Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Tasty Tuesday~ A Well Stocked Pantry





 "Every house needs a storeroom, in which to keep tea, coffee, sugar, rice, candles, &c. It should be furnished with jars, having labels, a large spoon, a fork, sugar and flour-scoops, a towel, and a dish-cloth."
~ Catherine Beecher, A Treatise on Domestic Economy, 1845

  Welcome to Tasty Tuesday at Dandelion House! Your go- to spot for trying something new and healthy each week in your farm kitchen.

This weeks Tasty Tuesday feature comes from Strangers and Pilgrims On Earth homestead kitchen. Jes provides everything a homemaker needs for preparing a well stocked pantry in her 
Preparing a Well Stocked Pantry Series  

Here's a taste of what she's sharing right now.

 Ten Reasons to Prepare a Pantry
With a new growing season upon us, surely a well stocked pantry is the perfect companion to the fresh fruits and veggies that we'll be harvesting before we know it!


Here I am with my pantry that I created last year. If I look proud it's because I am! As a homemaker there's nothing better than being organized and better equipped in the kitchen and I'm always on the lookout for more great ideas and inspiration. Jes provides both in her Pantry Series! Thanks to Jes for sharing her plethora of pantry ideas with the Farmgirl Friday Blogging Community!
 Be sure to visit Jes for all of her ' back posts " on this wonderful series.

Dip into The Farmgirl Friday Recipe Box when you're looking for an old fashioned favorite or a home- cooked meal made from scratch with love. You'll find recipes from the best homestead kitchens, inspiration for setting a beautiful table with all the charm of a farmhouse kitchen PLUS tips for stocking and organizing your pantry. 591now following!

* All recipes featured here have been submitted to the ORIGINAL Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop at Deborah Jean's Dandelion House

 
 

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Saturday Scenes with Boz

Brand New Day


SATURDAY SCENES at DANDELION HOUSE  is our day to share an image or three from the Boz Scenes photo library.  
This batch of images are representative of spring in action! Enjoy!



 Lilacs and Rhododendron

 As always, thanks for looking have a beautiful weekend!
Love, 
 Deb and Boz 

 

Friday, April 26, 2013

Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop # 106



  Howdy friends! Welcome to the Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop # 106. 
If I had to sum up this hop in one word it would be 
INSPIRING!!!!
 There's never a shortage of posts with practical homesteading ideas, FARM FRESH decorating projects and enough RECIPES to spoil your family and your taste buds for months on end, PLUS GARDEN tips for the smallest plot, suburban lot, or acres of crop producing fields. Where else can you get all this in ONE HOP? 

What's on your FARMGIRL TO-DO LIST this weekend?  

I've got dahlias to plant, flower beds to turn over, and seeds to sew! PLUS fun GARDEN Decor idea for bamboo trellis! I'll share next week... promise.

My latest BEACH FARMGIRL blog post for MaryJanesFarm is live!  If ya get a minute, come on by for a sniff of sagebrush, a glimpse of Nevada's native mustangs and much, much more!

 


 Wishing you all a great weekend doin' what you love,what needs doin' or BOTH!

 Farmgirls love anything to do with homesteading, keeping chicken's, embroidering, sewing, knitting, spinning, quilting, natural home remedies for health care and cleaning, horses, goats, cows, organic gardening and cooking, caring for their loved ones and friends and are community minded. Re-purposing and UP-cycling are high on their list of " fun things to do too! Our resident "FARM-BOYS ' ( Clint the Redeemed Gardner and Rob of Bepa's Garden ) bring wheelbarrow's full of good organic gardening tips to this hop and we are honored to have them join in the fun each week!   
Your Farmgirl Friday Hostesses~  
Heidi of My Simple Country Living 
and White Wolf Summit Farmgirl Blog
Dolly of Hibiscus House and Dolly is Cooking and me of course!

 Now, it's your turn to link up for your weekly dose of farmgirl soul food!
 Here are the rules for the Farmgirl/guy Blog Hop!

