Queen Anne's Lace Jelly

If my kids think I went nutso, by making the Dandelion Coffee, the Dandelion Jelly, and the Milkweed Flower Bud Quiche, they will really think I've fallen off my rocker now.

I have been going through old cookbooks, and reducing my supply.  I found a recipe for Queen Anne's Lace Jelly.  

Instead of cleaning my much needed bathroom, I walked around the property and plucked about 18-19 full heads of Queen Anne's Lace (not to be confused with Hemlock).

I soaked them in water to remove unwanted "guests" and then rinsed them twice.

A Day with the "Queen"

I couldn't hold myself back any longer.   I mean why not?  Hubby is still fixing his truck, so the tree(s) still stands.

I found this recipe by purchasing a discarded library book at a library book sale. You never know what you'll find at one.

And a note:  I do not go looking for recipes like this one, they seem to find me.  And I really enjoy making them, and trying them.  I've been making this one for four years now.

Queen Anne's Lace Galore

 
I canned 5 more 1/2 pints of Queen Anne's Lace Jelly.  If I had more jars, I'd can up the entire field of flowers.  We have it all over the property.

It's growing where my sunflowers won't grow.  Despite watering by hand, the lack of rain is a concern.

It's growing around the barns.

All around back, it's growing in the tall grass.  We have to rotate the goats on tie-outs due to the lack of grass in their pen.

It's even growing in the yard, where the grass is not.  The grass that we mow down is brown and crunches when you walk on it.  However, the Queen Anne's Lace is still growing and blooming.

A Little Bit of This ~ A Little Bit of That

Sunday the humidity was terrible here.  Even so, I canned one batch of wild black raspberry jam, got caught up with laundry, garden work and even got dinner made before going to the movies with Son and the family.  

This is a "grab a cup of java" kind of post.  I beat my son up this morning.  How?  I have no idea. Ha ha!

We enjoyed our first green and wax beans this season at dinner too.  Yum. 

Excerpts from a Journal Junkie

from the homesteading journal. . .

The garden is producing kohlrabi, lettuce, sugar snap peas, beets, organic red stem Swiss chard, collards, mustard greens, and radishes. The green beans, peppers, tomatoes and broccoli are just now coming in too.


The joke's on us.  The flat of cauliflower that we bought just down the road at the produce stand, was marked incorrectly.  It was not cauliflower.  It was kohlrabi.  Big bummer. 

The company hubby works for, dropped us off our insurance plan, and put us with their basic plan.  All because hubby forgot to fill out an online survey.  We are sunk.  We lost our co-pay, and don't have prescription coverage and have a huge deductible per person.  He's sending in an appeal, but it takes 45 days.  Basically, we'd have to spend out thousands before our insurance would pay anything.  We are paying a large amount to not have anything covered that was covered before.  The ridiculous part, is that these surveys ask you questions like "would you recommend this to someone?" We are very concerned, not only for our own sake, but for the falsehoods of this company.  Hubby put out e-mails and found out there are other employees that were dropped and not notified.

We are still seeking a buyer for our buckling.  We named him "weather man bleu."  If the weather is going to be very hot, we don't see him out.  If we see him out, it should be a decent day. He's having a very difficult time with the heat.

Queen Anne's Lace is in bloom, so I canned 5 -1/2 pints for the Farmer's Market.  I'll need more for stocking up. 

Here is the recipe: Queen Anne's Lace Jelly Recipe


Note: The key to this jelly setting is to stir constantly.



Temperatures have gotten up to 105° F here and today it will be around 97°F.  We are really hurting for rain.  Watering all of the gardens (vegetable, herb, and flower) is very tedious.

It was time to mix up another 5 gallon bucket of homemade laundry detergent.  This time I was grateful to have goat's milk soap to make it with.

We made another batch of homemade ricotta goat's milk cheese.  I plan to make cookies and a spinach frittata with the leftovers.  We already made vegetable lasagna. 
 

from the crafting journal . . .

I finally finished my knitted shawl. My 10 year-old is modeling it.  I did make mistakes and was about to rip it out and start over, but she wanted it.  I'm starting another one, and will add fringe to it.  I need the practice anyway.  I love this style.  It reminds of the one Caroline wears on the Little House on the Prairie television shows.

 
from the gratitude journal . . .

Today I am thankful for:

~the water hose that hubby hooked up a few years ago
~a bypass on our water softener to make watering better
~the water hose to cool off the dogs and goats
~the water hose to make watering the chickens easier
~God's protection and promises
 


from the family journal . . .

My son is now signed up for classes at a local college this fall.  He's working towards a degree in Art.

