Chocolate Box Cottage Diary, Volume 2

Week 8: February 26, 2022

One way to deal with uncertainty and keep anxious thoughts at bay is to keep our hands busy.

Another way to deal with uncertainty and anxious thoughts is to pray, and I hope many of us are doing a lot of that, too.

On the hands busy side, I spent a couple of enjoyable hours pressing tinctures this week using a simple press made by a craftsman who sells on Etsy. The apothecary cupboard is restocked with echinacea and St. John’s wort tinctures for personal use, for sharing with family, and for trade and barter.

Sam and I put in 2 full days on repairs to our vintage A-frame greenhouse, with Sam as contractor and me as assistant. I am thrilled with the results! There is just one small problem, as you will see in the photos.

We welcomed new babies to the farm – and we ate well. Follow along with our week in pictures and feel free to ask questions.

An unusual cold spell for southern Oregon brought morning temps in the teens: 13-17F (-11c to -8c). No swimming today!

“I would like to lodge a complaint,” said Jasper, the handsome polydactyl cat.

Poopy eggs means it’s time to add fresh straw to the nest boxes.

A new tea blend creation: Enchanted Forest Chai.

Pressing Tinctures

This whole plant echinacea tincture uses leaf, bud, flower, and root in season to make better use of the plant, without waste and without killing the plant. You can find the tincture press here.

Greenhouse Repairs

Sam tears off the old, 1980’s era greenhouse roof.

Reinforcing the framework of the greenhouse on a budget.

Tinted roof panels being installed in two overlapping layers.

Finished. for now. Somehow we ended up with one mismatched panel – it is clear, the others are tinted.

Side view of our vintage A-frame greenhouse. Or is it front view? Note custom-built door that Sam made with salvaged wood and the old hardware. Small space, endless possibilities.

Most of my Norwegian and scented geraniums died in the cold snap, even inside the greenhouse. The hanging baskets escaped and thankfully I have rooted cuttings of the ones that died. The lemon trees are unfazed.

Good Food

Shrimp Pho (soup) with veggies a coconut broth and oodles of spiralized daikon noodles. Daikon is a long, white radish that spiralizes easily and is a neutral-tasting substitute for traditional rice noodles in this recipe. My favorite spiralizer, the Inspiralizer, has been discontinued. It is worth watching for on ebay.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup with roasted garlic and homemade knoephla (puffy German eggs noodles) is the ultimate comfort food.

Cauliflower rice is a pain to make, I will be the first to admit it. But oh, how delicious is this dish with cauli-rice, egg, scallions, and garlic, topped with toasted almond flour and fresh parsley.

Tea station, restocked with my favorite teas, tea cups, and utensils. Watch this video for ideas for creating a tea station or coffee bar in your home?

Toby, being magnificent.

Painted Desert Lambs

Babies! Triplet lambs for this third time mama, a Painted Desert ewe.

Day old Painted Desert lambs with coats reminiscent of marbles.

Mama with her parade of Painted Desert lambs.

This girl took over the nest when the mama who built it died unexpectedly. She is a Silver Muscovy.

Movie Night

Looking for a new series? The Mysterious Benedict Society follows four orphans on an unusual mission. Full of vivid color, plot twists, and a sense of urgency, this one is aimed at both kids and adults and is eminently bingeable.

Once again, we’ve reached the end of another week at Chocolate Box Cottage. Thank you for visiting and if you have a few minutes, feel free to keep reading or investigate the links provided in the text. Blessings to you on your day today.

Chocolate Box Cottage Diary, Volume 2

Week 7: February 19, 2022

Cool, frosty mornings are right around freezing and afternoons in the mid 60’s F (18c). The birds are happy and fill the air with chatter. It is surprisingly loud. Anyone who says they, “crave the quiet of the countryside,” has never been there. Or here.

The skunks have returned. From where, we do not know. We enjoyed being skunk-free these last several months, but when we heard the cat food bowl hit the side of the house on Monday evening Sam and I knew that meant the reprieve had ended.

