Queen's Edge Farm: The Power of Motherhood

Monday, November 30, 2009

The Power of Motherhood - Isaiah 66

I have felt for a long time a specific need, though I receive criticism at times, to mother my children a certain way. It wasn't until I read this verse, and heard of the book entitled "Power of Motherhood" that I realize that it is okay the way I do things.

For instance when James doesn't feel well, is fussy, or has hurt himself I wipe his tears, rock him, and offer him a chance to nurse. It only takes a few seconds to comfort him, and then he is off to explore again. I received a little criticism this weekend for "nursing on demand", which irritates me. And I have been asked by several people "Are you STILL nursing?" "When are you going to stop, etc.,?" I feel like saying "What's it to you?"

I don't understand why it bothers people that I LOVE nursing my babies. They are only little for such a short period of time. I don't want to be made to feel guilty. I even had a man say that women who nurse are selfish, because it means then that the father can't feed the baby. I wanted to scream. Selfish?! Is he crazy? If a man/father REALLY wants to be a father and help parent, he will find ample opportunity to help with the baby/children, the short period of time it takes to nurse the baby is not taking away from the other hours in the day a man can bond with his children. Plus, I don't know many men who REALLY help with their kids anyway. As much as I love my dad, he didn't help with us. He never attended a tennis match, a violin recital, a school program, or church special that I or any other sibling participate in. His job was working. And he did it great. My dad was a work-a-holic. He loved to work, and lived to work. Even on his day's off, he would often go in because he felt useless without working. When my dad wasn't working, he was asleep. I am sure he was tired from working to support five kids, but it felt like he didn't want to be part of our lives, so he worked.

Nursing a baby isn't selfish, it is the most SELF LESS thing you can do. I don't think a man could understand how much a mother "dies to self" when she is a mother. Not many men can say the same thing, at least no man I know. To go without sleep, showers, bathroom breaks, meals just to care for a baby. It can be frustrating, but it is also the most wonderful thing in the world. If I had been less selfish, woke up earlier to God's dictates for my life, and in a more godly relationship, I would have had more children. Sadly I only have four living children. A couple are already in heaven with God, and I wonder what they look like, and what kind of person they would have been. It can be heartbreaking if you allow yourself to dwell on it, so I push it to the back of my mind most days. And because I am 40 I am running out of time to have more children, and plus I am lacking a husband and father for them. I am not looking either. I have ZERO plans to ever get married again. The children are worth it, but the pain of giving every part of yourself to a man to only be rejected in every way possible is too much for me to want to go through EVER again. I will content myself with raising my children and enjoying every moment of their lives. Something most parents aren't able or willing to do.

"A capable, intelligent and virtuous woman, who is he who can find her? She is far more precious than jewels and her value is far ABOVE RUBIES or pearls."
Proverbs 31:10

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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.