Farmstead Adventures

Guinea Fowl Parenting Fail

2012-08-22T07:32:00.000-07:00

I spent several days trying to get pictures of our keets to announce the good news of their arrival. It was nearly impossible to get close enough for a decent shot and this was as good as I could manage. I am pretty sure we started out with seven or eight keets, but by the time the guinea hen would let us close enough to see them all, we counted five. After a day or two, that turned into only three. For a couple of days, there was only one. Today, none.

I'm pretty sad about this. I was very excited about the increase of our guinea flock. You would think with as protective as the momma was during the day, that she would have continued to care for her kiddos at night, but I am pretty sure she left them in a nest on the ground while she took to a tree, leaving them entirely unprotected.

Next year, I hope to find her nest, take some of her eggs, and put them under a broody chicken. The chicken should raise them as her own and the new guineas should take to the barn inside the fence and be generally better protected. It's too late to do it this year, but hopefully we can work it next year and have some more guinea fowl.

Lots of Edible Incredibles

2012-08-16T11:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my toaster oven. I like my toaster oven. My old toaster oven was small and would fit that one muffin pan only. This toaster oven holds more and hasn't tried to burn my house down. I like it. It can rotisserie, broil, bake, toast, and there is even a little griddle at the top under the lid where I can fry a sunny side up egg. Not only that, but I do not have to fire up my ginormous oven to cook a decent meal. There is so much wasted space and energy in those darn things! See that thing on the left of the image? Yea, that's my range/oven. We call that the "inconveniently not flat counter" because we prefer our grill and toaster oven. But enough about my toaster oven, check out those eggs!

You may remember my scrambled egg muffin recipe (which is basically baked scrambled eggs) from a previous post. That's what is in that muffin pan on the left in my toaster oven. What's that on the right? Why, those are eggs, silly! Didn't you know you can "hard boil" eggs in the oven? Baking intact eggs is technically not boiling since we use no water, but the results are the same. 325 for about 30 minutes (which is about as long as it takes to get the water in a big pot boiling) gives a nice result. Adjust the time accordingly if you like your eggs softer or harder. The scrambled egg muffins can go in for the same time and temp, making the most of the oven space.

FYI, the "hard boiled" baked eggs will "sweat" a smidge. They do this in boiling water, too, but you don't see it because it comes off in the water. It is nothing to be alarmed by. Enjoy your eggs!

Did I mention that I like my toaster oven?

Protective Momma Hen

2012-08-14T03:00:00.000-07:00

"Back off, crazy lady with the camera!" I'm pretty sure that's what this momma hen is thinking.

Every time I come along with a camera, she rushes the chicks to safety. It makes it hard to get good pictures! Silly momma!

"Whatchya lookin' at, lady?"

It is wonderful to hear the little cheap cheaps of these babies as I try to milk Lulu the goat in the morning. Baby goats and baby chicks! We have it made!

Goaty Goats!

2012-08-09T03:00:00.000-07:00

Our little goats are getting big, but they still love to have fun and romp around. They have taken over the workbench and storage dresser in the barn.

Stormy loves hopping from the dresser to the workbench. Snowy is quick to follow.

Fly, little goat, fly!

Look at those horns coming in!

Here are a couple of amateur videos shot by the kiddos (the first is current and the second is of the goaties when they were smaller):

We have started milking Lulu, but it is a learning process. The first time I tried it, my hands tired quickly. A small grip is required and is not a position I find my hands in often, so I have been strengthening my hands with a foam grip ball. This seems to be effective for improving my own ability to milk her.

Still, Lulu does not like to be handled. We have tried using hobbles with her, but she still moves around a lot. I will try a modified hobble that attaches her leg to the stand and see if that settles her. We feed her in the stand, but she eats very quickly. We find that adding some gravel to her dish slows her down a bit, but not enough to get a decent amount of milk by a milkmaid who hasn't found her rhythm yet.

More practice is needed!

Bearding Bees

2012-08-07T07:41:00.000-07:00

What do bees do when it gets all hot in the hive? Why, they go outside, of course! It has been consistently hot here. The plastic frame hive has had a population boom and they're really feeling the heat.

When the bees come out like this and gather on the outside of the hive, it is called bearding. This is a pretty mild case.

The other problem the poor bees are having in this climate is the humidity. They process the honey, then leave it to dry some before capping it. We are seeing a lot of honey in both hives, but not so much capped as the honey is taking longer to dry in this heavy humidity:

Farmstead Fun - Trip to Yorktown

2012-07-17T11:13:00.001-07:00

What do farm kids do for fun? Why, we take over Yorktwon, VA, of course!

