Ackk! I am behind again on my Feature Friday. But I still want to feature Fresh From Home!

Man...sometimes I am so bad!  I have no good excuse for being late on this Feature Friday, but good news is that I am finally doing it!  And I am feeling this week like being a super self sufficient backyard homesteader, so thus why I have chosen to feature Fresh From Home - Adventures in Backyard Homesteading!

I first came upon this blog from Pinterest (I know, shocker!) when I saw this hilarious pic...

I am not sure if everyone will think this is as funny as I do, but I swear that my chickens do this with the dog.  They love to wander in the house, and my dog watches them intently whilst they meander through the kitchen.  Silly animals.

So of course I had to see what else was going on at this blog.  And if you are into the homesteading where you are sort of mentality at all, you will enjoy this website.  She has lots of great tutorials and tips on growing stuff....like this post on sprouts...

As well as yummy and interesting recipes, like this one for Springerle Cookies.  

There is something about the old way that food looked like art.  I think about reading Little House on the Prairie and how they would use a strawberry butter mold to make the butter look nice.  A kind of pride in the food.  I think I must try this out.

And then of course she has some great posts on her chickens.  I was especially interested in this post about her bunny living with her chickens!  We have had a bunny, definitely a tame house pet, that must have gotten loose and has come to hang out in the yard.  Maybe it stays with the chickens sometimes...hehe...

Their bunny doesn't even care that the chickens threw dirt on it! So cute.

Anyway, head on over and check the site out.  Fun to check out tips on gardening, all the fun chicken posts, and of course good food and tips!

Happy Feature Friday on a Sunday! 

Ash

Feature Fridays and Fresh Eggs Daily

Today I have been thinking about farming and thought I'd share something farmy with you.  I have also been thinking a lot about my chickens, as I lost my first chicken recently.  I have no idea why, as the others appear to all be fine, but I have been a bit of a worry wart since the incident.  So, I guess farming and chickens have been on the mind.

So when I found this lovely blog, Fresh Eggs Daily, I knew I had to share it with you all.  It is a fun blog that talks about the fun of owning chickens and gives a lot of tips and tricks for the funny little girls.

For example, she has a great list of things not to feed to your chickens for various reasons.  

This is a very good list, and goes further into the details than other lists I have found.  Very helpful!

I also like that she shares photos documenting each week on the farm.  I love to see farms and the funny animals that live on them, so it is super fun to see what goes on...like the end of January on her farm....

Very cool.  Someday I will have a couple horses.  I hope.

And to top it off, she shares DIY's and recipes.  I really need to try this clover french bread recipe!  I love that she is a reader of Mary Jane's Farm, which is one of my new favorite magazines, and where she got the basis for this bread.

If you are feeling a little like checking out some farm living, like I have been, go check out this fun blog and say hello.  And if you are thinking about getting chickens, do it!  They are so much fun and you get the awesome reward of delicious, rich eggs. 

Ash

Feature Fridays...Two Men and a Little Farm

This is one of those blogs that I follow partially because I love the fun little things they post, and partially because I want their life! Two Men and a Little Farm is a sweet blog that details the life of two people who grew up and work in the city, but long for a more quiet and sustainable life.  (Hmmm.....sounds so familiar to me...)  So they bought a little farm, Seda Bolsa Farm, and they document their ups and downs and share it for us to take part in it.

One of the things I love is that every Thursday they feature something that is inspiring for their farm.  Two Thursdays ago they put up this awesome adobe oven that they found from Sunset.com.  

Or...even more of an inspiration to me....this awesome garden shed and pond.  I want!

And the commentary on why they see them as inspiration is just as fun as the pics.

They also have some seriously great recipes, many of which I still need to try.  They have a whole page of recipes here....

I really wanna try the Roasted Chickpeas recipe...

And the biggest thing I love is reading about and seeing their little farm.  I am in love with the idea of soon owning my own little farm, and I have def enjoyed seeing the things they have had the pleasure and pain of going through on their little farm.

So go check it out, laugh at their wonderful humor and funnies that they find and share, and learn a few little fun things about their journey to their little farm.

And happy Friday!

Ash

Feature Fridays and....Tales and Trials of Mrs. P!

Whoops!  I went M.I.A. again!  But hey, the holidays kicked my butt.  I worked really hard on gifts for friends and family and then we traveled through crazy weather conditions to see family and then drove back!  What a whirlwind!  But more on the holidays later.  

Right now I am excited to present this week's Feature Fridays blog, Tales and Trials of Mrs. P!  The blog is written by a friend of mine, Laura, aka, Mrs. P.  She has a fun blog talking about life with a young child, being a busy professional, and then, of course, her creative side.  Food, crafts and decorating! 

For example, she recently took upon herself to make her daughter a freakin' awesome 1st birthday gift.  I mean, this is something I totally wish I'd had as a kid...a teepee!  It came out pretty adorable...

How fun would it have been as a little girl to curl up in the little teepee to play or read?  Check out her blog post about her teepee and living room here.

And how about this adorable baby costume for Halloween?   Little dinosaur baby!

She also posts lots of great recipes.  We both love to make sure our family is eating healthy but still make delicious foods, so I like to see the recipes she shares.  Like this one - pasta with italian sausage and vegetables.

