Monday

Weekend at The Cottage

I started my weekend on Friday, in the kitchen.
Many weekends here at The Cottage begin and end in the kitchen.
The heart of our home.
I made a batch of granola.
The same recipe that I've been using for more than 20 years.
I added dried cherries, raisins, pumpkin seeds, almonds, and sunflower seeds.
For dinner on Friday night, we made kabobs.
Brown sugar and pineapple, chicken kabobs.
We make a lot of kabobs and hobo dinners in the summer.
Saturday began with Bountiful Baskets.
If you have BB in your area and you haven't checked it out yet, I encourage you to do so.
For the cost, and the freshness of fruits and veggies, BB can't be beat.
I have a couple of bowls of fresh plums and apricots that I'm going to put in the food dehydrator today.
Our box gardens were doing fantastic.
We even got our first little pepper.
Sunday morning, we woke to this.
Frozen plants.
Saturday, our squash plants looked like this.
Sunday morning they looked like this.
All because of this: freezing temperatures.
The last time we checked the forecast, at 9:00 pm Sat. night, the temperatures were only supposed to get down in the low 40's.
Wrong.
Sunday morning the thermometer read 29 degrees fahrenheit.
Today, after I pinch back the damage on the plants, I'm going to see what plants can be saved, if any.
We have had the craziest weather this year.
If we have to re-plant the garden again, it will be for the fourth time.
We have started a lot of seeds, but who knows if our growing season is going to be long enough for the seeds to germinate and grow enough to get any harvest off of them?


Also, this past weekend, we picked up the metal roofing for the little barn and the garage.
We have had to re-build the North wall of the little barn, and add four support beams that the previous owners had cut out of the barn.
Now, we need to get it roofed, rebuild the south wall, and get it painted.
We are also going to level out the floor and add pea gravel.
The little barn will become half chicken coop, and half gardening shed.
Work, work, work.

Attitude of gratitude :
~I'm grateful for homemade maple syrup. Nothing like the smell of fresh maple syrup early in the morning. I'm off to make pancakes for Spencer before he has to go back up on the mountain for work this week.
~I'm so grateful that Craig gave us such a great deal on the metal for the roofs.
It's nice to have family that owns a metal building and roofing company.
Thanks Craig!
Also, a super big thanks for getting us the galvanized.
 It will be the perfect look for our homestead.
~I'm grateful for that old dehydrator that is still humming along after all these years.
Fired right up, after being in storage for almost 2 years, and for practically being an antique, it works like a charm.


30 comments:

  1. I love your kitchen! Looks like you had a wonderful weekend. Love the pictures!

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  2. Your garden is coming right along! Sweet pictures of the cottage.
    Nancy

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  3. Oh, my goodness! Can't believe that freeze! Poor plants. =/ So sorry!

    Your kitchen looks so warm and welcoming and full of good eats!! I have been enjoying eating fresh apricots two at a time! LOL! blessings ~ tanna

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  4. Oh, My! The freeze would be hard to graciously accept! I have had a week of clouds and rain. Last night we had a major lightning storm. Today is partly sunny. I need to get out and do some clean up and mow my tall grass/weeds! I love your kitchen. I just read yesterday that flax seeds are not obsorbed by our bodies - needs to be in another form. Will check in with you later - enjoy your week.

    Betty

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  5. You have such a warm and inviting kitchen.....makes me want to pop in for coffee!

    Cool weather here, too. Think I'll need to start knitting sweaters for my tomato plants....LOL

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  6. All the food looks so good!
    Sorry to hear about the freezing. Hope the plants will be alright.

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  7. Oh no what a bummer about the freeze. I cannot imagine that. How sad I would be. That is going to be a wonderful coop. You don't have chickens yet do you?

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  8. It always seems like there is something to do-right?
    Don't have a BB here that I know of.
    Are your freezing temps unusual for this time of year where you live?
    Sorry to hear of this. We have been sweating it out here.

    Take care.

    Melinda

    PS: Like your idea for the restaurant!

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  9. Your kitchen is so cozy and inviting, Kerin. I also made a batch of granola this weekend. I would dearly love all those fresh veggies/fruits. Tomorrow, our little town allows local farmers to sell their crops and I look forward to loading up!
    So sad about your freezing temps. What a crazy year! We received much needed rain this weekend.
    The barn will be great for chickens and a gardening shed. Sounds like you have a busy week ahead.
    Always delightful visiting with you. Have a great day.

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  10. Oh Kerin, I LOVE your kitchen! Especially your stove! I sued to have an old Chef Mate years ago and I loved it! Lots of space between the burners and the burners actually fit the pans..it was the best stove I ever had! Getting another one when I get my next place.
    I'm so sorry about your plants! How sad they look....you must have the same weather guy we do! Ha! Ha!
    I'd love your recipe for granola and those kabobs when you have time. I'll post a kabob recipe I have that is good also. Thanks for reminding me about hobo dinners....I love those!
    Your barn is coming along nicely but you're not alone....it's work, work, work here too but I love it. I finally admitted to myself ....I love to work but just at my own pace.
    What's BB....is it a market or a store? I've never heard of it. Have a great day! We've got a storm moving in..YIPPEE! I love a good storm as long as no one gets hurt and we sure could use the rain here! Take care sweetie!

