February 2021

 

February 2021

Once again Blogger has decided to surprise me by loading all the pics in backwards. So we will start with the end of the month and work our way up. 

Will had a very fun 8 minute concert. I actually love these, they are in person, they are short, I get to watch him play. But, he hates band, (not the saxophone--he still likes that) so my short concerts are coming to an end. 

This is Amelia's last class in our Homeschool co-op. It's all about the states. I love it. 

They get to have an entire day in the American Ninjas place. 

Me, wearing Giselle's ridiculous sunglasses. Of all the silly trends my kids have ever done, these pit raptors are the worst. 

Pretty scene.  Giselle made that cutting board for me and I love it. It's so pretty and rustic.  

Snowmageddon '21. 

No one was really expecting feet and feet of snow here in Texas. But we got blasted. And lots of people lost power (we did not, I think because we were on the same grid as a fire station) but we did have our hot water lines freeze up. It was a super nutty time. School was cancelled (mine and public school kids) which was super nice and the snow and temps were just crazy wild. I felt like our food storage group was put to the test and it was a good test. I'm grateful we had plenty of firewood, alternate energy sources and space heaters. I had to heat water on the stove in my canning pot and wash dishes by hand since the dishwasher didn't work and that felt pretty pioneer-ish. I need to have more paper plates etc on hand because you don't want to do a lot of dishes if you can help it. It did seem like the crazy end of world times are happening. And having the kids leave snow gear by the doors and wet puddles everywhere reminded me why it's nice to not have snow. 

I unboxed my wedding dress. It had been in a gigantic sealed box for 20+ years and I decided to open it up. 

I had a birthday.

I went to the Richardson ISD book sale. I could spend HOURS there. $20 for a paper bag full.

Tyler took down the big loft and built some stealth lofts for Wyatt and Amelia. The room got a fresh coat of paint and it looks so good now. Of course the kids still prefer to sleep in our room, but whatever. 

Amelia had a cute birthday turning 7 years old. She got roller skates and lots of doll puppy stuff. 

Maddie's papers are in!

Will likes having his own room. 

Our homeschool co-op has been great, but I will be glad to have my monday's back. 

I have spent some SERIOUS time at the piano. I am in the thick of so much memorization. 

I took this picture because I thought this is what homeschool kids can do. They can play in dirt in the middle of the day and that's what I want. 

On my wish list....

I've been thinking it's time to get some bees.  I love these English Garden style hives.  

Household Happenings

The fun the boys and I had today:  

It's fun to say boys, first of all.  

We stopped at this little children's bookstore that is closing doors after 34 years of business.  I only heard about it since people were lamenting the fact.  It's really cute and old and the kind of place kids would love (the gigantic magnolia tree outside has a face on it.  Will was actually pretty freaked) and all the books left were 40% off.  Now, it's a fact that I could bankrupt us with book-buying--and I very nearly did.  Despite the small remaining selection (there was, however, a lot of books left in the Jewish section), I managed to find LOTS of books that were on my list.  

Then we went down the road to Whole Foods--I was out of liver.  Always a treat.  Will loved the oh-so-comfy straw chair.  

Tyler had some time, so he met us and we ate lunch at a mexican place right there (it was just ok).  Their computers were down when it was time to leave, but Ty being the generous person just handed over a bunch of cash.  I was thinking more along the lines of free lunch.  Maybe to make up for all the money I just spent on books...

Here's Wyatt modeling his new pants.  I finally sewed this kid something to wear.  These are the big butt
baby pants in knit.  The instructions didn't call for knit, but it works just fine.  This is an old thrifted shirt.  Makes hemming easy.

We picked up this months Azure order today.  It's a highlight for both Will and me.  Will, because he loves the abandoned gas station where we pick up and the semi truck, me, because I love bulk food!  I got 5 lbs each of organic: corn, cocoa powder, vital wheat gluten, yams, hot cocoa mix. 1 lb each of chili powder, cinnamon, onion powder, curry powder and gelatin.  A case of organic: cereal bars (one of my few concessions for Will),  frozen cauliflower, and pumpkin puree.  And then some noodles, spelt english muffins, toothpaste (fluoride free!) and essential oils.  Seriously fun.  My goal is to never go to the grocery store again. Except for maybe some liver now and then...

