"wild foods & wine" Mulberry part 2- pie/cobbler with a cream cheese pie crust

I am not sure what makes a cobbler a cobbler and a pie a pie so I came up with a name for this since I made the recipe. (a very bad pic- but you can see why its named...)

"Mulberry Celestial"

For the crust:
3 1/2 to 4 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 12 ounces cream cheese
4 ounces cold stick butter or stick margarine 2 tablespoons cold water (more or less)

HOW: Mix the flour and baking powder together. Using a grater, grate in the stick of butter/margarine. Cut it into the flour mix. Now cut in the cream cheese. using your fingers crumble the mix real good together. Now add the cold water. It should not be too wet or too dry. Think pie crust here. Shape into 1 small mediuim ball and 1 large ball. Place in the fridge for 1 hour. In a deep yet narrow dish ( like mine...) lightly sprinkle a touch of sugar then spread large dough ball into bottom and on sides of the dish. Using your hands, "roll out" the small ball to 1/2" thick and use cookie cutters to cut out shapes of sun moon and stars. These will be placed as a top like some cobblers have.

For the filling:
Around 3- 3 1/2 cups of mulberries- rinsed and de-stemmed. 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 tspn. cinnamon 1/2 tablespoon milk 1 tablespoon cinnamon sugar mix

HOW: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Fold the mulberries and suagr together. Add the grated lemon peel and cinnamon. Fold well again. Pour into prepared dish with crust. Top with dough cut outs. Bake in oven (times may vary depending on your oven!) 30 minutes till lightly golden. Remove and brush with milk then sprinkle on cinnamon/sugar mix. bake additional 5-10 till nice & golden brown. Serve hot from the oven with all Natural Vanilla yogurt as we did or a choice of vanilla icecream & whipped cream. A tall glass of milk goes well too!

Next is :Mulberry Mead!

" wild foods and Wine challenge"- Mulberries edition

Break out those ice cream makers folks!

We tried this recipe tonight & it was so good! Perfect for this humid summer heat in Ohio.
Mulberry Ice cream ("borrowed" from Fiery foods)

1 cup half and half 1 cup whipping cream 4 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar( "to taste" depending on berry sweetness)
2 cups mashed & pureed mulberries- be sure to pick off the stems!
In a saucepan heat the half and half being sure not to boil it. In a bowl whisk together the whipping cream and the egg yolks. SLOWLY pour the heated half and half into the egg mixture and whisk mix till smooth. Return it to the saucepan and add the sugar cooking over medium heat and stirring continuosly till mix coats the back of the spoon- about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool in fridge for 30 minutes.
Now add your mulberry puree and mix well. Now process this in your icecream maker per manufacturers instructions. 4-6 servings for normal people...
So yummy! and the kids had purple tongues which sent them into bursts of giggles. Enjoy!

NEXT recipe* Mulberry cobbler & Mulberry Mead!
~Tammie
The unusually unusual farmchick

Pinch me so I know it's real!

You should be able to click on the pics for bigger size views, if I did this right.. Pics 1 & 2 follow of the land we explored......
**some pictures removed**
Today was the day we traveled down to the land for sale I spoke of before. It is set between 2 country roads seperated by woods & a stream. This first & 2nd pic is the house & 5 acres parcel. We do not want this parcel (House too small for the family). See the woods far back in the first pic? That is how far back the land goes & past it is more farm land. I haven't lost ya yet right?



Well, after walking through all the high"yellow" grass & what seemed to be a field of corn that was never Harvested, We arrived at the woods.

Wow! I realy was not expecting it to look like this! We felt like we were walking in wooded trails you find in a park!

We came upon what looked like a bridge, but there was no road to be found! A mystery I will be asking the seller about. So intriguing.
*update* it turns out this use to be an old township road that was abandoned long ago. It is just past the property line so belongs to the neighbor.*



We had to cross the river to get to the second half of the farm land. Before we crossed, Panda & I saw a deer just ahead of us! I realy thought my eyes were deceiving me, but we saw it turn and hop away. She had that wonderful child's look of joy when they see such wonderful things for the first time. I felt so comfortable here and the children were laughing & just enjoying the stream & our walk.



Here is a look at where we had to cross over. That's Panda, her daddy, & "dawg". He demanded he was coming with us today & refused to budge from the car.So we let him tag along but warned if he got lost in the high grass, it would be his own fault for not staying home. Needless to say, Hubby ended carrying him since it was taller then lil'man.







