Posts
Looks like we lucked out again. We were supposed to get about a foot of snow today; heavy snow with high winds. So far, we’ve had a nice, steady, gentle snowfall since about one this afternoon. We only have about two inches of new snow on top of the four that was already there. Of course all that could change overnight, but most likely this is the third winter storm with lots of hoopla and very little action. Not that I’m complaining, mind you. lol
Anyway, today was nice, watching the snow fall and sipping homemade hot cocoa, munching homemade chocolate chip cookies. I should be in a sugar coma by now.
Along with all the sugary goodies, Little Sis and I got a head start on spring. We planted over 60 seeds to start indoors. We’ll probably triple that in the next two weeks.
If things work out as planned, we’ll have a HUGE garden this year. I’m hoping to have every available spot covered in some kind of crop. That way, I don’t have to mow. ;)
We are planting some old favorites, along with a lot of new stuff. Here’s what we have on our list so far:
Green beans: the bush variety. These are much easier to deal with than pole beans, and they produce continuously as long as the beans are kept picked.
Lettuce
Onions (the green bunching ones)
Carrots
Zucchini
Cucumber: Marketmore, Lemon Cukes, and Mexican Sour Gherkin. The Marketmore are the only ones we’ve grown in the past.
Tomatoes: Early Girl, which is my favorite. It’s a hybrid, but an excellent producer and the perfect tomato taste, IMO. New this year are Sub-Arctic Plenty, Siletz, and Japanese Black Trifele.
Peas
Turnips
Celery
Asparagus: I planted it two years ago, so this will be my first harvest, although I did sneak a few spears last year for munching while in the garden. ;)
Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes
Radishes
Bell peppers
Spinach
Melons: Sugar Baby, Tigger, Collective Farm Woman, Blacktail Mountain, and cantaloupe. We’ve grown Sugar Baby and cantaloupe before, the rest are new.
Also new are:
Amaranth (3 types)
Quinoa Kaslala
Hungarian Broom Corn
Mangels
Oats and hay will take up the rest of the free areas, and then we hope to get some winter wheat out this year.
Keep in mind, we are doing all of this gardening without a tractor. Heck, we don’t even have a tiller; just a garden fork and lots of stamina. Of course I’ve been known to ‘cheat’ occasionally and let some of the critters do the work. We started our garden with the chicken tractor, and then let the rabbits do a clean up and get the spot ready for the following year. No one can dig a deep bed like a rabbit. Is it ironic that I grew carrots in an area dug up by rabbits? Lol
Oops, I spoke too soon. There’s the wind, and now it’s snowing sideways!
ETA: Pumpkins..I can't believe I left out pumpkins. We have a huge amount of seeds saved from last year.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Sunday, February 24, 2008
I've been tagged!
*does a little happy dance*
My very first meme..it's so exciting!
I was tagged by Daclaren. :)
(1) Post the rules on your post before you answer the questions.
(2) List one fact about yourself using each letter of your middle name. If you don’t have a middle name use your maiden name instead.
(3) When finished answering, tag one person for each letter of your name.
My middle name is requisite when born in certain areas of the south.
S - Seriously weird. I get compared to Morticia Addams a lot. I don't mind. I just can't picture cutting firewood in that tight dress.
U - Unconventional.
E - Evil. Not criminally evil, just a Happy-Go-Lucky kind of evil.
Now I have to tag three people: Jayedee and Countrycouture. I know that's only two, so anyone that hasn't been tagged, leave a comment and consider yourself tagged!
My very first meme..it's so exciting!
I was tagged by Daclaren. :)
(1) Post the rules on your post before you answer the questions.
(2) List one fact about yourself using each letter of your middle name. If you don’t have a middle name use your maiden name instead.
(3) When finished answering, tag one person for each letter of your name.
My middle name is requisite when born in certain areas of the south.
S - Seriously weird. I get compared to Morticia Addams a lot. I don't mind. I just can't picture cutting firewood in that tight dress.
U - Unconventional.
E - Evil. Not criminally evil, just a Happy-Go-Lucky kind of evil.
Now I have to tag three people: Jayedee and Countrycouture. I know that's only two, so anyone that hasn't been tagged, leave a comment and consider yourself tagged!
Friday, February 22, 2008
Do you have vision?
It takes a special kind of person to buy a fixer upper home. Also known as the Handy-Man Specials, Rehabs, or, in some cases, Yikes!
When we bought our present home, we weren’t really looking for a fixer upper. In fact, I’d have been thrilled to have found one that didn’t need work, since we’d just finished up a huge rehab home.
What we did want (we even had a list), was a place in the country, wooded, outside all city limits so that livestock was an option, within a reasonable driving distance from work, and especially, private. Private: meaning no close neighbors. I don’t want to look out of my window and see right into the neighbor’s house. I don’t want to be close enough to borrow a cup of sugar without going outside. I don’t want to see Mr. Jones picking up his morning paper in his underpants...again. (WHERE is the eye soap??!!) My rule of thumb, when house shopping, was if I could conceivably throw a rock from the proposed home and hit a neighbor’s home, they were too close.
