Author Archives: Nicole Christensen

About Nicole Christensen

Suburban Farmgirl Nicole Christensen calls herself a “vintage enthusiast”. Born and raised in Texas, she has lived most of her life in the picturesque New England suburbs of Connecticut, just a stone’s throw from New York State. An Advanced Master Gardener, she has gardened since childhood, in several states and across numerous planting zones. In addition, she teaches knitting classes, loves to preserve, and raises backyard chickens. Married over thirty years to her Danish-born sweetheart, Nicole has worked in various fields, been a world-traveler, an entrepreneur and a homemaker, but considers being mom to her now-adult daughter her greatest accomplishment. Loving all things creative, Nicole considers her life’s motto to be “Bloom where you are planted”.

Eggs, Chicks, and A Very Special Gift

Posted on April 16, 2025 by Suburban Farmgirl Nicole Christensen

Hi Farmgirls! It’s been a crazy busy month for me here. How about you? It feels like spring comes and BOOM! We are “off and running”! There’s so much to do with the changing of the season from cold to warmer, and then everyone is busy with holidays like Easter and Passover, too! It’s still a wee bit chilly here in New England, so grab a cup of tea and come visit a bit with me!

Here in New England, you never know what April will bring. We have daffodils peeking outside, and if you want to have a vegetable garden planted using seeds, seeds are started inside. Mine are doing quite well, but it will be several weeks before anything can be planted outside into the veggie bed. We start thinking of spring, but Mother Nature reminds us that it can still be cold. 

Yesterday, we woke up to a layer of ice. (It’s gone now).

It’s not the cold that slows chicken egg laying down, but more the lack of light in winter. Thankfully, my chickie girls have started laying again, even though it has felt like the sun has been sleeping away behind the clouds most days.

Not only was I surprised at the price of eggs this winter, but look at the difference in color and freshness of a store-bought egg (runny and pale), compared to the egg from my happy backyard hen. So fresh!

They taste better, too. I can’t wait until I have fresh tomatoes, as well. Even organic store-bought tomatoes are forced to ripen with ethylene gas, so they don’t taste as good as one slowly ripened from a sunny day in the backyard. C’mon summer!

Speaking of eggs, look how cute this is! My dear friend Julie sent me a goodie box for my birthday. I love the little fried egg  “candle rug” she included. It looks like it’s made from a repurposed wool blanket or jacket. So clever!

Also, talking about eggs, Easter is coming up soon. It feels like it snuck up on me. I usually like to put my box of Easter decorations out as soon as St. Patrick’s Day is over, but I have been too on-the-go-constantly-busy the last few weeks. I love my Easter bunnies, but I have to admit, there’s something “eggstra-special” about Easter decor with baby chicks, especially when it’s something vintage or vintage inspired! It may still feel wintry outside, but inside it feels like spring!

The bunnies are vintage by Lefton, a company whose heyday was in the 1950s. The eggs are German, but reproduction. The embroidered runner is circa 1940s with chicks, bunnies and eggs, a long ago thrift store find.
Another sweet piece by Lefton, the chick on an egg is vintage. The wee little pieces are no more than 1/2” in size, by Renaker, who made tiny collectible animals from 1945 to 2021, found in five and dime stores and gift shops. I remember collecting them as a kid in the 70’s.
Speaking of Lefton, these very old, made-in-Japan salt shakers are life sized! They “crack”me up, pardon the pun. They grace the Hoosier cabinet for Easter.
You can tell what season it is by the Hoosier cabinet, the hub of the kitchen.
More Easter “littles,” some from when I was a kid.
More little tiny Easter chicks. The pompom chick is actually made by Steiff.
I love displaying vintage ephemera like this early 1900s Easter post card in antique flower frogs. The book was my one of my favorites as a child; I think it belonged to my older brother first. The little Lefton chick and bunny are $1.00 thrift shop finds. I love vintage pieces – they are so sweet and whimsical.

It may be cheery and spring-like inside, but as I mentioned, this past month here, the weather has been dark, dreary, windy, rainy! Even when it has been sunny, it is still colder than it is usually at this time of year. However, I am not going to mind the cold, because how can you not be cheerful when you wear…

wait for it…

AN AMAZING REPURPOSED QUILT JACKET FROM OUR VERY OWN DEAR RANCH FARMGIRL, DORI!

I am a skilled farmgirl in many ways and love all sorts of crafts. I am an expert knitter, but while I do sew (and collect sewing machines), I am nowhere NEAR the level of skill with a sewing machine as Dori. She is absolutely amazing, especially with her fantastic quilting skills! Not only is Dori an amazing talent, but she is also one of the most genuinely sweet and kind farmgirls EVER! 

When I complimented her upcycled, beautiful, repurposed quilt jacket she made, I was so surprised and overjoyed when she contacted me and said she would make ME one!

I thought this 1940’s “cutter” quilt from a local thrift shop would be a good candidate for a jacket. It had all my favorite colors, lots of character, but was too worn in places to be used as an actual quilt. Still so soft and vibrant, it had life left!

Dori and I texted back and forth many times over the next few weeks. She was so adorable, sounding just as excited to make me a quilt jacket, as I was to receive one! We had so much fun in the process. Dori is a blessing to know, a truly beautiful soul.

Then, one day, she sent me a text with a tracking number. I thought I would burst with excitement! Of course, somewhere along the way, the box got delayed in Pennsylvania (no doubt due to crazy weather). 

Then, on a day that had started out stressful, (as our elderly cat needed to go to the vet – we were so worried, but she is fine now), I came home to find a large box on the porch! I was overjoyed and couldn’t wait to open it!

I texted Dori right away that it was here! I was so thrilled to open it, and my daughter filmed me so that Dori could see how excited I was! 

The jacket is beyond expectations – it is truly a work of art! The seam binding she picked is so beautiful! I LOVE the big pockets!

The jacket is STUNNING, and so soft and cozy! It’s just right for jeans or dresses in the cool weather. It fits me perfectly, and feels like I am “wearing a hug”, it is so cozy! Again, I am amazed at Dori’s talent and skill, and am so touched by this beautiful, gift, a reminder of how special the sisterhood of farmgirl friendship is. 

I could not WAIT to wear it, so the very next day, I wore it into town for a few errands. I got so many compliments – and told them how it was made for me by a special, kind friend.

Of course, I have been working on a special surprise for Dori, too. I am BURSTING with excitement for her to receive it! I wish I could show it to you, but it’s not quite finished yet, and I don’t want to ruin the surprise, so you will have to stay tuned!

HAPPY SPRING TO ALL!

A Few Things to Watch Out for In Spring

Posted on March 12, 2025 by Suburban Farmgirl Nicole Christensen

Woo-Hoo! Spring is peeking her beautiful face around the corner! Birds and butterflies, flowers and leaves will all be prevalent soon in my area. However, let me introduce you to some creatures that will also be showing up soon, that can have some negative consequences (and how to avoid them).

Don’t get me wrong…I do love spring, especially after this icy, dark winter we have just experienced here in my neck of the woods. It was a really long winter for New England, with really cold temperatures showing up as early as late fall and lasting until, well, just last week.

Snow frozen into thick layers of hard ice were prevalent everywhere, including at our favorite walking trails of Fairfield Hills.

We had deep snow, which was followed by sub-zero temperatures, which made for solid, non-walkable ice everywhere, that lasted longer than we usually have. I even got stuck in my long, steep, curved driveway one day, something I haven’t done in twenty years! 

Finally, this past week, we thawed out, and today’s temperature will be in the high fifties!

Yay! Robins are busy again and starting to be seen, as well as other migratory birds, too! POOF! Just a few warm days and all the ice is gone!

While we always get a “cold snap” around St.Patrick’s Day, and can even have snow as late as late April, the worst of winter is over and we are all thinking of spring! I can’t wait to have my hands in the earth, and to see all the flowers blooming, hear the birds sing, and the insects buzz. (One of my favorite sounds is that of summer insects “trilling”). 

However, there are some insects that will show up, that you may already have in your area, if your temperatures are now warm. These are a few things that I do NOT want to run into. These are two insects and an arachnid that can have a devastating impact on human lives.

The first insect that you should beware of is the Spotted Lanternfly.  A large, invasive planthopper native to Asia, it can’t bite or sting a human due to its plant-sucking mouthparts, but its capability to devastate and kill trees, grapevines, and other major food crops is downright scary! (Think of a super-large aphid on steroids). First seen in the USA a few years ago in Pennsylvania, the Spotted Lanternfly is now found in eighteen states and is quickly making its way across others. 

The Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicata) has several life stages. They first start out tiny, with four instar stages, the first three having black and white spots on their tiny, crawling bodies, changing to red with white and yellow as they grow larger. Finally adults are large, with fuzzy-looking black legs (that look to me like eyelashes coated with too much mascara), with grey wings that have black spots. This makes them hard to see, “camouflaged”, until they open their wings or fly to show their colorful, red, yellow and white underwings. 

Some red is shown here, but you really do not see the color until they open their adult wings fully.

We saw masses of adults on a trip to the Poconos to see friends in the fall of 2023, with so many on the sidewalks it was hard not to step on them. It is important when driving in areas that are infested that you inspect your car and wash it before heading to other areas, to help stop the spread. 

Our very first sighting ever of one in Connecticut was a few years prior, on a shopping trip near the Connecticut coast. The grey building and parking lot was covered in these awful, destructive insects. I snapped this photo to show how they can easily be missed when their wings aren’t spread. 

The preferred host-tree is the Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima), considered an invasive plant here in Connecticut, but the Spotted Lanternfly will devastate and kill a variety of plants, including stone fruits and hardwood trees, hops, and many of our food crops. They lay eggs in masses with a hard, waxy shell, on hard surfaces such as trees, vehicles, and buildings. Scrape egg masses off with an old credit card, and inspect your trees and surroundings often. The USDA has a great, dedicated Spotted Lanternfly webpage, with photos of all stages of this insect, and tips on how to eradicate and avoid them. (One thing that kills them is hand sanitizer, by the way). If you see them, destroy them!

Another harbinger of spring are bees and wasps. While we need them, (and I love bees), there is a wasp that can be awful if a human or pet comes in contact with them. I know first-hand, as I had a run in with these aggressive creatures last year.

The Bald Faced Hornet (Dolichovespula maculata) isn’t really a hornet, but a member of the same species of wasp as the yellow jacket.  Named for their color and size, Bald Faced Hornets have creamy white faces and marks on their large black bodies. I do not have a photo of one, as they are way too aggressive for me to get near enough to photograph, but do an online search and you will see plenty of photos of these easily-recognized flying devils. 

This nest was on the door of my camper a few springs ago. It developed very quickly, as they are fast builders. I was lucky I did not get stung then when I opened the camper door.

These very large wasps can be found in most of the United States, with the largest concentration being in the Southeastern states. We did not have them in my area until a few years ago. 

These nasty spawns of Satan quickly make large, dome-shaped paper-type nests that can be found in trees, bushes, on rocks, or hanging off of buildings.

A nest hidden in a redbud tree.

We once had a nest in a redbud tree. It was pretty large and scary, and had to be professionally removed. I also know someone who once had a HUGE nest appear quickly, right on her upstairs window, dangling over her driveway! 

All wasps are beneficial, and the Bald Faced Hornet is no exception, pollinating plants and flowers, and eating other, bad insects. (These wasps actually think of yellowjackets as a tasty snack, and can eat and kill so many that their nests can look yellowish at the end of the season)! However, because the Bald Faced hornet is so aggressive, these are particularly scary and dangerous to humans, so you will want to beware if you see a nest, and get an exterminator out quickly if they build a nest close to your home or garden. Bald Faced hornets do not have to have their nest disturbed to attack, as they will aggressively go after anyone or anything that they perceive as a nearby invader. They will sting over and over, and are unique in that they also try to spray their venom into the eyes of a warm-blooded interloper, causing temporary blindness. Their stings are also considered one of the most painful stings you can get. 

Last summer, I fed my chickens and then proceeded up the steps of my deck to go inside. I was suddenly aware of a “thumping” sound, which were multiple wasps hitting my face HARD and stinging me.

I screamed, and ran six feet or so to the door, but not before I was followed inside by these evil flying demons, and was stung at least six times around my lips. They had tried going for my eyes, but I had on sunglasses that thankfully protected them. Luckily, my daughter was home late that morning, as her schedule at work started later than usual. I popped a Benadryl and she and I jumped in her car. It was rush hour, and traffic on the freeway was a dead stop – to get to the local hospital would take too long. Thankfully, we have a wonderful walk-in emergency clinic in town, ten minutes from my home, and they were open. By the time we arrived, my face had already swelled so much I looked like a sick platypus. The waiting room was filled, but they took me right away. To make a long story short, I did not realize in the moment just how bad off I was until the end of my ordeal, when one of the nurses hugged me, saying they had not wanted to scare my daughter, but that I had really scared them! I now carry an Epi-Pen, and to say I am afraid of wasps is an understatement. Taking Benadryl and seeking medical attention ASAP saved me. The worst part is that these mini-diablos did not have a nest in the bushes next to my stairs the day before, and the nest was so hidden it was difficult to remove. The venom also caused pain, redness and swelling for several days.

I will garden again, but I will be extra-vigilant when near bushes or other areas where wasps can build nests next to my home. Keep an eye out, and if there is a paper-looking, football-shaped nest near where humans or pets reside, have it professionally removed right away.

By now, the entire world is aware of Lyme disease, (first named for a town in Connecticut), and how tick-borne illnesses are prevalent with tick bites. However, not everyone is aware of how one tick in particular, the Lone Star tick, can really have devastating consequences to some who come in contact with it. The Lone Star Tick is a deer-type tick that is named for its singular white spot on its body. Unfortunately, this type of tick can cause what is known as “Alpha Gal Syndrome”, which can cause an allergic reaction to red meats such as beef, pork and lamb,  as well as an allergy to dairy, in the host.

The Alpha Gal Syndrome from the bite of the Lone Star Tick can cause allergies to beef, pork, and dairy. One theory is the thought that the tick that bites the human bit an animal previously.

Some people only have mild symptoms, but for others, it can be life-threatening and severe, even causing anaphylaxis! I have a family member that now has a severe, life-threatening allergy to dairy and beef, who can not even get dairy on their skin without a burning rash, all because of this tick! Gelatine in things such as gel-cap over the counter medicines, or in gummy-type candies can also cause problems. It’s frightening to know that something as small as a pinhead can change a person’s life in such a drastic way. Enjoy the outdoors, but make sure you do daily tick checks on yourself and your pets, and when you know you will be gardening or walking, do the things you can to help protect yourself against all kinds of ticks. While some tick-borne illnesses are treated with antibiotics, this allergy that develops is not. Luckily, it’s still somewhat a rare thing, but we personally now know of three people in our area with this allergic condition from a Lone Star tick bite.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to be the grim reaper of the outdoors! Spring, summer and fall outside are wonderful, especially here in New England, and I can’t wait to enjoy the outdoors again. We need the bees and other insects to pollinate our crops and flowers, and to keep balance in nature, so please do not spray everything in fear!

Enjoy the spring…just be aware. Bring on the butterflies! Bring on the flowers, leaves, and green! 

Speaking of green – Happy St. Patrick’s Day, dear readers, and remember to leave me a comment below so I know that you dropped by!

February Favorites

Posted on February 12, 2025 by Suburban Farmgirl Nicole Christensen

Hello, Farmgirl Friends! Happy February! 

My brother just called a few minutes ago to catch up. He was sitting on his patio, enjoying the beautiful Texas weather – currently about 69 degrees with full sun. I was just stirring a pot of toasty homemade soup on the stove, after taking my dogs out with ice cleats on my shoes, since there is no ground here that is not covered in a thick layer of frozen, icy snow. “I don’t know how you do it!” I hear that phrase from many of my “warmer weather” family and friends. Still, each season has its own charm, and there are some things that are wonderful in winter, no matter where you live! 

New England has four distinct seasons. I love the summer, with its fresh veggies and warm, sunny days. By the time I have had enough of the heat, that wonderful cold snap of autumn rolls in, followed by the cozy charm of the winter holidays, that carries us straight through to mid-January. I’m sighing, as it is still “nesting” season here. I’ve kept busy through January, but now I am “chompin at the bit” for a “thaw”!

I do love the snow. One of my favorite things about it is the “scent” of snow that wafts into the air before a storm. My father always laughed about the first time I saw snow, phoning him at 4 AM to shout, “It’s snowing! It’s snowing!”  We lost him last fall, and I am missing just talking about the weather with him. This past month, I enjoyed all my relatives and friends texting ME pictures of the several inches of snow that recently fell in the south, something that had not happened in quite some time. A small snowfall happened in the Houston area in 2021, but measurable snow had not fallen since 1895!

Tea and dish towels are one of my favorite things to give and receive. Everyone can use them, and they add such personality to a kitchen.

I must have sounded really “homesick”, because one of my dear, sweet farmgirl friends, who also lives in Texas, sent me this adorable tea towel this week. So sweet! Over thirty years later, I still miss the sight of Texas bluebonnets. The nice thing about warmer climates is when you get a cold snap, it only lasts a bit. The tea towel lifted my spirits and warmed my heart, and looks adorable in the kitchen. Farmgirls are the best!

