Feather your Nest Friday, 26th April, 2024.
I knew this week I needed to get through a lot more apples before it was too late. I began on the weekend, making apple pies. First individual sized ones...
Most were frozen.
Also a large apple cake.
The goats, birds and chickens all had feasts with the scraps.
Left over pasty became treats.
Mum came and I made scones.
Basil was ready to pick in the garden and I made Pesto for Chloe's family. Chloe does not eat nuts so I just leave them out and it is still beautiful.
The back to basics post on Monday is going to be Pesto. It is the most useful, healthy and delicious thing to make.
I blanched Broccolini because it was getting away from me and froze portions.
I have my Grand daughters staying as it is school holidays. As you know I always plan lots of crafts and activities. The biggest one this trip is painting a playhouse for their little cousins.
I am pretty sure I paid $35 for this from Kmart. It is a good three days work. Since this photo they have done a lot. I help every now and then to keep the ball rolling. Scarlet at the back is standing on a step ladder.
Number two main project is chickens. I timed putting eggs in the incubator so they would hatch when the girls were here. Well they started hatching early the night before! But still.... when we arrived home and lifted the lid this is what we saw...
All stages of hatching! A lot of noise!
We ended up with ten chicks in several colours including one chocolate. I have never had a chocolate chicken before!
The girls have been naming them all.
The weather has been good so a lot of time is spent outside. The dogs just love kids to play with.
Today we filled paper carry bags with huge pinecones. Most will go home to help Mummy with kindling. It took no time to fill eight bags. Two were taken to Chloe. Kindling is a huge gift of help! And we used up a lot of energy with our outdoor jobs. 😊
The last time the girls came to stay was when Andy died. So it is a bit of a challenge. Especially going over to Chloe's and coming home as that is how we found Andy dead. We did this visit today. This time there was Lily to play with.
Scarlett is a little Mother and took control right away.
Lily has gained weight and turned 7 weeks old!
Tomorrow is our wedding anniversary and Sunday is Andy's birthday. His grave stone is not complete yet. I thought about this and decided to put flowers at the special spot he chose anyway.
Harper and Scarlett picked these out. I thought they were very suitable.
We drove up to the top of the hill today and the girls thought it was a great spot as you can see a long way in any direction.
I have the linen to make it up and I'm making some dinosaur and tractor pillowcases. I am working on a pure wool crochet blanket to go on the end of the bed in navy and red.
Tomorrow we are off to Nana Pats for lunch. A visit to her farm is always an adventure. Even the drive which the girls call "the dumpiest road on earth" is fun.
How did you build up your nest this week? I hope many opportunities came your way! We would love to hear. A friend to share our news with is a joy! xxx
Dear Annabel
ReplyDeleteAll those post bereavement ‘firsts’ are horrible. Then after the first anniversary you know you do survive them all even if it doesn’t necessarily get any easier, somehow you have become stronger for getting through each one.
I had pumpkin to use up so I made it into three spiced date and walnut loaves after first steaming it and pureeing it.
I’m working my way through the first of the bounty of quinces and the lounge room smells very aromatic as I am stewing them on the wood heater.
It’s turning quite cold here so it’s back into soups and baking after the late summer heat last month.
Your grandchildren are all adorable, I especially love little Tom’s distinct smile.
Hugs to you.
Kate
Thanks so much Kate! Quinces cooking on the wood heater sounds so beautiful. I have soup on today.... a big batch of pumpkin. The loaves you made sound delicious. Tom is a little ray of sunshine. When I get to their house he asks me if I would like a cup of tea. They are both so sweet. Have a good week! xxx
DeleteI'm in the Central USA, so this week while the weather was nice, I was able to work on my garden beds. Weeding, and preparing them for planting. Then, I moved my strawberry bed, and planted potatoes, onions, garlic plants, lettuce, Swiss chard, radishes, beets, and a few other greens. I continued to take care of my seedlings in the indoor greenhouse I have set up at a window in the house. After viewing store prices for seedlings, I'm really happy I decided to start more plants from seed indoors this year.
