Grain free chickens in winter

Saturday was a bad day to be a rooster. With snow in the forecast and freezing nights, it was time to get the gang of teenage roosters ready for my freezer. Saturday was that day. Thank you little roos for feeding my family.
Every fall I have to prepare for my "winter flock", the ones who will be productive for the next spring. Top of the list for elimination is the young roosters that are a result of the previous springs hatch. You simply cannot keep them all. I had about 20 running around the yard! Young roosters are like teenage boys, they chase my hens around, wander too far, make too much noise, eat ALL the food, and they fight.  They are, on the bright side, delicious.  And grain free!
After I get the flock narrowed down to my winter number, winter feeding program begins. I supplement the produce and kitchen scraps they already receive with black sunflower seeds. The kind you buy for wild birds.  Black sunflower seeds have extra protein and fat that my hens need to stay warm and lay eggs. They usually get this from bugs but below freezing,  bugs are pretty scarce. I did go one winter without sunflower seeds. It was a disaster. No eggs and the older hens died. Sub zero winters require supplemental feed. Even for my hardy old girls.
Feeding looks a little different as well. Instead of just dumping all my produce on the compost pile I have to put out only what they will eat in a short time twice a day. Otherwise it freezes,  gets covered with snow or isnt eaten. Then at night before lockup I give them their seeds. About one gallon to 25 hens.  When it is below zero, the produce goes right in the coop with them. They are always really happy to get fresh food! Especially greens. As you can imagine, salad is pretty scarce in a snow covered landscape for a chicken. It is a bit more labor intensive than  filling a feeder with grain and walking away but I feel like the egg and meat quality  is worth it. We will see how this winter goes! See you next time-joy

Rainy days

I am going to attempt to explain what a depressive episode is like for me. I am currently struggling.  I had an extended period of high stress and then an autoimmune flare so now I am going through a hard time. An old sweet friend of mine calls it "a dark night of the soul"

I am not really sad, at least I cant put my finger on what I am sad about. I feel numb, vacant, like I am frozen inside. My body hurts, my heart hurts.  Everything is an effort.
I have struggled with depression as long as I can remember.  An Aunt of mine used to call me "Suzy sad eyes" so maybe as a child I had troubles too, I dont remember.
It runs in my family, I think all the women on my moms side have struggled. 
I want to be better, I want to work through it, figure it out, and beat its ass. I am tired of taking medicine to numb myself and marching on.
I told my daughter that I am going to attempt counseling again. I usually go and give up after 3ish sessions when I have to actually look at myself. Scary and sad stuff. She told me " you do have a crazy life" then proceeded to list off my stresses from a 17 year old viewpoint.  What a girl, she growing up so great!
Mom, she said, you have a child with Crohn's disease (that's her), I know you worry a lot about that. Dad had a heart attack and isnt taking care of himself, you have a wild ADHD son and you have belly troubles yourself. That is a lot. Yes, yes it is. But there is no choice, I have to carry on. My family needs me. Dinner needs to be cooked, laundry washed and bills paid. And without me, this ship sinks. I dont have time to worry, or be sad, or help myself. This is life. We are all in this life and we all struggle with something. 
So for now, I am on auto pilot.  It feels like someone else is driving my body and I am just watching. I get up, get dressed, apply mascara, and do my duties. The house gets cleaned, laundry gets washed, kids get fed, errands get run. But it feels empty, cold, automatic.  No joy in it. I feel alone. I should reach out to friends I trust and who understand but I dont want to bother them with my junk. I feel like I am a failure as a friend most of the time. And I dont want to hear what people think I should do or not do or hear my families role in my overloaded task list.
Other than my daughter,  I dont think my husband and boys really notice if I am down. At least they dont say anything.  I sense my husband getting frustrated with my apathy but he just stays out of my way when I am like this. He has confessed before that he really doesn't know what to do. I have told him ways he can help me and ways to warm me up and he is doing his best. Not his job to fix me anyway.
Someone asked for a list of priorities in my life to see if I can make things easier.  The problem is I have no idea. I feel like I am just running and wiping up messes along the way. I thought of reading a few helpful books to sort things out. Except I cannot even tell you what I want or who I am right now.
God loves me. He wants the best for me. He doesn't leave me and i can always talk to him. That is my constant. I know he wants me to work through this and is allowing me to do so. This might be the right time, finally.  I can fall apart and he can put me back together.
I just want to feel better. I want to get out of bed and feel normal. Happy, ready for the day, for life. Not dreading everything on my list.
So I made a therapy appointment for myself.  It is in a few weeks, I am determined to work on myself and work through this. Figure it out. Get better. Be badass. I think it will be hard. I hope it will be good. Also hoping to have some more chicken posts for you soon, but now I will be trying to explain and work out this part of my struggle here. See you next time-joy

