

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  9. Debby in Kansas USA19 August 2022 at 10:57

    Love the stories! Did you ever find out what Pipsqueak was? He sure is a little cutie!!
    I think nearly every family has a brave soul that tries to fly!! Bless their poor momma's hearts!!!

    We just finished with COVID here. Not as bad as the flu, but still not fun. The coughing lingers for a long time. House is in need of a real good cleaning. That'll start on Monday when I've rested up.

    I'm looking so forward to Autumn and cooler temps. It's the best season to be creative.

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    1. Dear Debby, No I am not sure what kind of Bantam Pipsqueek is. Worlds smallest though! I hope you are all feeling much better! Yes I can imagine wanting to freshen everything up, I do the same after illness. Wash the linen all fresh and clean, surfaces, doorknobs... and I usually change to new toothbrushes! I always tell the girls that, change to new or disinfect tooth brushes! Have a great new week! With love Annabel.xxx

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  10. hi annabel, love the quail. what do you do with them when they are grown, do you treat them like chickens or what? this has been a good week, except for a bum knee that came on suddenly. it sure puts a damper on activities as i like to keep busy all the time. husband says to take it easy for a few days, right. haha this week have canned tomatoes and carrots, and tomorrow i want to do some more tomatoes and spiced peaches from a tree that came up in our compost pile a few years ago. last year it produced 80 peaches and this year 200. we call it our blessing tree. God is so good. this morning i made baked oatmeal with cinnamon and blueberries and some breakfast burritos for the freezer. these recipes came from acre homestead videos. she is such a good teacher. guess that is all for this week. have a good one and take care all you bluebirds out there. bonnie

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    1. Dear Bonnie,
      I had a bad knee that lasted months. I hope yours comes good. Knees are famous for problems!
      I am keeping the adult Quail and will be collecting the eggs and trading with those. When I have enough Quail I hope to trade with them and set others up in them. I love your self sown peach tree, how fantastic! I love Acre homestead too! I have never made burritos... only yesterday I was learning how. Because they freeze well they are going to suit us. I will check out Beckys video and recipe. Her days cooking with her Mum are my favourite! You did a lot! Tomatoes and carrots on the shelf are fantastic! Good job. I hope your knee is ok! With love Annabel.xxx

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  11. Dear Annabel,
    I always enjoy reading your posts even if i don't have much time to comment. The chicks are adorable, and I love how Pipsqueak has joined the quail.
    The table and chair set are absolutely beautiful. That is just my style. Blessings, Laura

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    1. Dear Laura, Thank you! I am loving the table and chairs too! I should have shown a before photo but they were grim. Thanks so much for commenting! With love Annabel.xxx

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  12. Morning Annabel and Bluebirds,
    Love your table and chairs. About 18 months ago I painted our outdoor furniture and it came up beautifully. The new colour really shows off the details of it. I originally picked them up at our local eco store/ dump shop for $120. After I painted them I brought new cushions, they are actually waterproof pet cushions, but they are the perfect colour and size for the sofa and chairs. I am going to sew Velcro on them to help keep them in place.
    This spring my project is to restore my great grandmothers singer sewing machine. I loved as a little girl and inherited it when my Uncle died 3 years ago.
    The quail chicks are just gorgeous. What a laugh Louis is, popping in for some bickies. He was probably as shocked as the men to find they didn't have any.
    Thank you for the muffin recipe they are on my to make list for tomorrow.
    I am going over to see my mum and dad and will take some with me.
    Have a lovely time today with the family.

    Mandy (NZ)

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    1. Dear Mandy,
      Your outdoor set sounds lovely and I really love to eat outside, it is like an extra room of the house in good weather. The sewing machine project will be fantastic. I do think you can get everything for Singers still as I know a few people who even replaced the belt for the treadle foot. I used to sit on my Nanas knee and I loved learning too ew with her. I was chief needle threader.
      I hope you got on ok with the muffin recipe. I need to make some more and am going to use whatever berries are in the freezer. Have a great new week! With love Annabel.xxx

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  13. JulieT from Minnesota19 August 2022 at 17:34

    I am trying to do some harvesting and preserving each day. Monday it was pints of tomato soup, Tuesday dehydrated a basil bush!, Wednesday it was half pints of candied jalapeño, Thursday it was blanched and frozen kale, and Friday it was canned pints of diced tomatoes. If I do something each day I don’t get as worn out and it adds to the food storage. We are eating a lot out of the garden as well. So yummy fresh! I made a tablecloth from thrift store fabric. Trying to sew an item a week, I have many projects stacked up and by working on one a week I am making a dent.

