Garden Update/ Successes & Failures, New Coop Interior, Great Score on New Tableware

 

Garden Update/ Successes & Failures-

It has been a really crazy summer for everybody in our area with gardening. We had cool weather with rain, then heat. We got into a pattern of monsoonal moisture which is a blessing especially living in the high desert. Sadly it brought lightning and we're having terrible fires. Also that rain makes every single weed seed sprout! Just trying to keep things weeded was really insane. We did have a few good ideas though since we were desperate. We had some leftover weed barrier and there was a really bad area right in front of our blackberries that's a walkway. So I suggested to Dave that we throw down the weed barrier and cover with bark dust. We did that, problem solved! We did a lot of extra watering with the 100° days off and on, it just it was so hot. Good news we've had some nice big tomatoes coming off of some of the plants. The flip side is we got almost 1/3 of our usual Early Girl tomatoes, almost no paste tomatoes, and very few cherry tomatoes. Our Siberian black prince tomatoes and cukes all went crazy! Almost 5' tall!

We try to grow mostly Heritage but I do the others just for a quicker Harvest. So I do have lots of fresh tomatoes in the freezer that are vacuum sealed. We had a really good crop of pears. I made several giant crisps out of those. I gave the rest to my two daughters since I still had some canned ones left from last time. Froze a lot of peaches! I may do some canning this winter when things are cooler and it's quieter. We did get our first new black currants that we planted in our front yard as a shrub.

We've had some kind of disease or fungus in our front lawn resulting in a big brown patch. I contacted the Master Gardener program for help with that. At first I thought it's because we cut down our really old apple tree and it has full exposure to the sun burning it. But then it spread and spread. I spoke with them and sounds like a fungus hitting the valley. Will take a sample in. Sounds like we'll need to re-seed. So with gardening there's just always ups and downs every year. Another reason why we try to plant a variety of veggies and fruits. If you have a failure over a couple varieties you have some backups. We did get about four or five apples off our brand new baby apple tree! Looking forward to having more apples next year. Herbs did great and got a new pump for the pond-

New Coop Interior-

The chickens are doing really well in the new coop. We decided to do a second coat of paint since it weathered a bit in the Sun and winter is around the corner. Here's some photos of the inside to show you the layout, which is a little different. We did the same footprint but because we did the flooring and foundation the way we did it's a little bit narrower. After I saw another blogger had this idea we built in a little mini-enclosure inside the coop for either sick chickens or new chicks. For new chicks it would obviously be when it's warm enough for them to be out there and the temporary situation. The girls love sleeping at night up in the nesting boxes. They were used to being up on a shelf by the upper window, but we put the new (used) window down low this time to avoid falls. Everything else is going well with the coop through good ventilation and everybody was happy this summer. Super grateful that we have our huge maple tree in the backyard, gives us lots and lots of shade! Here's the main area, feed and water on the left, floating perch on the right-

New temp enclosure for chicks or ill birds-

Window above nesting boxes and enclosure-

Naturewood first batch

Great Score on New Tableware-

A couple years ago I had stumbled on a stoneware pattern that I really loved on Facebook Marketplace. Sadly I just couldn't afford it at the time. I left Facebook for a while and then went back recently to follow local businesses and have access to Marketplace. Then I spotted the Pfaltzgraff Naturewood stoneware pattern again! And the price was way down, not sure if it's the economy? To make a long story very short I was able to get a great price on a set from two different sellers. The first seller had mixed in a second pattern called Perennial Flowers which coordinates with the Naturewood. After doing some research I decided to sell those on Marketplace. It's actually a quite expensive pattern since it was only in production for about 5 years. Long story short is also I may wind up actually making quite a chunk of money on this as it is very valuable, and I am selling it for a really good price. Will be listing it in a day or so. Worked out great!

Naturewood pattern

Cold, Cold and Snow! Independence Days Challenge

Cold, Cold and Snow!

Well we have been through quite the cold spell! Our cold weather at night had been in the teens. Our backyard looked like a small iceberg graveyard-

 

 

Every day I've been emptying out our back deck bird bath and refilling it with water. It's only been in the 30s lately during the day and with the cold at night the ice just isn't melting out on the lawn. Looks pretty funny! The good news was we had some warmer weather blow in, then got some rain. We desperately needed some moisture, it'd had been so dry for weeks and weeks. We did get a little snow early last month.

