Our Family Nursery

Strawberry Ice Cream

Strawberry season is in full swing here in the PNW.  I have been buying them every week now and the kids eat them as fast as I buy them!    I have been making a lot of strawberry shortcake.  But the other day a friend of mine was making ice cream and that gave me some inspiration to make some for my family.  I remembered that one of the treats we love is strawberry ice cream and that was something I had not made yet during this wonderful strawberry season.  I made some on Tuesday.  It was delicious!  I pureed the strawberries and found that it was more enjoyable to eat than when I have just chopped them up. 

If you would like my recipe and detailed instructions on making ice cream you can find that here: http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/strawberryicecream.htm

I have a pretty basic 4qt ice cream maker made by Rival.  I have had it now for several years and made a whole lot of ice cream with it.  This basically is the ice cream maker I have (my bucket is round, an older model I guess! ):     

Rival 8804-BL 4-Quart Oval Ice Cream Bucket, Blue

They are not very expensive and will give a family a lot of gallons of delicious ice cream and a lot of fun making it as well!!     

Now onto chocolate ice cream this weekend..  I will keep you posted on that one too… 

Updates from the Homestead

This last week the weather has been cooler and cloudy.. with a little sun.  But despite that the garden seems to be thriving quite well.  There were enough sunny afternoons that allowed for us to get some weeding, watering and mulching done.  I have found that the stirrup hoe is my best friend!     My mother in law was the one to show me her stirrup hoe several years ago and I went out and bought one (I think I bought it at Home Depot).  It makes quick and efficient work of hoeing between the garden rows.  If you are not familiar with them you can see a pic of one here: http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1334167&CAWELAID=109366885  and read a little more about them here: http://aces.nmsu.edu/CES/yard/2005/010105.html   Here you can see Isaac using it.. 

And in the above picture you can my little plants have all come up.  The corn and green beans are doing great.  Speaking of hoes..  I accidentally hoed up half of a little section of flowers..    I was so frustrated with myself.  I had been hoeing up the weeds between the tomato plants and there was one section between the tomatoes I had planted flowers and I guess I was not thinking..  I started hoeing it!!  I will try and replant some flowers there but it might be too late..  but I will try.   

Last week I also spent one whole day in town.  I took the kids (Leanne, Sierra and Isaac) and we were gone for 7 hours, which is not unusual.  I try to limit my trips into town and when I do go I typically have a lot to take care. Sierra had her bangs cut (I think the lady could have taken off a bit more), the dentist, grocery shopping at two different stores, Walmart, Game Stop, and of course a trip to Starbucks was squeezed in there.  The kids thought it would be fun to take pics of our day along the way.  They took several but got tired of picture taking about half way through the trip..  but here are a few of us that were captured …   

Leaving (The ice chest holds everything cold for the long drive back home)

Sierra getting her bangs cut..

Isaac showing off his Strawberry Cream Frappuccino

The dentist (teeth cleaning for me and Leanne)

Smile mom…

Bagging groceries…

And the day continued…  but without the pics..    Next time they say they want to do this again.. and make a movie.. LOL..  Kids.. they are so funny!!   

We came home and I made chicken enchiladas for dinner and while they cooked we watered the garden.  I was definitely ready to put my feet up and relax by evening time.   

Hubby is back to work now (he had an extra day off this last week which was so nice) and it is back to the regular routine for us..  Today the plan is to do a quick run through the daily chores, clean out the fridge and wipe down the shelves, do a little laundry, and water the garden if it does not rain (and right now looking outside at the dark cloudy skies it looks like we may not have to water today).  I am making navy bean soup with the leftover ham bone I saved from last week, a salad and maybe some dinner rolls or bread sticks.   

That is all from the homestead..  hope you all have a great weekend!! 

An Afternoon in the Kitchen

Yesterday I had a wonderfully unscheduled afternoon and decided to spend that time in the kitchen.  It was productive and enjoyable as well!   

I started off by making 6 loaves of bread.  We were completely out of bread and were in crisis mode! LOL.. 

Then while the bread was rising and baking I started working on making a gallon jar of sauerkraut.  I used one green cabbage and half of a red cabbage and 2 onions.  I thought the addition of red cabbage sure made the kraut look pretty. 

Then while the kraut sat in the bowl with the salt and whey I began making a gallon of salsa.  I love utilizing all these fresh veggies and knowing that fermenting means they will last longer and have more vitamin content than if I did not ferment them.  The salsa looked great too.  Here is a pic of both….

For dinner we were going to grill hamburgers and hot dogs.  So after the bread, salsa, and kraut were done I made up a batch of my oat dinner rolls and turned them into 10 hamburger buns and 12 hot dog buns.

Finally Leanne made shortcake, Sierra sliced up the berries and we had strawberry shortcake for our dessert…

Working in the kitchen and making good quality food for my family is very rewarding..  now today.. it is on to laundry and chores!!   

Make Your Own Salad Dressings

I use to buy all my salad dressing from the grocery store. I thought that was how everyone did it. I felt like making salad dressing myself would just be one more kitchen job to do and I wanted the convenience of store bought dressing… Then I became health conscious and started reading labels and well, most of the dressings I found, were, well, yuck as far as ingredients go. Sugar, bad oils, hydrogenated oils, MSG, fillers, thickeners, etc.. When I try and find better quality dressings (which I can find at health food stores and through Azure) I find them to be very expensive, especially considering the rate at which we consume salad in this house (we eat fresh green salad every day).

Sometimes our perception that something is going to be hard or time consuming is just that, a perception. I eventually began making my own salad dressings and found that not only are they a frugal and healthy, they don’t take any time at all to put together. Last night I made a batch of Oriental Salad Dressing and timed myself.. it took less than 5 minutes for me to mix up the recipe and it yielded about 2 cups of dressing. Our favorite dressing of all time is still Ranch. But we also make Italian and a few others when we are in the mood for variety.

Here are my favorite recipes:

Ranch Salad Dressing
Bleu Cheese Salad Dressing
Catalina Salad Dressing
Italian Salad Dressing
Oriental Salad Dressing

we are closing Guantanamo...

Got good foods?

1. Raw (grass-fed) dairy products which are rich in CLA, alkalizing minerals (Ca, Mg, K) critical Vitamin D, beneficial probiotics, numerous enzymes, vitamins A, E, K and B Vitamins.
2. Free-range eggs, which are rich in fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, K, cysteine and other amino acids, lecithin (phospholipids).
3. Cod liver oil, which is a rich source of vitamins A and D and some EPA/DHA.
4. Coconut oil, which is rich in medium-chain, saturated fatty acids as found in human breast Milk, Very anti-fungal, anti-viral, anti-bacterial. Readily absorbed, easily processed by the liver.
5. Fermented soy products such as miso and tempeh (avoid processed soy products, soy-based supplements).
6. Fermented vegetables (raw) such as sauerkraut, kim-chi which contain powerful anticarcinogenic compounds, lactic acid, lactic bacteria, enzymes, nicin, acidolin Fand lactoperoxidase.
7. Fermented milk products: kefir, yogurt, clabbered milk, and buttermilk.
8. Raw butter/cream from grass-fed ruminants: rich in CLA, fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, Wulzen factor (anti-inflammatory).
9. Sprouted grain products: rendered free of phytates, enzyme inhibitors; rich in enzymes and additional vitamins.
10. Pigment-rich fruits containing resevetrol, astazanthins, lutein, lycopene, proanthocyanidins, bioflavonoids, flavenols, ascorbic acid, etc.: blueberries, strawberries, elderberries, raspberries, prune-type plums, cherries, etc.
11. Ocean fish rich in EPA/DHA, such as sardines (watch mercury in large fish), wild (not farmed!) salmon, sea vegetables rich in alginates (which are metal decontaminants), iodine, numerous trace minerals and mucopolysaccharides.
12. Vegetables: brassica (especially kale, brussels sprouts), also broccoli, asparagus, garlic and onions, winter squashes, carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, and miscellaneous greens such as raddichio, arugula, mustard greens, endive, dandelion, radish, celery, etc.
13. Meats (pork, poultry, beef and lamb) should be ranged fed and drug free. If your pH levels are low, eat small amounts until they rise.
14. Tropical fruits (for enzymes!)--pineapple, mango, papaya, jack fruit, leechee, guava, coconut, etc.
15. Pure water: up to half your body weight in ounces. Consider alkaline and energized waters.

1. sugar: Feeds cancer cells and causes insulin production, which stimulates cancer growth. Demineralizes and acidifies the body fluids. This also includes refined carbohydrates.
2. Vegetable oils: easily oxidized, causing peroxidized lipids (carcinogenic); especially avoid hydrogenated oils (trans-fatty acids). Exception: Raw, first-expeller-pressed olive oil, which is rich in chlorophyll and squalene.
3. Processed dairy foods and conventionally raised meats--they lack CLA, and are likely to contain hormones, antibiotics, E.coli, salmonella, camphylobacter, etc.
4. Too many carbohydrates even from whole grains (high in phytates, which inhibit mineral absorption and enzyme activity:). Soak and/or sprout grains before eating
5. Refined soy foods.
6. Fluorine, chlorine: enzyme inhibitors, carcinogens that suppress iodine uptake by thyroid.
7. Pesticide-laden produce: especially potatoes, apples, coffee, bananas, celery, onions, etc.
8. All processed (canned/frozen) foods such as possible, including organic processed foods. These foods are "dead".
9. Foods containing artificial colors - very carcinogenic.
10. Microwave and barbecued foods (heterocyclic hydrocarbons).

