I know, Summer just started, and I'm talking about Fall already! 

But, in order to have a Fall garden, some things should be done now- planning, ordering seed, planting seeds to transplant into the garden when it is time, adding compost or any other needed soil builders, etc.   

In my area, July 1 was the suggested date for planting tomato, pepper, and eggplant seed.  I'm a few days behind schedule, mainly because I'm trying to keep up with harvesting the tomatoes that are ripening like crazy right now!   

Most of the Fall planting for my area comes a little later, since July and  August are always HOT.   The bulk of  planting comes from September to November.  But, if I don't at least make a plan now and make sure I have seeds ready, I may miss my planting date when it arrives. 

Many of the same vegetables that grow in the Spring garden can be replanted for Fall, they like the cool weather and will do well if they have time to mature before a frost gets them.  You can probably get a list of what grows well in your area in the Fall either online, from a local nursery, or from your County Extension Agent. 

Here's a little chart to show when the first predicted Fall frost date is:

Zone 3 - Sept 1st - 30th
Zone 4 - Sept 1st - 30th
Zone 5 - Sept 30th - Oct 30th
Zone 6 - Sept 30th - Oct 30th
Zone 7 - Oct 15th - Nov 15th
Zone 8 - Oct 30th - Nov 30th
Zone 9 - Nov 30th - Dec 30th
Zone 10 - Nov 30th - Dec 30th
Zone 11 - Frost Free

If you aren't sure what zone you live in, here's a map that will show you.

With that information you can see how long it takes a particular crop to mature and then count backwards to get an estimated planting date.  Of course, it all depends on the weather, and it is good to give your plants at least a week or two of a head-start if your area often has early frosts.  I live in Zone 8, and sometimes we don't even have a frost until close to Thanksgiving.  Fall is a great time for growing here. 

Please share what you grow in your Fall garden and any tips you have.  Those of you who live in colder climates, please share your wisdom, as this Texas gardener has never had to garden where it really gets cold !

Hope you have a great holiday weekend, and maybe next week, spend some time planning (and perhaps planting) for the Fall garden!

Blessings,

Catherine

When I read the following excerpt from Managing A Home by Crystal Miller in the Homestead Happenings newsletter this morning, I just had to e-mail her and ask permission to post it here on the Front Porch.  Some of our new bloggers may not be familiar with Crystal's newletter or her Country Store, and I don't want anyone to miss out on the blessing of what she has to offer!  The article spoke to my home-maker's heart and was both an encouragement and a reminder that I need to be diligent in caring for my home and family.  Hope you enjoy the article as much as I did.

Blessings,

Catherine

Home Management and Making a Home
By Crystal Miller

When I think of the word “Homemaking” I think of the word as “Making a Home”. Homemaking is all that goes into making my house a home. Due to my home being a priority to me and perhaps because I have a large family I feel like much of homemaking is good home management. I have felt that it takes a well functioning home to feel like a comfortable home. A home where your family enjoys the time spent and others like to come to your home for refreshment and encouragement. I personally feel like it is hard for me to nurture my family and reach out to others if my life and home are not functioning as they should.

In order to manage a home you have to have a plan. You have to have a basic daily plan on how to keep the home flowing and the work done. A plan consists of routines, good time management, chores maintained, systems of organization, and tools to help you keep it all in order and keep the wheels moving forward in your home. Remember that one of the most important aspects of being a homemaker is creating a loving and peaceful environment for your family.

The housekeeping plan you use needs to be one that works for you and your life. I have read lots of books and read many ideas and used different plans, but ultimately these plans and ideas were not the end in themselves, they were the means to creating my own plan. My home is unique and so is yours. I don’t believe we could follow someone else’s plan exactly and have it work for us. We will tweak it and modify and then find something else and say, “Oh that might work” and try it and tweak that, etc., until after a time what you have is “your” plan.

