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We as a family and/or just me and Bruce love to go hiking. On the Saturday before Christmas Eve Colten wanted to go on a hike and explore right around our house. It's always an adventure when you can discover nature finds everywhere you look. It not only sparks the imagination but you wonder in amazement how the feather got here, how the bones of a animal arrived there....was it old age or nature taking back or was it only perhaps the link in the food chain for something much larger. Feathers have meaning and Dusty and I have talked about this many times and he reminds me to not get the black ones....but the love of feathers takes over and color is forgotten.  
A beautiful fall leaf in the middle of the quiet, brown, wintery woods.
A bright red holly leaf a reminder of the time of year.
Dusty had found the skull of a possum once again a reminder of life of the past.
The holly leaves in the background. Note the wintery feel of the woods. So quite and peaceful you can hear any snap or pop under your feet. The wind blows up high in the trees where the pine trees sway back and forth.....you then again hear the cracks of limbs swaying in the winds.
. I love seeing the moss and fungus growing and you can just feel the texture by looking at it. Makes you want to be able to paint the feel and the light that comes from the picture.
Another view of the log. A site of where a tree once stood and its branches flowing in the wind and the rain falling upon its leaves or fronds. The seasons that it has seen the years it endured all the changes of time. Reminds me of the book that is really one of my most favorite books of them all The Giving Tree By Shel Silverstein. I have read that to all my children and we have had the same copy for many years.
It was so wonderful seeing the two brothers enjoy the day out on adventure. It was actually almost 70 degrees on this day. Which was nice for a discover day.
We crossed over many waterways which was incredible enjoyment for Dusty nothing like being a kid and enjoying Nature. I saw a book actually today at Barnes and Nobles called Vitamin N by Richard Louv which seemed very interesting while I was looking at it I thought of this day since it was recent in my memory. However we frequent nature hikes as it clears the mind and awakens the soul. In fact I was reading how nature actually makes you more creative, relieves tension, anxiety, stress and is good for your health in that your body gets exercise.
Dusty coming across the waterway with all his nature finds and big brother helping pull him out of the water (which by the way Dusty loved it) Dusty now has that piece of drifted swamp wood in his room. For the love of nature.
at places the water was moving fast and I watched as the leaves floated by.
Dusty squatting down just looking into the water........
I always love the reflections of the trees.
Dusty and I found this little cardinal feather which is really tiny. This color of feather is not one you usually find. Dusty wanted to know right away what this color meant as we don't find a red very often here. I looked it up for him...this is the site we use.
I love when we find mushrooms just plain makes me happy
Dusty found a turkey feather which we find these quite often they are large and very beautiful.
We spotted a lot of beaver works and deer rubbings.
Several of these we saw looked like faces
more tree growths
Haha what a face again carrying his finds.
I saw these in the old logs I told Dusty next time we would bring some paper and some coloring crayons. We could do leaf rubbings and other nature rubbings.
This one looked like a wind blown tree....of course I saw a painting or a water coloring.
Today I had another appointment with my gastroenterologist today which is over an 90 mile hike for us of course I want to at least go somewhere our money is so tight you can barely buy anything extra...basically if it is not needed you don't buy it.....no matter how cute it is or how much want it you just can't buy it....and trust me it can be extremely hard. I mostly only buy used books but I do love browse Barnes and Nobles and dream or make mental notes of books you want and books you need and books that speak to you and why they speak to you and you don't know why. I am always fascinated with local authors and the books they have wrote. I know my next book is going to be If The Creek Don't Rise by Leah Weiss I am almost finished with Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate which has been an absolutely amazing book I have cried, laughed, and just could not hardly put it down. Life doesn't always allow you to continue non stop reading the best books by these authors. I saw several new books today by some authors I had already read their other books.
I also am always reading art books at the same time as novels or educational books such as bee books or farming books.
Right now I am reading an amazing book by Tamara Laporte
She has an absolutely awesome art study called Life Book see her name above for link. I was able to take the classes before in Life Book 2012 but life is so different now but if you could take her classes you will learn so much and be amazed at how talented she is and the artist that also are In the Life Book Year 2018.
Now for the RECIPE
Butternut Squash Dessert
I have to live on a SCD diet so not many things I can eat or that are “easy” at times but I made this butternut squash (which we grow) dessert for myself and it was delicious. I bake the butternut squash at 400 degrees. I slice it in half then scrape the seeds from the squash. My chickens love them so win win. Then I turn the flesh side down on a baking dish and bake it for approximately 1 hour at the 400 degrees. Remember each oven varies. So times and temperatures on each oven are different. When done the center is soft by poking and usually the skin in the butternut squash is starting to brown with splotches. Meanwhile I use a cast iron skillet and brown “toast” the pecans in tad of butter you will see the pecans start to toast they are done then. I also use the same cast iron skillet and wipe out any butter and toast the coconut I used unsweetened coconut flakes. Then once the butternut is ready remove from oven and cut into thirds place in a bowl and add homemade yogurt I had cow milk yogurt this time (it is always thicker but I love my goat milk yogurt the best) then pile on the toasted pecans and the toasted coconut flakes. Now drizzle with honey of course I used our fall honey and it was one with the comb in it but oh my it’s AMAZING. Now you have a healthy dessert. Enjoy
#recipe #dessert #butternutsquash #squash #cucurbit #yummy
Oh this makes me really want this right now. It was soooooo yummy.
This is one thing I love about winter is your inside more to be able to blog and cook more recipes. When I make jams and breads or pies for others I don't exactly want to cook a huge fancy meal at night after working hard in the garden or canning etc....not alone write a blog post too....I am just tired but I am so glad I am able to right now it makes me happy to be able to share and inspire others. Remember to be thinking of your word for the New Year.
