Letter to the bean top eating rabbit...

I woke this morn in hopes to have rid myself of a problem. A problem that would easily be avoided if I had put the chicken wire up along the bottom of the garden fencing a month ago. Alas, I did not due to not having it yet. But now.. now I will not until I have handled a new nemesis in my garden. One that is so bold, so taunting. So...ANNOYINGLY smart.... 

Well played little rabbit. Well played. You outsmarted me this time. You have dined on my bean tops for 3 mornings in a row. This morning you eluded my well placed trap. Leaving more tufts of your fur clinging to the chewed tips & haphazardly between the rows of young bean plants. It's as though you are taunting my efforts with your every escape.

 I hope you enjoyed those slices of apple leading into the trap, where you stopped short by a mere inch of the metal step plate. I now see where my mistake was made and the next morn, there will be more. More to tempt your now accustomed appetite. Sweet juicy green apple slices laid out for your dining with a placement more accurate to your demise. 

I have freely allowed your light munching upon the lettuce. I even planted sweet peas along the fence row in hopes to satisfy your stomach with such rare delights in comparison to your wild diet. But Now... now you have attacked my precious Pinto & Borlotti beans. I had but one Borlotti plant to survive the disasters of last year. That one I so carefully saved seed from. Ensuring that this year I would reap a more bountiful harvest of my unbuyable legume. You have betrayed our treaty. Dismissed my consideration and kindness. You have stepped into a battle field. A battle I declare to win.
Game on little cotton tail. Game on...

OH! P.s.  And don't think I have not taken notice how you lounge upon the hillside staring at me. You, all splayed out so casually within a very short distance of me so early in the morn as the sun rises to the sky. I have taken note of your boldness and it will play into my hands very well. Very well indeed.

signed...
The peeved gardener who is feeling rather Mr. Mcgregor

  Sweetest Dreams,

~Tammie

A Summer Tangelo tart

Growing up in Florida, you would think I would have had knowledge of this citrus fruit. I have never even hear of it's name despite being said to sell heavily in it's native state. It was born through a hybrid mix of a grapefruit & a tangerine back in the very early 1900's. I have found them to be seedless yet they are said to have very few seeds.

Yesterday I was browsing the fresh fruits at a small Dutch Market where I came upon these now Favorite citrus indulgence. The sign read a budget friendly 3 for $1!

I asked what they taste like and the produce man had no idea. So he whipped out a pocket knife and sliced us both off a wedge. Oh MY! The scent is almost orange like, more towards the Tangerine parent. The taste was like a combination of the sweetest orange mixed in with lemon. Not tart. More of an undertone with the orange sweetness enveloping any trace. I quickly grabbed up 6 and declared experiment time. I had to fiend off the children who are orange & Clementine lovers until I juiced up the amount I desired for this recipe. I did allow Frog & Little Man to share the one leftover. I was selfish & ate an entire one as I drove home from the market.

When it comes to citrus curds, my experience is with lemons. The tartness requires far more sugar for balancing in Lemon tarts. I much prefer Meyer Lemons and grab as many as I can when the rare occasion of our local grocer has a shipment in. Meyers lemons are divine! I have to hide those from Frog. She gobbles them up like oranges...

 I searched the net for Citrus Curd tart recipes and found one I decided to play with.  I adjusted with less butter and switching out the citrus they listed with the juice & Zest of the Tangelo.

I warn you, this requires some major Whisking if doing it by hand. Personally I did not find it too much but for the uncommon kitchen inhabitant, it may seem like more work then expected. Just think of the reward when you start to tire. 

 ** Note when Zesting, The skins are far easier to peel then oranges. Actually, I found them to be very tender and when zesting, caution must be taken not to cut yourself due to their soft form.

Summer Tangelo Tart

1 Pie shell pre baked in pan of choice OR use store bought Pie / Tart shell(s) & pre bake per directions.

In a stainless steel saucepan, bring to boil over medium heat:

~ 1/2 HEAPING cup sugar

~  1 cup Tangelo juice {I average 4 1/2 Tangelos to get this juice amount}

 ~ 2 1/2 tablespoons Tangelo zest {obviously from the rinds of the Tangelo}

Whisk the above together periodically to discourage burning.

