Barn Siding ~ Getting our Legumes ~ Red lentil burgers ~ Beet Hummus

Sorry if this is a boring post about beans, but I have a few new recipes to share - from "pile to file" keepers.  I've found my voice this month, so watch out for long posts.  I think I have blog-i-tis this October.  I can't blame the weather either.  It's been hot out again.

The only other news, is that while I was sitting on the porch with leg up sipping my hot herbal tea yesterday, a car hit a deer just yards from our north drive.  The driver pulled over (a young girl), and the deer flopped around on the road for a few seconds, then got up and ran off.  The same area a car hit one early morning not long ago.  There is a corn field adjacent and north of our property.  

 Before

We also got some barn siding removed last night.  We are tired folks.  Simply tired.

We've been eating more beans than meat lately.  It helps the budget as well as our health.  These meals were over a period of time.

I soaked a bag of organic black beans for all sorts of meals/snacks.  We love it on a burrito for any meal - add scrambled eggs, any leftover rice/veggie mix, jalapenos or cowboy candy, or yellow squash relish (or radish relish)...more total goodness.  

I'll have a post regarding the yellow squash relish soon. 

(these are broiled)

I have also made red lentil burgers for the first time.

No Spend results ~ Dehydrated Celery

Meals were from the freezer and pantry.  Remember all that onion soup I froze?  Well, I pulled some, along with frozen corn we put up, a jar of home canned potatoes, and with pantry goods, created a potato/corn chowder.   Honestly, this was so good.

I have homemade baking mix on hand, so I pulled shredded zucchini for some muffins for school lunches.  Evening snack was popcorn, which we still have plenty of.

Using it Up ~ Goat Coats

With all the kiddos home yesterday, and the outside temperatures chilly, I used up four apples that where getting too soft to enjoy.  

60 minutes and three miles later....

When walking three miles didn't de-stress the stress yesterday, I gravitated to the kitchen where the singing began.

Instead of writing poems in my head, I was singing Johnny Cash's "Burn, burn burn...." as the shallots burned my eyeballs.    Oldest Daughter thought I was cracked in the head until the shallot fumes wafted into the living room, where it burned her eyeballs. 

Cleaning for Camping ~ Painting ~ Timmy (again)

I'm still deep cleaning.  I came across cloth napkins, that at one time, I had planned to embroider for gifting.  Not sure what I had intentionally planned, but I did tackle this unfinished project.

Now, at this point, I could have just given them away or even donated them, but I tossed them all into the washing machine instead.

Homestead Tidbits

Even though it's November, we are still seeing some color in our flower beds.  

"Huh, I haven't heard you say, I'm going out to the garden today, in a long time.  I think I could get used to that," said my 11 year-old early this morning.

Speaking of garden, my fitbit is reading 3,000 less steps per day, now that I'm not outside doing any outdoor work.  However, we haven't figured out our heating situation yet, so  that may change with splitting wood.  I'm going to have to do something to continue to get more exercise.  This may mean heading back to the gym, with a 5am workout.  Hubby needs it anyway.  They are warning employees about weight.  They are at a point now where they will not hire anyone that is over a specific weight, and will start looking for ways to fire employees, that weigh over a specific weight.  More and more employers are taking this route.

Homemade Mexican Taco Seasoning Mix

I've been busy in my kitchen these past few days.  The rainy days here, have simply motivated me to bake, mix, and shake it up a little. 

I am finally at a point in our self-sufficiency stride, where all of my homemade goods (and home grown) are coming together in all of my recipes.

Homemade Mexican Taco Mix is made using home grown oregano, onions, and garlic.  I can then use the seasoning mix for all sorts of recipes, such as my salsa dip (using home canned salsa too).

Mollie Dorsey Sanford ~ Random Updates

I used our library's free interloan program to borrow this book from another library.  It's wonderful!  If you liked Letters from a Woman Homesteader, then you most likely will enjoy this book.

It is not full of letters, but journal entries from Mollie Dorsey Sanford, from 1857-1866, while she and her family moved from Indiana to Nebraska and Colorado Territories.

Homemade Vapo-Rub

Remember those baby food jars I needed?  Well, I finally got around to making one jar of homemade vapo-rub.  I think I will be trying several recipes.


