Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!
We will be going to my aunt's house Thursday and I will be bringing a yummy dessert called Cherry Jubilee.
Then off to my parent's home on Sunday. I get to bring the same dish there. :)
We celebrated with Andy's family this past Sunday. I brought Cheesy Chicken and Rice.
Busy, busy!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
Try this perspective!
LOOK UP
How can I do it? I have too much to do,
I'm overwhelmed and feeling real blue,
I'm stuck in this house like super glue.
Don't look around--LOOK UP!
The dishes and laundry are piled up high,
When I look 'round the house, I have to sigh,
And for supper my husband's expecting a pie!
Don't look around--LOOK UP!
We can't pay the mortgage; bills are overdue,
I'm tired and have headaches, not a few,
These children are driving me crazy, too!
Don't look around--LOOK UP!
My husband comes in late; he doesn't care,
He doesn't help with the children; it's not fair!
I don't want to smile; I just want to glare!
Don't look around--LOOK UP!
Take your eyes off your problems, look up to Him,
God's presence is with you, even in the din!
Confess your bad mood and He'll cleanse your sin,
He is your God--LOOK UP!
He'll show you how to order your place,
He'll give you direction as you seek His face,
He wants to pour upon you His anointing of grace.
He is your God--LOOK UP!
Keep your eyes fixed on Him; He is your Stay,
He is your Wisdom for problems each day,
He will bring His presence right into your fray.
He is your God--LOOK UP!
Each morning He comes as the refreshing Dew
To revive your body, and your spirit too,
He is your Deliverer and He'll make you new,
He is your God--LOOK UP!
by Nancy Campbell
How can I do it? I have too much to do,
I'm overwhelmed and feeling real blue,
I'm stuck in this house like super glue.
Don't look around--LOOK UP!
The dishes and laundry are piled up high,
When I look 'round the house, I have to sigh,
And for supper my husband's expecting a pie!
Don't look around--LOOK UP!
We can't pay the mortgage; bills are overdue,
I'm tired and have headaches, not a few,
These children are driving me crazy, too!
Don't look around--LOOK UP!
My husband comes in late; he doesn't care,
He doesn't help with the children; it's not fair!
I don't want to smile; I just want to glare!
Don't look around--LOOK UP!
Take your eyes off your problems, look up to Him,
God's presence is with you, even in the din!
Confess your bad mood and He'll cleanse your sin,
He is your God--LOOK UP!
He'll show you how to order your place,
He'll give you direction as you seek His face,
He wants to pour upon you His anointing of grace.
He is your God--LOOK UP!
Keep your eyes fixed on Him; He is your Stay,
He is your Wisdom for problems each day,
He will bring His presence right into your fray.
He is your God--LOOK UP!
Each morning He comes as the refreshing Dew
To revive your body, and your spirit too,
He is your Deliverer and He'll make you new,
He is your God--LOOK UP!
by Nancy Campbell
Saturday, November 21, 2009
No posting, no worries
Sorry for the lack of posts here. Have some things going on here that is preventing me from having much computer time. Don't worry, all is fine! I do plan on being back to blogging as soon as I can!
Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving this week!
Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving this week!
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Make Your Own Dry Minced Onions
Here is something I posted on August 30, 2008. I am re-posting this to participate in Tammy's In-Season Recipe Swap. Please go over and visit and see what others have contributed! Make sure you take a look at all of Tammy's recipes, they are great!
Many people dry their own bananas or apples, but did you know it is very easy to make your own dry minced onions or dry onion powder? I wait until I find a good sale on onions and buy lots of them. It's even cheaper when you can grow your own! I can only speak from experience with an electric food dehydrator, however I have read where you can dry things outdoors or in your oven. Do a web search and I am sure you can find instructions as to how to do this without spending money on a dryer. I have had mine for many years so it has paid for it's self many times over. This is how I do it...
Many people dry their own bananas or apples, but did you know it is very easy to make your own dry minced onions or dry onion powder? I wait until I find a good sale on onions and buy lots of them. It's even cheaper when you can grow your own! I can only speak from experience with an electric food dehydrator, however I have read where you can dry things outdoors or in your oven. Do a web search and I am sure you can find instructions as to how to do this without spending money on a dryer. I have had mine for many years so it has paid for it's self many times over. This is how I do it...
First, cut the ends off your onions and peel away the dry, papery outer layers. Second, slice your onions to about 3/8" thick. Now lay them onto the dehydrator and turn it on. It takes 12-14 hours in my dryer. Yours may vary. Just follow the instructions that came with your dryer. After they are dry, they should be brittle. You do not want to store them with moisture in them, it will ruin the whole batch.
Next I put them in the blender and whir them to the desired consistency - chopped or powdered.
I store them in old glass jars or chipped canning jars - anything I can't use for canning. I also give used canning lids a second life by using them to seal these jars of dried food. That's all there is to it, it's that easy! Just use as you would normally use the store-bought kind. Only this way they are far cheaper, and if you grow the onions yourself, it is very frugal and self-sufficient!
One tip that I recommend is to place your dryer in your garage or outdoors because it will make your house really stink to dry onions.
I plan on doing this to my garlic this year. I have never done it before, but I am sure it will be the same as the onions. Have fun drying your own onions or garlic!
Cheesy Chicken and Rice
3 c cooked long grain rice
10oz chopped broccoli (frozen or fresh works)
2c diced cooked chicken
1 tbsp dry minced onions
4 eggs
1 c milk
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2c shredded cheddar cheese, divided
2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup (or make your own)
In a greased 9x13 baking dish, combine rice, broccoli, chicken and onions. Beat together eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour egg mixture over items in dish. Sprinkle with 1c cheese. Spread soup over top. Bake, uncovered at 350 for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake until melted.
Another one-dish-meal! Just add some fruit on the side and you are set!