We looked at so many homes over a two year period. We had even given up on finding something within a reasonable distance from DH’s work. We didn’t give up on finding a home with character, though. Those new cookie cutter homes: yikes. I could never live in a house like that. Plain. Ew. I need woodwork and architectural detail and walls that are NOT WHITE (though I can paint them myself lol). We also refused to give up privacy. Even a plain house in a private area would’ve made the ‘maybe’ list.
Here’s an example of the kind of problems we found:
According to the ad: This home is a lodge style home, huge windows overlooking woods (judging by the ad pics), an upstairs with a balcony overlooking the living room, 8 acres, wooded. It was nearly an hour from DH’s work, but at this point we were ready to consider it.
What we found: The 8 acres turned out to be wrapped around another property...in other words, there was a neighbor’s house right in the front yard! The very narrow driveway bordered a ravine. A very deep ravine with no guardrail. Did I mention it was a narrow driveway? Did I also mention a SHARED driveway?!!! So here you would be, heading up this doomsday drop into Hades, and the neighbor would be leaving at the same time, and then what? Are you supposed to back down the drive? No thanks!
Generally, that turned out to be the problem with all the properties we looked at. Either the home or the neighbors were right up on the property line. A ton of acreage doesn’t mean squat if you still have to look right into the Jones’ kitchen window as you wash dishes.
Then we found this place. We had actually looked for it before, but couldn’t find it. That was a plus in our book. Finally we contacted the realtor and got directions. Turns out we’d driven past the driveway several times.
We met the realtor out here, drove up the driveway, and found a home with major potential...after the initial “Yikes!” reaction, of course :). Heavily wooded, neighbors nearby but not too close (and they turned out to be very nice neighbors), a huge great room, and best of all, private!
It’s been nice to meet other people (via my blog) with vision. Those that can look at a home and see it for what it can become, and not the horridly decorated or deteriorating pile that it now resembles.
It is not always easy to work on a rehab home, especially on a budget. Learning to live with concrete floors and at least one cracked window can be disheartening. But then the new flooring is installed, the room looks completely new, and I have hope for the rest of the house. Bit by bit, room by room, it’s becoming home. I have no doubt that when it’s done, it’ll be a showplace. Not that we’ll show it much. We still enjoy the privacy.
When we bought our present home, we weren’t really looking for a fixer upper. In fact, I’d have been thrilled to have found one that didn’t need work, since we’d just finished up a huge rehab home.
What we did want (we even had a list), was a place in the country, wooded, outside all city limits so that livestock was an option, within a reasonable driving distance from work, and especially, private. Private: meaning no close neighbors. I don’t want to look out of my window and see right into the neighbor’s house. I don’t want to be close enough to borrow a cup of sugar without going outside. I don’t want to see Mr. Jones picking up his morning paper in his underpants...again. (WHERE is the eye soap??!!) My rule of thumb, when house shopping, was if I could conceivably throw a rock from the proposed home and hit a neighbor’s home, they were too close.
We looked at so many homes over a two year period. We had even given up on finding something within a reasonable distance from DH’s work. We didn’t give up on finding a home with character, though. Those new cookie cutter homes: yikes. I could never live in a house like that. Plain. Ew. I need woodwork and architectural detail and walls that are NOT WHITE (though I can paint them myself lol). We also refused to give up privacy. Even a plain house in a private area would’ve made the ‘maybe’ list.
Here’s an example of the kind of problems we found:
According to the ad: This home is a lodge style home, huge windows overlooking woods (judging by the ad pics), an upstairs with a balcony overlooking the living room, 8 acres, wooded. It was nearly an hour from DH’s work, but at this point we were ready to consider it.
What we found: The 8 acres turned out to be wrapped around another property...in other words, there was a neighbor’s house right in the front yard! The very narrow driveway bordered a ravine. A very deep ravine with no guardrail. Did I mention it was a narrow driveway? Did I also mention a SHARED driveway?!!! So here you would be, heading up this doomsday drop into Hades, and the neighbor would be leaving at the same time, and then what? Are you supposed to back down the drive? No thanks!
Generally, that turned out to be the problem with all the properties we looked at. Either the home or the neighbors were right up on the property line. A ton of acreage doesn’t mean squat if you still have to look right into the Jones’ kitchen window as you wash dishes.
Then we found this place. We had actually looked for it before, but couldn’t find it. That was a plus in our book. Finally we contacted the realtor and got directions. Turns out we’d driven past the driveway several times.
We met the realtor out here, drove up the driveway, and found a home with major potential...after the initial “Yikes!” reaction, of course :). Heavily wooded, neighbors nearby but not too close (and they turned out to be very nice neighbors), a huge great room, and best of all, private!
It’s been nice to meet other people (via my blog) with vision. Those that can look at a home and see it for what it can become, and not the horridly decorated or deteriorating pile that it now resembles.
