Did I really just post that as my title?  Talk about putting on the pressure!  Only 43 days til Christmas -- well, since it's the afternoon, I guess I only have 42 1/2 days .  I didn't realize I had not posted since October!  My, how the time flies!  But I have been busy...as we all have, I'm sure.  In addition to everyday life, our family has been working on Christmas things and enjoying Christmas music, too!  To be perfectly honest, we listen to Christmas music pretty much any time of the year, whenever we feel like spreading a little Christmas...and I sing Christmas songs to my children in addition to lullabies throughout the year - we all love them!

So, for a quick update: 

• The homemade vanilla I made turned out GREAT!!!!  I've been using it and it is so refreshing to walk down the aisle in the grocery store and NOT have to pay what they're asking for vanilla!  Plus I have the added bonus of knowing exactly what is in my vanilla!  Did you know that commercial vanilla has corn syrup in it?  Even the more expensive stuff!  Why?
• I'm actually making progress with my rag quilts!  I hope to have one finished in a week (I work on them only about 30 minutes per day). The biggest delay is that I couldn't find the fabrics I needed at the price I needed to pay!     I have, however, resigned myself to the fact that I may only get one done for a Christmas gift.  But there's always next year for the others!
• I have knitted 3 caps and started another to give as gifts.  One of the caps was claimed by my daughter and one by my son, so I had to start more.  What a compliment, though!  They loved them!  Since I don't sit down too much at home unless I'm on the computer or nursing, I use any time we are travelling in the vehicle to knit (that is, of course, when DH is driving!).
• Oh, I have been enjoying my winnings from Mennobrarian!  I won the giveaway I posted about last time!  I was so excited!  The parcel she sent was wonderful, chock full of goodies!  I am thinking of doing a giveaway of my own now...if I can just think of a prize everyone would enjoy.
• I have been making Amish Frienship Bread every 10 days and we love it!  I've added Pumpkin Spice pudding mix to it as well as nuts, and it tastes like the moistest, most yummy Pumpkin Bread!  I've frozen a couple of loaves for the holidays.  I've also run out of people to give starters to!  Everyone I know has a starter already!
• I've got our Thanksgiving meal planned out and just need to buy the turkey.  I have a raincheck for turkeys at Kroger for 59 cents per pound that I have been waiting to use for a month now!  They haven't gotten any more in, so I'm HOPING it will be this week.  I don't believe any other store near here has advertised them for even close to that price.  Other than the turkey, I have pretty much everything.  I am going to make pumpkin pies this week and freeze them so I'm not doing it all in one day. 
• And, last but not least, I have been cleaning/reorganizing my kitchen.  The key to it for me is to only work on a few certain sections each day.  I am famous for getting into a big project like that and trying to tackle it all in one day.  The result?  A bigger mess than when I started, and in the case of the kitchen, NO DINNER!  That's tough on the tummy AND the budget!  We either end up snacking or going out for fast food - neither being acceptable solutions!  This time I divide up the areas and tackle one "section" per day.  For example:  I have 7 upper level cabinets in my kitchen.  I want to take only 3 days to accomplish the upper cabinets redo, so I will need to tackle 2 cabinets per day.  This makes it a task I can complete instead of dragging everything out of every cabinet, only to run out of steam before I get everything sorted, decided upon and put back in the cabinets!  Well, there's more to the "system" but that's a general idea, and so far, it seems to be working!  The biggest bonus so far is that I know which spices and seasonings I have plenty of and which ones I need to replace  before the holidays!

So til next time, Cheers!  And Happy Thanksgiving! 

I must take a moment to share that my friend Mennobrarian is having a lovely Christmas giveaway on her blog!  It is never too early to get in the spirit, as far as I am concerned, so hop on over and enter!  I did!  BUT DON'T HESITATE - the giveaway ends October 8!  That's tomorrow!!

http://www.homesteadblogger.com/mennobrarian/111957/

Mmm, fall is in the air, and lots of baking is going to be happening at our house!  I am looking forward to using my own homemade vanilla in all of my cooking and baking.  The first batch I made will be finished in roughly 2 weeks and I can officially 'try' it. 

