Homegrown Chamomile

I love chamomile tea! So much so that growing chamomile was on the top of my priority list of things to grown!  We got a late start getting it as the nursery didn’t have any until a few weeks after I inquired about it.  So thankful they went the extra mile and got some in!

I went out a few weeks ago and picked a bunch of it. Dried it and put it away for my winter stash.  Unfortunately, Maggie woke up this morning with a headache and just feeling kinda poopy, so she asked for her pillow, her Winnie The Pooh movie and a cup of chamomile tea.  I gladly obliged! 

Maggie perked up after she thought about the tea and said, “hey mom!  The flowers we grew made the tea and our bees made the honey!  That’s why this tastes so good!” 

So even though I was bummed the first of my winter stash was gone, I was so happy to provide something that I made, something I grew to make my baby feel better!

The flowers you see in the picture above were picked earlier this week and are in the process of drying now.  Looking forward to harvesting a lot more to get us through the winter!

Hey friends! Help me win this cookbook….please!!!

So, I found this cookbook that I just GOTTA have!  The Food Lovers Make it Paleo—200 grain-free recipes for any occasion.  I really, really want it!  All you have to do is CLICK THIS LINK.  Yup, that’s it.  Just click on it, it will take you to their site.  That’s all.  Of course you could take a look around and check out their site while you are there.  :)

Did I mention how much I want this cookbook? 

And you know, you too could try to win!  Check it out, you may want to enter!  I would post a picture, but my darn computer is running SLOW tonight.  I will try to get a picture of the book up tomorrow.

 

Thanks for helping me, friends!

 

Bobbi

Have to brag about what I won!

I know, I know, I know.....nobody likes a braggart.  But this brag isn't a "neener, neener, neener, look what I won" kind of a brag.  It's a "hey, check this out!  I won something really sweet and want to share with you" kind of brag!  

I love aprons.  There is something about them that just makes my heart happy when I see one, when I wear one.  I am loving that I see so many on movies and TV shows now too!  It's an apron revolution!    So when I got the opportunity to join in on a contest on Fresh Eggs Daily on Facebook I jumped in.  Hardcore.  I was in it to win it!  I didn't think I would though because I am on dial up.  It can take forever for a page to refresh.  I already knew I wasn't going to win because, well, I have joined in to win things millions of times and haven't.  Well, that's not exactly true.  Once I went to a breakfast put on by a local radio station that I used to listen to.  Somehow I ended up winning the book So That's What They're For, which at the time I had no use for, what-so-ever.  But I did win, so I technically can't really say I never win anything.  Anyway.......so like a pitbull in a cage fight I went in, fingers tapping the keyboard wildly, a couple answers I didn't know so I was trying to google them, luckily Chris and Maggie weren't here to witness the crazed look in my eyes.  They would have thought I lost my mind.  I have to admit, the thought did cross my mind.

Well, guess what!  I won!  I really won!  I was so excited I couldn't contain myself.  I know, it was an apron not a million dollars.  But it sure felt like a million dollars.  This apron is so darned cute!  Lisa has put her sewing skills to good use.  I love the little pockets (5 of them), perfect for egg gathering!  I was able to get 2 large eggs in each pocket.  Can't wait til my girls start laying!  My picture doesn't do it justice.  Make sure you click on her Etsy Shop link at the bottom of this post for a better picture!

When I opened the package Maggie was excited, we had a little discussion about who it belonged to.  It seems whenever I get something cool she ends up with it.  But not this!

I would encourage those who are reading to check out Lisa's Etsy Shop, Fresh Eggs Daily, there are some really cute aprons and other things on there!  I love her chicken coop plans.  You wont be disappointed!!  So go check her out!  

Just wanted to say a big THANK YOU to Lisa for doing the contest and having such a wonderful prize!  It went to a very grateful home and will get a lot of use!  :)

Colored Chalkboard Paint

(Click on pictures to make larger)

I have always loved the idea of chalkboard paint.  I remember being very excited when I found a can of  Chalkboard Spray.  I once made Maggie a magnetic chalkboard but was very disappointed how it turned out.  Sigh.  This left me still wanting to make her a board, but I never tried again because of the first failed attempt and I didn't want a big black wall in her room.  Over the years I have thought about how great it would be to make colored chalkboard paint.  Well, guess what you can!  And I did!  And so can you!  It is so unbelievably EASY!

(Click on picture to make larger)

Here is what you do:

Start with a flat finish latex paint in any color (make sure you start with a clean, primed surface).  I used Pale Sea Mist by Benjamin Moore.  It's a nice soft green color.  I only bought a quart since I was (a) trying out a new idea and (b) I was only painting the door panels on the inside of her bedroom door.  Which, by the way only took 1 cup of paint to do, so I still have left over for future projects!

