Posted on

Making Bird Feeders with Harvestmoonbyhand

My daughters and I recently made a variety of homemade feeders and seed mix for the birds. We have enjoyed watching a variety of birds eat at the feeders: nuthatches, blue jays, black-capped chickadees, downy woodpeckers, gray catbirds, house sparrows, and purple finches.

These recipes are easy and fun to make; and watching the birds provides entertainment, enjoyment, and educational value for people of all ages…especially children.

Peanut Butter Bird Seed Balls
Peanut Butter Bird Seed Balls 
before they were placed in the freezer.

Ingredients:

2 cups bread crumbs
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup flour (use whole wheat if possible)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1 cup unsalted nuts
4-5 chopped apples
1 cup raisins
1 8 oz. jar chunky peanut butter
1 cup bird seed
1 c. suet

Directions:

Mix ingredients well. If necessary you can add additional suet or even bacon drippings if it is too crumbly. Shape into balls. Freeze.

These can be placed in a mesh bag and hung outside on a tree limb for the birds to enjoy. Otherwise, do as we did: place them on top of birdseed in an open feeder.

Popcorn Bird Treat


Popcorn Bird Treat before was placed in mesh bags.
Ingredients:

Peanut Butter
7 cups popcorn (no salt or butter)
Blanched peanuts, Craisens, raisins, and/or dried blueberries
Egg shells
Cracked corn
Black oil sunflower seed

Directions:

Mix all together and put in a mesh bag. Hang in the tree for the birds to enjoy.

Hanging the feeder filled with popcorn, fruit, and 
other goodies for the birds.
Suet and Meal Worm Log Feeder

Log – about 2 feet long that is dry
Eye screw
Drill with various size drill bits
Suet
Dried meal worms
Twine or heavy yarn

Place eye screw in one end of the log. Using a drill and various size drill bits, place many holes in the log that are about 1/2 deep.

Drilling holes in the log.

Fill with suet and dried meal worms.

Placing suet in one of the holes.

Put twine or heavy yarn through the eye screw and hang onto a tree branch. Make sure the branch is thick enough to support the feeder.

Two birds at the feeders.

As a side note, within one minute of coming indoors from hanging the log feeder in the tree, a black-capped chickadee found it. From that point on, there were many bird visitors of different types (mostly chickadees, nuthatches, and woodpeckers).

Ann Rinkenberger is the owner of Harvest Moon by Hand that offers natural, hand-embroidered and needle-felted toys; Waldorf-inspired window stars; and homeschool supplies. 

To see other hands-on projects, tutorials, recipes, and homeschool ideas, please visit Harvest Moon by Hand’s blog. Harvest Moon by Hand also can be found on FacebookTwitter, and Pinterest.

Window stars available through Harvest Moon by Hand.


Posted on

My New Favorite Herb—Chives

Do you ever find yourself in a food rut? I used to all the time. I’d grab the same thing for breakfast every day and limited myself to a small list of options for lunch and dinner. I eat a paleo diet, and while most think that to be quite limiting, it’s honestly not. I was limiting. I did it out of boredom and convenience, plain and simple. When you are chasing after three kids, homeschooling and running your own business, it’s easy to fall into the trap of wanting to make things easy.

I’ve was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s, a thyroid auto-immune disease, two and a half years ago and with it brought a whole host of issues including a leaky gut (really that came first, I just didn’t know it) and food intolerances. And guess what causes food intolerances? Yup, you guessed it, limiting your diet.

Eating the same thing often is not only boring, it’s not healthy! For the past two months I’ve been doing an elimination rotation diet. What that means is I don’t eat anything that I had become intolerant to—through testing I discovered I have intolerances to gluten, eggs, dairy, all nuts and sweet potatoes—and I don’t eat anything twice in a four day time frame. No more eating the same breakfast every day or the same lunch just because it’s easy and convenient.

I was eating super healthy, just not with enough variety. I have found the best way to add variety to my diet is through the flavor palate. It’s easy to rotate through a different protein and couple of veggies every meal, but I began to crave new flavor combinations as well.