This is a look down the stream by where we crossed and saw the deer.....







Oh, and I just could not leave till I got a shot of the old outhouse! It stood directly behind the garage with just 3 feet of space between its door & the back wall. Would that be a magazine rack I see?

We talked the entire way home about how great it turned out to be! The streamis the land separator. That would be the back property line right there. I am so so so so very happy with the place. I can see our house here and watching our children grow up playing on this stream! Well, I am going to call the guy in the morning to get some questions answered and see what would go with the land and what goes with our "crossing creek". Giddy giddy so very giddy......
~Tammie
The unusually unsual farmchick

goat shampoo that deters flys?

(A look at How big Panda's garden has grown.)





All the animals(non feathered) got baths today. Dogs & goats! Cleopatra , my dear sweet Cleo, has shown a little bit of dandruff/skin irritation along her spine. I wanted to make sure I used something gentle & soothing that would not further irritate her skin (& not attract bugs). I found a sample bottle of aquaphor(*click for link*) in the cabinet
& mixed in 6 small drops of Lavender essential oil. I shook it up & washed her down, massage it in her skin and hair real well. I went to school for massage therapy so it has become a habit to give full body massage's to the animals when I am bathing them or putting lotion on the kids... Well needless to say they enjoy it and do not protest. After rinsing her, I then sprayed her down with a mixture of 3 cups white vinegar & 8 drops each of lavender& lemongrass essential oil. I then put her on the dog run line so she can lay in the sun while I washed the Buck... yeah what a joy that was. I never bathed him during the winter so he must of "forgot" how I do not like to be stepped on or head butted while yielding a hose and soap... Well after that fun I also sprayed him down with the vinegar mixture paying extra attention to legs and spraying it on my hands to rub onto his ears & face. It will burn if it gets in their eyes!Besides, he does not like the smell & would turn away from the spray- but never a hand petting him. He too was put on a line to dry in the sun while munching on all the cottonwood flowers that have fallen in the yard. Their pen is being cleaned/raked so I did not want to put them back in there wet. So now they are grazing & I have yet to see a bug on or near them! Their coats are so soft and shiny! I am real happy with the results of that soap & E.O mix. I read from a forum to spray white vinegar on them for the flies so I added more umph! to it. Just thought I would share in case someone has goats who are bothered by the flies & prefer a more gentle approach then sprays with chemicals. I had the E.O's on hand from school so thats why they were used. If you do try what I did, let me know if it works for you too- or if it did not..
~Tammie

Why me? & I'm so excited...

Of course some of you know we had a problem with zoning due to an anonomous complaint call & had to move the chicken coop & pen. (100 ft away from property lines & 60 feet away from roadside) So of course being upset that I had to move my fences -again- I put the whole thing road side- 60 feet exactly- right up front so everyone who drives by has to stare at it- well that and the big neon sunshine with smiley face above the neon yellow peace symbol I put under it...Yes, This farmchick does "revenge" in creative unharming ways. I actualy like it up there beneath the apple tree. But it has created a problem when it rains. Have a look at the pen floor. Muddy as can be. Apparently this spot is at an angle that funnels water from the hill to run from the end they are standing to flow right under the coop which has become like a little pond underneath... I carted 3 wheelbarrows worth of dirt from the top of the hill to try flattening the area where it dips a bit. The rain poured 2 hours after I finished & swept away my few hours of labor. So now I am trying to turn on the carpentry/plumbing brainstorm to come up with a way to deter the water route into the road ditch- spending little to no money & using what pipe I have. I am sure if I start concentrating it will swoosh in the way all my other ideas do. I just need to relax & yoga! Maybe tonights dream will help.
oh dont worry, I put them in the pen during most of the day but let them out a few hours before sundown to free range. I had to start penning them because they ran all over the place, across roads, into other yards, into other gardens & even their garage's... So now they get a few hours of freedom later in the day till the sun going down forces them back into their coop.

