Queen's Edge Farm: Another Day of Cold Weather

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Another Day of Cold Weather

Wow, it's turning out that we actually ARE having a Winter after all. We usually are not that cold by this time, but it's been so cold the past few weeks that our massive wood pile, has dwindled down to only a few days worth. We will have to get out and cut more wood this weekend. I hope Rodney isn't working, or we are going to be COLD. In addition, with only 7 weeks to go until the baby is due, I am not really looking forward to helping with the wood. This baby is so heavy, all I want to do is sit or lay down so that it doesn't hurt, which happens every time I walk, or turn over in the bed. It's so strange, that with this being the fourth baby, and having virtually NO stretch marks, that I get them with this fourth one, which is the biggest baby so far, at least by the size of my stomach. No idea about weight until he's here. But I didn't look pregnant at all with the first two, and only a little bit when I was due with Hannah, but I showed early with this one which made me think I was having twins. But the doctor said no, it's only one big, fat, baby boy.

We picked up Hannah's new baby bunny this morning. A New Zealand white with blue eyes, five weeks old, and that Hannah has named Isabella. They are fighting over who gets to hold it, though it is Hannah's rabbit. I talked to the breeder's husband for a bit, and found out that they heat their house with wood too! I don't meet many people who do that, and normally when I talk about it I get "strange" looks. He told me that until this year they heated with propane, but due to the high cost of propane this year, they have a box wood stove. I wish we had ours still connected in the house, I am convinced that it heats better than the one we have now.

Back to the girls fighting over the rabbit. Lauren, at 11 years old, doesn't know how to share very well. This ugly trait has been rearing it's head lately, and it will have to be addressed. Since I have been pregnant she is very grumpy, and keeps telling Hannah that I won't love her anymore once the baby is here. And that I love Hannah more than her....none of this is true, and I have told her that, but Lauren keeps insisting that is true, and wants to spend more time with her dad because she is convinced that I don't love her anymore. I don't know if this stubbornness and moodiness is a sign that puberty is on it's way, or that Lauren is being more of a brat than normal.

The girls and I went out to feed the animals already, so that's done. The low tonight is supposed to be 39, and I didn't want to be out there when it was getting dark.

I've finished wrapping all the presents that I have for the girls, there are a couple that haven't come in yet. I still need to get Taylor's. I want to get him a Carthart jacket with a hood, and either money or a Walmart card so that he can get the things that he needs. Since he doesn't live here anymore, I am not really aware of anything, other than a coat that he requires.

We are having soup and grilled cheese for dinner tonight. I wish I had some tomato soup here, but I have my cases of tomato soup at the cabin.

I am almost finished with the baby afghan that I am crocheting. I can tell I didn't pay attention because it's about 60 inches long, and will only be 27 inches wide. But it'll be warm, if not too pretty.

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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.