Innholdsfortegnelse for April/May 2022 i Country Woman

Spring has finally arrived. And I for one can’t wait to put away my winter clothes and spend more time outside. Fortunately, many of the stories in this issue are devoted to the beauty of nature. Meet Girl Scout Alicia Serratos, a California teenager who has helped gardeners in all 50 states launch seed libraries (page 10). And Jessika Greendeer (page 48), of the Minnesota-based Dream of Wild Health farm, who has devoted her life to protecting and preserving indigenous seeds. Their stories have inspired me to dedicate more time to my own garden this year. I plan to bring a bit of the outdoors in, too, by making the wooden vegetables on page 58. An old desk chair has been gathering dust in my basement for ages, and I…

Family Ties My mother was on the cover of Country Woman in 1994—she raised Angora goats and adopted four children. We all grew up on the family farm and are true country women. In 2020, I gave birth to my first daughter, my mother’s 11th grandchild! MICHAELA ALEXANDER NORTH MANKATO, MINNESOTA New Year, New Outlook The December/January issue of your magazine was wonderful. I especially enjoyed the story by Maggie Aright on page 59! CDLLA ADDAD SEATTLE, WASHINGTON Labor of Love I loved Jera Arandvig’s free quilt pattern in the August/September issue. I was around eight months pregnant when I started working on it, and my water broke while I was in a local quilt shop picking up the supplies I needed to add the final touches to the design.…

Marbled Orange Fudge Prep: 30 min. + chilling Makes: about 21/2 lbs. The Creamsicle flavor of this soft fudge brings on smiles. It’s a perfect choice for events and get-togethers. —Diane Wampler, Morristown, TN 1½ tsp. plus ¾ cup butter, divided 3 cups sugar ¾ cup heavy whipping cream 1 pkg. white baking chips (10 to 12 oz.) 1 jar (7 oz.) marshmallow creme 3 tsp. orange extract 12 drops yellow food coloring 5 drops red food coloring Freen shoestring licorice, optional 1. Grease a 13x9-in. pan with 1½ tsp. butter; set aside. 2.In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar, cream and remaining butter. Cook and stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Aring to a boil; cook and stir for 4 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in the baking chips…

If you have an old birdbath that’s had its day, give it new life as a planter for a miniature fairy garden. For this project we’ve listed our favorite plants, as well as landscaping tips. Plants to Consider for Your Birdbath Planter SUCCULENTS: For accent plants, use succulents, such as stonecrop sedum, limelight sedum and blue spruce sedum. GROUND COVER: Create a mat of green or color, or a “waterfall” from the birdbath, with ground cover plants. Try golden club moss, Scotch moss or pink cranesbill. Or try miniature plants, such as weigela or forsythia, which still have a big impact. CONIFERS: Provide woodland shade and a layer of forest magic with Jervis dwarf Canadian hemlock, Mont Bruno boxwood or lime glow juniper. These are ideal dwarf conifers for small…

Roast Leg of Lamb Prep: 5 min. • Bake: 2 hours + standing Makes: 10 servings Lamb intimidates some, but this recipe uses a simple herb mixture that provides a ton of flavor. —Sharon Cusson, Augusta, ME 1 bone-in leg of lamb (6 to 8 lbs.), trimmed 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 tsp. dried thyme 1/2 tsp. dried marjoram 1/2 tsp. dried oregano 1/4 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. pepper 1 tsp. canola oil 1. Preheat oven to 325°. Place lamb on a rack in a shallow roasting pan, fat side up. But 12-14 slits 1/2 in. deep in roast. Combine garlic, thyme, marjoram, oregano, salt and pepper; spoon 2 tsp. into the slits. Brush roast with oil; rub with remaining herb mixture. 2.Bake, uncovered, until meat reaches desired doneness (for…

What are seeds? According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, they are “the grains ... of plants used for sowing.” But to Jessika Greendeer, seed keeper and farm manager at Dream of Wild Health, their meaning and significance go so much deeper than the soil they’re planted in. “Seeds are one of the reasons we still survive in this world,” Jessika says. “They have a gift and an ability to do what we cannot, and that is to nourish the world.” LAND OF PLENTY Dream of Wild Health is a 30-acre farm located in Hugo, Minnesota. It’s one of the oldest and longest-running Native American-focused nonprofits in the Twin Cities. To the 11 federally recognized tribes in the state, it’s a sacred place—the farm’s crops and initiatives nourish the community both physically…

Tool Time Have you come up with a creative way to use a common household item or appliance beyond its intended purpose? Let us know! Host with the Most How do you thank a relative or friend for being a gracious host? Do you bring small gifts with you when you visit? Or have you found another way to show them how much you appreciate them? The Best Medicine In each issue, we publish at least one humorous reader-submitted essay, and we’re always looking for new material. So if you have a hilarious story or anecdote to share, please send it our way! Borrection In our last issue, we featured the book EZ-Read Church Suppers but didn’t include the correct link. The book is available for $10 at tasteofhomebooks.com/BHUR. Share…

Q: How do you encourage your children or grandchildren to spend more time outside? My son and I love going to the local running track. We catch up and connect while walking around the track. Then we head over to one of the nearby picnic tables to relax a bit before heading home. PAULA TIMPSON VENICE, FLORIDA After a heavy rain, our grandson Cedar enjoys going for walks with us on our farm and looking for mud puddles. He jumps right in! TDRRI CAWALC CARTHAGE, MISSOURI Offer to sleep outside with your kids or grandkids at least once while the weather is still warm. You can spread sleeping bags along chaise lounges or pitch a tent in your yard. SANDY ERDMAN WINONA, MINNESOTA We live in the country and spend…

WHAT YOU’LL NEED Grapevine wreaths (1 large, 1 medium, 2 small) Floral wire Wire cutters Stems of pussy willow Ribbon (color and width of your choice) Hot glue Hot glue gun ATTACH the medium wreath to the top of the large wreath with floral wire. These pieces will become the head and body of the bunny. COMPRESS each of the small wreaths in the middle to create an oval shape. The ends will snap just a little, and the oval shape should hold. ATTACH the small oval wreaths to the medium wreath to create the ears. SNIP some stems from the willow branches and weave them into the wreaths. LOOP a bow tightly around the bunny’s neck with ribbon. Use hot glue to secure it. HANG the wreath from the…

CHOOSE PLANTS CAREFULLY  Mary Anne Thygesen of Portland, Oregon, chooses plants that thrive together: “Put full-sun plants together; keep shade plants separate.” MAXIMIZE YOUR IMPACT  Pat Northington of Austin, Texas, says, “I follow this rhyme when choosing plants for projects: a thriller, a spiller and a filler. More than that, though, use great soil and tightly pack in plants.” KEEP YOUR SPACE CLEAN  A paper towel can cut down on mess, says Donna Rearick of Saltsburg, Pennsylvania: “I place one over the drainage hole to keep the potting soil from filtering through.” RECYCLE PLASTIC LIDS  Instead of throwing away lids from food containers, Mary Kay Wierenga of Saranac, Michigan, saves them for her garden because they make perfect drain dishes for pots. PERK UP YOUR PLANTS WITH COFFEE GROUNDS  Here’s…

Lime Divine Tarts Prep: 30 min. + chilling Bake: 15 min. + cooling • Makes: 2 dozen Why not showcase these lime tarts at your party or gathering? The cute cups are impressive and surprisingly easy to make. —Ann Yri, Lewisville, TX 2 large eggs, room temperature 1 large egg yolk, room temperature 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup lime juice 1 tsp. grated lime zest 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cubed TART SHELLS 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened 3 oz. cream cheese, softened 1 cup all-purpose flour Optional: Grated lime zest and grated white chocolate 1. For the curd, in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, whisk eggs, egg yolk, sugar, lime juice and zest until blended. Add butter; cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is thickened and coats the back…

