Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Fall Harvest 2011

Busy, Busy, Busy finishing up the metal roof yesterday...It should be finished by the end of today. Yippee!!! Anyway, I thought I would share with you a few pictures of some of our fall harvest. Purple and orange carrots, cabbage, and potatoes (the potatoes aren't shown)





Monday, September 26, 2011

Apple Pie: The Sequel, Heirloom Herb Seeds, and a Craft

Yesterday was simply a lazy day. I think I stayed in my pj's until early the early afternoon and scanned over numerous craft blogs (my most recent obsession). Looking at all of the craft blogs and searching for authentic Cath Kidston fabrics for a reasonable price (an impossible feat, I assure you), I was in a very crafty mood. So, I made some Assam black tea, turned on a Hilary Gardner Christmas cd, and decided to make this project. And this is how mine turned out...



Not too bad, if I do say so myself. This could be worn as a pin on a blouse, a cute hair accessory, or on a Fedora such as this one:



Oh, and here's a shot of my hot glue gun posing (I made such a mess with that thing! It was pretty ridiculous)




After we all ate dinner and began scrounging around for some dessert, we all came to realize that there was only about two slices left of the apple pie! At a few people's requests, I decided to quickly assemble another pie, so that everyone could have some. This time, I remembered to take a picture...



Today was mostly spent stacking firewood in the quonset hut (aka, the spaceship). We won't be able to use any of the birch or cottonwood we cut this year, because it is all pretty wet. But we do have a good stack of spruce for the winter. J, Ricky, Courtney, and I also worked on the metal roof some more. We are all really eager to finish that project!

A little over a week ago, I sent out an order for some heirloom herb seeds to grow in the house during winter. We are both pretty excited that we will be able to have fresh herbs for cooking. Today I received only one pack of seeds. (I called the company and the guy said that they shipped my Rosemary seeds separate from all the rest, and that I will be receiving the others tomorrow. Why they would separate them is beyond me...) Anyway, we should be getting the following seeds soon:

Large Leaf Basil
Chives
Cilantro
Dill
Lavender
Sweet Marjoram
Italian Oregano
Dark Green Flat Italian Parsley
Sage
Thyme
Mint
Lemon Basil


After I spent the evening scurrying around trying to finish the evening chores (milking, feeding, and watering the goats, doing the dishes, cleaning my milking equipment, taking laundry off the line and putting fresh clothes back on it, and folding the laundry), I am thoroughly exhausted. Anyway, that's all for now folks.

Goodnight!

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Ted Dekker Obsessed, a partial winter reading list

As fall is coming to a close, and winter is rapidly approaching (there is snow on both King's Mountain and Pioneer Peak, by the way) I have composed a partial winter reading list. Now, about 99% of my reading list is composed of Ted Dekker books. I was first introduced to Ted Dekker after I began dating my husband. He started me on a wonderful book called Black, and I have been obsessed ever since. Ted Dekker is a wonderful author, who possesses a remarkable ability to send your mind on spectacular adventures of creativity and ingenuity. Anyway, I thought I would share a bit of my winter reading list...

Black:The Birth of Evil
Red: The Heroic Rescue
White: The Great Pursuit
Green: The Beginning and the End
Showdown
Saint
Sinner
Chosen
Infidel
Renegade
Chaos
Lunatic
Elyon
House
Skin
Immanuel's Veins
The Blood Book
Genesis: The Birth of an Idea
Forbidden
Blink
Thr3e
Obsessed
Adam
Kiss
BoneMan's Daughters
The Bride Collector
The Priest's Graveyard
Blessed Child
A Man Called Blessed
Heaven's Wager
When Heaven Weeps
Thunder of Heaven
The Martyr's Song
The Promise
The Drummer Boy
The Gunslinger
To Kill with Reason
The Slumber of Christianity: Awakening a Passion for Heaven on Earth
Tea with Hezbollah

J's 25th Birthday

Last night we celebrated my husband's 25th birthday...So I bought him a wheelchair and some dentures. Haha, I kept reminding him all day that he is now a quarter of a century old! Anyway, my mother-in-law, Shannon cooked a SCRUMPTIOUS feast of Chicken Fried Steak, Fried Okra, Black Eyed Peas, Creamed Corn, Biscuits, Lima Beans, and a gravy that was simply too delicious.



J and I...



The family...




For dessert, I made J's favorite, apple pie. But I forgot to snap a picture of it before we dug in. I ended up taking a picture of what was left over, but the apple pie remnants were not very photogenic. So I will simply leave you with the recipe:


Basic Pie Pastry

1 3/4 c. soft whole wheat flour
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. canola oil
3 T. cold water

Put flour & salt in a large bowl; toss with fork. Make a well in center; fill with oil and water. Blend briefly with fork, then, using wide sweeping strokes, stir briskly until evenly mixed. Dough will be dampish and oily. Put dough in pie dish, and press out to cover the bottom and sides of dish evenly.


Apple Pie Filling

4 granny smith apples, sliced, cored, and peeled (I used an apple peeler/corer/slicer)
1 c. sugar
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/4 c. cornstarch
dash of salt
2 T. butter

Mix ingredients together, except butter. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter. And place on top of the pie crust in your pie dish.


