Farm at Coventry

Spinning the Flax Tale

2010-01-07T10:53:00.030-05:00

While working on the previous post detailing the fine art of the mustard plaster and handling the linen cloth, I was again reminded of all of the healing aspects of the flax plant. I mentioned my fancy of well loved linen, so it may be no secret that I am quite fond of most textiles. Natural fibers, of course, but particularly those whose history I can trace from living plant or grazing creature to finished product. Add in a few good human hands to help harvest, sheer, weave, knit or stitch along the way and I'm all aglow. What was once a basic and necessary commodity for all lingers now as a timeless art for a few who pursue and are deeply gratified by the process. You know who you are! I brushed the cyber-dust off of this article originally written and published in the Winter 2008 issue of the Hollerbeier Haven newsletter.

Flax (Linum usitatissimum) was formerly one of the most useful and productive crops of the Pennsylvania countryside, but its’ presence as such, has sadly dissolved into history. Flax was one of the state’s earliest agricultural exported items (mustard seed being the other) but cultivation in Pennsylvania ceased almost entirely by 1870, having been in gradual decline since the civil war. The introduction of cheaper cotton goods were also introduced about the same time.Flax seed was sown early in the spring and by early summer the field was awash with a sea of brilliant blue flowers on long slender stalks that swayed easily in the breeze. By the time it was harvested late in the summer, the plants were in seed and ready to be pulled up by hand. They were then stacked on the ground to be rained upon or soaked in a nearby stream to hasten the decomposition of the outer layer of the stalk. This ‘retting’ process would dissolve the natural glue which binds the flax fibers to the stalk. After the outer skin had rotted, the flax stalks had to be dried again. Depending on the weather this may have happened out in the fields or possibly near a fire. A series of repetitive processes followed that involved ‘breaking’ the outer stalk and separating the long fibers for spinning. Up until this point all the diligent physical preparations that accompanied planting and harvest were the mainly the responsibility of the men folk. The finished raw flax fibers were then carefully stored in a dry place until they were brought out again during the long dark nights brought in the waning of the year.
Spinning was a winter chore performed by the women and girls of the household. An old proverb in the Pennsylvania German dialect was: “Lichtmess, schpinna fergess” which meant that all the winter spinning needed to be completed and the spools full of flax thread by Candlemas/Lichtmass day which was February 2^nd. When the spinning was completed, the thread was then sent to the local weaver who produced the linen cloth. The weaver was most often a man, who would likely keep a portion of the cloth as payment for his services. It was rare for an 18th century household to have their own full-sized loom. These were very large and expensive pieces of equipment and were generally owned and operated by those who were weavers by trade. Many households did have a small table or hand loom that could produce a long narrow measure of cloth that was useful for smaller household needs. The total production time from stomping the seed into the cold wet soil to completion of a soft warm undergarment could take up to eighteen months or more.

The history of "Flaxbaue' (or flax culture) dates back to the late stone age. Archeological excavations around earthen dwellings in Switzerland show that the inhabitants there were familiar with linen. Through the ages, linen was used not only to fashion garments, but also to make sailcloth for great ships, rope and cording, nets for hunting and fishing, wicks for lamps, as well as for making pages for books and manuscripts. Linen was so revered that is was used as actual currency in some northern regions.

Though the blue flax flowers were often associated with the Virgin Mary during medieval times, this was surely a hold over from earlier cultures who understood the flax ‘creation stories’ to be linked with the various ‘spinning goddesses’.

The goddesses ( Holle, Hulda,Frigg, Brigit,Perchta, and the Wyrd Sisters) were charged with the gifting of the flax seeds to mortals, the protection and fertility of the flax crop and women, the teaching of spinning and weaving and finally, the spinning of threads of fate or creation and destruction. Spinning the thread could be compared to stirring the soup pot. Starting with seemingly nothing and creating something of great worth and usefulness to the folk. The spinning work contained all of the symbolism of the creation cycle: the beginning creative spark, the living, active work and then the ‘harvest’, completion or fulfillment of the worthy task. With the death of the plant, came the birth of the seeds for the next years’ planting and the beginning of a new cycle. It was these deeply held beliefs that insured that all phases of the flax culture were honored equally and thus were rich with tradition and ritual. Most ritual practices took place during the flax growing season to assure that the plants grew as tall as possible; for the longest lengths of raw fiber made for a stronger thread which was then woven into cloth that was longer lasting. The rituals which focused directly on the fertility and productive health of the fields fell naturally on the women of the village; From the manner in which flax seeds were sown, to the frequent visits to the flax fields during the growing season, the women were solely responsible for these rituals.Later, during the act of spinning, a woman would soon discover that listening to the rhythmic hum of the wheel and watching it circle round and around in front of the open fire, could induce altered states of consciousness. This was (and is) a perfect meditative exercise for the long dark nights of winter when contemplative thought and dreaming the future was all considered to be part of the ‘woman’s winter work’. Because the flax plant was considered to be overseen by so many beneficial goddesses, it was also a commonly held belief that the blue blossoms, the seeds and the fine linen cloth were strong deterrents to evil sorcery and witchcraft. These parts of the plant were routinely used in healing and protection ceremonies throughout the Middle Ages. A healing plant poultice was made that much more powerful by utilizing linen in the dressing. Many healing women also had special headdresses made of linen and wore them as a defense against demons.

In fairly recent times, the healthful benefits of flax seeds and flax seed oil have become common knowledge. The Omega 3 fatty acids in the flax seed oil help to ‘ward off’ the evils of heart disease and cancer and will reduce inflammation within the body, the source of many ills of today. The seeds (made into a ‘slimy’ tea by combining 1 cup of boiling water and 3 tsp of seeds) have demulcent and emollient abilities that will soothe coughs and sore throats, or help ease dry constipation and urinary or digestive system inflammation. Flax seed that has been cooked in milk or water and then used as a poultice will have a drawing effect: For bronchitis, pneumonia or asthma use as a chest plaster with mustard powder or combined with grated carrot and or marshmallow root for swellings or inflammation. A warm flax seed poultice will also draw a boil or abscess to a head. Some may think of flax today as a ‘new age’ or ‘ natural’ remedy but in understanding the incredible significance of the existence of flax in cultures worldwide for the past 25,000 years, the historic uses can be safely utilized and appreciated by families and practitioners yet today. Certainly makes this writer wistfully imagine a large waving blue patch out back. When my own seeds arrive, I will certainly enjoy starting a new ‘tossing and stomping’ planting ritual of my own!

I claim that in losing the spinning wheel we lost our left lung. We are, therefore, suffering from galloping consumption. The restoration of the wheel arrests the progress of the fell disease.

~Gandhi

Getting Plastered....Granny's Way

2010-01-05T14:22:00.028-05:00

I have to admit...had I not experienced this simple treatment myself years ago (with staggering success) I may have ignored the time worn method with some scoff and skepticism. But witness it, I did: An old time mustard plaster artfully applied to my son by a sweet visiting nurse when he was just a wee lad. He was sick with pneumonia and starting a second round of antibiotics. Me? I was sick with worry and exhaustion after his three week stint of coughing around the clock. I was so grateful for the offer of help and welcomed the opportunity to learn anything that I could do that might help him. I had followed all of the orders prescribed by the doc, which honestly didn't seem to be helping very much. The threat of potential hospitalization loomed and only added to my helplessness.
It was a relatively simple procedure in the scheme of things, but the nurse's quiet confidence and gentle care of us both, not only helped my son to turn the corner on his healing, but instilled new confidence in my ability to 'do something' useful for my sick child. In honor of that turning point so many years ago, I thought I'd share the procedure, step by step, the way I was taught.
A mustard plaster will bring nearly immediate relief and warmth to a respiratory system plagued by long lingering coughs, congestion, bronchitis or cold damp pneumonia. It works mainly by increasing circulation and introducing deep heat to congested lungs, thus stimulating the loosening and expectoration of mucus.
Tool Gathering List for Plaster Preparation:
*Tablecloth or towel folded lengthwise to protect table when prepping the plaster
*A length of linen or muslin 24 inches wide by 36-48" long. Lovely well-loved old linens are relatively easy to come by at thrift shops and yard sales and are my plaster fabric of choice. The pieces are often stained or frayed at the edges but I still see a beauty and usefulness there that collectors glance over. The linen can be washed out and used again and again.
*Mortar and Pestle.If you have time and your guns can take the workout, Great! If not, a small electric coffee bean grinder works well to powder the mustard seeds. (Spoiler Alert: if you plan on using the same coffee grinder that your honey uses to make his morning cuppa, it is likely that his FairTrade Organic Peruvian Dark Roast will forever be touched by the sharp flavor of wasabi horseradish. Just sayin'. It's best to have a grinder dedicated strictly to coffee and another for everything else!)
*Bowl or basin for immersing the rolled up cloth plaster
*An extra towel to layer on top of the plaster once it has been applied to the body will help to keep the warmth in.
*If you are so inclined, plastic wrap offers some modern convenience to the process, but is not necessary. A layer of plastic wrap on top of the plaster and wrapped completely around the body will hold it nicely in place.
*Large safety pins can also be helpful especially if the plaster cloth is long enough to wrap around the torso to overlap and pin in back. Other wise, folding a towel in half length wise and wrapped around the body on top of the plaster will keep it warm and in place.
Plaster Ingredients:
*Whole black or brown mustard seeds (ordinary yellow mustard powder will do in a pinch but quite possibly may lack the 'zip' needed to bring good circulation to the area.) Fresh ground powder is always your best choice. You'll need 1/2 cup for this batch
*Flour, any kind of flour: 2 cups
*Water to activate the' heat' in the powdered mustard seed and to bind it with the flour to make a nice spreadable 'schmutz'.
Directions:
* Lay a folded towel or table cloth out across a table to protect the table. On top of that spread open your linen fabric. You can see that mine has been folded into a trifold and the fold lines are important to the assembly process.
*Next, mix together the 1/2 cup mustard powder and the 2 cups of flour until well blended. Take half of the dry mix away for the next plaster treatment. Store in a glass jar with tight lid. Set aside. With the remaining half, blend with little additions of water until the mixture resembles thick paste. (See photo) It cannot be too dry or too runny. You want it to retain a spreadable consistency.
~ Spread the mixture out thoroughly over the center part of the trifold, judging how much you will need to cover either the chest or the back. Doing both is a good idea. Remember that often the underarm area can be pretty sensitive, too, so don't spread the paste the whole length of the cloth. I've found that a person will tolerate pink tingling skin a bit longer when their sensitive spots aren't screaming to be unbound from the cloth!
*When the plaster has been spread sufficiently, fold the other two sides of the trifold over the center so that you have two layers of cloth, a layer of mustard mixture and a final layer of cloth. Flip the entire plaster over so that the single cloth layer is facing up and the two cloth layers are on the bottom. Roll each end in toward the center so that it looks like this....
~Next you'll need to put some very warm water in a basin. In this water, the rolled up plaster will be submerged into the water until the water becomes cloudy. You will likely get a good strong whiff of volatile oils that are activated by the water, smelling a bit like horseradish. Once the plaster has been activated, squeeze out the excess water and be ready to quickly unroll and apply to the body.
Afterthought Note**Before preparing the plaster itself, it's important to have the person receiving the treatment ready, reclining and warm with blankets covering waist to toes. They will need to remove upper body clothing at the very last moment. No need to invite a chill. An old sheet or towel should be placed over the pillows to protect from any potential splash and a quilt or blanket close by to throw over the shoulders for warmth. Perhaps, if modesty is a real concern, an extra sheet can be used to drape the entire upper body during the treatment.

Unfortunately, I couldn't get anyone in the house to volunteer for the pre-plaster prep today, let alone allow me to photograph them for this particular blog photo. So I've used Venus de Milo as a stand-in to demonstrate a very important first step: Man, woman or child~ All must protect very sensitive tissue from irritating mustard oils! I use small squares of linen, muslin or gauze pads and slather one side with a nice dollop of a gentle salve or honey and apply to the aforementioned sensitive tissue as demonstrated here by Venus. They will stay nicely in place if dolloped generously. Carry on....
~Next, unroll the plaster so that the single layer of cloth (with the mustard layer next) is facing the chest. Center the mustard plaster on the chest and wrap the sides under the arms. Pin in back if possible or use a dry towel topper pinned in front. This same process can be applied to the whole back above the waist...after all, the lungs are situated there, too.
~Leave the plaster in place for 10-30 minutes at the most. This procedure is likely to promote perspiration and reddening of the skin so you will need to be vigilant at checking underneath the plaster edges to asses the condition of the skin every five minutes or so....particularly if you are applying to a child's skin. You want to see nicely pink....not blazing red skin! If a person experiences discomfort, promptly remove the plaster and wash the area with warm soap and water. There are vast variations in skin sensitivity and in the potency of different mustard seeds. Every treatment may be different. Commit to stay close by for the entire treatment...beginning to end. Offer plenty of liquids to the receiving person before and during the plaster. It is important part of the treatment. When the plaster is removedencourage a warm soapy shower to remove any lingering mustard oils as they will continue to irritate the skin. Afterwards, bundle up your charge and allow them to rest for a minimum of 30 minutes. This procedure can be repeated up to two times per day while increasing fluids. It is likely that expectoration will occur with greater ease.
I like to show others how to do this in 'real' time ...it was a bit of a challenge with photos. If there are any parts that need deeper clarification, please don't hesitate to ask.

Pass the Mustard, Please.....