 

After a round of food poisoning (bad fast food) I got hubbie's dry, hacky cough and cold, oh joy. Luckily I had all the meds I needed on hand and didn't have to go anywhere. Finally got rid of the sinus part and got my energy back. I fell a bit behind on some projects, but I'm playing catch up now. I'm very grateful to be home currently, so I was able to rest and sleep as much as I needed. Then we finally got some real snow this week! Started last Thursday night, woke up to about 3", then got about another inch the next day, gorgeous! Colder weather came in. High today was 32 and hazy. More snow in the forecast soon, with lows near ZERO soon! We added more pine shavings to the coop, girls are nice and toasty! The "sun room" we added to the left of the coop is giving the hens nice extra dry space. They use it daily!  

 

Independence Days Challenge:

So here's what's been happening at the little Homestead...

1. Plant Something- Still winter, but did save/move a fern after my Trader Joe's Amaryllis bulb garden finished blooming-

I removed the bulbs and added fresh potting mix to the fern. Looks good!

2. Harvest Something- The hens finally started laying last week! No eggs since about October. I'm grateful I started our little flock years ago. I will probably get a few more chicks later this year for a larger flock. Debbie is still alive, leaving only two laying. Sunny the Brown Leghorn lays white eggs, Luna my Silver Laced Wyandotte lays brown. I like buying mixed varieties of chickens so that I can tell who's doing what-

Sunny laid first!

3. Preserve/Store Something- Froze some chicken parts, will be making some relishes to store in the fridge. Bought some extra rice to store. Will thaw some home grown tomatoes for pasta sauce and peaches for some desserts. I may also can some, didn't have time last summer.

 

4. Manage Reserves- Get a Good Deal/Barter/Stock Up/Prep- Trying to avoid tariffs I bought/will be buying a few things. Bought a used bread machine, thrifted after my old (thrifted) one died. I was able to find most of the owners manual online, made my first batch of bread, came out great.  Loaves are a little smaller but I can make bread as needed. Too much arthritis to hand make breads. Bought two funnel neck Nike hoodies for myself on eBay (used, like new) warm and cute! I hate crew necks-

Found some new sneakers 40% off on-sale on Amazon, love Sketchers!

 

Will be buying hubby Dave a few things right away, like his sneakers, etc. Bought a few cans of protein powder mixes (non dairy) on sale. We can't do much dairy. Bought a nice, small little rice cooker that works great! $20.00 Amazon, makes perfect rice, all kinds, always had trouble getting rice perfect every time, no more-

 

5. Eat the Food- Try New Foods/Recipe- We went out to a Japanese dinner the week of Japanese New Year and were gifted with a free thermos with the restaurant's name, how fun!

 

 

In honor of Japanese New Year I bought a little snake figurine at the Asian store (year of the snake), and then two lucky cats. The cats are called Maneki Neko, one for prosperity and one for good health, in my entry way-

 

I'm starting to make some simple Japanese food. I re-did part of my kitchen counter in the corner with some of the basics like sticky rice, etc.I got out a few things that I thought looked nice and added them. Since I'm a visual person hopefully this will inspire me and make it easy to find what I need. The two matching containers and bamboo vase were thrifted-

I had an extra planting box left over that I cleaned up, filled with various seasonings making them easier to find in the cabinet-

 

I like how it came out! I made a fun little bunting with some free sushi cat clip art. I printed on photo paper and strung on thread. I love it! 

 

 

 

We're really fortunate we live five minutes from a huge Asian food store, the biggest in the area. Their staff is also really helpful in finding things! My first dish I made is called Onigiri, or rice balls. Usually made in a triangle with different fillings for snacks or lunches. These had Bonito flakes/soy sauce and pickled ginger, yummy! I wrapped them in Nori, added some whole grain rice mix for more nutrition-

 

6. Build Community Food Systems- No farmer's markets yet. May start selling some eggs to friends with prices the way they are. I suspect a lot of people will be buying chicks soon, hopefully they will do their research first. I may do a "how to start your first urban flock" post soon.

 

7. Recycle/Re-Use- We donated several boxes of holiday decor, clothes, kitchen items, shoes, etc. Bought a used bread machine $12.00, I got a few years out of my last thrifted $10.00 machine! 