Flare flare flare......invisible illness

I am currently in an autoimmune flare. Boo. It happens a few times a year and can last days, weeks or months. It's a drag.
I have celiac disease.  Which is supposed to be completely controlled by a gluten free diet. Sometimes even after years of adherence to this diet, some folks still have symptoms.  I am one of those folks.  I recently had some blood work and everything came back normal and I tested negative for the gluten factor that would trigger symptoms.  So what the heck?
My body just responds this way for who knows why and I just have to push through.
What does it look like? I have a rash on my cheeks and itchy bumps on my arms. I have bruises of unknown origin on my legs. I dont clot correctly so if I pick my face rash I bleed more than necessary.  No big deal until I am working on a client and she says "um, joy, your face is bleeding" oops, keep my hands off my face! I also tend to lose a few pounds in a flare so my pants are a little less tight on my hinder ( I dont mind this part!)
What does it feel like?
My belly hurts when I eat. I feel like throwing up and sometimes do just that. The bones in my legs hurt. My shoulders ache. I have a headache. My eyes are sensitive to light. I am very tired. I am cranky and tired.  And more tired. I get diarrhea.  I have no appetite. Sometimes I am sad and want no social interaction.
What do I do about it?
I try to get extra sleep. I eat clean as possible.  I gag down icky herbal tinctures that promise relief. I dropper and spread myself with coconut and essential oils in Hope's it will change my life.  I smell good anyways! I try to explain to my family how I am feeling so they feel sorry for me, I mean so they help me. Occasionally I go to the doctor, but that really isnt much help, they dont know what to do with me either.
This time, my flare was triggered by an extended period of stress that ended in finding a new salon to work for as the one I worked at for 16 years closed its doors for retirement.  I am very happy with my new place but the change was hard in my heart. I am adjusting.
In the meantime I am pushing through. Drinking a superfood smoothie and sorting the day's list.
Autoimmune diseases are called "invisible illness". A person struggling with one of these will look mostly normal and healthy on the outside even though there is a fire raging on the inside. In this state, when people say "how are you?" I want to respond, " my whole body hurts but my heart is happy" but instead, I usually say I am good because that is easier.  This current flare is kicking my butt. But onward I go!! See you next time - joy

Grain free chickens....part one

Let me first explain what "grain free" chickens are to me. I am not saying that my birds never eat any type of grain. They, like us, get the occasional bread and or discarded pizza crust or old rice or whatever.  They do have some grain in their diet.
For me, I wanted to raise my chickens as cheaply and naturally as possible.  They are scavengers,  foragers and will eat just about anything. They are also lazy and will camp around a full feeder and stuff themselves like a football team at a pizza buffet if given the opportunity.  Grain free means I no longer buy packaged 50 lb bags of chicken feed for my laying flock.
This has been an ongoing process for about 5 years and I have learned a lot along the way.
Mostly, my chickens eat compost, and the bugs that live in compost. They scratch around, eating whatever appeals to them in that decomposing pile. And they give me eggs, entertainment and beauty.  Yes, I think my chickens are yard art!
Step one to starting grain free chickens is a compost pile. Also buy yourself a sturdy pitchfork,  you're gonna need it! A compost pile does not need a container or anything fancy, you can literally just start a pile in your yard, on the ground. Make sure it is close to your chicken coop and the birds have access to it. They will take care of the rest!
Things to put in a compost pile....

