sunday morning

what a wonderfully relaxing sunday morning...

bacon sizzling and
waffle batter in my newly thrifted bowl

spring seedlings coming up nicely

recently acquired vintage dollies & doggies

a yummy pot roast in the crockpot for later

puppy lounging in a vintage blankie & hubby giggling at a movie

aaaaaaahhhhhhhh, apples!

hubby and I went to the local orchard

and got a ton of freshly dropped drops

after the recent wind storm we knew that drops would be perfect

mostly Macs and Cortlands

so much cheaper per lb (only 29 cents - wow!)

we pet and fed the goats, picked some unique squash

and headed home

so I better get busy processing!

this year I am making Caramel Apple Jam, Apple Leather (natural fruit rollups), Dried Apple Rings, Apple Chutney, Frozen Apple Filling and a bunch of fresh eating & baking as well.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH APPLES THIS YEAR?

picklin' time!

the garden has bursted forth w/ harvestable veggies
every evening I poke around my cukes, tomatoes, beans and peppers
I am amazed at how many mature just from the day before - the cukes are especially impressive

photo credit FoodMuseum.com

pickling has officially begun in our farmhouse kitchen - dilly beans, bread & butters, sweet green tomato pickles, etc - the canner has been bubbling and I adore seeing all of the jars lined up neatly in the cupboard filled w/ yummy veggies

just for fun...

The following pickle history comes from Mt. Olive Pickle Company. 

• In 2,030 B.C., cucumbers native to India were brought to the Tigris Valley. There, they were first preserved and eaten as pickles.
  
• Cucumbers are mentioned at least twice in the Bible (Numbers 11:5 and Isaiah 1:8) and history records their usage over 3,000 years ago in Western Asia, ancient Egypt and Greece.
  
• In 850 B.C., Aristotle praised the healing effects of cured cucumbers.
  
• Cleopatra attributed a portion of her beauty to pickles.
  
• The Roman Emperor Tiberius consumed pickles on a daily basis.
  
• Julius Caesar thought pickles had an invigorating effect, so, naturally, he shared them with his legions.
  
• The enjoyment of pickles spread far and wide through Europe. In the thirteenth century, pickles were served as a main dish at the famous Feast of King John.
  
• Pickles were brought to the New World by Christopher Columbus, who is known to have grown them on the island of Haiti.
  
• In the sixteenth century, Dutch fine food fanciers cultivated pickles as one of their prized delicacies.
  
• Cartier found cucumbers growing in Canada in 1535, and they were known to the colonists of Virginia as early as 1609.
  
• Queen Elizabeth liked pickles. And Napoleon valued pickles as a health asset for his armies.
  
• Samuel Pepy's diary mentions a glass of Girkins as something to be highly appreciated.
  
• In 1659, Dutch farmers in New York grew cucumbers in what is now Brooklyn. These cukes were sold to dealers who cured them in barrels and sold them from market stalls on Washington, Canal and Fulton Streets. As it turns out, these pickle purveyors started the nation's commercial pickle industry.
  
• A fondness for pickles has always been a national characteristic of the American people. It's a good thing, since our country's namesake, Amerigo Vespucci, was actually a pickle peddler in Seville, Spain. He supplied ships with pickled vegetables to prevent sailors from getting scurvy on long voyages. While Columbus is credited with discovering America, Vespucci was apparently a better PR man. We're named for him. We became the United States of America -- instead of the United States of Vespucci. And that's probably a good thing, too.
  
• George Washington was a pickle enthusiast. So were John Adams and Dolly Madison.
  
• Pickles inspired Thomas Jefferson to write the following:
  "On a hot day in Virginia, I know nothing more comforting than a fine spiced pickle, brought up trout-like from the sparkling depths of the aromatic jar below the stairs of Aunt Sally's cellar."
  We're still trying to track down Aunt Sally's recipe.
  
• In colonial America, the pickle patch was an important adjunct to good living. Pickles were highly regarded by all of America's pioneering generations because, under frontier conditions, pickles were the only zesty, juicy, green, succulent food available for many months of the year.
  
