Hard at Work.

Leave Me Alone Please.

Cold Frame Love.

My boyfriend built this amazing cold frame for me. I have so many things started indoors under lights that I can use all the extra space I can get. These Onions, Leeks, Shallots, Red Onions, Pansies, Spinach, Lettuces, Arugula and Cilantro are digging the almost 10 degree weather in the cold frame. We have been having way too many cold nights to leave anything in the frame overnight, even with a protective blanket, so we move these things in and out during the day. The Onion family members are for transplants in our garden and the greens or for food before we can plant our garden. Lots of crops will do well in a cold frame in these later Winter months. A few you could try would include:

Arugula, Broccoli, Cabbage, Swiss Chard,  

Chinese Cabbage, Green Onion,   Kale,  Lettuces

Mustard greens, Radishes and  Spinach

 

A cold frame can be complex or simple. There are many plans online that simply use plastic for their construction. You can buy pre-made cold frames and cold frame kits you put together yourself. We went the recycling root when fabricating ours. We used two discarded storm doors, scraps of plywood we had from previous projects and plastic to cover the ends to allow more light in than solid wood would have.

It was a bit of work for my boyfriend, he built it over the weekend, However, if we take good care of it we should be able to use it for many, many years.

Discrepancy.

I think we are dealing with a double yolk egg. It is amazing to see the difference between the eggs we receive daily from our Hens. Sometimes we will get an egg with a double yolk. These two yolked eggs are usually almost double the size of the single yolked majority. Double yolks happen naturally and in large operations may be discarded as eggs are candled for another use such as bagged eggs, although before we had our own hens I do recall grocery store bought eggs with a bonus yolk.

Dinner.

Sourdough whole wheat pizza dough. No added yeast, just sourdough starter to make this baby rise.

Was delicious topped with veggies.  

Some happy girls. This is how much snow still remains.

 

Myrtle.

Waiting for these lovely yellow Snow Crocuses.

These Beauts will be up at the same time too.

It's that time of the year again.

My little Germination Station.

It's started. The seed starting madness. Here I have geraniums that have already germinated which need to be started about 12 weeks before the last Spring frost. Geraniums are germinated in complete darkness before being moved under the light. Peppers and Petunias have just been started here in the tray under the dome. Peppers should be started inside in March or at least 8-10 weeks before the last Spring frost. Last year I started my Petunias a little later and was wishing I had started them earlier so I tried a few earlier this year to compare the results. I need to get my other light set up when the real madness begins. 

Celery, Leeks and Artichokes- 8-10 weeks before last frost. 

Tomatoes, Ground Cherries and Sunberries- 6-8 weeks before last frost. 

Onions and Shallots- 6-8weeks before transplanting.

Hollyhocks- 6-8 weeks before last frost.   

Asparagus seeds-8 weeks before last frost.

Marigolds- April

Broccoli can be started indoors about 6 weeks before moving out.

Most broccoli will tolerate cooler temperatures and can be started outside in late spring.

Cucumbers and Squashes like Pumpkin, Butternut, Zucchini and Acorn can be started inside 3-4 weeks before the last frost, however they also do really well when direct seeded after all risk of frost and soil has warmed sufficiently as the seeds won't germinate in cool soil.

For best results Melons should be started inside 4 weeks before transplanting.

These are general guidelines.

Soon enough my attention will be on all the things that can be planted as soon as the soil can be worked  with the protection of a cold frame.



Snow Crocus.

These actually emerged yesterday or the day before. I noticed them immediately after I bet my boyfriend ten bucks there would be bulbs coming up soon. Unfortunately, betting ten bucks is vocalized more as a phrase than a deal in this house so I couldn't collect.

My little Breakfast Factories.

Gold Mine.

I can't blame her, I'd be standing proud as a peacock too if I was the only Hen in the house to find my way to the compost bin. The girls have not exactly been contained since the snow has been level with their fencing, they just choose not to go anywhere. Lately though, they've defiantly been feeling a spring in their step. I wasn't too surprised when I returned home from walking the dog to find a chicken scratching up the compost.

There are snowflakes in the air as I type, however I'm convinced Spring is on it's way.

Break The Fast.

I love growing things indoors when it is this cold outside.

Sourdough Starter, my little fridge pet.

Sourdough Stacks.

These sourdough pancakes are made from a recipe from the Mother Earth New's archive.

Klondike-Style Sourdough Pancakes, http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/1985-11-01/Making-Klondike-Style-Sourdough-Pancakes.aspx, are made from Alaskan sourdough starter although you can use your own sourdough starter, if you have some, to make these beauties. Alaskan sourdough starter often has commercial yeast added to the flour and water since it's thought that wild yeasts are dormant during colder weather.

Luckily here it is warm enough to create sourdough from scratch using only flour and water. The thought being that wild yeasts from the air and flour along with microbes and bacterias start to feed when the water is added to the flour. The less refined the flour the more likely to contain yeasts and microbes, therefore Organic stone ground whole wheat or rye flour is used. Naturally leavened bread contains lactobacilus which is thought to generate the healthy bacteria that are essential for proper digestion and elimination.

Sourdough starter is very easy to make and maintain. I will be revisiting the topic of sourdough very shortly here, as of right now my chicken shed, unfortunately, will not be cleaning itself.