Views from the Farmstead

I have started and stopped many posts over the last few days…..lots going on in my mind and just taking a general reassessment of life. This winter was far colder and snowier than I can remember for my neck of the woods and that led to a lot of hunkering down and staying put. Now that spring is beckoning and warmer temperatures have begun to tempt and tease us, a time of renewal and emerging has begun in me, my home and our surroundings.

I feel the need to renew my relationship with my children so that I can emerge a better mom. As a mom, I have a tendency to raise my voice especially if I have asked them to do something more than once. The odd think is my mom raised her voice and I hated it and it really eats me up that I am now doing the same thing with my children and they don’t like it. The other day, I was reading my daily Proverbs 31 devotion and it spoke of the dignity that clothed the Proverbs 31 woman. Ouch…talking about a devotion stepping all on my toes as if I was wearing open toed sandals. I shared it with my husband and asked that he would pray for me in that area and I also asked my children to pray for me and I have been constantly reminding myself throughout my days – d-i-g-n-i-t-y so I would keep it in the forefront of my mind before I speak and act. I have a long way to go but any journey worth taking starts with a first step.

Another area of renewal and emerging is in what I do outside of the home. I am blessed to be able to stay-at-home and homeschool our children and wouldn’t trade it for the world. However, I also would like to contribute to the home and used to do that before children. I shared here how I started with The Pampered Chef. I just finished my first 30 days and I must say that I am truly enjoying myself. I did 2 cooking shows and my sister-in-law did a catalog show. I qualified with my mom’s show because she and her guests were super buyers. I am finding that the time spent out of the house and the interactions with adults is refreshing and being that I love to cook and love the products, it feels good to be able to do something that helps my family but also allows me an outlet. My hubby is too cute as he said it is my hobby because hobbies are far different from jobs and I don’t have to do it. I want to honor him and remember what God has for me in this season and the flexibility of the hobby helps a lot.

We still have snow on the ground in places but I am excited about the crocus and daffodils that are bursting through the soil letting me know what is just around the corner. I have garden plans ready and quite a bit of work to do outside over the next few weeks. This is also the year that I add chickens to our farmette so coop building will begin soon as my self-imposed deadline is the end of the month for its completion and for the gals to be in their home. It means some reconfiguring of the grounds but that is just another piece in the process of renewal and emergence.

I am excited about this time of the year and I hope you are experiencing your own season of renewal and emergence in your life.

My mom informed me of this special that was on NBC Today – Secret Filth Exposed. There are several videos but this is the one that really caught my attention. They purchased underwear from several well-known stores (Victoria’s Secret, Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Gap, etc.) and removed all of the tags and protective stuff, then returned it and surprisingly even though the tags were all removed and they had put dots on the garment tags – the items were put right back on the shelves. Shockingly, this even occurred when there was an obvious stain. You must watch and beware.

Seriously, when you pay that much for lingerie, who knew you should definitely wash before wearing!

Last week the kids went sledding several times at the neighbor’s house. I thought I had recorded them the day before but didn’t, so here they are having fun!

I love making Nick Malgieri’s honey wheat bread! It is yummy as sandwich bread but it is also so tasty in the morning with some b-u-t-t-e-r.

The recipe can be found in his How to Bake book and is as follows:

2 1/2 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
2 cups warm tap water (about 110 degrees) (I usually try for 110-115 degrees)
5 -5 1/2 cups of unbleached all-purpose flour (3 – 3 1/2 cups unbleached and 2 cups wheat flour) (I keep a little extra unbleached out to add in if needed)
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons honey
5 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)

1. Whisk the yeast into the warm water and let set while preparing other ingredients (I actually use instant yeast which you can just sprinkle on the flour and doesn’t require blooming)

2. I use a mixer (but it can be mixed by hand) – place all ingredients in the bowl and mix on low speed w/dough hook for about 5 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic. If dough is sticky add more flour – 1 tablespoon at a time)

3. Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a towel and allow to rise until doubled (about 1 hour) (I put it in a turned off oven with a pan of boiling water as it makes a nice environment for the dough to rise)

4. Turn out the dough on a lightly floured surface, deflate and divide into 2 equal pieces. Form a loaf by stretching the dough into a rectangle, fold in the short ends until the dough is approx the length of the pan, then fold the far long edge over to the middle. Fold over the other long side and compress to a tight cylinder. Place the loaf in the pan, seam side down, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled.

