Feather your Nest Friday, 10th January, 2025.
Hi everyone, welcome to or second Friday for the year! Today was my birthday and I have to give the game away so I can show you the cake Chloe made me! Tom helped and was busting for me to see it!
Both our gardens are full of these Sulphur Crested Cockatoos. Hence the real feathers! Everyone knows I am a bird nut.
Chloe had unwell kids all week so it was extra kind that she did all this. The pastries are all gluten free too!
As she is having a guest I helped her with a big lasagne made last night. In went lots of grated zucchini.
I also made Mum a gf lasagne... and she went home with left over cake and pastries (as did I) so she has a few meals! Mum in turn made me a pineapple pie!
Tomorrow, when I muster the energy, I will freeze up portions of all these treats.
Mum also gave me a plate I have always loved that has been in the family for generations.
Chloe made me a book mark and card. She said it is funny to make a card with pumpkins but yes, I absolutely love pumpkins!
I was also given beautiful books and essential oils. I had particularly wanted Thieves and a sleep or relaxing blend and Chloe and Mum combined to give me a basket full of good things.
Now it often amazes me how God truly cares about the desires of your heart. I said nothing to anyone but this basket came to me...
It was even delivered. It is huge. The reason I've been wanting a flat bottom basket is I am always carrying cooking... a cake, casserole, lasagne etc. It is perfect!
Along the same lines.... in the thrift store I found two huge old tins. It was $5 for both. I thought they would look nice and be functional in my pantry/shop.
I have always loved tins!
I was given a whole box of apricots! Apricots are one of the best things about summer! I washed them and sorted them in to some that will keep a few days in the fridge and some that needed using right now.
With those I made jam and stewed some as in hot weather stewed fruit is still one of my favourite things.
In the garden I am thrilled to be now picking cucumbers every day! And they are a great size... just beautiful! I am sharing them around but soon I think I will make pickles. These are just todays...
For several years I have tried cucumbers. This is the first true success. My raised beds and soil improvements seem to have hit the right balance, plus a lot of water. It is hot and today I watered them three times. But it's worth it!
This week I started to give the cows a bale of hay. The goats got one too and one or the other has to stand on top at all times.
At this moment there are six. Three are in the brooder others are still in the incubator.
Maybe in the morning some more will have hatched.
Tomorrow I need to get back to work on Apricots. I gave a jar of jam to Mum and Chloe and another as a thank you gift. I will stew some more also as I ate stewed fruit and yoghurt for breakfast every day. So nice. I also need to process some zucchini. It is going to be hot so indoor jobs like these are best.
That was my week! I was very blessed all up! My older Granddaughters are coming to stay Monday so it is going to be busy! I am planning our crafts. 💗
How did you build up your nest this week? I hope you had many opportunities! We love to hear! xxxx
Dear Annabel, happy birthday! I just love that cake and beautiful table. Look at the tablecloth. It’s all so beautiful. I love the card and book mark. You have such talented daughters. I think we know where they get this from?!? What lovely gifts, like that gardening book. I think I better plan some indoor jobs, it’s hot here and apparently a heatwave is coming in the next few days. I am still decluttering and cleaning out all cupboards. I’m finding more space for the essentials (food etc), this is my goal. I’m pleased to say that with my pantry we have been using everything and we have had little wastage. This is great! Lots of love to you and happy birthday, thank you for being so wonderful. Bridget
ReplyDeleteDear Bridget, Thank you! It's hot here too. Its draining! Mostly catching up inside is the way to go. I turned a lot of cupboard space into food storage and other pantry storage areas. Also I was amazed how just tidying and organising made more space even if not much went out of an area! Also I'll be reading my new books and there is one about how your kitchen can be your ministry. You would like this one and I'll be sharing some of this. Sounds like some evenings at the beach would be very nice! With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteDear Annabel
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday.
Chloe has excelled again with cake and pastries.
I’m spending a lot of time watering and will be for a good while from the forecast.
Despite the very warm weather I’ve started my next crochet blanket in Bendigo Bloom wool for the next person who may need it come winter .
I saw boxes of Riverland apricots 10kg for $28 but I still have jam from two years ago ( no apricots last year) so I’d better use that up. I’m thinking of making it into a topping layer for a biscuit slice.
Enjoy the company of the big girls.
Love
Kate
Dear Kate, Thank you! The California fires have made me nervous about fires. We keep getting wind and hot days. Thumb print biscuits are good for jam, slices... yes, pancake topping, if I glaze a ham it is with honey or apricot jam... it works a treat. Speaking of, I should be working on these last apricots! With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteHappy and BLESSED birthday Annabel!! How exciting to see the Lord privide things you really wanted that nobody knew about. I LOVE it when He does that!! Your jam looks delicious...xxxx
ReplyDeleteThank you Jenny! Yes it is beautiful. When we moved here we had no seen inside the house before saying yes! When we finally got to come in there was a huge kitchen with floor to ceiling cupboards and a walk in pantry. All my dreams .... then we walked through the lounge/dining area which had huge windows and French doors so it was all so light... which is perfect for me. As I went though the house it was obvious I was being blessed with the desires of my heart and it was very touching. Down to a big chook house! Just amazing. I knew I was blessed! With much love Annabel.xxx
DeleteAnnabel, Happy Birthday Dear, your cake looks beautiful and having a budding Pastry Chef helping create the cake is wonderful, he had to be so proud of his work.
ReplyDeleteYour apricots looks delicious, the color of the jam is so vibrant. I love apricots!
Your basket is perfect for your needs, God is good! He provides for our needs, voiced and not.
I had a busy week with Winter Deep Cleaning. I usually wait till Spring here, though husband has been having allergies effecting him so I thought a really clean house would help, plus it will be an easier Spring Clean this year.
I laughed tossing items out and recycling, I had attachments for a blow dryer I hadn't even had in house for years. I have also made sure when I relax I am crocheting making gifts, I am so happy with my progress as I am working on sets of bath and kitchen items.
It's wonderful belonging to the Tuesday Afternoon Club as it pushes me to have something to post each week.
Dear Rosanne, I found I had attachments to a vacuum I didnt have anymore so that is similar! Your bathroom sets are beautiful! Yes the Tuesday club makes me work harder too as I think I better get a move on or I'll have nothing to report! Thank you re the jam. The best colour I can get is making it in the microwave it comes out so vibrant! With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteHappy Birthday, Annabel! Looks like you have been blessed abundantly! Thank you for sharing. It all looks beautiful! May you be blessed with many more birthdays. Because I am looking forward to your blog for many, many years! 🥰 Sue in USA
ReplyDeleteDear Sue, Thank you so much for such a kind comment. With love Annabel..xxx
DeleteMany Happy Returns of the Day, Annabel! Everything looks lovely, and apricot jam is definitely summer in a jar. Deep snow and freezing temperatures, here, but all is well. Gill, in Norway.
ReplyDeleteDear Gill, Summer in a jar is a beautiful way to put it! I trust you are snug and no doubt making something lovely in this cold. weather. Many thanks! Love Annabel.xxx
DeleteHappy birthday, dear Annabel!!! May God bless you with good health and happy family around you! Congratulations to Chloe and Tom - beautiful cake!
ReplyDeleteI love your gifts and especially the plate - it is a treasure, as is your Mum, too.
While you have summer appricots there I have rain and snow in the same minute, if possible, it is wet, dark and cold. Again! Perfect time to snugle in the warm bed (with bed warmer, Charlie, my little dog...) and crochet on a new baby blanket for a baby that will be born in January. Again, a blanket with crochet animals, that becomes my signature in gifts for babies.
The chickens have good news - the two young that survived started laying eggs last week, and so did the one duck that I have. The one that we have found after 20 hours when the attack happened hiding in a very-very little space turned out to be a beautiful white rooster, with no feathers as a tail, but maybe that will grow out come Spring. So now, every day I have eggs + 1 duck egg.
In Europe and in my country the situation is presenting as black as it could. The hybrid warfare is all over - false information, attacks on computer systems, threats in open public, in government and in economy. Regarding the elections in my counrty I realy live On the border with war and on the edge of democracy (if you remember the title of my post here on this beautiful blog.) Now, more so than ever. Prepare yourself in every areas you can.
As it is my first post of the new year I want to thank you, Annabel, and all my Bluebirds friends that have helped me so far to find a strong balance in such turbulent times. I am not panicking but wait with open eyes and prepare for whatever comes - I have come a long way and I feel strong - I managed to built a good team with my boys and I know I have something good to fight for.
Sending best wishes and virtual hugs from far away, Laura_s_world from Romania
PS - For our American friends, I send many prayers. I know first hand how it is to have the house burned down to ashes. We were in the house seconds before colapsing the roof, only thanks to one neigbour we have survived and started all over. There were days at first when we had only two forks and spoons to seven people, we were eating in turns.
May God bless you and help you.
I think of you often, Laura. Be well and safe.
DeletePatricia
Dear Laura, Yes you have much to fight for and a good team. You are physically located on the edge of the war and we are world wide also on the edge in different ways. Much is not mentioned in the news or they will focus on something for a while them forget about it. It is very valuable to us all that we can let each other know what is happening in our various locations as on the ground reports are more reliable. I am so glad you still have some layers. I hope come Spring you can get a few more chickens... or even eggs to hatch. Even in Australia eggs are like gold... they re in shortage and expensive if you can get them.. and also limited. So my time and energy to build up my flock has paid off. Even though it is hot they are still laying which I hope continues! I think each day how the eggs I collect are valuable! I know your baby blanket is beautiful! :). Well done! With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteHappy Birthday, Annabel! You have been productive as usual and as always, everything looks beautiful and inspires us all. We got a lovely rain yesterday but it is cold here in Texas. I just want to do crafty and cooking things but I need to work on our income tax return. Blah! Might as well get it over with I suppose. We have many spring projects in the planning stage and have agreed it's time to hire some outside help. That is somewhat bothersome as we have always been do-it-yourselfers. Our children help when they can but they have jobs and other obligations. Thank you to Patsy for the Circle the Wagons series. There were many helpful posts and she did a great job! Oh, I tried making strawberry jam and misread the pectin instructions. The result was a delicious syrup that is wonderful on pancakes and spectacular on vanilla ice cream! Not all mistakes turn out badly.
ReplyDeleteDear Pam, I hope you got that tax return done. Yes that is a pain when you just want to do good things! Pam I have had to hire outside help. The only way I could stay on this farm was to accept some help. It has turned out my helpers have become friends I can count on. This is valuable. And some projects it is just important to get them done. Now I have never used pectin in jam. A little lemon juice is all you need.... and to cook it to set point. But syrup os beautiful especially on pancakes and waffles! I am glad you enjoyed Patsys class! I have work to do from seeing gaps through this class. With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteHappy birthday!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much!xxx
DeleteBirthday Wishes to you, Annabel
ReplyDeleteThanks Belinda! xxx
DeleteHappy birthday Annabell! It is winter here in South Carolina and we are getting snow for the first time in several years. The weather report is warning of ice mix so we are happily staying out and I have a kettle of chicken soup simmering on the stove. I think my favorite part of cold weather has to be homemade soup! 😊
ReplyDeleteYour cucumbers look wonderful. After years of growing cucumbers it finally dawned on me that to be happy they need shade from the hot sun. I bought shade cloth and my cucumbers were very happy!
Vicky in SC
Dear Vicky, Chicken soup sounds very perfect in that weather! I think shade cloth is a saviour. We have heat and strong sun right now and it's knocking things about! I am loving what I am growing though! With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteHappy happy birthday Annabel! What a beautiful way to celebrate, with loved ones and delicious homemade treats! Have a lovely weekend!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Teresa!xxx
DeleteHappy Birthday! What a lovely plate you were given. I have been making apricot jam too - in winter the jars are like a bit of sunshine on the pantry shelves.
ReplyDeleteRos (NZ)
Dear Ros, I always think this... I think of Lemon Butter like sunshine and citrus in winter is like sunshine also. I even just love the look of preserves lined up on the shelf! Nothing nicer! With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteHappy Birthday Annabel! It looks like you were spoilt by your family, as you well deserve! Chole's cake is so beautiful and just perfect for you. The platter your mum passed down to you is a special piece indeed. I do like that basket, I can see how practical it will be, you don't really see such baskets with a broad bottom like that, they are usually quite narrow so that is an extra special delivery!! Everything about the farm is producing nicely, what a great job you are doing :)
ReplyDeleteI am going through a distressing personal issue at the moment and it has not been a good week. But I defaulted to staying busy to try and quiet my mind, and I got a lot done this week as a result. I guess you could call that the silver lining.
In the garden I am harvesting, butternut pumpkin, capsicum, zucchini and jalapeños. It has all been eaten fresh, except the jalapeños I made 5 small jars of cowboy candy out of that to add to the pantry shelves. last Sunday I cooked up a storm as meal prep for the coming week, so I made double batches of bread, brownies, biscuits and a pearl cous cous salad. I planted carrot seeds. Like you with your cucumbers, I struggle to grow carrots! This time I am trying them in pots, I just cannot get them to grow in the veggie garden beds! After your post about encouraging one another by sending mail etc, I made cards!! I had a beautiful calendar from last year which I could not throw out but I cut up pictures from the beautiful photos and glued them to pre-cut blank cards that I got from K-Mart, they look so good! Now to use them! And just yesterday I finished my first bowl cozy! I will post a photo on Tuesday. They are going to be a wonderful addition to the gift cupboard! Oh and I almost forgot, the deep clean/declutter of our bedroom continues, this time I tackled the grime and mould on the cornices of the ensuite bathroom. Small and often really does add up.
Thank you Annabel for all your encouragement.
Love from Cheryl
Dear Cheryl, Thank you! I am really sorry you have a problem at the moment. Like you under stress I tend to cook and clean. Like crazy! If I didnt keep busy I would be a wreck. I do hope your problem is resolved.
DeleteEating stuff fresh from the garden is the best. It's saving money and healthy at the same time. Then the excess can be [reserved. I am hopeless at carrots. I saw your cards! I thought they were beautiful and in a shop $10 each no doubt! After your un paper towels the bowl cosies are another big success! You have done a lot each week! With love Annabel.xxx
Happy Birthday!!!
ReplyDeleteMay God bless you richly.
Have a good time with the grandchildren.
Here it’s quite chilly (snow, hail) and woollen clothes (knitted by my mum and myself) help to lower the heating costs.
🌸 Esther (The Netherl.)
Dear Esther, Yes warm woollen clothing is the best. The girls are here now... we had a day of crafting and we are all tired tonight! Many thanks! Love Annabel.xxx
DeleteHappy birthday Annabel! I don't comment often, but do enjoy following along with you. The cake is so fun and nicely done, as are the bookmark and card.
ReplyDeleteI sometimes forget that your seasons are opposite of ours here in the States. We are having a big snowstorm here in Georgia, followed by sleet, and the promise of freezing temperatures tonight, so we plan to stay put inside the house for most of tomorrow. It is so nice to see your summer produce from your garden and imagine the warmth of summer.
Thank you so much! It was really hot here today! Tomorrow is meant to be much milder. I hope! Yes in either extreme it is best to stay in our of it. And safer! With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteHappy Birthday, Annabel! Wishing you a year of joy and laughter and many blessings. The cake Chloe made is stunning.
