the short winter.

{rhubarb coming up}

 

...as opposed to a long one.
Which some parts of our fine country have. A long winter that is.

As February ends and March rolls in, the chances of snow pretty much disappear her in the PNW. We had 5 minutes of snowfall this winter. It melted the moment it hit the ground.
Heck, we really didn't have a winter at all.

No major storms, no cold snaps, no power outages. Strange, but nice I suppose.
I prefer to experience the seasons a little more fully though.

Last Sunday, Eric turned the soil in our raised beds. Is it really that time already?
Early Spring is upon us for sure. I can see my rhubarb bursting out of the ground. My fruit trees and berries are budding. There are flower bulbs emerging everywhere. My chickens are amping up their production. There are days when a nice wooly sweater do nicely instead of my parka.

I really should not complain. I know there are areas that are buried under snowfall for months.
We never have that here.

I am sure that an early Spring means rain. Always the rain.

Have a blessed day, Tami

(another) simple feast.

Isn't homemade chicken noodle soup the best ?

I made a roasted chicken a few nights before, cooked the carcass down, and out came the most beautiful rich chicken stock.

I added a bit of onion and carrot, the leftover chunks of chicken, whole wheat rotini, a little garlic, salt and pepper. Delicious.

A loaf of bread on the side.
A simple feast.

Have a blessed day, Tami

weekend work.

 

 

Early Saturday, the fun task of ripping out a ton of English ivy that was threatening fences and trees.
I always have 2 very willing participants.......the same every time.
(Gage was so willing, he came out in his jammie pants, God bless him.)
The other two children ?
Tucked away somewhere Minecraft(ing), reading, listening, thinking.

Gage and Anya (and Daddy of course) you did a great job!

Have a blessed day, Tami

weekend.

 

A certain 11 year old in my house has taken to cooking. His current love is making pancakes. He is doing a great job, and it pleases me that one of my children will know how to feed themselves. ~Smile~

With organic maple syrup being so expensive, I have been buying bulk organic agave nectar and mixing it with the maple syrup to stretch it a bit. We like it.

 

Have a blessed weekend, Tami

love.

{a favorite in our heart rock collection}

Have a beautiful day with those you love.

Blessings, Tami

a favorite.

 

The best things in life are nearest: 
Breath in your nostrils, light in your
eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at
your hand, the path of right just before
you. Then do not grasp at the stars,
but do life's plain, common work as it
comes, certain that daily duties and daily
bread are the sweetest things in life. 

~Robert Louis Stevenson

Have a blessed Sunday, Tami

a simple feast.

During these dark winter months I love simple comfort food. For me, that nearly always means a soup or a stew. One of our favorites is Country Stew. I used a pound of grass-fed ground beef browned with onion, a large can of diced tomatoes, and cut-up potatoes & carrots. I let that simmer for a bit, then add celery, chopped kale, corn, peas, and green beans (I throw in whatever I have on hand). I add a little water to sauce it up. As the potatoes cook, they thicken the stew nicely. Season with a dash of balsamic vinegar, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. It takes just enough time to cook, for me to make a large pot of brown rice. I sometimes serve the stew plain with salad and bread, this time we had it over rice, garnished with parmesan cheese.
And for a special treat, banana chocolate chip bread (made with honey and applesauce). Yum.

Have a blessed day, Tami

a kitchen corner.

 

  

My desire to have a completely clutter-free existence is sometimes compromised. A compromise made for the sake of my favorite little kids, who are fond of certain things in our home and have no idea what minimalism is or why someone would want it.

Instead of having stuff scattered about the house, I have dedicated certain areas for the display of these treasures. A kitchen corner.

To be honest, if my kids didn't care, this corner would be virtually empty. I might entertain hanging some sort of little cabinet to house apothecary supplies.
But my kids do care. And I do love that these things are special to them.

A beautiful mosaic cross from Denise Mosaics on Etsy, a Christmas gift from my kids. My collection of Art Nouveau tiles from my mom, an American Goldfinch drawing by Gage, a wood-burned family portrait by Kane, our Swedish prayer, a handmade mosaic by Gage, and a little painting that reminds the kids of Kauai, a rainbow of kindergarten pinch pots.

This corner is pretty special.
This idea of having a few areas to display treasures is working for us right now, and it has freed up other spaces in the process.
A compromise I can definitely live with.

Have a blessed day, Tami

weekend.

 

 

 

Major cabin fever going on around here. Last weekend presented us with a forecast of no rain and mild temperatures. Eric found this little walking park a few weeks go. We took the little kids and the Poms, big teenager guy had to stay home and study. It was just what we needed. It feels like we won't get the chance again until April or so. Straight rain until then. Smile.

Have a blessed day, Tami