Queen's Edge Farm: It's been a long week

Friday, April 3, 2009

It's been a long week

My job in the home building process has been budgeting the money, finding the best prices on materials, providing meals and corralling the kids. Nonetheless it's been a tiring week. We rush out to the land in the afternoons, and spend about four hours out there while the work is being done. The floor will need to be redone. I didn't think through the work involved in painting the walls and ceiling, and the floors were messed up. So, it will either need to be re-painted, though I am leaning towards the wood laminate flooring.

Next on the list is to get the room set up how I want it.

I will have to wait awhile, but keep my eyes open for several quilts in the sage green color, or maybe just get a variety of old patchwork quilts. My idea is to hang these on the wall by the metal loops that were used to tie down freight. These loops are located at the top of the wall.

In the picture above, the black solar lights are inserted into these loops. By hanging quilts by ribbons from these loops it will give a decorative look, plus a small amount of insulation. Plus, leaning against the wall during the heat or cold is a shock to the system. The plywood wall to the left has now been painted a beautiful sage green. The floor is now a grayish white due to the over spray from the walls and ceiling. I can't believe I didn't think about that, I was trying to save work by painting the floor before the furniture was moved back in (due to the weather), but now it all has to be taken out anyway to either paint the floor or put wood laminate flooring in (which I think will be beautiful). The table has been moved out and brought home. I am on the lookout for a bistro style table with two chairs to put against the wall. That way it will give the girls someplace to eat. I'd also like a picnic table for the porch where we will eat most of the time. All these "want to" and "nice to haves" will be waiting on the priority list, as the well is my first priority, then minimal electricity, then on to the addition, and finally the finishing touches.
I will spend the weekend putting sheets on the beds, moving furniture and doing general cleanup of the cabin.

Items to take to the cabin this weekend are:

broom/mop
cleaners
lemon oil
sheets
comforter
t.v./dvd player
heater
shower rod and liner (buy liner at store) - I plan to use a quilt as a shower curtain. I saw this done in a former church member's home and liked it
water to flush toilet
t.p.
nightstand
dresser
trunk
loveseat
vacuum
tablecloth
curtain tiebacks
sewing machine

Once the cabin's bedroom is set up, I'd like to get busy on the items in the barn, but we'll see how my motivation goes, plus the baby's temperament.

No comments:

Post a Comment

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.