 

I've been looking more critically around the house, getting rid of more decorative items I didn't really use. I donated quite a few cookbooks that I had gotten on eBay/thrift stores.  I'm sure somebody else can give them some love. On the kitchen counter (see above) I got the two blue and white ceramic storage jars with cork lids, $5.00 each. One for brown rice and one whole oats, nice! Got two Asian medium sized plates, $2.00-

 

 Got two sets of 2 condiment/sauce mini trays for a couple bucks-

 

8. Skill Up- I started watching YouTube videos about what it's like living in Japan, really interesting. Here's a YouTuber I really enjoy Chani Japan  She's Australian and moved to Japan to teach English. She had been there before. She goes camping in Japan with her kitty Millie and is delightful. She bought an abandoned house, fixed it up, inspired me to try making Japanese foods. Check her out! I'm doing lots of Youtube and Pinterest for recipes.

 

9. Regenerate What is Lost/Salvage Something- We have decided to cut down our front apple tree. We will either plant a dwarf apple tree, small shade tree or perennials. Time will tell. Just too much to manage. Have been deep cleaning and re-organizing chunks of the house. Took everything out of the fridge and washed all surfaces, reorganized. Looks great! Will re-do the storage in our office/spare bedroom. Need t move some things around and re-sort home canned stuff, etc. More to come on that.

 

 

GOOD TO REMEMBER RIGHT NOW 

From Pba.umich.edu

 

AND 

 

100 + Degree Heat and Independence Days Challenge

100 Degree Heat and Independence Days Challenge- 

Like other parts of the country it's been very very hot here lately! It was 106 or 107 last week. At this point we're just trying to keep our garden/yard and our chickens alive. We're very lucky that we have excellent air conditioning and a very low water bill compared to other parts of Boise in the surrounding area. We're part of a very small water district and so no matter how much water we use the bill is the same. Having said that we do try to remind ourselves that we need to mulch as much as possible as we live in a high desert. Some people just worry about their bill and not how much is in the water table. Luckily we did have a wet spring so hopefully it's not as bad as usual. Hoping for some relief on the way! Some summer decor is up, nice and cheery-

 

Beach table

Our lovely daughter Tami gifted us with a gorgeous crystal paper weight from her recent Oregon Coast vacation, Moon Jellyfish-

 

Gorgeous!

 

Here's what we've been up to here at the Little Homestead...

Independence Days Challenge

1. Plant Something-

Too hot this time of year just keeping things alive. Garden is looking good though!

 

 

2. Harvest Something-

About one egg a day. New veggies coming along-

 

Radishes, a few carrots and green onions from seed, added new soil

 

 Swiss Chard and herbs-

Been getting a good amount of cucumbers,  mostly lemon. Starting to get some decent sized green cucumbers for slicing. It's been too hot for the tomatoes to set fruit, but there are a few small tomatoes. Peppers are coming along as well, no squash yet. One of our chickens Luna has not been laying for about the last month. Really odd to only be getting about one egg per day. Debbie still looks slower, but is hanging in there. The vet I took her to months ago said she had a mass and had a lot of edema. She seems to be holding her own! I'm surprised she's lasted this long. I definitely don't want to lose two chickens! Luna looks pretty healthy and seems okay otherwise so I increased her, and the flock's, protein content by getting them some dried meal worm mixed treats. They love them! Hopefully egg production will start up again. This is why I dehydrated lots of eggs last year when we have a over abundant supply. We use a mister in their shade area to keep them cooler, cheap and effective, also water down their run daily and cool treats like cuke slices-

3. Preserve/Store Something-

As always with food prices been watching for good deals. Found some really good deals at Trader Joe's recently. One of my favorite quick fast/work dinners is Trader Joe's non-cured pepperoni pizza. I top with whatever vegetables we have at home like olives, peppers, onions and then bake. It's a quick dinner for the two of us. Four good slices (for two of us) for $5.00.  Serve with some veggies or salad. Lots of apples, pears, and peaches on the trees will be doing lots of canning this year! I haven't made my chunky applesauce in a few years so will be making some this year-

 

 

Apples

 

Pears 

 

Pollinators helping out-

4. Manage Reserves- Get a Good Deal/Barter/Stock Up/Prep-

Working off of our freezer, used a pork roast to make for pulled pork, etc. Went to the Grocery Outlet, got some great deals: organic cereals, canned chicken chili, baking mixes, fresh fruit and I even bought a Jade plant! For six bucks it was really healthy and will live a long time. Bought replacement pair of sneakers on Amazon for 30% off. I bought some used books/DVDs on eBay and a few other things for the house. Working on using it more of the freezer foods including some fruits and vegetables. Got some items at Costco-

 

$8.00, for 2 dinners plus extras 

 

Great for pasta, lasts a long time!