Chives are an herb that I have grown in the past, but never really enjoyed. Suddenly I love them!

Chives

I’m an avid albeit fairly novice gardener, so first off, the crop I planted of them last year winterized so it was like a gardening bonus this spring. Booyah! Turns out that they are a perennial bulb like others in the onion and garlic family. Duh, I should have thought of that when I first planted them, but the bulb is so small it’s easy to miss. I love a plant that will winterize since here in NY that can be tough.

Second, the flower is equally yummy as the typical leaf that you normally see. It’s big and purple much like a standard Allium, just not quite that large. It’s a beautiful herb and a nice visual addition to the garden.

Third, they are super easy to grow organically. Literally plant and water. They don’t need a heavy dose of fertilizer, they need very little  maintenance and pests leave them alone. Cut them about 1-2″ above the ground when you harvest (only cut what you need at that time and you can continue to have some all season) and once they flower you can cut the plant way down in preparation for next year, or do what I do and just continue to harvest until you put the garden to bed for the winter. They can be thinned at any time, and should be every 2-3 years, so they are easy to thin and share with other herb gardeners.

The flavor is milder than green onions in my opinion and excellent in stir fry dishes, on veggies, eggs, chicken, beef or pork, soups of all kinds,  and they make a great addition to pretty much any salad. I use my kitchen sheers, cut the long leaves up and shred the flower for my salads, along with some thai basil, cilantro and dill. Yum.

Chives have been around for about 5,000 years originating in China. Adding them to your foods can lower blood pressure and aid in digestion. They can be frozen or freeze dried, but they don’t dehydrate well. Bummer too since I love to use my dehydrator on my herbs.

So I highly recommend this herb as both a tasty and beautiful addition to your garden this year. And please leave a comment and let me know what herbs you are loving right now, I’m always on the hunt for more to add to our repertoire!


Chives

Chives

 

Posted on

Mothers Day – by Little Jenny Wren

P1230824-1

Mothers Day for me , here in Tasmania was spent travelling to the south of the island to visit my two sons who attend University in the state’s capital Hobart

P1230837-2

We travelled through the mists and autumn leaves and small villages

P1230843-3

and arrived in Hobart to perfect, still, sunshiny autumn weather
P1230899-4
we ate lunch at an outside cafe then strolled around the docks
P1230900-5
to the ice cream parlour
P1230901-6
Such a beautiful day with my beautiful family in such beautiful surroundings.
P1230910-6
Hope you all had a Happy Mothers Day!
P1230913-7
Posted on

BirchLeaf Designs a Farm

Playsilks and Swords and Shields, OH MY! We recently came across a photo of a boy who was not afraid to play. His imagination was wondrous!

Boy who was not afraid to play.
Boy who was not afraid to play.

Wondrous and amazing…very much like this mosaic shield. Made from a blank shield from our shop and then sold at an auction to help raise funds for the Portland Waldorf School in Portland, Oregon.

Mosiac Shield. Photo courtesy Portland Waldorf School.
Mosiac Shield. Photo courtesy Portland Waldorf School.

The mosaic shield reminds me so much of our life…with the family in the center, the heart, the hearth, the fiery life-force. Then, branching off of the heart center are our many activities in which we are involved. Each day is filled with a bit of this and a bit of that…from eating healthy foods, to homeschooling, to farming, to making toys. These past few weeks have found us in the woods. Many blessings are upon us!

Maple Sap is flowing!

Pro Maple sap taster!
Pro Maple sap taster, Kiah.

Little baby chicks are healthy and here!

Baby chicks are a'peepin'.
Baby chicks are a’peepin’.

And little lambs have arrived!

Meet Patience.
Meet Patience.
Kiah and her lamb, Patience.
Kiah and her lamb, Patience.
Milo and his lamb, Temperance.
Milo and his lamb, Temperance.