10oz chopped broccoli (frozen or fresh works)
2c diced cooked chicken
1 tbsp dry minced onions
4 eggs
1 c milk
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2c shredded cheddar cheese, divided
2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup (or make your own)
In a greased 9x13 baking dish, combine rice, broccoli, chicken and onions. Beat together eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour egg mixture over items in dish. Sprinkle with 1c cheese. Spread soup over top. Bake, uncovered at 350 for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake until melted.
Another one-dish-meal! Just add some fruit on the side and you are set!
Angie's Chili Soup
1# ground beef
1/2c chopped onion
1 tbsp chili powder
dash garlic powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
dash salt & pepper
2 cans tomato soup
1/2 can Aldi's Mexican Chili Beans (more if you like)
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
tomato juice to thin it out as needed
Put all into a crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
We like to sprinkle cheddar cheese over this and serve with crackers or cornbread.
I ALWAYS triple this recipe. We like it ALOT!
On occasion, I have put the beef in raw and let it cook that way. It turned out well. If you do this, you want to make sure that you are using very lean meat or else it will be greasy.
Sometimes I will pour this over nachos for a snack.
1/2c chopped onion
1 tbsp chili powder
dash garlic powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
dash salt & pepper
2 cans tomato soup
1/2 can Aldi's Mexican Chili Beans (more if you like)
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
tomato juice to thin it out as needed
Put all into a crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
We like to sprinkle cheddar cheese over this and serve with crackers or cornbread.
I ALWAYS triple this recipe. We like it ALOT!
On occasion, I have put the beef in raw and let it cook that way. It turned out well. If you do this, you want to make sure that you are using very lean meat or else it will be greasy.
Sometimes I will pour this over nachos for a snack.
Sloppy Joe Sandwiches
1# ground beef
1 tbsp dry minced onion
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1c ketchup
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Brown beef in a skillet (I like cast iron). Drain fat if needed. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Stir occasionally. Serve between two slices of bread/buns or we like to dump it on one slice and eat it with a fork.
I like to serve this with baked taters and fresh fruit.
Leftover sloppy joe is versatile. I have used it as a taco filling, a topping for nachos and in the chili soup pot.
1 tbsp dry minced onion
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1c ketchup
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Brown beef in a skillet (I like cast iron). Drain fat if needed. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Stir occasionally. Serve between two slices of bread/buns or we like to dump it on one slice and eat it with a fork.
I like to serve this with baked taters and fresh fruit.
Leftover sloppy joe is versatile. I have used it as a taco filling, a topping for nachos and in the chili soup pot.
Brownies
Here is another recipe I use that I could not make better! :)
Best Brownies from the Hersheys Kitchens wesite.
I have never made the frosting, these are perfect without it!
Best Brownies from the Hersheys Kitchens wesite.
I have never made the frosting, these are perfect without it!
Lasagna
I have tried many lasagna recipes over the years, and for some reason either my husband or I didn't care for the results. Then this past spring I found a winner! I have not made any changes to the orginial recipe, so I will post the link to it and you can follow it from here. It is a very good, easy recipe.
Lasagna, from Mennonite Girls Can Cook Blog
Correction: on several occasions, I DID change one thing in the recipe! I omitted the cottage or ricotta cheese. It STILL turned out fabulous! We actually like it better this way!
Lasagna, from Mennonite Girls Can Cook Blog
Correction: on several occasions, I DID change one thing in the recipe! I omitted the cottage or ricotta cheese. It STILL turned out fabulous! We actually like it better this way!
Candied Carrots
2 pounds carrots, sliced (or use canned)
2 tbsp butter
1/2c brown sugar
Place carrots in a saucepan and add 1" water. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, and cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until tender. Drain.
Add butter and brown sugar and cook until butter is melted, while stirring. Simmer for about 5 minutes.
2 tbsp butter
1/2c brown sugar
Place carrots in a saucepan and add 1" water. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, and cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until tender. Drain.
Add butter and brown sugar and cook until butter is melted, while stirring. Simmer for about 5 minutes.
Peanut Butter Fruit Dip
1/2c vanilla yogurt
1/2c peanut butter
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 c semi-sweet chocolate chips, optional
Fruit or pretzels for dipping
Yields 1 cup
1/2c peanut butter
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 c semi-sweet chocolate chips, optional
Fruit or pretzels for dipping
Yields 1 cup
Beef Roast
3 to 3-1/2# beef roast, any cut
4 - 5 potatoes, cut into chunks
4 carrots, sliced or small chunks
3c water
1 pkt onion soup mix (make your own here!)
Place roast, taters and carrots into a crock pot.
Sprinkle onion soup mix over top.
Pour water over all.
Cover and cook on low 8 - 9 hours.
Delicious and so easy!
This is a great meal in one pot. I often make this up early in the morning on very busy days and then I don't have to think about supper until we are hungry! Serve with applesauce (home-canned of course!) to round out the meal.
4 - 5 potatoes, cut into chunks
4 carrots, sliced or small chunks
3c water
1 pkt onion soup mix (make your own here!)
Place roast, taters and carrots into a crock pot.
Sprinkle onion soup mix over top.
Pour water over all.
Cover and cook on low 8 - 9 hours.
Delicious and so easy!
This is a great meal in one pot. I often make this up early in the morning on very busy days and then I don't have to think about supper until we are hungry! Serve with applesauce (home-canned of course!) to round out the meal.
Potato Soup
4 medium potatoes
2 c water
1 small onion
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
crushed red pepper flakes
ground black pepper
3 c milk
1/2 tsp sugar
1-1/2c shredded cheddar cheese
2-1/2c cubed cooked ham
Cut potatoes into chunks, we like them big!
Bring water to a boil in large saucepan. Add tater chunks and cook until tender. Drain, reserving the liquid. Set aside the potatoes. Measure 1c of the potato water, set aside.
