Time to Clean the Craft Room!

 When I started the year, I made a pledge to do my best to do five things every day:

1. Write.  Doesn't matter if it is in my journal, on one of my blogs, or doinglisting some freelance writing for a company that I work for.  But I try to do something every day where I put words to paper (or laptop).  

2.  Be creative.  This can be making something, like a craft, decorating cookies, or even list something on Etsy.  Just something that does something for me that gets that creative gene in gear.  Too often I get so busy doing what I must and not what I like.

3.  Do something to make my home better.  I hate housework.  It is one of those things I must do, not one that I like to do or want to do.  It's gotta be something that is above and beyond the do the dishes, do the laundry day-to-day stuff.  Like sorting and cleaning the dresser or the closet, etc.

4. Say or do something nice every day. You know, like send a card to someone, give a compliment, make someone feel good.  This is harder for me to do since without working outside the home and no kids at home, my world has gotten pretty small.

5.  Thank God for my blessings.  Say a prayer.  Be grateful.  This is easy for me since I speak with God a lot.  I ask for guidance and thank Him for my blessings.

Anyway, today, I want to concentrate on #3.  My craft room is a disaster.  It is the place where whatever I don't want to deal with gets stashed.  Like, totes of Christmas decorations are still piled up in there waiting to go into storage.  So today I thought I would tackle my fabric hoard.

I love fabric.  I love quilts and toys and dolls, and all the pretties that come from fabric.  For that reason, I have a lot.  I buy it on sale.  I buy it at yard sales.  I have people give it to me.  I have a lot!  

My sister gave me some IKEA type cubbies and I thought it would be perfect for storing those itty bits of material that I save for....someday.  I tried it but it just looked so messy. 

It was a great idea to keep like colors together but they ended up getting all wadded up in the cubby.  So I measured the cubbies and cut cardboard a little smaller than the size of each cubby.  (A USPS box flaps were the perfect size.)

Then I cut cardboard to size and wrapped pieces around it, tucking in the pieces that are odd shaped.  

Then I just pinned the fabric in place.  

Look how much better it looks!

Got lots more to do but I am loving the way it is looking.  What are your ideas for storage?

Eggs, a Farmer's Currency

 No one, and I mean no one, expected to ever have to pay $5 or more for a dozen eggs.  Some blame it on the Avian Flu.  Others say it is a product of inflation.  Others say fuel prices are driving it.  To me, it really doesn't matter, it is what it is.  So now, the proverbial goose is a chicken who laid the golden egg.

I usually eat at least one egg per day.  Since we have chickens, we usually have a healthy supply.  However in the winter, our egg layers slack off and egg production goes way down.  We have tried all the tricks like giving them cayenne pepper to adding light to their coop, but still, our chickens are out to lunch.

Even if you don't use a lot of eggs like I do, there is one thing you should know.  Eggs, once thought to be taboo because of their cholesterol, are now heralded by the American Health Association.  Adults can now consume eggs without guilt.  Eggs contain the highest biological value for protein (along with milk) and contain a measly 75 calories.  The average egg contains 7 gr of protein, and 5 gr of fat, along with iron vitamins, minerals, and carotenoids.  

And the goodness doesn't stop there.  Did you know that the egg shells are a great gardening tool?  Instead of throwing the shells down the disposal or dumping in the trash, save them!  Eggshells are made of calcium carbonate, and excellent fertilizer and natural pesticide!  Yay!  Free fertilizer!

Did I tell you we like ice cream?  Well we do and unfortunately my waistline bears witness.  Yeah, I know we were talking about egg shells, but this is where the ice cream comes in.  We often buy ice cream in gallon tubs.  Okay, its not Ben and Jerry's but it still is a tasty treat or topping for warm apple pie.  I save these containers and their lids like it is my job.  They have all kinds of uses and here it comes.....they are great for storing egg shells.

When I get done cooking my breakfast or baking or making deviled eggs, I throw all of the shells into my ice cream bucket.  Some people are really good about this and wash them out first.  I don't and it may be because I am too busy or lazy.  I put them into the bucket until it gets full and then I push down on them and make room for more.  

Now if you don't wash them, they will smell a bit and that's why I keep a lid on them.  You probably wouldn't have to close them up if you wash them really well.  But then you have eggshells sitting on your counter.  I can just stick my enclosed bucket in the pantry and no one is the wiser.  

When my bucket gets pretty full, I get out my ancient food processor and grind them up.  Make them as fine as you like.  I like to make them about like oatmeal but if you prefer a powder just leave them in longer.  I put them in mason jars.  Use pints or quarts or whatever size you have.  You can use those old lids that you cannot use for canning anymore.  

