Look who we brought home to join us! 17 new baby chicks! The boys are in love! We have Buff Orpington’s, Barred Rocks, Silver Laced Wyandotte’s and Ameraucanas. Welcome Home Babies!
Mar 142012
Aug 192011
The tomatoes are starting to ripen. Finally! If you’re curious about the tomatoes, from left to right we have : Green Zebra San Marzano two large Mortgage Lifter tomatoes, followed by two Cherokee Purples No sign of our Sun Gold cherry tomatoes – my favorite variety – they tend to get eaten immediately in the garden or thrown in a salad. They rarely hang around long. Followed by a vase of summer savory, then a flower from garlic chives brought to me by a sweet four year old because it was beautful, a vase of basil, then . . . Michael the Archangel holy card tucked into the last vase. That’s just how we roll around here. As I have about 80 more pounds of tomatoes about to turn red [... To read more, click here ...]
Mar 102011
Quick note and Full Disclosure to regular blog readers : I have to admit, I’m a closet follower of several home and design blogs. While the “home and garden” side of heartland Renaissance tends to be taken over by recipes and gardening, from time to time (ahem, like today) I may indulge my inner Martha and share with you some home decor ideas that have been brewing en este casa. If you come here primarily for the recipes and have no interest in discussing the utter potential pink-i-ness of a certain upcoming baby girl’s nursery, no worries, click away and come back next week for a new recipe and cookbook review . . . see you then! In the meantime, for the rest of you still here, let’s get back [... To read more, click here ...]
Jan 242011
I can’t say I shouldn’t be expecting it. There are seed catalogs and back issues of Organic Gardening strewn throughout the house . . . But for the last week or two Lloyd has been telling me all the plants he wants to plant in the garden this year. Asking me to make a list. So far, we’ve got requests for: Carrots Radishes (though be careful, he warns, they might be spicy!) Peas, and Watermelon When asked if he wouldn’t want to grow some pizza he laughed and said, “No! Pizza doesn’t have seeds!” Seriously, the things you try to put by an almost four year old. . . So just now I find him playing in the living room with blocks and a cowboy hat and a myriad of [... To read more, click here ...]
Aug 082010
Please excuse the steam*. It is currently, according to weather.com, 92 degrees Fahrenheit, but it “feels like” 105 due to the humidity. To say it’s a bit steamy is an understatement. We picked a bumper crop of cucumbers this morning! Too hot to garden, we’re getting some pickling done this afternoon . . . I’m trying several recipes including a few from my favorite pickling cookbook, The Joy of Pickling, as well as a variation of this one for a light-vinegar refrigerator pickle, and some lacto-fermented full-sours and Bubbie’s knock-offs. Wish me luck! Oh, and by the way, those cucumbers are meant to be yellow . . . and round. Still waiting patiently for these ones to ripen . . . *I cleaned off the lens three times to take [... To read more, click here ...]
Jun 112010
Everything around here is coming up Purple flowering chives . . . lavender . . . sage . . . and a ridiculously thick bower of clematis jackmanii growing over the garden gate. . . Happy Weekending All!
May 172010
We’re home! And busy unpacking, settling in, weeding and sowing. While we’re busy around the homefront, here’s some pics from our first day in the new home . . . Our new neighbors, we’ve adopted fifteen hens! Our first egg . . . courtesy of those lovely hens . . . Luke, the dirt whisperer. And yes, he does kiss his Mama with that mouth. Making myself at home . . . And finally, the brave chicken whisperer . . . he is in love with those hens, feeding them sweet clover from the weeding I’m doing daily. And finally, signs of things to come . . . We’ll see you soon!
Welcome to the Heartland! Reformed Urbanites, we are enjoying new life on a small family farm/homestead in the Midwest. Join us as we garden, cook, read and enjoy our boys; becoming better stewards of the Earth while raising our family.
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