Here in Connecticut, however, when things do close up for weather (rare, but we will have the occasional ‘snow day’, usually in January through March), it is typically only for a day or even a few hours.

The highway was clear just hours after a big storm. Drivers need patience and need to let the plows and salt crews do their thing, and then it is business as usual. We are so thankful to our road crews!

Still, we get tired of the frigid cold and ice on the ground. I love animals, but I would like to have a few words with that groundhog! At least six more weeks of winter…ugh.

I don’t know how the local wildlife feels about winter, but I know it must be hard on them. Our ‘resident’ fox was recently in our yard again. He walked one way, then ran the other, with something in his mouth.

“It’s so FLUFFY!”

He looked so happy to have found something to eat. (Rest assured, it was not one of my chickens. “Fowl Knox” has proved too hard for him to get into – I have seen his prints all around the coop).

The little opossum tracks I found near the house in the snow are the cutest! Finding tracks is one of my favorite things about winter.

We see you…

We also spy deer, walking through the woods, looking for spots to bed down or for food. I feel sorry for them this time of the year. 

1940s knick knacks are the cutest!

On a brighter note, February brings Valentine’s Day! I’ve got my Valentine’s decor out. The red, white, and pink look so festive and bright against the winter light. 

Have you seen these adorable throw pillows? Y’all know I love a cherries motif! My daughter picked it for me on a recent Target run. At $5.00, they are a bargain, to boot!

After being married over thirty years, my sweetheart and I still celebrate Valentine’s. Sometimes, we have a special meal at home, or pick up a heart-shaped pizza from a local pizzaria. This year, we were both so excited to give each other gifts, we celebrated early. He got me a cross body bag that I had been eyeing for awhile. I just can’t stand carrying large purses or bags anymore, and when it arrived from Amazon, he knew I could really use it, and couldn’t wait until the 14th to surprise me.

Winter isn’t so bad when you have a sweet fur-baby to snuggle!

Our wee pup is our “baby”, so my gift to my husband was this cute little oil painting that looks like our dog, found for under $20 in a local antique/consignment shop. 

Chocolate is always a good choice, of course. Our family loves chocolate! My favorite is Justin’s, an organic brand. I’ve noticed after going organic years ago, that I can really tell the difference how I feel when eating things that are not, especially with artifical colors.

We always have “emergency chocolate” on hand…don’t you?

I really love Justin’s dark chocolate, candy-covered peanuts. The colors of the shell are muted, because they aren’t made with nasty, unhealthy dyes but rather with vegetables. They are scrumptious!  (My friend Judy and I also shared a Justin’s organic peanut butter cup on a recent outing. So delicious, too). It used to be that if you wanted organic chocolate, it cost an arm and a leg and only available in specialty shops. I am finding this competitively-priced brand in mainstream grocery stores.

I love a good book on a snowy, February day. My daughter and I are now “Book Buddies” – a “book club of two”. We love all kinds of genres – classics, biographies, history, fantasy, mystery, romance. Sometimes I want to read something “heavy”, other times I need a “lighter” book.

Our current “book club” discussion is actually two books – “It Ends with Us” and its sequel “It Starts with Us”. Please, no spoilers in the comments! (Marlene, I am using the book marker you sent in your Christmas card)!

Favorite books become treasures! My daughter is the same way. Now that she’s an adult, we will read the same book, then discuss it over dinner or coffee out (it’s a bonus if there is a movie to go with the book)! An avid reader who can read a book in a day, Audrey has been “collecting” books since she was in high school. 

Books can be expensive, especially when they are “current”. Our favorite source? Thrift Books! Thrift Books is an online source, selling new and used books in both hardcover and softcover. Their prices are the best and shipping is fast! With their points program, the more you buy, the more points you get to use for book purchases. Many of the books my daughter has bought us have been free or under a dollar, and we’ve found books that we can’t find anywhere else. Cut down on your clutter and get rid of books you no longer want or won’t read again (or dvd’s) with their “sell” feature, as well. You can do all of this through the website; they also have an app.

Speaking of books, have you seen the latest trend – painted edges! There are editions of books with “painted”, metallic, or patterned edges on the pages. It makes the books even prettier, especially on a shelf, and this trend is across all genres of books. Most times, painted edges are the same price as traditional editions.

A few of my daughter’s fanciest “painted edge books”. They look amazing on a book shelf.

Another favorite winter activity of mine is knitting. In addition to blogging here, I have been teaching knitting professionally for over 15 years. I’m always amazed at the knitters who do not know about Ravelry! Ravelry is an online source of all things fiber related. The site started in 2006 and is now international. It’s the BEST source for patterns and inspiration, and is an amazing community of yarn lovers worldwide!

With all the ice and snow that is on the ground right now, it’s hard to believe that we will ever thaw out and be able to be outdoors for more than a few minutes again. But it will happen. Having houseplants is a favorite thing to do, year round. Right now, I also have a pot of red daisies that I have overwintered indoors for at least four years now. The pot sits on my deck during the summer and early fall. I forgot to water it recently and it looked dead, the leaves shriveled and brown (the room it is in gets very dry with the forced heat). Hoping it might come back, I watered it, but made a mental note to empty the pot when things warmed up a bit. When I went to water the other plants in the room the following week, I looked down to see my forgotten plant.

It now has new leaves and has graced me with the biggest, reddest, BRIGHTEST bloom ever! It’s a good reminder that things will thaw out eventually! 

For now, we will hunker down a few more weeks, knowing soon the seasons will change again.

Stay warm and cozy, Farmgirl Friends! Happy Valentine’s Day to all! Leave me a comment below to let me know you stopped by!

A Fresh New Year!

Posted on January 15, 2025 by Suburban Farmgirl Nicole Christensen

HAPPY NEW YEAR, FARMGIRL READERS! Here we are in 2025, and the start to my FIFTEENTH year blogging here as the MaryJanesFarm’s Suburban Farmgirl! It’s hard to believe – time just speeds by. January is probably the least favorite month among most people, but I think January is a good month to rest, regroup, get organized, and look ahead to a fresh, new year!

In New England, January can seem like it lasts forever. I always call it my “nesting month”. It’s been cold this winter, but sunny, so I don’t mind. We’ve had a few small snowfalls. Snow is so peaceful. 

I like to get my Christmas decorations put away the first week, especially outside before it gets too cold or snow-covered. However, getting outdoors, even if it is for a short time, is a great mood-booster. We took a quick, refreshing New Year’s Day walk on a Connecticut beach. 

As I put away the holidays, I think ahead to next year, so I don’t stress. Organize supplies like wrapping paper, and make notes on your calendar for what you’ll need. Our local TJMaxx sells beautiful rolls of vintage-print wrapping paper, made from recycled material, in the fall. If I see my stash is low, I’ll write on my calendar to pick it up in October, so I am not stressing in December to wrap gifts. Now is also a good time to organize gift bags, throwing out any that are too worn to reuse. 

Primrose are showing up in stores and are a great winter brightener! However, if you suffer from seasonal allergies, you will want to skip these!

After all the indoor Christmas decor is put away, I like to give things a good “spring-like cleaning”. Clutter can bring on stress; having things organized also helps save time in the long run. I’ve got my routine down pat, and what tools to use so I don’t spend too much time on chores. 

My forecast for 2025? I’ll be vacuuming Christmas tree needles until June, haha! After a good vacuuming, I neaten up the fringe on our throw rugs with a comb-out, using a teasing comb meant for hair. I remember my mama doing this tip back in the 1970’s. 

After the holidays, with all the food and baked goods, I give the pantry, fridge, and freezer a good cleanout, and check expiration dates. Groceries are SO expensive these days – I want nothing to go to waste! I am not much for New Year Resolutions, but mine this year is “no food gets wasted!”

In the pantry, repurpose plastic produce bags to keep open boxes of crackers, chips and cereal from going stale. (This is another tip I got from my mama, who did this when I was a kid)!

I love that in my area, I have an old-fashioned bakery to get fresh baked goods from, and an old-fashioned butcher for meat. By stocking up on basics and picking up meat in bulk a few times a year, we rely less on expensive take-out. However, buying in bulk and freezing is only economical if you don’t throw out food that got buried, forgotten and past its expiration.

To keep track of what I have on hand at any given moment, I bought a small dry-erase board and keep a running inventory of what I have, so I don’t buy more of what I don’t need, or forget about what I have. 

On snow days where we might get a later start, I’ll make a big, hearty breakfast with homemade muffins, eggs, and the occasional treat of bacon.

