Scripture verses of the day - Psalms 64:1-10

Psalms 64:1-10

1 Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy.
2 Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity:
3 Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words:
4 That they may shoot in secret at the perfect: suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not.
5 They encourage themselves in an evil matter: they commune of laying snares privily; they say, Who shall see them?
6 They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search: both the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart, is deep.
7 But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded.
8 So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves: all that see them shall flee away.
9 And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of his doing.
10 The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.

Remember the strawberries with the black mold?

Well I was certainly worried without reason!

This weekend I harvested another 6 pounds of strawberries. There are still many, many more waiting to ripen as well.

Since I had a large harvest of strawberries I decided to make and can some jam.

When I can I always first assemble my equipment and get my jars boiling before I make the jam. The first step is clean my jars and place them in a canner full of water.



I turn the heat on high and bring the water up to a boil. The jars boil for 5 minutes to sterilize them. This is an important step in water bath canning.


Here you see the jars in the boiling water

I also put jar lids in a saucepan filled with water and I'll turn the heat on low. The lids need to be warmed in order to make them flexible. This helps to ensure a good seal when the lid is placed on the jar. I place them in alternate directions in the pan so they don't nest together and get stuck.



Next I'll put all of the rest of the equipment I need for canning on the top of my portable dishwasher. It's a nice big work space that's level with my stovetop. I lay out the jar rings, ladle, canning funnel, magnetic lid lifter, canning jar tongs, and a clean dishcloth (for wiping the rims of the jars).



While the jars were boiling I went ahead and washed, hulled, and sliced about 6 pounds of freshly picked organic strawberries.


This is what about 6 pounds of organic strawberries look like washed, hulled, and sliced

Then I took a potato masher and mashed the strawberries up.



I poured the mashed strawberries, two cups of unsweetened apple juice, and two packets of No Sugar Needed powdered fruit pectin into a large pot.



I turned the heat up to high and stirred the mixture. When it reached a full rolling boil that could not be stirred down I added one cup of cane sugar. The sugar isn't to sweeten the jam, but to help it retain the bright red color. We've made jam before without added sugar, but it turns a greyish maroon color that doesn't look very appetizing.



After adding the sugar I continue to stir and cook the jam for another 2-3 minutes. When I'm sure that it's gelling up I'll turn the heat to low and begin to fill jars.

I forgot to take photos of this step, but it's rather simple. Just use the jar tongs to remove a jar from the water bath canner. Dump the water out of the jar into the sink. Place the canning funnel in the jar and use your ladle to fill the jar with jam mixture. Fill to about an inch of the top of the jar. Instructions often tell you to use 1/4" of head space, but I find that I get better seals on my jars when I leave more headspace, so I go with the 1" measurement. Then use the magnetic lid lifter to lift a warmed lid out of the saucepan and place it on top of the jar. Screw on a band/ring and tighten it. Use the jar tongs to place the jar back in your canner. Repeat until your jam mixture is in the jars.

For about 6 pounds of berries I filled 4 pints. You can certainly use 12oz., 8oz., or 4oz. jelly jars but our family goes through jam and jelly fast enough that pints make more sense here.



Lower the rack down in your canner. Make sure you have 1-2" of water covering the lids of your jars. Put the lid on the canner. When the water comes back up to a boil set the timer for 10 minutes. That's the amount of time your jam will need to process.

When the timer goes off turn off the heat, take the lid off of the canning pot and raise up the rack. I use two wooden spoons to help me lift the rack out of the canner. Then I leave the jars in the rack cooling for another 5 minutes. After those 5 minutes have passed remove the jars using my jar tongs and let them cool on a piece of cardboard set on my hoosier countertop.

Listen for the "ping" of the lids sealing. When the jars are cool you can remove the rings, wipe down your jars, and write the contents and date on the lids.

Scripture verses of the day

James 1:9-11

9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:
10 But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.
11 For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

Ever want to learn a new practical skill?

There are many ways to learn a new skill - watch a video, read a book, take a class, apprentice, etc.

But I found a new online source of electronic books and magazine articles available. The database of resources is designed for use in developing nations, but the topics are appealing for most homesteaders and DIY enthusiasts. Visit cd3wd to see the listings.

