Queen's Edge Farm

Friday, March 6, 2009

Well, I went and ordered the paint for the cabin. Originally, we were going with white to help reflect the heat off the cabin, but really no amount of color is going to help a metal container sitting in a field in South Texas, so we are painting it a sand color to help blend in with the countryside around it. We are painting the inside white. I am also picking up the film for the windows. It states that it reduces 70% of heat coming through the windows, so hopefully that will help. My other option is placing a sprinkler on the roof, and running it full time during the hottest part of the summer to help lower the temps some. I am also looking at a military camo tent to go over the cabin that will, with luck, deflect some of the heat also. I want to insulate it eventually too.

I also picked up another gallon of the white gloss for the interior, and a small can of stain to re-do my great grandmother's dining room table. The girls both picked out a flower to plant beside where my dad's ashes are placed. I really wanted to get a lot of veggies and blackberry bushes, but I restrained myself. I need the money more for the cabin than for plants.

After work today, we headed to town to purchase the items to install the toilet. We didn't take the truck, we should have, which would have saved us a trip and gas. We will have to go back tomorrow to get the rest of the PVC pipe and the concrete pilings to put under the cabin. It will have to be jacked up and leveled to get it to the appropriate height. The plan is also to get the tankless water heater tomorrow, as well as, stop by the Habitat for Humanity store and check on the availability of their 36" wide shower stall. I had also checked for items for the kitchen, and located an 8 foot long counter top for $50.00 and a double stainless steel sink for $30.00. Instead of cabinet bases, I hope to use the rough cut lumber that we have that is about 12 feet long to make heavy legs for the counter. That way I can store my wheat buckets and such under the counter top. It will also save us money by using lumber we have instead of buying those expensive kitchen cabinet bases. I haven't broached the subject of open shelving yet, trying to get one thing done at a time. We finished painting the floor of the cabin using the Hunter Green Porch Paint. I like it, though it does show dusty foot prints really well.

So far it looks like this:

toilet installed and connected to septic - DONE
trench dug and pipe laid from well to toilet - DONE
shower stall installed - DONE
run commercial grade extension cords from power pole to cabin - DONE
mount and plug in tankless water heater for kitchen sink and shower
build counter for kitchen area
install sink
install two burner stove (this will be for later use, as we will cook on the propane stove for now)
buy propane for stove
paint cabin - DONE
install AC
put film on windows
build walls to enclose bathroom - DONE
set up cabin
start going through stuff
MOVE

Buy:

quilts for walls
counter top
shelving
counter fridge
film for windows
2 gallons paint - sand
wood flooring

*still need to purchase items to finish the other tasks above

Ideas for small spaces: http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/wolfe92.html

No comments:

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.