February Archives - Mid Atlantic Homestead

Reporting back on my sickness and how the herbs wo

Reporting back on my sickness and how the herbs worked for me.
On Friday, I felt like I was coming down with something. I made the yarrow-chamomile-elderberry tea blend that I talked about in my last post.
My 5 day treatment (Friday - Tuesday)
-drank at least two cups of strong yarrow tea every day
-teaspoon of echinacea horehound honey every morning and evening
-avoided sugar and dairy
-got to bed early 😴 (this was the hardest part! With harvest coming in and a friend visiting)
I progressed through the illness as described by my friend who "gave" it to me. Sore throat to runny nose, to post nasal drip, to cough. BUT the symptoms have been mild and manageable. Whereas she was "in bed for 4 days", I had energy and was able to get through all my activities and chores.
Herbs SUPPORT your body's natural abilities to heal. Much as I hate being sick, it's been a good reminder of how many amazing healing plant gifts we've been blessed with in nature.
Zero pharmaceuticals needed!
#naturalmedicine #coldseason #teaandhoney #herbsforflu #herbalhealing #naturalhealth
#midatlantichomestead #homegrownmedicine

At the first tickle of a sore throat, making yarro

At the first tickle of a sore throat, making yarrow-elderberry-chamomile tea.
I met a sick friend a couple days ago and counseled her on her many herbal treatment options.
Could I have caught it from her?
I really hope not! Another dear old friend is coming to visit me this weekend. I have plans! Taking precautions and hoping for the best🤞
Yes, there's milky oats in there too. I just always have to add some 😏
Echinacea horehound honey on the side ❤️
#simpleremedies
#herbalmedicine
#immunesupport
#midatlantichomestead

Busy summer kitchen. July has passed in a blink.

Busy summer kitchen.
July has passed in a blink. Weeding, harvesting, planting, and preserving. Baking more bread for ALL the tomato sandwiches. My little helpers working alongside me all the way. ❤️
#midatlantichomestead #summerkitchen #littlehelpers

Rosemary hair rinse. I've been using vinegar inst

Rosemary hair rinse.
I've been using vinegar instead of conditioner on my hair for almost a decade now. I love how simple it is, how inexpensive, and how it doesn't weigh down my hair.
Infusing it with rosemary gives it similar properties to the rosemary oil for hair: preventing hair loss and encouraging hair growth.
#naturalhealth #naturalremedy #naturalconditioner #homemadehairproducts #growyourown #midatlantichomstead

My memory is horrible. I try to record everything

My memory is horrible. I try to record everything so that I don't make the same mistakes twice.
I also like to keep all my notes together in one place so that I don't forget where I put my carefully recorded notes 🙃
The Homestead Garden Journal and Planner grew out of my own need to keep my garden planning, planting, harvest, and preserving information ALL together.
I'm glad to share it with all of you, and I really hope it helps you too. Honestly I'd make it every year even if I was the only one who ordered it! 🤭 I love it. It's so much more fun recording things on beautiful pages.
#midatlanticgarden
#midatlantichomstead
#gardening #gardenjournal #canning #preserving

Winter pho. Trying to keep my family on board aft

Winter pho.
Trying to keep my family on board after more than three months of no grocery shopping means making a few really special meals every week.
-2 days of simmering beef stock, added pho spices the second day
-sirloin steak
-the last of our fresh homegrown carrots 😬
-chickweed sprouts
-pickled jalapenos
-the last 2 packages of rice noodles
We're really making progress clearing out old bits of this and that from the pantry. 💪 Another great benefit of the grocery shopping fast 😁
#nogroceryshopping #pantrychallenge
#selfsufficiency #midatlantichomstead #threeriverschallenge

Guess which seedlings spent the night warm and coz

Guess which seedlings spent the night warm and cozy in my entry way? 😆
Kale, valerian, onion sprouts, and mountain mint are hardening off, slowly moving outside after sprouting under the grow lights. The rest are still "cold stratifying" outside, experiencing all the shifts in temperatures, so their seed casings will crack and they can sprout.
Make sense?
It's all a little confusing at this time of year. The daffodils, hyacinths, and tulips have sprouted, and the snow drops are blooming. The chickens are laying like it's spring, hence the quiche, but it's snowing and temperatures are supposed to drop into the 20s every night in the upcoming week 🤭.
Here in Maryland winter/spring weather is a yo-yo and can heat up quickly. Sometimes our cool weather crops just don't have a good window of time for growing in the spring. I find that most of my brassicas grow best in the fall.
#marylandfarm
#marylandgarden #zone7 #zone7a
#seedstarting #midatlantichomstead #coldstratification

First direct sowing of 2024. Streaker hulless oats

First direct sowing of 2024.
Streaker hulless oats.
I'm hoping to harvest some grain, but if not, no biggie. It's a great cover crop.
#sowingmyoats #hullessoats #covercrop
#midatlantichomstead #midatlanticgarden #marylandfarm #marylandgarden #zone7

Shocked how warm the soil already is! February 1

Shocked how warm the soil already is!
February 15th is the early end of the recommended timeframe for planting oats in our area. The recommended soil temperature is 43-45⁰F. The average temperature in my garden today was 48⁰F!
🤔 Guess I'll be preparing that bed tomorrow!
I'm trying to see whether I can grow and actually harvest hulled oats, not just as a cover crop. I figure if the harvest fails, at least it'll still serve as a cover crop. 😆
#midatlantichomstead
#midatlanticgarden
#hulledoats
#zone7
#zone7a
#soiltemperature

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Starting seeds indoors: What can I plant in February?