While the above is heating, in a medium large bowl, whisk for 1/2 a minute:

~ 4 large eggs or 5 medium eggs

To the whisked eggs add another:

 ~ heaping 1/2 cup of sugar

Whisk vigorously  the above sugar with the eggs for a good minute

Pour 1/3 of your heated citrus & sugar mix into the egg & sugar mix, whisking vigorously during the pour of mixtures. Now pour the egg citrus mix into the remaining Citrus sugar mix left in the pan and keep whisking vigorously until the mix comes to a rapid boil and bubbles up in an almost foam like fashion on the top. Keep whisking! Be sure it boils so the eggs will "set" properly for your curd.

 Let the above cool to around 135 F degrees or less, but no higher then that.

Whisk into the cooled mixture:

~ 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened to room temp

Immediately pour your curd into the prebaked Pie/tart Shell(s) & place into refrigerator. Let chill 6 hours for a more firm setting before slicing.

Top with a meringue or a time saver of Light whipped topping such as Cool Whip. No more then 1/4 an inch thick as a top layer to the curd. OR simply dust with powdered sugar and serve a small scoop of of Vanilla bean Ice cream & Tangelo wedges next to the Tart slice. Garnish with a sprig of fresh Spearmint.

If you enjoy citrus of the slightly sweeter kind, such as Tangerines or oranges, you may very well enjoy this Summer treat. I know Frog has... Not even even 24 hours after it's making she has enjoyed 2 big slices and when I opened the fridge before bed, I found 3 small finger streaks across the top of it... sigh.

Now I must be off. I have a compost pile to turn as well as chamomile, Comfrey, Lovage & Roses to harvest before the crickets serenade me to sleep.

Wishing you all...

Sweet Dreams,

~Tammie

Queen of the Pallets, strikes again!

This month in the land of The Unusual Farm Chick, we are playing Pallet Queen. Yes. I declare myself Queen of the Pallets. The Captain has brought many a truck load of so called "broken" pallets home from work to use as fuel for weekend Bonfires. I have been eyeing his piles for some time and finally have the opportunity to attack. I drug out every pallet piece, laying them out for size comparison as well as quality before the dew had even dried from the grass blades. The Captain came walking out to see where I had disappeared to. Most husbands would have the look of bewilderment to come upon such a scene. Not my husband. He gets that look of amusement throwing in a statement of "I wondered where you were so early this morning. What are you making now?". yep. My King has only amusement for my antics throughout the years.

"I'm building a couch. Here, hold this up for me", as I try to size up two pallets. Like a good King, he does what he asked and does it with a smile holding back his laughter.

I know what some of you are thinking. A couch? Really Farm Chick? Have you gone bonkers? Yes. Well no. I guess when people think couch, they think of the soft indoor seating pieces. This is an outdoor couch. One that will have cushions custom made from even more upcycled items. A couch my Captain can enjoy sitting back in as he sits by his most enjoyed Bonfires. So I guess you could call them Bonfire couches... complete with cup holders... Far more comfortable then a bench. It's all a part of the Bonfire area remodel. My gift to him for his summer enjoyment.

The first couch in RAW FORM:

 I'm not the first to build such things from pallets, nor am I the last. There are so many being wasted, thrown to the landfills because of a broken slat or company disregard. Some people have even made a business of remodeling these free to cheaper then a cup of coffee pallets, making furniture or other useful items. Albeit, the pricing is not even close to a budget minded individual. A simple engine search using the words " pallet furniture , Pallet chair , pallet couch , pallet projects , etc will produce MANY sources of inspiration & how to's. The hard part on working with pallets, besides being a pain in the Arse to dismantle the pieces, they come in many sizes and shapes. Rarely ever being exact in size to similar pieces. Creative Problem solving is very common when utilizing Pallets for recycling.

I have utilized a few various kinds of pallets. Most think of the typical square shape with slats. I have found a source for 3 tier shipping pallets at a local Garden nursery, which is the source for the framing of my Potter shed last Fall.

 Now I have 2 Fireside couches using pallet wood and a few additional pieces found in the scrap cart of Home Depot for 51 cents each. I still have some paint touch ups left before I do the cushions.

The almost finished Pallet couch ensemble:

Including the price of screws as well as the scrap lumber, I made these two pallet couch projects for under $12. The screws were $10 a box and I still have a small amount left to utilize in this next project.

A Fort Club house for the kids, in the woods!

Another shipping 3 tier pallet found at the Garden Nursery Free wood spot. Even has a poly roof piece:

You'll need to stay tuned for the this next project's finished look. Little Man & I are busting out the tools to take on this next pallet remodel as soon as he gets home from school. I have a most adventure inspiring style in mind and can not wait to get it out. I'm hoping to incorporate their Zipline into this but I'm getting ahead of myself. I need to clear more between the trees as well as rip away the poison oak I have found twining around a few trees. I'm the only one in the family who does not break out in ugly blisters when dealing with these things, so you know where I'll be in the morn. Playing in the woods!