I actually don't eat meat, but I think this would rock with a meat substitute if you are also vegi....looks so good!

So go check her blog out and say hello.  As I mentioned earlier, it is fun to see what she and her adorable family are up to, and get some great ideas for around your house, as well.

Happy Friday (and happy almost New Year!)

Ash

Feature Fri...errr....Saturday...A Law Student's Journey!

Well...if I keep on like this I may have to change Feature Friday's to something like Star-blogger Saturday.  But for now, we will keep it Feature Friday, even if I am a day late much of the time.

This week, I am featuring Kitty's blog, A Law Student's Journey.  I LOVE this blog.  At first I did not know what to expect with the title.  Maybe a blog that was mostly about her life in law school and crafts here or there.  But this blog is SOO much more!

Kitty has some wonderful pics, awesome crafts, delicious recipes and great ways to get other bloggers traffic to their own website, which is super sweet!  And of course, stories from her law school life, with tips and thoughts for other soon to be law school students or current ones.

But...I gotta show a few of her wonderful creations.  How about this TOMS flag wallet?

Or these mocha coffee truffles?

And you know how I love my recycled and enviro crafts...so this is one of my faves!  Flower paper with a cute spoon plant marker!

And I love this birdhouse cardholder.  Hmmm....I need a cardholder for the office and home...

I could just keep going.  But, you should go check it out for yourself.  She also has her own etsy shop, and lots of other goodies to check out.

Kitty - Thanks so much for sharing all your great creations, wonderful photos, and interesting stories!

Ash

PS - 

Guess what everyone?  I finally have the option to subscribe my email!  So make sure to sign up on email in the sidebar to make sure you get all the Feature Friday lowdown each week, as well as other fun stories!  (And while you are at it, join in as a follower!)

Feature Fridays and Waxy Pin....well....Little Brass Acorn!

Ok, ok....I know I am a day late again.  It's a good thing that no one can fire me from this job!  But....drumroll please....today begins my 2 week vacation!  I am so excited about all the things I can blog about to you!

This Feature Friday, I want to feature my friend, Annette, who has such an artistic way to her. I've known her for many years now, and I am always impressed with her attention to detail.  So when she said she was starting her own blog and Etsy shop, I was super excited to see her creations.  The name of her blog is Waxy Pin.  BUT....after much deliberation, she is relocating to a new blog, called Little Brass Acorn.  

So, what I am telling you to do, is go check out all the wonderful things on Waxy Pin to then get a taste of the great things to come at Little Brass Acorn.  As she says, "The focus at my new place will be on stories, small artworks, books, and writing.  I am planning on posting a new recipe or tutorial there when the occasion arises."  And boy, does she have some great recipes!  Look at this....

Mmmmm....Plum and Almond Torte...I have yet to try it, but it looks wonderful!

And some of her creations are just too much.  Look at her recent post where she shares her 'Rhinestone Cowboy Apron'.  How fun is this!?

How awesome is it to have the tie as the belt and holster!

And in addition to her creations and recipes, she shares with us her thoughts on film, books and more.  

So, as I said before, go say hello to Annette, both at Waxy Pin, and at her new site, Little Brass Acorn!

And happy weekend!

Ash

My friend's blog - Gluten Free on a Budget

I know a lot of folks that have allergies and intolerance to gluten.  I often think that I would die if I could not eat it, but my friend is such a great chef that I love going to her house and eating her yummy food!

Thus, I wanted to share with you her blog (which you can also find under my blog list), Gluten Free on a Budget.

Check out one of her more recent posts for an Indian dish that I am begging her to make for me. :)  Here is a pic....

Recipes, tips and thoughts on living a gluten free life without missing out and having empty pockets.

Ash

Retro Recipe File!

I have been trying very hard to reorganize lately (one of my resolutions was to get the house truly organized, which will definitely take me all year...).  We have been making periodic stops at the thrift stores to look for items that would help with my efforts.  For example, I have decided that we will shift to storing bulk foods, noodles, drink mixes, etc., in glass jars and containers.  And so far it has been so fun to find nice new containers!  We found one perfect for the hot cocoa and for the sugar for our newly organized kitchen 'nook'!

I have also been going through allllll the old magazines I have, and clipping the recipes that I want to keep.  For a while, the task of organizing just the clipped recipes was getting to me....I really didn't like the thought of pasting them all into books.  But now all is well!  I found this handy retro recipe file at the thrift store!  Is this thing not the coolest?!  (This is where my husband asked me when I got so old...LOL!)

I was the first one (evidently) to write on the tabs, even!  (It's the little things in life, right? :)

In other news, I wanted to share these cute stitch markers that my sis made me for the holidays.  They are made of polymer clay.

Cool, right?  I have been using them, and they have been working out quite nice!  Thanks, sis!

And, for something completely different....

I saw this at the store the other day.  I think of it as a mix of an Easy Bake Oven for adults and a Foreman Grill....

Haha!  Don't worry, I did not buy it.  But it did make me think a lot about our society. Now I love my cupcakes, but is it necessary to have them in 10 minutes?? And right under it on the shelf....well a similar item....that made donuts! 

Oh, well.  

Have a great week!

Ash