• In colonial times, and, much later, on farms and in villages, homemakers expected to "put down" some pickles in stone crocks, and to "put up" some pickles and pickle relishes in glass jars.
  
• In 1820, Frenchman Nicholas Appert was the first person to commercially pack pickles in jars.

encouragement

i believe the universe shows little signs of encouragement when you are on a good path...like breadcrumbs sprinkled here & there

maybe its just in my mind, maybe its luck or coincidence - but i do know that whatever it is, it sure does help to keep me encouraged to keep plugging away

for years i have been striving toward a goal of living homemade - grow, mend, make do, upcycle/recycle
you can read about it in my previous post

but this year i have really tried to prepare for some big transitions - we will be building a goat barn and chicken coop this Fall, almost completely from upcycled materials (i will be sure to share some pics as we progress).

goats have been on mind for years & years...in fact my very first blogpost ever was about how dearly i wanted goats.  it is finally going to come to fruition in the next year or so
so i have been researching & reading anything i can about keeping goats - i would LOVE to go to goat school which is a fabulous course founded in Maine.

photo credit:  Homestead Revival

i have also been studying milking goats and how to create wonderful homemade cheeses, butter, sour cream, buttermilk, yogurt, etc.  since i do not have my precious goats yet, i have been practicing with cow's milk - some recipes are ultra-easy, while others take a bit more steps.  keeping and sustaining cultures is fascinating and not hard at all if you stay organized.  i have found great resources on the web and in magazines
i recommend Mother Earth News and Hobby Farm Home magazines
also online check out Homestead Revival - wonderful posts on making a lifestyle change, dairy goats, keeping cultures, etc

so, yes, yes...back to my point...the breadcrumbs...
i have been dreaming of buying several items to help me as i push towards this lifestyle - a grainmill, a yogurt-maker and a dehydrator.  none are cheap.

photo credit: Cooking.com

so rewind to late winter when some friends & family held our annual swap party - everyone comes w/ 10 or so items that they no longer use and we have a fun & frenzied swap, then anything leftover is donated.  so as i placed my items here & there on the tables, i saw an almost brand-new yogurt-maker!!  i was so excited and nervous - i wanted that thing!!!  to keep a very long story short - i got it :)

photo credit: Raw Guru

now fast-forward a couple months - i am at a yard sale w/ my hubby.  it is a good one and we are loading up w/ stuff.  after my initial sweep, i practically bump into a brand-new, in the box dehydrator that i hadn't noticed right away.  it had never been used, all parts were there including the optional upgraded accessories.  i was able to get it for $5

so i know my examples sound very materialistic, but these were items that improved and encouraged my path towards homesteading.  every day i receive all sorts of forms of encouragement...something as small as the swallows happily nesting in our carefully placed birdhouses makes me smile with contentment that this is the right way for us...we are not lost and the next breadcrumb is right up ahead.

the pantry project

over the long, cold Maine winter my hubby built me a new pantry...

it is a work in progress...

the shelving was built from old barnboards
I found the stark white walls, even in this small space, very boring so decided to add some fun

I decoupaged old baking recipes from a vintage book I had that was falling apart - it had wonderful graphics as well

I also had some beat up, but colorful, sugar and cornmeal sacks that were perfect for the whimsical farm look I was going for...a dash here & there of fabric, lace & trim and the space perked right up!

I needed a smaller shelf for spice jars and realized the perfect addition was the small type tray I had been kicking around for over a year trying to find the "perfect spot" - it has found its home and the green was a match made in heaven

I enjoyed every bit of this project but the really, really fun part has begun...scouring my treasures for small kitchen items, old tins and containers.

I was surprised with some beautiful pantry jars as gifts and I love them intermixed with canning jars & repurposed ones.  Simple labels were created on the computer or handwritten.

be creative when repurposing jars & containers but make sure they are clean & food safe!  I've taken giant pickle jars, cleaned throughly to get rid of the "pickle scent/flavor" and then wrapped in scrap fabric.  also try oatmeal or baking powder containers for dry goods (see photos above)

as I mentioned, it is definitely a work in progress - we will be adding screen doors, more storage containers for bulk goods and of course more food :)

in the kitchen

there is NOTHING like the smell and anticipation of fresh baked bread...

i made two loaves last night
I find kneading bread dough very relaxing

I also made old fashioned raspberry jam - we have a bunch of frozen raspberries from our patch
maybe I will make a pie this weekend
see link below for recipe - canned up several jars
of course we kept one in the fridge for immediate gratification - yummy!

and this morning...mmmmm... toasted with a slather of butter & fresh jam...sooo good
is it me or does my little doggie look like he'd like a bite?