To clean my cast-iron skillet of the grease, I’ll throw uncooked oats on the bacon grease as the skillet cools. The oats soak up the grease, which I give to the chickens as a treat. Cleanup of the skillet is a snap, without ruining the seasoning of the pan, no grease goes down my drain, and the chickens LOVE their treat. It’s a win-win.

A big pot of homemade cream of turkey soup was a delicious recent comforting meal, made from leftover turkey.

I also always keep frozen and canned veggies on hand. That way, I can throw together a pot pie or a soup from leftover meat cooked for the previous night’s dinner. I also freeze dinner portions of casseroles like lasagna for great comforting dinners on busier nights when I’m too tired to cook. Cook once – enjoy several times!

In the laundry room, we changed our washer filters this week, which I mentioned in last January’s blog post. I also cleaned my iron. It’s amazing how much gunk builds up!

Using an old cloth or towel, you simply run your hot iron over the cleaning paste. Mine was really nasty! After a bit, your plate is as shiny and smooth as new!  What a difference!

I knew a lovely lady who still ironed all of her sheets when she changed her linens! I don’t do that, but I do like to iron my vintage linens, such as decorative vintage dish towels, for example, or my all-cotton clothes. I love that crisp, fresh look. Many people do not iron anything anymore…do you? 

It’s good to look forward and try new things. I’m a true, simple-life loving farmgirl, but I did something not so “farmgirl” last year. Though I really don’t like change, I am open-minded to trying new things. New foods, new exercise classes, new books to read, and new experiences are just some examples of things that make life interesting. Now in my 50’s, I had not been to a big concert since my 20’s (growing up in Houston, I used to go all the time as a teen). Especially since the pandemic, I had no desire to go to a concert – I don’t like crowds, I don’t like being out late, but when my daughter was a teenager, she made me absent-mindedly promise that I’d go with her to a certain band’s concert if they ever came to town. Little did I know that over seven years later, she would hold me to that promise, in November 2023. She bought tickets six months early, as a birthday present to herself. Five bands would play; she promised we would leave if I felt uncomfortable at any time. I like what I like – in my house or car, most of the time I’m listening to 1940s Big Band and Swing music. Honestly, the day of the concert, before we left I was actually scared to go, to the point of tears (the crowds, the being out late…the HEAVY METAL)!  I never thought I’d like it, or end up enjoying one band so much that I’d WISH to go again! So…for Mother’s Day last May, we went to see the band again (a Swedish HEAVY DEATH METAL band – can you imagine me there – what a hoot!) This time, it was “standing room” only, and we ended up right at the stage. It was phenomenal.

Me and my daughter, all “goth” and “glam” for our Avatar concert.

Waiting in line to go into the venue, one young “goth” man opened his umbrella for us to stand under while he got soaked, and while inside waiting for the concert to start, several young ladies standing with us said how much they wished their moms would go with them! We had a wonderful time, (and I actually was not the oldest one there)! It was a perfect evening with my daughter, an experience I will never forget.  

After that, I ended up unexpectedly going to two more concerts in 2024. One of my best friends got tickets for her birthday for us. This time, it was all 80’s bands, such as Thompson Twins and Psychedelic Furs (be still, my Generation X heart)

In Bridgeport, CT for the 80’s concert. “I’ll Stop the World and Melt With You…” Generation X had some great music!

Lastly, for our 32nd anniversary, my daughter treated our family to a weekend in Boston and a Glass Animals (modern pop) concert.

“Glammed up” again for Glass Animals in Boston last fall..the family that plays together, stays together!

My point is that getting out of our comfort zones, and thinking “outside the box” keeps life fresh and interesting. I also think it’s important to have something to look forward to. I’m looking forward to going to another concert with my daughter later this spring.

I’m also looking forward to a new, upcoming garden season, and all that comes with a fresh, new year. I hope that 2025 is a great one for us all! I can’t believe I have blogged here for 15 years! It means so much to me that you all are here! Thank you so much, MaryJane, and dear farmgirl readers, newer and past. Wishing you all a great winter, and a very Happy New Year! 

Tell me, what are you up to in the “nesting season” of winter? And what are you looking forward to in 2025? Leave me a comment…I want to hear from you!

Charming New England Christmas Traditions

Posted on December 16, 2024 by Suburban Farmgirl Nicole Christensen

Merry, Merry, Readers! It’s Christmas! It’s my favorite time of year, and there is Christmas charm by the bucketful here in New England. We shouldn’t stress about the holidays; it’s not what Christmas is really about. Come make a cup of something hot, and enjoy – for me, when it comes to the holidays, it’s all about family, friends, good food and charm! Let me share with you some of the best traditions of the season!

Having four seasons in New England is wonderful. Each season has it’s charm, but Christmastime is extra-special. I REALLY love Christmas. One thing I love about the holidays is having something to look forward to. Activities don’t have to cost a lot; many of the fun things around Connecticut are either low cost, free, or by donation. 

Almost every town or hamlet in Connecticut has a “town green”, and a tree lighting. Our town actually has two.

My daughter and I love going together. We see friends, there are families and people of all ages sharing cheer, and carols are sung. It almost feels like we are “extras” in a special episode of the old “Gilmore Girls” show (also based in Connecticut). 

There are so many wonderful, old churches all over the state. They are all so beautiful. The South Britain Congregational Church hosts a Victorian Tea, open to the public, each holiday. My friend, Linda, and I have been attending each year together for so long, we now know the ladies who work so hard to make it happen by name, and have even gotten to know some of the other attendees!

This year’s desserts were all so fantastic!

It is a wonderful, festive luncheon, with good food, good cheer, and a lovely area of handmade gifts for sale, as well. 

Another wonderful tradition, the Annual Gingerbread Village and Christmas Bazaar at St. George’s Episcopal Church, in Middlebury, Connecticut, is something my family and I won’t miss.

We’ve been attending since my daughter was a baby. This year marked the church’s 56th year for the annual tradition! Each time, I think I must have seen it all, and each year, they wow us again! This year was no exception. I am in awe at the detail (everything, except for the actual lighting, is made from edible material).

Look at the details! These bakers are artists!

My mind is blown by all their beautiful, hard work, as I am great at tedious tasks and details of all sorts, but have never been able to make a gingerbread house look so wonderful as these amazing bakers do.

Cranberries are such a big part of New England, and one of my favorite ingredients in so many foods this time of year. I also love homemade gifts. Homemade gifts are made with LOVE! I may not be able to make a good-looking gingerbread house, but I am a whiz in the kitchen. One of my favorite things to make and give, especially this time of year, is homemade jam. This year, I made “Christmas Jam”, and my family has declared it my best jam ever! After going over many recipes, I really found none I liked. They either had too many ingredients, too much sugar, or included butter (we have a family member with a dairy allergy, unfortunately). My version of “Christmas Jam” uses simple ingredients, similar to my other jam recipes, and only four cups of sugar. What’s also nice about canning jam is you can use the water bath method, and do not have to use a pressure canner. The naturally bright, red color of this jam makes it a stunning holiday gift. It’s delectable on fresh bread, or served as an appetizer atop a cracker and a nice cheese like a sharp cheddar or brie. Here is my gift to you, dear readers, my recipe for “Christmas Jam”. Enjoy!

Nicole’s Christmas Jam

  • 1 and ½ 12-ounce bags of fresh cranberries
  • 1 large container of fresh strawberries, hulled 
  • 1 mandarin or “cutie” seedless orange
  • 4 cups of organic sugar
  • 4 TBSP of low-sugar pectin
  • ¼ heaping tsp. each of ground cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and a pinch of nutmeg
  • ½ cup water

Wash and pat dry all fruit. Prepare six half-pint jars for canning. 

Zest the mandarin orange. Peel, discarding the peeling. Set aside the fruit. 

In a blender or food processor, coarsely chop the cranberries, and place in a large pot. Puree the strawberries (do not over-puree, I like lumps of strawberry). Add the zest and orange to the pot, and using a potato masher, smash the fruit a bit more and then stir together, along with the zest and spices.

The fruit will look chunky at this point. The cranberries will soften up as they cook.

Add the water, and place over low heat, stirring constantly.

In a separate bowl, mix the pectin with ¼ cup of the sugar. Stir into the pot with the fruit, bring to a rolling boil, and then add the rest of the sugar, stirring constantly. 

Boil and stir for one solid minute, skimming any foam as needed.  Remove from heat and let sit for five minutes. Ladle into hot prepared jars, leaving ¼” headspace. Process in a water bath canner for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat, letting jars sit for five minutes before removing and cooling. 

Enjoy!

Me and my sweetheart – we love decorating for Christmas and picking a fresh tree.This is our 33rd Christmas together.