2010-01-03T11:10:00.030-05:00

From the mildest yellow seed (Brassica alba) to the more pungent, respectively: brown(Brassica juncea) and black seed (Brassica nigra), mustards are one of worlds oldest known spices carried and cultivated by the human race.
The seeds are known to have been cultivated in India as far back as 3000 BC and in Egypt, mustard seeds have been found in the tombs of the ancient pharaohs.
The paste of ground mustard seeds blended with liquid or oil is the oldest condiment known, although no one knows for sure who first used it to flavor food. Prepared mustard dates back at very least to the Romans, who ground the seeds and mixed them with wine to create their own pungent paste. The spicy seed was then carried and spread throughout Europe via their conquering legions. In some cultures the condiment utilized unfermented grape juice, called must (from the Latin mustum ardens) which lead the condiment to become known as mustard meaning roughly: "burning wine". The potent pastes were slathered on meats to bring fire to the digestive organs, to help break down the fatty protein and likely helped disguise the flavor of meat that may have been well past its prime. The volatile oils in mustard also exhibit antiseptic activity (due to strong sulphur compounds) which may have provided a pungent layer of protection on the surface of spoiling flesh and perhaps saved many a soul from a long miserable night of digestive distress.
In 1768, early Pennsylvania German apothecary Johann Christopher Sauer added an entry on mustard seed in his multi~volumed Sauer’s Herbal Cures (recently translated to English by William Woys Weaver)
Sauer’s Mustard Sauce Recipe “…a very good mustard sauce may be prepared in the following manner: Take vinegar and put it in a glass bottle with enough ground mustard to make it thick. Add a little sugar and let it stand for twenty four hours. It is then ready for eating. If the bottle is kept well corked, this mustard will keep well for many weeks, especially during cool weather…” To the right is a photo of my own homemade mustard and a link back to the original post and recipe that includes fresh garlic mustard leaves as well as yellow and brown mustard seeds.
Culinary uses aside, Sauer also recommended the sauce to “purify the head, warm the stomach, clear the chest and promote expectoration in the lungs and also the flow of urine…”
The medicinal virtues of black and brown mustard seeds are classified as hot and drying. However these virtues are only released in their full potential when the coating of the seed has been bruised and exposed to a liquid.
Interestingly, on this continent, mustard seed along with flax seed were two of the earliest and most prolific export crops grown in colonial Pennsylvania. Not only did the influx of Germans and English demand suitable stimulating digestive condiments to serve alongside their own fatty meats, they also relied heavily on the tiny seeds for their powerful medicinal qualities. Don't be mislead by it's tiny size, freshly ground mustard seed packs a whallop.
The ability to stimulate circulation is also evident as a topical treatment for cold or stagnant conditions such as damp pneumonia or cold stiff muscles or joints. A warming mustard plaster, liniment or oil will increases blood flow to the area by 'drawing up the flesh and turning it red'. A goodly snort of crushed seeds will produce a head clearing sneeze. A deep massage with mustard infused oil will warm and release all but the most resistant contracted muscles.
Along with culinary and medicinal uses, a few interesting folk uses of mustard seeds linger in cultures around the world: In Germany, new brides still sew mustard seeds into the hems of their wedding dresses to insure that their husbands don't dominate them in their life together. In Denmark and India, it is believed that spreading mustard seeds around the exterior of the home will keep out evil spirits. The ancient Chinese considered mustard a stimulating aphrodisiac.
Currently, black mustard seeds are 'losing heat' in the commercial market. The brown seeds are easier to harvest with machines, thus reducing the economic expense of harvesting by hand. The majority of mustard seeds grown for world consumption are cultivated by Canada, Montana and North Dakota. However our wild native Crucifeara family members include Garlic Mustard (Alliaria officinalis) and Penny Cress (Thlapsi arvense) can be collected and also used accordingly. However harvesting the seeds can be a long and arduous process.
~~ The next blog post will detail a step by step mustard plaster as applicable to the chest in the case of mucus that is difficult to expectorate. This post is one in part of January's blog party challenge on Warming Herbs and Spices. Please visit host Yael's blog and warm your hands by the herbal fire happening at Dirttime.org

Faery Sleep

2009-12-30T09:45:00.019-05:00

Come away, O human child!
To the waters and the wild
with a faery hand in hand,
For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand.
~William Butler Yeats

Faery sleep. That can be the only explanation. One moment I was filling baskets with tomatoes and basil with the setting sun warm on my shoulders. The next moment I was slowly waking to the sound of crows cackling, in a cold bedroom wearing wool socks and flannel. From under layers of quilts this morning, I focused my eyes on an unbelievable sunrise lighting the walls surrounding my bed. I peered out, surprised to see the leaves are now stripped from the trees and remnants of snow and wind below in the garden. I must clear my head...there are many vague dreams of long autumn days, distant travels, abundant harvests and women laughing and...weeping,too. This all may take a bit of sorting, this long faery sleep, but for now, all that matters is blowing on the embers that are glowing in the woodstove and putting the kettle on....right after I marvel the brilliant day I woke up to. ((Stretch and yawn)) Thanks dear Faeries, it's good to be back.....

Mercy...

2009-08-09T10:17:00.003-04:00

Looks like I'll be spending the day in the kitchen.

S'More, Please!! Not....

2009-07-29T20:15:00.010-04:00

Okay, this is totally and unabashedly a not-so-healthy Martha Stewart recipe but I caved in to the comfort food thing....again ((and, unfortunately, paying for it now)) These are so goood but with the recipe comes a serious word of caution: DO NOT eat more than one at a time and keep a watchful buddy around to roll their eyes and scold you, if you do. I do speak from wishful experience here. Better to savor just one and take the rest to a potluck....

1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup light-brown sugar (the original recipe called for 3/4 cup...no way)
1 large egg
8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, cut into 30 squares (*Note: This math is impossible-the Giardelli 8 oz. bars start with 8 rectangles. Divided equally, you will get 34 squares, not 30. You have no other choice than to eat the four extra pieces (like I did) and that, my friends, was mistake #1)

1)Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, pulse oats until finely ground. Add flours, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt; pulse to combine. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, scraping down side of bowl. With mixer on low, beat in flour mixture just until combined
2)Drop dough by tablespoons, 1 inch apart, onto two baking sheets. Top each with a chocolate square. Bake just until lightly golden, 11 to 13 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Remove sheets from oven; heat broiler. Top each cookie with a marshmallow. One sheet at a time, broil until marshmallows are lightly browned, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool. Makes approx. 30 cookies

Food Fare in Fifteen

2009-07-29T12:59:00.012-04:00

I've been trying to plan meals to include food choices grown, grazed or produced within a fifteen mile radius of home. It's rather easy being surrounded by great farmer's markets and farms, not to mention the abundant selections available right out the back door with the gardens, berries, eggs and beehives in the back pasture. The baskets, counter tops and fridge have been full of great local food! Yesterdays' partial harvest from the garden is seen above (with a basket full of fresh dug potatoes, herbs and a 5 gallon bucket of raw honey that came later in the day) The basket above was dubbed 'Gazpacho to Go' ...and go, it went, directly into the food processor to be blended into a yummy cold soup for lunch for the next few days. Tomato soup, hot or cold, is a comfort food that is always at the top of my fave list. Add a grilled cheese on sourdough, and I couldn't be more 'comforted' camper.This recipe is more of a ingredient list, because it will vary with whatever is available and abundant: First and foremost, though: Lots of ripe tomatoes. I probably used a dozen or 15 of various sizes and colors. Quarter and put in the food processor bowl and pulse until good and juicy with small chunks. Empty tomatoes into a soup pot. Next, cut the ends off two medium cucumbers and a medium zucchini, half lengthwise and scrape seeds out (if they're large). Quarter and put in the food processor. Pulse until smooth and add to the tomato mixture. Repeat this process with a large onion, 3-4 garlic cloves, 1-2 jalapeno peppers (seeds removed), LOTS of fresh herbs: cilantro, chives, rosemary, parsley, basil, bee balm or oregano, salt and pepper, and a splash of olive oil. Pulse all until nearly smooth and add to the soup pot. If you have it, add two leftover ears of roasted corn, kernels cut from the cob and stirred into the pot. One final addition is not locally grown but, in my opinion, absolutely essential to the recipe: one organic lime, juiced and zested. Another tasty (non-local) addition is a cubed avocado. Stir weel, taste for seasoning and chill through! A dollop of plain yogurt or sour cream on top is a yummy garnish.Dinner: All local....the veggies, flowers and pesto from the garden. The chicken, corn and yup, even the mushrooms are local from the farmer's market. I made the pesto with local goat feta.I may never use parmesan again! It keeps the pesto from turning black!! oh yes, Heaven on a plate.

Welcomed Rain

2009-07-29T06:47:00.003-04:00

New Arrival!

2009-07-24T12:21:00.004-04:00

A healthy new arrival was delivered from the garden early this morning!!
Weight: 5lbs 5 oz.
Height: 17 1/2 inches long
What a surprise! I was definitely not expecting this baby, but it will be happily welcomed into the family meal plan for the next week or so...maybe even shared with the neighborhood. The sibling in the center is the average size zuke I have been harvesting for the last few weeks. The baby on the left had to be harvested at the same time as it's huge twin. The little baby one was growing directly on top of it and they were connected at the neck! I still am amazed that I didn't see this coming!! Blessings come in all shapes and sizes and this one is definitely a keeper!

Just another day...

2009-07-23T16:06:00.005-04:00

oh dear...
the crapper's full of creeper
and the bathtub's bounding with basil
Time to make pesto!

Laugh or Cry??

2009-07-20T21:23:00.005-04:00

I recently ordered a new batch of business cards and mailing labels from 'Company XYZ' (name changed to protect my *ss) Their marketing and signage page caught my eye and in no time, I had uploaded a nice design using my own photo images for a market banner to use at shows, etc. The price was extremely reasonable. The banner looked lovely on the preview page and I kept getting what seemed to be personalized pop up boxes suggesting that I had uploaded a "NICE DESIGN!" with "GREAT PHOTO RESOLUTION!". After I jumped through all of their specification hoops, I was given another chance to use this same image on a T-shirt, mug or tote bag. I ordered one T-shirt. I waited two weeks for the banner and the shirt. They finally came today and I was thrilled by the quality of the Tshirt and the reproduction of images. Really sweet. When I unrolled the banner I saw the same great quality on the photos and font, until I saw the entire text line. Now look at this closely...what do you get when you overlap FARM & AT?? yeah....This sign isn't get me more than alotta big laughs from my customers !! I spent most of the afternoon trying to get this squared away with their customer service department. Bottom line...sneaky bottom line, though it is....it is my fault. My loss. I'll spare you all the boring details here but Dang it!I was so mad trying to understand how the Tshirt is fine and the banner is trash. However, every single time I look at that crazy text, I laugh again. Costly humor, that banner!!

Making Elderflower Syrup

2009-07-20T17:24:00.011-04:00

This is a repost from last summe r. The simple syrup recipe remains the same but the pleasure is always new again! We thoroughly enjoyed the elderflower syrup this past weekend in the "Homestead Herbalism, Too" class and also made lemon verbena and lavender blossom syrups as well. There are a limited amount of freshly bottled syrups available for purchase, if you are interested. They are listed in the seasonal offerings section of the website. A single tablespoon of syrup over a tall glass of cracked ice and water is such a lovely refreshing treat on a hot day. Add sliced lemons or limes, if you prefer! A spoonful of the lavender syrup is amazing in a hot cup of chamomile tea. Try one or all three...The sky is the limit with the creations you can concoct! Enjoy...we sure did!

Entertaining the Electuary

2009-07-16T07:42:00.019-04:00

One of the most pleasant ways to prepare and take herbs is in an electuary, which is a fancy-pants name for a sweet herbal paste or jam. In times past, many bitter-tasting and downright unpalatable herbs were likely prepared in this way to 'help the medicine go down". In its simplest form, an electuary consists of honey and powdered herbs; however, I've seen a variety of interesting additions in recipes: fragrant flowers (fresh rose petals come to mind here), wine, brandy, herbal vinegar or medicinal tinctures; fruit or herb syrups, jams or conserves. Of these extra additions, I am quite fond of an electuary made with fresh elderberries blended with ginger, clove and cinnamon powders and of course, honey. It is a delicious, but potent treat to take a few a spoonfuls of this paste at the first inkling of the 'Uh oh, I've got a chill' cold or flu.

The gamut of possible combinations in recipes of electuaries can run from the very simple to the extremely complex. The great Greco-Roman physician Galen's Theriac electuary had over 64 different ingredients! Well made, electuaries will keep for a very long time. Many actually mellow and improve with age. Precious pots of herb and honey blends have been found intact in the burial tombs of many of the great pharaohs of Egypt. Apparently they were considered a valuable necessity to have in the afterlife!

The standard 'dose' for a sweet herbal paste is usually a teaspoonful taken as needed, depending on the electuary's potency. They may be stirred into hot complimentary teas to be ingested or taken straight off the spoon. My vehicle of choice is a piece of buttered whole grain toast! But, I digress...

My very favorite combination for an electuary is an assortment of warming carminitive and aromatic spices. This particular blend is particularly useful in the event of digestive cramping, nausea, intestinal gas, diarrhea and other uncomfortable disorders of the digestive system. Many of these same spices are also strongly antibacterial in the case of digestive upset caused by ingesting microbial nasties. Some may be surprised, if not skeptical, of the potent medicinal power of these common kitchen cupboard spices. If the medicinal value of this tasty electuary hasn't sold you yet, make this simply to stir into a cup of hot black tea and cream for an instant chai tea! And please, don't forget to try the buttered toast. Heavenly.

Here is my own recipe for this excellent electuary. Be sure to use whole spices to start. Commercially powdered spices may have already lost a good part of their 'zing' and with it, a good part of their medicinal value.

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, 1 tsp whole cloves, 2 tsp coriander seeds, 2 tsp dried ginger root, 2 tsp whole black peppercorns, 2 tsp fennel seeds, 2 tsp nutmeg powder, 3 tsp cardamom seeds, 3 tsp whole allspice berries, 3 whole star anise, 3 TB cinnamon chips

Grind all spices together in a mortar and pestle (or electric coffe grinder if you have one) until quite finely powdered. Stir into 2 cups of honey and simmer together over a LOW, LOW heat double boiler for at least a day, preferably longer, but stirring often. Strain warm honey through a medium fine sieve. This will assure that you remove all the tooth-breaking hard parts, but still allow the powered bits to pass through. The finished electuary should be rich, dark and nearly paste-like in consistency. Store in a clean jar and cap tightly.

As much as I love to talk about the sweet things in life, Kiva Rose at The Medicine Woman's Roots put the 'sweet talk' together in an organized way by hosting a summer blog party called "Sweet Medicines". This particular post and all other submissions will be published on her blog on August 1. I'm really looking forward to that. In fact, I may just add another sweet post or two before the end of the month.We have been totally enjoying the tasty herbal syrups, honeys and elixirs here in the classes the last few weeks.Make sure to go take a long look at Kiva's blog....it's so beautifully illustrated and written. A true inspiration!!

'How Does the Garden Grow?'

2009-07-14T15:38:00.016-04:00

Along with a basket of freshly harvested produce came the sudden realization that a few weeks have passed since I shared garden photos! The early spring rains finally moved on and made way for some gloriously sunny days, both which have produced one of the most beautifully lush and healthy gardens we ever have seen here in the last fourteen years! With the new 'bones' of fence, posts and raised beds in place, keeping our hens and assortment of wild critters at bay has been a breeze, producing a kind of lovely sanctuary beyond the gate. The gardens have flourished and produced quite a bit of food, flowers and culinary herbs so far this season.
The bamboo poles are full of spiraling vines laden with flowers and tiny beans. The Rainbow chard continues to put out new growth. The zucchini and cucumbers are giving us more fruits every day and we are thrilled to have the first harvests of early heirloom tomatoes: Tigerella and Bloody Butcher. The rest of the heirlooms are loading up with fruits, likely to ripen later in the month when the nights get warmer. All ten of the tomato plants are surrounded by their companion plantings of basil which I have been plucking at for a few weeks....even the first batch of pesto batch been consumed already this summer. Now to perfect the mozzarella cheese making!My curiosity got the better of me yesterday after a good soaking thunder storm. I was convinced that the storm must have caused the new potatoes to swell so I rocked a plant back and forth a bit in the moist soil and pulled up this bevy of beauties. We promptly cooked them up with some eggs for breakfast. A simple potato never tasted so good!! Oh, to have the patience ( and will power!) to let them be and grow to full maturity....and what would potatoes be without cabbage?? This is an early photo of the brassicas which all grew into lovely firm heads that I harvested a few days ago. A second crop will go in shortly for fall sauerkraut making.

Bliss...Simply Bliss

2009-07-05T22:23:00.005-04:00

David Winston and Donna Bryant's joyful union surrounded by friends, family and green! So incredibly happy for you!! May the years bring many smiles and many blessings.