My 18 year-old daughter was accepted to another college, but if she cannot figure out a way to pay for it without loans, she is looking into the Marines.  She intends to work towards a degree with Equine.

Mom took the younger two girls for the weekend.  We gifted her with a dozen farm fresh eggs, a jar of wild black raspberry/honey syrup and a jar of strawberry-honey jam.
 

Vulture on Display

This was a very interesting moment.  This vulture was sitting like this for a long time, just looking around (with it's wings out).   It was a very dreary, rainy (again) day, so the sky is pretty dark too.


It's rained every day now.  I continue to battle mud, sweat and giant weeds.  I found Queen Anne's Lace growing in my garden, so two flower heads are now in my freezer awaiting more, for some sweet jelly. 

You may enjoy my post a few years ago, for the Queen Anne's Lace Jelly (click on it to read it).

Wild Rose Petal Jelly ~ Wild Red/White Clover Jelly

I discovered wild rose bushes around the property last year, and have wanted to make a batch of rose jelly.

I located one recipe for rose petal jelly:  

Beans ~ Queen Anne's Lace ~ Cool Down Treat for the Chickens

Green beans and wax beans are starting to come on.

Although we have a ton of Queen Anne's Lace, I won't be making jelly this.  Maybe.

Thanks to the tip from Goatldi yesterday, I froze corn for the chickens cool down treat.  They loved it!

I spent all yesterday morning watering everything.  We had a heat advisory.

Today rain is in the forecast.  I'm taking a chance and not watering, so pray it does.  We are being warned of a second heat wave after the rain.  Sigh...

The heat is just sucking the positive mojo and energy right out of me.  One daughter is depressed (the salon called yesterday and told her they can't afford to keep her on staff).  Hubby is agitated when he gets home.  Who wouldn't be?  He works in this heat and next to 600°F equipment off and on.  Yesterday he had to work where it was 120°F.

I need a motorcycle ride or camping trip.  Both will not happen in this heat either.  I need a sanity saver and am stuck inside, but at least we have air conditioning.

I finished the patriotic dishcloth.  Not big news there, but it's off the project list now.  

Making Jelly

I've started making more jellies earlier this season.  I'll be ready for when the wild black raspberries and Queen Anne's Lace are in season now.

The organic section at my store had organic juice on sale for buy one-get one free.  I got a few and got busy canning.

Apricot Nectar and Tart Cherry Jelly

 

More Dandelion Jelly

 

 Grape Jelly

 

 Orange-Mango Jelly

 

....and this is only the beginning.

Journal Junkie ~ Nature Journal

I recently mentioned our Queen Anne's Lace Jelly, and thought I'd share my Nature Journal.  

Dandelion Jelly, Dandelion Root and Fun Mail

I canned this season's first dandelion jelly.  Last year it did not set, and I had to re-boil it.  This year, I used a different recipe, and it set.  Now....we just have to taste it.

Self-Suffieciency Lifestyle Paying Off

I'm posting early today.  Hubby brought home another 10 lb. box of blueberries and a box of peaches.  I'll be busy for sure.

Here's an update on our journey to being self-sufficient.  Each year it gets better.
 
In the last 3 1/2 years we have really gained progress with self-sufficiency.  It does require some investments, but those pay off. 

So far this year, with making our own soap with our goat's milk, have not had to buy any bars of soap (and have used it to make homemade laundry detergent also).

We have not purchased dishwasher detergent either, and I am proud that we have reduced those chemicals and costs.

We have not had to buy any onions or potatoes this year.  Last year we did.  

We went all winter using green peppers we froze versus buying them from the store.

When we are low on eggs, we do without.  

We have cut down the cost of buying organic milk by having the goat's, and have drastically cut down the trips to the recycling center (cost of time and gasoline) to take milk jugs in.  It's been nice to recycle our canning jars for milk. 

I have not had to buy ricotta cheese this year also.  Making it is so easy with the goat's milk, but it takes 4 1/2 quarts. 

As for making ice cream out of goat's milk, we need another goat for more milk.  We need cream to add to the milk, otherwise it will freeze rock hard.  My daughter already has her eye on one she wants to add to her herd. 

We have not had to buy any jelly or jams for the last two years.  Every year I learn more recipes to make and stock up on.

I have cut back on the cost of annual flowers, and used seeds from other farmgirls (lovely zinnia's).  We also get the joy of watching butterflies.

We have not had to buy pickles or relish for two years now.  We had a bumper crop of cucumbers last year, and have not cut back the cost of carrots.

Our homemade deodorant is lasting so much longer, and had drastically cut back the cost and cut out the chemicals.

Last year, from butcher time to this spring, I never had to buy chicken.  Our meat chickens were worth the time to raise and we know they are chemical/antibiotic free. 

