Tapping the Trees Pt2

Well, it's been several weeks of experimenting and so far the tapping of the maple trees has worked fairly well.  Some things we'll definitely be doing differently next year though. 

We've decided that next year we'll do the collection part very differently.  This year we used Grimm taps and hung milk jugs underneath to collect the sap.  It worked okay....until the wind blew.  Living on a hill with no windbreak in springtime is gusty to say the least, and as long as there was a good amount of sap to weigh down the jugs, the wind was no problem.  As soon as we emptied the jugs, they were nothing short of wind catchers, blowing about with sap spilling on the ground.  Next year, we'll try the rubber tubing and 5 gal bucket approach.

Boiling down was experimental too.  With the aforementioned wind, it was difficult to get a good, hot, smokeless fire going, even with a homemade-ugly rocket stove.  The first batch tasted so smokey, it had to be dumped.  And it's absolutely true what they say, that you CANNOT boil down sap indoors.  Just trust me on this one, okay?  We ended up using a propane stove in the garage to boil the sap down and then finished it indoors on the stove. 

So far we've produced about a gallon of finished syrup...which isn't too shabby considering the fact we only tapped 5 trees and lost our first batch due to smoke.  The resulting syrup is very light, almost honey-colored ,with a very mild maple flavor.  It's thicker than commercial syrup, though not as thick as Aunt Jemima pancake syrup.  Over all we're very pleased with the product and we're planning on trying it again next year.  There is just something incredibly satisfying about producing sweetener from one's own trees.  And as producing a sweetener was on my list of things to learn, I can cross that off the list and move on to the next.  Yay for accomplishing goals!          

Tapping the Trees

This is something I've looked forward to for the longest time....tapping the maple trees! 

Since we began this journey 4 years ago, our goal has been to produce as much edible stuff as possible on our 1.18 acres.  Blessedly, about the same point in time, I met a friend who knew how to make maple syrup and she totally gave me the syrup bug!  How amazing would that be if we could produce a large portion of our sweetener from trees right here on our property?  Even if we could just produce a gallon of finished syrup, that would be more than enough syrup for a year...if we used it cautiously, anyway. 

So yesterday, we tapped.  We used the Grimm spiles and they are performing well so far.  They're supporting the weight of the buckets without bending, so that's good.  They're easy to install and that's good too.

We gathered enough sap yesterday to begin the boiling today...this is going to be a long, slow process, so I'll update you later this week.

Wish me luck!


http://homesteadrevival.blogspot.com/



Product Replacement: Hummus

So if you recall from a couple weeks ago, I'm endeavoring to replace commercial/processed foods with healthy, homemade alternatives.  Some products are easy.  Tomato sauce.  Pasta sauce.  Jellies and jams.  Canned veggies.  Easy peasy.  Some items I'm finding a little more difficult, specifically condiments.  Boy, once you get your taste buds content with Brand X salad dressing or ketchup, it can be difficult to convince them that homemade is better.  Darned taste buds.  But I'm still plugging away and I found a really good knock-off of one of our favorite products.   

I made hummus. 

I love hummus, but hummus, really good hummus anyway, can be quite the expensive for even the smallest package.   But I'm not sure this qualifies as a product replacement.  Yes, it's made from scratch, but it's made from commercial ingredients, so I'm not sure if hummus really counts.  It's not like I grew the chickpeas, but it's a start I suppose.  Baby steps, friends, baby steps.

So here's the recipe I found very pleasant.

2 cups of very soft-cooked chickpeas
1/2 cup of reserved bean liquid
2T lemon juice
2-3 T tahini
3 cloves garlic
1/2 t salt
2T olive oil

In a blender or food processor, combine the first 6 ingredients and pulse til very, very smooth.  This may take 5 minutes or more of processing so just be patient.  Now the oil.  Some people like it drizzled over top.  Some people like it mixed into the dip.  I like it either way, so it's up to you.  If you like creamy hummus, add it to the food processor and blend it right in.  If not, just drizzle the oil over top.

Now top it with your favorite goodies.  More garlic.  Roasted red peppers.  Artichoke hearts.  Whatever.  We eat it with pita chips, on wraps or as a dip for veggies.  Pack it right into your lunch box for a filling lunch.

Next up: salad dressing and pita pockets.  

Lactofermentation and Product Replacement

Today was just stunningly gorgeous outside!  But in true Ohio fashion, the bottom is supposed to drop out next week and then who knows what we'll end up with.  So, today was an outside day.  Cleaning out the garden, I ended up with a half-bushel of sweet bell peppers and a 1/4 bushel of green chili/cayenne peppers.  And what the heck are you gonna do with that many hot peppers? 

Hot pepper sauce, my friends.  And here's what you do:

Cut the stems off of your chili/cayenne/whatever hot peppers you got, throw them in the food processor and grind them til they're about the size of a grain of rice.  Be sure to wear gloves.  And maybe goggles.  Come to think of it, a gas mask might be okay too. 

Anyway, to each 1/2 gallon of pepper mash, add 1/4c of pickling salt.  Mix it well, put it in a crock or glass jar, add a few drops of lemon juice/citric acid to the top, cover and place in a cool dark spot for 1-2 months.  If you get some mold, that's sort of normal.  Just scrape it off.  After it's fermented for a couple of months, add white vinegar; approx. 1/2 the volume of pepper is a good amount of vinegar to start with.  Allow it to age in a cool spot for 1-2 weeks, then taste and make any necessary adjustments.  Once you're happy with the flavor, strain it through a cheese-cloth lined collander, and either refrigerate or heat and seal in Mason jars.  So easy.

I'm really excited about this sauce because we LOVE green hot sauce in this house.  Red hot sauce is okay, but green...oh my.  My mouth waters just thinking about it.  Even darling daughter Mara asks for a few drops of green sauce in some of her favorite dishes.  But as with all things, the price of our favorite green hot sauce is going  up Up UP!  Thankfully, we had a bumper crop of hot peppers and plenty of time for fermentation.  Nothing to do now but wait and anticipate.  With any luck, this homemade sauce will be a reasonable facsimile of the sauce we enjoy...and that will be one more product we won't have to buy. 

In re-evaluating my goals each season, I've decided that product replacement needs to be moved closer to the top of the priority list.  Between rising food prices and product safety, it just makes sense to begin purging the house of as much store-bought, factory-farmed, chemical-laden products as possible and replacing said nasty products with wholesome homemade ones.  After all, what benefit is there to growing a big garden and working my fingers to the bone to preserve the bounty if we're still eating all the same grocery store junk as before?  So my goal is to begin replacing one store-bought product a month with a healthy, homemade version.  This summer, I've eliminated the need for store-bought pasta sauce, salsa, flavored vinegars, jams, jellies, pickles, relishes and canned veggies.  Time to take that a step farther and purge more of the big offenders: coffee creamer (which thankfully Amy just posted about), salad dressings, ketchup and condiments.

It's goofy, but when I can replace a manufactured item with a homegrown, homemade one, I feel like I've accomplished something; and the something is good. 

What are your goals for the coming seasons?

What gives you that sense of having accomplished something?      

Before And After

This old sewing machine is a project I've been excited about for a long time and I finally got to work on it last weekend.  Unfortunately we weren't able to salvage the machine.  Too many years of storage in a barn did the machine in.  But the cabinet.......it had some definite potential. 

Here's the before:

And now the after:

Still pretty beat-up, but rather charming in the basement stairwell.  The front panel of the cabinet was beyond saving, so eventually we'll replace it.  My hope is that I can use it for a sewing stand; a nice place to store thread, notions and whatever small project I happen to be working on.  That's my hope anyway.  For now, it's a nice stand for a lamp and maybe some pretty seasonal decorations.

And Jeff thought I was crazy when I traded a pint of apple butter for this old, beat-up piece of history :) 

 

July Garden

Pride is bad. 

I know that so you don't have to tell me.

But I'm proud of my garden.  Full of pride.  I don't think we've ever had a more beautiful garden.

Want to see?