Many of the original homes are still at Yorktown and people live in them today. Some are little shops and restaurants. The highlight of our visit, though, was a Young Soldier lesson at the battlefield museum at the Visitor Center where the kids got to make their own miniature gabions.

What's a gabion? Well, I'll tell you .....

The twig "basket" in the front is a gabion. Soldiers built lots of them, then filled them with dirt. See the overgrown ridge behind the gabion? That is a gabion wall; a row of gabions, filled with dirt, lined up, and allowed to grow over. This is how soldiers built a protective wall and had a place to put the dirt from the trenches they dug.

A couple of my kids making gabions with the park ranger in the background demonstrating how it's done. He did a great job talking to the kids about how soldiers lived and worked during the war.

There is also a replica ship in the museum. Man the canons!

In other news, we have ordered a milking stanchion for Lulu the goat and it should be here soon. I will start milking her once a day to get her milk supply up while the kids are still nursing. Fresh milk and cheese incoming! Also, we will be checking in on the bees. See you back soon!

Farmstead Fun - Kaplooey!

2012-07-11T09:00:00.000-07:00

What do we farm kids do for fun? Why, we use all of mom's baking soda and vinegar to make a super cool volcano in the dirt, of course!

When my kids holler through the house, "Mom, can we use the baking soda and vinegar to make a volcano in the yard?" I get a warm fuzzy feeling inside. I probably should have been more specific than simply answering in the affirmative because they used an entire bulk bag of baking soda and a gallon of vinegar!

My, that's fun and bubbly!

Beekeeping; A Family Affair

2012-07-06T08:26:00.001-07:00

Chief, our middle son, donned his bee suit and helped out his daddy at the beehives. Here he is, learning how to use the frame tool to pick up a frame with Daddy's close guidance.

Daddy was very patient and explained the process as he went.

Chief watched carefully as Daddy used his hive tool

and checked frames.

He was able to see up close the bees drawing out comb.

They looked sad to leave when they were finished!

A Healthy Frame

So, what are these guys looking for on those frames? Our "bee guy" was kind enough to mark this image of one of our frames, showing brood, open nectar/honey, and capped honey:

Bee Gear for Children

I looked high and low for bee gear for kids. Many bee supply dealers sell one or two things for children, often a canvas jacket and hood. I was very happy when I found a ventilated suit like Daddy's in children's sizes from Pigeon Mountain Trading, which has the most extensive line of bee wear I have seen in one place for children. (Check the left navigation panel for "Children's Bee Wear" and "Children's Ventilated" to see all the children's bee wear Pigeon Mountain Trading has to offer).

Not only that, but Pigeon Mountain Trading also sells adult ventilated bee suites much like the Ultra Breeze suits, but for about $100 less! You can purchase regular canvas gear, but we prefer the ventilated gear, especially with the incredible heat we have been experiencing here. It is far more easy to get overheated in the canvas suits and the ventilated suits provide excellent protection.

In the images above, Chief is wearing size small gloves from another company. We have since gotten him a pair of XS sized gloves from Pigeon Mountain Trading that fit him much better.

Pigeon Mountain Trading

Farmstead Fun - Duct Tape

2012-06-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

What do we farm kids do for fun? Why, we make boats with cardboard and duct tape, of course!

This is one slick boat! Our eldest (11) put this together and it floated great! He discovered that a bit of water got under the tape at one spot, so let it dry and fixed it. He was proud of his creation and named it "Wolf" prior to its maiden voyage. He later lamented having added the flag, noting that it made the vessel unbalanced. That's some advanced duct tape boat engineering, right there!

My daughter (10) has her own strengths, but duct tape boat making is just not her forte. She seems to think in two dimensions rather than three. I have seen this tendency in other projects of hers, too. I find it curious and intriguing.

Our two youngest (9 and 7) worked together on a design similar to their big brother's, complete with three dimensions, flappies, and a pointy front. This is a fine piece of amateur duct tape boat work.

Hrm, it seems I need to purchase more duct tape.

