Friday, October 31, 2014

Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop # 176 Has GONE BATTY

 

Happy Halloween Farmgirls! 

Are you ready for All Hallows Eve? Do you have your pumpkins carved, candy dish filled and ghosts and goblins ready to spook the little ' Trick or- treaters ' tonight? I confess I completely dropped the ball for Halloween this year. Yep, not even a pumpkin on the premises for carving, and no candy to be found. Where is my Halloween Spirit? It's buried in a box in the basement this year. Our kids no longer trick or treat and we've been so busy with some long over do DIY projects that I just decided to let this year creep by...Shh...Thank goodness, Daisy from Maple Hill 101 was on the ball! She's got things looking mighty festive over at her place! In fact, she's GONE BATTY if you ask me! 
If you're still prepping for tonight's festivities, take a peek at the neat project she found for making black bats to decorate with! Looks simple and festive! 

I feel so guilty that I didn't prepare anything, Mr. Dandelion and I are going to hide our shame at the local movie theater tonight during peak trick or treating hours! Gosh, I hope we don't get egged!

What do you do on Halloween? Do you go all out on All Hallows Eve or do you turn out the lights and head for the movies or your favorite restaurant? No matter what you're up too, Debbie and  I hope you'll find a few minutes to spare and enter this weeks FARMGIRL FRIDAY Blog Hop! 

Be sure to stop by Big Sky Acres to catch up with my co-hostess and "farmgirl in crime", Debbie ( aka Farmgirl Unleashed)

Farmgirl is a Condition of the Heart~ MaryJane Butters


As always, we thank you for all you share on the Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop! 

Put Down Some Roots And BLOOM!

Love, 
Deb 





Friday, October 24, 2014

Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop # 175 and Farmgirl Friday Kitchen on Pinterest

Dear friends, Welcome back to the Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop! 
It's hard to believe this is our 175th hop. 

 I thought it would be fun to do the math on how many total entries that adds up to. Using an average of 50 entries per hop x 175 that comes to, 8,750 entries! That's a LOT of farmgirl soul food! 

Speaking of soul food, a couple of years ago I created a pinterest board called
 Farmgirl Friday Kitchen   inspired by delicious farmgirl recipes that have been shared on the hop over the years.  At the time I didn't know much about group boards on pinterest, but I've since learned how much fun a group board can be.  

Please leave me a comment if you have a pinterest account and would like to be invited to pin to the Farmgirl Friday Kitchen Board! 

It's RECIPES ONLY and currently we have over 400 delicous farmgirl recipes there! 

As always, my co-hostess Debbie Tegart ( Farmgirl Unleashed )  and I thank you for all of the weekly goodies you share! She won't be hosting with us this week. She's out on a road trip celebrating her birthday! She say's howdy and, see ya next week! 

Now, what cha all been up to this week on your homesteads? Share it all on this weeks Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop!

Farmgirl is a Condition of the Heart~ MaryJane Butters

As always, we thank you for all you share at the Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop! 

Put Down Some Roots And BLOOM!

Love, 
Deb 




Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Fall Flower Arrangment~ Go Native and Natural

  As the temps continue to drop my perennials and shrubs fall deeper and deeper into the rich shades of autumn. The colors and textures may change but they are still beautiful and provide plenty of inspiration for floral arranging!

Today I'm sharing a fun recipe for making a quick and easy seasonal arrangement that is suitable for a basket, bucket, vase ( CHICKEN COOP ) or even a fresh fall garden wedding bouquet.
I've been needing to freshen the container that hangs on our hen house for a while now. 

The flowers in the container below have been hanging on the chicken coop all summer long. They  have become quite faded, plus the bright yellow and blue hues don't represent the rich earthy tones we love a bout fall! So  I tossed them out and got busy cutting some faded  autumn blooms from my garden.




