This past week was Teacher Appreciation Week. Somehow, even with all the emails and notifications, this seems to catch me off guard and unprepared. That and the fact that the bar seems to always be raising on what’s appropriate and expected. It used to be a $5-10 gift card to Dunkin Donuts or Barnes & Noble was reasonable. Now it’s send a gift, buy them lunch, paint a picture, and hold a parade. Not really, but you know what I mean.
I’m always a fan of homemade gifts. I’ve done jellies and jams, homemade breads and brownie mixes in a jar. I would like to receive those things so I’m hoping they do too.
Last year, Cactus brought home a jade plant from a customer he was doing a job for who no longer wanted it. Jackpot my friends! There are always new little plants showing up around the base of the main plant in the pot so I just remove them and start them in their own new pot. I keep them on the windowsill in my bathroom, usually 3-4 are growing at any given time, and bada bing – instant homemade, thoughtful gift.
I usually have some extra pots in the shed that are a bit nicer than what I use for seed starting. You can always grab some from a yard sale or goodwill to have a few on hand. I don’t have to tell you where or how to get potting soil. Then in 5 minutes you have a gift.
My kids have been watching Mary Poppins lately. Do everyone’s kids pick a movie and just watch it so many times you can’t stand it? I did that as a kid so I sort of understand. But gee whiz.
In any case, who doesn’t love the song Feed the Birds? And now is precisely the time of year we need to be feeding the birds and helping them out.
Over the last few years I’ve purchased two of these squirrel buster bird feeders and have to say I am quite impressed with them. I was gifted one by my boss as well that is even snazzier. And at some point last year I bought this window bird feeder that I simply find incredible. It’s like I’m in my very own national geographic special every single day. I can honestly say I never knew that birds hold seeds with their little feet to eat them. Did you?
Anyway, I think you get the point. I have developed a love and appreciation for birds that I never expected to. I love hearing their songs and seeing their beautiful feather patterns.
And if you are a gardener or homesteader, attracting birds to your property is a huge benefit. They eat bugs, weed seeds, certain pests, and they can help pollinate. The type of bird seed you buy doesn’t really matter that much. Just ask at your local nature store what they recommend. The only warning I have is to please put the feeders high enough up so that you aren’t luring birds to their death by a cat lurking below.
Season’s Greetings, Ho Ho Ho, and all that jazz. If there were ever a year that we could all use a little more cheer, this would be it. I’ve always liked giving holiday goodies to my co-workers. My “go to” items are poppy seed bread and chex mix – sweet and savory. And throwing in a $1 or $2 lottery scratcher makes everyone smile. Since I’ve been working from home since March 16th (not that we’re counting) and I knew I wasn’t going to have the chance to give goodies in person, this year I decided to spread elf-like joy to my neighbors.
We’ve lived here two years and Cactus (as ironic as it may be for the prickly one) has made a much bigger effort to get to know our neighbors. He has all their phone numbers saved in his cell whereas I have none. But I do know their names whereas he defaults to the same three or four standard American male names he knows (Scott, Chris, Tom, Matt) whether or not it is the person’s actual name.
I used ten of these cute little baskets from Jo-Anns and included the following items. In case you’re wondering, this is a prequel to my 2021 theme of “make it myself” (MIM is totally going to replace DIY, I can feel it) that you will assuredly hear more about:
And yes, I forgot to take a picture of these. Gee whiz! We delivered these all on the weekend (wearing masks, of course) and it was so much fun! Just chatting on people’s door steps, hearing how they are doing, and reiterating how happy we are to be their neighbors. It honestly warmed my heart more than I could have imagined and was completely worth it.
If you don’t know your neighbors, and regardless of what religion they observe, I would encourage everyone to deliver some cookies, a sweet bread, or bottle of wine this time of year. I promise nobody will be offended and it will brighten their day as much as yours. Then, not to be self-serving, but next time you need a cup of milk or sugar, you won’t have to make an awkward introduction to ask for it.
If you already do deliver reindeer droppings, please share your favorites in the comments.
Poppy Seed Bread Recipe (Servings: makes one 9” loaf or three mini loaves)
Ingredients:
2.5 c flour
1 c sugar
¼ c poppy seeds
3 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 ¼ c milk
1/3 c vegetable oil
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp almond extract (technically optional but recommend to include)
Steps:
Heat oven to 350. Grease bottom of loaf pan(s).
Sift all dry ingredients together. Add wet ingredients and beat with mixer for 30 seconds.
Pour into pan(s).
Bake 45-50 mins for a single large loaf (25-30 for smaller loaves) until toothpick comes out clean.
Let cool for 5 mins, remove from pan. Place on wire rack to cool completely.
There have been lots of things to mourn this year – celebrations canceled, milestones missed, family members lost. But if we’re choosing to look at the bright side (and we are), pet adoptions have been one of the silver linings of 2020. And Farm Charm is no exception.