Mischievous Kids Trouble Mom

2012-06-28T07:21:00.000-07:00

Lulu has decided she likes the back deck, which really isn't a surprise considering the vines and impromptu trees growing all around it. What is a surprise is how early she gets up to browse and all the noise she makes clamoring on and off of the deck. Apparently, she's our new alarm clock. When I rolled out of bed, I took Kyla, our German Shepherd, out on the other side of the fence and Lulu always watches from a distance as I tell the dog what to do. She hadn't come up on the deck until yesterday because the dog would bark at her from the house, but I have been working with Kyla to shut her up.

So, this morning I went out to feed Lulu on the deck and she was fussing at her kids when they wouldn't follow her up there. They still like to stay in the barn. I swear it was like she was telling me the kids never listen. She didn't go back for them like she has been doing since she got here, she just hung out with me. She started drinking some icky water in a bucket on the deck, so I had a kid (one of mine, not one of hers) bring some fresh water out there and while I had the door open, Lulu and Kyla met. Lulu didn't run. She chuffed threateningly at the dog and tried to come into the house! I felt like I was abandoning her when I came inside and didn't let her come in, too!

Lulu's kids like to play hide-n-seek with her and get her all riled up when she can't find them. They run into the barn and hide under the workbench that contains the chickens' nesting boxes and they refuse to answer her when she calls. She runs around the barn looking for them and bleating and when she can't find them there, she runs to other parts of the yard; her bleats sounding more and more desperate. Those little boogers! When my kids are out there, they show Lulu where her kids are and she settles down. It's so funny!!

I love my goats.

In other news, our middle son (we like to call him Chief) purchased his own bee suit so he can help his daddy tend the bees. Next week, I will review his bee suit and let you know where to get quality child-sized bee gear. Also, I will provide an update on the bees themselves.

Kid Pics

2012-06-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

My daughter (we like to call her Lady Bug) has been taking pictures of our new goats. Enjoy!

Kids - No, Not Children, Goatlings!

2012-06-25T09:03:00.001-07:00

We have added to our farm! Get a load of these adorable baby goats! I can now say honestly that I have six "kids" now that we've added these two darlings.

Meet, from left to right, Stormy, Snowy, and their momma, Lulu. We expected to go see the babies and put a deposit on them, then pick them up in August when they were fully weaned, but how can you see these adorable babies and not want to take them home with you?? The sellers offered to let us buy them with the mom and bring them home the same day. How could I possibly say, "no"??

Just look at these sweet girls. They melt my heart.

We got goats primarily for milk. Lulu is an Alpine, which is a good milk producing breed and their father was a Nigerian Dwarf, which is also a good milking breed. Both breeds tend to have good temperaments and this bunch has been very sweet. Snowy is a little shy and is a momma's girl, but Stormy has all the confidence in the world and loves to be friendly. I'm just tickled that we were able to get these gals and bring them home already.

The latest conundrum is that the chickens and guinea fowl have decided they do not want to share the barn with goats and have decided the tree outside the fence is preferable. Bird brains!

Farmstead Fun - Blast Off!

2012-05-31T04:00:00.000-07:00

What do we farm kids do for fun? Why, we shoot off rockets, of course! These young pullets haven't seen us do this before. Notice that you do not see any of our older chickens anywhere near this thing. *wink, wink*

Trouble Kitty lived here last year when we shot off a few rockets, but I don't know if she was hanging around at the time. If so, she has a short memory! She was quite happy to hang around as the guys set up the launch but she and the young chickens all ran for their lives at blast off!

Good launch! This is what it looks like when the engine blasts, sending the rocket up the guide and into the sky.

Bad launch. This is what it looks like when the engine blasts, but fails to send the rocket flying away. It popped on the launchpad. Poor little squirt was disappointed, but he'll get to try again when we get more engines. Maybe I can get him using the model paints to pretty up our rockets over the summer.

Fruit Tree Update - Late May

2012-05-28T04:00:00.000-07:00

All of our fruit trees, save for the Elberta Peach twig, have been in the ground for two months now and the twig has been in the ground for a little over one month. The Goldhaven Cherry twins did not fruit this year, but have lovely, deep green foliage. The Methley Plum tree also did not fruit, but is showing pretty lighter green leaves.

<-- Goldhaven Cherry twins (beehives in the background)

Methley Plum tree -->

Some exciting news is that the peaches on the Redhaven Peach tree are growing very well. Check out these young, wonderful, fuzzy fruits!

The really great news, though, is that the Elberta Peach twig is showing signs of life! Check out this little budding leaf!