It only gets livelier from here on out! Garden starts are ready to be planted. Piggies are due to arrive April 20th and bees shortly thereafter. Festivals and art shows are in the not so distant future…which brings us back to our shop…BirchLeaf Designs…Playsilks and Swords and Shields, OH MY…

Wendy, Mojo and their 2 children, Kiah and Milo live, homeschool, farm, and make toys off the grid near Marquette, Michigan. Please visit their shops at http://www.birchleafdesigns.etsy.com and http://www.northernchildren.etsy.com

Posted on

~ It’s time for a new spring/summer wardrobe !!!

I don’t know if you are like me, but every time spring is near I’m anxious to go to my wardrobe and start wearing my little dress and skirt again ! Not to mention that I love to go shopping for a couple of new sets…I don’t know why but it’s not the same for fall…do you feel the same !? Spring is really a  ”blooming” season, you want everything to look fresh, clean…all new !!  Also it’s that time of the year we, as parents, need to find new clothes for our children…omg they grow so fast ! I think my daughter gained 2 inches more this winter !?? She is going to turn 12 soon, and shopping for her is now a bit of a headhache. She’s not an adult yet, but children’s clothing don’t fit her anymore…boy oh boy..I have to be really creative to find something decent for her ah!ah!

Sometimes I kind of miss the time when she was younger, to dress her up in little colored shorts and skirt sets, with bows and frills…you know what I mean !? I used to work as a fashion designer for children and I’ve always loved clothing…to mix and match them and not to mention to design them. I just loOoove designing clothes…sketching, drawing… it’s another passion of mine!

I’m now the creator behind FeeVertelaine, handmade natural toys and dolls. Lately I did offer myself a treat ! I started a project that I’ve been dreaming about for many years now…Creating my own paper doll !! As a little girl, paper dolls were one of my ABSOLUTE favorite things to play with! So I took my pencil away from the cobwebs, and started to draw Emilÿ…it so reminded me of my time in fashion school. I also loOove watercolor,  so I told myself why not do the coloring this way…so I did ! Every little step of the creation of this project was a pure delight for me.

IMG_5721 crop

IMG_5731crop

IMG_5727 crop

After many months of sketching, coloring, editing…she finally came to life. This was pure joy for  my daughter, who was my assigned tester 😉 She and her friend had such a great time playing.. humm sorry testing…all the new spring/summer wardrobe that Emilÿ comes with. It was so sweet to watch them mixing and matching everything together…4 hands on one doll is a true test !! So I knew she was ready for the world to meet her !

IMG_5794 crop

My heart is filled with excitment to introduce her to you today…Emilÿ my first paper doll…all ready for spring with her new wardrobe !! Enjoy !!!

IMG_5914 crop

You can find her here in my Etsy shop.

 

This lavender dress reminds me of a dress that I sewed recently for one of my winter fairy dolls…a last glimpse of winter just before spring shows up  at our door !

IMG_5987 crop

If you wish to see and read more about my creative process, I invite you to visit my Facebook page where I add pictures of my everyday work and things I cherish…. I will soon offer Emilÿ as a giveaway…keep an eye open !!

Happy spring !!

Warm regards,

~Julie xo

Posted on

My Enchanted Life

As the weather gets warmer my days get busier so I need meals to be simple. I run a full time business, The Enchanted Cupboard, while running my household and homeschooling 4 children. I need to keep our meals healthy and nutrition filled! I love this recipe because it is what I make with the last 2 chicken breast when I am doing big batch cooking and it is packed full of yummy veggies. Dicing up the veggies and adding it to chicken salad is a great way to boast your kids diet with lots of color that are full of antioxidants! I serve this for lunch on whole wheat bread and a cup fruit salad. You could easily make this low carb. and gluten free by serving it on big lettuce leaves like a wrap! If you like this easy recipe and want more come checkout my own blog and see what is cooking in my kitchen.