Obstacles to Planning

Our Attitude
There are obstacles that can make a home management plan difficult. One is our attitude about cleaning a house. Being a homemaker is hard work and it takes a positive attitude and a lot of energy and determination each day. The beauty of it all is that with the right attitude caring for our home can be one of those areas in life where we can learn to get into the rhythm of the tasks and learn to appreciate things like warm soapy dishwater on our cold winter-time hands, the soothing hum of a washing machine going, the smell of dinner wafting through the home, the beauty of a shiny clean kitchen floor, the peace that comes from a home where all is clean and in order.

Any woman can choose to believe that their job is drudgery or they can choose to view it as a service to Christ. I believe that being a homemaker is a ministry of service and love unto Christ to those the Lord has given me to love, nurture and care for. My husband and family are the ones that mean the most to me; they are the closest to my heart. They are the first and foremost ministry in my life. If I begin to think of other things I would rather be doing then laundry, cooking, cleaning, etc., I realize that I have neglected to view my role from God’s perspective and that is as His servant. There is something humbling about serving others, washing the feet of our loved ones in these tasks; something that can, if we allow it, help to put our heart and attitudes in the right place. It can change our view of the work we do each day. If Jesus walked into your home you would do everything possible to serve Him while He was in your home. Well ladies, He IS in your home and you are serving Him each day as you go about your task of raising up godly children and caring for and keeping a home for you husband and family (Matt. 25:40 And the King will answer and say to them, ”Assuredly, I say to you inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me”).

Busyness
Many years ago when I began my quest to manage my home better I evaluated all the busyness in my life and looked at what things might be preventing me from managing my home better. I decided that if I am not able to take care of my home in such a way that shows that I have control over my domain then I may need to lessen what I currently have going on and not add any more to my schedule.

I have always been a person who would bite off more than I could chew so to speak. I don’t think I am alone with this either, as I talk to other women who deal with the same issue. I would take on more projects than I could handle, I volunteered for more than I should have, and I made plans that were beyond my abilities or time. The end result was always the same; something would suffer.

When I am too busy the first thing to suffer is always my home. It becomes a mess, laundry backs up, and clutter is a big problem. Then my children are next; attitude problems, discipline issues not being handled well, little ones not getting enough mommy time. Of course meals suffer; boxed cereal, instant, expensive and typically unhealthy food is served. All for the sake of not having my home under control.

The dividing line for outside busyness and effectively managing a home will be drawn in a different place for each of us. I am not saying that all outside activity needs to stop, that would be unrealistic. But rather when life has too much going on, it is much more difficult to manage a home as it should be managed. I had to make very different choices in my life in order to achieve my goals.

Time Management
Problems in good home management can also come from our time not being used as efficiently as possible. I know that it can be somewhat depressing for someone to look around and see that they don’t have control over their home or don’t have as much control as they feel they should and think it is hopeless, I might as well just continue on because I can’t ever get it under control. But let me encourage you that my experience is that as I have worked to organize, deal with clutter, create and implement systems of operation in my home and learn to use my time wisely that my skill level in these areas has increased, my efficiency has increased and I am able to train my children to work along side me and eventually move beyond the basics and accomplish other things in my life.

The first thing to remember is that there are only 24 hours in a day. We can’t expect to find anymore time available than this! We need to sleep a certain amount of those hours; we need wake up time and unwinding time and personal time. That calculates into only so many available hours to do all the other things we would like. These available hours should be viewed as precious time to accomplish the work the Lord has given us!

Be realistic about what you can do with the hours you have. Know your limits, your strengths and your weaknesses. I remember planting a huge garden one year. That was great except for the fact that I was due to have my 5th baby at the beginning of September. The same time all my tomatoes were ripe and ready. I personally did not have the energy to go from birth to canning in the same week! I was still struggling to care for my new baby (which was the 3rd baby in less in than 3 years) and recover and regain some energy. I was not very realistic about what I could accomplish. I wanted to do it all and I physically could not.

Recognize the things in our life that rob time from us. Over commitment, the telephone, the computer, laziness, hobbies that need to put off until the house is in order. Once you have a good handle on time management you will find it much simpler to accomplish the basic priorities.

