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House On Hartford Homestead

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Lake Stevens, WA
House On Hartford Homestead

📍Lake Stevens, WA
🐰 Raising bunnies
🐣 Raising Chickens
🌽 Growing our garden

05/15/2024

Forget-me-not fun fact: the yellow ring at the flower’s center fades to white after pollination, signalling to insects there’s no more nectar. The insects therefore learn to visit the flowers that haven’t yet been pollinated, ensuring no forget-me-not flower is forgotten

Nature is pretty cool, don’t you think?!

05/06/2024

This weekend the kids asked for homemade sourdough biscuits for their sausage gravy.

I couldn’t say no — I absolutely love when all my babies are sitting around the table admiring the love and work that goes into their homemade meals.

Thank you bug, .marie, for capturing this photo ❤️❤️

04/06/2024

Just over here making old fashioned blackberry jam!

If you’re local and want a jar, let me know in the comments!

03/02/2024

You learn something new everyday!

Everyone who has ever sewn has a tomato pincushion... our Grandmothers, mothers, aunts, literally everybody, and I wondered why. According to folklore, people once thought the tomato was a symbol of good fortune and prosperity. So when people moved into a new home, they placed a tomato on the mantle. Since tomatoes are only seasonal, the ladies would create them from fabric and fill them with leaves and things from the outdoors.

During this same era, the ladies did all the sewing for their families. Their hand needles were very important, so they placed their important hand needle in their fabric “good luck” tomato and the tomato pin cushion was born.

The little strawberry that is attached is filled with sand, and is used to sharpen the pins and needles.

When I think of the pin cushion, I see my grandmother’s wrinkled hands, the bright red tomato next to her, sewing away. The tomato may not bring prosperity and good fortune but it definitely has some beautiful nostalgia. 🍅

02/20/2024

When that ear flips and the crust crunches just enough 🤤 🤌🏼

Y’all! This is my best loaf yet! My starter was insanely perfect, and this loaf was made with a very easy ✨SAME DAY✨ recipe!!

To score this beauty, I used my brand new lame which made scoring a breeze! If you are in need of a new lame that’s ergonomic and super easy to use, I highly suggest this brand. Their attention to detail from the beautiful box, blade cover, amount of replacement blades and your choice of handle - it’s a must have tool in your sourdough journey!!

If you want this recipe, just say RECIPE below!

02/18/2024

Don’t mind us and how quiet we’ve been on all our social media platforms — we’re in our sourdough era ✨

Today is chocolate chip cookies 🍪 using sourdough discard!

02/14/2024

Girls don’t chocolate and flowers today — we want baby chicks!!

01/30/2024

Since GMOs are sneaking their way into our foods, as of late, I threw out my beloved Best Foods Mayonnaise and decided to make my own!  Super easy ✅  Simple, clean ingredients ✅ Much healthier ✅ All you need is  • 1 -1 1/2c of avocado oil • 1Tsp Celtic salt • Ground mustard seed (I eyeballed mine) • Lemon juice (I eyeballed mine)  • room temperature raw egg  I used an immersion blender and blended ingredients right in my mason jar 🫙 moving blender up and down until mixed well (took about minute!) Store in fridge up to 2 weeks and enjoy knowing that you’re enjoying something much healthier than the store bought version! This is a 10/10

 

11/23/2023

From our family to yours, we hope you have wonderful thanksgiving weekend spent with those you love

11/22/2023

Who’s coming with me?!?

11/19/2023

Ok ok - I just had to and well …. I kind of like it!! lol - if you haven’t jumped on this little trend, do it!

11/15/2023

Who doesn’t love warm, soft gingerbread cookies right out of the oven?!

Simple and so darn good - comment below for the recipe to be sent to you directly!

11/13/2023

Today we learned that our property was once part of the now defunct Northern Pacific Railroad!

I always wondered what this property was used for and now we know — the Old Hartford area of Lake Stevens served as the main rail link from the famed Monte Cristo timber and mining resources to the world.

In 1905, a railroad spur was built by the Rucker Brothers Timber Company, linking Hartford with Lake Stevens. Two years later Rucker Mill was opened, located along and in the north cove of the lake (original pilings can still be seen in the old lake outflow area just south of the boat launch). In 1919, the mill, which became known as the “world’s largest sawmill,” burned and was partially rebuilt. When it burned a second time in 1925, the mill was dismantled and Lake Stevens lost the very industry on which it was founded.

11/12/2023

Just sayin’

11/11/2023

Want to bring something delish to the Thanksgiving table this year? Or are you wanting to give homemade gifts for Christmas?

