Living in the Country!

We have had a dream for many years.... of living in the country. The Lord didn't allow it until just a few months ago. What a blessing to be here and to be putting in our gardens, blueberry bushes and more. In this post, I am simply sharing some of the beauty of country scenes that we enjoy.

Living in the country has been a time of discovery for us... discovering our own woodland area... it is small, but new to us. Also as spring is finally here, we are seeing what is growing wild on our land... like gooseberry bushes (we have never had those, so we will be learning), may apples (another new thing) and more. 

The purple fields are not ours, but they are so beautiful to see. 

 We have tire swings now.   :) 

 Sunsets, early mist or fog, early morning shadows, old barns, new barns, animals, birds, fields.... I love taking pictures of all of them!   :)

If you have read my blogs for any length of time, you know that I LOVE to take pictures. It is fun to have so many new scenes to see and enjoy!















 We do have a small barn - actually it is a shed built to look like a barn, but it's great for pictures as well as storage.

 This guy was on our property... about 30 feet from the house when we saw him. He left quickly, but I was glad to get a couple of pictures of him.


















 The bird songs are amazing and we are hearing more of them now that spring is finally here.

 We have finches, mockingbirds, blue birds and more. They are beautiful.

We aren't nearly as excited about the large numbers of blue jays (19 on the front yard one morning!), black birds and starlings.  We accept the good...and the frustrating though. :)

 The farmland is beautiful (and smelly in the spring, but that is part of country living!) .

 Another photo of our large buck....

 We have 2 1/2 acres which is 10 times the land we had in the city. We are loving it.... and staying very busy!  We are already using this property a lot and look forward to what we can do with it.

 There have been many unexpected expenses since we moved .....frozen pipes and flooded driveway in the deep cold, very high electric bills for heating in this very cold winter, and more.... so we are really hoping to save some money with harvesting our own fruits and vegetables. There is a lot of work involved and we are tired, but it is exciting too.

 I liked how this photo turned out even though it isn't a usual photo. I am enjoying snapping many pictures and experimenting.












 Peach blossoms, apple tree and the beds for our blueberry bushes. This picture shows a few that are planted and my husband is trying to get 6 in the ground each evening after work. I would love to take you on a tour of our whole property... and I'm sure I will over the next few months.  :)  

We had many gardens in the city and I brought many plants to our "new" home..... sadly, we lost almost all of them as we didn't realize the garage freezes things and so I lost my starts to my herbs, flowers and more. There were no real garden beds at this house... just a decorative one in the front that had some grasses and shrubs, so we are really starting fresh. We have put in a garden plot that is rather unusual, but I think it will work for us... no pictures of that yet, but they will be coming in a future post. You know how much I blog about gardening!!!!   :) 

Anyway, it is so good to be back... thank you for joining me today and I look forward to reading your comments. Have a great week!

HERB LIBRARY- 5 Reasons To Start Your Own

 Herbs are helpful... and they are plentiful in most parts of the world.

In a time when the internet is in great use, WHY do we need to have a "book library" of herb books?

Am I saying that everyone should have one? No, you will have to decide if you want one for your home or not, but in this post, I am giving 5 reasons why it is a good idea to start your own Herb Library.





1.  Identification....

      Herbs can be of great use in our health, but it is important to correctly identify the herb you use. Sometimes there can be plants that look very similar to an herb we want to use, but the other plant can be quite dangerous. Small details can show the difference.

      I like to have a book, or actually several books, that give good illustrations of the herb. A drawing or painting of an herb can be helpful, but I also want actual pictures so that I can compare what they really look like as they grow. I also like to see pictures of the plant, as a whole... and a close up, so that there is no doubt I know what to look for.
 

 I have quite a large library of herb books... is that necessary for everyone?   Of course not!

I use herbs and enjoy them....  I grow them in my garden and I collect them from the garden and from other places.

I keep learning and becoming a better herbalist as I read and use herbs. I do want to be very careful to have correct information, so I like having a variety of books to compare.