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    1. Dear Julie, You did such a lot. The table cloth is beautiful. (for anyone reading Julie posted photos on The Tuesday Club our fb group). Well done on preserving something everyday! I think I need to follow your lead and get back to sewing. I could make something each week a gaol. I was sewing 15 minutes a day and then garden and animals sort of took over. Well done on a great week! With love Annabel.xxx

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  14. Dear Annabel,
    Thanks for sharing your stories and projects. It has been especially inspiring to read about your work at building your flocks. I was able to purchase Brahma hens from a friend. And I 'm looking into buying a hen house separate from my main hen house. Also I've been doing a little preserving each day.
    Blessings to all,
    Leslie

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    1. Dear Leslie, It is fantastic to get the new chickens! I am keen on having a second hen house even from the view of if something gets in and kills hens you have a second flock. I have done this... like not putting all your eggs in one basket, literally!
      Well done on the preserving too! I have another Bantam sitting... It has been a great year for building my flock as you say! With love Annabel.xxx

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  15. Hi Annabel. I love Pipsqueak! I am glad he has found a home with fluffy butts his own size.
    I have been procrastinating for so long. I have been in a 'when the ex DIL's gear is finally picked up, I will be able to...'. The gear is still here. This week I woke up to myself and have been getting things done, so that things are the way I want them now. Windows and window covers have been washed. The barby and outdoor kitchen have received a much needed scrub. The kitchen oven has been given a deep clean. Bluey told me that the house looks like ours once more.
    The dehydrator has been working on items for the pantry. I dehydrated the shredded ginger I used for cordial making, then I ground it into a sweet ginger powder. This will be perfect in baking and smoothies. It could also be added to tea. Bluey bought a whole rump at a super good price and minced this for our Freezer. Our son bought another and minced it and gave it to his sister and her family. What a fantastic gift.
    The dehydrator currently has five trays of garden greens for the greens powder jar in the pantry. It also has a tray of what I hope will be passionfruit leather. I havent made this for years and am not sure if it will work. We can only try.
    I love that green that you used on your outdoor setting. I love those lacey outdoor settings. I am getting ready to paint a few pieces of furniture in my house. The colour is a point of debate at the moment.
    Have a wonderful week.

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    1. Dear Jane, Nothing makes things feel better like clean windows. We have ad so much rain and storms.. as soon as I can tell Spring is here I am going to do all the windows.
      The mince will be great to have and I think that is such a kind and helpful gift that your son gave your daughter and family. The dehydrator has been working hard!
      I wanted the outdoor setting to look nice amongst my container gardens. I am really pleased with it now after not being sure what colour to use!
      Have a very good week and I hope all that stuff is gone soon! With love Annabel.xxx

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  16. Dear Annabel, I love the sound of Pipsqueak. So cute! Seeing the chicks hatch would be adorable. Thank you for the muffin recipe, I will definitely try it, that’s a great idea about the jam too. I love the sound of your car being full to go to Lucy’s house. How sweet the girls want to hear stories. I am trying to put things to good use, it is fun! Lots of love, Lily

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    1. Dear Lily, I love when funny things happen and give me more stories to tell!
      I hope you like the muffins. I want to try it with half apples and half berries next. Have a very good week! With love Annabel.xxx

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  17. Another wonderful week you have had !! I look every Friday for a post ❤️
    I have just started grinding my own wheat berries and making my own flour - making fresh bread.
    Have you ever looked into this ?
    Apparently people who are gluten can eat fresh milled wheat and there are so many health benefits. Many people have said it’s actually healed their guts and they no longer have to be gluten free.