We lost our beloved schnauzer Shume Strudel Schumacher back in August to lymphoma. He was the most loyal, sweet, family dog and so very good looking as schnauzers go. His eyebrows and mustache gave him the look of a mean dog, but he was the furthest thing from menacing (aside from killing two chickens as you may recall). He was Cactus’ spirit animal in every way and he was his first pet, so this was especially tough for him.
For those who have been through this, it can take a while to feel ready to open your heart again. We didn’t want to do it too soon because that feels like a slap in the face to our last dog, like we forgot him immediately (which we haven’t – we still talk about him nearly every day). But we didn’t want to wait too long because our shih-tzu Ozzy truly needs a buddy (he has become so clingy without Shume). And then there was the question about which breed to get – another schnauzer? No, there will never be another Shume. But I have allergies so we have fewer options to pick from among hypoallergenic breeds.
We were looking at PetFinder once or twice a week and kept the filters pretty tight. Then we saw this girl who was right down the road at an adoption center. Her name was Maggie, she was listed as being between 15-17 years old, and good with dogs, cats and kids – check, check, and check. She is super sweet and absolutely made of gold, but so, so skinny. I’ve been taking her on long walks and she does great so I’m a little skeptical of the age estimate.
I have a feeling she was given up as a result of COVID but that’s just my conjecture. And we changed her name to Molly. Regardless, lucky us and we hope she likes it here.
Who drinks kombucha? Have you even heard of it? I will be the first to admit that I was not following this trend for quite some time. I mean honestly, there is a new wonder food or miracle antioxidant that makes headlines nearly every month. From apple cider vinegar to bone broth to chia seeds, I don’t know how to make sense of it all.
But you know what typically makes me give something a second glance? A personal endorsement by someone I know who has similar views on health and wellness. It was easy for me to ignore the $5 12-ounce bottles of kombucha at the grocery store because that pricing just seemed unsustainable. And yes, I realize every cup of coffee bought costs somewhere in that range and that’s not my life either. I would much rather forgo a coffee at a coffee shop every day and make it at home myself (think of all the trash you’re saving from a landfill!) if that meant at the end of the year I had $1200 to put towards a vacation.
When my friend Jenny said that since she had started drinking kombucha on a daily basis, she hadn’t gotten sick, my ears definitely perked up. I used to think I had great immunity and never got sick, until I had two little ones. Nothing like toddlers who are constantly on the floor, putting things in their mouths, and touching each other to test your immunity. They give you one hug or touch your face and Poof! You’ll have a runny nose and cough the next day. So I figured what’s the harm in giving kombucha a try?
What is kombucha? Basically, tea that has had certain strains of bacteria added to it and is then allowed to ferment.
What are the benefits of drinking kombucha? I’m not going to bore you with scientific studies, though I am a believer in science and evidence, you can read those references here. For me, what makes sense is improving gut health with probiotics. I am not claiming all of these benefits will come true for you. But they might (fingers crossed)!
So here is how I make kombucha (instructions courtesy of Jenny). How often and how much you need to make truly depends on how much you consume. And the only caveat to this recipe is you need someone to provide you with a yeast mat (scooby or jellyfish as I like to refer to it) to start.
Kombucha brewing instructions:
Boil 1 gallon (16 cups) of water
Add 1 cup of sugar to water to dissolve**
Add 8 tea bags of green or black tea
#3 – I use Tetley Green Tea bags when I brew Kombucha
**This ratio is important (16 cups of liquid to 1 cup of sugar) for the bacteria to grow properly. If you make more or less, keep the ratio, i.e. 8 cups: 0.5 cups of sugar.
Let brew until cooled to room temperature
Remove tea bags and pour into brewing container
Place yeast mat into container with reserved 2 cups of liquid and stir
Cover with coffee filter and secure with rubber band
Let sit for 20-30 days in a warm environment between 70-75 degrees (also important for the bacteria and yeast growth).
#6 – here is the yeast mat and 2 cup reserve to add to the brewed tea
#7 – the yeast mat, the brewed tea and covered with a coffee filter
After 20-30 days:
Bottle all but 2 cups*. I bought this pack of bottles but you can probably find a set of three or four at any local kitchen or home store. Just think about how much total kombucha you want to brew and be sure the size of the bottles will hold all that liquid.
*The 2 cups and newly formed yeast mat will be the starter for the next batch.
Add ginger, fruit (straw, black, blueberries), mint, basil, etc. to the bottles per your taste preferences.
Store on counter for 2 days. Burp the bottle once/day to let out gas.
Refrigerate and enjoy 🙂
Strawberry, basil and cucumber Kombucha (a batch Jenny made)
Blackberry mint Kombucha I made.
PS: In case my title makes no sense, for whatever reason this song constantly comes to mind when I am brewing some ‘bucha. Remember this fun little diddy by Everything? I just replace the word ‘hooch’ with ‘booch’ and ta-da, genius in action 🙂
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