Clear Creek Naturals Farm Blog

Feeling crafty

2010-06-02T11:04:00.000-07:00

I decided to buy fabric and cut the shapes out to applique in kids shirts. This is my first one, I think it turned out pretty cute! More to come, off to the fabric store.....

Pretty Peonies

2010-06-02T11:02:00.000-07:00

I went to a friends farm the other day and she offered me some flowers from her cutting garden. My first of the season! It might actually feel like summer was coming if it would just warm up and stop raining!!!!

Baby Basil

2010-06-02T10:58:00.000-07:00

I started basil plants a few weeks ago and now have 20 starts potted up. I can never get them to grow outside for me because they always get eaten! I should have a good supply in a month or so. I cant wait to make some Pesto!

Asparagus!

2010-05-28T15:11:00.001-07:00

Last week I received about 50 pounds of fresh asparagus from eastern washington. It took me 2 days to process it all! I pickled most of it. I also lacto -fermented a few jars as an experiment that should be ready in 2 weeks and vacumed sealed and froze a bunch. I also came up with my own awseome soup recipe:
Spicy Chicken Asparagus Soup

6oz mushrooms chopped
1 sprig fresh rosemary finely diced
1/2-1 bunch chopped aspaparagus
1/2 sweet or purple onion chopped
1/2 yellow sweet pepper chopped
4-6 cups chicken broth
approximately 2 cooked chicken breasts shredded or diced
1 can diced tomatoes with chiles or 2 diced fresh tomates and 2-3 green chilies ( to make it slightly spicy)
salt to taste
Saute onions until soft add to pot along with all other ingredients. Simmer until veggies are soft. Serve over pasta or rice! Its GOOD!

2010-05-07T04:59:00.000-07:00

Raw pie!

2010-04-26T08:14:00.000-07:00

I spent the week in Wisonsin with my aunt. We ate all vegan and mostly raw foods. It gave me a chance to try out some new recipes. We had raw tacos, raw pasta and I made this yumy raw pie!

Upcycling

2010-04-26T08:09:00.000-07:00

Upcycling is making new things out of old. My Aunt Kris back in Wisconsin makes purses, pins, clothes and other things out of old fabrics and other items. This is a pin she gave me made out of old zippers!

Passion Fruit Jam

2010-04-26T07:59:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a trip to So Cal and came back withe about 40lbs of fruit! One of my husbands Aunts gave us passion fruit. I made a batch of jam that turned out pretty decent!

Allergen Free Breakfast Bars

2010-03-02T11:23:00.000-08:00

As a whole my family eats very healthy. Mostly organic whole foods, cooking most things from scratch. One of the things my husband has refused to give up was his sugary breakfast cereals. He thought if he started buying organic cereals that would change my opinion. They are still full of sugar! I volunteered to get up and cook him breakfast and repeatedly told him I would precook him anything he wanted. He said breakfast bars sounded good. I found a recipe online that is sugar-dairy-gluten-soy-egg-nut free. The texture is chewy with just enough sweetness.
Cinnamon Raisin Breakfast bars
4 cups whole organic oats, 1 of those cups blended in the blender to a floury consistancy( do not skip this step, it binds the bars together)
1/4th cup flax seeds
1 cup apple juice
1/2 cup apple sauce
1 tsp cinnamon
Thouroughly mix all ingredients. Press firmly into a greased 13x9 inch pan. Bake at 375 for about 30 min.
This morning I made a batch subbing banana for the apple sauce and adding some chopped almonds, dried blueberries and some shredded coconut. Yum!

Curried Carrot-Apple Soup

2010-02-28T22:46:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite quick and easy soup recipes. Simple and tasty!

Curried Carrot-Apple Soup

3-4 large peeled carrots

2 Fuji or other sweet apple peeled and sliced

1/2 purple or sweet onion

1-2 garlic cloves

1/2 TBL curry powder

salt and pepper to taste

Put all roughly cut veggies/fruit into a pot with about 1 inch of water added to pot. Bring to boil and reduce heat and simmer approx 20 min. Remove from heat, when cooled blend thouroughly in a blender. Add more water if a thinner consistancy is desired. Add curry powder, salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm, garnish with chopped cilantro.

In the batch pictured I added a few leeks I also had in the fridge.

