Monday, July 13, 2020

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



38 comments:

  1. Such a nice restful post even though it's clear you've been busy! Congratulations to Kim!!

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    1. Ah... thank you Terri! :)

      Thanks for sharing here today!

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  2. Hi JES, I’m getting such wonderful ideas from this page! A good movie to watch, lovely quotes, a tasty recipe, pickles to drool over, books to admire and a picture of a perfect rose! Oh, and a giveaway to anticipate ☺️ Lovely blog! I will becoming back for more 🥰~~Jenny T.

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    1. Thank you Jenny for such kind encouragement! :) That makes my day! 💕

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  3. So lovely! So happy to have these posts back in my life! I look forward to seeing your creative endeavors. Did you get 24 quarts of broth from one turkey? I have been meaning to read Call of the Wild for some time. My husband loved it.

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    1. Yes, 24 quarts from one large turkey with lots of veggie scraps! And nice to hear from you Angela!! :) I hope you are doing well!

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  4. enjoy your pictures and many ideas. I apologize, but I had to laugh and consider if I have any "STRICTLY FROM THE PANTY RECIPES" . I usually use items from my pantry, but will be anticipating some great suggestions as you requested. JanL

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    1. I walked into that one didn't I??? Okay, I fixed it to read better... :). Basically recipes that require ingredients from your pantry surplus without using anything fresh from the refrigerator and/or freezer... for the purpose of emergency, etc... Thanks for taking the time to comment! Glad I caused someone to laugh... we all need that these days!

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  5. Gather At Home by Monika Hibbs, a delightful book filled with delicacies for all seasons and crafts.

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    1. Good to know!!! I have that on my Amazon wish list! When I get others to verify goodness is when I get the courage to buy :) Thank you for sharing!

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  6. Have you ever read "The 1/4 Acre Farm" by Spring Warren? I think she says there should be a national zucchini month :-)
    I too have been busy, but have been reading the Stillmeadow books by Gladys Taber (which I think you might like.) They are mostly about "home."

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    1. That is funny and so true! Yes, those are wonderful books! I had ordered them from my local library about 8 months back but most copies were older and unavailable. I think I ended up with the Chronicles but felt like I needed to read the others first to get the whole picture. Anyways I will have to revisit them! Thanks for the reminder ❤️

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  7. Beautiful newsletter and love the shoes! Where did you get them?

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    1. Thanks 😘 I got the Birkenstock’s on clearance last year at Nordstrom Rack... it was a special little splurge.

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  8. One of the books I am presently reading is "Christiana" ( the sequel to Pilgrim's Progress--the account of the journey of Christian's wife and children) Very good.

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    1. Thank you for the recommendation! I have heard of the sequel but never read it. I will have to include that on my list ♥️ Thanks for sharing Judy!

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  9. JES, I have a couple of Jan Berry's books and have tried a lot of her soap recipes. She is just the best. I can't tell you how happy I am to see you blogging again as your blog is just so very pretty and so full of good ideas it is just amazing. There is such a wealth of good information in the archives which must be so very encouraging to young girls starting out and learning how to look after a home.

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    1. Yes! Jan is wonderful and extremely creative! 🌹

      Thanks for taking the time to comment here today!

      Your encouraging words warmed my heart ♥️

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  10. Your quiche recipe looks really good, and it would be a new way to use zucchini and summer squash!

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    1. Exactly! It uses up 8 cups of squash ♥️😊

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  11. I discovered your blog a few weeks ago. I think this is my first comment.

    I've enjoyed your encouraging posts.
    I've been sewing/updating my bathroom curtains but most of my time has been spent just keeping up with cooking & housekeeping while watching my 2 yr old grandson. He seems to take all the energy I have. :)

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    1. Glad to have you here!

      I’m sure your curtains will refresh the bathroom in a lovely way. I love those types of fun projects!

      As far as watching an energetic two year old... I can’t wait 😊 to be exhausted doing it!

      Thanks for sharing Jenny!

