Queen's Edge Farm: A Day To Reflect

Sunday, December 14, 2008

A Day To Reflect

Well, I've had a day to reflect on my post from yesterday. I still think people can be downright moronic when it comes to self preservation. I feel compassion, primarily for the elderly who can't move around very well, and the children at the mercy of their brain dead parents.

You don't have to be rich to prepare for a severe winter. There are thrift stores, yard sales, craigslist, word of mouth, and from personal experience, if you are on food stamps you are quite capable of stocking up on food. For six months one time I received almost $500 a month. That is way more than I spend, so I made sure that I bought cases of vegetables, ground turkey, hamburger, flour and other staples. Just because many view food stamps as "free food money" doesn't give those on food stamps the right to purchase the high dollar food. I think I'd be all for the government restricting food stamps to cover staples like all baking supplies, fruits and vegetables, and certain cuts of meat. I also think they need to include a certain amount for paper products like t.p. (not diapers or women's products, as you can use cloth diapers and make your own women's products).

We bought our wood stove at a junk store for under $100.00 about 10 years ago. Since then we have upgraded our wood stove, and now have the older one installed in the cabin at the land.

Look for warm clothing ALL year, not just at the first cold spell. I was guilty of not preparing a winter coat for Lauren this year. We have about 10 children's coats in assorted sizes around the house, and I hadn't realized that Lauren had grown so much that her last year coat was too small. But in a pinch, she could have worn one of mine. I have lots of gloves, hats and scarves. We don't live in a severe winter area, but if we did, I'd be investing in heavier coats, and boots. When I was little and used to walk to school in the snow (yes, up hill both ways ;-) )I had these great white winter boots that were lined with fleece and rabbit fur. I just loved those boots. I used to want a rabbit coat REALLY bad, and had a friend in high school give me her white one when she didn't want it. Well, I realized I must be allergic to rabbit fur, because I itched like crazy on my face, and my nose and eyes were swollen. I never seemed to have a problem with my feet, and we have rabbits now, and they don't seem to bother me, but man it was a low point when I realized I couldn't wear the rabbit coat. I'd love a mink coat, a really glossy black one, but in South TEXAS not much reason to wear one. (Okay, I am digressing, and getting distracted). My point was know where you live, and keep your eyes open for clothing, alternate ways to cook and heat your home, plus keep a good supply of food on hand. Come on people, grow up a little, be responsible for yourselves, and your kids if you have them.

**More later, I have a blurb on "Man vs. Woman" that I have been thinking about....;-)

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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.