Last Giveaway of 2009 & a new post series for 2010

This will be the last of our giveaways for awhile. I will hopefully start up again with more wonderful items in the Spring.

This cold weather has me reminiscing of old Family moments. This Giveaway is in thanks to those memories of a loved one who would make Biscuits for dinner and drizzle honey over the halves....

This last one will have 3 winners. 1 grand prize and 2 runner ups.
The Grand prize winner will receive:
This beautiful Honey Pot from Honey Acres:

Which can also be purchased direct from their site http://beekeepersbestinc.com/Home/tabid/37/Default.aspx
"NOW IN OUR 5TH GENERATION!
Today, Honey Acres is located on a 40-acre
property in rural Ashippun, Wisconsin;
midway between Milwaukee and Madison.
The History of Beekeeping and Honey in America As told by a family honey company that is over 150-years old. Christian Diehnelt moved his family from Germany to Wisconsin in 1852. He brought with him the talent and love of beekeeping that would become the foundation for a honey company that has survived to this day."

These exceptionally well made Stainless steel Endurance® Biscuit Cutters
Which can also be purchased through http://www.cheftools.com/

" Our biscuit cutters feature stainless steel construction with comfortable arched handles and thin blades that cut through thick or thin dough. The set of 4 cutters nest together for easy storing and are dishwasher safe. Choose from rippled edges for decorative biscuit, cookie or canapé shapes, or the traditional plain edge style.
#RBC-4 Round, Rippled, 1-3/8" dia. to 2-3/4" dia. "

These would also make for beautiful cookie cutters. Scalloped edge cookie sandwiches filled with homemade preserves. The smallest cutter in the set would make for the perfect doughnut hole window for showcasing the gem filling!

There will be a surprise in the lot for our Grand prize winner to go with the above.
As for our 2 Runner ups, you will receive 1 of the Elegant Honey Pots from Honey Acres and your choice of 1 loose tea blend from my Etsy store.

As to how you can win, leave a comment to this post telling 5 of you goals/resolutions for 2010. Which must pertain to Homesteading and or Self sufficiency.
Are beginning a garden or enlarging the one you have? Are you adding chickens or rabbits? Do you plan to learn a "new to you" skill or improve on one? Maybe you will start that compost pile or bin you keep thinking of.Or introduce Medicinal Herbs into your family health and care. How about learning to save seed or starting your garden this year with Heirloom/Open Pollinated varieties?What ever it may be, no matter how small or large. We would love to know what you have in mind.
I wish all of you the best of luck and hope we are able to fill Frog's Bean pot with many more names this time around.
I will begin a new series of posts pertaining to Suburban Self sufficiency/Homesteading after the New year. There are many who only have a small lot which they can adventure with. I would rather have a yard full of edibles then grass to mow. One should never be ignorant of potential disaster or hard times. There are so many examples in this economy of families going broke like the Trucking company out West which called all their drivers on Christmas eve to drop off their trucks at certain locations due to the company closing. (Thank you Chris for that tidbit. It is a perfect example to share here.)Just like that. No other notice.
So think hard on what you will do to improve your Self Sufficiency for 2010 and be sure to leave you comment here before January 15th, 2010. Plenty of time to get those lists going.
Wishing all a prosperous, healthy & Happy New Year! Salute!
Sweetest Dreams,
~Tammie

Homesteading in 2010 ~ crying over spilled wine?

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler.
~ Henry David Thoreau

In a previous post I mentioned there were to be new adventures ahead for this Unusual Farm Chick and her family. The unknown for 2010 has brought a wave of conflicting emotions. From excitement of new territory and beginnings, to the fear of not knowing the when or where.

The Captain is a major structure oriented, everything must be charted kinda guy. I am the color to his black and white. He cringes when I say "Sometimes you just have to wing it and let life blow you in the direction it wants instead of holding tight to the rail". What lies ahead is not as easy for him as it is for me.

