March Update

Hello, Friends! Again, it's been too long between posts. But I have plenty to tell you! Pictured above is our sugaring arch, A.K.A. a 50 gallon steel drum with both ends cut out and a large notch cut out for placing the firewood. To date we have made about 16 quarts of yummy, lip smacking maple syrup! Things have gotten cold again, so the sap hasn't run since last week. I'm praying that we have a good run again before the season is over.

This year we have been blessed to share our sugaring operation with two families that are friends of ours. My  very dear friend, and fellow Vermonter, had no idea that maple sap was like water. Our other friends got to see the sap become syrup and and watch (and help!) us can it. It was truly a blessing to share this with others.

A couple of weeks ago my darling hubby bought me one of those green house kits that you can buy at the store. Ours isn't huge, but it is a "walk-in" size. It is currently residing in our dining room, all put together in front or our south facing picture window and holding my Roma tomato seedlings. I went into the green house to check on the seedlings' moisture and couldn't believe how incredibly warm it was in there! It's like I have an indoor green house and sauna! I still have many more seeds to start, like green peppers and herbs. Once it is warm enough outside, we'll be moving the green house outside.

I'm also looking to use one of our 4x4 raised beds as a cold frame to start some Swiss chard in as soon as I can get the soil in it warmed up. My daughter belongs to the school's gardening club and last September she brought home some rainbow chard for us to try. We loved it! So we bought some rainbow chard seeds from  a High Mowing Seed Company's fundraiser that her school was doing. I bought another variety of Swiss chard as well, so I'm hoping that it does well.

I've also made up my mind that this year I am going to stick to my guns and not buy any annual flowers to put in our planters. The only ones I will buy are marigolds to plant in the veggies beds for pest control. Instead of pansies and petunias, I'll plant basil varieties and other annual herbs in their place. I've not had any luck trying to start flowers from seed, but I do well with herbs. This seems like the most economical choice, and besides, herbs are beautiful, too!

Well, the kittens have been spayed and neutered, and are back to their sibling ways. We were a bit nervous that their bond had been severed, as every time Oreo looked at Miller she hissed and growled like a wild cat. It wasn't the happy reunion we were all hoping it would be. But after their operations and a few days of being quarantined, they are back to normal. Taking the occasional nap together, grooming each other and running at break neck speeds through the house after one another!

It's a snow day here, and Spring seems so very far away, yet I know it will be here soon! Maybe I'll go step inside my greenhouse/sauna for a quick pick me up before I get back to work. Have a wonderful day!

Many Blessings,
Kelly

This post is linked to Joybilee Farm's Homestead Abundance Link Up!

February Updates

Hello, Friends! Since it's been a while since I've posted, I thought I'd include some kitteny cuteness! (Plus I don't really have any pictures to go with my updates!) Here is Oreo and Miller, napping together. Oreo is on vacation up at my mothers, visiting her kitty cousins. Unfortunately her vacation was a necessity, as both her and her brother have reached maturity in a certain area of their lives (nudge, nudge, wink, wink!) and their appointments for "fixing" are not until next week. The kiddos and I really miss her, but Miller seems rather lost without her. He has taken to being my shadow, especially around bedtime. He cuddles with me and follows me around until I'm settled in bed for the night.

Last Sunday our friends from church came over so that the man of the family, Chris, could fix my Internet. Once again he proved to be an absolute wizard!!!! He has also offered to fix up my ancient desktop computer, which has sat over in our mudroom/office for about a year, untouched. I would really like to be able to use the old computer, especially since in all likely hood, I will be homeschooling Teddy Bear next year. Having 2 computers would be wonderful.

There isn't much to really report on the homesteading front, at least not anything happening now. We getting ready to gear up for sugaring season, which we are ramping up this year. We asked some friends that live up the road from us if we could tap their trees, and they very graciously agreed. The trees are easy to get to and there are lots of them! The kiddos and I will be collecting the sap from these trees so that Daddy will only have to worry about the trees down on the road. He doesn't want us collecting those because traffic is heavy down there. 

I've been really lax on planning the garden this year, except for knowing that it's going to be bigger this year! Last fall we expanded the garden plot, so that will need some attention before it's time to plant. I'm thinking of planting our corn their. Tomatoes will be going in containers on the deck this year. I'm hoping this will discourage the horn worms and I know it will keep my chickens away.

I'm planning on starting my herbs, tomatoes and green peppers sometime during this week. I have a plan for starting the tomatoes and green peppers, so that I'll have a better yield from the green peppers and won't have to buy seedlings for the tomatoes. 

My goals for the garden are to grow as many of our own veggies and herbs as I can. Without having a planned surgery this summer, I will be taking over the garden again. I'm a bit nervous, but more excited to get going. 

Miller is applying for some undercover spy work in the Middle East. He's got the head wrap down, but I'm thinking  that he might want to forgo the red, white & blue color scheme. I'm thinking earth tones might be more appropriate.

It's taken me some time, but I've reached the stage where I'm seriously considering raising our own meat birds this year. We will have to have help when it comes time to butcher, but I'm pretty sure we can do it. I'm also realizing that it may be time to cull our flock. We have some ladies that just aren't pulling their weight. We can't afford to feed hens that aren't laying. This means having to say goodbye to some sweet feathered friends, but it needs to be done. I have 2 girls that I know for sure may need to go, as they are the only 2 "Big Girls" that lay blue eggs. We've only gotten 2 eggs from these ladies since early in the fall. I'm giving them until late March or early April to pick it up.

Well, it's time to get going. I hope you all have a great day!