ReplyDeleteYour garden is going to be fantastic! Well done on getting your own seedlings started, that is a huge saving. Seedlings are expensive here too... anything that can be grown from seed or a cutting - this is the way to go for sure! xxx
DeleteAnnabel, your grandchildren are adorable. They all look so happy. What a blessing. The trundle beds are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteYour apple pies look delicious. I wish I could eat anything like when younger. Gluten and dairy free does get rather old and boring.
This week has been a bit different. I decided to pull out all of the hand pieced and hand quilted smaller quilts I did years ago. They have been packed away for ten years. One very large wall hanging needs new binding. It was hanging in the living room of our prior home and the sunlight faded the binding. I am in the process of removing that to replace it.
In addition, I still have two crewel embroidery pictures that I started years ago, so I will finish them for the family. My daughter has some I previously did that we had professionally framed. She will appreciate me finishing the last two very large ones for her. She is appreciative of handmade items.
On the garden front, we are doing very little additional planting this year. Of course, we will plant potatoes, zucchini and beets. Our fruit trees and bushes were all deep fed a month ago with an organic formula. We have them fed Spring and Fall. Everything seems to be blossoming out early this year, as we have had unusually warm weather. We hope for a good fruit crop this year.
Earlier this week I cut chives and lovage and dehydrated them. I will grind them into powder to use in sauces, soups and casseroles. I have so much dehydrating to do, two dehydrators seems inadequate at times, but they are sufficient for our age.
Have a blessed weekend.
With much love,
Glenda
Dear Glenda, Thank you! With the pies... it would be easy to do a gluten and dairy free crumble topping and it would be delicious!
DeleteWell done on all the dehydrating! It is so nice having them humming along. Finishing the embroidery projects will be something nice to work on in quiet times. I hope you get a ton of fruit! I am still dealing with mine. I do need to order one new 10 x 10 m net for the apple tree. Have a great new week! With love Annabel.xxx
I think you’re amazing! Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! xxx
DeleteDear Annabel, your girls and boys are beautiful! I love the activities you had with them, all the family was happy and these memories stay forever. I know this, I was a happy child.
ReplyDeleteMy week was the same as last week: cold, rainy, work, cook, knit, nothing fancy.
The only big news is my favourite chicken, Pinky, is broody. She proudly sits on 6 eggs for a week now. At first she was in and out but then she decided to stay in the hen box. As I was adviced here, I put a big X on those six eggs and I am able to tell apart the fresh eggs because of course all the hens go in one box to lay. I am very glad about that, as it is my very first time.
I love Andy*s flowers. You were blessed having such a good husband. Keep writing and talking about him. In my country they say somebody is really gone when nobody is talking about him/her anymore. Andy is with you forever!
Sending good wishes and love from far away, Laura_s_world from Romania
Dear Laura, Thank you! I am so excited about your broody hen! Good thinking on marking the eggs. If you get chicks you will have so much fun. They bring a lot of joy! Two weeks to go!
DeleteWe are wishing it would rain here! But the cold can be miserable and I think your cold would be much colder than ours! Knitting in the evenings is beautiful though! It is amazing how this time can be very productive but relaxing at the same time.
I hope you are having a good new week! With love Annabel.xxx
It is always a joy to see your grandchildren! And those pies! So pretty! Enjoy your weekend!
ReplyDeleteThat you Lana. Have a great new week! xxx
DeleteI love the colorful flowers in honor of Andy. I can't believe how big the girls are, and how much taller Scarlet is than Harper. I have a question concerning your beautiful pies - do you use puff pastry for those? The crusts on your pies and tarts always looks amazing!
ReplyDeleteDear Kathy,
DeleteThank you! Yes I do use puff pastry and I cheat and buy it. I always keep some puff pastry in the freezer as lots of left overs like casseroles, fruit etc make great pies. And then it is like a completely different meal! Have a good week! With love Annabel.xxx
Annabel the girl are growing, such beautiful girls and Lily is so sweet.