Pour 1 cup of paint into a container.  I just used my paint pan so I wouldn't have a lot of extra things to clean up.  I then added 2 Tablespoons of unsanded tiled grout (make sure you use unsanded so it will smooth when you finish).  Mix carefully making sure to break up any clumps. 

I then took a small sponge brush and painted the corners of the panels and then used a small roller to paint the rest of the surface with.  Using a roller made the surface smoother.  A brush would have left stroke marks, didn't want that!  I painted 3 coats mainly so I could achieve the color on the paint chip sample.  I am pretty sure two coats would have been just fine.  I let each coat dry in between painting.

After my paint dried I then took some 150-grit sandpaper and gently smoothed the area.  Then wiped off the dust.  

Before turning Maggie loose with her new chalk, I rubbed a side of piece of chalk all over the entire area and then wiped away the residue with a very lightly wet cloth.  

It turned out so awesome that I am now planning to make a bigger board (in another color) for her room and possibly a chalkboard magnetic wall for our kitchen.

I wish I had taken a true "before" picture.  The door was actually painted yellow with pink panels.  It hadn't been painted in some time and really needed some love.  It's getting lots of love now!  Maggie is having an absolute great time with it! 

Now off to find the perfect door knob!

 

What's Growin'?

One thing I absolutely love about gardening is, everyday is new.  Something sprouts, something grows inches overnight, something blooms.  I was walking around the yard yesterday alone, enjoying the sound of the water running down the creek, butterflies fluttering by.  I realised I had a smile on my face.  I felt at peace.  I felt good.  I felt accomplished.  I am growing nourishing food and medicine for my family.  I feel like am doing what I am suppose to be doing.  This is where I am suppose to be!

Here are a couple of pictures from around the yard of things that caught my eye and made my heart flutter!

Taters!  Can't wait!  Mashed, fried, hashed, twice baked, scalloped.......

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Onions....not in a perfect row, but who cares!

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Bea-u-tiful Camilia's.  I absolutely love them, Chris has never let me have them. He mumbles something about them being messy.  ??  Love that they are already here and established.  I always win, somehow!!

 (click to make larger)

Look at how big and beautiful this Comfrey is!  It just started getting pretty purple flowers on it.  Looking forward to using it to heal some owies that I know will occur this summer.

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And last, but definitely not least, gorgeous iris'.  These are one of my favorite flowers

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Ms. Rosa and Gingersnap heading out of the coop to snack on some mint!

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So glad to be back!

I have missed my blog so much!  I am so glad to be back!!  What a wild, crazy ride we have been on for the last  8+ months.  As you may remember, we decided to move in August of last year.  Gave notice, packed our things and put them in storage and were so excited because in 1 month we were going to be moving on to a sweet little ranch.  We spent the next 30 days plotting our garden, building our chicken coop in our minds and fixing up the house.  The 30 days came and went like a blink of an eye and we found ourselves without a place to live!  YIKES!  We looked around and found nothing that would fit our lifestyle in our price range.  We didn't want to move just anywhere, putting Maggie and ourselves through the stresses of moving just to get in somewhere we wouldn't be happy in.  Seemed like everyone wanted us to sign a year lease whenever we looked at a place.  We stumbled on to a little cabin that seemed reasonable with only a 6 month lease.  FANTASTIC, right?  WRONG.  I will just say we have never been so miserable in all our lives!  I want so badly to forget that place that I am not even going to get into it!  lol  All that to say, along with patience comes good things!

                                                           (Creek behind our house---click to make larger)

We found a lovely little place that is just perfect for our family.  Small house, big yard.  Exactly what we were looking for!  When we talk about what would be our ideal spot, this place pretty much hits the mark!

                                                          (The new chicken coop--click to make larger)


This is the old well house that we are converting into a chicken coop.  It looks a bit different now if you were to see it.  We scraped off a lot of the paint and it is now it is a nice shade of white primer.  The front door is actually on the other side of the coop.  Where the lighter wall is there is now a window and the darker side has a little door with ramp for the chickens to come out in.  We currently have 4 chickens in there now (Gingersnap, Strawberry Shortcake, Violet and Ms. Rosa), they seem to be very happy.  We need to make nesting boxes still, but they are only 11 weeks old so we still have some time.
We also have 4 more chicks in the brooder and more coming next weekend!

                                                                (New potato plant--click to make larger)

The garden area is fabulous!  When we started out there was about 450 sq ft of space, we have made it a bit larger since we have been here, it's about 800 sq ft now. Fortunately that's just the garden space and we have a TON more room for flowers, medicinal herb space, etc.  We have a ton of stuff planted and lots more that's almost ready to be put in the ground.  Our hope is to have more than enough so we can put it away for Autumn and Winter.  I can't wait to see how we do!!