Peel and finely chop the onion. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion to pan and cook, stirring often until onion is tender. Don't let them brown.
Add flour to pan and season with red pepper flakes and black pepper. Cook 3 minutes.
Gradually add the potatoes, reserved potato water, milk and sugar to the onion mixture. Stir well.
Add cheese and ham. Simmer on low for 30 minutes, stirring frequently. It likes to stick!
Yummy!
2 c water
1 small onion
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
crushed red pepper flakes
ground black pepper
3 c milk
1/2 tsp sugar
1-1/2c shredded cheddar cheese
2-1/2c cubed cooked ham
Cut potatoes into chunks, we like them big!
Bring water to a boil in large saucepan. Add tater chunks and cook until tender. Drain, reserving the liquid. Set aside the potatoes. Measure 1c of the potato water, set aside.
Peel and finely chop the onion. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion to pan and cook, stirring often until onion is tender. Don't let them brown.
Add flour to pan and season with red pepper flakes and black pepper. Cook 3 minutes.
Gradually add the potatoes, reserved potato water, milk and sugar to the onion mixture. Stir well.
Add cheese and ham. Simmer on low for 30 minutes, stirring frequently. It likes to stick!
Yummy!
Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
5 large potatoes, thinly sliced
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1-3/4c shredded cheddar cheese
1 tbsp dry minced onion
1-3/4c milk
Slice potatoes and place in a greased 9x13 baking dish.
In a small bowl, combine the flour, onions, salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the sliced potatoes.
Top with the cheese.
Pour milk over all.
Cover and bake at 350 for 50 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Take out of the oven and uncover. Put back into the oven for additional 10 minutes or until the cheese is golden. Yum, cheesy!
I often serve this with meatloaf.
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1-3/4c shredded cheddar cheese
1 tbsp dry minced onion
1-3/4c milk
Slice potatoes and place in a greased 9x13 baking dish.
In a small bowl, combine the flour, onions, salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the sliced potatoes.
Top with the cheese.
Pour milk over all.
Cover and bake at 350 for 50 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Take out of the oven and uncover. Put back into the oven for additional 10 minutes or until the cheese is golden. Yum, cheesy!
I often serve this with meatloaf.
Baked Oatmeal
1/2c applesauce
3/4c brown sugar
2 eggs
3c oats
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 c milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2c raisins
Combine all ingredients in order listed. Pour into a greased 8x8 pan. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes, until lightly browned. Serve with milk.
I make this in the evening, refrigerate overnight and bake in the morning. This smells so good first thing in the morning!
3/4c brown sugar
2 eggs
3c oats
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 c milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2c raisins
Combine all ingredients in order listed. Pour into a greased 8x8 pan. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes, until lightly browned. Serve with milk.
I make this in the evening, refrigerate overnight and bake in the morning. This smells so good first thing in the morning!
Chicken Tacos
Combine in a small bowl:
1 tbsp corn starch
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp chicken boullion powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp cumin
In a large skillet, add:
2 pints home-canned chicken
2 tbsp oil
1c water
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1-2c cooked rice (however much you want to stretch it!)
Cook on medium high until the pepper and onion is tender.
To the skillet ingredients, add the mixed seasonings. Cook on medium until heated through. Stir often and add a little a bit of water as needed to prevent sticking or drying out.
Spoon onto soft tortillas and serve with salsa, sour cream, taco sauce or lettuce!
1 tbsp corn starch
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp chicken boullion powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp cumin
In a large skillet, add:
2 pints home-canned chicken
2 tbsp oil
1c water
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1-2c cooked rice (however much you want to stretch it!)
Cook on medium high until the pepper and onion is tender.
To the skillet ingredients, add the mixed seasonings. Cook on medium until heated through. Stir often and add a little a bit of water as needed to prevent sticking or drying out.
Spoon onto soft tortillas and serve with salsa, sour cream, taco sauce or lettuce!
Angie's Meatloaf
1-1/2# ground beef
1 large egg
1/2-3/4c ketchup
1c oatmeal
salt & pepper to taste
couple tsp dry onion flakes (to taste)
sprinkle of powdered garlic
Mix all ingredients well in a large bowl. Dump onto a pan and shape into a loaf (or put in a loaf pan - I like to use those jelly roll pans). Place into an oven preheated to 400 and bake for 30-40 minutes. Slice and serve!
1 large egg
1/2-3/4c ketchup
1c oatmeal
salt & pepper to taste
couple tsp dry onion flakes (to taste)
sprinkle of powdered garlic
Mix all ingredients well in a large bowl. Dump onto a pan and shape into a loaf (or put in a loaf pan - I like to use those jelly roll pans). Place into an oven preheated to 400 and bake for 30-40 minutes. Slice and serve!
Recipes
A long while back I promised posting some of my recipes, well here I go! I will post the recipes that I regularly use. These aren't *completely* made up by me. I typically find a recipe that seems like something we would like, then I "doctor" it up from there and it turns into my "own" recipe. Since I have changed them, I don't feel I need to cite where the original came from. Anyways, most of them I can't remember where they came from! I try to make as much as possible from scratch. I cook for 2 adults and 1 toddler, but usually I make a meal that would feed 4-6 people. That way I have leftovers for the next days lunch.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Frost Advisory!
I can tell the seasons are definitely changing in our neck of the woods. The trees are becoming more colorful, the tomatoes are finishing up (yay!), the days are getting shorter and the farmer's are beginning the big harvest. Top that off with our first frost advisory. The low is expected to be around 34 degrees tonight. Time to cover the tender garden plants!
We started our outdoor wood burner for the first time yesterday evening. Works great! No more indoor mess and there should be alot less dusting on my part! One cool thing about this wood burner is that it also heats our water.
Since the weather turned cooler this week, I needed to pull out our light-weight bed comforters and Audrey's footed pj's. Those pj's always look so comfy!
