sunshine tea

We have an overabundance of fresh eggs right now.  That is kind of the nature of chicken keeping I'm learning.  All winter long--no eggs, no eggs...then spring and summer hit and it's OMG EGGS!  I've been trying to come up with ways to use eggs other than the old stand-byes and I came across this old-school recipe that with some minor tweaks has become one of the kids' favorites over the last few weeks.  This is a really great way to get some healthy calories into little ones who aren't big into breakfast.  It is also an awesome before-bed snack. You don't need fresh eggs to make this--of course, they will taste the best, but the hot water does technically "cook" the eggs in this drink if you are worried about food-borne pathogens.

Sunshine Tea

serves 3

Boil 2 cups of water

 In a blender combine:

2 eggs

1 heaping teaspoon butter

1 heaping teaspoon coconut oil

1 tablespoon of honey (or to taste)

pinch of tumeric

dash of nutmeg

shake of cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

While the blender is running

slowly (carefully!) pour the boiling water into the egg mixture 

increase speed of blender and mix until frothy 

pour into cups

Enjoy!

* This recipe is generally fine for those who are lactose-sensitive as butter doesn't contain the milk protein that many people are unable to digest.  That said, if you don't do butter you can substitute a different healthy fat or oil in the recipe, you could also just add a bit more coconut oil.

* for a more hot-chocolate like drink try adding a heaping teaspoon of cocoa powder. 

In the Garden: Summer Solstice week!

Inspired by SouleMama to join the weekly celebration of the garden!

 

This beautiful week of summer solstice we have globe flowers aplenty. 

The chicks are starting to look like chickens, and are in seventh heaven roaming in their wooded little paradise.

 The only things left in the sunroom are my peppers, and round two of tomatoes.  The first rounds finally gave up the ghost.  Not sure these little ones will even make fruit, but the greenhouse will be finished today so why not give them a sporting chance.

 I went a little crazy on the flowers this year.  After all those years of trying to get any flowers to grow in Nome, not to mention the disappointment of having your struggling flower beds ripped up {or stranger even, replanted with tempura vegetables} by random people on Front Street--can you blame a girl? I now have a ton of stuff growing, but not too much in the way of flowers...yet. But I sure have petunias! This was my first go at petunias this year.

petunias I planted from seed

Petunias purchased at the orange box store.

I think mine might be better--certainly unrulier, and more in keeping with the overall style of our landscaping :)

 The carrot, lettuce, peas, radish, beet, rutabega garden is coming along nicely.  I have discovered this week also  that Sadie sunflower-bombed most of my raised beds.  I'm going to keep as many of those as I can.

 Nasturtiums finally sprouted.  It really isn't summer for me without buckets and buckets of nasturtiums growing around.  I planted a couple varieties, and spruced up the chicken coop with its own hanging basket.  Gotta keep things classy for the chicks, right?

Brassicas are growing right along!

hothouse frame and raised beds just waiting for finishing, Raspberries and Rhubarb?  Check and Check.

 And this is the beautiful fern garden growing right off the front porch.  Whoever thought out the landscaping concept for this home did a really nice job.  I appreciate the perennial gardening touches here and there.  I decided to plant a few pink and white astilbe in with the ferns, as well as some candytuft & french named forest strawberries {to compliment the existing volunteers} and some echinacea, which might be getting a little too much shade at the moment.

 and the honeysuckle is blooming and smelling oh so sweet at the front door, while the lilacs are blooming and wafting in my kitchen window, making dishwashing a real Calgon experience;)

 Not pictured are several varieties of pumpkin and squash... they all came up this week, so here's to hoping this land of the midnight sun will work its magic on them. My morning photoshoot was cut short by the severity of the mosquito bites I was getting.  This June has brought flat-out gorgeous weather for us {you almost wouldn't believe me if I told you that just over a month ago we got 6 inches of fresh snow!} But the mosquitoes...oh.  Words do not describe.  And poor little Eli--they like him the best and his little baby skin is all kinds of bit up right now.  I guess you take the good, you take the bad... right? 

Happy almost summer solstice--

may you revel in the sunlight, and may your garden be green and productive!

the chicken whisperer

When we decided to get chickens Sadie was excited for weeks in advance.  I kind of wondered if this would be the kind of thing where the chicks would get here and it would be all cute and fluffy wonderfulness for a week and then... old news.

small starts