tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-912767364141577902024-03-18T21:30:46.919-07:00Ryan and Laura 24/7ryanandlaura247http://www.blogger.com/profile/07007536263992184313noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91276736414157790.post-45062717387671048332013-07-19T09:05:00.001-07:002013-07-19T09:33:26.630-07:00Mixed fruit jam<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
I had some apricots and peaches that were quickly spiraling down the path to spoilage. I cut them up and parked them in the fridge for the night. </div>
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My family was in town from Washington this week, and my dad brought me a bowl of his home-grown raspberries. We enjoyed a bunch in yogurt and over ice cream, and then I added the rest to the peaches and apricots. I also threw in some local strawberries that need to be used up. </div>
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I went searching for Pomona's Pectin, but couldn't find any at the time (I later found some at a garden store and in my own cupboard..*eye roll* I should look more closely next time). Since I couldn't find any at the time I decided to try making jam without pectin. I followed the guidelines I found on the Food in Jars website for small batch jam. I ended up cooking the fruit in two batches so that I was more assured of getting it to gel. I added in a sprinkling of lemon balm leaves, but they discolored in the final product so I think I will leave that out next time. </div>
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I am grateful to my grandparents who passed down this half size canner to me last month because I have a stove with an attached oven right above it and I can't get my big canner under it and still be able to put stuff in or take stuff out of the canner. This half size canner made it possible for me to can. </div>
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And the finished product! I like to can jam in smaller jars because we don't go through it that quickly, and if you give it as a gift you can give several small jars that way there is a variety. I also have two of the little jars in the fridge to use now. I made some thumbprint cookies that the jam goes well with. </div>
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I will put up pictures of the greenhouse later- it looks amazing. First I need to go figure out what to do with several pounds of pie cherries. Oh, and I will have the farmers' market post and a garden update later as well. </div>
ryanandlaura247http://www.blogger.com/profile/07007536263992184313noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91276736414157790.post-67394744011295451582013-07-18T22:44:00.001-07:002013-07-18T22:44:15.568-07:00UpcomingLots of things have been happening around here, and I made sure to take pictures, but they are currently stuck on the iphone, which my husband has with him at work. So, updates will have to wait until tomorrow. Canning, jamming, poppies, and green houses are coming!ryanandlaura247http://www.blogger.com/profile/07007536263992184313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91276736414157790.post-34522634190885356892013-07-09T16:10:00.001-07:002013-07-09T16:38:33.993-07:00This week at the farmers market: 7/9/13<div>
I thought I would start a weekly feature and show what I buy each week at the farmers' market since I love shopping there. I try to do most of my shopping for the week either there or at my favorite farm stand. Since the farm stand is only open one afternoon a week and it happens to be the same afternoon as the farmers' market, I just make one big trip each week. So here is what I got this week: </div>
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1 dozen eggs (freshly laid today), 1 head of napa cabbage, big container of strawberries, 1 bunch of carrots, several heads of broccoli, 3 zucchini, 1 cucumber, 2 peppers, 2lbs apricots, and 2lbs peaches. I also got a few treats: 1 freshly squeezed lemonade, 1 freshly squeezed organic orange juice, and 1 apricot walnut puff pastry. I would have gotten cherries, but they were sold out by the time I got there.<br />
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I'm still deciding what I want to do with it all- so many possibilities. I think the cabbage will turn into a chinese cabbage salad since I actually have toasted sesame oil in the house and the salad holds up well in the heat (unlike mayo based salads). My family is coming to town this weekend and we are going to a lake on Sunday so cabbage salad would be great to take to that. I can't decide if I want to can any of the apricots or dry them instead. I have cashews that need to be used so I think a slightly tweaked version of <a href="http://joythebaker.com/2011/10/vegan-cream-of-broccoli-soup/">Joy the Baker's Vegan Cream of Broccoli</a> soup sounds good. In the past I've made zucchini fritters with a yogurt dipping sauce that turned out really well and since I have goat milk to make yogurt with, the fritters will probably be made again. The carrots, pepper, and cucumber will go well with all the lettuce I have growing for salads, although I was thinking of making a quick refrigerator pickle with the cucumber. Any other ideas? What would you do with all that produce? What's growing in your area?<br />
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ryanandlaura247http://www.blogger.com/profile/07007536263992184313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91276736414157790.post-9616777407566709192013-07-03T15:29:00.001-07:002013-07-03T20:08:07.272-07:00Knitting and reading<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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I'm knitting the one thing I know how to knit- a washcloth with only knit stitches, which I think (?) is called garter stitch. The yarn is a mix of some of my favorite colors. </div>
