So we’ve grown all this food, how do we preserve it? What do you do with all the zucchini, or tomatoes? I have found that you can only make so much zucchini bread, so what to do with all of the rest? I prefer canning over freezing. I find that my stores last longer when can. I resisted canning for the longest time. I remember… Read More »Preserving the harvest
I prefer canning over freezing for preserving food. I find that the veggies taste better and last longer. Not to mention, you know exactly what’s in the jar! First, get a giant pot of water on the stove to boil. Then wash all the jars and lids and rings. I wash more than I need, nothing is worse than having everything ready to go and… Read More »Canning
Umeboshi are Japanese salted plums. We have three plum trees here on The butterfly Hill that had not been pruned in many years. Since I was learning what we have here on The Butterfly Hill first, I wanted to know how to take care of the trees and cure its fruit. After much research, it was decided, the trees needed to severely cut back to… Read More »Making Umeboshi
This journey has been magical from the start. It started as a Butterfly project and has evolved into Permaculture Homesteading. One of the very first steps is learning what surrounds you. If you are lucky enough to have California Hazel Nut shrubs, go buy a lotto ticket! Also known as the Western Beaked Hazel, Western Hazel, Beaked Hazel. Latin name Corylus Cornuta variety Californica. They… Read More »California Hazel Nut
Homesteading is not for sissy’s. The naysayers will be many. Don’t listen, don’t get discouraged. Follow your own heart and do what it takes to make your dreams come true. I have had so many failures in all my new adventures. But I don’t really think of them as failures. Simply a try. Try and Try Again! and again, until you succeed. Seeds are a… Read More »Your gonna do WHAT?!
I try hard to maintain a waste free kitchen. I save all scraps from veggies. You can use the butts of celery, carrots, potatoes, beets, onions and garlic, ( as well as the skins) broccoil, squash anything really. I have a tub in the freezer that I use to store until I get enough to make a stock. I cut the pieces so they will… Read More »Making veggie stock from kitchen scraps
St John’s Wort or the greek Hypericum Perforayum which means “Over a spirit”. Other common names are Goatweed, Klamath Weed, Tipton’s Weed and Rosin Rose. It is named after John the Baptist as it is harvested at midsummer on his Birthday. There are many mentions of the sun and the Solstic to St John’s Wort. As I look at and live with and learn to… Read More »Saint John’s Wort plant
We have a cherry tree here on Butterfly Hill. It was gangly and had not been pruned in many years. So there were not many cherries at all. This year I decided to try and save some of the cherries for us. The birds get most of them. Flash tape was put on the lower branches we could reach. I knew that I would not… Read More »The 1st Cherry Harvest
As I watched the Caterpillars grow, I had no idea the journey they would take me on…. Early on in our lockdown, my Birthday arrived. I got a email that a package was at my P. O. So I masked up and picked up the present that magically arrived on my actual birthday! It was a set to raise Caterpillars to Butterflies that my sister… Read More »“Be brave like the Caterpillar, so you can Fly like the Butterfly “
