End of the Road Ranch

Dealing with Moles in the Garden

Moles are such a huge nuisance in my garden. They dig tunnels all through and wreak havoc with my veggies, uprooting them and such.  The watering we do sometimes ends up down the mole hole instead of the plant roots.  I was getting very tired of fighting them for another year.  So I started doing a little research on how to get them out of my garden.  Poison was my first thought..  but I didn’t want that stuff in my garden.  Traps are effective but expensive. So I looked for more affordable remedies.  I came up with one that is easy to do.   You make a mixture of castor oil and Joy dish soap (2:1 ratio).  You add a few tablespoons of this mixture to a gallon of water and pour it down their holes. 

I have been doing this with some success.  The reason it can work is that moles have a heightened sense of smell and can’t stand the smell of castor oil.  They also don’t like the feel of it on them.  After a couple of applications some of the holes were not bothered any more but I still had some.  So the next time I put in more of the castor oil mix into my gallon of water and made the applications a little stronger.  I had been using 2 to 3T tablespoons per gallon..  so I doubled that.  Well I am happy to say that yesterday while in the garden I saw that all my mole holes had not been disturbed again..  so success maybe?  We will see.     

If my pesky mole just makes holes in other areas of the garden I will try another solution I read the other day and that is bubble gum.  You drop pieces of bubble gum (or Juicy Fruit I also read they like) into their holes.  The reviews I read said this was effective and will end the problem permanently!  I guess their digestive systems can’t handle gum..  they are eaters not chewers.. haa.. haa.  So if castor oil does not solve the problem..  I will try bubble gum.   

Just thought I would share this bit of mole info for anyone else battling them in their gardens this summer..  

New things in the shop...

Some new things have been added to my shop as of this morning...
Positively Patriotic Quilted Tote
Simply Beachy
And I am working on one now with a vintage flour sack.
I think it is going to be adorable! :)
Just added!
Vintage Flour Sack Bag of Thistles

Thanks for looking and may you have a Fabulous Fourth of July!

Snagglepuss

Snagglepuss is a term of endearment that I use to anyone that I love who has lost baby teeth...
Yesterday afternoon. I had two first time snagglepusses
By the end of the evening... these two (Carlie Jean and Eli) had lost TWO of their front two bottom teeth and Cameo lost one of her eye teeth.
:)
What a fun evening.

Vanilla Ice Cream

I recently made vanilla ice cream and it was delicious!!  I wanted to share my recipe with you.   You can now find all my ice cream recipes (eggless recipes and non dairy too) and ice cream making directions here:  http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/makinghomemadeicecream.htm    If I have more recipes to post I will be adding them to that page.   

Vanilla Ice Cream

6 eggs
3 cups cane juice crystals
2 T vanilla (only the real stuff)
2 c. whole cream
Whole Goat Milk, as much as needed to fill ice cream maker container (whole cow milk will work too.. :)
1 T arrowroot powder (helps make the ice cream smooth.. but this is optional if you don’t have any) 

In a big mixer (like a Kitchen Aid or Bosch) mix together (with the wire whip) the eggs and cane juice crystals until light and lemony colored. Add vanilla and mix again. Add cream and arrowroot powder (if using). When all of this has mixed together completely pour it into your 1 gallon ice cream maker container. Add whole milk until you reach the "fill line" on your ice cream maker container.  Follow the instructions that came with your ice cream maker or click on the above link for general instructions.

dry toast

Bulk Taco Seasoning Mix

We are having taco salad for dinner tonight.  I always cook up my hamburger and add taco seasonings to it before adding it to my salad.  I realized this morning I was out of taco seasoning and it was time to make more.  This is another product that I make myself now.  We are not real big fans of the taste of the taco seasonings I use to buy from my health food co-op and I wonder about MSG in it as well (the grocery store stuff definitely is full of yucky things typically).  I recently was reading an article (wish I could remember where now.. maybe Dr. Mercola? If I find it I will give the link).  It said that if a product lists “spices” in their ingredient list and they purchase bulk mixed spices from a supplier that adds MSG to their spice mix then the company that uses the spice mix does not have to claim that it contains MSG. So basically something can say it is MSG free but still may contain MSG if they have the word "spices" listed in the ingredients.  If you have MSG sensitivities like my hubby does or you just want to avoid it for health reasons …  read your labels carefully!   