Many Blessings,
Kelly

Growings On: Mid-April

So Today is the first day of April Vacation! WhhooooHoooooo! (Could you sense any sarcasm?) I don't mean to seem snarky, but the temperature is 84* right now. Right now, as in right. now. As in, according to the calendar it is April 16th. I don't personally have anything against the number 84, I just don't like that temperature when it is April. 16th. In North America. August, yes, 84 is fine. But. it. is. April!!!

O.k., enough of my temperature tirade! I'm also very torn about the fact that it is vacation and I want to spend time with the kiddos, but I have A TON OF STUFF TO DO!!!!! I currently have 3 laundry baskets of folded laundry (only folded because my Mom folded it while I was doing my shopping this morning. Thanks, Mom!) in my living room, two loads on my bed that need attention, And that is just the tip of the iceberg. You see, next Tuesday I'm having laproscopy. I hadn't wanted to mention it here, but the last few months I have been suffering some very intense with my menses. The doctor suspects endometriosis, but the only way to be sure is to have laproscopy. I'm not sure how I'm going to feel afterwards. As it stands now, I'm about 2 weeks behind due to traveling over to N.H. to see my doctor and the last time I was in pain for an entire week, unable to do much at all. This is totally cramping my garden plans. (No pun intended!)

Anywhoo, no more downer news! There is so much happening out in the garden already! Before I get to the picks, though, I'll give you some seed starting news. The green peppers I started about a month ago are doing beautifully! The little "gardens" that the kids started are doing very well, too, so we transplanted them into planters Saturday afternoon. They still need to come in to keep them safe from frost (and chickens, which we learned Sunday afternoon.) I finally was able to get my herbs and some flowers started Saturday afternoon, as well.

My DH brought home this piece of corrugated metal home. I snatched and decided
it could be made into a small garden bed just outside of the chickee coop. I just need
to get a piece of plywood to back this and fill 'er up with some top soil!

This is the spinach I planted about a week and a half ago out in one of my planters.
So excited to see it coming up!

This is the lettuce I started the same day.

Last year these planters held catnip and flowers. This year, so far, they are holding some
of my spinach and lettuce crop. Flowers will follow soon!

Three out of the four raised beds are built! My hubby is so good to me! (Plus, I think
he likes the fact that I'm so gung-ho about growing as much of our food as I can!) They just need
to be topped of with top soil and planted.

A new investment, a potato growing sack. I picked this up for $5 in the clearance section
of a local gardening store. Normally I wouldn't but something, I would make it myself, but for $5 I thought I could use it to get a good idea of how to make my own. Which I will, very soon and then share with you!

Catnip that came back and is doing great, despite getting hit by a couple of frosts.

It may be hard to see, but there is some new growth from this sage plant. Usually sage is an annual up here in Vermont, but I think due to a mild winter and plenty of mulch, it survived. Yay! I did start some
more sage from seed, though. Last year I didn't save enough to get me through the winter.

Some Early Girl tomatoes and pansies that Princess and I picked up in town
today. Some of the pansies are for Mama, some for her, and the rest for her friends
when we have her birthday party. We're having a fairy garden party where
each little girl makes her own fairy garden. Thank you Pinterest!

So, that's what's "growin'" on around here up on our hill! Are you planning (or started!) a garden this year? I'd love to hear about it from you! Have a lovely day, Friends!
Blessings,
Kelly

An Update and Announcement

Hello Friends! Yes, it's been one of those weeks. It seems as if I take one step forward and about 5 back, promptly ending up on my bottom!!! But things are slowly getting straightened out and coming together, as they always do. It is just so hard to forget that the Lord has a light at the end of our tunnel right when we need it, especially when it seems your blindfolded in a bottomless pit of errands, chores and commitments.

Anywho, I cannot get over this weather! It's been nice to get an early start to the yard and garden work, but chances are when the temperatures get back to seasonal, there will be colds running rampant. And I miss those soft, gray days of rain in the Spring as you slowly watch the land come back to life. This feels more like a "WHAM! You want Spring, I'll show you Spring!".

Boy, seems like I'm doing a lot of grumbling..... I'm sorry! Here are the updates. (They make me smile!)

• St. Patrick's Day was a bit of a non-event at our house this year. I made the typical corned beef and cabbage in the crock pot, but beyond that, nuthin' much special. Although, my Mom and Aunt Jeannie were here to share the dinner. (I'm the only one in the house that really likes it, everyone else had venison!)
• Sugaring season is over! This is both a blessing and a bummer. A blessing because we had syrup to make and my Dear Hubby was getting tired. A bummer because we didn't get as good of a run as last year, though we had some of last year's left, so we're good.
• DH and I decided to go in on an order of "Easter Egger" chicks with some friends, and we're expecting them soon. (O.k., my heart just seized up at the thought that I have. nothing. set. up. for. my . new. babies. N.o.t.h.i.n.g.) So the Light Brahmas are out this year, but there's next year!
• DH and I are currently in negotiations, well really discussion, about going in with some other friends for meat birds. UPDATE: DH came in while I was writing this and I asked him about it. We're going for it!!!!!!
• I have now watched a total of 3 documentaries on food/nutrition/agriculture/medicine while folding laundry. I've watched "Foodmatters", "Forks Over Knives" and "Ingredients". They all have got me thinking about so many things, more than this post allows for. I need to take some time to write things out (it's the only way I can really process information, writing it out in black and white. Or blue and white, depending on what pen I use ;) Once I've done this, I plan on posting a review/synopsis of sorts. Just a note, these will not be paid endorsements, just my humble opinion.
• Sunday afternoon was gorgeous! After church Daddy and the boys worked on yard work while Princess and I started her flower seeds. We sat out at the picnic table. enjoying the warm breeze.  Then the boys came up and started their little pizza garden kits they had received from a local gardening store for joining the kid's club. Good thing they were free. There is no way I would have dropped $10 each for these little kits! They had a good time watching the peat pellets expand and planting the seeds. Their kits came with oregano, basil, tomatoes and green peppers. Princess had a kit, too, though hers was and herb garden. All the trays are sitting up on top of the fridge, waiting to germinate!
• Nearly all of the green peppers that I started about two weeks ago have come up! Hurray!!!!!! I just need to get to my herbs and flowers. I also started some lettuce and spinach on Sunday. I'll have more on that soon.