Spiced Apple Chicken Recipe

2009-10-15T19:31:00.000-07:00

I made this dish a few nights ago as an experiment and it turned out AWESOME. Heres my recipe:
Spiced Apple Chicken
Chicken- About 1-2 pounds any type of chicken
1 medium onion, preferably purple or sweet finely chopped
3 cloves garlic minced1 stalk celery finely chopped
1 apple choppped in small chunks
1 1/2 C apple sauce
1/4 C raisins
1/4 C dried cranberries
1 TBL balsmic vinegar
1-3 TBL maple syrup to taste
1/2 tsp salt
1/4th tsp corriander
1/8th tsp allspice
Saute onion, garlic and celery in olive oil until soft, add apples and saute 5 min more. Add ALL remaining ingredients and saute 5 min. Lower heat to medium low add chicken and cook covered for 20-30 min depending on type of chicken. Serve over rice. Yum!!!

Tick, tick, tick.......

2009-09-09T21:09:00.000-07:00

......and the count down continues! Less than 2 weeks until we have baby bunnies and more ducklings. And my ewe is pregnant, I am hoping for twin lambs!!!

Cabbage Patch

2009-09-03T09:17:00.000-07:00

I have about 40 heads of cabbage growing that are doing really well and pest free. I guess I planted some brussel sprouts, that I forgot about, they are HUGE. The plants are already close to 5 feet tall and still growing. They look like trees!

My garden

2009-09-03T09:15:00.000-07:00

Mystery plant.....

2009-09-03T08:57:00.000-07:00

I have another plant growing that I have never seen. I have chicken runs I rotate and I let the grass grow in one while they scratch up the other. Well in one of the runs this strange plants started growing. Its now over 6

feet tall, has a pungent "meaty" smell. It starts with buds, then white flowers, then those turn into these horse chestnut looking green pods with spikes all over. Anybody have a clue????

Fruity!!!

2009-09-03T08:49:00.000-07:00

I have been getting alot of fruit from various sources. Over 100 pounds of pulms and some figs. This week we will be picking blackberries, MORE plums and some apples. I have been dehydrating and making jam......

Party at my house???

2009-08-10T09:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we bottled up the Blackberry wine from last years picking and some Cider-Mead. About 40 bottles total. For my first attempt at Blackberry Wine I think it turned out fairly good. We will be picking again soon for MORE wine. This year I am making Asian Pear, Blackberry and my first attempt at Raspberry.......

Coconut Flour Banana Muffins

2009-08-03T07:42:00.001-07:00

I am LOVING baking with coconut flour. This weekend I made THE BEST banana muffins, you seriously cannot tell they are gluten, dairy , nut and sugar free. Yum!!!!

Gluten-free Banana Muffins:
2 mashed bananas

4 eggs
1/4 cup agave
3 tbs liquified coconut oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
I made muffins, they cooked at 350 for 20 min

MORE berries

2009-07-28T06:23:00.000-07:00

Its amazing how you can pick a HUGE bowl of berries and after they are dehydrated you are left with maybe a 10th of what you started with! I dehydatred another 5 lbs of currants to add to salads, trail mix etc.....

Roasted Red Peppers

2009-07-28T06:15:00.000-07:00

I spent an hour or so making roasted red peppers this past weekend. I cut them in 1/2, cored them, smashed the flat with a pototo masher and roasted/blacked them in my toaster oven at about 400. It worked great! Store in sterilized jars covered with olive oil. You can actually freeze the jars until you are ready to use them. I also added a garlic clove to each jar, yum! I used some in our pasta last night and I will be adding some to some GF Focaccia bread I will be making this week.

Pea eating monster!!!

2009-07-09T13:44:00.000-07:00

I picked a bunch of peas this morning and set them on the kitchen table, went back outside to feed the animals and this is what I found when I came back in! My house is inhabited by a pea eating monster!!!!

Ummm.........

2009-07-09T13:43:00.000-07:00

.....yum!!!!

Red Currants

2009-07-09T12:40:00.000-07:00

I literally have close to 10 pounds of red currants to pick off of 3 bushes I planted only 2 years ago. They are seedy and a little tart. I am thinking I will make some jam. Any ideas? Maybe some wine??

The GIGANTIC Turnip

2009-07-09T12:29:00.000-07:00

My son has a book called The Gigantic Turnip

http://www.amazon.com/Gigantic-Turnip-Aleksei-Tolstoy/dp/1841481572

Its a story about how it takes a whole farm of animals and people to get a giant turnip out of the ground. Its a really cute story. So this morning I let Noah pull up the turnips for me. He was thrilled and told me he was pulling GIGANTIC turnips out of the ground and going POP when he pulled them up!

