Queen's Edge Farm: More News

Sunday, May 24, 2009

More News

It's been a few days since I've posted. The computer was down, and getting back into the household routine after spending Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the hospital with James is taking a bit more. He is taking his medications, sleeping more, and is a whole new person personality wise. I am not sure if this is due to his feeling better, or age. He will be four months old soon, and is almost 20 lbs. He is a long one too at 26 inches long. He is wearing a size six months. He generally sleeps pretty good from about 11 p.m. - 4 a.m., most of the time.

We have been working fast and furious in getting the cabin together. After a few glitches we are back on track...for now. Please pray for us as we spend a lot of time together, downsize our belongings and move. This is a stressful time for our family due to the move, and the economy. It is leaving both of us stressed to the max.

The electricity is about 90% done, just a few more plugs left. The bathroom light was installed and measurements taken for the small window to go in there. This will provide much needed air and light. Also, in the planning stages is hanging and connecting the Tiny Titan hot water heater. I sure hope it works well, I keep receiving conflicting reports on it's success, and am worried.

The counter top is mounted on rough cut timber legs is installed, along with a new sink and our two burner stove top. This was bought last year and has been in storage. The laminate flooring and the shelving are still to be bought, and will be some of the last things to go in, though I do need the shelving sooner than the flooring. I opted for the counter on the legs in order to more easily store my wheat and food buckets under them. I plan to add a curtain around the edge of the counter to hidge the buckets and legs.

We will be spending all day out there tomorrow, and I am planning on cleaning up a lot of trash, sweeping, wiping and re-arranging "stuff". I am still working on what is going, and where it will be going, not to mention what to do with the left over stuff. I am hoping to have a yard sale to help provide for living expenses and such.

I'd like to start recycling also, once we move. The drawbacks to this are that there is not a recycling center within 40 miles. I'd like to divide out the paper as that could be burned, and then divide out the plastic bottles and cans. Food scraps are to be divided among the chickens (veggie scraps) and the dogs (meat scraps). We don't have trash service out in our area, so I am trying to find ways to reduce our trash outlay. We tend to be very "trashy" people, and generate a lot of trash, something I am hoping to decrease once we move.

I also plan to implement new house rules (living in a small space demands organization) and new eating habits. I am hoping to cut out even more of the fast food trips, as we live further from town. I have been collecting crock pot recipes, and plan to utilize it more. I won't have an oven, so will be using the roaster and bread machine more. I am kind of excited over the move, but also stressed, as we already tend to stress each other out, and in a smaller space it will be worse. The only bright spot is that it is warmer weather and the kids will be outside most of the time.
There are also plans to start adding a large patio/deck on the front of the cabin for relaxing and eating space. This is something that will greatly help with space management. A small lean to/shed is also in the planning stages. I have several pallets that will more than likely be used for the flooring to raise the washer/dryer/refrigerator off of the ground. This will be housed on the North side of the cabin, and is mostly in the shade for a good portion of the day. I'd like to fence in and build my small garden area behind here. I am using the Urban Garden plan out of John Seymour's book and a few ideas from the Path of Freedom folks to get started, adding to the layout over the next few years. Lots of ideas and lots of plans. Many will have to wait until the baby is bigger so that I can accomplish them. It's fairly difficult to accomplish any major task toting a baby with you, especially a grumpy one.

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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.