A grocery store purchase that you can keep growing.

 Did you know there are many vegetables you can buy from your grocery store, that you can keep growing for renewable sources of food? Scallions are one of them. If they have even the tiniest of roots, you can plant them, and they will continue to grow. I purchased this bunch, planted them before the start of the pandemic, and have been able to harvest them over and over.

What to plant when your thirsty

We work hard on our gardens.  We plan out what vegetables and fruits we want to grow.  Then we buy the seeds, prepare the soil, and plot out what is going where. There's a lot of preparation, but after all of this work, we reap the benefits of delicious food to eat.  smacks lips.

All those delicious meals...but what's to drink?  Did you plant it?

This is not a crazy idea.  And why shouldn't we do it?!?  If we grow it, we can have a variety of slurpy goodness just sitting in our cupboards.

You might be thinking about the obvious.  Fruit trees.  While this is a good choice, it's not convenient for everyone.  Many fruit trees need several years before they start to yield, and most of them thrive planted in the ground instead of pots.  If you do have the space in your lawn and the willingness to wait a couple of years, then this might be an excellent idea for you.

For those who want more immediate results, there are so many options.  Mint is a wonderful choice.  Not only is it great in so many dishes, it makes a year round drink.  You can use the leaves freshly cut from the plant, or dried out.  It makes a refreshing drink over ice, or even a hot tea. My only suggestion with mint, is to grow it in a pot.  Mint can be an invasive, so having it in a pot will control the spread.

Think about what you like to drink.  Is it lemon?  You can grow lemon balm, or lemon grass.  Do you like something a little spicy?  Try growing ginger.  There are several varieties that are edible.  Ginger root is very easy to grow.  I grow a variety called shell ginger.  The leaves of the shell ginger makes a light ginger flavored tea.

Would you like something to drink before bed?  Turmeric is easy to grow.  You can make a tea preparation with turmeric root, honey and warm milk.  Then you will sleep like a baby. For something a little lighter, grow some chamomile. The bees will also thank you for having those sweet little flowers to pollinate.

Do you like a freshly brewed cup of coffee in the morning?  Chicory can be grown, harvested and then roasted in your oven.  Then grind it up and treat it like ground coffee.

Before your finished, don't forget your sweetener.  Stevia can be started from seed and planted in your garden.  It is a no-sugar substitute for your drinks.  Each leaf tastes like pure sugar. 

So many ideas to plant, and so many cups to drink!

Free ranging your chickens

 So many people this year have decided to start raising chickens.  They give you a bounty of eggs, which of course taste a million times better than store bought.  Plus you have the added benefit of one less thing to leave the house for.  

You bring the chickens home from the store, but what should you do with them?  Where do you put them once they are old enough to be out in the yard?

Of course they are going to need a little home to come to for safety and warmth at night.  They need a place to lay their eggs.  They also need a run so they can come out in the day.  Putting a fence around a small area next to their home is a great solution.  You can keep an eye on them.  Your assured that they will lay their eggs in a spot where you can find them, and for the most part, they are safe.  But after a while, and it will happen fast, the grass will all disappear.  They eat everything. Now, it's not as fun for them.  If it rains, it starts to become miserable.  Who wants to spend their day walking around in the mud?

Let them out!  During the day, they can get the sun that they desperately need.  Running through the yard and spreading their wings gives them a wonderful chance for exercise.  And when this happens, your chickens will be happy.  Don't worry.  Your chickens will come back to lay their eggs in the nesting boxes, and they will come home to sleep in the house you built.  Just make sure there is plenty of food and water near their house, so they always associate this area with home.  

When the chickens have a chance to run around, they can scratch around for delicious bugs to eat as well as the grass.  This will cut down on food costs.  They will also have a chance to take dirt naps.  They make a hole, climb in and shake that dirt right into their feathers.  This isn't just for fun, although I do think it's the best part of their day.  The dirt helps to control any lice or mites that they might get, as well as minimize the oils in their feathers.  

You see, their are so many benefits to letting the girls out, but here's another one:  it's so much fun to sit and watch them play.  It's better than television.  

I'm out of money...what do I do?!?

What do you do when your out of money?  Oh it's horrible, isn't it?  You only have money for the basics, gas, bills, groceries.  Then there is nothing left, and a whole month to get through.  You can't go out with your friends.  You can't even buy those fun little extras, like a bag of chips or a new bottle of nail polish.

Most people will tell you the obvious.  Things like...you should have saved for a rainy day.  Use coupons.  Plant a garden.  But what if you have tried these things, or not, and now it's raining.  Nope!  Its pouring.  You don't even want to show your face to your friends, or answer the phone for fear...They might ask you out!  Oh, then you'll have to explain.  No money, blech!

Well, your stuck at home until that next drop of cash comes your way.  What to do?  Start by telling yourself that you are staying at home on purpose.  That will take some pressure off your shoulder.  It also gives you an excuse to give your friends.  Say it's one month.  You won't die, trust me. 

