Spring Cleaning, Story Time and the Simple Life!

Good Morning:

Spring Cleaning:

It appears that it really is Spring!  Sincerely so and not just a teaser.  After 6 long weeks of extreme cold and snow, the days got brighter and the red stuff in the thermometer took a trip up the tube - over night! Seeing the snow melt away, hearing the birds singing and stepping over the puddles, puts a real Spring in my step.  I even hear the geese honking overhead - that's always a very positive sign!  With the arrival of Spring, brings about Spring Cleaning.  There is nothing like powering thru the winter build up that will put you into a Spring state of mind any quicker.

Our first Spring Cleaning project was my very much neglected and the "I'll deal with it later" storage and laundry room.  In total, these two adjoining rooms measure 90 square feet.  The same size as a 9' x 10' bedroom.  How is it possible to:  make 4 large, green garbage bags of trash, 1 large green garbage bag of rags for Papa's workshop, 1 box of "missing" and "that's where that went" items also for Papa's shop, a pile of paper which fills a Banker's Box, that needs to be shredded, another pile that needs to be filed and a laundry tote full of items that are heading to the local auction house?  Utter insanity I tell you!  I cannot believe that all of that was what we had in this little space!  A job that we thought might take 2 hours, actually took over 6.  But the space!  I can't believe how much space we now have in these 2 little, adjoining rooms.  I could have a party in there.

With the sun shining and it being so warm out, the Spring Cleaning moved into our bedroom.  All the bedding was removed, put through the washer and hung out to dry.  The mattress was vacuumed and turned.  The quilt was aired out.  Everything smelled so amazing when we climbed back into bed at the end of the day.  It smells of summer.  Nothing brings sleep quicker than line dried bedding.

With the forecast for the mid to high teens, the windows are also on the to be tackled list for this week.  Who knows?  I may even take a swing at our walk in closet - that might be a quick "2 hour" job too!

Puppy Love:

One thing I really love about Facebook, is when the Your Memories come up.  It's like having a journal of the highlights of your life.  This week marked the 2nd Anniversary of Wilbur joining our Funny Farm.  I still remember our trip to pick him up.  We met his breeder parents at a halfway point between their farm and ours.  We each travelled 6+/- hours to our agreed upon meeting place.  It was an emotional day as he was the family's favourite pup that year.  We didn't have a name picked out for him yet as we wanted to meet him first.  They had been calling him Piggy because of the noises he makes and his tuft of hair on his forehead.  When Husband gave him his final, emotional and very long hug before handing him over to us, we decided right on the spot to name him Wilbur.  Wilbur, after the little Pig in Charlotte's Web, as a deference and respect, to his first family.  We love our 130+ Goof Ball and cannot imagine not having him our lives.  He has filled a hole that we didn't even know existed.

He has got to be the happiest dog I have ever seen!

Baby Wilbur on his trip home with us.  What a face.  He had our hearts at first sight.

Our Little Boy today.

Story Time Quilt:

A few weeks ago, I came upon an Alphabet Panel and some coordinating fabric in my stash, whilst in search of a new project to begin.  I wanted something simple and therapeutic to do.  Upon finding the panel, I remembered a Demo Day that we had at the shop several years ago, where Margo from Wonderfil Threads spent the day teaching us thread embellishment.  This panel just begged to be thread embellished!

I started embellishing the letters and images.  A quiet, peaceful pastime.  It was while looking at the embellished blocks, that I realized that this would make a cute Story Time Quilt for my Daughter in Law's Day Home.  Now I have a purpose for this quilt.

Once the blocks were all embellished, I decided to cut them all apart and add sashing.  It needed to be big enough for the little's to sit upon during story time.  Something about the size of a picnic blanket.  As I was deciding how to do this, I discovered that the fabric was cut into yards, not meters.  This alerted me to how long this fabric had been in my stash!  It has been many, many years since I have been shop hopping south of the border. 

I am thrilled with the finished project, as are the little's for whom it was intended.  My DIL put the quilt out on the floor and immediately one of her little guests grabbed the basket of books and sat upon it to read a story.  Warms my heart.   

The Finished Story Time Quilt.

Label on the Story Time Quilt.

The Simple Life:

When people find out how big a garden we grow and how much we freeze, dehydrate and can, their common reaction is utter shock!  Why would you do all that work when you can just buy it at the grocery store?  That takes so much time!  Isn't that a lot, for two people?  Actually, to be truthful, we absolutely enjoy it.  It gives us a great sense of pride knowing that 85% of what we consume, we have had a first hand input on its production.  Besides this, neither of us really likes to go shopping, so everything we grow here, is one less thing to have to go out to get. 