And now, for that announcement! In lieu of the fact that it has been hectic for me lately, I've decided to focus on at least one weekly post, which I will be calling Thrifty Thursdays. If someone else out there in the blogosphere is using this, I really apologize. Sincerely, truly. But I have some really neat things to share, and I don't feel that I can commit to any more than one post a week at this time. Although, I'm thinking of sharing more things on my face book page, so if you haven't "liked" me there, you can find some more of me and my ramblings. Tomorrow I will be sharing my up cycled outfit from a pair of jeans and a second hand dress, so make sure you visit!

Thank you all, Friends, for stopping buy and taking time to read. I pray you have a lovely night.
Blessings,
Kelly

A Quick Update

Hello, Friends! I thought I'd "pop in" for a few quick updates from up here on our hill. The weekend (o.k., well Saturday!) was CRAZY busy, and I'm still working on getting caught up on house work, but I have been working on other things, as well, and trying to help my DH with sugaring. So, here goes! (I find it easier to quick posts in bullets so that I don't get too long winded! ;o)

• I got the sweet pepper seeds started! Yay!!!!!! They are up on the fridge, hopefully germinating their little hearts out.
• My DH finished off another 2 quarts and a pint of maple syrup. The grand total for the 2012 season is 4 quarts and a pint. (Of course, we've already eaten a quart of that total!!!)
• I made a skirt out of a pair of jeans that I was going to re purpose into something less glorious. (Like hot pads for the dining room table!) It turned out beautiful, if I may say so myself, (and I do!) and will be sharing soon.
• I bought some lettuce and spinach seeds which I hope to get planted either today or tomorrow using a method I read about in "Mother Earth News." (I don't necessarily agree with some of the articles, or even the name of the magazine, but it has been an absolute treasure trove of information for me!)
• Last night at dinner, I started labeling sticks for our family's Prayer Pail. The child that I thought was going to be the most resistant was actually the one with the most ideas! I'm really looking forward to this part of the day, and praying that the rest of the family will, too.
• I multi-tasked this morning. (I know, what else is new for a woman!) I folded laundry while watching "Foodmatters" on Netflix. Now, I did not realize that this was a huge site, with products, etc., but I will say that if you are interested in all about eating better for your health, this documentary will really make you think. I recommend it for everyone, but especially those dealing with chronic health issues. I will be posting a more in depth review* at a later (hopefully sooner!) date.
• When looking into Home Depot for seed starting items, etc., I discovered that Burpee makes seeds and accompanying products with Disney Princesses. My first impulse was to scarf one of each up to bring home to my Princess, but I quickly came to my senses and realized that we could grow flower seeds in a regular (although home decorated version, of course!) seed flat with our own frilly homemade plant markers as we could the cutsie little pink ones that were quite high priced. I did, however, but a packet of the Disney seeds because I'd never seen that variety of flower before and it's beautiful. So Princess and I have a mother/daughter girly gardening project.
• The injured girls (which are quite recovered) have been integrated back into the flock. They all seem to be getting along so far. It's been less that 24 hours, but I'm praying that we won't need to separate them again anytime soon.

Well, that's all I can come up for for now. Have a lovely day all!
Blessings,
Kelly

Homemade Salves and Lip Balm

Hello, Friends! Did ya miss me? Sorry I've been out of the loop for a while, but I've had quite a bit going on and to deal with, so blogging had to take a back seat. (Actually, forget the back seat, blogging had to stay home!) I'll give some quick updates before I get into the salves and lip balm.

• So far my dear hubby has made 1/2 gallon of syrup, and 1 quart of it has already been consumed!
• DH has about 5 more quarts that are nearly finished to syrup, with more out on our "arch".
• I finally bought a magazine about the different chicken breeds and have made my final decision about what kind of chicks we are going to buy. (I'm keeping it secret for now, just in case I change my mind!)
• I've made some plans for the garden, deciding to put the annual herbs in containers and not in one of our raised beds. Then I'll transfer the perennial herbs into 1 bed by them selves, making more room for veggies.
• Also in gardening, I've decided to plant carrots this year, despite vowing that I never would again. Then I learned that carrots have been on the "Dirty Dozen" produce list in the past. Potatoes have been, too, so I'm giving them serious consideration as well.
• I'm getting all of my seed starting paraphernalia together so that I can get them planted SOON. At least the bell peppers!

And now for the moment you've been waiting for!!!!!!! Salves and lip balm! (By the way, I can't seem to locate the cord that connects the camera to the computer, so I don't have pics, but as soon as I do, I will!!!;o))

If you've been reading my blog for a little while now, you know that I have committed my self to getting rid of chemicals in my family's toiletries/personal hygiene. A few weeks ago I actually hoed out a closet in my bathroom and filled a garbage can of tubes and bottles that contained sulfates and parabens. (Most of the products were old or nearly gone.) Now I am trying to replace these things with all natural products from the store (be sure to read the ingredients, some products labeled "natural" can still contain chemicals) or even better, make my own.

So back a Sunday or two ago, I got home from church and shoo-ed everyone out of the house, because I was going to make the kiddo's body wash, some lip balm and salves. I grated like a maniac, and heated, poured, and stirred as well. The only thing I really had a recipe for was the lip balm.

