Monday, June 27, 2016

Pasta Primavera


I love pasta dishes of all kinds, but this pasta primavera is one of my favorites!

The fresh vegetables, olive oil, and freshly squeezed lemon juice gives this such a light and wonderful flavor.  

Thursday, June 23, 2016

Farmhouse Bench


A farmhouse bench for the mud room. 


Years ago I purchased this bench to go with our then dining room table.
It was all the light color that you see on the seat.

Nice, but...

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

The Sky Put On A Beautiful Show


I love the smell of rain!
After a recent thunderstorm I stepped out onto the porch to inhale the scent.
As good as it smelled, the sky quickly grabbed my attention...

Monday, June 20, 2016

Our Vegetable Garden In June



Welcome to our veggie garden in June.

We installed this garden fence last year and it is working out great.

Want to have a look around and see how things are growing?

Thursday, June 16, 2016

Farmhouse Porch


I have shown snippets of our farmhouse porch in different posts here and there and have received such wonderful comments.  Like you, I enjoy seeing other people's porches, so I thought it was high time that I showed you our farmhouse porch in more detail...filled with herbs and ready for summer relaxing.

When building our home three years ago, a front porch was high on the list!
We dreamed of this porch and how we could make it a welcoming place to enjoy for years to come.


One of the first things that we did was install a wood screen door that slams closed...hubby said it reminds him of his Grandma's.

We love our farmhouse porch!
We use our porch a lot...

It's not fancy.  In fact it has many rustic elements to it (mainly thanks to a dog that likes to chew).


The porch measures 8 feet x 35 feet.
I have it separated into two rooms.

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Keeping Chickens Cool In The Heat Of Summer


Chickens natural way of keeping cool is to spread their feathers to let the heat escape.  They are also smart enough to seek shade, create dust bathing areas, and drink plenty of water.


Although they do a pretty good job of keeping themselves cool, I (along with many backyard chicken keepers) tend to pamper our flock a little ;-)

To see what I do to help our ladies out in the hot temperature months, click HERE to read my post at Community Chickens.

Monday, June 13, 2016

Strawberry Yogurt Popsicles


Looking for a delicious, healthy treat for the summer months ahead (or anytime really)?


Then let me introduce you to Strawberry Yogurt Popsicles.
I think you just might become best friends ;-)

Friday, June 10, 2016

Fruit and Honey Smoothie



Smoothies are a great way to beat the heat!

Actually, I make smoothies all year long ;-)


This recipe is simple to pull together, using only 3 ingredients.

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Homesteading/Simple Living Blogs Listed By States

Tammy Taylor from TaylorMadeHomestead.com has created a list of homesteading/simple living blogs sorted by state.

This list is brilliant!

It helps readers to find their corresponding gardening zones and cooking altitudes, while also letting them have a peak around other homesteading/simple living blogs in the United States and Canada. 

This list also helps us like-minded bloggers to connect with each other.


I thank Tammy for taking the time to put this list together (with a little info about each blog included) AND for including LLFarm!

Grab a cup of coffee and have a look around:

ALASKA

Idlewild Alaska – Central Alaska
  • http://idlewildalaska.com/ – Our little homestead is located in south central Alaska, which plays a huge part in daily life in everything we do. We have two chicken coops, a 2000 sq. ft garden, and a greenhouse, along with a ever-growing orchard. Growing veggies and fruits is a special task with our long, cold winters and long summer days!

CALIFORNIA

Making Our Sustainable Life – Northern California, in the Sierra Nevada Mountains
Thyme To Embrace Herbs – California

COLORADO

Willow Creek Farm – Rocky Mountains of Colorado
  • https://willowcreekfarm.wordpress.com/ – We are a small, backyard homestead located in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Topics include high-altitude homesteading; raising sheep for wool, meat, and milk; chickens for meat and eggs; rabbits for wool and meat; dairy cows; multi-purpose backyard farm collies; growing, harvesting, and preserving fruits and vegetables; hunting and foraging in the Rockies; and more.

FLORIDA

The Civilized Homesteader – Gulf coast of south central Florida – Sarasota County
  • http://www.debbibenedict.com/ – My definition of an edible landscape and self-sufficiency is – an edible landscape feeds me, the birds, the bees, the butterflies, and my soul; and self-sufficiency is creating a healthy, thoughtful, meaningful lifestyle where we take care of ourselves, our homes, and each other by learning useful skills and engaging in activities that create a better community
Maple Hill 101 – Central Florida
  • http://mymaplehillfarm.blogspot.com/ – We currently live in Central Florida, with plans to move to Central North Carolina as soon as our home sells. We are suburban homesteaders moving to a more rural landscape where we will continue to homeschool, make our own bread, scratch cook, repurpose everything we can, and live a pragmatic and simple life.
Countin The Days –   (Florida but will be moving to the country in Georgia)
  • http://www.countintheday.blogspot.com – We live in the city & have a country house about 3 hours away. We plan on moving to the country once my husband retires (I retired last year). My blog is about that transition

IDAHO

Mountain Top Spice – Northern Idaho

MICHIGAN

HomesteadDad – Michigan
  • http://www.homesteaddad.com/ – My blog chronicles my journey to move my family to to more self sufficient state. In includes blogs on chickens, cows, sheep, quail, turkeys, and rabbits, gardening, building, orcharding, grafting, and anything else I can find to do.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Living Intentionally Simple – New Hampshire

NEW YORK

The Messy Organic Mum – Upstate New York
  • http://www.themessyorganicmum.com/ – Our site covers a range of topics including homesteading and living an organic life style. Or recipes are sugar free and use ingredients that are unprocessed.