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I'm reading a book I got at the Mother Earth News Fair where I heard the author, Stephanie Tourles, speak (and she passed around some of these concoctions- it smelled amazing in that room!). It is about herbal topical remedies. Herbs are one of my favorite topics and this is chock full of good recipes. It is organized by condition so you can pick cold and flu, burns, etc and there will be remedies for that ailment. If you are interested in herbal medicine like I am I also strongly recommend anything by Rosemary Gladstar. I've been hearing good things about "How to Move like a Gardner" by Deb Soule so I will be trying to check that out soon. Stephanie Tourles has a few other books as well, a couple of which I have and couple of which I would like. This one is by far my favorite of the ones I have. </div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, -webkit-pictograph;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 11px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Joining <a href="http://www.gsheller.com/2013/07/yarn-along-134.html">Ginny's yarn along</a> today.</span></span><br />
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ryanandlaura247http://www.blogger.com/profile/07007536263992184313noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91276736414157790.post-10609078932553815572013-07-02T22:08:00.000-07:002013-07-03T20:08:42.349-07:00Scrambled<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
It has been hot. Simple and quick meals are in order. This can work for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Most of the ingredients are local as well. </div>
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I went to the farm stand today and the only eggs they had left were 4 turkey eggs. I thought they would be interesting to try. I picked some lambs quarters, basil, sage, rosemary, chives, and one pea. I sautéed all of that in butter with green onions and young garlic that I had chopped and frozen. Then I added salt, pepper, and some local raw milk cheddar cheese. I toasted some new to me gluten free bread and then rubbed it with garlic and a little butter. Added some fruit (local strawberries) to the mix and it was a yummy, healthy 5-10 minute meal. </div>
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<br />ryanandlaura247http://www.blogger.com/profile/07007536263992184313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91276736414157790.post-28682235628491434812013-06-19T14:16:00.002-07:002013-06-19T14:16:56.392-07:00CommunityTomorrow I will update about the intentions I set out for last week. Today I just wanted to take a minute a talk about community and the generosity of people. I recently found this facebook page for my area where gardeners and farmers can post stuff they want to sell or are looking for. I posted about the school garden we are putting in where I teach, and there has been such a generous response. I'm so grateful. There had been soil, plants, and seeds donated by people who had no idea about our school and don't know me. They just wanted to help. It has been neat meeting them, and getting tips from seasoned gardeners (this short season gardening is new to me so I need all the help I can get!). It just goes to show that if you put yourself out there a bit, there are good people who will help make things happen.ryanandlaura247http://www.blogger.com/profile/07007536263992184313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91276736414157790.post-23864800745743903622013-06-14T21:55:00.001-07:002013-06-14T23:42:52.673-07:00Little one<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I haven't gotten much done lately because we just welcomed a new little one to the family who needs a lot of attention. This is Hazel: </span></div>
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<br />ryanandlaura247http://www.blogger.com/profile/07007536263992184313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91276736414157790.post-55574371092567219552013-06-09T15:48:00.001-07:002013-06-09T15:48:33.268-07:00Intentions. As I'm a teacher and school is out for the summer, I currently have a lot of free time. Since my husband works night shift and therefore has to sleep a good part of the day away, I am finding myself sitting around the house without much exciting to do. The garden is in progress, but not producing anything but lettuce currently, and there are no weeds, so doing much out there isn't an option at this time, although later in the season ( and the years to come) I'm sure that will be a different story. The house could be picked up, but that isn't exactly fueling my desire for a creative outlet, so I do it in spurts and then want to do something else. <br />
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Today this led me to search my pinterest boards for something to do. I've decided I will pick a few things every week, and then share here how they turned out. It will be mostly simple things with stuff I already have on hand. It might be an herbal concoction, a drink or meal, a sewing endeavor, a furniture redo, or something else entirely. For instance, a few days ago I found myself with a bunch of spearmint, so I decided to make spearmint extract. It is currently macerating, and when it is finished will be good drinks, fruit sorbets, and homemade ice cream. <br />
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This weeks to try list is:<br />
Gardener's hand scrub and "the mojito" (without the alcohol) from http://tendcollective.blogspot.com.<br />
Taco Salad with creamy cilantro dressing from thekitchn.com<br />
Practice my figure drawing skills with this tutorial: http://melissaesplin.com/2011/08/tutorial-fashion-sketches/<br />
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I will let you know how it goes!ryanandlaura247http://www.blogger.com/profile/07007536263992184313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91276736414157790.post-10516909571464790782013-06-07T21:45:00.003-07:002013-06-07T21:46:56.030-07:00What we did today<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr3FZdUYyV1LawGCoDgppyLs55vAB-K4UG4EUBS1aNfXHz33_xL0oVVZiDfeBGl32rj6Kn8XOAe1huqV5uk7rs15NuZ7nEZw5yhwOxsf2ETpJL2g_K9YJBQIOYt6ngh_KY7eo7iN7rGUBm/s1600/IMG_0811.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr3FZdUYyV1LawGCoDgppyLs55vAB-K4UG4EUBS1aNfXHz33_xL0oVVZiDfeBGl32rj6Kn8XOAe1huqV5uk7rs15NuZ7nEZw5yhwOxsf2ETpJL2g_K9YJBQIOYt6ngh_KY7eo7iN7rGUBm/s400/IMG_0811.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of lettuce and a few peas in the back </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A native perennial garden getting started</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The salmon berries are already showing life</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beginning of my herb garden- basil, lemon balm, chives, perennial sweet peas, yarrow, bee balm. I've since added sage and rosemary. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful peony</td></tr>