Here is the link. for that. Now, I don't now what I did wrong, but the honey did not mix well with the other ingredients. I'm not sure if it's because I didn't allow the mixture to heat long enough together or not, but the honey was left on the bottom of my measuring cup. And this recipe make more than 1/2 an ounce as the recipe states. Make sure to have plenty of little lip balm jars! I used a drop of peppermint oil, but it wasn't necessary. I keep a jar of this on my night stand and (try!) to use it every night before bed. I gave the other jar to Princess, who is a lip gloss/balm collector. She was super-dee dooper psyched when I gave it to her.

For the kids' body wash, I grated a bar of Kirk's Natural castile soap and added it to about 2 cups of hot water, heating it on medium over the stove until the soap flakes were dissolved. I added more hot water and let it cool a bit before pouring it into a couple of mason jars. Unfortunately I didn't dilute it enough, so I had to reheat it and add more water a couple of days after because it had turned back to a solid. I have to work on the correct water/soap ratio for this, but it was a start.

For the salves, again I didn't measure, but I used a combination of olive, sweet almond and Castor oils. I used about 1 cup of oil in all, pouring it into a 2 cup Pyrex measuring cup that sat in a medium sized bot of water over medium heat. I added my grated beeswax and stirred until the beeswax was completely liquefied. Then I removed the measuring cup and added lavender essential oil. I poured this all into 2 small mason jars and let the salve cool before putting the lids on. I (again, try!!) rub this on my hands every night before bed, slipping on some cotton gloves after. I've also used it before heading out when it's been quite cold and I'll be wearing gloves. This salve is a bit greasy, but it works well on keeping my hands soft and free of cracks and dry skin.

The next salve I want to make is a calendula salve that I have read is good for eczema. I've developed to patches of it on my face, on either side of my chin. I look like a little baby that is chapped from drooling! And, although I can't find the exact place that I read it, I'm going to give it a try. I even bought a package of seeds so I can grow my own calendula this year.

Well, Friends, I now this post seems rushed, but I still have lots more to get to up here on my hill, including taking a shower before I head to town. If you have any questions or comments for me, please feel free to leave one below, email me at HomespunInspirations@gmail.com or "like" my face book page. Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to visit me.

Blessings,
Kelly

Getting The Garden Ready for Fall

A new green bean plant poking up in the raised bed.

Our green peppers and green bush beans still growing strong!

Where the cukes, zukes and pumpkins were, and the compost pile in the corner.

Happy Saturday all! I'm joining up with Homestead Revival for the weekly Preparedness Challenge. I was going to write about what I learned from going through Hurricane Irene, however, I'm just not feeling up to it. I'm feeling rather guilty about having come through unscathed while just 3 miles up the road from us my fellow Vermonters are stranded, some having lost their homes. I will share some of the photos that I took from last Sunday, as well as some important things that I learned about emergency preparedness. For today I will be talking (writing!) about getting the garden ready for fall/winter.

I hadn't been out in the garden this past week except to pick a couple of pumpkin and zucchinis. Last Saturday evening my darling hubby and I picked everything we could out of the garden. We had some cukes, zukes, pumpkins and lots of green peppers. That was my last big trip to the garden! So last night I took a good look at the garden and discovered that all but 1 of our "squash" vines had been eaten by grubs. So I harvested what I could and started yanking vines out of their hills. Princess helped by picking up the newspapers that been used for mulch.

We piled all of the weeds, vines and newspapers into one corner of the garden. This is going to be our compost pile for the fall and winter. It was also the night to clean out the coop, so I pulled the wheel barrow up to the coop door and shoveled everything in. I wheeled it up to the garden and shoveled it onto our pile. Then I went over to where our rain buckets are (5 gallon pails that we set under the eaves to catch the rain water!) and filled my watering can a couple of times and watered our pile. I'm truly hoping that we have a good start on our compost so that it will break down over the cold months.
Here are some sites/articles on the basics of composting and how to start:

• Mother Earth News: Compost  an 8 page article, but well worth the time to read!
• Earth Easy: Composting another good read, with a chart for carbon and nitrogen materials
• Earth Easy: Autumn Composting Tips a timely read!

O.k., after reading these, I'm beginning to think I need to re-start my pile! This is one of those times where enthusiasm has trumped knowledge. I just started in without really knowing what I was doing, but luckily, it is easily remedied.

For our fall gardening, I also planted some green bush beans in one of our raised beds that is currently only holding 2 perennial herbs. (For more on my raised beds read here!) I soaked them for about 36 hours before planting them. They've started coming up, so hopefully they will be ready for harvest before it gets too cold. If worse comes to worse, I can always cover them to keep the frost off. (I read this article in Mother Earth News before I planted. (Yes, I have a subscription!) It's on fall gardening.)
I would really like to be able to can some more green beans, but I'm not sure how much more I'm going to get out of my current crop. They currently have blossoms on them, but we have a forecast that includes heavy rain, so we could lose them. Even if I only get 1 harvest off of them, I'd be happy!

It's my plan to clean out the chicken run before we get snow. All of the debris will be added to the compost pile. There will be hay, manure and food bits that the chickens didn't eat. In a way, there is some compost in the run already because they've broken down some grass, hay, wood shavings and fruit/veggie scraps. When I clean out the coop, I usually toss it into the run, where the girls can scratch and break it up for us. And all of our grass clippings go into the run, so the girls can have a snack and it helps keep the smell down. One of Teddy Bear's favorite things to do is to pull the long grass out of Grandma & Grampa's manure pile and feed it to the chickens! I'd also like to let the chickens roam around in the garden after everything has played out. I figure they can help to aerate and fertilize the soil!