Making tinctures

2009-07-09T12:22:00.000-07:00

I just started making my own herbal tinctures http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tincture instead of spending a small fortune buying them all the time. You put vodka and herbs in a glass jar for about 6 weeks and its ready to use!. Right now I have a batch of feverfew (for headaches), St Johns Wort (monthly moodies) and an all purpose allergy tincture that has about 7 herbs in it. They should be ready soon! The daisy like flowers are feverfew and the yellow ones are St johns Wort.

I just discovered coconut flour!

2009-07-09T12:16:00.000-07:00

Most of you know I am gluten free and frequently play around with gluten free baking. I decided to try out coconut flour and LOVED the results. This morning I made a batch of cinnamon coconut pancakes and Carob brownies and they both turned out great!

Pancakes http://www.starchfreerecipes.com/2008/11/05/coconut-pancakes/

Brownies http://www.tiana-coconut.com/coconut_flour_recipes.htm

In the brownies I subbed cocoa powder with carob and sugar with agave.

Garden Pests

2009-07-09T12:05:00.000-07:00

I spent part of the morning gardening and discovered I have a few pest problems going on. My cabbage is being eaten by little green catepillars and I found a few moths hatching out. I am assuming that they were the green catepillars. What are they and what can I do to keep them from feasting on my garden?

The second problem is once again I have wire works in my turnips. How can I naturally keep them away?

One last issue. All of my tomato plant leaves are peppered with little yellowish holes. Last year I had blight but this is something I have never experienced. Any ideas????

Muscovy ducklings......

2009-05-23T20:10:00.001-07:00

My Muscovy hatched out 14 ducklings almost 2 weeks ago. We kept 5. Mom, dad and babies roam around the yard all day....

My Katahdin Sheep

2009-05-11T11:27:00.000-07:00

Most moms get flowers, chocolates or cards for Mother Day. I got sheep! We picked up a wether (fixed boy) that we will keep until the fall and a 3 month old ewe that we will keep as permanent breeding stock. I named her Daisy and my son named the boy Dandelion! =) They are both all white and super cute!

My new bunnies

2009-05-11T11:16:00.000-07:00

I got a pair of rabbits last week for breeding. They are both blue Beveren Rabbits, a rare french breed. The female is 2 1/2 months and the male is 4 months so it will be a while before we have babies.Right now I have them in cages on my deck. The plan is to house them in a moveable pen (tractor) on the grass. They are so cute!

http://www.albc-usa.org/cpl/beveren.html

http://www.freewebs.com/beverens/breedstandard.htm

Ow!! Is this even possible?

2009-05-11T11:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went out to collect chicken eggs. I looked in one of the nesting boxes and it looked like there was a potato inside. It was an egg. The biggest egg I have ever seen! I spent 30 minutes chasing my chickens around to check them to see if they were injured, an egg THAT BIG, OW!!!! It measures 4 inches long and has a circumference of 8 inches. I had a friend tell me this morning I should email some people and see if its a record breaking egg. I wonder how many yolks are inside? Wow!

Flowers

2009-05-02T07:24:00.000-07:00

This is the bouquet

of beautiful flowers Noah picked for me the other day =)

Daisys and Cherry Blossoms

2009-05-01T19:45:00.000-07:00

My turkey

2009-05-01T19:44:00.000-07:00

Henry the turkey is now about the size of a

small dog. The origional intent was that he would be Thanksgiving but I wound up liking him to much.....

Cinnamon Queens......

2009-05-01T19:40:00.000-07:00

.... is one of the breeds of laying hens I got this year. They are great layers, really mellow and just all around low maintinence chickens. My husband put privacy curtains on the nesting boxes because he read in one of my chicken books that the hens liked it. It cracked me up! You can see them in one of the pictures.....

Ducklings!

2009-05-01T19:38:00.000-07:00

My muscovy is sitting on 17 eggs right now. We are expecting them to hatch about sunday or monday......

Baby goats

2009-05-01T15:29:00.001-07:00

Our dairy goat paige had babies last monday after a prolonged 3 day labor. Poor girl! A boy and a girl and are they ever cute!

Another mystery plant???

