Queen's Edge Farm: Columbus Day

Monday, October 8, 2007

Columbus Day

I just wanted to share this photo with you. It's my dream home. (just kidding)
It's called a Hillbilly RV.

Happy Columbus Day! In observance of the holiday we took off homeschooling today. Tomorrow we will learn why.

On the schedule is to pick up the tags for the truck at the county seat, then drive Taylor to school. In the evening, my sister Ann and I are headed to my dad's former job to pick up his personal belongings and last check.

Now, that the hectic pace of summer is winding down, I wanted to encourage people to start stocking up and preparing for the winter, a natural disaster or worse. No, I am not crazy. I prepare mainly for natural disasters, with an eye on a bigger break down in society being plausible, if not possible.

Last year I made certain we had enough wood on the property. I didn't split and stack it, that was DS and DH jobs, but I did make sure I located it throughout the year and got it here.
I made sure we had enough food, mainly so I wouldn't have to go out in the cold, and that we had enough water on hand for three days or so. This came in handy when we had an ice storm. Everyone around me had trouble staying warm, but with our wood stove, we were fine. I even cooked our meals on it (normally soup or chili).

I know I am better prepared this year, though I do want to add more shelves to the pantry and stock up with at least a year's worth of food.

If you look back in my blog you can see where I took inventory of my pantry. I want to encourage you to do the same, and to take seriously the curve balls that life throws at us. Who knows what weather lies ahead this winter or what financial straits will pop up in the coming months. Having enough food on hand will take some stress off.

I try to encourage my extended family, but other than my inlaws (who lived during the depression, and the direct aftermath of the depression) no one takes me serious.

While I love my family, I am only prepping for my immediate family (myself and kids), everyone else is on their own. I can't provide for everyone, they need to provide for themselves, and not bother coming here, unless they come prepared.

Of all my family, I can only thing of one that would be an asset, and he is a hunter, the rest are too citified.

On my DH side, his parents would be useful, his brother too is an experienced hunter. My FIL is the greatest asset I know, but he is in his mid 70's, and it is hard dragging info from him. I wish I had a better relationship with him, so I could pick his brain. He grew up on a farm, was a sharecropper, hog farmer, in the military, and can fix or make just about anything. Along with my husband, we would be fine. If, we could band together. I don't really want to leave my home, as all my preps are here, and we are in better shape prep wise, but the inlaws have the land.

Okay, enough of a ramble....have a good night everyone.

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Grandma's Yummy Cinnamon Rolls

2 pkgs active dry yeast or 5 tsps if using bulk yeast
1/2 cup warm water (not too hot)
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup shortening, butter, margarine
2 tsps salt
2 cups milk, scalded
1 1/2 cups cold water
10 to 12 cups flour (white or whole wheat)

Yield: 4 loaves

Soften yeast in warm water, springkle in a tsp of the sugar
In LARGE mixing bowl blend sugar, shortening, salt and milk until shortening is melted. Add cold water, cool to luke-warm. Stir in yeast. Gradually add flour to form a stiff dough. Knead on floured surface until smooth and satiny, 5 to 10 minutes. Place in greased bowl, turning dough to grease all sides. Cover with foil or damp towel. Let rise in warm place (85 to 90 deg) until light and doubled in volume about two hours. Punch dough down by plunging fist in center. Knead dough for about 5 minutes.

Roll out one fourth of dough to a 16 X 12 inch rectangle. Brush with 2 TBSP of melted butter. Combine 1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar, 1/3 cup sugar and 1 1/2 tsp of cinnamon (or more to taste). Sprinkle mixture over dough. Starting with 16 inch side, roll jellyroll fashion. Either cut into 16 1 inch slices or leave as a whole loaf. Place on a greased pan, cover and let rise in warm place until light, about 30 to 45 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees about 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Mix one box 10X sugar with 2 tbsps water. If too stiff, add more water until icing consistency, add a drop of vanilla too. Spread on baked bread while bread is still warm.

2010 Homestead Stats

Laundry Soap

Homemade Laundry Soap:
1/3 bar Fels Naptha or other type of soap, as listed above
½ cup washing soda
½ cup borax powder
~You will also need a small washpan or bowl that holds about 2 gallons.

Grate the soap and put it in a sauce pan. Add 6 cups water and heat it until the soap melts. Add the washing soda and the borax and stir until it is dissolved. Remove from heat. Pour 4 cups hot water into the washpan. Now add your soap mixture and stir. Now add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir. Transfer soap (using a funnel if necessary) into empty plastic laundry holders, milk containers (I use my empty glass milk bottles and old Fab containers) Let the soap sit for about 24 hours and it will gel. You use ½ cup per load.

Wild Mustang Grape Jelly

Wild Mustang Grape Jelly

5 cups grape juice (about 3 1/2 pounds of ripe grapes)1 (1 3/4 ounce) box of sure-jel pectin7 cups sugarBefore getting started it is best to clean the entire kitchen, making sure the sink is empty. Bleach the sink and all utensils used in making jelly (I do this as I sell my grape jelly as part of my homesteading business.)

Wash the canning jars in warm soapy water, and rinse well. Set off to side.

Place a large pan of water on the stove to heat. Once it starts steaming, place lids and rings in the bottom, and 2-3 jars (depending on if you use actual jelly jars or pints) to sterilize.

Next make the grape juice using clean washed grapes (make sure you use rubber gloves when picking or washing wild grapes)To 3 1/2 pounds of clean grapes (6 cups of grapes) add 1 1/2 cups water.Bring to a boil and simmer covered for 10 minutes.Strain and squeeze out all of the juice with cheese cloth (see paragraph below)
I didn't have cheese cloth, so I poured the grape mixture into a large spaghetti strainer with a large pan underneath. I had to stir it around some as the skins and seeds would sink to the bottom, and clog the colander up. Stirring allowed the liquid to drain out. I then used a large metal spoon and squished it some to get more of the juice out.

In a very big pan, put 5 cups of the juice (it’s okay to add no more than ½ cup water to even out amount)Add the fruit pectin to the juice.Mix well.On high heat, bring to a full rolling boil, and boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly.Stir in sugar all at once, and bring back to a full rolling boil, again boil hard for 1 minute stirring constantly.
Remove jelly from heat, skim off foam
Use a large spoon inserted inside the jar to lift CAREFULLY out of the water. DO NOT TOUCH THE INSIDE OF THE JAR OR THE RIM WITH YOUR HANDS.
Ladle jelly into hot jars, place a lid and ring onto jar (do not tighten yet).
Set jars to the side. After a while you should start hearing “pings” as the jar seals.
When jars are completely cool, tighten rings and store on pantry shelf.**SIDE NOTE: Wild Mustang Grapes are normally ready the end of June, so be prepared. Keep an eye open for vines on the side of the road, or any that friends and family may have growing in their yard. Many people just let them grow and don’t do anything with them, so it shouldn’t be hard to find a good supply. Also, the more you pick off the vine, the more the vine produces new grapes, so you probably won’t EVER run out of grapes to use until the vine dies or you get sick of making jelly. Good luck and feel free to contact me at queensedgefarm@yahoo.com for questions.