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  11. Oh wow love your cottage kitchen (:) glad ya have a darling get away and the ''always fixin never sttin'' is darling ..(:) hugs p

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  12. Always Fixin' Never Sittin'..love that..love the darling kitchen all the pics you posted too...
    ...LOL my little table scooting a little was fun ..hugs..p

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  13. Looks like you have been busy, busy, busy! Your cottage kitchen is so inviting. I wouldn't mind spending the weekend in it at all.

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  14. Cooler weather sounds good to me with the 90+ degrees we are getting in the south- but the freeze- that's crazy old Mother Nature for ya!

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  15. What a lovely place to spend the weekend. Sorry about your garden. Hard to imagine freezing temps. Again I love your gratitude attitude. I too love maple syrup. Kinda' makes me think I want pancakes now...at 8 PM.

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  16. oh my word! freezing temps?! we had close to 100 here today! cannot imagine!

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  17. I really like your kitchen and the container of granola . . . Do you share the recipe? I have a recipe I have used and enjoyed it all winter. We have many blueberry orchards around us so fresh (frozen for winter) along with the granola is a treat.

    Sad about the frost and unpredictable weather . . . I hope some things are salvageable and there is some harvest.

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  18. Your cottage kitchen is wonderful, and homemade granola, yummy. I'm am very sorry about your garden. I know we have been having much colder weather this year, too (but not freezing). Thanks for stopping by my blog and congratulations on your 25th. I hope you did something nice to celebrate. Have a lovely week, Connie :)

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  19. Hi Kerin! Your cottage kitchen is so beautiful! I have a strawberries in my dehydrator right now! I love using it! Crazy weather! Hopefully you can save the veggies and plants. Have a beautiful week! xo Heather

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  20. Can't believe the weather is so strange. We had temps like that too over the weekend.

    I hope that you can save your plants.

    I love your kitchen so warm and inviting.

    Have a great Tuesday Kerin. :)

    Take care, Janet W

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  21. What a darling kitchen! I love it! The granola looks so good! Hopefully your garden will survive! Have a great day!

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  22. Your kitchen is so very pretty! And, I love your little barn. Those kabobs looks so good, it made me feel hungry. I didn't know it could freeze at times in June where you live. Here's hoping you can save most of your garden!!

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  23. Hi Kerin! Thanks for stopping at my place. I loved poking around here. Your cottage is so cute - I love the kitchen and the barn. Sorry about the freeze. It's been such crazy weather this year.
    You've got a wonderful family and I think it's so cool that your son plays the bagpipes. Not may young people try that. :)

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  24. Seeing your kitchen just makes me smile! So sorry about your plants. I can totally sympathize! I hope you can save them. You are living my dream life. Thanks for sharing it.

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  25. Bless your heart, honey~ I can't believe you're still getting frosts at night! Hope everything will be okay...
    Those chicken kabobs sound SO GOOD...

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  26. I'm not used to see the ice at this time of year! The kitchen is fabulous, so warm and welcoming, especially if it was that cold outside.
    Thanks so much for popping over to my blog and for the lovely comment. I'm going to click "Follow" now. :)
    -Karen

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  27. Greetings,
    I just found your blog and have enjoyed reading "backward" to the beginning :^) We may live on oposite ends of the country, but our hearts are so close as to be amazing!!
    I can't decide which part of your blog post is my favorite...the message, or the attitude of gratitude. A couple of them, I have read twice :^) I laugh when I catch myself nodding when we do the same things and think the same way...
    You are a sweetie and I will enjoy reading your posts from now on...
    Many blessings to you and your family,
    J

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  28. I love your cottage kitchen!! So wonderfully homey and warm. :-) Your granola looks delicious. My daughter has been making it for a couple of years, ever since she spent a summer on a sustainable farm, where they made pretty much grew and made everything they ate. (A Senior Perspective college class she took.) You dinner looked really yummy too. So sorry about your freeze. How disappointing it must have been to come out and find the leaves all turned to mush. I have never used a food dehydrator, but I should look into getting one. I LOVE dried apricots and prunes, etc...

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  29. Good afternoon, Kerin~

    Your kitchen is BEAUTIFUL. So light, colorful, and very cheerful. We are right there with you on the crazy weather. It's been nuts here, but thankfully, it has not dipped below freezing.

    Your granola looks DELICIOUS! Is it a recipe you have shared? :-)

    Praying you have a wonderful day filled with many beautiful memories!

    Blessings~
    Laura

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  30. Good afternoon, Kerin~

    Your kitchen is BEAUTIFUL. So light, colorful, and very cheerful. We are right there with you on the crazy weather. It's been nuts here, but thankfully, it has not dipped below freezing.

    Your granola looks DELICIOUS! Is it a recipe you have shared? :-)

    Praying you have a wonderful day filled with many beautiful memories!

    Blessings~
    Laura

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Thank you for taking time to comment.
It means so much to me, that you've taken a few minutes in your day, to stop by and visit.
I love getting to know you, and having our "chats".
Have a wonderful day.