Give Away @ I'm Naturally Simple

Passing on the information via this link:  http://imnaturallysimple.com/2011/08/giveaway-ball-canning-book-and-kit/  Kim, another MJF Farmgirl, is having a giveaway that ends on August 30 at noon.  She's giving away a Ball Canning Kit & Book.  Click the link & follow the instructions to enter.  I was so excited to enter because I canned for the first time this week and I am planning to can again tonight or in the morning - despite this hurricane on the way!

Sweet & Hot Pepper Relish made on 8/22 for the first time by me!

Like I said, now I'm hooked - so I am going to be processing some peach preserves or sauce or something early this weekend.  I'm also working on a few projects that will be added to my shop next week.

Thanks for reading!  Please stay safe this weekend if you're in Irene's path!

Another Week...

It's been quite an exciting week!  I did my first BNR last Thursday & Friday.  On Saturday we discovered the patch was all but destroyed by the torrential rains from last week, I mourned my losses.  Sunday we had church and then went to the Collingswood Fine Arts & Crafts Festival and I was able to buy some perennials for my home gardens at a great price!  Monday I tried my hand at canning for the first time - I made hot and sweet pepper relish.  I haven't tried it, yet, but it smelled really good on Monday afternoon.  Yesterday we went to the shore and had a lovely time with my husband's family.  We felt our first earthquake while on the beach - 5.8 magnitude centered in central Virginia, but we were in Ocean City, NJ.  Then a couple of hours later a seagull was eating something while floating on the water.  The life guards rowed out and then pulled in the carcass of a large fish that had been filet and then dumped.  It stunk us off of the beach.  The kids had a great time looking at it, playing in the sand, catching jellyfish, and proclaiming that there was going to be a tsunami in one or two days (my six-year-old).  It was a beautiful day!


And that leads us to today...


It's WoodstreamDreamWednesday.  Click on WoodstreamDreamWednesday section of my shop and enjoy 25% off of a selection of items today next Wednesday when a new selection goes on sale.  This week's theme - Save a little Green when you buy a little Green for Mom or Baby!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/woodstreamdream?section_id=10188743


And now I'm off because today I am taking the boys to visit friends we have barely seen this summer to go on a fishing expedition to Parvin State Park!


Have a blessed day!

WoodstreamDream Wednesday!!!

It's WoodstreamDreamWednesday at www.woodstreamdream.etsy.com - come see the eight beautiful items I've put on sale for the week. Pink and brown are the colors of the week!


Stop in at the BNR Treasury for the coupon code to use (combine with my sale) and each purchase receives an entry in the giveaway Friday 6pm ET. *Please post a comment to let them know that Nicole from WoodstreamDream sent you over, I get credit for each person who stops in & purchases! Valid for any of the 14 shops involved in the treasury. TIA!
Link to the BNR Treasury:
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTYwOTYwNTF8NTc1OTE5MTYy/sfgcteam-1st-bnr-pamper-teacher-momwww.woodstreamdream.etsy.com


The SFGCTeam is the Sunshine Farm Girl Coop Team that I joined on etsy last week.  It's made up of "farm girls" - we don't necessarily live on a farm, but we all belong to Mary Jane's Farm Girl Forum and met there.  Several of us have shops on etsy and that's how we formed - to support and bring more business to each other.  I may call it "my" team, but I didn't form it - I am a member and it's the only team I belong to at this time - so like church, I call it "my" because I belong.


I have my fingers in several crochet projects right now...  I am finishing up the last of the cotton yarn in pink, purple, cream, and brown with making one last washcloth.  I have two baby blankets in the works and one for my older son, although admittedly I have not been very good at working on that recently.  I am also crochet scarf in pale blue and green - I'm still trying to come up with a name... it's not really flowing, what I have in my head right now, so I'm going to think more while I crochet.


Thanks for stopping in to read!  Have a blessed day!!!

Sunshine Farm Girl Coop Treasury BNR on Etsy

Presale starts now for my team on Etsy - for every purchase you make, you'll be entered into a drawing that will be held 6pm ET Friday. Prizes are listed in the comments. To qualify, you don't need to purchase what is in the treasury, but from a shop in the treasury.  There are coupon codes listed for each of the shops that are selling, just look through the first few comments.
*Please post a comment to let them know that Nicole from WoodstreamDream sent you over, I get credit for each person who stops in & purchases!
Thanks in advance for your support!

