Independence Days week 2

1. Plant something: tomatoes, peppers, cauliflower, more popcorn, chick peas, great nothern beans, pole beans, more onions.
2. Harvest something: Lilacs and spinach.
3. Preserve something: Dehydrated mangoes.
4. Reduced Waste: Feeding scraps to chickens. Carlie's teacher is giving us her old straw bales for bedding. She didn't know how to get rid of it and I gladly accepted her generous offer. I don't have to buy any soon. We both win. :)
5. Preparation and storage: Husband Bruce finished up the chicken coop, the girls are enjoying their new home. Thoroughly cleaned the kitchen and made room for the dehydrator on the counter. Rearranged my soap room so it's more efficient for storing supplies and drying soap.
6. Build community food systems – worked in my mom's garden
7. Eat the food: Um, hmm. We've going through the fruit and veggies like crazy. Not a lot for us to harvest yet. Spinach salad tonight.

That must be it! I have a few more things to plant this week (oats that are going in late, herbs and flowers) and lots of weeding. The veggies we planted earliest have all sprouted and are looking good. I'm looking forward to all the rain we're expecting this week!

The Great Escape

We have 6wk old hens livng in a giant bin on our kitchen table. The 5 girls are just about ready to make the move to their outdoor abode. After the last few days, I'm more than ready!

A few chicken stories :
Okay, one of the hens got out of the cage yesterday. Good thing I was standing in the kitchen and saw it. I was able to grab her while she was still on the rim of the blue box and before she flew... whew. I'm not sure who was more surprise by the whole thing - me or her! I think they're ready to sleep outside!!!

Today Jack let one of the hens out. He just lifted the top so it could fly out. Truman (our labradoodle) was right there and didn't even care. We're so blessed to have such a mild-mannered dog!

Jack informed me he is the 'birdie papa', Carlie is the mama, and I am the big mama. I'm glad he really likes the chickens, but this does nothing for my sefl-esteem.

We'll make the final adjustments to the coop in the coming days and our 5 beautiful girls will move outside.

Independence Days

1. Plant something: broccoli, pumpkins, popcorn, zucchini, cukes, onions, plum tree, cherry tree, 2 pecan trees.
2. Harvest something: Lilacs for the jars on the table.
3. Preserve something: Nope.
4. Reduced Waste: I've been doing better about saving leftovers and turning them into something else the following night. Putting more in the compost and soon will be giving scraps to the chickens.
5. Preparation and storage: Received some summer clothes and pants for Carlie from my cousin. Stored the items that are too large and sorted out her drawers so we know what doesn't fit.
6. Build community food systems – worked on church garden with youth - planted and discussed how we'll be sharing the food.
7. Eat the food: We've bought some local asparagus and rhubarb. Made rhubarb sauce (my very first attempt) to go with some angel food cake. Very yummy.

Where I'll be

Hilltop Soaps will be sold at a number of local events and markets over the coming months.

Memorial Day - Genesee Family Fun Festival from 11am-6pm

June 5th, 19th - Clio Farmer's Market 10am-5pm

July 3rd, 17th - Clio Farmer's Market 10am-5pm

August 7th, 21st - Clio Farmer's Market 10am-5pm

August 15th, 16th - Flint Bowman's Club Annual Fall Shoot (tentative)

Please visit the website for further news, details, and product information. www.hilltopsoaps.com