Wild Violet Pops! Fun with Wild Eddibles

These pops are not only beautiful, delicious and fun to make, but they are supper nutritious. Spring time is the perfect time of year to get outside and put those weeds to good use. Violets are full of vitamins and have so many health benefits. My kids love collecting the violets, making these pops and we all love eating them. What a treat!

Wild Violet Pops

What you will need:

• 2 1/2 cup freshly picked violets without stems (separated)
• 5 cups boiling water
• Juice from 1 lemon
• 10 - 20 drops stevia or honey to taste
• 1 t vanilla
• ZOKU Quick Pop Mold

Directions:

Pour boiling water over 2 cups of violets in a glass bowl. Let sit covered for 6 - 8 hours to create an infusion. Stain the flowers out of the water. The water should be a pretty blue color now. Add the lemon and watch the magic happen. Then add your vanilla and sweetener to taste. Place the other 1/2 cup of violets in a glass of water. Using tweezers, take the wet violets out of the glass and place them on the insides of your ZOKU pop mold. They should stick to the side. Then place your stick in mold and you are ready to pour in your liquid. Watch it freeze in about 7 minutes and then enjoy this spring time treat. 

                                 

        

our winter garden - first egg!

Winter is in the air and we are preparing for a cozy few months snuggled by the fire. But there is still lots to do outside and the garden is still a place of excitement and discovery for us. 

With the cold weather upon us, we were prepared not to expect our chickens to start laying eggs until spring yet each day  we check for that mysterious little miracle and what do you know........AN EGG!!!!!! You would have thought we won the lottery we were so excited. Jumping up and down, taking pictures. The neighbors must have had a laugh over us. Since then we have had an egg a day. And they are the best looking and tasting eggs!

And here is the little layer now....Stripy. We are pretty sure she is the one laying the eggs. 

One of the kids jobs is to clean the coop and feed the chickens. They give them yummy salads with all their favorite wild edibles each day. Probably why their eggs are so good. 

These chickens are well loved.

And this is the first egg! We split it five ways.

More new from the garden: We still have lots of Chinese radishes and beets which we make soup from...greens and all. 

The kids are great harvesters. Even Scout gets in the mix washing the veg. 

We harvested the last of the peppers. and put that into our soup as well.

 With these mini hoop houses we should be able to eat from the garden all winter. I have baby collards growing now and some chard and arugula too. Next on the list is to wrap the fig tree a bit to protect it from the cold. Well, that is what is going on in my little piece of earth. I hope you are finding ways to get out and enjoy your garden this winter. No matter what the weather, there is always something to be grateful for. 

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Flaky Gluten and Grain-Free Biscuits

Flaky Gluten and Grain-Free Biscuits

3 C cipsy almonds
1/2 C organic amaranth, teff, potato, tapioca or corn flour
1/2 C coconut flour
1/2 t Salt
3/4 t baking Soda
1/2 C bacon fat or butter
2 eggs
1 t apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor grind Almonds, Flours, Salt and Baking Soda. Add the bacon fat or butter and pulse until the fat is about the size of a pea. In a separate small bowl whisk together the eggs and Vinegar. Pour mixture in with the flour and mix just until the dough comes together. It may feel a little wet. Form gently into biscuit sized pieces and put on a parchment paper line cookie sheet. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes. Top with more butter and enjoy!

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Real Rood Wednesdays with Kelly the Kitchen Kop

this morning in the garden

As the first sign of light shone through the trees, I put my new blue garden boots on and headed out. 

The bright red tomatoes begging to be picked.

My happy Cuban Oregano plant.

Greens needing some good fertilizing next to what I think is a lambs ear.

Chinese radish and beets......hmmmm....I think we will make kimchi.

Stripy looking perky and excited to see me.

Loving their morning salad.

A view from the compost.

Edible weed lined path.

Jetta woke up and joined me. Proud of her find.

Almost ripe.

Finding some peppers.

A red one!

Chinese What!!!??? 

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They are almost bigger then her!

Just a pretty view. 

Oh yes, our new addition. A swing made from an old papsan chair we found on the side of the road. Hours of fun I tell you.

Making a bouquet after pruning the rose bushes. As she worked she said, "Most kids are going to school right now, and I am cutting roses." And she continued with a pleasant look on her face. 

Have a wonderful Day!

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away from the farm

It has been a while since I wrote much. We have been traveling down the east coast and enjoying the sun, the waves, and the warm sand. While we have been away, our wonderful family and friends have been taking care of our little urban farm for us. We hear that the chickens have been loving their daily treat of dandelion greens from grandma and I hope someone has been enjoying the abundance supply of peppers that are growing in the garden. I wonder if we ever got a red tomato? Oh, I so hope that we are not too late to eat a few figs. There was just one ripe one before we left. Remind me to never take a trip during fig season again. We are looking forward to seeing how big the chickens are and if we are getting any eggs yet. I am planing my winter garden now. Not sure what I will plant this year,. The collards did well last year under the hoop houses.

As wonderful as traveling is, we feel our little house and farm calling to us. This year more then ever I am feeling that call back to my life at home. We have truly loved visiting family and exploring new places these last few weeks, but I guess there really is no place like home. In my past I always felt the need for an escape from life, time to regroup and de-stress. now I see that we really have created the life we dreamed of in each day on our little piece of earth we call home. We are not needing a vacation from the daily grind. Though vacations are always fun, it is the 'need' that is no longer there. It feels so good to be free from that. It feels good to be happy just where we are and  be able to see the wonder and joy in each ordinary day right at home.

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from my garden into my kitchen

Cucumbers and ground cherries galore! 

Ground cherries growing in the garden. The kids love to look for them each day. 

 Peppers

 The view from the coop

a friend picking berries

I've been roasting veggies from the garden with olive oil and salt lately. So simple and delicious. 

 Had a craving for pizza a couple weeks ago while the kids were at a sleep over. I looked in the fridge to see what was in my mystery ice box and here is what I came up with. I made the crust with 1 avocado, 4 eggs, a little coconut and quinoa flour (about 1/4 cup total), xanthamn gum, baking soda and salt, blended in the food prosseor and put in a buttered pie dish to bake for about 10 minutes on 395, then added cheese, onions and peppers from the garden on top and it baked up golden brown. Sounds strange, I know, but I thought I was in Italy eating a plate of gluten. John and I scarfed it down. I will have to make this again for the kids, as they would love it. Hope some of you will try it and let me know what you think.