Merry Christmas-In God We Trust~

Christmas As Seen Through The Eyes Of Dickens~

The Christmas Story…according to the Christmas Bible story, Christ came down to earth from heaven to be born at Christmas, because of his love for all humanity.

Christmas Through the Eyes of Dickens~(1812-1870)
( a cry for social justice )

Christmas in Scrooge’s day…in 1843 Christmas was much less commercial. Many people went to church, and many followed the ancient tradition of making merry. however, nothing was allowed for or geared to the working class or poor classes of people
We all know the heart-tugging story of “A Christmas Carol” by- Charles Dickens…what many may not know are some of the historical facts that inspired this classic.

The English Christmas was at a low ebb when Dickens was a youngster.
his desire was to make it understood and to change how the working poor lived from day to day. Dickens loved his city and spent his life wandering the streets, by the time he was 15 he know it well…yet never stopped exploring and writing about its restless energy.

Much of today’s London was built in the 19th Century,
it was full of dark alleys and lanes, the streets were crowded, noisy, and very dirty.
Almost anything was bought and sold, the atmosphere was more akin to a modern third-world city than modern London. Many of the vendors were children-there were no child labor laws such as we have today. Many worked as young as 5-sweeping the streets.

The growth of the city exploded in the 1800’s and became know as “the Fever-Patch.” It was the first big industrial city in the world, and it was dirty, extremely polluted and unhealthy. disease spread quickly…there were four cholera epidemics in Dickens’s lifetime. plus regular outbreaks of typhoid, scarlet fever,, and other ills. Two hundred open sewers ran into the Thames River…and more than half of the London population took their water from it for cooking, laundry, bathing and drinking.

“A Christmas Carol” was written in 1843, as was the first printed Christmas cards. However in 1843 many very old traditions were still being celebrated. Some dated from ancient pagan midwinter festivals-which were celebrated long before the first Christmas. The latter part of the 1840’s began to see signs of new customs and ways that brought London out of the disgusting conditions it had become famous for.

The year after ” A Christmas Carol” was published , nine London theaters staged versions of this book…it has been a favorite of stage and screen ever since. The classic being the 1951 version.

After the success of ” A Christmas Carol” Dickens wrote a Christmas story each year for the next several years, including The Chimes,(1844) and The cricket On The Hearth (1845)-none were as popular as A Christmas Carol. It added a new word to the English language (“a Scrooge” is a miser…very few stories have done that.

Today’s Christmas is commercial in a way Dickens could not have dreamed of…but in part and thanks to him, we still feel that Christmas should be a time for family warmth, wholesome fun, kindness to others and especially children…his vision lives on~ RIP Charles Dickens.

Merry Christmas~

The Sage Hill Farms Family~

Christmas

Comfort Food of Yesterday~Sage Hills Patriotic Kitchen

My first memory of these delicious little cakes go back to the late 1940’s… the WWII years when food was carefully chosen to get the most for the needs at hand….. shopping was not the event that we know today….many things were scarce are totally unavailable….. most people grew/raised their own food…..most men were in the war , away from home, farm, family….. A good memory from a not so good time.
My mother made a sauce of catsup, mustard, and pickle relish…when we had all ingredients…one would often be the choice…. a hot biscuit, sliced onion and the salmon patty was my favorite .

1 (14.75 ounce) can salmon, undrained and flaked
1 slice of bread, shredded
3 Tbsp chopped green onion, including the green parts
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp fresh chopped dill weed, or 1 teaspoon dried
1 Tbsp flour
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Sea salt
Several turns of freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbsp grape-seed oilBlend all ingredients with a wooden spoon until easily to form a patty cake by hand.
Heat a griddle pan slightly oiled and fry on med heat until brown and crispy or less cooking if crisp isn’t desired.

These are a childhood favorite…they can be served on a bed of greens with a spicy Cajun sauce …. Remoulade.. recipe below

On a bun as a burger with your choice of toppings…thick sliced onion and green tomato are yummy! or red tomato!

Served alongside your egg and asparagus brunch dining…

Or…one of my favorite ways is snacking while on the move….

A hot cup of herbal tea (or coffee) a couple of patty cakes and a walk through the gardens mid morning or early evening…..Oh yeah!!

Remoulade Sauce…

1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup Creole Mustard
2 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup vegetable oil ( I cut back to 1/2 cup and use an alternative oil…grapeseed
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup finely minced celery
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons minced green onion
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon ketchup
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

DIRECTIONS

In a nonreactive mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolk, mustard, vinegar, horseradish, 3/4 teaspoon of the salt, the paprika, cayenne, and black pepper. On a cutting board, mash the garlic and the remaining 1/4 of salt together, using the side of a chef’s knife to form a paste. Add the garlic paste to the bowl and whisk to combine.
Combine the oils in a measuring cup with a pour spout, and while whisking continuously, drizzle the oil blend very slowly into the mustard mixture until a smooth, thick emulsion is formed. Whisk in the celery, green onion, mayonnaise, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce. Chill thoroughly before using; the remoulade will keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.