Our repurposed, homemade-ugly grow tunnel.  We used the netting and the legs from a defunct trampoline to build a 4-seasons garden.  The netting creates just enough shade that the lettuce and leafy greens aren't bolting straightaway.  This fall, we'll remove the netting and add some plastic, greenhouse-y type panels to keep spinach and kale growing through the winter.  There's more in the works for the old trampoline...please stay tuned. 

Pepper plants we grew from seed...and a baby pepper.

Rows upon rows of white half-runner green beans and the cornfield in the back. 

             

Tiny tomatoes.

                                                 

"The Gauntlet"

The rear of our property with taters (sweet and white) on the left and fruit (berries and rhubarb) on the right. The blackberries in the foreground are thornless, but the black raspberries in the back, you can't walk past them without getting bitten.

 

Cabbage glistening with dew.

                                         

Flowering butternut squash.

                                         

"The Carousel"

I don't know what this thing is called, but our experiment in trellising cukes and runner beans is going well.

 

One of many onion patches. Anywhere that I could find a few empty feet of garden, I planted onions.

The carrot patch in the new raised bed. They're doing exceedingly well and Mara is already begging for carrot pickles!

Blackberries beginning to ripen.  Through what can only be described as a God-thing, we have ripe berries for a solid 5-6 months each year, starting with Serviceberries in May, and ending with the last of the yellow raspberries in late September or early October.

So, the pictures don't do the yard and garden justice.  It's just plain beautiful this year.  Green despite the lack of rain.  The weeds are under control.  Not too many bug/vermin problems, thank you God.  This season is a good season. 

The Mr. and I sat outside and watched the sun set over the cornfield last night and it was nothing short of breath-taking.  The garden and berry bushes were shadowed against the orange-pink sky and it was so quiet, with only the twitter of birds and the occasional diesel farm truck driving by. 

Now I KNOW why they called this place Pleasant Township. 

There isn't a more beautiful spot in the world.   

  

Peas, Onions and Winter-greens

Hi All.  Remember me?  It's been a little while, eh?  Thanks to you who dropped me a line....I haven't fallen off the face of the earth, just been quite the busy little woman.  Trying to devote more of my time to actually doing what I love instead of just writing about it :)

How about that crazy Midwest weather?  We're forecast for rain everyday this week.  And I think we had rain everyday last week, except maybe Thursday.  I can't recall at this point.  What I do know is that the weather held off long enough this morning to get 2 bundles of onions and 3-30 feet rows of peas planted.  I can't wait to snack on raw snap peas!  The garden is looking pretty good this spring, which is saying something after this winter.  The rhubarb is ripening, the chives and sage are green and edible and the biggest surprise of all: fresh kale!  A few kale plants I neglected to pull last summer really wintered well and there's enough for dinner tonight.  Beans, greens and cornbread at the Run tonight! 

For the fun-science segment of this post, the Mr. and I have a recycling experiment going.  Not talking about tin cans in the green bin.....but using a defunct trampoline frame to build a hoop house.  Or two.  This project is only in it's very early infancy, but I'm encouraged that Mr. is thinking along these lines.  Else he's cheap and just doesn't want to fork out the dough for a proper greenhouse!  (Love you!)  Either way, based on the results of the neglected kale, I'm thinking we could grow a few greens during the wintertime with the help of a hoop house or row covers or something.  And there's plenty of aluminum from the trampoline to do it.  Pictures later........

Anyway, gotta get moving.  I've got a flower bed to revamp before the cranberry bushes arrive on Wednesday!  And the boy is begging for another batch of homemade bagels. 

Catch up with you later.

Heartfelt and Homemade

We're coming down to crunch time.  Better watch out.  Better not cry.  Better not pout.  Better get the baking done.  With only one week of school left and 2 weeks until the big day, we'll be doing a lot of homemade gift-making this week for:

Teachers, both elementary and Sunday School

Miss Debbie-the bus driver who cares so much for Isaac!

Miss 'Aunt' Debbie-a dear friend and teacher who keeps a watchful eye on my little boy!

