Melting Snow and Etsy Shop!

Hi everyone! It is spring finally here in Maine and the sun is out doing its job! Lol soon I will be planting my garden which makes me truly happy. I opened my Etsy shop last November and am doing pretty good so far and enjoying the wonderful people along the way. If you have a chance, stop on over and see what we have going on!

I make junk journals and altered books along with single signatures to use in your journal. I also have vintage finds and jewelry for sale!
https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChickadeePines?ref=seller-platform-mcnav

River Valley Pumpkin Fest and Craft Fair

Come check out our booth Chickadee Pines Handmade Crafts Oct. 14, 2017 where we will be featuring some of our J.R.Watkins products along with handmade crafts and soaps.

http://www.envisionrumford.org/vendors-sponsors.html

My Book Haul

Hey everyone! Summer is winding down around here and I got my new stash of books to read this winter! I am so excited to get started on them since the British Monarch is one of my favorite topics to learn about. Queen Victoria and her great-great granddaughter Queen Elizabeth II are my favorite. I am glad to have found some books on Prince Albert as well.

Camping Tips

Kitchen essentials

·         Water – 2.5 to 5-gallon containers. You need 2 – 4 quarts of water per day per person. And that’s only to drink. Don’t forget water will be needed for cooking and clean up.

·         Stove and fuel (and waterproof matches)

·         Tarp, ropes, clothesline, etc.

·         Table or something to use as a table if you want to rough it.

·         Seating – camp stools, camp chairs, logs, large rocks, etc.

·         Frying pan and Dutch oven – cast iron is best but heavy. You can transport stuff in the Dutch oven.

·         Coffee pot – can be used to heat water for tea, soup, pasta, coffee, hot chocolate or for doing dishes

·         Plastic bowl or tub – for washing up and storage

·         Rags, old towels, scrubbies and biodegradable soap

·         Eating utensils – knives, forks and spoons

·         Cooking utensils – sharp knife, can-opener, large spoon, spatula

·         Cutting board – wood or plastic

·         Cooler – good for up to 2 days if most of the food is frozen

·         Plastic tubs with tight fitting lids (or bear proof container)

·         Zip lock bags for food storage.

·         Aluminum foil (wrap foods up and cook)

Food To Take on a Camping Trip

·         Premade meals – dried, dehydrated, freeze dried (this stuff can be expensive, be creative and make your own meal ahead of time yourself)

·         Tea, coffee, hot chocolate, dry juice mixes

·         Hard cheese does not need refrigeration (I don't care what they say)

·         Cereals – granola, cream of wheat, oatmeal, muesli

·         Fruit – fresh and dried

·         Nuts – great in meals or for snacking

·         Sunflower Seeds – great in meals or trail mixes

·         Breads – flat breads and hard crackers (regular bread gets squashed)

·         Soups – instant Knorr, Ramen or bullion to make your own

·         Lentils – quick cook, dried or canned beans

·         Pasta – thinner cooks faster

·         Dried veggies

·         Honey, sugar

·         Peanut butter

·         Flavoring agents – soy sauce, hot sauce, salt, pepper, garlic, dried onion, cilantro, cinnamon etc.

·         Canned meats – or dried

·         Alfalfa or dry beans for sprouting (in a zip lock bag with damp paper towel).

·         Chocolate, marshmallows, graham crackers! (For S'mores)

·         Potatoes - you can almost make a meal out of a baked potato (with cheese), or chop and fry up potatoes with eggs, onions, almost anything. A versatile, not squashable food. 

Canning and Dehydrating

I did some dehydrating today..zucchini and squash. I also made a small batch of Black Raspberry Jam. Cut up 3 lbs. of Granny Smith apples for the crockpot to make applesauce too.

Making Relish and Getting Ready for Fall!

Made my first batch of Zucchini Relish! Starting with small batches to make it easier. Next I will be making Red or Black Raspberry Jam and some Pickled Spiced Plums to serve with Pork Roast or Beef. The Fall centerpiece here on the table was an idea from Pinterest..thought it was pretty cute and easy to make.