There are over 4,000 titles available on such topics as agriculture, livestock, food processing, veterinary, fisheries, forestry, soil & water, irrigation, appropriate technology, construction, water & sanitation, health, nutrition, family planning, education, elections, economics, metalwork, woodworking, electrical, and more. Basically there are books available that would allow a person to learn from scratch how to do anything one would need to survive or create a viable economic system.

Some titles that interested me enough to download were:

Dye Plants and Dyeing

Small Plastic Greenhouses

A Pedal-Operated Grain Mill

A Cookbook for Building a Solar Food Dryer

How to Make Soap

Our old icehouse — one of
our most valuable buildings

TRY THIS SIMPLE SLOW COOKER

Basic Principles of Passive Solar Design

Chemicals from Biological Resources

Wind Energy Systems

Low Cost Windmill for Developing Nations

Basic Sewing Machine Repair

Making Homemade Soaps and Candles

Practical Blacksmithing

Welding Craft Practices

Practical Poultry Raising

Raising Goats for Milk and Meat

The Homesteader's Handbook to Raising Small Livestock

Raising Healthy Cattle Under Primitive Conditions

The Draft Horse Primer

Old Farm Tools and Machinery

Handcart Handbook

Oil Extraction

Food Preservation: Fish, Meat, and Equipment

Wood Harvesting with Hand Tools

Compost Toilets: A Guide for Owner-Builders

Scripture verses of the day

Titus 1:6-16

6 If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.
7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;
8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;
9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:
11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake.
12 One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.
13 This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;
14 Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.
15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.
16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

Tiny Yellow House

Looking for plans for a hunting cabin? How about wanting to build a small portable greenhouse?

I just found a guy named Dustin Diedricksen who is a genius in tiny structure design. He runs a blog called Relaxshax and has videos about his Tiny Yellow House on Youtube.

Here's the first video:

Shared from Raising Homemakers

I saw this clip on Raising Homemakers and wanted to share it with you, dear readers.

Ladies' Tea in Oakhurst, CA from NCFIC on Vimeo.

This week in the blogosphere

These are blog posts that made me think, inspired me, entertained me, helped me learn, or just made me smile.

Here are this week's top picks:

1. Simple Mom - 7 Ideas for Screen-free Travel with Kids

2. Red and Honey - Bidding Farewell to the Microwave Oven

3. Simple, Green, Frugal Co-op - Deviating From The Norm

4. Eat From Your Pantry - Make it Yourself Monday: Play Dough

5. Sugar Bee - Craft Edition - T-Shirt into Baby Romper

6. Can't Stop Making Things - Copper Birdbath

7. Counting Coconuts - The Alphabet Box - Part I

8. Modern Stronghold - Survival Plans: Why Do Some Prepare for Survival and Others Do Not?

9. ikat bag - How I Mark Sewing Points on Fabric

10. Sew, Mama, Sew! - Yoga Skirt Tutorial

11. Gourmet Mom on the Go - Mini Root Beer Float Cupcakes

12. Mama Smiles - Child-adapted cleaning supplies

13. Mennonite Girls Can Cook - Cake Donut Holes

14. Sweetie Pie Bakery - Ruffled Pocket Potholder Tutorial

15. Moms in Need of Mercy - Cheaper, Leaner, Better Ground Beef (in addition to saving you some money, this is a much safer way to buy ground meat - I prefer grinding myself at home, but for folks without their own meat grinder this is the next safer option)

16. Keeper of the Home - Easy Breakfast Ideas: From Scratch, with Real Food

17. peaceful parenting - Gestational Diabetes: The Emperor Has No Clothes

18. peaceful parenting - Baby's Beneficial Bacteria Depend on Birth

19. Simple Bites - Yogurt Unplugged (almost)

20. Paratus Familia - The Joy of Work

21. Down to earth - Don't be scared

22. Home Grown - Peach Pie Filling

23. Counting Coconuts - The Alphabet Box - Part II

24. Keeper of the Home - Coming Out of My Bubble: Serving Others by Serving Food

25. Marvelous Kiddo - Maternity

26. Joy the Baker - Chocolate Peppermint Sandwich Cookies

27. Pink and Green Mama - Homemade Montessori Color Tablet Game

28. indietutes - covered wagon

29. Simple Bites - Cooking with Kids: Pita Bread

I'm still decluttering

This week and part of last week I've been working on the bedrooms - our family bedroom (where the girls, the Hubster, and I sleep) and our other bedroom (the one most American families would call the master bedroom).

