Look who came to visit the Kitchen’s Garden. Milkweed is a protected weed in our gardens but it is not flowering yet Miss Monarch. You will have to settle for salvia.
Today being Saturday, I would like to introduce to a few new blogs. Actually I have quite a long list of exciting new blogs for us to visit but these few will do for today. 
I will start with My Darling Lemon Thyme. Emma is a New Zealand woman living in Australia. She creates beautiful food! She a generous discerning designer of tastes. I love her food and her Kiwi sense of humour.
Talking of Kiwi sense of humour. The Wool Blog. Another New Zealander, this time living in London. He is cool. I mean, he has that wry not harsh but quirky sense of humour which makes me laugh out loud. He works in the wool industry and his writing is refreshing, informative and fun. 
Nature’s Nurture. Sarah lives simply. And she genuinely and passionately wants us to, as well. She has great tips and recipes for cleaning, eating and living in an environmentally friendly way. I hate that term, we need to find another one. How about environmentally loving or world loving or just plain SENSIBLE. Sarah has great tips for running a sensible sustainable home.
And now another Sara. This Sara wrote to me with a rather stunning proposal after the sheep were sheared. Her blog is called Punkin’s Patch and she is crazy about sheep and wool. She has asked me to send her some of Mama’s fleece and she is going to spin it into yarn for me. She is very fond of Mama. I would love it if Sara could create us a page, as a guest blogger on The Kitchen’s Garden, so we can all see how she does it. The link I am sending you to, has the most extraordinary piece of weaving made from her own wool. Mama’s fleece will be in very good hands.
The Waiting Artist. Marianna has a sweet light hearted blog. Last week she introduced me to her breakfast bread. She does not know that I am on a mission to recreate the old Vogels thin sliced raisin bread that we used to buy in NZ, in the 90’s. I miss this bread so much out hereon the prairies. I made her breakfast bread the other day and it is as close as I have got to Vogels so far. Thrilling!
Now Daisy, you have no manners. Didn’t I teach you to close your mouth when you chew! Really she is just showing her appreciation to The Matriarch for finding a new supply of fresh vegetables. My mother In law has gently cajoled, and slightly bullied with a smile, the ladies at the local grocery store into giving The Kitchen’s Garden all their old produce, instead of giving it to the dumpster. So yesterday as a special treat Daisy had onions and celery. The pigs are very partial to old bananas! And Mama woofs down the lettuce leaves. Now that is a sensible sustainable idea!
Good morning. Look at the time! It is almost 6.30 and I am still only half done with my chores. So I am going to get going. But first I must tell you. Last night Kupa cried out in the night. You know the one. The screaming baby one! I had to laugh. Nothing wakes Our John AT ALL. But this sound had him rising up out of bed before he even had his eyes open!
“Kupa” I mumbled into my pillow.
“The peacock?”, he said, “is that The Sound?”
“Yup.” I said and went back to sleep.
“At night?” he grumbled, as he lay back down.
Giggle. We are so naughty! And evidently the pea hens are louder! I have not told him yet! Oops Mama is calling. I had better get moving.
Good Morning. Have a fabulous weekend.
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
58 responses to “Local food love and a few pages to visit.”
Oh Celi – there’s an imp of mischief in you! Look forward to reading your recommendations.
Morning Carol-Anne, have a lovely saturday! c
Well done your mother in law for acquiring the leftover vegetables 😉
She hates waste too plus she speaks American which is such a bonus! c
Seeing the monarchs return is always a welcome sight. There was an interesting NOVA special on PBS showing their 4 generation migration up into Canada and back to Mexico where they winter. These fragile little beings are far stronger than one would think. So, Kupa found his voice, eh? Maybe he just longs for a hen & will quiet when she arrives. Yeah, right! Have a great day, Celi!
It was a haunting sound in the night. Tho to me, it felt a little like a fat man with a funny hat and a bell calling “Midnight and All’s Well! ” morning john.. c
Have a great day, Celia! I would love to visit all these blogs but I ma having serious problems with my Internet connection – does not link for more than 20 minutes – so frustrating!
I feel your pain, internet problems are some of the most frustrating on the planet! c
Oh wow! Way to go Mom-in-law! Daisy is quite pleased with her treats!
John said, you can’t post that picture! I said Oh i think i can!! (laughter) .. c
The Monarch butterfly is the one I grew up with. Wonderful pictures!
yes, you sure would miss her.. such a beautiful butterfly.. I shall be stalking her to get a better shot though, when it warms up there will be many of them in the gardens, more and more each year actually..it is the flowers of course.. morning rosemary c
Too funny, the way the body reacts to the Crying Baby sound, even decades after there was one in the house! The coyote were close-in one night last fall, making sounds like a lost toddler crying…I was at the window before I even knew I was awake, peering out into the dark. Took a minute to realize what I was really hearing!
Their sounds are amazing aren’t they. I can see why coyotes are sometimes compared to sirens. Getting mothers to walk to their windows.. morning honey.. c
Poor John! Maybe Kupa’s calling out for a bit of night-time romance and might pipe down when you find him a nice hen! Well, perhaps John could fall for that bit of dubious reasoning!
Christine
Excellent suggestion christine, i reckon he will fall for it (wicked laughter) can I tell him you said? ( more wicked laughter!!).. c
Absolutely, I’m too far away for him to do anything about it when he discovers the truth!!!
Christine
(belly laughter!!).. c
Wonderful about acquiring the dumpster-bound produce for the stock — I wish more people did this. Maybe Kupa was reminding you to go to the swap and get him his mate.
poor fella, it will be interesting to see how he behaves when i bring her home.. hope i can find her that is!! c
haha oh, Kupa. I’ve heard peacocks before and it is indeed a startling sound to say the least :). Have a good Saturday, C!
And a lovely weekend fro you too Ksenia.. we have a heavy dreamy mist this morning, it is very weekend like..c
Great post: lovely to see the bees again. You’ll be buying/making earplugs soon!
Love, ViV x
I could wear my tea cosy it covers my ears and is quite stylish!! but then my tea will go cold.. hmm.. c
I was thinking more of your other half!
That’s a stunning butterfly. I love the peacock cry, but after a while……
Thanks for the links
Cheers
Marcus
after a while i won’t even hear it, the farm is not always a silent space.. morning marcus1 c
Good mornin’ c.. I haven’t been here in forever and hope to catch up on all this weekend.. busy practicing cello for the concert tomorrow. Thanks so much for your lovely links.. I always enjoy meeting your friends, they’re the best kind!! xoxo Smidge
Keep practising honey, we will be in a quiet phase for a few weeks (I hope, touch wood.. etc!).. c
This dumping of food into the dumpster just makes me mad, so I am glad the nice ladies at the grocery store obliged your mother-in-law. When I once witnessed a bunch of bananas being tossed into a dumpster at a convenience store (and these were most certainly not rotten), I contacted corporate headquarters suggesting a donation to the local foodshelf. Couldn’t do it, they said. Regulations, you know. Argh.
Regulations make me spit! morning audrey! c
Thank you so much for your kind words love xx
you are very welcome honey, i am sure you get it all the time!! c