Feather your Nest Friday, 25th of August, 2025.

August 25, 2023

Feather your Nest Friday, 25th of August, 2025.

This week I didn't manage a Nana post, I was behind and a bit under the weather and caught up with replies instead. I am on track though for next weeks!

Some of the ways we feathered our nest this week included:

I needed to work on lemons as I had so many. This made me look into other ways to preserve them as I have dried and freeze dried plenty of slices. Also I have made a lot of lemon butter. I discovered I can freeze dry lemon juice or blend lemons (I went with removing the rind first) and then you have the juice and flesh of whole lemons. The info I found was from here and it was so helpful! It worked out that I got 60 lemons (it included some oranges as well) processed in this way. They smell amazing!

I think in summer some could be added to water jugs or water bottles (then strained) and it would be a potent mix, added to honey for honey and lemon, added to the tea pot etc. It would provide lots of

vitamin C if anyone is unwell.

I made a gift for a friend and left it for her to find when she got home from work. She loves orange!

Also some cotton wash cloths for someone due to have a baby girl.

My Koala this week is going to England!

We had lots of sunshine. It was beautiful during the day and cold at night. There is a sunny but protected spot out the front of the house and I have two garden seats lined up for seedlings. I planted up little pots of seeds.... cucumber, zucchini, pumpkins, tomatoes and capsicums. The parsley and tomatoes I transplanted last week have grown and look good.

A friend of a friend was selling paint, rollers, brushes, trays and various hardware items. We always need paint (it is all white and can be tinted any colour...) He wanted $300 and it must be over $1000 worth. This all went into our work shed for upcoming projects.

Mum and I went to visit Lucy and her family. I made them Butter Chicken and took Honey Gingerbread for the kids.

The sunshine and all the rain we had have really made the garden grow.

This week I started my Christmas food stash. I got dried fruits for the fruit cakes.

I was given three large bags of almonds.

I cleaned out the fireplace and the ash is being spread around the gardens and fruit trees.

My six chicks have grown so much and in a few days I am going to promote them to a coop full of grass.

So that was my week! I hope you had many opportunities to build up your home, pantry and garden.

I am not even going to mention the news. Just keep working on all of the above! xxx

Comments

Anonymous25 August 2023 at 05:00
Annabel, you had a lovely week and so productive.
Our week was a bit different as a girlfriend came to visit for 3 days and 2 nights, though it flew by so fast.
My husband is still working with the drainage and he power washed the shed. He also rearranged the shed for easy access to winter items and places to put summer back into.

I enjoyed my time with my Girlfriend, we visited my Son at work and went to 5 thrift shops while she was here. Lots of driving but so much fun catching up. She pretty much filled her car with finds.
I was blessed with finding a new throw blanket for our family room, one chair was missing a blanket. I found sewing supplies, gallon bags were $1 and pint bags were 50 cents, and some winter tops, I only bought items that were half off. I was excited to find an apple peeler for $1.50
So a few more different pantries got additions. Before my girlfriend arrived we went to 2 grocery stores, the sales were pitiful unless you wanted junk food, just purchasing a few items at each with hopes that this coming weeks ads are better. I was able to get one 12 pack of Toilet Tissue put back though, so that was good with the rising prices.
Prayers for all Bluebirds.
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Anonymous25 August 2023 at 06:25
We were able to harvest 30+ pounds of potatoes from our raised bed garden. Still need to harvest the ones in the bucket garden!
Dave found a FREE you-pick the pears on someone’s tree and we got about 40 pounds. Our daughter and SIL joined us there and they also got about 30 pounds!
After Dave used the distilled water jug up, I repurposed the jug to hold more of my apple peel vinegar from a couple months ago.
In the past 2-1/2 days I have quilted 4 quilts for clients and still have 9 more in the queue!
I bought boneless whole ham for $1.69/pound on Flashfood and sliced some to make 6 breakfast biscuits which also used homegrown eggs!
Peanut butter was on sale for 99 cents/16 Oz jar with a limit on their digital coupon of 5, but I happily added those 5 jars to my pantry.
Also added 5 jugs of laundry detergent which, after sale, coupon AND ibotta rebate came to $3.99 for the 105 load size!
Our new chickens are now laying an average of 6 eggs/day! Well worth the investment!