It is not always easy to work on a rehab home, especially on a budget. Learning to live with concrete floors and at least one cracked window can be disheartening. But then the new flooring is installed, the room looks completely new, and I have hope for the rest of the house. Bit by bit, room by room, it’s becoming home. I have no doubt that when it’s done, it’ll be a showplace. Not that we’ll show it much. We still enjoy the privacy.
Can Do!!
For a time, we considered going 'whole hog' into homesteading. We had planned to buy a large piece of land and build a small cabin. No electricity, no phone, no tv, vcr, internet, etc.
We talked ourselves out of it, at least for now. We really want to finish up this house and just enjoy being here for a while. Besides, there are a lot of things that I would miss. The internet being very high on the list. lol So much information, right at my fingertips! It's something the younger generation takes for granted, but for those of us that have been around to see its evolution, the idea of sending mail instantly as well as the ability to find out everything about anything (or vice versa), without ever leaving home, is still amazing.
Hot showers, running water, flush toilets, bright electric lights: all things I enjoy and never take for granted. Sure, I can and have lived without them. If we were to go off on that big homestead adventure, at least we'd be set up for an off grid life: a wood cook stove instead of electric, a hand well pump, sawdust toilet… you get the idea. Some of those we are considering for our more modern homestead here. If I just had the hand pump installed, I'd be happy.
When we first started talking about the full-on homesteading, I started posting on various homesteading sites looking for tips. Imagine my surprise when the majority of people said it couldn't be done! You simply can't be self-sufficient in this day and age, they said. Hmmm...I'm sure it can be done. But it's all a matter of what you are willing to sacrifice and how hard you are willing to work. A positive attitude goes a long way, as well.
I’m amazed at how much we have learned since moving to the country, as well as how much we have accomplished. Not only are we rehabbing a home, in itself a major challenge, but we are learning new ways to be more self-sufficient every day.
We have had to learn to make do with what we have, and that we don’t need lots of expensive equipment to have a fruitful homestead. We have never said, “It can’t be done,” but we have often said, “We can find a way.”
ETA: Check out Modern Homesteading. The people there are upbeat, have a ‘can-do’ attitude, and are just darn nice!
We talked ourselves out of it, at least for now. We really want to finish up this house and just enjoy being here for a while. Besides, there are a lot of things that I would miss. The internet being very high on the list. lol So much information, right at my fingertips! It's something the younger generation takes for granted, but for those of us that have been around to see its evolution, the idea of sending mail instantly as well as the ability to find out everything about anything (or vice versa), without ever leaving home, is still amazing.
Hot showers, running water, flush toilets, bright electric lights: all things I enjoy and never take for granted. Sure, I can and have lived without them. If we were to go off on that big homestead adventure, at least we'd be set up for an off grid life: a wood cook stove instead of electric, a hand well pump, sawdust toilet… you get the idea. Some of those we are considering for our more modern homestead here. If I just had the hand pump installed, I'd be happy.
When we first started talking about the full-on homesteading, I started posting on various homesteading sites looking for tips. Imagine my surprise when the majority of people said it couldn't be done! You simply can't be self-sufficient in this day and age, they said. Hmmm...I'm sure it can be done. But it's all a matter of what you are willing to sacrifice and how hard you are willing to work. A positive attitude goes a long way, as well.
I’m amazed at how much we have learned since moving to the country, as well as how much we have accomplished. Not only are we rehabbing a home, in itself a major challenge, but we are learning new ways to be more self-sufficient every day.
We have had to learn to make do with what we have, and that we don’t need lots of expensive equipment to have a fruitful homestead. We have never said, “It can’t be done,” but we have often said, “We can find a way.”
ETA: Check out Modern Homesteading. The people there are upbeat, have a ‘can-do’ attitude, and are just darn nice!
Monday, February 18, 2008
Brownie Recipe
If you like brownies and have a hard time finding those just right, soft in the middle, crunchy on top, super rich brownies…I have the recipe for you! These are the BEST brownies I’ve ever had!
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 T butter
1 C flour (plain)
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 C sugar
1 (8 oz) pkg of cream cheese
Melt chocolate chips and butter together. I do this in the microwave. Stir well. Stir cream cheese into warm, melted chocolate chips until well blended. Add this mixture to a big bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Mix well. Pour into greased 13 x 9 inch pan. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 T butter
1 C flour (plain)
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 C sugar
1 (8 oz) pkg of cream cheese
Melt chocolate chips and butter together. I do this in the microwave. Stir well. Stir cream cheese into warm, melted chocolate chips until well blended. Add this mixture to a big bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Mix well. Pour into greased 13 x 9 inch pan. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.
Friday, February 15, 2008
A homeschool success story
Read the entire article at this link:
Little girl, big dream
During the past week, the phone has been ringing almost nonstop at the Oliver household.
Producers from "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" "Inside Edition" and a variety of local and national news shows have called to schedule interviews with Courtney Oliver, a talkative, Thurston County homeschooler who recently completed a Certified Veterinary Assistant program.