OLD FASHIONED RASPBERRY JAM - very simple to make, no pectin & full of flavor!

living homemade

I have always appreciated anything homemade...I was brought up in an artsy, make-do household.

If we needed pillows, my mom carefully selected unique fabric and sewed them.  If an armoire was needed to house the tv, my dad crafted one from vintage & reclaimed materials.  If the boring concrete porch step was deemed ugly, it was faux-painted differently every couple of years.

Not to mention, the crafts, gifts, food, etc...more often then not, homemade.

its easy though when you embark on your own to get caught up in the fast food, premade, shiny new, plastic world.  but my roots never changed.  In college when most of my friends headed to the mall, I always found myself heading to thrift stores, natural food stores, art stores and craft stores.  we joked that I was the mother or even grandmother of the group, always flipping through country living type magazines - dreaming of a farm, big gardens and making homemade jam.

i am so blessed to have my farm, my gardens, my homemade jam...but its still a work in progress, trying to live homemade.  What about all of the preservatives and chemicals in our cleaners, soaps, shampoos, food, etc?  What about living with the seasons?  What about growing more, making more, making do, upcycling...every day we are trying to transition into a more homemade life.  Sometimes little steps, sometimes big steps.

in the coming weeks I am transitioning our home into using homemade cleaners - dish, laundry, furniture polish, all purpose cleaner/degreaser.  I wanted to share a few recipes I have found.


HOMEMADE ALL PURPOSE CLEANER
2 cups boiling water
1/4 cup castile soap
2 tsp borax
2 T vinegar

Pour all ingredients into a clean spray bottle. Shake before using. You could also add essential oils to your solution if you would like - citrus ones would be best.

HOMEMADE DISHWASHER SOAP
1 Cup Washing Soda
1 Cup Borax
1/2 Cup Salt
1/2 Cup Citric Acid (like Fruit Fresh)
15-30 drops citrus essential oil-lemon, grapefruit or orange

Mix together and store tightly covered in a Mason Jar. Use 1-2 Tablespoons per load. Add vinegar to the rinse dispenser for best results.

HOMEMADE LAUNDRY DETERGENT POWDER
2 cups Borax
2 cups Washing Soda
1 regular sized bar of soap (Ivory or Fels Naptha or homemade bar soap)

Shred the bar soap with a cheese grater. Add the bar soap shreds to a cup of Borax and Washing Soda in a blender and mix it on medium speed until thoroughly powdered and combined. Then add the remaining ingredients, mix again.  Store in a clean, airtight container.

LIQUID DISH SOAP
Liquid castile soap
20 drops lime essential oil
10 drops sweet orange essential oil
5 drops citrus essential oil

Fill a clean plastic squirt bottle with castile soap (diluted if using concentrate). Add essential oils. Shake the bottle before each use. Add 1-2 tablespoons of the liquid to dishwater and wash as usual.

DISCLAIMER: I have never made these.  I am not sure how they will work.  I am experimenting and simply sharing the journey.

carrots!

In late Winter, when cabin-fever has reached its peak, I pour over seed catalogs, gardening magazines and I make seed tape.  Seed tape is ultra-easy and really great for your teeny-tiny seeds - such as carrots.

EASY SEED TAPE:
You will need a roll of toilet paper, flour, water, a popsicle stick or small brush, wax paper, a Sharpie & small ruler, tweezers and your seeds.  Spread wax paper on a large flat surface.  Roll out toilet paper into strips (later you can tear/cut your strips to shorter lengths if preferred).  Read your seed packet to see what your seed spacing when planted should be...measure & mark with dots on your toilet paper.  Mix flour and water in a small bowl to a medium-thick oatmeal consistency.  This is your "glue".  Dab or brush a tiny amount onto your dot-marks.  With your fingers or tweezers, carefully place your seeds on your glue dots.  I usually put a few seeds on each as I want to ensure germination and I can always thin later in the garden once they have sprouted.  Let dry thoroughly and store in a dry, dark place (I usually place in a shoebox in a closet).