2. Learn New Herbs....

There are some herbs that are quite well known and others that can be useful to get to know. Learning a little at a time can help solidify that knowledge.  In this post, I am showing pictures of the herb Echinacea.  It is a well-known herb and in many places, it grows well. I have much of it in my garden and it is great for pictures.

What other herbs are there? What about plantain? Plantain is wonderful to identify and know how to use. It can work well for bee stings and is readily available to apply to the sting, but where do you find it? How do you use it?

There are so many herbs all around and when you start to look at pictures in the herb books, you may realize that you have seen many of them without realizing they were herbs.

We all know of the dandelion, but there are also so many others. You may have seen chicory on the side of the road in the summer and wondered what those purple flowers were.  Some other simple plants are purslane, lambs ear, yarrow, chamomile, and there are so many others. Learning to see these "weeds" as herbs can expand your knowledge... and your ability to use them.

 Do I use ALL of my books often? No, I don't.

Sometimes, I scan them and other times I compare. Sometimes, they sit on the shelf for long periods of time without being used at all.

Sometimes I find that a certain book just doesn't fit what I need, so I remove it from my library. I have been building my Herb Library for many years and it is helpful to me.









3. Know HOW to use an herb

 Some herbs are quite easy to use... like plantain's helpfulness when it is applied to a wound. Other herbs must be used differently. Sometimes there are cautions.... for instance some herbs are not safe for use during pregnancy.  Others may be helpful in small doses.  It is important to know facts about herbs.

If you have read my blog for very long, you know that I like to experiment... and I do it with herbs also.  I make herbal tinctures, salves, teas, infusions and more. I put herbs in our salads and I try new things, BUT I do not want to make foolish mistakes and endanger my family, so it is important to be wise in how I experiment and my library can help me know what herbs are safer to do that with than others.

An important point is to double check your information! Some books or internet information may blacklist a certain herb as toxic and caution to never use it.... when the reality is that a certain part of the plant can be toxic while others are fine to use.

Caution is good, but to just knock out a whole plant for a small portion seems excessive. I want to know the bad... and the good and then make a wise decision.  For example, cherry twigs are toxic, so do we stop eating cherries because of that? No. Tomatoes are from the dangerous nightshade family, so do we stop eating tomatoes? That was done in the past, but we can still enjoy tomatoes. It is important to know and be careful.

Do I need to spend a lot of money for this Herb Library?  NO!

I am quite frugal and it is rare that I would buy a book like this new and for a large price. I have found it helpful to use a book from the library... to see if it would be helpful to me. Then sometimes, I would order it for my own library.

Some places to check for herb books are garage sales, library book sales, ebay, Amazon, etc.











4.  A personal Herb Library can be a place to highlight information.... to mark pages so you can easily find them... to jot notes that will be helpful to you. 

So many times, I have learned great information.... and later when trying to go back to the source, I sometimes wonder, "Where did I read that?" Maybe it was the internet.. or a book... or I heard it from someone. It is more helpful to have a library to collect that learning... so that I can refer back to it. Sometimes I want to double check the information... or sometimes I found the information so helpful that I want to see what else the person says.

I also find it helpful to build on what I learn and having my own books can help that process.

Do I recommend all of these books? NO... some I don't know enough about them to recommend. Others I like some parts, but not others.

There may be some herb books I would love to add to my library, but cost prevents me from doing that.

My library is still a work in progress and I will keep adding to it.














5. If there's no internet....

I know this is the answer for many... just check the internet... just ask the internet.
What if the internet is out? What if you are where there is no internet? Think it can't happen? It does.... especially when there are storms or large problems, like hurricanes, earthquakes, tornado damage, flooding or other disaster situations.  In a time like that, those herb books could be very important as there may not be access to the nearby emergency room or doctor's office.

Another issue is trust. Is everything on the internet true? No, and books are not always true either, which is another reason to double and triple check your information. When I find a book I feel I can trust, I am still careful with the information, but tend to trust it easier than an unknown website.