Sweet Nerve-ana

2009-07-03T11:58:00.021-04:00

I have always considered the American Basswood or American Linden (Tilia americana) an enormously impressive tree. Standing upwards of one hundred feet or more, it's deliriously fragrant flowers have almost always been out of my reach. I am usually happy to stand on tippy toes to pluck a few flowers on low growing branches. But I am happier still, to stand beneath a tree in fullest fragrant blossom, to observe the humm and drone of perhaps thousands of drunken bees at work far above me. It is quite an amazing sight. The combination of being in the presence of such an ancient tree, the perfume of the sweetest of summer's flowers and the confirmation that the health of the honeybee population may not be so dismal after all provides a nearly instant cloak of peace and calm. Recently, I was invited to harvest various wild plants growing on the property of one of my students. I was thrilled at the prospect, knowing the property rather well, as the former home of an old herb friend who had long ago moved out of the state. I hadn't been to this particular piece of land in perhaps 15 years. When I had finished filling my basket, we chatted by the front of the house under the shade of a lovely tree that I hadn't remembered when my friend resided there. When I looked up to admire it further, I discovered it to be a young-ish linden tree, fully laden with branches about to flower....branches that had touched my hair and neck and shoulders while we visited. I was so delighted to meet a flowering linden within my reach that I stroked it instantly and vowed to be back the very day the flowers opened. I was sure that my friend had planted this tree and I thanked her quietly, where ever she might be now, wishing she could know that I was standing underneath it about to accept some of it's beautiful medicine. I also vowed in that moment to somehow reacquaint myself with this wonderful woman who I had lost track of over the years. As anyone intimately involved with plants well knows, some plants call to you, for reasons unknown, by a sweet scent, a vibrant color or a subtle shiver of leaves. It may even be a more blatant tickle of leaves on your neck or thorn snagged onto your sweater....whatever the method, the introduction has been initiated. It's up to us to continue the conversation and explore the gifts of the message. When rapt attention is given to the subtle voice of the plants, it opens the door to often beautiful and undeniable synchronicity. A remedy needed, a lesson learned, a truth told. For the past few weeks I have immersed myself in the immeasurable lessons of the linden tree, deepening my relationship with it's gifts through a thin gold cord that connects old friends, new friends and interestingly, also a friend who has passed.
(Interjecting a little bit of storytelling here...)
Seven years ago, Minnesota herbalist, Matthew Wood spent the first of many weekends here, sharing his herbal knowledge with a rather large group of us. During that time, he spoke highly of the virtues of the peach leaf, a medicine known quite well in the south. While he spoke, a woman who lived nearby, whispered to me to come by and harvest whatever I needed for drying and tincture making, which I did as the sun-kissed peaches dropped from her trees. Matthew's classes continued on through the months, while my peach leaf and fruit tincture infused in the cupboard. When September came, I packed up and drove to the Green Nations Gathering in upstate NY. I had brought along a few bottles of peach leaf tincture to give to Matthew, who was attending. Also attending the conference was William LeSassier, who was an herbal mentor to Matthew, David Winston, Margi Flint , Kate Gilday and many other well-respected herbalists. His reputation as a genius had proceeded him, and although I had quietly sat in on a few of his lectures, at the time, I must admit to being pretty insecure about assuming that he could also be a teacher and a mentor to me. Sometime during the weekend, as fate would have it, William and I ended up at the same place at the same time, and the subject of peach leaf came up. He quietly wished to have some for a particularly annoying digestive condition he was suffering at that moment. I shyly offered him my own...which he appeared astounded to see come from my bag. He was thrilled, then tasted it and defined it as 'PERFECT', the best he had ever tasted. He immediately initiated a barter. He pulled from his bag a full quart jar of raw Basswood (Linden) Honey complete with combs. It was a beautiful amber jewel and he deemed it the most valuable possession he had to barter with. I offered him the tincture for free, of course- no barter needed. He insisted and gratefully, I accepted the honey. It sealed the deal on a quick friendship, confidence and praise from a well respected teacher and in a few months, a visit to the Farm to teach a class on facial diagnostics that I had only heard legend about through my own mentors. It was an incredible weekend of sharing, and one I shall never forget. He renewed my faith in myself as an herbalist and taught me so much more in that short weekend. Sadly, he passed away a few weeks later, just after I received a wonderful thank you note expressing his appreciation of our farm, hospitality, great food and particularly...my peach leaf tincture. I still have that note and most of that Basswood honey to this day- savoring both from time to time, still reminiscent of summer flowers and synchronicity, sweet praise and precious fleeting time spent with the 'Herbalist's Herbalist'.
(Okay, now back to the linden tree story....this will all make sense shortly, I promise)
Home with baskets of fresh linden flowers, I am again reminded of the deep peace that comes from working with this tree, surrounded by the bees and the sweet smell. The fragrance lingers in my truck, in my kitchen and my fingers as I put some up to dry and to tincture. Linden flower is helpful for insomnia and the type of anxiety that usually comes with the darkness (children and the elderly understand this best). It has a calming effect on the nerves (nervine) and adds a bit of sweetness and emotional comfort, like a warm, sun dried quilt on the bed at night. I like to combine it with passionflower when my mind swirls round and round, long after my body has given up the ship, but when nervous exhaustion either won't let me fall sleep or stay asleep for very long. Winston likes to use it for nervous 'bellyaches', especially with nervous gagging and vomiting. I use it also, combined with catnip and elderflower for an especially yummy tea to break a fever. As a nod to my Swiss German ancestors, I love the idea that the Linden tree was planted at the center of many Germanic villages underneath which all meetings, celebrations and ceremonies took place. It was believed that the branches of the tree provided an 'umbrella' of peace and safety and kept truthful hearts in all who stood beneath it. Perhaps that is why, in Germany, the linden is also known as the 'Tree of Lovers'... truth being the keystone to successful relationships of any sort. To put this story of Linden Love to bed, I finally decided to fill a jar with the newly harvested flora, covered them with brandy and topped it off with a goodly quantity of William's precious linden honey to potentiate the brew. Only one week in the jar and already one of the most energetically amazing and lovely tasting brews I have ever made. Of course, thanks to all of the friends, near and far, who have helped to stir this particular pot to create a beautiful legacy of sharing among plant people. It surely is a fine testimony as to what constitutes 'good medicine'.

Trees are sanctuaries. Whoever knows how to speak to them, whoever knows how to listen to them, can learn the truth. They do not preach learning and precepts, they preach undeterred by particulars, the ancient law of life ~ Hermann Hesse

Lavender Loveliness

2009-06-25T12:25:00.016-04:00

~Lots of Lovely Lavender Ladies Laughing~

Last evening brought good friends and wafts of lavender west from Lancaster County all the way east to Chester County. Sisters Tina Sams and Maryanne Schwartz and their baskets, laden with lavender, meandered through the hills and valleys to get reacquainted with their still and save me from not having enough lavender for our class together! Tina was kind enough to allow me to play with her still for an entire month during which I became completely enchanted with the operation and uses of botanical hydrosols. Last evening however, the still was back in the hands of Tina and Maryanne who demonstrated the processing of lavender flowers. This culminated into a lovely collection of lavender hydrosol and more than a few drops of essential oil for their efforts! While the still simmered away during the evening and the sun began to set, we snuck off to savor some lavender infused treats to inspire us for the craft of lavender wand making. I have been playing around with fabric dyes recently and opted to try some hand dyed silk ribbon for the wand I made last night. Beautiful hues indeed, but it was a bit more challenging to weave with, given it's rather delicate nature. However, the finished product is simply yummy. All of this beautiful ribbon and barely enough lavender to harvest! Perhaps one a day will suffice this year. Thanks again to the 'Twisted Sisters' for the lavender delivery, the lavender demo and of course, the lavender laughs! Always a pleasure!Lavender Pistachio Biscotti Plan to make this a day or two in advance. The lavender smell/taste is more pronounced the next day!
*1/2 cup pistachio nuts . Shell and toast until slightly brown, rough chop when cool
*1 stick of butter softened
*3/4 cups sugar
*2 farm fresh eggs
*3 TB fresh dark lavender buds (Hidcote/Munstead) rough chopped
*2 + cups of whole wheat pastry flour
*1 1/2 tsp baking powder
*1 tsp vanilla extract
*1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cream softened butter with sugar until well blended. Add lavender buds, vanilla and 2 eggs and beat again until frothy. In a big bowl, combine flour, salt and baking powder. Blend well. Add to the creamed mixture and continue blending. Fold in nuts. Pull cookie batter out of the bowl with your hands. It will be fairly wet and sticky. Sprinkle a bit more flour on a cloth and knead into cookie dough until it is manageable. Don't overwork the dough! Easy does it! Form a long cookie log approx. 3 in wide and 12-14 long. Smooth out any cracks or holes. Bake the cookie log for 25 to 30 minutes. It should still show a finger indentation if pushed.
Let it cool completely and then slice across the log every half an inch or so. Spread out on the same cookie sheet and bake an additional 15 to 20 minutes. Turn off oven and allow cookies to cool in the oven. The biscotti will be crispy but not 'tooth breaking' hard. Store in a tin so they don't get affected by humidity.
Enjoy!!

Sunshine and Promises...

2009-06-22T07:01:00.007-04:00

Guilty. Yes I am. A few weeks ago I posted a rosey giveaway to be announced on Solstice Sunday (yesterday). I was ready to go with most of the prizes. Then, suddenly, after ten days of rain and storms, I had a little brainstorm of my own. I decided to order and add a wonderful book to the giveaway. I also decided to tweak my new cream recipe a bit further before announcing it. To complicate things further, an old aquaintance, the Sun, decided to visit yesterday (unannounced, I might add) and distract me from my dark library and laptop. I just couldn't say no. I dropped everything and went outside to play! Guilty. But, I have no regrets....because while I languished in the sunshine, I decided to pull three winning names from the post, just the moment the book arrives and my cream is perfected. Perfection comes with patience...yes. Thank you Friends! Rose love is in the air!

Herb Society of America Garden Tour

2009-06-18T06:58:00.009-04:00

On Tuesday, Farm at Coventry was again visited by not one, but three tour buses full of appreciative garden gazers. This group was from the Pennsylvania Heartland Unit of the Herb Society of America who were hosting their 27th annual Herbal Symposium this past weekend.Despite the threat of rain all day, we were cheered on by the sunny dispositions of all who wandered through the gardens.Farm at Coventry sales were also quite brisk! Fortunately, a few hours between tours allowed for replenishing of products and a nice relaxing lunch. We bid the last tour farewell at about 5:30 that night. Really nice to meet so many people who truly appreciate and understand the efforts and rewards that come from working the soil and tending the plants.I cannot close this post without again thanking my gardening helper Kim, whose tireless efforts and gardening experience have made a huge difference in my workload the last few weeks. The Man and the boys also deserve high praise for putting the finishing touches on the garden gates and perimeters. The garden tour deadlines this spring indeed put us into high gear to get my impossibly LONG wish list accomplished for this growing season! An early Wednesday morning walk through the garden brought a sense of "now what?" But we all know that is a fleeting question. There's always something more to plant, prune, pluck or harvest. Guess it's time to start a new list, eh? Well, maybe tomorrow...

Herbal Honors

2009-06-11T06:22:00.004-04:00

Wow. I knew it was coming (and kept the secret, no less). I even saw a photocopy of the cover last week. But I am still so excited and honored to see my 'color photograph turned watercolor' on the cover of the latest issue of Essential Herbal magazine! This is the first issue introducing the new color covers for the magazine. Looks amazing, Tina and Maryanne! Thanks for thinking of me....and don't forget, I have thousands more where that came from.

The Subtle Power of Rose and Rosy Giveaway!

2009-06-07T14:04:00.027-04:00

The rainclouds finally parted on Saturday morning for the seventh annual damask rose celebration. I was afraid that the water logged beauties weren't going to be dressed for the party after the previous four straight days of soaking rain. Even through the deluge, I could see buds open one day and then drop their petals the next. So discouraging!! All that rosy goodness lost, only to make a thick, fragrant carpet for my muddy, bare feet. Rather than lament the loss too much, I tried to consider it a rare indulgence fit for a farmhouse queen. The bees seemed to be happy for the break in the clouds, as well. Their comical drunkenness around the roses is understandable, even from my perspective. When no one is looking, I too, can flit from bloom to bloom and rub my nose in the warm, fragrant center, wishing only for a pair of lacy wings to transport me, giddy, towards the next one. Although the fragrance never dissipates completely when the petals get rained on, it's the sun that brings out the subtle spicy and citrus undertones that make it complete. So as the participants of Saturday's class discovered, there were still plenty of rose petals left to fill our baskets and make the day worthwhile. Some additional sunshine and laughter came to the gardens when Jen brought her young daughter Anikka to the class. The roses were certainly matched by the sweetness and beauty of this little girl! She added so much to the day. The most exciting focus of the day was setting up "Tina's Traveling Still"! Tina Sams, of the Essential Herbal, was so kind to share her lovely glass steam distiller so that we could make some rose hydrosol. The damp rose petals put out an amazing end product for us all to share. Once Kim and I remembered how to reconstruct the still, we were rewarded with the quiet hum of alchemy in action. Water, Fire, Ice and rose petals! It would be hard to describe two hours of steam distillation in a few short lines. Instead, I'll share the beauty of the transformation in photos. It was a wonderful experience. Adding to the alchemy were Orva's colorful stories of the ancient family moonshining trade, which were rich treasures all to their own! While the still worked through lunch, we settled in to making our own rosy treats to enjoy at the end of the day. In one kitchen the ladies prepared tiny rose petal scones while in the other kitchen the rest prepared Alex's chocolate macaroon recipe with the addition of powdered rose petals, rose water and rose liqueur. Holy Roses!! They were heavenly! To drink, iced rose hip tea sweetened with a splash of pomegrante juice. Later there was the passing of the rose tea cup filled with rose petal liqueur.
Sublime! There were enough rose petals left to make 2 quarts of rose infused vinegar for my Burn Spray and a new batch of Rose Liqueur. I think by the end of the day, our rose bones were satiated, at least temporarily. Sunday morning brought more sunshine with a whole new round of buds opening so I took advantage of the freshly cleaned still and my memory of reconstruction and ran a second round of rose hydrosol. While it hummed away, I decided to do a little extra hydrosol research, since specialized study of aromatherapy is not my forte. I checked in with two well-respected women friends via their websites who are much more knowledgeable since aromatherapy is their business! Roe, from Sunrose Aromatics and Marge from Nature's Gift both have detailed write ups about the therapeutic benefits of rose hydrosol. After studying up a bit and brainstorming a bit more, I've decided to utilize some of this rosy distillate into an extra special, limited-time product to commemorate the gifts of the roses during the whole month of June. ((Secrets revealed as I experiment!)) On the Summer Solstice, I will give away a whole small collection of rosy products made right here on the farm. I'll throw in some rose petal jam, rose soap, Burn Spray and a little taste of all the yummies that we enjoyed on the weekend. If you might be interested in this little giveaway, please add your desire to the comments on this post and follow along through the next two weeks as I experiment with the hydrosol until I come up with something extra special!!

It's not over 'til the last petal falls............

Got Fence!!!

2009-06-02T20:51:00.008-04:00

A job well done by the Iceman and his bud Taylor. Through sun and rain, blood, sweat and ...no tears...but sunburn and gnats. Thanks, fellas!

Supervisor/Quality Control Check

Foiled! ((Insert evil laugh here))

Freebie trash pick fence posts are a happy bargain after pricing untreated cedar fence posts at the box stores ranging from $22-$35 a piece!! I needed 14 posts. Do the math. NO way.These are nicely aged and just needed the old hardware removed and to be cut to uniform size. They are perfectly imperfect!

Neat and tidy, eh? Just need to make two cool gates and we'll call it a night.
This project turned out much better than expected! Woohoo!

