So, it's the time of year where it is a struggle to post every other day as is my goal. Heck, it's a struggle to find the time to post at all, but honestly, it is so ingrained into my being now that I get all tetchy if I don't tend to my beloved Hive posting habit.
Yes, it is a habit now, I love this place!
Anyway, we've moved into the oil distillation part of the lavender harvest, which although not too tedious, is a bit time consuming, as the still takes a bit to process the lavender.
Which is what I am doing right now. While I type this, I am listening to the propane burner heat the water that blasts the lavender with steam and sends all its awesome essence in vapor form up into the copper pipes and down through the condenser to return to liquid form for us to catch and bottle as essential oil and hydrosol.
Like I said, it's a bit of a process, but oh what a nice smelling one it is!
I have been promising to do an in-depth lavender oil distillation post with our homemade still for over a year now, and I will get too it, but not today, I have more than just the still going.
For instance, I also have to blanch and freeze peas and zucchini today too. This morning I started off my day after feeding the critters by picking zukes and peas before cutting the bloomed out lavender for the still. I like to blanch and freeze zucchini chunks to add to stews and sauces throughout the year, so of course they are all at the right size right when I am in the midst of the lavender.
And then I got pig news. We have four Hereford/Hamp/York piglets coming in this Saturday, which is awesome, and I am so thankful the hubs got their pen all lined out before he headed up north to do hay (another thing I have to go help with), because here come the piglets!
And speaking of babies, the first batch of kittens are very mobile! No one's toes are safe and their mother has been wandering around my house yowling about the status of her kids like some overly proud Snowplow Mom. Yeesh.
But they are such fun little bundles of energy! I have introduced solid food to them and Pork and Beans have already figured out how to use the cat box. Such smart babies!
Already, five of the nine have new homes waiting for them, which makes me smile, as batch number two have opened their eyes and are starting to get mobile. My house is going to be a warzone for a few weeks.
Of course, my nerves are a bit of a warzone right now too, as I am trying to stay ahead of it all. Homesteading is no different from anything else in that regard, there's seasons of plenty and seasons of less than. Right now I am in a season of plenty to do, as it seems like every morning when my eyes pop open I bolt out of bed like a Twitter junkie in need of a dopamine fix.
In the near future I have to drive up north and procure this winter's hay and stack far more than that. Yesterday, my non healed spinal injury decided to put me down a bit which was really rather annoying, but it's probably my own fault for not getting it tended to.
But seriously, who has the time?
And on that note, I think I am going to go have a slice of restorative Zoobana bread that I whipped up the other night for the kiddos. Because even though I am a touch on the frazzled side, no one can stay in a harried state when there's lavender in the air and zucchini banana bread in their tummy. You know, cuz science 😉
YEAH!!! The distilling is JUST for me. I know it is ;) And I still haven't made my wine.......
How cute are your kittens! We've had our girl fixed. But she popped a few sneaky litters when she was barely out of kitten-hood herself, thanks to a rogue wild cat. Cute as pie though.
Of course that distilling is for you😊
And no wine yet? I'm sure it's in the works, the hubs snuck home from haying up north and threw a batch of rhubarb wine together to ferment, I hope to see a wine post of yours someday soon!
I hear ya on the sneaky batch oh kittens, I thought we had cooped our girls up through their first heat, but alas, they ended up pregnant anyway. Not that I mind too much, they both are scheduled to be fixed as soon as they wean the heathens. Such cute heathens though lol!
So glad to hear from ya! Hope all is well down your way😊
Hi! That Zoobana bread seems delicious, I die for a piece of it with coffee, hehe.
I love the smell of lavender, it must be a lot of work you have there to do but surrounded by that scent everything must be worth it.
And I can imagine your little warzone with those naughty little friends you have, who are so cute.😻
LOL! Yes, the warzone was quite active this morning, they really like to crawl in shoes and slap you as you walk by
The lavender and banana zucchini scents that abound right now make all the hard work seem not that all at all, I blame the lavender for my chill attitude ha ha!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
!PIZZA
People always think farm life is peaceful....
Moments of peaceful with a hefty swirl of chaos is more like it huh😉
Hope you have a most glorious Thursday😊
!PIZZA
My moment of peace is drinking my cup of morning tea/coffee and enjoying the peace and beauty of nature. After that....
You make my busy days seem mild. Thanks for that. Lol.
You continue to amaze me and educate me every time you post. Thank you.
And kittens 😸
Starting off I thought I was going to read about moonshine. Lol.
!BBH
!ALIVE
!CTP
Oh, as much as I like living a full life, there are days I would take slightly less busy lol!
And seriously my friend, your comments always make me feel awesome! A lot of the time I feel a bit frazzled and not at all educational/helpful...so thank you😊
And moonshine could still occur, the process is similar lol!
!CTP
!PIZZA
Your comments do the same for me my friend 😀
!BBH
!ALIVE
!CTP
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So...Do you make anything else in that Still, or is it strictly for lavender?
Just curious, lol
Well, this one was built just to extract lavender oil, however, it could be utilized in perhaps another way 😉
!CTP
!PIZZA
Well, I'm sure glad you squeeze in time for your posting!
Your content is off the chain.
The smell of Lavender in the air and some of that bread sure sounds like a piece of heaven.