'Aunt Suz'- a beloved best friend for nearly 20 years

Dr. R-a local farmer and cherished neighbor 

The ladies in my Lifegroup

Extended family, friends and neighbors

That sounds like a lot.  And it is, but I don't find it a burden.  I love giving back to people who are  so important to me!  This year is different though, as I'm experiencing a fullness and joy through Jesus that I've never really experienced before...and the best way I can show that joy and fullness is in the form of  homemade goodies.

On the to do list for this week:

* 2 batches of Potato Candy

* 2 batches of Sugar Plum Parade Candy (a rich toffee topped with chocolate and black walnuts)

* 2 pans of Baklava- Dr. R says he *knows* good baklava and *mine* is good baklava!

*1 batch each of Peanut Butter and Chocolate fudge
What kind of goodies are you making to share with those important friends and family? 

Potato Candy

Potato candy has been a staple of our holiday traditions for as long as I can remember.  I've heard a number of stories about it's origin; that's it an old Irish, German or Scottish dessert, but I'm not buying it.  Considering peanut butter wasn't commercially available in America until the 1910's at the earliest, it probably didn't come from the Old Country.  I think potato candy is straight up Hillbilly, probably a WWI or Depression-era recipe that used homegrown potatoes when flour was either rationed or prohibitively expensive.  Those are my thoughts anyway.  Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but please provide factual evidence if you do :)

It's definitely an acquired taste, potato candy but it's also addictive.  It's extremely sweet and savory at the same time, and the potato dough sort of melts in your mouth.  The downside is the large amount of sugar this recipe requires.  The plus side is that it contains at least a little bit of nutrition, thanks to the potato and peanut butter.

Okay, the weird thing about this recipe is that there's not really a recipe at all.  I can't give you exact measurements; this recipe is purely intuitive.  It depends on the weight of the tater, the moisture content of said tater, the humidity on the day you're cooking, etc.  But here are the ingredients:

1 potato, a nice mealy Idaho is best
1 BIG bag of powdered sugar
1/2 t of vanilla (to cover the starchy taste)
Peanut butter

First, bake your tater in either the oven or the microwave.  Don't boil it, for the love of Pete!  Boiled potatoes absorb a ton of water and that makes the dough sloppier and requires even more sugar.  Allow the baked potato to cool completely, preferably overnight.

Peel the potato and begin mashing it with a fork until it's as smooth as you can make it.  There WILL be lumps, don't sweat it.  Add the vanilla, then begin adding the powdered sugar, one or two cups at a time.  It's going to melt and it's going to be a big sticky mess initially.  That's normal.  Just keep adding powdered sugar until the mixture has the consistency of rolled cookie dough or unbaked pie crust.  Doughy but manageable is what you're looking for.

Dump the dough out onto a smooth surface and roll out using additional powdered sugar in place of flour.  Add just enough powdered sugar to work the dough; if you add too much, you'll end up with a chalky, crumbly dough and you don't want that.  Roll out to approximately 1/4-1/2 inch thick.

Spread the dough with peanut butter.  Don't skimp!  The peanut butter is your main flavor and the salt really cuts through the sweetness of the powdered sugar.  Spread the peanut butter to within 1/2 inch of the edge of the dough.  Roll up jelly-roll-style and allow to rest for a bit.  This allows the starches in the potato and powdered sugar time to set up into a proper dough.  Once the dough feels dry and set, slice into 1/2 thick rounds and store in an air-tight container.

Makes a great, if unconventional, Christmas gift! 

    

Decking The Halls

Things are getting back to normal here in our household following one.busy.week. We entertained my husband's family on Thanksgiving then afterwards went to my family's house for dessert and good times. Everything went incredibly smoothly, with the exception of one flambeed dish of sweet potatoes LOL. Hope you all had a pleasant holiday surrounded by people you love. And don't forget, Thanksgiving isn't about FEELING thankful, it's about GIVING thanks. Big difference there.

