Queen's Edge Farm: Lightening

Friday, August 28, 2009

Lightening

Great Pyrenees

I wish I had a camera to take a picture of the awesome lightening displays going on outside right now. We were blessed with one inch of rain last night, and it rained this afternoon also. I don't know how much we received this afternoon/evening. I'll check in the morning.

My little Pyrenees pup was delivered this afternoon. He is 5 months old, and it is the first time he has been away from his mom. He was shaking most of the afternoon, but the girls fed him dog biscuits all afternoon and loved on him, and he now wags his tail when we walk over to the pen. He is staying with the goats in their pen tonight. Since he is a livestock guardian dog, and he has been with goats since he was a baby I hope he does pretty well with them in there with the babies. I haven't decided on a name yet. Oh! the other day we were coming home, it was about 7:30 in the evening and a coyote crossed right in front of us. We had never seen a live coyote, most people never do, though we have heard them every night for the past two years. This morning there was a small group of coyotes in the field behind the barn, just sitting there howling. This was 9 a.m. in the morning! I can only assume because of the heavy rain last night that they didn't get to hunt and were out this morning. Pretty awesome, Lauren and I were excited. I feel better with the Pyr pup in the pen with the chickens and goats. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pyrenees

Earlier this afternoon, I was rushing to get several boxes in the barn, as well as, my electric heaters. I play to use the wood stove primarily this winter, but the electric heaters will come in handy for the bathroom and the bedroom, and I didn't want them ruined by the rain. I still have a pile of boxes I want to get into the barn. I'd like to get it all done tomorrow morning, but it will be difficult as I am by myself with James tonight. The girls stayed with their dad this evening. It'll be hard to move the boxes and juggle him at the same time, I may use the stroller, though I did just clean it. In addition, I'd like to get all the excess "stuff" that has been stored behind the cabin and put it in the barn. Things like the ladder, paint cans, a plastic bin full of tools, etc.

There is also a lot of trash blowing around. I also would like to take all the laundry to the laundry mat and get it all done. Without having a dryer it is difficult to get it all done. Now it's all been rained on, as it was sitting in a basket by the washer, outside. It's a race to get it washed now before it mildews. I really can't wait until I can get the washer and dryer under the cover.

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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.