@generikat
!WINE
Aww, a bit of vino, just what I needed! Thanks Jimmy!
The glorious lavender smell makes all the work worth it, and thanks so much for making my day with your words of awesomeness!
!CTP
!PIZZA
Amen 🙏🏼 Sistah!!
@generikat
!CTP
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Because this is such an awesome post, here is a BBH Tip for you.
. Keep up the fantastic work
Thank you!
Great work! You are active! I need to up my game.
Holy wow! You are one of the most productive people I've seen on here! Seriously, when I think of an example of someone who hustles you're one of the first who pops up in my mind😊
Hope you are having a great day crushing it!
!CTP
!PIZZA
Thanks! I've been pretty good decluttering and soon to go on a bike trek. Keep up the great homesteading!!
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Thanks so much!!
So much happening and so much to do on the farm, you are one active person @generikat. Have a great weekend.
There is definitely always something occurring, you are so right @gratitudemine! And sometimes I wish there were just a little less going on ha ha! Hope you have a glorious weekend too!😊
!CTP
!PIZZA
That kitten is extra cute 🥺😍
I think I'll love a bite from that bread, that's a very weird name it has if you ask me 😆 it's almost sounding like a language I know here but means "Come here" 😂
Nice reading from you, really nice 😎
Read from LN
Aww, I told Beans you thought he was cute! He's such a precious little thing, runs right up to you for snuggles😊
And now I am dying to know what word means come here! I mean, that bread kinda says that in a way, I go to it when I smell it baking lol lol!
Thanks so much for the kind words and for dropping by from Listnerds😊
!CTP
!PIZZA
😆😆😆 You're so funny... I think the bread's name really means that and it does looks tempting!
Thanks for sharing on listnerds, it's so good to know you all from there ❤️
OMG that Zoobana bread looks delish. Also, I am very impressed that you distil your own lavender bread water, and oil soon if I read it right?
Are there any health benefits of lavender when ingested do yo know? I'm curious as there is a load of it on my next door neighbour's allotment plot which he never does anything with.
That kitten too... what a cuttie 🙂😻
Ooh! Culinary lavender is my specialty! True English varieties (L. Augustifolia) are the best for cooking with, which I am sure is what's probably growing in the allotment, and you know, cause of your location 😉) Provence is awesome too, it's a Lavandin cultivar (French), but I grow English varieties because their flavor is awesome and not too camphor-y (That's totally a word, right?)
Anyway, blathering aside, lavender tea has been used for years for insomnia, anxiety, and stress, so ingesting the stuff should have similar benefits. That said, a little definitely goes a long way! If you like potatoes, lavender is awesome in an herb mix with garlic, rosemary, and thyme dusted on some olive oil coated potatoes and roasted. One of my favorites.
And I could ramble forever on that subject, so I will totally cease lol!
The still is for distilling lavender essential oil, for every ten gallons of flowers I get about an ounce of oil and five quarts of hydrosol. It's a bit of a time consuming process, but I love the products yielded and use them in everything.
Glad you think Beans is cute, he's a little ham for sure, speaking of which, I have to go feed him and his siblings, they are getting started on solid foods, I swear they grow up too fast lol!
Hope you are having the best day!
!PIZZA
!CTP
Ha ha, at first glacé I thought you might be making moonshine. But then I read the full post and realised it was no such dodgy activity 🤣
I'm jealous, and yes he's adorable. I can't get a cat being in a 6th floor appatmemt of a Georgian towmhouse, and I just don't think it's fair not to let cats roam. They're much happier when they can do their teritoral rounds.
But I get on with cats so well, and I miss having a kittie companion.
You're amazing with what you get done on a daily basis. Thanks for sharing your photos. The kitties are so cute and the zucchini banana bread looks delish.
!ALIVE
!CTP
Aww, thank you so much! There are some days I feel like I am spinning my wheels, but most of the time it's pretty good lol!
Hope you are having a wonderful day😊
!CTP
!PIZZA
You're welcome, @generikat! I know that feeling all too well. Yes, the day is very good so far, thank you! Happy Sunday.😀
More kittens! And you didn't know what was in store for you when the pigs arrived....
Loved looking at your lavender set-up.
Thanks so much! I really want to do an in-depth post of my lavender essential oil setup and process. As much as I would love to have a commercial copper Alembic lavender still, it just appealed more to my diy homesteader nature to make one from scratch, and it works super well, gonna crank er' up tomorrow and process a batch.
9 kittens is a bit much lol...But they are so precious!
Never a dull moment at your house! I might need to beg some zucchini off you. My plants aren't doing much yet.
You don't have to beg, I'll bring you a bag when we go berry picking, it's a surplus scenario over here lol!
Oh good! I can already taste them!
The bread looks delicious. Home farming takes a lot of work to take full advantage. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much @rcaine! You are so right, it's a ton of work, but worth it all the same😊
!CTP
!PIZZA
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Nice meeting you I love the kitty so much and I will love to have a taste of the bread cause it really delicious I feel it here nice meeting you once again enjoy your day !
Enjoy being busy, the kittens sound like a lot of fun :) I look forward to the post about the lavender still 🙌
Yeah...its a whole lot to do but it's nice to catch some rest and cool off in between to refuel energy for the tasks ahead!