What’s Life Without Pickles…my mothers bread & butter pickles!! Sage Hills Patriotic Kitchen

Posted on July 6, 2018 by Bea

This Last week has been a wonderful Independence Day Retreat for me…
Lot’s of family time, friends, and “me” time!
I feel blessed and refreshed…
Today was a welcome back work schedule…..
This Bread&Butter pickle recipe goes back generations in my mothers family….probably yours also.
God Bless America… Another birthday to be grateful for!Thank you Lord for family and B&B Pickles!

Sage Hills Patriotic kitchen

Herbs, Home and History~

Nothing more patriotic than home embraced….

Those who know me well know I’m an avid history buff…the more ancient the times, the more intense the interest.

I found this to be a very calming bit to know.

In Victorian times the seeds of Fennel came to symbolize the virtue of strength.
(a patriotic truth.)

At one time , fennel seeds were combined with those of Dill and Caraway in little sacks or purses, to be chewed at prayer meetings to quell hunger pangs; they were
known as “meeting seeds.”

Fennel is a self sowing herb valued for it’s distinctive aroma.
The leaves have an aniseed aroma.

I make this wonderful cleanser for my skin a couple of times a week during the winter.

1 tablespoon fennel seed
8 ounces of boiling water
1 teaspoon local honey
2 tablespoons buttermilk

Lightly crush the fennel seeds,
place in the boiling water and allow to infuse for 30 minutes.

Strain the cool liquid into a small bowl, add honey and buttermilk.
Put into a clean bottle and keep in the frig.

Used once or twice a day this will last about a week.

Rub over face and neck or the whole body…leave on for a few minutes and gently rinse away with a soft cloth and warm water.

Leaves the skin silky, clean, and delicious smelling.
(our body is a temple, on loan…treat it with love and respect.)

This makes a lovely wash for children and small babies.
(parents, treat your children like precious jewels…for they surely are)

Little girls adore it and it’s just bold enough that little boys don’t think it’s to girlie.

Enjoy-pamper yourself and your children~

Eat together, sit by the fire, read good books (including the Bible)
Sing, tell stories, laugh and fly the flag high and proud.

A great new year is waiting in the wings….make it a full fledged Patriotic one!!

Hot Composting

Hot Composting~

This method of composting requires more work, but you get faster and better results. Once you learn how to compost with this method, composted material can be ready (in ideal circumstances) within a few weeks. You will find that it is slower in the late fall, winter, and early spring, and a faster process in the late spring, summer and early fall. In other words, it coincides with nature’s growing season in your area.

Pick the location for your compost pile. You’ll want it in an area that drains well, that’s fairly level, near the garden, but not too near the house .
Determine how you want to contain your pile (build a bin, or put it right on the ground.) If putting it on the ground, you may wish to put a layer of sticks down first to help air circulate around the pile better. Determine the size of your pile/bin. A minimum of 3 feet x 3 feet by 3 feet is recommended. Optimal is 4’ or 5’ in each direction.
Start building your pile, by using equal alternating layers of high carbon (dried leaves and twigs) and high nitrogen (clover, fresh grass clippings, vegetable/fruit scraps, manure) materials. Add a few shovels of soil to each layer (adds microorganisms to help in the decomposition process). Layers should be 4” to 6” thick.
Keep the top of the heap slightly concave to catch rainwater.
Water. Keep the pile moist, but not saturated. Check it daily.
Poke a few holes in the sides of the compost pile, to help aeration.
The pile will heat up and then begin to cool. When the pile’s internal temperature reaches about 130 degrees Fahrenheit, start turning the material in the pile. (You can check the temperature with a compost thermometer, it’s ready when it’s too hot to the touch.) A pitch fork is generally the tool of choice in turning the compost pile materials.Move materials from the center to the outside and visa versa. Turn the materials every day or two. During the growing season, this should produce compost for you in less than a month. If you turn it only every other week, it will take a few months for your compost to be ready.
Finished compost will be dark brown or black, be sweet smelling, have no traces of the original matter, and be cool and crumbly to the touch.

If the compost pile is too hot, you have too much nitrogen. Try adding more dried leaves and sticks/carbon material.

If nothing is happening in your compost pile, you may not have enough nitrogen materials, water or air.