A farmgirl shared the recipe with me.  This recipe is for adults (over the age of 12 I believe, but you could always swap out the peppermint for a safe oil for children).  Always do your research on what oils are safe, if you have young children, infants or if you are pregnant.

Frugal Tip ~ Dehydrating Cottage Cheese

I am learning to be much smarter with my dehydrator, and saving money at the grocery store.  They had 16 oz. tubs of organic cottage cheese marked down for clearance.  I paid $1.49 each, for two tubs.  They are normally $4.89 each.  They fit nicely on the 4 trays in my dehydrator. 

Tomatoes ~ Baby Food Carrot Cake

I finally got some salsa canned, and it was with my very own tomatoes.  I was so excited to see Hubby bring in more tomatoes, we ended up with 10 pints of salsa.  A huge blessing, considering it's been the worst garden year (rain).

I even had more tomatoes leftover, but not enough for salsa, so I blanched and froze them (another huge blessing I didn't think we'd get this season).

I have been looking around for inexpensive jars for making homemade vapo-rub (cheapest I can find in stores is $2.99/each for a 4 oz. jar).  

Well, another farmgirl gave me the idea to just buy baby food, to get the jars. Duh!  I guess with no babies in the house, that simple idea never occurred to me.

It's a great bargain if you ask me.  I paid $.59/each for them, and bought sweet carrots.  I used the baby food to make a carrot cake.  I linked the recipe I used, and used my home canned applesauce in place of the oil.  I got my jars, and the family got carrot cake.  What a deal.   And, the frosting was made with my homemade vanilla extract.  Can't beat that.

I'm thinking I need a few more jars - he he he!

Camper and Clean Up

I never thought I would use the camper as my opportunity to find useful homes for things I had stored away in my house.

I bought these red dishes about 16-17 years ago, and have moved them twice, and just dug them out.  They will be perfect for the camper.  I'm not filling the landfill with stryofoam and plastic, and I'm not packing glass (which Hubby doesn't want packed in there, and I agree). 

Also in my dusty pie safe, was my grandmother's can opener.  I washed it up and it's going on the camper too (you never know).  Grandma would be proud to know it's still being used. 

Another item in my pie safe, was this vintage cup rack. At our last (city) home, I had a "coffee house" theme in my kitchen.  I had all sorts of coffee house signs, espresso cups and stand, and all the decor you could imagine.  After moving to the farm house (with very little wall space in the kitchen, and counter space), I put this in storage.  Now, it's in the camper. 

We stopped at a thrift store over the weekend, and found this old pink tupperware container, and it holds our mix n' match silverware now - $1.00.  The silverware cost us $.10/each.  

Now I have room in my pie safe for my jam maker (which was stored on top for a year).  Yay!  It's been a win-win situation. 

And because I am unable to sell my crocheted blankets over at Rooster's Crow Farm Store, I removed this one to use in the camper.  It's perfect for the couch that turns into a bed.

Update on the homemade bathroom cleaner.  I found this recipe over at Crunchy Betty's Blogspot.  I was simply searching for a cleaner that was as good as Scrubbing Bubbles, but made with natural ingredients. 

It worked great on my tub, but I have one tip.  Run your washing soda through a food processor to free up any clumps, before adding it.  Otherwise, the end result will be more clumpy, and difficult to use.

As for the "extreme clean" (the "Get'R Done" list), we had 25 things on the list.  I'll have an update on that soon too.  I'll have an update for you on what I get done without a TV anymore as well.  It rained yesterday, and I am madly doing laundry.  More rain is in the forecast (sadly) and it may put a poo poo on Farmer's Market day.

Homemade Italian Dressing with a Dab of Honey

I needed Italian dressing for a steak marinade and did not have any on hand.  I checked my cupboards and made this from scratch.  If you are interested in the recipe, I got it from

Clothes Dryer

Here is a photo of the clothes dryer (drying rack, whatever you want to call it), that my Mom and cousin picked up for me.  They happened to be in the right place and the right time.

 The price tag reads $58.95.

They paid $30.00.  You can tell it's handmade (most likely by Amish), and is about 6 feet tall when put up to it's highest setting.

I love the fact they put these rods at the very bottom for support.  All of my smaller ones (metal and wood) start to wobble side to side after months of use.

From a Journal Junkie . . .

From the Homesteading Journal . . .