And while we're on a spending trip, I won't deny that I went a little crazy at TJ Maxx when we were really only there buying birthday gifts.  I got sucked into all the new shiny things and I needed a little retail therapy after being left alone with these kids so much (poor little me).  And despite the fact that this post testifies to the contrary, I rarely do go shopping which is a good thing since I am easily tempted!  In my defense, everything was on clearance except the Cath Kidston cupcake papers (still sitting on the counter cause they're so pretty!) and the baker's half sheet, which I needed.  I got the silicone baking cups for an upcoming project and the popsicles for fun.  Cause who doesn't want a rocket pop?  Actually Tyler, he turned down a delicious strawberry rocket pop for FHE treats.  Crazy him.   

So that's what we're up to.  Lots of consumerism by the looks of things.

I did make homemade wheat thins on my pan tonight for lunches tomorrow and some juice-gelatin blocks with my new gelatin.  And I read a lot of books today too...

getting my homestead on

I feel like I've caught every cold germ these last few months.  I never used to get sick!
I'm convinced it's because I gave up my raw milk, so I guess I better get back on the wagon.  I don't drink milk unless it's raw, and it's such a pain to get here and so expensive that I just stopped drinking it altogether.    Anyway, Wybee has another stuffy nose too.  As soon as we start getting some hefty chunks of sleep at night he comes down with something else.  No fun.

So I decided to make some elderberry syrup.  That's not my picture up there, but it's the same deal.  I made pretty much the same recipe (click the pick and you'll eventually get there) except for the rose hips.  I didn't have any rose hips on hand.  Hips, yes, but they are not rosy.

On with the homesteading theme.  I've decided I must take matters into my own hands.  I used to have an always-available husband to make my dreams come true, but he is so busy now!  He used to have the best schedule back in Indiana: leave around 9, home for lunch for a couple hours, back at 4:30.  OK, so it wasn't like that everyday.  And we'd text each other all day long. It's no wonder we got so many projects completed.  Now, he leaves at 7:45am and I don't see or hear from him till 6 ish (or later if he's got a late appointment).  I guess that's how most husbands are; I know I've been spoiled.  And now add that he was just called into the Stake Young Men's presidency.  The point of all this is, I must do things myself.  I must make my own homesteading dreams come true.  Like my little garden box for instance.  It's just a simple wooden box.  It took me FOREVER to build.  I had to watch a youtube video first just to figure out how to work the saw.  But I'm super proud of myself.  I made it happen.

So no more waiting around.  Remember that awesome barn next to us that got torn down (pushed over, really)?  Besides the fact that it's morphed into many items in our house, it's going to be reincarnated as a chicken coop!  Ty says if I get the boards salvaged and ready he will build.  I love the idea of a reclaimed-material coop.  So I'm gonna get my muscles on and get to work.  It's time to get going with some chooks around here.

I've also been into making as many things (food-wise) as I can.  This is born from my dislike of grocery stores and driving.  I would MUCH rather cook something up from scratch then get in the car and go to Kroger.  Plus it's better for you.  And it gives me great pleasure to not be dependent on stores.  Of course I do still love Costco and my Azure Standard co-op orders, but I mostly just buy bulk items that can become other things.

Well, that's kind of all for now.  I've got to get the bread out of the oven!

Summer!

It's officially summer time around here! 

 The kids finished their last day of school yesterday (half-day at that) and there has already been lots of swimming and playing in the tree house.

I also got 16 quarts of strawberries on Monday and turned them into 22 pints of jam--plus 3 big bags of strawberries in the freezer when I pooped out on the canning.  This picture is so pretty to me.  Almost as pretty as all the sparkly jars on the counter.

 Here's the kids (plus my mom and neighbor) in the pool.  This is the pool we got for this year because it's small enough for Will to stand in.  Next year we plan on doing an in ground pool that's a bit more fun for grown-ups (and easier on the eyes).  I admit though, even this pool is nice when it's 90+ degrees...

I would sure love to plan out a super-fun and busy summer for the kids, but I'm still in survival mode.  I can't wait til my day (and night) has some predictability.  So far, the only thing I can count on is a 3 hour awake-time in the middle of the night.  From 3am-6am.  Wyatt is happy and definitely cute, but I'd much rather be asleep at that time....

Late night post

Tomorrow I give the biggest presentation/seminar I've ever given. I have worked harder this whole week to keep my life together AND get this seminar planned and put in place.

But despite the fact that I am fairly talkative and have a (hopefully) seemingly friendly personality, I really hate speaking in front of crowds. Or even being with a small group that I don't know. I hope to come off confident and comfortable, but inside I'm a nervous wreck.

I have given my all to this thing. I DO feel confident that my prayers to Heavenly Father for inspiration and guidance have been and will be answered. I know that once I get started and I'm up there in front of all those people and my heart's pounding out of my chest that a calm and peaceful feeling will take over and the words will come out of my mouth and I'll do a fine job. At least hopefully by the third round....