Chrispy Chicken Cheddar

Chicken:
4 large chicken breasts
2 sleeves Ritz crackers
1/4 t salt
1/8 t pepper
1/2 C milk
3 C cheddar cheese, grated
1 t dried parsley

Sauce:
1 14 ounce can cream of chicken soup
2 T sour cream
2 T butter

Directions
1. Cut each chicken breast into 3 large chunks.
2. In a small food processor grind up the ritz crackers.
3. Pour the milk, cheese and cracker crumbs into 3 separate small pans. Toss the 1/4 t salt and 1/8 t pepper into the cracker crumbs and stir the mixture around to combine.
4. Dip each piece of chicken into the milk then the cheese and finally the cracker crumbs.
5. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray and lay the chicken inside the pan.
6. Sprinkle the dried parsley over the chicken.
7. Cover the pan with tin foil and bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes. Remove the tin foil, bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the edges of the chicken are golden brown and crispy.
8. Into a medium sized sauce pan combine the cream of chicken soup, sour cream and butter with a whisk. Stir it over medium high heat until the sauce is nice and hot. Serve over the chicken



MyFridgeFood.com

Free Crochet Patterns for Halloween Treat Bags

15 Wonderful free crochet patterns for your little ones trick-or-treat fun! Just follow the link and click the PDF file to get the free pattern. Enjoy! :)

http://purplekittyyarns.com/halloween/crochet-halloween-treat-bag-patterns

Cupcakes Topped with Chocolate Flowers for Wedding Guest Tables

A friend of mine in Ohio was so pleased with this wonderful idea for the guest table at her nieces wedding last month. I think it is a grand idea as well! Cupcakes topped with chocolate flowers in a flower pot make a lovely centerpiece.

Ahh...Lobstering in Maine

Floral Heart Motif In time for Valentines

Special Stitches
Beginning treble crochet cluster (beg tr cl): Ch 3, holding back last lp of each tr on hook, work 2 tr in same place as ch 3, yo, draw through all 3 lps on hook.

Treble crochet cluster (tr cl): Holding back last lp of each tr on hook, work 3 tr in place indicated, yo, draw through all 4 lps on hook.

Pattern Notes
Join with a slip stitch unless otherwise stated.

Motif
With pink, and crochet hook H, ch 5, join (see Pattern Notes) in beg ch to form ring.

Rnd 1: Ch 1, work 12 sc in ring, join in beg sc. (12 sc)

Rnd 2: Beg tr cl (see Special Stitches) in same sc as joining, [ch 3, tr cl (see Special Stitches) in next sc] 11 times, ch 3, join in top of beg tr cl, fasten off. (12 tr cl)

Rnd 3: Join white in any ch-3 sp, ch 1, (sc, ch 1, hdc, ch 1, dc, ch 1, tr, ch 1) in same sp, (dtr, ch 1) 4 times in next ch- 3 sp, (tr, ch 1) twice in next ch-3 sp, (dc, ch 1) twice in next ch-3 sp, (hdc, ch 1, dc, ch 1) in next ch-3 sp, (dc, ch 1, tr, ch 1) in next ch-3 sp, (tr, ch 1, dc, ch 1) in next ch-3 sp, (dc, ch 1, hdc, ch 1) in next ch-3 sp, (dc, ch 1) twice in next ch-3 sp, (tr, ch 1) twice in next ch-3 sp, (dtr, ch 1) 4 times in next ch-3 sp, (tr, ch 1, dc, ch 1, hdc, ch 1, sc, ch 1) in last ch-3 sp, join in beg sc.

Rnd 4: Sl st over next ch 1, hdc and ch 1, sc in each rem st and ch-1 sp to the ch-1 sp between the 2 tr at bottom point, work (dc, ch 1, dc) in ch-1 sp at point, sc in each rem st and ch-1 sp, ending with sl st over last hdc, ch 1 and sc, join, fasten off.

Rnd 5: Join pink with a sc in the ch-1 sp between the beginning and ending scs of rnd 3 at top center of heart, ch 3, sc in sl st worked over the first hdc of rnd 3, [ch 3, sk next st, sc in next st] around, at bottom point working sc in the first dc, ch 3, sc in next dc, end with ch 3, join in beg sc, fasten off.


Find more at: http://www.crochetpatterncentral.com/directory/hearts.php

Christmas Preparations and Snow!

Well, it's not even winter yet but we have snow again...lol You just have to love Maine! We finished the Gingerbread House and have started on the decorations for the house and cookie baking. Hope your all having a wonderful Christmas Season so far.

Here is the view from my deck and one of the house in our latest snow storm.

Snow and Crochet

Well, it started snowing last night, very arctic cold air and wind..not too much snow though. But, we might be headed for a Nor'easter Wednesday so more to come.

