Frugal Tip

Frugal Tip of the Week

Tuesday June 30

When your a grower of vegetables and flowers collecting

seeds is a very important job. I wanted to let people know

about Blossom Swap.

http://www.blossomswap.com//www.blossomswap.com

This is one of my gardening links

I have posted on my blog. Its about swapping what you

have with someone else and you each get something.

People swap seeds, plants, magazines etc.

For those who are just starting out they can provide

postage. What a great tool to have!

After, your growing season don't forget to collect your seeds.

This will payoff.

Sweet Peas

Saturday June 27

Sweet Peas

This was my first picking of my peas this year. What a

great harvest. Getting out in the garden very early in the

season has payed off. How early you ask, the end of

Februrary I was getting my site ready. I thought

I would be ready to put the peas in right at the

beginning of March. Wrong, here comes snow.

The peas went in after the snow,

According to my picture dates that would mean in the

first week of March.

If there were no stores to buy food from how hard

you would work to get the first crop in.

Maybe, next time I will just put them before the

snow melts. That would start the germination nice

and early.

We are having a great harvest due to good planning.

Colorado

Friday June 26

My trip to Grand Junction Colorado.

The second week of June I was getting ready for

a trip with my husband to Colorado. Getting the

rest of the house ready for my departure. This was a

big undertaking. Thanks for a church family everything

worked out. My dear husband had a business trip out to

Grand Junction, so I joined him on this trip.

Due to me growing up in the midwest it was like

seeing old familiar places again.

This picture is me standing on the top of Grand Mesa.

It was very windy up there and quite chilly.

I have been on the east coast so long I think

I had forgotten how enormous the mountains

are. The last time I was here was when I was

a child.

We stayed in Grand Junction which was really nice.

I got to visit the town. There were so many

fabric stores in this area, it was amazing.

While my husband worked at the hospital I

was able to check out this fabric store.

This store had fabrics I can only look at online

at home. The people were so friendly there it

was just amazing.

I truly feel God brought us there and he blessed

our time together.

Yogurt

Yogurt

Saturday June 6

Making yogurt took one day.

I used whole raw milk for this recipe.

8 cups of whole raw milk

1/2 cup yogurt culture

(store bought)

Place in crock pot for 2 1/2 hours on low.

After, the two and half hours turn off and leave

in the crock pot for 3 hours. Then, add your yogurt

culture and blend. Place towel around crockpot to

hold the heat in, and leave overnight.

The next morning put in container and refrigerate.

You have yogurt.

Now, you can't tell me you don't have time for that.

The kids and I had strawberries and yogurt for a treat.

Although, they added powder sugar to sweeten it up.

Enjoy!

Strawberries

Strawberries

Wednesday June 3

Today I did my first picking of the strawberry bed.

Not too bad for the first picking.

I love growing strawberry's. The main

reason I like to grow strawberries is for

my freezer jam. As I do not buy jelly

from the store. Its just one of those things

I do. Growing up in the midwest no one

we knew would buy jelly from the store.

Right now I have one large bed. Which I

believe is 9 rows. The bed measures 17 ft by

17 ft, there is small paths to walk down. We place

straw in the aisles to keep the weeds down.

This year we used leaf mulch at the beginning

of the season on the strawberry bed. Which acts also

as a mulch for the strawberries. We make

leaf piles and let them decompose for 2 years.

Since, we get a ton of leaves on our little homestead.

We might as well use them. We have sandy soil where

we live so you must continue to build the soil up.

The one thing we changed this year was inter planting

onions in the strawberry bed. I purchased onions seedlings

from a company in Texas in early spring.

This is called companion gardening. It is also about

using your space wisely. There is a book that I like,

its called Carrots Love Tomatoes.

http://www.amazon.com/Carrots-Love-Tomatoes-Companion-Successful/dp/1580170277/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1244070610&sr=1-1

In this book she talks about how to plant good companions to

all sorts of plants. Flowers and herbs along with your vegetables.

What a grand idea.

