Queen's Edge Farm

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

I find myself with a few minutes and thought I'd write here. Many things going on recently, and life is too busy. I have been taking my eldest son to his new job and picking him up. This takes a big chunk out of my day, and uses a lot of gas. I am grateful for the job a friend has given him, and honored to be able to take him, though I admit I do stress at times about the time constraints and gas usage.

It's a chilly night, and I am tending the fire in the living room. It doesn't warm the back room, but I find it prevents the really cold air from drifting into the bedroom. It is 65 in here and that is wonderful. The kids are sleeping, the gingerbread is baking in the oven, and the kittens are scratching at the door to come in. They haven't taken kindly to being booted out. It's been a couple of weeks, but they haven't caught a clue. Making the gingerbread was fun, making me think of "olden days". I only have two electrical outlets in the kitchen area, a few more would be nice. Anyway, I unplugged the microwave so that I could plug in the oven. I placed the butter on a blue enameled plate and set it on top of the wood stove to melt while I measured out the other ingredients. Hannah helped me to stir, she likes to help me cook and make things. It's a little crowded in the cabin's kitchen but we managed to get into the oven to bake for about an hour. I had planned to make molasses cookies to take tomorrow also, but ran out of time and energy, in addition to every time I start a project James wakes up crying.

Bought a bale of old hay today at the feed store and cleaned the goat pen a bit, then spread hay under the lean to and in the big igloo dog house for the goats to get out of the cold weather.

Painted for a couple of hours today at the shoppe, in addition to scraping, sanding, and priming. Lauren helped too, while Hannah watched after James.

Speaking of which, he bit me on the nose last night causing me to bleed. I couldn't see for a while it hurt so bad. He started crying, so I think he must have hurt himself a little.

Have most of the laundry done, cleaned up behind the cabin closest to the washer/dryer. Trying to find some help to get the washer/dryer in the shed, but everyone tends to disappear when I need a little help. Very disconcerting let me tell you.

Worked at the bookstore tonight, the girls played on the computers most of the evening. James crawled around the bookstore, and it was a chore to keep him from pulling books off of the bottom shelves. Between all three of us, we managed it. He was filthy by the time we left, and his once nice white socks are dingy gray.

Just made some tea from the hot water kept in the tea kettle on top of the wood stove. I'd love to sleep on the couch in there by the wood stove, as it is nice and cozy in there, but waking up to an icy room is not on my list of "fun" things to experience first thing in the morning.

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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.