My sister and my nephew are flying in from Louisiana next week and spending some time with us. We haven't seen them in over two years now. In fact, I was just barely pregnant with the baby girl the last time they visited. I didn't even know I was pregnant - that's how early in the pregnancy it was.

They've never met the baby girl. I never met my other nephew. Luke was born still. I wasn't there to share in the joy of his life during the pregnancy and I wasn't there to mourn with her when his death was realized.

I hate how geography has split apart my family. I wish we had economies that permitted families to stay geographically close and that we didn't have to move half a huge nation away from each other in order to stay employed. I hate trying to scrape together a relationship with email, Facebook, cell phones, etc. It's not the same.

You know what we do when we get together? We talk and laugh. We'll spend hour after hour just being with each other. Oh, we might plan an outing, but it's all about the talk. It's so hard to do when you're 1060 miles apart and the electronic methods are a pale substitute for being *with* someone and having a conversation.

When we were girls we shared a bedroom. There were moments - okay, maybe years - when both of us hated that. She seems to thrive in disorder and I crave order in my spaces. But we grew close and we'd often talk at night. She was afraid of the dark - afraid of her dreams. I'd try to comfort her as best a 10 year old big sister could.

I still wish I could be there to comfort her.

Scripture verses of the day

1 Peter 4:6-11

6 For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.
7 But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
9 Use hospitality one to another without grudging.
10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
11 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

BBC video clip from 1977 - Do you have what it takes to survive?

Scripture verses of the day

2 Corinthians 3:2-6

2 Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:
3 Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.
4 And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:
5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

Open to Reviews and Giveaways

I've finally drafted a Review & Giveaway Policy and am open to the idea of writing product reviews and hosting sponsored giveways.

If you operate a home-based web business and would be interested in a product review and/or giveway, feel free to read our policy and contact me. :)

Scripture verses of the day

Matthew 16:

1 The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven.
2 He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red.
3 And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring, O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?
4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.

Did you notice the globe?

It's a cool new widget that the Hubster found. It shows us where around the globe our readers are located.

I expected to see readers from the U.S. and Canada, but we also have several readers from Asia, Europe, and Australia. There is a reader located on an island in the Atlantic Ocean and we have at least one reader from an island in the Pacific Ocean. Given the lack of detail on the globe I can ballpark the locations, but can't quite figure them out. If you're one of those readers and want to let us know the name of your country, please share. :)

Scripture verses of the day

Mark 8:11-12

11 And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him.
12 And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation.

We might get more strawberries than I thought...

This is our second small harvest:



Some of the strawberries were damaged - soft and brown on one side - but many of them were unblemished. I picked all the ripe strawberries and cut off the brown bits and this is what I had in the end:



Not enough to make jam or a pie, but a nice snack of fresh ripe organic berries!

The baby girl's first "swimming" experience

She didn't really swim, but she did get to go in a "big baftub" on Saturday.

We started the day by driving south to pick up some organic millet, organic spelt, and organic dried corn to add to our long-term food storage.

Then we drove a bit west and stopped at a really nice city park.

We had a picnic lunch





and then went to play in the sand





and take a dip in the man-made lake they have at the park.





We also played on the playground equipment, but I only took video of that part, not still photos.

It was a rare early summer day here with temperatures in the 80's.

What a great start to the summer!

Scripture verses of the day

Romans 8:15-18

15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

This week in the blogosphere

These are blog posts that made me think, inspired me, entertained me, helped me learn, or just made me smile.