                                                            (Greenhouse in progress--click to make larger)

Besides dogs, cats, rabbits and chickens we will be adding to the menagerie of animals.  We are ordering some ducks next week.  We aren't sure yet which breed.  We are thinking either Khaki Campbell, Cayuga, Runners or Golden 300's.  So if anyone reading this has ducks let me know what you have.  We are looking for a good layer, not too broody and a good forager.  I am leaning towards the Khaki or the Goldens.   decisions, decisions!
We are also excited to be planning on adding a Nigerian Dwarf Goat.  For those of you who know me well you know how long I have wanted one of these.  I can not wait.  It will still be awhile before we add her into the family, but it's gonna happen!  I'm pinching myself now!

                                                                                    (play structure--click to make larger)

Maggie has just been in heaven.  Between the creek on hot days and the play structure she has been beyond busy!  Usually she putters around with me in the garden, but she hasn't been in that garden space for more than 5 minutes!
I am so incredibly thankful to our friends, Jennifer and Jason for trusting us with their home and letting us call it our own.  We couldn't be happier being here!

Stir-Fried Cabbage with Red Chile Peppers, Cashews and Peas

It seems so long since I last posted.  I guess it has been awhile.  So many things have been going on.  And for once I am happy to report it's been mostly good things.  With the exception of fighting off colds-you know the kind that just wont leave and comes back full force (which is what we are dealing with now!), we had Maggie's birthday party at the gymnastic studio with her school friends, we (mostly me) have been busy working at Maggie's school and we found a house to move into and I got a job!  Hallelujah!  I can't even tell you how good it feels to say that!  It's been really, really hard on us as a family living in this temporary home, but even harder not knowing how we were going to find a home and be able to afford it without funds coming in.

The best part about the job is it is part time so I will be able to play in our new yard.  I can't tell you how excited I am about the yard!  It is a large, large yard.  Lots of room for planting, gardening and yes, chickens.  We can have chickens and not have to hide them.  I can't tell you how happy I am about that.  There is already a great little structure there that we will turn into a coop, we just need to build boxes and fence it in. There are also a lot of fruit trees and walnut trees. It's going to feel good to produce our own food again!  I have missed it so much!
The house is adorable.  It is perfect for our family.  And, it has a huge jetted tub.  I would live in a barn if it had a jetted tub!  But one thing I am really excited about is it has a new convection oven.  I can not wait to get my hands on it and start baking!  Bread, bread and more bread!
We still aren't sure when we will be in, but we know it will be any time between now and 3-4 months.  In the meantime, we are able to go work to make our garden and prune the trees!

Because I am feeling lousy with this darn cold (just got it today and I start work tomorrow!) I am leaving this post short and sweet.  But I will leave you with tonights dinner recipe.  It was super yummy so I thought I would share!

                                                                     ~click on picture to make larger~

Stir-Fried Cabbage with Red Chile Peppers, Cashews, and Peas

makes 10 servings

3 T extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 t cumin seeds

1 t ground turmeric powder

3 dried chile peppers

2 c toasted unsalted cashews

1 (3 1/2 pound) head of cabbage, cored and finely chopped

2 c frozen peas

1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste (we use Pink Himalayan Salt)

1.  Heat oil with the cumin seeds, turmeric powder, and chile peppers in a large pot or wok over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the chiles become smoky (about 3 minutes)

2.  Add the cashews and cook for 2 minutes, to brown the slightly and heat them up.

3.  Add one-half of the cabbage and all the peas; stir to combine with herbs.  When, after about 2 minutes, the cabbage starts to wilt, stir in the remaining cabbage.  Cook, stirring often, until the volume has reduced by one-third and the cabbage looks somewhat browned around the edges (about 15 to 30 minutes, depending on your pot or wok).  Mix in the salt and serve warm or at room temperature.

We served ours with chicken.  We were both "iffy" about it because neither of us have really had cabbage outside of coleslaw, so this was a pleasant surprise.  We may even plant some in garden!
Sorry for the not so good picture, but I am miserable right now.  Maybe I will retake it next time we make this, because we are making it again!

Sparklehearts Bubbling Blooms Body Wash Review & Giveaway!

Have you ever heard of Sparklehearts?  Well, if you have, then you already know how awesome it is!  If you haven't, then you are in for a real treat!  We had the chance to try out the Bubbling Blooms Body Wash.  Talk about being impressed!

The first thing I noticed was how adorable the packaging is.  I admit it, I am a sucker for packaging.  If a product is visually pleasing to my eye, I am more apt to pick it up and try it.  So I knew if I thought it looked fun, Maggie would also!  If I had found Sparklehearts in the store, I would have picked up the bottle without a second thought!  CUTE, CUTE, CUTE!  I love that Sparklehearts uses 100% recycled packaging!

