Hoppy World Frog Day!

🐸 Hoppy World Frog Day! 🐸 Here are some photos I took of a Pacific Chorus Frog (Pseudacris regilla) on one of my Dahlias last year. Get more info. here... worldfrogday.org

Wordless Wednesday Tuckered Out Mini Pony

Gizmo, our mini pony, is tuckered out after a day of eating hay and running around.

Wordless Wednesday Great White Heron

This majestic Great White Heron was sitting by our slough.

Wordless Wednesday Happy Holidays From Our Farm

Merry Christmas From Pony Feathers Farm

Wordless Wednesday Resident Bird of Prey

Our resident bird of prey.

Wordless Wednesday Sunset Over The Valley

I captured this gorgeous sunset from my field on September 12th.

Wordless Wednesday Orange Sun In A Smoky Sky

The forest fires in the Columbia River Gorge are making our sky an eerie color of orange and smoke haze.

Wordless Wednesday Great American Total Solar Eclipse 2017

My daughters, me, and my son Jaedan watching the Total Eclipse with our eclipse glasses.

We also used our Orion SkyQuest Telescope with the Solar Filter to view it.

We also used a colander to view the eclipse shadows through.

You can even see the crescent shapes of the eclipse through the leaves of the trees.

Wordless Wednesday Garlic and Potato Harvest

Elephant Garlic harvest this year was awesome!

This was my first time growing and harvesting potatoes.

Wordless Wednesday Blooming Bulbs

Yellow Ornamental Onion "Allium moly" and a few bluebells.

Wordless Wednesday Crab Apple in Bloom

My Crab Apple Tree in bloom during the end of April.

Wordless Wednesday Goat Kisses

My son, Delbin, getting kisses from our goat, Chia.

Wordless Wednesday Blueberry Tongue

Blueberry is our horse and I caught him sticking his tongue out at our goat, Chia 😛

Foodie Friday Sweet Pepper & Tomato Crustless Quiche #FoodieFriday

I love living on a farm and owning chickens! One of the benefits of having my 8 hens is the free abundance of farm fresh eggs. We get many different colors and sizes. Sometimes we are blessed with an unusually large egg. I am not sure which one of our hens laid the one shown in the picture, but it turned out to have a double yolk inside!

I also love that I can teach my kids where our food actually comes from. Having it come straight from our own farm is a wonderful teaching and learning experience for them. I believe that this is extremely important for future generations because so many children now grow up thinking that food comes from the grocery store or supermarket. I love that I have this awesome opportunity with my children to teach them gardening, agriculture, home cooking/baking and other dying skills that need to be passed on.

Speaking of home cooking, my kids and I made two Sweet Pepper & Tomato Crustless Quiches the other day for dinner. I love a good quiche and crustless ones are so easy to whip together! My chickens' eggs also make them the best! Here is the recipe for this one...

Sweet Pepper & Tomato Crustless Quiche

Ingredients for one quiche:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 large sweet pepper; seeded, destemmed and diced (We used a green and red one because we made two quiches, but any color is fine.)
• 5 eggs
• 1 medium onion; peeled and diced
• 3 tablespoons whole milk
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• A handful of dried tomatoes (We had these in a bag from a summer of slicing, dehydrating, and freezing them. If you don't have homemade dried ones I suggest getting some sun dried ones from the store.)

Equipment needed:

• 1 - 9 inch round pie plate
• 1 whisk
• 1 - 12 inch skillet (I love my cast iron ones!)
• 1 spatula
• 1 mixing spoon
• 1 mixing bowl 
• 1 oven with stove top

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in the middle. 
2. Lightly butter the inside of the pie plate to make it nonstick and set it aside.
3. Saute the onion and sweet pepper in butter in the skillet over medium-high heat, stirring with the spatula occasionally, about 5 minutes.
4. Whisk together eggs and milk in the mixing bowl, then add the onion and sweet pepper mixture and most of the cheese, saving some out to go on top before baking. Fold this mixture together with the mixing spoon.
5. Pour this mixture into the pie plate, sprinkling the last of the cheese on top.
6. Take the handful of dried tomatoes and place them evenly on top.
7. Bake uncovered until top is golden and egg blend has set in center, about 35 minutes.
8. Cool slightly, about 10 minutes, before cutting into wedges.
9. Enjoy!
 

Wordless Wednesday Llama Sunrise

The llamas are curious of the camera and so my husband got this fun shot :)

Fluffy Layers Dish Towels and Pot Holders with Farm Beauty Print Review

Fluffy Layers is a wonderful company that was developed by Tara Grier. She and her team at Fluffy Layers are the creators of The Egg Collecting Apron®, The Egg Gathering Apron® & The Harvest Apron®. They also have some other cute, fashionable products & new home and textile items for the farm lover in us all. I got to have a taste of some of their Farm Beauty products for the home. These are wonderful to brighten any kitchen with!

I received the Farm Beauty Dishtowel Set. This set comes with a pack of three dish towels. These measure 20" width x 30" long. These are fairly absorbent and great for drying dishes or just to embellish your kitchen with. You may use a warm iron on these to get out creases from folding.

Farm Beauty Dishtowel Set.

I also received the Farm Beauty Pot Holder Set. This set comes with a pack of two potholders. These measure 7x7" and have a hanging loop on each for easy storage. They are heat resistant and great for handling hot pans/dishes with. You can place your hand inside the pocket for a better grip.

 
I used an old rake head to make a pot holder and oven mitt hanger for my kitchen where I will display my Fluffy Layers Farm Beauty Pot Holder Set and the Oven Mitts to match them that I purchased separately. I love the farm animal design of the Farm Beauty print! This colorful design has flowers, horses, sheep, cows, pigs, ducks and chickens on it. They are both machine washable on warm, made of 100% cotton, and are imported. Do not use bleach. Lovely accessories to decorate the kitchen with and very functional too! Break out your inner farm fashionista!

BE SOCIAL
Fan them on Facebook.
Follow them on Twitter @fluffylayers.
Follow them on Instagram.
Follow them on Pinterest.
Follow them on LinkedIn.
Hashtags: #fluffylayers #egggatheringapron #eggcollectingapron #harvestapron #farmbeauty

BUY IT
You can purchase these and other Fluffy Layers products in their Fluffy Layers' Online Shop. Tara also has an online store for Fluffy Layers on Etsy, Zazzle, and Amazon! Etsy has products that are samples. Most of these are items that are not in their original packaging, have minor flaws, or that her models wore for photo shoots. Because these are seconds they are marked down. Zazzle has a whole different selection of Fluffy Layers products, including: travel mugs, leggings, door mats, blankets, shirts, pillows, ornaments, Christmas stockings, clutches, hoodies, and phone cases. Amazon sometimes has deals for sets and other items from the original store.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received these products for free to facilitate this review. As a Fluffy Layers Brand Ambassador I get occasional products to share with my readers for free. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review. 

Fluffy Layers Farm Apron with Rooster and Hens Print & Chicken Party Scarf Review

Fluffy Layers is a wonderful company that was developed by Tara Grier. Fluffy Layers are the creators of The Egg Collecting Apron®, The Egg Gathering Apron® & The Harvest Apron®.  They also have some other really cute farm animal accessories that you can wear and they are coming out soon (launching Sept 25 2016) with a home collection I can not wait to share with you!

Gorgeous Fluffy Layers Farm Apron with Rooster and Hens Print.

Fluffy Layers Farm Apron with Rooster and Hens Print  is a gorgeous apron! I love the nice sturdy canvas type fabric of roosters, hens, and roses. It ties securely in back and I love that the neck strap is adjustable too. The red ruffle gives it a feminine touch that is reminiscent of cute vintage aprons.

Me in my adorable apron.

The Colorful Fluffy Layers Chicken Party Scarf. (eggs not included)

Fluffy Layers Chicken Party Scarf comes in white and blue. I received one in white. I love this brightly colored flowing scarf. Its fun and energetic chicken pattern puts a smile on my face. This lovely versatile scarf is approximately 71 X 35 inches and can be used as sarong, cover-up, scarf or wrap.I can wear it out anywhere or just around my farm. It is fabulous to liven up any outfit.

Love the bright colors of the Chicken Party Scarf!

BUY IT
You can purchase Fluffy Layers Farm Apron with Rooster and Hens Print & Chicken Party Scarf in their Fluffy Layers' online shop.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received these products for free to facilitate this review. As a Fluffy Layers Brand Ambassador I get occasional products to share with my readers for free. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.

Fluffy Layers Farm Queen Tote Review

Fluffy Layers is a wonderful company that was developed by Tara Grier. She and her team at Fluffy Layers are the creators of The Egg Collecting Apron®, The Egg Gathering Apron® & The Harvest Apron®. They also have some other cute, fashionable products for the farm lover in us all.

Fluffy Layers Farm Queen Tote.

I received The Farm Queen Tote from Fluffy Layers. It is a canvas type bag with handles that is great for holding groceries, farmers market goodies, or just about anything worth toting around. I love that this tote is eco-friendly and reusable. It has a fabulous design on the front of a rooster, a crown, and a partial circlet of flowers with the words "Fluffy Layers Farm Queen". I will love using this around the farm to hold my harvest from my garden to my home.