It's kind of crazy to me that a few years ago I knew nothing about food storage/emergency preparedness and now I'm speaking to 5 stakes. I'm thankful for the knowledge I've gained in this department and that I get to share it. The message is important.

OK, you can bet I'll have a grateful Sunday post this weekend...

What I think about when I'm making soap

Since my cannery trip was moved again, I decided today would be a good day for making soap. My Bramble Berry order finally arrived (with lots of essential oils and colorants!) and most of my gift-giving this year involves soap, so I really couldn't put it off anymore.

And while I make soap, I marvel at the process. Who in the heck discovered soap?! How did people know that if they left their pile of ashes to get rained on that the stuff dripping out would be lye and then, if you mixed that lye with animal fat it turned into something all new that makes you clean!!!!! How did this come about?! Who thinks this stuff up?!

I don't know, but overall, soap is a good thing, so I'm grateful to that person. But for today's batch, I used beef tallow. Which involved rendering, which is a somewhat rather not fun process. And it's stinky. I can't say it's my favorite thing to do now.

And after that big stinky fatty mess, my helper-son managed to put a deep crack in the curing soap. Thanks for that William. So there. Thoughts while soap-making.

I'm Legit

I've been the Food Storage Specialist in our ward for a couple years now. And when I use the term specialist, I use it loosely. When I was called, I had no idea about food storage. I was definitely interested in it, because I like all things self-sufficient, but I didn't even know where to start.

Well, I feel like I've come along way. Our Provident Living group has been a success (not because of me, but because of the members), I've finally mastered the Indianapolis Home Storage Center, we do other bulk orders, and I actually have food storage!

Even after all I've learned though, I've still been kind of clueless to the wheat part. Grains, red, white, winter, mills, money... it was just too much. Tyler always thought storing a trillion pounds of wheat was pointless because we don't eat a lot of carbs anyway. So I just kind of ignored it all.

Until I got more into the real food movement. And I wanted to feed my kids a better quality grain product. Bread made with soaked, lacto-fermented grains and no soy, no corn syrup etc. That made milling your own grain the only way to go.

Sooooo, after what seemed like years of research (I told you I can never make a decision) I went with the Nutrimill. My best friend Carrie has one and she's a regular and delicious bread-baker. I tried out a few different mills, and this is what I settled on. Originally I really wanted a Retsel for low-heat milling, but just couldn't fork over the $500 or so.

I've already ground some wheat and spelt and I can't wait to make more bread! I feel like a real food storage person now.

It's Like Buttah...

This morning while I was sipping my herbal tea concoction and browsing past issues of Mother Earth News from the library I came across an article about homemade butter. Right then and there I decided I was going to make butter. And I did!

I used a food processor to speed up the churning and then drained and washed it. I've never made butter before, and aside from greasing up a lot of utensils and containers, it's really fun and easy!!!

It's yummy too, but then, I've never met a butter I didn't like.

Now, if I could just convince Tyler to buy a cow so we could have fresh cream everyday, I'd be in business.

A Confession, an Experiment, the Results

Confession: I sweat really bad. Really bad. Always have. In college I was soaking through shirts so bad that I couldn't raise my hand. In desperation I went to the student health center and revealed my embarrassing situation. No big deal they said. It's called Hyperhidrosis. It doesn't have anything to do with being hot. Sometimes the winters are the worst. And being nervous makes it 10x worse, which in turn makes me more nervous. It's lovely. So they gave me a prescription for some super-powerful anti-persperant. Main ingredient: aluminum. (FYI: aluminum has direct link to Alzheimer's). This special stuff did work. It hurt like the dickens going on. You were supposed to apply at night and even line your armpits with plastic wrap for the evening. And it dried things right up.

Fast forward 10 years. Still sweating. Except now when I use the super-strong anti-p it dries up my pits but then I sweat more in my face! It's like it has to come out somewhere. It's even lovelier. Plus, I don't like the idea of slathering my armpits with a toxic heavy-metal.

Experiment: I made my own deodorant. I found a recipe at a natural living blog and thought it was worth a try. I already had everything on hand. I really like making my own products. I already make my own soap, laundry detergent, dishwasher detergent and cleaning products. You really can make anything--cheaper and with better ingredients.

Results: I like it. It's been over a week now and I definitely don't stink (I put Ty to the smell test) and I think I even sweat less. And this is all with super-high humidity and working out. I think less chemicals is better for my body. I still sweat, but at least I'm not sweating and loading full of toxins. I'm hoping my body balances out even more and I can stop sweating altogether someday, but for now, I will accept it.