. . . made my own bird deterrent for the strawberry beds - recycled pie pan, string, and a piece of recycled tent pole.  I used what I had, considering the budget is tight right now (from the tile project).  Later in the day I saw robins snacking away as soon as the wind stopped (and the pie pans stopped banging away).  I guess I better start saving up for bird netting and supplies.  However, I did spray paint some small stones red, and placed them under the plants for now too.  We'll see if they return after pecking at a stone. 

. . . planted new curly parsley, and more tomatoes. 

 . . .in preparation for hot days, I started to save and fill empty plastic bottles with water.  They are being frozen to place in goat water buckets.

. . . the bathroom tile project continues - humidity is a huge factor in it's completion. I cannot wait to use my shower again.

. . .found a way to recycle the plastic from an old, broken portable closet.

. . . made a homemade non-toxic, herbal fusion, disinfectant.  I'm looking forward to seeing the results.  I can make it from everything in the garden, with the exception of the organic apple cider vinegar (for the recipe and others:  14 Bleach-Free Surface Disinfectants).

. . . dehydrated 2 lbs. of organic carrots (with another 2 lbs. to dehydrate) I bought on sale for $.99 at the grocery store.  The only bad part about buying these, is the leftover plastic bag.




From the Handiwork Journal. . .

. . .crocheted another rag rug.  It's made from old sheets and pillow cases. 



From the Family Journal . . .

 . . .my youngest daughter gets to spend a few days with her Grandma.

. . . my son surprised me by cleaning out the refrigerator.

. . . my allergies are flared up from spending so much time in the wind this past weekend.  I hope to get some relief today.



From the Gratitude Journal . . .

 Today I am thankful for:

~ Much cooler weather. It's nice to have a break from the heat.

~ My rose bushes blooming again. 

~ My herb garden.  It's come in use for more than just cooking and baking.

~ God's promises.

~ The quiet morning here today.  I can't hear anything, but birds, and my dehydrator.  

 

Thrift Store and Flea Market Finds ~ Oh My!

Over the weekend, a thrift store was having a customer appreciation sale - 50% off store wide.  I got all of this (two bed sheets, 3 vintage tablecloths) for about $8.00 total.  The bedding will be saved for camping, and possibly a few of the tablecloths. 

Honey Roasted Pecans ~ Chilly Day

We are very much enjoying roasted pecans on our salads lately, so I started making my own (vs. buying them already roasted).  Here, a 3.5 oz. bag of honey roasted pecans costs $3.99. 

From the Homesteading Journal . . . Homemade Goat - Milk Lotion

....all within the last few days

 

 . . . Hubby and son rigged up the dog kennel for the meat chicks, and the layer chicks are outside now (we got the kennel for free, covered the top, and sides with chicken wire).  The barred rock layers are finally outside.

Writing Letters

I've been using my rubber stamps to spruce up plain writing paper to hand write letter with.  I only have one color of ink, and a few stamps, and still I am having fun with them.  I am stamping my envelopes too.

I can see that I will need to save up and get a few more colors of ink and a few more stamps (of my favorite things).  I got these pads of paper at a very low price, and can reuse my stamps for anything.

Mom is getting a hand written/homemade Mother's Day card.  My Aunt is getting a hand written letter this week too.  Anyone else writing letters/cards this month? 

Happy Mother's Day to all!  

From the Homesteading Journal . . .

. . . planted two types of potatoes, lettuce, red and yellow onions, spinach, arugula, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower and broccoli.  I picked some asparagus too.  We used the rain barrel water to water the vegetable plants we planted, and love it.  The rain barrel saves us water, and electricity (so we don't have to run the water pump to do it).  We definitely want two more barrels this year.

. . . weeded out the raised beds of strawberries.

. . . planted a rosemary plant and some organic basil seeds.

. . . planted organic sunflower seeds and two varieties of Shasta Daisies. 
  
 . . . dehyrdrated organic baby kale for dog treats (could not find organic, regular kale).

. . .made more homemade dog treats in the dehydrator.

. . . my 16 year-old made another batch of goat's milk soap.

. . . picked up a truck load of mulch for the flower beds.  I need another load.

. . .divided my Thyme and planted some around the front porch to ward of mosquitoes this year.  One of my "farm" books suggested this.  I will see if it helps this year.  If anything, I will have more to dry for winter tea and cooking.

. . .started crocheting washcloths for selling at the Farmer's Market.