BUY IT
You can purchase Fluffy Layers Farm Queen Tote in their Fluffy Layers' online shop.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received these products for free to facilitate this review. As a Fluffy Layers Brand Ambassador I get occasional products to share with my readers for free. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.

Permaculture for the Rest of Us: Abundant Living on Less Than an Acre Book Review and Giveaway

Permaculture for the Rest of us: Abundant Living on Less Than an Acre by Jenni Blackmore is a wonderful book on how to live a sustainable, self sufficient life with less than ideal circumstances. This book is an insightful, down-to-earth, user-friendly guide. If you have small acreage, have poor soil, don't live in the ideal climate, have a lack of water, are discouraged or overwhelmed by other permaculture resources, or just don't know where to start, this book is for you!

Jenni takes you on her journey from how she got started to what she did and encountered herself through trial and error over the course of 20 years. She is a great teacher for those of us that are novices to permaculture because she tells from experience. For those of us that are experts I am sure this book will provide a great refresher. In her book Jenni talks about building soil, planning, planting a veggie garden, seed saving/swapping, easy starter crops, her suggestions about what and when to plant, greenhouses, poultry and meat rabbits, ethics and principles of permaculture, & harvesting and preserving. Her book doesn't cover every aspect of permaculture, but it covers enough of the basics to get a great start. With main information consolidated into sidebars of what she calls, "executive notes", this book is an educational easy read.

As I am still learning a lot in my own journey in permaculture, I found this book to be a wonderful resource of sage advice and wisdom and while reading I highlighted my favorite parts. When I was reading I heard her mention keyhole gardens and hugelkultur and I had never heard of these garden bed methods, so I started pinning them on my Pinterest Garden Path board so that I might incorporate them into my own techniques down the line. I already have 8 raised beds, but they are rectangular, which is fine for what we have done with them. As I am learning though I feel compelled to mold and shape my land how I see fit with the knowledge amassed under my belt.

I am learning about soil and soil building to make my own fertile soil. I even went to "Soil School" after I became a Master Gardener in my state, so that I could learn more about soil. I might be a geek, but I think it is fascinating. Permaculture for the Rest of Us goes into some depth about this in chapter two, "The Nitty Gritty on Building Dirt". Most of this was review for me, but only because I had taken these classes.

My farm already has one laying hen and 10 chickens we raised from chicks, of which I hope will provide me and my family with many eggs soon as the hens of the flock start laying. They have already supplied me with rich manure to add to be composted for my gardens. I love Jenni's idea for a "Hen-poster", a compost pile set up in the chicken run. The chickens scratch at it and mix it while adding chicken manure to it as well. What a great idea! I want to set one up now too. I love her and her husband's ingenuity.

I think Permaculture for the Rest of Us: Abundant Living on Less Than an Acre is a wonderful addition to my library as it would be to yours. It opened my eyes to some techniques and things that I could do, or do better on my own property. I love Jenni's encouragement and her friendly, genuine demeanor. She helped me feel welcome and more capable to accomplish even the most surmountable of tasks.

BUY IT


WIN IT
Prize: Win a copy of Permaculture for the Rest of Us: Abundant Living on Less Than an Acre.

I run giveaways with Rafflecopter on my blog. Please click on this post link if you do not see the script for it below. Also, if there is anything that is wrong with it let me know by emailing me: finamoon AT gmail DOT com I will try my best at fixing it. Thanks for being awesome readers!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this product for free to facilitate this review and an opportunity to give away another copy. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review and giveaway.

Fluffy Layers Egg Collecting Apron Review

Fluffy Layers is a wonderful company that was developed by Tara Grier. She and her team at Fluffy Layers are the creators of The Egg Collecting Apron®, The Egg Gathering Apron® & The Harvest Apron®. They also have some really "fun, fashionable products for the urban agriculture enthusiast!" I am one of their new Brand Ambassadors and I can not wait to share with you the adorable stuff they have!

My wonderful Fluffy Layers Egg Collecting Apron.

I received their Egg Collecting Apron. This is a wonderful half body apron that helps you gather 10 jumbo sized eggs from your chickens safely. I received one in a whimsical rooster and hen print. This apron is such a lovely alternative to the egg basket and keeps your hands completely free to do other things while collecting. I love collecting my hen's eggs in it. This is the perfect apron for anyone with chickens. It will work for duck, geese, and quail eggs too! It is made from 100% cotton canvas fabric that is durable and machine-washable. Measures 20" long and 19" wide with an 80" strap. Comes in classic canvas color too.

Me collecting eggs from my hen.

BUY IT


You can also purchase Fluffy Layers Egg Collecting Apron in their Fluffy Layers' online shop.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received these products for free to facilitate this review. As a Fluffy Layers Brand Ambassador I get occasional products to share with my readers for free. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.