In Summary
Time spent making and managing a home for my family will be a value passed on not only to my children but to future generations too. I think of the legacy left to me by my hard working, home loving, dedicated grandmothers and I know I can leave this same legacy for my grandchildren.

Managing my home is a mission that the Lord has given me. I always want to remember that homemaking is not a job to be avoided but a job to embrace and live to its’ full potential. This is one major area that is so easy to run from. It can be hard work to run a well managed home. This is a challenge that we as homemakers can embrace and be successful. It requires a determination to succeed and a plan. I don’t mind hard work and I don’t mind working towards these goals when I know that my hard work and my goals are for the purpose of something worthy. And certainly raising a family in such a way as to honor Christ is a worthy purpose.

An excerpt from:
Managing a Home: Tips, Organizational Advice and Practical
How-To’s from a Mother of 8
A new eBook from The Family Homestead

I found some information on fermenting and a few recipes in a book I discovered at the library this weekend- Fresh Food From Small Spaces- The Square Inch Gardener's Guide to Year-Round Growing, Fermenting, and Sprouting by R.J. Ruppenthal.  The directions for making Kimchi say to cover the jar loosely with the lid or a cloth for 2 days, or until you get that "fermenting" smell; then, cap it tightly and put in the refrigerator.  Maybe that is what I've been doing wrong.  I put the lid on at the beginning; perhaps it needs to "breathe" a bit first???  The author recommends Wild Fermentation by Sandor Ellix Katz, which sounds like a very interesting book on the subject.  I plan to look into reading this one, too; and am going to make another attempt at kimchi soon.   Wildfermentation.com was created by the book's author, and if you click on the resources button, you can find his recipe for sourkraut and pickles, plus a troubleshooting area.  Hope this info. helps some of you who are having the same struggles as I am in learning the art of fermenting food!

Blessings,

Catherine

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time.  ~John Lubbock

This is good advice for a summer's day, I do believe.  Take some time today to rest, relax, and enjoy the  garden.  Listen to the song of nature, give thanks for the beauty around you, plan for next season. 

If you've had some trouble with the garden this year, remember these wise words:

"There are no gardening mistakes, only experiments." ~Janet Kilburn Phillips

I have done lots of experiments in the garden . 

Now that you've had a nice time of rest and reflection...Get back out there and get busy because-

"Gardens are not made by sitting in the shade." ~Rudyard Kipling

Blessings,

Catherine

Summer School Adventures starting...

Adding to the Summer School fun...and general fun

Wow here it is already the middle of the week.. Things have been so busy here. I am looking at the next school year for my children. I will have two in the 12th grade, one in the 10th grade and one in the 9th grade.. oh boy.. fun.. really it is but it is also a lot of work..  Worth it but a lot of work none the less...

So with that being said i am looking at what classes we need to take for the coming year. If there is any classes the kids need to take at the local college and what that would take to do..

That brings me to the health issues... I am really wanting to just move on with the life i have and put all this behind me but it seems like that is not in gods plans.. We seem to keep going back over them.. Not sure why honestly.. But maybe that is the thing maybe i am not to understand why.. Just have to walk it out...

I did have something great happen yesturday.. I have a facebook account and well i have been getting in contact with those i went to highschool with all those 20 years ago.. oh boy i am old. ha ha ha.. anyway i just happen to start talking to a boy i went to school with.. It is funny really he was really down when we started talking. He was angry at God for somethings that have happened in his life.. And well he has had some bad things happen.. But when i started sharing with him how God never leaves us.. NO  matter what is going on  and that  he always LOVES us and wants to have a close relationship with us.. He started to feel and sound better... I told him about everythign that has happended in my life these past two years and i said if God has not left me..Do you even think he would leave you.... See maybe that is what all this is for.. Maybe all our struggles are so that we can show how Gods love and his ever ending love is there for our taking...

just some food for thought...

no struggles are ever in vain.. there is always a reason..