Our Visitor

2012-05-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

It seems we have a little friend. This American Green Tree Frog has been hanging out on our glass sliding door every night for the last week or so. It seems the buggies attracted to the light inside make a handy meal for a sucker-toed amphibian.

Apparently, our visitor comes in peace!

Scrambled Egg Muffins

2012-05-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

No, it's not Christmas time, but I'm enjoying a tasty Tanenbaum-shaped egg muffin, anyway, because I like my shaped muffin trays and these egg muffins are very tasty and so easy to make. Just mix up what you usually put in your scrambled eggs and pour into muffin tins. Bake at 350 for 20 - 25 minutes (whites should be firm, but cheese will be runny). Let cool for a few minutes before you pop them out of the muffin tray. Here's what's in my egg muffins:

How many eggs you use depends on what you add. Each muffin is generally about 1 large egg (or 2-3 bantam eggs), but if you add a lot of other ingredients, you'll need another muffin tray (like I did).

1/2 cup chopped ham
1/2 cup cheese of your choice (I had shredded cheddar and Monterrey jack)
1 tbs chia seeds

If you like the texture of the seeds, add them last, but if you want them to be largely unnoticeable, add them when you first scramble the eggs so they have time to soften in the mixture. If you like to add milk to your eggs, you could probably add the seeds to your milk and let it sit in the fridge for a while before you make the eggs.

Chia seeds are a great health benefit. They do not add flavor to your food, but they do add texture unless you allow them to soften in liquid. They get a little gelatinous and can be used to thicken creamy soups. They are gluten free and packed with omega-3s, omega-6s, protein, calcium, iron, zinc, fiber, and antioxidants. If you don't like fish, they are a great way to get the benefits of omega-3s.

I mixed 5 large eggs and 6 bantam eggs and ended up making six Christmas trees and these two larger hearts, as well. So much yum!

Honey Super Cell vs Foundation - A Cursory Check

2012-05-24T09:37:00.000-07:00

It was time to check the feed buckets in the beehives, so Joseph did a cursory check of the bees' progress in both hives. Here is how they are stacking up against each other....

Feed

The Honey Super Cell Hive completely drained their bucket of sugar water (our kids call it "bee stew" since I mix it in my big stew pot). We have since given them a fresh bucketful.

The plastic foundation hive has about a third of their food left. They did get theirs several days after the HSC hive, so this is not unusual.

Population

The lower deep supers in both hives are filling up, but the HSC hive has a significantly larger population than the foundation hive. Check out all of these bees buzzing around while Joseph checks the HSC hive.

These two images show the activity on the top of the frames in the lower deep supers of each hive. The hive with white frames is the Honey Super Cell hive and the population in that deep is nearly double that of the foundation hive with the wooden frames. You can see a larger cluster of bees working on burr comb in the HSC hive. The darker wooden frames in each hive are the original nuc frames.

In the second deep super of each hive is where you can really see a difference. The white HSC frames are quickly filling with bees while the foundation frames are just getting started, with few bees working in the upper deep. You can clearly see the difference in the population of bees on top of the frames in the upper deeps.

Drawing Comb
The foundation hive is just getting started in that upper deep. You can see here they are just getting comb drawn on one of the center frames (they work from the center frames out to the end frames). See how the bottom center of the foundation is raised to the edge of the frame while the "hill" of comb gradually slopes down leaving the rest of the foundation recessed in the frame.

We'll take a closer look at the frames of both hives in the next week or so.

Broody Hen - Confused?

2012-05-24T08:33:00.000-07:00

This lovely buff girl has been sitting on a pile of eggs for about two weeks now. She usually doesn't get off of the nest to come eat, but today she did and I got a picture of the eggs she's been sitting on.

I believe some of the other chickens have been crowding her and continuing to lay in the same box. But now the poor thing is confused! When she was done eating with the other chickens she returned to the nesting boxes, but not the one she's been sitting on! The silly girl is sitting on the fresh eggs that need to be gathered! I'm wondering if I should move her over. I'm sure it won't make her happy. She grumbles when we gather eggs from the other boxes and she grumbled at me when I took her picture. She even grumbled at me when I dropped a handful of food in the box with her.

Poor confused chicken!

Update:
Those eggs only have about a week to go, so I moved Ms. Broody back to her box. Another chicken had popped in there to lay, so I had to move her first, and she was all like, "wha? I'm trying to lay here!". Then I picked up Ms. Broody and she fluffed up like a feathered porcupine. Too funny!! She grumbled quite fiercely, but she didn't peck me. I plopped her back in her box and she settled in quickly. Then I plopped the other chicken in the other box and she was all like, "oh, ok, this is acceptable". The broody hen turned her butt toward me and craned her neck around to give me the evil eye. So funny!