We will be moving out of our current 1.16 Homestead sometime during 2010. There is no going back. The decision can not be reversed. There are other personal details I am not sharing which push this into motion. The Captain has also been on the search for a new Job which is long overdue. He realizes the security blanket he had clung to is no longer there. I guess that is the way it goes with big companies. He is well loved by the Union worker's he has managed for the past 10 years. So much so, he is the only manager who is invited(secretly-since management frowns highly upon such interactions), to their personal BBQ's and get together's. I have been told so many times what a great guy and boss The Captain is to them. He truly is a rarity.
Where will we go? What will we do? I am holding our compass towards Tennessee. Anywhere from Nashville to the Eastern border. As to what will we do... Begin a new adventure!

This throws a huge twist into our plans for the year and mapping out my goals for 2010 has not been an easy task. I mean, how do I plan a garden if I do not know where we will be? How do I make plans for animal raising without knowing when a move will be made? So I have decided it is time to come up with goals that will benefit beyond 2010 and fit into the uncertain adventure ahead.
Here is a sampling of my list:

#1. I will MASTER my seed collection into an organized system and no more messy box. I will thin out the seeds I no longer wish to grow and have a master list/book of what I will keep along with amount, date & notes on the variety.

#2. I plan to see my friends White Willow & Dirk the dud at least 1 time a month. Including a few weekend camp outs at the Pennsylvania State campground from last year.

#3. I will Hunt, Identify & harvest more wild edibles plus local medicinals. I plan to have our children be able to identify at least 8 useful wilds, Know how to harvest and utilize included.

#4.I will start work on downloading my entire blog starting back in June 2006, into a book form for a keepsake to give my children. Pictures included.

#5.I will expand my herbal concoctions to Tinctures (Mother wort is cherished here).

#6.Expand my shelves of knowledge in the subjects of herbs & homestead skills.( I have already begun a collection of my hopefuls through an amazon wish list. This way I have a master list I can check off as I order them)

#7.Spend more alone time with my Husband and laugh with my Best friend again.

#8.Work on my angle cutting issue in wood working plus learn how to make useful baskets.

#9.Make a Kick A** Cider press with The Captain so my Cider making can expand with more ease.

#10.Finish a simple Queen sized Patchwork quilt and Learn how to Tan Rabbit hides.

#11.Get those 3 rabbits of mine to produce at least 3 litters of kits (They will move with us by the way).

#12.Start Container Gardening! I can not live without a garden. The adventure ahead will not rob me of one in 2010. Where there is a will, there is a way. I have to make connections on 5 gallon buckets and keep it a bit smaller in case we are to move during the Garden season. (You do not separate a woman and her garden!)

Of course not every goal has room in just 1 year. But I give myself options in the case some goals are not able to be achieved.
Now as to my crying over spilled wine...

As I grabbed one grape wine jug- it broke! Split right in half on the plastic carrying handle which sent the jug crashing to the cement floor. A domino effect to the awaiting jugs just 2 feet away quickly ensued. The old fashioned, THICK GLASS Milk jug sent large chunks into the others which cracked their base and wine went everywhere.

I stood there staring at the mess, mouth in that DOH! form. Then...I could smell it. Oh it was so divine. The scent of fresh grapes sweetened with time and acts of beloved yeast. A scent that had thoughts of how wonderful it would have tasted. I stood there long enough that Panda came running down the stairs and said "Mom, are you O.K?". Then she saw the war zone and commented, "What smells so good?". I looked over at her, with my face still in a sad frown and said...."My wine."

She smiled that sweet empathetic smile and commented "It's O.k Mommy. We can just make more".

And ya know, she is so right! I have 6 bags of Grape juice, frozen straight from the pressing. I had intentions of them being for grape juice and summer Popsicles but a few would not hurt for a batch of Homemade wine. Sweet Panda offered to clean up the mess. MY mess! And in that moment my heart swelled with such pride over how mature and giving she has become.I quickly stopped crying over my spilled wine.

Of course I thanked her and said no, I would get it, Just let me sit down here for a bit and at least imagine what it would have tasted like. So we sat together watching the fire crackle in the wood burner as the sweet smell of grape wine dried on our basement floor.