All in all, a good week!
Gardenpat in Ohio
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Laura Richard25 August 2023 at 06:43
Lovely pictures, Annabel, you have accomplished so much. The Koala, crochet and ginger bread look wonderful and I can almost smell the lemons from here. What a good stash for future DIY re the paint, the seedlings are so healthy and my fav. of today - the rock garden and its guardian dog. It is a joy reading about your week, like having a chat with a friend.
And talking to all the Bluebirds, like a big friendly meeting on a Friday afternoon. (It is that time for me here)

We were busy this week, too, and we start feeling the end of summer tiredness. Still working our daily jobs, my husband took on some more plumbing jobs (for heating) for two apartments and he works there with our son in the afternoons. Every penny in counts, every price is growing and they begin telling us that energy cost will grow too, over the next weeks. It is not easy.

Haven*t been shopping at all this week, except milk from the market, but harvested basil, tomatoes and lavender, made cucumber pickles, both for winter pantry and summer pickles, dehydrated green beans and put some green beans in the refrigerator, too. I noticed over the window, with a big smile, that my son was having a sandwich in the garden and was eating tomatoes from the vine, like apples. Yes, they are tasty!

Cleaned up the refrigerator, did a big inventory on everything and put aside what we will eat the next weeks in order to have space for other produce. I was given homemade pasta, chocolate and coffee box for helping a medical assistent at the medical center with some computer work, they are very nice people there.

We had another session of hay making in the orchard, the chickens were very happy, and they are laying well now. We still have terrible heat, so hay time was perfect. Also. I managed to repair/assemble the lawn mowing by myself, which is a miracle because I am not good at all at anything involving technology. But, as the boys were at work late everyday, I put up my sleeves and done the work. I guess this is the way of doing thinhs out of your comfort zone.

Today would have been my Grandmother*s birthday. She taught me how to live gracefully but humble through hard times, how to be kind and with a sense of humour, and how to be courages, whatever comes. She was the most graceous woman I know, she had handkerchiefs with lace, just because, and she was using them even when working in the garden for other people and being paid by day. I am going visit her today with Chinese Asters, her favorite flowers, because my grandfather ask her to marry with these flowers. Every year I used to give her a big bunch of Chinese Aster and now I grow them in the garden to remember her. (In Hungarian they are called Autumn Roses and that sounded to me so poetic....)

Another tip for those of you who enjoy classical music or Andre Rieu - this week I have discovered a gem on Youtube - Emma KOK. Andre Rieu at Maastricht The song name is Voila and have touched my soul to tears. Maybe you will enjoy it, too.

Have a nice week. Sending love from far away, Laura_s_world from Romania
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Anonymous25 August 2023 at 07:00
Sorry to hear you were unwell. Glad you are recovered. Annabel, you are a wonder! You still accomplished a lot.

It was so pleasant to stock my freezer with homemade chicken stock. I really just wanted to clear out the fridge and freezer of veggies and bones. So thankful to you for the tip on putting a colander in the pot first. The fridge got stocked with homemade yogurt. We enjoy yogurt bagels and peanut butter chocolate yogurt pops. Both are healthier and tastier! I was able to bulk buy potatoes and basmati rice. I also will be harvesting onions and Yukon Gold potatoes tomorrow.

My "bartering friend" gave me lots of pasta, dry beans, and canned goods. Such a blessing to go into the Fall with the pantry already stocked.

Blessings to all Bluebirds,
Leslie (in Ohio)
P.S. I wanted to share that we are taking our daughter to an art museum and picnic lunch for her 17th birthday. Thought an experience rather than a party would inspire others.😊
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Anonymous25 August 2023 at 09:58
Annabelle i meant to also say how beautifully stunning your rock garden is.

