(Mostly) Homegrown Split Pea Soup

I love it! Scarf wound ’round, hat down on over ears, zip up coat, grab the harvest basket and run out. Loot: celery, leeks and pea shoots Rinse, chop, sweep into the pot, add homegrown chopped onions and carrots, as well as split peas (bulk, dry) that have been soaking overnight, water, pepper and salt …

Plans for Next Year: Chickens, Bees, Frogs

Next year I want would like: a second colony, in a homemade top bar hive. chickens, 3 of them. the beginning of a dwarf fruit tree orchard. a guild around the cherry tree. an earth oven in a straw bale shelter, a strawbale low wall with welcoming arch up front, and  some strawbale benches, shelters …

Summer Hoop House to Winter Hoop House

We finally have a winter hoop house. We moved the thing from its summer to its winter position yesterday and today. It took us, 2 adults and 1 5-year-old, 6 hours, and about 2 hours of that was spent on making new parts. Not bad. Those end walls weigh a TON! Our trusty Radio Flyer …

Daily Bread No. 13 and Hot Box Update

I joined the a team of parent and teacher volunteers who are working to make the school system in our town greener. We’re working on getting the recycling going. Especially lunch time is a problem, a big black hole that apparently eats only trash. ~ I’m still baking, only not as much – a bread …

Peas Anyway, and Daily Bread No.12, Rain Barrels, Pumpkins

The Fall peas never had a chance to blossom – my fault, I planted them too late. But during a garden tour a friend pointed out I could still eat the shoots. Lovely just like that and in soup and salad. Also baked Daily Bread No.12. It sang when I took it out of the …

Daily Bread No. 10 and Last Harvests

So I’m not going to be able to bake a bread every day, but it’s cool. Taking advantage of the hot oven, I also baked a punkin pie, using this wonderful recipe (but with canned pumpkin puree). I can’t show you pictures because it’s mostly gone already. I may become a (modest) baker after all. …

Living Room Green House

There’s Amie, counting on her fingers This is what our living room looks like now. DH said it looks a bit weird, those big peppers.  I said, well count yourself lucky I’m not overwintering the eggplants! (Poor eggplants.) At least I’m making that big picture window pay for all the heat loss in cold weather. …

Daily Bread No. 8, and First Pumpkin Foundling

Today, the day after Halloween, we found our first punkin orphan, dropped off at our mailbox. Amie ran to welcome it. We reminded people of the composting program when we were out trick-or-treating, and many were enthusiastic. And I met one elderly gentleman who was the first to live on this street, and he and …