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I just impulse purchased turkeys – oh boy!

Posted on April 20, 2012

Going to the feed store in early spring the same day the latest batch of new poultry arrived led to an “impulse purchase” that had me thinking “What did I just do?!?” on the drive home. Yes, I impulse purchased … Continue reading →

Posted in Homesteading, Livestock | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Asparagus “stump” soup

Posted on April 19, 2012

This is a repost from last year. I’m reposting this to kick off asparagus season and to cheer my friend Kelly on as she makes her first batch. After reading the latest post on A Posse Ad Esse, I hung … Continue reading →

Posted in Cooking & food preservation | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Reject “stump” garden

Posted on April 17, 2012

On Pinterest, I’ve seen a number of postings lately in which people suggest growing new plants from the root stumps of the veggies they purchase at the grocery store. I’ve never thought about doing this, but it seems like such … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening | Tagged | 1 Comment

DIY shopping bag using dish towels

Posted on April 16, 2012

I’m home with the kids for spring vacation this week, so we decided to head to the craft store. While there, I saw an idea for easy-to-make grocery shopping bags using tea towels. Since it’s pretty dreary outside, it seemed … Continue reading →

Posted in Crafts | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Harvest: Swiss chard and baby garlic

Posted on April 15, 2012

This weekend I harvest a good batch of Swiss chard (Bright Lights) and baby garlic greens (Inchelium red). The Swiss chard in the greenhouse has been going gangbusters! It’s one of those plants where a few plants can quickly start … Continue reading →

Posted in Cooking & food preservation, Gardening | Tagged , | 6 Comments

Grape pruning, bees, and an essential gardening tool

Posted on April 14, 2012

Grapes need a good pruning each year. They produce more grapes when properly pruned. While there are different methods for pruning grapes, I keep grape pruning pretty simple. I focus on a number of “lead” vines and hack pretty much … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Potatoes & raspberries

Posted on April 8, 2012

It was a stunningly beautiful weekend so, of course, I did venture forth into the garden to do some gardening. I decided to pace myself and do just a few of the many tasks on my to-do list this weekend. … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Anatomy of a solar panel installation

Posted on April 6, 2012

As some of you may have gathered by the We’ve Got the Power post by Sandy, we have finally taken the plunge into solar power / photovoltaic (PV) generation.  We have been wanting to install a PV array on our … Continue reading →

Posted in Solar | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

We’ve got the power (solar that is)

Posted on April 4, 2012

After a speedy and flawless solar installation from Puget Sound Solar, we’ve been waiting for Puget Sound Energy to install our new meters in order to officially turn the system on and begin net metering. Well, today was the day! … Continue reading →

Posted in Solar | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Photo album: Plum blossoms, peas, garlic, blueberries, and rhubarb

Posted on April 1, 2012

Our Shiro plum tree is our more prolific and reliable tree. The tree is about 7 – 8 years old now and produces heaps of super juicy yellow plums each year. What you see in the picture is the “after” … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments