Posted in Homestead Garden and Farm

Hello dear friends!
I tell you, the weather has been rough around here... our garden has suffered. It hasn't helped that Shannon and I have not been ourselves either.  We are thankful for what we have been able to get out of the garden, what we have been able to preserve for the winter. One thing that is doing quite beautifully though is my Luffa's.  Dear Rhonda Jean sent me a package of seeds when we had a swap and I am so excited to harvest these once they have dried.
Silly as it may sound, I always thought luffas were a type of sponge from the sea. I had NO idea it was something to grow in the garden.
Her site has some great info on how to prepare these for use.
You let these dry on the vine and then once dried you can harvest the seed and peel the skin.  Then you soak them in a bit of bleach water and let them dry... after dried they are ready for use or for gift giving.
I would love to get my own soap made so I could give a gift of soap and luffa. 
But I am having a terrible time trying to find lye.  Any ideas where I can buy this.  I have tried Lowes, Home Depot, Walmart... I can't find it. 
Thanks for your visit.  May God bless you and your Homestead.
From my Homestead to Yours,
~Chas~
Chasity L. Burrell
Senior Editor Homesteadblogger
Heritage Acres Farm

Posted in Putting Food By

Would some of you please share your tips, thoughts, tricks, or tried & true recipes for ways to preserve the harvest with me?  In particular, things like dehydrating, fermenting, pickling, salting, etc.   I have good information on canning and freezing; but would like to explore other methods. 

I have this book from the Bountiful Gardens website on my never-ending wishlist.   But as it is Back-to-Homeschool time for my family, the book funds are all allocated to other types of learning for now.  

Thanks so much for your help!

Blessings,

Catherine

Hello... I have received an email from one of our fellow bloggers who has decided to blog about an illness that she has suffered from.  She wants to share and help others who might be going through what she, herself went through.  Country Mom
would like for you to stop by her blog and give your thoughts or experiences with this very real problem.
Thanks!

From My Homestead to Yours,
~Chas~
Chasity L. Burrell
Senior Editor Homesteadblogger
Heritage Acres Farm

Posted in Homestead Garden and Farm

I know I've posted articles about this topic before, but I am convinced that a good, deep layer of mulch is a must in the garden. 

The summer heat is almost unbearable here in the "heart of Texas", and my garden has been the most pitiful thing this year.   I finally decided to just give up and wait for time to plant the Fall crops.  But, the jalapeno and serrano pepper plants were still living, though I was having to water them every day, and they still looked sad and wilty.  I wanted to keep them alive until we move in hopes to transplant them into containers and take them with us. 

In a burst of gardening energy one morning before the scorching heat set in, I raked up a whole bunch of dead leaves and other "mulchy looking stuff" from under the trees and brush at the back of our property line.  I put a thick layer- at least 6 inches, on top of the layer of cypress mulch already in place, around the pepper plants.  When I first put it down, it was about halfway covering the plants themselves, but after watering it wasn't quite so tall.  I watered thoroughly, making sure to soak not only the mulch, but the soil underneath. 

I kid you not, those pepper plants look so much better, and haven't wilted since!  I've even gone a few days without watering, and they are not only thriving, but setting fruit again. 

I've always mulched, but since I've bought bagged mulch in the past, I didn't mulch quite so deeply.  From now on, I'm going to be more thrifty and rake up whatever looks "mulchy" in my yard, and perhaps offer to rake a few neighbors leaves come Fall, too!  

Mulch your gardens thickly!  Your plants will thank you. 

Blessings,

Catherine

Posted in Homestead Garden and Farm

How about growing your own Vanilla beans!  Logee's has a new variety which sounds very tempting to try:  Vanilla planifolia variegata . 

The variegated "Calamondin Orange" would also be fun to grow if you have a greenhouse, sunroom, or live in a warm climate.  Unfortunately for me, they can't ship citrus plants to Texas.  I really don't understand that, because you can buy citrus trees at the nurseries here.  Some oddball  regulation, I suppose. 

Oh well, I'll just request the Vanilla plant for my all too quickly approaching birthday, and be happy to get a new "pet"!

Blessings,

Catherine

Posted in Going Green

I found another interesting calculator at the EPA website. This one helps you calculate your CO2 emissions. But it indirectly helps determine your energy use. I've written all about it here.

Kristin Hoffman homesteads with her family in the hills of East Tennessee and blogs about alternative energy, family farming, and home schooling with her husband at www.solarfamilyfarm.com. The Hoffmans also run Knot4Fun, a family business dedicated to teaching kids the practical skill of knot tying and adventurous outdoor play. Kristin can be found on cool summer mornings pulling large clumps of summer grasses from her pathetically weedy garden.

Posted in Product Review

Ah... can you smell it? It is only a hint, but it is there...
School is in the air.  We are starting back at the beginning of next week, and I am eager.  Now here at our homeschool we are learning and growing every day, so it is not really like school shuts down for us, but 'technically' school will be starting back for us really soon. 
One thing that I am LOVING as to help me to prepare for lessons and just organize my life is my new Schoolhouse Planner!  WOW, can I say WOW again?
It is fantastic! I have been printing and developing my own unique planner and it is really going to be just the thing I need this year to keep me on my game!
When you purchase your planner, it will come to you as a PDF file.  You get to pick and choose from 247 different pages, including the lovely cover pictured above. 
I have a plain 3 ring binder with a clear overlay so my cover is protected.  Another great thing is the months are available to print and the are big, big enough to write in! Which is so nice!!  I have the room to write all my goings on, and not have to get my magnifying glass out to be able to read what I have written.
There are pages that you may what one copy of... there may be pages you want 4 copies of.... for me that is one for each child! You are NOT going to get that in a premade planner... you only get that in the Schoolhouse Planner that you can design just for YOU and YOUR family and how you function!
And that's not all!  There are great pages like Famous Inventions, Famous Artists, Presidents and their first ladies and all with dates!  There is a budget page, a weekly menu, grocery lists, monthly household duties checklist, and end of the year evaluation forms!
Everything you need as a homeschooling Mom to get you organized!
This truly is the BEST planner I have ever had and I look forward to using it ALL year long!
Have a great day!
My Cup Runneth Over...Chas

Posted in Contests

Posted in Homestead Garden and Farm

This is a good video for those interested in sustainable agriculture.  It is particularly helpful for those of us who are renting or have limited space.

Anyone here with advice on this subject, please share it with us, too!  This is something our family and a few good friends are looking at putting into practice in the very near future. 

Blessings,

Catherine

Posted in Contests

How would you like to win the much-anticipated Schoolhouse Planner ???


The Schoolhouse Planner has so many wonderful features. You told us what you wanted in a planner, and we have delivered!

Some of the main features include:

• Calendars in various forms - yearly, monthly, weekly, and daily

• Planners for your homeschool - in various styles to meet your individual needs

• Household planning forms

• 12 "homeschool must-know" items, one for each month of the year

• 12 essays from some of our favorite authors in the homeschool community - you absolutely won't want to miss these!

• 24 easy main-dish recipes from some top homeschoolers around the nation

• and so much more!

Posted in Homestead Garden and Farm

There are lots of ways to dry your fresh garden herbs. my sister dries hers in a dehydrator. But my favorite is to air dry them as follows.

  
Here's How:
Gently wash herbs and pat dry with paper towels.
Tie two to three stalks together.
Hang upside down in an airy, dry spot.
Herbs will dry in one to two weeks under favorable conditions.
When herbs are dry and crumbly, remove leaves from stems.
Crush leaves with a rolling pin or leave whole.
Pack in an airtight container or zip-top bag with air removed.
Use within 6 months.
Tips:
Pick best leaves just before herbs bloom.
Harvest in early morning as soon as dew has evaporated.
Herbs only hold their potency for about 6 months.

If it is damp out and humid inside I put them in my hot-water heater closet to dry. I am always on the lookout at garage sales for little glass jars with tight lids to store my herbs in.

Grandma Rosie at Grandma Rosie's Texas Home

My Friends, I will be on a little vacation till Monday... I hope you all have a great week and weekend... so until Monday...
And when I get back... OH MY! I am going to be giving you a chance to win a FABULOUS prize!!!  So keep your eyes peeled!
BYE!

From My Homestead to Yours,
~Chas~
Chasity L. Burrell
Senior Editor Homesteadblogger
My Cup Runneth Over at Heritage Acres Farm