Sweet dreams,

~Tammie

New Garden residents & Zentangle treasure

I'm back & finally settled into routine after the moving trip of my little brother & sister in law. Some of my plants were dead but thankfully nothing like it was when I left The Captain in charge of the seedlings a few years ago. The mass of my herbs are dead with a few holding on. Hopefully by planting them yesterday, they will be rejuvenated and thrive. The garden, as I have mentioned before, has been mulched with wood chips. The fight of the weeds is in yet another year of experimentation. I know, your thinking that whole nitrogen robbing thought as many do when I mention the wood chips. Have a look at this site which is my reason to give it a go*.

I left a few spots bare for the purpose of direct seeding, leaving FAR less space which will need my attention. The spot closest to you in the picture, with the 2x4 barrier is the flower space, just in front of the Potter Shed.

Speaking of the Potter Shed, have I mentioned a Robin built her nest in there on the Garden hoe? Oh yes, I believe I had mentioned it just recently. For 2 days after the nest was spotted, we had rain & cold. Surely the Robin would not lay her eggs in that short of a time... But I was wrong. So ALL work on the Potter shed roof and door as well as the painting of the interior has been put on hold long enough for Mother Robin to raise her chicks.

As you can see, she is rather protective and watchful over the Potter shed. There simply is not a solution I can deal with that would prevent me from disrupting her off the nest. I take breaks from the garden every 30 minutes to ensure she can get back in there as well as when I see she comes back with worms hanging from her beak, I leave the area so she can feed the babes. I had hoped she would become accustom to my presence and not be such a nervous Nelly every time I would be working in the garden. Instead she yells at me from every fence corner to the shed rooftop, flitting between the Bentwood arbor and the expanse of the wide open grass just beyond the pickets. Silly Bird. Or is it more like silly human...

Mama Robin is perched on the middle temporary roof beam, above, on the Potter shed I made.

Another new Garden resident is this little songstress who has belted out such charming calls, I can not help but hope he or she stays. I have seen it coming & going from the shabby coffee can house as well as bring what I can only guess is a mate. I'm not too knowledgeable on bird species but from what I was able to find as a possible match, this may be a Winter Wren ,{correct me if I'm wrong. I truly would like to know the variety}. For Winter Wrens, In their life, they have just one mate. The male finds nest locations and the female will choose amongst them her preference. I saw her visiting this nest last Sunday. I'm not sure if she has chosen it or not but this other bird has been bringing little twigs to insert into the hole. At times, it becomes comical watching it try to fit them in through the hole when the only obvious solution is to NOT clench it the beak sideways.

Before I go, I must share a most treasured gift I have received. My Mother in law has been enjoying the hobby of what is called Zentangle. Panda quickly picked up the art herself and both have been enjoying workshops and time together with this new passion. Now, I must explain WHY this gift is even more special. On this very shelf, I desired something of my 3 wee ones to be framed. I thought I might take them out & do a photo session for the perfect shot to be framed & placed in this very spot. Then, to my astonishment, I opened this Mother's Day gift and could not have been happier. It is the PERFECT piece to go in the spot I had long contemplated filling. I will treasure this for a lifetime.

Obviously, It is a tracing of each child's hand and filled with the art of Zentangle. You may wonder, What exactly is Zentangle? This site**link will be far more helpful then I could explain.

Be sure to have a look around the site linked above. Zentangle is such a beautiful form of ink work. I for one, could never sit still long enough to produce such pieces.

As you can also see from the photo, my Rugosa Roses are in bloom. I am not able to identify it's exact variety name but they are a hybrid. A mix of Rugosa with another Rose Variety, the parent for it's multi petal form. Which ever variety it may be, it has a scent I wish I could fill the air with all day long. Thankfully, they are a continuous bloom rose I can enjoy up into the Fall.

There is mention of Rain in the forecast for Wednesday so I have been rushing about to get so much done after being away for so long. Yet I feel I am running out of things I can do by myself. I can only recruit The Captain on the weekends for jobs that need more muscle then I can provide. I do believe I am hitting a lull in my daily amusements. 

I am sure it will not take long for me to find something to get into, being I flit amongst my interests like a field of flowers to a butterfly.. For the time being, I wish you the best of...

Sweetest Dreams,

~Tammie