Taco mix is so easy to make. It takes less than 15 minutes to make up a batch, the recipe doubles easily.  I usually make a double batch but today I did not have enough dried onion, so I settled for a single batch.   

Bulk Taco Seasoning Mix

¾ c dried onions
½ c chili powder
¼ c salt
3T garlic powder
3T cornstarch
3T ground cumin
1T to 3T cayenne pepper (depending on how hot you like it) 

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  Store in plastic or glass container with a lid. 

It takes approx. 3T of this mix to equal one packet that you would buy in the store.   

This recipe makes about 2 cups.  I store it in a canning jar in my cupboard.

Pics from camp meeting

I didn't have my camera with all the time, but here are a few pics of our time at camp meeting. 

This is Megan and Linda.  We brought Linda with us.  It was her first time to camp meeting and she really enjoyed it.  The car ride is long and the girls listened to some music and watched a DVD on the way, I believe. 

This is Paige sleeping in the carseat.  Car rides are especially long for her.... construction took us on a couple detours that we hadn't planned for. 

The girls were just talking at the memorial park at the academy.  This was one of Paige's favorite places to stop (It was also just before her class, so we had to keep her focused as to where she was going).

This is another view of the same little memorial. 

These three are Paige on the homemade waterslide.  They have a sewn form underneath.  They cover it with a heavy plastic sheet.  Squirt dish soap on the plastic and run water down from the top and half way down to keep the plastic wet.  The kids get to sliding down quite fast and at first Paige wasn't too sure about it, but she enjoyed it a bit more each time.  Paige rode down on her tummy; she rode down backwards;  she rode down with a noodle; she rode down with friends.  She only quit because they got the popsicles out and it was time to go.  She was chilly (they use just water from a hose), but had a big smile on her face.  Here's some more fun water shots...

A view from the top... Paige is in line behind one of the teachers.

Paige's first time down... a bit stiff and unsure.

Back up again!

On her back!

with a noodle!

Landing in bubbles.

With friend Thea from our home church.

With another new friend.

Popsicle ending at the waterslide. 

Paige at crafts.  They made telephones that day. 

Snack time... popsicles again... it was a really hot day this day!  The kids and MOM's were glad for this snack!

Story time with Pastor Dave.

Paige is in upper row, still in story time.  They held their classes in the music rooms so the Kindergarteners could sit on the risers.  They used the new SDA readers from the new reading program.  Paige really enjoyed them and wants them... now where to find them...

Activity time had various activities.  The kids especially liked this one.

Last one, the kids sang in the adult auditorium one evening.  Paige started out in front, but later got pushed to the back when the kids wanted to get on the microphone (which was off... the adults know better!)  Paige's class had between 45 and 60 kids each day... more on Sabbath. 

Sorry it was mostly all Kindergarten adventures... that's where I had my camera... I didn't bring it to the other meetings!  I didn't even take a picture of our camp site... and I try to do that each year...

Warmly, ~Melissa

This Weeks Menu

Our 25th wedding anniversary!! 

Tobin works so no holiday bbq for us.. already had it!

Homecoming

Aaron and Amanda Crabb
Yesterday was our churches 70th anniversary, to which we call Homecoming.  What happens at homecoming is that we have a service where we have special singing, preaching and then a meal afterwards.
Let me tell you... What a blessing.
It was so incredible! I wish you could have been there to experience it with us. God's people met and worshiped and God was glorified.
Amazing, amazing day!

Now, I would like for you to come together with me in prayer...
I have already asked you to pray for Mamaw, please continue to pray for her... but I would like to ask you to pray for our dear friend Karen again also. Her family is in need of a miracle... but that is ok, because I serve a miracle working God! He is able! You can follow her story here.
Thanks and God bless each and every one of you!

Well, I am back, so hopefully I can get back to blogging!