Also, what we produce we know, with absolute certainty, how it was produced and what exactly is in it/on it.  I have become so sensitive to chemicals/preservatives/additives that I have adverse reactions to a lot of commercially produced products.  In fact, it is a very rare occurrence when we even eat out any more.  I have had to many unhappy side effects after a meal out.  It just isn't worth the risk.  I didn't even realize how bad I felt until we quit buying commercially grown/processed foods and going out.  We still go out occasionally, but truth be told, it is rare indeed.  I would honestly just rather have people over and prepare the meal myself.  

The other aspect/bonus of what we do is mealtimes have become super simple.  Just today, I realized that we didn't have a soup made for lunch.  Off to the cold storage for a quart of chicken in stock, a pint each of tomatoes and Romano beans, the pantry for dehydrated onions and peppers, to the freezer for a handful of chopped celery and to the spice drawer for some thyme, salt and pepper.  I literally had a pot of Chicken, Bean and Tomato Soup, simmering within 5 minutes. No fuss, no mess, no prep.  Dump the jars into the pot and toss in the ready to go extras.  It doesn't get any simpler than that!  And I know for 100% certainty what is in it.  This doesn't work for everyone, but it certainly works for us.  And we're very willing to do the work to enjoy the Simple Life we both love.

I wish you all a wonderful day.  Enjoy the sunshine!

Warmest regards,

Gremlynn

Dare we Hope . . . Might it Really be Spring?

Greeting from No Regrets Ranch,

OMGosh!  It actually feels like Spring ~ dare I utter the word!  We are still piled high with snow, but it is melting.  It truly is.  And it is warm.  You can walk outside in a light jacket or a vest.  It feels so wonderful to sit on the front step, in the sunshine and savour a cup of coffee.

The chickens are giddy and actually beginning to lay a few more eggs lately.  They are all clamouring to get outside as soon as we open the coop and actually want to stay out there.  They won't even be coaxed to go back into the coop much before 7:30 in the evening, when they want to go in to roost.  It is lovely!

I have even been wearing short pants these past few days.  After my shower the other morning, I was about to pull my jeans on, when I thought, Nope.  I don't want to wear long pants and socks today.  Went to the closet and pulled out a pair of capris.  It felt so good!  It really is the little things, isn't it?

Mr. Wilbur has been enjoying the warmer days, only because he and I are out for walks again.  Gramma has been a real wimp this winter.  We are both enjoying the fresh air and the good walks.  And we're both sleeping much better for it!

Out for a stroll on a bright sunny day.  

Wilbur is still very happy to have as much snow as he still does to lay in and munch on.  I have never seen a dog so thoroughly enjoy winter as much as he does.  And the Colder the Better for him!

Papa has been home for his 2nd full week now, after taking a leave of absence from his work.  He will be off for a few months, as he awaits his call in for a surgical procedure, then has his recovery time.  He wasn't sure if he could handle being home full time, but I'm thinking he is really liking it.  We have been having breakfast together and a couple of coffee breaks throughout the day.  He has been puttering and resting when he needs to, then off to putter again.  He isn't standing on a cement floor for hours on end which is certainly helping with his condition!  He has been out in his workshop and prepping in his greenhouse. He has several hundred plants already started.  He is chomping at the bit and ready for spring.

Greenhouse cleaned up and ready for the transplants.  We keep Tomatoes, Peppers and Cucumbers in the greenhouse all season long.  It protects these delicate plants from hail, wind damage, early or late frosts and other unpleasant weather we often experience out here, on the Alberta Prairie. 

Just a few of his plant starts for this year.  :)

The other day, when getting potatoes from the pit, he found a cabbage that he thought we should get used up.  This cabbage had been down there for over 6 months and was as crisp and as fresh as the day he put it down there.  We made coleslaw with part of it and used the rest over the next few nights in a couple of different suppers.  It was awesome!  Who says you can't keep produce over the winter in Alberta!? 

Cabbage from the pit after over 6 months of storage.  Crisp as the day it was put in there.

The cabbage in a stir fry.  Yum!