So, your hungry.  This is the time to clean out the pantry and cupboards.  CLEANING?  Did I say CLEANING?!?  Yes!  Everyone has some stored food.  Dried, boxed goods, canned goods, oh and the freezer.  If your staying at home, you need to eat.  So you might as well start working through the food you have.  First, go through everything and chuck out the expired food, and anything that's green and fuzzy. Shivers.   Your refrigerator may start to look empty.  Don't worry!  You probably have food in your cupboards and freezer too.  Start to take inventory.  Give yourself a goal of eating through the food you have.  It can be surprising how long your food can stretch.  Loads of recipes online can also help you put a little excitement into your cooking routine.  You can look for recipes based on the ingredients you have. Next, go check your secret stash of food.  Don't blush and look at your shoes.  We all have them. That little pile hidden because you just don't want to share.  I get it.   I just found a box of macaroni and cheese, and candy corn in with my winter sweaters.  It's time to take them out.  Your going to need these toward the end of the month, just to keep your sanity.

Now, your fed and wondering what's next.  I hate to say it, but more cleaning.  Okay, its more like organizing.  Your day to day may be so rushed, that your only able to stick the laundry basket in the closet, instead of hanging up your clean clothes.  Take the time to do this.  Hey, your not going out this month, so here's your chance!  Did the seasons change and your still rifling through your sweater pile on the floor while looking for your sandals?  Put your winter clothes away.  Fold the clothes in the drawers and match up your shoes.  This will save time when you are running out the door and your life is a whirl of activity.  Plus, it becomes like a shopping trip for you.  There are always clothes in the back, long forgotten, that you will wonder, why haven't I been wearing this?  Also, there are clothes that you will also wonder, why did I ever like this?  Stick it in a bag and drop it off at a local consignment store on your next time out.  Having your closets cleaned will make you feel powerful. 

Are you a crafter like me?  NO NEW SUPPLIES!  Not this month anyway.  Take this time to make your work space special.  Give everything a home.  Put things like tools that you use the most, closest to you.  Put all your craft supplies in one place and closest to your work space if you can.  I like my supplies on open shelves right above the table where I work.  This way I can see what I have and I won't accidentally buy duplicates.  Categorize your items and keep them together.  Do you have yarn?  Put it in a basket... or a shelf... or an armoire.  While saying this I admit to blushing and looking at my shoes.  I love yarn, but now that I've organized it, I know what I have for projects and where it is.  Now clean off your workspace.  Did you smile?  I bet you did.  There is something freeing about having a clean work space.  The trouble with this, is it aids in creativity.  Before you know it, you'll have a dozen more projects started and your area will become, well...don't worry, if it happens again, and it will, you'll know what to do. 

So, the evenings have come and your friends are out at the movies.  If you have old dvd's or even video tapes...well, you guessed it.  Go through them.  Get rid of the ones you don't watch.  Stick them in the same bag that's going to the consignment shop or another bag to go to the local library.  For the rest of them, I bet you forgot you even owned half of them.  Watch one or two a night.  Now you have your own movie night.  You could even invite your friends, and have them bring the popcorn.

One last place, that may be missed in our busy lives is the car.  Go out and clean it.  Get rid of all the gum wrappers, and old bags of French fries.  Make it nice, so your friends don't gag when they get in it.  If its warm weather, wash the outside too and make note of things that need fixing.  Oh, and don't forget to look under the seats.  There is always loose change under there.  Put it in a little jar, and when your really at your wits end, swing down to the dollar store and get yourself a bag of chips, or that little bottle of nail polish you've been desperately wanting.

How to water your chickens

When raising chickens, there are so many options to consider.  Can they survive outside in different climates?  How should they be protected at night?  Should their food have antibiotics or should it be organic?  Here is another concern that many of us, don't consider.  Where do they get their water?



We all want to provide clean water for our chickens.  We change their water regularly.  We clean out their waterers and keep them sanitary.  But what about the water itself?  Where do you get it?  Do you fill it inside the house?  Do you use an outside gardening hose?  Most hoses today do not have the same drinking regulations as the pipes that go into the house.  So they are full of chemicals used to protect the life of the hose, not the life of the animals that drink from them.  Many hoses even contain BPA.  According to the Mayo Clinic: for humans, exposure to BPA is a concern because of possible health effects on the brain, behavior and prostate gland of fetuses, infants and children.

If you are eating eggs from your chickens, here are some options:  you can fill water containers from inside the house; you can remove the hose and fill directly from the spigot; or a costlier option is to look for hoses that do not contain these harmful chemicals.

Just remember that what goes into your fine-feathered friends, also goes into you and your family.

Lasagna Mulching

I started out well in planting my garden.  One garden bed box had herbs, another box tomatoes, another cucumbers, and a couple were mixed vegetables.  Sadly, weather wise, it just wasn't a good planting year.  Then came the weeds, tons of them, almost as tall as I am.  I couldn't even get the chickens to go in there and stomp them down.  So, now I'm starting to think about preparing the soil for next year, but weeding is a ton of work.