Voddie Baucham -- We Despise Our Children

:::"All I can think to say is, I can't believe he got away with it. If you are pressed for time, at least listen from 25 minutes until the end. He speaks on the state of the Church and how to close the generation gap." -Amy Scott

Of course you know how much I respect and admire the boldness and truth-speaking of Dr. Baucham, so I take any opportunity I find to point to him. I've heard part of this message before and it just makes me want to shout. Oh that more godly men would just speak the truth and not worry about its popularity…just as our Savior did.

"We despise children in the Southern Baptist Convention." -Voddie Baucham

Oh dear sisters, call your husbands and children around and listen to this message.

The Cleaning Challenge

Now the *real* purpose behind the challenge I offered up -- my main closet! We will be putting it under seige!

It isn't so much a closet really as a 'hidden storage area' here and wow is it a mess and disorganized extremely.

I know what we have in there, but the main trouble is too many littles going in and out for things, so nothing is even remotely stacked or grouped anymore :o(

Ok, not that being stacked or grouped even helps this area.

I admit it -- I have far too much fleshly pride to even take pictures. This is such a disaster area, I'm ashamed to have you see hoe bad it's gotten in there.
And it's not as though it's been in use as junk storage a long time either -- we just redesignated the area back when the woodstoves were put in! Losing a living space here for the wood heater and the cookstove meant repurposing those items from that room to another.

Well, I suppose 'repurposing' isn't really the word considering I didn't go about storage the proper way. What I should have done is to truly sort and dejunk *before* we relocated things to that closet area. I should have been ruthless and done some serious purging before even trying to relocate anything.

I am certainly passing on a poor legacy to my children with my lack of plan and organization especially when it comes to this! I want so much more for them! I definitely don't want this to be an issue for their spouses to deal with -- pack rat tendencies show a basic lack of faith, if you think about it. And if I trust that The Lord supplies my needs, I am stealing so much of His Glory by hoarding away so much junk and clutter this way.

But, I plan to regain that ground and honor God with my clean sweep as it were! God can easily redeem the loss to the locusts here, and I plan to be heavy in prayer chat with Him the entire way! I have to truly be honest about what is necessity and what is plain junk to shed ourselves from. And I know my level of pack-rettedness here...there is far more JUNK there than treasure to keep on and level!

So -- my JUNK Challenge this week will be the closet area.

What is YOUR area?

Monday's Update

But this week is busy. Good thing God instuted that wonderful day of rest and worship for us because we certainly needed it this week.

Tonight and tomorrow our preacher is doing Revival meetings at another church. We'll be meeting up with them to drive over -- so many back country roads stretching out around here, there's no way I'd find it on my own.

Wednesday we have our own church services and I have class with the teens. We are ready to start putting things together for our VBS now. I left the tubs of supplies last night, now its time to begin 'crafting' our 4 themes -- the jungle, a castle, an Indian village and a volcano. We have laid out the plan of action for the VBS, with the craft projects and games we are planning and we have our Bible stories/lessons together. Time to start making our props and such.

Thursday is the Visitations night. If any of the ladies come along for the ladies crocheting, I'll be up there. A couple of the ladies are planning to join the visitation rounds themselves, but I believe it's better for me to hang out at church on that. With my headcovering and dresses-only, Plain style to boot, I don't believe I'd be a help in visiting. Most folks automatically assume that we are Amish (well, we've been considered everything from Amish to Catholic to Jewish and even Muslim based on headcovering alone! Folks just don't know anything different and people do like their stereotypes and pigeon-holes). I don't see folks running to check out our church if they believe we hold anything Amish to ourselves -- folks don't tend to like "rules" or strict teachings; they want fluff and lightness.

Friday we just have bill paying to do. Whew! That will be a nice quiet day!

Saturday morning we are starting an Outreach at church. Again, the adults were starting this, but the teens really need to be involved in something themselves. I'd like to carry them up to Memphis one day, to the mission/homeless shelter and places like that. There is no end to the things they can and should be doing to reach out and see what is around them. They are rather coddled in their lessons sometimes, but they aren't children anymore, it's time they act as though they truly have the Salvation Gift they lay claim to and step into The Lord's adulthood.
Being the first gathering, and a bit short notice, I don't have a deep plan yet for this gethering, but hopefully we will get some ideas for next meeting at least.

And back to Sunday's glorious rest and worship again! We will definitely enjoy the Lord's Day again and bask in His Wisdom of a day set aside from the things of the world.

Other happenings this week:
We have 3 dresses cut to sew, prayerfully before midweek.
Lots of baking -- we might, if it's in His Timing, put together some mini breads to carry along for Visitations. Regardless, we have plenty of our own baking to do. And get the list together for the Farm Market.
Schooling goes on no matter what the busyness looks like
Finishing the side area of the barn, cleaning and mucking out
Putting together next month's school plan so I can check out the reading materials needed and used

All sorts of odds and ends to tie up with small projects and projects nearing completion.

And none of them are getting any closer to ticking off with me typing!

What's on your plan for the week?

wondering how to contiune homesteading and a long over due update.