We also started wearing jackets this week. Looks like I better make sure our heavy coats, overalls, hats and mittens are clean and ready to wear!
I canned the last of the tomatoes yesterday. (HUGE sigh of relief!) I will pick whatever is left today and they will be dehydrated this week. I will not try to save the tomato plants from the frost. They have blessed me beyond expectations and anyways, I don't have enough sheets/blankets/anything! to cover all 24 plants. I will try to save the greenbeans, jalapenos and raspberries. The carrots and onions can handle slight freezing so no worries there.
With the major canning done (unless I find a great deal on apples) I will concentrate on getting the remainder of my pantry stocked. This would include things like oils, seasonings, baking supplies and toiletries. Here are some great links that have helped me stock my pantry.
Food Storage Made Easy
Food Storage and Preservation
and a great yahoo group called food-storage:LDS(and friends) Food storage
All three sites are extremely helpful to those wanting to start their own food storage and explaining why alot of us believe in doing so. In my opinion, it just makes sense. I look at it as another form of insurance.
Time to go stir my simmering chili soup and curl up with some sewing and enjoy the quiet while Audrey is still napping!
We started our outdoor wood burner for the first time yesterday evening. Works great! No more indoor mess and there should be alot less dusting on my part! One cool thing about this wood burner is that it also heats our water.
Since the weather turned cooler this week, I needed to pull out our light-weight bed comforters and Audrey's footed pj's. Those pj's always look so comfy!
We also started wearing jackets this week. Looks like I better make sure our heavy coats, overalls, hats and mittens are clean and ready to wear!
I canned the last of the tomatoes yesterday. (HUGE sigh of relief!) I will pick whatever is left today and they will be dehydrated this week. I will not try to save the tomato plants from the frost. They have blessed me beyond expectations and anyways, I don't have enough sheets/blankets/anything! to cover all 24 plants. I will try to save the greenbeans, jalapenos and raspberries. The carrots and onions can handle slight freezing so no worries there.
With the major canning done (unless I find a great deal on apples) I will concentrate on getting the remainder of my pantry stocked. This would include things like oils, seasonings, baking supplies and toiletries. Here are some great links that have helped me stock my pantry.
Food Storage Made Easy
Food Storage and Preservation
and a great yahoo group called food-storage:LDS(and friends) Food storage
All three sites are extremely helpful to those wanting to start their own food storage and explaining why alot of us believe in doing so. In my opinion, it just makes sense. I look at it as another form of insurance.
Time to go stir my simmering chili soup and curl up with some sewing and enjoy the quiet while Audrey is still napping!
Thursday, September 24, 2009
The Ohio Republic: President Obama: Ohio recovery to take two decades
The Ohio Republic: President Obama: Ohio recovery to take two decades
A must read for all, not just Ohioans. I like Harold's comments on this subject!
A must read for all, not just Ohioans. I like Harold's comments on this subject!
Monday, September 21, 2009
An Evening Picture
Looking across the farmland through a light rain shower.
I couldn't decide which one I liked better!
I couldn't decide which one I liked better!
Friday, September 18, 2009
Updates...
Updated the 2009 Food Preservation Tally and How Our Garden Grows 2009 in the right hand column.
Still busy harvesting and canning, so much that I ran out of canning jars and I am now using my MIL's old ones!!
Still busy harvesting and canning, so much that I ran out of canning jars and I am now using my MIL's old ones!!
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Today around the farm
Snapped a few pictures this afternoon while my little girl was playing outdoors.
The soybean field across the road is beginning to turn yellow.
The trees in our woods are starting to turn also.
View of the garden.
The pole beans have blossomed and set beans now.
Tater tires are about done. Crossing fingers for a good harvest!
The soybean field across the road is beginning to turn yellow.
The trees in our woods are starting to turn also.
View of the garden.
The pole beans have blossomed and set beans now.
Tater tires are about done. Crossing fingers for a good harvest!
A Birthday
Yesterday my little girl turned 2.
We had a family birthday party for her on Sunday evening. Here is the cake I made her:
I was a little leery of doing the cake. This was the first time I ever attempted to "decorate" a cake. I think it turned out pretty good!
Of course, she got spoiled by all the family! She is the only grandchild on my side of the family, so my parents really splurged and gave her this:
Where will I ever go with all the new stuff? And to think, Christmas isn't to far off!
We had a family birthday party for her on Sunday evening. Here is the cake I made her:
I was a little leery of doing the cake. This was the first time I ever attempted to "decorate" a cake. I think it turned out pretty good!
Of course, she got spoiled by all the family! She is the only grandchild on my side of the family, so my parents really splurged and gave her this:
Where will I ever go with all the new stuff? And to think, Christmas isn't to far off!
Knee-Deep in Tomatoes!!
Tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes!!! We have tomatoes!
Seems we are picking about a 1/2 bushel of tomatoes every 2 days. Yesterday hubby helped me puree about 70 pounds of them. Today, it is simmering and being canned into spaghetti sauce.
So far we have done salsa, pizza sauce, tomato soup, tomato/veggie juice and now the spaghetti sauce. The plan is to make more soup, juice and sauce. Then possibly some ketchup. Any other ideas?
Monday, August 31, 2009
Weekend Canning Totals
Pizza Sauce - 40 pints
Spiced Pears - 11 quarts
Done canning until more tomatoes ripen. The cool summer has them lagging behind.
Spiced Pears - 11 quarts
Done canning until more tomatoes ripen. The cool summer has them lagging behind.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Canning Away
Suddenly, it has become my major canning season.
Yesterday, my mother-in-law came over and helped me put up 23 quarts of peaches.
Today, hubby and I have turned 1/2 bushel of tomatoes into pizza sauce. As I type, it is simmering and becoming yummy! I will let it simmer a bit longer and then the canning starts! The sauce filled an entire canning kettle, so I will most likely be canning some of it tomorrow. Can't wait to see how many pints of pizza sauce we end up with!