Here are this week's top picks:

1. we bloom here - Finding Fairies (and a Little Love Story)

2. Amazing Mae - ruffled linen skirt

3. Simple Bites - 10 Tips to Help You Conserve Some Coin

4. My Kitchen Cafe - The Ultimate Stuffed Zucchini

5. Holy Experience - when you feel rejected: The Fish Principle

6. Creative Jewish Mom - Make Your Own Watercolors

7. Mama Birth - Pitocin, How I Hate Thee, Let Me Count the Ways...

8. Sew, Mama, Sew! - The Mighty Dart - The Role of Darts in Your Fitted Clothing

9. Eat From Your Pantry - Make it Yourself Monday: Cream Cheese

10. Pink and Green Mama - Making Art At Home: My Favorite Art Supplies for School-Age Children

11. My urban homestead - The Green of Summer: greens for hot weather

12. Raising Homemakers - Queen in a Home of of Her Own

13. No Time for Flash Cards - Flag Place Mat

14. Maya Made - my grandmother::creative therapy

15. The Polkadot Chair - Tuesday Tutorial: Zippy Wet Pouch (I make a similar wetbag using PUL but the shower curtain idea is much more accessible to people who don't keep PUL in their sewing stashes!)

16. Tired, Need Sleep - Craft Time – Father’s Day Salt Ceramic Paperweight

17.Mama Birth - I Got Mad Skillzz (made me smile - especially the octopus part!)

18. Solid Frog - Monday mix (I want the loft with the swing!)

19. Lily & Thistle - Meet Mabel. Free Printable Paper Doll

20. Savvy Blogging - Free Blog Polls

21. The Survival Mom - Nine Lessons from the Gulf oil disaster

22. Green Twig - Beans and Tortilla

23. Sew, Mama, Sew! - All About Lining a Garment

24. Positively Splendid - A stylish freecycled project (these are floral napkin rings made with soda cans)

25. Raising Homemakers - Queen in a Home of Her Own - Continued

26. Sew, Mama, Sew! - All About Hems

27. Pink and Green Mama - Summer Fun: Green Craft Ideas from Pink and Green Mama Archives

28. Owlet - unschool monday::creativity

29. Mama Birth - I Am A Mom, And I Need Help

30. peaceful parenting - No Induction is Normal

31. Simple Bites - 20 Simple & Practical Kitchen Hacks for Everyday Cooks

Scripture verses of the day

Jeremiah 29:11-13

11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

Good Things to Come

Scripture verses of the day

Proverbs 2:1-9

1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;
2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;
3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;
4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;
5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.
8 He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.
9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.

Free paper doll from Lily & Thistle

I just found the cutest paper doll and dress set from Lily & Thistle. Hanna Anderson is the woman behind the blog and the artist who created the paper doll. She also runs a shop called Mini Me Paper Doll Boutique and you can buy personalized paper dolls there.

We've had a lot of rainy cold weather here lately and I thought the dolls would be a welcome diversion for my girls, so I printed out a few copies and began creating our versions.

I printed Mabel, the paper doll, on card stock.



Mabel comes with one dress, but since I wanted the dresses to be thinner I printed out a second copy using regular printer paper.

Next I printed out the Mother's Day dress. I also used regular printer paper for that dress.



After that I cut out the doll and dresses and placed them on transparent contact paper. I sandwiched them between two pieces and pressed them together.



I found it easiest to do one at a time as I had fewer bubbles to smooth out that way and the contact paper didn't get all twisted up on me.

Then I cut them out, leaving about 1/8"-1/4" extra around the edges.



Next I attached a small piece of self-adhesive velcro to each dress and one on Mabel. This makes the doll easy to dress for both my five-year-old daughter and my 26 month old daughter!



The last step was to cut out the stand and stand Miss Mabel up.



I can't wait to see what adventures she'll be up to this week!

Scripture verses of the day

1 Corinthians 3:13-15

13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

Strawberry failure

We've had a very cool wet early summer here and it's hitting our strawberries hard. We were on target for a great harvest as we had lots and lots of blossoms that matured into young berries.

But during a recent check (during a brief break in the rain) I discovered that while some of the berries were maturing nicely and were bright red and ready for harvest, many more were turning black with mold from the rain and lack of sunlight.

I'm afraid this year's crop will be rather slim instead of the great harvest I had anticipated.

Here are two that we found worth picking:

Scripture verses of the day

1 Timothy 6:17-19

17 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;
18 That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;
19 Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

Teriyaki Marinade

One easy way to add flavor to my cooking is to use meat marinades. Teriyaki marinade is hands-down one of our family's favorites!

If I can remember to whip together the marinade and put the chicken in in the morning then by dinnertime I have a well flavored meat to use as the base for a number of dishes.

