There are some recent updates on our Green Pioneer site that you might be interested in checking out. One of which is a video of my husband with 'Falco'...a Chicken Tale...er Tail...
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Vintage Romantic Mom |
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There are some recent updates on our Green Pioneer site that you might be interested in checking out. One of which is a video of my husband with 'Falco'...a Chicken Tale...er Tail... see more
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We've finally gotten some sunshine on all this new snow. And I got out yesterday to do my first XC skiing this winter. I've been snow shoeing...but I LOVE the skis! The kiddos have great ski tracks all over our yard and into the pasture....packed down and really slick...even a jump or 2! Ya know, I could do this for hours...although I am feeling it in the way-too-sedate muscles today! Gotta work off all that eggnog! And meet Sally the snow-girl. The girls decided to do their own version of a snow 'person'...OK snowman. How do we not offend anyone here...most especially our snow-girl?? More snow in the forecast...by tomorrow they say. Fine with me. This may just become my favorite time of the year. But don't tell any Mainers that! They might disown me! : D Our bunnies are faring the winter weather quite well. Here's Gracie out for a walk...or a hop! We keep our 3 sister bunnies together in a large cage with mounds of earth and hay. They LOVE to dig and burrow...and this keeps them content and active and very warm. Not to mention all the wonderful compost they create! Nothing like the win-win with the bun-buns! : D Blustery winter seems to blend scrumptiously beside Bread Pudding as if the two were irrevocably meant for each other. Then topped with white tufts of whipped cream or a dusting of powdered sugar, how could this not be reminiscent of a snowy wonderland? And this particular recipe is so easy...all done in a crockpot. Bread Pudding happens to be my children's favorite dessert...and my favorite breakfast. Yes, I did say breakfast!....think gorgeous gooey french toast. Better watch out...you'll get hooked! Just like me! We had friends over for dessert a couple of weeks ago...none of whom had ever experienced bread pudding before...and were somewhat hesitant about it...although they would never admit to such. Undaunted, I mercilessly 'inflicted' my version of Bread Pudding upon them...and now they're begging me for the recipe...which, of course, I knew they would. So here it is: English Bread Pudding: 16 slices day-old, firm-textured white bread (1 small loaf) [note: combination of homemade bread as well as whole wheat bread is delicious] 1 1/3 cups milk 1 pkg. (8 oz.) mixed dried fruit, cut into small pieces [note: I use dried cranberries] 1 med. apple [I always add more apple], cored and chopped 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional) 1/3 cup packed brown sugar 1/4 cup butter, melted 1 egg, slightly beaten 1 t. ground cinnamon [I add more] 1/4 t. ground nutmeg 1/4 t. ground cloves Tear bread, with crusts, into 1- to 2-inch pieces. Place in slow cooker. Pour milk over bread; let soak 30 minutes. Stir in dried fruit, apple and nuts. Combine remaining ingredients in small bowl. Pour over bread mixture. Stir well to blend. Cover and cook on Low 3 1/2 to 4 hrs. or until skewer inserted in center comes out clean. Makes 6-8 servings Now that's what the recipe says to do. I substitute eggnog and/or pumpkin eggnog for the milk when eggnog is in season. The bread will usually sink down after about an hour. If you think you might need more, add bread until it fills the top. Mix together more milk, egg, brown sugar, and spices and pour it over the bread. I also don't let the bread sit for 30 min. before adding the fruit. I just dump it all in together.... it's in a crockpot after all. I stir the whole mixture periodically to make sure all the bread is soaking evenly (and sneak a taste...or 2!) and not sticking to the bottom. Serve it warm from the crockpot with homemade whipped cream or sprinkled with confectioner's powdered sugar. It's even better the next day! Enjoy! : D Today is our little...not so little anymore!!...Caitlyn Grace's Birthday! She's our 'Winter Season' birthday in the family. But we call her our sunshine girl...her smile alone warms up our winter days! I'll let Caitlyn herself tell you about her big day... And the Swedish Cake is yet to come! YUM!! Happy Birthday
Caitlyn! We LOVE You! This is my first attempt at knitting a bracelet. I made it for the lovely Astrid, shop proprietor of the adorable shop Folly 101 down in the Old Port of Portland. She's such a dear to us...and her whimsical shop...an answer to anyone's Folly!... reflects her Swedish roots. The buttons are from a stash that belonged to my Grandma Cady, whose parents... my great-grandparents Walgren... were both from Sweden. So you can see...I was thinking of Astrid! The bracelet is super simple...just cast on 5 stitches (I used Bernat Baby Sport 300g / 10.5 oz. in Pale Blue) with size 13 needles. Knit to length desired. The loose knit doesn't require button holes. See what I mean?? Simple! I hand stitched a strip of ribbon at one end to give the buttons more reinforcement. Then just sew on the 2 buttons. You're done! Two matching bracelets would make wonderful cuff warmers...or mitten extenders! And if you extend the length, it could make a lovely choker...do they still use that word?? I hope you know what I'm referring to! Hmmm...and as my husband's a watchmaker...I'm thinking this could also be made into a ladies watchband. The possibilities are endless! Have fun! : D I realize that many a Christmas tree has already been undressed, dismantled, and tossed to the curb or back of the property...or up to the attic (in the case of those who refuse to deal with incessant falling needles). Not so, in this abode...and I'm always heartened to see twinkle lights and wreaths with red bows still bedecking many a home and shop front up in our neck of the woods for many weeks to come. I didn't want the Season to entirely slip away, though, without sharing our favorite homemade ornaments from this year. We happened onto an Open House at an Eco-Village/Co-Housing development that's evolving down in Belfast (which is another wonderful topic of its own!) and what we found was a group of warm friendly people in a renovated farm house offering an array of yester-year homemade Christmas ideas. Three men were playing instruments in the background while the children were immediately swept into the fray. They engrossed themselves in decorating gingerbread men (some of which were gobbled up and never made it to the tree!) and popping beeswax out of molds and tying strings for these lovely sweet smelling creations... They also poked loads of cloves into oranges to be then wrapped with lace and ribbons... And with all these whimsical natural touches...we added our assortment of abandoned nests to our tree as well! This group at the Open House also provided old antique canning jars that the children filled with stones and water to force their very own paperwhite bulb...that are still blooming beautifully! Of course all this does is only spur me on...into an even more frenetic feverish pitch! I really have to ask myself...how can I possibly wait an entire 365 days until it all comes 'round again next year?? Mmmmm...but isn't it simply delicious while it lasts! : D Our chickens are just TOO cool! Literally! You can't even imagine the kind of night we had last night...the WIND!!...and snow blowing from every direction. It was an honest to goodness blizzard for sure! And I worry about our animals out there, hunkered down...nestled together against the cold, wind, and storm. However, not only did they survive the horrendous blizzard raging last night...with snow drifted all over their little coop and their cage completely filled to the brim with snow...they laid us two eggs this morning! And they were so cozy in their little house that their water wasn't even frozen this morning either. The bunnies survived just fine, too, burrowed under two layers of tarps and a big pile of hay. And Babycakes pony is over in my friend, Heather's barn (while we're finishing a fence for her). Morgan, the kitty, our indoor cat in the winter, was curled up with the children upstairs...his usual spot. So everyone's accounted for! Ahhh...what a relief! Now that's my idea of sweet...hearty...chickens... made for Maine!! : D Happy New Year!
May we all make music with the moments, dance away the doldrums, beautify our blessings, and find the true story of our lives... In the coming year! |
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