This year I also have added flowers in the

strawberry bed also for a little color. As you can

see there is a row of chamomile along the Iris bed.

The new flower that I added this year is Salvia.

This is planted along the last row of strawberries,

along with the Iris row.



This picture shows an additional bed of strawberries

that I transfered in early spring. When I was fixing

the rows in the big bed, there are always extra plants.

In this picture you can see the onions we inter cropped.

Beside this bed I have an old cattle fence we use for

climbing flowers. This year I planted climbing Nasturium

next to the fence.




This picture is my very first bed of strawberries.

I began other beds of strawberries due to this bed not

producing very well. What I am finding out is that my

soil is very poor quality. After I applied the leaf mulch

and compost this year they are taller plants.

Happy Gardening!

May Blooms

May Blooms

Friday May 22

The May blooms in the garden are to be shared.

Enjoy!

The Roses are blooming in quanities this year.

I have plenty of blooms to come inside for cut

flowers and plenty for outside adornment.

The yellow Iris is the shortest out my collection.

This is my row Chamomile. A very pretty

flower, but a great herb to have in the garden.

This year I plan on harvesting the flowers for

tea.

The New Skirt

Rachel's New Skirt

Tuesday May 19

New Clothes are always exciting.

I had gotten this jean material at

50% off in early spring.

I managed to squeeze in making this

skirt a couple of evenings ago.

A very simple project.

Nature Study

Nature Study

Monday May 18

The spring here at the little homestead has been busy.

Home education also includes whats going on in the garden.

My daughter Rachel has been doing some studies on flowers.

The first flower study for this year was the Bleeding Heart.

Here is a question for anyone. Do you have information on the

history of this little plant. I am talking about the heirloom

red variety. We have been searching for when it was

introduced. For all you veteran flower gardeners,

look through your books and let us know.

Again, I am always looking for a

new book or old.

The second flower was the Iris.

In our study we take apart the flower and

see how the insects get into the plant to get

the nectar.

My grandmother gave this one to me.

It is finally starting to reproduce.

Iris Flowers

Iris Flowers

Tuesday May 12

These were the first to bloom.

The purple color is so beautiful.

These little yellow Iris flowers I put right

in the vegetable garden two years ago.

These are my tallest Iris's have. I placed some of

right outside the back door among the roses and

lavender plants.

Companion planting I have taken very serious.

Flowers and vegetables planted together.

I also have cabbage and lettuce planted in the same

bed.

Have a great

Day!

Saturday's Lunch

Saturday's Lunch

Today we went to Haddonfield Farmers Market.

This was a real treat.

It was about a hours drive from our home.

My dear husband found someone selling blueberry

bushes for 4 dollars a piece on Craig's List.

It turned out they were going to be at this Farmers

Market.

What a quaint town it was. The old houses, I just love

looking at the different houses. Next, time I will be sure to

take pictures.

I decided to make a nice lunch for us when we got home.

Salmon Patties

taken from Marcia Adams New Recipes

from Quilt Country

1 15 oz can of red salmon, drained

1 1/2 Tablespoons butter or vegetable oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1/4 green pepper, finely chopped

3/4 cup finely crushed saltine crackers

(about 20)

1 Tablespoon finely minced fresh dill

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 shakes of hot red pepper sauce

3 Tablespoons milk

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 egg, beaten

1 1/2-2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

Pick through the salmon and discard the skin

and any bones, set the salmon.

In a medium saucepan, combine the butter or oil,

onion, and the bell pepper. Saute over medium heat for

5 minutes, or until the onion begins to color.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the salmon,

crackers, dill, black pepper, hot pepper sauce, milk,

and lemon juice. Combine lightly, then add the egg

and mix lightly again. Pat down the mixture in the pan

and cut into 6 wedges. Form into thick patties, about

4 inches in diameter. Heat the oil in a sauce pan and

saute for about 3 minutes on each side.

Now, I must tell you a few things.

I did not have all these ingredients, so this is what I did.

My dear husband started getting the salmon from Costco,

I use 3 small cans.

