Busy, Busy! Summer Time Break

Hi lovelies,

I am writing this post because I am super busy at the moment and am taking the rest of June, all of July through to the first 2 weeks of August off, from blogging.

I don't have much of a choice, as I have much to accomplish, very little time to do it in, and loads of new stuff keeping me super occupied. 

Firstly, there's new cooliosity for the business which has just arrived:

It's truly exciting because I got to design most of what I will be using for my new bespoke jams & jelly items; which I will be selling on Etsy. I used vistaprint and got great discounts, saved loads and it looks professional, with my personal touch. Here's a bit of a sneak peek:

I am adding some wonderful new flavours and am going to offer some very unique combinations, that people have been going nuts over. The lilac and pineapple jelly seems to be the most popular, for the moment.

I am using so many fun food combos, I cannot wait for my Mango Madness recipe to be tasted and my French Apple Jelly. It promises to be deliciously enticing! 

Here's some yumminess on toast:

That was my first taste of my Brambleberry & Lilac Jam, it was boomtastic!

Yes, it will be on offer in the Etsy shop. 

As I mentioned before, this new business means a new blog complete with matching name and a total make-over. 

It is taking up much of my free time; and I feel that committing to it is important because I want it to be great for all of you who read this blog. It's time to upgrade and give you all a site that is easier to navigate, while keeping what you enjoy about this blog.

I am working hard on gardening, when I can fit it in between work, the new blog, and the business. It's time consuming in ways I never realized before and has given me a healthy appreciation of the effort that goes into putting food on my plate. Farmers work so hard and I respect and am humbled by it.

Egg shells help a lot in the garden but are sticky gross:

It's also summer time and that means more outings, more bbq's, more family & friends time, & adventure's to be had. I have been really feeling God moving in my life lately, so positive, and I feel happy trusting Him with my path. 

All these things combined are why I have decided to take a short summer hiatus.

 I will definitely be back by mid- August and God willing, I will be able to invite you all to the new blog with cool stuff to discover and benefit from. I have big plans for new content, new social media stuff, and there will be giveaways that you wonderful readers will enjoy. 

So, for now I want to wish you all a gorgeous, safe, blessed, and happy summer. Remember to be kind to others, to yourselves, and keep on shining.

Come back & don't forget to subscribe to keep up and to know about all the exciting newness, as soon as it happens! 

Spruce tips, Gardening, Atwater Market & Plant Adventure's

Morning lovelies, 

It is finally sunny outside again; yaaaaay!

I have so much work to do, the garden needs to be all done & good to go, no later than June 24th.

These are my carrots that I cut the tops off of, placed in my organic, homemade, super nutrient rich fertilizer. That's why they are sprouting tops, they did it almost overnight-that fertilizer is potent stuff! I will be planting these this week, along with some baby red potatoes and some scarlet runner beans; I got them as a gift and can't wait to see them grow.

I found the above idea on Pinterest and have decided to give it a go! I also finally found the earth, (it's organic) I prefer for planting food and my herbs that I could not find near me. We ended up going to Atwater Market in town and had a lovely day. It was packed full of people and I got these:

Healthy rosemary, lavender, & sage. I still cannot find white sage but I will continue the hunt. If you have any ideas for white sage, please let me know in the comments-nobody has this where I looked and asked.

We stopped at this place called Aubut, that I have been going to for years; I need to do the dreaded costing for my products but required the pricing on bulk ingredient's. Aubut specializes in bulk for smaller businesses. 

It was fun but sad too. 

Why?

Things have become very expensive, vanilla and chocolate are the most painful, by far. 

Vanilla at Costco went from $7.98 up to $27.69, and at Aubut, it went from $23.00 up to $67.00-yikes! 

Vanilla beans? A pack of 40 used to be $19.99, now it is $78! 

Crying, gimme a minute...

Guess who is going to make their own vanilla extract again? I will post this and a recipe on the new blog when I launch. She's looking mighty pretty btw, there's just a lot of work to do; and I am sorting through which posts to keep from this blog and then transfer with some adjustments. Be warned, there will be some recipe re-posts on the new blog but they be deelish one's and there will be lots of new content. So fun! 

Okay back to crazy town prices.

Chocolate has not fared any better.

A 1.8kg bag of chips used to be $10.99 & has gone up to $18.99. The small bags which used to be over 375 grams at .99 cents-$1.99, have shrunk down to 300 grams and have gone up to $3.99-$4.99! The higher end cacao Barry products have gone way up as well, but it's too depressing to continue talking about.

This is the way of things, as we continue to strip resources, hurt our planet, deal with the domino effects of corruption, and just try to eek out a living as best we can on low wages, food costs rise.  

It is a big part of why I am attempting to source local ingredient's as much as possible in my products. Speaking of which, I got these right down the street!

And they be free!!!!!! Whoohoooooooo!

What are they you ask? Why Spruce tips of course! Spruce as in the tree? Yup!

You pick them off Spruce tree's in the spring, it's a very short time frame to grab them. As spring was late, these beauties came out just in time for my decision to use them, in a short-run (limited edition & small batch) jam flavour.