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    1. Thank you so much! I have had a grain mill and I milled and make my own bread for quite a few years. I do think this is much healthier. For myself wheat makes my whole body ache. Some other grains do too. I dont know why. Now the pain isn't worth it to me so I dont eat any. If I was storing a lot of flour I would say store the berries as they keep 25 years plus. Very good long term food storage! xxx

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  18. Hi Annabel,your cooking is beautiful, I have been busy with extra shifts at work ,so in between have been cooking & adding extras to the freezer,,johns been planting vegtables today I want to cook your muffin recipe can I add lemon curd?,you continue to inspire me with all you do
    Have a great weekend xx

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    1. Dear Melissa, I would add the lemon curd when they are cooked, cut out a disk from the top of the muffin, place in a spoon of the curd, pop the disk on top then dust with icing sugar. Yum! How exciting to get veggies planted! Have a beautiful Sunday! With love Annabel.xxx

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  19. I am so envious of all who can participate in the #everybitcounts challenge! I have only a few herbs growing here and really need only so many. I don't have a dehydrator nor pressure canner and everything I think I could do requires one or the other. However, I am doing all I can possibly do to make sure we have no waste of food. I made banana muffins with two ripe bananas and froze some strawberries that I was not able to finish eating. I am saving to buy a big upright chest freezer, and refuse to put extra money towards anything else until I have realized that financial goal. I'm following all sorts of folks online to learn to do more with all I have. Jessica at Three RiversHomestead and RuthAnnZimm are both inspiring. Recently discovered My Kitchen Tanja on YouTube. I'm not sure what country she is in but she's apparently sponsored by a paprika/seasoning company. She does a lot of hot water bath canning including chicken (five hours on top of stove!) and I am watching all of these things and trying to absorb and learn. I'm also planning for the future.

    I had to keep a sick two year old this past week but hope this week to get a small fall garden plot started in pots...Fingers crossed!

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    1. Dear Terri,
      I think you are participating in the challenge without even knowing. Every meal you put away, all the canned goods you add to the pantry all count! I thinking your upright freezer will be wonderful! A very good savings goal.
      I am going to go find RuthAnnZimm... as I already follow Jessica. I am trying to learn all I can too and am learning more everyday. The muffins sounds beautiful. And the strawberries you froze... see! That was your #everybitcountschallege action for the day!
      You did wonderful work caring for your sick little one. That alone was a big job but a big blessing to both the child and the parents. With much love Annabel.xxx

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    2. Dear Annabelle,
      You always amaze me. I love your posts, I love your farm, i love how you take care of your family, and I love the way you set something back, literally all the time.
      However, the thing I love most is when you encourage someone like Teri. She has no idea how special she is, until you encourage her.
      You speak God’s love into each of us every week. I’m so grateful for you as always, Patti in California

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  20. Hi Annabel

    Glad to read that your Mum is home and I am sure that she would have appreciated the muffins that you made for her. I bet that Harper and Scarlett have missed seeing you.

    I have been just lurking the last few weeks as I was so tired and past it when I was reading at night. DP had Covid but was sick for longer than the usual 7 to 10 days and whilst DD12 and I did not have to isolate if we tested every 2 days I still limited our movements by me driving her to school and only going to the general store in the last few days of his illness as I had done an online order for delivery and great friends helping out. So by the time he finished isolation he would have been home from work again. We waved him goodbye last night to start back today after 21 days (the most we have seen him at once in about 2 years for our holiday) and of course my freezer is going to need some restocking as there were some nights when I just could not be bothered to cook.
    With his time off he spent looking at accommodation for us to go home and spend Christmas with my Mum....we will pick her up for a 10 day holiday on Christmas Eve. Now I am busy making her a quilt for Christmas.

    I so love seeing the pictures of all your animals. Watching them grow is the best part.

    With only 3 weeks to school holidays left I am planning on getting in and doing some spring cleaning. The mornings and nights are cool but the days are so lovely it already feels like spring here. I have even started my list of things to do...guessing your influence over the many years have rubbed off on me in so many ways

    Take Care
    Aly xxx

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    1. Dear Aly,
      Oh I am sorry you have had a pretty rough time with DP and covid. I hope he is feeling heaps better. Sickness sure hits hard in a household.
      It is lovely you have Christmas plans to look forward to! And a quilt will be a beautiful gift for your Mum. I have started Spring cleaning early too! It is light longer and so many signs of Spring. So I began this week!
      I hope the household is getting back to normal, with much love Annabel.xxx

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