Flora & Fauna Homestead

Flora & Fauna Homestead Just a little family trying to get back to our roots. Sharing recipes, ideas, and products.

Quail are here!!!!! 16 out of 24 eggs hatched which I call success. Things I have learned this week as a new quail owner...
03/31/2026

Quail are here!!!!! 16 out of 24 eggs hatched which I call success. Things I have learned this week as a new quail owner.........
1.They hatch WAY faster than chicks. I went to bed with two pips and woke up to an incubator full with more just flopping out all over the place.
2. Quail chicks look like thet are actively dying....all the time. I cannot count the amount of times one of us have said...oh no that one is dead or looking pretty bad...just for the Quail to jump up and run around like nothing happened.
3. They are messy!!! They make a huge mess of their food and water and p**p sooooooo much!
4. They are so stinking cute and you can literally grab handfuls of them, they are so tiny!!

As a rule, I plant garlic on Halloween, which has consistently yielded positive results for me over the past three years...
11/13/2025

As a rule, I plant garlic on Halloween, which has consistently yielded positive results for me over the past three years. In line with my current trend of procrastination, I have exceeded the optimal Halloween and hard frost planting deadlines with garlic still stored in my shed. Today's pleasant weather provided an ideal chance to address my garlic issues. Although my summer harvest was bountiful, the moist conditions in my patch led to a considerable amount of rotting cloves. Following the removal of the rotten pieces, I successfully created a braid for storage, secured a substantial quantity of cloves for winter fermentation in honey, and obtained a sufficient quantity for planting.

This holiday season im bringing the focus back to family. Less stuff, less stress, more time and more memories. This in...
11/11/2025

This holiday season im bringing the focus back to family. Less stuff, less stress, more time and more memories. This includes trying to stretch that almighty dollar wherever I can to lighten the load on Mr. Reed. I snagged 3 pie pumpkins at the grocery and with ingredients I had laying around the house and a little time was able to turn them into loads of goodies to enjoy and share!

3 pints of pumpkin puree for holiday baking
6 half pints of pumpkin apple butter for gifting
20 oz of spicy roasted pumpkin seeds for snacking.

Pumpkin puree:
Cut pumpkins in quarters and scrap out seeds (leave the stringy bits for later!)
Load into crock pot with 1 cup if water
Cook on low for 6-8 hours
Gently scrape off the stringy bits(they will fall right off now) and scoop as much fruit as you can off outer shell.
Give all the pumpkin a spin in the blender or hit with your immersion blender until smooth. Pressure can for later, freeze, or store in fridge!

Pumpkin seeds:
Rinse seeds, pat dry with towel and leave out overnight to dry.
Mix 1c of seeds with 2tsp olive oil, 1 tsp salt, 1tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp paprika, and a pinch of peppercorns.
Layer on baking sheet and bake at 300° F for 30-40 min stirring several times

Do same steps with whatever seasonings float your boat!

Pumpkin apple butter:
Combine 15oz pumpkin puree(or whatever is leftover from canning it up!) And 48oz jar of unsweetened applesauce in crock pot on low. Mix in whatever sweetener and spices your heart desires and let cook for 8 hours. This is what I added and I measured with my heart folks
1 glug of molasses
2 glugs of maple syrup
Lots of cinnimon (maybe 1Tbsp)
1ish tsp nutmeg
1ish tsp pumpkin pie spice
Some ground clove (1/4tsp maybe)
Remove lid and let it continue to cook down
Once to the consistency you like put it in sterile hot jars and waterbath it for 15 mins for half pints.

Enjoy how heavenly your house now smells!

The onset of winter signals the arrival of seasonal illnesses. To maintain optimal health, consider adding elderberry sy...
10/06/2025

The onset of winter signals the arrival of seasonal illnesses. To maintain optimal health, consider adding elderberry syrup to your daily regimen. This supplement can be taken daily to boost immune function or in increased doses when illness strikes.
Our shelf stable Elderberry syrup is formulated with raw honey and apple cider vinegar, making it a valuable wellness cabinet staple. Its unique blend includes generous amounts of organic elderberries, Ceylon cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and rose hips, rendering it a palatable and wellness-rich supplement. Elderberries are esteemed for their immune function support and are highly respected within the herbalist community. Rose hips provide an immune boost via vitamin C, while ginger, cloves, and cinnamon offer warming properties that stimulate blood flow and possess anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant benefits. Our elderberry syrup is distinctively crafted using only raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar and local honey as its base, eliminating the use of alcohol, cane sugar, artificial sweeteners, or additives.

$18 - 8oz. Bottle
Shelf stable for up to 1 year

**contains honey not recommended for children under 2**

This product has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease

I had to trim my luffa gourd as it had grown somewhat unruly. To prevent damage to my greenhouse, we pruned nearly a thi...
10/06/2025

I had to trim my luffa gourd as it had grown somewhat unruly. To prevent damage to my greenhouse, we pruned nearly a third of the plant; however, I was not willing to sacrifice the beautiful green gourds. Today, I processed the green luffas, which proved to be a more extensive process than anticipated. If your luffa does not have sufficient time to dry on the vine, there is no cause for concern. Here are the steps I took to process my green luffas.

