• Wednesday, June 25, 2008 - Please pray for us...
Posted By homesteadmama4
Hi friends-
We recently found out that we have to move. I was so upset. We had worked very hard on the house and garden and all. There is a house that we are hoping we can get that would be perfect for our family. Please pray for us during this time of stress. I know that the Lord has a plan for us and if it's not meant for us than so be it, but we could really use prayers for this situation. Thank you so much.
Louann and family |
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• Thursday, June 19, 2008 - Really good bread recipe...
Posted By homesteadmama4 in
Recipes
I tried to post this in http://www.homesteadblogger.com/homesteadnpink/ Amanda's comments but I could not get the verification code to download, hmmm? But I thought I'd put it here too. It's the best plain ol' white bread recipe I've had.
Hi! Here's the bread recipe I use and it is really soft and good!
9 cups of flour
1/4 cup of sugar + 1 teaspoon
4 teaspoons salt
4 1/2 teaspoons yeast (or 2 packages~not rapid rise)
2 cups of milk
1/4 cup of butter (melted)
1/4 cup of warm water ( not too hot)
First you will need a pretty big bowl (I use a big glass pyrex bowl). I measure the flour and put about half of the flour in the bowl to start with. I set that aside and warm 2 cups of milk in the microwave. I don't scald it but I do get it warm so that the yeast will be nice and active. I set that aside. I then warm 1/4 cup of water and add my yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar to it. stir it up and let it start growing and get foamy(be sure to use a big enough bowl or cup that it won't over flow at least a 16 ouncer).Meanwhile add your sugar and salt to your warm milk, stir. Melt your butter in a small dish in the microwave. Now take your big bowl with half the flour in it and add your milk mix and yeast. Mix this up and then add your butter and continue to add the rest of your flour. If this gets too thick and dry add some water. You want the dough to be moist but not sticky. Now dust your countertop with flour and put your dough onto it and begin to knead it,push into it with the heels of your palms away from you once,fold the top of it over on itself and then turn it 1/4 of a turn and push into it again, fold, turn, push fold, turn. You will probably find what works best for you. You will knead it for 10 - 15 minutes to really work the gluten in it. You want a smooth, elasticy dough ball. Next wash your big bowl, oil it and put your dough ball into it and turn over so that it is coated with oil. This will keep a dry skin from forming on it. Cover it with cellophane and a kitchen towel and put it in a draft free place to rise for 1 1/2 - 2 hours. I use my oven ( that has not been heated yet). After the first rise it should be about double in size or more. Then puch a hole in the center and turn all the sides in on it. Then cover and let it rise for another hour. Then punch it down, cut it into 3 equal pieces and form into balls. Let them rest for 10 minutes. Then form them into loaves, put them in your GREASED loaf pans and let them rise until double about another hour. I use my oven for this also but before I put them in this time I set my oven for 400 for exactly 1 minute and then turn it off. put the loaves in to "proof". Then after about an hour pull them out. Preheat your oven to 400 and bake for about 30 minutes. Immedietly put them on a cooling rack and let them cool then store them how your prefer. Tha's it. Here are some things I have learned about bread making, the moister(but not wet) the dough the better the bread. I use milk now because I used to use all water and the bread was okay but milk makes a nicer, softer bread. I add my yeast to the flour before adding the fat because the fat can coat the yeast and it doesn't rise as well. If they start to get too brown on top turn the oven down a little. I bake on the second to bottom rack. If you have any questions I'd be glad to help. The dough may seem lumpy and not so nice at first but the more you knead it the smoother it gets. Enjoy baking! |
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• Wednesday, June 18, 2008 - Blog help, pretty please...
I don't remeber how to do some of the things I did to my blog before. Can anyone tell me how to align or center my picture up top? And How do I center the avatar/about me pic? I forgot how to do it. I was looking at the template for codes and can't seem to find one that works. I would appreciate any one who can help me. Also how do you use a font other than the ones provided? I found one on a font website but I don't know how to use it here. Please help. Thank you so so so much!
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• Tuesday, June 10, 2008 - A heartfelt "sorry" for deleting my blog without proir notice......