Yesterday night we made chicken stir-fry and I marinaded the chicken tenderloins in the teriyaki marinade. Add in some chopped fresh vegetables and serve with rice and you have a quick and nutritious meal.

The recipe I use is loosely based upon one found in Betty Crocker's Chicken cookbook.

Ingredients:

about 6 chicken breast tenderloins (or any similar amount of chicken parts)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tablespoons apple juice (you can also use orange juice or even white wine)
1/2 tsp ground ginger (or if you keep fresh ginger around use about 2 tsps)
1 tsp sugar or honey
1 clove garlic, finely diced

You just combine all of your marinade ingredients in a glass dish.



Then add in your chicken. Make sure to coat all of the chicken and I like to turn it at least once in a hour. The recipe says to marinade an hour but I leave it marinading all day for greater flavor.



Then when it's time for dinner preparation I remove the chicken and chop into bite sized pieces. I fry it in a wok using olive oil and add in the marinade toward the end to creat a sauce. I remove the chicken and add in my chopped vegetables, cooking them in the wok with the remaining sauce. I might add in a bit more soy sauce. I add the chicken back to the wok and warm it all. We serve the stir-fry over either jasmine rice or brown rice.

Scripture verses of the day

Deuteronomy 5:1-22

1 AND Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them.
2 The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb.
3 The LORD made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day.
4 The LORD talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire,
5 (I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to shew you the word of the LORD: for ye were afraid by reason of the fire, and went not up into the mount;) saying,
6 I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
7 Thou shalt have none other gods before me.
8 Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth:
9 Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,
10 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.
11 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
12 Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee.
13 Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work:
14 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.
15 And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.
16 Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
17 Thou shalt not kill.
18 Neither shalt thou commit adultery.
19 Neither shalt thou steal.
20 Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour.
21 Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour’s wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour’s house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour’s.
22 These words the LORD spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me.

My Year Living on Food Storage

My blog friend Viggie recently introduced me to the blog My Year Living on Food Storage and I had to share it with you all!

It's another blog detailing a year of living differently. I love these blogs!

This one has great recipes and instructions for using food that is commonly stored. You all know I'm a staunch supporter of individuals and families being prepared to care for themselves in case of disaster or economic downturn and reading through My Year Living on Food Storage can help us to understand the rule of "store what you eat and eat what you store."

Making and canning grape jelly

Home canned grape juice

We had an unseasonably cold day here yesterday and it was also rainy so I decided to finally finish making grape jelly.

I say finally finish because the grapes were picked and made into grape juice several years ago. I've been slowly converting the grape juice into grape jelly and I'm finally getting to the end of the grape juice.

There are several ways to make grape jelly but for this batch I used a traditional mix of grape juice, powdered fruit pectin, and cane sugar.


Powdered fruit pectin

The recipe I used was actually found as an insert in the pectin.


Recipe insert

In case you decide to buy a different brand of pectin the measurements needed are:

5 cups grape juice
1.75 oz. of powdered fruit pectin
7 cups of cane sugar (yes I know that's a HUGE amount)

Since jelly is canned using the water bath canning method the first step is boiling your clean jars. It's recommended that the jars first be washed in hot soapy water and rinsed well. Then fill them with warm water and put them in your water bath canning pot filled with water. Bring them up to a full rolling boil and boil for at least five minutes to sanitize them.


Jars filled with warm water and set on the rack about to be lowered into the canner for boiling

I usually start the jars first and then assemble my equipment and ingredients before beginning to make the jelly.


Water bath canner with boiling jars inside

The equipment needed is my standard grouping of canning equipment. Jar tongs, magnetic lid lifter, ladle, canning funnel, jar rings, and wet clean cloth. For jelly and jam I also add in my favorite metal spoon for skimming off foam.


Canning equipment laid out - rings, magnetic lid lifter, canning funnel, jar lifting tongs, clean cloth, ladle

I also then start warming up a small saucepan full of water and add in the lids. They need to be warmed - NOT boiled. A warm lid provides a good close seal on the jar.