Seal them up and put them on a cookie sheet or cake pan and place in a 250 degree oven.  This will kill off alot of bacteria but they could still smell a little.  I store my jars in the basement until Spring.  

These are especially great when planting tomatoes.  Regardless if you start your seeds from plants or buy seedlings, simply dig your hole, put in 1/3 -1/2 cup of eggshells and put your plant on top of it.  You can add more shells throughout the year to help your plants flourish.

Some gardeners use eggshells as a pest deterrent.  From slugs to deer, pests large and small are said to send pests packing.  I cannot vouch for this since I have never tried it but if you have had success with it, give me a holler!

Some people add eggshells to their soil because it looks kind of pretty, kinda like salt and pepper.  Others say it is a great bird food.  As for me, I will just keep eating my ice cream and planting tomatoes.

My Goats, The Barn, My Happy Place

  

Sometimes we find the most joy in the most unusual places, don't we?  Never ever did I think I would fall in love with three little goats.  I never thought I would actually enjoy the smell of the barn and not even mind shoveling goat poo.  But as God is my witness.  I have found my Utopia in a goat barn.

We have had the kids for a year now.  We took my 97 minivan to Kansas to pick them up...a gift from our son.  To say I was unprepared would be an understatement.  Our goats were so tiny!  And I had no idea what to do with them.  Meet Mr. Bill, Laverne, and her twin sister Shirley.  They cuddled in the van but by the time we got them home on that hot July day, they were ready t eat.  

 

It took them a bit to warm up to us, but now they are attentive, loving, 

and full of mischief.

The year has been a learning experience for us.  So many misconceptions!

  So much to learn!

1. Goats do not eat everything.  Not tin cans, not hay when it falls on the floor, not some goat feed.  They are finicky.  They only want the best hay, the leaves off of all the trees, and whatever the other one has.
2. When one goat gets sick, they all get sick.  I read that you need to pay attention to their goat poop.  It should look like bbs and be everywhere.  So one day I started noticing Mr. Bill's poop was soft and more like it came from a cow.  My husband said don't worry.  I worried anyway.  Within a couple of days, Mr. Bill had a bad case of diarrhea and wasn't eating.   Here I sat washing his behind and cleaning up messes.  By the time it was all over, they all three got it, I treated it, and it was over.  Thank God for Google and YouTube.  
3. Goats can get into everything.  They can climb ladders, steal your hat, and pee on your tools. We learned really quickly that they are curious creatures and that they cannot be trusted.   

 Our goats are Oberhasli dairy goats.  Though they are from the same breeder, the twins are from different parents.  We plan on breeding them in the fall so we can have Springtime babies.  The barn is complete but we are considering a buck barn.  Right now they are separated, but Mr. Bill is really rambunctious and unpredictable.  I think he needs to be farther away.  We just have some logistics to work out with things like power and water.  

 

Gardening for Dummies

 I should probably write a book.  You know, like those that are Raising Bees for Dummies or Blogging for  Dummies.  Only I will call it Gardening for Dummies.  We have been here in Missouri now three years.  Each year we plant a garden and each year we are disappointed when the amount of effort does not equal the amount of production.  Well, my friends.  Not this year.  

Last year we planted 26 tomato plants.  They got tall but leggy.  There were enough tomatoes along with some my neighbor gave me to make a little salsa.  That was okay since I was dealing with a boatload of pears at the time.  We got a few squash, some peppers, and a few potatoes.  This year we increased the tomatoes to 33 plants.  We planted cabbage, onions, potatoes, squash, cucumbers, and green beans.  The garden soon grew to jungle proportions.  The tomatoes are caged, but the plants are so big and so heavy with tomatoes that they are falling over.  I even took some wire and some jute and tied them up to keep them off the ground. Every single plant has produced epic amounts of tomatoes.  I have Romas, cherry, big boys, early boys, and heritage.  

The picture above is a daily picking.  Cucumbers and beans and zucchini, oh my!  

This picture is from July when the garden was first starting to get going.  Our pole beans got so tall and so thick that when we had a heavy rain, the whole trellis fell over.  We used mule tape and heavy wood stakes to hold it up.  (I staked them up myself, thinking they would be like last year's pole beans....wrong!)

I planted two plants of the scallop squash.  Next year it will be one.  We fried it.  We baked bread with it.  We grated it and froze it.  I even breaded it and froze it for use later.  Then I donated 70 to the local food bank and on Monday I have about 25 more to take there.

So I started canning.  I bought a pressure canner this year to take care of all the green beans, but the amount of produce I have gotten has also supplied some family members and neighbors.

Glad we are getting eggs as well since the price of eggs has gone up over 40%!  Yikes!