Companion Planting~

COMPANION PLANTING CHART (HERBS)

Plant Type	Compatible For Companion Planting	Incompatible
Anise	Coriander
Basil	Tomatoes
Bee Balm	Tomatoes, Peppers
Borage	Tomato, Squash, Strawberries
Caraway	Peas	Fennel
Catnip	Turnips, Eggplants, Peppers
Chives	Tomatoes, Carrots, Grapes, Roses	Peas, Beans
Cilantro / Coriander	Beans, Spinach, Peas	Fennel
Dill	Onions, Lettuce, Cucumbers	Carrots, Cabbage, Tomatoes
Fennel	plant by itself if possible.	Cilantro
Garlic	Roses, Cabbage, Raspberries, Tomatoes, Eggplant	Peas, Beans
Horseradish	Potatoes
Lemon Balm	Cabbage, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflower, Turnips, Rutabagas
Mint	Cabbage, Tomatoes
Parsley	Tomato, Corn, Asparagus
Rosemary	Beans, Cabbage, Carrots, Sage
Sage	Rosemary, Cabbage, Carrots	Cucumbers, Beans
Savory	Beans, Cabbage, Onions
Thyme	Cabbage, Eggplants, Potatoes, Tomatoes

COMPANION PLANTING CHART (FLOWERS)

Plant Type	Compatible For Companion Planting	Incompatible
Marigold	Potatoes, Peppers, Eggplants	Beans
Nasturtiums	beans, peppers, cabbage, cucumbers, squash, pumpkins
Sunflowers	melon, pumpkin, squash

COMPANION PLANTING CHART (FRUIT)

Plant Type	Compatible For Companion Planting	Incompatible
Blackberries	Dill, Carrots
Grapes	Blackberries, Beans, Peas	Radish, Cabbage
Melon (Honeydew, Cantaloupe, Watermelon)	Sunflower, Radishes, Beets, Corn	Potatoes
Strawberries	Borage, Peach Trees	Possibly Cabbage

COMPANION PLANTING CHART (VEGETABLES)

Plant Type	Compatible For Companion Planting	Incompatible
Asparagus	Tomato, Parsley, Basil, Lettuce
Beans, Bush	Potato, Celery, Cucumbers, Corn, Strawberry, Summer Savory, Carrots	Onions, Fennel, Sage
Beans, Pole	Corn, Summer Savory, Radish, Tomato	Onion, Beets, Kohlrabi, Garlic, Chives, Sage
Beets	Bush beans, Lettuce, Onions, Kohlrabi, Cabbage, Mint, Carrots	Pole beans, Mustard
Broccoli	Marigold, Sage, Beets, Nasturtium, Lettuce	Tomato
Brussels Sprouts	Aromatic Herbs, Carrot, Dill	Tomato
Cabbage	Celery, Onions, Potatoes, Aromatic Herbs, Beets, Chamomile, Spinach, Chard	Strawberries, Tomatoes, Pole beans, Dill
Cabbage, Chinese	Celery, Onions, Potatoes
Carrots	Lettuce, Radish, Onions, Tomatoes, Peas, Rosemary, Sage, Leeks, beans	Dill, Anise
Cauliflower	Sage, Thyme, Mint	Grapes
Celeriac	Leeks, Tomato, Beans, Cabbage
Celery	Onions, Tomato, Cabbage, Bush Beans, Nasturtium, Leeks
Chard		Potatoes
Chervil	Radishes
Corn	Pumpkins, Sunflower, Peas, Beans, Cucumbers, Potatoes, Squash	Tomatoes
Cucumbers	Corn, Peas, Radishes, Beans, Sunflowers, Cabbage	Aromatic herbs, Potatoes, Sage
Eggplant	Beans, Marigold, Lettuce
Garlic	Roses, Cabbage, Raspberries, Tomatoes, Eggplant	Peas, Beans
Kohlrabi	Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower	Tomatoes, Beans, Strawberries
Leeks	Carrots, Onions, Celery	Peas, Beans
Lettuce	Onions, Strawberries, Beans, Carrots, Radishes, Peas, Cucumbers, Cabbage, Broccoli. Tomatoes
Okra	Marigolds, Eggplant, Peppers
Onions (& family including, garlic, leeks, shallots, chives)	Lettuce, Beets, Carrots, Strawberries, Tomatoes, Cabbage, Summer Savory	Peas, Beans, Sage
Parsnip	Peas, Beans
Peas	Carrots, Cucumbers, Corn, Turnips, Radishes, Beans, Tomatoes, Potatoes, Aromatic Herbs	Onions, Garlic, Leeks, Shallots, Gladiolus
Peppers	Tomato, Basil, Parsley, Petunias, Carrots, Onions, Okra, Marigolds, Cilantro, Catnip, Tansy, Nasturtium	Fennel, Kohlrabi, Beans
Potatoes	Beans, Corn, Cabbage Family, Marigolds, Horseradish, Lettuce, Radishes, Scallions	Pumpkin, Squash, Tomato, Cucumber, Sunflower, Chard, Raspberries
Pumpkins	Corn, Marigold, Beans, Sunflowers	Potato, Raspberries
Radishes	Beets, Carrots, Spinach, Parsnips, Cucumbers, Beans, Lettuce, Peas, Kohlrabi, Nasturtium, Peas	Cabbage, Cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli, Kohlrabi, Turnips, Hyssop, Grapes
Rutabaga	Mint, Sage, Thyme, Marigolds, Nasturtium, Cabbage, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage	Grapes, Strawberries, Tomatoes, Pole beans, Dill
Spinach	Celery, Eggplants, Cabbage, Peas, Onions, Brussels Sprouts, Peppers
Squash	Radishes, Cucumbers, Corn, Nasturtium, Mint, Aromatic Herbs	Potatoes, possibly Tomatoes
Tomatoes	Carrots, Onions, Nasturtium, Asparagus, Cucumber, Aromatic Herbs (Parsley, Dill, Lovage, etc.), Spinach, Basil	Cabbage, Cauliflower, Fennel, Potatoes, Black Walnut, possibly Squash
Turnip	Peas, Brussels Sprouts, Beans	Potatoes

