Feather your Nest Friday, 15th August, 2025.
Pushed on by the #everybitcountschallenge and what Patsy says is looking with our "pantry building eyes"... this has been a big week.
I had an afternoon of using my essential oils. It was very blissful. I made up rollers of sleep and calming blends plus germ fighter and oregano ~ (which is my number one thing for sore throats and really feeling like I am coming down with something.) Also.. I made skin serum and two bottles of relaxing bubble bath.
My pretty containers are thrift store finds.
I made extras of some of these as gifts.
My cooking... I used the slow cooker to cook up beef, onions, mushrooms, carrots and capsicums. When it was all tender I thickened it with gravy to make meat pies. (Although that evening I had this with sour cream and rice and it was really delicious.)
The next day... pie making began.
The kids got little ones with their initial. I also made some to freeze.
It was like a challenge to see how many pies I could get! 😊
One was a family sized pie for an emergency meal.
As usual I made scones.
Some of the stinging nettle was ready to pack.
I am getting two dozen eggs a day despite it being winter!
My challenge to give them weeds everyday has probably helped. My helper and I pulled up the spent broccoli plants and the chief barrow pusher got them in the henhouse for me.
Then we collected the eggs.
Next we went potato digging. This big box is my potato patch. Tom climbed in and began digging and discovered it is really fun! Yes it is! We had a "who can find the biggest spud competition." Most of the potatoes were small but nice. We filled two baskets.
We left plenty to grow a new crop.
As you can see this was another day spent in pure winter sunshine.
Mum gave me a potted bulb just before it came out. Now it is flowering on my outdoor table and just lovely.
My tractor has a flat tyre but my helpers took it into town to be fixed.
Today was amazing. I traded eggs for lemons. Now I have enough lemons to make Lemon Butter. Then, my favourite trade... veggies for the use of the cabin.
I was given so much! All beautiful. I have not even unpacked it all as it is now dark and I have run out of day and energy. Tomorrow I will wash everything up, plan and begin!
I will take photos as I go. I am just so excited. Last week at the shops a Cauliflower on its own was $8.
My patchwork patch of the week didn't happen. I had it all cut out and planned and I did't like it! So I tried to change it around and swap out colours and it just did not work. I had to walk away from it.
So instead... I cut out a bag. This is lined with a pocked inside. I have lots of bigger bits of fabric I can do this with and still have plenty to use in my quilt.
I am thinking to try and do one a week along with my quilt block.
And finally... dog photo of the week. 😊
In town today there was also a massive book sale. It was "fill a shopping bag for $5". I filled a bag for Mum. She likes happy English village/garden and Australia outback/country... For myself I found preserving/cooking/homestead... and I forget what else because also I have not unpacked them. I will take photos when I get that far!
And... in the thrift store I found pure wool and a bag of 100% cotton!
To finish off all the goodness we had several big downpours last night and today. Just fantastic!
So many blessings. I am very grateful. I hope the same for you! xxxx
Wow what an amazing week you’ve had Annabel. I saw green beans for $25 @ last week now they are $2.99 @ kg. Something wrong there.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Wow that is crazy! I have seen some very wild sings... but maybe not that wild!xxx
DeleteAnnabel, What a lovely blessed week you have had. Your little helper looks so happy helping you, he is a hard worker. Sorry abut the flat tire, that is a lot of weight for them to move around. Love the produce box, such fresh great produce.
ReplyDeleteI had a slow week due to pain, though I made the best of it whenever I could. I made Orange Marmalade with free oranges from a hotel stay. I had to use my stick blender to puree it some as husband isn't keen on the larger rind pieces. It passed with his approval, the taste was so good. I have 10 small pears ripening that also came from the hotel, I hope to can soon. I also have 10 pounds of peaches we purchased on sale for 79 cents a pound, we bought the limit. They will be canned and also a batch of jam.
I have been working on my afghan from free yarn, I have 60 squares completed, I tried a new stitch to connect them, I failed miserably seeing messed up stitched, so I put it aside to try again after tearing them apart.