We ordered this year's chicks this week.  We are hoping to get them in the next week or two.  Our current brood are getting on and it is time to replace our laying hens.  As we had never had layers before, we opted for a hybrid bird for our first run at it, when we purchased this flock 2 years ago.  They have proven to be actually very easy to tend to, but being a hybrid, they will only produce eggs for a couple of years and won't reproduce true.  We do get fertilized eggs from them, but there won't be any sort of guarantee as to what the offspring will be and how those birds will produce.  Already we are experiencing a downturn in egg production [winter months aside] so sadly, it is time to replace them.  They have been bred to produce eggs quickly and don't have a long production time.  We knew up front that we would be lucky to get two years out of them.  Which, is a perfect length of time to make sure you actually want to continue keeping hens for eggs. 

We enjoyed keeping them enough, that we have ordered a heritage breed this time.  The breed we chose is the Barred Plymouth Rock, which is a dual purpose bird.  The hens, when they begin to lay, will lay for several years more than the hybrid birds, just not as often.  We will keep one rooster, harvest the rest of the roosters, when they get big enough and keep the new hens for egg production.  By getting a heritage breed, we will be able to collect their eggs for when we are ready to incubate and hatch our own chicks.  And, by using a heritage breed, we should be able to become self sufficient with our flock.  One more step in our homesteading lifestyle quest.  

They have been a wonderful source of meat, eggs and entertainment with their antics.  Who knew I would get so much enjoyment from chickens?  I never would have called that one, ever! 

In the next few weeks, once the snow is gone and we have pasture again, Papa will buy this year's steers.  We had Herefords last year.  We have tried several breeds over the years and have decided that Herefords are the breed we most like working with.  We have never been disappointed with them.

Studio News:  I got the Story Time quilt, quilted this week.  Now for the label and binding.  It is going to my DIL's daycare for the little ones to sit upon during story time.  I was surprised to find this panel and coordinating fabric in my stash recently.  The coordinating fabric was cut in 1 yard pieces.  I can't remember the last time I had been fabric shopping in the US.  This fabric was probably 10 years old, at the least!  I am happy to say, it has been make into something wonderful and will be enjoyed and happily used at it's final destination.  

Story Time Quilt on the long arm.  I opted for an all over Square meander.  I chose to use Fireside Minkee as a backing and a 100% polyester batting.

The Story Time quilt top, piecing done.  Ready to be quilted. 

I also washed up a rag time quilt this past week.  These quilts are a great way to recycle denim jeans and use up left over scraps from other projects.  I make these for picnics and fire pit use.  I never add batting or a filler for these scrap buster projects as they tend to get too heavy.  Besides, they also tend to get liberated from my house more often than not!  Ha ha ha!  It is wonderful that they are so popular that everyone seems to want one! 

Scrappy Rag Quilt ~ recycled denim backing and two different left over flannels for the top.  All washed and dried and ready to be used.

And, that wraps up this week's high lights.  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Until next time!

Gremlynn

Hair Care and Science Fair

Good Morning:

Hair Care:  I have been cutting my own hair for decades.  Not that I haven't had some good hair stylists over the years, it sort of just happened more out of necessity. 

You know when you have a great stylist, and she has a life outside of doing people's hair, then suddenly, she isn't available any more?  She moves, or has a baby, or retires, you know - has a life outside of hair styling. . . . .   And there you are on the hunt.  Again.  Looking for someone who can handle your head and doesn't leave you with something that needs more than the 30 seconds you are willing to commit to maintaining it?  Or gives you a treatment that causes your hair to break off in chunks and leave a right mess behind?  We all have a story.

It was after a particularly bad experience, that I realized that I couldn't do any worse if I had done it myself.  That, and I just got tired of trying to find another new stylist. 

And so, with scissors in hand I began with a simple trimming to clean up some dry ends from the clearly gone wrong treatment and freshen up the bangs.  And it actually looked quite good. 

Then one day, I got really, really brave and went short.  Really short.  I'm talking Uber Short.  And it was liberating. 

No more waiting two weeks for an appointment.  I could trim on a whim.  And so, began my foray into personal hair maintenance.  I always figured that if it was really bad, that it would grow back and I could wear a hat, if need be, until it did.  Saving time and money and I have no one to blame but myself for a bad hair cut! 

Weather Report:  I can't believe that it is still as cold as it is outside.  I read in the paper today that this has been the coldest February in 40 years!  I wouldn't doubt it!  And now that it's March, we actually expected that maybe we would get more seasonable temps, but nope, not yet.  Makes for some pretty guilt free sewing, it does!  Ha ha ha!

