Straw Bale Gardens August 2016 Photo Update

I know a few of you have asked about the straw bale gardens Mike and I did this year.  I thought I'd share some photos of what they looked like in August. 

You can just barely see the straw bales under all this beautiful lush growth.  There is amaranth, purple majesty millet and tomatoes in this row.

This is from the other end.  The red amaranth is in the compost from the chicken coop and I love it so I let it seed where it wants to grow and I leave it alone. 

Straw Bale Gardens July 2016 Photo Update

The bales are almost completely covered by plants now.  We water them everyday.

No rain in July  at all.  Not even the weeds grow.

Corn growing in straw.

better view of the side of the straw bales.

Ruth Stout method of sticking a potatoe on top of the ground and covering it with straw.  This is on top of straw and growing like mad!

Doing a little sewing gypsy style

Sewing Day...

On this beautifully drizzly day, I sit in my sewing room, getting ready for the fashion show at the Blue Lady on the 26th, and I'm reminded and inspired by thoughts of my grandmother.  I am surrounded by fabric, some of which was handed down from her.  Just a few quilting pieces and old yarns.

I can still remember her sewing room.  A small room off the kitchen in the back of her old farmhouse.  I remember how it smelled, and to this day I can be at an estate sale at an old house and a smell will trigger memories of my grandmother and her things. 

I have her and my mother to thank for this curse of creativity that has made it intolerable for me to have a 9-5 real job.  It's not in my DNA to sit in an office. 
But here I sit.  (My blog is usually handwritten on real honest to goodness paper before I type it into my laptop)  We're getting a summer's worth of rain, finally, all in a span of 4 days, but I love it.  Rain inspires me, comforts me and makes me reminisce.  I always have Ruby and Pearl, the dogs and usually 2 or more cats in this room with me while I sew.  Another comfort.  An old stuffed chair sits in the corner with a chenille cover, but it's empty because the kitties prefer to snuggle in a box of old lace.  Just like me. 

Baby Morgan sitting in the chenille chair because a picture of a chair just isn't that interesting.

All of it is inspiration.  It all starts in this room filled with old tins full of buttons lining the walls.  Half finished projects, old crates stuffed full of fabric on shelves.  Tons of old rag dolls I've made that I put too much love into to be able to part with and sell.  And the fabric.  Old chenille, bark cloth, crocheted lace, embroidery.  I love it all.  This is the place to create the "one of a kind".  Never believe anyone who says she designs clothing, but doesn't even sew.  Jab.
So I will create today in the rain with a cup of tea, the buzz of the sewing machine, and memories of my gramma, Emma Zoa Morgan.  So grateful.  I mean sew grateful.  :)

If we could step back, simplify and take some advice from birds... Free as a bird, you know?

Anyone who has frequented The Blue Lady is accustomed to seeing birds for sale in almost every room of the shop.  This is no accident.  Birds represent so much to me.

Birds are the proof that everything is perfect in nature and that nature takes care of all creatures.  Everything birds need is there for them.  Being a free spirit myself, I am always questioning the extra work we make for ourselves.  Birds, however, are free.

They don't need electricity, cel phones, they don't have mortgages.  People should be free this same way.  But man disconnected from nature, decided her wanted to control everything, so he created a system where we owe some one for everything.

This is not what nature intended for us. 
So, the next time you see a bird, notice it.  Think about how it would be to be that free.  More importantly, open your mind.

Home made Natural Dog Food with Bone Broth Tips and Recipes

 

I was making Ruby and Pearl their food this morning, so I thought I'd share what I use and how I make it.  This recipe uses bone broth, but I have made many batches of this food with no meat.  Or I use ground turkey at times.  This batch is a full crockpot and will last for about 3 days, feeding 2 dogs, 2 times a day.  Sometimes Lily the kitty will eat some too.  But the cats like the bone broth by itself.