Stay tuned! Another giveaway is in the making (I am still cleaning up from the Holiday and have not brought out the prizes from their out of reach storage).

Sweet Dreams,
~Tammie

Simplicity of living, if deliberately chosen, implies a compassionate approach to life. It means that we are choosing to live our daily lives with some degree of conscious appreciation of the condition of the rest of the world.
~Duane Elgin

Harvest Moon Hard Cider 2009!

In previous posts I have mentioned our harvesting of organic apples from the one producing tree we have here plus the forgotten Orchard out at the 1 Acre Homestead. We chopped & pressed so many apples in the hopes of Homemade hard cider. I am a true fan of Hard Cider.

The Apples picked during the Harvest moon of 2009 has finally come to a stage of bottling. It sat in the cold basement from the day it was placed into the jug fermenter until recently when I decided it was time. As I bent down to grab this particular jug, I noticed all the dust on the bottle and thought how I should have done this sooner. Then a country song popped in my head which made me laugh aloud. Think dust. Wine bottle. Gets sweeter with time...

Just in case you still have no clue as to what I am rambling about, here is the song to which sprang in my mind- rather fitting really... :



So I lugged the dusty jug upstairs to my laboratory, a.k.a Kitchen, where the sterilized bottles waited and the double boiler was set for the wax melting.(I dip the cork ends into the wax so if the cork should start to dislodge, the wax seal will show cracking and let me know if I need to release any late fermenting air before it is too late).

My laboratory does not house professional tools or gadgets. I do not find any justification in spending money on items which will be rarely used and only cost so much due to the popularity of home brewing. Not to mention I never paid much attention in chemistry.

Removing the air lock was not as easy as it would be for others. I had medical tape and saran wrap securing it in place. I do not have corks to fit my recycled jugs, so I improvised and left the airlock on until this stage. (my airlocks cost less then a dollar a piece so I grab 'em when i think of it and have enough to simply leave on the jugs while in use).

I use a funnel and fine mesh cloth for the straining and pouring. Yep. Not professional and I am sure many of those who may be a Connoisseur of this subject are clucking away. but I rarely follow the "rules" since I prefer to do it the old school method. Before corner wine making stores or the Internet were available.

The smell... I could pick up the apple cider smell with a sure fire alcohol following. Very pleasant. Not like some of the apple wines I have made in the past.

Now as to taste, I have yet to indulge in a glass. Hopefully the scent is not misleading. I am waiting for the bottom sediment to settle before I do any tasting. I had enough in 1 jug to fill 1 large wine bottle, 3 medium/ large wine bottles and 1 grolsch bottle. Leaving 2 inches of liquid and sediment for me to taste (after a filtering) while the kids are visiting relatives the evening before Santa day. I look forward to sitting on the love seat we have by the wood burner, indulging in a few taste tests with hopefully my neighbor and friend Jeannie. She helped picked the apples and grapes for our wine/cider , so she must share in the tasting. Reap some fruits of her labor in a girl night hanging in my basement... Gosh. 10 years ago I would have laughed at someone who actually looked forward to something like that.

Anyway, I made up a label to go on the bottles of Hard Cider. I am gifting one to my good friends Chris & Lisa over at the 1 Acre homestead. I have no color ink and in fear of not making an improvement to it's look, I refrained from water colors or the such. I did use Medium tooth paper used for drawing with charcoal and pencils. The thicker paper with its natural fiber feel makes for great "ripped edge" organic look for a label. The heavy weight adds overall a touch of class to it's appearance.

O.k....The truth? I ran out of copy paper and "swiped" a sheet from Panda's drawing tablet. I had no other choice but to use that paper plus it really does make for a nice label which I plan to use from now on. Made for a great discovery.

