homespun life

the hum of the sewing machine

 

During those long winter days it's a common thing in our house to hear the repetitive whir of the spinning wheel as it goes round and round, followed by the click-click-click of knitting needles. It's quite comforting actually.

Something happens at this time of year though. There's an unexplained pull towards the sewing machine and the whir and the click are replaced by the hum. With the windows wide open I can smell the lilac bushes and see the chickens as they wander about the yard. It's a lovely place to sit.

 

 

now that there are eggs

 

These days the sun is up by six and doesn't go down until well after eight o'clock (and getting later each night!). You know what that means right? Eggs!

One of the most wonderful things about spring is that egg season happens to coincide with cream season (due to all that rapidly growing green grass) and it's not so warm in the house yet that you don't mind turning the oven to 400 degrees for a while. All the perfect conditions for quiche I tell you. And with that, quiche season is upon us!

This is our family's tried and true quiche recipe. I must warn you that if you're one of those people (obviously I am not) that watches fat intake this recipe may give you the heebie-geebies. Please don't substitute milk for the cream or you'll end up with a weepy, and rather tasteless, quiche. Also, I do call this 'quiche' even though I make it without a crust. I know, I know – not technically correct but if you can't bear the thought of a crust-less quiche, go ahead and add one in.

 

 

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'Quiche Season' Quiche

3 storage onions (you know, the ones starting to sprout in your back cupboard by this time of year), peeled and sliced

lard or butter (for frying)

6 eggs

2 cups cream

2 cups grated cheese

salt and pepper

In a heavy bottomed pan, such as cast iron, melt a generous amount of lard (or butter) over medium-low heat. Add the onion slices. Season with some salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft and caramelized.

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 425F.

In a large bowl crack the eggs and whisk. Add the cream, salt (a really big pinch – maybe 1/2 tsp?), and pepper and whisk until well combined.

Grease the bottom and sides of a 10" quiche pan with lard or butter. Spread the caramelized onions along the bottom of the quiche pan. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top of the onions. Pour the egg/cream mixture on top.

Bake in a 425F oven for 15 minutes to brown the top nicely. Reduce the heat to 350F and continue to bake until the quiche is set in the middle (about another 15 minutes). Let the quiche rest outside of the oven for about 5 minutes before cutting into it.

 

Alongside some fresh spring greens or asparagus this makes (in my opinion) the perfect spring dinner!

 

P.S. Speaking of chickens – this is happening right now because, you know, chicks need to be read out loud to. Of course.

fifteen

 

His requests were sushi, pizza pops, and a banjo. He got all three. I shuddered at the pizza pops. He reminded us that next year at this time he can go for his G1. Oh my. 

 

the newest addition

 

 

A banjo has made it into our house over the weekend. It's being played non-stop. 

 

 

Non-stop. Mostly folk, country, and bluegrass but I got a good chuckle out of his banjo version of Thunderstruck. No, I'm not kidding.

 

 

without wildfires

 

From Sunday evening's show: "Without Wildfires" by Safe As Houses.

 

  

 

(there's a bit of chitty-chat at the beginning - the song starts in at about 1:12)

 

spring? is that you?

 

The daffodils are blooming, the dandelions are here, the forsythia is showing off again, and would you just look at what's up in the vegetable garden!

I've been hesitating to wash and store all our winter gear for fear that I would jinx any chance of warm weather staying put but a walk about the yard yesterday (and a peek at the forecast) convinced me that winter may just be done for this year after all. Let the washing of the snow pants begin – we won't be needing those for a little while!

 

 

the new girls

 

The new girls are certainly receiving a lot of attention! 

 

(For those that are asking, the white one is a silkie and the brown one is a golden laced polish. Neither of them are bantams so they'll grow to be the size of our other hens.)

fur and feathers

 

We spent Sunday morning in Mount Forest at the bi-annual Fur and Feathers sale where we battled the crowds, soaked in some sunshine, and oohed and ah-ed at all the little feathery and furry and woolly critters looking for a new home. 

We saw many a folk there with wagons and cages, ready to carry their new purchases home but speckled among them were the seasoned farmers who had no issues with carrying four roosters at a time by the feet or an onion bag full of ducklings to their trucks. 

I got a good chuckle in the nearby Tim Hortons parking lot when the car beside us had peacock tail feathers trailing out of the back window and the car on the other side of us had a goat in the back, bleating loudly. 

 

 

There were geese, pheasants, rabbits, goats, puppies, ponies, lambs (oh, the lambs!) and even a camel. I think I need more land. The varieties of chicken breeds alone were mind-boggling – I wanted to bring home one of each! These two gals, however, did come home with us!

 

barn mom, band mom

 

I find my days right now are filled with either mailing press kits, hauling amps, making sure everyone has a water bottle on stage, and cheering silently from the sidelines or else brushing a horse, sweeping a stall, cleaning tack, and cheering silently from the sidelines. 

Remember years ago when moms would have those buttons pinned to their jackets with a picture of their son and the words 'Hockey Mom' typed across it? Maybe that was just a Canadian fashion, but they were all the rage for a while and mom's sure wore them proudly. I'm thinking I should commission a button-maker to make me one that says 'Barn Mom' and another that says 'Band Mom'.

 

 

before and after :: the kitchen

 

Our kitchen reno is done!

Well, almost. There's still the matter of the pantry (right now I'm running into the basement every time I need something which is, shall we say, not very convenient) but for the most part the kitchen is done! We've been moved back in for a couple of weeks now and let me tell you – it is really, really, really nice to be able to cook on a stove and have such conveniences as running water again.

Several people have asked for some pictures so here they are, the before and the after.

 

before:

 

and after: