June 2020 Newsletter

"Anne pinned her narcissi on her hair and went to the lane gate, where she stood for awhile sunning herself in the June brightness before going in to attend to her Saturday morning duties. The world was growing lovely again; old Mother Nature was doing her best to remove the traces of the storm, and, though she was not to succeed fully for many a moon, she was really accomplishing wonders."

~ Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Avonlea

Hello dear reader! Here we are with another monthly newsletter in which I talk about books I have read, things I have watched, projects I have been working on and any other ponderings which really don't fit into its own post! Its been a busy few weeks and I have much to do! I have been working on some creative projects that I have been thoroughly enjoying and I hope to share them with you all soon (but not quite yet)! I also have a lot of paperwork to process this week for our family business so this homemaking chit-chat (based on the reflection of the month before) might be a bit rushed... but deadlines must be made! 

June was a productive month in the garden and harvest kitchen! It was pickle making time! I was able to put up some fermented pickles (shown above) and deli style pickles (which are pictured below).

I also prepared and froze 24 quarts of turkey stock/bone broth for the freezer. I had been saving up produce scraps in a bag in the freezer. When we made a turkey, I took the leftover bones, etc., and added in the saved scraps. Now we have a nutrient dense liquid which will be good in rice and soups in the autumn/winter.

Also, if you ended up enjoying our Zucchini Quiche recipe, you may also be interested in this variation if you are still going squash-strong... I know we are! Simply follow the original instructions except replace the mozzarella cheese for shredded Colby-jack cheese and add 1 cup of cottage cheese (for added protein and a bit of a flavor change). It is easy for me to serve this once a week during garden season and keeping ingredients a bit different helps out sometimes. 

If you haven't yet shared your "STRICTLY FROM THE PANTY RECIPES" with us (meaning no refrigerated/freezer items involved)-- please do so :) I am hoping to combine all the ideas into a printable that we can place in our Proverbs 31 Preparedness Notebooks. I think this would be a wonderful resource in difficult times!

Last month we enjoyed watching the new rendition of The Call of the Wild. I have always loved the Alaskan landscape and adventure films featuring it (and this one didn't disappoint). However, I just wished the ending would have been a bit different... perhaps they will consult me on that the next time 😉.

I also enjoyed reading "The Big Book of Homemade Products for Your Skin, Health and Home" by Jan Berry. It is such an informative and lovely read full of pretty pictures! We are currently doing a giveaway on this book which ends in 3 days. Feel free to enter for your chance to win this charming book! 

We have also announced the winners of our last two giveaways. The Happy Homemaking Giveaway was won by Angel who said "her favorite thing about homemaking is making a place my family (and any visitors) feel cozy and cared for". The Happy Hostess Giveaway was won by Kim who said the special thing she does for her guests is "have snacks available as well as coffee and some fun board games". Congratulations ladies and I hope you enjoy your goodies!

We have four other giveaways lined up shortly that I hope you will enjoy! I will give you a hint on the next one. It is called the "Pretty in Pink" Giveaway and is going to be focusing on our feminine side. 💕 A few of the items are sprinkled in the picture above... 

What about you? What wholesome and lovely things have you been reading, watching and/or working on? Recommendations are much appreciated! 

Verse of the Month:

"Be strong and of good courage...

for the LORD your God,

He is the One who goes with you.

He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

~ excerpts from Deuteronomy 31:6