There are so many wonderful, small, family farms in New England. One of our Christmas traditions in our family involves getting a fresh tree from Jones Family farm in Monroe.

We are the Griswolds, LOL!
What a beautiful tree we got this year!

Another tradition is enjoying a delicious ice cream sundae in the cozy, decorated room at Rich Farm, in Oxford, before they close up late in the month for a bit in winter. 

Another thing I love about New England is how everyone decorates. Stores, streets, and homes – inside and out, are all dressed up in twinkling lights and decorations.

My personal favorite decorations are all old, vintage, or vintage-inspired, and I love to incorporate decor that I already have, making it more “Christmas-y”.

Everything on this table has been gifted to me through the years. Warms my heart!
My “shabby chic” porch for Christmas
My daughter’s childhood skates are now part of Christmas decor.

We have had two “Christmas Snows” blanket us already, which just add to the festive feel of the season here in New England.

Trooper disagrees. “Who ordered this? I did not!”

Someone said to me recently, “No one sends Christmas cards anymore!” I beg to disagree. Yes, the price of stamps has gone up. But sending cards at Christmas should not be looked at as a chore!

This year’s cards so far – the holder is one I bought over 30 years ago.

I love to send cards, and work on mine gradually, while drinking my morning coffee or watching television at night with my family. We’ve already received quite a few, in the mail, and at my doll club meeting, and it is a tradition I love! I cherish handwritten cards I have kept through the years, from special friends and family that are no longer with us. 

This is me at four. My face shows how I felt about Christmas. 

Honestly, it is how I feel about it now, and think I am actually part elf. In all seriousness, though, I think we adults sometimes forget that childlike wonder. Letting ourselves enjoy the magic of the season is what brings the true joy and meaning of the holidays. It’s been a rough year for so many. Personally, this has been an awful year, with the passing of more friends and loved ones than any other before.  My Christmas card list has sadly gotten smaller, and I truly miss those who have departed. I  hold them close in my heart as I embrace the joy of this wonderful season. 

Tail wags and Farmgirl Hugs!

From my family to yours, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and have a Wonderful Holiday Season. Holidays are what you make of them. May the next few weeks be full to the top with joy, happiness, love, and wonder! Please drop me a comment so I know you have visited! See you all in January!

Thanksgiving – The “Lost” Holiday

Posted on November 13, 2024 by Suburban Farmgirl Nicole Christensen

Greetings, readers! Do you love holidays? I do. But what kind of a holiday reveler are you? Are you listening to Christmas Carols the day after Halloween, and already ”decking the halls” , or do you still have carved jack-o-lanterns on your porch, growing “scarier” each day with rot? 

I personally really do adore holidays – be it Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, or July 4th. My grandma always said “Holidays make life special”, and they do – a chance to spend special times with friends and family, make different foods, and change the scenery, so to speak, with festive decor. However, currently I am feeling a sort of “Holiday Purgatory” this month – fall decor seems a wee bit “tired” now that Halloween is over, but it’s not quite time to haul out the holly! What ever happened to decorating for Thanksgiving?

One of my favorite things about New England is that everyone decorates for the different seasons. As soon as there is a fall nip in the air, there are pumpkins and corn stalks decorating every porch and corner. 

I also LOVE Christmas, with its lights and warmth and cheer, and the fact that I can completely cover everything with glitter and nobody bats an eyelash. 

A restaurant in Southington, Connecticut is KNOWN for its over-the-top decor each season… this is just the ceiling in one of the rooms. I LOVE IT!!!!

But when do you start decorating for “the holidays”, such as Christmas? 

To me, Christmas is the start of winter, and Thanksgiving is still, technically, autumn and harvest time.

When it comes to decorating for any holiday, my favorite finds are vintage and thrift-shop finds from yesteryear. Once the ghosties and witches are packed away after Halloween, I pull out Thanksgiving-themed pieces, such as my vintage Gurley candles. Only a few inches tall, some were found thrifting, and some were a gift from a friend and fellow vintage-enthusiast.

Only a few inches tall and made of wax, I am always amazed at the detail of Gurley candles. I wonder how many people before me chose not to burn them over the decades?

Made from the 50’s through the 70’s, the figurine-shaped candles were once sold at five-and-dime stores. My small collection of Thanksgiving candles feature turkeys and pilgrims. 

In the mid-nineties, my mom sent me a red glass, covered turkey candy dish from Williams and Sonoma. It graces the dining room at the start of fall, and with its deep ruby color, stays out on display through to New Year’s.

The turkey candy dish often holds cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving. The little red candleholders match it, and stay out until New Year’s. Hallmark made lots of little Thanksgiving themed figures in the 70’s, like my little rag doll, and the platter was an inexpensive flea market find years ago.
A few years ago, our grocery store offered reprints of Beistle and other vintage-type crepe paper ornaments, harkening to holidays past.
Thanksgiving themed Hoosier!

In the kitchen, the hoosier has a tray decorated in leaves, and a ceramic turkey that someone probably painted in a 1970’s ceramic class (I made one just like it as a child). Both were inexpensive Goodwill finds, relics of the “forgotten holiday”, that hardly anyone decorates for anymore. 

Also in the kitchen, displayed are old spice tins from the 30’s, 40’s and 70’s. I love them, though it does freak me out a bit that they are still full of spices.
Do you know what these are? They are old steamed pudding molds – I like that they look like acorns.

Here and there are vintage early-1900’s Thanksgiving postcards, from a time when mailing cards and letters was the way to let friends know you were thinking of them.  

I love displaying old postcards in vintage flower frogs.
Another Goodwill find is this glass “cornucopia”. I wonder, do kids today even know what that is?
Vintage turkey salt and pepper shakers grace the kitchen and dining room tables.
My turkey baster broke last year. I picked this one up at our grocery store for around $5.00 – how cute is that?!
It’s also hard to think “Christmas in New England” when it has been so hot – often feeling like June, with hot and dry weather, the threat of wildfires very real here lately.

I also think I am not “feeling” the Christmas decorating bug because this fall has been so warm. We’ve been melting on walks with 80+ degree heat, something unheard of for this time of year in New England. Nothing felt weirder than when I went to Hobby Lobby with a friend, the store all glittery and covered in “Christmas” like a giant, red-and-green-frosted sugar cookie, Christmas carols blasting over the speakers, and my friend and I dressed in shorts and sandals, the day after Halloween.

It’s a tradition on Thanksgiving Thursday to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade on television, something I have done with family since I was a child.

This snowglobe from Macy’s was given to me a decade ago, and comes out the day after Halloween.

The “official” start to the Christmas holidays for me has always been when the parade is about to end, and Santa Claus makes his appearance. That moment has me imagining reindeer, behind gates like racehorses, chomping at the bit for Christmas to start. That’s when it feels really exciting to decorate for the holidays! Full speed ahead!

I think Thanksgiving is even more lost, an invisible holiday in modern times, because of hectic work schedules, fast-paced modern life, and Black Friday. Honestly, to me there is no deal so special that I would go out shopping in the crowds and craziness on Black Friday, preferring instead to stay home and eat leftovers, and decorate the house fully for Christmas. If the Black Friday shopping rush is your thing, I say go for it! But for stores that open ON Thanksgiving Day, instead of waiting until our bellies are full and letting employees spend time with their families, I say shame on them! Stop pushing our festivities into one big blur.

Because Thanksgiving also falls so late on the calendar this year, many people are decorating for the holidays earlier than usual. I’ve seen full-blown lights and trees already twinkling away. I think this year, I will start to bring out Christmas gradually – bottle brush trees first, small pieces here and there. I just don’t feel like rushing things. 

So, since I am not quite ready yet for reindeer and Santa, I will keep enjoying my pumpkins and turkeys for just a wee bit longer. 

From my family to yours, wishing you a peaceful and Happy Thanksgiving!

Tell me, do you decorate for Thanksgiving, or go straight to the holidays? When do you put out your decorations? What are your family traditions? Share with me in the comments, or just let me know you stopped by!

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Have A New England Fall

Posted on October 15, 2024 by Suburban Farmgirl Nicole Christensen

Here in New England, it’s the most wonderful season of all – Fall! While I love all the four seasons and the charm of each, fall is the best reason of all to live in a New England state! No matter where you live, there are some great things to help you have a true-blue, wonderful New England Autumn!

There is so much beauty in Autumn, and none so beautiful as in New England. Connecticut as a whole really does “fall” like nowhere else – plenty of natural beauty abounds. Fall 2024 has been one of the most beautiful seasons that I can remember!

We’ve had cool evenings and crisp mornings, perfect for a cozy sweatshirt or snuggly sweater. Afternoons, when the sun shines, are perfect for walking – no jacket needed.