ReplyDeleteThis week we saved £720 on are phone, broadband sky tv and BT sport. This is next winters heating oil. That’s a lot of money, I went to my friends farm and the veg was lovely. I’m hoping to make roasted veg over the weekend. Denisexxx
Dear Denise, Well done on the massive savings! It is fantastic to be ahead of next winters heating bill. So glad about the veggies too. Roasted veggies are just beautiful. So many things you can do. I have pumpkin cooking right now! With much love Annabel.xxx
DeleteAnnabel, I am always amazed at how much you accomplish in a week. You are very inspiring. I tried to comment while in hospital a week and a half ago but am not sure it went through. The pictures of little Lilly was so sweet it warmed my heart and put a smile on my face. And the one of your goat! It made me laugh out loud. And we know laughter is truly the best medicine. I believe it made the difference in having to stay another day and being released to go home. I have been home 10 days now and am slowly making my way back onto my normal routine. My stamina is the only thing holding me back so I do what I can when I can and keep trying to move forward. Having a well stocked pantry was a godsend. I attempted to go to the grocery store the other day but it proved to be my undoing. Nothing that was advertised to be on sale was marked with the sale price. I had to convince the check out clerk of the prices. Half of what I went in to buy was not even on the shelves...just empty spaces. I was in and out in 20 minutes and so frustrated I went home and took a nap. Today my husband took me to pick up the few things we needed to top up the pantry. It was a lot better although the prices are just too high to believe at the moment. I am very low on chicken but there have been no sales on that. On the upside our garden has given us some asparagus and a ton of volunteer lettuce. So salad every night it is! I have been able to cook our meals, simple though they are. I still do not have much of an appetite but my husband needs to eat so I cook for him and graze throughout the day. I just make and eat what I crave. My granddaughter and I made your honey crackles from a previous Back to Basics post. Yummy! There is so much spring cleaning to get done but I am chipping away a little at a time. The doctor said to give myself some grace. Things will get done eventually. The dirt is not going anywhere, right? Thank you for your dedication to this blog. It has helped me in so many ways. I keep you and yours in my prayers.
ReplyDeleteDear Marley,
DeleteThank you so much! I am glad you could laugh! Stamina takes a long time to build up. After being in hospital at first even the smallest things take all the energy you have. Just rest, eat well and each day you will build back up. Here it is the same. The prices on many things seem like a bad joke... but it is not a joke! One thing was a good deal, that was pumpkin for $1 a kilo so I got six kilos. This will be the base of many meals. I am so glad you and your Grand daughter liked the honey crackles! I love them especially the chew bit at the bottom!
I am a big fan of doing things in five minute bursts... or however many minutes you think works. I will clean the kitchen sink or the bed side table or the vanity and so on. These soon add up. I hope each day you are doing better. With much love, Annabel.xxx
Everything you do is so pretty! It is great how you make the little girls visits so fun. That little Lily is so sweet. I would love to rock her! The flowers for Andy are so special and pretty. May you remember many fond memories on your anniversary. It must bring joy to your Mom when you can visit. Thank you for sharing. I have been spending my energy gardening in my courtyard. Nancy
ReplyDeleteDear Nancy, Thank you so much! Gardening in your courtyard sounds lovely. Have a great new week! With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteHi Annabel
ReplyDeleteWill be thinking of you as you move through some of the first anniversaries. Have a lovely time with the girls and your Mum.
We checked over our butane gas stove and canisters which are part of our preparedness as an alternative for cooking/ heating water.. All well. Its portable too so it could be carried to a neighbour.
Another task was to complete our reviewed wills. I bound them by sewing all the pages together and we visited friends who witnessed our signatures. Now they're filed away safely.
We had an initial meeting with a new financial adviser and will be gathering info together ready for another meeting. I believe financial knowledge and planning is an important part of running a home and knowing you have some money to fluff the nest.
Penny in the UK
Dear Penny,
DeleteIt is so good you have a butane stove. Such a lifesaver! Good job on the wills too. Seriously we have to do these things and think ahead.
A good British source of financial info is Neil McCoy Ward on you tube. I watch him as he is good wherever you live. Also he says (and others) to spread investments around. Some financial advisers are selling products which you have to be wary about but it is great you are building plans and knowledge. Times have changed so much. I have been investing in tangible items as the banks have lost my trust here. This makes it hard! You did well, have a good new week! With love Annabel.xxx
You are staying busy! I see the kids love the chicks. They are so fun. One of my chickens did not want to go back in their cage tonight. I had a time getting it from under a bush. I love the playhouse..they will have a ball playing with that!