While we're on the topic of gardens, I've also began plans for next year's garden. (I can't remember if I shared these or not, but if I have, please forgive me!) We are going to add more raised beds up next to our current garden, and veggies will go in here. Before it gets too late into fall, I plan on moving 2 of my perennial herbs over to the other raised bed, and dedicate their current home to annual herbs and perhaps some lettuce. The "squash" crops will be grown in our fenced in garden plot, with sunflowers in the back. Pole beans will be grown in the front, with the fence for support. In the beds will be our bush beans, peppers, etc. I'm going to save some money in the garden budget for marigolds to plant at the edges to act as insect control. This past spring I tried twice to start them from seed, with no luck. So, this coming spring I'll bite the bullet and just buy a few.



Many Blessings,

Kelly

Zucchini Bread and More

This is actually another kind of bread, I ran out of batteries to take a pic of the zuke bread!

The zucchini and pumpkin patch.

Happy first Saturday of August! Saturday means baking and the Preparedness Challenge over at Homestead Revival. Today I'm making more chocolate zucchini bread for the freezer, as well as some muffins to freeze. (Believe it or not, all the zuke bread form last Saturday is GONE!) I'm hoping to process some zucchini to freeze as well.

I'm posting the chocolate zucchini bread recipe today for you all. It comes from The Taste of Home Cookbook: REVISED EDITION, but I've tweaked it to make it healthier. My kids absolutely love it and my niece said that I could give it to her for her birthday and Christmas presents, so it's kid approved! This recipe makes 2 loaves.

• 1 C. all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 C. whole wheat flour
• 1/3 C. baking cocoa
• 2 C. sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 C. canola or vegetable oil
• 3/4 C. unsweetened applesauce
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 C. shredded zucchini
• 1 C. chocolate chips

mix dry ingredients (flours, cocoa, sugar, salt, powder, soda and cinnamon) in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl mix the eggs, oil, applesauce, and vanilla. Add the wet to dry ingredients and stir until just moist. Add the zucchini and chocolate chips and stir well. Pour into two greased 8 x 4 x 2in loaf pans, bake at 350 degrees for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10-15 minutes before turning out of pans to cool on wire racks.

Some tips for this bread:

• if you are using a very large zucchini, remove the seeds. The seeds don't usually shred well when they are large
• replace regular chocolate chips for 1/2 C. of mini chips for less fat and sugar
• use your food processor to shred zucchini to freeze in 2 cup portions
• add nuts and/or dried cranberries for more flavor and vitamins

In the next week I'd like to share some more ideas to use zucchini up. The Lord has truly blessed our garden this year, and I intend to not let any of it go to waste!

Beyond baking to stock the freezer, in the area of preparedness for this week I've mostly done research and some planning for the fall. I'm planning on going through the freezer and pantry to make up weekly menus and hopefully cut down on money spent and time wasted when it comes to dinner and lunch. For this coming week I checked the forecast on the Weather Channel so that I know how best to cook. You don't want to use the oven when it's 90 degrees of grill when there's better than a 70% chance of a down pour!

I've been reading The Self-Sufficient Suburban Garden by Jeff Ball. It outlines a five step plan to produce your own food in the garden, eventually adding small livestock, and a solar green house. It has information not only on gardening, but on storing and preparing your crops, saving your own seeds, bee keeping, and so much more! Although we don't live in the suburbs, we still have limited space due to the geography of our land. And it seems like a very informative book for both newbie gardeners and pros alike. It's really gotten the wheels turning in this Mama's mind!

This week I'm planning on working on emergency preparedness as well getting some veggies put up in some manner or another. I did buy a canning set from Ball, but have yet to use it. I don't have a pressure canner (or the funds to get one right now!), so I'm looking into the hot water bath method and ways to preserve some of my veggies by pickling. I'm not sure if any of the kitchen pots I have are big enough, so I just might have to use my darling hubby's syrup pot!

That's all for today! We're headed over to Billings Farm and Museum for the Antique Tractor Day tomorrow after church. We're looking forward to seeing the tractors and I''m hoping to have a chance to see the quilt exhibit they have going on. And of course, I'm always on the lookout for information that pertains to homesteading!  Hope you all have a great weekend!
Blessings,
Kelly

Happy Monday! I thought I'd just give a quick run down about our past week and the week ahead for us up here on our hill. I was hoping to be able to post some pictures and details about finishing our chicken coop and expanding the run, but due to a broken washing machine and flooded basement, the work on the coop didn't get done. I'm a bit bummed, but I'm looking at the flooded basement as a blessing in disguise. The flood didn't involve the entire basement, only the laundry area/entry way, which was in bad need of cleaning and organizing. We were able to get rid of some junk, and now I have  to get everything straightened out down there.

Saturday I picked enough green beans to almost fill a gallon size baggie! I'm so excited about our garden doing so well. This is the first year of gardening that I have been not only involved in the garden, but put real thought and effort into it. I also have been able to free up my darling husband from it, only having to have his help with rototilling, planting and some weeding in the beginning . The pie pumpkins are looking good, as we already have some growing on the vine. I've gotten 7 zucchinis so far, with more getting ready to harvest soon. The bell peppers have blossomed, even though the plants aren't very big. I'm hoping we have a good harvest of them.

Teddy Bear is out of summer academy, so I'm looking forward to the rest of the summer and our routine we had in the beginning. I think the transition to the school year will be easier for all if we stick to our routine. And speaking of the school year, I've been brainstorming and planning for it. I've purchased some school supplies for the kiddos (I can't believe that the sales started back in July!) and have been thinking about breakfast and lunch choices for them that are healthy for them and the bank account!