Warm breezes catch the trees as changing leaves fall. 

While New England sunsets and skies are always pretty amazing, this year did not disappoint. We were recently treated to a light show in the sky, as conditions were recently perfect for viewing the Northern lights!

I have always wanted to see them, and always seem to miss them, on the few occasions they have been visible. I even missed them when I traveled to Scandinavia. When we could see them the other evening, I was so excited I was like a little kid! Such beauty!

There are other things I love about fall, too. The warm, comforting foods, more downtime with a break from heavy gardening, a change in wardrobe – both in coziness and rich fall colors, and the cozy decor of this time of year, indoors and out. 

No matter where you are, there are certain things that help make a New England fall! Here are a few of my favorites!

As the temperatures change, so do our gardens, as annuals and perennials fade into winter. Fall outdoor decor would not be the same without annual mums, cabbages, and other beautiful plantings, all in deep and fiery colors, along with pumpkins, of course! 

Fresh pumpkins are a New England decorating staple! Since our fall temperatures can range from warm to cool, I always make sure to use pumpkins that have no blemishes, which can cause rotting. Nothing goes to waste! For the large carving pumpkins, once we carve them into Jack-O-Lanterns for Halloween night, we roast the seeds for snacking. The rest of the pumpkin shell later goes to the chickens, as do the other pumpkins once the holidays arrive and decor is changed for the winter. Many local farms take leftover and cut pumpkins to feed their animals, such as llamas, goats and other farm animals. As long as pumpkins have no blemishes, they should last through Halloween, without using a bleach wash – a practice that makes pumpkins inedible for any animals that might feed on them after the season has passed. 

Inside, I love my pumpkins, as well! I put out pumpkin decor at the beginning of September and leave it through Thanksgiving, when it is then time to decorate for Christmas! 

New Englanders love their soups and stews! I love to cook (as most farmgirls do), and my choice of cookware has always been cast iron and enameled cast iron. If taken care of properly, both last forever! I have always wanted one of the lidded pumpkin-shaped enameled cast iron saucepans or dutch ovens, but they’re always out of my price range. For my anniversary this year, my dear husband surprised me this year with this beautiful enameled cast iron sauce pan he found on Amazon . Large enough for a side dish or soup for two, it’s so beautiful, and looks festive on my stove even when not in use. Heavy cast iron, with glossy paint in several colors to choose from, at a price point of $49 to $69 (and free Prime shipping), it’s a steal!

If you have never been to an At Home store, your mind will be blown when you do go. Think of it as a big warehouse store for all things home-related. My friend, Susan, and I go once or twice a year- it’s fun just to walk around and see what’s new in garden, kitchen, and holiday items. While most of my “holiday” tableware is more than thirty years old, I can’t wait to spice up my table for Thanksgiving, with this gorgeous set of cloth napkins!

Halloween in Connecticut  is just like it’s portrayed in Hallmark movies, or my favorite Halloween movie, Hocus Pocus. Binx, the black cat, is my favorite character. (Of course, I love all cats, especially my two sweet rescues)!

I also love nail polish – especially this time of year when I crave darker, sparkly and rich shades. So, what do nail polish and rescue cats have in common? Mooncat! 

My daughter found Mooncat nail polish online, and we are totally hooked! Vegan, woman-owned, and totally cruelty-free, the company also aids rescue cats! I love a company that gives back! 

Described as “wearable art”, the nail polish colors are amazing and different! I love “Dark Horse” for fall, a sparkly, rich and coppery chocolate shade. The website has all sorts of shades, and different formulations including thermal and magnetic! I love that I can get quick, gorgeously-colored nails at home. Even one coat covers beautifully, if you are short on time, and the quick drying time is unlike anything we’ve ever used. Even my dark polish dries lightning-fast and shiny! I also love that their website shows each color on different length nails from short to long, on different skin tones, in different lighting, with glamorous colors from light to dark…all beautiful!

While we are talking about our nails, my hands and nails get very dry once the less humid fall weather arrives, but this year I am not having that issue, thanks to my new favorite hand cream! Help keep your hands soft in cooler weather with “Hello Kitty”! Yes, that “Hello Kitty”! My daughter also introduced me to skincare products from The Creme Shop brand. Made in Korea, the products are great for young to mature skin (I’m 52, and so far have loved everything I’ve tried, from the masks to their creams), but our favorite is their tubes of hand cream, especially the limited-edition tubes for the fall season, with delicious fall-themed scents.

My daughter and I picked up several of the limited-edition tubes. They make great little gifts for friends, as well!

Cruelty-free, paraben-free, made with shea butter, the hand cream is wonderful without being greasy. I leave a tube on the sink vanity, and the tubes are also a good size for carrying in your purse or car, and make great little “I-thought-about-you-gifts”. Featuring characters such as Hello Kitty on the front of the tube, they make my Generation X heart so happy! 

We first found the hand cream on a visit to the largest Anime store in the United States, Arisu Anime, located in the wonderful collection of unique shops, Olde Mystic Village, in Mystic, Connecticut, (a must-visit, New England destination)! If you’re not in Connecticut, you can also find the hand cream at Ulta stores or online at thecremeshop.com.

New Englanders love their outdoors! There’s nothing better than sitting around a firepit or campfire on a crisp fall day, roasting marshmallows, or for our family,  making ”snorbrod”, hot dogs roasted over a fire with bread dough, a Danish tradition. I got tired of spending money on disposable, flimsy roasting sticks!

We love Zulay kitchen’s marshmallow roasting sticks! Color-coded on the ends, the telescoping sticks have a double-forked end, and are strong enough to roast more than just marshmallows, as we have loved using them for our snorbrod.

Once outdoor-cooking is over, they store neatly in their own drawstring pouch. Zulay kitchen products are found on Amazon, or at the Zulay Kitchen website. 

Once fall comes, there are also wonderful outdoor festivals all over New England. We recently went to the Connecticut Garlic Festival, in Bethlehem, Connecticut.

We saw the “Garlic King”, ate delectable garlic-steak-tips-and-mashed-potato sundaes, and walked through booths with all sorts of fun, small businesses from the area. For dessert, we tried garlic ice cream (surprisingly tasty)!

Our most favorite fall festival is the Connecticut Renaissance Festival! Held in the fall through October (it ends October 20th this year), it is a classic, fun Renaissance Fair! I love the turkey dinner sundaes and roasted turkey legs, the fun of seeing everyone dressed up and “larping”, and the wonderful vendors with unique items. It’s a great family day! 

This year, my favorite vendor was Auntie Arwen’s Spices and Teas, another woman-owned, small business located in Jewett City, (Griswold) Connecticut. There were so many spices and teas in the booth, it was so exciting! 

There is nothing better than a good cup of tea on a crisp fall morning! Auntie Arwen’s vanilla tea is hands-down the best tea we’ve ever tasted! I also love the lavender tea, (so fragrant and delicious). We also picked up her “Asthma and Bronchitis Relief Tisane”, since colds tend to start showing up this time of year. 

With both cool and warm days, I love a good spice blend or rub to put on meat or veggies, for either in the oven or on the grill. I couldn’t pass up Auntie Arwen’s “Translvanian Lovebite”, a spice blend with a savory, bbq flavor. I love it, (and the cute little vampire on the front of the jar)! It’s absolutely delicious sprinkled on chicken for a quick meal! What I also love is their commitment to the environment! Refills are available for their spice jars, for example. 

Auntie Arwen’s Spices and Teas website is so much fun to browse! With all sorts of spices from around the world, sugars, books, fabric dyes and more, it’s a magical website, with something for everyone! As a special gift, Auntie Arwen has made 50 online coupons available for this month’s blog readers! Use the Coupon code “Farmgirl” when you check out, and receive 10% off your order! Thank you, Auntie Arwen!

The leaves are turning colors and falling, the light is changing and fall is off to a great start. As a whole, the keys to a true New England Autumn are deep, rich colors, coziness, warm and comforting food and drink, and fun, festive celebrations – centered around friends and family! Have a Happy Halloween, dear readers, and here’s wishing you all a Fabulous Fall! Remember to leave me a comment so I know that you have stopped by!

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The Last of the Tomatoes

Posted on September 12, 2024 by Suburban Farmgirl Nicole Christensen

I’ve always loved summer, and feel a bit sorry to see it go, no matter how awesome Autumn is in New England. Trips to the beach, summer concerts, fun day trips, and gardening are some of the activities I’ll miss once the fall season arrives. The summer is winding down, and so are the season’s tomato plants! Not a tomato goes to waste in my house, as I make some great recipes, as well as preserve my bounty! Tie on your favorite apron and let’s get picking!