1.) Write a post about your farmgirl lifestyle and brag a little about your farmgirl talents while your at it! Share what being a farmgirl means to you. Include lots of photos of your farm, crafts, animals,  quilts, home decor projects and thrifty make overs, your backyard garden, chicken coop, recipes, studio or workshop. You get the idea!
2). Leave your entry in the  Linky tools space to your  Farmgirl Friday post.
3). Please include the Farmgirl Friday button ( or link back here ) in your post and remember to share this hop with all of your blogging friends!
4.) Enter up to three entries per hop! 

 DON'T BE SHY~  
Be sure to leave a note if you're new to the hop! If you haven't clicked that follow button yet, please join us and be sure to stop by our FACEBOOK page and like us there too! 
As always, thank you for your continued participation and welcome new friends and followers!

Don't forget to grab your FEATURED FARMGIRL BUTTON if you've been featured!






Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Tasty Tuesday- Apple Crumble Pie



Welcome to Tasty Tuesday at Dandelion House! Your go- to spot for trying something new and healthy each week in your farm kitchen.
 This weeks Tasty Tuesday featured recipe comes from The Wilderness Wife's New England home kitchen in Maine. My husband would eat pie every night if I made one for him. He would rather eat pie, than cookies, cake or any sort of fancy desert. I can't blame him. Homemade pies are comforting, tasty and so easy to make once you get the hang of it. And, they are the perfect desert for almost any meal. How bout you? Pie or Cake?

Here's what the Wilderness Wife says about her Apple Crumble Pie and more!

Apple Pie and Mom …it’s an American thing!

This Apple Crumble pie is one of my favorite Apple Pie recipes..  I love making pies and ,of course, Bill loves eating them, and apple is his favorite. To change things up from the typical two crust apple pie, I try different recipes.  This apple pie recipe for Apple Crumble Pie is from an older cookbook circa 1978 called “Better Homes and Gardens All Time Favorite Pies”. This is my “go to” cookbook for pie recipes as it contains enough pie recipes for a lifetime, 169 total.  If you ever get a chance to grab one at a yard sale or on Ebay, it’s a good investment. One hint, be sure to use pie apples when baking an apple pie. Click this link for a helpful chart from that New England favorite, “The Old farmer’s Almanac”.

Be sure to visit the Wilderness Wife for the entire recipe and baskets full of more delicious pie recipes! 

Dip into The Farmgirl Friday Recipe Box when you're looking for an old fashioned favorite or a home- cooked meal made from scratch with love. You'll find recipes from the best homestead kitchens, inspiration for setting a beautiful table with all the charm of a farmhouse kitchen PLUS tips for organizing your pantry. 584 now following!

* All recipes featured here have been submitted to the ORIGINAL Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop at Deborah Jean's Dandelion House

Monday, April 22, 2013

Pick'n Good Garden Art

Blooming Bathtub
Happy Earth Day friends! What better way to celebrate this important day of awareness than looking for new ways to GO GREEN IN THE GARDEN? My pickin' friend Kelly, from " out west " is doing her part to GREEN up her Garden with no poisons, or nasty pesticides in sight! Her re-claimed bathtub is bubbling over with giant Geraniums and sweet alyssum. 
 

 Kelly hosted my cousin's baby shower at her house and I couldn't help but notice her farmgirl green touches in every corner of her yard ( and inside too ). Here she is perched next to her vintage Tea Pot Tree in her cactus garden. Turns out she's been collecting them for years.  Kelly ( and her talented hubby Billy ) have caught the Up -cycling fever and like many of us  they have rooms stuffed to the gills with " projects in waiting ". They're on the look out for the perfect location for their new shop in Reno or Sparks Nevada. 

Kelly and her Tea Pot Tree
Milk Cans

Everyone needs a corner sink in the garden, don' t cha think?


Old rusty bed frames and gates make the perfect trellis for climbing plants.

 

How about a vintage sewing machine propped in the garden as a reminder to sew seeds of kindness and creativity where ever you go?



  This not so snowy snowman made from misc parts is a reminder that temperatures can still drop bringing a chilling end to a sunny warm day.  


That's where this old wood stove comes in to play... Toss in a log, sit back and relax and let your creativity sprout in your GREEN garden yard too! 

 Aren't these some great GREEN ideas? 
Which one is your favorite? I know! It's hard to " pick "! 