We have had a week or repairs here, our grinder, (it is in the sewer line to push things out to city sewer line) needed a new cover. Our hot water tank is dying, the repairman could not fix it, husband ordered 2 parts to try to save it. Our tiler repairman is backed up gain due to medical reasons so our bathroom is on hold again another month. If this gets done before Christmas it will be a miracle, it has been going since January. So we will be in repair mode for awhile.
Dear Rosanne, The canned pears look gorgeous! Peaches at that price is simply incredible. How beautiful.
DeleteOh I feel your pain on the bathroom renovations and repairs. I really need to do my bathroom but I keep putting it off as I cant face it! Someday I will!
Have a great new week! With love Annabel.xxx
Annabel, I just loved reading this. It’s amazing how much you inspire and encourage me. I hope you never stop. 😊 Thank you so much! I pray God blesses you abundantly! ♥️
ReplyDeleteDear Sue, What a kind thing to say! Thank you! I do appreciate your lovely prayer too. We have to encourage each other, a little bit goes a long way and we all need it. With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteWhat an amazing week - and your wee helper is so cute! I have a great niece about that age and she got to plant a small garden plot this year. It has been SO hot that a lot just didn;t grow but she was thrilled to be able to harvest some greens beans yesterday - that she promptly ate for supper! She also helps to collect the eggs from their chickens!
ReplyDeleteAll your gifts look so pretty - you really do have a good eye for spotting thrift store bargains.
This week I have flash frozen peppers and peaches. The peaches are small but just delicious this year so I am getting some into the freezer for Winter smoothies. I also batch cooked a tray of chicken breasts and made a large meatloaf. I also made a laegw tuna salad and later today I will make a few hard boiled eggs - this way I just have to make a salad or cook some veg and then just mix and match the proteins all week. (Some servings even made it into the freezer for meals down the road).
I would like to start some baking but it is just too hot at the moment - over 30C and feeling more like 40C for days on end, plus smoke from the wildfires making the air very hazy so baking will have to wait for another month or so.
Dear Margie, I bought mince to make meatloaves too... although maybe not yet, I put it in the freezer. I also don't cook when the weather is too hot. It is just horrible. But while it's cold here I am baking away.
DeleteThe peppers and peaches sound beautiful. Peaches are a favourite of mine.
I know smoke is shocking ... I am sorry there are wildfires. Even low level smoke is really bad on the lungs. I have had to wet towels and place them under the doors... also it stinks.
It is lovely your great niece has eggs to collect and a garden! What happiness!. With love Annabel.xxx
Hi Annabel
ReplyDeleteYou had another great week! I love the crystal containers and rollers for soothing remedies etc. And the pies! Wow! Your kitchen must have smelled wonderful. Where would you be without your faithful little helper, it's a joy to see him loving helping you at the farm.
For the challenge this week I braised a big red cabbage with apples and froze several containers. I picked and froze several serves of French beans. I made a donation at an honesty table and bought home a big bag of plums which I stoned and froze. We cut two more marrow which are now stored away. I cooked a big ham when the family came over and sliced up the leftovers and froze for another day. I haven't quite managed something everyday but I'm still pleased with it.
I also made a raspberry and apple pie with fruit from the freezer for the family and a cherry and sultana cake.
Someone on our village ladies group offered a child's buggy for free which I collected, when our granddaughter is with us we can bump along the farm tracks with it. It's such good quality and robust that we are going to make a donation to the church in the young woman's name, she wouldn't take any money for it. I also scored another new dog toy and children's building blocks and books at the charity outlet shop and bought three Christmas presents at a stall at our local agricultural show. The presents are refurbished wooden children's toys at a great price. I hope I don't sound mean but I do love a bargain and reusing quality second hand items rather than buying plastic from China.
Best wishes to all Bluebirds.
Penny in the UK
Dear Penny, I really like the idea of cabbage and apples. And the lovely French beans sound good The plums would be gorgeous... even the colour of plums looks amazing.
DeleteThe ham sounds good. I really love something where you have a big cook up once then you get a heap of meals. Your pie and cake both sound delicious!
A buggy at your place will be very handy. Truthfully a buggy can be used for many things from carrying a child to a load of apples lol!