OHIO

Better Hens and Gardens – Northeast Ohio
  • http://www.betterhensandgardens.com/ – A blog about chickens, gardens, goats, honey bees and DIY. We’re on 10 acres, are trying to do things all naturally, and I occasionally consider getting organic certification.
LL Farm – Ohio
  • http://llfarmblog.blogspot.com/ – We share a splash of HOME, a dash of GARDEN, a sprinkling of RECIPES, all mixed together with some DIY, and a few ANIMALS.

OKLAHOMA

Oak Hill Homestead – Central Oklahoma

OREGON

The Locust Blossom – Mountains of NE Oregon
  • http://thelocustblossom.blogspot.com/ – Producing &/or sourcing most of our food locally, while being good stewards of the land and producing as little waste as possible. Our goal is to make this look aesthetically pleasing as well.

PENNSYLVANIA

Feathers In The Woods – Western Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

Our New England Home – Rhode Island (Soon to be Connecticut)

TEXAS

Taylor-Made Homestead – Northeast Texas
  • http://taylormadehomestead.com/ – I share a glimpse into daily life on a NE Texas ranch whether it’s spending time in the garden, canning that excess produce or puttering in the kitchen whipping up simple yet delicious meals.
Pickle Creek Ranch  Northeast Texas located in Fannin County
  • http://www.picklecreekranch.com/index.html – Post topics include the ranch and activities there, such as catching rainwater to sustain water needs. Other articles include cooking, gardening and do it yourself projects. Usually my posts will reveal ways to use essential oils in a practical manner.
Pasture Deficit Disorder – Austin, Texas
  • http://www.pasturedeficitdisorder.com – Writing, blogging and photographing life on a Texas homestead. We are learning to build, grow, cook and preserve as much for ourselves as we can.
Faithful Homesteader – North Texas
MMM Homestead – SE Texas
  • https://mmmhomestead.wordpress.com/ – We blog about various livestock, DIY home projects, Canning and various recipes. Our goal is to share our venture into the homesteading life and supply tips that work for us along the way.

TENNESSEE

Feeding My Family – Middle Tennessee

VIRGINIA

Practicing Resurrection  Southern Virginia
Seeing The Lovely – Northern VA
http://www.seeingthelovely.com/category/living-simply/living-with-less/ – I write about simple living and seeing the beauty in the everyday. I’m passionate about living simply, and my husband and I currently rent a 700sq ft. apartment on a farm and hope to garden in the coming months

WASHINGTON

Life at Willeth Farm – Northeast Washington State
  • http://www.willethfarm.com/ – Learning to live sustainably, self-sufficiently and in harmony with nature. I post information about gardening, recipes, DIY projects, sharing the land with wildlife and observations about rural life.

WISCONSIN

Common Sense Homesteading – Northeast Wisconsin
  • http://commonsensehome.com/ – Posts about using sound judgment to be more self-reliant.  It means doing what you can, where you are, with what you have. We’ll cover topics such as: Gardening, Food Storage, Recipes and much more

WYOMING

Anna Pearl’s Attic – Wyoming
  • Annapearlsattic.blogspot.com – We are part owners in a small cattle/sheep ranch that was homesteaded by my husband’s family in the early 1900’s. We garden and can some of our own food, hunt and process our own meat, etc.

CANADA

Just Plain Marie – Nova Scotia, Canada
  • http://www.justplainmarie.ca/  – I write about anything that improves your life and is green, sustainable and frugal: chemical-free gardening, simple homemaking, food preservation, developing new healthy habits and much more.
Growing Wild Roots – Southern BC (just a few minutes north of northern Idaho)
Powell River Books – Coastal BC
  • http://powellriverbooks.blogspot.com/ – We live in an off-the-grid float cabin on a lake in Coastal BC.  I blog about gardening, cooking, exploring the backcountry, and everyday living in this unique environment.
Around The Fire Pit – Canada, Manitoba
  • http://www.aroundthefirepit.com/ – I am a city girl from The Netherlands who has been living in Canada for 30 years now.  I love to garden and I also am an enthusiastic crafter and share my projects on my blog.
Just Another Day On The Farm – Ontario, Canada

Monday, June 6, 2016

Hardening Off Seedlings


Hardening off seedlings.

What does it mean.
AND
How to do it.


Of course it helps if you have a cat and a dog watching over them ;-)


With this being my first year starting seeds indoors, I am trying to journal the process...

for those wanting to try this themselves and for my own future reference.

Friday, June 3, 2016

Farm Photo Friday (June 3, 2016)


Welcome to Farm Photo Friday!

Spring time + homesteading = busy.

Here's a peak at what is going on around our little farm...


Good morning beautiful!
Last year I planted clematis...it is growing and flowering beautifully!


Apples!!!
They make me smile ;-)


I help the grape vines weave in and out of the arbor as needed.


Grapes this year???


The ladies loved watermelon on a blazing hot day.


Clearing the creek bank a bit so we can see and hear the bubbling creek...
Hoping to make seating and eating 'rooms' here...
But for now?  Poison ivy has taken up residence on my arms!


We have been enjoying green onions and lettuce from the garden.  The kale should be ready soon.


Have a fantabulous day!

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