almost

 Spring is almost here. I can smell it and all the animals are starting to get stir crazy. The birds are chirping and singing outside the window again. I know I know, its only the first week of March, but can't a girl hope? 

first outline of garden

 The chicks have arrived at the feed store and the little farm has turned to mud. We started working on the garden, and even though March weather can be temperamental I hope to spend at least some time each day outside making our land ready for spring. 

Today was filled with lemon scones, homemade goats cheese and quick blueberry jam. I had a bunch of left over blueberries from my birthday, and what better way to eat them then poured hot over a fresh light as a feather scone filled with goat cheese? 

Easy Quick Jam

Blueberries
Lemon Zest

Heat berries and zest in a small pot covered with a lid until the berries are split and the juice is thick. Spoon over scones, pancakes, french toast, or just eat with a spoon.

Enjoy!
 

tuesday showers

rain/snow making the field green

blue sky skirt weather

   Spring has come, and around here that means wet, slushy snow followed by 70° weather. It's all part of the game, and today I'm just happy for the wet stuff falling from the sky. Wet stuff + sunshine = green. And oh how green it is becoming, with little green shoots coming up.

sweet pees pushing up

It all makes the fact that I have to find a new job that much more wonderful, and the fact that there are only eight and a half weeks left in the school year that much more bearable.

crumble

Breathe and then make Rye Crumble Bars.

wait for them to cool

cut

eat

enjoy

Take them outside and eat under the beautifully blooming tree.

Notice how lovely the little lettuce is.

And remember the world is a beautiful place.

pink

Breathe in...

green

street art

You may think that I am a little preoccupied by spring, but it really is a hard thing not to get caught up it. Everywhere you look there is a new green shoot, a new green bud and new flowers. After a long dark winter it is hard to quiet your heart. The birds are singing, the sun is shinning, and all you want to do is be in the garden. You can be walking down an ally and look up to see a wall painting of a tulip, anything is possible in spring.

sunshine flowers

The rule in this nick of the woods is not to plant anything until Saint Patrick’s Day, and in the rule of keeping with all things green we planted peas. Now all we have to do is wait.

daylight saving

new spring shoes

   Daylight savings means different things to different people. To me it means spring. Yes it messes with the internal clock, and yes I have to get up for work an hour earlier but that’s okay because it’s going to be SPRING! That is after March and her temperamental weather...  It is starting to feel and smell like spring. Little flowers are poking up everywhere and the birds are singing.

   After a long, dark, grey winter spring is a time to clean out the old and make room for the new. Like new shoes or nail polish or a beautiful spice rack that was made by hand. 

   Next weekend we will start our seeds inside, our sweet snap peas outside and hope that there will be some good rains and no late frost. Here's to hopping...

  

sunshine

spring gnome

Spring is in the air, and I know I am not the only one that eager for her arrival. The birds have started singing again, the snow is melting and it is full-fledged mud season. It was warm enough that we spent all of yesterday outside working in the garden. Our fingers were itching to start planting, a cruel trick February always plays, so instead we made plans, moved compost and laughed as the cat tried to maneuver with out getting her paws muddy.

seed babies

I have been needle felting and sewing little characters for my nature garden at school, and despite trying to make a king winter I ended up with five spring gnomes, lady spring and seed babies. Once I start making little creatures it is hard for me to stop. Now if I could only figure out how to make a living creating little creatures , baking sweets and gardening…

lady spring

spring

It seems the whole world is ready for spring. With out fail the end of February has everyone itching for greener, warmer days. I try not to get my hopes up, as February can be particularly cruel, but then nestled in the corner I find these little guys. We planted and forgot about them until today. The first true sign of spring. It is only fitting that wool scarfs are being traded for lighter wraps and the sky seems just a little more blue. It is a time to make plans and to look forward to new beginnings.

It also just happens to almost be my birthday. My mom, being the amazing lady that she is came bearing gifts. How amazing is this bottle carrier? I can't wait to make lemonade and go on picnics!

Soup time

This has been one of the coldest springs that I can remember. There is a snow warning for today. Don't get me wrong, we need all the moisture that we can get, I could just do without the snow. My strawberry plants are blooming and have little green fruits, the cherry tree is in full bloom, the raspberries are about to bloom, the lilacs however love the cold weather. All this and it is supposed to snow. I guess I will have to wait longer then the May 15th freeze date to put my plants out.

One of my favorite springtime comfort food is potato leek soup. I like to eat it hot with croutons and a tossed spring green salad on the side. Here is my Vegan version.

Potato Leek Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 large leek, quartered lengthwise, washed and chopped
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
1 quart vegetable broth
1 cup water
4 fists sized red potatoes, cubed
1 bay leaf
1 cup rice milk (you can use low fat milk instead)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and onion. Cook and stir until the vegetables are softened but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add the broth, water, potatoes and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Add the rice milk and remove from heat.

Strawberries!

With spring comes strawberries. Sweet, delicious, tender, melt in your mouth little gems. I just got a new ice cream maker and I thought how wonderful it would be to have fresh strawberry ice cream, or berries for breakfast, or lunch, or dessert, or just as a snack…

Because I am growing my veggie garden in pots this year I thought that I would try strawberries in pots as well. After spending the better part of a day driving around town looking for the perfect strawberry pot (3 hours later looking for any strawberry pot) I was leafing through my new favorite book and discovered something brilliant, hanging baskets of strawberries!

Here is what you will need if you are going to do this:
1. A hanging basket, it is a good idea to line this with a porous material, like coconut fiber- I used two 12 inch baskets.
2. Good dirt mixed with some sand and bonemeal- I used old coffee grinds and tea.
3. Water polymer crystals- these amazing little crystals keep the dirt from drying out too fast.
4. Four or five strawberry starters per basket.
5. Some straw for mulching.

Fill pot 3/4 of the way with dirt. Mix in polymer crystals. Carefully place in plants, fan out roots. Add dirt until the roots are covered but dirt is not over new leaf shoots. Leave about one inch of basket edge at the top. Carefully add straw around plants. Water the little plants well. Strawberries like sun and a little shade, but check them to make sure they don’t dry out. Once in a while, every 10-14 days, give them a little tomato food to keep them extra delighted.
I planted two little extra pots with one plant each to give away as gifts.
Happy planting!