Mama’s Chicken Salad

Ingredients

2 skinless boneless precooked chicken, diced
2 stalk celery, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/2 med. size onion dice
1/2 red pepper
1/2 yellow or orange pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1 cup prepared or homemade mayonnaise
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a mixing bowl, toss together the chicken, veggies and herbs. Set aside.
Add mayo and mix gently until combined.  Salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

•.,¸¸,:•:*¨¨*:••.,¸¸,:•:*¨¨*:••.,¸¸,:•:*¨¨*:••.,¸¸,:•:*¨¨*:••.,¸¸,:•:*¨¨*:••.,¸¸,:•

IMG_0767

On my work table I often have much smaller versions of play food just right for Waldorf Style dolls. I work with wood and paper clay to make play food.

churchdoll3

This sweet little set is made of wood and is just right for doll house dolls. I so enjoy creating for this miniature world of childhood play. Come on over to the Nature Table and see what is cooking at the Acorn Cafe.

•.,¸¸,:•:*¨¨*:••.,¸¸,:•:*¨¨*:••.,¸¸,:•:*¨¨*:••.,¸¸,:•:*¨¨*:••.,¸¸,:•:*¨¨*:••.,¸¸,:•

The Acorn Cafe

 DSC_0004

On the first day of Spring the world was a buzz of activity at the Acorn Cafe.

DSC_0002

Everyone was enjoying the wonderful food made by Miss Dandelion.

DSC_0001

Grandpa was having his favorite tomato sandwich.

DSC_0003

A few fairies stopped in for tea and sweets.

DSC_0006

Four forest friends enjoyed an after noon treat.

DSC_0006

All were happy on this bright spring day.

Items on the Nature Table:

Wooden toys, playsilks, and dolls can be found at The Enchanted Cupboard.

Felt Woodland Friends can be found at Muddyfeet.

Acorn Cafe  and table & chairs were created by Willodel.

 

Posted on

An Easy Horse Rein Tutorial

What is more fun than pretend play?  Running around?  Here’s a tutorial for you to create an easy toy for your little ones that combines the two.  An easy horse rein!

Materials needed:

  • A cord of about 2.5 meters / 8.5 feet in length (we used a cord that my little one knitted with a knitting fork/lucet using our hand dyed rainbow wool)
  • Some fabric (we used part of an old pair of jeans) or a piece of felt (if you hand sew)
  • Sewing thread

Instructions:

1) Cut two rectangles of 17 x 25 cm (approx. 6.8 x 10 inches) out of the fabric and lay them together with the right sides facing each other.  Note – if you use felt, one piece of felt will do and you can skip steps 2 and 3.

2) Sew the two rectangles together with a 1cm (1/3 inch) seam and leaving a 6 cm (2.5 inch) opening on one side.  When finished, cut the corners.

3) Turn the fabric so that the right side is facing out and push out the corners.  Stitch along the edges, resulting in a rectangle.

4) Tie the ends of the cords together.  I used a simple knot here that will be where the kids will hold the rein.

5) Find the top middle of the cord (using the knot as the bottom) and measure 23cm (9 inches) down on each side.  Pin those points to the top of the fabric rectangle, leading the cord down on the sides.

6) Sew along the sides over the cord.  Sew slowly as the cord might get caught in the machine foot.

7) Re-enforce the cord by sewing the cord parallel at the bottom and top

Finished!  Get your little ones ready for some running around as horses and riders!

Anything unclear or do you have questions?  Feel free to contact me.

Posted on

Lip Balm recipe and how to

At this time of the year, my lips crack like crazy. It’s very painful, and certainly not beautiful. After buying some fancy homemade balm, and getting them eaten by my kids, I decided to make it myself a try. I’ve looked around on the internet for recipes and made up my own based on those and on what I had on hand.

What you will need:

1½oz of beewax, grated

10z of coconut oil

1 Tsp of Lanolin

1 Tsp of sweet almond oil

10 drops of peppermint oil

A sauce pan

A glass/metal cup

Water

Wooden or metal stick

2 oz jar

 

What you need to do:

1. Put all ingrediants into glass cup except the essential oil. Put water in sauce pan and put the cup in them, making you a bain-marie.

2.Still with the stick until everything looks homogenus.

3.Remove from heat and stir in your essential oil.

4.Pour into jar.