             ●fruit and veggie scraps

●paper products

●cardboard 

●coffee and filters

●weeds

●yard waste (no sticks)

●bills you dont want to pay

●cotton rags

●coop bedding

●basically anything biodegradable that you would normally toss

I also keep a small bucket or bowl next to my sink and add ALL of our throw away food to this. At the end of the day I toss it on the pile and my chickens go crazy for it. They love people food. Especially meat. Protein is a huge part of their diet, usually supplied by bagged feed and bugs. The compost purists will say that you should never put dairy, meat or anything greasy in the compost but the chickens eat it so fast it has never caused a problem for me. So I do it anyway.

About once a week I turn the pile, or get  it back to a semi neat heap as my birds have scratched it out about 10 feet from where it should be. Turning the pile helps it break down and reveals treats the girls havent found yet. I basically move it from one spot to another, once a week, maybe more depending on my anxiety levels. This is where you need a pitchfork! And ladies, want strong muscular arms and shoulders? Turn your compost! In the spring you will have a nice pile of black rotted compost that you can fertilize your garden with. And my personal favorite, no food waste in your trash! 

I will be adding 3 more posts about grain free chickening to help you get started. It has been a great addition to my life and a source of pride for me as well. 

See you next time - joy

Exhausted

See that white spot? It's where my chair used to be and wore off the paint. If I had saved some of the paint, I could fix it. But I didn't.  That spot is enough to derail a feeling of accomplishment for me. Even if I got my whole to do list finished and my floors are clean, dinner was fabulous and dishes are washed, seeing that just tells me I have more to do. Always more to do.
I am exhausted.  Currently my loves are all out of the house, either working or playing and I am alone. I could take this time to get some more done but I am sitting.
As a wife and mother with a job outside the home, my list is endless. Not just housework and cooking but managing and guiding and loving and organizing and remembering everyone's schedule....and mine.
I am something to everyone I see and I wonder sometimes if I am spread too thin and not really enough for anyone.
I am wanting to make memories,  that is a thought that has been crossing my mind a lot lately. Making memories...

Are we making memories? Am I storing up enough good stuff for my kids and for me to remember? Will they look back on childhood and smile? Or will they remember their mom stressed and sad and busy? Not busy with people or friends or work but just walking in circles, cleaning talking and doing nothing over and over.
I see my children growing up, growing away from me. It's good, they have to do that. They have to form independent selves to be successful as adults. But there is pain in the separation.  There is joy in it too.
I want to be more present, less occupied.  Will it really matter if I washed my floors every night? That I put the laundry away the same day I washed it? That my yard was full of flowers and free range chicken poo? Probably not. I want them to remember I loved them. I was here for them.
I have little time for friends at this point in my life. Not physical time, I have lots of days off. My mind and heart are so full I just cannot give to relationships outside my home. I would be doing a disservice to anyone who wanted to be my friend. I tend to shut people out and make excuses. Having friends sometimes wears me out and I need that energy for my husband and kiddos.  It's not you friends, its me!!
But for now, endless list adding items of it's own accord, I am exhausted.  Not physically,  I get lots of sleep. My brain is tired, my heart is tired.
Thank you for reading my rambling, it frees my heart! Please tell me in the comment section if anything touches you. And if you have any pointers on being more present and making memories please let me know
        See you next time -joy

My fear of crowds....for all to know

No projects or recipes today....I am going to talk about an issue I struggle with daily, social anxiety. I wrote this a month ago but anxiety stopped me from posting it. Boo! But as I say, speak it out, it takes away its power. Let me first say that I truly love people. I enjoy good conversations and laughter and learning about their lives. It fills my heart. With that, let's dive in...

Social anxiety disorder.....the fear of social situations that involve interaction with other people. It is a pervasive disorder that causes anxiety and fear in most all areas of a person's life.