 

5. Eat the Food- Try New Foods/Recipe-

Bought some Asian noodles and tofu at a local Asian store and made stir fry! Use lots of fresh ginger, Hoisin sauce and vegetables. On the noodles did Tamari sauce and sesame oil. Topped with sesame seeds, excellent!

 

6. Build Community Food Systems-

Haven't made it out to the local farmstead place yet, a little bit early. It's also quite a lot of gas to drive out to Caldwell, so putting that on hold for now to keep our expenses down. No eggs to give away right now.

 

7. Recycle/Re-Use-

Went through my clothes  and craft closet. Donated some decorative things for the house that I just don't really use anymore. Sold my old Peugeot bike for $175.00! Dave's old one is for sale too. We bought two newer used ones, much easier to ride. Went to Goodwill and found some great stuff recently! Bought some used music CD's on eBay as well as a couple of tops. We went to two different Goodwill stores and found some really great deals. I got mugs that match my earlier one (except gray) and a really fun French Chateau clock that I repaired. The top of had a hole. Got a fun snowy yard sign that's folk art looking for winter. Got some sidewalk chalk for the grand kids. Stopped at Hobby Lobby and got a nice welcome sign, summer clearance priced-

 

 

$3.00 for two

 

 Goes with my previous thrifted blue ones!

 

Mini farm animals to go with thrifted toy barn, $1.00, grand kids love it!

 

 

Ripley putting the animals away!

 

Cute thrifted clock, $6.00

 

 

Hole on the top

 

Used light weight spackle, took 3 times to fill

 

 colored with a black magic marker, all done!

 

works great! 

 

 Gravy boat with dish, $3.00

 

  

 

 Beachy shadow box $3.00

 

 

Thrifted sign $3.00, about 12" x 8"

 

Clearance from Hobby Lobby, $6.00 for front door 

Painted last month's thrifted Fleur de lis a flat cream, will distress soon, maybe. 

"Before"-

 

"After"-

 

Some of our bird houses were shot, so Dave got out some spare lumber and built some new ones-

 

 

 The local birds love this size-

 

New recycled roofs, bought at yard sales. Will paint with leftover house paint and decorate. More soon!

 

8. Skill Up-

Still learning lots about my new-er job and doing well. Excellent benefits working for the Federal government! A bit of a bureaucracy however but that's the way it is.

 9. Regenerate What is Lost/Salvage Something-

We have our blue towels from Ikea that we really like. We went through the second time where the set of towels is in pretty good shape but the washcloths were getting really scratchy. Because we have really hard water and the washcloths are wet most of the time they get pretty icky and discolored after a while. Since I had a hand towel I had not used yet as part of the set I decided to make two washcloths. I basically measure them out against an existing washcloth hand them on the sewing machine and added a loop to one of them. Much softer and thicker! And didn't cost anything-

 

Old washcloth as a pattern

 

Sorry, already in use!

I have been debating for years washing one, or both, of my Grandmother's Depression Era quilts. One was in much worse shape than the other so I decided to wash the better one first. The main problem with it is the edging was pretty well shot. We have a setting on our washer that's called Deep Water that basically fills the whole washer up. We rarely use this setting, but I decided to use it for the quilt. I read when washing really old quilts to wash them, then stretch them out on the grass in the sun to dry. You wouldn't want to do this right after you mowed however! So I washed it and dried it and wow what a difference, used warm water, mild soap and Clorox 2-

 

 

 Bow Tie quilt

I don't think I'd washed it in about 20 years or more, was afraid to. I started thinking about what grandma would think and she probably would think that I should watch the other one too! So I did. The one in better shape I think I'm going to go ahead and buy some binding for her and do the edges-

 

The one that's more worn I may go ahead and try to buy some matching fabric for some of the squares that are pretty well beat up and replacing those. Time will tell but I'd like to preserve them as best as possible. All clean #2!