Though she graduated just a few weeks ago, she already has scrubbed in on several surgeries at South Bay Veterinary Hospital.
What makes that newsworthy is she's only 10. But age isn't something that Courtney let's get in her way.
Little Sis is rolling in the floor writhing with envy! If only they would release the name of the school!
Little girl, big dream
During the past week, the phone has been ringing almost nonstop at the Oliver household.
Producers from "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" "Inside Edition" and a variety of local and national news shows have called to schedule interviews with Courtney Oliver, a talkative, Thurston County homeschooler who recently completed a Certified Veterinary Assistant program.
Though she graduated just a few weeks ago, she already has scrubbed in on several surgeries at South Bay Veterinary Hospital.
What makes that newsworthy is she's only 10. But age isn't something that Courtney let's get in her way.
Little Sis is rolling in the floor writhing with envy! If only they would release the name of the school!
Thursday, February 14, 2008
A Homestead Valentine
Romance novels make me gag. Give me real sugar over saccharine any day. In fact, make that homemade maple syrup instead of sugar.
I don’t care for roses for Valentine’s Day. A rose bush, maybe, but not cut roses at $50+ per dozen.
I don’t like diamonds. I never have. I prefer garnets or blood red rubies, even emeralds.
I bet I sound hard to please. But I’m not. Romance is a lot more than a hallmark holiday celebrated with overpriced cards and flowers. (Note that I have nothing against chocolates. *wicked grin*)
Romance novels just aren’t real life. The part where the hero sweeps the heroine into his arms and carries her off to the boudoir, well, that could happen, but the novels leave out the part where the kids are fighting or the baby is crying or the dog/goat/cow/rooster is loose.
Real romance, the kind that lasts, can be found in all the little things. Maybe even more so for homesteaders.
Romance is letting your SO sleep in while you get up to do all the morning chores and make coffee.
Romance is getting up in the middle of the night to feed the wood burner.
Romance is a glass of wine and a walk in the woods.
Romance is donning full mosquito gear to go out in the field on a summer night to look at the stars.
Romance is starting the car and defrosting the windshield for your SO in the middle of winter.
Romance is when DH remembers to sharpen my chainsaw and ax before he leaves for work.
Romance is when DH says I look beautiful, as if he doesn’t notice that I am wearing grubby work clothes and have straw in my hair.
Romance is DH taking off his boots at the door so he doesn’t track up my new floors.
Romance is DH cutting down the poison ivy and peeling the dead PI off of the firewood.
Romance is holding hands.
Romance is always treating your SO with respect and kindness.
Romance is asking how my day went, and listening to my mundane answers about laundry, kids and critters.
I suppose my list could go on and on. Little things make me happy. Maybe it’s because they require an ongoing thoughtfulness, rather that one big expenditure per year.
DH is great with all the little things. All in all, I think I am one lucky gal.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
I don’t care for roses for Valentine’s Day. A rose bush, maybe, but not cut roses at $50+ per dozen.
I don’t like diamonds. I never have. I prefer garnets or blood red rubies, even emeralds.
I bet I sound hard to please. But I’m not. Romance is a lot more than a hallmark holiday celebrated with overpriced cards and flowers. (Note that I have nothing against chocolates. *wicked grin*)
Romance novels just aren’t real life. The part where the hero sweeps the heroine into his arms and carries her off to the boudoir, well, that could happen, but the novels leave out the part where the kids are fighting or the baby is crying or the dog/goat/cow/rooster is loose.
Real romance, the kind that lasts, can be found in all the little things. Maybe even more so for homesteaders.
Romance is letting your SO sleep in while you get up to do all the morning chores and make coffee.
Romance is getting up in the middle of the night to feed the wood burner.
Romance is a glass of wine and a walk in the woods.
Romance is donning full mosquito gear to go out in the field on a summer night to look at the stars.
Romance is starting the car and defrosting the windshield for your SO in the middle of winter.
Romance is when DH remembers to sharpen my chainsaw and ax before he leaves for work.
Romance is when DH says I look beautiful, as if he doesn’t notice that I am wearing grubby work clothes and have straw in my hair.
Romance is DH taking off his boots at the door so he doesn’t track up my new floors.
Romance is DH cutting down the poison ivy and peeling the dead PI off of the firewood.
Romance is holding hands.
Romance is always treating your SO with respect and kindness.
Romance is asking how my day went, and listening to my mundane answers about laundry, kids and critters.
I suppose my list could go on and on. Little things make me happy. Maybe it’s because they require an ongoing thoughtfulness, rather that one big expenditure per year.
DH is great with all the little things. All in all, I think I am one lucky gal.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Power outages and looking for ideas
We had some major winds here on Sunday, which took down trees and powerlines in the area. As a result, we were without power for most of the day. Not for the first time, though.
We've learned to keep 'flush water' on hand, since the well pump doesn't run with the power off. We have to keep it chlorinated for storage, so it's really not suitable for much else. I keep at least a dozen gallons of drinking water stored, as well. We have kerosene heaters and a reasonable stock of kerosene for emergency heat; our woodburning insert doesn't put out much heat when the fan isn't running.