Maybe you don't like or use herbs and so none of this post applies to you. That's okay, I am not pushing herbal use.... it's an individual choice.  I know what a blessing my herbal library is to me, so I am sharing why it may be helpful to others also.

Do you have an Herb Library? Even one book can count as the start of a library.... and one book may be all you want or need. I would love to hear in the comments if you have a real book library of herb books... or one book. Are you still adding to it? Do you have other reasons it is helpful to have an Herb Library? Please feel free to share in the comments.

Thank you for visiting. I hope you have a great week!  🙂

Other herb posts you may enjoy:

Quick Healing With Plantain

Are There Any Uses For Columbine?

Allergy Tea-Homemade Herb Tea

Pinecones... Are They Edible? Hmmm...





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Dogwood-More Than Just A Pretty Tree!

I really like dogwood trees... every spring I admire their beauty as I drive around the city. I have never had a dogwood tree and I have never been close enough to take pictures of one until this year. They are such beautiful trees and I would love to have one in my yard.




















I have often thought that it would be a great tree for our yard, but we haven't had room for another tree. We do like trees and we have decided there is no more room for trees on our 1/4 acre property.. so no more trees until we move to more property, if we ever do. :)    

 
We did cut a redbud tree down a week ago, so I wonder.... Hmmm.... how would a dogwood tree do if we planted one there? It would be beautiful, BUT I remember my experience with the lovely Wisteria... and how I should have done my homework on it before I bought it.
Beware of the Lovely Wisteria!






 

After I remembered that, I decided to do some research on the dogwood tree. One thing I found is that it is an understory tree-it doesn't get very large and it likes some shade-especially in the afternoon. Sounds perfect for the spot I have in mind. :)













 Another important thing to me about more permanent plantings in my yard is if they have any other uses to me. I love figuring out how to use what is in our yard... like the pine trees   

  Pinecones-Are They Edible? Hmmm...    
  Pine Needle Carpet   , the peach tree, blueberry bushes and more. It sort of makes them doubly useful... so, I needed to continue my research.





From different sources, I found that various parts of the tree are beneficial.... the inner bark, berries, twigs, flowers, peel, and leaves. Wow.  Some interesting things I found were:

 -Dogwood was used in the south during the Civil War for malarial fevers and chronic diarrhea





-Native Americans used dogwood "chewing sticks" and in 1830, it was noticed that their teeth were very white.

-the bark has been used to make an ointment....that has been used as a substitute for Quinine, and to treat fever and pneumonia







- twigs can be used as toothpicks and toothbrushes

-A tincture can be made from the leaves or bark... to treat eczema, skin infections, intestinal parasites, gout and more.

 -has been used as a tea to bring fevers down





 -parts have been used externally as a poultice for ulcers and sores

-has been used as an astringent, stimulant, tonic and more.

-the fruit can be made into marmalade or syrup

There is still more research to be done, but what I have found makes me think that I would be happy to have the dogwood tree in my yard.  I'm not sure how I would choose between the white or pink or red, but I'll figure that out if we ever decide to get one..... and if the price is cheap enough. :)  It sure would look nice in the island bed near where the redbud tree was.  Hmm...  It isn't necessary, but you never know... sometimes I come across a wonderful sale.... I'll probably be watching. :)


Thank you for visiting my blog today. What I wrote here is the result of some limited research I did... but I would always encourage you to do your own research before using the information here. I was not researching to use these ideas.. I was only researching to see if the Dogwood is a tree that would be beneficial to us... and my conclusion is yes, it certainly would be beneficial. :)

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First Salad From Our Garden!

This week, we picked the first cucumber, the first pepper and the first tomato from our garden.... and they formed the base for a wonderful salad.

That salad had:
cucumber
pepper
tomato
swiss chard
basil
dill
purslane

Those were ALL from our garden. We also added celery, broccoli and cheese.... and ranch dressing. It was such a wonderful salad...... partly because most of it was from our garden. :) What fun to eat foods we have grown.  By the end of the summer, we start to take it for granted, I guess, but right now.... it is a delight.