What's the coolest UPCYCLED garden art you've seen or created, or would like to create? 

Linking to:

Saturday, April 20, 2013

Saturday Scenes with Boz

Old Porch Post
SATURDAY SCENES at DANDELION HOUSE  is our day to share an image from the Boz Scenes photo library.  Here's a teaser of some of the things we saw " out west" in our recent travels.


 
A cow head no doubt found on one of my uncles trail rides in the sage covered hills near his farmhouse. The old car below was found in Virginia City... Oh the stories it could tell...

If you feel inspired to share a Saturday Scene of your own, please do and link back to this original SATURDAY SCENES post. Be sure to leave a comment so we can visit your scene too!
We'll be adding these to our Nevada Notecard Series!
 
 As always, thanks for looking have a beautiful weekend!
 Deb and Boz 

Friday, April 19, 2013

Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop # 105



 Dear Friends,
 It's good to be home! I've missed you! There's a good reason things have been so quiet here at Dandelion House for the last couple of weeks. We packed up and left our cozy little homestead in Plymouth and headed west  (with Grammy in tow ) to visit family, friends and to drink in the fresh scent of sagebrush and wide open spaces. Some of you may already know that I am a native Nevadan' ( spent my first 40 years on the planet there) and moved east to my hubby's home state of MA 12 years ago. It's no secret that we and our two nearly grown rascals are firmly planted here along the sandy shores of the Atlantic but it's always good to go back to where you started out as a little hay seed! 

I'll share a few farmgirl moments with you from " out west" before we get hopping!



Sagebrush is the state flower for Nevada and nothing quite compares to the smell of it. On dry days you have to get up close and sniff to get a good whiff of it, but when it rains in the high desert it permeates the air with the sweetest scent. And, yes, I snipped some to bring home so when I get a little homesick for it I can lift it to my nose, close my eyes and breathe! Ah...

Both kids were born in Reno and hadn't been back since they were little. It was wonderful to bring them back as teens so they'll have more of an imprint in there memory of the place and their Western Nevada people going forward. We counted 30 plus relatives and friends we visited with over the course of 6 days! To say we were overdue for a visit is an understatement.



 Here's something you won't see in New England along the shorelines. Cows grazing in wide open pastures! Reno, Nevada was settled by ranchers and even though most of the pasture lands close to town have all but disappeared you can still drive by a few on your way to and fro. It's funny how certain scenes stay with you your whole life isn't it? Anytime I see a cow it brings me right back to the scene above.

 

There were many highlights during our visit.  Naturally, the time we had together as a family and seeing our family and friends gave us a good dose of " love and laughter " to hold us over until the next visit AND I got to give my Aunt and Uncles Mustangs Roanie and Casino treats and pats too! Oh, you will probably never see me in a baseball cap ever again. It was so windy when my uncle and I ran out the door to feed the horses I spontaneously grabbed a hat off the hat rack and plopped it on my head...:)

Now, THAT'S a farmgirl vacation! I have lot's more to share about our trip but I'm holding out on you  until my next MJF Beach Farmgirl Blog next weekend! I'll keep ya posted!

Before we move on to the hop I just want to send out my thoughts and prayers to those who's families may have been effected by Monday's bombings at the Boston Marathon or yesterdays events. We are safe and sound here and praying for the apprehension of the second brother. Blessings to all.

Time to get hoppin'!

Farmgirls love anything to do with homesteading, keeping chicken's, embroidering, sewing, knitting, spinning, quilting, natural home remedies for health care and cleaning, horses, goats, cows, organic gardening and cooking, caring for their loved ones and friends and are community minded. Re-purposing and UP-cycling are high on their list of " fun things to do too! Our resident "FARM-BOYS ' ( Clint the Redeemed Gardner and Rob of Bepa's Garden ) bring wheelbarrow's full of good organic gardening tips to this hop and we are honored to have them join in the fun each week!   
Your Farmgirl Friday Hostesses~  
Heidi of My Simple Country Living 
and White Wolf Summit Farmgirl Blog
Dolly of Hibiscus House and Dolly is Cooking and me of course!

