Country Woman April/May 2018

A ragtag flock of heritage-breed hens named after TV characters lived in my childhood yard. Wilma and Betty, Lucy and Ethel, and Alice and Trixie supplied our family with great eggs—recipe ideas for which you’ll find on page 36. They also offered our golden retrievers much entertainment. Ever since, I’ve had a soft spot for chickens. By law, they’re the only farm animal allowed at my suburban home, and on lazy afternoons, I design a backyard coop in my head while staring at an open patch of grass. But that’s as far as it gets. My exuberant pup would stress them out. So I’ll raise chickens vicariously through this issue with you. We’ll watch their antics with Becky Sernett, who writes on page 56 about how keeping hens is theraputic. Let’s find…

We were thrilled to see how our April/May 2017 cover encouraged you to create your one-of-a-kind fairy gardens. This year’s cover is inspired by your boundless creativity. BRIGHT IDEA! Create your teacup garden with fresh and silk flowers, succulents and moss. We love hearing from readers. Antique shops and rummage sales are tea set treasure troves. Show us the tiny gardens that sprout up from your finds. It’s easy! Upload pictures of your creations at: countrywomanmagazine.com/submit…

Upcycled Memories How have you repurposed your family’s heirlooms? Perhaps you’ve hung your great-grandmother’s quilt in a prominent place in your home. Maybe you’ve stitched together your mother’s beautiful handkerchiefs, creating a meaningful table runner. Or you may have turned an aunt’s antique teacup into a bird feeder. Send us stories and photographs about the treasures you’ve transformed. Beautiful & Edible Planting vegetables alongside flowers is a great way to make your garden pretty and functional. If you’ve diversified your garden in this way, share your best tips and tricks. Get Crafty Introduce us to your needlework or craft group, and tell us what you create together. What’s the Buzz? If you’re keeping bees, we want to hear your story. Share your honey-sweet successes and the stinging lessons you’ve learned. Get helpful hints for submitting on page 64. COUNTRY…

Wilber stole Staci Greene’s heart years ago. The donkey was a gift that left quite an impression. “He was so much like a big dog,” Staci says. “I was in love with him and will never forget him.” Years later, Staci began taking in donkeys and mules on her ranch in Ramona, California. She named her venture Hee Haw Place Donkey Rescue. The animals came to her through word of mouth, auctions and the Humane Society. Hee Haw Place has housed as many as 13 animals at one time, but thanks to Staci’s success in finding qualified people to adopt them, she now only owns six—two donkeys, two mules and two horses. She ensures the new homes are suitable for the animals and that prospective owners are sincere in their desire to add…

WHAT YOU’LL NEED ½ yard burlap fabric Embroidery floss Craft twigs Floral picks Greenery picks Pinecones Orange spray paint Decorative accents, as desired Large-eye needle Hot glue gun DIRECTIONS 1. Cut the burlap into 2 half-oval pieces 7¼ in. across. Use embroidery floss and needle to stitch pieces together along the bottom curve in a semicircle, keeping the top of the pouch open. Add ornamental stitches, if desired. 2. Wrap the craft twigs together and bend them to create a handle. Hot-glue the ends of the twigs to the top part of the bag. 3. Arrange the floral and greenery picks inside the bag, and adhere with hot glue. 4. Spray-paint the pinecones orange, and glue pieces of greenery to the flat end of each. 5. Glue pinecone carrots and any desired decorative accents to the outside.…

The Recipe Box by Viola Shipman Becoming a New York City pastry chef is much harder than Sam expected, so when she quits her job, she returns to the comfort of her family’s Michigan orchard. Her love of cooking began with a box of recipes passed down through generations, but now Sam must decide what she truly wants for her future. Each chapter of this touching story centers on a recipe—and a slice of family history. Little Broken Things by Nicole Baart Quinn receives a late-night text from her estranged sister, Nora, asking for a favor, and winds up caring for a young girl named Lucy, who she suspects is Nora's daughter. In this perfect blend of family drama and suspense, keeping Lucy safe, and secret, proves to be next to impossible. Dreaming in…