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  12. What a wonderful post...always happy to find your mail in my inbox!!! Very inspiring and I love the quotes and the bibleverses wich I like to write down in my journal!! I see the books of Laura Ingalls I’d love to read those...but my daughter gave me Anne of Green Gables so I’m going to enjoy that one first!!! Have a nice day!!! Angela

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    1. Thank you ☺️

      I’m on book 5 of the Anne series and absolutely love the wit and humor of Lucy Maud Montgomery! I think you are really going to enjoy them ♥️

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  13. LOL, I definitely prefer happy endings as well!
    My standard vegan chili could be adapted for your "pantry only purposes" Usually I would start by sauteing green or red peppers, onions, and garlic, but it would be easy enough to omit those and sub with granulated onion (or whatever you happen to have in your spice rack) Basically, I add corn masa as a thickener and use chili powder and cumin with a hint of cocoa, paprika, and oregano. I then add diced tomatoes, tomato paste,water or broth, kidney beans and black beans. Lentils and TVP are another good choice. Speaking of which, TVP (texturized vegetable protein) would be an excellent item for every one to have in their pantries, in terms of preparedness....it is very inexpensive, high in protein, and able to be re hydrated with boiling or very hot water. We prefer our chili with mashed potatoes, but over rice or spaghetti noodles is a good option....or just served with some bread. Note: salt to taste and can thicken with anything you have on hand, like corn starch

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    1. These are excellent suggestions! Thank you so much for sharing them! I know this is something my family would enjoy in a pinch! I will be adding them to our pantry post today ♥️😊

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  14. I'm so glad to see you back to blogging, Jess. Such a beautiful and inspiring post.

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    1. Thank you for sprinkling some kindness here today! ♥️😊

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  15. Love your blog so happy to have found it a while back. My life is crazy as always...lol.. I have stage 4 metastatic breast cancer that has metastasized to my bones. So many appointments as of late. And daughter home from college soon to go back for her last year. Our elderly Dachshund who had cancer had to be put down. Which devastated all of us. We had the arrival of of a beautiful cat that someone tossed out at our house and a week later she delivered a lovely litter of kittens.. Not a lot of gardening going on as its so hot. everyday is burning up and the humidity has caused fungus on most of the cucumbers, squash and tomatoes....Just busy crazy times at our place.

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    1. Oh dear! You poor thing! You have been quite busy and challenged! Sending prayers your way for health, comfort and peace! ♥️

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  16. Beautiful post. Your blog us a breath of fresh air.

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    1. Hi Kim, Thank you for taking the time to sprinkle some kindness here today! ♥️😊 It is much appreciated...

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  17. Beautiful. Your blog us a breath of fresh air.

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    1. Hi Kim, Thank you for taking the time to sprinkle some kindness here today! ♥️😊 It is much appreciated...

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  18. Hi JES,

    I really enjoyed your post! I have several zucchinis in my fridge, so your quiche recipe is on my menu this week. : )

    Last month I read "Spring Came on Forever" by Bess Streeter Aldrich. The story followed four generations from the mid-1800's through the 1930's, as they settled the state of Nebraska. It was so beautiful, at time I found myself tearing up. This week I finished reading "Strawberry Acres" by Grace S. Richmond. The style was similar to a Louisa May Alcott story. It was a lovely story about two families from the city trying their hand at starting a strawberry farm.

    May you have a blessed day!

    Sarah

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    1. Wonderful! I hope your family enjoys it! :)

      Also, your books sound nice and peaceful and soothing! Just what I have been craving lately. Thank you for the recommendations! ♥️😊

      I appreciate you taking the time to comment -- have a beautiful day!

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  19. I was reading and scrolling down and had to back up when I saw your Laura Ingalls Wilder books. I grew up on those - and I think those books fostered my love of reading. I have the set as well, and re-read them occasionally. I have learned so much about self-sufficiency from them, and her writing makes you feel as if you are right there with her. Visiting her home in Missouri is on my bucket list. I think it's time to read them again - The Long Winter is my favorite!

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    1. Thank you for sharing such a pleasant sentiment... I too loved the Long Winter and truly would love to visit many of the pioneering areas in our country! Books are beautiful things!

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