Prep Tip - Gloves in the Spring

2012-05-18T07:58:00.001-07:00

This time of year we get to thinking about shorts, swimsuits, and flip flops, but it is a great time of year to be thinking about winter gloves and hats. Being really prepared for emergencies can be cost-prohibitive, especially for a relatively large family like ours, but being ready for great deals can really improve just how prepared you are when a disaster does strike and this is the time of year when you can find really great deals on winter gear.

Just a week ago I was browsing through Walmart and found these gloves and winter headbands (the kind that go over the ears) for just $0.50 a piece. Back in April, they were $1.50. The original Walmart prices for these ranged from $2.00 for the smaller pairs of gloves and $3.00 for the larger gloves and headbands. Had I purchased this particular pile of winter needs at full winter prices, I would have paid $23.00. Last week, I paid $4.50. Next time you're out shopping, see if your local store is still trying to get rid of some winter gear and stock up your go bags.

Creamy Chicken Casserole

2012-05-17T17:01:00.001-07:00

This recipe fits right in with our preparedness plans. First, I have an immune deficiency and a tendency to get sick, so this kind of recipe that results in "cook one, freeze one" is a good deal that I can make easily while I am well and have a hearty meal to simply pop in the oven when I'm not. Second, I can use the canned chicken from my emergency food stores that need to be rotated out and used before it goes bad. The original recipe I found over at Tried and Tasty (and have adulterated for my own purposes here) calls for "cooked cubed chicken" and you are welcome to use fresh, bought-from-the-store, or canned. I think it's a great recipe for rotating out the canned stuff.

My husband, Joseph, found out today that his bad cholesterol is too high and his good cholesterol is too low, so I added a couple of ingredients to the recipe in the hopes of improving his cholesterol levels. He hates fish and doesn't get much omega-3 fatty acids, so I snuck some tuna into this recipe in the hopes that the rest of the flavors would either cover it up or blend well with it. I also added chia seeds, which are a healthy addition to any meal. I was unable to find cream of celery soup at any of the grocery stores in my area, so substituted cream of mushroom, instead.

The Recipe:
1 bag (16 oz) egg noodles
2 cans (12.5 oz) chicken
1 can (5 oz) tuna
1 pkg. (16 oz.) frozen peas
1 - 2 cups shredded carrots
2 c. milk
1 large can (26 oz.) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 large can (26 oz. each) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 c. chopped onion
2 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. chia seeds
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Cook the egg noodles according to package directions. While those are cooking, mix the chicken, tuna, peas, carrots, milk, soups, onion, chia seeds, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl. When the noodles are finished cooking, drain them and pour them into the bowl on top of the mixture. Add the butter and mix into the hot noodles to melt. Stir it all until mixed well. Scoop evenly into two foil pans or casserole pans. I used 13"L x 9"W x 2"D foil pans. Cover both with foil. Place one in the freezer and the other in the oven on 350 for 30 minutes.

Frozen casserole instructions come directly and unadulterated from Tried and Tasty:
To use frozen casserole: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. Cover and microwave on high for 10-12 minutes (assuming it’s not in the foil pan), or until heated through, stirring twice. Or cover and bake casserole at 350 for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 10-15 minutes longer until heated through.

The results:
Joseph tasted the tuna and wouldn't eat it. The kids liked it and I thought it was great. Next time, I will have to make it without tuna and see if my dear husband likes it then. If you're trying to make this to hide some tuna like I did, forget about it and leave the tuna out of the recipe. If your family likes some mild tuna flavor, feel free to leave it in.

More Deals for Mother's Day

2012-05-13T09:36:00.000-07:00

Check out these two sites I love for deals. Over at Adventures in Coupons, get the deals and good tips on how to maximize them with common scenarios. You can find some freebies here, too.

Want even more freebies? Check out Hey! It's Free!

Happy Mother's Day!

2012-05-13T07:44:00.000-07:00

Today, I offer a gift for all of the moms out there. Amazon has a coupon page! I've been shopping on Amazon for years and did not know this.

