This year February went out like a lion for us. I suppose it was shielding March, who usually gets blamed for that kind of weather. Last week, there was a particularly windy day. Nutmeg was barking all day long so I didn't pay her much attention. After I clocked out I was standing on the porch, talking on the phone and watching Nutmeg sniff a tarp that had been laying on our trampoline. About five minutes later I thought, did that fall off the trampoline? and then I thought, hey, where is the trampoline?
We had two heavy duty anchors on that thing. The anchors were still securely in the ground. The straps were not attached though. I didn't even bother looking around wondering where it went. There is almost always a Northeastern wind blowing across our farm, and since we put the trampoline together we made jokes that one day we would just come home and the trampoline would be down the hill in the creek. We were right. Jamie and I followed the path the trampoline had taken down the hill and were able to find all seventy-two springs along the way. That's a good thing. You wouldn't want to hit those with a bush hog.
Apparently the wind did not read the warning label. It says right on it, "Trampoline is not designed to be moved." In other news we have some trampoline parts for sale, if anyone is interested.
Spring has come early on the farm. We are already seeing the yellow and white blooms of flowers and trees. We've been walking around and making plans on where everything will be planted in the next few months. This is still the fun stage. We look forward to it now even though by August we will be fighting over who has to do which outdoor chores. But we won't worry about that yet, Spring is a season of looking forward to the growing season. Abby kitty is looking forward in the picture above. Okay, she's probably looking forward to the bird chasing. I don't like it, but she is a wild animal who lives with us.
I know I'm looking forward to blackberry season. this is a picture of a bird nest in one of our blackberry bushes. Every time we picked off this bush there was a strange hissing/clicking. We couldn't tell who was making it but we knew it was a warning to back off. Now we know why. I'm glad it wasn't the three foot cicada I was picturing in my mind.
This picture was taken last week and today the blooms are so thick you can barely see through the tree at all.
And then the sad picture. If you haven't heard the story, our very first round of trees all perished to the hands of unseasonably warm fall weather and a drought in 2016. The following spring we planted 500 more and at least 400 of those are still alive. The ones in the picture were planted fall of 2017. They were pretty and green until that week of ten degree temperatures in January. We're hoping a few of these will make it, but it's not looking good. From the stories we've heard from other farmers, it seems this is just something a lot of us go through and it's not uncommon to lose most or all of your trees the first few tries. And if Jamie and I are anything we are go getters, to the extent that we are naive about it. So don't worry, we aren't giving up!
I love coffee, but sadly for health reasons I should stay
away from it. Sometimes I can purge my system of all caffeine, but it never
lasts that long. The smell is a siren calling me into its dark waters, then the
warm rich taste renders me docile and powerless to swim away.
Okay, that got weird. Sorry about that.
Since I don’t indulge that often I make it an experience
when I do. I pull out the whole beans, coffee grinder, and the French press. I
love my French press but it doesn’t keep the coffee hot enough for me, and once
I pour the milk in it’s practically lukewarm. Since my French press gives me
warm hugs on the inside, I decided to give it a warm hug from the outside—and
insulate my coffee while I’m at it—with this French press sweater vest. Your coffee
will say merci beaucoup.
Measurements
approximately 10 inches x 12.5 inches
Yarn I used a
bulky yarn that recommended size 10.5 needles. It doesn’t take much, so any
wool or insulating fiber will work. You can even use scraps from other
projects.
Needles straight
needles size 10.5 or needles to match your yarn.
Notions 4 buttons
Pattern
Row 1: Knit
Row 2: Purl
Row 3: Knit
Row 4: *K1, P1*
repeat to the end
Instructions
Cast on 30 stitches and begin working the pattern until your
work measures 12.5 inches from the cast on row. Cast off.
Button loops
For the button loops make 4 I-cords approximately 3.5 inches
long with enough tail on each end to tie on to the sweater vest. When sewing on
the loops and the buttons, space them out evenly along opposing edges. Make
sure they match up.
Bobbles (make 2)
For the bobble cast on 2 stitches
Next row: On each stitch knit through the front and back and
through the front again leaving 6 stitches.
Tuck in the short tail from the cast on (not the 16 inch
tail) into the bobble, sew around the edges, and pull them together, forming a
ball
Thread each bobble—one from each end—through the loops
created from the k1, p1 rows. Attach the tail to the end opposite the bobble.