When you pick them, you must gently pull them off the tree. They have a papery husk, are sticky, quite fragrant, and delicate. You cannot pick them all, as the tree needs to use some of this new growth. Be kind to Mother Nature, she needs our love and respect so she can continue to provide for us. This means do not strip the trees bare. 

When I got them home, I immediately proceeded to process them in preparation for jam making. The papery husks need to be removed and you check for buggies, gently rinse, gently pay dry, and use immediately or freeze.

Good news was that I got 4 cups worth! This is a strong ingredient, it's been used medicinally by aboriginal people's for centuries; a little goes a long way. Cannot wait to try out my new recipe with this ingredient!

I managed to score some free herbs from a friends garden and busily planted those along with replanting my lovely berry shrubs. 

Getting dirty is so much fun, I had to rescue some plants. The days of rain practically drowned a few. All is well now though.

Rocky was so happy, he stayed with us all afternoon and kept my mom company. She decided to come over to the gardening green force side, and help me cut up plants for my mulchy fertilizer "tea". 

We got to drink this delicious, virgin Caesar cocktail mix that we found at Aubut. It tasted so good, is gluten-free, and has no alcohol to aggravate my eczema. I added limed salted rims and all was right with the world!

 It was $2.49. Really good price, it's definitely a treat item for me though, it's got sugar in it.

She was seriously delicious, I drank it as I admired my new herbs...

So, now I am off with a seriously jam packed week, pardon the pun-no seriously, I am making and packing jam. Haha. 

So, have a lovely and blessed start to the week! Stay positive, hold fast to your dreams and spread love. 

Kiss My Berries Smoothie

  

Morning sweet one's!

I am really busy with the new blog, trying to figure out Etsy-if it's really best for my business, as well as the bunch of prep tasks for descriptions & other important stuff. I was away for a few days and I worked a bit but rested more than anything, I needed the country time. I will share some fun stuff from that trip in a later post.

Today is a recipe for this delicious antioxidant, super healthy, tasty and easy smoothie. I used Bao Bab powder to give my body an extra boost, as a super fruit with loads of health benefits; it's ideal. 

If you don't like seeds in your smoothies, feel free to strain it before imbibing this yumminess. 

KISS MY BEERIES SMOOTHIE

Ingredients:

1 Cup antioxidant berry mix

1 tsp almond butter

1 tsp coconut oil

1/2 tsp Spirulina powder

1 Scoop hemp protein

1 tsp Bao Bab powder

1 1/2 Cup unsweetened almond milk

1/2 packet stevia (this is optional, I had to use it as my berry mix was eye watering tart)

Method:

-Throw all ingredients in blender & mix for 30-60 seconds until smooth.

Enjoy immediately!

Have an awesome day & God bless!

Listening to God's Word & Garden Growth

                                  

Good Blessed Sunday Morning!

I am enjoying the weekend, spending time with loved one's, and keeping up with my garden. 

But first, Abba and sermon time because I really need it. 

Came across this wonderful sermon from Dr. Charles Stanley at In Touch Ministries and it's titled, Your Personal Convictions. The opening first 3 minutes grabbed me and I knew God wanted me to hear this message. I am passing the link along, you need to click on this and hear the word delivered with such compassion, love, understanding, and relevance to your life. 

https://www.intouch.org/watch/the-convictions-by-which-we-live/your-personal-convictions

Speaking of life and love, I am excited to share that I made my first fertilizer "tea", to feed my plants and help them grow big and strong. It came out great and I will be incorporating it into my watering routine throughout the growing season. 

                       

Next I tackle pests with all natural pesticide, I have slugs, spider mites, and ants to contend with. However, my plants are doing well and sprouting and gaining some height.

                       

                 That's echinacea, I was given small cuttings and they are very happy.

                       

This is the fresh thyme, I have since move it to the shade with the basil and mint; I noticed they were happier in less direct sunlight.

                      

Basil is doing really well, and the taste is fabulous; I am going to be testing a recipe for basil confit soon, it's not something I have made before and I am looking for pesto-like, cheese-free ideas. This might be a cool alternative, I came across it in a French preserves cookbook.

My son has sent pics of his awesome tan and delicious, fresh food. He was making fun of the girls doing hot chick poses...

                     

Look at this fish with fresh fruit, he says it tastes so much cleaner than what we eat here.

                 

I am looking forward to hearing all about his good times and new discoveries.

In the meantime, I am off to have some fun of my own. 

Enjoy the gift of today and continue to shine! God bless you.

                           

Big Changes Coming to the Blog!

Hello lovely people,

Today is an announcement that follows from something I posted several months ago. This blog is going to be changing in many ways. 

Firstly, there will be a new name. 