There is a wide variety of coupons, including the sorts of things you might generally find coupons for, such as diapers and razors, but also for electronics, books, and home improvement items. Here are just a few examples of items that can be purchased with a coupon on Amazon right now:

Save $2.00 Save 20% Save $1.00 Save $3.00 Save $2.00 Save $15.00

Simply add the desired item to your cart and click on the coupon on the coupon page at http://www.amazon.com/coupons to get your savings.

Also, don't forget to check out other deals at Amazon, like daily lightening deals.

Amazon.com Widgets

Permaculture Adventures; Spring Fruit Trees 2012

2012-05-11T04:42:00.002-07:00

Our first steps toward permaculture were to plant some fruit trees.

Planted in March

This is a Methley Plum tree purchased from the local Southern States.

A Redhaven Peach tree purchased from the local Southern States.

And two Goldhaven Cherry trees, also from the local Southern States.

Planted in April

The local nurseries did not have an Elberta Peach tree, so I ordered one online from Gurney's......it's a smidge less than what I expected (live and learn, I suppose).

Each of the trees was buried with a mix of 2 parts coir and 1 part aged chicken and rabbit poop. Local soil fills the remainder of the hole and we mulched with leaf debris from the woods. As they grow, they will create a nook providing shade for our beehives. As they get bigger, I intend to add Siberian Pea Shrub as the mid-layer in this section and I have not yet decided on the low level yet, but I think it will include clover. Clover already grows well amongst the grasses in this area and is great for the bees.

The trees are planted in the northeast corner of the unwooded portion of our property. They are at the top of a gradual rise that moves down southward. The Methley Plum and Elberta Peach trees are along the northern edge of woods just west of the beehives. The Redhaven Peach tree is south of the Methley Plum and southwest of the beehives. The Goldhaven Cherry twins are along the eastern edge of the woods south of the beehives. I plan to start our permaculture at this corner and work out south and west until the entire property is complete.

Having friends who already know a bit about this stuff is certainly beneficial. One of my friends was kind enough to provide this diagram for me regarding how to care for our trees.

"The brown ring is the small mound you make around the base of the tree that follows the natural drip-line of the tree. This is where you plant your "green" mulch.(the beautifully drawn light blue squiggles, respectfully).

Inside the ring is where the brown and green mulch go to rest. Alternating them as best you can.

As the tree grows (about every 3-5 ft diameter of expansion you add a new, bugger and wider green mulch ring.

Eventually, the tree will start producing enough of its own mulch to let the floor level alone. It is then you can start adding the final touches of your longer term (I call them "end game" species) under story trees and plants."

He went on to describe how a cluster of trees will meet up and the mulch layers will overlap:

"A random cluster about midway to maturity...

Notice how I show one that the ring is not complete...once the drip lines start touching you can open up the rings in any given cluster. This is also a good sign for starting long term understory design implementation. (As another example, in this cluster, you could also open up the area in the middle of the other 3 trees.)"

My knowledgeable friend is starting his own site on sustainable living that will include more information on permaculture practices. He expects to launch his site in June. Please follow his Facebook page for updates.

Lovely Honeysuckle

2012-05-10T17:46:00.002-07:00

A lovely honeysuckle vine (Lonicera) is growing up our dog pen. I love honeysuckle, it smells wonderful and is a beautiful vine. According to Gaia's Garden (the premiere home-scale permaculture book available on the market today), honeysuckle is a good plant for the vining layer that attracts beneficial insects (such as bees and butterflies) and wildlife (such as humming birds).

I often find our girls hanging around some honeysuckle this time of year. It grows wild all over the place, especially at the edge of the woods. I love that we have some growing up outbuildings and even up the back of our satellite dish. Many gardeners work hard to grow honeysuckle. We are fortunate to have such a healthy wild crop.

Easy Chili Cheese Dip

2012-05-10T15:55:00.001-07:00

It's teacher appreciation week and today our PTO fed our teachers a hot lunch. My contribution was a tasty, yet easy chili cheese dip and tortilla chips.

Easy Chili Cheese Dip
1 lb Velveeta
1 jar (24 oz) Pace Picante Sauce - medium
1 can (10.5 oz) Hormel Chili - no beans (usually found in the canned meat section)

Cut the Velveeta into smaller bits for faster melting. I like to cut mine to about inch squares. Put all ingredients in the crock pot and heat until all of the cheese is melted (about 45 minutes on low or 25 minutes on high). Mix well. Turn to low and serve warm straight out of the crock pot.

This is great with those little scoop-shaped tortillas.

Of course, when we got home, I just had to make more for the family and the kiddos have just the dishes for the job!