ReplyDeleteYou scored wonderfully with the tins! So happy that your cukes are such a success...they are one of my favorite things to eat when it's hot. Apricots don't grow here where we are, and they are one of my favorite fruits. When I was a kid, one of the houses we lived in had a treehouse in an apricot tree. It was so fabulous to play up there and eat as many apricots as you liked! (The downside was them falling all over the treehouse and making a slippery mess, plus the earwigs, but kids aren't bothered too much by these things! :)) I also LOVE dried apricots (because they're a little bit sour/tart), and I love them canned, too...I think people are either canned apricot lovers or haters, because of the texture.
Have managed to score quite a few books this last week for free or really cheap to add to the gift bin for this year, so I'm feeling great about a start on that in January. Waiting until Monday to really get going on reorganizing things, as hubby is still on holidays until then, so I'm just enjoying his company as long as possible.
Thanks for the cute goat picture...sure do miss having ours!!
xx Jen in NS
P.S. Love those facecloths and the beautiful soap...what a great gift!
Dear Jen, Yes cucumbers and apricots both go with hot weather and so nice. Refreshing. It was so good to get the books to start off your gift cabinet. I freeze stewed apricots and like them canned too. Goats do drive you crazy sometimes but they are also super cute. You would be into organising now... I have the girls. After I recover I will be doing the same! With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteHappy birthday Annabel, what a beautiful cake and I love the glass plate your Mum gave you. Stunning. You have inspired me to look for a flat bottom basket too, I struggle to carry casseroles and cooking to my daughter's and that would solve the problem.
ReplyDeleteI've been cooking extra for family this week to help out after my SIL had an operation. I made an apple pie, pineapple upside down cake( this used a can of pineapple about to go out of date) and a big pan of cream of mushroom soup.
I cut the fronts off old Christmas cards to use for shopping lists. When I took down the Christmas decorations I sorted through and disposed of a few, we still have plenty!
In the sales I bought a pair of cosy socks for the gift cupboard and a new duvet at half price to replace our old one. When I buy duvets I use a permanent marker and write the date on the label so I know how old the duvet is and when it would be a good idea to replace it.
We've had snow so it's nice to stay at home quietly.
Penny in the UK.
Dear Penny, Yes you need a basket like this! With your cooking and delivering it is perfect. I always line a basket with kitchen towels and pack some around what Im moving so it doesn't slide around. This keeps everything flat and upright. Your baking all sounds delicious! And you already added to your 2025 gift cupboard! Good buy on the duvet. Stay cozy at home. I am indoors too but due to heat instead! With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteHow is Henry adjusting?
ReplyDeleteHi Carole, Do you mean Justice? The calf? She is coming to the fence later and later for a feed. Today she hasn't come at all but I bet she does this evening!With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteHappy Birthday Annabelle, l love the birthday cake.
ReplyDeleteI’ve been taking advantage of what I have in the garden so raspberry jam and blackberry jam has been made. Lavender wands have been made and lavender collected to make sachets. Today a batch of Worcestershire sauce is on the go from plums.
Sue
Dear Sue, Ive never made Worcestershire sauce but would love to! I love Lavender and any kind of berry jam is beautiful. I made more jam today too! Have a great weekend! With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteHappy birthday dearest Annabel ! What blessings you have received ! I just love that basket ! The cucumbers and tomatoes will go lovely as cold salads to cool down ! You could also make bread and butter pickles ! The cake is so lovely what a thought ! Also very very hot here in Sydney ! Two fans don't do the trick and I can't afford air conditioning!
DeleteI'm praying for all affected by fires in California. I had sad news this week, a friend of mine took her own life due to mental illness. We are all in such shock she was only 40..she loved god and I hope she's now free of her mental torture. We loved Laura so much.
With Love, Sonia
Dear Sonia, I am so very sorry about your friend. That is so sad. Yes the fires are very upsetting and sobering. The heat is very draining!! We are meant to get a cool change tomorrow I am really hoping so and for you too! With much love Annabel.xxx
DeleteI don't care for fresh apricots, and canned have an awful texture, but apricot jam is my absolute favorite. For you girls in the US that use pectin, the low sugar recipe with Sure Jell low sugar pection (pink box) makes the absolute best jam I have ever tasted! I wish I'd made twice as much last summer and this year, I will!