Lids warming a saucepan full of water

The next step is actually making the jelly. For this recipe you first add your grape juice to the pot and then stir in the powdered fruit pectin. Bring the juice mixture up to a full rolling boil. This is a boil that continues to break bubbles even while you're stirring it. Once the juice mixture is up to a full rolling boil you then add in your sugar. The recipe recommends that you measure out the sugar into a separate bowl and be ready to add it quickly at the appropriate time. Once the sugar is added you bring the mixture up to a full rolling boil again and make sure to boil it for one minute.


Jelly mixture at a full rolling boil

Then turn off the heat and skim off any foam.

Then I lift one jar out of the canner and empty the water into my sink. I use a canning funnel and ladle to fill the jar. I fill the jars to the bottom of the rings.


Using the funnel to fill the jar with jelly

I use the clean warm wet cloth to wipe down the edges of the jar. Then I use the magnetic lid lifter to lift a warm metal lid out of the saucepan and place it on the jar.


One jar filled with jelly and with the lid and ring on it

I screw on a lid ring and use the tongs to put the jar back in the canner.

I repeat until all of the jelly is sealed in jars.


Jars filled with jelly and in the rack in the canner

Then I put the lid back on the canner and wait for it to return to a full rolling boil. I boil the jelly for 10 minutes. Then I turn off the heat and remove the lid. I lift up the rack and let the jars cool for five minutes on the rack. Then I use the tongs to remove the jars from the canner. I cool them on a piece of cardboard set on my enamel hoosier countertop.


Jelly straight out of the canner after canning - jars still need to be wiped down

This recipe yielded three and a half pints of grape jelly for me.

After the jars completely cool then I remove the rings and write the contents and date on the jar lids. I'll also wipe down the jars and then put them in my pantry or long-term food storage until needed.

Scripture verses of the day

Matthew 22:36-40

36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Garden Update - 06/14/10

Things are finally moving along in our garden. Here's the update:

- Replanted green beans after rabbit disaster and we're seeing good growth
- Acorn squash seedlings are up
- Zucchini squash seedlings are up
- Cucumber seedlings are up
- Turnip seedlings are up
- Beet seedlings are up
- Tomatoes are growing and getting healthier after their initial shock at being transplanted
- Peppers are growing and getting healthier after their initial shock at being transplanted
- We lost the leeks in the transplanting
- Broccoli is growing and doing well
- Strawberries are beginning to turn pink - the harvest will soon begin
- Raspberries are producing small fruit - some blossoms still remain, but it looks like a bumper crop of raspberries are on the horizon
- No blossoms on the apple trees - might be a fruitless year there
- A small number of blueberries developing - low blueberry year
- Rhubarb is thriving and I'm embarrassed to admit I haven't harvested yet
- Sage, echinacea, marjoram, mint, chives, and lavender are all thriving - it's time for first harvest on the sage and marjoram
- Chamomile and lamb's ear are still adjusting to the transplanting but look like they'll do fine
- No sign of seedlings yet in the carrot, basil, rosemary, cumin, and coriander beds
- I bought a medium sized pot of oregano and planted it - forgot to buy oregano seed this year and our old plant finally died off - it's not supposed to be a perennial in our zone but I managed to get four seasons from the last plant

I keep meaning to take pictures, but we've had a lot of rain and when I finally get around to it we don't have good light.

I might just go on ahead and snap some low quality shots just to give you a look.

Scripture verses of the day

John 15:9-13

9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

This week in the blogosphere

These are blog posts that made me think, inspired me, entertained me, helped me learn, or just made me smile.

Here are this week's top picks:

1. Savvy Blogging - Etiquette for Blog Carnivals and Link-Ups

2. Keeper of the Home - Cook More Real Food: Freezer Cooking Day 1 Results

3. American Preppers Network - NASA Plans for Large Scale Failure, Power Grid is “Particularly Vulnerable to Bad Space Weather”