I'm going to try a technique called sheet mulching or what I like to call lasagna mulching.  It's very simple but you have to think ahead before you do it.  Start to stock pile leaves, composted manure and any items from your kitchen that you would normally throw in the compost bin.  Then pick your area for gardening.  Mine is already picked since it is above ground gardening boxes.  Then start layering cardboard, with your stockpile of leaves, compost and manure, right on top of your soil.  Add another layer of cardboard to the top to block out the light, killing the weeds before you even get started.  It's a little extra work in the autumn, that gives your spring a head start.  Everything will break down over the autumn and winter months and before you know it you will have soil that is perfect for next years crops to be planted!

Schedule your crafts!

Have you noticed that we are getting busier and busier in our lives?  A couple of months ago, my life got amplified. I started a new job, and decided to go back to school, in the same week.  What happened to my goal of knitting a pair of socks a month?  Sigh!  The first month of my new changes...no knitting.  Then I noticed crabbiness setting in.  I need my crafting!

Like everything else in life, I had to set a schedule.  Even if it's only for a few minutes a week, which seems minuscule,  that's what I do.  Surprisingly, I am allowed to knit at work, if I keep the clients a priority.  So, I plan ahead, keep my knitting bag ready to go, and move just a little faster at my other tasks, so that I have time to sit and knit.


You know how they say music soothes the savage beast?  This is how I feel about about crafts.  I need it. It's like water.  This is what I like about knitting.  It's easy to set up, and portable.  You can work on it for a couple of minutes, or hours at a time.  I still love my other crafts, but I'm using knitting to fill my craft void.

Once again...I smile!

Are chickens happy?

They seem content don't they?  Running around the yard, sticking together, happily clucking and pecking and playing.

Well, recently I changed their nesting boxes from wooden ones that were falling apart after only one year, to plastic ones.  It seemed like a great idea.  Plastic will last and I can clean it.  So I purchased two of them.  My chickens tend to lay in only one or two boxes anyway.  There's no reason to get more than two.  Then I threw in some straw.  The next day...no eggs.  The day after...no eggs.  It is winter, and we have had a couple of cold fronts, so I figured maybe they are on hiatus.  Then I got to thinking.  Even when I only had two chickens, one would lay once in a while.  Surely with six girls, someone should be laying.  But where are they?


So, I decided to take a stroll through the yard.  I looked everywhere the girls like to play.  Over the bank...no eggs.  In the bushes...no eggs.  I turned to walk back, then out of the corner of my eye, there they were.  In the garden.  A pile of 9 eggs blue and brown.

It occurred to me that they weren't satisfied with the new nesting boxes.  Not enough straw on the floor of it.  Last night I filled it with straw.  A nice cushy bed.  This morning what do I see?  Eggs!

A world of wisdom

This week I've spent some time getting ready for my new class.  We had homework last week.  Currently we are making a necklace which we will be finishing this week.  Part of the homework was to make tons of headpins, mostly the wrapped ones.  Every time I make one, I think why is isn't the loop nice and round like the ones you get in the store?  What am I doing wrong?  The tools!  I was using chain nose pliers.  Well, you can.  But they aren't going to make those lovely round loops.  What should I have been using?  Round nose pliers.  Ahh, the word round in it should have tipped me off.  My teacher did mention which tool to use, but I must have gotten a little lazy along the way.  Never again!  It's like my dad always said, "It'll  be easier if you use the right tool for the job."  Genius.  It's true that sometimes you have to improvise, but if you use the tool designed for the job, your world will be a whole lot smoother.

Sweet tea!

Have you been looking for the perfect sweetener for your cup of tea?  I know this sounds off track, but I promise it's related.  Try Stevia.  No, I don't mean the powdery substance that comes in a box at your local supermarket.  I'm talking about the plant.  

I purchased this tiny little $3 plant, the size of a soda can, at a home improvement store about three years.  It comes up every year.  Although it dies in the winter, it pops back up in the spring as a kind of bush.  It's more like stalks, but it's usually the first to show it's face in the spring.  I noticed that if I just pop it into a hot cup of coffee, I don't notice it as well.  But once cooled, wow is that sweet.  The taste is a little unusual, but it's sweeter than sugar and zero calories.  ZERO!  Think of it.  No calories and you don't have to go to the store for it. 

 I like to make sweet tea with it.  I take mint from the garden (be careful growing mint, it can dominate your garden) one bag of regular tea (or not) and a handful of stevia leaves.  Put them all in a mixing bowl, pour hot water over and let it steep.  I wait about 10 minutes, but you can wait longer if your busy.  Strain it, and put it in the fridge to cool.  When your ready, pour over ice and AHHH!  No cal.  I even take some of the tea and make ice cubes with it, so it's not being watered down while I'm searching for the remote.  (It always rolls under the couch!)  Try it.  Let me know what you think.