Power outages in the summer are easier to deal with, provided it doesn't storm the entire time. We have a solar shower, which isn't great, but at least drizzles some water. We have one of those 2 x 10 ft pools full of water all summer, too. That helps with flush water, plus bathing.
The problem is that we really need to be prepared for longer power outages. According to NOAA, sunspots may cause major power outages during this solar cycle. Right now, we are really only prepared for short outages.
We need a hand pump for the well. When I had the well tank replaced, the guy from the well company told me it wasn't possible to put a hand pump on our current well. This leaves the option of driving a new well with a hand pump. I don't know if we can do that or if we need to hire it out. I'm sure it won't be cheap. *rolls eyes*
We need an efficient way to heat water. I'm open to suggestions here. Solar is not really an option for winter, since we rarely see the sun here in winter. Right now we just use a huge pot on one of the kerosene heaters.
We also need a small camp stove. I've been looking into a few. I had no idea that Coleman had one that would run on gasoline! The reviews I've read claim most of the new Coleman stuff is flimsy. Any comments?
Any other suggestions for living comfortably without power? We aren't interested in a generator.
ETA: At one point, we considered going off grid. We decided against it for now. I have an addiction to hot showers. :) I also enjoy flush toilets. lol
I do have experience living in a 'near off grid' environment. As a pre-teen, I once lived in a home with only a kitchen sink for indoor plumbing. The home had no bathroom and no water heater. We heated bath water on a potbellied wood stove in winter, and on the electric kitchen stove in summer, then put the water in a big metal bathtub and just emptied it outside when we were done. Baths were taken once a week, with sponge baths in the interim. That probably explains my obsession with hot showers...daily. lol
We also had an outhouse, but no one ever used it. We had a camp toilet that we used indoors and emptied into the outhouse.
I'm hoping to find options a bit more comfortable than the ones I have experience with. lol
We've learned to keep 'flush water' on hand, since the well pump doesn't run with the power off. We have to keep it chlorinated for storage, so it's really not suitable for much else. I keep at least a dozen gallons of drinking water stored, as well. We have kerosene heaters and a reasonable stock of kerosene for emergency heat; our woodburning insert doesn't put out much heat when the fan isn't running.
Power outages in the summer are easier to deal with, provided it doesn't storm the entire time. We have a solar shower, which isn't great, but at least drizzles some water. We have one of those 2 x 10 ft pools full of water all summer, too. That helps with flush water, plus bathing.
The problem is that we really need to be prepared for longer power outages. According to NOAA, sunspots may cause major power outages during this solar cycle. Right now, we are really only prepared for short outages.
We need a hand pump for the well. When I had the well tank replaced, the guy from the well company told me it wasn't possible to put a hand pump on our current well. This leaves the option of driving a new well with a hand pump. I don't know if we can do that or if we need to hire it out. I'm sure it won't be cheap. *rolls eyes*
We need an efficient way to heat water. I'm open to suggestions here. Solar is not really an option for winter, since we rarely see the sun here in winter. Right now we just use a huge pot on one of the kerosene heaters.
We also need a small camp stove. I've been looking into a few. I had no idea that Coleman had one that would run on gasoline! The reviews I've read claim most of the new Coleman stuff is flimsy. Any comments?
Any other suggestions for living comfortably without power? We aren't interested in a generator.
ETA: At one point, we considered going off grid. We decided against it for now. I have an addiction to hot showers. :) I also enjoy flush toilets. lol
I do have experience living in a 'near off grid' environment. As a pre-teen, I once lived in a home with only a kitchen sink for indoor plumbing. The home had no bathroom and no water heater. We heated bath water on a potbellied wood stove in winter, and on the electric kitchen stove in summer, then put the water in a big metal bathtub and just emptied it outside when we were done. Baths were taken once a week, with sponge baths in the interim. That probably explains my obsession with hot showers...daily. lol
We also had an outhouse, but no one ever used it. We had a camp toilet that we used indoors and emptied into the outhouse.
I'm hoping to find options a bit more comfortable than the ones I have experience with. lol
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Spring Fever
I placed a huge seed order with www.rareseeds.com . Now I'm waiting..and waiting..I'm so ready for spring! I'm just dying to get the garden started.
I thought I'd post a few pics of some of last year's harvest, just to hold me over till spring finally arrives. lol
This is not all of the harvest, of course. Just a sample. Actually, most of this was one day's worth of picking, which we did about every two or three days.
The produce pictured above, plus tomatoes, lettuce, radishes, turnips, and carrots pretty much made up our diet for the summer and fall. Of course we also had lots of fresh bread with real butter. A typical meal would be green beans cooked with a dab of butter in the pressure cooker, sliced tomatoes, sliced cukes, and fresh bread.
Now I'm getting hungry. :) There's just nothing like growing your own food.
I thought I'd post a few pics of some of last year's harvest, just to hold me over till spring finally arrives. lol
This is not all of the harvest, of course. Just a sample. Actually, most of this was one day's worth of picking, which we did about every two or three days.