The next batch of ripe tomatoes will be turned into soup. I use this recipe from Stephanie at Stop The Ride!
Hope everyone is enjoying their canning season!
Yesterday, my mother-in-law came over and helped me put up 23 quarts of peaches.
Today, hubby and I have turned 1/2 bushel of tomatoes into pizza sauce. As I type, it is simmering and becoming yummy! I will let it simmer a bit longer and then the canning starts! The sauce filled an entire canning kettle, so I will most likely be canning some of it tomorrow. Can't wait to see how many pints of pizza sauce we end up with!
The next batch of ripe tomatoes will be turned into soup. I use this recipe from Stephanie at Stop The Ride!
Hope everyone is enjoying their canning season!
Monday, August 24, 2009
A Good Monday
Today was a good day.
First of all, I received about 50# of peaches for FREE!!! I had helped my SIL with her kids a couple times last week and she paid me back with all these peaches. The plan is to can them later this week. We will keep some for fresh eating of course!
Secondly, my not-quite-2-year-old, informed me she needed to use the potty. This time she actually went!! Yay! Previously, she only wanted to sit on the potty and 99%of the time it was just for play. It only happened once today, but that is good enough for me!
Then, I got all my housework done that I wanted to do today. I usually don't hit everything on my list, so this is quite an accomplishment for me! I got my bathroom clean, 2 loads of laundry washed, hung and put away, all the meals cooked, dishes washed and all the trash gathered. I even had time to primer the door jambs of two of our outside doors.
I also put 12 jars of salsa on the shelves. I canned them over the weekend and checked the seals today. All good seals!
I even had time to blog. :)
Now it's time to bathe the little one and get her to bed. Then its time for me to rest.
Hope tomorrow is another good and industrious day!
First of all, I received about 50# of peaches for FREE!!! I had helped my SIL with her kids a couple times last week and she paid me back with all these peaches. The plan is to can them later this week. We will keep some for fresh eating of course!
Secondly, my not-quite-2-year-old, informed me she needed to use the potty. This time she actually went!! Yay! Previously, she only wanted to sit on the potty and 99%of the time it was just for play. It only happened once today, but that is good enough for me!
Then, I got all my housework done that I wanted to do today. I usually don't hit everything on my list, so this is quite an accomplishment for me! I got my bathroom clean, 2 loads of laundry washed, hung and put away, all the meals cooked, dishes washed and all the trash gathered. I even had time to primer the door jambs of two of our outside doors.
I also put 12 jars of salsa on the shelves. I canned them over the weekend and checked the seals today. All good seals!
I even had time to blog. :)
Now it's time to bathe the little one and get her to bed. Then its time for me to rest.
Hope tomorrow is another good and industrious day!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Back to work in the garden
Since we have been back home, there has been quite a bit of harvesting going on. I picked 1 gallon of jalapenos and froze them until I start making salsa.
Picked enough greenbeans to can up 11 pints. The greenbeans are grown in raised beds done in the square foot garden method.
Fours ears of sweetcorn have made their way into our bellies.
One lonely Roma tomato has turned red.
Yesterday we dug up about a 10' row of potatoes. This is what we got:
Here is the big-daddy of all the taters we dug up. I sat it up against a quart canning jar to show it's size.
Then we hit up the one tater tire. We were anticipating quite a harvest from this finally this year. Last year the soil was so dry inside the tires, so this year we stuck a pvc pipe down the middle of the stack and watered down inside the pipe. The soil was nice and moist all the way through as we dug it up. Guess what we found...not many taters...again. So dissappointing! If the other 2 stacks that are still green don't do any better, we won't try this method again. Here is what we got out of the one tater tire stack. They are in a 1 gallon bucket.
Last night I got ambitious and started pulling the onions that were ready. I grow them in raised beds done the square foot method. Here they are sitting on the porch curing.
Here's the biggest onion so far:
Picked enough greenbeans to can up 11 pints. The greenbeans are grown in raised beds done in the square foot garden method.
Fours ears of sweetcorn have made their way into our bellies.
One lonely Roma tomato has turned red.
Yesterday we dug up about a 10' row of potatoes. This is what we got:
Here is the big-daddy of all the taters we dug up. I sat it up against a quart canning jar to show it's size.
Then we hit up the one tater tire. We were anticipating quite a harvest from this finally this year. Last year the soil was so dry inside the tires, so this year we stuck a pvc pipe down the middle of the stack and watered down inside the pipe. The soil was nice and moist all the way through as we dug it up. Guess what we found...not many taters...again. So dissappointing! If the other 2 stacks that are still green don't do any better, we won't try this method again. Here is what we got out of the one tater tire stack. They are in a 1 gallon bucket.
Last night I got ambitious and started pulling the onions that were ready. I grow them in raised beds done the square foot method. Here they are sitting on the porch curing.
Here's the biggest onion so far:
What I did on my summer vacation
Anyone else remember going back to school and having to write a story called "What I did on my summer vacation"? Mine was always fairly drab. We lived in a very small town (population about 900), and there was nothing exciting about it. My stories usually consisted of me telling about riding my bicycle everyday, reading a ton of books in the summer reading program, going to the fair for one afternoon and maybe going fishing at the lake in the nearby town. I always hated writing about it because it seemed so boring. We never took family vacations like so many others did. But that's ok, I am not scarred for life over it. Looking back, they were really good summer vacations. I read ALOT, I got plenty of exercise and got to fight with my sisters everyday! To top it off, my mom was home with us everyday. Sounds like a really great childhood to me!
