Tuesday Tidbits...

Ain't she sweet?
this teeny tidbit of a finch is a young one who fledged not so very long ago

when these babies leave the nest for their first flight...
the whole world of finches on our farm set up a frenzy of chirpy excitement
it seems to be a big-to-do for them...
that catches my attention with all their pretty music

and then, there was this nest high up in a guava tree just feet from the cottage

a very once-elusive bird that I believe may be the Bare Eye Thrush...

decided the food around the farm was too good to pass by...

without nesting in one of the trees to bring babies up in

I found it quite difficult to catch a good snapshot of mama...

she was nervous and moving too much...

so I left her alone to feed the babies

but, if you look closely, you can see the yellow ring around the eye...

which is how they came to be named Bare Eye Thrush

the Lord gave 3 chicks to this particular pair who boldly came to our farm

and just recently, these cuties winged their way from the nest and are somewhere out there

the Giant Gray Sphinx Moth caterpillars mentioned in the July 25 post...

have done an excellent job of stripping the Frangipani trees of their leaves

only I'm not so sure they all got their fair share...

as we only have two of these trees and they are not very large quite yet

I am hoping they all got enough to get them to the next step of cocooning into moths

and in spite of denuding the poor trees...

already, the new leaves are starting to push their way out from the branches

and, I did not notice when the photo was snapped...

but, there he is; a little lizard sitting on the right-hand branch

my husband decided it was time to re-polish the wood floor inside and out 

he had not quite finished a small part as yet...

so we could go in and out while the rest finished drying

and then, of course, when he was ready to finish...

the dogs had to go outside in the yard until the last part was dried

now, the wood looks new again

I have been waiting for the Heliconia to bloom

well...they're here

a very nice color against the cottage's aqua green...

which didn't show up very well in these photos

but, I did find some eggs in the rock garden

the other day, I finally found out where one of my hens was laying her eggs...

and found 10 eggs

she'd been laying there for some days, obviously...

right in front of my nose all along, the sneaky girl

but, I've got her number now

after we thought the cherry trees were done for the time...

one of them suddenly took to blooming and fruiting past the cherry season

but, oh my, don't they look purty hangin' up there from the branch

we may soon start looking like mangoes...

because there are many, many more than we can eat

I've been cutting up a few to freeze for later use when the season is over...

and they will be good for smoothies and mango sauces...

and perhaps some tarts

my husband brought in a 27 pound pumpkin

I put the cup inside to show you how big the cavity is

the fibrous strands goes to the chickens...

and the seeds to us

the ribs of this pumpkin have deep dents that give it a flower shape...

which looked kind of pretty to me

my husband enjoys having pumpkin and pigeon peas in his brown rice...

and it does taste pretty good 

as for the seeds...

they were roasted with some sea salt

I don't bother rinsing off the pumpkin bits from them...

it gives a nicer taste to the seeds

I wanted to let readers know that, this blog will take a two month hiatus...

from August 1 to September 30

if the Lord is willing...I will be back Oct 1

but, there will be two Saturday postcard days during the hiatus...

something in the form of slide videos instead of just a photo

I hope you look for them and enjoy

meanwhile...

may your August and September find wonderful blessings in the Lord's grace

and...

have a cup of cherries, please

Every word of God is pure:

He is a shield unto them that put their trust in Him.

Add thou not unto His words,

lest He reprove thee,

and thou be found a liar.

Proverbs 30:5,6

May your day or night be blessed in God's grace.

- jean

Sorrel Picking...

After watching for a time...

all the lovely sorrel, aka roselle hibiscus, aka Florida cranberry, flowers...

bloom their way into sunshine...

they then developed...

into beautiful, waxy-looking calyxes...

ready for the picking

with the sorrel plants still blooming and giving us fruit into the next season...

I will be drying some for tea throughout the next months...

and making some homemade jam this week with fresh picked sorrel

sunshine, warm weather and cranberry-colored sorrel

are some of those outdoor blessings from the Lord

May your day or night find warmth and sunshine in God's grace.

Sorrel for Tea; Roses for Thee...

We sowed some sorrel (aka roselle hibiscus) seeds not long ago...

and the Lord grew them into wonderful edible plants for us

these hibiscus species with their high anti-oxidant properties are now being harvested as we need them

you can read a bit more about the sorrel hibiscus in this post

and the nutrient properties in this link

and our favorite way to use these gorgeous, waxy calyxes, is to steep them into tea

we love to steep cinnamon and cloves with the sorrel in good, hot water

and let the sorrel's cranberry/apple flavor sit for hours to draw out all that lovely taste and color

in the evenings at this time of year when the nights are cool...

we drink sorrel tea warm, and because it's a tart drink, we sweeten it with our raw honey

my rose bushes are blooming, and once they pass their prime...

I snip the blooms and bring them inside to enjoy before they lose all their beauty

our honeybees have been buzzing in and out of the roses...

and the chickens eat the petals that fall to the ground

the bunch I bring in, will sit in the kitchen, keeping me company as I work

and when kitchen work is completed...

the roses are placed where they can be noticed and not forgotten

and so, I share them with you for the moment, before they wither away forever

As for man, his days are as grass:

as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.

Psalm 103:15

May your day or night be blooming in the fragrance of God's grace.

Chick Delight...

I'd say, we have some of the broodiest brooders on earth

they do so like to keep churning them out

one of our newest comers to the farm
so far, every black chick has turned out to be a hen
more eggs, please : )

May your day or night be soft and gentle in God's grace.

Cocoa/Coconut/Banana Brownie Cake...

Cocoa, coconut and bananas make a great combination for the taste buds

so...I wanted to try baking a brownie cake that would finish off...

an evening of listening to a reading of the Gospel of Matthew with my husband

because I must be gluten free...

I did make this cake with gluten-free flour

but, it can be made using the same recipe with regular flour

ingredients

(this will make 6 3x3 inch size servings...double recipe for more)

1 cup of flour (any good gluten free mix of your choice)

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/4 cup cocoa

1 tsp baking powder (omit if your mix already has it)

1/4 tsp sea salt (omit if your mix already has it)

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1 cup of pecan or walnut pieces

2 bananas, mashed

2 large eggs, beaten

6 TB butter, melted

2 TB honey

heat up the oven to 350* F

butter and flour, with a bit of the cocoa, the baking pan

combine the wet ingredients, including the bananas, and mix together well

combine the dry ingredients, mix well

stir in the nut pieces into the dry mix

this will help the nuts from sinking or collecting in lumps in the dough

fold the dry mix into the wet mix, gently combining everything well

use a spatula to pour into the pan and spread the dough evenly

put into the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes

check at 25 minutes with a knife inserted into the middle

if it comes out clean, it is finished

if not, let it bake another 5 to 7 minutes

enjoy!

May your day or night be sweetened in God's grace.