Fantastic about the Christmas presents! We all need to be thinking about that now and getting ahead! I hope you have another great week! With love Annabel.xxx
What an amazing and blessed week you have had!............Nancy
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your post today I am completely exhausted! What a lot you have got done. We have a new puppy from the animal shelter who is really keeping me too busy to be very useful at anything else. But he will grow out of it and he is so adorable as is your sweet baby. Thank you for sharing all the inspiration.
ReplyDeleteDear Elaine, Oh congratulations on giving a puppy a home! Thank you so much! We are having more and more sunshine as winter is slowly closing. Soon I'll be planting! With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteSuch a beautiful post, Annabel! I love that you called Tom your chief barrow pusher. 😊 And you have all your bases covered from lovely produce to flowers to sewing projects to the latest cute pup photo. I'm inspired to sew a bag a week as well. What a great idea!
ReplyDeleteMy week has been full of canning/freezing produce. A friend blessed me with veg from her garden as she was going away for the week and didn't want it to go bad. Let's see... there's swiss chard, beets with greens, radishes, zucchini, and yellow squash. I picked up some Roma tomatoes and cabbage from a kind soul at church. Plus we picked apples today at my mother in law's. My own garden is yielding the most beautiful grape tomatoes and blackberries. Soon, I get to dig up my potatoes.
I'm amazed at how much a body can accomplish during harvest time! How I am managing to process fruit and veggies while I am a trying to get 4 children signed up for school, I'll never know. But I can tell you, I learned to manage my home, and time, well from you Bluebirds! Especially you, Annabel. So, thank you all for being amazing examples! My husband refuses to let me get a job outside the home to help with finances. "Thank you for creating a home for us," he says.
Love,
Leslie in Ohio
Dear Leslie, You are being blessed as each week ad this weeks extra produce is amazing! Thank you for your kind words! Yes you do so very much and I am so glad you dont have to do the extra work outside the home as well. You are I a super busy season right now. For me that time comes more around Feb/March. But planting will being in the next month! I love the seasons as we get a rest from it all in winter! With much love Annabel.xxx
DeleteI want that bag!!! It's gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteI want that puppy too!!!
You are so talented.
Thanks so much Savannah, have a lovely week! xxx
DeleteAnnabel,
ReplyDeleteSuch a lovely good week full of good things! First the bag is beautiful!!
You can never go wrong with good fresh veggies and fruits and your trades are fantastic! I will be trading in a few days for some veggies too.
Your little helper always looks so happy to be helping you and digging potatoes is fun! I love to dig potatoes and get excited when I find some big ones.
Sparky is adorable, does she follow you around?
It's all putting up produce for me right now and what I don't put up we share. It's mostly been green beans and broccoli, but I'll have broccoli to last through winter I think. Corn and tomatoes are coming on and we have been eating them fresh soon though we'll be harvesting bigger amounts.
Every bit really does count. Food for us, food for the chickens and food to share!
XOXO
Vicky
Dear Vicky, Yes Sparky comes everywhere with me. It wears her out! Your produce has been looking beautiful. Keeping up with it all is a full time job. Living on what is coming in is the way to go. Some trades are good too. I just love how the chickens end up with so much while we are working in the garden and with produce, they love it all! Then the best brightest eggs as well! With much love Annabel.xxx
DeleteWhat a fruitful week you’ve had! I love your bags. Hubby and I are on the road again, so no pantry building happening in my world. Have a lovely week Annabel and Bluebirds. With love Cheryl 🐦🪺
ReplyDeleteI got a small (VERY VERY small) fall garden planted and was so pleased to see green beans popping up. Now if only the rest of the things will start to pop a bit. I have one planter that I am going to put peas and beets in later in the month.
ReplyDeleteI have been busy nearly every day putting things into the pantry and freezer. I've worked hard and I'm very pleased with all I've been able to accomplish. I am not making plans for this next week's work.
But this weekend, with a busy weekend here, I am taking it easy and not putting anything away in the freezer or pantry. I needed this time off as I had done multiples of things each day. I have never focused so hard on putting up foods and medicines, personal care items, and paper supplies as I have this August. I've loved every minute of it.
A friend of mine who lives in Perth, AU said to me that she remembered when people used to do that each year! I laughed and told her it was how I had grown up, but I was now planning on making this a way of life once more. It is hard to believe that I've been at it only two weeks really and all that I've managed to do!