This is a MUST make! Super simple and tastes so damn good!

Ingredients
1- 12- 14oz. Bag of Fresh Cranberries
1- Cup Sugar (I used cane sugar)
1- Cup Water
2-Tbsp. Bourbon
1- Tbsp. Vanilla Extract

Instructions
In an large pan combine your cranberries, sugar and water.
Bring to a boil
Reduce to a simmer and add vanilla and bourbon and simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes.
Let cool before serving

11/01/2023

Hello friends! We hope you had a safe and fun Halloween! 🎃 👻

In case you missed my announcement over the summer, we no longer have goats, which means we are NOT accepting your pumpkin donations for 2023.

HOWEVER 🙌🏼 Fall 2024 we will begin taking your pumpkins again for our feathered friends!

Thank you to all the people and small local farms who decided to recycle their pumpkins over the past 3 years - you kept our goat treat costs down and helped to naturally deworm our herd!

Can’t wait to see all your faces again next year!

10/23/2023

GARDENING HACKS TO TRY NOW - Composted Manure is Garden Gold & Putting Your Waste to Work!

Aged Compost Manure:
If you want to create the best growing space for your spring garden, start now! Even if you do nothing else in the garden from October through April, do these free garden hacks:

Hacking your own garden soil is not as hard as it sounds: all you need is some amazingly rich, composted, all-natural material to toss in your garden beds.

Layering the compost and other organic materials eventually transforms your garden soil into a wonderland of healthy microbes that your plants' roots love.

Rotted, AKA aged manure, is an excellent addition to your soil. It increases microbes and generally creates a more stable environment for your roots (don't worry, composted manure has no bad smells, it just smells like dirt). The only issue is how to get your hands on some.

Where to find aged manure?
Try searching for manure at a local horse or cow farm. Believe it or not, there are also manure share groups out there!

Always ask how long the manure pile has been sitting--it takes at least six months for w**d seeds and pathogens to be killed in a pile that has a core temperature of 140 to 150 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 to 60 days within that time period. Of course an older pile is always going to be better aged. Most farmers can give you an approximate estimate on how long the manure has been aging.

If you live in an urban area or cannot locate a farm nearby, packaged manure is easy to find. Most garden centers sell bagged composted manure or a compost-manure mix for a reasonable price. Bagged manure is heated during the composted process, which kills w**d seeds and pathogens, while retaining the basic benefits of the amendments.

You should not use raw manure fresh from an animal on your plants because most will burn the plants, although fresh goat manure is fine to use. Additionally, you should never use manure from meat-eating animals such as dogs or cats on your garden beds because it can increase the risk that you will consume bad bacteria.

Hog manure can contain parasites such as roundworms and other pests. You want to use rotted---or composted--manure from an herbivore source (such as cow, bison, llama, or horse) that has been aged for around six months.

PUTTING YOUR WASTE TO WORK\SEEK OUT FREE MULCH - Five sources for great ground cover

You don't need to look further than most convenience store parking lots to find poly bags of mulch for sale. But why pay $5 or more for a bag of shredded and dyed mulch when other sources offer a bottomless source of free mulch? Here are five sources for free mulch that you can track down no matter where you live.

LEAVES If you have trees, you have leaves (and if your neighbor has trees, you probably have their leaves too). Shredded leaves are perhaps the best mulch ever for your garden. In the fall, rake all the leaves on your property into a large pile and water it heavily. If you have warm weather through winter, water the pile occasionally. Once spring arrives, dig down into the pile and discover rotted leaf mold. Spread on your garden beds.

GRASS CLIPPINGS As you mow your yard, gather the grass clippings and place them in a pile at the back of your property. Turn the pile frequently and let it dry out. Once dry, you will have a nitrogen-rich source of mulch.

PINE BOUGHS & PINE NEEDLES Wait until fall to limb up any pine or evergreen branches, use them for holiday decorations, and then place them on top of the garden beds for the rest of winter. In spring, remove the sticks but let the pine needles stay on top of the soil as mulch. This is a great way to use last year's Christmas tree.

ANIMAL MANURES Aged manure is highly beneficial for your garden and can be obtained for free at local farms.

TOWNSHIP OR CITY WOOD CHIP MULCH Wood chip mulch created by road maintenance crews is available in nearly every city for free. For use as mulch, wood chips that have sat for awhile in a large pile are a better choice than fresh chips. You might see the pile steaming in the early mornings; this is a sign that the wood chip pile, much like compost, has heated up internally. Heat kills fungi and diseases, making the mulch perfectly safe to use in your gardens. If chips are not composted, apply an organic nitrogen fertilizer at a rate of 1/2 pound per 100 square fee of chips so the garden does not suffer from depleted nitrogen.