 

First step is to make the bone broth.  I make a big batch whenever we have any bones around.  I don't eat much meat, but Mike does, so I try to use the bones so nothing goes to waste.  This batch was a whole chicken with most of the meat taken off.  I stick it in a crock pot and fill it with water and about 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar.  I use Bragg's organic apple cider vinegar with the mother in it!  The apple cider helps to bring out all the calcium and minerals in the bones.  I use the high setting for 30 minutes or so.  Then I change it to low heat and let it simmer for anywhere between 12 and 24 hours.  By the time it is done, you can actually squish the bones in your fingers.  And then the bones are edible for the dogs.  Chicken bones are the only thing that does this easily.  If you use beef, the bones have to be taken out of the broth.  Please do not feed chicken bones to dogs without cooking them until they are smushy.  Chicken bones can lodge in their throats or splinter and cut the dogs stomach.  This can kill a dog, so please make sure these bones are completely disintegrated before feeding to your dog.  Check every single one.  If you are not sure, discard bones and just use the broth for flavoring the dog food.

 

One of the bones after simmering for 12 or more hours.



The same bones squished in my fingers.
 That's how you know it's ready.

I will do another blog on the benefits of bone broth for humans as well as animals, but for right now...  We'll stick to the dogs.

Chicken Bone Broth

After the bone broth is done, I take about 2/3rds of the broth out and put it in containers to freeze for later batches.

Ready for the freezer to make food later.

The next step is to go out and pick my vegetables, herbs and whatever else is going to go in the mix.  This is July, so I'm using what's available to me now.  I have an abundance of yellow beans right now, so I'll use lots of those.  Ruby will even eat these raw if I break them up into small pieces for her.  These get chopped up and added to the pot.

Yellow Wax Beans

Next is Amaranth.  Amaranth volunteers itself in my garden now.  I haven't had to plant it for years.  The leaves are great to add to stir fries and soups.  You can also eat the seeds.  And the plants are beautiful in the garden.

Red Amaranth

Dandelion is very important here.  I use every part of the dandelion.  Flowers, leaves, stems, roots.  They have such great benefits.  Great for the liver.  Today I'm just using the leaves.

Dandelion

Squash flowers.  I have an abundance of these pretty little edible delicacies right now.  Nothing is too good for Ruby & Pearl! 

Squash Blossoms

Turnip greens.  I grow turnips for the greens.  I love the roots too, but the greens are highly nutritious, and they keep growing as long as you keep the root in the ground.  Last year, I left them in the ground all winter and I had turnips for the dogs food until spring when I wanted to replant that area.  They stay just fine under the snow until you dig them up.  And in early spring, the greens just start growing again right out of the root.

Turnip Greens

Next is the basil.  Dogs seem to love the flavor of basil, anise and fennel, which are all a little bit licorice like flavors.  I nip off the tops for cooking throughout the summer.  This keeps them from going to seed, which will stop the leaves from growing.  It makes the plants nice and bushy too.  I grow lemon basil too to dry for tea, but the dogs do not like the lemony flavor as much.

Genovese Basil

I also add some turmeric, a few cloves of garlic, wild rice, some steel cut oats, and water to cover.  Mix it up a bit and turn the crock pot on low.  If you don't have a crock pot, just use a stock pot and simmer until rice is tender.  Everything else should be cooked by that time.  Usually I leave it on while I'm at the shop and it's ready for dinner time.  Let it cool down.  Dogs cannot handle hot food.

Everything in the crock pot!

 Ingredients and cooking time will be different depending on how much is in the pot, what ingredients you use, and the size of the vessel.  Just make it like you would a thick soup or stew. 

 

Each time I make the dog's food, I use different ingredients.  Sometimes I clean out the fridge or freezer and use those things in the food.  The more variations you use, the better your chance that the dogs will get all the vitamins and minerals they need.  In the fall, I'll use lots of apples and other stuff from the garden.  There are a few things to steer clear of when making your dog's food.  Here is a list of the things to never give your dog because it will make them sick or worse.

