Farm Notes
While the weather was nothing to celebrate today… we had quite an exciting afternoon over here. Today we started direct seeding in our new caterpillar tunnel, and instead of planting every. dang. seed. by. hand. (like we did all last season) – we got to use our new push seeder, which is a TOTAL game changer!
Here’s the thing – seeding by hand works great for home gardens and smaller plots, but for the amount of seeds we plant each season, it was totally inefficient to be doing it all by hand. The problem was that push seeders are not cheap, so I’ve been saving up and finally bought one at the end of last year (specific model is a Jang JP-1). In addition to the seeder, you have to buy a whole assortment rollers (which are also $$$), in various sizes to fit all the different sizes of seeds (here’s a guide for all the roller sizes). It definitely takes a few minutes to get the seeder calibrated correctly based on the seed you are planting (today we planted a few varieties of radishes), but once you get rolling, it’s blazingly fast.
A note that if you’re in the market for a push seeder, but you’re looking for a more economical option, the Earthway Seeder is also quite popular and is about 1/3 of the price of the Jang seeder.
If y’all have any other questions about push seeders, let me know!
Kitchen Notes
I’m usually not very hungry in the morning, and I’m often rushing out the door to do chores outside, which means that many days I realize it’s 11am, I haven’t eaten anything, and I am HANGRY. Which is 0% enjoyable for anyone. So to combat my hangry-ness, I’ve starting making jars of overnight oats, and I’m loving it.
If you’re new to overnight oats, it’s pretty straightforward – literally just soak rolled oats in liquid along with chia seeds and whatever other fruit/nuts/sweeteners you’d like, let sit overnight, and enjoy the next morning! It makes a great on-the-go breakfast/snack, since it’s already in a jar and you can just pop it in your bag to wherever you’re headed. This is definitely a “no recipe” kind of recipe – and while I give specific measurements here, when I make these I never measure anything, so feel free to just “eyeball” the ingredients, use what you have on hand, and taste as you go!
Overnight Oats
Photo: One Lovely Life
INGREDIENTS
1 cup rolled oats
1.5 cups almond milk (or whatever milk you prefer), plus more to taste
2 tablespoons chia seeds
3 tablespoons peanut butter or almond butter (or other nut or seed butter)
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 cup blueberries (or other fruit of your choice like bananas, peaches, apples, etc)
1/4 cup chopped almonds (or other chopped nuts/seeds)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
INSTRUCTIONS
In large (quart sized) mason jar or in bowl with a lid, add all ingredients and stir well to combine. If the mixture seems dry, add a bit more milk. Taste and adjust seasoning (ie sweetness, saltiness, other spices) to taste.
Cover securely with a lid/seal and set in the refrigerator overnight (or for at least 6 hours) to set and soak.
The next day, open and enjoy as is or garnish with other toppings (like additional fruit, nuts, yogurt, maple syrup, etc). Overnight oats will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days (if it lasts that long)!
Today’s Stats
Low temp: 31F
High temp: 38F
Sunrise: 7:01am
Sunset: 6:02pm
Moon phase: Waxing Crescent
Additional notes: Cold and freezing rain throughout the day.