Anywho, we took a short trip to Ohio Amish country for our summer vacation this year. We didn't go to gawk and exploit the Amish. Seems alot of people do. It has become SO touristy in some areas. I don't like that. We stayed between Sugarcreek and New Philadelphia at a place called Clara's Country Cottage. It wasn't fancy, it felt like home. It was in the middle of the countryside and very cozy.
While over there, we stopped at Lehman's. Lehman's is a non-electric hardware store. The place is HUGE! It has become quite crowded with people since I was last there about 7 years ago. That was a bit dissappointing. We managed around the crowd and picked up some needed (and wanted) items for our home. Here is a wall oil lamp we put in our living room:
We have this in our living room and do plan on using it. We also stocked up on lamp oil and wicks for this lamp and for our table oil lamps.
I have been wanting a wooden clothes drying rack to hang the smaller laundry items on, mostly for our winter drying. We line dry all of our laundry year round. During the winter, it is hung in the basement. I have already used and really like how much fits on it. This will free up alot clothesline for things.
Lehman's also carries lye for soapmaking. I searched everywhere in my area for it and cannot find it. They sell a 10# jug of it.
Next on my list was bulk food. We found a great place (non-touristy) in Baltic, Ohio. It's called Baltic Mills. Stocked up on various flours, sugars, yeast, oatmeal and spices. We also stopped in Sugarcreek at Swiss Village Bulk Foods. Some things were more expensive in Sugarcreek, but not by much. An example of the Baltic Mills prices are: hard red and white wheat flours were $0.85/lb, and whole wheat pastry flour was $0.68/lb. Picture of some of my bulk food storage:
On Saturday, we visited The Farm at Walnut Creek. It was a nice place to see exotic and domestic animals. Our daughter really loved it. Here she is feeding a goat:
That was our summer vacation! It was very relaxing since we didn't do a bunch of running around. We were gone 4 days and the above is all we did. Of course we ate some really delicious food! Mrs. Yoder's Kitchen in Mt. Hope is SO good!
Anywho, we took a short trip to Ohio Amish country for our summer vacation this year. We didn't go to gawk and exploit the Amish. Seems alot of people do. It has become SO touristy in some areas. I don't like that. We stayed between Sugarcreek and New Philadelphia at a place called Clara's Country Cottage. It wasn't fancy, it felt like home. It was in the middle of the countryside and very cozy.
While over there, we stopped at Lehman's. Lehman's is a non-electric hardware store. The place is HUGE! It has become quite crowded with people since I was last there about 7 years ago. That was a bit dissappointing. We managed around the crowd and picked up some needed (and wanted) items for our home. Here is a wall oil lamp we put in our living room:
We have this in our living room and do plan on using it. We also stocked up on lamp oil and wicks for this lamp and for our table oil lamps.
I have been wanting a wooden clothes drying rack to hang the smaller laundry items on, mostly for our winter drying. We line dry all of our laundry year round. During the winter, it is hung in the basement. I have already used and really like how much fits on it. This will free up alot clothesline for things.
Lehman's also carries lye for soapmaking. I searched everywhere in my area for it and cannot find it. They sell a 10# jug of it.
Next on my list was bulk food. We found a great place (non-touristy) in Baltic, Ohio. It's called Baltic Mills. Stocked up on various flours, sugars, yeast, oatmeal and spices. We also stopped in Sugarcreek at Swiss Village Bulk Foods. Some things were more expensive in Sugarcreek, but not by much. An example of the Baltic Mills prices are: hard red and white wheat flours were $0.85/lb, and whole wheat pastry flour was $0.68/lb. Picture of some of my bulk food storage:
On Saturday, we visited The Farm at Walnut Creek. It was a nice place to see exotic and domestic animals. Our daughter really loved it. Here she is feeding a goat:
That was our summer vacation! It was very relaxing since we didn't do a bunch of running around. We were gone 4 days and the above is all we did. Of course we ate some really delicious food! Mrs. Yoder's Kitchen in Mt. Hope is SO good!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Going to Lehmans!
For those of you interested in homesteading and preparedness, you probably know what Lehmans is. For those of you who don't know, Lehmans is a non-electric hardware located in Ohio Amish country.
And we are going there!
This will be our second time there, but it has been years since our first visit. The plan is to get some oil lamp parts, soap making supplies(I can't find lye around here), laundry drying racks and possibly a few other small items. And of course we will look at the woodstove displays!
While in the area we will also be spending some time in the Amish bulk food stores stocking up on winter neccesities. Once again, we don't have any stores around here similar to what they have there.
Then maybe something that will interest our daughter, like some animals.
So we will be gone for a few days to relax and enjoy doing nothing. Then it will be time to come home and start putting up the sweet corn and tomatoes!!
And we are going there!
This will be our second time there, but it has been years since our first visit. The plan is to get some oil lamp parts, soap making supplies(I can't find lye around here), laundry drying racks and possibly a few other small items. And of course we will look at the woodstove displays!
While in the area we will also be spending some time in the Amish bulk food stores stocking up on winter neccesities. Once again, we don't have any stores around here similar to what they have there.
Then maybe something that will interest our daughter, like some animals.
So we will be gone for a few days to relax and enjoy doing nothing. Then it will be time to come home and start putting up the sweet corn and tomatoes!!
Friday, July 24, 2009
Make Your Own...Homemade Laundry Detergent
I hate shopping. Plain and simple. So when I can come up with ways to shorten or eliminate my need to shop, I am very happy. This summer I started making my own laundry detergent again. It had been years since I had last done this. I don't know why I ever quit. Convenience I suppose. This is the recipe I have been using and liking very well. I gleaned ideas from tipnut.com. Note: I have very hard well water that is softened and a hubby that get very greasy, dirty and sweaty and THIS WORKS!!