Sewing Update:  I have been continuing with the Thread Play on my Alphabet Panel.  It is turning out sew cute!  I have been enjoying the process.  Still don't know if I am going to make it into a wall hanging for my DIL's daycare or as a floor quilt for the little ones to sit on or cuddle with for story time. 

Panel without [left] and with Thread embellishment.  What a difference a bit of thread can make.  Look at the texture!

I recently finished 3 quilts for three young folks.  I didn't want to make a whole, embroidered label for each quilt, so I opted to just make a quick notation right on the binding.  Super easy to do with your sewing machine if you have a built in letter library.  Or do by hand embroidery, after the binding is applied.  Gets the job done in a quiet way.  I believe that it is important to label every quilt to give it a provenance.  It honors the maker and his/her time. 

Sometimes you just don't need a whole quilt label.  An effective way to label your quilt.

Science Fair:  One thing about living relatively close to your grand-buddies, is you get impromptu visits, lots of sleepovers and requests for assistance occasionally.  

Recently our middle grand buddy asked Papa if he could help him with his Science Project.  The theme is Simple Machines.  Of course, Papa would be delighted to help.  So, after a sleepover, the two set upon some brainstorming to come up with a project that said student could design and build himself, with supervision and guidance from an experienced assistant.  

Brainstorming at the kitchen counter.

They explored planes, fulcrums, simple screws, levers and pulleys, among other options.  With much deliberation, our buddy decided on a pulley system.  Off they went to Papa's Workshop to continue with the plan and begin the project.  

I headed out to my studio, figuring that they would be occupied for several hours, then I would head out to check on the progress.  I was just finishing up what I was doing, a few hours later, when the younger of the two comes storming into the studio, wanting to know if I wanted to see what they had made!  

I couldn't believe that they were done already.  This, and I had totally missed it.  I guess it was probably just as well as the two men had a marvellous time cutting out wood, drilling into the bricks, then gluing and screwing it all together.  I would have probably only been in the way anyways.  

They had fun and our buddy learned a lot in the process.  He was so very proud as he had me pull the strings to lift the different bricks and proceeded to explain why they got lighter and lighter with each pulley added.  

Now he just has to write up his report before presenting his project to his class.  He was exceptionally pleased with himself and his project.  And in the Grand Scheme of Things, That is All that Matters.  

Keep warm and enjoy your day!

Until next time,

Gremlynn

Cold Weather Activities

Greetings:

I just saw a screen shot on someone's Facebook page the other day about how cold this February was.  The whole, entire month was in the deep freeze.  We usually get a few cold days, followed by a bit of a respite, then back into the deep freeze and the cycle continues.  This year has been exceptionally cold.  Even for me.  I don't tend to complain about the weather since there is nothing you can do about it anyways.  It is weather, after all.  But, as I write this, I am thankful for the sun streaming into my studio, just not so stoked that it was -35 C again last night.  My winter walks have been sporadic, at best this year.  Not so good for the mental and physical health, but the days are certainly getting longer and now that it is March 1st, the end is in sight.  I think we are all very much ready for Spring.

Speaking of cold, why is it always the coldest day, or night as in this case, of the year that the furnace has to quit, or the septic tank freeze up or the power goes out?  The other night, Papa noticed a faint beeping noise at 2:29 in the A of M. He sat up in bed and asked if I heard it too?  Off to investigate. The gas fireplace was running.  Weird.  It is on a thermostat, but the that is set to 60 degrees Fahrenheit as we don't use it often.  The house was cool, but not cold.  We like our bedroom on the cooler side, so we hadn't noticed the temperature had dropped.  When we built our home, we put it in as a back up heat source.  This is odd.  Off to investigate the heating system.

We have a boiler system that runs glycol, with each section having its own pump.  The one for the furnace suddenly quit.  -45 C with the wind chill and the furnace decided to take a break.  The good news is the fireplace is running, so the house won't freeze up.  The better news is the pump for the hot water and the in-floor heat in the basement are both still working.  He shut off the pump for the furnace for a few minutes to check on something else.  Several minutes later, he flipped the switch to turn it back on.  We went back to bed as there really wasn't anything we could do at this point.  We'll deal with it in the Real morning.  About 5 a.m., I heard the furnace running.  Apparently the pump just needed a break in the extreme cold.  Papa spoke with a plumber buddy later that day and found out it happens occasionally.  Could be anything.  We now have a back up replacement pump.  Just for good measure.  All's well that ends well.