Spicy ingredients

Grapes and raisins

Chocolate

Bones

Avocados

Nuts

Onions

Sugar or any sweetener

Salt

Citrus

Coconut products

Coffee

Apple seeds

Yeast dough and bread

I'm also adding Dairy to this list because it can cause allergic stomach upsets because of the lactose. 

 

Here is a list of items I didn't already use today, but that are safe for dogs and I use them in food regularly. 

 

Carrots, potatoes, blueberries, beets, all greens, corn, ground turkey, wild or brown rice, chick peas and beans, barley, tomatoes, eggs, squash of any kind, oregano, thyme, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, anise seeds.  This is not an exhaustive list, but it will give you some ideas. 

 

I do keep dry dog food on hand if I'm away doing a craft show, or if I get busy and don't have time to make food.  But I always buy a high quality holistic food that is grain free.  Rule of thumb, if it's from the grocery store, it probably isn't good quality.  A pet store, tractor supply or a feed store usually carries better dog food brands.  But read the label!  If you see corn, wheat or soy in any form in the ingredients list, do not buy it!  These things cause skin allergies, are indigestible and are loaded with pesticides!

Ruby having the first bowl.  Pearl was camera shy this morning!  Ruby is 14 years old.  Look how shiny her coat is! It's from eating this healthy stuff!

 As with any of my posts, if you have questions, please leave it in the comments and I'll try to answer as soon as I can.

 

Thank you for reading.  I hope you enjoyed my post today.  Have a wonderful day!

Thank you for the rain!

I don't know about you, but I was totally energized by the rain we received this morning.  It feels like the sticky summer heat was washed off of me and I feel like I can go out and plant my midsummer plants now.  I wasn't even going into the garden the last few days because the grass was crunchy and it hurt my feet and it was so hot, I'd pull a few weeds and come in the house and collapse from heat exhaustion.  (I'm exaggerating a little...)

Ruby snores when she sleeps. 

I woke up this morning around 4am.  Over the sound of the fan, I could hear grumbling.  I thought maybe Ruby was snoring, so I turned down the fan, and yep, it was thunder off in the distance.  Possibly over the lake...  I was so excited.  We haven't had rain in what feels like months.  And what came in the hours after was that raging thunderstorm of my dreams!  How I have missed thunderstorms!  We got so much rain that both our rain barrels (which have been empty most of the summer) were completely filled and running over! 

Cali watching out the kitchen window for the rain to come...

So thank you to all of you who were praying for rain too.  I'm sure the farmers were happy this morning too.  It was everything I hoped it would be. 

The gardens are smiling.

Antidepressant microbes in soil, using turmeric for pain and other ramblings...

Herbs, nature and healing with nature has always been my "thing".  I'm always excited to hear when someone else "gets it" too.  I recently read an article by Bonnie L Grant about antidepressant microbes in soil.  It's called "How Dirt Makes You Happy".  I believe it's on the website called gardening know how.com.  When you are done reading my blog, please look this up, it's very interesting. 

Some of my dirt that makes me happy :)

It's great that we can now re-enforce what our grandparents (or great grandparents) used to live by with a few studies and some science to back it up.  Even though I need no research backing the way I feel when I'm digging in my beautiful dirt in the piece of heaven in my back yard.

However, everyday, I'm disillusioned and even a little shocked at how the pharmaceutical industry brainwashes people into thinking they need a pill to fix them.  I'm not talking about serious illnesses of the body and mind.  There is a place for certain medications, but if "big Pharm" had their way, we would all be drugged up.  And they are winning.  They've got it now, so that if a patient doesn't leave the doctor's office with a prescription written to them, they feel they didn't get their money's worth.  And doctors are more than happy to abide.  Sometimes, even if you don't ask for medication, they give it to you anyway.

I was watching a rerun of an 80's TV show, and the doctor on the TV prescribed fresh air,  exercise,  and carrot juice for what was ailing the  character.   I thought it funny at the time.  It is drastically different now.  What is the difference in a doctor's advice in 30 plus years?  You guessed it,  MONEY.

