Friday Favorite: Stabilicers
This winter there has been a ton of ice and even though we’re getting down to the last of it, I’m still using my Stabilicers. These things are handy, I can head back from the chicken coop on the icy path without worry of falling and throwing a dozen eggs into the air.
I especially like these because you can slip them on and off easily as needed. It’s nice to be able to wear them out if needed, but take them off quickly if you go to someone’s house.
As much as I like these, it’s about time to retire them. I was wearing them yesterday and they got sucked off by the mud in front of the garage, the ice is finally giving way to mud.
Do you have any great winter products you find invaluable for dealing with the weather?
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Cottage Pie
Yesterday, I made cottage pie. It’s a humble meal, one that can be adapted to whatever you have left in the root cellar and freezer. It could easily be made vegetarian or with any kind of ground meat you have on hand. Choose your spices according to the meat and vegetables. I don’t use a recipe, but if you want one this one is good. I always double the vegetables because it’s a good way to eat more of those in a meal!
Since we have an abundance of pork, that was the source of meat I decided to use. I used sage breakfast sausage, because the spices already mixed in sounded wonderful! There were onions, garlic and potatoes in the root cellar and I also had garden peas and sweet corn in the freezer.
To the mashed potatoes I added homemade butter and fresh cream from the local farm, along with a healthy dose of Kerrygold Dubliner Irish Cheddar Cheese, and of course you can’t forget the freshly ground salt and pepper.
Instead of adding flour as many recipes call for to thicken the juices, I added a cooked and mashed potato to the vegetables and meat.
After putting the meat and vegetables in a cast iron skillet, mashed potatoes are slathered on top. Then it’s baked in the oven for about 30 minutes and turns out quite lovely.
What I love about recipes like these is that they’re so easy and they can be adapted to whatever you have on hand or whatever your family likes. You could easily make a Thanksgiving themed one with ground turkey, green beans, sage and mashed sweet potatoes on top. Or how about a spicy one with ground beef, taco seasoning, tomatoes, onions, peppers, corn and mashed potatoes with monterey jack cheese on top. Of course vegetarian is always an option, any mix of vegetables would work with your favorite spices mixed in. The possibilities are endless!
If you were making Cottage Pie – what mix of ingredients would be your favorite?
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5×5 Garden: Keep Learning
One of the most important parts of gardening is to be observant and to never stop learning. You should never allow your gardening knowledge to stagnate, things should never be done exactly the same way year after year. You should be trying new things, with failures and successes. Ultimately, gardening isn’t really about plants, it’s about you and what you gain through the experience. So what are some great places to learn?
One of the best ways is to chat with other gardeners, they can be a wealth of information. I haven’t met a gardener yet that hasn’t been willing to talk about gardening.
Reading is also a fantastic resource, the library will be you friend and help save you a pretty penny. I read just about any kind of book about gardening, from garden design to growing vegetables, you can learn something from just about every book.
Workshops and classes can be a fantastic resource. Lots of local libraries and garden clubs have workshops throughout the winter. Check your local University extension for workshops and classes as well, they can be fantastic resources.
I have been lucky to be able to learn from all these ways, one isn’t any better than the other, they’ve all been tools that have helped me become a better gardener. Of course I should also mention that blogs are great ways to learn – especially since you’re here learning about gardening!
What’s your favorite way to learn more about gardening?
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ENJOY
“Let not our longing slay the appetite of our living.”
― Jim Elliot from The Journals of Jim Elliot
I was thinking about this quote as I bundled up on Sunday morning. It was 3 degrees when I went out to feed the chickens and ducks. I love a good brisk morning, the cold air invigorates me and gives me energy. This time of year I have to be careful not to start hoping for spring and wish away the last precious days of winter. I’m trying to soak up the last weeks of winter while they’re here. Tara is great at this, she LOVES winter and the snow. Every evening we take her on a walk through the woods, when we reach the back field she gets all crazy getting rid of the last of her energy. Such sheer joy playing in the snow, she’ll really miss it when it’s gone!
We need to learn from Tara to embrace what we have for what it is! I’ll be enjoying the dripping maple sap, the slushy snow underfoot, the cold air in my lungs, the comfort of knee high wool socks and shearling lined boots and the joy the dogs have for the snow!
What are you enjoying about this particular moment?
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Sunrise/Sunset
Even though we’re self employed, we still have patterns to our lives. We have tried to develop a bit of a routine, not only for ourselves, but for our animals. Every morning, Lucy and I go on a walk. These days it’s been me with both dogs making a round of the back field.
In the evening, Tara gets a nice long walk on a trail that sets a big perimeter down in front of the house and the chicken coop. It comes up back behind the main garden in the back and ends up in the field that the dogs and I walk in the morning.
With these two walks, we get a good perimeter walk every single day. It helps keep the predators away and it gives both the dogs and me some exercise. A walk in the morning and one in the evening is also a great way to start and end my day, bookends that help bring a little bit of order to our sometimes unordered life.
Do you have any routines you keep to bring a sense of order to your life?