Have you ever noticed that tomatoes in the grocery store never taste as juicy and delicious as fresh ones picked right from your garden or a farmers’ market? That’s because even if the tomatoes in the grocery store are organic, they are “forced ripened” with ethylene gas, as opposed to ripening on their own. Nothing is better than a fresh tomato right from a plant, warm from the sun!

It’s not always that easy to grow tomatoes in Connecticut. Our summers here lately have tended to be very wet, hot and humid. Just this past month, my area had a Sunday where 14 inches of rain fell! Called a “1000 year storm”, that kind of rain, of course, isn’t typical, but our planting zone does get plagued every year with a variety of fungal diseases, many of which thrive in damp weather. Tomatoes tend to be the garden plant susceptible to the most diseases (some of which overwinter), which is why you never want to put tomatoes or spent tomato plants in your compost pile, to keep from infecting next year’s crop. 

Still, despite the rain, I had a bumper crop this year, and there’s a few more to harvest. When summer tomato plants start to fade, you can extend their growing time by lopping the tops off the plants in September to increase the energy into the fruit. 

It’s also best to pick tomatoes this time of year before they have ripened completely. This helps prevent the tomatoes from splitting on the vine from late sun followed by cool rain this time of year.  They will ripen and turn red from the inside out in the kitchen. 

Because of my planting zone, I planted my tomatoes indoors from seed this past winter, planting different varieties, including heirloom types. My favorites this year were Burbank Slicing and Cherokee Purple.

I planted roma tomatoes, as well. Roma are the best for canning, as they have less juice, but any variety can be used for canning. 

Despite the wet and humid summer we’ve had, I have had a bumper crop! We’ve been eating fresh tomatoes in salads and on sandwiches for weeks now! They are so scrumptious! I also have been preserving my lot of tomatoes, canning several batches so far. 

In the past, home-canned tomatoes may have been processed using the water-bath method, but modern wisdom (and the USDA) have found that it isn’t the safest thing to do, as tomatoes are a low-acid food, and should be only canned in a pressure canner.

Green tomatoes are higher in acid than red; as the tomato ripens, the fruit is not as acidic. Using a pressure canner is a must – it’s quicker and safer. I love my American Standard Canner. Despite looking (and weighing) like a small space capsule, it is acutally so simple and easy to use, and meant to last a lifetime.

To can tomatoes, wash your fruit (don’t use anything that is overly ripe or from a diseased or frost-killed plant), cut the tops, core the tomato, and score the bottoms. 

Next, drop the tomatoes in boiling water on your stove for about a minute to blanch.

Place the boiled tomatoes in a bath of ice water for about 30 seconds, and voila! The skins just come right off. So easy!

I cut my tomatoes in chunks, then I bring them all to a rolling boil, stirring often, for five minutes, before ladling into hot, prepared canning jars.

Add 2 TBSP of bottled lemon juice in each jar before adding the tomatoes (use bottled, as then the acid will be the right strength; fresh lemons vary in acid content depending on age, size and variety). You can also use a ½ tsp of citric acid in place of the bottled lemon juice. I also add 2 tsp of salt to each jar. Keep in mind this is for flavor, not for acid content.  

Remember to leave one inch of headspace before wiping each jar top with vinegar, placing the lid, and processing in your canner. 

Home-canned tomatoes have a flavor and color not found in store bought, and there is no BPA!

For the rest of the tomatoes we’ve had this season, in addition to eating them on salads and sandwiches, I have been making homemade pico de gallo. Commercially-made salsas from the store always taste like watery ketchup to me! Once you see how easy and quick it is to make, you’ll never want to buy conventional store-bought again!

Best-ever Suburban Farmgirl Pico De Gallo

For every two cups of chopped tomatoes, add one half, large, finely-chopped red onion, 1 small bunch of cilantro, snipped (about ¼ cup), 2 TBSP of lime juice, ¼ tsp of garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste. 

This summer, I have a lot of hot peppers still growing, so I like to add one small, chopped hot pepper for a bit of kick, but you can omit this completely if you don’t like any heat. 

For Labor Day, our family attended our town’s Labor Day parade, then enjoyed roasted Danish hot dogs in bread dough over the fire pit, with chips and homemade Pico De Gallo.

Homemade pico de gallo only takes minutes to make, and is addictive! It will keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for a day or so (if you can stop eating it)!

Soon, when the last of the tomato plants are finally done, I will put the garden “to bed”, waiting for mid-winter, when I can start my seeds indoors again! 

Let’s talk tomatoes! What are your favorite varieties? What recipes do you like to use fresh tomatoes in? Share with me in comments below, or just say “hello”!

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Bears! Bears! Bears!

Posted on August 14, 2024 by Suburban Farmgirl Nicole Christensen

I’ve lived in the New England suburbs for thirty years. While my property is partly wooded, I never really worried much about running into a bear…until recently! 

When I first moved to New England in the early 90’s, I was awestruck by the natural beauty of the suburbs. However, I learned that bears inhabited the Northeast, and at first that worried me. 

My bear fears were quickly dispelled, shortly after I moved to Connecticut when I attended a free bear lecture at our local library. The lecture taught us all about the type of bear found in the Northeast, the American black bear, Ursus americanus. The size of the claws were shocking!  We learned that while black bears did call Connecticut home, they weren’t usually found in our area, but in the counties further North. Easing my mind, I never really gave bears a second thought. 

Until recently. 

The first time I thought I saw a bear was at the end of the pandemic. My daughter and I were in the car, not far from our house, when one ran across the road. The large creature ran across so fast, I wasn’t sure that we even saw one, and really only saw the “tail end”. We started hearing of more and more sightings. Our town’s local Facebook group would mention them, and occasionally we’d hear of one in our neighborhood. We never saw one on our property, and figured the noise from our dogs would scare one away anyway. Once the property behind us was sold and a barbed-wire fence put up for cows, we figured our chance of seeing a bear was probably even slimmer. I later saw one from a distance while in my woods; it was on the other side of the fence and moving quickly away.

We started frequently hearing of more bear sightings in the last two years, with reports and videos on social media, the news, and YouTube, to name a few. Our neighborhood frequently sees bears; we guess that there are at least three, perhaps a mother and her two adult offspring. 

A few years ago, the only bear I’d seen in New England was this poor thing, a living exhibit at a state fair.

Part of me thought seeing a bear would be exciting, as long as it was from a safe distance and from inside. I’ve joked that a bear would not have a chance to maul me – I’d die of a heart attack first. In all seriousness, though, bear attacks on humans are extremely rare. Bears don’t really want to tangle with humans, they just want to get away. Bears do what comes naturally, it’s we humans that put these majestic wild animals in situations that become dangerous. 

This summer, it appears bear sightings are as frequent as seeing deer (which is a lot). One evening in early June, my husband was running late from work, and my daughter and I had just finished dinner. I noticed something out the window – lightning bugs! I stepped outside to watch them. It was a beautiful, still and quiet summer evening, full of fireflies. As I stood on the deck, I noticed a strange sound. 

Shuu…shuuuu…shuuu…

That’s when I noticed the creature sauntering out of the woods into the yard. It was large and black, almost a shadowy figure, but darkness had not completely taken over the evening. The sound I heard was from large paws shuffling through the grass. My brain did not register at first what I was seeing. “DOG? No. DEER? No. OHHHHHH!”  Like a scene from a classic Casper the Ghost cartoon, I realized what had emerged below, right in front of me, mere yards away… A BBB-BEAR!!!!

He was HUGE. He knew I was there. For a second, he paused and sniffed one of our yard chairs, before looking up at me and sniffing the air. He had a mark across his leg, like he had a scratch that had healed and left a scar.

I slowly backed away and into the house. My daughter wanted to see him, and we looked through every window, but to no avail. He disappeared quickly.

After that initial sighting, we didn’t see him again, but did find evidence of a bear passing through, in the form of bear droppings. 

This photo is taken at my friend Susan’s house, but we believe it is the same bear, due to the mark on its leg. Photo courtesy Susan Burbank

My dear friend and neighbor, Susan, also has had visits  from this majestic, beautiful bear. We know it is the same one because of the mark in his fur. 

That’s a whole lotta bear! Photo courtesy Susan Burbank

Our next sighting at my house  was one beautiful morning, a few weeks ago. My husband went out the door to open up our chickens for the morning. As I saw him go one direction, on our outdoor camera, I saw a bear quickly going the other way!

Screenshot of the bear from our video camera. This one is smaller in stature than the first one we saw.

This was a smaller bear than the first, a “junior” bear. We later determined he had been eating some of the berries that were in season on the hill in front of the house.

Carolee Mason, Municipal Animal Control Officer for Newtown,Connecticut, has been a resident here since 1977. She has worked at Animal Control for close to two decades, and has seen the uptick in bear sightings in recent years.