So because of the extreme cold, I have had a wonderful month in the studio.  And in the kitchen.  There's nothing like a good, old fashioned cold snap to bring out the baker in me.

Last January, in 2018, I started a sourdough starter.  Making bread with it has become a bit of a passion for me.  I just love the flavor and texture of this loaf.  The recipe I am using makes a really soft crust, perfect for Papa, as he prefers a soft crust.  This bread keeps well and stays soft where most of the yeast breads I have made over the years need to be used pretty quickly as they tend to dry out.  This one freezes beautifully as well, so it is a great product for us as we don't go through it that quickly.

We were planning a family dinner and I thought a rustic, traditional sourdough loaf might be in order.  Well, I found the most amazing YouTube video on just this.  The channel is "ilovecookingireland".  The baker had some great tips that I had no idea about!  I made up a couple of loaves and am extremely happy with them.  And Papa, who prefers a soft crust, had to admit that this one was pretty fine as well.  Win Win.

Rustic Sourdough Bread in the oven.  It rose up beautifully!

Rustic Sourdough Bread cooling.  The crust is actually darker than the picture shows.

Is there anything finer than fresh bread, butter and jam to have with your afternoon tea?

And the Studio news.  I have been busy making kids quilts as of late.  I am a little behind on a few, so I have used the cold snap as an excuse to get them done.  I love doing kids quilts as they tend to be quick and are always cheery and colorful.  I was also thrilled when putting the binding on one of them, that my almost empty bobbin got the job done.  How often does this happen?  I am usually about 3" too short!  Only a quilter would appreciate this.  Ha ha ha!

Boy's quilt with quilting mimicking the circles in the prints.

Can you believe it!?  This was what was left on the bobbin after finishing the binding!

And the past couple of days have found me snooping through my stash looking for inspiration.  I happened upon an Alphabet panel with some coordinating fabrics.  Cool!  I love embellishing panels with thread play.  It really kicks them up a notch. 

Several years ago, when I had my shop in town, we had a threaducator come out from Wonderfil Threads for one of our Demo Days to teach those who attended how to embellish with threads.  It was a great day and I, among those who attended, really took a lot away from it.  

You start with a panel or really any fabric print that you want to decorate, and press it well.  Cut an appropriate sized piece of medium weight interfacing to put underneath.  Bobbin weight thread in the bobbin, an embroidery needle in your machine - my favorite is Schmetz 90/14 Gold Embroidery, some fun threads in different weights and play with some of those fun stitches on your sewing machine.  I have a little Flower that I love to use and a French Knot, as well as a triple stitch.  The process is very therapeutic.  Very Zen and meditative.  And the end result is show stopping.  It is one of those processes that you don't want to be in a rush to do.  Just enjoy the process and the rhythm of your machine.

Thread Play on a Pre-Printed Panel.

Until next time, have a great day and Sew On & Sew On!

Regards,

Gremlynn 

  

The Truth About Papa

Greetings Earthings:

Hee hee!  I am in a funny mood today.  I think the extreme cold finally snapped my brain!  Thank goodness for the reprieve this week!  Mr Wilbur and I have managed several brain clearing, sanity making walks this week.  We even had the Little's out for a couple of days, which is always a lovely distraction for us two.  Nothing brings your house alive like 2 tweens ramping up the energy levels!

As a couple of sustainable living aficionados, one needs to have the desire to do as much as you can for yourself.  So, aside from canning, gardening, preserving, etc., one must pursue other means of self support to make you more of a producer and less a consumer.  

Papa has always had a love of gardening.  We began collecting seeds several years ago.  Every year he starts about 1000-1200 bedding plants - this is for our personal use only.  He loves to try new vegetables and instead of buying me flowers, he plants 100's and 100's of bulbs and seed starts, to bring our property alive during our growing season.  His love of gardening spills out throughout the entire property.  It is fabulous out here in the summer.  From brimming pots to flower beds, to his two vegetable gardens and greenhouse, his orchards and pond, it is like living in an oasis.

A picking from Papa's Garden.

One of the many pots and barrels he makes every year, all from his own started seeds and bulbs.

A glimpse of one of Papa's Gardens, about July 2018.

He also also loves making wine.  Like many wine makers, he started with the kits.  This was about 20 years ago.  The kits were OK, but he was unhappy with not being able to tweak them to make them more palatable for his own tastes.  So, several years ago, he began to pursue quite earnestly, his own home brews from the fruits grown on our property and fruit purchased in season.  Our orchard is still young, so his ability to produce entirely from our own produce is still a ways off yet.