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So today we were busy out in the yard. It all started because yesterday my husband surprised me with a window box right out our bedroom window. So, of course, today I had to go get flowers for it. I will post a picture of it when we are finished with it. While we were at the nursery, we saw two gorgeous peonies and could not resist. We planted both of those with some Persian buttercups aka Ranunculus. We planted a semi-dwarf Montmorency cherry tree. I've been working on an herb garden- the fencing isn't going to stay that way, but right now that's the only way to keep the dog from laying on it. We found out (from a lovely lady who was gardening next door) that a bush we were thinking of removing is probably a chokecherry, so it will stay. I want to try making chokecherry jelly or jam. I would like to get some chokeberries as well so I can make juice from them. It was a long day, but didn't feel long as we love being out in the yard doing things. It is very satisfying to us. We are tired now, though!</div>
ryanandlaura247http://www.blogger.com/profile/07007536263992184313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91276736414157790.post-43118716404588634802013-06-06T13:35:00.000-07:002013-06-07T21:47:49.970-07:00Photo update. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBeQ2jv-Zkn4hWSxvOnF05XVsQdlpC6_j75sFM1K1NZkh5WYj0vJ7jmXYAncSSRMsva7qJy5lZv8I5AMJtuz_-GOkn_YV4JAdIBsHHH1lDvQpg0KmnLjwIzNmRZq-XSUThIlmVPr9nnN1L/s1600/IMG_0759.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBeQ2jv-Zkn4hWSxvOnF05XVsQdlpC6_j75sFM1K1NZkh5WYj0vJ7jmXYAncSSRMsva7qJy5lZv8I5AMJtuz_-GOkn_YV4JAdIBsHHH1lDvQpg0KmnLjwIzNmRZq-XSUThIlmVPr9nnN1L/s400/IMG_0759.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiked up Bear Creek trail</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpeh0bZJAPt_1vl3UhlhE6m0X9x9moX6ggJGTj7E6mr0KbFgJBYxQn4HL-B6DT9j9q4A31j9j-dHrFIgfVBJUEesFskLhJYrlDFtZhV3jpSW5O7cekA02SuMDEkIt9as0OtnFcmWZGnK7j/s1600/IMG_0760.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpeh0bZJAPt_1vl3UhlhE6m0X9x9moX6ggJGTj7E6mr0KbFgJBYxQn4HL-B6DT9j9q4A31j9j-dHrFIgfVBJUEesFskLhJYrlDFtZhV3jpSW5O7cekA02SuMDEkIt9as0OtnFcmWZGnK7j/s400/IMG_0760.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRad5JSPVVIMf5dzO8lPhq_nVfuiKMRLp-meLnSnOU42i2B95rpCwLOiEEVZwDbOk6lZK4yaFM66jqJfoWmTPKnptfg2N5N6Wf2E8dqLC8Z90CthXcV57tImvPPzFBhgBjYSTP30lk6V1V/s1600/IMG_0761.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRad5JSPVVIMf5dzO8lPhq_nVfuiKMRLp-meLnSnOU42i2B95rpCwLOiEEVZwDbOk6lZK4yaFM66jqJfoWmTPKnptfg2N5N6Wf2E8dqLC8Z90CthXcV57tImvPPzFBhgBjYSTP30lk6V1V/s400/IMG_0761.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was lovely. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2O5-mOQmjxu7jbPTv8W8v9-SR-_CDv6ytc3hFi0RRheCCBOKc6oy7c4_hvEaP_7lnd2LSfBefwmkNazxuDxsB78NEM6wD2axazgcEeptf1PKEJ3qEii2HQjY6ozSNyzIpMQMru6XE-0kH/s1600/IMG_0777.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2O5-mOQmjxu7jbPTv8W8v9-SR-_CDv6ytc3hFi0RRheCCBOKc6oy7c4_hvEaP_7lnd2LSfBefwmkNazxuDxsB78NEM6wD2axazgcEeptf1PKEJ3qEii2HQjY6ozSNyzIpMQMru6XE-0kH/s400/IMG_0777.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Visited family and got to see a Mariners game- they won!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bought a new shower curtain that makes me laugh.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Planted blueberries, and a bunch of other things I will post later. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXh97WoN_1JZ6VmRiBhv6w2XsqoxZFci-D0Wp2o2hpGq7SVhlETqRhUIF8woU2ymD_bvo6WWgPl92-lc5T-CLGz0j-2VcLbUUJ7U-JAjICtz2dfFVLcJWnvLSwZy_kSZBbqeqwtfhxfE_L/s1600/IMG_0797.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXh97WoN_1JZ6VmRiBhv6w2XsqoxZFci-D0Wp2o2hpGq7SVhlETqRhUIF8woU2ymD_bvo6WWgPl92-lc5T-CLGz0j-2VcLbUUJ7U-JAjICtz2dfFVLcJWnvLSwZy_kSZBbqeqwtfhxfE_L/s400/IMG_0797.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We were told blueberries don't do well here, but I hope ours make it!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVpg3b3fNXD6HDvLk6M5yHrhqs5jZ0vJm8Ka6b47CdOfaR96Qg-GNtYOldi2ekKHphyKtZySVyVkL4VyvZ1qeH1KHX8lXpqfTqyrWJ8GtMik155LY2AIr_0EqIiMr5CFX-tOQWRdBy7Cka/s1600/IMG_0765.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVpg3b3fNXD6HDvLk6M5yHrhqs5jZ0vJm8Ka6b47CdOfaR96Qg-GNtYOldi2ekKHphyKtZySVyVkL4VyvZ1qeH1KHX8lXpqfTqyrWJ8GtMik155LY2AIr_0EqIiMr5CFX-tOQWRdBy7Cka/s400/IMG_0765.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Went to the Mother Earth News fair and got to see one of my favorite author/speakers- Joel Salatin!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj82l3mDKTjgBZrCvhlvPYx4HwxqF1LpsKC63xH8KDkQgN2FPuNgORz_v8ojHJNAL71IklUkVGQ8bl5Pv1tboT7Mq5jiJqPN8yEVe_ZODgTfGHoXBuC47BxKgaKgQ996gFWWjq2OuIFWtLy/s1600/IMG_0749.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj82l3mDKTjgBZrCvhlvPYx4HwxqF1LpsKC63xH8KDkQgN2FPuNgORz_v8ojHJNAL71IklUkVGQ8bl5Pv1tboT7Mq5jiJqPN8yEVe_ZODgTfGHoXBuC47BxKgaKgQ996gFWWjq2OuIFWtLy/s400/IMG_0749.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Recovered the seat of an old rocking chair. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2emJp_Z70QuWeE-kyyD3lKzZ9vUNtcCtYVojIdwZ5zW5JXlatuSLgQoZqRX_IcVENI8vTBQCAAMjJvUzbVh35sF0Zac7_7Ee8pQwFymoFZkVu-xAEtbocedAHk_R_rTjKET4o1Fx09V7G/s1600/IMG_0750.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2emJp_Z70QuWeE-kyyD3lKzZ9vUNtcCtYVojIdwZ5zW5JXlatuSLgQoZqRX_IcVENI8vTBQCAAMjJvUzbVh35sF0Zac7_7Ee8pQwFymoFZkVu-xAEtbocedAHk_R_rTjKET4o1Fx09V7G/s400/IMG_0750.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The color here is quite faded from what it really looks like. </td></tr>