Besides adorning with a personal label, I dip the cork ends into wax multiple times (as you will see in the following picture). This is to add a more visually secure seal plus old world charm to the bottle. I take a candle end and rub it all over the label front to add liquid resistance and a touch of shine before gluing it in place on the bottle. A scroll filigree style stamp mixed with a black/green ink for a touch of color finished it off.

It's all about what is inside anyway.

So now I must tend to the other jugs from the cold basement, awaiting my presence and attention. So far, 1 small jar which contained left over liquid from another jug, has transformed into Grape vinegar. I have a small raised grape motif glass bottle which will house it and go to some other friends along with some home made herb blends and my Italian bread for the holidays. Hopefully only the jars I intended to be vinegar have not spread their behavior to any other jugs placed a good distance apart- of what better be drinkable grape wine.

I better buy a new drawing tablet. Should have about 10 bottles to label after filtering. Panda has very little paper left in her tablet for me to swipe...I mean use, so a new must be acquired.

We have another giveaway coming this week with 3 items as one big Prize!

Enjoy the Holidays!

Sweet dreams,

~Tammie

The Nordic Ware Mini Scone pan winner!

Frog has pulled another winner from the bean pot. I let her practice cutting the strips so I space the names out as to prevent any unreadables. She so loves her part in these giveaways. She is a mother of 5 and keeps a blog about her Life as a zoo with her "5 little monkeys".

I am still laughing over the comment her daughter made about the Ex husband. Truly, that was hysterical!

And the winning paper reads:

JANESSA

Congratulations Janessa! I hope you will enjoy your new Nordic Ware Mini Scone Pan for many many years to come! (They truly last a very long time with proper care and can prove to be rather fun inventing new items to bake in the wedge's.)

I have a new Giveaway to mix things up a bit. A hint? One of the 2 prizes has something to do with nectar of the gods! Happy Winter Solstice to all and check back soon for your chance to win 2 prizes!

Sweet Dreams,

~Tammie

American Girl Historical series perfect for the Homesteading girls!

Who would have thought how hard it would be to find awesome gifts for our children that do not require batteries or large amounts of money. Our kids attend public school so their exposure to the big "gotta have the biggest and best right now" attitude is unavoidable. Is it bad I preach this yet yearn and dream for a red Kitchen aide mixer with cool attachments?

With Panda , I have an ally for keeping everyone at least touching a "grounded" attitude. As much as she wants for things, they are at least of use sprinkled in with the typical child wants.

She is at the age of seeking out what her "thing" in life is. What she is best at. She is like me in more ways then her looks so I try to help her not feel so lost while she is seeking this out. She loves reading and really enjoys the subject of Nature, animals, and the American Girl series has been a hit for years. They tie in very well with our way of life and seem to help explain things in a way at her level of understanding. Not to mention the conversations and questions they produce during dinner.

She loves helping out in the kitchen, which I want to encourage but have wondered how I would encourage her to feel independent instead of me instructing her. I want her to discover & enjoy what it is she wants without me hovering.

Then I found this series at the North Canton, Ohio Border's book store (at clearance for $4.99 a book!):

They come with table conversation cards, cookie cutters, a decent amount of recipe's pertaining to that girl's era with much more. They have it set up so you can have a theme lunch/dinner party using the supplies included with the book. Fun for the family, a girl sleepover or having extended family come "visit for the holiday's" entertainment.

I also found this at the same store $3.99!

(Click the title below for a link to amazon where you can preview this and the ones above)

Kit's world: a kid's eye view of the great depression

Of course I picked all of the above up. 5 gifts for what would most likely be the cost of just one item. ($24 before taxes) which would not be as much fun, last as much time or give as many potential great memories.

I feel this is a total score on a gift I am most excited for her to get. Besides the Camo pants and orange pink tank dress I made for her American Girl doll...

Lots of baking yet to do. A wood burner flume pipe to fix and Coffee fire starters to try out- a quick how to with pictures coming soon!

Sweet dreams,

~Tammie

Furniture Graduation!

As I mentioned before, I have been changing up our living space outside and in. While I was at the local thrift store I spotted a vintage looking 3 tier food hanger! Not sure how old it is, but I love it and knew it would make for the perfect problem solver in a certain corner. Any idea on it’s era?