In the late morning after a bad thunder storm the other night, I found this on the ground beneath the pine tree. So much hard work was put into it by a pair of expectant birds. I noticed a robin flying around with straw and other various nest supply so I wonder if it was her nest that I found. I did not see any babies or eggs around so I brought the nest up onto the porch to dry & preserve it. I have put it into a ziploc to kill off any bugs. I hope it stays together well enough that I may incorporate it as a decoration. I thought it was a pretty cool find & wanted to share it with you. I may just ask Panda if we could put her blue bird egg in it. While out & about I noticed how well the pinto beans have sprouted. How did they get there? Well, one day I put pinto's on the counter to soak overnight in a bowl of water. I forgot about them and they sprouted in just 2 days. I Threw them out onto the compost pile and now look at them! I guess I will have pinto beans for drying this year. I do love refried beans. I let the kids take the compost can up there to dump and they have been throwing the stuff off to the sides so as not to kill the beans off. I had just emptied the can when I ran back to the house to get the camera for this pic. Please excuse the unburied scraps... This does not even get direct sunlight for more then a few hours so I was surprised they grew!
I am also getting giddy over some land. I found 5 acres that has a river stream through it on the back of the property & also has a gas line that connects to the gas well on the property next door. The old farmhouse on that lot gets free gas so I wonder & will have to ask if we do too or whats the deal. Those were 2 of the top must haves for property & this place has it! I am also allowed farm animals except no swine( I did not want them anyway) and poultry is to be kept to a max of 12. He said it was something in the deed about the effects on the groundwater.. I do not understand the chicken part so if you understand please explain it to me. This is not a deveolpment, just an old farm split up into 5 or 7 acre spots. We would have woods, a river stream, the gas line, and still be only 35 minutes away from hubby's work. This would place us about 25 minutes from his friends & family. The cost is $35,900! That is cheap for 5 acres in the country. It is not close to a city & is all country-PERFECT! It is not in the same school district . We would not be able to do open enrollment since they do not border each other. I am next going to check out the "ohio schools report card" website to get more info on the ratings for that school district.
I also found a local lumber yard company (CarterLumber.com) that sells pro pkgs. of homes. We would buy a whole house package (evertything except stuff like paint) and pay a construction company to build it for us. add it to the land & it is less then the home we fell in love years ago- without land! We would have what we dreamed of for under $***,*** total!
Its raining so I best check on the goats hay supply. They usually graze during the day but days like this I give them hay to eat with their daily grain. Have a great weekend & I will share all about our trip to view the land on Sunday.
~Tammie

A peek into the freezer & rose adventures

oy vey! That was some hard work! I stalked.. I mean tracked down the owner of that property & despite our language barrier, he gave permission to dig up some. I think he thought I was rather odd. He did not understand why I wanted to get some of the rose bush's. He bought up both corners at the cross section where the houses were tore down & the feeling I got from him was they would be eventualy developed. You know what I'm thinking right? MIDNIGHT DIGGING PARTY!! O.k maybe I will not go back under the full moon's light, shovel in hand, bugspray slathered & a pile of buckets ready for filling, but I will be making a trip back possibly next month.This is just 2 of the 6. I put them up front where my hens attacked the lettuce bed- along with some hard rain. I put crushed eggsshells around the stems and buried a banana's peel under them.
We picked sugar snap peas from Hilgerts. We filled a 5 gallon bucket of these sweet veggies. As you can see lil' man kept sneaking some while I was cleaning them up for the freezer. I forgot to turn on the deep freezer so they had to go in my main freezer.
Not much room left in there so I best get that basement deep freezer going today! That is 12 quart size bags in there of Sugar snaps. You know you wanted to see in the farmchick freezer- dont laugh... We decided not to do peas this year. We would just get those from the store as needed since we seem to have downed the intake of them. The freezer stash is not to be used at all untill fall/winter. I will be doing this with corn on the cob & loose corn, Broccoli, carrots, other various green beans, & many more freezable veggies for the fall/winter use. Lots of tomato sauce will be made. I got enough jars to have sauce twice a week for 6 months. I make a sweet banana pepper tomato sauce that is so yummy. This is the sauce I 'll give as hostess gifts along with gourmet pasta & pesto's. Of course variety is good so not all with be with the peppers. I would like to find a local source for mushrooms. Well that just gave me something else to doodle on here looking for- GREAT!.. sarcasticly...
I hope everyone had an enjoyable Summer Solstice. We decided since the rain poured for 2 days we will celebrate this weekend when it is dry. I am so addicted to doing yoga outside... I cannot wait till I get my greenhouse. You know where to find me... I plan to set up a hammock & a nice size grass patch to have picnics with the kids & do my yoga. Dont laugh I never said it would definatley work. I just said that was my plan. I "plan" to make it into a winter escape for me. I realy do not enjoy being cold. I do better in the heat. Sorry I trail off subjects alot..
~Tammie
The unusually unsual farmchick