Also forgot to say...on my pantry project putting things into jars to last longer...i put gum into jars.. I put the mint gum into one jar, and the cinnamon gum in its own jar, then vacuum seal. When times get harder, little things like this can become moral boosters.

Elaine
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Anonymous25 August 2023 at 12:07
Is that Scout in the garden photo? If so, how he has grown! Hilogene in Az
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Anonymous25 August 2023 at 14:43
Your garden is looking absolutely beautiful at the moment, a lot of things are in flower.

I had quite a busy week after my “Get your house in order” prompt! Lots of little things, like taking a winter doona to the laundromat to wash it (it doesn’t fit in my machine) it had been sitting on my laundry floor for too many weeks to count, and I finally got it done, I don’t know why I procrastinated for so long about it!

I also purchased more onions at 99c a kilo. This is a good price for our area. I got 20kg this time! I have used 10kg to make onion jam I got 20 cottees jam jar sizes for that effort, and I sold two jars for $8 each to work colleagues, which I was very happy about. I will chop and freeze 5kg of what remains, I will keep some for fresh use, and I will dehydrate some for onion flakes.

I dehydrated a big bunch of parsley this week, I whizzed it up in my nutri bullet, and put it in a pretty jar. Now this is the first thing I have put aside in a present box. I’ve never started one before, but with encouragement from you and Cath I am starting one now!

I have also dehydrated some rosemary which I still need to jar up.

Oh and I nearly forgot, I ordered some jar lids, a brand I’ve never used before but came highly recommended on a preserving group I am in. They are called Supurb lids, anyway they were on a good sale through Ozfarmer. They arrived within 2 days which is almost unheard of with Australia Post lately. I can’t wait to see how they go when I’m canning. It feels good to have a supply of new lids under my belt.

Next week I won’t be as productive as we are going away for 3 days. But I am determined to press on when I can.

Have a lovely week Annabel and all the Bluebirds 🐦

From Cheryl
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Anonymous25 August 2023 at 19:48
Glad to hear that you're feeling better now.Your rock gardens are just beautiful !We are very busy right now with harvesting our garden as everything is ripening at once and 2-3 weeks early with the scorching heat that we've had.Our apple and cherry tree did well but the raspberry & strawberry's not very good.Last year we paid $8.50 for the large 2kg. jar of peanut butter and this week it went up to $12.50.Grocery prices keep rising but people are starting to help one another more and more.Our local family services agency held a free clothing give away, ,people donated what they didn't want any more and took as much as they wanted in return as well as stores are donating for free to the give a way food that is at the best before date but still good and local farmers are donating imperfect produce.Our province is helping 22000 people with food and shelter for the ones who have had to be evacuated from the N.W.T. wild fires.There's a lot of good people helping one another but we're also seeing more vandalism and thefts and homelessness in our area as well.Carolyn over at the 1940's experiment blog also has a lot of good W.W. 2 frugal recipes if anyone is interested.
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Kelsey25 August 2023 at 20:23
I am sorry you were unwell, Annabel. You still managed to have such a productive week. I love the freeze dried lemon juice. I can't wait to get our freeze dryer set up, but our renovations are on hold at the moment due to our unexpected expenses.
Your garden is beautiful!
It was a gardening week for me, as after I had planted my squash, I moved on to greens and lettuces. Then Colton told me there was going to be rain in a few days, so I managed to get in green beans, radishes, beets, carrots, parsnips, and cabbage. John has his little patch of corn, onions, and zinnias. I also started herb and tomato seeds. We ended up with three glorious inches of rain, which we really needed. I collected the rainwater in buckets for watering my seedlings and fruit trees.
I used free printables to create a gardening journal, a weekly/monthly planner, and a finance binder.
I cleaned out, organized, and took inventory of all our freezers (3). It feels good to have this done. Now I know what I have, what I need to use up, and what I need to buy. I put my inventory sheets in the back of my planner, along with a master list of meals that we enjoy. This will help me to meal plan, rotate my stock, and hopefully further cut down on waste. The pantry is next.
It was a no spend week, except for buying organic apples on sale for $1 per pound. I bought 18lbs and will turn them into applesauce, apple butter, juice, and dried slices. I will use the peels for making vinegar and jelly.
Right now, though, I am ready for a restful weekend. I hope all the Bluebirds are well.
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Anonymous26 August 2023 at 05:41
Dear Annabel,

Thanks for showing a photo of some of your flower beds...they are just stunning. Am I right in seeing some picturesque bones/fossils in there, too? They look so lovely.