Be sure to check with your city to see if they use roundup or other chemicals, you'll want to avoid those sources!

10/17/2023

Today was perfect fall soup weather! I decided to make homemade butternut squash soup for our family of 9 and man did it come out amazing!

Recipe in comments because you’ll want to try it!

10/03/2023

⚡️Fresh and Invigorating⚡️

This juice gives me life (literally)!
It’s a blend of spinach, celery, ginger root, and lime, sprinkled with Ceylon cinnamon!

Spinach is packed full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Its health benefits include the fighting of oxidative stress via the antioxidant properties, eye health due to high levels of zeaxanthin and lutein. It also helps with cancer prevention, and it also helps with blood pressure.

Celery is another great source of antioxidants, it’s a good anti inflammatory, it also supports digestive health. Celery also has an alkalinity effect on the body.

Ginger is a great digestion aid but did you know it also helps with inflammation, menstrual pains, helps to lower bad cholesterol, helps with osteoarthritis and is heart health friendly?!

Limes are high in vitamin C, antioxidants, and other nutrients. They help boost immunity, reduce the chance of heart disease, prevent kidney stones, aid iron absorption, and promote healthy skin!

Ceylon cinnamon helps improve insulin response to help moderate blood sugar levels more effectively and reduce your risk of hypo- or hyperglycemia incidents.

If you want a great juice to start your day, this one right here is simple yet so powerful and the taste is amazing!

09/26/2023

It’s still calving season over on the family farm! The more you swipe, the more of the birthing process you’ll see so be warned!

This one took just over two hours from bag showing til birth and mama and baby are doing amazing!

Man, I love this time of year on the farm!

09/15/2023

Today was the day …. Demo day.

Our house was built in 1949 and the barn was built shortly after. While I’m sad we demo’d something so old, I’m excited to see what the husband has in store for that area.

I’m thankful I was able to keep the window frames as I can repurpose those into cute antique-y decor and keep a piece of property history.

09/08/2023

One of my favorite times of the year — calving season!
So far we’ve had 2 babies hit the ground, one on August 31 and the other Sept 3rd!

Our family farm over in Idaho raises THE BEST red angus cattle and has been in the cattle business since 1951! 72 years of amazingly delicious beef!

08/15/2023

Y’all!!! If you haven’t tried this new food trend, it’s a must try!

It’s called the chicken apple sausage diet and it’s to die for!

Grab yourself a chicken apple sausage, 1/2c of cottage cheese, mustard of your choice (I used goldendale mustard) and your choice of vegetables and fruit — super low cal, high protein and filling and perfect for this kind of heat!

Thank you for suppling the most amazing tasting veggies and fruits for this meal! We love supporting our small local farmers 👨‍🌾 👩🏻‍🌾

07/30/2023

The kids are loving these wild bunnies! They have grown so much in the past 24hours… they are starting to venture outside of their burrow!

This was the perfect little test to see how the kids will be when we get our rabbit husbandry up and running in the spring.

07/30/2023

Baby cottontail bunnies!!

We found this little nest of 4 kits in our front yard, and my oh my, are they adorable!!

I waited until I did some research and until their eyes opened to hold them, and today was that day. Mama comes to nurse at daybreak and dusk like she should be doing and I’m guessing they’ll be on their merry little way within a week or so because they are also hopping around … they look like popcorn when they all get going, it’s quite cute!

I love the miracle of life in all forms and this has been the best week watching these little babies develop so quickly!

07/24/2023

Came up with some checklists as we begin our new adventure into raising chickens and meat rabbit husbandry.

Tell me, what would YOU add to either list?!

03/15/2023

🐥🐥🐥 ITS CHICK SEASON 🐥🐥🐥

I’m sure you’ve all see that the chicks have arrived at the co-op. Now is your chance to jump into the world of chicken keeping or add to your flock . There are so many reasons to keep these tiny fluffers in your garden, not the least of which is that a happy leghorn or Rhode Island red can give you an egg a day. With egg prices and shortages that’s the equivalent of a golden goose. The eggs your home loved chickens will give you are at least 100 times as delicious as store bought, they keep many garden pests at bay, and they produce AMAZING compost for your garden.

So really the only question left is …
*how many* chickens you should get. I, personally, think you should get as many as you’re allowed! Here’s a quick look at the regulations in the areas closest to me. Some places ban roosters, luckily for us the chick runs are usually all hens.

