Blooms

Grounds

In our attempt to create less waste/trash not only have I gone commando on recycling, but all vegetable matter is going out onto our OLD and overgrown compost pile or to the birds, and we re-purpose our used coffee grounds. I add them to the flower beds, the gopher holes, etc... two folks with two different types of coffee ends up being a bit of grounds weekly and the plants are happy.

Dream garden

The dream garden is a project that will be started HOPEFULLY this fall. I just completed the plans for it.

The left side is the dog area & Rv access- full fence & (I hope) a beautiful iron gate. The dog area will be either road base or decomposed granite.

The center is the Garden - the rowed areas are food based planting, the trees mainly fruits with a flowering dog wood here and there, the rest fun plants etc...

To the right is the children's play area including a pirate ship, swing set, fort & another play house structure.

In the center of the garden, on a raised plot is another aviary for our Ring neck offspring and the chickens will be in a portable A frame chicken tractor that will move about.

The fireplace has a landing/sitting area (the fireplace is 2 sided).

All paths & landings will be decomposed granite. A few places will have slate along it (we have 15 pieces and will incorporate them).

Dev & Divi

Dev & Divi are our spoiled rotten, proven pair, Blue Indian Ringneck Parrots (Parakeet). They have a spacious outdoor aviary & are fed a standard pellet diet. We treat with fresh fruits & veggies during season. I just mixed up a batch of dried treats to add to their spring mix.


Includes:

sunflower seeds
Peanuts
wheat pasta twists
vegetable pasta twists
Penne pasta
Lentils
dried papaya
brown rice
Honey nut Cheerios

We add pine nuts & berries when we feel like it, or when we remember (they are stored in the freezer).

Meat part 2

I store my grinder parts the way Alton Brown suggests.

Those of you who know me, know that I dont do meat on bone. I went the easy route! I ground mainly white meat & all the brown meat that was easy to access. Raising chickens makes it a bit hard to deconstruct a carcass.

I saved the drum sticks & 2 small breasts for dinner tonight, the wings for another night, and am currently making turkey stock with the remaining bird.
We got 2.5 lb of ground turkey. Not bad I think. next year I will cook the 15lb for t-day & use the 20+ lb for grinding, stock, and meal pieces.
For information on how to grind your own meat, I suggest Alton Browns article on thefoodnetwork.

Meat

Do to the horrors of commercial meat - I started grinding my own ground meats a few months ago. Even using a standard, store bought cut, the difference is astounding. The meat fresher, redder, more flavorful. I have never had hamburgers as good as the ones I made last month and the Italian wedding soup received rave reviews.

Today I will be taking a whole turkey and grinding it. We use ground turkey as a hamburger substitute almost all the time and in general prefer it to hamburger. At the cost of over $4 a package it just seems smart. Every Thanksgiving we purchase 2 birds - a 20+ lb for t-day, and a small 15 lb bird for a meal & soup. This year its being ground. We buy them on sale with the 15 lb'r costing $5.00 and the 20+ $7.50. I will figure out how much meat we end up with. Either way, if I get nearly 2 lbs... its cost effective!

The basics

We have recently decided to become as self sustaining as we can. We have 6 chicks who in 4-5 months will provide us & the neighbors with eggs. We have:

1 Ameraucana - Black-Brown-White (named by the boy) - lays green blue eggs
1 Black Sex-links - Snow White
1 Buff Orpington - Sunshine
1 Rhode Island Red - Ariel too (the first Ariel passed on) - large eggs
2 Blue Cochins - Bluis (also named by the boy) & Cinderella

We are also growing as much produce as possible. We have planted:

Fruit:

2 lemons
1 pink lemon
1 Orange
1 Concord Grape
2 Blueberries
1 Asian Pear
1 Fuji Apple
1 Wonderful Pomegranate
1 Stella Cherry

2 Olive trees

I still would like to get plums, white flesh nectarines, and a peach of our own. The neighbors also grow peaches, plums, and a few other fruits and generously share their bounty. I will be learning to can, and will also be making our own jams.

The veggie garden will have:

cilantro
basil (2 kinds)
green beans
lettuce
carrots
kale
onion
leeks
Brussels sprouts
watermelon radish
Jade & Italian white sunflowers
golden beets
eggplant
peas
parsley

Again, the neighbors have quite a harvest and share their squashes, zucchini, patty pans (My fav). The sunflowers will not only be for the wildlife, but for our two Blue Indian Ring Neck parrots. The Pomegranate is also for them. Imagine blue + red = purple birds

All waste will go to the chickens (sans onion and garlic - that would be some nasty eggs), and in turn they will grace our garden with a wealth of manure.

Due to the awful conditions commercial animals are raised treated etc... we are hoping to get our beef & pork via 4-H auction. At least then we know that the animal was loved, and the money goes to a good cause- a childs education. We hope to find a cow that is grass fed.

Outside of the practical, we have our indulgences, including:

2 Koi ponds
3 pygmy goats (show goats)
2 indian ring necks previously mentioned - breeding pair & currently nesting
a collection of Japanese Maples including 10 seedlings
4 or 5 different Magnolia trees
a hammock
and a growing Dahlia collection