Crumb Top

1/2 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. soft whole wheat flour
3/4 c. oatmeal (I ground up oat groats, so that the "rolled" oats were fresh)
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. salt

Mix ingredients except butter. Cut butter in with a pastry cutter, until mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs. (If crumb top becomes too dark while baking, cover loosely with foil, but remove foil the last few minutes of baking so the topping will be crisp)


I assembled the entire pie, and baked it in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes, then I turned the oven off and left it in there until we were finished eating dinner (about 15 minutes)


We are all still recovering from our food comas, but with a little coffee and a few trips to the royal throne, I think we will be in good shape! (A very round shape, that is)

Saturday, September 24, 2011

The Homestead, lately. And some crafty ideas

I thought I would share a little bit of what we have been working on lately. We are in crunch time squared in order to get everything that needs to be done, done before the ground freezes. It was 38 degrees this morning, and there's snow on both Pioneer Peak and King's Mountain. You know what that means... WINTER!!! J and I, well mostly me, are freezing our tail feathers off in the RV. So it's time to crack the whip and get things moving so that we can get into our house. We are now halfway done with the metal roofing. It will be a huge relief, mostly for J and Ricky (because they are the ones actually getting on the roof) when the metal is on the house. I am very satisfied with the color we chose, and it will be interesting to see how it goes with the house once the logs are stained and have darkened. So here are a few pictures from the past couple of days...



Ricky and I cutting the metal roofing... The orange hard hat was not necessary for the task, but I couldn't find any other sort of hearing protectors, and the sawzall was extremely loud.



J on the roof...







So, the other day when I went into town, I decided to stop by the fabric department at Walmart and Joann's (a VERY dangerous place!) I came home with a ton of fabric remnants and some other odds and ends, feeling very creative and inspired by the following projects... Hopefully, you will see future posts on these!















Sunday, September 18, 2011

Cajeta

It was actually a few months ago when I made this, but I thought I should share this yummy cajeta recipe. Cajeta is a mexican caramel, which is delicious on ice cream or in caramel rolls. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 quart fresh raw goat's milk
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 Tbs. cornstarch




Begin by stirring the baking soda and cornstarch into a small amount of the milk, being sure to completely dissolve any lumps.




Pour the remainder of the milk into a pot, and add the sugar, stirring to dissolve. Finish by adding the baking soda mixture.




Bring to a boil over medium to medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Adjust the heat setting as needed to maintain a steady boil, without allowing the mixture to boil over. Continue stirring.





Now, it takes about 45 minutes to and hour of stirring. But, trust me, it is totally worth the wait!

Raw Milk Revolution

Before I married my husband and moved out to the country, I had never really thought about what I ate or drank. Okay, that sounds pretty bad...Let me clarify, I never thought too hard about where the food or beverage that I was eating/drinking had come from. After living out in rural land for while, I have come to realize that there is a huge, and I mean HUGE disconnect between people and the food they eat. It's actually pretty sad to think about the ignorance that most people (including myself) have about the where food truly comes from and the process in which it is prepared. Anyway, I will save the rest of this spiel for another blog post. I am hear today to tell you about my raw milk revolution, or maybe it's a revelation, or maybe it's both! As you know, my husband and I own our own milk goats, which I milk twice a day. Now we do not purchase store bought milk, but I am sad to say we do purchase store bought cheeses, coffee creamer, and sometimes even half-and-half. I have to admit I am pretty ashamed of it now , and I will explain to you why. After failed cheese and butter making attempts on my part, my husband and I have begun to discuss the idea of buying a Dexter cow. The first question he had was, "Are Dexter's A1 or A2 milk producers?" Now for those of you who don't know about A1 and A2 milk, I will explain. All milk contains a protein called casein, or beta-casein. And this protein contains an amino acid called BCM-7, which is a powerful opiate that is directly linked to negative health effects. All types of milk also contain an amino acid called proline. In A1 type milk, proline mutates into histidine. Histidine has a weak hold on the BCM-7 amino acid. So, basically, BCM-7 overpowers histidine and thus, its negative effects remain. I hope you are sitting down, because I am about to tell you something absolutely frightening and something that I hope will make you think twice next time you reach for that ice-cold glass of milk.... A1 type milk has been linked to the following illnesses: diarrhea, cramps, bloating, osteoporosis, arthritis, heart disease, cancer, recurrent ear infections, colic in children and infants, type 1 diabetes, infertility, leukemia, and autism. Scary, huh?! Lactose-intolerance is the number one allergy in the United States. The interesting thing about this is that most lactose-intolerant people are only allergic to A1 milk, not A2. Now, in A2 milk, proline has a strong bond with BCM-7 which thus cancels out it's negative effects. A2 milk can be found in goats, sheep, Jersey, Guernsey, and Asian and African breeds of cows.

Now, you may ask, why don't I just drink pasteurized A2 milk? Why raw? First of all, you will not be able to find A2 milk in the stores. Most dairy farms use newer breeds of cows, such as Holstein, as their milk producers. So, if you are wanting A2 milk, you will most likely have to buy it from the owner of the A2 milk producing animal. Let me explain a little bit of what happens to milk during the pasteurization process... The milk is heated to approximately 145-150 degrees Farenheit for about 30-60 minutes. During that time, the structure of the milk proteins are drastically changed causing the milk to lose nutrients including beneficial bacteria such as lactobacillus acidolphilus, vitamins and enzymes, and much of its calcium content. If that isn't reason enough to switch to raw milk, how about this... Raw milk is easier to digest, it contains probiotics that are essential for preventing illnesses, it doesn't go bad like regular milk, and finally, it tastes a million times better!

If you are interested in finding raw milk, I would suggest looking on your local craigslist advertising site. I know that there are a lot of folks who sell either the milk or animal shares. (An animal share means that you own part of the animal. Usually you are charged a "start-up" fee, and then you pay anywhere from 8-12 dollars for a gallon of milk per week)


Cheers to healthy dairy!