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Reporting back on my sickness and how the herbs wo

Reporting back on my sickness and how the herbs worked for me.
On Friday, I felt like I was coming down with something. I made the yarrow-chamomile-elderberry tea blend that I talked about in my last post.
My 5 day treatment (Friday - Tuesday)
-drank at least two cups of strong yarrow tea every day
-teaspoon of echinacea horehound honey every morning and evening
-avoided sugar and dairy
-got to bed early 😴 (this was the hardest part! With harvest coming in and a friend visiting)
I progressed through the illness as described by my friend who "gave" it to me. Sore throat to runny nose, to post nasal drip, to cough. BUT the symptoms have been mild and manageable. Whereas she was "in bed for 4 days", I had energy and was able to get through all my activities and chores.
Herbs SUPPORT your body's natural abilities to heal. Much as I hate being sick, it's been a good reminder of how many amazing healing plant gifts we've been blessed with in nature.
Zero pharmaceuticals needed!
#naturalmedicine #coldseason #teaandhoney #herbsforflu #herbalhealing #naturalhealth
#midatlantichomestead #homegrownmedicine

At the first tickle of a sore throat, making yarro

At the first tickle of a sore throat, making yarrow-elderberry-chamomile tea.
I met a sick friend a couple days ago and counseled her on her many herbal treatment options.
Could I have caught it from her?
I really hope not! Another dear old friend is coming to visit me this weekend. I have plans! Taking precautions and hoping for the best🤞
Yes, there's milky oats in there too. I just always have to add some 😏
Echinacea horehound honey on the side ❤️
#simpleremedies
#herbalmedicine
#immunesupport
#midatlantichomestead

Busy summer kitchen. July has passed in a blink.

Busy summer kitchen.
July has passed in a blink. Weeding, harvesting, planting, and preserving. Baking more bread for ALL the tomato sandwiches. My little helpers working alongside me all the way. ❤️
#midatlantichomestead #summerkitchen #littlehelpers

Rosemary hair rinse. I've been using vinegar inst

Rosemary hair rinse.
I've been using vinegar instead of conditioner on my hair for almost a decade now. I love how simple it is, how inexpensive, and how it doesn't weigh down my hair.
Infusing it with rosemary gives it similar properties to the rosemary oil for hair: preventing hair loss and encouraging hair growth.
#naturalhealth #naturalremedy #naturalconditioner #homemadehairproducts #growyourown #midatlantichomstead

My memory is horrible. I try to record everything

My memory is horrible. I try to record everything so that I don't make the same mistakes twice.
I also like to keep all my notes together in one place so that I don't forget where I put my carefully recorded notes 🙃
The Homestead Garden Journal and Planner grew out of my own need to keep my garden planning, planting, harvest, and preserving information ALL together.
I'm glad to share it with all of you, and I really hope it helps you too. Honestly I'd make it every year even if I was the only one who ordered it! 🤭 I love it. It's so much more fun recording things on beautiful pages.
#midatlanticgarden
#midatlantichomstead
#gardening #gardenjournal #canning #preserving

Winter pho. Trying to keep my family on board aft

Winter pho.
Trying to keep my family on board after more than three months of no grocery shopping means making a few really special meals every week.
-2 days of simmering beef stock, added pho spices the second day
-sirloin steak
-the last of our fresh homegrown carrots 😬
-chickweed sprouts
-pickled jalapenos
-the last 2 packages of rice noodles
We're really making progress clearing out old bits of this and that from the pantry. 💪 Another great benefit of the grocery shopping fast 😁
#nogroceryshopping #pantrychallenge
#selfsufficiency #midatlantichomstead #threeriverschallenge

Guess which seedlings spent the night warm and coz

Guess which seedlings spent the night warm and cozy in my entry way? 😆
Kale, valerian, onion sprouts, and mountain mint are hardening off, slowly moving outside after sprouting under the grow lights. The rest are still "cold stratifying" outside, experiencing all the shifts in temperatures, so their seed casings will crack and they can sprout.
Make sense?
It's all a little confusing at this time of year. The daffodils, hyacinths, and tulips have sprouted, and the snow drops are blooming. The chickens are laying like it's spring, hence the quiche, but it's snowing and temperatures are supposed to drop into the 20s every night in the upcoming week 🤭.
Here in Maryland winter/spring weather is a yo-yo and can heat up quickly. Sometimes our cool weather crops just don't have a good window of time for growing in the spring. I find that most of my brassicas grow best in the fall.
#marylandfarm
#marylandgarden #zone7 #zone7a
#seedstarting #midatlantichomstead #coldstratification

First direct sowing of 2024. Streaker hulless oats

First direct sowing of 2024.
Streaker hulless oats.
I'm hoping to harvest some grain, but if not, no biggie. It's a great cover crop.
#sowingmyoats #hullessoats #covercrop
#midatlantichomstead #midatlanticgarden #marylandfarm #marylandgarden #zone7

Shocked how warm the soil already is! February 1

Shocked how warm the soil already is!
February 15th is the early end of the recommended timeframe for planting oats in our area. The recommended soil temperature is 43-45⁰F. The average temperature in my garden today was 48⁰F!
🤔 Guess I'll be preparing that bed tomorrow!
I'm trying to see whether I can grow and actually harvest hulled oats, not just as a cover crop. I figure if the harvest fails, at least it'll still serve as a cover crop. 😆
#midatlantichomstead
#midatlanticgarden
#hulledoats
#zone7
#zone7a
#soiltemperature

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