I have struggled in this area my entire life, a shy and quiet child and a nervous and uncomfortable teen I brought it with me to adulthood. It seems to be getting worse as I age. I am also getting better at recognizing it and calling it out for the nonsense that it is. I am getting more powerful in my push to work past it as well. Some days are harder and it takes some intervention from my husband to get me out the door. I also inform him when I am having a rough time. 20 years together and we are getting some things worked out! Ha!

           Fear of others opinions of me.
           Fear of rejection.
           Fear of looking foolish.
           Fear of not fitting in.

These are things that some assume to be the issues haunting my brain when I am faced with a social event.  I used to think so as well. Sometimes those 4 fears follow me but that is not always the case. Everyone wants to belong and feel loved. I am the same. I dont really care much for what people think of me, I know I am different,  I know I seem a little crazy, I love myself that way.

What social anxiety looks like at home before an event...
            Setting out clothes to wear, then                      agonizing over my choice and                           setting out more.
            Changing clothes several times.
            Getting ready really early.
            Fully ready and pacing the floor.
            Discussing with my husband why I                    shouldn't go.
             Using the toilet 100x in an hour                      before leaving.

Social anxiety out in public....

        Standing on my toes.
        Busying myself with kids or dogs.
        Standing or sitting quietly when                       everyone else is talking. (Unfortunately has been perceived as snobbish behavior)
         Finding work or jobs to do.

What social anxiety feels like to me.....
      Shortness of breath
      Squeezed heart
      Panic on the inside
      Fear similar to being chased
      Wanting to run,leave, go home.

A few years back I took a few personality tests and gifting analysis classes. It was really enlightening to know that much about how I work. I found out that i wasn't really shy, i am an introvert. I process things internally before i can react verbally. So i observe and collect before I feel comfortable. I also found out that I have a unique gift. I have lived with it forever so I thought everyone worked the same. This gift allows me to feel another person's feelings. It is a gift from God so that I can be able to have compassion and know how to reach people. He wired me this way for a reason.
 So go to your kids baseball game and imagine that you can feel everyone's feelings in the bleachers. Or at least a ten foot radius from your seat. She's angry, hes sad, this one is jealous over that one's new vehicle,  they are happy, shes content, hes really liking the look of her legs in those pants, shes disappointed,  hes grieving........aaaaaaaaaaaaa! Its overwhelming! That is the emotional soup I walk into when I walk into a crowd. So I usually sit myself down where I feel comfortable and stay there. Most of the time I want to talk to the folks who are hurting the most in hope that my words will show them some of Gods light. But sometimes I just cant. Many times people cry when they talk to me, somehow I bring that out in people and a little league game is not the place for that!
I have entered businesses or rooms and had to walk right out. Like something was going to swallow me there...Starbucks is one of those places. Not a good feeling there. Drivethru is fine!
            I know I am not alone in this struggle.  Many of us fight it and keep going. Put on that mascara and get out there! That's what I tell myself!  If you see me out and about, please talk to me! It snaps me out of my bubble. Also if I have ever asked to talk with you, please let me! It takes a lot of bravery on my part to ask and God has great things  to tell you through me.

See you next time- joy

Apricot honey sweetened jam

Making jam has been a summer activity in my life since I was a child. Mom always made it...strawberry,  strawberry-rhubarb (my fave), BlackBerry, raspberry mmmmmmmm. Usually jam involves fruit and a ridiculous amount of white sugar.  Something I am trying to cut back on or avoid altogether.  Having an autoimmune disease,  it is better for me to stay away from processed sugar to help my body heal itself and stay out of flare.
There is just something about tasting jam on a dreary winter day that lifts your heart. Almost fresh, sweet tart fruit spread bringing a little summer to the soul.
Today I have an abundance of apricots so I am making apricot jam. I will sweeten it a little with raw honey and use "pamonas pectin" to gel it. This brand of pectin requires no sugar to set up! You could make jam without any sweetener at all if desired. 

Select your fruit, you want ripe but not squishy fruit. Too ripe and it might not gel, not ripe and it won't cook down properly and be a little too tart.
Wash, peel, pit and chop fruit. I prefer to freeze apricots whole and then cut. The peel comes off a lot easier and frozen fruit is so easy to cut. No slimy sticky mess that way!

