I'm excited to share a new project that I've been working on this past winter and into spring. It's called Nova Scotia Kitchens, and it is the main reason that I've been less present in this space for the past little while. It is many of my favourite things all wrapped up in one nifty package!
In a nutshell, I visit someone who is gracious enough to have me visit their home. They make a favourite recipe while I record the audio and take pictures. Then during the first week of each month I share the new content over at the Nova Scotia Kitchens site, and the audio is also available to subscribe to as a podcast in iTunes or your favourite podcasting app!
It's been a steep learning curve with the audio piece - I've been blogging since 2004, so the pictures and writing aren't too challenging to wrap my head around, but the audio piece is. It is so much fun to learn something new, and I'm so delighted to include some terrific people in my new project! (Check out my friend Alana's amazing vintage pink Kelvinator fridge and her delicious recipe for Lobster Cakes!) It really is a lot of fun, and I have SO many ideas for it! I need to pace myself.
In other news, here at home on the farm, it is spring. The snowdrops have come and gone. I transplanted some to our front beds, so on either side of the front door, dwarf white hydrangeas are underplanted with sweet woodruff and snowdrops. White and green - my favourite combination. The daffodils have just passed their peak and are on their way out, and the tulips are starting. I have a beautiful catmint that I bought at Spencer's in Shelburne last summer which is coming in beautifully, and this spring I bought a new heather for the bees - a nice early flower source for them. The dandelions are opening, and our bees are all over them.
I had 74 eggs in classroom incubators with teachers, and the hatch went poorly. There are only a few chicks to add to our flock. I was hoping to have extras to share with friends, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen this time around. The ones that did hatch are pretty darn cute, though! I can't wait to see how they feather in.
We have garden expansion plans! We use Lee Valley fencing, which is inexpensive and does the job beautifully until we build our dream permanent fence. I have dreams of a garden space like Martha's, (ambitious or what?) or like this one by BC Greenhouses. Swoon! With those raised beds and the brick pathway! Oh my. We're adding eight raised beds (I loved our raised beds that we had at our old house) which will significantly increase our growing space. We're expanding the fenced area, and I'm super excited about that. It may take quite awhile to get it all done, but it will be so great when it's finished!
Oh, spring! So much to do, and only 24 hours each day. And now I'm off to tuck in the chickens for the night.