i am so excited to finally reveal the big news that’s been in the works for months…
i am inviting you to share a day with me on our farm in the ozark mountains of arkansas for a canning & preserving workshop!
we will gather in my home around the farmhouse table as i teach the basics of water bath canning. we will put on vintage aprons & harvest woven baskets full of vine ripe heirloom tomatoes from our garden.
in the kitchen & step-by-step, i will guide you through the process of chopping, processing & canning roasted homegrown garlic tomato sauce. we will produce several jars of tomato sauce, one of which you will take home.
as soon as our work is finished, we will take a break for lunch & share a farm to table meal on our back porch.
you will also have the opportunity to tour our little farm. we will gather eggs from the chicken coop & cut flowers for bouquets.
before wrapping up our time on the farm, i will lead a craft project centered around creating thoughtful, homegrown gifts.
once we’ve finished a bit of crafting, hogshead’s 1970s volkswagen van will pick us up & take us to prairie grove for some junkin’! we will stop by one of my favorite spots where i find the very best rusty, chippy, vintage pieces to fill our cozy home.
won’t you join me for a day of canning, crafting & junking?
here are the details:
– the workshop will be hosted at our farm in fayetteville, arkansas on august 16th from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm.
– an intimate group of 10 will participate in the workshop. the cost is $150 per person.
– registration opens on wednesday, july 9th. i will share the details on how to register here on my blog on july 9th.
– this workshop includes:
+ hands-on, step-by-step instruction on how to water bath can at home
+ a recipe for roasted garlic tomato sauce & one jar to take home
+ farm-to-table lunch & dessert
+ a craft project to complete & take home
+ a trip on hogshead’s volkswagen bus & an afternoon of junkin’
+ swag bag filled with goodies to take home
i am absolutely giddy with what was once a dream is finally coming to fruition. i am so excited to spend a day with you exploring the art of canning & preserving. please email me at natalie.j.freeman(at)gmail.com with any questions!
love,
natalie
when luke & i first married, we didn’t even have hand soap. i was saddened when we arrived home from our honeymoon & i used our first target gift card on cleaning supplies. instead of purchasing cute picture frames for our wedding & honeymoon photos, i was buying mops & sponges with gift cards.
you all know i’m a sucker for a good ol’ handmade gift basket (example: this, this, this & this). i get a kick out of staying within the budget when giving gifts & i love when those gifts are personal & meaningful.
so when we were invited to attend a couple’s shower for luke’s childhood best friend, i went straight to the cleaning isle of target. i don’t know the bride as well as i would like, but i was certain she would rather spend her wedding money on lamps than dish soap.
our budget was $25 & i spent just under that amount. i purchased the woven basket for $2 at a local thrift shop & filled it with fun supplies from the big box stores. i included dish washing soap, hand soap, dryer balls, hand towels, sponges & cleaning spray.
i also made our homemade laundry soap & included the recipe (you can find the recipe here). i spray painted the jar lid, added a scoop from the target dollar section (i purchase those in bulk when they’re available & add them to handmade gifts often) & tied a fabric ribbon around the top with the recipe tag attached.
i tied ribbon around the cleaning products for a pop of color & included a happy flag in the basket. i also added a little chalkboard from my crafting stash with a fun little clothespin. it all came together for under $25 & they loved it.
if you have a bit of extra cash, you could also include: a pack of toilet paper or paper towels, cleaning wipes, bleach, dish scrubbers, handmade crocheted dish towels or a gift card.
what are some of your go-to gift basket ideas? please share!
love,
natalie
hip hip hooray for blueberry season!
every year we take full advantage of blueberry season. we jump in the car & head to our favorite u-pick blueberry farm, sta-n-step. this year i brought along some of the families from our church. even the littles can harvest blueberries!
among the rows of blueberry bushes, we snacked on fresh blueberries & harvested gallons for the taking. we talked as we picked & absorbed the incredible landscape around us.
do you visit u-pick farms during the summer?
what are some of your favorite recipes for enjoying blueberries?
we love eating them fresh & freezing them for smoothies throughout the year. i am also experimenting with a grain-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free muffin recipe. if it’s successful, i’ll make sure to share the recipe!
love,
natalie