Glad to hear you are feeling better. It's been a busy week here, as the apples have started. Got applesauce made and rings dried, and doing more today. Also managed to fit in a trip to the beach for our wedding anniversary, along with ice cream! :)

Thanks for the reminder that Christmas is approaching!

Off to get to work!

Lots of love, Jen in NS
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Kathy26 August 2023 at 07:06
Hello Annabel and everyone,

Annabel, I'm hoping you're feeling much better now and on the mend. The dehydrated lemon and lemon juice seems like it would be so useful. Beautiful crafts and baking - and lots of seedlings! You had a good week. Your garden looks gorgeous.

We had three days of doctor's appointments this week, but good news. My husband's remaining tumors are stable (no growth!) and he will continue on his current treatment plan. He is also looking better and his appetite is better. Answered prayers! I did get the usual things done this week, a little extra gardening, but that is about it with all the time away from home and work. This weekend I hope to work on some knitting and maybe a little baking for the week ahead.

I hope everyone has a good weekend.
<3
Kathy
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Georgia Dawg26 August 2023 at 09:08
Annabel,
I just wanted to let you know that I tried Chloe’s suggestions about adding lemon juice and crystallized ginger to my fig preserves. They were the best I have ever made! A friend gave me a huge bowl of figs because she loves to pick them and has the biggest fig tree I have ever seen in her yard. I sugared them down in a big bowl overnight in my refrigerator. Then I let them cook down about 6 hours in my biggest crockpot, full to almost the top. I think it holds 7 quarts. Then I cooked them to the gel stage and canned 12 half pint jars and a small amount left over that i put in the refrigerator for toast the next morning. Thanks very much for the tip, Chloe and Annabel!
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terricheney26 August 2023 at 16:49
Not much got done here this week. We have had some pretty hard heat. My tomato plants died but I got one last tomato before they bit the dust. I pulled my one $10 bell pepper that was about as big as a medium egg. We are due to cool down somewhat this next week and then we shall get back into gear and work work work to make our savings!
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Anonymous27 August 2023 at 11:21
Thank you for keeping us motivated. Your plantings are coming along nicely and loved your latest yarn crafts-the orange was such an eye catcher.sure like what you do with a freeze drier. Here in midway usa it s been hot! We ve gone biking at sunrise, some mornings my glasses fog over, the humidity is a bit hi too! We were blessed with peaches, my dh picked and I ve canned them. 1/2 the jars are gifted, the peach trees have new owners who know nothing about canning ; hope our gift motivates someone to learn. The peaches were delicious, even our dil a chickens loved the peals. I m spending afternoons inside out of the heat and crocheting various items for the operation Christmas shoe box. Our garden has slowed down with the heat. I m hoping this coming week s lower temps will spur the garden to get with it.
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Anonymous27 August 2023 at 18:45
Dear Annabel, I hope that you are feeling better. You amaze with what you achieve. I love your koala and your friend’s present. I also love how you go with full arms to your daughters’ houses. This is wonderful. It has been very busy here. I made some friend rice for a mum in my son’s class who is going through a bereavement. I also cleaned out my children’s wardrobes and wrote what I needed to purchase in sizes up. I finished another crocheted cloth. Keeping up with three nutritious meals is a big job too. Trying to keep active as well. This helps me mentally. I have a sick child at home so I think it will be the basics today. However, I am trying to stretch meat and stretch meals even further. I like that challenge. Lots of love, Lily
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