This is what I'm hoping to accomplish this week:

• consolidating the school supply list (each child has a different list)
• taking an inventory of school supplies we have
• finishing the run expansion (finish the fencing, make a small gate and large gate)
• finishing the chicken coop (installing permanent roosts, making some nesting boxes, finish staining the outside, painting and hanging the shutters)
• going through the mess on the basement shelves in laundry area
• sorting the shoes and coats in basement entry
• getting rid of clothes either by giving to friends or charity thrift shops
• working on Household notebook for the coming school year and updating the school info for the kids
• getting the roosters (Amos and Biscuit) to their new home
• packing for  Princess's trip to Kid's camp next week
• reserving lean-to sites for our Church's women's retreat

That's all for now! Hope you all have a great day .
Blessings,
Kelly

Homemade Flops and Triumphs

Homemade liquid hand soap: a lesson in persistence

Homemade liquid dish soap: a flop, but I'm still researching

The garden: A triumph due to diligence, persistence and research

Greetings everyone! I hope you are all having weather as lovely as we are up here on our hill.We had quite a bit of rain and strong winds last night, but awoke to cool breezes, clear skies and sunshine. The perfect morning for baking. Saturday is my baking today, and so far I have a batch of snack mix done and 4 loves of chocolate zucchini bread in the oven. When that comes out, breakfast cookie bars and raspberry blondies are going in.

Saturday also means checking in with Amy at Homestead Revival for the Preparedness Challenge. This week I have grown in preparedness by:

• processing and freezing zucchini
• investing in a large waffle maker and another bread pan (both thrift store finds!)
• researching feeding programs for chickens
• taking out books from the library about chickens, canning & freezing foods, self-sufficient gardening and wild berries.
• baking extra loaves of bread to freeze
• researching liquid dish soap and dishwasher detergent recipes (more about that ahead!)
• purchasing school supplies on sale
• researching canning applesauce and maple syrup

As you may have gathered, I'm having problems with some of my homemade detergent recipes. I was finally able to make liquid dish soap, and the first time I was used it, it seemed to work well. Maybe I was delusional that first time, I don't know, but it just wasn't cutting it in subsequent loads of dishes. Actually, it wasn't cutting the grease, despite the fact that I doubled the amount of lemon juice in the recipe and added white vinegar to both the rinse and wash water. I was bummed- but not defeated! So, I've been cruising the Internet in my "spare" time.

Also, after over a month or more of using homemade dishwasher detergent, I bought a box of Cascade to use until I can get the right homemade formula worked out. I was continually disappointed to see a film on our glassware and flatware. I put white vinegar in the rinse agent dispenser and added it to the washer before starting it. And the dishwasher itself was looking dingy- there was a rusty brown residue. I'm thinking that there wasn't enough citric acid, but I don't have anything else in the house right now that contains enough to test out this theory. For now, I think we'll do the homemade in the pre-wash cycle and commercial detergent in the other cup.

Well, that's it for now. everything is out of the oven, but I'm still in my nightgown, so it's time to get on with my day. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
Blessings,
Kelly

A Fruitful Day!

Just the beginning of the bounty from our garden!

Happy Monday! I'm writing this a bit later in the day then intended, but better late then never. I was absent from blogging last week due to 2 of the 3 kiddos going to Bible day camp, where I also volunteered to help with crafts. On Friday it was off on a big field trip with Teddy Bear and his Summer Academy classmates. The heat and humidity was oppressive, so afternoons weren't very productive around here!

Enough about last week. Yesterday morning started the week off with a bang. Well, actually a peck. Poor Teddy Bear got pecked in the eye by one of our chicks. When I saw a large red spot by his pupil, I knew we had to go to the E.R. The excursion lasted only 2 hours, which is amazingly speedy, considering that we had to wait for an opthamologist to come in to make a final check on his eye. Shawn and I are very thankful that it was "only" a superficial corneal abrasion, but Teddy Bear was in a lot of pain yesterday. We told him no more giving the chicks kisses. This afternoon he told me that he was going to tell "those little boogers" no more pecking! At least he isn't afraid of them.

Today started cool and sunny. When I went out to let the chickens out of the coop, I was very reluctant to go back in the house to start the day. It so beautiful and quiet, one of the moments where you can almost feel God's hand on you. But I headed in after a moment to eat, shower and get the kiddos going.

I usually go grocery shopping on Monday mornings, and today was no exception. After a quick trip into town, I returned home to put away groceries. While making room for the new stuff, I found a bag with a little bit of lettuce that was past it's prime for us, but perfectly good for the chickens. I brought it out to them, checked the water situation. Then I wandered up to the garden to take a peek. I found 4 zucchini and a good handful of peas. Princess was picking raspberries, then I headed for the herb garden. I knew exactly what we were having with dinner tonight! Grilled zucchini with fresh herbs.

After lunch and afternoon chores, I got out the food processor and shredded 4 zukes, packed 2 cups into a baggie, which I then loaded into a Tupperware freezer container. I have enough shredded zucchini to make 8 loaves of one of my kids' faves, chocolate zucchini bread. I left out a package so I can (hopefully) make a batch of bread tomorrow.

While in town, I quickly stopped at our local Salvation Army Thrift Store. I am on a mission for a big pot, either for popcorn or canning. I didn't find a pot, but I did find an awesome, super big waffle iron! I'm thinking homemade waffles to freeze for the kiddos, I can make a big batch of waffles and freeze them for during the week. I might even make a few for Mama and Daddy!

So, that's whats going on up here on our hill. Hope you all have a great week, and I hope to be back soon.
Blessings,
Kelly

Good Bye Mr. Meanie!

Mr. Meanie in solitary confinement.

The "Big Kids" checking to see if he's really secure in there. Or maybe taunting him!

Not very pretty, but effective mulch on the cucmbers.

The bush beans and green peppers mulched and thriving!