ReplyDeleteDear Vickie, That is funny, there is always that one chicken who doesn't do what the others do! The play house has been a big hit with the boys! Have a good week! With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteYour apple pies look so beautiful! It must be the week for pies I made meat pies from scratch this past week.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great project painting that cubby is! I hope you post a photo of the finished job, I’d love to see it!
I have had the busiest week ever this past week, and I feel like I have accomplished a lot! I bought a heap of veggie seedlings and have filled the two plots in the backyard. I need to fill the front plot next!
I cleaned my kettle with warm soapy water on the outside and citric acid etc inside and it came up sparkling! It was long overdue as sediment was building up in the bottom.
I decluttered, scrubbed and sorted half the cupboards in my kitchen, that felt so good!
I spent a whole day moving all the rocks from around my fruit trees, weeding and mowing and generally tidying it all up. I had put the rocks there myself about 5 years ago, thinking it would look nice and be easy to mow around etc, but the opposite happened! The mower can only get so close, and the weeds grew around the rocks, between the rocks, over the rocks…you get the idea, it looked awful! Take my advice, unless you are going to be diligent with the whipper snipper, don’t use rock surrounds on your trees!
I hemmed a red checkered tablecloth to make it fit our table, and with the cut off fabric, I’m in the process of making some cloth napkins!
In the kitchen I baked pies (as I mentioned previously) an apple tea cake, bread rolls and Anzac biscuits! So it really was a productive week!
I will be thinking of you this weekend Annabel, I’m sure it will be a difficult one. Take care.
Love Cheryl 🐦🐣❤️
Dear Cheryl, Thank you! Yes I will post how the cubby turned out and what the boys thought of it on Friday. It was a success!
DeleteWell done on all the planting! Also the kettle... I did the lemon and citric acid and could not believe how it came up like new!
Moving the rocks would be a workout! I love the sound of the tablecloth. Napkins will be beautiful!
You did so much baking! Well done! All of this added up to so much production! I hope this week will be equally good! With love Annabel.xxx
Dear Annabel,
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pies, beautiful grandkids, beautiful flowers...Praying for you as you navigate your wedding anniversary and Andy's birthday. My heart goes out to you, and I am so thankful that you have such a close family.
Our chicks are still in the throes of hatching...I think we have 11 so far, so we'll see what the final count is. Fun to watch, even if you aren't a kid! Ha, ha.
Lots of seedling repotting, some yardwork, bread baking, and helping family members transition to summer work schedules, etc. And waiting for the dust to settle somewhat before I can figure out how the summer will play out for me!
Thinking of you this weekend.
xx Jen in NS
Dear Jen, Thank you! I agree... you dont have to be a kid to love seeing chiks hatch! It is impossible to stop watching. Eleven is amazing... I cant wait to hear the final count. It is exciting that your seedlings are growing... soon you will be planting out! I know your garden will be amazing! Have a good week! With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteYou are really building up your nest. Right now I am trying to just get mine clean of winter dust and opening windows to let the breezes through.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Dear Jackie, When the weather is good letting a breeze flow though the house is the best thing ever. I love that and I love fresh air! Have a good week! With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteAnnabel you are always so productive using what is available to you and your pies look wonderful as does the pesto and blanching the broccolini for future use. The girls are clearly loving the new chicks and spoiling them and how wonderful you got your first chocolate brown chicken. We will be praying for you on how to best navigate your upcoming anniversary and Andy's birthday and hope that God lifts your hands if they do hang low.
ReplyDeleteWe have managed this week to bank $1099.53 towards buying my new car.
With our groceries we are under budget for the month by $247.57 which I am happy about. We put in a mini grocery order top up and used our 4% off e-gift card, bought items on specials and half price sales we needed to top up on to save $35.74 on usual prices and used multiple rewards point promos and boosts to earn $20 off our next grocery shop. As we now have a good backup pantry I am making a more concerted effort to top up on things we are using only when on good sales. Unfortunately we are finding that the half price sales are getting way further apart so I am glad I could top up quite a few items we had used on two grocery items and another one on multivitamins for the medical kit for good prices.
In the home we have pulled out both freezers and the fridge and cleaned under and on top of them, the floor and the wall behind. Now just to clean the coils to remove the dust and inside the bottom of the 2 freezers.
In the kitchen we are still eating down a good portion of the meat we bought on super sales and as I see good markdown replacing anything as we have big spaces appearing. We continue to make our bread in our bread making machines rather than buying it which is saving more.