Dawning Of A New Era…

The first 12 raised beds were built and planted at Sage Hill in 2003…all commercial transactions were halted in November of 2018…..

I’ve adjusted on paper…the mind and body however seems to have over-looked the memo!!

A new routine, less demands, more time to wander, explore and play….

So, why do I feel a wee bit lost…..

Updates to come!! There is family food to grow….a home updating to complete and a plethora of day trips to make…. hmmm….

When One Is Enough! +++++———————————————————–

A blog post that somehow got lost between then and now….

Once again the towering Silver Maple is ready for a new season…..and so am I.

Leaving the grounds for my early evening walk on Saturday….I looked up the towering Silver Maple and ask…will your leaves even fall this season? Within the blink of my eyes…one gorgeous silver leaf came floating down and landed at my feet…somehow I felt instructed to leave it be…..I did document it with a photo…just to remind myself and perhaps you…all things happen in their own designated time…for a reason….Mother Nature and God never fails to instruct me, scold me and assure me….who is in charge and how wasteful we are to doubt.

Not every tree has silver leaves, but every cloud has a silver lining….

Autumn has arrived…embrace it…just as is!

By The Light of the Silvery Moon~for more than dancing!

Planting and harvesting by the moon phases is not a new/recent guide to successful crops….I grew up watching my family use this method, and knowing it was passed on from another/other generations before them.

As the Moon revolves around the Earth every 28 days, it reflects different amounts of sun depending on its angle toward the light of the sun.

The theory is that increasing moonlight is best for annuals that bear their fruit above ground, and decreasing moonlight is best of those that are root crops. The full moon and the new moon are considered “barren” signs when no planting should be done at all, and planting should not be done on Sundays or on the first or last quarter days for similar reasons.

This is one main reason why planning is the most important step in gardening/farming…be it small or commercial size-understanding the phases as applied to growing, takes some study and understanding of the reasons why.

I’ve hear it said…’plant it and it will grow.’ This may be true to a large extent…but how well it grows and produces depends on a well designed and executed plan of action.

My favorite study guide is the long standing ‘Farmers Almanac’…been reading this little book since I was 10 or so. 🙂
http://www.almanac.com/
They even have a section for children, a great project for family’s to study together.

We all live by the astrological truth–whether we embrace it or not. Just one of those facts that was here before we were, can’t redesign it or toss it out. Once we get comfortable with it, understand, and embrace it as a much needed tool…it’s like having another degree in your education package. And…it is so much fun and comforting to know that some of the work/decisions, have already been made for us.

Do share your thoughts…for or not…

Have a magical kind of day…nature is nothing less than magic 🙂

January Rose Stroll

This is the last of the Rose series….you can revisit anytime by book-marking www.sagehillgardens.com and click into the Stylish Gardener blog.

So many roses…

The JFK is a white hybrid (1965)
Bush form that can grow 3 to 5 feet with a 3 to 4 ft spread.
Has a strong fragrance (sweet)

I don’t find it to be a dense bloomer…pretty but sparse…
Blooms spring through summer…depending on your climate/early fall.

Some blooms are stark white, some are laced with a tinge of pink or yellow. Soil may or may not play into that.