You have to cook down the fruit. Meaning plop diced apricots into a saucepan,  cover and boil until soft and mashed to your liking. I use an old potato masher while the fruit is cooking.

Follow the recipe below to make your own jam. Any fruit will work! I made apricot and apricot-pineapple today. 

See you next time-joy

Honey apricot jam

Makes 1 pint

4 cups chopped apricot

1/2 cup raw honey

1/4 cup lemon juice

4 tsp calcium water

3 tsp Pomona 's pectin

 Add fruit, lemon juice and calcium water (included in pectin package) to medium saucepan.  Bring to boil on high heat, covered and boil until fruit is soft. Using a masher or wooden spoon,  mash fruit to desired consistency. When fruit mixture comes to a rolling boil, (boils hard with bubbles throughout that dont stop when you stir) In a separate bowl,  mix together honey and pectin powder, set aside. After fruit comes to a rolling boil, stir in honey and pectin mixture.  Continue stirring until jam comes back to a rolling boil. Remove from heat and spoon into canning jars. Wipe rims of jars

Top with 2 piece lids and process in a boiler  canner for 10 minutes. Cool on countertop and share!

Dandelion infused body butter

Dandelion infused body butter!

Dandelion infused body butter

I have a country yard, we have a lot of dandelions. I have always liked them. Bright sunny little sweet smelling tickle your nose yellow blooms. A "weed" to the avid grass lover. They are usually the first flowers in spring and give much needed pollen to honeybees after a winter of dormancy.  I let them live, I think they are pretty!
Dandelion blooms have another interesting use, skin care. They can be infused in oil and help to soothe dry skin , reduce joint pain, muscle aches, tension and stress.

 Dandelion has the ability to reduce heat (like from the 5th sunburn on my shoulders this year) alleviate swelling and inflammation . Wow. So much from a plant that is much hated by lawn care folks.
Today I am making body butter with my infused oil and I will share the recipe with you.
Pick some dandelion blooms ( enough to loosely fill a pint mason jar) and spread them out on a towel to dry. Let them dry for 24 hours. Put the dried blooms back in the jar. Melt your coconut oil and pour over the blooms. Cover with a cloth and secure with a rubberband. Set in a sunny window to infuse for 2 weeks. The cloth lets moisture escape and prevents mold.

 After infusion, heat up your jar either in a pan of hot water ( put a lid on for this!) Or zap it in the microwave.  Strain out the blooms and press with a spoon to get all the good stuff out.

 Look how pretty it is! Beautiful bright yellow oil! You can jar and use this as is or add a few more things to make it even fancier. I will be adding a few more treats to my oil!
Pour oil into a small pan, heat on low. Add cocoa butter and beeswax and heat until melted. Pour into blender, add hot water and essential oils if desired. Blend on high 2 minutes . I am using young living's stress away because stress is my closest companion right now it seems, and sandlewood because I love it's scent.  Pour finished blender contents into jar and cover. It will harden up as it cools down
 It will also melt again if it's stored over 80° but no worry, just shake it up and use it.

 Here's the recipe, save the dandelions, I hope you learn to love them! See you next time-joy

Dandelion infused body butter
1&1/2 cups coconut oil
2 oz cocoa butter
2 tablespoons beeswax
1/4 cup hot water
20 drops essential oil of choice
Enough dandelion blooms to loosely fill a pint mason jar

Cleaned up Lime pound cake

Cleaned up Lime pound cake 

Oh my goodness. I love cake. I love a lot of things really but pound cake is one of my favorites.  I saw on a social media post a recipe for  lime pound cake and thought I should really try to convert this recipe. Make it "cleaner" a little less gluten filled and perhaps, a little less hard on the old digestive tract.
Pound cake is delicious . It's dense, moist, sweet and chewy. Add some citrus and I am in heaven . Here's my " there will be CAKE face"

I used butter in this recipe but you could switch that out with coconut oil if you need.  You really want to be sure all your ingredients are room temperature , makes the mixing a whole lot easier.  Except the coconut milk used for the icing, that needs to go in the fridge for a few hours so it whips up thick. 