Hi to all my friends at HSB. I am truly sorry I left without any notice. I was spending so much time here and I had to get away for a while. I am sorry to leave my friends hanging with the BOM quilting group. I recieved all of your messages and appreciate them very much. I was nervous to come back after I had left so abruptly. I have decided to come back because I do enjoy it here. I have missed reading everyone's blogs and learning so much. I hope to be on here more often and talk with you all soon. |
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• 2 June 2008 - Chicken Tragedy
Posted By Ags
The other evening we drove 30 miles to the nearest big town to do some shopping. I had just fed the hens and they were all in the hen house and yard, my dog was tied up and off we went. When we got home, we found several dead hens laying on the ground up and down the road next to the fence around the hen yard. It was awful. At first the kids noticed 3 laying right in front of the gate to the yard, and then as they walked down the path they found more, and then more, and then more. I couldn't believe it! It was so horrible. And then my daughter noticed the neighbor's dog who had a chain hanging from it's collar and the chain had gotten wrapped around a post, trapping her in the orchard. Even though we hadn't been there when this all happened, we assumed she had something to do with this.
My kids were crying, I was holding back tears, this whole thing was so beyond my experience and knowledge base, I didn't know what to do. I knew I had to pick them all up and dispose of them but how? I called my husband and he said to put them in the burn barrel. It seemed so horrible but I knew it made sense.
Even though we had been handling all these hens for over a month, the thought of picking them up now just bothered me. And it was so dark outside, I had no idea if there was blood or not. I looked for the shovel, which I did not find since apparently my sons had taken it out to their play area we call "the dirt patch" and they hadn't put it back, which is a "no-no". I had no idea how to pick these hens up. By this time all the kids were in the house and crying and I was wandering around in the dark looking for something to use to gather them.. I finally opted for one of the kids' big plastic sand shovels and a stick. You take my shovel, I have to take yours.
It was awful trying to pick them up. Getting the shovel underneath their limp, lifeless bodies was almost too much for me. I tried to fit two on at a time to lessen my walks to the burn barrel since it was getting darker by the second. As I was trying to lift one it started to make a noise. It wasn't that sweet peeping noise I was used to, this was more anguished, I felt so horrible, what do I do with this one? And then there were two others that were also just barely alive. My heart just sank deeper into my chest than it already was. I couldn't believe I was standing there in the dark faced with this? !!
I have not grown up on a farm. I'm still adjusting. While some people who have lived this life since childhood may have found it easy to kill these hens to just quickly end their suffering since they were going to die anyway, I just couldn't bring myself to even think of doing that. I took them into the hen yard and laid them in these big empty black planters which the previous owner had left here.
I had taken 13 to the barrel, and so that was 16 including the 3 that were just barely alive. The next day, the group of hens seemed quite a bit smaller than 61 so we assume there are more out there that we just haven't found yet. We expected to lose some hens, because everyone told us we would. But losing so many in this way seemed so tragic to us. The three I laid in the planters were dead in the morning, which was no surprise.
At this point, I seriously don't know if I could eat a butchered chicken from our flock. Actually, at this point I don't even think I'm ready to eat any chicken from anywhere. I'm a wimp, I know, but that's how it is. I still don't know what exactly happened or how it happened. And I feel like I can't even leave the property now and leave these hens at all. But from now on I'm making sure they are locked up in the hen house at night and if and when I ever go anywhere again.
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• 31 May 2008 - Chicken Run
Posted By Ags
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This is my first time EVER having chickens, well, except for dinner.
We got them through 4H (which is also another first for us) and each child got 25 chicks. Oh, and they put in a rooster with each group of 25, which I didn't know they were going to do.
So, with 3 children participating, that's 78 total.
Needless to say, it's been very interesting.
I think I will continue to blog about my chicken adventures and include these in one section called, "The Chicken Chronicles".
I shot this video for my hubby, who is still not here with us, and so I thought I'd put it up here as well. :)
We just recently lost 1 hen, which was very sad. It was trampled by the other chickens while trying to get to the feed. I didn't realize that this could happen, it was very strange. One of my daughters cried. I thought, oh no, we can never, ever, butcher these hens in the future...it will be too traumatic.
We have all come from the city and used to getting our chicken nice and plastic wrapped at the grocery store. Even though you know where it comes from, it's still a little disturbing when you're faced with the reality. Thankfully, it will be awhile before we'll have to deal with that. Hopefully, we will all be used to the idea by that time.
Boy, growing up and living in the city sure put me in a kind of "everyday unreality". This change of life has been for me enjoyable and yet I'm still trying to adjust. It's good though, I would never go back.