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<br />ryanandlaura247http://www.blogger.com/profile/07007536263992184313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91276736414157790.post-68097306512152092302013-05-12T21:29:00.003-07:002013-05-12T21:29:34.411-07:00Dirt and rocksSaturday evening I watched The Edible Garden with Alys Fowler from the BBC. I loved it- so inspirational. It made me re-think how we were planning to arrange our garden. Then, today, I saw that free dirt and rocks were being offered on craigslist. We went and shoveled dirt into our pick up truck, unloaded it (after we put cardboard down), and then we went and loaded the truck with river rock. We have plans for it, but no pictures, yet. We were too tired to unload it tonight.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib2cUh3tH151hf2qoGUCOK5M_U35RTiAZji5PygqxYgxRWQNjoNGvTto_XKg0mQWdRrZPoJn9Wimk1efMvkXfydz08OKel_2Ha9p60aJpspS4V91N-45gOPQQEm8p2aGORhGTkYbZur7VX/s1600/IMG_0714.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib2cUh3tH151hf2qoGUCOK5M_U35RTiAZji5PygqxYgxRWQNjoNGvTto_XKg0mQWdRrZPoJn9Wimk1efMvkXfydz08OKel_2Ha9p60aJpspS4V91N-45gOPQQEm8p2aGORhGTkYbZur7VX/s400/IMG_0714.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laying the cardboard down</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpV5bF-a-MdrXa2nf3iOEd-7ZczxK3C3WJ49vvGxzl0HCXvaB7f4H7TxFuHV6u7BfHWmMtHPN6-gFrz5yhDpTw-96cOevxaXqjV-QLj4hrf5QZ0v7jilqUb9UMjSeDkUFpSGwGDhWCZl4w/s1600/IMG_0715.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpV5bF-a-MdrXa2nf3iOEd-7ZczxK3C3WJ49vvGxzl0HCXvaB7f4H7TxFuHV6u7BfHWmMtHPN6-gFrz5yhDpTw-96cOevxaXqjV-QLj4hrf5QZ0v7jilqUb9UMjSeDkUFpSGwGDhWCZl4w/s400/IMG_0715.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pick-up truck full of dirt, and our new wheel barrow on top.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuLN-ZCcydhDTai5TUwVuEd8npXOwTudMnFY5R48pWhwMuVeZYR9nqBeVTXiiP7qrgObuj04BDWh22GsEHcorzSBa1ZkIIoyDnlY_RR-J6ruYNqh__kXa95dyZytRBgLwiddP_yW3F6QJH/s1600/IMG_0716.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuLN-ZCcydhDTai5TUwVuEd8npXOwTudMnFY5R48pWhwMuVeZYR9nqBeVTXiiP7qrgObuj04BDWh22GsEHcorzSBa1ZkIIoyDnlY_RR-J6ruYNqh__kXa95dyZytRBgLwiddP_yW3F6QJH/s400/IMG_0716.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What we have still to do</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ryan laying more boxes down</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEdBTKNFd15XMJiKHWor1qfmq_XaAWlBEMcIBrAQryPyn-35imPEy_b9EUzjjNlmHly1q0pnbWpl5v23WaJC88V-J0VDHA56IlAHKS06k6Xtiu1FZzx1cAPqrHv9TQNDQQB-EvAX3uB1pw/s1600/IMG_0718.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEdBTKNFd15XMJiKHWor1qfmq_XaAWlBEMcIBrAQryPyn-35imPEy_b9EUzjjNlmHly1q0pnbWpl5v23WaJC88V-J0VDHA56IlAHKS06k6Xtiu1FZzx1cAPqrHv9TQNDQQB-EvAX3uB1pw/s400/IMG_0718.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unloading pick-up</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj59wqE4O-QzDreC4m_MrWGnxOsc4bcfRStvR6P_CER1ilYaepSGZMpbJQtVJon8D_nDvSmbTgHs1Ad2YYb8AxM3SCciryenja2ERIQwR3RZrVTZniWc_T7cc_WOJuvIIZPdfU-1-iySWL/s1600/IMG_0719.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj59wqE4O-QzDreC4m_MrWGnxOsc4bcfRStvR6P_CER1ilYaepSGZMpbJQtVJon8D_nDvSmbTgHs1Ad2YYb8AxM3SCciryenja2ERIQwR3RZrVTZniWc_T7cc_WOJuvIIZPdfU-1-iySWL/s400/IMG_0719.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The making of a garden.<br /><br />More to follow!</td></tr>
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<br />ryanandlaura247http://www.blogger.com/profile/07007536263992184313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91276736414157790.post-12368440326316895632013-05-05T22:09:00.000-07:002013-05-05T22:09:06.166-07:00Chick update<div style="text-align: center;">
Oh, how quickly these chicks have grown!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhubZSnu-wcS-rNDDBEp8yhH2XxB0nRH91GdnkUN_7_ros8j83JfTBe_4hWqGJfA-T2AFbP19XThKK2xW54MzwKOhOsvqF9K_7LVw2DaKW3ARTO0OhmaKA69FizANpSx3urggxy2Br3Nbbn/s1600/IMG_0569.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhubZSnu-wcS-rNDDBEp8yhH2XxB0nRH91GdnkUN_7_ros8j83JfTBe_4hWqGJfA-T2AFbP19XThKK2xW54MzwKOhOsvqF9K_7LVw2DaKW3ARTO0OhmaKA69FizANpSx3urggxy2Br3Nbbn/s400/IMG_0569.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruby</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZoIlzhjiPBDIrUkjATdSniP6h-0j3Tpd6kkigNiCoIqwuMUGVM10tApKkB8y7DuL7WaAxzaUeuXAkM9OkhiosG67WS0OGnpDit2UxJe3nx2BlMo19IzIa9eN7-lYXAl6M_v1j7iC9G4a4/s1600/IMG_0572.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZoIlzhjiPBDIrUkjATdSniP6h-0j3Tpd6kkigNiCoIqwuMUGVM10tApKkB8y7DuL7WaAxzaUeuXAkM9OkhiosG67WS0OGnpDit2UxJe3nx2BlMo19IzIa9eN7-lYXAl6M_v1j7iC9G4a4/s400/IMG_0572.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruby, again. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUYPFoN228LRYl47ECROoEULIukC9c9eATHv6KuDWU8xKFpfRuh0YSqcYmzvJr94OBLjE2wVnjRfVUY1YY2w6vrazR74XqnMNVvsmPkXuVWpX0MwSey5GVZpdluxJSO9qVoHtcVgFqG6Ug/s1600/IMG_0575.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUYPFoN228LRYl47ECROoEULIukC9c9eATHv6KuDWU8xKFpfRuh0YSqcYmzvJr94OBLjE2wVnjRfVUY1YY2w6vrazR74XqnMNVvsmPkXuVWpX0MwSey5GVZpdluxJSO9qVoHtcVgFqG6Ug/s400/IMG_0575.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sapphire</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRwy1SDl80nN5aDGaaYFU8Vw1zWHqTFfZnC_KJzBBVTLIK8tWXHFjarZo_Y1HkDwYll8Uy-8wOoIAUj6ouWVBoI9_lSePgWYTt7QbfsF1dm3hbpu_0qCRgwspG6mH0QiqrMhfgm5bmgEg-/s1600/IMG_0577.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRwy1SDl80nN5aDGaaYFU8Vw1zWHqTFfZnC_KJzBBVTLIK8tWXHFjarZo_Y1HkDwYll8Uy-8wOoIAUj6ouWVBoI9_lSePgWYTt7QbfsF1dm3hbpu_0qCRgwspG6mH0QiqrMhfgm5bmgEg-/s400/IMG_0577.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Topaz</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgOEasjP2mlzOvYalVQpi-vZFrZn0-SqpKdGdGCjDfHtC8OTZOWT9ifEs9hnODxqbweyxcuMvvzV98DnPWFh0XTgnBE6mLlkWPQ5j1IKTXHSo5rAPB-LYFVe85S12Ax7TTYHvm_aQ4a45I/s1600/IMG_0579.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgOEasjP2mlzOvYalVQpi-vZFrZn0-SqpKdGdGCjDfHtC8OTZOWT9ifEs9hnODxqbweyxcuMvvzV98DnPWFh0XTgnBE6mLlkWPQ5j1IKTXHSo5rAPB-LYFVe85S12Ax7TTYHvm_aQ4a45I/s400/IMG_0579.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beryl's beautiful feathers. The white is actually silver in person. </td></tr>