After last fall, and three rounds of yucky antibiotics, I am really working hard to use natural remedies.  Since then, and my awful sickness with allergies, we have been successful.  With the purchase of Allergy Easer Oil, I have not had to buy any allergy pills whatsoever (since last fall).  I have only had to take ibuprofen one time since then as well.  And my 10 year-old, who also suffers horribly, has not had to take one pill either.  She uses the roll-on Allergy Easer, and it has eliminated buying over the counter drugs, and we feel much better.  We've been successful at reducing our costs, and staying chemical free.

I've learned foraging skills, and have researched the health benefits of eating dandelion greens, and tops.  I've been making jelly from dandelions, and using the roots for dandelion "coffee."  I've learned that clovers are edible, and I can make jelly from white and red clover.  I've been making jelly from the flower of Queen Anne's Lace and studying the uses for the black walnuts on my property.  Even foxtail grass is edible.  We have wild chickweed on the property (not road side plants) and they can be used to make coffee, natural salves, and such as well.  Every year we pick the wild growing black raspberries.  It just gets more interesting as we learn.

I've learned skills for natural dyes, including the wild pokeweed growing on our property.  I hope to experiment more with plants like the goldenrod that grow here as well.

Over the past two years, I have taught my self to knit and to do needle tatting.  My goals are to learn quilting, blacksmithing, foraging for mushrooms, go hunting for deer myself, fish more often, and to learn the art of spinning wool.  The list gets longer each year, but our hand crocheted afghans are warmer than any blanket you can buy in the store, and last longer.  

This is our first year to plant again for a fall harvest.  Thankfully the August rains are helping.

It's all hard work, but in the end, worth it.  Our next goals are to make and use homemade toothpaste, grow enough corn to grind down ourselves for cornmeal, raise beef and dairy cows and much more.

Our wish list keeps growing, and every year we gain a few steps forward.

First Camping Trip 2011 ~ Camping With Chopsticks

Our garden blessings went camping this year.  I was much smarter this time in packing our food.  Instead of putting a carton of eggs in my cooler, I cracked them, whisked them, and poured them into recycled glass peanut butter jars (canning jars would work too).  In the cooler it went.  We also took homemade Queen Anne's Lace jelly and peanut butter.

I also chopped all the veggies and packed them separate for our first grilled stir fry and rice campfire dinner.  The only thing I need to change on that part, is to pack them in glass jars. Our cooler smelled like onions, because I used a ziploc bag - blech.


I pre-cooked our brown rice, and it heated up nicely on our campfire griddle pan. 

Served with chopsticks

Breakfast was easier with the eggs pre-cracked and whisked.  Instead of buying main stream frozen potatoes, I pulled a bag from our freezer that contained garden potatoes.  I also pre-cut garden green peppers and onions to mix with either the potatoes or the eggs. 


Our hike was cut short this season.  We hiked at warp speed, there and back, to avoid getting eaten alive by mosquitoes. Boy are the mosquitoes are bad here this year.

We were lucky to borrow a pop-up camper, and booked a non-electric site.  The first night we had family fun by playing tether ball at the campground, followed by board games in the camper.  Other campers were smart, and had packed tents with all side netting, for a more comfortable night outside.


We discovered, that in our nook of a camp site, there were wild blackberry bushes behind us.  We enjoyed nibbling on those yummy berries, and made note of the site in our camping journal.

The first morning there, my 9 year-old woke up with a migraine.  She first thought it was a sinus headache, but even after laying down in the camper, got sick.  I'm so glad we had an emergency kit, had ice cold water to make a compress with, and extra bedding.  Poor thing.  I felt so bad for her.  After she felt better, she was like new again.  I'm sure it was lack of sleep combined with lack of water.  We brought several gallons of drinking water, but she was busy playing with a school friend that happened to be camping at the same campground.  After that, we encouraged her to drink plenty of water throughout the day.  It was pretty hot and humid.


Since we had a thunderstorm the last night at the campground, we set the camper back up at home to dry out.  We cleaned off all the mildew from last season, and the kids had one more night sleeping in it.

One last night before school starts this season.

Each year we go camping, I buy us new bandannas of a different color.  Last year it was bright pink, and this year it was a blue/green blend.  We love to use them for our hair while camping, or get it wet to cool off our necks.


There were many tent campers, and a few that brought movie players, but the campground held a "movie night" just for us.  They have an outdoor amphitheater and played Open Season 3.

Outside of the outdoor movie, we played with campground equipment, brought horse shoes to play, board games, and also took the one hike.  We planned on fishing, but forgot to grab the poles.


We made a small effort to "glamp" this year, and my husband like the nice touches.  