The produce pictured above, plus tomatoes, lettuce, radishes, turnips, and carrots pretty much made up our diet for the summer and fall. Of course we also had lots of fresh bread with real butter. A typical meal would be green beans cooked with a dab of butter in the pressure cooker, sliced tomatoes, sliced cukes, and fresh bread.
Now I'm getting hungry. :) There's just nothing like growing your own food.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
I'm a daily read!!!!
OhmygoshOhmygoshOhmygosh!!! **bounces up and down*** This is so cool!!! I'm a daily read!!
Ok, I know it's totally lame to be so excited that someone actually reads my blog, but, well, there you have it. I'm lame. But also a daily read!!! So cool!!
Ok, I know it's totally lame to be so excited that someone actually reads my blog, but, well, there you have it. I'm lame. But also a daily read!!! So cool!!
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Eggs: a confession
It wasn't my fault. Hens just don't lay when the days are short. We had dozens and dozens of eggs in the fridge in December. I traded a few, I baked a few angel food cakes, did the holiday baking, and then..there were no more eggs. None..nada..zip..zilch..zero! Not one single, solitary egg, alone in a carton meant for twelve..no, not even that.
What to do?? I did..the unthinkable. I..bought..*sobs*...store eggs! I couldn't help it!! I needed to bake cookies..what was I supposed to do? No, I didn't buy the super-expensive-organic-free-range-but-not-really-free-range-eggs. I bought the least expensive ones I could find. Grade A Large Eggs at $1.99 a dozen.
The last time I bought store eggs, which was ages ago, the expensive ones were $.79 a dozen. So the price was a bit of sticker shock. I hadn't even glanced at the price of eggs in at least a year. They've gone up a bit. *rolls eyes*
I opened the carton in the store, to make sure the eggs were all intact. What the heck?? The carton was full of tiny white chalky golf ball looking things. What are those things? They sure don't look like eggs to me!
Ok..at this point I have to admit I'm a little nutty. Or maybe nuttier than a fruit cake topped with a can of Planter's. When I got home, I lectured the chickens. *blush*
"You should be ashamed!", I told them, "I had to buy some pitiful store eggs produced by some poor caged hen that has never seen the light of day, let alone fresh grass!"
I guess my lecture worked (or the days started getting a tad longer). Within the week, we were getting eggs again. Just one every other day or so. Now we are up to three eggs a day, which is at least enough to get some baking done.
For those of you that don't keep chickens: hens need a minimum amount of daylight to produce eggs. Most hens need 14 hours for peak production, but certain breeds will lay with less light. Black Stars are great layers for winter. We actually only went for about two months with no egg production.
Our hens are not actually free range. They used to be, but now we have a new rooster with the hens, and he's aggressive, so we keep the chickens penned. But they still have access to fresh pasture, clean water, and free choice feed. And when I say they have access, I mean that they spend most of the day out there pecking and scratching around, doing the chicken dance, and having a good time.
I point this out because of some recent controversy about what free range really means. Seems that big agriculture has decided to use the term for hens that are not really free range.
Here is a break down of the nutrition in store eggs vs free range eggs.
This is a good example of the yolk of free range hens vs store eggs. The big yolk on the left that is a dark orange came from our hens. The pale yellow came from a store egg.
And for size comparison:
The little white egg on the right is a store egg. The brown one is from our hens.
Yes! A sure sign of spring..a green egg! Those are laid by our Araucana hen. That's the only color she lays. Inside, it looks just like a regular egg. And no, they aren't always so pointy.
The carton for Grade A Large eggs won't close with our eggs inside. Neither will the carton for Extra Large. Jumbo is a tight fit.
I love our hens!!
What to do?? I did..the unthinkable. I..bought..*sobs*...store eggs! I couldn't help it!! I needed to bake cookies..what was I supposed to do? No, I didn't buy the super-expensive-organic-free-range-but-not-really-free-range-eggs. I bought the least expensive ones I could find. Grade A Large Eggs at $1.99 a dozen.
The last time I bought store eggs, which was ages ago, the expensive ones were $.79 a dozen. So the price was a bit of sticker shock. I hadn't even glanced at the price of eggs in at least a year. They've gone up a bit. *rolls eyes*
I opened the carton in the store, to make sure the eggs were all intact. What the heck?? The carton was full of tiny white chalky golf ball looking things. What are those things? They sure don't look like eggs to me!
Ok..at this point I have to admit I'm a little nutty. Or maybe nuttier than a fruit cake topped with a can of Planter's. When I got home, I lectured the chickens. *blush*
"You should be ashamed!", I told them, "I had to buy some pitiful store eggs produced by some poor caged hen that has never seen the light of day, let alone fresh grass!"
I guess my lecture worked (or the days started getting a tad longer). Within the week, we were getting eggs again. Just one every other day or so. Now we are up to three eggs a day, which is at least enough to get some baking done.