2009-05-01T15:25:00.000-07:00

I have this plant that has popped up all over my yard. It looks like "something" so I havent pulled it up but I cant figure out what it is.It has a very pungent odor when you smash the leaves. Does anybody know?

Its been a long time!!!

2009-05-01T15:17:00.000-07:00

Its been quite a while since I have posted on here. Now thats its Spring with lots of gardening and baby animals I will have alot to post about. Today we prepared a few garden beds for planting and I divided up a bunch of herbs to trade with some friends. We spent 6 hours working in the yard! This a picture of a Valerian plant.

Gluten-free goodies

2009-03-15T18:09:00.000-07:00

This weekend I made Pumpkin Chai Bread with Cranberries. The only change I made was turning them into muffins instead of bread. I only made them yesterday and they are almost gone!

http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2008/11/pumpkin-chai-bread-with-cranberries.html

Orange Extract

2009-03-15T18:05:00.000-07:00

After making Vanilla extract a few months ago I decided to try and make a few more kinds. Today I found instructions for orange extract. It took less than 10 minutes to make!

http://www.ehow.com/how_2175038_make-orange-extract.html

MORE snow!!!

2009-03-15T17:59:00.000-07:00

Is'nt it supposed to be almost spring?? We got about 4 inches of snow here in Poulsbo this morning, about 1/2 of it was gone by 1 or 2pm because it turned to rain. I think the same thing happened last year, winter hung on and we got some really late snows.....

Raw

2009-01-21T21:27:00.000-08:00

My son and I have been doing a partially raw foods diet for about 3-4 months now. Our diet is about 70% raw, meaning the food we eat is not cooked. So we go through CASES of fruits and veggies. I feel better and had been mostly spared any winter time nasty germs because I think my body is healthier. People wonder what the heck we eat! For lunch yesterday we had green smoothies, plain avocados and a cabbage salad that is my new favorite. The recipe is super easy. Apple Cabbage Salad

1/2 head finely shredded cabbage

1 carrot grated

1/4th c raisins

1 apple cut in small chunks

1/4th c slivered raw almonds (optional)

I toss it in a homemade vinegrette.....

Gluten free sandwich heaven........

2009-01-21T21:16:00.000-08:00

I was getting a little tired of not being able to eat sandwiches. I have tried GF breads but nothing very palatable. I found this recipe online and decided to make it. The dough, once mixed was this goopy mess. I was actually wondering if it was going to turn out. I spread a little cormmeal on the botton so it did'nt stick The bread turned out soft, a little chewy, VERY pliable (not typical for GF breads, most crumble and fall apart)and I cut it with a pizza cutter. I made these wonderful ham sandwiches. My son ate 2 for dinner!!! I think this weekend I will attempt a garlic herb bread with a chicken-cranberry stuffing....

Here is a link to the recipe: http://glutenfree.wordpress.com/2007/07/18/gf-wrap-sandwich-success/

Hef the duck........

2009-01-04T11:26:00.000-08:00

........my Muscovy drake finally has a name, hes Hef the duck! If hes out roaming in the yard and sees me through the windows he will come up on the back deck and stare at me and wait at the french doors. Here he is last night waiting for me to come and say hello.........

All that remains of Frosty

2009-01-01T14:02:00.001-08:00

The ladies

2009-01-01T13:59:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of my Cuckoo Maran, the black and white chicken, and

one of my Cinnamon Queen.

More snow

2009-01-01T13:56:00.000-08:00

We woke up this morning to about 2 inches of snow. Just after the almost 2 feet we got in the previous 2 weeks had melted. I am seriously sick of snow at this point but the birds dont seem to mind........

My crazy duck...........

2009-01-01T13:49:00.000-08:00

.................was taking a bath in a swimming pool full of slush!

Henry the turkey

2009-01-01T13:44:00.000-08:00

My son named the turkey Henry, I think after one of the trains from Thomas the Tank engine. Hes about 6 months old and very friendly. He follows us around the yard talking and dancing.

Poor Frosty.............

2008-12-31T16:13:00.001-08:00

Gluten/Dairy Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

2008-12-31T15:03:00.000-08:00

This afternoon I made Gluten/Dairy Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies. It is the EASIEST recipe ever. The cookies are chewy on the outside and soft on the inside. I also found a gluten free dairy free mini chocolate chip made by a company called Enjoy Life http://www.enjoylifefoods.com/our_foods/chocolate_chips/semisweet_chocolate_chips.html

I will not be making them often because they are loaded with sugar but they are the yummiest allergen free dessert I have made in a long time! Here is the recipe:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Gluten-free-Peanut-Butter-Cookies/Detail.aspx

Eggplant Soup

2008-12-30T14:42:00.000-08:00

All this cold weather and being cooped up has me cooking like crazy. I made some Eggplant soup for dinner. It tastes divine!