Let the Blooming Begin

2009-05-28T11:15:00.011-04:00

The vague hint of rose fragrance is rising with the humidity today. I smelled it from my bedroom window very early this morning. What a joy. What an anticipated, simple pleasure. I have an early May ritual of carefully choosing and adding more to the collection each year. To satisfy my own curiosity, I did a rough count of all of the rose bushes I've planted over the past 14 years and came up with twenty five fragrant old roses. As indulgent as that seems, I still feel far from having an abundance of rose petals to tinker with each year. I always seem to need more rose petal jam, more heavenly rose water and more rose petal cordial. I most certainly need to try my hand at rose petal mead this year. The recipe is waiting...the fancy clamp top bottles, too. I've even designed a label in my mind.
It's true, still need to practice my pruning skills. But, I plan to be very diligent about pruning right after flowering this year, like I'm supposed to. I know that they will appreciate it and I won't be embarrassed next year by the wild and unruly bushes that cause all kind of angst when the lawnmowers and weedwhackers are zipping about the yard.
The June 6th workshop "The Subtle Power of Rose" is filled beyond capacity as one of our most popular classes here on the farm. It is one of the few times I am joined by a crowd to enjoy the many gifts of the rose. The rose buds continue to pop this week and should be in full bloom by next Saturday. Ooh, how I look forward to that!

This is Darlow's Enigma, a great big bush with teensy, weensy flowers that pack a fragrant punch. I don't do anything with these petals except to enjoy their fragrance where it grows as a screen in front of the porch.

It's all a blur....

2009-05-25T13:42:00.007-04:00

The MAN elected to finally go get his eye checked out by the doc on Wednesday. Ya see, he had a flashing light episode a few weeks back and decided to take a 'wait and see' approach while we geared up for planting season. Long story short, less than 24 hours later, he was rushed into some pretty heavy duty surgery for a detached retina in the right eye, as well as some lighter laser surgery in the left for good measure. It's been sort of a rough few days (his trauma and pain, my worrying) but looks like the MAN will be enjoying watching the garden grow through big black shades for the next month or so while he recuperates. No lifting, no driving, just taking it easy.....in a week or so he should be ready to stir the soap pot and get caught up on a few quiet activities around the house. I hope to squeeze in some extra posts between the doc's appointments and eye drops. The garden is just bursting with color and fragrance. It's a treat for all of the senses...but right now, you know, it's all about the visual.

Rolling out the Welcome Mat!

2009-05-20T06:52:00.012-04:00

Well, it's finally the middle of May and so much work has been completed since the long stretch of rain that lasted nearly a week at the the beginning of the month. Finishing the new square foot garden beds set us back a bit and we missed early spring plantings, which was an expected sacrifice. But getting the summer planting finished before the Rosemary House garden tour bus rolled in on Monday was the top priority. Wowzer! Check out the fancy bus! On obvious first for Farm at Coventry (But not the last....three more coming in June...all on the same day)

Nearly 40 people wandered the gardens, enjoyed asparagus quiche, salad, strawberries and chocolate macaroons and eventually squeezed into the herb kitchen to hear a short talk.
It was an exciting evening for all of us here on the farm, waving goodbye to the bus as it pulled away as the sun was setting. Just as exciting was walking back up to the house and getting a last look at the yard and gardens in near perfect condition. A worthy reward for weeks of work!
A few snapshots of the day...
homegrown eggs + local asparagus=yummy quichesweet succulents

cool drink of ice water with lemon balm and lemon slices

nary a weed in sight...(kept the good ones, of course!)

the square foot garden beds are finished and planted!
One final project is the wire fence and gates.

outdoor clean up

Need Some Sunshine?

2009-05-04T13:49:00.007-04:00

Me, too. It's been dark and dreary for too many days. Let's pretend...

Remember what it was like just a few days ago?

Strawberry Silliness

2009-05-04T07:18:00.007-04:00

Well, I persevered through the rain and succeeded in getting the first seventy five plants into the bed, but it wasn't easy! Even though the planting calendar said it was an optimal day to plant fruit, the rain gods were snickering at me from behind those dark clouds, I'm sure of it. I was almost laughing at myself. These are the only photos I was able to take before I put my camera in the truck. In the following hour or so, I was so caked in mud, I had to walk home and send the kid up to drive the truck back! I looked absolutely ridiculous...
Last week I raked stones and laid 100 feet of biodegradable mulch (made of cornstarch!) to keep the first season weed free and give the new plants a fighting chance. It will dissolve completely in 90-120 days. We'll see how well it works. Tenacious weeds will likely poke right through, but it should hold back most. It also has many perforations to allow rain in. I put my trowel right through it to plant each strawberry plant.
These are my boots right before I really got in there. Less than five minutes later, they had 5 lbs of squishy brown mess clinging to each one which made it impossible to walk. My next move was to get on my knees. Fifteen minutes later I had 5 lbs of mess clinging from my both of my knees down to my ankles and from both of my hands to my elbows. I could barely move. When I finally stood up at the end of planting the first 75 Jewels, my pants were starting to fall down and my hands looked like muddy webbed feet!!! hahaaa. It was a photo op that would have yielded a priceless image but with no one but the birds to see. You'll just have to use your imagination. Think I'll wait a few days, optimal fruit day or not to get the other 150 in the ground! Visions of many plump red berries next June keep me going.

Pulling Myself up by the Bootstraps

2009-05-03T11:09:00.011-04:00

Slowly recovering from a near deadly case of 'bit off more than I can chew' flu...and feeling like a little reflection and posting about it might be a soothing balm. The renovations in the house and reordering of chaos earlier in the year made room for a HUGE surge of ideas and creativity these past two months. Ideas easily turned into an organized 'to do' list. Step by step lists for each project followed. Inspiration and energy came from all directions and I rolled with it: tablets by the bed, sleepless nights, quick sketches everywhere. To add to the excitement was the inclusion of an extra set of hands this summer in the form of a WWOOF volunteer . In exchange for room and meals, our 'WWOOFer' would help with work around the farm, in all it's many aspects. We had spent a few weeks interviewing and speaking with a motivated young fellow who planned to take the next year to learn about all aspects of food growing and homesteading. His future goals in farming and food growing were admirable with a plan to spend six months in the north and six months in the south. But alas, just when we were confident that we had found a great match, he chose to take his helpful hands and good energy to another farm in Minnesota. While I am truly happy he found just what he was looking for, my disappointment at our potential loss for this summer was big. A few other WWOOF applicants suggested arrival times to the farm in July or later in the summer but opportunities for learning and help for garden prep and planting is long past by late July. Back to square one. It was my hope to alleviate some of the MAN's angst over coming home to a constant, looming project list. He already puts in a goodly amount of hours working off the farm with long stretches of travel at the start and end of each workday. Having an extra set of hands would remove some responsibility from his shoulders and also meet my desire to get projects done in a timely manner (and more importantly, not wholly dependent on asking help from someone who just put in a 15+ hour day!) Aye, it is one of of the few dances of committed relationship that I do not wholeheartedly enjoy! The Iceman has been a tremendous help while he waits for job calls. Searching for employment has not yielded anything so far, despite a bevy of inquiries and applications. In the meantime, I greedily accept his few hours of help every day, all the while hoping that he gets a 'real job' soon. The four foot square raised bed boxes have been painted, sunk and leveled into the garden. Farmer Tom was kind enough to help by bringing three loader buckets full of black and loamy compost gifted by old hay bales from the pasture. This saved many long walks from the pasture pushing heavy wheelbarrows full of the stuff. The compost was mixed into already great garden soil to fill the boxes. Wow! So happy about the quality of the soil this year and so are the worms! Good stuff. The next project on the list is to enclose this garden with wood and wire fencing. After long and hard internet surfing I found the type of fencing that I wanted. This old fashioned double loop ornamental variety is twisted and heavier weight than what you can procure in the big box stores. Isn't it neat? Need to gather a few more fence posts and with the help of the MAN and the Iceman should get it in place this week, barring more heavy rain. I am really looking forward to a vegetable and flower garden space free of chicken scratching and dusting holes! Over the last two weeks, I have finally given myself permission to scratch some things off this year's massive to-do list.The impossible must be discarded. The unnecessary, put off until next year's list and next year's WWOOFer volunteer. The list already has many things checked off, which I can feel proud about accomplishing. However, the fencing was not among the things to be put aside. It had already been ordered and shipped with an appointment set to drive to the trucking company to pick up the pallet in order to save an additional $70 in freight charges. No going back now! The shrink-wrapped, two hundred pound roll still sits on my truck since Friday, awaiting a few grunting people to unload it by the garden. oh well. The Biodynamic calendar says today is an optimal day to plant fruit.....so off to plant some strawberries in the rain. More later.

Reflecting.......

2009-05-02T09:03:00.011-04:00

Really happy for the soaking rain...

the lush, overnight resurgence of the green..

a guy who allows my lawn to grooow until I say 'okay, now you can cut'

and the return of a little spring in my step.

Finis!!!

2009-04-19T18:30:00.010-04:00

Another marathon weekend under our belts and nary a drop of rain!! The Homestead Herbalism Saturday and Sunday classes came around this weekend to explore the fine wild cuisine of northern Chester County. In two days, we devoured 3 gallons of Spring Tonic Soup, 2 qts of chickweed and garlic mustard pesto and well over 30 nettles spanakopita hand pies. Holy Smokes~ that was was some darn good eatin'!

((simply divine))

Here is the wild commando version of this recipe (which means, use what you have, don't worry about the quanities so much. It is a very forgiving recipe)

Steam roughly 3-4 quarts of early spring nettles tops, which will reduce to a few cups (you could substitute spinach if the nutritious nettles don't live nearby) Drain well.
two blocks of feta cheese, crumbled
cracked black pepper
a teaspoon or so of lemon zest
and a sprinkling of pine nuts
1 pkg thawed phyllo dough
Mix the first five ingredients together while the greens are still warm to get a nice creamy mixture.Unwrap the phyllo dough and use only three sheets at a time, cover the rest with a tea towel or damp paper towels. Don't let it dry out!!
For fancy directions on folding individual spanakopita hand pies go here. It explains the folding process much better than I can!

oh my...but even better than this delicious morsel ....

Finis!!! The weather cooperated so the guys could finally get the greenhouse done today. whew!A few days of rain ahead will mean a little break from the outdoor work. Better charge up the cordless drill, Iceman, we've got greenhouse benches to build in the kitchen!

Weeping with Joy

2009-04-19T07:47:00.003-04:00

This is a an early Mother's day gift from my kids. A lovely Weeping Willow tree. It is replacing a beloved maple that we lost in this place a few years back. We all missed having a tree in this part of the yard. There is underground spring here and so my years long wish to have a willow has been fulfilled!! Thank you, my loves!

'Gut Buch' Read

2009-04-19T07:37:00.004-04:00

A gift from dear friend Carol, from the Homestead Herbalism Grad Class...this vintage book "Dr Frau" is such a good read!!! It's a first hand account of a woman doctor/midwife in the sixties in nearby New Holland, PA, just up the road from here. Her descriptions of Amish farm life and home birthing balanced with her own juggling of career and family in the early sixties is a cultural eyeopener on many fronts. I am enjoying this book so much I don't want it to end. It is 'bath-bed-book' perfection! Thanks so much Carol. Mom, you have to read this!

Greenhouse Update

2009-04-19T07:21:00.005-04:00

Apparently, Hobby Greenhouse has 'upgraded' their plans and materials since the last one we purchased. Needless to say, the MAN was none too happy about the changes. 'nuff said. The building hasn't gone up as smoothly because of said changes and hence cost the guys much valuable time. Darkness came before the job was completed. A run of bad weather, including unrelenting wind and a bout with the MAN getting the flu has caused serious delay in getting the job done. Easter afternoon found us outside in powerful winds shoring up the fragile sides that strained to be airborne. Visions of greenhouse number 2 careening down the road created frayed nerves and flared tempers. Keeping fingers crossed for a finish this week. oy....

No laying down on the job!

Dreaming the NEW Garden...

2009-04-19T05:52:00.008-04:00

When I reorganized my library a month or two back, I stumbled upon an old friend, Mel Bartholemew. This was my very first gardening book,which I purchased in 1981. Mel's PBS show back in the day, inspired my very first garden. Although my gardening preferences have shifted over the many years since then, I still plant while keeping his methods in mind. While teaching the "Dreaming the Herbal Garden" class a few weeks back, I actually inspired myself to make some major changes this year. I had been considering revamping the garden to include a traditional PA German Four Square Garden for a few years, all the while remembering my first garden fondly. Then I stumbled upon a magazine photo that sealed the deal. This was the year!
I spent a few days measuring the newly tilled garden and sketching out some ideas on graph paper, then calculated the board length of lumber I needed. A trip to Lowe's intimindating Man World Lumber Yard was next. I decided to bring the IceMan along so as not to feel too vulnerable. He was a big help maneuvering the 12 foot boards back to the cutting station and loading 32 board pieces and 6 cedar fence posts. Lowe's happened to be pretty quiet that day, so my cutting requests were tolerated...although barely. Half way through the cutting, the machine decided to blow a fuse. The cutting machine fella rolled his eyes while taking the ten minute walk to go flip the breaker. I used that time to go find four inch galvanized wood screws. Another intimidating aisle, but I perservered and found just what I needed. Pretty soon we loaded up and brought the pile home. As you can see it all fit nicely into my truck.

Within an hour, we had the first box together......

We pre-drilled the holes in the boards so that the screws wouldn't split the wood.We nailed on these inexpensive little 1X2's on the bottom of all the boxes. When the wood rots over time, these will be replaced instead of the more expensive 2X10's. Do I have enough nails?

Pretty soon there were four...

And by dinner time there were seven...

In just a few hours there were nearly two ~ four squares nicely matching my paper design, but a smashed fingernail, miscalculation of number of nails needed and a drill bit hopelessly stuck in a horrendous knot on a board put a finish on the day. Back to Lowe's to grab more nails and replace the MAN's drill bit before he got home from work (yikes...better grab a whole new set!) Anyway, despite the minor setbacks, this was afternoon well spent.Now comes the chore of filling the boxes with nice fluffy garden soil. So much to do, so little time ...and garden tour bus #1 will be here in exactly one month!

The Last Laugh

2009-04-14T15:58:00.005-04:00

I am guilty of letting the demands of farm life, family and fun take precedence over blogging the last two weeks...what an incredibly busy and productive time it's been. I have lots to share, but first things first.I need to post a follow up from the April Fool's day post where I planted some fake eggs in the nesting boxes. The fake eggs eventually have been accepted once again and the girls have been putting out a steady stream of good sized eggs for us to enjoy. There were several extremely large eggs in the last week...the first pictured above. This morning, I cracked two of them into the pan, fully expecting double yolks, but was totally surprised to find a completely formed tiny egg, shell fully intact, along with a double yolk, inside one of the big eggs. This is a first!!

Who's the April Fool??

2009-04-01T15:53:00.007-04:00

You'd think it'd be easy to fool a bunch of gals whose brains are literally the size of a pea, right? Well, I did...and it worked for a week or so. But being that today is April Fool's Day, I guess they decided to turn the tables on me. Wish you could have been there to see my face! My girls have a habit of forgetting where to lay their eggs if all of their gifts are collected at the end of the day, so I decided to fool them by buying some realistic looking plastic eggs I found on an Easter display at our favorite mom and pop hardware store up the road. They are the speckled ones in the photo above. I tossed a few into the empty nesting boxes and the girls sit right on top of them and lay more. I collect the real ones at the end of the day and first thing in the morning they go back and sit on the nest where the plastic eggs live. For the past week, I have been smuggly celebrating my genius... until this morning when I opened the coop and found most of the dozen eggs of various colors kicked out of their various nesting boxes and unnecessarily sh*t upon. How rude! Not sure who or what might have tipped them off, but I'll not be so easily deterred. I brought the soiled imposters into the house and scrubbed them until the dirt and the spots came off. When the girls were out hunting worms in the rain this afternoon, I ran back up to the coop and inserted just the brown eggs back in the nests.
Hmmph, we'll see who's the last fool....

