Bird Bath & Beyond

Is this sink for the birds, or what?

 We have a birds nest right above this sink...

 Think they'll swoop down for a fresh bath, and maybe some bird seed from the seashell?

 I finally got my backyard certified as a wildlife habitat, but since we've been draining the top of the pool (that all the wild animals have been habitating to), I'm needing to build a small permanent pond. I was going to buy a bird bath to supplement our water source, but this recycled pedestal sink was so very affordable!

I'll be pulling the plug on the mosquitoes if they get any ideas. I can see myself stopping here to freshen up after a yard day's work!

Whole Wheat Artisan Bread

I'm so glad to have found this recipe! Recently, I've purchased a (hand crank) grain mill, and have been grinding my own wheat. Since we've been cutting out processed foods, this has included buying store bought bread.

For the time being, I've been buying organic wheat berries from Amazon. This 25lb bag cost $27 and FREE SHIPPING.

My favorite part about this recipe is that I just mix the ingredients, and that's it -- no kneading, no nothing. When I'm ready to bake, I just scoop out what I need, let it rise, then pop it in the toaster oven to bake (this way I don't heat up my house.) The rest of the dough sits in the refrigerator till the next meal. The longer it ferments, the better the flavor too!

Bun sized, for individual sandwiches

 

 

 

 

 

 

100% WHOLE WHEAT ARTISAN DOUGH

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water

1 1/2 cups lukewarm milk

1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/2 cup honey

5 tablespoons neutral-flavored oil

6 2/3 cups whole wheat flour

Mix all the wet ingredients in lg container or stand mixer.. add dry ingredients and mix well.. cover (not air tight) and let rest at room temperature until dough rises and collapses or flattens on top.. approximately 2 to 3 hours.

Can be used right away but easier to handle when cold. store covered (not air tight) up to 5 days. after 5 days can be frozen portion sizes in air tight containers.. to use frozen dough thaw it out overnight in refrigerator..

This dough is very sticky and best handled with wet hands.. keeping hands wet quickly shape into grapefruit sized ball and place in greased loaf pan.

Lightly flour top of loaf and slash with serrated bread knife.. let rest in pan for 1 hour and 40 minutes.

Bake 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes or until deeply browned and firm.

Germany and Beyond

Neuschwanstein Castle

Don't you just love it when you accidentally erase emails, or blog updates? I did that last night, so this is my MINI condensed update from yesterday. (If you saw the update pop up for a fleeting second last night, and then disappear, now you know what happened!)

MINI VERSION:

I've been working on trying to get caught up on my blog updates, but have been distracted and extremely busy -- well, to be entirely honest, I'm distracted with my garden.

This past month my husband and daughter have returned from their trip to Germany.

Since we've tried to integrate travels as part of our home school, I wanted to turn this next trip into an opportunity for my daughter to practice some math and life skills. With a very tight budget, my daughter was to pick ANYWHERE she wanted to go in the world, and PLAN, RESEARCH, BUDGET, as well as select her itinerary. She could go ANYWHERE (well, within reason.) She had to read travel reviews and select hostels or cheap hotels, look up the currencies pertaining to whichever country she selected, compare flight tickets, research the history, languages, transportation, visa requirements, etc.

We have to count pennies, so I was holding my breath. This was a trip that would make me wait for another year to replace my carpet, skimp on certain repairs, and shop second hand.

She wanted to see castles. She wanted to go to Germany. Oooookay. 

I asked my husband if he'd like to take her backpacking (so he could share in the home school travel experience) and to my surprise, he agreed! He already travels plenty for his job, so I knew he was being a trooper to take this trip.

Munich

Berlin Wall

Each day I looked forward to them calling me via the computer on Skype. I enjoyed hearing about the meals they ate, their train ride from Munich to Berlin, (how my daughter's backpack came open when they were walking down the street and a gentleman handed her back her underclothes) as well as them getting lost in Berlin during a snowstorm. What an adventure!

 After they arrived home I congratulated my daughter on a job well done. They had spent less than she'd budgeted. I looked at my worn carpet and knew we'd made the right decision.

Fifty years from now, I wouldn't have remembered the carpet I had replaced, but the memories that my husband and daughter shared together in Germany will last them a lifetime and beyond.

Wild Edibles and Natural Remedies - Disclaimer

As I collect wild vegetation and introduce it into my family's diet, I am keenly aware of the importance and responsibility involved in making sure that each plant IS safe to consume. Not relying on just one source for my information -- verifying, reverifying the info, and using sound judgement, with a sprinkle of gut instinct. I am also keenly aware that not all foods and medicine come from the grocery store and pharmacy  - THUS why I'm educating myself on wild vegetation and herbs.

So with that said, here's my disclaimer ;-)

*Any herbal information you gather from my site, please verify from other sources, take at your own risk, and do your own research. All the information I share is over my own experiences and opinions. What I learn to be of value for my family's health, may not be appropriate for your own.


As I delve into wild edibles, I find that I mix company with people of various backgrounds and faith. I do not worship creation. I am in awe of the Creator.

 Today, I gathered some Sow Thistle, and wild onion/garlic at the nearby park. I was careful to collect this where there were no chance of pesticides. After feeding the chickens, and the rabbits part of the bounty, I washed and finely chopped the remaining Sow Thistle/wild onions for a pot of chicken soup.

The best soup in the world (in my book) is homemade chicken soup! Take a whole chicken and boil it till tender - carefully removing the whole chicken intact - cool and debone. Chop the meat and return to pot that is full of chicken broth. In this particular pot, I added what I had available - Rotel, greenbeans, onions, bell pepper, garlic, salt, pepper, and the Sow Thistle/wild onions... I know I'm forgetting a few other things, but you get the idea. It's the perfect dish for a cold day, feeling under the weather, or just wanting to go easy on the tummy after eating heavy foods all week.

I've created a new category - Wild Edibles and Remedies - to keep things better organized. Tomorrow, (weather willing) I'll be joining another group on a wild edible field trip.