Lovely Spring We're Having This Winter!

Okay, so, it's been a while since I've posted to this blog.   Last year was taken up with Bill getting his knee replaced, and it took a very long time before he was able to get back to his normal self.  We both are very happy that this entire experience is behind us.  Just to give you an idea of how difficult this surgery was for him, his doctor (the same doctor that replaced my hip three years ago) told him that he won't do his other knee.  He said Bill took 10 years off his life with all the complications. So, I think we both have decided not to go down that road again.

Plum Tree

I don't know where you live, but here in Southwest North Carolina, in the Piedmont area, we have been having a winter to beat records, warm winter that is.  I thought I'd take a few pictures so you could see how faked out nature is here.  This is February, supposedly the middle of winter.  I'm fairly certain we're going to have another frost or two, so, there goes all our fruit harvest again.  This will be the second or third year this has happened.  It is so disappointing.

Cherry Tree

So, here are our fruit trees in the middle of what is supposed to be winter.  The plum tree is just gorgeous with it's white blossoms bursting out all over.  I don't believe we've enjoyed a plum from it yet.  Maybe this year, forever hopeful!  The Cherry trees are beginning to bloom as well.  Last year we did get a bountiful harvest of tiny little cherries called Nanking Cherries, enough to make a nice batch of cherry jam.  I'm hoping they're not going to be frost bitten this year.

Growing Sprouts at Home!

Sprout Jar Wooden Rack with Jars

Growing your own sprouts at home is a rather simple project that can provide excellent nutrients at a very reasonable cost compared to purchasing them in your local grocery store.  In addition, it is a very compact way to store food in case of an emergency.

What you will need in order to grow your own sprouts:

1. A jar in which to grow them.  A standard wide-mouth quart size canning jar is what I use.
2. You will need to have a piece of mesh cloth that will enable you to drain off the water from the seeds as you rinse them each day.  I didn't have any lying around the house, so I ordered mine online. 
3. You will also need to have a way to keep your jars upside down so they can completely drain, and have some air flow to the sprouts.  My very talented  husband made a wooden rack for me that holds up to 3 Mason jars and folds flat for storage.  You can purchase one from our Marketplace if you wish.
4. Then, you will need to have sprouting seeds.  I found mine online.

Canning jar, mesh cloth, and metal ring

Folding Wooden Rack

My First Homemade Grape Jam!

Homemade Grape Jam

This is the first year that we've had a nice harvest from our grapevines.  Last night Bill rescued them from the bees and earwigs!  He washed them all for me this morning, de-stemmed them, and got them ready for me to process.  We had about 23 cups of cleaned, ready to process grapes.  I placed them into a large pot and turned up the heat.  When almost all of the skins split or came off (about ten minutes), I then processed them in a food mill to remove all the skin and seeds.  I put the juice and pulp back into the pot, added sugar to our taste (about 8 cups), and brought it all back up to a rolling boil.  I then added the pectin according to the instructions on the package, brought it back up to a boil, then funneled it into freshly washed jars that I had placed in the oven at 225 degrees to sterilize and keep hot.   After all jars were filled, I wiped clean the rims, topped with the lids that had been soaking in hot water on the stove on low heat, and closed up with the rings tightened finger tight.  Time to place all the jars into the canner with boiling water for ten minutes.  That's it, I'm done!  Finished up with nine pints of wonderful homemade fresh grape jam!

Carpe diem! Lil and Bill

My Wildflower Garden!

My Wildflower Garden

I have never been good at planning and growing  flower gardens, but I do love them dearly.  Then when we moved here to an entirely different climate and soil structure, I was really lost.  We came from Florida, tropical and sandy, to North Carolina, seasonal and hard clay, so landscaping has been a challenge for us.  One day when we were in a home improvement center, I saw this package of wildflower seeds for a reasonable price.  Against my husbands advice, I bought it.  I thought that surely these would grow and look pretty, and they shouldn't require any maintenance on my part.  I am here to tell you that I just adore my wildflower garden.  It reminds me of an English garden, lacy, frilly, and a little messy!  It sets off the chicken coop rather nicely, and I'm guessing when the chickens can begin to free roam they will enjoy this little garden as well.

Carpe diem! Lil and Bill

Bumper Crop Of Blueberries!

14 Quarts blueberries, 10 Pints Preserves!

I love blueberries, and this year we've had a bumper crop!  Bill has picked almost all of them by himself, the weather has been so HOT this past week!  I cleaned and canned fourteen quarts of them, ten half pints of preserves, and froze sixteen cups.  I'd consider that to be a productive day!  They look so pretty sitting on the counter, I almost hate to put them away.  We will be enjoying and sharing these for a long time.  God is good!  I am so thankful for the food we grow.

Carpe diem! Lil and Bill

Peaches!

Peaches!

Peaches!  I love storing up fresh fruit for later in the year.  I used to be intimidated by the process of canning.  But, after doing a little research, and buying a pressure canner, I gave it a go.  The results made a believer out of me! Mmm, peach cobbler, peach pie, peaches and ice cream, you name it, anything is good with peaches!  The smell of fresh peaches is delightful, but the beautiful sight of newly canned peaches is so very satisfying. I now know that I have enough peaches to be able to serve them all year long.  What's next?  Blueberries!

Carpe diem, Lil & Bill

The Garden, The Miracle Within!

I love the garden when it's freshly planted, the earth is so clean and bare, and filled with promise!  The idea that we can put tiny little seeds into the ground, and with care and hard work, reap a harvest of abundance fills me with awe.  I look out at the patch of naked earth each day with hope and faith that it will bring forth the life it holds within.  What a miracle it is! 

Carpe diem, Lil and Bill

The Garden, The miracle Within!

Our Orchard is Growing Up!

I took a stroll around the orchard today, and was I ever pleasantly surprised at the abundance of fruit on our little trees and bushes!  Most of our trees are only about six feet tall or so, but they are like "the little engine that could"!  Now if we can just keep the bugs and birds away, we should be having a nice harvest this year.

Carpe diem!  Lil and Bill

Blueberries!

Cherries!

Grapes!

Peaches!

Pears!