Digging In

Every year around this time, David and I think about what we want our future to look like. We talk about our dreams and goals and make sure we are on the same page. Not surprisingly, most of our future plans revolve around the homestead and moving closer to self-sufficiency.

We've recently been toying with the idea of living in a warmer climate that would allow us to garden year round, so we got down to it and talked about whether this was something we truly wanted. I'm sure the crazy weather we've been having lately spurred this conversation, but ultimately we realized we both are happy where we are right now and decided to dig in and pour all of ourselves into our homestead.

Taking inspiration from other bloggers who come up with a word or phrase for the year, we've decided our phrase for 2014 is "dig in." For us, that means saving as much money as possible and investing it in improving and adding to our homestead. For example, we have plans to expand our apiary from one hive to three, start a small vineyard, plant nut and fruit trees, and improve our current garden space.

This year is all about planning for the future, and we are ready to dig in and add elements to our homestead that aren't necessarily full of instant gratification. It will be years before the grape vines, nut trees, and fruit trees produce for us, but it's ok. We are in it for the long haul.

And really, when waking up to sunrises like this, I'm fine with the wait.

What are your plans for the new year? How would you like your future to look?

~Tammy

Shared with Maple Hill Hop 

Lavender Infused Ponderosa Lemonade

Last Monday I wrote a post on the Ponderosa lemons our cousin from Alabama gifted us with this Christmas, and today I'd like to share a delicious drink I mixed up using these gems.

Lavender Infused Ponderosa Lemonade
Adapted from A CUP OF JO
Makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients:
1/4 cup local raw honey
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup water
1T dried lavender
1 cup fresh Ponderosa lemon juice
2 cups water for diluting

Directions:
For the syrup - in a small saucepan, combine the honey, sugar, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat. Add dried lavender and steep for 3-4 minutes (or longer for stronger lavender flavor). Pour the syrup through a sieve to strain out the lavender then chill in the fridge.

When the syrup is chilled, combine it with the lemon juice in a pitcher. Mix in 2 cups of water (or more if it's too strong for your taste). Add ice and enjoy!

I wasn't sure how this would turn out since Ponderosa lemons aren't actually true lemons, but I was really happy with the end result. And even though this is definitely more of a summertime drink, it goes great with winter meals, especially the more heavy, rich dishes. We have already polished off the entire first batch of lemonade, so I guess I'll be making some more soon!

~Tammy

Feathered Friend Friday: Dreaming Of Summer

Welcome to our "Feathered Friend Friday" series. Each Friday I write a post with interesting facts, photos, or funny stories about our chickens and guineas. If you need to catch up, you'll find all the Feathered Friend Friday posts here.   

As I've heard on the news lately, many of us are currently experiencing bone chilling cold and lots of snow. Thankfully, we don't have tons of snow, but it is a lot colder here than normal. Our forecast has low temperatures below zero for the next upcoming days. I am not built for this kind of weather! The bitter cold has David and me dreaming of living in a region where we can have a garden year round and the temperatures rarely dip to the freezing mark. I do believe the chickens are dreaming of this as well!

For now we are all stuck in the frigid zone, but to transport me to warmer days I thought I would revisit some of my favorite summertime shots of my flock. Perhaps it will warm your bones as well to see some bright green and flowers.

Ahhhh, doesn't that feel nice? One thing I miss the most about summer is all the vivid colors. I just feel instantly energized and inspired when I see beautiful flowers and a vast array of colors. Add in some free ranging chickens with their fluffy butts to the landscape and that is my heaven.

Are you dreaming of summer lately or do you like the cold, snowy weather?

~Tammy

Shared with Maple Hill Hop 

Happy New Year

Happy New Year from all of us at Our Neck of the Woods. We hope 2014 is your best year yet. Thank you so much for your continued support and friendship. We really appreciate it!

~Tammy and David (and Fitz)