The Blank Canvas...

2009-03-31T13:01:00.013-04:00

I long for the blank canvas of Spring which the sun and rain have prepared for the painting of summer...

Freshly turned garden...the chickens were first to explore it's possibilities

Our new future planting space in the pasture behind us. Approx. 40' X 100'. Plans for 3 thirty foot rows of strawberries (225 plants have been ordered), asparagus and potatoes, too.Communal effort here with friends and neighbors chipping in to plow, plant, weed and share the wealth.

"An empty canvas is a living wonder...far lovelier than certain pictures."
~Wassily Kadinsky

Big Sigh of Relief...

2009-03-26T09:11:00.005-04:00

You know that kind of sigh that emanates from your toes when a three or four month project that looms daily is complete?The 2009 Herbal Hands Workshop Schedule is FINALLY finished, copied onto several calendars, published on the website and on several hundred paper copies that sit waiting for distribution today and tomorrow. The classes are always held on the first Saturday of every month, but this year, I decided to add in a sprinkling of Wednesday evening classes, as well, for those who don't want to give up a precious Saturday. Wait, did I just finish booking nearly every Saturday of 2009?? Gulp, well... yes I did, but I can't think of a better way to spend glorious Saturdays and Wednesday evenings, spanning three seasons than with cool friends who love herbs, too! Time to kick back for an hour or so on this dreary afternoon and revel in my accomplishment... At least until I go out to the barn and start unpacking all those enormous boxes with greenhouse parts in them that arrived today!!! I need one hour though...just one.

The Victory Garden!

2009-03-24T06:59:00.004-04:00

The big news on all the yahoo group lists and social network sites this past week has been about the organic vegetable garden being created 'from the ground up' by First Lady Michele Obama and student helpers on the White House South Lawn. Tina Sams, of the Essential Herbal, a woman with her finger on the pulse of herbal trends, was way ahead of her time last year when she published the Victory Garden issue. To celebrate the new gardens at the White House, Tina is offering her sold out issue as a free download on her blog. Click on the magazine cover to open the pdf copy. Tell your friends! Post it on your own blog! Share the wealth! It's a great issue.

Braggin' on the The Ice Man

2009-03-17T19:51:00.008-04:00

He hates it when I brag him up... he really does. So I'll make this short and sweet cuz I just can't help myself. It's a momma's right, right? The Massachusetts Maple Leafs kicked butt in Pittsburgh last weekend and bumped the first place team to win the CHA Junior B Championship and the Continental Cup. The last weekend of March the National Championship will be held in Marlboro, MA and we'll be there! The IceMan is the one holding up the #1, with a big smile and bleach blond hair....oh, well...his skates are the furtherest to the left. GO LEAFS!!!!

Suzie Picked a Peck...

2009-03-17T14:23:00.004-04:00

...of pretty posies

Patience, Please...

2009-03-17T08:28:00.009-04:00

Yippee! Our new greenhouse is on it's way and it can't get here fast enough for me. This the Hobby Grower "Enthusiast" which is the same one that blew away a few weeks ago. This time around,we decided to add the four foot extension and the fancy 'automatic vent openers' (that used to be my job title-minus the fancy part). We can certainly benefit from these few extras. There are plans to bolt this beast to rock solid 8X8's partially sunk into the earth for a better foundation and to assure that this one will not have a chance of blowing eastward. A wind block of some sort will also be positioned on the west side of the greenhouse-most likely a four foot wooden fence that I can grow morning glories or a climber rose on. This is the photo I sent to the insurance claims adjuster after the fact. Ugh, I can still barely look at that pile of debris without wincing but when I do, I am again reminded how eternally grateful I am to the guys that chased down the pieces for me. The MAN, on the other hand, sees this pile of plastic and twisted metal as potential. "Necessity(and disaster) is the mother of invention", I suppose. He stood up there staring at it until the inevitable MAN Brainstorm started to brew up and he created his own tornado of activity. In this case, he recycled the pieces of plastic windows, doubled them up for durability and insulation, and created new cold frame tops. Once the south-facing boxes are finished and set into the soil, they'll be ready to go. I imagine that surrounded by a few hay bales, they'll serve as a nice place to grow winter greens,too. Since he's already tackled the task of greenhouse construction before, he's hoping that it will go together easier this time around. That's my hope, too. I have my own vague memory of the last construction day, watching from the window. It's best not to interrupt a man when he's in his own mental world of construction and ask him if he needs any help. I'll likely watch from the window again this time around but I'll have my camera close by, for sure.

Winning the Herbal Marathon !

2009-03-15T19:40:00.009-04:00

Homestead Herbalism Saturday Class!!

Homestead Herbalism Sunday class!!

What a cool, jam-packed weekend we had here on the farm. This was the first of the Homestead Herbalism classes for 2009 and unofficially dubbed the "Marathon" by the MAN and I. I can't imagine a better way to run a marathon than by talking to passionate people about herbs! Of course, running a marathon of this variety while juggling a box of Kleenex, cup of steaming, hot tea and losing one's voice could have been disastrous, but my new herb friends didn't seem to mind. Outside, the mild weather was perfect for exploring the new green sprouts in the gardens and pasture. Inside, we explored the tastes of sour, sweet, bitter, pungent and mineral salt herbal teas and our brand new issues of the Essential Herbal Magazine. I'm already looking forward to Marathon weekend in April and sharing Violet jam, Spring Tonic Soup and dandelion delights! Ooooh, it's gonna be a GREAT year!

Switcheroo Number Two

2009-03-14T17:50:00.004-04:00

This is the photo of the banana bread that I made yesterday and posted the recipe for here a few days ago. But many of you have asked for the zucchini bread recipe, too so I'd be glad to oblige:

Zucchini Bread
Preheat oven to 350* Butter two standard loaf pans
In a large bowl combine:
3 1/4 cup of organic unbleached flour, germ restored
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
2 cups sugar
*
In a separate bowl combine:
2 sticks butter, melted and cooled
4 beaten eggs
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup applesauce
2 heaping cups grated zucchini (probably 3 cups, actually)
1/2 cup golden raisins, soaked in warm water or rum overnight
Mix wet ingredients into dry, add raisins and fold in. Bake in 2 loaf pans at 350* for one hour.

Tea Cup Charms

2009-03-12T12:00:00.004-04:00

This weekend I will open my home to 24 new Homestead Herbalism students! The tables are set, name tags ready, the handouts are being printed and the notebooks covers finished. Ahhh, the first day of school. I love the excited feeling that comes with the first day of a new project of any kind. Always a fresh start! This year I decided to make personalized tea cup charms for everyone so that when the cups get put down, they can be easily identified for refills. Always an issue since all the cups are the same. I snooped around Michael's and found pretty Martha Stewart labels and a few packs of basic sterling earring hoops. I rubber stamped the labels on both sides: teacup and leaf on the front along with the student's name and a teapot on the back. Then I laminated them so they wouldn't be damaged too much by the inevitable spill. Simple but pretty and personal,too. No more mixups on the teacups! ((I'll also immediately know who forgot to wash their cup at the end of class,too!! hehheh....Sneaky, aren't I?))

The Old Switcheroo...

2009-03-09T07:50:00.007-04:00

It was a Friday baking frenzy! The cheesemaking class was coming Saturday morning and my dear neighbor Mrs M was turning 90 years young. She loves my zucchini bread so I whipped up a few loaves. The MAN loves my banana bread, so a few of those got made, too. During the frenzy, I grabbed my camera and got the zuke bread, but forgot to shoot the banana bread. I remembered just as 12 people were lifting their pieces to their lips! oh well...here is the banana bread recipe but with a switcheroo zucchini bread photo instead. When I bake again this week, I'll switch out the photos before the MAN dives into the first loaf, if I can. It's a doozy of a sweet bread with goat cheese inside. MMMMMmmmmmm!The MAN's Favorite Banana Bread
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups all purpose flour
3 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
~~~~~~
8 over-ripe bananas
2 sticks of butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 heaping cup of sugar
4 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
~~~~~~
1 cup pecans finely chopped
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter two standard size loaf pans. In a large bowl, combine flours, baking soda and salt. Mash 4 of the bananas coarsely with a fork, so they still remain chunky. Set aside. In the mixer whip remaining bananas and sugar for a few minutes until light and fluffy. Add butter, eggs and vanilla. Beat another minute. Slowly combine wet ingredients into the dry ingredients with a spatula until just mixed. Do not overblend! Fold in nuts, chocolate chips and chunky bananas until well blended. Divide the batter between the two prepared loaf pans. Bake one hour and 15 minutes, but start checking with a toothpick after one hour...it might be done early!

Decisions, Decisions...

2009-03-05T18:19:00.006-05:00

This quilt rocks on both of these new walls...
Can't decide.
What do you think?

Dessert in the Garden, Anyone?

2009-03-05T17:17:00.017-05:00

Take a seat...I can throw this together in no time...

Your "Basic" Snow Ice Cream:
7 cups of clean snow
(a rare commodity in these parts!)
Whisk in one whole can of sweetened condensed milk
Simple as that.
The MAN will like this...for the 'very cold and very sweet' cravings

Your "Fancy" Snow Ice Cream:
7 cups of clean snow
Whisk in one 14 oz. can of full fat coconut milk
3 big TB of ginger jam or little chips of candied ginger
a few TB of maple syrup
I like this one because it's less sweet and I love anything with coconut milk in it.
Think I'll stir in some coconut flakes before I put it in the freezer

Okay, lemme just add a brain freeze disclaimer here. Farm at Coventry is not responsible for the inevitable excruciating headache that comes from scarfing this yummy stuff down outside as you are whipping it up for your waiting guests. I am positive the chickadees were laughing at me from the rosebushes as I did the bbbrrrain frrreeeze dance around the garden. The cure is to put your thumb on the roof of your mouth to coax those constricted blood vessels back open....but that only works if your hands are nice and warm! Mine were not...
Chickadee-dee-dee-dee-hee-hee-hee
hmmm, wait a minute...14 cups of snow ice cream for two people???
I better make a few phone calls, eh?

Before Nine....

2009-03-05T10:27:00.011-05:00

Morning is my most productive time of the day. Call it biorhythms. Call it a 'new day' kind of energy. Can't blame it on the MAN who gets up in the middle of the night to go to work, either. I've had this rhythm as long as I can remember and nearly always turn off the alarm before it ever goes off. My eyes pop open before the light of day regardless of what time I go to bed and I just roll with it. If I happen to wake and daylight is beginning to peep over the horizon, I feel 'late' to the day. So by mid-morning, if all goes well, I've already accomplished enough that I can take a tea break with a little computer time....
Here is the run down before nine today: First things first: Tea water on and all else follows...
~Built two fires in two woodstoves (brrrrr, dang it's cold in here!!) When the fire gets going the tea pot goes on the woodstove, but I can't wait that long for the first sip. Patience is not one of my strongest virtues.
~Put a big turkey in the oven. That'll help warm up the kitchen
~Started two batches of cheese for Saturday's class (one goat chevre and one fromage blanc)
~Poured, labeled and shrink wrapped a big batch of lip balm and started two batches of rose cream.
~Packed out a big wholesale order set out for delivery this afternoon
~Typed up final class lists for Homestead Herbalism Saturday class, Homestead Herbalism Sunday class, and Homestead Herbalism Grad Classes...wow! Thirty six full time students this year. *Note to self- mix up Gingko, Rosemary, Holy Basil tea to help me remember all those names!!! Better add name tags to my Staples list, too.
~Pushed all the furniture back in the new Green Bedroom and hung new lace curtains. Looks so yummy. (I'm rethinking this as the official guest room instead of preparing it for the Iceman's return home. He sorta called dibs on it once his sister moved out but, you know, he's hundreds of miles away from home and I'm here doing all the work...so, I think I gotta pull out the 'Who Rules the Roost?' rulebook here. We'll duke it out when he gets home, which could be as early as next week or in a month, depending how playoffs go. Yesterday Green Eyes gasped and threatened to move back home after seeing her old room with a new face, too) ummmm....no.
When I finally decided to get outa my pj's and get outside another few tasks were waiting:
~Fed, watered and cleaned the chickens after I shoveled yet another path for them to walk through the drifts and stuffed my shirt pockets full of eggs when I finished! I then followed a bunch of animal tracks around the property to see who came to visit during the night. See these at the end of the post.
~Ate a few sweet maple sap icicles...mmm and brought in some clean snow to try and make some quick snow ice cream for dessert tonight. Thanks Susanna and Nancy from Rosemary House for the inspiration. I'm gonna put a spin on your recipe using what I have in my pantry! Recipe and photos to follow.

My break is over...so gotta get back to the old 'grind'. Yeah right. I love my life. I can't ever say I'm bored in this big old farmhouse and when I fall into my down pillows and multiple quilt layers at night, I KNOW I've earned a good night of rest. Carry on friends, and Seize the Day- all before nine, if you can! And if you're lucky, like me, there will be a warm turkey sandwich waiting to be had by lunchtime!

the tracks...Mister fox...he's a regular. Tiny tracks. The size of a cat's but obviously canine. Foxes always step into their own tracks forming a single set , like this.

Can't be certain but I believe these may be the tracks of the mysterious white faced coyote that all the locals are yacking about over at the feed store...and it was running fast. The paw prints are canine and the size of my palm and there is at least six feet between each set of tracks. It was definitely on the move. Fortunately, he had no interest in the chicken coop...last night anyway.the elusive MAN tracks circling the woodpile. Guessing he was figuring on how to best tackle this latest pile of four cords.

Which way did he go? An obviously confused meadow vole left his mark here.
Wonder if he found some fermented beer grains on the compost pile? And if you look around the perimeter, he had an audience too!

Fair Winds Blow This time Around!!

2009-03-01T15:05:00.004-05:00

Good news blew in just in time for the weekend. The insurance agent called to let us know that our wind-demolished greenhouse will be covered, so it looks like it's safe to order my seeds after all! My claim agent, Tabitha was based in Atlanta, but she was downright neighborly.I have to give her kudos for making me feel like I wasn't just a number in a corporate computer system. She had the same cheerful attitude whether it was first thing in the morning or late in the afternoon. We looked online together at the specs of my greenhouse and she also did research on her own. Most surprisingly, she was genuinely interested in all the things that we grow! Very cool. We bonded during our talk about elderberries...a friend of elder is always a friend of mine, dear Tabitha. Friday's call was to say that the reimbursement check is on it's way! The greenhouse will be replaced, along with a little extra compensation for debris removal and installation of the new greenhouse! Yipee! Perhaps outstanding customer service is coming back into vogue again 'cuz I am one very satisfied customer.

Method to the Madness

2009-02-27T21:07:00.003-05:00

How could I resist a paint color called 'Aurucana Green'? After all, some of my favorite feathered friends are of the Aurucana persusasion and they gift me with eggs that are this loverly shade of green. And this was 'Green Eyes' former bedroom, so it had to be green. Alas, no color chip called 'Green Eyes'. I'm finding it a much more pleasant task to choose the color chips by their name rather than to rely purely on visual attraction or matching it to curtains or fabric. I have collected a few extra color chips with names such as Silver Artemisia and Eucalyptus Blue. Hmm, which room to paint next?

Another One Done...