It's fun to walk around the garden this time of year and look up close at the plants as they begin the final descend into dormancy. It allows one chance to give thanks for the bounty the garden has provided and the nurturing and teaching it has offered throughout the flourishing months of spring and summer. The fall garden is still a living, giving thing of beauty! 
 I cut a small branch off of my Oak Leaf Hydrangea which is just beginning to take on deeper shades of pink, red and burgundy. I built my arrangement around this branch.

Next I cut a large Hydrangea blossom off of my Bridal White shrub.

The edges of  the petals look as if they've been dipped in lavender. To think that they were still a brilliant white with hints of lime green just a few weeks ago. 


I also gathered some nine bark for the rich almost chocolate brownish red color, another variety of hydrangea with petals that have already faded to a vintage sepia tone, and some autumn sedum joy for its plum tones and large, nubby flower head.
 I tucked in a few ornamental grass plumes just for fun! 

Here's what it looked like when I brought it over to my potting bench. As I walked the garden I looked for variations in the leaves, blower heads and textures of the over all plant selecting some for the most color variation and others for the least. Does that make sense? If not, just walk around and cut some of your faded flowers. Hold them in your hand until you like what you see and feel you have enough to fill your vessels. There, that's the easy way to creating a natural fall bouquet!
 It's not rocket science, it's playing with flowers... Easy!

  I can just imagine all of these colors wrapped in burlap then tied with a brilliant gold or brown satin ribbon as a fall wedding bouquet.

You'll want to add some water to your vase before you add the cuttings. The water will keep your foliage fresher longer. Put the vase in your container ( with water ) and start to add your cuttings. 


I  put the largest branch in first, then the large hydrangea blossom. I free-styled it from there!

Here's what it looked like when I brought it over to my potting table. I can just imagine all of these colors wrapped in burlap then tied with a brilliant gold or brown satin ribbon as a fall wedding bouquet. I hear  herbs, grasses and garden foliage are trending" for wedding flowers in 2015!

Since no one is getting married here, I hung the container back on the hen house... The cottage hens were so happy! I even heard them talking about wedding dresses and venues as I walked away... Those silly girls!

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Your Weekly Dish: Roasted Taters With Rosemary

Hot out of the oven!
 I love being in my homestead kitchen this time of year. It feels great to be able to turn on the oven again and be comforted by the smell of a hot, home-cooked meal. One of our favorite side dishes for any kind of meat is roasted taters with fresh rosemary. And, I love the ease of tossing together what ever root veggies we have on hand. I've used small red potatoes with white or golden potatoes as well, but what makes this recipe unique is the added flavor of sweet potatoes. 
Before baking.
We came up with this winning combination when my hubby needed a quick recipe to contribute to a Boy Scout camp pot luck. Naturally, I wanted to show you this dish cooked, but I think it looks so appetizing and pretty with the rosemary tucked in just before going in the oven. 
 Here's the recipe!  It's organic, of course!

Roasted Rosemary Potatoes 
 5 or 6 medium potatoes
1 or 2 large sweet potatoes ( yams)
1 medium sweet onion
4 -5 small sprigs of fresh rosemary
1/4 - 1/2 cup olive oil
1  fresh clove or 1 teaspoon minced garlic
Sea Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375
Wash and pat dry all potatoes then cut them into bite-sized chunks and place in a mixing bowl. Quarter the onion then slice crosswise for small chunky sized slivers. Add to the potatoes. Pour olive oil on the veggies and add salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.* We like freshly ground sea salt and pepper corns for full flavor.
Place in a 13x9 baking dish and add insert rosemary cuttings in between the potatoes. Bake for 45 minutes or until desired roasted tenderness is achieved.
*Delicious served with a simple garden fresh salad and an old fashioned pot roast, roasted chicken or pan roasted fish.

The smell while it is baking is heavenly! What are some of your favorite root veggie combinations for roasting?