Since I mentioned making my own vanilla, I've had a few requests for the recipe/method, and my friend Mennobrarian kindly suggested that a tutorial might be in order.  Sooo, bear with me as I add my first real tutorial for making your own vanilla!  And thanks, Mennobrarian, for the suggestion! :)  By the way, a Disclaimer:  I am not accustomed to frequenting the liquor stores, so venturing in for a bottle of vodka to make my vanilla was almost too much for me! No, I'm no prude, but I don't know enough about alcohol to tell one thing from another...so I coaxed my hubby into purchasing it for me.  Maybe next time, huh?

HOMEMADE VANILLA

The players:  vanilla beans (buy them online - much cheaper! My source listed below.); vodka (75-80 proof); 1/2 pint jar with lid; sharp knife.

Step 1:  Count out and sort your vanilla beans.  The recipe I used first called for 4 beans per 8 ounces vodka (1/2 pint jar) but other sources suggest that anything less than 6 or 8 beans per 1/2 pint is only vanilla-flavored alcohol.  I used 6 beans per jar for my first batch and 7 beans per jar for the batch you see here.

Step 2:  Cut the beans in half horizontally.  I also cut off the ends to make it easier later on...but I add the ends to the jar, so don't throw them away!

Step 3:  Cut the halves in half lengthwise.  Set these all aside in a pile.

Step 4:  Using the back edge of your sharp knife, hold it at about a 45 degree angle to the bean pod and scrape the insides of the bean, also known as "caviar".  Put the caviar in a pile at the side of your cutting board or go ahead and put it in your jar.  You'll have to use your fingers to get it all off.

Step 5:  After scraping out all the caviar, chop your bean pods up into small pieces.  Add these to your jar also.

Step 6:  Add 8 oz. vodka to the jar with the pods and caviar.  Put a lid on and shake, shake, shake!

Step 7:  Put this in a dark place to do its thing.  For the first week, you'll need to shake it DAILY.  It's okay to open it up and smell it, too!

After the first week, you will need to shake the jar(s) once every couple or three days, until week 4.  Then just shake occasionally as you remember.  After week 4, you can use some of it and just top off the jar with more vodka.  It will continue to "ripen" as long as the bean pods are in it. 

I plan to finish my first batch in no more than a couple of weeks because I want to try it.  To finish, you will need to strain the vanilla through a couple of layers of cheesecloth into another clean jar with a well fitting lid.  Obviously I haven't gotten to that part yet or I would add pictures!  I'll try to update this tutorial when I get to the straining part. 

Well, that's about it.  To sum it up, you'll need some vanilla beans - I get mine online as I can get 20 or 30 beans for less than I would pay for 2 or 3 in a store here - some vodka, and an 8 oz. jar (or several jars, if you plan to make a bunch).  You need a good sharp knife and the cute cutting board like I used just makes everything more cheerful, but any cutting board will do.  It takes just a little while to make up, and then all you have to do is remember to SHAKE IT! 

*I buy my vanilla beans from The Organic Vanilla Bean Company - I have been VERY pleased with them.  The website is:  organic-vanilla.com.

Enjoy!  And let me know how your vanilla turns out!

I am happy to say that it feels like FALL here!  I don't know how long it will last, since the weather here is so temperamental sometimes, but the children and I are literally soaking up the cool, crisp air and so glad to be rid of the muggy, humid weather!  It really gets me in the mood to do things!  I hate to be hot, and always say "I can put on as many things as I need to in order to get warm, but when I'm hot, I can only take off so many clothes to get cool!"  :)

My 2 oldest are having a yard sale as we speak, and I hope they make a good profit from it.  They have worked really hard the past couple of weeks, going through their things to weed out the "don't like it, doesn't fit, never play with it" items.  I told them that if they did this, whatever they make on the sale is theirs free and clear.  Motivation, huh?  I put a few things in for them to sell for me, too, but mainly this is THEIR project.  I'm proud of them!  And they are motivated to sell because whatever DOESN'T, goes to charity!  Not back home! 