There’s new life outside, and on these farms too! 1. Meet Bute I offered to take some photographs of my neighbors’ baby goat and brought my dog, Murphy, along. He was curious and wanted to get a closer look! AIRFIT CAVICSON LA LUZ, NEW MEXICO 2. Horsing Around My daughter Maddyn, 2, has befriended our family horse, Annie. Now the two of them are inseparable. DLIZAADTH ROFF MINERAL, VIRGINIA 3. Make a Wish My 2-year-old grandson Quade loves to play outside and look for dandelions whenever he visits our house. SUD AEEOLTDR CLIFTON, KANSAS Visit countrywomanmagazine.com/submit to share a snapshot. You may see it in a future issue of Country Woman!…

Tell us about yourself. I grew up in Bolorado, but my husband, Steven, and I outgrew our home there and decided to go looking for farmland to raise our children and follow our dreams. We arrived in Kentucky in 2017 with our five youngest children and a great vision for the future. Through many trials and triumphs, we have grown closer together and have made a home for our 12 children and our 13 grandchildren to return to year after year and make memories. Life on a farm is hard, but the reward is worth it! What are your hobbies? I love gardening, and sharing the food I grow with family and friends! When the weather isn’t nice, I also enjoy crafting and creating a welcoming home. Do you prefer…

Alicia Serratos, a 15-year-old high school freshman from Orange County, California, remembers when her passion for gardening began. “When I was little, my mom explained to me what was in processed foods, and it was really shocking to me,” she says. “As kids, we’re eating things that are supposed to help us grow, but they’re really not good for us.” Fortunately, Alicia saw a way around that—with her family’s help, she decided to grow her own produce to ensure she always had nutritious foods to eat. Not only has Alicia learned how to grow a garden, but she’s helped countless others access nourishing foods. On top of creating a community garden at her school, she’s spearheaded more than 100 seed libraries to help people in all 50 states plant gardens…

Chris Galiyas believes that his wife, Stacy Mae, is the most hardworking person he knows. “She’s always so giving within our family, with her friends and with all of the middle school students she teaches,” he says. Chris wanted Stacy Mae to know how much he appreciates everything she does for the people in her life. So he offered to build her a cozy outdoor space—part greenhouse, part she shed—where she could unwind when she wasn’t working. He spent the better part of a year locating reclaimed materials for the project, eventually salvaging more than 50 windows and doors. “I absolutely loved the process,” says Chris, who has already begun working on another DIY home addition. “There’s just something exciting about giving these found materials new life and a new…

In the spring of 1963, my brothers and I lived for a time on our grandparents’ farm near Paxton, Nebraska, while our mother was confined to bed, waiting for our sister to be born. When we arrived, lilacs were blooming in the woods by the house, and honeycombed crowns of morels had broken through the soil there, too. My grandmother decided that she would show my brothers and I how to forage for them. We must have looked like ducklings trailing a mother duck as we crossed the wheat field and disappeared into the trees. Grandma decided to limit our hike to half a mile so that we remained within eyesight of the farmstead and earshot of Grandpa. She packed us picnic lunches of deer jerky and wild grape jelly…

It is said that during the Great Depression, itinerant workers would mark the gates of houses where they were welcomed with a sandwich or meal. I believe stray cats have done the same thing to my home. Over the last 25 years, a dozen or so felines have appeared on my porch, gazing through the glass door, pleading for food. Well, what could I do? Even as my husband said, “Don’t feed that cat, Caren,” I opened the door, cat food in hand. Most of them stayed only a few days before disappearing into the woods by our house. Except for one. She stayed 11 years. MEETING MINNIE One evening, while feeding our horses, I was stewing over a hurtful remark that a woman at church had made. I kept…