To use: button at
the handle side, buttoning around the handle. Once you pour in the coffee and
hot water, pull the drawstring to close around the plunger. Try to wait for
your coffee to brew and enjoy.
The downfall to budgeting is that when I see how much I’m actually spending on things it inevitably leads to guilt over the amount I’m spending. If I set a goal and I don’t hit that goal, I’ve failed. I see posts all the time about how much people save by couponing or doing freezer meals—both of which I’m a fan—and then I feel bad if I spend more than they did. Well, I’m getting off the guilt train at this stop. If you feel grocery guilt too, get off the train with me. I’ve figured out that there are three guiding factors that determine your grocery budget. Depending on what season of life you are in or if you have dietary restrictions, you may not even have control over them. Think about where you fall on these factors at this point in your life and accept it if you can’t change them. You are no longer allowed to feel guilt over how much you do or don’t spend, starting now.
The first factor is TIME. How much time do you have or want to give to meal planning, meal prep, and grocery shopping? We pay for convenience, but sometimes that’s our only option. I’m not just talking about pre-packaged dinners or frozen lasagnas. Shredded chicken recipes are an important staple in my family. When I have time I roast a whole chicken—or parts of a chicken—myself. It’s about half the price of pre-cooked chicken. I just need the time to roast it. If I just can’t squeeze that in, I use a few rotisserie chickens instead. It costs more, but if there isn’t time to save money, there just isn’t time. If you have young kids, busy teenagers, or just a demanding life outside of cooking, you probably don’t have time either. So stop feeling guilty about paying for pre-cooked foods. You’re finding the time to eat at home, and that’s enough.
The second factor is MONEY. No matter how you look at it, if you have a target to hit, you may not always have the luxury of choosing foods based on convenience or even preference. You are still not allowed to feel guilt over this. Even if you don’t always—or ever—get the organic produce, even if you sometimes—or always—get non-BPA free cans, you are eating at home. You’re making your budget work. Be proud!
The third factor is PREFERENCE. If you have food allergies or dietary preferences, this is going to be your dominant factor, and you don’t have the option to change that. Did you cringe in the paragraph above when I mentioned conventional produce and non-BPA free cans? If so, your preferences most likely take precedent over the other factors. Personally, I am an emotional eater and there are times when a boxed brownie mix is non-negotiable. If it were going to cause me extended grief and a week of unmet cravings, I’d rather just get the darn brownie mix, even if it were a few extra dollars on my grocery bill. Whatever your situation, don’t feel guilty; you’re not a diva. This is just where you are in life. Plan your grocery budget accordingly.
No one is 100% in one factor alone. We all have some of each of these factors influencing us. The combination that makes up your unique self determines what your grocery budget should be. Below is a quiz to help you determine where you fall on the budget map. Once you see where you land, you can start to understand the challenges you face and you can stop stressing and feeling guilty for spending more or less than everyone else. As your circumstances change, your percentage will change. So if you take this quiz a few years down the road, you may get a different result.
1. You are making refried beans this week, which do you choose?
a. 2 cans of beans with easy open pop tops for $3.00
b. Store brand dry beans for $1.50
c. 2 cans organic beans in BPA free cans for $5.00
2. You won a contest, which would you rather have as a prize?
a. 2 weeks worth of freezer meals already made for you
b. $250 cash
c. A 3 month subscription to an organic vegetable/fruit CSA
3. You have eggs on your list which ones do you get?
a. Whichever is closest to the check out
b. The cheapest ones
c. The organic and free range ones/I have my own laying hens at home
4. Your friend invites you to a new restaurant in town, which is your most pressing concern?
a. How long will we have to wait for a table? /Do we have reservations?
b. What is the price range?
c. Will they have something I can eat?
5. You have a recipe calling for shredded chicken, which do you choose
a. 2 pre-cooked rotisserie chickens $8.00
b. A 10 lb. bag of chicken leg quarters $6.00
c. A whole raw organic chicken for $12.00
6. Why do you choose water at a restaurant?
a. They brought it when I sat down and I didn’t want to wait for them to bring another drink
b. It’s free!
c. It’s healthy!