Friday, October 10, 2014

Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop # 174 and The Gentlemen


 Happy weekend Farmgirls! It's great to be back after a long week of DIY here at Dandelion House. Yep! We are finally getting around to installing our bamboo flooring ( that's been stored in our den since March ) this week. It's going slow, but IT'S going! Rather than bore you with icky pics of our unfinished project I'd rather share a great story about a girl and her old chair she calls, The Gentlemen. I have RE-doing on my mind ( and paint under my nails this week)  so in the spirit of getting down and dirty in the home decor department I'd like you to meet our FEATURED FARMGIRL, Robin of Redo It Yourself Inspirations.

 Shes' a girl after my own heart when it comes to dragging old strays home. As in stray pieces of furniture. If you're afflicted with the same pull towards items that are chipped, rusted, half- broken down or in some cases a complete do over, then you get it! 
Be sure to visit Robin's blog for the whole romantic story which begins with how and where she spotted " the gentlemen" and his complete transformation.

I think he turned out quite handsome, don't you? 

Now, what cha all been up to this week on your homesteads? Share it all on this weeks, Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop! 
 You're sure to get your fill this week. Lots of our farmgirls have been busy in the kitchen canning, preserving, roasting, and filling their pantries with farm fresh goodness.

Be sure to stop by Big Sky Acres to catch up with my co-hostess and "farmgirl in crime", Debbie ( aka Farmgirl Unleashed)! She's in the middle of a farmgirl frenzy! Remodeling, fall garden planning and canning up a storm!


Monday, October 6, 2014

Eric and Christopher GOAT-TOTE GIVEAWAY

 
What's it called when two very talented people meet at an art show, play with some new ideas and inspire one another to push their personal boundaries as artists? Eric and Christopher!

  Two guy's who are pushing, pulling and printing their way into the hearts and homes of customers falling for their refreshing take on classic American rural imagery with their new line of screen printed home decor pillows, totes and stretched canvases. 

 Meet the masterminds behind the camera, the screen printer and the sewing machine!
Chris Kline screen printing.
Christopher Kline  is an oil painter, founder of Kanika ( a printmaking business he started in high school where he printed t-shirts for local bands and businesses) and, the creator of the art show titled" Push Pull Print" ( 2011). The show would invite 20 artists who had no experience with screen printing to convert their works into screen prints with his help with the idea that all twenty artists would showcase their finished pieces in a show. Eric was one of those first 20 artists.
I fell for this cow-print pillow while shopping at The Vintage Bazaar in Salisbury, MA.
Eric sewing.
Eric at a farm photo shoot capturing images for Eric and Christopher.
 Eric Fausnacht  is an award winning, exhibiting artist who shows his original works of art both locally (Bucks County, PA) and nationally. He creates colorful hand painted and giclee prints from photos he has taken of classic barn animals such as hens, horses, cows, sheep, roosters, goats and rabbits.


It's been two and a half years since they began their creative collaboration and my how they've grown. Their products are now in over 300 small boutique shops and retail outlets throughout the world and, I'm told they are working with several high-end online retailers such as Pine Cone Hill and the Fabulous Beekman Boys. Woot! Woot!

 As if that isn't enough to send these two skipping through green pastures, they were also just named finalists in the Martha Stewart American Made Awards. Voting is open to the public and you can vote up to six times per day. Voting ends on October 13th! 

Say thank you to Eric and Christopher for their generous GOAT-TOTE GIVEAWAY and help them win the Martha Stewart American Made Award! VOTE HERE

    If dreams of living on your own farm dance in your head too, these rural images will tug at your heart like a stray calf ( or goat ) begging to come home with you!  

And now one of you will be the lucky recipient of this adorable Goat Tote by Eric and Christopher.



Get a TRIPLE entry! 

Leave a comment on this post to enter!  
" Like" Eric and Christopher on Facebook and tell them Debbie Bosworth from Dandelion House sent you!
VOTE for Eric and Christopher to win the 2014 Martha Stewart American Made Award!