Now disease is rampant in our society.  They are even calling things diseases that were never diseases.  "Dry eye" is a disease all of a sudden.  You've all seen the commercials.  (Unless you don't have a TV, bless you Elizabeth!)  Well, let me set you straight, people.  Dry eye is a symptom of something else.  Not a disease.  And I can guess that dry eye is probably a symptom of one or more prescription medications.  This crazy thinking would also make "dry mouth" a disease.  Well, it soon will be if they can come up with a medication to cure it.  Maybe they already have.   When there is something abnormal happening to your body, it is a sign that something is wrong.  Not that there is a deficiency in prescription drugs.  Your body is trying to tell you something, and you're covering up a symptom.  If you have cancer, do you just want to take a pill to cover up the symptoms, or do you want to cure the cancer?  Does that make sense?

The next time you see a commercial about a new pill, listen to the language.  Start thinking for yourself.  Use common sense.  Are all the side effects worth it?  Are you blindly believing what they say?

Taking care of yourself naturally with fresh healthy food, most herbs, grounding yourself in the soil, taking in exercise and fresh air...  all things with no negative side effects.  Healthy living is more difficult, but pills never cure.  That's why you have to keep taking them.  Pills will never cure anything.

Luckily, I am not the only one who can see through the lies.  If you go to doctors, instead of filling whatever prescription they give you, ask if there's an alternative to pills.  It may even surprise your doctor.  The more we say no to pill popping, the better job the doctors can do.  It's just like farmers.  They will grow what you buy.  If you choose organic food, they will grow more organic food, putting chemicals out of our environment.  (that is a very simplified example, the best food is the stuff you grow yourself, or purchase locally, etc)

I, myself, have a little bit of pain from standing on my legs all day at the shop, maybe some arthritis, minor aches and pains.  I have less now because I cut sugar out of my diet completely.  But, I have had tremendous results from taking turmeric.  In fact, my pain went away and it didn't come back.  I started taking turmeric and cinnamon, which are both great for inflammation, which is what arthritis is.  I do not take the concentrated capsules at the health food store, because they are often overpriced, processed and I cannot be sure they are not selling me ground up lightning bugs or something, as there is no regulations in these kind of supplements.

I do not grow this myself, but at least I can taste it and know it's the real thing.  Plus, sometimes the concentrated forms of these spices are very strong.  I'd rather help my body heal itself, not be dependent on something to make me feel better.  Sometimes, I think, those concentrated, processed derivatives of certain medicinal herbs are more harmful than the real thing because they're messed with.  People have been healing themselves with whole herbs for hundreds of years.  People now think they're smart and have to have everything strong to be effective.  It is just not the case.  Plus, the more you take something out of its natural form, the more side effects you could have from it, especially if it's a synthetic form of itself.  People always have to mess with everything  in nature.  I don't understand this.  I take that back, I do understand that it makes some people lots of money...

So anyway, I mix my cinnamon and turmeric together and put them in my own empty gel caps.  (You can buy these online, or I will start carrying them for people in the shop)  I hear that ginger is great too.  I'll let you know how that works.  Turmeric also has anti cancer properties when combined with black pepper so I add that too.   The nice thing about using real food to heal, is that you don't have to measure.  Just get it into you somehow.  If you're not a fan of taking capsules, use turmeric and cinnamon on food.  I figure I use about 1/2 to a full teaspoon of each herb per day for about 3 days on, three days off.  But this isn't set in stone.  I'm busy and I don't like nonsense.  When I get to it, I take it...  That's the great thing about herbs.  You just get it in your system and let your body and nature do the work.  No stress. 

Remember, nothing takes the place of eating really fresh, healthy food, but this can be used as an alternative to anti-inflammatory drugs or if you have a poor diet with little exercise. 

And...  I take this myself with zero side effects, but I am not a doctor.  If you are on medications, check with your doctor to see how these herbs/spices interact with your meds.

Thanks for reading my ramblings. 

Nigella flowers and pods