As for me, I have been doing more and more "Homesteading" things.  Since my last post, I have:

1. Made Muscadine Jam (lots of it!)
2. Made my own VANILLA!  Mmmm, it smells HEAVENLY!
3. Started a rag quilt (a gift for a family member)
4. Worked up 25 pounds of potatoes in a freezer plan (potato wedges, fries, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes)...Whew! That took a while! But yummy! And very inexpensive as I found a deal of 5 pounds for 99 cents!!!!!
5. Made our very first Homemade Pizza (and subsequently declared that I will not ORDER a pizza for a very long time) -- DeLish!!!!
6. Made Chocolate Syrup to fuel my DS10's addiction to Nesquick - I make mine with organic sugar and he LOVES it!
7. Continue to make Laundry Soap and Scented Vinegar Rinse as needed.
8. Taught my DS10 to make bread in the bread machine by himself.

And that's probably not all, but I am pleased with the steps we are taking to become a bit more self-sufficient.  Sometime this week I am going to try a powdered version of homemade laundry soap - if it goes as I hope, then I am going to make several batches of it to include with Christmas gifts for my grandparents and my parents.  The vanilla is also going to be part of our gifts to family as well, along with homemade jams and things. 

We are planning to go to a pumpkin farm (hayride and all) to get our pumpkins in just over a week, so it is really getting to feel like fall here ... if we can just keep this lovely 60 degree and under weather!! :)   HAPPY FALL, YA'LL!

Well, well, well.  After years of having been a "vinegar snob" when it came to laundry, I have changed my tune!  Honestly, I have cleaned with it for years now, preferring it to the commercial cleaners!  I just could never convince myself that it would make our clothes adequately soft AND not smell like we fell into the pickle jar all the time!  :)

Yesterday I was reading another blogger's post about what she was making for Christmas gifts, and one of the things was vinegar fabric softener.  So, I thought, "Eww, most of our extended family would turn up their noses at a bottle of vinegar that I tried to pass off as fabric softener".  But then, the wheels started turning, and I thought, "Wait, if you can flavor vinegar, why can't you scent vinegar for the laundry?"  So I did!

I found a great Australian site some time ago that I visit ever so often, and there was my answer for scenting vinegar!  Basically, you just take 1 litre of white vinegar and add 1 tsp. of essential oil.  Shake it up each time before you use it.  Works like a charm! 

The best part?  Well, with this rinse and my homemade laundry soap, it costs me only about 10 cents to wash a load of clothes (not counting water, of course) ... 10 CENTS!!!!!!   Amazing!  And the clothes are CLEAN!  If you like lots of scent, you might be disappointed, but I certainly am not.  Don't get me wrong - a year ago I didn't feel like our clothes were "clean" unless they smelled "Springtime Fresh" or some other chemical-based scent.  Now I know different and I am tickled to NOT smell that chemically manufactured smell in our laundry!  Now we just need to be able to hang the clothes out to dry in the fresh air and sunshine!  Soon.

Mmm, Mmmm, Mmmm!  My kitchen smells soooo yummy right now!  I am making another batch of fig preserves and it is simmering away on the stove as I type.  It gives such a warm, cozy feeling to know that I am preserving bounty from the season to be able to share with friends and family this fall and winter!

I am actually making two different kinds of fig preserves - one is a Spiced Fig Jam and the other is Fig Preserves (the way our great-grandparents used to make it...no preservatives, no pectin, all natural!).  They both taste so great!  I thought maybe someone else might have a bounty of figs (Wish ours were free! We buy them from an older couple near here who grow them pesticide-free and sell by the quart, very reasonably, I might add, thank goodness!) so am posting the recipe I use for the spicy fig jam.  Hope you enjoy it as much as we do - and by all means, leave a comment to let me know you tried it!

Spiced Fig Jam

Makes about 3 1/2 cups.