What homesteader doesn't need another tote bag? Especially one from Eric and Christopher?
Thanks guy's! You rock!


 
* Eric and Christopher make pillows, totes and stretched canvases. 90% of the products they make have animal images on them, but they also make holiday themed pillows with Santa hats, snowman, etc. They also do custom work. Various hotels and historical visitor centers around the country have asked them to put their logo on pillows or totes. All of their products are Made in America in Bucks County, PA.



Friday, October 3, 2014

Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop # 173 & The Art of Wool


Welcome, welcome! Happy October dear friends. It's been a bit of a drizzle here for the last few days but that hasn't dampened our spirits. We're sailing into fall nice and easy by taking care of some much needed paper purging and a partial basement clean-out. Sounds glamorous doesn't it? Well, we all have to do it from time to time and something about fall sets my nesting instincts on full tilt! The reason behind the purge? Well, it's an exciting one and I promise to share it with you soon! 

 But, today I want to introduce you to our Featured Farmgirl Carole of GardenUpGreen. 


 She's got a can-do attitude the size of Texas where she pens her blog, builds garden projects  ( large and small ) such as raised garden beds, garden fences, chicken coops and greenhouses! As if that isn't enough farmgirl talent, she also she raises backyard chickens, quail, and the heritage sheep breed, Jacobs.


 This week she shares an inspiring story on her blog titled, " The Art of Wool"  about her talented and determined daughter and how she took the leap from creating wool scarves and immersed herself in sheering, cleaning, spinning and crocheting one large wool blanket! It's a delightful story. I know you'll love it. And, I know you'll love Carole, and her informative and inspiring blog.
 Be sure to go on over and give her a friendly, farmgirl howdy!

Now it's time to link up for your weekly dose of farmgirl soul food! You're sure to get your fill this week. Lots of our farmgirls have been busy in the kitchen canning, preserving, roasting, and filling their pantries with farm fresh goodness.

Be sure to stop by Big Sky Acres to catch up with my co-hostess and "farmgirl in crime", Debbie ( aka Farmgirl Unleashed)! She's trying her hand at low-tunnel gardening for the first time and sharing what she learns along the way ( and begging for a few tips too )!

As always, we thank you for all you share on the Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop! 

Put Down Some Roots And BLOOM!

Love, 
Deb 

PS.  So sorry about the thumbnail issue last week! We're good now!

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Autumn Offerings ~ A Simple Fall Decorating Project



 "Listen!  the wind is rising, and the air is wild with leaves,
We have had our summer evenings, now for October eves!"
-  Humbert Wolfe

Isn't fall the best? I know autumn arrives in late September but I don't start celebrating until the last tomato is off the vine. October is here and now is the time for savory soups, fluffy throws, fuzzy sippers, and snuggling in with family, friends, and long walks in the woods ( or the beach ) with our four-legged pals too!

Today it rained all day. It was the sort of day that beckons some catching up on stacks of mail that have gotten a little too tall due to the extended play time sunny days of September allow. It always feels good to get to the bottom and frees up my hard-drive for more creative endeavors, however, I've yet to change out the wreath on our front door or plant my fall mums. 
Hey! It's early! I've still got time! Besides, I haven't even put the gardens to bed yet!


 Since I'm a little behind schedule, how about I share a simple fall decorating  project from a couple of seasons ago.


This couldn't be easier. I've had this wire dessert tray for some time. I use it during the holidays for displaying treats. I love it because it takes up less room on my buffet than three plates would. 
The theme of this arrangement is Autumn offerings. I purchased the mini pumpkins and gourds from my favorite farm stand. But the dried Hydrangea, pine-cones and birds nest were things I could easily access from the garden and my birds next collection. 

You can easily create one of your own. Just take a look around and I bet you'll come up with something fallalicious too! 
How about you? Are you already decked out for fall or are you a late bloomer like me? 

Happy fall, y'all!



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