Now that Thanksgiving is over, we've started decorating the house for the Christmas season.  I love decorating.  We don't spend a lot of money or book our calenders solid for Christmas, but we really enjoy making the house festive for Christmas and New Years.  We use a lot of greenery, both fresh and artificial, lots of white lights, lots of gold ribbon, lots of glittery sparkly bulbs, ting ting and ornaments.  It comes together so beautifully.  If I had a term to describe my decorating style it would be:

 

*retro-natural-wonderland-homemade ugly-chic*

Yeah, it's a mouth full, but it totally fits my hodge-podge, whatever-catches-my-eye approach to decorating for the holidays.  There are decorations from the 50's right next to Boyd's Bears, and crystal icicles next to shatterproof bulbs from Walmart.  Somehow, it works.  At least I think it does.  So far no one has signed me up for an ambush-holiday-redecorating show on HGTV, so I must be doing okay.

Want a virtual tour?   

Here's the Charlie Brown Christmas tree in the basement family room.  I love how this picture turned out, all warm and glowing :)

                                          

This the big tree in the living room, covered from top to bottom and side to side with every glittery bauble I could lay hands on.  There were a few empty spots when I took this picture, but Isaac filled them in when he came home from school this afternoon.  Please don't tell the angel I cut her head off.

Isaac's tree, covered with Hot Wheels.  We used yards upon yards of fishing line to hang the cars and he was thrilled with the results! 

Mara's Christmas tree, topped with a Boyd's Bear and decorated with *every*single*piece* of play jewelry she owns.  Bangles, baubles, hair clips, rings, necklaces, bracelets and headbands abound! The picture doesn't do it justice, as it IS quite lovely, lit up in the evening. 

 

And finally, our take on the traditional Advent wreath.  I'm really pleased with the way it turned out, especially  the wreath wired together out of bits of greenery. 

So there's a quick tour of our house, decorated for the season.

Who's next?  

Drunken Desserts Pt. 1

In the spirit of a homespun Christmas and homemade Christmas gifts, I'm going to post some of my favorite drunken dessert recipes, starting with a repost of a fruit and stout cake from last November.  I know some of you may shudder at the prospect of receiving a fruit cake for Christmas, but this one is different! This cake is very heavy, very dense and definitely tipsy!  Use a lighter flavored stout as the really dark stout can make this cake a tad bitter.


It's Good To Be Gaelic!
November 17, 2009


Blame it on my Scotch-Irish roots, but I love spirited sweets! I love the idea of making a cake and repeatedly dousing it with liquor until it feels like a brick and has a 3-year shelf-life. But I've always found the flavor off-putting...I think it has to do with those weird little bits of candied fruits. They are just plain disgusting. I mean, where the heck do they even get those lime-green cherries?




Anyway, a year or two ago, I found a recipe for a sensible fruitcake...plenty of alcohol, plenty of spice and no freakish candied fruit. It needs to 'mature' for a month, with a weekly dousing of Guiness, so now is the time to get started if there's going to be fruitcake for Christmas! Give it a try and, in a month, let me know what you think!



Fruit and Stout Cake



1 c. unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the pan

2 c. prunes, pitted and chopped into small bits

1 1/2 c. golden raisins

1 1/2 c. currants

1 1/4 c. stout plus more for dousing

2 2/3 c. all purpose flour

1/2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. nutmeg

1/4 t. ground cinnamon

1 1/4 c. light brown sugar, firmly packed

2 eggs



1. Heat oven to 300 degrees. Brush a 9X4 loaf pan with butter and line with parchment paper. Set aside.



2. Combine the prunes, raisins and currants in a medium bowl. Add 1/2 c. stout and let stand.



3. Sift flour, baking soda, nutmeg and cinnamon. In the bowl of an electric blender, cream butter and sugar til fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time mixing well after each and scraping down the sides. Add dry ingredients, half at a time just til combined. Fold in fruit mixture.



4. Pour batter into pan and bake until dark brown and set in the center, til a cake tester comes out clean. About 3-3 1/2 hours. (No, that isn't a typo. 3-3 1/2 hours) Cracks will appear on top of the cake. Remove from oven and sprinkle with 1/2 c. stout. Let stand on wire rack for 30 minutes, remove from pan and discard parchment. Let cool completely.



