Keeping warm, by Kira

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's almost 30 below right now; the high today will be -21.

Yesterday was the same.

So I thought I would mix our chickens and ducks up a warm treat,

to help with the cold.

In a large steamy pot on the wood stove,

I am cooking a mixture of stale odds and ends.

Raw milk, water, whole oats, quinoa, french lentils, spelt grits, red fife wheat meal, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, turmeric, and garlic.

It actually smells really good.

It's been a few days of this cold weather.

And like many other families, it's been a challenge for us.

How do we cope?

Keep the wood stove hot!

Our home is really just an old cottage and not insulted very well so we need to give the fire special attention when the outdoor temperatures drop below -20c.

The blinds on the windows go down and windows without blinds are covered with blankets or sheets.

Our basement is not insulated so we put the heat line on.

And we put in a fan that draws hot air from upstairs down into the utility room to keep pipes and the water pump from freezing.

The wash machine is in the utility room.

The drain pipe usually freezes, so I get a short break from laundry.

Below -12 it's hard to get the kids out to play.

It's harsh on their young sensitive cheeks and fingers are quick to chill.

We keep busy inside for now with lots of crafts, play, reading, and movies.

Andrew makes sure the wood rack is full and I have been filling our bellies with warm hearty meals.

Tonight we are having fresh spelt flat breads and homemade pea soup,

inspired by my friend Samantha.

I hope everyone is staying warm.

The cold is supposed to break tomorrow and will give us some relief.

 

Paisley Frost & Minty Winter Tea, by Kira

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With the rain turning to snow, we have found ourselves spending more time outdoors.

The once familiar forest behind our home has turned into a magical white land,

fresh and new to explore.

With cold runny noses and rosy red cheeks we have been poking around the woods, looking for tracks and checking out snow flakes.

Not far, there is a favourite big rock with mounds of green moss,

frozen into perfect form.

Fern loves how Jack Frost paints white paisley frost across the black ice on the creek.

Our winter walks have been followed by a hot tea in front of the woodstove; either a cup of chaga with maple syrup or a fresh minty tea from our garden.

The bees love our summer tea garden as much as we do.

There is calendula, peppermint, spearmint, catnip, bee balm, oregano, chamomile, sage, and lavender, each blossoming throughout the summer and harvested in the fall.

I hung and dried the herbs in the kitchen, then packed them into jars for the Winter.

They are great for adding to baths, infused oils, and of course, tea.

For our Minty Winter Tea:

6 cups water

Two calendula heads

One tablespoon catnip

One tablespoon bee balm

One teaspoon chamomile

Two tablespoons peppermint

Raw honey to taste

Bring 6 cups of water to a boil and let cool slightly.

Add the herbs to the water and let stand for about five minutes.

Strain the tea into cups and sweeten with a little raw honey.

This is best enjoyed after a cool Winter walk,

or with a good book and a cozy blanket.

 

A Milking We Will Go!, by Kira

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you, sweet Georgie!

 

 

Rock, Wood, & Feather, by Kira

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paint, Rocks, Feathers, and Wood.

Creative kids.

 

 

 

 

 

The Wilberforce Fair, by Kira

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This past Saturday, we represented ourselves at the Wilberforce Agricultural Fair.

It was the first event that we have set up for and I must say that I think we did a great job of putting it together the day before the fair

We brought along a trio of our Gold Laced Wyandottes, some of our freshly ground flour, livestock feed, garlic that I harvested the week before, lavender salt bath, and some of my handmade feather hair clips.

Although we brought along some products to sell, the main reason for going was to showcase our business.

While Andrew worked the booth (which he does very well),

the kids and I roamed the grounds.

Auren spent most of the day exploring on his own.

He ran around the fair all day, checking in from time to time,

and even made some new friends!

But his favourite part of the fair was helping our friend Carol with her calves. Shortly after the two calves arrived, he hopped into the pen with them and brushed their coats until they were smooth and shiny.

I think Carol may have an apprentice in the works.

Sweet Fern had her hair streaked purple with paint, and when she wasn't in the bouncy castle, she was at our friends Carmen's booth helping to sell homemade jewellery.

As we meandered through the fairgrounds, Meer was dancing and singing to the music, though I think her favourite part was my homemade iced tea of which she drank a full litre!

By they end of the day, I had sold some of my handmade products, garlic and some feed while Andrew had talked with a lot of people.

I think this event was a great promotion for us.

Now that we've had a taste of a fair,

we're now planning on setting up at the farmers market.

 

 

 

 

A Fall Garden & Early Morning Photo Shoot, By Kira

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With Auren and Fern gone on adventures with grandparents today,

Meer and I set out early to do chores and plant a small Fall garden.

It was cool. The sun was just hitting the trees above us.

Everything was still covered in a heavy wet dew.

We headed out the door, each of us with camera in hand and seeds in our pockets.

After letting out all of the birds then feeding and watering them,

we walked around the yard talking about dew and clouds.

After snapping some pictures, we made our way to the back of the barn.

This is where we planted our small garden.

We planted mixed greens, radishes and peas.

This is my first go at planting a late garden.

I have always wanted to plant a second crop but I've never quite managed to.

Having fresh Autumn peas would be nice.

Even though I didn't do much research into Fall planting times,

I did choose plants that could handle a frost; something to keep in mind when planting late.

There has been frost here as early as the beginning of September!

After Meer and I finished planting, we went back inside to check out our pictures,

and have a snack.

 

 

 

 

Homemade Maple Syrup Marshmallows, by Kira

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pure deliciousness.

Homemade maple syrup marshmallows.

Maple syrup, water, gelatine, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt.

That is it for ingredients!

Although, I can't take credit for this recipe, it came from here.

There is a video at bottom of the page, after the recipe.

I do recommend watching it.

She mentions some good tips!

We roasted the marshmallows on a campfire.

Smokey maple, sweet, sticky goodness.

Once you try these you will never want to buy another bag of marshmallows again!

 

 

 

 

 

Thankful. by Kira

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was snake catching, water play, and fort building followed by snacks from the garden.

This was how the kids spent most of their day.

When the kids were occupied, I worked on the gardens.

We're starting to prep some pasture and gardens for next year.

Although it seems that everything had a late start,

my gardens are starting to thrive.

Most plants are in bloom and starting to fruit.

The pollinators were busy buzzing from flower to flower.

The sun was hot and the breeze was cool; prefect for being outdoors.

There was talk and thought of next year's projects, pasture, animals, and gardens.

There was rhythm to our day as we worked, played, and rested together.

For days like this, I'm thankful.