One wine he really is interested in trying is true grape wines.  But grape vines are expensive to buy and take a long time to produce.  With this, he decided to try to propagate his own grape vines from his own stock already growing and producing on our property.  Earlier this winter, he did some research as to just how to do this.  After many days of searching YouTube videos, reading articles, and exploring search engines, he came upon a couple of methods he was interesting in trying.  Well, low and behold, we have Valiant Grape Vines growing in our house, ready to be transplanted out this Spring.  Yippee! 

Valiant Grape Vine propagated and doing well.

Papa's wine from the 2018 season:  Raspberry, Blueberry and a newly started Grapefruit in the small carboy.

Blueberries purchased at a market and our very own Raspberries in the Raspberry Wine.  Look at how clear they are!

Papa is also a very accomplished carpenter.  He has built many things over the years, from barns, to decks, to furniture, and even much of our home and all of the other construction on our property.  His most recent projects include a bridge for his pond in the lower garden and a set of wooden spoons for me.  He loves to make Seasonal yard decorations and is working on a spring series for this year.  Every year he adds more to his collection.  They add a touch of whimsy and are great conversation starters.

Christmas yard decorations.

Christmas train for our front gate.

Don's Bridge for his pond during the designing and construction stage.

Wooden spoons ready to try out.

He has no problem finding something to keep himself occupied.  Like me, he enjoys the Alberta Winters as a quiet time to pursue other interests.  Our yard and garden do take up our three seasons that are not winter, so it is nice to have some down time to do the things we both love doing.  And this includes enjoying a nice pot of coffee and some fresh baking, while we plot and scheme another gardening season.  

Freshly perked Coffee and . . .

baking while we contemplate future projects.

And that, is the Truth About Papa.

Enjoy your day and keep warm.

Until next time,

Gremlynn

The Deep Freeze Continues, Confetti and Beans

Happy Friday!

The Cold Snap continues here in Central Alberta, Canada.  Today is -25 C, with the snow beginning to fall again as I type.  It hasn't been a bad winter this year, save for these past couple weeks of wicked, bitter cold. 

Sincerely though, the cold is not a bad thing.  It helps to keep some of the summer pests at bay.  I heard on the news the other morning that the dreaded Pine Beetle, which has been boring its way to Alberta, may have had a 90% kill due to this long term cold snap.  From what I understand, the beetle lays its eggs just under the bark of the pine tree trunk and the larvae decimate the tree from the inside out.  By the time you realize you have the problem, it is too late.  The critters have been rapidly spreading throughout BC and have been aggressively making their way to Alberta.  This is all due to the mild winters these past few years.  They can easily survive -30 C, but not extended periods of it. This year, they may be taking a bit of a hit.  I sure do hope so.  It is the young and healthy trees they destroy, not the old and decaying ones.  If you would like more information, here's a link:  https://globalnews.ca/news/4952823/mountain-pine-beetle-cold-alberta/

Confetti on the Snow:

Another good thing about the cold, is I get to spend more time doing the things I love.  I started my Scrap Busting Project just at the end of December 2018.  With all the cold and snow, I actually got to finish the whole project by early February 2019.  That is pieced, quilted, bound and labelled.  I am very happy with the end result: 

Confetti on the Snow photographed at No Regrets Ranch/Prairie Points Quilters Studio property.

I was going out to check on the chickens and realized that although it was still -25 C, there was no wind and the sun was shining.  I took the opportunity to scout the property to find a suitable place to photograph the quilt, outside, in the snow and cold.  I felt it was appropriate since it is called Confetti on the Snow.  I love the high contrast in the photo.  

Beans:

I have been wanting to attempt pressure canned dry beans for a while.  After watching several YouTube videos and checking several recipes in my library, I decided to take the plunge last Sunday.  Too cold to go out.  A great day for another pressure canning project.  And having ready to use beans on hand is a thrilling option for me!  I know, I am a dork.

Since it was my first time canning them and there were so many options, I opted to try a couple of methods.   Pre-cooking the beans, though was not going to be one way I wanted to try.  Cooking them, then pressure canning the pints for 75 minutes, plus heat up and pressure down time, I felt they would be nothing but a jar of gooey mush.  Scratch that one.

