Queen's Edge Farm: Happy Mother's Day

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Happy Mother's Day

This morning Rodney was up early, at 7 a.m., and left to put more posts in for the fence, while it was still cool. He took Baeta with him in the cab of the truck. We left for church around 10 am, and didn't get back home until 1:30 pm. Rodney and Baeta arrived shortly afterwards. The dog was FILTHY. He said she had a ball running around on the land, wading and swimming in the pond, AND digging up my garden. A portion of my corn, and one jalapeño plant has bit the dust. Now to replant the corn for the third time (sigh).

I took a nap around 3 pm ( we had Chinese for lunch). I woke around 5 p.m., and we left to go to the land to ride in the new wagon that Rodney made, and for everyone (but me) to hit golf balls. Baeta enjoyed chasing down the golf balls, but didn't want to give them back, she kept hoarding them. We took the two puppies and Muffin too. Baeta is getting along great with the puppies, though I think they annoy her when they start climbing on her back or trying to lay down with her. She'll share her food, but not her sleep space.

Baeta did try to run down Muffin today. Apparently, she snapped at her, and Baeta lunged at her, and chased her underneath the car. We put Muffin in the car where she took a nap for a while. Baeta proceeded to show the puppies how to play in the pond. First, it started by walking along the edges, then Baeta waded into the deeper end, swam across the middle, and then started rolling in the muddy water at the shallow end. I have never seen a dog roll UNDER water before. She was totally brown and dripping wet when she was done. She let all that mud dry on her, and then she rolled in the grass to get it off.

Rodney got her to jump up in the bed of the pickup, and we took the smaller back roads home so that she could ride in the back, at a slower pace. We didn't feel comfortable with her in the back, and riding on the highway, since this was new for her. I forgot my camera, or I would have taken a picture. Hopefully, I'll remember next time.

We left the puppies out with Baeta again, because Baeta was lonely a little last night, and tried to paw out of the gate. When we let the puppies out, she laid down and went to sleep. They are all three so tired from playing at the land, they didn't even eat their dinner, but plopped down in the grass and went to sleep right away.

We picked up pizza from Dominoes in Castroville, and watched Shark Tales with the girls. Everyone is in bed now, and it's quiet.

All in all, it was an okay Mother's Day!

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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.