2009-02-20T17:43:00.003-05:00

Here is Bedroom # 2
Martha Stewart's 'Ticking Blue'*
Had to match the sunset, too
Just one more bedroom left to do
Yellow room is nearly Sue's...

*It's actually 'Blue Ticking' but that wouldn't have worked too well in my silly poem.

Virtual Farm Tour

2009-02-17T22:04:00.005-05:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Please kick back and enjoy the spring and summer happenings that we have to look forward to here on the Farm. May it chase your weary winter blues away...at least for the next few minutes! I feel better already...

Throwback Thursday

2009-02-12T21:23:00.011-05:00

for Monique...
I say 'throwback' because it's been a few good years since I finished a quilt and feeling the need to change that. I came across this little photo journal documenting the quilts I have made over the years. I had nearly forgotten about some of them....and sadly so. Revisiting the journal has really stimulated my creative bone. Thought you might enjoy seeing some real cotton eye candy...

my first...for the baby iceman...circa 1988

...and then again about ten well-loved years later...
(tens years after that, it's still folded sweetly in his drawer)

a duel effort...I pieced the top, my maternal grandmother quilted it for me, even though she wasn't happy about all of the black fabric. It was hard on her eyes, but she persevered.

wall hanging....I still have about 18 inches of binding to handsew....for years it's remained unfinished

a gift for my nephew

one of my faves... a gift for former mother-in-law. Most likely hidden away at the back of a closet these days... and that is a hopeful best case scenario. Don't want to even imagine the worst case scenario. oooh, I really loved this one.

a gift for my niece

OWOH Give-Away Winners

2009-02-12T19:28:00.005-05:00

I'm a little late in announcing my One-World-One Heart winners today! My apologies for the suspense! I am really thrilled that 186 OWOH participants commented on the blog during the last few weeks to enter the drawing. Thanks to all who've wandered these pages. It's been a blast looking around at all of your blogs. So many truly creative people out there!
Okay, drumroll......
The Immune Broth Winner:
Linda from Journey Seeds
The Botanical Notecards Winner:
Rick from Life through My Eyes
The Laughing Crow Eye Cream Winner:
Monique from Living in the Light I Find
Check them all out...impressive blogs, all three!
Congratulations to all of you!!

Wind and Whining

2009-02-12T16:21:00.006-05:00

Just a little while ago, I heard a huge howling wind gust. Much bigger than most of the winds blowing through here today.Next, I looked out the kitchen window to see my sweet greenhouse lift up into the air ...then smash down again, in a hundred flailing pieces. When I screamed out loud, the fellas working upstairs, dropped their tools and ran down the steps not knowing what they might find down here. All I could do was point and cry. They never hesitated, running out the door to chase after the cartwheeling pieces of metal and plastic. my... little... greenhouse. The winds still felt rather dangerous, making it hard for the guys to maintain their balance, but they persisted in getting all of the pieces secured in the barn. It gave me enough time to cry and wipe my eyes before they came back in. I got busy and called the insurance company.They went back up to finish what they were doing upstairs, cheerful and encouraging. They are good neighbors, salt of the earth, shirt off their back kinda guys.They do a good day's work and clean up after themselves. Honest, hard working guys, like big bro's, that we are really so blessed to know. I'm glad they were here.
An aside to this tale: Just yesterday, one of my sheets was blowing off the washline. These guys actually got down off a second story scaffold to run out and hang it back up before it fell in the mud....and I got it on film. Never told 'em...probably won't, either. Their buddies probably wouldn't ever let them hear the end of it. But I know...

Now, if they could work some magic with my insurance company. I just filed a tearful claim, and will just need to see if it's covered on my policy. sigh. They did mention that I am part of a 'large weather catastrophe'. Bad time of year for this to happen, with dreams of young seedlings dancing in our heads. It'll have to be replaced rather quickly if we are to accomplish our growing goals this year. Pulling my hat down hard and liftin' my chin up, here, even though it's quivering.

In the Blink of an Eye

2009-02-11T06:38:00.007-05:00

Happy Birthday, Emilia Green Eyes! How did you grow up to be 25 years old?
It may be the day that you celebrate your birthday, but I celebrate it as the (first) happiest day of my life.
PS. And how did you get to 25 while I stayed there?!

moonrise

2009-02-09T20:07:00.006-05:00

"The moon is a friend for the lonesome to talk to."
~carl sandburg

Super Bottle Sunday

2009-02-09T17:17:00.019-05:00

Oh, what a productive day! After a slow start to the morning, the MAN and I decided to spend the day doing necessary individual projects on Sunday.The MAN had his work cut out for him by bottling recent batches of Bucktown Brown Ale, Pughtown Pub Ale, New Year's Lager, Mahoney Light, and Stiff Neck Pilsner. While he contended with that task, I sifted and sorted through many years worth of fabric purchases (I save every tiny scrap) along with patterns, books, quilting pieces, thread, embroidery floss, yarn, unfinished projects, etc. Surely you must know the deep satisfaction that comes with touching and re-evaluating the things you have accumulated over the years ((please say you do!?)) This empty nest thing has me evaluating everything that comes through my hands these days: from the socks I put on my feet in the morning to the yard sale duvet that I don't especially like, but keeps me warm at night. If it doesn't have a place, or if I haven't used it, worn it, loved it, dusted it, or cooked with it in a long time...it's gone!! It took me all afternoon to go through that one space but it's finally all been reorganized and will be ready to move into the newly painted sewing room when it's time. Right now, that pretty yellow room is being used as our temporary bedroom until our own bedroom has been repaired and painted...which may take a little bit longer than expected ....sigh.The fellas were here today to start what was to be a simple job, repairing a few cracks and painting the room. In my gut, I knew it wouldn't be quick or easy. The ceiling is soft (which my gut didn't tell me) and the walls needed more than a few patches to the plaster. Once they started, two whole walls crumbled in a matter of minutes. I knew even though the door was closed. I heard three grown men sneezing and coughing and heard shovels scooping up debris and watched it drop past the window below. hoo boy. I'm pretending, for the moment, that it's a trendy Manhattan loft. But essentially, it is a simply a mirror of my own life...getting down to the bare bones of it. Leaving what is solid and real while shoveling all that has cracked, crumbled and become useless, right out the window. It is quite a cool look at the bones of this old house, dontcha think? The old wood, bricks and mortar are rather beautiful. Whatta way to bring in this new year, this new way of life. I'm digging it and going with the flow. Even if it means setting aside what I "should" be doing. This is absolutely necessary for my psyche, right now. It's my balm. my warm bath. my comforting cup 'o tea.
Guess this is just one of the things that herbalists can do during the winter months while they wait for the spring thaw. As much I as I look forward to getting back in the fields and gardens, I suppose I can be grateful that the growing season does come to a standstill here in PA for a few months out of the year. Otherwise, I'd never get anything done inside the house!

Warm Welcome on Queen Street

2009-01-31T22:03:00.008-05:00

Long day, today... long week, in truth...
getting Green Eyes and her girls moved into their fresh new place.
Finally, the clothing is put away, sheets washed, beds made,
cable and internet up and running,
the kitchen organized and the
empty boxes out.

now...

"Think you should get some curtains on those windows?"
"Where are the smoke detectors? Fire extinguisher?"
"Is there anything in the fridge besides drinks?"
"Did you pack the echinacea?"
"Don't forget to lock the doors"

"Bye, Momma. I love ya. I'll probably be home tomorrow to do some laundry...
((Even though she has a brand new washer and dryer))
...Maybe around dinner time?"
Easy transition

Thankful Thursday

2009-01-29T09:20:00.010-05:00

on the count of Three...

Tangible proof that the days are getting longer...

My handsome wood splitting MAN who thoroughly enjoys keeping me supplied with enough wood to keep two stoves going while he's gone (will work for banana bread)

A sunny, freshly painted room...
It served the last ten years as an shamefully ugly catch-all 'storage' space. And it's soon to be "my space" for sewing, writing, stretching!I can definitely see a cast iron day bed in there, can't you? Best part: all the "stuff" that lived there? Released, re-gifted, recycled or repositioned...
ahhhh.

One World ~ One Heart

2009-01-28T14:45:00.015-05:00

Farm at Coventry is participating in the third annual One World-One Heart event that pulls bloggers together from all parts of the world!! So cool. Every blogging participant (I believe I am #694!!) offers a lovely giveaway from their blog. Readers need only to leave a comment that includes their email address* to be entered in each giveaway. After much debate, I decided to add three giveaways that include some of the Farm's most recently popular products!
1)The first named drawn will receive a jar of the newest baby in the cream collection, the "Laughing Crow Eye Cream" that includes a lovely blend of herb infused oils, rosehip seed oil, and an exotic blend of patchouli, carrot seed, vetiver, neroli and helichrysum essential oils. After a rather slow start (and people mistakingly calling it "Laughing Cow"cream, which didn't help it's image much) it has blossomed into a top seller with many repeat sales and customers singing it's praises. Being quite partial to anything containing patchouli myself, I am one of it's biggest fans and I use it for my entire face and body.
2)The second name drawn will receive a set of twelve assorted "Farm at Coventry" botanical notecards. The garden photos were taken by yours truly right here on the Farm and printed onto nice card stock with matching envelopes. This limited edition botanical notecard set is not available on the website currently but they have been a big hit at the recent holiday shows !
3) The third name drawn will receive a Farm at Coventry "Immune Broth" blend of your choice (Basic, Curry or Oriental) Just pop this flavorful herbal packet into your next batch of chicken broth and simmer for a few hours before straining. You will have an herb fortified, nutritious chicken broth that will be ready to serve the next time a cold or flu strikes! Complete instructions and recipe suggestions are included in each package. There you have it!! Good Luck to all who enter the drawing and please, please don't forget to add your email address to make it mucho easy for me to contact you when your name is drawn!! The deadline for entering the drawing is midnight February 11 (EST here in PA) The drawing will take place at noon on February 12, 2009. The lucky winners will be notified and also posted here on the blog. Thanks for stopping by!

Pampered Poultry

2009-01-27T12:11:00.007-05:00

Seriously, am I the only woman who shovels snow for the hens??? They just don't like to put their feet in the snow. They freeze in their tracks. So it's either: 1) they stay under the porch and be at the peril of night time marauders 2) I crawl like a commando under the porch after dark to bring them out one by one (not a pretty sight, I assure you) or 3) I play the Pied Piper with a snow shovel and some sunflower seeds. Less stress for them, I get some excercise... and we all sleep better.

frozen-in-her-tracks....completely helpless...it's a big liability when you're a chicken

Late to the Play Yard...

2009-01-22T09:06:00.014-05:00

A few days ago, I was tagged to play with Susanna and Nancy of Rosemary's Sampler Blog... 6th Picture Meme! (hey, I'm new to this..what exactly does Meme mean?)

Here are the rules to the photo meme:
1.Go to your Picture Folder on your computer or wherever you store your pictures.
2.Go to the 6th Folder, then pick the 6th picture in that folder.
3.Post that picture on your blog and tell the story that goes along with the picture.
4.Tag 6 other people that you know or don’t know to do the same thing and leave a comment on their blog or an e-mail letting them know you chose them.

The Story: (Caution: Sniffle Alert Ahead) This is Mister. He was a stray that found the farm, like so many do. He was a different kind of stray though. Curious from afar, expressive and oh, so handsome. He was totally mesmerized by our Birch, who looks remarkably similar.There seemed to be some kind of recognition for him. She, of course, the older cougar, was totally disinterested. I spent months encouraging him to come closer, to trust me and adopt us. I felt a real connection with him and he with me. Trust was a big issue...he was a large male, all of his parts intact, including vicious looking teeth and claws, quite visible during a yawn or stretch. A part of me wanted to "own" him, to "tame" his wildness, "keep" him and yes, have him neutered so he'd stay...another part loved his proud swaggering maleness and battle scars, his wandering ways. Yet, he always knew where"home" was. He'd return to eat and get a few loving strokes everyday.Then, in a flash, he'd be gone again.I didn't know where he spent most of his time and learned to live with that. All I could do was look forward to our happy reunions...on his terms. Unexpectedly, one day, he cautiously crawled up on my lap during one of our visits on the porch. I was more than a little nervous about it and so was he...but he persisted and once we got over our jitters, it became a love-fest like never before. After months of learning to trust each other...we finally sealed the deal. Purrs and Praise. Later that same afternoon, the MAN and I went to get a Christmas tree. Mister stayed on the porch watching us leave. I was thrilled that he was still hanging out after our visit. When we returned, less than hour later, we found him lying on the road by the driveway, most likely hit by a car. The MAN brought him onto the porch while I wailed like a child. No visible damage, no blood, he was still warm...but my heart was broken. I held him close one last time, in that same place and was ever so grateful for the few months where we learned to trust each other. Whatta great, handsome wild boy he was.
This is the old cougar, Birch.

I tag:
Betty from Green Spiral Herbs
Tina from the Essential Herbal
Sarah from Herbs from the Labyrinth
Jenny from Aunt Jenny's World
FarmStyle by Clare
Ellen from Obeehave

Let's Make Soft Cheese!

2009-01-20T05:50:00.005-05:00

I've been a little behind getting the 2009 schedule onto the website even though my own 2009 calendar has been filled for over a month. Time to transfer the data!!First things first...let's eat! Saturday, March 7 from 10- 12:30 pm : Let’s Make Soft Cheese! First cheesemaking class offered in 2009! It's so easy to make fresh soft cheese with cow or goat milk and culture. We will go through the simple processes of making a fresh cheese like Chevre’ or Fromage Blanc. Unlike cheese that needs to be aged and carefully tended for months, fresh cheeses are ready to eat within a day and can be easily incorporated into any kitchen routine using basic kitchen equipment. After the basics are discussed and demonstrated, we will get our hands pleasantly 'dirty' by rolling freshly made cheese into fresh chopped herbs and toasted almonds. At the end of the class we will taste a variety of herbed cheeses served with fresh baked whey bread, fruits, nuts and beverages!! Informational handouts and resource list included. Packets of culture and basic supplies will be available for purchase. The cost for this class is $50 and will include a copy of Ricki Carroll’s Book “Home Cheese Making” and one packet of culture of your choice!! Register early…this class has been wildly popular!

Mid-West Meltdown

2009-01-16T10:19:00.006-05:00

Well, I certainly wasn't expecting to post so soon. My flights to Chicago/Champaign this morning were canceled due to severe weather (can you say -30 degrees?) My only reschedule options were a late night flight from PHL to Houston to Champaign. Waaay outa the way. Or, a Saturday flight that would get me to Champaigne about the time I should be clearing my throat and setting up my Power Point presentation....sigh. After yesterday's crash on the Hudson, I'm breathing a little easier, but to miss this golden speaking opportunity and hang with some really cool people has me mighty, mighty bummed today.
UPDATE: Got a call from the powers that be and I've already been put on the schedule for next year's conference. YAY! Only 364 days away.