 Now, it's your turn to link up for your weekly dose of farmgirl soul food!
 Here are the rules for the Farmgirl/guy Blog Hop!

1.) Write a post about your farmgirl lifestyle and brag a little about your farmgirl talents while your at it! Share what being a farmgirl means to you. Include lots of photos of your farm, crafts, animals,  quilts, home decor projects and thrifty make overs, your backyard garden, chicken coop, recipes, studio or workshop. You get the idea!
2). Leave your entry in the  Linky tools space to your  Farmgirl Friday post.
3). Please include the Farmgirl Friday button ( or link back here ) in your post and remember to share this hop with all of your blogging friends!
4.) Enter up to three entries per hop! 

 DON'T BE SHY~  
Be sure to leave a note if you're new to the hop! If you haven't clicked that follow button yet, please join us and be sure to stop by our FACEBOOK page and like us there too! 
As always, thank you for your continued participation and welcome new friends and followers!

Don't forget to grab your FEATURED FARMGIRL BUTTON if you've been featured!





PS. Where are you from? East, West, North or South? I'd love to know!

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Dahlia Daydreams



Howdy friends! Spring weather can be so fickle. One day it can be warm and sunny and the next it seems as if Old Man winter wants to have the last laugh. It's finally warmed up in New England and I'm dreaming of getting the dahlia tubers planted over the next few weeks. In the mean time I'll need to prepare flower beds which requires just turning the soil and adding a fresh 1-2 inch layer of compost which I'll scoop out of the chicken run. I'm daydreaming of walking through the garden and admiring the many dahlia blooms and cutting to my hearts content.
I hope some of my garden friends at Dandelion House are going to give growing dahlias a try this year. The dinner plate dahlias are fabulous where you want ongoing color and height in your established borders and the smaller decorative dahlias are lovely tucked into unstructured bouquets and bring a much needed pop of color to your summer flower beds.
Dahlias bloom summer, well into fall... I was still cutting Dahlia's as late as October 30th last season! If you are short on space dahlias love being planted in pots on your deck or patio and can be moved inside the greenhouse in colder climates or dug up and stored over the winter in your basement or garage for the coming year!
Wishing you all a wonderful week in gardening and daydreaming of an abundent season ahead!
Love,
Deb

Friday, April 5, 2013

Farmgirl Friday Blop Hop # 103


Welcome to the Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop # 103! 

Your place to like up with your favorite blog pals and share what's new! By the looks of last weeks links it's baby chick season again! We won't be adding to our flock of 9 this season but I'll enjoy all the pics and posts you share in the coming weeks! Nothing says spring quite like the peep... peep....peep... of baby chicks!
Farmgirls love anything to do with homesteading, keeping chicken's, embroidering, sewing, knitting, spinning, quilting, natural home remedies for health care and cleaning, horses, goats, cows, organic gardening and cooking, caring for their loved ones and friends and are community minded. Re-purposing and UP-cycling are high on their list of " fun things to do too! Our resident "FARM-BOYS ' ( Clint the Redeemed Gardner and Rob of Bepa's Garden ) bring wheelbarrow's full of good organic gardening tips to this hop and we are honored to have them join in the fun each week!   
Your Farmgirl Friday Hostesses~  
Heidi of My Simple Country Living 
and White Wolf Summit Farmgirl Blog
Dolly of Hibiscus House and Dolly is Cooking and me of course!

 Now, it's your turn to link up for your weekly dose of farmgirl soul food!
 Here are the rules for the Farmgirl/guy Blog Hop!

1.) Write a post about your farmgirl lifestyle and brag a little about your farmgirl talents while your at it! Share what being a farmgirl means to you. Include lots of photos of your farm, crafts, animals,  quilts, home decor projects and thrifty make overs, your backyard garden, chicken coop, recipes, studio or workshop. You get the idea!
2). Leave your entry in the  Linky tools space to your  Farmgirl Friday post.
3). Please include the Farmgirl Friday button ( or link back here ) in your post and remember to share this hop with all of your blogging friends!
4.) Enter up to three entries per hop! 

 DON'T BE SHY~  
Be sure to leave a note if you're new to the hop! If you haven't clicked that follow button yet, please join us and be sure to stop by our FACEBOOK page and like us there too! 
As always, thank you for your continued participation and welcome new friends and followers!