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We just put a perch in for them. Some have the hang of it, others are taking their time. They are all getting along well, and enjoy treats of oats and greens/sprouts. Later on this week we will need to start putting up their fencing, as they are getting close to being big enough to be out in the coop. </div>
<br />ryanandlaura247http://www.blogger.com/profile/07007536263992184313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91276736414157790.post-58574661909889908602013-05-03T21:06:00.002-07:002013-05-03T21:07:39.891-07:00Tidbits<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
An update on what has been going on in our world: </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ4VXAcyozbAsPxOIhJJ0LpkHlrk05CKr29mioIvU8WJYrMA6R2fqQ95sWcsEdwmgXUTugLmPslSHVBgu8TFmZT78_11CMYSCMsVVGCdPp0bHIGaY0_gRgyuo-I2sBOqBHQ2eHZR0AZmPX/s1600/IMG_0547.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ4VXAcyozbAsPxOIhJJ0LpkHlrk05CKr29mioIvU8WJYrMA6R2fqQ95sWcsEdwmgXUTugLmPslSHVBgu8TFmZT78_11CMYSCMsVVGCdPp0bHIGaY0_gRgyuo-I2sBOqBHQ2eHZR0AZmPX/s400/IMG_0547.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I made sprouts for the first time! It was super easy. I followed instructions I found on Mountain Rose Herb's youtube channel. I found a set of sprouting lids for my mason jars at a health food store, and got some alfalfa sprouting seeds. They are good, and it was fun to watch them grow. It is definitely something I will do more often, especially over the winter when local greens are harder to find. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Next to the sprouts- raw, local goat milk! I have been eliminating cow dairy from my diet to see if that clears up some health issues I have been having. The goat milk tastes great. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAngVDSVrFAjeyKjUB0aaorW-TggwKem0fDRDkqyWD928VeNuDPRpYhDGNQ96ZdrmFOKD6bWBXMg_b79AbWxMgemg_EXfATOeEICPU-EgS27prEd1G5otCG9UicNk4XE9HzhZN_5N17c_u/s1600/IMG_0549.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAngVDSVrFAjeyKjUB0aaorW-TggwKem0fDRDkqyWD928VeNuDPRpYhDGNQ96ZdrmFOKD6bWBXMg_b79AbWxMgemg_EXfATOeEICPU-EgS27prEd1G5otCG9UicNk4XE9HzhZN_5N17c_u/s400/IMG_0549.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have been finding all sorts of things on our local yard sale page on facebook- the chives pictured here are from a lady a few miles away. I got two chive plants from her.<br />
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Speaking of the yard sale page, we picked up quite a few bags of free mulch, bought a small wood chipper, a zoku popsicle maker, and we will be getting a puppy in a couple of months (she was born yesterday). It has been great to find all this for a good deal, and not have to buy anything new. It has also helped us get to know people and get to know our community. I have learned so much already by talking to people. We dug up the big shrub in the middle of our yard yesterday because we have other plans for there, and someone in the area wanted it. She and I talked for 2 hours, and she told me all about the best hiking, gardening classes, canning, herb walks, etc. We had a great time, and our plant is going to a good home instead of a dumpster. Plus, we now have a big hole in the middle of our yard, which is a great start for what we have planned for there.<br />
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Well, that is enough of an update for now. I made some coconut rice krispie treats (gluten-free!) that I'm going to go enjoy with my love. </td></tr>
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<br />ryanandlaura247http://www.blogger.com/profile/07007536263992184313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91276736414157790.post-61598126221389060902013-04-30T20:23:00.002-07:002013-04-30T20:24:32.928-07:00Snow and sunflowers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It is currently snowing outside. I needed a little sunshine, and found it in the form of some flowers. These are from a while ago, but they are still lovely.<br />
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We have warm weather on the way, so hopefully more garden changes coming!<br />
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<br />ryanandlaura247http://www.blogger.com/profile/07007536263992184313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91276736414157790.post-78300594109294538622013-04-29T18:53:00.001-07:002013-04-30T20:05:32.277-07:00SeedlingsI started a few things right before spring break, and they are doing nicely. The self-watering tray I bought makes for MUCH healthier seedlings. I've been quite pleased with them, so the slightly higher price was worth it to me (and I can probably re-use it). Now, we just need to get some grow lights so that the seedlings don't get too leggy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiLL3gsM7fsFLzeftMEIWEskQCP6yfpkne-KfH5naASUS1ptBSe-I2sUPliLcoiU8kHwlSHprnGuhTmxFd4rg1X64XYHx28k411QCNVt2syLU4Pi1AUxcsprk9Kq5jYnZXJasf75YYYKlY/s1600/IMG_0538.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiLL3gsM7fsFLzeftMEIWEskQCP6yfpkne-KfH5naASUS1ptBSe-I2sUPliLcoiU8kHwlSHprnGuhTmxFd4rg1X64XYHx28k411QCNVt2syLU4Pi1AUxcsprk9Kq5jYnZXJasf75YYYKlY/s400/IMG_0538.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tomatoes- 4 different kinds</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgblN-r7DPrAUwZdlNeF8sjmI-t_BgRnAjj60YnVWIjkPyqpiqaOY6ll289gHqhQjjgHDYG0DOs4sv8ftB1FYVLFRdkqeD-1LgoBnc9_R1sOje_7hlLT_0AuxiHGp7FexZJQRvWjhLKL8Jw/s1600/IMG_0539.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgblN-r7DPrAUwZdlNeF8sjmI-t_BgRnAjj60YnVWIjkPyqpiqaOY6ll289gHqhQjjgHDYG0DOs4sv8ftB1FYVLFRdkqeD-1LgoBnc9_R1sOje_7hlLT_0AuxiHGp7FexZJQRvWjhLKL8Jw/s400/IMG_0539.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Several medicinal herbs and Marconi peppers</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO1PYlfoMLJtp4p8a0SwKOU1PLEizStp8ebWSPwuNO7nBbuV_YihQvgwtwx9ZA2njvQLrsoRmZXSN9sYyHMQ8p6vV_esMoGCrSMM5qJnKizLXGhzVl6jJP43jM9BCrZat_FoseudybsOSh/s1600/IMG_0540.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO1PYlfoMLJtp4p8a0SwKOU1PLEizStp8ebWSPwuNO7nBbuV_YihQvgwtwx9ZA2njvQLrsoRmZXSN9sYyHMQ8p6vV_esMoGCrSMM5qJnKizLXGhzVl6jJP43jM9BCrZat_FoseudybsOSh/s400/IMG_0540.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eggplant and mini yellow stuffing peppers</td></tr>