It's been a good week up here on our hill, despite vehicle troubles and one mean rooster! Again we were surprised with another rooster in the run, but we weren't in any hurry to find him a new home. We had (finally!) named him Midnight before we knew it was a him, but the name could belong to a bot just as nicely as a girl. Then he showed his true colors- grabbing a hold of the girls heads, jumping on them, pecking for no reason. He seemed to single out Princess (the hen, not my daughter!) for his, er, amorous attention , but it seemed really mean to me. Not that I have a clue as to the amorous habits of chickens, but he was biting the back of her head and pecking at her. Last night was the last straw when he picked on poor Stella. Wheels, Princess (my daughter, not the hen!), and I chased him around the yard with the net, until he jumped into the coop and I nabbed him! I put him into the cage that the "big kids" had been in, and there he shall remain until we can find him a new home.

Last Saturday the kiddos and I weeded and mulched the veggie garden with the help of my mother in law. There was some early grumbling from Teddy Bear, but I took a page from the Good Book and told him that if he didn't work, he didn't eat. This was the first time I had ever had a massive project in the garden (except for planting) where all the kids helped out all at once. It was lots of work, but completely worth it. We weeded between the rows and plants in the bush beans and the green peppers, then laid down a thick layer of newspapers to be covered with a layer of bark mulch. I would have used hay, but my darling husband brought home mulch from work at the saw mill. I was also able to get the cukes done as well.

I had read about using newspaper to mulch with in Mother Earth News, and thought it sounded like I should give it a try. We've had a garden every year since living in the house, but we had never mulched it. With my back problems, a hard working husband, 3 kiddos and chickens, I felt that mulching for weed suppression (at the very least of benefits) was smart. I had done the pumpkins and zukes about 2 weeks earlier, and they had really taken off! The best part is, the mulch was all free. Actually, it paid to mulch! My husband got newspapers at the recycling center at our local dump and as we were laying down the papers, I found stacks of coupons! I pulled out the ones that hadn't expired yet and set them aside to go through at night. It was one of those win-win situations.

This week I also put the herb garden to work for more than culinary purposes. After having my pastor (who is an avid gardener) tell me that you can make tea out of catnip, I did some research on line Then last night my baby girl was complaining of an upset tummy, so out to the herb garden i went for some peppermint leaves. I made her some tea, which she was quite impressed was and hailed me as the best Mom ever! (She is soooooo good for my self-esteem!) I did feel pretty awesome about being able to make my daughter something that helped her feel better, naturally.

Last night I was also able to make a batch of homemade liquid dish soap, which I had meant to make all week long, but couldn't make because I couldn't find a bar of darn castile soap! My mother (bless her!) brought one to me yesterday afternoon, and I was so thrilled! Out came the grater and soap pot! I'll share more about it early next week, but I can tell you that I'm pleased with the results.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend. My baking is done, and there are some plants that need to be put in the ground, so I'm off to the salt mines!
Blessings,
Kelly

Getting Ahead

Happy Saturday all!

It's been a bit crazy here this week, but we've been able to get ahead on some projects and even have been able to look ahead to this fall and winter. (I know, who wants to think about cold on a beautiful warm day like today?)

Earlier in the week the kids and I started mulching the herb beds after getting the weeds out. My darling husband finished for me while I was at the E.R. with Princess Wednesday night. (We thought she might be having appendix issues, but thank the Lord, she was fine. Turns out she pigged out on sugar free candy that badly upset her stomach!) Princess and I were also able to get some of the veggie garden weeded and old newspaper laid out and prepared for mulch.

The other day Wheels helped me bring the "Big Kids" out in their cage to set next to the run so that the "Big Girls and Boy" could meet without fear of injury. They are back out there today and I'm hoping to get them into the coop tonight under cover of darkness. They're just getting too big for the cage we had them in, and with the "babies" in the cellar, it's getting crowded, stinky and noisy. Biscuit, the young rooster, is also getting louder every morning. This morning it was 5! We need to find him a new home soon.

We also had a surprise out in the coop Sunday morning. After letting the "Big Girls" out for the day, I was headed back to the house to make breakfast. I heard a rooster crow behind me and was astonished to see that one of our "Big Girls" was flapping it's wings, puffing up and letting go with a cock-a-doodle-doo! We didn't have a clue that we might have boy. So he will be heading back to our friends Abby & Brian.

Shawn has also been busy with getting bedding for the chickens and materials for building a shed to hold the bedding. We've been very fortunate that Shawn works at a saw mill and have been getting the shavings for bedding for free. Earlier in the week he stopped at a neighbors that had a sign for hay for sale. He was able to get 10 bales for a really good price. 10 bales will last us a long time. This morning my darling husband was up early to go get some big pallets that he was given for free. The pallets have enough lumber in them to make a good start on a small storage shed, if not to complete it!

Yesterday I headed to New Hampshire for a doctors appointment and a shopping trip to B.J.'s. The doctor appointment didn't happen, (ugh!) but the shopping trip did. I was able to stock up on Goldfish crackers, chocolate chips, vanilla extract and white vinegar. After returning home, having dinner and helping with a load of firewood, Shawn, Princess and I headed to Tractor Supply for chicken feed. I had a coupon for 10% off of our total purchase, so we picked up a bag of chick food, too, although we won't need it for another week or two. I also picked up some 1/2 gallon mason jars (I had a 75 cents coupon for those, too!) for food storage.

This morning I'm baking after having cleaned the coop. Tomorrow is a potluck at our church, so I've got 2 cakes for church, 1 cake for tonight (it's Shawn's birthday!!!) and a batch of breakfast cookies for the week. I tried making them into actual cookies instead of bars because I've run out of pans. Hopefully, they'll turn out o.k.. After a short brake when the baking is done, I'm going out to the garden to weed before it's too hot!