Don't forget to grab your FEATURED FARMGIRL BUTTON if you've been featured!






Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Do You Need a Calling Card?


Front side
Hi all! As a homeschooling, homesteading, blogging mom I wear a lot of hats. What woman doesn't? Recently a friend of mine suggested I create a business card so I would have a way to share my business and I have to admit that for weeks I just couldn't figure out how to fit all that I do on to one teensy -tiny business card. I'm not saying that to sound as though I'm some sort of super duper gal, I mention it because like many of you, I do a lot of fun things that I'd like to share with others. 
Have you ever thought you would like to host a garden tour, show off your hen house, show others how to keep chickens, ducks, guinea hens, goats, invite someone into your greenhouse for look see or host workshops? I bet you have and why not? These are all great reasons to create your own one- of - a-kind calling card and promote your blog at the same time.

Back side 

Do you have a business card or postcard to advertise your blog and other talents? Here's what I did!

I went to Vista Print and played around with their designs and finally decided to upload my own images. I created my blog header/postcard image in Picasa and uploaded it to vista print into their postcard template. It took me a few weeks of tweaking but the end result reflects me and that's what you want. Something that says " YOU "and tells people CONCISELY what you do in a nutshell.
  Now when I'm asked what I "do" I won't stumble over my words trying to shorten the list or bore the person with a long tale about all of my passions. Instead, I can simply hand them a post card. 
 Perfect for mailings, and in person meet and greets!
The main thing is to have fun while creating your card. Try out different font styles, colors, business names and tag lines until you find one that clicks! Be sure to include ALL of your social networking links plus a contact phone number and email address.  
I'm excited to hand mine out at a Local Artisans Night this coming Friday ( along with 10 other Momma Entrepreneurs ) where I'll be talking all things BACKYARD homesteading and sharing a field of flower photos
 Here's a peak at a few of the images I'll be offering.

Morning Glories



And my beloved Dahlias!




Find more Dandelion House images here !

I'm sharing this post at Dolly's Designs " Share Your Shop Hop "!
Do you have an on or offline shop to show off? Head over to Dolly's beautiful design blog and link up! I'm also visiting Tillys' Nest Down Home Blog Hop for more lessons in homemaking and homesteading.

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Tasty Tuesday- Dandelion Salad with Goat Cheese and Apple



Welcome to Tasty Tuesday at Dandelion House! Your go- to spot for trying something new and healthy each week in your farm kitchen.

 This weeks recipes comes from Jerica's homestead kitchen and blog Sustain Create and Flow. 
She's " Wild about Dandelion " and it's many uses in the kitchen.  


I am the person who encourages dandelions.  The hallmark of a great lawn to me is an abundant supply of this “residential nuisance.” While my neighbors work hard to rid their lawns of dandelions, Sweet Baby and I are out crawling our lawn, picking blossoms, greens, and roots– A sight to see I’m sure, me picking dandelions and she stuffing dead leaves and grass clippings in her mouth.  We wildcraft in our own yard, and are happier because of it. Call me crazy, but I don’t see a weed, I see a medicinal food source. ~ Jerica



Dandelion Salad with Goat Cheese and Apple
  • 2 T Dandelion-Infused ACV
  • 3 T olive oil
  • 1 t Dijon mustard
  • 1 t raw honey
  • 1 clove (minced) garlic
  • salt and pepper to taste
Whisk the above ingredients and pour over and lightly toss with:
  • 1 large bunch, (3 big handfuls) dandelion greens, washed and dried
  • 1/2 c chopped walnuts
  • 1 apple, chopped
Top with fresh goat cheese

 Be sure to visit Jerica for more " wild " recipes from her outback!

Dip into The Farmgirl Friday Recipe Box when you're looking for an old fashioned favorite or a home- cooked meal made from scratch with love. You'll find recipes from the best homestead kitchens, inspiration for setting a beautiful table with all the charm of a farmhouse kitchen PLUS tips for organizing your pantry. 560 Following!

* All recipes featured here have been submitted to the ORIGINAL Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop at Deborah Jean's Dandelion House

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