Ingredients:  1/2 lemon (unpeeled), thickly sliced and seeded

                   1 1/2 pounds fresh ripe figs, halved (about 4 cups)

                   2 1/4 cups sugar (I use organic or Rapadura)

                   1 (3 inch) cinnamon stick

                   2 1/4 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger

                   1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

PREPARATION: 

Finely chop lemon in processor.  Add figs.  Using on/off turns, process until figs are coarsely pureed.  Transfer mixture to heavy large saucepan.  Add 2 1/4 cups sugar, cinnamon stick, 2 1/4 teaspoons minced ginger and 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves.  Simmer until mixture thickens to jam consistency and candy thermometer registers 200 degrees Fahrenheit, stirring pretty often.  This should take about 20 minutes or so.  Discard cinnamon stick.  Divide hot preserves among hot clean jars.  Process about 10 minutes in hot water bath canner. 

I haven't been intentionally neglecting my blog, but it occurred to me this morning that I haven't had time to peruse any of my friends' blogs lately, much less update my own. 

The past few weeks my DH has been away with his work, and our children and I have tried to occupy ourselves with some fun things to keep our minds off of him being gone.  (Thank goodness he's back now! And a happier bunch you couldn't ask for since he is!)  One of the things we have done to keep busy (besides try to keep a grip on the housework) is pick fresh berries.  We found a nice place nearby that grows blueberries and *thornless* blackberries!  Big, juicy, plump ones, too!  So we have picked and had fun together, talking about how much Daddy would enjoy these wonderful berries when he got home. 

Of course, we had to make jam ... couldn't pick berries without making jam!  Each "crop" of berries that we picked were then brought home, flash frozen, and bagged.  That was the easiest way, so I didn't have to stand in front of a hot stove immediately after standing in the hot sun picking berries with Tiny Princesse in her baby sling.  It worked well because we picked berries once or twice each week and then I could make the jam on a different day when we were all more rested. 

So, without further ado, here is just a sample of our work thus far:  I believe these are some of the jars of blackberry jam. 

Oh, and the best part!  I used a low-methoxyl pectin with these, which basically means you can use little or no sugar (or other sweetener of your choice) with great results!  I used honey in one batch of blueberry jam, and in the other batches of blueberry and blackberry jam I used Rapadura (organic whole cane sugar).  Mmmm! Fresh berry taste and soooo much better for us!  While regular pectins call for about 7 cups of sugar, in these jams I used anywhere from 1 cup to 2 cups (I wanted to try the different sweetness levels, so I varied them in each batch).  I'm definitely impressed so far!

Just a short entry here, but I was so excited when I sat down an actually figured out how much it costs me to make a batch of Homemade Laundry Soap.  It costs just over $1 to make a batch of soap, which in my case makes approximately 2 gallons.  That means I am paying roughly 50 cents for a gallon, and I can wash 32 loads or more per gallon.  That translates to about 1.5 cents per LOAD!!!!!!  Maybe I'm crazy, but that just ROCKS! 

Also, to be perfectly honest, our laundry just SMELLS better.  It smells CLEAN.  Not lots of scent, but CLEAN.  I've also been using my own homemade soap to make the laundry soap instead of the Fels Naptha.  In my opinion, my own soap smells better and cleans better in the laundry soap. 

... and wish I'd read about 5 or 10 years ago!  But, better late than never!

• Nourishing Traditions by Fallon
• Managers of our Homes by Maxwell
• Managers of their Chores by Maxwell

As you can see, I don't just read one book at a time.  I tend to go back and forth between several at a time.  I have actually just completed Managers of our Homes and started Managers of their Chores.  Talk about making sense!  These are, IMHO, a "must read" for parents, no matter what ages your children are!  As for Nourishing Traditions, I know many of you have also read this book, and for those of you who haven't ... you should.  It is truly eye-opening and will make you think more about the food you feed your family (and yourself!).  I've only gotten to Chapter 3 so far and I have already been inclined to make some great changes in our food choices.  Ever wondered if that margarine was actually any good at all for you?  Read this book and you'll realize that your concerns were justified.  But you'll have to read it for yourself.  In the meantime, if there is a book you've read that you wish you had found years ago, feel free to add your own list in my comments!  Share the wealth!

Guten Tag!

Just had to share a couple of photos from our garden.  This is one of the many beautiful lillies in our garden.  My neighbor says it is a double, but it looks more like a triple lily to me.  And here is a picture of the first bloom on the glads in the garden.  There are several more ready to bloom out on this stem, too.