Hoping you have a lovely Saturday! Let me know what you're up to in your gardens, kitchens and homes my friends. I'd love to hear from you!

Blessings,
Kelly

Plans of the Diligent

The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty. Proverbs 21:5

If you have ever read my blog before, you know that I make a lot of plans. This is both a good and a bad thing. It's good when I remember my proverbs, but bad when I steam ahead with "tunnel vision". I admit to being prone to this, as well as not wanting to plan for things that I'm not really enthusiastic about. That's why the blog Homestead Revival's Preparedness Challenges are good for me. After all, who wants to plan for something we'd rather not think about, such as weather related emergencies or even worse. However, not taking the time to ready ourselves, families and homes isn't going to help us any. (OR delay an emergency!)

Before I get to far, I do want to add, that first and foremost we should not be anxious. Nor should we feel that being prepared in anyway shows doubt in God's faithfulness or love. I believe that being prepared for an emergency is good stewardship.Knowing how to care for your home and family should a disaster strike is just smart. And the more families that are prepared, the more to serve those that are not or that are unable to help themselves, such as the elderly and disabled. Also, depending on where you live and what sort of weather you have, your next door neighbor and you could both be prepared, but their home is damaged while yours is not and vice versa.

So, back to planning. I got the planner pictured above from my mother for my birthday a few years ago. It's blank and empty, as pristine as the day I received it. That's not a good thing. After reading the post at Homestead Revival, I decided it was time to get it out and take a look. It has room for planning as well as soring some important documents. It's handy because you can grab it in the event that you need to leave your home quickly. There are places to record contact information for family members as well as out of town relatives to use as contacts. It also emergency kit checklists and contact info for American Red Cross, FEMA, etc. My goal for this coming week is to get the family contact info. filled out, as well as the contact info. for out of state relatives. I'd also like to get working on our 72 hour kits.

Not feeling ready to tackle emergency prep. on large scale? (If not, I really encourage you to start thinking about it!) What about small scale? Do you have a first aid kit in each vehicle? How about in your purse? I have a kit in each of our vehicles. It doesn't have to be fancy or huge, but it should contain some basics such as:

band aids

antibacterial ointment

hand sanitizer

antiseptic/antibacterial cleaning for wounds

pain relievers such as Tylenol or ibuprofen

tweezers

You might want to include anything that is a special need for your family, such as contact lens solution and lens case, eyedrops, etc. And perhaps an instant cold pack if you have a real accident prone family member. For moms, you might want to consider a bag for every occasion that includes a first aid kit. I have a "Rec" bag that goes to the rec center with us that contains a first aid kit, bug spray, sunblock, baby wipes, and an extra white shirt that will fit any of my kiddos. It doesn't hurt to have a non-aerosol bottle of bug spray and sunblock in the car for impromptu hikes, etc.

Do you have any plans in place in case of an emergency? If you do, please share! You can leave a comment below.

Have a great weekend!

Blessings,

Kelly





A Cool, Rainy Day

One of two raised beds that my DH built for me!

Catnip in the herb garden.

Forbidden fruit! Blackeberries growing in a flower bed!

Tuesday greetings to all! If your in Vermont like we are, then it's gray, cool and damp. I'm not complaining by any means, though, because I've taken advantage of the weather to get some baking done. Saturday was the usual batch of chocolate chocolate chip cookies and breakfast cookie bars, along with a batch of chocolate chip banana bread. Today I've got snack mix cooling while a batch of chocolate zuchinni bread is filling my house with it's yummy aroma! I'm hoping for cool mornings this summer so that I'll be able to bake and show hte kids how to make things during theor vacation.

Despite the cold and dreary weather this weekend, my darling husband was able to build 2 raised garden beds for my herbs. The original plan was for just 1, however, he was able to get enough lumber for 2. It's for the beast that we have 2, because my herbs filled the first and have overflowed into the second. It was very exciting to plant my herbs that I had started from seed back in March! I also had some that we had purchased from a home and garden store, and my mother in law was very kind to give me a large bunch of chives from her garden. The chives I had started look rather puny, so if they don't do well, I at least have one established plant. In my herb garden I have, catnip, parsley, oregano, thyme, sage, basil, chives and I have sweet mint to plant. I'm not sure if I want to have any more herbs this year, or if we'll use the rest of the second bed to plant veggies.

The kids are looking forward to the end of school, although they've been forewarned that summer will not be one long session of sun, trips to the Rec and video games. Daddy and I have talked to them about helping with chores and keeping up on reading and math if they want to do fun things. So far I have thier workbooks and folders out and some tentative plans for Paul Bunyan Day (June 28). I also have new chore magnets to finish making, daily checklists to put in plastic sleeves, reading charts and worksheets to print out. We're going to have a definite, but flexible, daily schedule.

In all of my planning, in the back of my mind has been the fear of total, utter failure; however, this morning during my personal Bible study & prayer time, I felt led to look up the words "commit" and "plans" in my concordance. What a blessing to have the Lord speak to me through His word and calm my fears! Here are the Scriptures that I'm holding fast to:

Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. Proverbs 16:3

Do not those who plot evil go astray? But those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness. Proverbs 14:22

Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisors, they succeed. Proverbs 15:22

The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty. Proverbs 21:5

So exactly what do these mean for us? First, we have to commit our plans to the Lord, and for His glory. We need to make sure that our plans are in line with  Scripture (good), that we look for wise counsel and are diligent in our efforts. The security and peace that I feel after coming to this conclusion is absolutely amazing! And I hope these verses give any of you with plans or decisions to make, a source of comfort and inspiration.

The day is getting along, so I need to get back to housework! Have a wonderful rest of your day and see you soon!

Blessings,

Kelly