So, try it for yourself. You might like it too.

29 Bottles of Jam on the Wall

Can't beat $1.oo/lb strawberries.

Maybe this batch will actually last us until next strawberry season.

There is nothing prettier

or

yummier.

And that little ping is one of my favorite sounds in the world.

Fruity Oatmeal Recipe

My kids love to eat the "fruit and cream" oatmeal from the store. It's ridiculously expensive, it has heaps of sugar/ corn syrup and partially hydrogenated vegetable oil and the fruit isn't really what you think (meaning, the peaches are apples, the strawberries are apples, blueberries are apples...) So, I figured I could make my own little packets of tasty oatmeal without all the weird stuff and for a fraction of the cost and with food storage! Here's the recipe for Bananas and Cream

1/4 c quick oats

2 tsp powdered milk

1/2 tsp sugar

1 tsp powdered sugar

1 heaping tbs of freeze dried bananas (these are from Emergency Essentials and they are delicious! The whole can was $22.95, but there is enough for about a billion things of oatmeal and more). This is where you could substitute another fruit for different flavor.

dash of salt

I also added some of the banana "powder" from the bottom of the can for more flavor.

Mix together, add 1/3 c. boiling water and there you go!

OK, so maybe this is baby stuff for you out there, but I've always been oatmeal challenged. If it didn't come in a little paper envelope, I couldn't make it, so I'm quite proud. And it's super yummy!

New Toys!!!!

Just had to share my new toys I got today!

We took a little trip (and a picnic lunch) 10 minutes north to the Amish hardware store hoping, hoping that they'd have one of these still in stock. Not only did they have them in stock, they were on sale!!!!!! Now I don't have to peel and seed the billions of pounds of tomatoes still waiting on me!

I am so excited!

I also got one of these (also on sale!). So now I can have both my canners going at the same time! Isn't that just wonderful?! Aren't you so happy now?! I knew it!

More of This Today...

And maybe some of this-- if I get time...

Today's Work

+ camping tonight!

Farmer Emily

It's been busy here at our local farm (backyard). Here are some pix of the latest projects and all the growing goin' on. Tweeter (our original chick. about 5 weeks)
Tweeter with Tweety (we're babysitting another chick from the same class, I'm hoping this one stays on though. They're such good friends!). This breed lays about 280 eggs per year. That's a lot of eggs! (if you look closely in this picture you can see my big fat farmer butt pulling weeds--what a treat!)

My garden: 2 rows beans, 28 tomatoes, 5 peppers, squash, 1 watermelon, radishes (we just harvested) 2 rows peas, lettuce (which doesn't like the heat) and the pumpkins are in the front yard.

Oh my poor hubby who has slaved away in the heat building a deluxe coop for the chix. Since we are illegal chicken owners, some strategic landscaping is in order. The coop is now livable and everyone has moved in. A run extends to the right. I'll post more pics once it's painted and completely finished. Thank you honey!!!!

Our newest additions. They don't have names yet. But they will lay green and blue eggs. Pretty cool, huh? You want chickens now?

What's Going on

Our Chicken. I love our chicken. Here's Maddie (and neighbor) enjoying Tweeter's new playhouse. I built it myself. Today. The poor girl has outgrown her laundry basket and needed a little more structure until we get her coop built--because I want more chickens (I'm getting 2 more chicks)! I don't really care that it's expressly forbidden to have poultry in our neighborhood. If I get any complaints, I will challenge the legislation! Here's how I see it, they're quiet (no roosters), they don't bark (unlike dogs), they don't smell (not my soon to be little flock) and they don't poop all over everyone else's yard (unlike dogs) so why not? Plus, they LAY EGGS! They earn their keep. So there you go.
I don't know why everyone doesn't want chickens.
n n n
Here's my reflector oven I also just built. I'm so proud. Cause it's got my blood all over it. Tasty. But I had to modify the lousy designs and instructions found on the internet. Here's what I did differently:

• Screws and wing nuts instead of brads. Who wants to put a million brads in to hold it together? And besides, they didn't even hold.
• Riveted sides and back on hinges for folding in--the utmost in portability. All pieces fit inside
• Handle on top
  

To look like this. I'll let you know how my biscuits turn out. Next week is Girls Camp. I can't wait!

n n n

And lastly, here is our new basement window! I've wanted natural light in our basement for so long. It will make sewing and hanging out down there so much nicer. Well, Tyler had a cement-cutting company come out and cut out the opening and he has done the rest. The window was installed within 2 hours. Just some finish work and some landscaping and we're in business! Thank you so much honey!