Goat dairy? & that calendula salve recipe

Yes, I have finally settled on it. I have discussed it with my husband & he thinks it would be great too. We are talking about a man who is very logical in his ways. He was attending college to be an accountant but switched majors to be in Logistics managment. He comes from a long line of logical, sensible, very smart people. I account that to why panda has been "flagged" as a gifted Math child. a score in the iowa test of 95 or higher they consider gifted. She got a 98... I know she did not get that from me! I am very proud of her. But those are a whole different topic in itself!
Back to my dairy goats. Hubby has agreed that I can have a goat dairy farm. He said do your reasearch(which I am very good info finder & he brags it to everyone!) & find the grants & loans that we can apply for. As long as it wold not be a huge take on finances or add too much extra $$ to buying land & building our new house,the barn & the greenhouse (Which all of that is what we planned on building anyway so its just the "accomadations" for the dairy aspect) I can have it! I of course want to grow culinary herbs , garlic, & sunflowers...
So now I am doing my homework, getting numbers for HIM to crunch (lol), and making phone calls to find a USDA mentor for it all.
The focus is goat milk & cheese making for my area of Ohio. I have the market for it here. I have the public relations aspect down. I am not a pro with goats but everyone starts somewhere. I read up on this stuff whenever I can get my hands on it. I have read about the positives & the negatives. I just want a small dairy. Never more than 50 in the herd. I want it to be that I put out a product that the public here needs but also keep loving what I do. A high quality product at that. I want the herbs to come from my fields/greenhouse that go into the cheese. I want local fruit to go into my yogurts. It can be done & I will succeed despite what others say. Goats milk is becoming popular in the U.S despite people growing up here on cows milk. Free samples & public relation aspects can change minds too. I am not jumping in here. I will go slow. 10 year plan here too. Start small. Sell locally in the health food stores, the flea market & right from my farm. Panda will be able to help in a few years too. I have brothers that would help too- that is if I can convince them to move back here from Florida as I did...
So now I have been online alot getting ideas and how to's along with the how much's.
I have been kicking this around for a long time now. At first it was just the growing of Garlic, sunflowers & culinary herbs. But I realy want to get into the goat dairy aspect too. I want to have fields of sunflowers surrounding the property! Panda said we should call it "Luna Gardens & dairy". I thought that was pretty smart for a 7 year old!

Well here is the calendula salve I wrote from another blog so we can save it for when they bloom.
Calendula Salve & infusion oil
(taken from Country Gardens Magazine)
1/2 cup shea butter or 1/4 cup beeswax
1 cup calendula infused oil (*see below for recipe)
(3) four ounce wide mouth jars
Place either the shea butter or beeswax in a glass measuring cup & microwave or use a double boiler system to melt. Add this to the infused oil, stir to blend. Pour into sterilized containers.Cover with lids.Allow to solidify overnight before using or sharing with others.

*Infused oil recipe*
8 ounce glass jar
1 cup fresh calendula petals
1 cup olive oil or almond oil
in jar, combine the petals & oil. set out on a sunny windowsill & allow to steep for one week. Strain petals from the oil and try to extract as much from the petals as possible.Pour oil back into jar. Refrigerate the infused oil & use within one month.

This salve is great for dry skin, rash's & diaper rash, chapped skin, gardeners hands, workers hands, exzema, psorisis & so much more.Enjoy!!
~Tammie
The unusuaully unusual farmchick

Free heirloom roses & useful egg holders

What a find!
I almost wrecked taking a double look. You know the kind I am talking about.. Roses. Beautiful large pink heirloom cabbage style roses. I could smell them before I saw them. They line the road where a house use to be about 4 months ago. One day the house & barn disappeared without a trace. No realy it did. I drive by on Monday past the house & old small barn. Wednesday, it was gone & the ground where it once stood was leveled. Amazing.
Well the roses form a hedge up on a hill side. I am calling to find out who owns the property now since it is most likely a developer, so I can plead for this antique rose variety. I just have to get me part of that rose bush. Of course that did not stop me from pulling over & plucking a big strawberrybox full of flowers & a pail of petals.... Panda & I rushed home to soak them in water. Some bugs were left but I strained it all before putting in the fridge. I have 2 cups of petals sitting on my windowsill soaking on Vodka for linen spray , petals in a stock pot sitting on the stove soaking in water & some in a ceramic dish freshly strained of petals for jelly making tonight. The house smells so sweet & fresh right now.
While out & about buying up more jars.... I came across a clearence rack & found these egg holders. 2 in a pack for 50 cents so I got 6. I do not eat eggs like this but am using them for something better. The kids like to gather eggs everyday. Right now we get maybe 2 a day (ditzy chick-brown & dr. Seuss light blue). To prevent eggs from being misplaced or rolling off the counter, these now line my counter by the toaster for them to place their finds. That way, I can rinse them in the evening & safely place in the egg carton. Once the chicks start laying I know the counter will have eggs everywhere, so this was a good thing.