Here we are 8 years later and that corner is still a stand out blandness. That is until I find an eye catching solution!

The Captain and I have been discussing furniture as of late. First, You need to understand the last time we bought NEW furniture was almost 10 years ago. It was such a beautiful set from Broyer hill. Complete with coffee tables (and a price tag one should not be spending on furniture when you are just beginning a family.Once again the reason babies should come with a "warning this child will wreak havoc once mobile" label!). But at the time we were unmarried and inexperienced parents of a new toddler.
In the first 4 months, we had it cleaned twice. In the first year we had it cleaned 7 times… It got to a point we used that warranty so much they refused to do it anymore, saying the stain blocker has been weakened by so many cleanings, the stain warranty has been voided.. Humph.
We got our money’s worth on it for sure. From juice cup spills to potty training accidents and baby messes. The life of our furniture deteriorated rather quick before our very eyes.
Add in child #2 and 3. Well, it actually did not last much past the toddler years of Lil’ man so we have had hand me down couches ever since. The kind where you throw an old sheet over the couch because the new $10 sheet looks nicer then the couch. The kind that is older then you are and a style reminiscent of a frat house porch. ( fitted Couch covers are not cheap plus finding one to fit odd shaped arms on a sofa did not turn out easy). So we gave up on having nice furniture while the children were still young.
Well, we have decided since Frog just turned 4 years old, it is time we graduate. Graduate from the college porch quality and style to new “adult” furniture.
The living room style as much as I have tried, is rather ummm… embarrassing. I have a bakers rack which holds most of my books, a few misplaced toys and an antique mirror propped on the top. Not to mention the various other shelves and tables of no matching quality. So when I received an email about living room furniture at the Living rooms direct site, I was impressed with their selection and pricing. They are owned by CSN stores.
As to the bookshelves issue, I am looking at this piece 2 piece ladder shelf. One being small, is perfect for plants at the top and Frogs books on the bottom. The larger would be an organized heaven to all my books I seem to have accumulated. Not novels ( I just read my first novel in 4 years this week) . But herbal, gardening and Homestead topics I find I go through often. Those shelves would match very well with the style we are gravitating towards.
As to furniture, we learned our lessen with Upholstery. They stain, rip easily plus hold odor. Besides, we have The Captain’s awesome antique leather chair which belonged to his grandfather. Of course it has proven in a house of constant babies and/or toddlers, Leather is the way to go. Unlike fabric, a rip or hole does not fray. They have a putty like material which can be easily blended to cover it up. I am looking at this leather sofa or maybe this one. They have a free shipping option and the prices as you will see are most agreeable. We have shopped around for leather and “pleather” type furniture which has left us aghast from the price tags. (cheap pleather was around $450 minimum and nice not fake looking leather ones were starting at $999 (U.S currency). The links above is more to our liking. It may be a bit before we do get to Graduate, which is just fine by me. (I still fear what havoc they would wreak with all that climbing, jumping and other normal kid acrobats.) As long as we get leather look and durability, I do not mind the wait.
Stay Tuned! Something to do with cutting and sweetening for our next Giveaway! In the mean time, be sure to get your comment entry in for the last Nordic ware Mini Scone pan giveaway! The deadline is for December 19,2009
Sweet Dreams,
~Tammie

Frog’s Eczema Salve : a Mother's fight against the steroid solution.

I never thought I would have to deal with something so persistent as Eczema. Frog started showing signs of it last April. Just 3 years old. The inside of her elbow’s started as small patches which many thought was poison ivy. I knew it was not, but considered maybe it was some other outdoor irritant. ( The women in our family do not get poison Ivy. But Lil man.. He never goes a warm season without patches showing up on his legs and The Captain is no different.) She would get runny noses and coughs just before another flare up begins. Even during a flare up, she would have constant runny nose and a cough.

This shows the healing spots which is where the eczema began. This is nothing compared to the painful angry red patches we have battled.

It went from half dollar patches to all over her body. 75 % of her back, many patches from small to large on her arms, to the bending back area of her knee’s and even around her eyes. Nothing I did stopped the spreading or decrease the intense flare ups.
We have tried to isolate what was triggering her eczema to no avail. It became so bad I had to cave in and get the steroid cream from the doctor. She was on the cream for almost 3 weeks. I saw instant results the first few days. It did not last long. After one week, we missed a single dose and it came back full force overnight. If you have read anything on the subject of the steroid cream, you know that it can affect the hormones, the liver and possibly cause diabetes with so much more bad side effects with continual use. I kept applying the cream for a few more days but it never fully went away and her scratching never stopped with it’s use. I worried about infection and scars. I now look back and see it as the steroid creme suppressed the symptoms as long as it was applied twice a day, but did not "heal" it.

So one night I had a dream. You know the kind. Where your mind is so focused on a troubling event it takes over your night time thoughts. I dreamt of my garden. I was picking calendula, red clovers and Comfrey. I was so proud of how well my herb garden had come along over the years. My collection of medicinal herbs being my greatest enjoyment. I remember that I became rather upset when I looked around. It appeared my nettle patch disappeared. But in reality, I have no Nettle patch. When I woke up, I remembered a post from the Green Woman about picking Nettles in a glade. I do love reading about herbs on her blog.
Another inspiring Herb Goddess I enjoy ever so much is Dancing in a field of Tansy. I am hoping to subscribe next month to her Herbal Roots zine. Panda would absolutely love it, as would I. These are just 2 herb related blogs I enjoy which happen to be among the first I discovered many years ago.

I researched some more on Nettles and discovered it is an ingredient many Herbalist may recommend for Eczema. Not only in the ointment, but as a daily tea.
I make Frog a Nettle, chamomile and orange peel tea twice a day. This helps from the inside to support what you are fighting on the outside. A tad of Honey and she comes back for seconds. By starting the tea on a regular basis, I have noticed after 1 ½ weeks, any new patches do not flare up so angrily as the past ones. I am still experimenting with right portions on the tea combo, but will share it when I see the results I hope for.
“ Many patients have discovered that allopathic or Western Medicine does not always have success with eczema. Conventional treatment and complementary treatments should not be considered 'either/or' for the condition. The best therapy is the one that works best for an individual and the only way to find it -- is by trying and experimenting.
Generally, Eczema, or Dermatitis, as it sometimes called, is a collection of skin conditions that can affect people of all ages. The milder form is characterized by dry, hot, and itchy skin, but in the more severe form, the skin becomes cracked and has been known to bleed.
Although not contagious, it can be an embarrassment to many unfortunate individuals. Some conventional treatments can cause the skin to be less inflamed, but the skin is prone to additional flare-ups from time to time.”

You can see in this picture she is developing new patches on her back and armpit/shoulder area. But once again this is very mild and I do believe it is due to the tea combo I have been giving her. They seem to no longer get past this point with the treatment we follow now. The old spots which have healed, leave white pale skin where once inflamed, almost burn like patches use to be.

This is what my dream led me in an effective treatment (10 times better then the doctor prescription method in results. Not to mention none of those horrible side effects). Just a side note, we have missed an entire day of applying this treatment which did not result in any lapse of healing. It seems to continue healing and working it’s magic long after it wears off. Just be sure the skin is clean before applying. You do not want any dirt or such trapped in the skin while you are trying to heal it. Click here to go to my second "info keeper blog" for ingredient explanation and recipe*.

My conclusion?

The prescribed steroid cream will help supress the eczema symptoms as long as it is applied on a continous 2X daily method. This salve along with the tea combo actually heal the eczema condition and is fighting off what ever is causing it without a contiual daily application. Not to mention no more runny nose and cough!.

I make herb infused oils from the plant matter throughout summer and into Fall. I used true essential oil for the Rosemary, Patchouli and Tea tree since I had these on hand.
There are many salves I have tried on her eczema and this last one was the jackpot along with being sure she drinks her nettle mix hot tea twice a day. The salve is put on in the morning and just before bed at night. In between I apply Oatmeal Honey all natural lotion which I get from Kim at Old Wives pails.
It is the only lotion she can use without irritation or burning. No other sensitive skin lotion will work like this stuff has.
I hope this will help other mother's who may be battling this dreadful condition. Just remember, I tried the steroid cream as what I thought to be a last resort. Experiment with natural treatments but do try to leave the steroid as a last resort. I only used it in fear of her intense bloody scratching which almost became infected and the spread of eczema circling her eyes. As a mother, you know your own child, but there are times a doctor is best to diagnose or help with such a condition.

Be sure to get your entry in for the last Nordic Ware Mini Scone pan in my post 12/11/09 at this link*

Sweetest dreams,
~Tammie

a bit of rambling with the last mini scone pan giveaway!

I do believe it is time we find another winner for the last Mini Scone pan Nordic ware has provided for you. So give me a moment and I will share how you can win the last one.

I have been going mad woman crazy in the house. Everything is moved around and switched up. I do this often. Maybe 4 times a year. Each season I go through every room and put a fresh look and deep cleaning into it. I have yet to do the Mud room but that is more due to the large pantry in there. I store the winter produce on top since that room stays cold (year round). Too many pumpkins at the moment which I dread having to move before the bulky pantry.

All those Long pie pumpkins....I can not stand the thought of another pie or empanada. Think I will be switching over to some Pumpkin Scones for awhile.
"Every October, Bonnie Ackerman-Luo makes pumpkin purée and freezes it in measured portions so she can make these scones all year long. Yield: Makes 6 scones"

And these caught my eye for a new twist on the normal plain, spicey or fruit scone:

Rose Petal Drop scones! Of course no reason not to use a scone pan or round dish for the baking.

A few more giveaways befor the new year. I have a shipment I have been waiting on which had a few stalls. I recieved the call yesterday and they are being shipped out now. This would be the delay in our giveaways. I will not list it unless I have recieved it (or if they ship it to the winner).

So this is our last Mini scone pan giveaway. How will I decide on a winner.... Well of course each commenter goes in the bean pot BUT your comment must include an answer to:

"If you had a LARGE garden in which you will need to grow as much of your vegetable/fruit/herb needs as possible, what would be your TOP 4 choices you would plant the most of and why?"

(in other words choose the 4 things you would plant the most of in your garden and tell why)

I plant more of the tomatoes, lettuce, beans plus my herbs dominate a whole 1/4 of the garden square- not including what herbs I interplant. Why? Well lets leave that answer for the future post we speak of garden plans and the "must have storage value" items.

I am very interested to see your answers. Deadline for entry is December 19,2009.

Sweet dreams,

~Tammie

Winter has come but no reason to hibernate...

You are not alone if you dread the cold winter darkness. I find most of my creative ideas are formed as the cold wind howls outside our home. I enjoy the slow down of the season but after a month or two I am itching to get back in the sunshine.

I thought I would share with you some ideas for winter fun which do not involve pieces of wood attached to your feet while you freeze with the wonderful cold wind induced nose 'cicles streaking your face.

I am fortunate (or just addicted according to the Captain) on finding lots of wood frame windows at no cost. My collection has grown over the summer to grant me plenty of use for winter fun.

What am I up to now? Besides day dreaming as the first of many seed catalogs appear in the mail box, I am dreaming up one of these:

Now I must give credit where credit is due. This wonderful indoor greenhouse or "Conservatory" was handmade by Linda at Blue Gate. I spotted these a while back and had put them into my winter idea file. Yes, unfortunately I do have one upon which I go perusing for inspiration and a boredom buster.

If this one perks your interest, go over here to check out more pictures of these whimsical glass worlds* in her "yard Conservatories" section.

If you live in an apartment or a very small/ yard less house, this may just be a dream of a greenhouse come true. And for those of us who just want a place to put our plants inside, this is a sure winner.

I am making ours with just the windows and not the spindle pieces. The open V at the top I will cut glass to fit and make it fully enclosed. Hinges to go on one side window for easy access.

You could make one of these by first building a box frame your windows would be attached to. Be sure your 4 corners have long enough "post legs" for raising your greenhouse off the ground or to a window level for more sunshine access.Maybe an old coffee or side table for a base.

The best place to look for windows is Freecycle or Craiglist if asking around to friends and family produce nothing.

Another winter fun idea is to brew up a hot cup of tea or mulled cider while you watch the upcoming Geminid Meteor shower. This one is said to have up to 140 streaks per hour!

Grab that comfy old quilt and someone to snuggle with as you lay back to watch the show.

picture credit goes to John Chumack of Lafayet, Ind.

"The year's best meteor shower is coming to North America.
Weather permitting, the peak time to view the Geminid (jem-uh-nid) meteor show will be around midnight Sunday Eastern time when up to 140 meteors per hour could streak across the sky.
Though not as famous as the Perseid meteor shower, the Geminids often put on a more dramatic display.
Geminids are debris from an extinct comet called 3200 Phaethon. The shower gets it name because it appears to come from the constellation Gemini."

These are just a few tips for busting winter blues & boredom. I'll share more as the season goes on.

I am awaiting a certain package for our next giveaway which should be here any day now. Be patient. They are well worth the wait due to the "coolness factor".

I'm having a hard time myself on being patient...

Sweet dreams,

~Tammie

Our winner and preview of our Tisane labels...

We had a few delays due to some happenings which have been ongoing for a few months. I do apologize but my mind and heart have been heavy as of late. I am sure you would understand but at this time I do not feel as though I can freely explain. Our family is fine, it has more to do with happenings of others with intrusions.

Now on a happier note, I am happy to announce the Bean pot has given us a local winner!

Kevin and Beth! Congratulations, you are the winners of the Nordic Ware Tea cake pan.

We have 1 more Scone pan and 1 more Tea cake to offer before the New year and will be announcing the giveaway soon.

I finally have our Tisanes up for sale on our Etsy shop over here at http://www.etsy.com/shop/unusualfarmchick

Please do have a look around. I would love to hear any feed back or suggestions you may have. If you prefer, I have my direct email address listed in my blog profile page.

We have just 3 blends listed as of now, which will expand over time. I have enjoyed the time and hard work put into making our Photo labels and am posting them here for your viewing.

This is the winning photo picked by friends and family for our Gypsy Ginger blend Tisane:

Our Sweet Dreams signature blend, which uses a vintage paper moon picture:

And our "Spicey Brew of life Tisane label ~we added the E in Spicey for a touch of sass:

The desire behind the labels was to create an appealing piece of art. Not just a product label. We include a 4x6 photo with each blend, depending upon the tea purchased. The photo can be used for adorning the Tisanes container, a wall board or the fridge. Whichever way one would prefer. Our Tisanes arrive in a 4X6 muslin bag with cotton drawstring. A more environmentally friendly packaging then plastic or such. The bag can be reused in many ways. From a large tea or bath bag to storing of small items. The consumer would need to store the bag and contents in a clean glass container or tin with tight fitting lid.

We do not add oils or extracts. Although I do not see this as wrong when others add them. I prefer to offer herbs/fruit in their pure dried form. 100% additive free. In the same manner I offer our family and friends.

Panda is adventuring in jewelry making which has prompted her "Mommy, can I sell these in the store?" question.

we'll see honey... Lets at least focus on our herbs for now.

I have apple pies to prepare and freeze due to the half bushel of Orchard apples still sitting in the kitchen plus a few Long pie Pumpkins which appear to not last much longer due to being picked 3 months ago. So they too will be prepared for freezing.

Congratulations again Kevin and Beth. I hope you enjoy this pan as much as we enjoy ours.

Coming soon! More chances to win more Nordic Ware Baking pans!

Sweet Dreams,

~Tammie