7. You need to make a salad for dinner this week. Which do you choose?
a. A pre-packaged salad with dressing included $3.00
b. A head of iceberg lettuce and the store brand ranch that was on sale $2.00
c. A tub of organic baby kale and organic dressing $8.00
8. Which bread do you choose?
a. Anything is fine, I just want to get through this
b. Whichever is on sale
c. Gluten free bread for me
9. You are at the movie theater, why did you sneak in your own snacks?
a. I didn’t have time to stand in line
b. I’m not paying $5.00 for a handful of M&M’s
c. I can’t eat anything they sell
10. Which of these do you feel is your most precious resource?
a. Time
b. Money
c. Preferences
If you haven’t figured it out, A’s are TIME, B’s are MONEY, and C’s are PREFERENCES. The scoring is easy; there are 10 questions so each one is 10%. So if you have 4 A’s, 5 B’s, and 1 C, you are 40% Time, 50% Money, 10% Preferences. You can read about what your percentages mean below.
TIME
Low (0% - 30%) You’ve got the time; you can do what you want!
Mid (40% - 60%) Sometimes you need convenience, but you can usually make the time.
High (70% - 100%) Hats off to you for even cooking anything. You are busy. Do whatever you need to do with no guilt. Search for fast recipes online. Maybe add paper plates to your list to save time on clean up.
MONEY
Low (0% - 30%) Money isn’t a factor to you, so you can pay for the convenience you need or for the particular items you really need/want.
Mid (40% - 60%) If you’re tight that week, you buy the store brand. When you’re not, it’s name brands for you. Just know where you are in your budget and make the choices to save money when needed.
High (70% - 100%) You are a penny pincher and that’s a good thing. Stick to that budget and work those coupons. Search for cheap recipes online.
PREFERENCES
Low (0% - 30%) You are too busy or too money conscious to worry about anyone’s preferences. You get what you get and you don’t fuss a bit.
Mid (40% - 60%) For the most part your preferences don’t drive your grocery cart, but some items are non-negotiable.
High (70% - 100%) You have your guidelines on specific things you need and price or budget doesn’t matter. Keep on keepin’ on. Your budget isn’t flexible, but you are happy with your food. Search for recipes based on your preferences.
I know my numbers, now what do I do with them?
This quiz is about knowing your unique needs. So now that you do, you can stop feeling guilty for not being able to spend $4 per meal using organic grass-fed beef. You can be more understanding of yourself, and you can budget accordingly. If you are high on preferences, you are going to have a higher budget than most people, so give yourself a higher budget in the food category. Likewise if you have a high percentage for time, you’re going to need a little more money in your budget than others. Pay attention to your schedule. If it’s a week when all of your kids have after school activities every night and your husband is working late and not able to help, you’re going to need more convenience foods. If you have a high percentage for money, maybe try couponing, shop store sales, and always get the store brand when it’s cheaper.
I have found that no matter where I am on these factors, freezer meals have helped me keep it all together. I am happy to share some of the meals that work well for me. When I post recipes on here I will note some possible substitutions based on these factors. Whatever your percentage, you can find ways to save and make smart decisions on purchases, and to do that it helps to know where you are coming from. I hope this quiz helped you do that.
This past weekend Jamie and I attended the 2018 PickTN Conference in Chattanooga, TN. Being busy newbie farmers leaves us little time for couple getaway weekends, so we made the most of it and found some interesting places to stop along the way.
The first place we found was Mooney’s Emporium in Monteagle, TN. The billboard mentioned a yarn shop. I’m a fiberphile, and I needed a hit. Mooney’s didn’t disappoint. There were lovely skeins to admire and pet. Jamie even seemed entertained and let me tell him all about all the different kinds, brands, and colors.
After the Thursday sessions were over we found a great restaurant downtown. It was about a half mile from the hotel and the temperature was around 70 degrees, so we walked, and even ended up eating outside—a special treat for February in the Tennessee mountains. The restaurant was Urban Stack and it was gourmet burgers. There were several different and unique options. It was delicious.
My favorite place of all was one we found on the way home—The Mountain Goat Market, also in Monteagle, TN. Friendly service, colorful and quirky décor, and interesting gift items for purchase. They had pizza, salads, and sandwiches, and many, many desserts to choose from I would recommend some items, but everything we ate was incredible. You really can’t go wrong in ordering. If you’re in or passing through the area, it’s well worth the stop.
We had a great time together and at the conference, but it’s always so nice to come home. I think the animals missed us more than the kids, but it was a close call. Either way it’s good to be home.