City of Lake Stevens get all the chickens! There is no lot size minimum for chickens, nor maximum number of chickens provided they’re kept for personal use rather than commercial. Roosters are not specifically prohibited, but could violate the noise ordinance. Generally speaking the code requires, chickens must be kept a minimum of 50 feet from any stream buffer or wetland buffer, be well maintained as to not constitute a nuisance activity, and be cared for in a manner that isn’t cruel. Check out the code for yourself Check out LSMC 5.08.010(n) and LSMC 14.44.075. Lake Stevens considers chickens to be “fowl,” a subset of “farm animals”.

City of Marysville, get six hens! On lots under one acre the code limits you to six hens, and zero roosters. Strangely the code doesn’t include regulations discussing the maximum number of hens, on bigger lots. Check out MMC 10.04.315

City of Snohomish, get a bunch of hens (unless you’re on a tiny lot)! Lots under 5,000 sq ft are prohibited form having chickens, lots 5,000-19,999 sq ft can have five, and then every additional 5,000 square feet of lot space allows for one more hen. No roosters in the City of Snohomish. Check out Snohomish Municipal Code 7.04.060

City of Everett, get six hens or get a permit and get all the hens! Everett lumps small livestock together when they set their limits. owners of 6 or more chickens or other domesticated fowl or rabbits kept in outdoor hutches must obtain a small livestock permit. You may not have a rooster, nor keep small livestock in a mobile home park. Call Animal Services at 425-257-6000 for more information about getting your permit.

City of Arlington get seven hens! Up to seven hens provided that their living structure is adequate. The structure must be set back 10 feet from any other structure on the lot, provide for adequate shelter, be maintained, and not be larger than 200 sq ft in size and shorter than 7 feet. Check out AMC 8.17.010(b).

Unincorporated Snohomish County get all the chickens! But know there are regulations for commercial racing, humane treatment, and buildings. Also know that roosters may run afoul to the noise ordinance. Check out Chapter 6 and Chapter 9 of the County Code.

For each of these locations there are rules you should familiarize yourself with regarding building the flocks’ shelter, standards for adequate care, and commercial use of your flock. You may also be subject to more strict regulations by your HOA.

10/12/2022

A huge shoutout and thank you to all of the farmers. Without you and your hard work, our nation wouldn’t survive.

It is a thankless job but we see you and thank you every day.

10/05/2022

It’s pumpkin 🎃 huntin’ season!!

If you’re in Snohomish County, here is some of my favorite patches to visit during this time of year!

Happy hunting 🎃🎃

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Hartford Drive
Lake Stevens, WA
98258

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Videos

Creamy white chicken chili …. This is the perfect warm me up for cold nights. Full of flavor and super simple to make … hit it in the comments if you want the recipe!!

I’ve had a few of you ask if we still have Dolly in our possession and the answer is YES! Dolly is doing well, spending lots of time outside with her brother and has even learned her name! She comes runnin’ when called and still takes her bottle like a champ! Her favorite place is in someone’s arms or between their legs! Dolly may be little still but she is full of sass!

We are shook over here at The CrazyB Homestead!! Our seeds have arrived — over 50 varieties of vegetables and not pictured is 15 different herbs. Over 22,500 seeds in all 😳☺️ Y’all, I’m so excited to start our garden this year! This is what it’s all about folks, self sufficiency! We get our beef from our family cattle ranch in Idaho, we’ll soon have our our own fresh eggs, and now fresh vegetables — and of course, our own goat milk from our girls! #thecrazybhomestead #pnwhomestead #pnwgardening #farmfresh #farmtotable #selfsufficiency #selfsufficientliving #growbuildraise #heirloomseeds #homesteading #liverebelliously #feedyourself #stopdependingonthegovernment #livesustainably #homesteadersofwashington #homesteadersofpnw #farmersmarketgoals #farmersmarket

Is there anything cuter than a blue eyed goat chewing it’s cud?! Didn’t think so!! I just love my guys! #homestead #hobbyfarm #countryliving #ranchlife #goatsofinstagram #nigeriandwarfgoats #homesteaders #homesteadersofinstagram #hobbyfarming #homesteadinglife #smallfarmlife #urbanfarming #pnw #pnwlife #farminglife #farmtotable #goatmilksoap #goatmilk #goatbuck #goatlife #goatmom #homesteading #womeninagriculture #agriculturelife #femalefarmer #thankafarmer #thecrazybhomestead #smallfarm #freerange #agribusiness