Happy March! It’s been a while; things are always busy at the Homestead! I’m sure y’all know how that goes. Let’s recap our month of February!

- We made HOMEMADE tortillas! Man, they were good. Simple ingredients and for the most part a quick turn-around. Mom and Meg enjoyed them with scrambled eggs. I enjoyed mine with peanut butter and bananas. I think having them just plain was a group favorite!

- Mom got a Porch Goose. If you don’t know what those are… it’s a fake goose that can be decoration for your porch (or in this case our living room) OR your best friend… You can get great attire for these guys. Yes, they make outfits for fake geese. Ours is wearing a pink cowboy hat and a tuxedo. I’m not sure one should go out in that outfit…

- Megan made some AMAZING Valentine’s day macrons. Yeah, she’s pretty cool.

- Megan ALSO won 3rd place in her Brainard ice skating competition! Her routine was flawless, truly.

- I made some new lip balm at Burn ‘n Design. I kept our original flavor- Lavender. The new ones are Vanilla Mint & Coconut. Beef tallow lip balm for the win all the time!

- Also new at Burn ‘n Design, to keep the goose theme… Silly Goose Décor! Add some silliness to your life with some fun signs. Products are on my website!

- Burn ‘n Design will be in person at ‘The Gathering’ in Perham on April 11th, stay tuned for that! Whipped tallow and engraved products along as well as a special guest… Grandma Kathy! She’s bringing her fresh (& some spicy) SALSA!! Yum!

SOURDOUGH!

As always, our sourdough segment where you just have to do things a little bit different. Mom made 11 loaves of sourdough in 2 days for a church function! This was our monthly Barnwood Café at Worship Barn where we serve free food, delicious coffee, and dwell in some beautiful fellowship. Our favorite meal has been Pastor Matt’s homemade tomato soup with turkey & bacon grilled cheese sandwiches on sourdough bread. Mom’s sourdough really pulled together the meal. It was so good and we had an awesome turn out. Stay tuned for the next one!

BURN ‘N DESIGN

As mentioned, Burn ‘n Design is bringing out some silly Spring signs and new lip balm scents. Shop online, at the Monarch OR message me to ship or pick up locally!

Our show events are slowly increasing!

- April 11th The Gathering in Perham.

- August 1st Looney Days in Vergas.

Custom orders are always on the table. Message me to create what inspires you!!

Now, can we talk about the weather for a moment? It’s been so nice! Spring is my favorite time of year. It’s not too cold, not too warm. The sun shines on the little bit of snow left on the ground and the smell. Oh! The smell of spring is my FAVORITE! And with daylight savings time here it is going to be super nice to have the sun set later. More daylight, more time for being outside. Score!

HERBS & THE HOMESTEAD APOTHECARY

You know that funny “weed” you sometimes see growing in your yard that looks like little soft green toilet paper? Or those tall, torch-like plants with the tiny yellow flowers that pop up in ditches and pastures every summer? Well, dear readers, this plant so much more than just a weed. It’s actually one of our favorite respiratory herbs, called Mullein.

Many people recognize mullein once it grows tall and sends up its impressive flowering stalk, but what we love most are the leaves when the plant is still young. In the first year of its life, mullein grow close to the ground in a soft, fuzzy rosette of leaves. The leaves are small, tender and easy to dry for later use. Some herbalists say this early stage is the best time to harvest. We agree!

In its second year, mullein sends up a tall, central stalk that can reach several feet high and produces charming, yellow flowers along the top. We have yet to harvest these flowers, but you can bet it is on our list. Interestingly, people have even dried the tall stalks and dipped them in wax to make natural torches. It’s a fun but of old-time knowledge that we have try ourselves someday and share how it works!

For now, we gather the young mullein leaves while they are still soft and close to the ground. Once dried, they make a wonderful herbal tea that we enjoy often. Mullein has long been valued for supporting the respiratory system and is traditionally used to help soothe the lungs and throats, especially during the colder months when coughs and congestion are common.

The tea itself has a mild, earthy flavor and is especially comforting with just a little bit of honey stirred in. Simple, soothing and straight from nature. If you want tips on this tea, just ask Megan as she definitely had her fair share of this tea during the winter and months of skating. She loves it!

Well, I think we will stop there for this week. We will try our best to get blogs out there just a little more frequently. Thanks for reading and staying with us.

P.S. Grandma Roxie will be featured in the next one…

With love, the Funny Farm. @ Gone Homesteadin’