Your pies and sewing are all lovely and I adore seeing your chief barrow pusher helping you and how you make it fun for him to help. I can't wait to see what all the produce turns into.
And just an aside, that price on cauliflower is one I see often in my rural area here in the States. It can be very very pricey to shop in our small towns which is why we often drive 40 minutes away.
Many, many blessings in your week! Tom (and his work ethic!) brightens the day of all the Bluebirds. The pies look amazing! I like the bag and the fabric! 🌸Thank you for your blog and for motivating others to work hard with a big smile for the home. Esther
ReplyDeleteLovely photos, great food, adorable dog, pretty bag and wonderful thrift store finds!
ReplyDeleteDear Annabel, what a beautiful week. Tom is so cute and what an amazing worker he is. I love that bag. It’s beautiful. Your essential oil and warty goods look so pretty and will be such a good help. The books were a great deal. I stocked up on goggles this week lol they are always handy to have put away . I also bought another puzzle and some men’s shorts. I am determined to keep an eye out. And pray! We have been having beautiful weather, it’s lovely. Lots of love, Bridget
ReplyDeleteDear Annabel, and lovely Bluebirds
ReplyDeleteAlthough I haven*t been commenting I have still read all your posts and I admire you all for your many-many accomplishments. You are a great circle of friends, to be around and to learn from !
I have an unusual low level of energy, and combined with some very hot temperatures and hard days at work, these all left me like a sponge at the end of the day (the nights are very warm and humid, so all the luck for having the windows open to the flower garden and to the vineyard for a bit of coolness and fragrance). Rain is scarce but when we have it, we have it! One day we made it to the national TV news because of a big storm and lots of hail, which damaged some tomatoes and broke a part of the vineyard - but the roof, the animals and the trees were ok.
I still managed to do the everybitcountschallenge! Not exactly in this order but this is what I did:
- fried eggplants on the oven outside, (posts on insta) for the freezer and for the zacusca recipe that I once written here
- dehydrated something everyday - plums, peaches, basil, rosemary, green beans, carrots, calendula, comfrey, mint, parsley, cellery and mushrooms
- started a batch of calendula oil (my favourite) and another one of comfrey (witch is new to me but I heard it is good for muscles and joint pain and my husband is suffering of both). Any other ideeas to help him somehow?
- made a big bucket of comfrey tea as fertilizer for my plants
- taken the advantage of the great heat I dried comfrey and stinging nettles for the chickens and ducks in winter - I powder and add to their feed, great minerals and vitamins for the cold months when I don*t have anything green in the garden for weeks.
- because of the above mentioned bare weeks I managed to put in the freezer vegetables peelings and fruits that will come in handy just when needed - these days my flock is out in the garden, supervised free ranging a few hours in the afternoon, when I am outside too, with my two dogs and many kitties.
- filled the freezer with quite a few kilos of different meat (beef, pork and chicken) with good prices from the butcher.
I will come back with more energy next time, I promise. You inspire me a lot.
With much love, Laura_s_world from Romania
PS - Tom is adorable, Sparky is very cute - you are right, the dog photo of the week and the chief barrow pusher!!!!!!
Hi Laura,
DeleteI always appreciate the comments that you share and reading about all that you are accomplishing at your home!
I wanted to offer the suggestion of Arnica cream for joint and muscle pain, as we have found it to be effective. In addition, my husband has recently started using castor oil on a troubled knee. That may sound odd, but he has come across several YouTube videos of folks that have found this to be useful. You may want to research either or both as a possibility. Best Regards, Rachel from Oregon, U.S.
Thank you, Rachel, you are very kind. Laura
DeleteWow! This blog post is especially beautiful! You inspire us so much with all you accomplish each week!
ReplyDeleteI don't have much to report on my own behalf, since there have been many appointments and outings planned for the end of summer. We've managed to stay under budget for groceries this week by eating from the pantry. Then making wise choices at the grocery store has helped! Thank you for your wisdom (and the bluebirds) about how to reduce the grocery bill. My husband and two boys are happy to have good food in the house, and I'm happy with lower costs! Also, there's nothing quite like a home cooked meal and food made from scratch.
I hope your weekend is wonderful!
Stacy in Virginia