March was, not what I call "busy" for us, but adventurous, and filled with more of "living life" than doing all the "doing" stuff we do all day every day. Warning: Post is long today (gulp!). Grab a cup of java or tea.
"Busy" is sort of synonymous with negative vibes. I mean, we still had medical appointments (some regular, some needed), hair appointments, husband's full time job, but only a few commitments. However, we spent much of the month "enjoying" life (maintaining balance).
I have not harvested much other than fresh grown green onions. I do have some oil on order to restock homemade hand/body lotion. Not sure if I will re-stock our homemade lip balm just yet. We have a plan to build one more item for the chicken castle (more on that later), and we plan to better landscape one flower bed.
Planted: Feverfew, Mullein, Radishes (two types), Beets
Harvested: Green onions
Purchased: Seed potatoes
On the "to-buy" list: Sweet potato slips
Oil infusion started: Horsetail
There was a birth and a death in our families this month. Home repairs continue, but slow going. We are slowly chipping away it the list, but checking it off (vs. letting it roll over into next year).
The weather has been crazy. At one point, very high winds that took out power all over the state. It ripped roofs off, knocked trees down, power lines down and the like. The temperatures are going up and down, and the spring flower bulbs are confused. We've had rain, thunderstorms, high's in the 70's and sunny, and even snow and cold this month. We actually woke up to 9°F one morning about mid-month (with rain the very next day, our weather has been that crazy).
I've upped my culinary experience with new breakfast meals for us. I, personally, felt like we were in a rut.
I've made breakfast stuffed peppers before, but these contained homemade chicken sausage, and were delicious. Yes, that's green onion on top, from the herb garden.
Sheet pan breakfast - mushrooms, bell peppers, red onion, sausage, seasonings, and eggs. Super easy way to prepare it, and have no idea why I never thought to do it this way. I used fresh mushrooms. However, this produced liquid at the bottom of the container after being in the refrigerator overnight. I'm guessing from the fresh bell peppers.
(both recipes are online with Clean Food Crush).
We are also trying, or should I say inventing new dinners. It is a fajita type "bowl" with out the tortilla bowl. I made our rice in the crock pot and loved it (new recipe and it's a keeper), then I sautéed bell peppers and onions (later added more cilantro to this too), and added black beans and corn , then on top of that we blackened chicken tenders (very easy to do), and then topped with salsa and homemade sauce (sour cream, fresh lime juice, fresh cilantro, salt). The blackened chicken gave it much more spice, and we loved it. We went light on the bottom layer of rice, but it's definitely a keeper recipe meal.
We have many more new recipes to try, including a few with sweet potatoes in them.
Side note: Did you know that the Anchor 2 cup measuring cup does not have a 1/4 cup measure mark? I probably knew that, but my Pyrex markings rub off so often, I replace them way too often, so I bought Anchor. Sigh. I am told the 1 cup measuring cups have the 1/4th on them.
We hiked a new waterfall trail (loved it!), and lots of other adventures we crossed off my new spring list of our "we are doing this" list.
We are rediscovering areas we already walked, but taking other new-to-us trails and loving it.
I already (sigh) broke my personal vow to not buy new books this year. Actually, it was my husband's idea to go inside the bookstore, and he made the picks and purchases (including a shirt and sticky notes {very cute sticky notes}) other than one book I picked put. I better get busy reading now.
We accomplished more organizing, purging, etc. This type of "busy" was good, refreshing and fun. The kitchen drywall repair (where we removed an old light fixture) job was completed, and ceiling painted. Drywall repair has been started in the stair way as well. Over the years, the kids cut gouges into the walls moving stuff up and down, and holes created where they kept the dog gates.
We have much more work to do on the stairs, stairway and upstairs. You would not believe how much scotch tape (and other tape), poster putty and other sticky residue the kids left on the walls up there. Think big bucket of drywall mud vs. spackle to fix all of the holes and gouges.
I finished one entire photo/photo album project, with leaves us with only one lengthier "album" project (both side projects from a closet clean out). I spruced up the kitchen with spring colored dish towels (old ones get recycled or repurposed), and a spring (found on clearance) rug for one bathroom. It's amazing how a few splashes of color or moving things around can change your overall daily views.
Lastly, my current books:
We end this month with our weather in the 70's, and a lot of rain arriving later today. The rain will stay with us for a few days.
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