The second thing I noticed was the smell!  Oh man!  This smells do divine!  It smelled like a nice summer day on a cold rainy winter afternoon!  I could smell it all through the house while Maggie was taking a bath.  It has a very yummy, not perfum-y scent.  It's an all natural sweet fragrance. Which makes all the difference to me.

Third thing that I love, which is what caught my attention in the first place is this is a natural beauty product.  Maggie is very sensitive to body washes.  I mean very sensitive.  They can cause a lot of discomfort for her.  We are happy to report this did not bother her one bit!  We FINALLY found a product that we don't have to make and she can use and not suffer for later.  

This product is 99.6% organic, natural ingredients.  On top of that it is ALWAYS Paraben free, Phthlalate free, Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate free.  It's also cruelty free-no poor animal had to pay a price for this product to be made.  And, it's made in the U.S.A.

Besides the Bubbling Blooms Body Wash, they have 4 other products that I am dying to try! 

Shine Shampoo, Soft Conditioner, Peace Out No Knots Hair Detangler and Sparkly Body Lotion.  All made with the natural and organic products like the body wash!

As a mom who is concerned with what I put in and on my daughters body, Sparklehearts really stepped up to the plate and made a product I feel confident in using!  And confident in suggesting to you!

Would you like to win your own bottle of Sparklehearts Bubbling Blooms Body Wash?  Well, you are in luck!  Sparklehearts not only let me do a review on their product, they also agreed to give one of my lucky readers a bottle of Bubbling Blooms Body Wash!

I have made this pretty easy for you!  Here is what you need to do:

1.  Friend Sparklehearts on Facebook

2.  Friend me on Google Friend Connect (in my sidebar)--so this means if you are my friend through network blogs, please friend me on google :)

3.  Comment letting me know you did both of the above-2 separate entries

For an extra chance to win,

please post about this review/giveaway on your blog-leave a separate comment

See how easy this that?

And remember, it doesn't have to be just for little girls!
This grown up girl thinks it would be a nice, relaxing, smell-good bubble bath!

This giveaway will end on Monday, Jan. 3, 2011 12:00 pm PST.  I will do the drawing and post the winner the next day, Tuesday, Jan 4, 2011.  This contest is open to US residents only.  Remember leave a way for  me to be able to contact you!

Good Luck!!

Friday Night Snackin'

This is the kinda stuff we do on a Friday night when are bored.  Watch Buddy the Elf and make chocolate covered pretzels!

Tis the season for yummy snacks!

We got an email from a soldier!

As you all know we sent a cup of coffee to a soldier by using the Cup of Joe for a Joe program through Green Beans Coffee.  When we sent it we also sent along a little note including our email address.  Well, today we got a message back from a United States Marine serving in Baghdad, Iraq!

Maggie is thrilled beyond words! 

This is what he had to say:

Hi Maggie! Thanks for the cup of coffee! I really appreciate you thinking of all of us over here in Iraq and making such a sacrifice by giving your own money at such a young age. It is people like you that keep morale high and keep us focused on our mission. I will gladly drink the cup of coffee that you gave me on behalf of all my fellow service members here in Baghdad. Thanks again. Major Matt McConnell, USMC Baghdad, Iraq P.S. I have a daughter and her name is Maggie too! She is only seven months old!

So of course she was thrilled about the note, but was excited to hear there is another Maggie.  :)

If you haven't sent a cup of coffee today, please do!  Especially since this weekend is such an important one for the USA.  Our men and women are sacrificing so much. 

Stay safe Major Matt McConnell.  Hope you get home to your Maggie soon!

Send a cup of coffee to a deployed soldier!

What an awesome service!  Green Beans Coffee, in Larkspur, CA is doing such a great thing!  They have a program where you can buy a cup of coffee or tea and send it with a personal note to a deployed soldier.  They have made it super simple for you to do.  Click here, choose your gift amount (1 cup is only $2.00!), enter your payment and they do the rest.  They give you an opportunity to write a little note as well.  Many times the soldier will email you back.  You can send a cup to a random soldier or if you have someone in mind, just give their name and it will be sent to them.

Something else they do is provide prepaid coffee cards.  Choose the base location where your recipient will pick up the Coffee Card and then select a Coffee Card value.  For each Coffee Card purchase, Green Beans will contribute an ADDITIONAL 10% IN DOLLAR VALUE to your Coffee Card's face value. Cards are available in any denomination starting at $20.

I think this is a great way to say thank you for what they are doing for us.  A great way to let them know they are still thought of.  What a simple gesture, but I'm sure it means the world to the receiver.  It only takes a few moments plus the spare change in your pocket to say thanks!!

Loving the photo gallery!
Check them out on Facebook and Twitter.

Maggie sent a cup this morning.  I think we are going to save up to send a card.  Have you sent a cup?  If so, we would love to hear about it!  :)