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Eggplant-Supper-Soup/Detail.aspx

And baked and breaded egg plant chips and baked apples. Mmmmmmm........

I love handknit clothes

2008-12-30T14:30:00.000-08:00

Here is my son modeling some wool pants a friend knit up for him.

Chocolate eggs???

2008-12-30T14:24:00.000-08:00

My Cuckooo Maran chickens FINALLY started laying after 7 months! They are a breed that origionated in France, they are know for laying very dark brown chocolate colored eggs. My hens are laying dark brown speckled eggs which make them that much more interesting looking. This pictures shows how dark the eggs are compared to my other chickens eggs.

For the birds

2008-12-30T00:11:00.000-08:00

We keep a bird feeder hanging right in front of out dinig room table. Its so much fun to watch the birds all day. That was until we had a squirrel start raiding the feeder!!!!

Christmas gifts

2008-12-30T00:07:00.000-08:00

I decided to make some gifts this year. I made lotion, vanilla extract, soaps, flavored vinegars, jams, marmalades..........

Little feet

2008-12-30T00:05:00.001-08:00

SNOW!!!!!

2008-12-29T23:45:00.000-08:00

Its been FOREVER since I have posted. Life has kept me busy. We recently got about close to 2 feet of snow and here are some pictures of the past 2 weeks.

Our little brewery

2008-10-21T10:51:00.001-07:00

I feel like we've got a miniture brewery in our kitchen! This year we have made Blackberry Wine, Rhubarb Wine , Hard Cider and a Cider-Mead. It will mostly be for gifts next christmas. We got rave reviews on the pear wine we made last year so we thought we'd try again this year. All of the wines and ciders are from fruit from our property. I can't wait to see how they turn out!

Felting class with Laurie Sharp

2008-10-21T10:45:00.001-07:00

I took a Halloween felting class with a friend last week. It was taught by Laurie Sharp of Wool Pets: http://www.woolpets.com/ Her furry creations are the cutest thing I had ever seen so when she offered a class to teach how to make them I signed up. I made the cat and pumpkin and I commissioned her to make me the spider.

All my pretty tomatoes.....

2008-10-21T10:24:00.000-07:00

.....I planted 15 varieties this year. We canned salsa, tomato sauce and diced tomatoes.

Wind fall fruit

2008-10-21T10:20:00.000-07:00

I feel as if I've been doing nothing but processing fruit for the past 2 months. One more box of apples to make applesauce and applebutter with and then I'm done!

Making cider!!!

2008-10-21T10:16:00.000-07:00

We borrowed a cider press from a friend. We pressed about 125lbs of apples and are in the process of turning it into hard cider, yum!

Pheasnt Field Farms Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-21T09:54:00.001-07:00

Winter Garden

2008-09-28T20:43:00.000-07:00

All of the seeds I planted in mid august are growing. They will grow probably until the end of October, go dormant and start growing in the spring. Come April I should have a garden FULL of stuff ready to eat. We planted kale, spinach, raddichio, kohlrabi, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, onions, leeks, carrots, beets....I know I'm missing more......

More egg stuff....

2008-09-28T20:36:00.000-07:00

I have had to buy eggs a few times in the last 3 months. I sold off my older adult flock and replaced them with new chicks. The new girls should all be laying within a month. As I was making breakfast the other morning I cracked a store bought egg and them one of my fresh eggs. The one on the right is the fresh egg. The yolk was a richer yellow color and is much thicker and firmer. The store bought egg was pale yellow and runny. It has alot to do with the chickens diet. Although I buy organic eggs from the store they still do not get to run around outside, eat grass and bugs and get "treats" (our fruit/ veggie peelings, wilted produce etc) daily. Nothing tastes better than fresh eggs!

Our newest addition......

2008-09-28T20:33:00.000-07:00

We just brought home a new goat a few weeks ago. Hes a 4 month old Boer Wether (wether means fixed male) He is already about 100lbs and should be about 200 by next year! He is a big boy and oh so cute. He needs a name but I have'nt come up with one yet, any suggestions????