We attended camp meeting in MN.  We had a good time.  Well, we had a trying time for the first half.  We discovered that Paige truly does have a problem with food coloring.... red affecting her the worst.  We had allowed her to get some of those Koolaid packets for water bottles and the purple caused her stool to turn bright green and she pooped SOOOO much, poor kid.  Then she tried a red one and man-O-man, did she get extremely naughty.  Rolling around on the floor, saying she hated class, she wanted to leave...the only thing she enjoyed was running around during activity time in her  class... and run she did... I think she felt so wired that was the only way she could feel normal.  So, we took the food coloring away and I missed a couple meetings trying to manage a little one that refused to obey.  Once it wore off... she returned to her pleasant and obedient self.   Dh saw the reaction and decided that she really does have a problem and we will go back to natural food colorings again.  *God is good!*

The meetings I got to attend were very good and I'm glad I got to attend the ones I did.  Others sounded interesting, but Paige needed me to be there in her class, so I stayed with her.  (She ran away once while I turned my attention to a little girl in her class and I looked up and she was gone... apparently a boy had taken the ball away from her and she got upset and decided to pout on the other side of the building (This was when still on the food coloring).  I decided to stay and keep tabs, since no one else saw her escape from class, either.  I did have fun with the Kindergarten class... they need helpers anyways to manage all those kids.  And by the middle of the week, Paige was again enjoying her class, which made it better for me as well. 

Camp meeting is such a blessing for me.  Some years I enjoy the messages with pure joy.  Some years, I am sorely aware that I need to make some changes and repentence is strongly felt.  This year was one of those years.  It was not a sad time, though, but one that really refreshed my walk with God.  That can never be a bad thing.  *Ü* 

Later, I felt a need to apologize to a few at camp meeting for making a teasing comment... which they took lightly anyways, but I felt bad that I had joked... teasing is not a gift of mine and I don't take teasing well myself, so while apologizing, I felt impressed to encourage a couple gals and they both cried tears at needing to hear what I had said.  Crazy... I likely wouldn't have encouraged them, had I not felt the need to apologize for teasing them... and it appeared to be just what they needed.  *God is so good!* 

Coming back home was nice, although I saw that I had a HUGE job ahead of me.  I still am not finished cleaning out the camper, as the first week back it was high 80's and high 90's with high humidity and no wind... not a breath of wind... my laundry just did not dry and it was all over the house (trying to dry)!  With the high temps and high humidity, brought scattered storms which kept me from doing too much in the garden.  I did go out and attempt to weed, until I was sinking in mud and causing more problems being out there then if I just left it alone until the ground would tolerate me walking in the garden! 

I did get a trip in to pick strawberries, which was wonderful!  We made freezer jam, which didn't set, but I hadn't made it before, so I am unsure when the pectin sets... I want to pick one more day and get enough berries to make some cooked jam... and more in the freezer for smoothies!  

The garden was a bit depressing for me.  Today I got a lot accomplished in the garden.  But in looking at what was lost from weeds or seeds simply not coming up... I think we lost 1/3 of our garden.  We tilled the corn, beans and okra areas under and will try to replant and hopefully the seeds will grow this time around.  The other rows of cabbage and beets and swiss chard and peppers... and other things... had about 3-5 plants per row (15-20 feet per row).  So, I have most of that weeded and hope to replant in the blank spots after the other seeding is done.  It is not all bad... my box garden looks very good, except for my pepper box... I lost all but 2 of those... the water jug tops we cover them with didn't allow any moisture in the box, so they dried up... That was weird since I cover things in the large garden with water jugs (with the top open) and they do just fine.   

All in all, I think our gardening is going much better than in past years.  (even with the corn, bean and okra loss).  Layering seems to be quite helpful in slowing down the weeds.   The vine garden is doing quite well.  We are in the process of trying to find something to layer over the ground to keep it from weeding up when the vines spread out.  The onions are doing well.  And I've already enjoyed fresh lettuce, spinach and arugula.  Today I harvested my first radish... so things are growing! 

I truly have garden hands... they have been scrubbed and they are sore, but they are still stained green and there is a dark staining in the lines of my hands.  I think I will cut my nails and head off for bed.   

Warmly, ~Melissa