Straw Hats, Black Caps and Chicken Cards

Group photo of the straw hat wearing artist farmers.  Eleanor, myself and Naomi.

Then Crook came along.  He is a cuddly one!

I went foraging for blackberries for 2 and a 1/2 hours.  I was covered head to toe to avoid being eaten alive by mosquitos.  I was dripping sweat and my hands and arms have many scrapes from the brambles but it was worth it!

Three pounds of blackberries!

And I made Wild Blackberry Jam! A couple weeks ago I made Rhubarb with Rosemary and Honey Jam and it was incredible.

I love searching through the garden to figure out what to make for dinner.  There are so many veggies growing now!

I have been making chicken business cards.

Basil, Squash, Dandelion Wine, Chicks, Morels, Crookshanks

Last Friday I transplanted Basil into the ground.

Mmmmm.  3 rows, staggered, I believe 6-8 inches apart.

I also transplanted the super delicate squash plants.  They do not like their roots disturbed so I had to be very careful pulling them out of their trays.  They were planted 2 feet apart.

I made a batch of dandelion wine.  They have to sit like this in a dark, cool place for 3 weeks.  Then I put the caps on and let it sit for 6 months.  Lets hope it works out.  The balloons have tiny holes in them so they won't explode!

Andrea brought 4 baby chicks to the farm and a month old Brahma chicken (the dino looking creature).  There are two Buff Orpingtons (that is what Honey is!) and two Ameraucanas.  The Ameraucanas will lay green eggs.  I can't wait to watch them grow into beautiful ladies!

Yesterday I thought there had been enough rain and that maybe I would find some morels.  Success!  It was like easter egg hunting for adults.  I found one and then there were about 15 more nearby.

I soaked them in water to get rid of any bugs.  I'm going to make a morel sauce to share with my Grandma!

Crookshanks wants in my studio.

Morel Mushrooms and Lilac Muffins!

Yesterday Lauren and I went foraging through the woods for some morel mushrooms.  Something I have always wanted to do!  They can be found near the base of trees, especially by elm trees and dead trees.

After two hours of searching we only found two morels.  Many had been picked already and it is a possibility the season is either ending or just beginning.  I will go searching again in a couple of days.

When we got back we made lilac muffins.  The recipe can be found here.  We added a bit of vanilla extract.

They turned out amazing.  A new favorite of mine!

And for breakfast, Lauren cooked the morels with the eggs.  The texture of the mushrooms is amazing.

And today I cleaned some eggs.  Each one is so different.  So many shapes, sizes, spots, shades and dimples.  I enjoy examining each one.