Liquid Laundry Detergent
1 cup washing soda (NOT baking soda)
1 cup borax
1 cup oxyclean
2/3 bar of Fels Naptha soap, grated
In a large pot, heat 3 quarts of water. Add the grated Fels Naptha and stir until melted. Add the washing soda and borax. Stir until the powders are dissolved. Turn off heat. Add the oxyclean, stir until dissolved. The oxyclean will make this mix very foamy and expand - that is why I turn off the heat first!
In a large, clean pail (I use a 3-5 gallon bucket that has a lid) pour 2 quart of hot water. Add the heat soap mixture. Add about 3 quarts of cold water and stir well. (sometimes I add more or less water, I just kinda eye-ball it to see how it looks. Sorry!)
The soap will continue to look very foamy (at least it does for me). You will have to stir this well each time you use it. Once stirred, it is more gel-like.
I use 1/2c per load (I only run large loads). Use more or less depending on you water quality and how dirty your laundry is.
The ingredients:
The Fels Naptha and my grater:
Melting the Fels Naptha:
The mix getting foamy after adding the oxyclean:
Pouring the mix into the bucket. See how much foam forms for me!:
This is how thick the top gets after is sits a few days. You have to stir it well!
I have not figured out the cost of this detergent yet. I can't imagine it costs ANYWHERE near what you'd pay for Tide or similar detergents! So far it seems that this amount of detergent will last me about 75 loads. Give or take a few (I am not the best at remembering how long things last). One thing I will note is that I do pour about a 1/4 cup of pinesol into my washer per large load. It helps get rid of the perspiration odors. I also never use fabric softener - I use white vinegar. It does not make your clothes stink!
Please visit the tipnut site, there are so many comments and suggestions for the different kinds of water and washers you may have. It helped me greatly! Homemade Laundry Detergent tips.
Liquid Laundry Detergent
1 cup washing soda (NOT baking soda)
1 cup borax
1 cup oxyclean
2/3 bar of Fels Naptha soap, grated
In a large pot, heat 3 quarts of water. Add the grated Fels Naptha and stir until melted. Add the washing soda and borax. Stir until the powders are dissolved. Turn off heat. Add the oxyclean, stir until dissolved. The oxyclean will make this mix very foamy and expand - that is why I turn off the heat first!
In a large, clean pail (I use a 3-5 gallon bucket that has a lid) pour 2 quart of hot water. Add the heat soap mixture. Add about 3 quarts of cold water and stir well. (sometimes I add more or less water, I just kinda eye-ball it to see how it looks. Sorry!)
The soap will continue to look very foamy (at least it does for me). You will have to stir this well each time you use it. Once stirred, it is more gel-like.
I use 1/2c per load (I only run large loads). Use more or less depending on you water quality and how dirty your laundry is.
The ingredients:
The Fels Naptha and my grater:
Melting the Fels Naptha:
The mix getting foamy after adding the oxyclean:
Pouring the mix into the bucket. See how much foam forms for me!:
This is how thick the top gets after is sits a few days. You have to stir it well!
I have not figured out the cost of this detergent yet. I can't imagine it costs ANYWHERE near what you'd pay for Tide or similar detergents! So far it seems that this amount of detergent will last me about 75 loads. Give or take a few (I am not the best at remembering how long things last). One thing I will note is that I do pour about a 1/4 cup of pinesol into my washer per large load. It helps get rid of the perspiration odors. I also never use fabric softener - I use white vinegar. It does not make your clothes stink!
Please visit the tipnut site, there are so many comments and suggestions for the different kinds of water and washers you may have. It helped me greatly! Homemade Laundry Detergent tips.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Garden Progress
July has nearly blown by us already! One more week and it will be August, where has the summer gone to? Soon I will be knee-deep into canning tomatoes and other goodies from the garden. Have you gotten your canning lids yet? I have!
Here is the thing that my hubby rigged up to water our garden easier.
All he did was put our sprinkler on top of a metal stool that was just sitting in the barn. He had to put a board on top of the seat in order for the sprinkler to sit straight.
The sweet corn is tasseling and setting its silk.
The tomatoes are really starting to put out the fruit! It is all still green, but it won't be long and I will be turning them into paste, sauce, juice, salsa...
I've been canning greanbeans for a bit now. They have slowed up, but we planted more so that we will have a later harvest too. This is my daughter helping me snap them. She is not quite 2, and I really didn't think she would be able to help me like this already! She didn't do it for very long, but I was thrilled to have her help!
I pulled some carrots last week. They aren't all ready yet. We also planted some a few weeks ago for a late harvest.
Some more onions that I planted.
My daughter looking for some raspberries to snack on. They are just about done.
That's all the garden photos I have taken recently. I will add that we also planted some cucumbers to harvest late. All the stuff we planted for a late harvest should make it to maturity by our first freeze. At least we hope it all does!
Things are a bit slow as far as gardening and canning go. Mostly been weeding and watering the garden. We really need some rain. We just received 1/2" yesterday. Until that amount, we have only received 1" this month. Prior to that, we have had very little rain also. Not fun to have to worry about watering the garden every couple of days.
What is everyone else doing in their gardens (flower or veggie)?
Here is the thing that my hubby rigged up to water our garden easier.
All he did was put our sprinkler on top of a metal stool that was just sitting in the barn. He had to put a board on top of the seat in order for the sprinkler to sit straight.
The sweet corn is tasseling and setting its silk.
The tomatoes are really starting to put out the fruit! It is all still green, but it won't be long and I will be turning them into paste, sauce, juice, salsa...
I've been canning greanbeans for a bit now. They have slowed up, but we planted more so that we will have a later harvest too. This is my daughter helping me snap them. She is not quite 2, and I really didn't think she would be able to help me like this already! She didn't do it for very long, but I was thrilled to have her help!
I pulled some carrots last week. They aren't all ready yet. We also planted some a few weeks ago for a late harvest.
Some more onions that I planted.
My daughter looking for some raspberries to snack on. They are just about done.
