Queen's Edge Farm: The Smell of Bread

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

The Smell of Bread

I don't think there is anything better than the smell of bread. Unless, it's a cooking ham. I made boneless smoked pork chops for dinner, which give off that smoky, salty smell that you can taste, and along with the fresh bread I made, was YUM!

It's a beautiful day, in the 80's and sunny. We had a day at home, catching up on school work, and then driving down to the next town to go to the library. We have a small library here, but recently applied for a card closer to where we will be living. It's a much bigger library, and nicer.

After dinner, the girls and I drove out to check on the chickens. They were totally out of water, and food! So, we filled both gallon containers, and I filled the feed container with a mixture of, about 1/2 way full, of scratch, laying mash, and oyster shell. The scratch metal trash can had four little mice huddled in it. Kind of startled me, when I reached in.....someone had left the lid off...hmmm...One little mouse was dead (probably the Decon I put out), and the other two babies and mama size mouse I scooped up in the scoop and dumped them on the ground. They'll get into the Decon before too long, I'm not going to actually squish them myself, especially with the girls watching (they wanted to keep them as pets...rolling eyes here).

Lauren made brownies tonight, it's a small pan, but they were good (all gone now). Tomorrow we are headed to the Zoo, and will hang out in the Reptile building, getting a good eyeful at the snakes, so hopefully we will recognize a good one from a bad one (rattlesnakes, copperheads and water moccasins). I still can't believe we killed two this past week! How scary!

Lauren is still reading "My side of the mountain" and is determined to get a Perigrine falcon of her own someday. We looked up the information, and she needs to read as much info as possible about hawks, falcons, birds of prey, and falconry in general. She can then apply for an Apprentice permit, which takes two years to complete, and then it takes seven MORE years to become a Master Falconer. Don't know if she'll make it, but she's reading more, so who am I to complain. LOL!

She starts tennis lessons next Wednesday, as part of a homeschooling group. They are $10.00 a lesson, so affordable.

Friday, is Homeschoolers Day at Fiesta Texas, and we plan to attend.
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I wanted to let everyone know about a worthy Scholarship program. It is a therapeutic riding stable called Seven Gables Farm. A friend of mine has a little girl who takes riding lessons there, and I am trying to do what I can to help raise money for her little girl to continue with the lessons.

If you don't have a child with a disability, you don't understand how hard it is to find something that gets across to them, and that they can develop an interest in....this friend has NOT asked for any help, but I'd love for everyone to pray, and consider sponsoring a week. It is $45 a week. If you are interested please let me know and I can send Pay Pal, or if you wish to remain anonymous go to www.sevengablesfarm.com, print off the general scholarship form, and mail to the riding stable. The funds can be designated in the name of Allie Johnson. The Johnson's have several children with disabilities, and are adoptive/foster parents.

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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.