Feather your Nest Friday, 8th May, 2020.

It was a good week!  We started off with a big weekend.  I hired a plumber to work on the cottage and he asked if his mate could come, so I said yes.  Then he messaged later and asked if another mate could come and I said yes!  So I had three helpers and so much was done that soon the inside will be finished and I can put in furniture and decor.   It was so exciting to have this working bee.  
My policy is to always, always feed the workers.  I put out a big morning tea and then lunch was sausage rolls.  It was a cold day so a hot lunch was good.

I wrapped them up like I would scones to keep them warm.  They were a hit! 

In the evening I went on until I made four dozen.   This helped to build up my freezer and I gave some to both the girls.  

I had two sheets of puff pastry over.  As usual I had apples so I made an apple pie.

Luckily anything that goes wrong with a pie can just be called rustic and delicious! 

Back to the weekend... with the helpers around I grabbed this chance to get all the stinky old carpet hauled onto a big bonfire.  It was disgusting!    (Not exaggerating it was mouldy, full of dead flies and bees and who know what else..)

It was so satisfying to see the end of this!! 

I love a good fire.  I had an old cardboard box in the chook house and various things so I ran around and threw these all on too.  Instant clean up!

During the week Mum and I went to see the girls with a food delivery.  I made cup cakes...

Tuna mornay (I made two so we had one also.)

Apple puree and some of the sausage rolls went too.

I planted into the garden Rainbow Chard and Broccoli that I grew from seeds (quite proud lol)  and then Spinach.   They are all little but look sprightly and good.  We have had showers of rain at just the right time too.

I bartered a tray of Gingerbread and I made them into deer (ok Mooose) ...

We had rain and it looks like there is more coming over the weekend.  This will be wonderful.  When it is like this I get more cooking and sewing etc done.  

For almost five years now I have talked about building up our pantries, to take every opportunity to get ahead, build an emergency fund, meals in the freezer and so on.   Now I am going to add more.   Now I feel the same way about adding food to the garden,  skills to preserve food and the equipment to do it,  items you can produce to sell, barter, gift.  We cannot really be self sufficient in all things but we need to be self sufficient in some things.   I am trying to increase the number of things we can produce ourselves and do ourselves.  

I have a few things in mind.  Ok, I have a lot of projects!   I have things going on wherever you look! 

The pumpkin patch is getting built up with layers and layers of hay and manure and anything I can think of.   I am working to build up a second area that was my extra pumpkin patch but it needs a lot more better soil.  I want to build some raised garden beds.   The materials were my hold up...  but now I have found timber (in an old shed) that is thick and heavy!   It is too heavy to shift so we will have to cut it up on site and then load it onto the trailer.  But it is perfect.    Then I thought of all the paper shredders in the family and have secured bags and bags of shredded paper.  I have hay and I have sheep manure.   

Seriously,  keep your eyes out for ways and means.  God is good and if you are willing to do the work pray for what you need!  

So on that I will finish and go collect the eggs and feed the chickens.  

How was your week?  How did you keep things going in these times of lockdowns,  rationing,  shortages and stress?   Did you find ways to add to your pantry or garden?   

Have a good weekend! xxx