That's all the garden photos I have taken recently. I will add that we also planted some cucumbers to harvest late. All the stuff we planted for a late harvest should make it to maturity by our first freeze. At least we hope it all does!
Things are a bit slow as far as gardening and canning go. Mostly been weeding and watering the garden. We really need some rain. We just received 1/2" yesterday. Until that amount, we have only received 1" this month. Prior to that, we have had very little rain also. Not fun to have to worry about watering the garden every couple of days.
What is everyone else doing in their gardens (flower or veggie)?
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Friday, July 3, 2009
The month of June
Looks like another month went by and I did not blog. Sorry for those who actually follow this! It's been quite busy around here to say the least! So for those of you who have been wondering what I've been getting into, here you go.
I have been enjoying spending time with my daughter, I love being a stay at home mom! She will be 2 in early September, time flies! In this picture, she is trying to help me with my baking. She loves to put on her apron and "help" like the big girl she knows she is!
I have made 2 batches of homemade laundry detergent. I haven't made this in years. We really like how well it works and it beats the outrageous price of commercial detergent! I plan on doing a seperate post on how to make this.
Found a wonderful multi-grain bread recipe in Backwoods Home Magazine (my fave mag!). I have tried for several years to find a recipe that hubby and I both like. This is finally it! I should do a sperate post on this also!
This is a Little Tykes play gym I bought for $5 at a garage sale. Had some wear, but that's to be expected! This has really helped me be able to work in the garden and keep my daughter occupied! I keep a list of household and individual needs throughout the year and scour garage sales for them. This year I am really crossing things off my list. I love garage sales!
We are working (slowly) on the landscaping around our house. I have lived here for 6 years, and hubby lived here for 3 years before that, and we never did anything with the yard except mow it! We decided it was high time to eradicate the weeds that took over the former flower beds. This is a planter I put together to help pretty up the porch. I can't stand the prices of pre-made planters, so I buy what I like and throw it together in a dollar store container. The milk can was saved from the metal scrap pile at my in-laws farm.
The strawberries didn't do too bad this year. Certainly not the banner year we had 2 years ago. However, I can't complain as I picked about 2 gallons from our small patch. They were so good fresh, but I froze quite a bit also.
Pea pickin has come and gone! This was my first year growing peas. I was very surprised at the size of these! I grew Early Frosty Peas. They had on average 6-8 peas per pod. There were quite a few with 10 in them! And none of these were tiny peas either. I will definately grow this variety again! I ended up freezing about 6 quart bagfulls.
Raspberries...yummy!!! I bought 2 raspberry plants (or do you call them bushes?) this year. They nursery said they were 2 years old already. I have been picking a steady small handful every couple days for the past couple weeks. They are so good! We are eating them as we pick them. I think my little girl has ate 90% of them!
Then came the greenbeans! The last couple days of June brought me about a 1/2 bushel of beans. I canned them up into 6 quarts and 1 pint.
Then the end of June came and we received some devestating news. I have had a miscarriage. I was only 8 weeks along. This is my second one, the first being before we had our daughter. Words cannot describe how it feels to lose baby. I pray that those around me never have to experience it.
So all in all, I have mostly worked in the garden weeding, picking and putting up the wonderful goodness God has provided us this year. Throw in some garage sales and lots of outdoor play time with my daughter, and it was a pretty good month!
I have been enjoying spending time with my daughter, I love being a stay at home mom! She will be 2 in early September, time flies! In this picture, she is trying to help me with my baking. She loves to put on her apron and "help" like the big girl she knows she is!
I have made 2 batches of homemade laundry detergent. I haven't made this in years. We really like how well it works and it beats the outrageous price of commercial detergent! I plan on doing a seperate post on how to make this.
Found a wonderful multi-grain bread recipe in Backwoods Home Magazine (my fave mag!). I have tried for several years to find a recipe that hubby and I both like. This is finally it! I should do a sperate post on this also!
This is a Little Tykes play gym I bought for $5 at a garage sale. Had some wear, but that's to be expected! This has really helped me be able to work in the garden and keep my daughter occupied! I keep a list of household and individual needs throughout the year and scour garage sales for them. This year I am really crossing things off my list. I love garage sales!
We are working (slowly) on the landscaping around our house. I have lived here for 6 years, and hubby lived here for 3 years before that, and we never did anything with the yard except mow it! We decided it was high time to eradicate the weeds that took over the former flower beds. This is a planter I put together to help pretty up the porch. I can't stand the prices of pre-made planters, so I buy what I like and throw it together in a dollar store container. The milk can was saved from the metal scrap pile at my in-laws farm.
The strawberries didn't do too bad this year. Certainly not the banner year we had 2 years ago. However, I can't complain as I picked about 2 gallons from our small patch. They were so good fresh, but I froze quite a bit also.
Pea pickin has come and gone! This was my first year growing peas. I was very surprised at the size of these! I grew Early Frosty Peas. They had on average 6-8 peas per pod. There were quite a few with 10 in them! And none of these were tiny peas either. I will definately grow this variety again! I ended up freezing about 6 quart bagfulls.
Raspberries...yummy!!! I bought 2 raspberry plants (or do you call them bushes?) this year. They nursery said they were 2 years old already. I have been picking a steady small handful every couple days for the past couple weeks. They are so good! We are eating them as we pick them. I think my little girl has ate 90% of them!
Then came the greenbeans! The last couple days of June brought me about a 1/2 bushel of beans. I canned them up into 6 quarts and 1 pint.
Then the end of June came and we received some devestating news. I have had a miscarriage. I was only 8 weeks along. This is my second one, the first being before we had our daughter. Words cannot describe how it feels to lose baby. I pray that those around me never have to experience it.
So all in all, I have mostly worked in the garden weeding, picking and putting up the wonderful goodness God has provided us this year. Throw in some garage sales and lots of outdoor play time with my daughter, and it was a pretty good month!
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