Blowing West to the Windy City

2009-01-14T12:19:00.024-05:00

oooh ooh, I finally (and I mean finally ) acquired my very own copy of this rare old book to complete my set of the PA German Society's two volumes of hard to find herbal information. You might remember when I obtained the first volume last year. I seriously love this kind of business expense! Since last summer I have carefully studied a copy at the Kutztown Historical Society library that allowed me to do research for my talks. But now, whenever the muse strikes, I only need to pad over to my own bookcase to thumb through the fragile pages. I couldn't have been happier to find it. Curiously though, the information, in either volume, is not listed alphabetically, so I will need to make up my own index to use them efficiently. Another project on the list for a good snowy day.
Early Friday morning I will be piling on the layers to brave the winds rocking Chicago's O'Hare International airport to attend the 10th annual Herb Day 2009 hosted by the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana campus. I was invited to be a speaker at this year's program by Chuck Voight, Extension Vegetable and Herb Specialist in the University's Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences department. My talk will be a repeat of the "Medicinal and Folkloric Plant uses of The Pennsilfaanisch Deitsch" that I did last summer at the International Herb Association conference. To hear more about this year's conference speakers listen to this recent WILL-AM radio interview with Chuck Voight at the bottom of the post. (To avoid news and ads, jump ahead to the 6:00 minute mark.) Some really fascinating topics ( and speakers) will be presented this year: "Harvesting and Preserving Herbs" with Melvin and Kathryn Schiedermayer . "Baking Herb Breads with Special Meanings" with Father Dominic Garramone, a Benedictine monk from St. Bede's Abbey. "Fiesta in Lucinda's Garden" and "Theme Gardens from Around the World" with Lucinda Hutson. I will bring you a new post after I blow back into PHL on Sunday. Off to start packing now and polish up my Deitsch pronunciations and Power Point!

One World...Many Journeys

2009-01-10T08:23:00.009-05:00

Green Eyes is back from Down Under, safe and sound, bearing gifts, great stories and an envious tan. Having spent 3 weeks catching up with a few old friends, she also met a long list of cool new friends from all over the world: Ireland, England, Wales, Sweden, Germany, France, the Netherlands, etc. The experience seems to have been life altering for her. One of the most intriguing components of the trip, to me, was hearing about the base of operations; a huge well-run hostel called OneWorld Backpackers. This communal living arrangement included a large commercial sized kitchen and all sorts of ecologically green conveniences such as solar hot water, full recycling services, chemical free cleaning products, energy efficient light bulbs, etc. The hostel is also currently exploring a composting program. I was really impressed with the level of quality eating that went on in that big kitchen, as well. No junk and lots of fruits and veggies. Fortunately one of the Irish chaps happened to be a chef and so offered to cook up a large ham and turkey along with a few other side dishes on Christmas day. The rest of the travelers added their own favorite dishes from their home countries ( Green Eyes and her PA pal made their favorite deviled eggs, that no one else had ever heard of before!) Initially leary, everyone really enjoyed them. Outside, on the shaded porch, was a luscious passionflower vine that covered the entire trellis and looked to be loaded with maypops (or passionfruit). Looks like the potential for paradise to me. And to be 25, single and have the opportunity to meet intriguing peers from around the world, eh? A real step outside the box for Green Eyes and I think she likes it!!

Parallel Universe...

2009-01-08T10:23:00.010-05:00

or, if you're a country kid, Parallel Parking. Same thing. The Iceman was long scheduled to take his driving test yesterday, and as luck would have it, in the midst of freezing rain and ice, then heavy rains on top of that. The nasty weather did not daunt the last minute 'perfecting the parallel parking' lessons in the driveway just minutes before the test. I tried to offer my expertise, but quickly realized the vast differences in how men and women park a vehicle. When the lesson moved to talk of physics, I left the men to their physics and I came in to get my camera instead. The MAN and I went along for the ride to the DMV and then the eventual celebratory lunch with Iceman's spiffy new driver's license! Another hurdle accomplished. Iceman returns north to land of real ice and snow this weekend just as his sister returns from her south of the equator sun and surf holiday. I'm learning daily to be flexible with it all and go with the flow. I'm surely enjoying watching both of them gently stretch their wings and push their comfort levels to grow these last few months. Maybe there have been a few minor growing pains here and there, but nothing I, I mean, they can't handle.

Teaching Old Birds New Tricks

2008-12-29T17:20:00.013-05:00

It wasn't necessary, but I just had to do a Google search today to find out the origins of the phrase "bird brain". As much as I love my girls, they have sorely tested my patience getting accustomed to their new spacious coop this last week. At first I locked them in with food and water for three days. Fortunately, the weather was bitter cold with icy precipitation. Perfect for hunkering down. They were warm, dry and well fed. One the third day I opened the coop to let them roam around outside for just a few hours before dusk, so they wouldn't 'forget' where they were to return....or so I assumed. In fact, they all returned to their old coop and put themselves to bed there instead. After dark, we moved them, one by one, back up into the new coop and closed the door. Another two days locked in with food water and special treats of fruit and sunflower seeds (their favorites) should surely lock this memory into place. Yesterday we made the decision to move that old coop completely out of view to prevent a repeat of the after-dark carry over. Believe it or not, at dusk, every one of those hens still went back to the old location- the phantom coop. Could they still 'see' it and 'feel' it even though it wasn't there? It was disturbing...well, okay, sorta comical, but also incredibly frustrating. "Bird Brain" came to mind, along with a few more eloquent descriptive names that I won't publish. We bribed them up the ramp with treats, chased them around in the mud and even snagged a few with pretty ungraceful moves. We cheered when they got it and went up the ramp and through the tiny door...cried 'fowl' when they changed their minds and backed out again. The MAN and I gave each other an out of breath high five when the last one was safely tucked in for the night...whew. I held my breath again tonight when dusk came and I saw them from the kitchen window scrambling around. I had a thought that a rooster may have helped here. You know, follow the big leader? These girls were all looking to each other for leadership and couldn't make up their minds who should have the position! They finally all made it in tonight except for one forlorn hen who felt the most direct route was through the closed window. She was so pooped out trying to fly through the windows that by the time I walked out there, she had no steam left. I simply picked her up and put her to bed. Good grief. Oh, and the Google search? A chicken's brain is the size of a child's fingernail....yep, no doubt about that...

Merry Christmas, Baby

2008-12-23T06:55:00.007-05:00

for Green Eyes and the Gang in Oz....

First Day of Winter

2008-12-22T20:14:00.004-05:00

The Return of the Sun?
Wishful thinking

Room with a View

2008-12-22T18:50:00.004-05:00

the loft with cathedral ceiling

the noisy downstairs neighbors with open kitchen, six nesting boxes and free range toilet facilities. I feel a little interior decorating urge coming on.This is Heidi, the two headed Black Australorp hen. She's hiding out here on the the farm after running away from the carnival last year. She is very shy and rarely photographed.

Nesting News

2008-12-21T23:25:00.014-05:00

The wind is howling outside of this big empty farmhouse tonight. After keeping an eye on three days of wintry mixed precipitation and losing power for a time here in PA, I've also been keeping tabs on the weather in New Hampshire, where the IceMan is happily under 2 1/2 feet of snow. Since the state-of-emergency ice storm a little over a week ago, the upper northeast has experienced unrelenting winter weather. This has put quite a damper on plans to get him home in time for Christmas. I'm trying to let go of the notion that I can control the weather and that I will be at the center of my family's celebrations this year.
The other location tab on my weather site today is Los Angeles, CA where my beautiful Green Eyes just landed on the first leg of her trip to Aussie land. In a few minutes she'll board another silver bird for the 15 hour flight to Melbourne (where it will be 93 degrees when she lands tomorrow afternoon) and then another four hour flight to Perth on the west coast. If she returns as planned, Green Eyes will be back in the fold here the second week of January... Just in time to pack up her belongings and move into a sweet apartment with two of her gal pals at the end of the month.
Rather than lament the planned and unplanned changes to our family traditions this year, with a little effort, I am focusing my attentions on favorite simple winter time pleasures instead of caving in to 'normal' pressures of the season. A little greenery and a few candles make a world of difference. A power outage Friday night came just as I started putting together a pot of french onion soup. I moved the whole operation to the wood stove and finished it, complete with gruyere topped toasty bread chunks. It was a perfect end to a cold miserable day of driving in nasty weather and a simple winter pleasure that I normally wouldn't have come up with on a typical Friday night. Slow time. Slow Food. Wood fire and candlelight.We savored every tasty bite.

As a finale to the weekend, the MAN and I made the decision to buy a new coop for the girls before the hardest part of winter hits. The MAN constructed their current home a good many years ago and it was in dire need of some rehabilitation and winterizing. However, winter beat us to that task. The new coop was delivered late this afternoon. It is quite roomy and nice. The hour before dark was spent on filling the nesting boxes with straw and moving the sleepy hens, one by one, into their new home. Filling those small nesting boxes seemed, somehow, to give me some comfort about the big empty nest I will be rambling around in the rest of this week. We'll need to keep the hens locked in for a few days to adjust and reboot their memories about where they are to roost at night. I guess time will tell how well all of us old chicks learn our new tricks!

Hinkel Haus

Easy French Onion Soup

2008-12-21T23:24:00.005-05:00

1/2 stick of unsalted butter
4 large onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 bay leaves
2 fresh thyme sprigs
salt and pepper, lots of pepper
1 cup red wine
4 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 quarts good beef broth
1 baguette, sliced
1/2 pound grated Gruyere

Melt the stick of butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and salt and pepper and cook until the onions are very soft and caramelized, about half an hour. Add the wine, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the wine has evaporated and the onions are dry, about 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Dust the onions with the flour and give them a stir. Turn the heat down to medium low. Add the beef broth, bring the soup back to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. When you're ready to eat, preheat the broiler. Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle the slices with the Gruyere and broil until bubbly and golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Ladle the soup in bowls and float several of the Gruyere croutons on top.

Christmas Greetings from the Farm !!

2008-12-09T18:23:00.003-05:00

I haven't laughed this hard in ages! I hope you enjoy this silly Christmas card starring yours truly and the MAN half as much as we do!!
Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Rich Traditions...

2008-12-08T19:20:00.013-05:00

Our attendance at our favorite annual Christmas craft show at the Kimberton Waldorf School this past weekend marks eleven years at the venue. Less than five miles from home, this school is one of the big hubs of our community. Not only is it a great sales venue for Farm at Coventry products, but it is a weekend of catching up with old friends~ shoppers and vendors alike~ honestly, the highlight of our sales year. One of our vendor friends is Kurt Walser, the man who makes the beautiful chocolates pictured here. He is a baker by trade, but every Christmas season he is known for his incredibly fine handmade chocolates. I love Tom Hanks' character, Forrest Gump's famous line "My Momma always said that life is like a box of chocolates". Well, Life is indeed grand when you have these beautiful handmade Swiss chocolates in your possession. Kurt lives and works less than an hour away, but we only see him once every year at this show. He comes to our booth before the show opens on Friday night, picks out gifts for his wife and daughters and we barter for the chocolates (always the biggest box, of course!) The chocolates are so fine that the MAN and I split each one down the center with a sharp knife and share each delectable creation. Let me describe the ones we have savored so far: Rose Dark Chocolate Ganache with rosewater covered in dark chocolate, Honey Truffle~ honey, butter, vanilla bean, dark chocolate dipped in cacao chocolate powder, Lavender Dark Chocolate Ganache with lavender flowers covered with dark chocolate and White Truffle Lemon Ganache covered with white chocolate... they are unbelievably delicious and an anticipated once-per-year treat.
The show is full of artisans with beautiful handmade gifts ...baskets brimming with hand spun and dyed wool, hand knit hats and scarves, earthen potteryware, hand-loomed rugs, hand-hammered silver jewelery, turned wood bowls, hand-dyed silk scarves, hand-dipped beeswax candles, handmade wooden knitting needles, wood block prints...etc, etc. Can you imagine all the hands coming together to create this wonderful annual event?
The library is the stage for the coffee, tea and dessert bar (a wonderful selection baked by many parents) The music for the entire weekend is performed by various students and faculty...singing, harp playing, piano duets...all by candlelight. The lunch is prepared by students and parents: always a delectable soup, green salad and homemade bread and homemade pizzas. It is this huge community effort that sets the stage for our first real taste of Christmas Spirit. Even in this difficult economy, the community of friends supports each other in their various works while sharing good food and fellowship. This year we shared a corner with a new vendor, artist Michael McNelly who created this beautiful chicken sketch. We giggled like school kids with him the entire weekend and of course, bartered for goods before sharing hugs and goodbyes until next year. We have joked that there is no recession when it came to soaps and creams this year because sales were so great. But it is the rich traditions of friendship and community and the common values of offering beautiful handmade items to a crowd of appreciative consumers that kept us warm and carried us home in the snow on Saturday night.

The Checklist

2008-12-02T23:00:00.009-05:00

Salves poured...

Bags labeled...

Bags filled...

Bows tied...

all of the orders are ready to go...
those over there, packing up for the show...
just keep moving, it's no time for slow...

But next week,
There's a massage appointment with my name on it.

It's all a blur....

2008-11-29T14:35:00.008-05:00

I know, I know.....the yellow leaves of the last post have long dropped off and blown away and we are nearly dipping our frosty toes into December days. The last few weeks have been a blur of big activity around here. I have no other excuse other than to admit that my creative focus has been bound in production to fill holiday demand and scheduling out classes for all of 2009. I am thankful that I have big orders to fill and that demand for classes continues to grow. Oh so thankful.The sense of urgency that comes naturally with the changing seasons from fall to hunkered-down winter is layered with holiday cooking, days "off" in the middle of the week, unexpected visits and a break with the normal rhythm of my days. Wrapping up another year of classes collides with a weekend of driving to bring the wayward Iceman from the North for a quick week at home. All the while, there's mulling over important travel details with darling daughter as she orders cute bathing suits and prepares to maneuver through three airports to arrive on a sunny summer Australian beach a few days before Christmas. The blurry image above is my first published attempt with my new camera after attending the class to understand it's workings. I was practicing my"action panning shot without a flash"...a challenge even to those with more experience than I. Anyway, it does artfully depict the crazy scene around here, so I chose to post it. Fast, challenging and a bit of a blur!! Over the years, I have learned to adapt to the balance required with operating a home-centered business. It takes alot of juggling, compromise and multi-tasking skills. But sometimes it's just worth getting up in the dark hours before the rest of the world to get a few things done, think uninterrupted thoughts and feel that elusive creative spark that comes with quiet rewarding work. It makes it that much easier to later share an hour cuddled up with a kid who has a story to tell, a neighbor who needs a helping hand or to follow a cooking muse in the middle of the day. The days can be mighty long sometimes but the rewards are worthwhile. It's the best of all worlds and I can never say that I lead a boring, unfulfilled life !! And that, my friends, is a nice goal to shoot for.

Living and Breathing Yellow

2008-11-10T07:52:00.011-05:00

Long lost sunshine returns and breathes a little more life into fading yellow leaves.
And this, for my beautiful daughter who counts the days until she meets her destiny with a visa to Australia..... fly, my Love, fly

"Yellow" by Coldplay Live in Sydney, Australia

Food as Medicine or A Chicken in Every Pot

2008-11-08T07:59:00.018-05:00

We haven't seen the sun in more than a week...I can't even remember when. It's dark, damp and even though it's been relatively warm in temperature, there is a definite chill in the air that makes me crave warm soup. I like to make stock at least once a week to use as a base for any soup or grain dish. Having frozen chicken stock in the freezer is one of the ways I prepare for the winter months. It's one of the 'medicines' that I prepare for the family to keep us healthy. I have to admit that I actually love the 'food as medicine' philosophy. I love the idea of 'value added' cooking. I love the idea of prevention and keeping the body terrain balanced and well tended. In China, the rural barefoot doctor is paid well to keep the people strong and healthy. When someone actually falls ill, the doctor attends to them, but does not get paid because it is believed he didn't do his job well to begin with. Moral of this story: Prevention is worth it's weight in gold! Anyway, back to the chicken stock. Chicken stock = Gold. Lots of research has finally proven that our grandma's somehow knew what they were talking about when it came to cooking up hot bowls of chicken soup for sick family members. Chicken releases an amino acid called cystiene when simmered in water. Cysteine keeps mucus thin and free flowing in the membranes. It is also an anti-inflammatory. Cysteine is chemically similiar to the drug acetylcysteine that docs prescribe to patients with persistent bronchitis. Did you know that dry, inflamed mucus membranes are the most perfect breeding ground for viruses? Where bacteria prefers moist breeding ground, viruses thrive in dry terrain. Many pulmonary specialists agree that plain old chicken soup will break up congestion and keep it moving. Some even believe that it contains enzymes that enhance immune function. Add to that loads of onions and garlic and you introduce beneficial allicin (a sulphur compound) that inhibits secondary bacterial infections. Below you'll find a very basic recipe. In the next post I'll describe all the little EXTRAS that I add to my chicken stock to enhance the kick, the flavor and the 'food as medicine' added-value. Stay tuned, k?

One good sized organic chicken (3-4 lbs)

4 quarts of cold water

2 tablespoons of vinegar

2 onions coarsely chopped

2 carrots coarsely chopped

3 celery stalks coarsely chopped

1 bunch of parsley

First, roast chicken at 375 for 1 ½ hours until skin is brown and crispy. When finished, remove meat and set aside. Put bones, skin and vegetables in a stock pot and cover with the cold water. Bring slowly to a boil. Adding vinegar extracts the calcium from the bones and makes your broth mineral-rich. As the water begins to boil, remove any scum that floats to the surface. Reduce heat and simmer for a few hours. The longer the broth simmers the richer and more flavorful it will be. About 15 minutes before taking the pot off the heat, add the parsley. Then strain the stock into a large bowl. Season stock with sea salt and pepper. When the broth has cooled down, place in the refrigerator overnight. The fat will rise to the top so that you can remove it easily the next day. At this point, your stock is ready to transform into a healing soup or to freeze for later use.

oh, about the chicken....in case you're wondering...no, we don't eat our own.
They are here to provide us with eggs (sometimes), to dig in the garden beds and to provide a reason to continually clean off the porch and patio. sigh...maybe I need to rethink this idea.

As American as Schnitz Pie

2008-11-05T07:13:00.007-05:00

Schnitz= dried apples ( in the Deitsch) Truth be told, with an abundance of fresh picked apples on the porch, I decided to make two schnitz pies. I found the tail end of a big box from last winter and immediately began to salivate. Unless I can find a crisp juicy Winesap or Macoun apple in October, I often prefer the tart chewy texture of dried apples the rest of the year. These were indeed...very dry. But no worries. I sprinkled them with a cup of apple cider and warmed them up on the wood stove until they got nice and plump. Then I gave them a generous sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg and added a chunk of butter. No added sugar needed. Dumped it all in a pie shell with a little splash of cider and baked for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve a slice warm with milk poured over. Mmmmm

Incense Making Kit for You!!

2008-11-03T14:19:00.018-05:00

To commemorate the wonderful incense making class on Saturday, yours truly went hunting and gathering a fine variety of yummy botanical supplies to incorporate into our cones ((never really a problem, that kinda shopping)) I'd like to share the wealth of my discoveries by offering a limited number of Incense Making Kits to my blog readers so that they can experience the pleasure of creating their own incense for personal use or holiday gift giving. Each of the following ingredients has been weighed into one ounce packages to mix and match to create a nice variety of incense 'flavors'. The Kit will provide you with everything you need to make a number of batches. You just supply an electric coffee grinder, mortar and pestle or hammer and paper bag, your choice. You'll need one of these tools to grind up the resinous pieces of sweet myrrh, copal and dragon's blood (see photo). The Incense Making Kit sells for $25 plus shipping. You'll also need Tina's tiny book (see post below) for the very best concise directions.
The Kit contains one ounce packages of each of the following:
~Red Sandalwood Powder-use this neutral wood powder as your base and add more fragrant herbs and /or resins to this
~Frankincense Powder-centering oneself for meditation, and for purification of self or space
~Orris Root Powder (This will 'fix' the scent and keep it from escaping from the finished incense)
~Patchouli Powder- good 'earthiness' and grounding energy
~Dragon's Blood Resin-calming, dispersing negative energy,strongly antiseptic (good for sick rooms)
~Copal Resin- purification
~Sweet Myrrh (Opopanax) Resin-good for centering and meditation
~Saltpetre (This is the spark necessary to keep it burning well)
~Tragacanth Gum (This is the 'glue' that holds it all together)

Making Your Own Incense...

2008-11-03T05:45:00.006-05:00

I neglected to mention that Tina and Maryanne put together a great little book that describes how to make your own...It's pricey though.

$3.95

You can get it here

By the way, I am cooking up a starter kit for everything else you need. Stay tuned!!

Smokin' Great Day on the Farm

2008-11-01T23:09:00.022-04:00

Yesterday brought the long anticipated "Incense and Herbal Bead" Love -In with Twisted Sisters: Essential Herbal Queen Tina Sams and her talented jewelery-making sister Maryanne Schwartz of Torch Song Studio. With all that laughter, patchouli and rose petal dust settling down around us and Crosby Stills Nash and Young's De' ja Vu playing as background, how could we possibly go wrong? We were blessed with attendance of many friends from near and far. Most notably, a hippie love bus meandering it's way down to the low country from the Bronx, with dear internet friend Rosanne "Roe" Tartaro (SunRose Aromatics) at the wheel and Johanna and 'Hippie Fairy Lover' Kathi in tow. So special to finally meet them all! Here are some snapshots of the day....it was a gas, gas, gas! Peace, Love and Herbs, Dear Readers. These are the days that will change the world, one fragrant step at a time...

Tina, trying to beat me to the blog punch...yeah, she won.

All creatures great and small were diggin' the vibe in the kitchen...lemon verbena loving lap cat and shaggy chickens snooping by the back door.

Grinding the Dragon's Blood resin (Sanguis draconis)

My patchouli cone 'soldiers' are drying very nicely!!

Rose petal beads above- lemon verbena beads and virginia creeper berries below
Roe: "pssst, might I interest you in some of my special vintage patchouli oil stash, Tina?"
Tina: "Smile for the blog, Roe"

Only the Lonely Crumbs

2008-11-01T22:09:00.008-04:00

Once, just once, I'd like to get a photo of this scrumptious skillet of brownies before they are devoured by the masses. Alas, this tiny piece is all that remains. They are such a popular potluck dessert here at Farm at Coventry events that our dear Mary knows she has a standing request for them whenever it's possible for her to bring them! I was asked to puh-lease post the recipe for them on my blog. So here 'tis...
*Note: the brownie in this photo disappeared immediately after the photo was taken....

Mary’s Gluten Free Cake Brownies

Dry Ingredients:

¼ c. pure cocoa powder

1 c. natural sugar

½ t. salt (Mary uses Himalayan)

½ c. tapioca flour

½ c. potato starch

1 t. xanthan gum

1 t. baking soda

½ c. plain walnuts, chopped

Wet Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup or less almond milk, milk, or similar beverage

4 eggs

1 t. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom of 9” cast iron skillet, leaving sides ungreased which allows batter to climb. Mix butter and cocoa in bowl over hot water, as in a double boiler. Mix dry ingredients. Add to chocolate. Blend wet ingredients and add to batter. Add nuts. Bake for 25 minutes or test with toothpick for desired doneness. Cool before cutting.

Icing

Heat one Endangered Species chocolate bar (about 3 1/2 oz.) with a few tablespoons of hot water over low heat. Blend until smooth. Add a few drops vanilla or almond extract. Pour over cooked brownies.

The Bite of Historical Foreboding...

2008-11-01T19:25:00.006-04:00

"If people let the government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry state as are the souls of those who live under tyranny."
-Thomas Jefferson

((My vote goes to this fella))

Lil Pumpkin

2008-10-31T15:38:00.008-04:00

A new member of the 'family' was delivered by the angels just barely a day ago. Jesse and Matthew, my dear friends and partners at the Three Sisters Center for the Healing Arts welcomed Elijah Finn into their arms yesterday morning. Ahhh, it's been such a long time since I held a babe this small in my own arms. I forgot the hope that stirs in your heart from gazing into the face of such an innocent tiny being. Dare it possible that we could look upon every human being with such love and compassion, treat every soul with gentle words and a tender touch? Such a crazy, idealistic dream, eh? But I wish it so for the future of this lil pumpkin today....Welcome to earth, Elijah Finn.

no words needed

Just Pretty

2008-10-27T16:35:00.002-04:00

Sunday Pepper Fest

2008-10-27T15:12:00.009-04:00

Before the MAN was known as simply the MAN, he was known as the Pepper Man (or the bread man or brew man ... you get the idea) He is the MAN at just about anything he puts his Taurus head to. Horns, I mean head down, full steam ahead. There's just no stoppin' him when he starts a project. Here is his annual jalapeño harvest...hundreds, no lie. When we met, his first gift to me wasn't candy or roses, it was a jar of his pickled hot peppers...heavily laced with his own homegrown garlic and coriander...that he canned himself. Impressed, was I? uh, y-e-a-h. His process is still impressive but I know now to stay outa the kitchen when he sets forth on this project. He has his own way and I find something else to do. I'm sure I've mentioned before that he always leaves the kitchen better than he found it. The final count: 34 pints jalapeños, 12 half pints jalapeños with one habanero and 2 quart jars of jalapenos with extra extra habaneros . There's gotta be someone out there who could tolerate that kinda heat. It's not me.

See this pretty string of tiny Thai bird peppers? This was my crafty pepper project for Sunday afternoon while I watched Shaun of the Dead , the British cult horror-comedy-romance film with Simon Pegg. It is an acquired taste, but the kids and I love to watch his movies. So silly.

I nearly forgot to mention all the cayennes drying in the basement.In a few weeks the MAN will go to it again and grind them all into his highly anticipated "Fire Dust". That will be a day for me to leave the house entirely so there will likely be no photos. You seriously need a mask to survive that project. 'Fire Dust' has faithful 'hothead' followers who buy it for stocking stuffers and their own stash. For all that work, it's quickly gone by the end of December. I think we counted once that it takes thirty ground cayenne peppers to fill a 1 ounce jar with powder. Killer stuff.

Going, Going ...Gone

2008-10-25T11:09:00.006-04:00

Look Out!

2008-10-25T06:26:00.007-04:00

...MAJOR learning curves in the road ahead...

I have been quietly eyeing up this camera for months...
but when it went on deep discount sale during the week of my birthday with $300 worth of free admission tickets to a long list of photography classes AND a coupon for a free all-in-one printer included, I took the crazy leap. That was Wednesday. Since then, I've barely touched it. I circle and glance at it out of the corner of my eye. The instruction booklet is nearly as heavy as the camera itself. It makes about as much sense to me as the duplicate Spanish language version that came with it. So, with little baby steps...I read about the school and signed up for the intro-to-my-camera class in November. I think we'll get better acquainted then. gulp.

Out and About

2008-10-24T10:24:00.006-04:00

Unusual atmospheric conditions produced an eerie but beautiful sunrise this morning....heavy fog up above and
hard freeze down below

within a few minutes of these shots, the sun burned the fog away and it was raining melting frost crystals from the trees...spectacular if you were up early enough to catch it!

Well Said, Neil

2008-10-23T13:59:00.005-04:00

With all the recent fears about the financial crash and the future of our economy, here is an issue which hasn't even been mentioned in all the hot debates...and if being able to buy clean, locally raised food goes away for good, it doesn't matter how much money you have in the bank. And that, dear friends, is what keeps me awake at night...Visit the Farm Aid website for more detailed information regarding good food, factory farming, saving the Family Farm and a non-partisan view on how the candidates stand on these issues. Then grab your shopping basket, get yourself to a local farmer's market and get to know the people who work really hard to grow food for you and support them. It's just good for everybody.

Barn Stars and Corn Pies

2008-10-19T12:56:00.007-04:00

The MAN and I spent a crisp fall afternoon with family and friends at the PA German Cultural Heritage Center's Harvest Fescht yesterday. My 'lil brother Steve was an exhibitor for the second year demonstrating the fine art of barn star painting. It's a must to go to this festival with an empty stomach....it's an official rule, I think. We left home without eating breakfast (an unusual activity in this house) in anticipation of lunch there. First course yielded corn pies for my mom and I...mmm so good. But not quite as good as my own recipe! So note to self: Make it really soon! BBQ turkey, pork and saurkraut, chicken corn soup...on and on. I'll spare you the details of all of our trips back to the Old Time Plow Boys Kitchen. Let's just say I don't want to make a habit outa eating like that!

These are small hex signs he brought with himJust love this big one. I'm guessing it's about 7 feet square and incredibly eye-catching at that size. Steve gifted this to the Heritage Center last year after Harvest Fescht.I was excited to be able to pick one out for my birthday. This was my choice. Pretty, isn't it?

Just a Little Bit Longer

2008-10-18T08:38:00.008-04:00

It's hard to tell from the photo but this Brown Turkey Fig tree started out in May as a rather pathetic little stick with two leaves on it. It was literally no bigger than six inches tall. By October it had grown to nearly five feet tall with four sturdy branches and over forty figs !! What a huge surprise!It was planted in an oversized pot (I thought at the time) but apparently the MAN's compost must have been the right planting medium. A few weeks ago, I worried about the coming of frost and the still unripened figs, so the two of us loaded it into the jumbo wheelbarrow and hauled it into the greenhouse. Been reading all kinds of internet info on getting the figs to ripen...I am determined not to lose them. I am willing them to ripen by also collecting fresh fig recipes. Keep your fingers crossed, will you?

FIG UPDATE: GOT ONE!! It's a tiny baby, but perfectly ripe and sweet.
The MAN and I each got a half. FYI...I gobbled mine. He savored his in a few tiny bites.

Thanksgiving in October

2008-10-17T16:49:00.004-04:00

Giving thanks today for ...
nobody getting seriously hurt,
hunks of steel that can be replaced,
a great insurance agent and helpful cops,
knowing that my daughter has a posse of supportive gal pals around her,
being able to spend the day jumping through the hoops with her,
not being the mom that got the late night call

Sending prayers today for...
the young gal that hit not just this one, but three parked cars,
the gal pals(?) that foolishly let her get behind the wheel of her car,
her bruised body, ego and dent in her record,
the mom that got the late night call

Did I say I was thankful that no one was hurt??
Well , I'm really, really thankful for that

Sign 'o the Times....

2008-10-16T12:46:00.022-04:00

I'm hangin' it up. This ole sweatshirt 'o mine. Being that the Iceman is technically a man now...he doesn't need his mom following him to games wearing a hoodie like this. NOT cool....I get it. But I have loved this sweatshirt. For years, it kept me warm on the coldest mornings at the rink. On days when I feel a little outa sorts, it's a comfort on my back. But, pulling this favorite warm and wooly sweatshirt over my curly locks and walking out into the crisp autumn air today brings on a new world of meaning for the world at large to comment on...and I'm not havin' it. No lipstick, no high heels, no pit bull, no boxing gloves....nope, that's not me. This is not a political rant, I assure you. I just don't want the attention...from anyone waving flags for either party. I'm still, and always will be, a hockey mom, but I don't need a media-driven catch-phrase label on top of my heart to prove it. So, it's gonna go hang on a safe hook right beside my cuddly threadbare bathrobe that nobody else sees, ready when I need it, inside my own small world... where hockey mom simply means hockey mom. Think when I leave the house today I'm gonna be wearing my new lady Carhartt vest instead...and no one will ever look twice at that label 'round here.