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Most of my seeds this year came from Baker Creek Heirloom seeds. I have a lot more to get started, but these will have a big head start. Outdoors there are a few things coming up as well:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhib6HVb1BcGHntV_P3VMGTVgzTmZ-E5FCvaBWPJrX0PPh77uwbpsamwBWUS4YIukpIMTpB8VhtBHATvBW7fsuJ_3qAGKZSB36a2CXM7BVPuP6F4X2Tr83n7u2qhoCZBLukUyen22z4G9jm/s1600/IMG_0537.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhib6HVb1BcGHntV_P3VMGTVgzTmZ-E5FCvaBWPJrX0PPh77uwbpsamwBWUS4YIukpIMTpB8VhtBHATvBW7fsuJ_3qAGKZSB36a2CXM7BVPuP6F4X2Tr83n7u2qhoCZBLukUyen22z4G9jm/s400/IMG_0537.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peas and greens just starting to come up. </td></tr>
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What are you growing right now? What are you most excited about growing and why? I am excited about my medicinal herbs so I can make some herbal medicine for us. <br />
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<br />ryanandlaura247http://www.blogger.com/profile/07007536263992184313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91276736414157790.post-43478513254996545712013-04-28T20:03:00.001-07:002013-04-28T20:03:14.315-07:00Yard update<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;">We spent this afternoon putting in some fruit bearing plants- apple trees and raspberries.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNVvJbmo7VWWgKu8Sv0INiNx1-0RuZQpPx7QGobDoSyEG1SHSheNd3NMTDIkgVgVPPbd1iNwwtQzIGrk502T-_bN3i9QIs1taFgJAnI_JEvv0vfrcXjps6O2rzZNlhxZOZGnXe5dZs1zDZ/s1600/IMG_0524.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNVvJbmo7VWWgKu8Sv0INiNx1-0RuZQpPx7QGobDoSyEG1SHSheNd3NMTDIkgVgVPPbd1iNwwtQzIGrk502T-_bN3i9QIs1taFgJAnI_JEvv0vfrcXjps6O2rzZNlhxZOZGnXe5dZs1zDZ/s400/IMG_0524.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Apple trees in along with apricot trees. The mini-orchard is starting to take shape.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm7ranGlZrnfgfx5FRJftnGycyrL_X2Z6Y7-cfmlG7GpwhhTHkPuuj2sm9MpjsRVG91NCQmh3GqVmozW1YJX8lH2RGAcpGC1Z48122Xoku8cUndmDOXDG5QHuL7mbKVyUZuWYL4kRGbPMq/s1600/IMG_0526.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm7ranGlZrnfgfx5FRJftnGycyrL_X2Z6Y7-cfmlG7GpwhhTHkPuuj2sm9MpjsRVG91NCQmh3GqVmozW1YJX8lH2RGAcpGC1Z48122Xoku8cUndmDOXDG5QHuL7mbKVyUZuWYL4kRGbPMq/s320/IMG_0526.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue watching over the trench for the raspberries</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBmggTCgVlg0xdYTOx4LGp0fpf4POykGKboFXSTSTQUNQ2DA20o3kPGlvmqMJYKKHryRC5E70to6XeYPu_8MYQxC_Kvo9l6nPej6wlj6n-TG2ZWO_iH_7WGRm3zC7y4N39h-p6YzNv0DLG/s1600/IMG_0534.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBmggTCgVlg0xdYTOx4LGp0fpf4POykGKboFXSTSTQUNQ2DA20o3kPGlvmqMJYKKHryRC5E70to6XeYPu_8MYQxC_Kvo9l6nPej6wlj6n-TG2ZWO_iH_7WGRm3zC7y4N39h-p6YzNv0DLG/s320/IMG_0534.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Raspberries planted- 3 different kinds<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></td></tr>
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We are looking forward to the fruit of our labor! :)<br />
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<br />ryanandlaura247http://www.blogger.com/profile/07007536263992184313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91276736414157790.post-61503971193073356242013-04-24T21:37:00.002-07:002013-04-24T21:40:51.486-07:00Hot Springs and Cold Showers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIqoSevYrzmEIqbHJ33tif_Bq44r_RP2S2mW83Q8IojL0p6gd1OP2dBfOXY5n6CePbz4asvj-lom1D4hMynIY5Up_Mo6rffxvIFE0pYRzlemOgq3BkEDKPVczSYnDqYvDqF8pJ8nJYAU2f/s1600/jackson+hot+springs+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIqoSevYrzmEIqbHJ33tif_Bq44r_RP2S2mW83Q8IojL0p6gd1OP2dBfOXY5n6CePbz4asvj-lom1D4hMynIY5Up_Mo6rffxvIFE0pYRzlemOgq3BkEDKPVczSYnDqYvDqF8pJ8nJYAU2f/s320/jackson+hot+springs+1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Jackson Hot Springs- Christmas Day 2012. ~103 degrees in the water and 20 degrees outside. </div>
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This year, instead of the hustle and bustle of the holidays, we got away. Instead of gifts for one another we spent a couple of days at Jackson Hot Springs. It was such a wonderful experience. However, that's not really what I wanted to focus on. Instead, I'd like to talk about hot/cold hydrotherapy treatments. See the snow in the first picture? Several times I got out of the pool, laid in the snow for a minute, and then got back in the pool. It wasn't exactly a comfortable thing to do, but it felt so great afterwards. It just gets everything in your body going. It helps blood circulation and your lymphatic system, as well as giving your immune system a boost. It is one of the oldest treatments around, but it works! You don't have to do it with snow and hot springs, though. You can just alternate the water in your shower. I know it can be hard to make yourself do, but when I do make myself- I come out of the shower warmer. And, all that hot water isn't so good for your skin. My skin looked its best in years the first summer I worked on a farm. There were several factors at play (lots of sunshine/vitamin D, drinking a lot of water, plenty of exercise), but I also showered right after I got off of work, which meant cool showers because it was 90-110 degrees out. The cool showers were refreshing, made my skin look good, and saved energy. There is good information out there about hot/cold treatments if you want to learn more. And/or, you could just try it. :)</div>
<br />ryanandlaura247http://www.blogger.com/profile/07007536263992184313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91276736414157790.post-47726020710256944782013-04-23T19:11:00.001-07:002013-04-24T21:41:41.896-07:00Gluten-free pancakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Gluten-free pancakes<br />