5. Wrap in muslin or cheesecloth and douse with remaining 1/4 c. stout. Store in a cool dark place, dousing with 1/4 c. stout once a week for a month before serving.

Homespun Holidays

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! 

It's hard to believe the holidays are right around the corner.  Just think; Thanksgiving is only a week or so away, followed by Black Friday and the inevitable countdown to Christmas with all the usual trappings: debt, headache, tangled lights, upset stomach, crowds, paper cuts, indigestion and an 5 extra pounds around the middle!

Sure doesn't sound like what God had in mind, does it? 

The past couple of years, we've taken a new approach to the holidays: more experiences, less stuff.  We cut back on spending, cut back on shopping, cut back on wrapping, trimming, decorating, packaging, shipping and the general nonsense that's associated with a secular Christmas.

Instead, we've spent more time enjoying the holidays. Baking. Cooking. Visiting. Making homemade gifts. Attending church plays and candlelight services. Donating to the needy. Drilling wells in Africa. Last year, I felt like we gave Jesus a gift.  It was awesome!

This year, we're continuing that tradition.  More homemade happiness.  Less secular insanity.  Last year, we gave homemade limoncello and stout cakes.  This year, apricot brandy and lovingly packaged goat milk soap.   

What are your plans for making this year a more meaningful holiday season?

Summertime and Feeling Puny

We're having a bear of a time with the kids right now. That walking pneumonia has settled in and is apparently quite happy here...after a complete course of antibiotics, Mara had a relapse (is that the word? Or maybe backslide?) and had to start a second course of a different/similar drug. About the same time, Isaac started showing similar symptoms and with only one dose of antibiotics remaining, he's still running high fevers, lethargic, nauseated. Now we're just waiting to hear back from the doctor about a second course for him as well. Sigh. BIG sigh. I hate giving my kids drugs, but at this point, there doesn't seem to be another course of action.

The frustrating part is that I try really hard to raise my kids well. They get plenty of sleep...eat lots of fresh fruits, veggies, lean meats, yogurts and cheeses...spend time outdoors in the sunshine...they eat just the right amount of dirt, as my mother-in-law would say...there's no mold, smoke or stinky candles in our house. Why can't I get my children healthy? I know starting Sunday School and Kindergarten had a lot to do with it...they're being exposed to a whole new array of germs...but at some point, doesn't their little immune systems kick in and take control?

This week I've pushed the yogurt, trying to get some good bacteria in their systems. We've also encouraged them to drink lots of fluids and eat plenty of fresh berries still warm from the vines, but I don't know what else to do to kick start their immunity.

Any tried and true home remedies out there for boosting immune systems and quick recoveries from nasty, nasty bugs?

Ghosts In The Garden

We're enjoying typical Ohio weather this week. Let's see: blizzard, heatwave, drought followed by a hurricane, flooding and now freezing temps again. Okay, it hasn't been quite that bad, but over the course of 3 days, we're going from 15-20 degrees below average (yesterday) to 15-20 degrees above average (Friday). That's rough on the old body, not to mention the fruit-bearing plants and trees. The fruit trees, berry bushes and vines really enjoyed the warmer temperatures early in the month and are absolutely *loaded* with fruit, so I'm desperate to protect them by any means.


Jeff and I have become experts at protecting tender fruits from impending frosts. All you need is a length of fabric or plastic and extra large clothes pins. Oh, and you can't be afraid of looking like a doofus while you're out there plastic-wrapping your fruit trees. Jeff found some fairly inexpensive, fairly heavy window-type plastic that we've been using all year to cover the fruit trees and shrubs. It works well and can be used over and over, from one season to the next. Last year, we used lengths of a coarse black fabric, which worked well enough, but startled me every time I looked out the back window. It looked like someone standing in my backyard who ought naught be! So this year, we're using the plastic and it's not nearly as startling, but it does look like ghosts floating around in the garden!

Here's hoping for fair weather and a bumper harvest! Til then....

Best wishes from the Run.