The other two methods I researched included rinsing and soaking the beans over night and just putting rinsed, un-soaked beans into the jars.  Both methods require adding hot, boiled water to the required head space allowance and pressure canning for 75 minutes for pints.  Since the actual processing time was the same for both, the only difference would be to soak the beans overnight or to not soak at all.  I deduced that these two options would be the best trial for a maiden voyage bean processing.  

Now, what type of beans?  Should I attempt a "baked style" as well?  

In the pantry were Romano, Black Eyed, Navy and our very own home grown Kidney beans.  The canner will comfortably hold 16 pints, using both levels.  I'll do four jars of each type of bean.  Two soaked and two dry.  For the Romano, Black Eyes and Kidney, I will just add the water. For the Navy, I will add the ingredients of our favorite baked bean recipe and fill all the jars with water.

Dry beans added to jars.  Ingredients for Boston Baked Beans added to Navy bean jar.

Pre-soaked beans with boiled water added to 1" head space.

For the Boston Style Baked Beans, I added 2 tablespoons each of Brown Sugar and Maple Syrup, 1 tablespoon of dehydrated onion, 1/4 tsp pepper, 2 tablespoons of cured pork and 1/4 of a peeled and diced apple.  Like the other jars, these were filled to the 1" head space.

Into the canner they go.  Processing time, complete.  Cool down and depressurizing time complete.  Beans removed.  OMGosh!  These look beautiful!  

16 pints of pressure canned beans!

We opened one jar each of the dry canned and the pre-soaked beans.  I am sure glad I trusted my instinct and didn't pre-cook the beans!  The pre-soaked ones were mushy, but not horribly so.  Still, they were no comparison to the dry canned ones.  Flavor of each was superb!  We haven't tried the Boston Style yet, but I am confident that they will be amazing as well.  The Great Bean Experiment was a great success!

Thanks for stopping by.  Keep warm.

Until next time,

Gremlynn

The Deep Freeze Chronicles

Good Morning!

Is is cold in your world?  It has been danged cold here, in Central Alberta, Canada.  So cold, that the Beast is pacing and panting and standing by the door, because Gremlynn refuses to take him out for a walk.  Poor Wilbur!  He has to make do with tossing his ball in the air himself, then chase after it!  Gramma is only doing her chicken chores and shovelling what she has to.  Master Wilbur is only allowed out for a few minutes at a time, much to his dismay.  No outdoor shenanigans for us this week, Little Buddy! 

It is so cold that when we are out, we can hear the slightest sounds from far away that you normally would never hear on a any other day. And the snow squeaks!  This is a phenomenon that so many never get to experience, unless they happen to live in dry and cold climate such as ours.  And the Sky is extra blue!  It gets that way when it is super cold.  Such a beautiful high contrast.  The forecast is for this to continue over the weekend, then it should get back to bearable again and we can go for our daily walks.  Wilbur sure is missing them, as am I.

This was taken at about 10 a.m.  Papa reported that it was -39 C when he looked out at 7 a.m.  But, hey, the sun is shining and the mosquitoes aren't biting!

Might be a tad bit chilly in the chicken coop this morning!  Actually, this only happens when there is a temperature extreme from inside to outside - currently a 25 degrees Celsius difference.

No Chooks, I'm not opening it for you.  You won't go out anyways.  Actually, even at -39 C the coop was only -10 C.  Today at -25 C outside, it is actually +2 C inside.  The water wasn't even frozen this morning.  The coop is well insulated, well ventilated, one heat lamp and deep litter.  As long as they are dry and out of the wind, chickens don't seem bothered by the cold.  Good thing because they ARE NOT coming into the house!

So, exactly what does one do in the extreme cold when they need something to amuse them?  Me?  I hang out in the kitchen and my Studio, of course!

Since it is Citrus Season in warmer climes, I snagged some grapefruit and oranges and set about to make some marmalade.  It had been years, but suddenly I am craving some.  Perfect timing to make up a batch.  Of course I couldn't find my old recipe that I used to use, years ago.  After reading several versions from my vast cookbook collection, I decided to make up my own recipe.  I am happy to say it is delicious!  A bit stiff, so I won't cook it down so much the next time I make it.  But definitely a Do Over.  Production went as follows: 

I began by washing up 6 nice sized oranges and 3 ruby red grapefruit.

Then I zested the lot before peeling and dicing. I ended up with almost 8 cups of zest and cut up fruit.

Water and sugar added.  Let the simmering begin!

Netted 6 beautiful half pints of glorious Orange & Grapefruit Marmalade!