5. When almost doubled, set a rack in the middle of oven, preheat to 400 degrees.
6. When the loaves are risen, bake for 30 min until golden brown and firm, unmold and let cool on their sides.

This makes 2 loaves – I usually try to freeze one so there is always a loaf ready. Of course, it doesn’t always work out that way but it is the thought that counts.

More snow is falling as I type…but I am so wishing for this instead

Our street still has not seen a plow but we have seen a growing sense of community. Hubby and two neighbors finished the main road last night and today will start on an adjacent road that is not County maintained just so our other neighbors can get out.

We are expecting more snow starting tomorrow and we hope to continue see our sense of community as we clear out again.

Even though it seemed like the snow would never end, it did and the sun came out this morning and the skies are blue. Thank God that we were kept safe through the entire blizzard and the power stayed on…being on well water that is important being that with all the various equipment we own, we have yet to purchase a generator.

During the storm, I did venture back out yesterday to take some more pics:

Just in case you were thinking that we didn’t have any fun, oh but we did….

Like I said, the sun came out this morning and the sky is a beautiful shade of blue. I journeyed up to the closest street only because hubby and the neighbor made a path from our driveway to the road with the snow blower and a shovel. Hubby doesn’t like being *trapped* so he made sure he had a path of escape.

Here are pics of the closest street -- they have seen a plow at some point but are still rather dangerous.

Here is the rest of our street:

Just in case you wanted proof of the blue skies…

We woke up to a winter wonderland here and it still continues to snow….

Hubby started out on the back deck trying to clear a path to the wood.

Here are some more pics of this record setting snow..

The snow has truly picked up to the point of of almost white out conditions just in the time it took to type this post. Prayers to all!!!!

It started snowing at about 11 a.m. and of course it started lightly but has definitely picked up and is now sticking. The National Weather Service has described this storm as pretty major for our area and may place in the top 10 in terms of historic snowfalls. Lots of references being made to the storm of 1996, which I remember well being that I was in grad school, single, and stuck in my apartment for almost a week.

Fast forward 14 years and I am now married with kids and they are very excited about the prospect of upwards of 20″ of snow. I am praying that the power doesn’t go out and that lives aren’t lost.

Be safe!!!

Yes, I am still around! Lots of blog posts in my head that I should really write out for future posting but never seem to get around to it. Life has been busily humming by and for that I can’t complain. As I type, we are preparing for our 3rd snow event in 1 week, which is highly uncommon for my region. I don’t mind the snow, if anything I marvel at its beauty as well as how in its beauty it can completely throw people into a frenzy.

Speaking of frenzy – I have been feeling a bit frenetic lately. I feel extremely blessed to be able to stay at home and be mom and teacher to our children. My husband is a wonderful guy and it is true that opposites often attract in that he and I are quite different in many area but that is what keeps us going. It is also true that spenders marry savers – I’ll give you a hint as to which one I am.

As I continue to seek to broaden my skills in jewelry making, it takes money to buy supplies and supplies are needed to keep making things and there are some other tools and items that I would like to purchase. I also have garden orders to place and the like…..we have prayed and decided I would take on another *hobby* that has the potential for me to earn a few dollars. I say *hobby* because he as made it very clear that it is not a part-time job because it isn’t providing necessary income that our family needs….he is so right and prudent that it sometimes drives me crazy.

I purchased the starter kit and have been learning more about the company and their products. To stop your wondering, I am now and independent consultant for Pampered Chef. I have toyed with selling their products before and trust me, I don’t have plans to rise through the ranks, I just want to prayerfully earn a few extra bucks to buy me some more toys. You already know that I love to cook and I already have several of their products, so it seemed like an easy fit. Of course, my mom is my first party – gotta love her! Thanks mom!!!

Between being wife, mom, homeschool teacher, chef, chauffeur, jewelry maker and now independent consultant solopreneur…I have been just a bit busy. Not meaning to neglect y’all and appreciate all of you and will have a giveaway coming up soon, just because you all are so special.