5.Wait a little for it to harden

6. Enjoy the relief!

It’s very easy to make and I’m happy that I tried. Please tell me if you try this recipe!

Posted on

Best Chicken Stock

This wonderful recipe was sent in by Natural Kids Team friend Beccijo Neff from the Enchanted Cupboard. Our family composts. I never thought about using the scraps in such a way. Now we must give it a try.

=====================================================================================================================Best Best Chicken Stock

The best part about this recipe is that it is free (depending on your garden and pantry). This stock is made from thing you would have just thrown away and a few herbs. If you grow your own herbs then there is no up front cost. I must warn you I am not a measure kind of cook, it is all about smell and taste to me. Cooking is a craft and act of love and that is how I cook. This stock can be done quickly if you buy the items or you can save the items over a few weeks and make this on a rainy day!

 
You will need these cooking tools:

 

1 Stock Pot Strainer/Colander Canning jars
While you are doing you every day cooking do not throw away the cut off ends of veggies. Here is a list of things to save skins and all: Onion Garlic Carrots Celery
Add these items to a large freezer bag or container to store in your freezer. Once you have collected enough to fill your stock pot ( for me about a months worth) then it is a good night to have roasted chicken for dinner, save the bones and make your stock the next day. If you want to do this right away then you can buy some of each item and cut up into large chunks and put into your stock pot and you can always get a rotisserie chicken from your local grocery store, remove the meat for another meal and add the bones to the stock.
Herbs to add: Handful of Parsley 1 bay leaf 1/2 Handful of Thyme 1/2 handful of Rosemary A few peppercorns
Read to make stock: Put all ingredients into a large stock pot, fill with water, and slowly bring to a boil. Skim foam that floats to the top during this slow heating process and discard. Reduce heat and simmer for four hours.  Skim often. Let stock cool and skim of extra fat. Strain the stock from the solids and discard all the other items. Stock can be used right away or frozen in jars for later use.
Cooking: This is an unsalted stock, once you are going to add the stock to your soup I add salt to taste then. You can use this stock in and recipe and soup that calls for chicken stock. To make a vegetable broth just omit chicken.

Beccijo http://www.theenchantedcupboard.com http://www.theenchantedcupboard.etsy.com

Posted on

My Journey with Felting

It’s never too late for an old dog to learn new tricks, I say. I love to learn new techniques and teach myself new crafts all the time.  For example felting is fairly new to me. There are many different types and styles of felting.

I started needlefelting about 5 years ago. Did you know that this craft has only been around since the 1980s? I learned that in a book about felting from the library (See Complete Guide to Felting p.133). I discovered needlefelting at Christmas time 2007 when my husband gave me this neat kit with a beginner’s handbook.

Needle felted Bunny in Wet Felted Egg

I loved this craft right away because I could take it places in a small bag. Just think how much time people waste these days, playing silly games on their phones when they could be crafting? I take my felting needles and make the most adorable critters while I wait for my daughter in the hallways of her dance studio. I get to hear all the Oohs and Ahs of little kids who can’t believe what I can accomplish with this funny looking needle.

This year I wanted to try something new: wet-felting. Unfortunately hubby did not come forward with a wet felting kit this past Christmas. But being a clever girl, I found some great books at the local library and some cool tutorials on the internet. There is one right here on this blog.

I discovered I had all the materials needed in my house already!

  • wool roving
  • plastic Easter Eggs
  • natural soap
  • hot water
  • bubblewrap
  • old towels

My first eggs turned out pretty nice. I found that it was a lot of hard work though. You have to scrub and rub for a long time to get the wool to felt and stick together. My respect for wet-felting artists grew by a mile or two.

The other drawback is that I can’t take this craft with me. So I don’t think I will make too many wool treasure eggs for Easter. So if you want one better snatch them up early.

Or maybe you want to learn how to make felted eggs yourself? Here are some great books to start with:

Beginner’s Guide to Feltmaking by Shirley Ascher & Jane Bateman

The Complete Guide to Felting by Ruth Lane