Springtime and the Livin' Is Sneezy

I can tell when spring is getting close. Actually, my nose can tell and right now it's saying that spring is nigh. I developed seasonal allergies when I was a little girl, around 4 or 5 years old and while they're not terrible and life-altering allergies, it's definitely not pleasant to go around sneezing my head off during the months of March and April, followed by September and October. I don't know WHAT I'm allergic to, but it definitely follows a set pattern each year. I've taken medicine for it, and while it works, I normally end up woozy and disconnected, making the side effects worse than the allergies themselves.

There is a point to this post, so just hold on.

When I was pregnant with Miss Mara in the fall of '05, I had the worst cravings! Spinach, green apples and cat-head biscuits with honey. (Thankfully, not at the same time.) But what I noticed immediately as I scarfed down biscuits with honey on a daily basis was that my seasonal allergies disappeared. I'd *heard* that honey was helpful for allergies, but up til that pregnancy, I'd never tried it because just the thought of honey would turn my stomach. Upon doing some reading and talking to my obstetrician, I learned that many circles believe honey is good for what ails you. The thought is that eating a bit of local, raw honey each day builds up an immunity to the seasonal allergens, the same as having allergy shots. It works for some folks, but not for others, the same as any treatment but the bonus is that honey (even good, local honey) is cheaper than a trip to the doctor, more inexpensive than a trip to the pharmacy, has fewer side effects and, let's face it, tastes really really good. (Yes, I love honey now!)

So if you're like me and are beginning to feel those tell-tale tickles in the nose and throat, get thee to an apiary. You want honey produced as close to home as possible. Walmart honey won't cut it unless you're allergic to pollen native to China. You also want honey that is minimally processed-raw is best obviously. And don't give it to infants for Heaven's sake! Just use 1-2 teaspoons of honey a day; on toast or biscuits, in your cup of morning tea or straight up. Within 2-4 weeks time, you should begin to see improvements in your sneezin'!

Product Review: Homemade by Reader's Digest

Homemade describes itself as " A Surprisingly Easy Guide to Making Hundreds of Everyday Products You Would Otherwise Buy" and that's it in a nutshell. I picked up this book a couple years ago, about the same time that I began this journey and I've found it a wonderful reference along the way. It literally contains hundreds of recipes for baked goods, home health remedies, beauty products, cleaners, homemade take out food, canning recipes. There's even a section on natural pet care.

While I've been disappointed with a few of the recipes (Cheddar and Herb bread-blech!), I've been quite pleased with most of them. Some of our favorite recipes have been the Oreo knock-offs that Isaac refers to as Mommy-O's, the Simple Sugar Dry Skin Scrub and the homemade furniture polish. And there are so many more! Some of the recipes call for ingredients that most most people don't keep on hand, but the vast majority are simple, plain ingredients that are in most every cupboard across America.

If you're trying to live a simpler, healthier lifestyle, I think this book is a MUST.

For Linda-Dutch Meatloaf

This is perhaps the greatest meatloaf recipe ever. It's pretty much fool-proof...it's always moist, flavorful and delish! The sauce that you pour over top before you bake forms a sweet-tangy glaze that really changes the whole meatloaf experience. We use venison in this dish, but feel free to substitute cow if you're so inclined.

And by the way, when I say bread crumbs, I mean crumbled bread slices, not the powdery, grainy stuff you buy at the grocery. It may seem like splitting hairs to you, but it really makes a big difference in the finished product. Take the extra 5 minutes to toast and crumble a few slices of bread...it will be worth it!

Dutch Meatloaf

1.5 pounds ground meat of your choice
1 c. bread crumbles
1 diced onion
1/2 c ketchup
1 beaten egg
1.5 t salt
1.5 t pepper

In a large bowl, place the ground meat, bread crumbles and diced onion. In a small bowl, combine the egg, ketchup and spices. Mix well, then pour over the meat mixture and lightly mix. Form into a loaf and place in a deep baking dish.

For the sauce, combine:
1/2 c ketchup
1 c water
2T prepared mustard
2t vinegar
2T brown sugar.

