Feather your Nest Friday, 2nd August, 2024.

 It is August, our last month of winter,  and the first signs of Spring are already showing up.   There are blossoms on some of the fruit trees, wattles flowering and daffodils.

For me it was a bit of a week of recovery.  The first few days I had sleeps.  It didn't seem to matter how much sleep I got I needed some more!    I decided to gradually unpack, catch up and get all the Agaves I brought back from Adelaide planted into the garden.

My blanket in pinks was finished.

I had a head start on this one as it was started last winter.  But I enjoyed it so much! 

I got another one going.    My stash has enough smoky blues and greys to make a boy blanket.

This will see out winter!  

You can see...  where there is a space I plant an Agave and voila! 

I also joined Jessica's challenge at Three Rivers Homestead the #everybitcountschallenge where you aim to preserves something everyday.  It doesn't matter how you do it,  just food put up one way or another.  She runs it now because its peak harvest where she lives but I have found I can still do this in winter and I do it again in summer although then it's by myself!    Each day I post what I managed to Thebluebirdsarenesting on Instagram.  Mainly because it is motivating and I also love to see what everyone is preserving and how they are doing it!  It is just a joy to see! 

Tuesday my harvest looked like this...

It is really fantastic that in winter quite a bit still grows and even the chooks have kept laying.  I am attributing this to all the scraps Andrew and Tim bring them.  Lots of treats seem to have kept them happy and motivated!  😊

So the week went...

1.  Lemon Butter.

2.  Freeze dried Parsley.

3.   Bay Leaves.

4. Bananas.

5. Peas.  They are still in the freeze drier so no photo.

In town today I was about to take about 60 books to the little library!  That gave them a boost. 

At the swap tables I got two bags of jars!  Also some oranges!

As you know my niece came with me to my surgery.   She is a busy farmer so I made her some meals.   The next bit of the story is her boyfriend breeds really nice chickens.  I had seen a photo of stunning ones, I don't know the name or breed but they are golden.   They remind me of Laura's golden chickens.  I am going to say they probably lay golden eggs out of wishful thinking! 😊

One of the meals I made was a large tray of Lasagne which I thought would do them both for two dinners.   

Well,  her boyfriend must have liked it because she sent me a message that I can have two golden hens for another tray of lasagne.   So you already know what I said "DEAL!"   😊

By coincidence Chloe and I were both searching for more hens and Chloe finally found some.  They are hard to get!  The going rate now is $32 each.  These are nice point of lay brown hens.  Even at this rate we both ordered six.  It is good if Chloe keeps up her own flock and I do too.   Also eggs today (in the store) were $7 and $8 a dozen.  To me it is not so much about saving money.  It is about healthy hens and eggs and the security of not depending on the supply chain.   If eggs are not available my Grandkids will all still be eating them.

Often I see prices and think I should have taken a photo.  So today I took this one.

So that is $31 pound.   Each week things have gone up.   I came home with plenty of ingredients though!  Just not these ones!   As Cath says on The Cheapskates Club,  ingredients give you options.  Many options!

I hope you found ways to build up your home, garden or pantry this week!    Maybe we will go with home, pantry, garden, gift cupboard and freezer..... so a possible five stars!  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