I have no green peppers as I don't use ingredients out

of season. I had no crackers as this is something I have

decided to do away with, unless I could make them.

No, fresh dill as its too early in the season, I used dried.

I was out of milk.

I always leave out the hot pepper sauce and let my family

put it on themselves. I can't eat spicy foods.

The crackers I substituted my ground flour. The milk,

I just used a few more egg whites.

Since I make my own mayonnaise I always have extra

egg whites hanging around.

Of course you will need tartar sauce.

Really Good Tartar Sauce

(from the same book)

1 cup of mayonnaise

2 Tablespoons finely chopped onion

2 Tablespoons finely chopped dill pickle

1 1/2 Tablespoons prepared mustard

1 Tablespoon chopped capers

1 Tablespoon minced fresh parsley


Coleslaw

Recipe is called,

Five Vegetable Coleslaw

(taken from same book)

Serves 6 to 8

8 cups shredded cabbage

(approximately 2 lbs)

1/2 medium onion, sliced

2 celery ribs, julienned

1/2 medium red bell pepper, finely julienned

1 large or 2 medium carrots, shredded

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Dressing

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 Teaspoons black pepper

1/2 cup sugar

1 Tablespoon celery seeds

1 Teaspoon mustard seeds

1 1/2 Tablespoons cider vinegar

Combine the vegetables and let stand for 2o minutes.

Salting the vegetables draws off the liquid in the vegetables.

Drain and set aside.

Prepare the dressing: Whisk together all the ingredients and

add to the vegetables and chill.

This is what I changed.

I usually make half this recipe. My family doesn't like all the

raw onions. I use chives from the garden. Again, I only

use what vegetables are in season. Right, now all we have is

carrots and parsley.

That's okay as everything has a season.

Enjoy!

Baked Beans

Baked Beans

Friday May 7

Since I was a girl at family gatherings someone always brought

baked beans. That was growing up in the midwest. Well,

I live on the east coast now and most people only know of whats

in the can. Here's the recipe I follow. Its from one of my amish

recipe books.

Marsha Adams New Recipes

from Quilt Country

The real ingredient to this recipe is the maple syrup.

You cannot substitute store bought pancake syrup.

Maple Baked Beans

Serves 4 to 6

1 pound or 2 cups of dried white navy beans

Liberal pinch of baking soda

1 cup maple syrup

2 teaspoons ground mustard

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 Tablespoons of Molasses

1/2 cup coarsely chopped onion

1/4 pound salt pork

Soak your beans overnight. Rinse in the morning.

Put in fresh water and place on the stove.

Then pour about a teaspoon of lemon juice into

the pot. Add any left over vegetables you may

have. I always keep any onion, celery, and

carrot ends. Never throw your scrap pieces out.

Do not add salt to the pot in the beginning process

of cooking. They should cook about an hour.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Place your cast iron pan in the oven to get it

hot. Then add some left over bacon grease to

the pan allow this to melt. Add your chopped

onion and allow the onions to soften a little bit.

Then, add your drained beans to the pan.

Mix together your molasses, syrup, mustard and

pepper. Combine with beans and onions stirring

only very gently. Put your salt pork on top and

pour enough liquid to cover beans. Cook covered,

for 6 to 8 hours. I have to tell you I usually only cook

mine for about 4 hours. Do not allow all the liquid

to evaporate though.

Enjoy.

Heirloom Irises

Heirloom Gardening

Tuesday May 5

Violet Iris

I love to grow yesterdays flowers and vegetables.

You could say,I love to do things pulled from times past.

I am always on the look out for different flowers that have

a true scent. When you go to smell a flower you are expecting a

scent.

http://www.oldhousegardens.com/

Iris is one of my favorites. I just got a new

Iris, the link is below. It is just stunning.

http://www.oldhousegardens.com/bigFlwr.asp?Cat=MadameChereau

I have been putting my Iris plants in rows for the past

couple of years. One day who knows I may end up

selling off my extra plants.

I am always looking to learn the historical aspects of these

beautiful flowers.