Here's the link to the treasury:
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTYwOTYwNTF8NTc1OTE5MTYy/sfgcteam-1st-bnr-pamper-teacher-mom

Have a blessed day!

Tomato Goodness

These are photos from Friday morning that I took while making the tomato goodness that I posted about yesterday.

Tomatoes from the patch - a mix of Brandywine, Ramapo, and Bistro.

Toss with salt, pepper, whole peeled garlic cloves, and olive oil.  Into the oven at 375 for 40 minutes.

The tomatoes after roasting.

I put fresh basil from my patio herb garden to help brighten the tomato goodness.

My six-year old helping with the squeez-o strainer - I love this machine!

Tomatoes in the hopper!

Tomato goodness in the front bowl, the seeds & skins in the bowl to the left.

Delicious soups will be made this winter to nourish my family & friends.

So you may be wondering how all of this relates to my business... I am living my Woodstream Dream - I am able to be home and enjoy my children, my home and my garden all while crafting, running my business on etsy and occasionally participating in crafting vendor events.  This is my dream.  I've been blessed to be able to be home to enjoy each of these moments with my family.

Have a blessed day!

Rainy Sunday...

So last night was a disappointment.  I was loading my car when dark clouds started filling in.  I checked weather.com and saw that a storm was rolling in, so I made the decision not to risk ruining my stock for the outdoor event at 2nd Saturday in Collingswood.  I can say that everything is beautifully organized and ready to go for September's 2nd Saturday event.  I was still pumped to work last night, so I worked on organizing my craft room and planning out what I want to accomplish before the next crafting event.

This morning we woke up to several hours of thunderstorms and heavy rain that has lasted all day.  The garden will love this - it was such a parched July here in New Jersey!  I look forward to visiting the patch on Monday or Tuesday.  The patch is the community garden plot that I work with a dear friend.  We had a bumper crop of summer squash last month.  This month the tomatoes are yielding heavily.  We're praying that the lima beans and butternut squash start setting soon.  We have a short growing season at the patch, our time is up in two months - by October 16th.

Our Patch on June 18th

early stages of squash, sugar snap peas, tomatoes, poles for lima beans, sunflowers, peppers, celery, leeks

I'll post pictures of the patch this week in it's current lushness - the transformation is amazing to behold!  I made chocolate chip zucchini bread, blueberry zucchini bread, a squash casserole called calabacitas, chocolate zucchini cake, and sliced many summer squash down and froze them for winter soups.  The tomatoes have been glorious - so delicious just fresh in salad and grilled in a cheese sandwich.  I roast them with tomatoes, garlic, s&p, and olive oil and then put them through my squeez-o strainer to make what I call tomato goodness - a thick tomato broth.  I put fresh basil from my home garden in with the tomatoes through the squeez-o strainer to help perfume the broth.  It makes divine soup base for the winter when I'm tired of the dreary days!  3 quarts frozen from 5 trays of roasted tomatoes.  Hopefully a few more quarts of tomato goodness will be made before the plants give up!

My husband left this afternoon for a business trip and I'm home with our boys.  The little one is napping, giving me a chance to update some information on my etsy site and then I'll be playing games with my older son.  I love the opportunity for time alone with each boy.

Well, I need to get back to playing with this guy before the little guy wakes up!
Have a blessed day and thanks for reading!

2nd Saturday in Collingswood!

Just a reminder that I'll be at 2nd Saturday in Collingswood tonight from 5-9pm on the 600 block of Haddon Avenue.  I would love to see anyone who's in the area!  Also, my etsy shop will be closed from 4pm today until tomorrow when I can recheck inventory.

Thanks for all of those who have clicked "Like" on my Facebook Fanpage:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/WoodstreamDream/131330936956305  If you're on Facebook & you like my page, it'll give you access to coupon codes to use on my site as well as give aways and special sales that I will be running during the year.

Have a blessed day!