Alright, first thing is to zest your limes. A tiny grater works nice for this. Just make sure you don't get too much of the white pith that is just under the lime skin.

 Now we have to whip the butter until its fluffy. A stand mixer works really nice for this part but sadly mine is no longer with us so a hand mixer it is for today . After that we add the honey and whip some more. Then one egg at a time mix mix mix.....
In a separate bowl stir juice, milk, zest and vanilla. Add flour alternating with juice mixture until well combined.

Pour into greased Bundt pan . The only Bundt pan I have is a springform one and when I put the cake in the oven the butter started melting and running out and smoking in the bottom of my oven......smoked cake anyone? So I added a regular cake pan with a little water to catch the melting butter.

And clean my oven is not but this is real life and I guess doing laundry and posting on this here blog is much more interesting than wiping out ovens. Anyways......you bake this loveliness for what I think is a crazy long time and then let it cool and pour over your icing.

The only thing that could have made this better was a sprinkling of coconut flakes . I will be doing that next time! Happy spring, enjoy some cake! Here's the recipe,  see you next time-joy

Lime pound cake 

2 cups butter, room temp

1 cup raw honey

6 large eggs

2 cups coconut flour 

1/2 cup lime juice

1/4 cup room temp coconut milk ( or almond or dairy or whatever)

4 teaspoons lime zest

1 teaspoon vanilla

 Preheat oven to 300° 

Beat butter until fluffy , add honey and beat until combined. Add eggs, one at a time until mixed in. 

In a small bowl stir juice,milk,zest and vanilla together. Alternating with flour, mix juice mixture into butter. Pour into greased Bundt pan and bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean . I started checking at the one hour 15 minute mark. Let cool completely and then pour icing over the top. 

Icing

1/2 can full fat coconut milk , chilled. 

3 tablespoons Raw honey

Juice of 1 lime

1 tsp vanilla 

Whip all icing ingredients until light and fluffy, pour over cake. Sprinkle a little lime zest over top. Store in fridge......yum!

Healing my brokenness at the DMV

I went to the DMV yesterday. I had one last thing to do for my Dads passing. He had an old 1989 New Yorker and I inherited it. A perfect car for my teenagers to drive! I really feel that in order for my kids to appreciate a nice car and the blessing it is to have your own wheels, they need to drive a junker.  So this car is perfect.
Dad was a mechanic and quite gifted at making things work. He kept this old girl running for who knows how long....it runs like a top and doesn't have a single hiccup in the engine. However, the gas gauge doesn't work,  the undercarriage is rusted badly and sometimes the doors won't open. Sounds like every car I or my friends drove in the 90's!!
So I took all my paperwork and got in line to switch the title and register this gem of a vehicle. One of the papers is dads death certificate . If you have ever read one of these, it is extremely grounding and humbling. Your life and death stats are printed out like you are a inanimate object. I have an emotional reaction every time I look at his.
His says...cause of death...myocardial infarction  (heart attack)
As a result of...lifetime smoker, alcoholic
These words stab my heart every time. Oh dad, why were you trying to destroy yourself?
So I hand my paperwork to the teller and explain, my dad passed away, this was his car, i need to change the title to my name and renew the registration. The first words put of her mouth are " the first thing you need to do is feel"  she then says " I mean you need to fill out this paper and that paper, why did I say feel? I'm sorry.
I continue on with the paper and paying ridiculous amounts of money that is probably more than the old car is worth and leave the DMV.
When I get back to the road her words come back to me. You need to FEEL. Yes  I do need to feel. I have not, as I expressed in my last post, dealt completely with dads death. Instead, I have been cleaning, scrubbing, making lists, cooking, walking in circles, reading, listening to music, having anxiety attacks, anything to keep from feeling.  I am afraid if I feel the sadness and the loss, it will swallow me. So I numb, I push it down, I work and work until I don't have time to feel. So a 25 minute drive home and I have no escape from my broken heart. I cry, not the heart broken sobbing I need to do, but just tears running down my face and my heart being squeezed. My dad would have so enjoyed my children, if he had been able to beat his addictions and rejoin life. I am broken over his absence in their life. What a great papa he would have been.
It's funny how God will use a stranger, who doesn't even know what she is saying and why to touch my heart. Healing up another broken piece. Thank you random lady at the DMV for your simple words. Thank you Papa for the car. I hope to pass the love of nature and fishing and adventure and the importance of fixing old things to my children, your grandbabies. My youngest looks like you and he thinks like you too. I wish we could have fought your addictions and your were here with us to untangle lines and hook bait. Love you Dad. I am forever with a hole in my heart where you are missing.