So back to carrots - this year I planted hundreds because we love them fresh, frozen, in soups & stews and they are ultra-easy to grow.

I chose to split my harvest into two rounds a few weeks apart and two days ago (just in the nick of time before the snowfall), I pulled the last of my carrots.  Harvesting root vegetables is very satisfying for me - something about carefully loosening the soil and pulling treasures from the earth is a simple delight.  There are always little surprises as well - some carrots hit a rock while growing and adapt by growing around the object into funny odd shapes.  They certainly are not the perfect gems you see at market but are still edible and make me smile.

As I mentioned, we use carrots in all sorts of ways - some are washed, cut, peeled and eaten fresh as a snack or in salads.  Carrots like all root vegetables store well but I find its super easy and fast to prep & freeze them for later use.

FREEZING CARROTS

Brush the majority of soil from your carrots and then wash really well

Chop your carrots - chop the greens end off and make sure

to throw out any "bad looking areas"

my pup LOVES carrots

she gets very excited when the chopping begins

Blanch your carrots

This is a very important step when freezing vegetables

Take a large pot, bring water to boiling,

dump in carrots and blanch for 2 minutes

Note:  Blanching time varies by vegetable and their chopped size

Remove your carrots from the boiling water immediately
and place in icewater bath
this cools them down quickly so that they do not continue to cook
let the carrots cool down completely

place cool carrots into a freezer bag or container
make sure to remove all excess air before sealing
place in your freezer & enjoy

apple pie, part 2

when we bought our farm, I remember my mother exclaiming with great delight..."this is a pie kitchen!" and I smiled with anticipation

as I mentioned in my earlier post "apple pie, part 1" we have been making utility pies for several years now and it is the perfect way to begin my favorite season and get into my nesting mode

you can read the original post here and apple pie, part 1 here

and so without further ado ... part 2, making the pies...

our apple pie recipe has been lovingly passed down several generations and

it is downright yummy and I'd like to share it with you

***MOM'S APPLE PIE***

PIE FILLING

Ingredients:  1 cup sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, pinch of nutmeg and a pinch of salt, 4 TBsp flour, 6 cups mixed apple varieties cut into 1/2" sized cube, 2 TBsp melted butter

Peel and cut apples into 1/2" size cubes.  

This is a little trick handed down through the family and is important for perfectly cooked apples.

Combine sugar, cinnamon, nutbeg, salt and flour.  Mix apple pieces with the melted butter.  Pour sugar mixture over the apples and toss.  Turn into a pie pan with bottom crust already in place (see below), mounding the apples in the center.

PIE CRUST

Ingredients:  2 cups flour, 3/4 cup shortening, good pinch of salt, 4-5 TBsp ice water

Refrigerate bowl, pastry cutter and fork until ready to use.  Sift flour with salt.  With a pastry cutter, cut shortening into the flour.  Sprinkle ice water a TBsp at a time into mixture and mix lightly with a fork.

Shape into two balls and roll out one ball to fit your pie pan.

Use a liberally floured and sugared surface, rolling lightly from the center out.  Fold in half, then in quarter and transfer to the pie plate.

Let edges hang over for now.  Add apple filling.

Repeat steps with your second ball for the top crust.  Once in place, remove the real excessive overhang.  Turn both crusts under and pinch or crimp together.  Cut vents in the center.

BAKE FOR 15 MINUTES IN A PREHEATED OVEN AT 425, THEN REDUCE HEAT TO 375 FOR 30 MINUTES MORE.

RELAX and enjoy the smell of a baking apple pie.

Let cool a bit, then eat!

*UTILITY PIES:  Do not pre-cook.  Wrap in heavy duty foil and freeze pies.  Bake the frozen pie at 450 for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 for 45 minutes more.