4. My Kitchen Cafe - Andes Mint Brownies

5. Psychology Today Blog - Freedom to Learn - Freedom from Bullying: How a School Can Be a Moral Community

6. Living with Punks - Tutorial: Pillow Cover to Messenger Bag!

7. Survivalblog.com - A Perennial Food Supply, by L.H.

8. Down to Earth - Welcome to the kitchen revolution

9. Pink and Green Mama - Making Art At Home: My Favorite Art Supplies for Toddlers

10. Livin' the Dream - Survival Bars

11. Modern Stronghold - Societal Collapse: $217 of Survival Food Storage for One Year

12. Mennonite Girls Can Cook - Baked Rice Custard

13. Simple, Green, Frugal Co-op - What Does Your Body Tell You?

14. peaceful parenting - "It Hurts Down There" A Lesson in Disposable Diapers

15. Living Simply - Homemade Body Wash

16. Mennonite Girls Can Cook - Sausage Rolls with Honey Mustard Ranch Dip

17. The Adventures of Bear - Edible Bird's Nest

18. The Adventure Learning Company - Un-recipes for Happy Snacking

Scripture verses of the day

Luke 21:29-36

29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees;
30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.
31 So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.
32 Verily I say unto you, This generation ashall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.
33 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.
34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

So what have I been up to this week?

I know the blog has been somewhat original-content-weak this week and you must be wondering what I've been up to.

Well...

- I finally finished planting the garden.
- I discovered that neighborhood rabbits LOVE my green beans so I had to construct some poultry wire fences and replanted some green beans.
- I had a sick baby girl. On Saturday night the big girl got sick (vomiting and diarrhea along with coughing, sneezing, and runny nose) and then Monday night was the baby girl's turn to try her hand at it. That kept us down for a few days.
- I wrote up 14 provident living handouts and put together a table display for our ward's preparedness fair (to be held this afternoon, btw).
- I did countless loads of laundry - lots of extra sheets, comforters, towels, diapers, etc. due to the above-mentioned illness.
- I played outside with the girls when they were healthy.
- I took walks with the girls when they were healthy.
- I prepared a lesson about Christ's Life for Sunday's Relief Society meeting.


I didn't do any sewing, canning, or de-cluttering this past week. I didn't do much cooking or baking. I didn't attend the Appleseed training that I had previously planned to attend because the big girl's vomitfest was occurring then. I registered for one in September and one in October instead (the Oct. date is insurance).

All-in-all I think I'm about ready for this week to be done.

How about you?

Scripture verse of the day

Ezekiel 38:7

7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.

Scripture verses of the day

Jude 1:17-25

17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;
18 How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.
19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.
20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:
23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

Create

I found the MOST amazing vintage sewing site!

I know I'm a sewing geek, but thought there might be more of my geeky sisters out there who would be excited about this find.

The site is VintageSewing.info and it republishes vintage sewing books and manuals. I found a great 1940's book about drafting patterns that I'm really looking forward to working with.

Oh, and they even have a blog you can follow, too!

Provident Living Skills display for ward Preparedness Fair

For this year's ward Preparedness Fair I was asked to put together a display about Provident Living. That's an extremely broad topic so I honed in on skill development.

Here are some pictures of my finished display board (set up on my dining room table):









If you're not local to me, check with your local LDS meetinghouse to see if the ward there is hosting a preparedness fair. Most do!

Scripture verses of the day

Philippians 2:15-16

15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

Becoming Provident Providers

Homeschooling - an offensive lifestyle

No, I don't believe it's offensive, but many people do and I've had my fair share of backlash against my family for our decision to learn at home and our parenting decisions.

There is a very well articulated blog post at Until the Day Dawn Weblog that really moved me and I wanted to share it with my readers.

Our family learns at home for a myriad of reasons, but some of those are motivated by our scriptural foundation.

3 + 3 = 6

The big girl modeling a pair of bright pink cotton broadcloth shorts



That's how many pairs of shorts I've sewn up for the big girl so far.

After a long day of gardening I sewed up another pair of shorts Monday night and on Tuesday morning I sewed up the pair I like the best so far.

That pair was sewn using a funky '70s knit I picked up at a local thrift store. It reminds me of the late '70s and has so many colors in it I'm pretty sure the big girl can pair it with nearly any top in her wardrobe!




The big girl modeling a pair of shorts sewn with a funky vintage '70s cotton/poly blend knit

Tuesday afternoon yielded a pair of shorts sewn using a maroon cotton broadcloth.


the color in the photo isn't quite right - these are really maroon


I'm still using (and still liking) McCall's M6022 for the shorts. At six pairs of shorts and one top the cost per item for the pattern is now down to just under 16 cents each!