The past two days I have been making bread in my bread machine.  And a few other things (homemade granola, Dutch apple pie, cookies), assisted by my husband and children.  In fact, as I speak, our 10 y.o. is trying his hand at making a batch of my Simply Wonderful Chocolate Chip cookies!  I read off the ingredients, and he's doing the work.  My mouth is watering already ... must be near time to "test" the dough!

But back to the bread.  I have owned a bread machine for a long time and used it only occasionally, because the recipes included with it made, at best, a mediocre loaf.  Edible, of course, but just not the kind that makes you go, "Umm, gotta make that more often!"  But now that's just what the rest of my family and I are thinking, thanks to a great new recipe! 

This is the first GOOD loaf from my bread machine ... probably EVER!  So I'm back on the bread making wagon, especially with the price of bread in the stores these days!  I was so excited, I also made a loaf of FRENCH bread in the machine!  Yes, I said French bread.  It didn't taste *exactly* like a loaf of store-bought French bread, but I actually think it was better.  It had the crispy outer crust and the chewy insides ... well, long story short, it didn't last the evening.  We all loved it!  So I will definitely be making these recipes again and again and again.  Oh, before I forget, I found them at the wonderful Hillbillyhousewife website!  What a great resource!

Yesterday my two littlest darlings (ages 3 and 1) and I made homemade playdough!  I have never done this with them, even though I used to make it for my oldest two when they were 2 or 3 years old.  I have a tried-and-true recipe handed down from Gram that she used when *I* was little ... but I couldn't find it yesterday.  So I hopped online and found the following recipe, which I tweaked a bit (I'm turning into a habitual recipe-tweaker!):

PLAYDOUGH

4 cups flour, 1 cup salt, 4 cups water, 4 TBSP oil, 1/2 cup cream of tartar

Mix all ingredients into a bigger saucepan (Here is where I tweaked it:  Don't know about you, but I have cream of tartar in those small little spice bottles, so didn't have anywhere NEAR 1/2 cup of the stuff.  So I added about a TBSP or maybe two, then added 2 TBSP cornstarch for no particular reason.  I also added some food coloring here as I was stirring so it would blend evenly).  Cook and stir over low/medium heat until playdough is completely formed and no longer sticky.  Allow to cool slightly before storing in an airtight container or zip lock bag.

Be forewarned, this makes a big batch.  You might want to half it if you don't want a bunch.  Or at least divide into halves or fourths and color each portion a different color for variety.  We made the whole batch and used one color, not realizing it would make so much!  So we've got a whole lotta blue playdough and have been having a ball with it!

In case you're interested, I think I read somewhere that you can substitute 1/2 baking soda and 1/2 baking powder for cream of tartar when you're in a pinch.  Never actually tried it, though.  If you choose to go this route, you'd use 1/4 cup baking soda and 1/4 cup baking powder in this recipe.  If you try it, let me know how it turns out!  In the meantime, I'm gonna give Gram a ring and have her look up the original playdough recipe I know and love ... but for now, this one turned out to be a definite close second!

I found out long ago that planning our menus out for 2 weeks or more at a time helped keep us from going through the drive-through or wandering aimlessly through the grocery aisles when we should be sitting down to a nutritious meal.  SOOOO, I thought, "Others share their menu plans, so why not me, too?"  I have one large calendar dedicated to menu plans and I fill in 2 weeks (sometimes more) at a time, then make my grocery list from that, combining as much as possible with loss leaders at local grocery stores.  Sometimes we deviate from the plan (switching one night's menu with another or making a different meal with the same general ingredients), but at least there is some structure and that's what counts.  So without further ado, here is what's on the menu at our house this week:

Monday 

Pork Chop Romance with Oven Baked Yellow Rice

http://chefmom.com/recipebox/recipes/1315.htm

http://southernfood.about.com/od/crockpotporkchops/r/bl77n1.htm?p=1

Tuesday - Chicken Noodles, Peas, Bread

Wednesday - Sloppy Joes, French Fries, Macaroni & Cheese

Thursday - Mexican Night:  Chips 'n' Dip

Friday - Chicken Fried Rice, Toasty Bread

Saturday - Grill Out!  Steaks, Baked Potatoes, Green Beans

Sunday -  Family Outing, so we will Eat Out

I've listed the sites for the two newest recipes I'm using (sorry I haven't quite got the hang of tiny url's here yet!), and the other menu items are either family recipes or just quick versions using some ready-made ingredients.  If you're interested in a particular recipe, just send me a message!  I'll be happy to share - there's nothing gourmet here, just GOOD food!