Carolee says that it is in part due to the shrinking of the bears’ natural habitat due to increased building, and also because of increased footage, with technology like cameras on phones, social media coverage, and cameras on homes (like Amazon blink). In the late 1800’s there were no bears in Connecticut. Nowadays, the bear populations are increasing; a healthy bear can have an average of three cubs a season. Still, bears like the ones we saw have most likely been around longer than we suspect; we just didn’t realize it until now, with proof on camera.

Carolee laughs remembering the first time that the department heard of a bear sighted in town. It happened in the 90’s, before everyone carried a smart phone with a camera. It was believed that a bear had broken into an outdoor fridge in a resident’s pool house, to get to the soda cans inside. A bear sighting was such an unheard-of occurrence that when a resident finally did get a photo of a black bear in town “in the wild” and brought a print in to show everyone at animal control, they were so excited that the photo was proudly pinned on the wall, as proof! 

Photo courtesy Susan Burbank

Carolee says bears are hungry scavengers, and will go for the easiest food they can find. Mamas also just want to feed their cubs. “What would you do if your child was starving and there was no food? You’d do what you could to feed your young.” She reminds everyone that bears will eat birdseed and garbage left outside, and that bears can be seen out and active all day. Keeping chickens secure, taking bird feeders down, and not leaving garbage out are the best steps to avoid repeat visitors. Most of the time they will walk on by. “Bears don’t realize your house is a house”; to them it is just a part of the territory they travel through. If you do see a bear, Carolee says “make lots of noise, so it knows you are there before it gets startled. Bears DO NOT like to be startled.” A startled bear can become a dangerous one, like the one recently caught on camera this summer in Tennessee, invading a food booth at a carnival. When a worker walks in the door, the bear is startled and leaps at her while trying to get out and away, scratching the worker’s arm. The bear was later euthanized.

Black bears can be seen all year round, though they do a form of “hibernation”, with a lower body temperature and metabolic rate, referred to as “denning”. Carolee says you might see a bear out anytime, partly due to them “getting mixed up with our weather”, and the warmer-than-usual winters that we’ve seen the past few years. 

Black bears are the smallest bear found in North America, weighing up to 500 pounds. Mama black bears are good parents, and will usually send her babies up a tree if she thinks danger is near. Bears are very skilled climbers!

Black bears are being seen in “new” territories, all over North America. While rare, there are even sightings of black bears down in Texas, in the hill country! Texas Parks and Wildlife confirmed 154 bear sightings in 2022, up from 80 in 2021, and up from 25 in 2020. 

At our house, we have our chickens secured, and only feed them enough food that they can consume that day. We keep a small transistor radio on low in the run. It helps keep predators away, though it might not keep a bear from passing through. Carolee says that “if a bear really wants to pass through your yard, he’s going to.”

Trooper isn’t so sure he likes being in “Gidget the Glamper” .

We try to make noise when we go outside. We don’t leave food outside or in the camper, and bird feeders are put away through the summer. We are doing our best to be bear aware.

Other good advice is to use electric fencing with beehives, and don’t put your garbage out the night before. Adding ammonia can help deter a bear from dumpster diving, as well.

It’s still exciting to see a bear in the wild, and it took me close to 30 years to see one! Please note that ALL photos in this post were taken from inside, or are clips from security cameras. No humans were ever “up close”.

Cute and cuddly…
Not so cuddly.

While we humans grow up  thinking “teddy bears” are cute and cuddly, black bears are WILD animals, and can be considered Apex predators. Keeping them naturally wary of humans, and not “used” to us as a food source, will allow humans AND bears to stay safe. 

Have you seen a bear in the wild? If so, where? Tell me about it in comments, or just say “hello” so I know you stopped by!

Harvesting Backyard Honey

Posted on July 16, 2024 by Suburban Farmgirl Nicole Christensen

If you’ve read my blog for a long time, you KNOW I have on my “bucket list” to someday be a backyard beekeeper. I recently got to find out first-hand what it takes to keep bees, and what an amazing time it was!

A wee bumblebee flies to a spring flower in my garden.

I’ve always been fascinated by bees (bees, not wasps. Even though wasps are beneficial insects, I have had too many run-ins with them, and have a hearty fear of getting too close to the little spawns of Satan). Bees, on the other hand, are so much more docile, and won’t bother you if you don’t mean them harm. They are Mother Nature’s little angels. Without bees, we would not have food, or most plants, for that matter. 

Just the fact that bees can fly is a miracle in itself. Their wings, in proportion to their bodies, would make it improbable that they could have flight, yet they are amazing and fast flyers. The honey they make is also a miracle. Honey is not only delicious, but has antioxidants, antibacterial properties, and can even heal wounds. It’s better for blood sugar than eating refined sugar, and I’m convinced that because I eat a bit of local honey everyday, I no longer suffer from seasonal allergies.

As a tried-and-true farmgirl, I keep chickens, have a veggie garden, and love to can and preserve. Beekeeping seems like a natural step in being more self-sufficient. 

A family that lives down the street knows that I love honey, and hope to someday be a beekeeper myself, so they recently invited us to join their family in harvesting spring honey, so we could get a taste of what it takes to keep hives. My daughter and I were so excited! 

The first thing we did when we arrived was to make sure that we were protected. Though it was a hot July day, we wore long pants and long sleeves.

I’m ready for adventure!

Randa loaned me a beekeeper’s suit (it was a coincidence that she loaned me one in my favorite shade of pink)! 

Mohamed has several hives. He says when I decide to have bees, it’s good to start with at least two hives, to keep the hives strong and healthy. The hive boxes he has are insulated, a better choice for our very cold winters than traditional wooden hives. 

First, smoke from a smoker was used to help calm and disorient the bees, so they would be less likely to sting. The smoke wasn’t irritating; it reminded me of a campfire.

As we helped lift the trays of honey from the hives to the cart that would carry them to the next step, Audrey and I were surprised just how heavy the trays of honey were! Each tray contained honey, honeycomb and wax where the bees had closed the “cells”, behind which the delicious honey was found. You need some upper body strength to be a beekeeper!

The bees were not really aggressive. Mohamed told us that they would first “warn” us by buzzing into us. It was at first a bit unnerving when a few bees “buzzed” and flicked the screen covering my face. We moved slowly so as to not upset them, but also to be careful not to hurt any of the bees by stepping on them, as a few landed on the ground. The buzzing sound of the bees was harmonious. 

A second hive was housed in a different type of box, where jars could be filled right at the hive. On the side, one could view the hive of bees as they worked. Mohamed filled a large jar of honey for us to take home. 

After we filled the cart, we moved indoors to where the spinner was.

Using a large heated knife, Mohamed taught us how to slice the wax off the trays.  It was not as easy as it looked, and was more difficult if the wax was thinner, as opposed to thick. 

Audrey and I each try our hand at using the electric knife to remove the beeswax, not a physically easy task. Any remaining little bits of wax were hand-picked using a special tool.
Once the wax is removed, the trays go into the spinner.

The spinner would spin the trays, collecting the honey at the bottom. The empty trays were considerably lighter in weight than before. Mohamed says when he first had bees, he used a manual spinner for the honey, as opposed to the large electric one.

I could not believe how much honey was harvested from one hive! We filled a large bucket of beautiful, golden honey. (Honey, if stored properly, doesn’t go bad. It’s Nature’s perfect food).

Mohamed shared this photo with me the other day, of the bees in the beautiful lavender plants they have planted in their garden.

“Spring” honey is lighter in color and tastes different than “fall”, which is darker. Taste depends on what flowers are available for the bees, and where they are. Mohamed also had us taste honey harvested from where they used to live in New York state; it had a different taste than what is harvested in Connecticut. We got to try it, along with Randa’s amazing homemade cheese.

We always love seeing bees in our yard. We have noticed more honeybees in the grass on the clover; when we see them we smile and think they must be visiting from Mohamed’s house! Their hives are very healthy; some beekeepers take all the fall honey from their bees and replace it with sugar water; Mohamed does not do that. 

Before we realized, we had been visiting for several hours! We had the best time, and appreciated all of their amazing hospitality! It was so much fun getting to know our neighbors, and was a wonderful learning experience, as well. Harvesting honey was an event, and I loved that their whole family joined in. Harvesting honey is a lengthy process, and keeping bees is definitely not an easy task. I certainly have a deeper appreciation for the amount of time, expense and hard work that goes into beekeeping, but it is a such wonderful, rewarding thing to do!

Tell me, are you a beekeeper, as well? What is your favorite way to consume honey? Drop me a line and say “hello” in the comments below so I know you dropped by!