For those of you that don't keep chickens: hens need a minimum amount of daylight to produce eggs. Most hens need 14 hours for peak production, but certain breeds will lay with less light. Black Stars are great layers for winter. We actually only went for about two months with no egg production.
Our hens are not actually free range. They used to be, but now we have a new rooster with the hens, and he's aggressive, so we keep the chickens penned. But they still have access to fresh pasture, clean water, and free choice feed. And when I say they have access, I mean that they spend most of the day out there pecking and scratching around, doing the chicken dance, and having a good time.
I point this out because of some recent controversy about what free range really means. Seems that big agriculture has decided to use the term for hens that are not really free range.
Here is a break down of the nutrition in store eggs vs free range eggs.
This is a good example of the yolk of free range hens vs store eggs. The big yolk on the left that is a dark orange came from our hens. The pale yellow came from a store egg.
And for size comparison:
The little white egg on the right is a store egg. The brown one is from our hens.
Yes! A sure sign of spring..a green egg! Those are laid by our Araucana hen. That's the only color she lays. Inside, it looks just like a regular egg. And no, they aren't always so pointy.
The carton for Grade A Large eggs won't close with our eggs inside. Neither will the carton for Extra Large. Jumbo is a tight fit.
I love our hens!!
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
More on homeschooling
This says it even better than my post about homeschooling. I wonder if she can fit that on a t-shirt?
Friday, February 1, 2008
On Homeschooling
I guess a lot of homeschoolers get asked the same questions. I usually enjoy answering these, but sometimes, when the questioner seems to be looking for me to justify my decision to homeschool, I just want to tell them to drop dead. Not that I'd ever do that. *evil snicker*
So here are a few of the most commonly asked questions and answers:
Why did you decide to homeschool?
We started discussing homeschooling when Big Sis was in third grade in public school. There were numerous reasons for us to consider homeschooling.
We had several issues with the school. For one, Big Sis was finishing her work long before the other students, and was expected to just sit and stare mindlessly into space until everyone was finished. We did have her tested for Talented and Gifted (TAG), and she did test as gifted. However, the local TAG program offered nothing more than a showcase for the smart kids: something to show the school wasn't a total failure, but no real enrichment for the students.
Another issue stemmed from the lack of discipline in the school. Or maybe the misplaced discipline. Why is it ok for some kid to put his hand on my daughter's butt, but she gets in trouble for punching him?? And you know all those stories about little boys being suspended for kissing little girls? Overkill, yes, but nothing of the sort at this school. When Big Sis was chased around the playground by some boy that wanted to french kiss her, she told the teacher on playground duty. The teacher told her, "You know you like him.". WHAT!? Oh, and get this one..she was reprimanded for calling the boy a troglodyte.
That was also the year of Columbine and the zillion and one copy cat school shootings. As a result, I had to instruct my daughter about what to do if someone came into the school and started shooting. At the point, I thought, "This is insane!" and made up my mind to homeschool.
How do you know what to teach?
That differs among homeschoolers. Some people use a purchased curriculum. We don't. I use this link as a handy guide, just to be sure I don't overlook anything.
For the most part, we follow an interest driven curriculum. Isn't it much easier to learn about something when you are interested in the subject?? Why not apply that to all learning? For example, Little Sis heard about a tsunami on the radio. She wanted to know how they come about. We went to the library and got an educational video, plus several books. That led to questions about volcanoes, earthquakes, ocean currents, climate change..the list goes on and on.
Do you give the kids tests? If not, how do you know they understand what you are teaching?
No, we don't give tests. When a child can approach you and lecture you for twenty minutes on climate change (cause and effect), then it's a safe bet she understands what she reads.
How can you teach if you are not educated and licensed to teach a certain subject?
Does your child's teacher hold a master's degree in every single subject they teach? I doubt it.
Textbooks, the library, and the internet are a huge help. I've learned a lot along with the kids. When they ask me something that I don't know, I say, "I don't know. Let's look it up!" and we head to the library ASAP. As a result, I have children that can find answers on their own.
What about socialization?
Ah, the dreaded "S" word! You think because we homeschool that we raise our children in a box? Hmm..life would probably be easier if we did. lol
The girls have no problem socializing. They can carry on a conversation with adults as well as kids. There are 4-H groups, dance classes, and volunteer work to keep them busy. How much socializing gets done in a classroom, anyway? Cliques and pecking orders and bullies..we'll pass, thanks.
How do you know when you are done?
I'm still working on that one. According to the law here, the girls have to be schooled until they are 18. Silly that one can graduate from public school early, but not homeschool.
I don't think either girl will ever stop learning. They have a hunger for knowledge that amazes me. The how and why of everything - they want to know it all.
Why not public high school?
We had discussed this some time ago. Big Sis was adamant that she wanted to attend public high school. However, she changed her mind. All it took was a little time spent with high school students. She wasn't impressed with their knowledge. Later on, she took a babysitting class from the Red Cross. She was amazed that it took three hours to go over one small pamphlet. She reported that it reminded her of public school, and waiting for everyone else to catch up, and that she was glad she was homeschooled.