Just tried out a new recipe and, though *I* think it still needs a little something (I like to "tweak" recipes to suit us even better), thought it would be nice to share.  I don't recall where I got the recipe (I hand-copied it in one of my notebooks - I'm always finding recipes and such, especially if I have to sit in a waiting room - and copy them down to try).  I am posting it as I copied it, but will say that I substituted a little, and when I make it again, will do more substitutions to "tweak" it.  So here it is, without further ado!

Lemon Cheesecake

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese

2 cups milk, divided

1 pkg (3.5 oz.) instant lemon pudding (I subbed French Vanilla here)

1 - 9 inch graham cracker pie crust (make your own or buy ready-made)

In large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until creamy.  Add 1/2 cup of the milk, a small amount at a time, blending after each addition til mixture is very smooth.

Add remaining milk and the pudding mix.  Beat for about 1 minute or until well mixed.  Pour into crust.  Chill one hour.

That's it!  Easy!  I will probably try adding some sugar next time, and maybe just a bit more cream cheese as well.  I LOOOOOOVE cheesecake, as does DH.  This one was good - we spooned cherry pie filling over it - but it could always be better!  Let me know if you use the recipe and tell me if you "tweaked" it as well! 

I just read a short article in the Sunday paper that I thought was interesting, mainly because my family and I already employ most of the ideas.  Why?  Because we're misers?  Below poverty level?  No, because we are homestead-minded!  In a nutshell, here are the suggestions the article listed:

1.  Look at your cable bill. Are you paying $5 per cable box for several rooms?  Give up premium cable packages.  [Hmm, let's see.  We don't even HAVE cable!  Where we live (big city for now) it costs right at $50 per month for BASIC CABLE (and that's BEFORE taxes and fees are added). Hello?!?!  IMHO, there is just not enough "good" tv on those cable stations to justify that kind of dough!]

2.  Use as directed (meaning your detergents and cleaning supplies).  [Yep, got that covered.  I make my own window and all purpose cleaners as well as laundry soap.  Still, it is amazing that, even though we want/need to save money, we sometimes just pour out whatever looks good instead of using the directed amount.]

3.  Consider eliminating your land-line phone and use only your cell phone if you live in an area that gets good cell phone reception.  [Done. When we moved the last time, we determined to use only our cell phones to cut costs. The basic land-line phone bill in this area is never less than $75/month - and that doesn't include long distance! Ridiculous!]

4.  Plan weekly or monthly menus.  [Please, that's a rule in our house!  We have done the "run to the store for just what we need for a couple days" deal, and we ALWAYS end up spending more than if we shop for 2 weeks at a time.  It truly pays to think ahead!]

5.  Consolidate errands and activities into one trip wherever possible.  [We usually do this as much as possible already, but when gas prices went over $3 per gallon, it became a bigger deal.]

6.  Map out your drive to be sure you are taking the shortest route.  [Well, this would make sense and be obvious for a road trip, but it also applies to running around town. I've lately been quite upset at the amount of "running around" we have had to do in order to find an item we need in the city. I have started calling ahead to a store/stores to be sure they carry the item I am looking for if I haven't noticed it there before. I also try to find a store that is close to other errands I need to run. A phone call is much cheaper than a gallon or two of gas!]

7.  Get a membership at a warehouse store.  [We have had memberships in the past, and there are some great deals to be had.  The hard part is refraining from buying things you really don't need or buying more than you'll use.  You must be objective AND aware of price per unit so you can determine if it is *really* less expensive than buying a smaller amount at a regular retailer.  Right now it just isn't the best option for us, especially considering that many stores have started selling the larger warehouse-type sizes in many items.]