Make a basic gluten-free pancake mix and then add beet root powder, chia seeds, and orange zest. So good, and the beet root powder makes them pink! You can add as much or as little as you like. <br />
My recipe is similar to this:<br />
1 C gluten-free flour mix (King Arthur, Bob's Red Mill, etc)<br />
1 egg<br />
1 tsp baking powder<br />
pinch baking soda and salt<br />
freshly grated nutmeg, and sometimes some cinnamon<br />
1 tsp orange zest<br />
1-2 TBL chia seeds<br />
3/4 C- 1 C milk (local, organic, non-homogenized cow's milk or nut milk)<br />
1-2 TBL beet root powder<br />
3-4 TBL coconut oil or butter (I melt it in the cooking pan and then pour most of it into the pancake mixture, leaving a bit in the pan to cook the pancakes in)<br />
Whisk everything together.<br />
Can also add berries and/or nuts while cooking. <br />
Serve with real maple syrup, honey, or berry sauce.<br />
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I do not suggest using most gluten-free flour mixes a lot, as they can still contain starches that spike your blood sugar quite high. I have not tried this with almond or coconut flour. The nutmeg and orange zest give it great flavor, and the chia seeds add a nice light crunch. They are great serves with real maple syrup.ryanandlaura247http://www.blogger.com/profile/07007536263992184313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91276736414157790.post-56723769256271768952013-04-22T20:36:00.001-07:002013-04-24T21:42:05.754-07:00Little thingsToday started covered in snow and ended in beautiful blue skies (and most of the snow gone). We are supposed to have a stretch of good weather so hopefully we can get some projects done outside. I started spring cleaning inside tonight. We have one room that has become a total junk room. I am slowly making progress on it. <br />
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Not the greatest picture, but it shows the raised bed we built. The white fencing is just up temporarily to make sure Blue doesn't jump up on it. We seeded it with peas, sweet peas, mixed greens, and poppies (the culinary kind). There are some things popping up- either greens or poppies. We plan to build more of these soon. </div>
ryanandlaura247http://www.blogger.com/profile/07007536263992184313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91276736414157790.post-78453330571033102372013-04-21T13:07:00.002-07:002013-04-24T21:42:29.704-07:00Sunday happenings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Tomato seedlings growing</div>
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We also have onion, peppers, and some medicinal herbs started indoors. Outdoors we have some poppies and greens going. We also planted peas, but they haven't come up yet.</div>
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Brunch-Vegetable herb goat cheese omelet </div>
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Bell peppers, greens, garlic, farm fresh eggs, goat cheese, dill, thyme, sea salt, pepper, and Braggs sea kelp delight seasoning</div>
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This morning we were out in the yard planting our second apricot tree and a neighbor we had never met came over to talk. Turns out he is an arborist. He said he could give us pruning pointers and such, which is great because we are planning to put in a mini-orchard. </div>
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ryanandlaura247http://www.blogger.com/profile/07007536263992184313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91276736414157790.post-60969941065932484672013-04-20T19:04:00.003-07:002013-04-24T21:42:47.855-07:00Starting AnewA new state, jobs, and home since the last post. Thought I would try this again and be more consistent this time. We are now in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana. We absolutely love it here, and are anxiously awaiting being able to hike a whole lot. We brought our two kitties with us, added a dog, and 4 little chicks. <br />
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Blue, our german shepherd/husky who thinks he is a wolf.</div>
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Hiking last fall, before the snow fell.</div>
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Sapphire, one of the 4 chicks we got a couple of weeks ago. She's a Buff Orpington.</div>
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Pictures of the house and yard to come soon. Also to come- some recipes I've been working on (gluten-free!) I will leave you with a picture of one of my favorite places so far.<br />
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<br />ryanandlaura247http://www.blogger.com/profile/07007536263992184313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91276736414157790.post-25930293275675875812011-03-23T00:58:00.000-07:002013-04-24T21:43:19.089-07:00BusyFinals, a death in the family, unexpected travel, extra work, and spring happenings have been going on around these parts. The best bits are that the a good friend came and rototilled our garden patch for us. We'll have to go over it once more, but it's so exciting to see it start to look like a garden!<br />
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My husband has also been working hard on getting our chicken coop up. Here are some progress shots:<br />
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While he was doing that, I was busy inside finishing my mother's birthday present. I had knitted some dishloths, and found some matching fabric to make napkins with, so I made a set of 12 napkins.<br />
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They are far from perfect, as I am just learning to sew, and am self-taught, but I am glad I made it through all twelve, and as long as you don't examine them too closely, they look good. ;)<br />