The recipe I developed for this batch.  Maybe check for jell after about 30 minutes.  Mine is a bit stiff, but delicious, none the less!

I even shared a jar with our Saturday Morning Coffee Dates for them to take home.  Papa is not a fan of the Marmalade, which leaves all the more for me!

Over the next few days I made up a batch of Dill Pickle Soup, baked up a batch of Sour Dough Bread and a batch of Chocolate Chip Cookies.  I'll share these recipes in a future blog posting.

Still too cold to go outside.  I went rummaging through the freezer looking for inspiration for supper on Monday, when I happened upon a bag of Chicken Backs and Necks.  We harvest our own chickens so of the birds we part out, we keep the backs and necks back, for soup stock to be made a later date.  It is a later date and darned cold outside.  This is a perfect time for soup stock to simmer.  Dug a little deeper and found a bag of "too big to eat" carrots and celery tops and tails.  I keep these for soup stock - not nice enough to eat as a veggie, but perfect for stock.

6 pm and I am hauling out the Rival Roaster when Papa asks rather nonchalantly, "What are you doing now?"  Chicken Soup Stock, was my reply.  After well over 35 years of marriage, not much fazes him any more.  So, frozen chicken backs went in, with the carrots, celery and a couple of onions I managed to scare up.  This all Roasted for about an hour at 350 F.  Papa then filled the roaster with water and threw in a dozen whole peppercorns.  It was then brought it to a boil. After boiling for a few minutes, the roaster was turned down to 200 F and left it to simmer over night.  The next morning after letting it cool down a bit, I strained it twice, then transferred the stock to a huge stock pot.  

Roaster full of steaming simmered delicious Chicken Stock, ready to be strained.

Since it was so blessedly cold, I put the whole shebang out onto the back deck, to let the fat rise to the top.  Once solidified, I could scoop it off, then proceed with the canning.  It's -30 C, this shouldn't take long.  I checked the contents an hour later.  Still hot. Spent some time in the studio loading a quilt onto the long arm. Waited a couple more hours before checking again.  Still warm.  Five hours later, figured surely it Had to be ready to remove the fat.  Nope.  What the heck is going on?  I left that stock pot, out in -30 C weather for well over 6 hours!  -30 degrees Celsius already!  There were sheets of ice forming in the stock and the fat was sort of forming on top, but still very loose.  When Papa got home, I complained that my fat had been outside all day and still wasn't hard.  His comment?  "That's what She said".  I'm living with a freaking comedian!  Sheesh

We discussed leaving it out over night, but we both knew I would be bringing in a 21 quart stock pot of frozen Chicken Stock-cicle, if I did.  At 7 pm I hauled the pot in, ladled out the top couple of inches of slushy stock and loose fat, reheated that and put the whole thing in the fridge until morning.  And low and behold!  In the morning, the fat had risen to the top AND had solidified.  If this isn't the derndest mystery ever!?  Go figure?!

This was yesterday. It is still freaking cold outside.  I proceeded to reheat the now clarified stock and get the pressure canner set up.  In the end, I ended up with 20 Beautiful pints of golden chicken stock.  It is delicious and was very much worth the effort.  

20 pints of clarified chicken stock fresh from the pressure canner.

And, of course, I have spent some time out in the studio between the baking, canning and cooking marathons.  I took some time to study my Scrap Busting Project quilt and decided that with its busy-ness, I needed to do a simple quilting.  

Loaded onto the long arm and quilting underway.  It is tentatively called "Confetti on the Snow" after a suggestion from Sherryll S.  I will make the final decision once it is finished and ready to be bound.

One of my rulers is a wave that actually fits within the 1 1/2" finished squares perfectly.  Wavy it is!  I chose a Signature Brand variegated blue/navy thread and a navy 100% cotton wide backing by Northcott.  The batting is Hobbs 80/20. (I carry all of these items for purchase in the Studio).  

The quilt was loaded the long way, so I can quilt from the top to the bottom but still going horizontally.  My wavy lines are centred between each "strip" and will travel up and down the quilt, like a spillway.  The waves will look like ripples in the snow after the wind blows.  Sherrill S. suggested that it looks like confetti on the snow.  I have to agree with her very much, so much that I am considering naming the quilt this.  I think it is a very suitable title for it - and the fact that I am going to get it finished during February 2019's week long plus cold snap, it becomes even more so!

Thanks for stopping by.

Enjoy your day and Keep Warm!  

Gremlynn