The parsnips grew back

The parsnips grew back!

And I cried....

After the snow melted and the weeds started coming up in my vegetable garden, I swear they are waiting for me under the snow, I realized something! I forgot to dig up my parsnips in the fall. What a shame, I love parsnips. They look like white carrots, but have a much milder and nuttier flavor. 

They can be eaten in many forms, raw, boiled, baked, sauteed, mashed and buttered, or cut into fries. 

Parsnips are a forgotten veggie but they are so good for you and taste amazing. Did you know???? 

Parsnips have a high vitamin C content.

They help improve digestive function and prevent constipation thanks to a high fiber load.

They contain folate, good for all but especially important for pregnant mamas.

Help aid heart health.

Also these roots support enzyme production and bone health. The manganese on parsnips helps produce enzymes needed for production of cartilage and bone. 

WOW. 

these humble, tasty little roots do so much.

Anyways,  back to my garden, the parsnips decided to come back! I did a little research and left in the ground, they will regrow the second year and produce flowers and seeds.

I decided to weed around them and let them stay, just to see what they look like in bloom. As I was working a wave of grief came over me....the hand rake I was using had been my dad's , and I remembered why I forgot the parsnips in fall.

You see, at the end of August last year, my dad lost his lifelong battle with alcohol. I was sent into a grieving process that I was not prepared for. He died suddenly at age 59. My brother and I had no warning. When I was a child, he was wonderful, happy, fun, nature loving and adventure finding. I have his eyes, hair and sense of humor. In my adult life, I did not have him, as he started drinking and living in a way I couldn't handle watching. I removed myself from his life. He didn't chase me. Now he's gone and there is no tomorrow or maybe next time for us. 

I didn't allow myself to feel all of the pain I needed to at the time so now it comes in odd ways. So there I sat, in the dirt, with dads rake, and my weeds. And I cried. It hurts my heart, it will always. I can take this kind of mourning, a little at a time. Little reminders tugging at my heart. Thanks for the rake Dad, mine was broken.

I moved a few of the parsnips to different parts of the yard because I found out a few other things..

Parsnip blooms look like yellow dill and are beneficial in the garden to attract pollinators. 

Hoverflies and lace wing also like them. Guess what hoverflies eat??? APHIDS!!!

Praise Jesus my roses are saved. And poison free too! 

Try growing or maybe just eating some parsnips, you will not be sorry! My fave is sliced and roasted in butter with pink salt.

See you next time-joy 

Beautiful things this week

I have a fierce love for nature, and flowers. I find peace and hear God best when I am outside and bare foot. Here are a few things that touched my heart this week on my morning rounds

Something I try to fit in every day is a walk outside around my yard in my bare feet. It is good to be connected to the earth this way. I like to take in the little beautiful things that are around me. It is 5 minutes but it is so good for my soul. Winter makes this habit impossible so I try to soak in as much as I can in our short Wisconsin summers. Life is hard, love the simple things! See you next time, Joy

Gluten free,naturally sweetened  granola 

I love granola. Granola bars, granola with milk, granola and yogurt, granola straight from the bag to my mouth .....i can honestly say that I could eat this stuff every day of my life and not be sad.

Since being diagnosed 10 years ago with celiac disease, granola, again a staple and love of my life, I have not had nearly enough to thrive.

Crunchy, chewy, sweet and yummy.

Most store bought granola is loaded with processed sugar and laced with gluten. So bad for me.....