Relaxing

Relaxing

Saturday May 2

Today was a day of relaxing. I thought we could walk

through the garden.

My cat always follows me into the garden. He is so

patient even when I take long time. The peas are finally

starting to come up and beginning to climb.

The tulips are at their peak.

I have rows of Irises but I have mixed different

flowers among them.


This is the only varigated Iris I have. It does

bloom purple. Last year was the first year it

bloomed.

The strawberries are doing well this year.

The radishes are ready to be picked. They were one the first to be put

in the garden.

This is Elcampane it is a very tall flowering herb. I have it at the end of

the aspargus bed.

These are my baby chicks which we got in the fall. We have just

introduced them to the rest of the flock.

Enjoy your garden or visit one today.

Spring Flowers

Iris Bloom VIII

Tuesday April 29

I found this great blog on the Iris.

http://historiciris.blogspot.com/2008/10/jesses-song.html

Words to Live By, Family

On Saturday we will be having a celebration for my oldest son, Phillip. God has brought him a wife, her name is Allysa. Saturday we will be bringing the two families together. My husband and I are throwing the engagement party to commemarate thier love for one another.

The wedding will be on March 27, 2010.

Look whats in the Garden

Look Whats in the Garden

Thursday April 16

Last fall I planted these plants.

What are these little plants? Mustard greens, and cabbage,

there's nothing like the fresh taste from your garden.

No grocery store can produce that.

I put them against

the house for the winter months. Now in the spring

they are thriving.

These are the lettuce plants my dear husband started indoors.

My little lettuce plants. No, rows just putting them where there

is room.

This is my rhubarb plant that we planted last year.

Working in the Garden

Working in the Garden

Wednesday April 15

In the Garden

Working in the garden is where I have been spending my early hours.

Getting up early gets my work done. This way I have time for

my other duties later in the day.

The air is so crisp in the early hours. It just seems to wake you up.

Do I want to eat healthy food?

I could just go to the store and buy produce

from there. No, they spray the vegetables

heavily with checmicals.

This food is bad for you!

During the war years everyone had gardens.

I believe we need to go back to this.

The gardens were called Victory Gardens.

http://www.revivevictorygarden.org/

Frugal Tip of the Week

Frugal Tip of the Week

Tuesday April 14

The Porch

Hanging laundry out to dry. This week I am centering my attention on

laundry as I am doing spring cleaning. In our home we don't use the

dryer as it cost money. If I don't have to spend money on drying and the

wind will do the drying for me.

That works for me!

Sewing a new Dress

Sewing a new dress

Wednesday April 8

I have finished Rachel's easter dress.

The Little Seamstress

Little SeamstressFriday April 3

Little Seamstress

Teaching my daughter to sew is such a joy. Although

I am learning myself she always inspires me to strive

to try new things. We pick out material together.

Its great when we take a day and just go look at

material. We talk about the different fabrics so you

might say its a learning experience. Most of the time

we buy fabric online, from a few different sources.

Fashion Fabricshttp://www.fashionfabricsclub.com/

Hancock Fabricshttp://www.hancocks-paducah.com/

We have a few fabric stores by us that we like to go.

Joann Fabrics is a good store to go to and they

have coupons. You can also buy from them online.

Stich n Sew is a local store that is close to us. Its

more like a warehouse of apparel fabric and decorator

fabric. They have everything in this store. The only

drawback is the prices are higher than most places.

It is a good place to just look though.

Hand sewing is one of the first places she began.

There's a book on the market that I love to look

through with her as it gives us ideas what to fill

her hope chest with. Which gave her incentive

to sew for herself. She is spending her young years

learning to sew to put away for future years.

The Hope Chest A Legacy of Love

by Rebekah Wilson

http://www.booksonthepath.com/product/00370/TheHopeChestALegacyofLove.aspx

In her education I feel sewing needs to be part

of her everyday lessons.

Right now she is working on making a tote bag.

So for all the little seamstesses out there

continue to learn new techniques.

Even if you sew for a small amount

of time everyday. That is better than not sewing at all.

Mother and Child