Happy Wednesday,
Dawn Gallop
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Wednesday, December 27, 2017
Nature Hike and the Recipe for a Butternut Squash SCD Dessert I made.
Monday, December 25, 2017
Happy Holidays 2017 Keeping it Simple
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| Happy Holidays from The Gallop's we are so THANKFUL for everyone who supported our dream this year and without each and everyone of you we would not have our dream. |
Julie our Pit Bull Mix doggie watches me put every decorations on. We have had her more than a year now actually 18 months and we were able to rescue her from The Paws of Hertford County. Although she rescued me I always tell her. I had had my should surgery when Colten showed me the website and I saw her and I wrote a long story of why we wanted her and come to find out she had been there since February of 2016 and it was August at the time of 2016 and she was still there. I told the boys she was just waiting for us!!! We all love her dearly!
Tomorrow we get to open this to test if it is ready......so exciting!!
These are the BEST OF NINE from Instagram. These are the picture that got the most likes throughout the year. I was glad to see the soap made one of them of the drying rack. Of course the honey in the comb. When Ledger was born. Amanda's beautiful cake for Aubrey's 1st Birthday. The one of the boys running on the beach in the OBX. Some of our nature walks. Aubrey's first birthday pics. Skylar and I together one of our last pics before she went back home.
Skylar and Dusty running on the beach for the warmer times of the year. We have been cold here and I do not care for the cold...already looking forward to summer.
As I was think too this should be a week you need to reflect on your word for the year coming up. Are you going to do daily journal entries. Are you going to post daily to Instagram. Are you going to do a 52 lists project or maybe a index card a day? Or even the Tiny Buddha's 365 Tiny Love Challenges. These are some ideas to be thinking about this upcoming week. As you look forward into the New Year,
Hiking
OBX
| Bruce and I have been married for 32 years now This was a little video my phone put together of us. All mostly with in the last two years except one was FROM LIKE 8 YEARS ago. We had a wonderful holiday and mostly I'm just so thankful I have been able to rest and catch up on some house work, paper work, cleaning, and life in general when you run a farm this size and its basically just Bruce, Colten and me doing all the work. Its very hard and exhausting. We really never have much down time or movie time or just relaxing. Example last night 2:30 am one of the hens was making noises which never happens and Bruce and I had to go outside in the cold on Christmas Eve and see what was going on. As I tell everyone we never close. |
The YouTube Video of the Pics
Some of my favorites of Skylar.
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Look at this beautiful gift our daughter Crystal sent us. 
The boys got a Battleship game as a Christmas Eve gift and have been playing over and over.
Simple fun!
I got them one of those Ugly Sweater Cookie Kits and they had such a great time with it.
You can see the laughs on the boys faces
Dusty and his cookie frosting got all over his face and his looked like he had seriously ate a lot of sugar. #FUN
This was our Christmas Eve Supper of Zaycon shrimp which you could get your order here zayconfresh.com/refer/zf484673 and let me tell you its the BEST!!!! I meet the truck when I have orders and pick up some of the best meats available. So if you are interested check it out.
This was the turkey we cooked. Cooper said it looked like a VIKING Turkey, lol! I guess because it was going to be a feast.
I soaked it in a brine and then cooked it. It turned out wonderfully.
Has our pickles on it.
See below for recipe. I really never measure it but I am sure you can make it just start small you can always add more but you cant always take away.
My potato salad recipe I usually use one medium sized onion chopped in the food processor, approx.. 3 celery stalks. Ranch dressing powder I use approx. 1-2 Tablespoons, 1/2 cup of my pickles chopped and approx.. 1/4 cup of juice. 2 tsps. of celery salt. You can add celery seeds too approx. 1-2 tsps. that is optional I do not add them because the boys don't like them. Paprika and salt and pepper to your taste. I do the peel the potatoes if others are going to eat it but if we are at home
I don't peel them. Mix all ingredients in bowl and chill or eat hot the boys like it both ways.
 
This is the terrarium kit that Dusty got he loves plants and planting which of course makes me so proud.
The kit is from here AMAZON
He had a blast making it and I can see more to come his Ideas were flowing.
This is what it looked like in the dark.
This is was Christmas Morning we didn't have many gifts but the boys got what they needed and a few requests. We kept it real simple and everyone was able to enjoy what they did get and Dusty was sad that Bruce and I had no gifts o unwrap then they saw Alexis had sent us a box of goodies. I told Dusty we didn't need anything we were happy to see them get a few things and that was all that mattered. We had gave to the Salvation Army every chance we could and that made us much more happy than any materialist items. We certainly enjoyed a simple Christmas.
#KEEPINGITSIMPLE
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Sunday, December 17, 2017
Beeswax Rendering and Pouring into Beeswax Molds I bought at Dadant
Dusty watches on while I pour the hot beeswax into the molds he was working in his journal.
Me pouring the hot wax into the molds
the wax in the disc ready to melt and put in the molds
the other 1 ounce mold I bought all the molds at Dadant
the wax in the mold
Beautiful beeswax
the beeswax molded from the molds and ready for use in the products
the frames filled with honey ready to be extracted
yum see the honey rolling while the cappings being cut
the cappings falling into the capping tank
me cutting off the cappings
the comb filled with honey
the nylon bag filled with cappings
the wax melting from the bag
the cappings in the crockpot in a nylon cheese bag or you can use a sock the crockpot is filled with water and turned on low to high see instructions below
this is the slum gum which is left after the melting of the wax
the wax forming into the disc while cooling
the wax after rendered and cooled
the instructions above
these at the 1 ounce beeswax molds I sell at the market
this is some of the products I make with the beeswax and sell them at the shows and at the Smithfield Farmers Market.
This is Ledger our grandson with one of his onesies Tara made him with her Cricut and vinyl. He is certainly Adorable!!!
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