’round the homestead on a Tuesday

New things:

Soft Rye Bread, Oatmeal Loaf Breads, and trial Seedy Bread
Seeds and trees have been ordered (too many of the first, and not so many of the latter), tons of flowers and ornamentals (selling hanging baskets this year!)
Soon to be tree-pruning and maple-sugaring time
New floors throughout (mostly) – because all of our floors are soft and a bit scary, if you ask me, and riddled with splinters (we are so tired of splinters)
The new ‘Wellness’ line of goods coming in February: Herbal Teas, Bath Soaks, Face Masks – developing goodies is so much fun!

Ongoing things:

Pasta-making (for this next batch: Roasted Winter Squash and Thyme Gnocchi, Ricotta Gnudi, Red Beet Farfalle)
Bagels, Rolls, Breads, etc and the Secret Pickle Club are selling nicely
Classic Kimchi will be refreshed with a new batch soon (and then in late Spring – Forager’s Kimchi again – yay!!)
Liberally ‘Vaseline-ing’ the chicken combs to save them from the sudden drop in temperatures (frostbite preventative, and a good spray antibiotic for when they still get small wounds), also finding them more ‘space’ when it snows (using the chicken tractor/covered with tarps when it snows so there is another ‘clean spot’)
Homeskooling: Spanish lessons, book reports, cooking & baking (Jamie Oliver is really helping out with this one – the 5 Ingredient book is perfect for the kid!), geography and social studies, plant identification (with hiking and foraging), cat health, and her witchery, plus puzzle making and game-playing (favorites this week are Evolution and Dread Pirate)
I’m working with international (and national) artists on a ‘plant’ collaboration projekt

Future things:

Mid-Winter celebrations in 2 weeks (much different this year – our favorite ‘Scotch-tasting’ gathering cancelled, our engagements nil though our libations are getting more creative), we will be also be celebrating one year as a full-time homestead!
Making proper plans for an outdoor kitchen, resplendent with a Bread Oven!
Cleaning out the front porch again to use as a makeshift greenhouse – it is cut off from heat (and insulation and even proper windows) so it will function as a daytime space in another month or so, and then more as a greenhouse in April/May. We have dreams of making it more functional
Also, designs of Spring Foraging ‘Woodwalks’; introductory workshops to foraging/plant identification/land management.

Great things! – Stay Cozy.