Today was one of those days when, at the end of it, you sigh and note how tired you feel - maybe even feel a little sore! - but it's a "good" tired.  As we are still visiting extended family (who live on a farm), it is great training for myself and our little crew to do more "homesteading" type activities.  It has also made me realize that we can do much to prepare ourselves for our actual homestead even before we move there! 

Today Gram went out with Ben and Jim Bob and worked hauling brush and things to a burn pile in the back of the field.  They had a blast while clearing up, much to the benefit of the horses!  Gram even took a head over heels tumble (but recovered nicely) while dragging a particularly stubborn tree.  It was especially comical when we realized that she wasn't hurt-except for maybe her pride! :) 

I bundled up Tiny Precious and carried her in her sling, while Little Precious trooped along in her boots, anxious to take a ride on the small tractor with Ben.  My main objective was to capture the day's activities in photographs (some of which I will try to upload here soon) as well as get some nice ones of the horses.  Mission accomplished!  After finishing up in the fields, Ben even managed to take my camera and get some nice pics of the deer who meandered over to inspect their handiwork!  He was tickled to get pretty close to them without scaring them off.  He used one of the horses as cover to edge fairly close, and then crouched in the grass.  He may have a future as a photographer!

After the outside work was finished and we had fed the animals and "tucked them in" for the night, it was time for supper.  After that began the kitchen escapades:  dishes, of course, but THEN I started Cinnamon Raisin Bread (with help from Jim Bob and Little Precious).  We used a new recipe which started out in the bread machine, then was finished in the oven.  It turned out pretty good - although I've already noted some "tweaks" if I make it again.  (Note to self:  Roll out thinner before adding the butter-cinnamon-sugar mixture!) 

If I'm going to mess up the kitchen after I just cleaned it, I always figure I might as well get several things made at once, so next I started a batch of Vanishing Chocolate Chip Cookies by setting out the butter to soften.  I named them that because they never seem to stay around long.  It is a recipe I got from the back of a Gold Medal flour sack and then tweaked to my satisfaction (and apparently, everyone else's!).  I had plenty of help with this recipe from Jim Bob, Little Precious AND Tiny Precious (mostly "help" with testing the dough, but what sweet help that is!)   

While waiting for the butter to soften for the cookies, we stirred up a batch of Homemade Laundry Soap.  Yep, you read that right.  It was really easy, mostly because there were several of us helping!  Jim Bob grated the Fels Naptha for it, then stirred.  Gram added the other ingredients and supervised the stirring while I nursed Tiny Precious.  

The recipe is simple: 

Take 1 bar Fels Naptha soap (or Ivory if you prefer) and grate it.  Put it in a saucepan and cover with hot water.  Simmer, stirring occasionally, til all the soap is melted.  Then put this in a 5-gallon bucket.  Add 1 cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (a laundry booster) and 1/2 cup 20 Mule Team Borax.  Stir well.  Then just fill up the bucket with hot water.  Stir well, cover, and let sit for 24 hours.  It should gel up and thicken.  Next day, transfer to old detergent bottles or clean gallon milk jugs - or just leave it in the 5 gallon bucket.  However, if you leave it in the bucket, please cover it securely so little ones and pets cannot get into it.  While the ingredients are natural, it is still a CLEANING PRODUCT!  Safety first.  

(The recipe is one I found online quite some time ago at www.recipezaar.com.) It is supposed to do at least 80 loads, which equals out to very few cents per load.  Very impressive!    If you decide to make your own, there are lots of variations on this recipe out there, and all are similar.  I'd say it is worth a try.  The main reason we decided to try it is not so much to save money as it is to get away from a bunch of chemical additives and things in the commercial laundry detergents.  As a side note, I think next time I make this I will add some lovely smelling essential oils before I let it set up.  I just love great smelling laundry!

As I continue to add entries to my blog, you will probably notice more and more about making our own household cleaners and things, as well as exploring more "back to basics" things.  It is just really important to simplify so that we can enjoy the most important things in life and continue to Always Make Memories!