1. Stomp or break with a mallet the tough green skin of the luffa
2. Peel the skin from the gourds.
3. Rinse, squeeze, and repeat multiple times until most of the slimy flesh is off of the fibrous insides. Start slamming the gourd into a container or onto the driveway to release the seeds and create a mess that the birds will thank you for later!
4. If the gourds are not yet mature, like mine, the seeds will be white and no good for planting. If the seeds are black scoop them up and dry for next year!
5.Continue rinsing, squeezing, and abusing the gourd until the fibers are completly free of slime, flesh, and seeds.
6. Soak in a tub with enough water to submerge and about 1 cup of vinegar. (At this point you could use bleach INSTEAD of vinegar to make the fibers white and free of blemish, we prefer to keep ours natural!) DO NOT MIX THE VINEGAR AND BLEACH...you will make chlorine gas...ask me how i know!😬
7. Let gourds soak over night to get really clean and then hang to dry.
8. Slice, stitch, or chop the beautiful fiber as you see fit.

Many of my gourds fibers were very soft and not really ready. These fragile gourds get turned into facial exfoliating sponges. I cut these gourds during the cleaning process to make it much easier and preserve as much of thr gourds as I can.

Enjoy!!

The loofah is certainly the star attraction in my garden this year, flourishing beautifully on the trellis my husband cr...
08/12/2025

The loofah is certainly the star attraction in my garden this year, flourishing beautifully on the trellis my husband crafted for me. I cannot wait to see what kind of beautiful creations we can make when they have dried!

If you have been considering breaking into meat rabbits now is your chance! I have 18 grow out bunnies almost ready for ...
08/11/2025

If you have been considering breaking into meat rabbits now is your chance! I have 18 grow out bunnies almost ready for butcher, a bonded pair of female New Zealands who were amazing first time mothers with HUGE litters, and a broken New Zealand male for grabs. I need to make space for quail and have decided to part ways with the rabbits to make room for a new learning adventure! Message me if your interested! I will also be parting with all my supplies!

A lingering summer cold in our household has served as a reminder to prepare for the seasonal transition. It is once aga...
07/23/2025

A lingering summer cold in our household has served as a reminder to prepare for the seasonal transition. It is once again time to replenish your pantry with Fire Cider, a potent blend of antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and vitamin C-rich properties, providing respiratory support and immune-boosting benefits. I use this recipe for spicy cider to warm the body, blood, and stimulate circulation. I also prepare a herbal immune-boosting cider(oxmel) for my kiddos, omitting strong flavors and spices, and will share the recipe next week.

Ingredients
1 orange
2-3 cups of apple cider vinegar
1-2 cups of honey
1 jalapeno
1 onion
2 inch chunk of grated horseradish
1 lime
1 lemon
1-2 inches of grated ginger
1-2 inches fresh turmeric root
2 tablespoons of rose hips
2 tablespoons of elderberries
1-2 sprigs of thyme
1-2 sprigs sage
6-8 cloves of garlic
pinch of black pepper
Instructions
Chop and grate vegetables, fruits, and roots such as horseradish, ginger, and turmeric.
Add ingredients, omitting honey, to a 64-ounce glass jar.
Pour apple cider vinegar over the material.
Shake well.
Let sit for 4-6 weeks shaking once daily.
Strain through a cheesecloth and strainer.
Add honey to taste.
Store in a glass bottle.
Drink 1-2 tablespoons a day.
Keeps for up to 1 year shelf stable.

This recipe can be modified to fit your needs. This year I added grapefruit because it is what I had on hand as well as some dried calendula for its pain relief and anti-inflammatory properties. I also doubled the batch to make a gallon jug.

***always consult a medical professional before adding any herbs or supplements to your diet***

As a parent, I continually strive to make healthier versions of my children's favorite treats. During this time of year,...
07/22/2025

As a parent, I continually strive to make healthier versions of my children's favorite treats. During this time of year, lemonade is particularly popular, and while the traditional recipe's excessive sugar content concerns me, I am more comfortable serving this probiotic-rich, gut-friendly acid whey lemonade. After making a delicious batch of Greek vanilla date yogurt, I utilized the strained whey to create a refreshing beverage. If you do not currently make your own yogurt, I recommend starting; however, you can also strain the whey from store-bought yogurt for this treat.

Probiotic Lemonade

1 1/2 cups of the acid whey from straining yogurt or soft cheese
5 lemons or other citrus, juiced [about 3/4 cup juice]
1/2 -2/3 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups filtered water + 1/2 cup simmering filtered water
2 1 L jars

Instructions
Place 1/4 to 1/3 cup sugar in each 1 litre jar.
Add 1/4 cup simmering water to each jar and swirl until sugar is dissolved.
Divide the juice of the lemons evenly between the two jars and swirl to combine.
Add 3/4 cup of whey to each jar and swirl to combine.
Top.the jar off with filtered water, giving one final swirl to combine.
Cap tightly and store on the counter for 2 days.
Refrigerate the lemonade jars.
Enjoy.
Notes
The longer the lemonade stays in the fridge, the more it will ferment and the more sour it will become. If desired, add honey or sweetener to taste. Serve lemonade on the rocks or use in cocktails for a grown up treat!

The Lord's blessing of a wet summer has been a welcome relief for my garden watering chores. However, the same condition...
07/02/2025

The Lord's blessing of a wet summer has been a welcome relief for my garden watering chores. However, the same conditions that have promoted healthy vegetable growth have also fostered an overgrowth of weeds, leaving me feeling overwhelmed. Furthermore, my garlic bed has been compromised by excessive water, necessitating an early harvest. Although the garlic may not have developed as many distinct cloves as I had anticipated, I am thankful that they have not rotted. Despite the challenges, I feel blessed by the bounty!

There is one way to get rid of pesky ragweed!
06/17/2025

There is one way to get rid of pesky ragweed!

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