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• Wednesday, April 16, 2008 - I ♥ horses
Posted By Madeline
Hello everyone! I know its been a while but here I am.
As most of you know know I love horses. I always loved them of course it wasn't strange for a little girl to want a pony, but I never got out of the little girl phase.
When we lived near Portland I had four horses and a pony. Well, we had to move and they had to stay. Very sad for a little girl who was horse crazy, anyway, I never really stopped looking for another horse.
A year later I had a cousin offer me her six-year-old quarter house gelding. But our landlord said "no" to any equine.
That was sad but fine until as year after that(last week) . . . he came over and said that this lady was going to board five, FIVE horses on our field. That made me mad!
And on top of that he told they lady I had no experience with horses! Umm kay, after being in a horse club for two years and riding for eight and owning four horses and a pony, I have no experience.
Well Ive been struggling not to be upset at the lady (because she didn't know that I wasn't allowed to keep one, not five, one horse on our HUGE field) because its not her fault.
So this morning I went out to the field and hung out with the horses and of course fell in love with all of them. What can I say I didn't stay mad at her for very long=]
Well mom thinks after this that the landlord may let keep my one horse.
Until next time,
[=Madi=] |
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• Tuesday, April 15, 2008 - This was fun
Posted By Madeline
Find the B
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
RRRRRRRRRRRBRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
RRRRRRRRRRBRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
Once you've found the b
Find the 1
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII1IIII
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Once you found the 1..............
Find the 6
9999999999999999999999999999999999
9999999999999999999999999999999999
9999999999999999999999999999999999
9999999999999999999999999999999999
9999999999999999999999999999999999
9999999999999999999999999999999999
9999699999999999999999999999999999
9999999999999999999999999999999999
9999999999999999999999999999999999
9999999999999999999999999999999999
9999999999999999999999999999999999
9999999999999999999999999999999999
once you've found the 6...
Find the N (it's hard!!)
MMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMNMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM
once you've found the N...
Find the Q.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOQOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
These are pretty hard! Hope you had fun!
[=Madge=]
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• Tuesday, March 11, 2008 - Dear Everyone,
Posted By Madeline
Well its been a while but I'm back to blogging! The last few weeks have been quite busy. Lots has happend so I'll start with last Wednesday.
My grandpa had been planning to get his knee replaced and Wednesday was his appointment. The surgery went well and he came home Sunday. Sunday evening we noticed some strange looking blisters above and below the actual opening and he was running a fever so Monday he had to go down for blood work and they readmitted him. When the doctor saw it he sent him right back into surgery to reopen and see if the bone didn't settle. The bone was fine but he still had blisters and they were about the size of dimes and nickels now. They took some live cultures and kept him yesterday. The cultures show that he did have an infection and was put on three different antibiotics. So we got him home yesterday but, he has to go in everyday to get shots.
We have more more little ones. Little goats that is=] Three, two boys and a girl=]
I went horse back riding on Thursday and was given a spirited pony named "Oreo". All was well as we were riding through a field we went up a hill and on top he decided to start galloping=] Well I was fine with it till his foot slipped and I went right over his shoulder=] Just got a little muddy and a bruised shoulder for me=] But it was quite fun. I adore horses even the bratty ones=]
Well theres a short story of my life the past week or so at least the exciting parts=]
Until next time,
[=Madge=]
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• 4 March 2008 - TOMATOSHERE is HERE!
Posted By Ags
What is Tomatoshere?
"Tomatosphere is a research project involving more than 9,000 classrooms of Grades 2 to grade 10 students ("Tomatonauts") across Canada, the United States and several other nations. In 2008, students will have the opportunity to grow tomatoes from seeds that have been placed in an environment to simulate the effects of aerocapture, as might occur when entering the atmosphere of Mars, and a control group. In the research project, students will be asked to germinate the seeds, but will not know the origin of the seeds until the results are reported to the web site. At that point, the teacher receives an automatic response indicating which seeds were from each group. This methodology, known as a "blind study" will allow the mystery of the project to be real for the students." ~quote from FAQs on the Tomatoshere website.
Check it out. You can register at the website, Tomatosphere. Homeschoolers are definitely welcome. They have resources for Teachers and Students of different grade (age) levels; study guides, stories, games, experiments, and more. This is my first year doing this but it looks like it will be quite interesting, fun, and educational. :)

Enjoy!
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