ReplyDeleteDear Maxine, Yes I think apricot jam is one of the best. Also strawberry! I am trying to make the most of the good things of summer... as it's very hot and pretty draining at the moment! With much love Annabel.xxx
DeleteHappy birthday and what a lovely cake! All the best for a wonderful 2025.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Margie!xxx
DeleteAnnabel happy belated birthday. What a lovely cake and pastries and birthday spread Chloe made for you, a lovely basket that came your way that will come in very handy and so lovely you are making use of your abundance of apricots to make your wonderful jam. What lovely practical gifts you were given and practical items that you wanted are always the best. That serving platter is just divine that your Mum gave you. Oh my gosh the grass looks dry there so hope you do get some much needed rain there shortly and glad you do have hay to feed the animals with and wish we could have sent some of the deluge of rain we had over the last few days to you as some days we were getting 43mm or more each day.
ReplyDeleteThis week has all been about finding order in the home. We had an old mattress after buying our new one and the local tip doesn't take them without charging if you don't dismantle them yourselves. On that note we have been dismantling it and bit by bit putting it in our wheelie bin as it will fit.
I have been doing bits and pieces decluttering/tidying in varying areas to find order as we have been away from home a lot of late. It is starting to look so much better. When I went to an appointment I saw our local Noni B store that is closing unfortunately, had all their tops/t-shirts for $5 ea so I stocked up on the colours that match other items in my wardrobe and bought a few spares as well at those super low prices to save an average of $584.35 on usual prices. The store for a heads up to others who's stores are closing had 70 - 90% off usual prices so time to stock up if you are in need of clothing.
Have a wonderful week ahead all.
Lorna.
Dear Lorna, Yes it is so dry. Seeing the California fires terrifies me. I cant believe how much rain you are having! I would be happy with SOME rain , any! I saw Noni B and several other stores are all closing and having massive sales. It is for sure the time to get what you need. What a savings! Getting rid of rubbish is often difficult/expensive. Breaking things down and doing it gradually is probably the best way to go... see Maxines reply to you below too! With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteLorna, your story about the mattress reminds me of my grandmother, who died 5 years before I was born. During the Depression of the 1930s, she had to have her sink replaced. They put out the old sink with the trash and the collector would not take it--said it had to fit inside the bin. So, every night before the weekly trash pick up, she would send "the boys" (my uncles) out to chip off more of the sink and put it in the bin. This went on for several weeks and is one of the great family stories.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Annabel!
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing cake. Chloe and Tom did a beautiful job. Congratulations on the new chicks, apricots, and garden harvest. What a lovely platter your mom gave you! Nice that you have a large basket for deliveries.
I had a lovely birthday as well. My children were all so generous!
I needed new shoes for work and I was able to purchase them the next day. I received breakfast in bed from my 13 year old son. An amazing cake that my daughters made. And a special meal to boot.
My savings included food scraps from work for my chickens and shredded paperwork for the nesting boxes. Also a haircut for my husband, and some mending.
Blessings to all,
Leslie in Ohio
Dear Leslie, I didnt even think about possible food scraps from work! Oh wow this could be such a bonus!! Happy Birthday to you! I love that you got breakfast in bed and a lovely cake! You deserve it!
DeleteAlso the shredded paper... I find that so good for both nesting material and compost. As people get to know you at work you just put it out there you take fruit and canning jars! This networking really is amazing! With love Annabel.xxx
Happy Birthday! What a delightful day your birthday sounds! You are well and truly loved. Here at the opposite end of the world, your summertime bounty really looks good!
ReplyDeleteDear Elaine, It was so hot on the weekend your cool weather sounds lovely to me but I do love the produce of summer! I hope its been a good week! With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteHappy belated Birthday Annabel 🎉 looks like you had a lovely day 💕 So sweet of Close to make it so beautiful ❤️ Sending hugs Patti from San Diego
ReplyDelete