Lorna.
Dear Lorna, Coming in under budget is an achievement with prices as they are. Well done on so much added to the car fund! It is horrible what builds up under and behind big appliances! You have reminded me to get some photos of the chickens... there is such a variety of patterns and colours but the chocolate is unusual! They are doing well and grow quickly.
DeleteI am shopping the same way. It has to be a really good deal then I stock up. The deals are fewer and far between.
I hope the new week is off to a good start, with love Annabel.xxx
Such Adorable photos of your Grandkids! They are all So Precious! What fun for the girls to paint the little playhouse and be there for the chickens hatching! You are making special memories with them. Thankful they are there with you this weekend to help you through your memories of your dear Andy.
ReplyDeleteLove how you “decorate” your pies! They look so Yummy!
I transplanted my little tomato and lettuce seedlings into a little larger pots and they are growing by leaps and bounds under the grow light! Hoping for warmer weather sooner rather than later, so I can transplant them all outside!
Take care and God Bless!
Laura C. (aka Nana C.)
Dear Laura, Thank you! Your seedlings sound like they are doing so well. I hope the warmer weather kicks in just at the right time. Thanks so much re my Grandkids. I am in clean up mode now! With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteHugs to you dear Annabelle. Happy Anniversary to you. The children are lovely and all look so happy.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Terri! xxx
DeleteDear Annabel, I am thinking and praying for you today especially with it being Andy's birthday. I hope that you managed to get through your wedding anniversary. It would have been a difficult day, as today would be.
ReplyDeleteI love the photo of your precious grandchildren. They are delightful! I love their happy smiles. I love the way Chase is looking at Harper and Scarlett. It's very cute. The playhouse is a wonderful idea and they are doing a great job with painting. They are delightful little girls and I love how you do so much with them. I bet you all sleep well! The boys' room is a fabulous idea too. The trundle bed is wonderful! I love the storage too. The blanket will be lovely. There is nothing like a crocheted blanket. Those apple pies are beautiful.
I am working on crocheting a blanket, I hope to finish it next year lol. It has been rainy here so mini pizzas have been made for lunches. Keeping on top of food here is a job in itself. Lots of love, Bridget
Dear Bridge, Thank you!! The boys room is coming together now. I have found each child loves their own crochet blanket. They know it was made just for them. The bottom drawers in the bed base... Mum was here yesterday and she was so impressed. Even the mattresses are so beautiful. Now I will get the bed made up and the storage drawers filled as part of my emergency supplies! Mini pizzas are a yum lunch. Bridge warm scones with pumpkin and or cheese or bacon are a real filler, meal extender, inexpensive... as the boys grow yep... it's a big job keeping up! They are never not hungry! Chloe is finding this too! Thank you for your kind words. With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteYour pies look so yummy and the kiddos are so adorable! Sending hugs and prayers your way on your wedding anniversary and dear Andy’s birthday.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Carolyn! xxx
DeleteYour grand children are so precious! And your pies are works of art!
ReplyDeleteThank you very much Chris! xxx
DeleteSuch beautiful grandchildren! Missing your other grandson. So happy you hatched so many chicks.
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing clubhouse. Can't wait to see the finished project.
I am praying for you, along with many others. I do appreciate your transparency. You give me courage.
I had a good week balancing yardwork and sewing. We have had beautiful weather followed by rain. So I sew on the rainy days. Our chicks are growing up. My hens and ducks are giving me tons of eggs.
Such a busy time of year! I have been making yogurt and broth allot as well. Made Friendship Bread that provided several breakfasts and desserts.
Thank you so much for this space. A place of inspiration and encouragement.
Love, Leslie in Ohio
Dear Leslie, Yes, I hope to have a good photo of them all together soon with Sidney too! Thank you for what you said. Courage was never my strong point. I have had to learn it over more recent years. It has been a big learning curve for me. Thank you I do feel so many prayers have helped me enormously.
DeleteI do just the same... out in the garden on the good days, inside sewing and cooking on the rainy days! I have growing chicks too! Yoghurt and broth are both very nutritious things to have on hand all the time.
Thank you Leslie for your kind and encouraging words, with much love Annabel.xxx