  

My freezer is full and so is my basement storage.  I guess we are ready for the apocalypse!  So far I have frozen:  

• freezer slaw
• shredded squash
• breaded squash

And canned:

• ground tomatoes
• tomato soup
• corn
• green beans
• dill slices
• bread and butter pickles
• salsa
• pasta sauce
• soup starter
• tomato juice
• chili base 
• dill relish
• sweet zucchini relish 
• dilly beans
• corn relish

I feel tired from just writing all this.  We are still harvesting.  Today I picked beans, cukes, tomatoes, and a watermelon.  We still have pumpkins, potatoes, more cabbage, and some onions.  Though I am tired I feel so blessed to have this produce available.  It has been lots of work, but I feel some pride and enjoyment in seeing the bounty.  

Well, off to do more farm stuff!  Hope your weekend is great and your find happiness wherever you live!

                        

What to do with too much cabbage

 As the garden gets in full swing of producing all the tomatoes and zucchini I can handle, I took a peek at my beginning-to-suffer cabbages. I love cabbage: cooked, fried, in soups, and in slaw. But to tell you the truth, I needed a way to “get back to ya later”. So I decided to use my mom’s old standby-Freezer slaw. 

Making it is easy. Simply shred one head of cabbage as you would for making slaw. Add a carrot or two and a green pepper.  I had an orange one so I used that. Add a whole onion and just for fun I added a jalapeño that I just picked from the garden. I used a food processor and put the veggies in a big bowl and salted it down and set it aside. 

Next mix the dressing. Combine 2cups of sugar, one teaspoon of dry mustard, 1 cup of vinegar and a half cup of water in a saucepan simmer until boiling.  Remove from heat and cool completely  

While waiting for your dressing to cook prepare your containers  I used pint mason jars but you can use freezer bags or other sealed containers  

For me, it yielded about five pints. Label and place in the freezer. 

Okay so when I said food processor, this is what I meant. I have had this at least 30 years and my kids tease me about it. But, hey, if it ain’t broken…

My mom made this all the time and it is a great way to add some greens to a meal when the cupboards are bare!  Just thaw and eat!  Yum!

Salsa Time!

 Yowza!  Could it really be August already?  I'm not gonna lie, this heat has been a real killer.  But my tomatoes are liking it.  I have really gotten some big ones this year.  

And the green beans have been crazy!  I froze some of my beans, and some of my tomatoes, because the Mr. chokes on veggies and I cannot eat them fast enough.  I gave some beans to my neighbor and she rewarded me with a bag of Roma tomatoes.  

Romas make the best salsa because they are firm and not too large, and they just aren't the best for slicing.  I knew salsa was in my future, so I was chomping at the bit to get started.  To prep the tomatoes, simply start a pot of water boiling, and when it is a rolling boil, blanch the tomatoes.  I use a handled colander, the kind that look like screen wire.  All the water gets in, none of the tomato-y goodness gets out.  Submerge the tomatoes for a few seconds, and immediately plunge them into ice water.  I use an ice cream bucket, but you can use a pan or bowl.  When the tomatoes have cooled to the touch, the peels will just slide off.  It is actually kinda fun in a creepy sort of way.

Chop the tomatoes to your desired chunkiness.  We like our salsa not as chunky, more creamy, so I put mine in one of those little ninja type blenders.  If you like yours chunkier, simply use a cutting board and dice away.  Then put it in a pot.

I am also growing jalapenos and onions, so Voila!  Instant salsa, right?  Well you do have to do a bit of prep work on these as well.  Cut up the onions to desired size, again, I used the little blender.  The jalapenos are another story.  I learned the hard way, not to cut the peppers up without gloving up. Remove the seeds! Jalapenos are made up of capsaicin and related compounds  that give it heat.  Not only do you feel it in your mouth, it can actually burn your skin.  

The recipe I used can be tweaked for more or less heat.  Make it your own!  Make it saucy or chunky.  Hot or mild.  I added the bell peppers because I had them.  Maybe you don't like cilantro, then leave it out.  

                  Hot Salsa Recipe 

About a gallon of prepared Roma tomatoes

3 cups onions

2 cups jalapeno peppers

1 cup bell pepper

1/4 cup vinegar

1/3 cup cilantro

About a teaspoon of salt

Stir it all together and heat until boiling.  Don't let it boil very long or you will break down your veggies and it will get all foamy.  While you are heating your salsa, sterilize your jars and lids.  You can do this ahead of time and put them in the oven on about 200 degrees until you are ready for them.  I wait until I am getting ready to use them so I don't heat up the house by running the oven.  

Fill your hot, sterilized jars, being careful to leave about an inch of headspace in each jars.  For me, this recipe made about 9 1/2 pints.  Place in a hot water canner for approximately 15 minutes.  

Make sure your jars seal.  There is nothing more exciting when you are finished with all your hard work than hearing that little "POP" let you know it is properly sealed.  This year, for the first time, I have tried the one piece lids.  So far, they have been a success!  And they are easier too!

Tip:  I use a turkey fryer to heat my canner.  You can do it on your stove, but the turkey fryer, out on the porch or deck, does not heat up the house and gets hot quicker.  The disadvantage, of course, is that you have to take things back and forth, but believe me: it is well worth it.  

Another tip:  If you don't have enough tomatoes to make salsa (or a great neighbor who brings them to you) core and peel your tomatoes just as if you were canning them.  Freeze them in gallon bags until you have enough.  You can also freeze onions and jalapenos.  Just chop and freeze.  Put them in small bags so you don't end up with a clump to thaw out.

I am loving these warm summer days, in spite of the heat.  My flowers are loving it as well.  

I hope you are loving summer too!  Let me know what is going on in your neck of the woods!

 

Summertime....and the livin' ain't easy....

 It's not like I'm complaining.  But this has been a super hot couple of weeks.  Working in the garden, which I normally love, has been really difficult because of the heat.  So I have been spending some of my time indoors ghost writing blogs and neglecting my own.  

We have had more company than usual this year.  My sister and her husband have been here twice.  I wish they could come more often, but they have been cooped up long enough and want to go other places than Missouri.  My grandson made a surprise visit.  I miss him so much!  This isn't from this visit but it is recent and I had to show you just how handsome he is.

We went to Illinois for a wedding a couple of weeks ago.  We had a great time visiting family...and acting silly in the photo booth.

This time of year in Missouri is a busy season for gardening.  This morning I spent a couple of hours working on pulling weeds.  I did manage to harvest some beans, pepper, and potatoes.....yum..potatoes and green beans for dinner tonight.  

My Etsy shop has been going crazy the last couple of weeks.  I got four orders for lighted swags

and another order for Annie and her bestie Westie.

If you want to order either of these items, check out the links.  I usually quote a two week lead time and you can customize either with colors or personalize the puppies tag with name or date.

Our goats are scheduled to be picked up on July 13.  I am so excited!  If you want to check out our preparations, check out my blog:  https://livingonthecheep.blogspot.com.  

Time to get back at it, my peeps!  Stay cool and happy!

 Though we are still in Spring, I am feeling the heat of summer coming on.  The Spring flowers here are gorgeous.  

I would like to take credit for all the blooms but I cannot.  Whoever lived here before us, knew exactly when to plant what.  When the daffodils are done, the tulips start to bloom.  When they are done, beautiful irises show up.  I have roses and peonies with buds, so I always have a bit of color here at home.  

We are nearly done with the goat barn.  At least the exterior.  We still have to figure out how to finish the interior, provides some kind of floor, and do the fencing.  We cut fence posts from the property.  I always go along but I'm afraid I'm not much help.  I do, however meet some friends out in the woods.

I have some new items posted on Etsy, so if you are getting ready for Memorial Day or the Fourth of July, check out my Americana lighted garlands.  Or if you are into modern Farmhouse, I have just the thing for you!  A Buffalo Check lighted garland.  These are great over the fireplace, above the cabinets, or draped above a window.  They are electric so you don't need to bother with batteries.  And there are tons of craft supplies on my site as well.  Check out my shop.  

I am working on a new pattern and you are gonna love it.  Can you believe it?  It is following my bee theme.  Hope to have it perfected soon!

Have a great weekend, my peeps.  Talk to you soon!

A Year in the Life

 A lot has happened in the year since I posted.  In addition to another birthday, we have spent our time on home projects such as painting the exterior and working on our bathroom.  I had a total knee replacement right before Thanksgiving and am doing wonderfully.  I started my first bee hive

but sadly, I lost it.  I have two more ordered and expect to take delivery next month.

I did two small craft shows last fall.

I finished classes and became a member of my church.

And Randy and I celebrated (quietly) our 50th wedding anniversary.  

I also started a temporary job with the Census Bureau and continue to ghost write for a company located in Colorado and run my two Etsy shops.  

I believe if you go too slow, you stop.  That being said, I can feel myself slowing down a bit.  Our current project is building a goat barn for our three babies we should get if a few weeks.  Life is so exciting!  I am still learning new things every day.  And I have started another blog.  Check it out when you get a minute:  https://livingonthecheep.blogspot.com/

Hope to get back to posting on a regular basis.  Love to all!