Are you satisfied that you are giving your children a proper education?
Yes, I am.
I have a 16 year old that is brilliant. She is also responsible and giving. By the time she was 12, she had read every book on the high school reading list, as well as all of Shakespeare's works. (Those were not assignments, but things she did on her own.)
I have a 10 year old that is amazing. She listens to NPR (because she wants to), and can discuss current events as well as tell you all about the latest Barbie movie.
One thing that really made me feel that we are successful was a recent trip to the dr. (If you remember, both girls had The Crud.) The children were discussing their career goals with the doctor. She was very impressed with how goal oriented they both are and how well spoken they are. I don't feel that I deserve a pat on the back for their successes, though. All I did was provide the material they needed, and teach them that, as long as they can read, they can learn anything.
So here are a few of the most commonly asked questions and answers:
Why did you decide to homeschool?
We started discussing homeschooling when Big Sis was in third grade in public school. There were numerous reasons for us to consider homeschooling.
We had several issues with the school. For one, Big Sis was finishing her work long before the other students, and was expected to just sit and stare mindlessly into space until everyone was finished. We did have her tested for Talented and Gifted (TAG), and she did test as gifted. However, the local TAG program offered nothing more than a showcase for the smart kids: something to show the school wasn't a total failure, but no real enrichment for the students.
Another issue stemmed from the lack of discipline in the school. Or maybe the misplaced discipline. Why is it ok for some kid to put his hand on my daughter's butt, but she gets in trouble for punching him?? And you know all those stories about little boys being suspended for kissing little girls? Overkill, yes, but nothing of the sort at this school. When Big Sis was chased around the playground by some boy that wanted to french kiss her, she told the teacher on playground duty. The teacher told her, "You know you like him.". WHAT!? Oh, and get this one..she was reprimanded for calling the boy a troglodyte.
That was also the year of Columbine and the zillion and one copy cat school shootings. As a result, I had to instruct my daughter about what to do if someone came into the school and started shooting. At the point, I thought, "This is insane!" and made up my mind to homeschool.
How do you know what to teach?
That differs among homeschoolers. Some people use a purchased curriculum. We don't. I use this link as a handy guide, just to be sure I don't overlook anything.
For the most part, we follow an interest driven curriculum. Isn't it much easier to learn about something when you are interested in the subject?? Why not apply that to all learning? For example, Little Sis heard about a tsunami on the radio. She wanted to know how they come about. We went to the library and got an educational video, plus several books. That led to questions about volcanoes, earthquakes, ocean currents, climate change..the list goes on and on.
Do you give the kids tests? If not, how do you know they understand what you are teaching?
No, we don't give tests. When a child can approach you and lecture you for twenty minutes on climate change (cause and effect), then it's a safe bet she understands what she reads.
How can you teach if you are not educated and licensed to teach a certain subject?
Does your child's teacher hold a master's degree in every single subject they teach? I doubt it.
Textbooks, the library, and the internet are a huge help. I've learned a lot along with the kids. When they ask me something that I don't know, I say, "I don't know. Let's look it up!" and we head to the library ASAP. As a result, I have children that can find answers on their own.
What about socialization?
Ah, the dreaded "S" word! You think because we homeschool that we raise our children in a box? Hmm..life would probably be easier if we did. lol
The girls have no problem socializing. They can carry on a conversation with adults as well as kids. There are 4-H groups, dance classes, and volunteer work to keep them busy. How much socializing gets done in a classroom, anyway? Cliques and pecking orders and bullies..we'll pass, thanks.
How do you know when you are done?
I'm still working on that one. According to the law here, the girls have to be schooled until they are 18. Silly that one can graduate from public school early, but not homeschool.
I don't think either girl will ever stop learning. They have a hunger for knowledge that amazes me. The how and why of everything - they want to know it all.
Why not public high school?
We had discussed this some time ago. Big Sis was adamant that she wanted to attend public high school. However, she changed her mind. All it took was a little time spent with high school students. She wasn't impressed with their knowledge. Later on, she took a babysitting class from the Red Cross. She was amazed that it took three hours to go over one small pamphlet. She reported that it reminded her of public school, and waiting for everyone else to catch up, and that she was glad she was homeschooled.
Are you satisfied that you are giving your children a proper education?
Yes, I am.
I have a 16 year old that is brilliant. She is also responsible and giving. By the time she was 12, she had read every book on the high school reading list, as well as all of Shakespeare's works. (Those were not assignments, but things she did on her own.)
I have a 10 year old that is amazing. She listens to NPR (because she wants to), and can discuss current events as well as tell you all about the latest Barbie movie.
One thing that really made me feel that we are successful was a recent trip to the dr. (If you remember, both girls had The Crud.) The children were discussing their career goals with the doctor. She was very impressed with how goal oriented they both are and how well spoken they are. I don't feel that I deserve a pat on the back for their successes, though. All I did was provide the material they needed, and teach them that, as long as they can read, they can learn anything.
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