We haven’t been sprayed (badly) yet, just small puffs of nauseating stink that last only a couple of days so far, and that due to Sam who persists in chasing them off. Sometimes I think he is worse than Toby, our grumpy old Maine coon cat. “Get outta here, go on, get!” says he, gesturing with his arms.

Skunks retaliate by picking up the empty cat food dish and flinging it against the house. And spraying, of course. Then ever so leisurely slipping under the gate to seek vittles and hospitality elsewhere.

Which means re-washing whatever is in the dryer because the scent goes right up the dryer vent and permeates the wash. Gahhhh!!! But as I said it hasn’t been terrible – yet. That day is coming, I am sure, and wouldn’t you love to be here visiting when it does?

Maybe you’d rather play my apprentice as I go through the farm kitchen tasks of the week: cooking, gardening, fermenting, inventorying the pantry, adding herbs to the apothecary, as well as shooting a video and answering at least a few hundred questions on all of the above subjects in online venues! I wish you could, it would be nice to have the help and the company some days!

Simple pleasures: cozy, beautiful socks (handmade by a dear friend, Linda Chandler, in Kentucky who send them to me as a surprise. Thank you, Linda!) a cup of tea, and a homemade cookie.

Valentine’s Day lunch at Mom’s. We packed a basket with a big jar of German Vegetable Soup with Dill, Baked Rice (custard), and Red Velvet Chocolate Tea from Farmhouse Teas.

PNW-Style Bacon and Veggie Fried Rice with garden greens, carrots, leftover chicken, and eggs from our chickens. A great use of leftovers, cool-season garden veggies, and odds-n-ends in the fridge.

Preparing to shoot a Bosch bread making video for Homesteading Family. Carolyn Thomas’ Art of Homemade Bread masterclass teaches you everything your grandmother (or great grandmother) used to know about baking soft, fluffy, and sliceable homemade bread. This is a batch of 5 loaves of 100% whole wheat bread.

One good way to get to know a far-away place is through their food. Get to know Ukrainian food and you will fall in love with the people. My mom’s side of the family is German-from-Russian, which is actually Ukraine. Summer Kitchens is one of my most-cherished cookbooks, it brings me closer to my family roots.

Four bowls of splendid salad greens: buckwheat, sunflower, pea, and radish (from left to right). I find seeds in many places: bulk bins at the locally-owned grocery store, Sprout People, and Johnny’s Seeds. Seed racks at garden centers frequently offer a small selection of seeds expressly for sprouting and eating. (You would not want to use treated seeds for food.)

I’m guessing grumpy Maine coon (Toby) locked the beautiful damsel in the hutch? Your guess is as good as mine.

Musqueé de Provence seed pumpkin, identified by the macramé yard I tied on the stem after hand-pollinating the female flower last summer. A peek inside reveals rich persimmon-colored flesh wish sweet, melon-like aroma and a wealth of sturdy seeds to save and replant.

Early spring pantry check. Your pantry may be spread out in different places like mine is, between kitchen cupboards, baskets on the floor, a closet, under beds, perhaps a shed or garage, and don’t forget your freezer!

A basket of garlic with many options for preserving before it begins to sprout. This time I plan to turn some into garlic salt, roast and freeze some for savory soups, and ferment some as a paste to season marinades and dressings and add flavor to stir fries.

We have been eating from the winter squash heap all winter and still there are plenty. Some will be baked and pureed for future pies, creamy soups, muffins, and other baked goods. Varieties left here include: Waltham butternut squash, porcelain princess pumpkin, and Musuqee de Provence pumpkin.

We are using up the last gallon jar of water glassed (or limed) eggs preserved in lime water. I keep a pair of rubber gloves draped over the top for ease of grabbing eggs. You also see a gallon of coconut oil, a crock of sauerkraut (in back), a lone bottle of huckleberry kombucha, and several jars of fermented garden produce including tomatillos and tomatoes.

A peek in the chest freezer reveals whole stewing hens (also known as spent laying hens) for broth, a turkey purchased at a discount last Thanksgiving, and local beef and fish.