The Fair Trade issue is one that has been on my heart for quite some time.  I first read about the Fair Trade movement on a visit to World Hunger Relief to pick up the week's share of organic vegetables for my family and friends from their CSA.  They also have a nice little gift shop which sells Fair Trade items like tea, coffee, and all sorts of crafts and gift items.  I purchased a bag of coffee beans for my coffee-loving husband.   Though they were more expensive than our regular grocery store brand, I thought the little extra $ was worth it since it was a gift, and the money was for a worthwhile project.  In my bag was a little pamphlet telling about the Fair Trade Movement.  After I read that, I felt saddened that I had no idea what the cost of producing things I buy on a weekly basis was to not only the earth, but to the farmers growing them.  I was shocked, saddened, and convicted; now that I knew the truth, I was responsible for my own response to that truth.

The things that my family has started with in an effort to not only Go Green, but buy Fair Trade are tea and coffee.  I buy these often as we drink both on a daily basis.  My local grocery store does stock one brand of Fair Trade coffee, and I can order teas from Mountain Rose Herbs when I place an herb order.  These are 2 simple things that I can do without much extra effort at all; and though the cost is a little more at the checkout; I know  that we are doing the right thing by not making life harder on a farmer somewhere across the world.  My first concern was the cost, as we do not have a large income for our family of 5; but I felt that either I needed to pay the cost of a Fair Trade brand, or sacrifice by not buying tea and coffee at all. 

Bananas are usually the cheapest fruit in the grocery store; but I've recently learned that there is a huge cost elsewhere.  Since I've not yet found Fair Trade bananas in my area, I've decided to do without that fruit until I can either buy Fair Trade or grow my own.  I have noticed a blessed absence of fruit flies as one benefit of not having bananas in the fruit bowl daily (My husband makes Kombucha which is dearly loved by fruit flies it seems- no bananas, no fruit flies attacking the Kombucha!). 

These are just 3 simple things that I have committed to do in order to promote Fair Trade, Go Green, and do what is right by those who are growing these items. 

I've included several links throughout this, and you will find possibly more than is comfortable to know about Fair Trade and the true cost of food should you choose to read about it.  It isn't always a pleasant subject, but knowing the true cost of what we consume is something that is important, I believe.  It may be challenging to know the truth; but knowing the truth sets you free to do what is right.  One book that gives a good picture of the true cost of food production in the world is Hope's Edge by Frances Moore Lappe and Anna Lappe.  Please note, I do not agree with all of their viewpoints, but their travels and sources are well documented; and it is a good source of information. 

I'm not suggesting that everyone has to make the same choices I have.  I'm simply sharing my story and giving you some information on the subject.  If you are a Christian, read the information in the links, or do your own research;  and then truly ask yourself...What would Jesus do?  Perhaps Isaiah 58 is a good place to find out. 

Blessings,

Catherine

I think I must be doing something wrong with the Nourishing Traditions recipes for fermented foods.  Mine just turn out salty, and don't seem to be "fermented".  Anyone here make the recipes in that book with success?  If so, would you please give me some tips?  I think someone else here posted about having trouble with the fermenting process; I'm sure they would appreciate your help, too! 

I attempted to make pickled cucumbers last week, but ended up with a jar of very salty sliced cucumbers.  I had the same issue with Kimchi and Ginger Carrots.  I've tried using whey and just adding additional salt.  Any ideas what I'm doing wrong? 

Thanks so much for any input! 

What is your own favorite recipe in the Nourishing Traditions book ? 

I've not made many things from it, yet.  I would certainly love to get the fermenting thing down.  I like Kefir and make that when I can get good quality milk.  Yogurt is another family favorite, and I have varying results with that.  Sometimes it is good, sometimes it is....NOT! 

My husband makes Kombucha with excellent results.  I do not like it, even a little bit; but he does and doesn't mind all the work that goes with keeping it going.  I honestly think apple cider vinegar tastes better, so I'll continue my own daily tonic of 1 tsp acv in a glass of water twice a day.  I used to add 1 tsp honey to it, but now don't even bother, it tastes fine "straight" .

Any other input on Traditional Nutrition? 

Blessings,

Catherine