The gluten free varieties are usually expensive and I am cheap, I mean frugal so that's out. 

So I make my own! 

You can pretty much use whatever grains and spices, nuts and seeds you would like. My ingredients vary depending on what i have on hand or my mood. 

You mix everything together, with the exception of dried fruits, those we set aside for later. Fruits tend to burn so I toss them in for the last 5 minutes of baking. It will bake for about 35-40 minutes, and you will stir it every 10 minutes or so to have uniform Browning and crisping . I used birch syrup this time but you can substitute that with raw honey or more maple syrup.  You can also use coconut oil instead of butter if you prefer. Since making this batch and had time to write out this post, I have eaten all my granola and need to make more! 

Here's my recipe....see you next time-joy 

Naturally sweetened gluten free granola

1/2 cup butter, cut into chunks 

4 cups oatmeal

1 cup chopped almonds

1/2 cup sunflower kernel

2 tablespoons flax seeds

2 tablespoons chia seeds

1 tsp cinnamon 

1 tsp vanilla 

1/4 c hemp seeds

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup birch syrup 

1/2 cup chopped dates, set aside

Preheat oven to 400°

Mix all ingredients except dates and spread into 9×13 pan

Bake uncovered, stirring every 10 minutes for 30 minutes, add dates, stir and bake 5-10 more minutes until oats are golden brown. Remove from oven and cool. Store in airtight container. 

Making Birch syrup.....and what to do with it

                Making Birch Syrup 

And what to do with it

I have been sugaring this month.....what is sugaring? Well it's collecting the sap from trees and boiling or evaporating the water out to make syrup or sugar. In the springtime the thawing process causes sap from the roots to go up the tree to feed the branches to make buds and leaves. You can tap those trees for the sap to make syrup. Most common would be maple syrup. 

This season's maple syrup harvest was dismal due to the cold spring/extended winter we had in northern Wisconsin. Sap was just not running. 

Birch tends to run right after maple stops so I moved my taps and it is flowing out!

 You tap a birch much like a maple, drill a hole , pop in a tap and add a bucket. One healthy tree will produce 1-2 gallons of sap per day. Each morning I collect sap. Processing the sap into syrup takes lots of time. You will want to start the process in a deep pot, like a large stock pot or boiler canner. Best case scenario is outside over a wood fire but sometimes I have to boil in the house due to weather or grass fire danger. I get the sap boiling and let it reduce down to about half. That's where you really need to watch it for burning. Birch sap has a different sugar than maple and it burns easily. After it starts to turn an amber color I keep it just below the boiling point and evaporate from there. Once it is down to a 1/4  I transfer it to a crockpot set on high and let it evaporate uncovered overnight.

In the morning I put the remaining Sap  (it's super dark brown by now) in a small pot on the stove and bring it to a boil to check the tempature. Once it reaches 220° I test it with a hydrometer. At about 65° brix it is ready to filter through a coffee filter and bottle.

Now what do I do with this stuff? It's thin, tastes like earthy molasses and spices and nothing close to pancake syrup! 

I have found the best use to be in marinades for meats. It's really good as a sugar substitute for savory dishes. Pork chops soaked in birch syrup are my favorite! Got a few birch trees? Try some syrup! I get about 2 cups of syrup out of 20 gallons of sap. It's a labor of love and a unique taste and experience .

See you next time- Joy

Introduction

hello! I will start my very first post with a bit of introduction.  My name is Joy and Joyous Prairies is a title given to my home and property by a sweet friend. On to getting to know me and my intent for this blog.

Who am I?
 I am a daughter of God, a Jesus lover, a wife, mama of 3, knitter, cook, nature lover, chicken keeper, nutrition enthusiast, hairstylist and celiac.

What do I do?
I create, dream, refinish, repurpose and research.

I am hoping this will be a space to inspire and share the knowledge i have.  Making things on your own is becoming a lost art. We are, as a people,forgetting how to live. My goal is to revive some of our nature loving and nature needing selves. It is spring here in Wisconsin and the dirt outside is calling to me. Bare feet in the grass is the best.