My tomatoes are doing the lean now. I sawed limbs so I can make a box arch to "trellis" them up. I was greatly in awe & love the bean arch posted on "Pile O'melay's".
Wow! This is also a daily read for me. Tabitha is such organic beauty, you find yourself enveloped into their life like you would when reading a great book. They give a panaramic view of their garden each week so check it out & see the bean arch I spoke of from the begining to present. A good read indeed. Off now, It's time to open the windows & sleep with the fresh night air...

~The unusually unusual farmchick
Tammie

Panda's garden is starting to take shape

Here it is back in May just after I finished putting it all together for her.




And here it is this very morning....

I hope to acquire a child size wrought iron set from my inlaws for Panda to use in the sunflower house. It is rusting away behind their shed, so I hope to borrow it & put it to use.

As you can see, visits with the "ladies" are being held already. The sunflowers planted behind her & on the east side should reach 8 feet tall. The west side has Medium height sunflowers that should be about 5 ft tall. This way she still has "walls but I can still see in from the house...On both sides of her "still unhinged" gate are dwarf sunflowers and some colorful zinnias. It promises a beautiful site once in bloom. She has a gravel walkway that has a small cottage garden (on the side I am standing to take the above picture) for her to tend. The sunflower hedge is the first few rows that will not be higher then 3 feet, then she has a row of blue lake green beans, a row of french roland filet bgreen beans and then some Italian lettuce's. No chemicals/ sprays used here or anywhere on my property- the only exception is "Pyola" that I bought from Gardens Alive! for the apple tree and that is vegetable based.. Munching fresh from the garden is highly enjoyed and encouraged here. The hens of course help themselves already...
It promises to be a beautiful day with a high of 90 so I best make sure all the critters have fresh water every 4-5 hours. I have noticed on hot days they like the freshly given water since it is cool to drink. i do add ice cubes on realy hot days, but I save that for mid day.
~Tammie

Rose petal jelly- "Summer of wild foods & wine challenge."

This is a basic recipe I use every year for my *Rose jelly*(click). I do not use liquid pectin. I never even tried. I use powdered in the box. After putting all that hard work in collecting those petals & snipping the pith, I do not like to chance it not turning out. It is so very easy to make this jelly & the taste is amazing. I find that it "teases my tastebuds of light & delicate apple/ strawberry "notes". This is one jelly that if you have never enjoyed jam on your muffins or toast then this may change your mind. I eat it on peanut butter sandwhichs too... If you are unable to locate fresh & chemical free rose petals, then I found a recipe using rose water. I have not tried it, but being on "martha Stewart's" website means it is tested & approved.So *click* to get there
I have have been asked if the different roses & colors give the same taste/results. I have found that wild roses are just the same as from your garden. If the rose does not have a strong scent & is similar to florist bought breeds, the jelly seems to not be as aromatic & I cannot pinpoint it but the taste seems to be not as strong compared to the "cabbage roses". There is a definate difference in color when using pinks, reds, crimson, etc. The lighter the petal, the lighter the final color. It will change a few times while making your jelly, but once it starts to cool down, the true color comes out. I have also experimented with using using the no sugar added pectin powder. I have found that using less sugar is a nice option when you are trying to make it sparse in the diet. I would not personaly do away totaly with the sugar, but you can reduce it. I have gone as low as 2 cups & have been using that amount with the last few seasons of Rose petal jelly. I like it less sweet & more "rosey".
Stay tuned for an easy recipe for Mulberry mead & cobbler` well as soon as they fully ripen here..
~Tammie {Farmchick}

"Summer of wild foods & Wine challenge"