Mix well then pour over top of the meatloaf. Bake in a 375 oven for approximately 60-70 minutes or til the center of the meatloaf is no longer pink. To expedite the cooking time, form a hollow spot in the center of the meatloaf...this will shorten cooking time a good deal. Serve with mashed potatoes, green beans and fresh buttered bread.

Preparedness Challenge- Week 1

It's rare to find good news in the newspaper or online, but lately the news has gone from bad to worse. I'm sure you've read about the jobs lost, the foreclosures, the weather emergencies on the East Coast. You've probably read about the rising number of homeless families and families living on food stamps. Increasingly, the stories are of terrorism, both at home and abroad. Lots of scary stuff out there in that big old world, and for the most part, there's not a thing we can do about it.

For the most part.

There's nothing we can do about weather, jobs or terrorism, but as a friend of mine would say, we can lessen the negative impact. Repeat those words: lessen the negative impact. We can't change who or what will impact our lives, but we can change how it will affect us. And therein lies the challenge. I'm challenging you to prepare for the negative to lessen it's impact on your everyday life. So how do you do that? It's so easy.

You need water to survive. Do you have water? Do you have a way of filtering water? There are so many options out there. Many of them are beautiful and expensive, many of them are effective, but homemade ugly. It doesn't matter which way you go, as long as it works.

You need food to survive. Do you have food? Do you have enough to sustain you during an emergency? Do you have a way of preparing food if the power is out? Again, so many options to consider. The LDS advocate a year's worth of food in your storage, and I believe the same thing.

You need shelter to survive. Is your home secure and functional? Do you have a backup plan for bugging out if you need to refugee? Do you know your neighbors? Do you trust them?

You need heat to survive. Do you have a working furnace? What's your backup plan for a grid-down situation? Are there enough blankets in the closet? Do you have extra fuel for your stove?

You need air to survive. Do you have a CO2 detector? Are your windows screened? Have you considered respiration masks to contend with pandemics?

You need light to survive...or at least be comfortable. Have you worked out a plan for lighting your home when the power is down? Is there enough oil for your lamps and batteries for your flashlights? Have you tried a hand-cranked lantern?

Yes, there's a lot to consider regarding preparedness and everyone is going to have a different approach, but that's what makes it wonderful. And as long as it gets done, it doesn't matter how you approach it. So here's the deal. Let's get prepared by spurring each other on. Each week, let's dish on what we've done during the previous week to ready ourselves for the worst. Leave comments and let us know what you did and how you did it. Your comments may encourage someone else, or remind someone of something they've forgotten. Survival is a community effort, be it a real community or a virtual one and it's up to you to get involved.

I'll start by saying that this week, I purged my basement making it a more livable space. I gathered up extra blankets and pillows and put them in a convenient spot. I organized some of my dried goods to create a little extra storage space. I mailed a few seeds to friends who I know will appreciate good tomatoes. Mara and I practiced sprouting seeds, baking and making yogurt.

So that's what I did.

What did you do this week?

Easy Cleaning

Jeff thought this was the most clever means EVER of cleaning a microwave, so I thought I'd pass it on!

Tonight I was warming some Alfredo sauce in the microwave when a phone salesman called. Wrong number. I have no idea who Raynelle Schaeffer is. Midway through the call, I hear a huge pop and look over to see Alfredo sauce dripping off the ceiling of the microwave. Well horse-feathers. I hate cleaning the microwave, probably worse than anything! Honestly, I'd rather clean toilets, but I do have a trick that simplifies the chore...and it works for old baked-on splatters as well as fresh Alfredo sauce explosions.

In a heavy microwave-safe dish such as Pyrex, place 1/2 cup of baking soda and 2-3 cups of water and place in the microwave. Set the microwave to Stun, em, I mean Cook for 10 minutes and walk away ranting. When you come back after an appropriate cooling-off time, you'll see that the baking soda-infused water turned to steam and effectively steamed the gunk off the inside of the microwave. Carefully remove the hot Pyrex dish and wipe the interior of the microwave with a clean, damp cloth. Now your oven should be shiny, clean and disinfected.

And next time I'll check the caller ID when the phone rings during dinner.