Sequim Farm Walk Nash's Organic Produce

2008-09-28T20:20:00.000-07:00

I recently attended a Farm Walk

( http://cahnrsnews.wsu.edu/reportertools/news/2008/farmwalk-nash-2008-08.html) up in Sequim put on by Nash's Organic Produce http://www.nashsorganicproduce.com/

It was a tour of some of their facilities, the fields and a few demonstrations. It was a gorgeous day and we had alot of fun!

More gluten free goodness

2008-09-02T00:19:00.000-07:00

I realized my son, at 3 1/2, had NEVER had a sandwich! Most GF bread is dry, expensive and sugary. I have made a few GF/CF "breads"after fiddling around with recipes. They're like a pancake-crepe-bread hybrid. I have a potato bread version and also a pretty good buckwheat one. I make huge batches, freeze them and thaw out 2 whenever he wants a sandwich. He loves PB&J!

Kitsap County Fair

2008-08-31T18:44:00.000-07:00

We went to the Kitsap County Fair. I thought I was being thrifty going on quarter day and riding the bus for free. So much for saving money, I bought a Boer goat!!!! We spent alot of time looking at the animals. You never realize how big a cow is until you are up close. They are GIGANTIC!!

Pears

2008-08-31T18:42:00.000-07:00

We pickd a few buckets of pears. The tree was grafted and it looks like we got D'jou

and Bartlett Pears.

Winter Garden

2008-08-31T14:22:00.000-07:00

I have also spent the past few weeks preparing a few garden beds for winter planting. You plant early to mid august and the plants will grow a bit go dormant for the winter and start growing again in the early spring. Come May/June I will have a FULL garden. I planted beets, carrots, kohlrabi, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, spinach, onions, brussel sprouts, turnips, rutabegas, lettuce, raddicchio, chicory peas and radishes. Most from seeds and a few starts. I'm very exited to see what I will have in the spring!

U-Pick Flowers at Pheasant Fields Farms

2008-08-31T14:19:00.000-07:00

Pheasant Fields Farm on Clearcreek has U-Pick flowers for $0.25 a stem. We went and pickes a bunch of gorgeous Dahlias and some sunflowers.

Why I've been so busy

2008-08-31T14:17:00.000-07:00

The past 2 weeks

I have been picking, dehydrating, drying and canning fruits, veggies and herbs. Next the tomatoes and apples will be ready to pick and I will be making apple and tomato sauce.

Saving Tomato Seeds

2008-08-31T14:05:00.000-07:00

This year I've decided to start saving seeds instead of spending a small fortune every spring. My first seed saving attempt is tomatoes. Right now I've saved seeds from over 12 varieties. I bought a bunch from the local farmers market, the grocery store and I will save some from my own garden when they are ripe. When I'm done I will probably have close to 20 different varieties! Tomatoes are quite easy. You scoop out the seeds, add then to water in a jar, ferment them in a windowsill for 3-4 days( to separate the seeds from all the tomato gunk) and then dry out the seeds on wax paper. Here is a link to online directions:

http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/seedsave/2002084456024410.html

Mmmmm, vanilla.......

2008-08-31T12:25:00.000-07:00

I friend turned me onto making homemade vanilla extract a few months back. I will be making some for xmas gifts. I took a 1/2 gallon of vodka, 10 vanilla beans slit dowm the middle and they will set in a jar for a few months. The vodka draws the vanilla flavor out. I will then strain the beans and any sediment out and bottle right before the holidays. I already have a small jar going thats been sitting for 2 months and the vodka has already turned a light amber color.

Gobble Gobble......

2008-08-31T12:19:00.000-07:00

We added 2 more turkeys to our flock, now a total of 4, they are Broad Breasted Bronze Turkeys. We think we have a male and female, called a tom and a jenny! I read the males of this breed can get to be as large as 40lbs with 35 being average! Thats a big turkey! They are quite gentle and tame and follow me around the coup. I guess their personality makes up for what they are lacking in looks!

Buckets of plums!!

2008-08-31T12:11:00.000-07:00

I picked, I'm estimating, between 60-70 lbs of plums off a friends tree. I made canned plum sauce,

honey plums, sweet and sour plum marinade and we ate quite a few! They are a earlier to ripen yellow plum. I believe they are called Easter Egg Plums.

Making flavored vinegars......