I'm now off to spend a few more precious hours with my husband before he flies out to see his family for a week.ryanandlaura247http://www.blogger.com/profile/07007536263992184313noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91276736414157790.post-91575614007566869452011-02-23T20:20:00.000-08:002013-04-24T21:43:40.612-07:00Using what you haveSo, the other day, while my dear husband was sleeping, I decided I was going to build a table to go in front of one of my south facing windows so I could plant more plants indoors. I have not yet been acquainted with my husband's power tools that he was given for Christmas (meaning- I was too scared to use them all by myself), and so I tried making said table with a saw, hammer, and nails. While I know it can be done, I miserably failed. It probably had something to do with the fact that I thought I could get away with having only 2 legs (what was I thinking..?)...Anyways, I then proceeded to wake my husband to tell him of my failure. Being the wonderful man he is, he came to my rescue, and built me a nice little table. It looks like this:<br />
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It's a rough looking little thing, but it serves it's purpose well, and I think it's cute. The best part? It didn't cost us a dime. We scrounged around and got creative, and were rewarded with this little guy. Using what we had made it so that Mr. Table only gets 3 legs, and we had to do some things the long way (putting in screws by hand, etc), but it all worked.<br />
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In general, we try to use what we already have, and make buying something (especially new) the last resort. That goes from everything to cooking to crafting to building to clothing. Some of the best items, ideas, and food come from having to "make do". :)ryanandlaura247http://www.blogger.com/profile/07007536263992184313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91276736414157790.post-6014009354270509672011-02-22T21:08:00.000-08:002013-04-24T21:44:02.738-07:00CaramelsSo, here's a great way to use some of that homemade butter:<br />
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Homemade Caramels!<br />
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My husband and I made these at Christmas for gifts, and although they turned out as a hard caramel instead of soft, like I was planning, they were so delicious!<br />
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I found the recipe from a 1936 candy making book entitled: "How to Make Candy" by Walter W. Chenoweth. (good book by the way- taught me a lot)<br />
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Honey Caramels<br />
3/4 lb (3/4 cup) brown sugar<br />
1/2 lb (1 cup) granulated sugar<br />
1/2 lb (2/3 c) corn syrup<br />
1/4 lb (1/3 up) honey<br />
1 ounce (2 TBL) butter<br />
1/2 cup light cream<br />
1/2 cup water<br />
1/2 tsp vanilla<br />
1/8 tsp salt<br />
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Procedure: Mix all the materials except the butter and vanilla, and cook by moderate to rapid boiling to approximately 230 degrees F, at which time add the butter and boil slowly to 36-37 degrees F above the temperature of boiling water on the thermometer being used, or to a medium hard ball by the water test. Remove from the fire, and when the bubbles have subsided stir in the vanilla and pour into a very lightly buttered pan. When cool remove from pan to cutting board, cut into suitable size pieces and wrap in waxed paper.<br />
*This will give a caramel with a honey flavor and will have good keeping quality.<br />
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My notes: I think I overheated it just slightly, which just gave me a harder caramel- much like the conistency of CoffeeNips. However, because of the different consistency, I had some issues with cutting and packaging. Everything still turned out fine, but I would recommend waiting until they are COMPLETELY cool to wrap in waxed paper- I was impatient and was rewarded with paper stuck to a few of them. Paper is edible, though, right? ;)<br />
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The bottom line is that these are very yummy, and you should make them- don't be intimidated! <br />
I'll be trying these again soon, and I will take pictures of the process then.ryanandlaura247http://www.blogger.com/profile/07007536263992184313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91276736414157790.post-32257179580306176112011-02-21T10:37:00.000-08:002013-04-24T21:44:24.439-07:00CompostingAs the weather begins slowly but surely turning to Spring, my thoughts and plottings have been all about my garden. We were in an apartment the last two summers, so this is the first place that we'll be able to have a garden. We have big plans, as I'm sure many of you do as well. One thing that will help make our plans a success is compost! It is such a rich nutrient for plants, it's easy to do, and can be done for FREE. What's not to like? The hardest part is building the compost bin, which really isn't too hard at all. Sunset.com has plans for some nice looking ones. However, we wanted to build one without spending a dime, so this is what we came up with:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj184m0CZzuj7id63OSEMS77bgUin0I4KkVLC4u7FWUIzsJ6RSVD0CGWqBGEBm_h_v6SDgQbc_zQCZzQinEF4TdWnz7k3-2Ay5dx6DV6lxX-hPKpTLkFq8w1cBaNJogryicNFSFfoNO946-/s1600/compost+bin.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj184m0CZzuj7id63OSEMS77bgUin0I4KkVLC4u7FWUIzsJ6RSVD0CGWqBGEBm_h_v6SDgQbc_zQCZzQinEF4TdWnz7k3-2Ay5dx6DV6lxX-hPKpTLkFq8w1cBaNJogryicNFSFfoNO946-/s320/compost+bin.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
We rent our house from hay farmers, so there are always a bunch of old pallets lying around, so that's what my husband used for the wood- except for the back, which is an old wheelchair ramp that was lying around as well. One could easily do something similar because I've heard some places will give you their pallets for free- just ask around. We made 3 chambers so that once it gets going one chamber will have finished compost, one will be "cooking", and the other we will be adding to.<br />
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Do you have a compost bin? Planning on making on? Please share!ryanandlaura247http://www.blogger.com/profile/07007536263992184313noreply@blogger.com2