We picked 12 pounds of strawberries from Hilgerts farm today.I love that place & consider it an extension of my own garden..Paying 35 cents a pound for beans you freshly pick with the kids compared to $1-$2 a pound from a store where who knows when or where they came from. & they are not sprayed.. you decide for yourself, but whatever I cannot grow or care to grow, I just go to their farm & support them.
7 pounds of those strawberries were de~stemmed & mashed in a crock for "the Summer of wild foods & Wine challenge" I have started over at my other blog.
Yes I mention it alot but thats my main blog. I will have to put a link off to the side here somewhere. Anyway, we started with Violet jelly, then Dandelion wine which was very easy & now are onto Rose petal jelly & Strawberry wine. Some places do not have strawberries ready yet, so will jump in with their progress as fruits come into their season. Here is a link to the recipe if you would like to join in. Dont be shy or intimidated. This was so easy & I just asked around for friends to save their wine bottles for me so the only expense has been fruit, sugar & corks. *( I have been saving hubbies beer green color beer bottles so I can use them for single servings & Mead. Its nice when you just want a little but do not want an entire bottle or be wasteful. Just treat these as mini wine bottles!)* I use a crockpot ceramic insert for my "crock" in the recipe since I will not be needing that anytime soon... instead of an "airlock" we use balloons on the bottle tops. What you do is place the balloon over the bottle opening to form a barrier of anything getting in but can still "release its "gases".** A great tip* The balloon will inflate with the gas from fermenting & after it fills, you wait for it to deflate & stay deflated for a few days- experience talking here- then it is safe to cork.I have released gases out of a filled ballon on my own when it filled up alot with no negative side effects. This great Idea came from a blogging friend of mine "Heb". She inquired of her father's help who in turn gave her this great solution.** Thank you Heb!
We will be doing apple wine & posibly blackberry wine too. What a great hostess gift or in the dreary winter to open a cheery bottle of fruity wine that will stir memories of green fields, butterflies, fragrant flowers & the sun kissing your cheeks. All because YOU made it & the memories. Dont forget to leave a comment & your blog site if you will be joining us on the challenge so we can share in your progress & discovery.
~Tammie {farmchick}

The greatest sign yet...

I have seen many signs put out front of a church, but this one is the GREATEST by far!
Not a fan of religion, but had to share this. all that land that sits empty & unused being made into something that helps teach & feed others in the community is the best thing they can do instead of just handing out food to those in need. I interviewed the pastor since this sign & the site of newly tilled soil made my heart race with happiness. There are 30 plots in the size of 25x50 feet & almost every year, all plots are used. The site of this gift of a garden, is located behind the parking lot of the church. Not all gardeners of this land are members of their church or even the religion. They are fellow members of the community, working side by side with one goal in mind. Eat the fruits of their labor. What a great community project to put out there. This use to be the site of a mens gardening cl;ub, but they moved onto a new location which left the plot barren & untouched except by the blade of a mower stopping by once in awhile. Now, it is loved & cared for by many people who enjoy getting dirt under their nails.
~Tammie {farmchick}

berry & wild rose hunting....

Today is my 31st birthday...sigh... It came so quick & I just can not be like most women or moms who are my age. I enjoy so much more of simpler pleasures in my life now, where others have conformed to a "yuppy-ness". -They look at my simple pleasures with negativity and make jokes like " I made some cat tar tar today". Not funny you conformist Jerk!-
So in celebration of my birth 31 years ago, my husband & children will accompany me on a trip to Quail Hollow state park for some berry & wild rose hunting. I am sure berries are not to be found, but the bush's can be found & the time for picking them will be estimated by what stage they are in. Wild roses will be plucked of their petals to come home to my kitchen & made into some wonderful & delicious jelly. They give a delicate taste that is similar between apples & strawberries in my opinion. I will be making 2 batch's this year. One for Panda & I, one for gifts throughout the year. I have already gone through half a batch of Wild Violet jelly, & will not be giving out anymore which is the reason for making 2 batch's of rose petal jelly.

~Tammie {farmchick}

The first post of many...

About me: I currently reside in Northeastern Ohio- south of Cleveland. We own an old split level ranch home that has become too small for our family which means in a few years the front yard will be adorned with a "For Sale" sign. So until a bigger house & the farm property is acquired, I will play farmer on my 1 & 1/4 acres all the while pinching pennies.
I am mother to 3 children-"Panda" age 7, Mace or "lil man" age 3, and the babe "frog". .
My husband does not play Farmer with me but on occasion is one of my farmhands. He tends to the bonfires on weekends and works hard all week at his stressful job as a (removed). He indulges my "unusualness" and just shakes his head with a smile. I keep things interesting around here to say the least.
I am described as unusual, sometimes abrasive, loving, giving, a riot, and a surprise by those who know me- yes I did ask them to describe me... So grab a cup of coffee or tea or whatever you happen to want at the moment & sit right back while I share with you my life & adventures from the Unusually unusual farmchick...
~Tammie