2008-08-20T21:28:00.000-07:00

In our house we make EVERYTHING from scratch. My newest obsession is seeing what concoctions I can come up with for salad dressing. I am loving the vinegrettes. I was browsing the internet and came across recipes for making berry flavored vinegars. You buy plain white vinegar. Get glass jars. Put in a few cups of berries and dump boiling vinegar on top. Put a lid on and let them sit for a few months. When they are ready to be used strain out fruit and bottle. I made cranberry and raspberry vinegars tonight. I can't wait to try them, yum!

Graysmarsh Farms

2008-08-20T21:15:00.000-07:00

We went berry picking today at Graysmarsh Farms in Sequim. I got about 9lbs of raspberries, 4lbs of loganberries and a few blueberries. I brought my son a bucket for him to pick into and they all wound up in his mouth instead! We had fun lots of fun! I will be making and canning jam tomorrow.

Strawberry Tomatoes

2008-08-18T14:37:00.000-07:00

Onions

2008-08-18T13:09:00.000-07:00

I just harvested a few bunches of Walla walla onions that I have on my back deck curing........

Squash Plants

2008-08-18T13:07:00.000-07:00

Turkey Tractor

2008-08-18T13:02:00.000-07:00

I know some of you are going, "Huh?". A tractor is a moveable pen for poultry with a house attatched. When the grass under then is scratched up and gone you move the pen onto new fresh grass. You lift it up and the back end has wheels. My sweet husband spent the weekend building it for my new turkeys.

Garden Suprises

2008-08-18T12:56:00.001-07:00

Is'nt it always fun to find edible stuff in your garden you did'nt plant? Well last year I planted potatoes and dug them all up in the fall to eat. Little did I know, being the novice gardner I am, that if you put potatoes in a spot they are pretty much impossible to irradicate from that area and will keep coming back there. Well this year in the same spot I planted corn and squash but potatoes popped up too! I had so many potatoes they were coming up out of the dirt! I just went and dug up 20 lbs of Banana Fingerling, Purple Peruvian and Butter Finn potatoes.

Blue SlateTurkeys

2008-08-16T19:39:00.000-07:00

Ijust bought 2 hertitage breed turkeys yesterday. They are Blue Slate turkeys, they will look like this when they mature: http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/Turkeys/BRKSlate.html

From the way they already look I think I have 1 male and 1 female. And they are SUPER noisy!

Calendula Flowers

2008-08-16T18:41:00.000-07:00

Blueberries

2008-08-16T18:38:00.000-07:00

I will be picking at an organic blueberry field on Bainbridge Island this year to sell at the Farmers Market. I was told the bushes, more like trees, where planted during WWII so they are pretty old. The first day we picked we left with a 5 gallon bucket full!

More garden pictures

2008-08-16T18:32:00.000-07:00

Corn

2008-08-16T17:23:00.000-07:00

My corn is growing vigorously and in about a month we will have tons of corn. I planted a super sweet corn and another variety called Hookers corn, gotta love the name!

Dinner time

2008-08-16T17:20:00.001-07:00

Touch -a- tractor

2008-08-16T17:15:00.000-07:00

Today at the Farmers Market it was touch-a-tractor. The kiddos got to sit on the tractors and get their picture taken.

Future farmer in training

2008-08-16T17:13:00.001-07:00

My harvest.....

2008-08-16T17:10:00.000-07:00

....my garden is FINALLY producing! We went a picked about 30 Chiogga beets and a bunch of carrots. There is nothing better thaan produce just picked from the garden!

My muscovy

2008-08-16T17:08:00.000-07:00

My muscovy drake waits by the chicken run door waiting to be let out so he can roam around the yard. He is the coolest duck ever!

Goose berries

2008-08-16T17:06:00.000-07:00

We planted a goose berry bush a few years back and picked some today. My 3yo son said "Yucky berries mommy!" The chickens sure liked them......

Bees

2008-08-16T17:04:00.000-07:00

My yard is busy with lots of bee activity right now......

Little Lamb

2008-08-16T16:57:00.000-07:00

A month or so back I got a new female lamb to add to my little flock. Shes about 5 months old and oh so sweet. We are breeding her and hopefully will have lambs of our own in the fall.

Poulsbo Farmers Market Childrens Day Tie Dying

2008-07-30T16:08:00.000-07:00

The market had tie dying last weekend. My son came and made a few shirts. Pretty groovy!