We had 4 more cucumbers tonight for supper. Nothing else is ready yet..... we will wait..... and enjoy it as it ripens. What a blessing that God allows so many things to grow - right in our own backyard. He provides for us in so many ways. I hope you are enjoying the fresh produce at this time of year - whether from your garden or from the farmer's market or store.Thank you for visiting.... I hope you have a wonderful week. :)

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Redbud Chef Salad

Redbud Chef Salad.....strange sounding, isn't it?

This is a Redbud Tree in bloom - they are beautiful............
and just this year, I found out that they are also.... edible.  Hmmm.

I like finding wild edibles and learning how to use them, so I went right out to our tree and ate 2 of the flowers. They were a bit sweet with a rather mild flavor.

The Redbud tree looks more purple when seen at a distance..... as shown here.  Up close, they look more pink.

We have had redbud trees for years and I never knew they were at all edible. As I study more and more wild edibles, it is amazing how many things God has provided for us.... many of them in our own yards. Remember though, to always be very sure before you eat anything you are unsure of... there are also many toxic plants out there. Do your research and be safe.... and enjoy.

Here are the redbud flowers we picked for our salad.  Actually, I had already made a salad with a few redbud flowers in it a week earlier, and everyone ate the salad. One son needed a reminder that not cleaning up the plate meant no dessert, so............ he ate it reluctantly. He did agree that they didn't seem to taste bad, but it was odd to eat flowers....especially pink ones!

Here is our base salad..... Romaine lettuce, carrots, and oranges.....

Yes, this is a big bowl.... we have a rather large family and for this meal, we decided to have a chef salad with baked Cheesy Tortilla Triangles. My daughter, who writes Wholesome Joy Photography blog wrote a post on these. They were really delicious and went well with the salad. Even our guys were content with the salad meal, although they had their doubts at the beginning! :)

These are the Redbud flowers after being washed and sorted a bit. We still removed more of the stems after this picture, but we did not remove all of them.... and we didn't even notice them when we ate.

Now I have added :

Hardboiled eggs
Tomatoes
Marinated Chicken breast

Next came.....

Redbud Flowers
Shredded Cheese

Another picture..... I LOVED how colorful this salad was......

One thing I wanted to put on the salad was red onion slices.... I think it would have added greatly to the flavor, but we were out of them.

I would also love to add peppers and cucumbers and broccoli.... and there are so many other possibilities.

Next, I put Ranch Dressing all over it........  There are many other dressings that could have tasted great also... but this time, we used Ranch.

After tossing the salad, we served it on the plates and then added....

Sunflower Seeds
Bacon
More Shredded Cheese









   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                                Redbud Chef Salad     
Romaine Lettuce - 2 heads, washed and torn
Carrots - 2-3 sliced
Orange - 1 - peel, cut each slice into 3 or 4 pieces
Marinated Chicken Breast - 1 cup or more
Tomato - 1 large - cut up
Hard boiled Eggs  -5 peeled and sliced
Redbud Flowers - washed and stemmed 
Sharp Cheddar Cheese - 1 cup
Ranch Dressing
   Toss all together, then serve on plates and add the following to the top of each....
Sunflower Seeds
Bacon
Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Optional additional ingredients: peppers, onions, broccoli, mushrooms, or anything else you like. 
Serve with Cheesy Tortilla Triangles

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Cheesy Tortilla Triangle is shown on the far left of this picture. I did not take a good picture of it and I should have..... they were very good and my daughter did a great job of making them.

You can go to her post here.....

Cheesy Tortilla Triangles

  So, you can see that even though this was only a salad meal, it was quite substantial and all were satisfied and did not leave the table hungry. The Cheesy Tortilla Triangles really helped complement the salad. We heard many comments of "This meal is SO good." That was funny because the guys had not been too excited about eating another flower salad... or a salad-only type of meal....... so they were surprised at how tasty and filling it was.

  Thank you for visiting my blog today.  I hope you have a wonderful day. :)

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