Five gallon buckets with Gamma Seal lids are a convenient way to store whole grains like wheat, rye, barley; beans, popcorn, salt, sugar, and more as the lids easily spin off and on with one hand. No more struggling with a bucket tool to open a lid. I keep quart and half-gallon jars of individual grains in my kitchen cupboard and refill from the buckets as needed. Since I get into the buckets regularly, we do not use oxygen absorber packets. We eat from our food storage and continually replenish it throughout the year.

Happy mail from Starwest Botanicals included astragalus root, licorice root for, more amble glass tincture bottles, and a new set of tiny stainless steel funnels for easy filling of tincture bottles. Three homemade additions to the apothecary this week included diced dried organic tangerine peels, diced dried ginger, and dried hawthorn berries from a local tree. Some of the ginger was made into a fizzy ferment to add spice to stir fries and peanut dipping sauce for summer rolls.

Family-friendly movie recommendation: Support Your Local Sheriff. James Garner stars in this classic Western comedy, aided and abetted by the late Jack Elam, a southern Oregon local. You might just laugh through the entire movie like we did!

Coming soon: a new roof for the greenhouse!

If you have a few more minutes to relax with your cup of tea, feel free to take a peek at last week’s Cottage Diary entry. Thanks for visiting!

Chocolate Box Cottage Diary, Volume 2

Week 6: February 12, 2022

Glimmers of spring are showing: sunsets painted in vivid scarlet, pink, and gold, pansy faces, a nesting duck, and pasture greening.

Sam and I celebrated our 17th anniversary with our first theatre movie in who knows how long – and then discovered it was was an “oldie” from 2010 rereleased in theaters! That gave us a good laugh! Good movie, though! The action is a bit intense for small children, but overall is family-friendly.

Dinner at a nice local restaurant, Cicily’s Pastaria, felt extra special in light of the last 2 years. Nice atmosphere, attentive service; we both enjoyed our meal.

Follow along with our week at Chocolate Box Cottage in pictures and be sure to let me know how your week went. It’s okay if it wasn’t terrific. In fact, I would be honored if you would tell me one good thing and one hard thing about your week. You’ll find my hard thing in the final photo.

Sylvester lost a hen this week. Sylvester is a silver muscovy duck, and a handsome one at that. He does not hold still well for pictures, though. The wood supply is holding out, thanks to Sam’s careful management. And a daytime moon in a blue, blue sky.

Late winter blooms: Daphne odora, the most amazing scented shrub anywhere. Wild Garden Kale, as pretty as a flower in blue and purple, reseeds wherever it pleases. Three Peace rosebushes, a combination anniversary and memorial gift.

Blessed to be loved.

Wood stove for cozy evenings, mornings, and slow cooking.

Pizza takes shape in pictures, from dough to shaping to baking to eating.

It began with a tub of dough made with freshly milled whole wheat flour and a sweet, stiff Italian starter similar to sourdough (but without the sour) called lievito madre that fermented slowly in the fridge all week ahead of Pizza Night.

Flavorful toppings: homemade béchamel sauce, (leftover) turkey, diced bacon, and red onions. And cheese. Of course.

When it came time to eat, I pulled out a jar of Lemon Boy tomatoes, fermented the old-fashioned way in 5% brine with garlic and fresh basil, for a very special and tasty garnish.

This week’s Cottage Diary entry is dedicated to my dear, sweet kitty Velvet who died in my lap on Thursday morning, February 10, 2022. For 15 years Velvet sat in my lap every morning while I had my tea and quiet prayer time. She brought me comfort when my fibromyalgia was at its worst and seemed to understand me in ways no other furry creature ever has. I’m thankful for the years with this sweet girl.

Chocolate Box Cottage Diary Vol. 2
Week 5: February 5, 2022

Alyssa and I celebrated Mom’s/Grandma’s birthday with a tea party. Aunt Linda joined us, and Alyssa made omelets and fried potatoes and rutabaga for lunch. Mom loved her FarmHouse Teas gift box – we sipped Birthday Cake Tea!

I’m slowly returning to normal life in all its poignant beauty, after the illness that spreads like wildfire. I’m able to do small tasks, then read or rest; still being careful not to overdo.

Follow along with me this week in pictures as I turn a butternut squash into veggie “rice,” make crisp, salty crackers with extra ripe sourdough starter, strain a batch of “gourmet” made-from-scraps pineapple vinegar, and get an early start on the garden.

Meanwhile, Sam takes care of another pack rat nest and completes lots of other small tasks that I didn’t manage to capture on camera.

I said goodbye to a dear friend this week and while I will definitely miss her I’m also thankful that I had a chance to know her and be her friend. Good memories last forever. See you in heaven, Terri.

Even though it was Mom’s birthday, she enjoyed pouring.

Birthday Cake Tea from Farmhouse Teas is a perfect choice for a birthday, naturally. Rooibos tea leaves contribute maple-y vanilla tones and it’s sprinkled with flower petals – natural confetti!

My niece, Alyssa, brought all the fixings for omelets, including eggs from her backyard hens and pea shoots from her indoor microgreen garden. On the side: seasoned fried potatoes and rutabagas.

Aunt Linda opened her Christmas gift: a framed family picture, a copy of one from long ago and a handmade quilt that I sewed from big squares of flannel. The quilt is appropriately named Farmer’s Daughter. The rolling pin and handwritten recipes were from my Grandma, Aunt Linda’s mother, so they are extra-special to her. Especially since her house burned in the Almeda fire in southern Oregon on September 8, 2020.

Close-up of the gifts before wrapping. The photograph was taken mid-1970’s and includes Linda (far left) with her husband Russ Cooley and her two brothers and their wives: my parents Donna and Clay Gangnes, and Larry and Lois Gangnes.

Recipes were three of Grandma’s specialties: Snickerdoodles, Lemon Fluff Dessert, and Cherry Dessert.

We are eating our way through the winter squash harvest. This fluffy pile of neon orange bits is butternut squash, made with a spiralizer and food processor.

Extra sourdough starter (I refuse to use the term “discard” because that sounds like something you throw away) makes tasty crackers. Here you see the tools I use to make crackers. The grooved rolling pin is a lefse pin (learn about our annual family Lefse Day) and the scalloped edges are made with a ravioli and pastry cutter. You can of course use a traditional rolling pin and a knife. Crackers can be as basic or fancy as you like.

It’s early, but with the balmy weather I couldn’t resist planting carrots spring greens, including my favorite lettuce, Yugoslavian Red Butterhead. Garden beds were spread with a thick layer of leaves in the fall. I use blackberry brambles to keep cats from digging in my planting areas.

Frost-sweetened kale for soup.

Zuppa Toscana, Italian kale and sausage soup, is simmering on the wood stove next to the Turkish tea kettle that humidifies the air al winter. Click here to learn to harness the heat of your wood stove for cooking.

Seeds saved from butternut squash, roasted and seasoned with salt, pepper, and Fire Cider seasoning.

Time to strain a batch of pineapple vinegar, made from peels and cores of the fruit. Pineapple vinegar will age for about a month in my over-the-fridge fermentation cupboard where it stays 75-80F (24-27c). Note the thermometer strip fastened inside cupboard door.

Cake batter for a Bundt cake in the Ankarsrum Assistent mixer.

Marble Bundt cake and Red Velvet Cake tea from Farmhouse Teas. (It’s a Special Edition flavor, so get yours soon or pick another delightful flavor.)

Douglas pine and gray squirrels have been busy. Discarded pine cones resemble well-nibbled corn cobs.

The gap in the brush is, or was, a 12×12 foot pack rat nest.

Elk grazing in a local pasture.

See you in heaven someday, sweet friend.

If you’re looking for a good, clean, romantic comedy. Highly recommend!

Thank you for joining me on this walk down memory lane of the past week. Chronicling the happenings at Chocolate Box Cottage reminds me that a lot happens as I work at home! There is value in what I, what we, do at home. And photos help me see God’s grace in all the large and small things throughout the week. Thank you for being here.

Blessings,
Michele