I am taking time to make a pair of new crochet slippers in Thyme green and they should be finished tonight!! I started with a pattern from the Red Heart Yarn but decided to make my own version in the toe area.

The look like duck bills right now, but they will look better real soon! 

Will be getting ready for Thanksgiving...have lots of baking and chopping to do! I love the holidays!

Mr. Robin...Your Late Leaving

Walking around outside today making sure the garden is put to bed for the winter...expecting snow tonight. Then we saw a lone Robin hanging around.

Not sure why he is still here, but he needs to get on his way before winter sets in. We had a few hours of sunshine today...it was beautiful!

Thanksgiving Recipes

Creamy Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

5 to 6 cans sweet potatoes
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash salt
1 cup miniature marshmallows

Directions

In a large bowl, mash sweet potatoes. Add eggs, orange juice, butter, sugar, vanilla, nutmeg and salt; mix well. Transfer to a greased 3-qt. baking dish.
Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until set. Top with marshmallows; return to oven until they just begin to puff and melt, about 5-10 minutes. Yield: 10-12 servings.

                                             Old Fashioned Sausage Dressing

Ingredients

2 pounds bulk pork sausage

2 cups milk

14 cups plain stuffing mix (about 6 boxes plain)

2 cups diced celery

3 eggs, lightly beaten

2 Tbs. sage

4 tablespoons diced onion

1 teaspoon salt or salt to taste

Directions

In a large skillet, brown sausage. Drain and discard drippings. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat milk over medium heat until bubbles form around sides of pan. In a large bowl, combine sausage, milk and remaining ingredients.

Transfer to a greased baking dish. Cover and bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until lightly browned. Yield: 24 servings

Oh the weather outside is......? wait, it's actually pretty nice!

Hello My Friends!!
I have been on a break for awhile and so happy to be back! The weather here in Maine since Halloween evening has been unseasonably warm. Rainy, but high 60's! That is odd for us...it is usually freezing by now. I will take it though, and enjoy it. Talk to you soon with some great Thanksgiving recipes and DIY ideas.

How to Raise Pygmy Goats

Myotonic or Fainting goats are wonderful pets they stay small do not require milking and breed and kid easily.

Pygmy goats are cute and cuddly and provide many valuable services. For example, they
keep the vegetation on your property cut, they produce natural fertilizers that you can use for your garden, and they also help control populations of fleas and ticks on your property.
Build your herd. Pygmy goats, like other goats, are herding animals. To preserve their mental and physical health, you will need at least two pygmy goats for your herd.

Create a secure and safe enclosure. Pygmy goats are skilled at demolition, so use cattle
fencing to keep them in a specific area and keep out predators. Make sure you provide the
pygmy goats with enough space for play, from a half acre for two goats to several acres for
larger herds. Large dog houses provide great daytime shelter from wind and bad weather. A
barn stall is needed for night time and winter shelter.


Feed pygmy goats a well-balanced diet. During the spring and summer, your goats will get
most of their nourishment from grasses and brush. However, you will need to supplement
their diet with goat rations to ensure that they're getting all the minerals they need. When wild grasses and brush are not available, feed your goats sweet feed and goat rations.

Worm your pygmy goats every couple of months.


1. Limit how often you breed the pygmy goats. While pygmy goats can give birth more
than once a year, it is not recommended to breed them more than once a year. You
will produce much healthier kids with a single pregnancy a year. Does should be about
18 months old before they are bred. If your does are having a hard time feeding their
kids, bottle-feed the babies when necessary.

2. Provide toys for your pygmy goats. Picnic tables are a great recreational item for goats.
The pygmies can climb on the table and even chew on it. Other toys include boulders,
balls and tires. Select items that are non-toxic and capable of withstanding abuse from
the goats.

More Snow Then Last Weeks Blizzard!

The trees are so laden with snow they are hanging.

The roads are icy and packed.

I am pretty sure this will be the last of the big snowstorms for this season. It has been a off and on all season, but the last three storms packed the most punch! Ready for Spring and my flowers and veggies..lol :)

Signs Of Spring

Well, these popped up today in the garden! Looks like we might get an early spring...or maybe just some early flowers!! Lol Either way, it is a welcome sign. :)

Our Last Snow Storm....I hope!

Well, we had a big snow storm last week and have been digging out, stocking pantry's, and making lots of hot cocoa..lol maybe this will be our last snow storm of the season. I do love winter in New England, you never know what to expect! Smiles