The table cover is actually a used pillow sham, with the backing gently removed (and saved for another project).  It is topped with a hankie I bought at a goodwill in Amish country.  The blue pot was also a good buy at a Goodwill store.   With the pot, I also got a spoon and 4 bowls - perfect for camping.  The silver coffee pot, we use to pour water with, is from Freecycle.  

This was a poor attempt to "glamp" up our camper windows.  If I can locate a nice, lace, used, valance, it would create a much better look.

Instead of sleeping bags, we took our bedding from home for the camper beds.

When I cleaned a few days ago, I found my cute small signs, one of which we took camping.

On one our trips to use the porta-potty, we spotted this guy crawling up, and going after a fly. 

More Canning and Garden Bounty

I woke up Tuesday morning with a stuffy nose.  Not good.  I had trouble sleeping on account of congestion.  I was up early to drink my honey/ACV/water mix, hoping to prevent it from getting worse.

I spent the day canning more Queen Anne's Lace Jelly.  I plan to give samples out at the next Farmer's Market day.  I was told that we can give them out, and I several people interested in trying it.  I was disappointed to see the color more yellow than pink this time.  I think it has to do with the amount of purple centers in the flower that I put in.

I canned more sweet pickle relish too.  Long day for sure. In between that, I cooked up 7 pounds of ground beef for homemade sloppy joes.

The weather is much cooler at nights here.  I am yearning to go camping.

All but two of my zucchini plants died - squash bugs!  They are on my heirloom baking pumpkins now.  I spray every day with a natural spray, and even dust with flour/black pepper.  I hope to stay ahead of them.

The heirloom watermelon looks great.

  

The fall planting of green beans and peas looks good too.  We decided to skip on fall lettuce this year.  

Cabbage is doing pretty well, but a few died during our season when rain was lacking. 

I spent most of yesterday working on some crocheted items for the Farmer's Market and decided to let my tomatoes ripen another day. 

However, today thunderstorms are in the forecast.  I will be canning up a one of the two 10 lb. boxes of blueberries I picked up.  I'm lucky to find them this late in the season.  If it's not raining later tonight, I'll be picking pears from my husband's nephew's trees.

Garden Surprised Us Again ~ Long Canning Day

Yesterday I canned another batch of Queen Anne's Lace Jelly.  I kept looking out and seeing it all over, so it blessed us again. I really didn't have much to can from the garden, but today was another story.

I picked over 50 cucumbers this morning, along with a Kohlrabi and a bowl of green beans.  I also cut 2 zucchini.  After I prepared cucumbers, that later made 8 pints of Bread and Butter pickles, I dug up many beets.  Those will make Spiced Pickled Beets, and then I get to cut up more cucumbers to try yet another pickle recipe.  And after all of that, I am roasting the remaining picked beets with onion and rosemary for dinner.  

Very early this morning, I had already prepared my soaked navy beans for homemade baked beans using locally made sorghum.  I will either have to cook up my green beans for another side, or blanch and freeze them too.  We are going to be trying our 2 types of canned relishes on hormel hot dogs at dinner also.

And in between all of that, I heated ingredients for homemade ice cream, which we will be hand churning later tonight.  It is 100° here today, but the heat index feels like 110°.  The ice cream will be a nice treat.


I had to send my daughter to the store for 2 bags of ice. I've had to chip ice 3-4 times a day.  We give it to the chickens to keep them from dying of heat exhaustion.  When our watermelon is in, I'll treat them to that also.  The goats were treated with chipped ice today and they gobbled it up.

Christmas Homemade ~ 2015

You finally get to see it.  We had our very last Christmas-family gathering yesterday.

Here is what I gifted this year for Christmas. 

1/2 pint jars of home canned sweet pickle relish

4 oz jars of home canned Queen Anne's Lace Jelly 

Mom received a set 

Reflections of 2015 ~ Part 2

Harvested our first shell peas.  Sadly, due to rain, we only had enough for a few meals.  

 Add four new herbs which all did well in pots - Lemongrass, Calendula, Peppermint, and mullein.  All organic, non-gmo.

June comes to an end. . .

Here are some new colors in my flower beds this month.

Battling a Drought

I've lost track of how many days have gone by without rain.  Yesterday I looked out to see dots on the pavement and got all excited.  In a second, they were dried up and no more rain.

Random Tidbits

          Grape tomatoes are starting to come in.  Beets are hopefully still holding out for me.  I'm glad everything else is not ready to can yet.  I am also glad it is going to rain today.  That gives me another day to not worry about the garden harvest, and gives me another day to rest up.

I can smell the thousands of Queen Anne's Lace from the pasture.  Good thing I really don't need more jelly.  Maybe next season.