This is to coincide with another big change in my life. (More on that in a moment. )

This blog will also be moving to a new home with a completely new look, and there will be some very positive changes. I am aiming for a sleeker, more clean, and 

simplified look to the blog. This leads to the other big change, I am finally opening up an Etsy shop. That's why I need to change the blog name, as I want it all to work together and for the blog to be more functional. For the past while I have been seriously focusing on minimalist living, homesteading, & things like canning and gardening. This has all been bundled up in writing and developing new recipes. The canning has become something others have shown interest in, along with purchasing the "fruits" of my labours-I like the pun, no pardons necessary ;P

To be honest, it had not occurred to me to start selling my jams, jellies, compotes, and protein bombs; however, people have asked and told me they would like to buy them. It was an eye opener and I smiled because it was rather silly not to have considered it. 

I have noticed that things have been falling into place much more easily than for other things I have been attempting to make happen. This has led me to be very grateful, to remove fear, and really dive in.

Life has a way of moving you along at the right moment and slowing you down when you need it most, no matter how stubbornly you insist. It's been a difficult 5 years, full of many ups and too many downs. I kept pushing for something to happen because I could not let go, it was still too raw and sometimes I felt like I still had not given it my all. Even though people around me kept telling me I did my best and did give all I humanly could.

I guess forgiveness also applies to ourselves, doesn't it? It often seems most difficult to accept the failures and give one's self permission to make mistakes, to learn, grow, and let go. For a long time I had felt that I had to hold on because my failure meant I did not deserve to move forward. Because I failed, I could not possibly have learned what I should have. I realize now that I had to go through all that I did because it was not meant for me, and that is okay. I also learned that words like, supposed to or should, are not measures or standards anywhere else but in my mind.

I took the journey, God showed me it wasn't right for me, and I stubbornly refused to accept & let go. There is no such thing as deserving to be in constant pain, berating for perceived short comings, or refusing to let go because happiness is not deserved until you have properly learned your lesson. 

There is just life, and it needs to be lived because tomorrow is not promised and coming alive is a gift from God. 

It would be rude to give it back. 

So, you are probably wondering, (those of you who actually stop by here and read the blog) what's going to happen next and what about the info on this blog? 

Good questions. 

I have been mulling this over for several months now, I will be keeping certain parts and of course most of the recipes. There will be some downsizing, along with new additions; like a store link section and product information etc. 

I am also adding some ads and there will be that Patreon/crowd funding stuff going up as well. It's time to move forward, grow up and implement loads of new stuff I have learned.  

I will slowly move posts and info over, and eventually this blog will be emptied (I may leave the thyroid stuff here and also add it to the new blog, access to that kind of info is important, still not 100% decided yet) and will only show the link to the new blog. All of this will be happening as quickly as I can get it done and I invite you all to come and be a part of this wonderful change. There will be loads of great new posts, recipes to try, pictures to drool over and some new things to discover. I am so looking forward to it and hope you will enjoy it as much as I have enjoyed working on it! 

I am nervous an excited, both of which are good things. 

So, this site will be quiet after this week to come-still a few posts for the beginning of June. It's only for a brief moment in time; as I focus on getting the new one up and running. It won't be too long, so come back and check in to be able to see the new and bold awesomeness to come! 

Seeking Fruit & Adventures in Lilac Jelly Making

Helloodles Loverlies!

I am on a strawberry and rhubarb hunt, as I need to make compote and some healthy paleo pie. Canning and homesteading kick continue and I am getting calls from family and friends for ripe, ready to pick, perfect timing, come and get em' blooms and fresh food stuffs! 

Be excited! Be, be excited! 

          

We picked a huge amount of lilac and I have just been told that there is more for me to grab out in the country. It is cooler out there so the lilacs are blooming a bit later-whoohoooooooo! This means more jelly making fun in my future.

           

I came up with my own recipe and it is fabulous, if I do say so myself. The steeping liquid requires quite a goodly amount of lilac petals but it is well worth the effort. Plus, lilac petals are way easier to remove than dandelion petals.

           

My first test batch has become very popular and I am now adding this special mélange to my Etsy store roster.

           

I played with some different flavours and got something truly delicious and an absolute delight for the senses. Lilac and pineapple, such a wonder!

           

There were two attempts at steeping, I wasn't happy with the first so I created my own recipe and it gave a much more vibrant colour than the yucky pic above and the one below , top right. The bottom pics show the difference.

           

Rocky slept most of the time, except when he heard the fridge door opening and thought chicken cold cuts were coming his way.

           

He was so cute while the flowers were steeping because he was super sniffing at the very fragrant air. This was my first batch, for some reason I was very messy when making this as opposed to when I made the dandelion jelly. I had forgotten to line a tray with parchment paper and instead made a globby spill-fest, on a cloth instead of the tray; which was rather sticky by the time I reached the finish line.

           

It jelled beautifully and everyone who has tasted it has been enchanted by its subtle fruity and floral notes.

           

I thoroughly enjoyed it on my waffles and will be having some more tomorrow, that's if there is any left. The next batch will need to be bigger mason jars, as it seems to be rather popular. I won't be giving the recipe for this because it will be for sale in my soon-to-come Etsy shop but it will be part of my launch giveaway along with the dandelion jelly. For now, just enjoy the prettiness and smile.

                   

And remember: