Hidden Haven Homestead

Woo Hoo the Winters Wood is In!!

Tobin and I were both quite proud of the youngest three kids as they worked to help with this task. Jacob especially has really done a lot of maturing in the last year. He is a hard worker and knows how to put in a man’s days work, not a bad thing for a 14 year old to know. He is even sought after by the neighbor to do work for him. This year Jacob has learned to use a chainsaw (it is a smaller electric one).. he used it to cut up all the small pieces of wood that were brought in (and there was a LOT of them). He made a stand to hold the tree limbs in so he could easily cut them.  He also learned how to drive Tobin’s tractor and use it around the property to bring in wood, move piles of leaves and sticks and any other task Tobin needed his help with. He is proficient with mowers, weed wackers and a host of other tools. Just had to take a moment here and share with you about my boy   Here are some pics of him driving the tractor during one of the wood gathering days. Sierra and Jacob are also helping with the clean up of a tree that Tobin took down..

 

 

 

This was the first year he mentioned that maybe getting a log splitter in the future might be a good idea!

Winter may still be a ways off.. but it is great to know we can look forward to warm cozy days and evenings inside while the wind and rain and the snow do their thing outside! 

 

~Upcoming Changes~ Coming This Fall !!!!!

Organized Mom Super Set!!!

I just got an email from my friend, Cindy Rushton.  She has just introduced a wonderful new set for those who want (or need) real help getting organized for the new school year. The best part is that this week she is offering two bonuses when you purchase her Organized Mom Super Set:

1. Her entire Organization 911 Seminar Set
2. Her NEW Virtual Seminar Set, Let's Get Organized for the New School Year.

To celebrate, Cindy just sent me permission to give you a sampler of one of her free gifts just for you. I am so excited to give it to you! Here is the link:

Scheduling ABC’s Audio Workshop with Cindy Rushton

Let Cindy take you by the hand and show you secrets to
developing a schedule that works for you and your family!

Download by Mp3
http://tinyurl.com/2cpsb9

Simple Meal: Pinto Bean Tacos

I used ww organic tortillas and had a salad leftover from the night before for the greens, a small amount of cheese, a dollop of organic sour cream and some yummy fire roasted salsa. It was a delicious meal and no one minded eating the leftovers! 

Here is a picture of Emily’s taco.. she has to get creative with all her food! Haa.. haa! 

 

It's Getting HOT in Kansas!!!!

Making Kefir From Powdered Cultures

Kefir is a cultured milk product similar to yogurt only thinner and much easier to make and reculture. If you would like to know more specific information on kefir I have an article written by a friend of mine on my site to give you more info. You can read that HERE. It has all the wonderful qualities of yogurt with the good probiotics your body needs to stay healthy.

Kefir can be made in two ways. One is to purchase kefir grains (you can read more about this in the above mentioned article). You soak milk in the grains, strain the grains and put the grains back into a clean jar and fill with milk, let it sit on your counter overnight and the next morning it is ready. I have made kefir with grains in the past. There were a few things I did not care for. One was it was a lot of maintenance. Unless you stop making kefir you have to strain it out daily and that adds up to a lot of kefir to use every day. Also the longer I made it the stronger the taste became and my family was not too thrilled with it. So I purchased some powdered kefir cultures and made it and was so much happier with the results. This is the method I will show you how to make.

I like making kefir because it is so easy! It is much easier to make than yogurt. You don’t need a lot of equipment other than a large stainless steel pot, a thermometer and a few canning jars. I use 2 2-quart jars but you can use 4 1-quart jars if that is what you have.

Besides that you will need one gallon of milk (I use whole milk) and a package of powdered kefir culture. You can purchase your cultures online at Leeners http://www.leeners.com/cheesesupply.html#buttermilk . I have purchased cheese cultures and rennet, kefir cultures, yogurt starter, buttermilk starter and more from them many times. They are a GREAT company with excellent prices and I highly recommend them.

After your cultures arrive in the mail you can gather your needed items together and get ready to make kefir!  This pictures shows the jars with their lids (I buy plastic lids from Walmart or Azure Standard, they are made by Ball), a thermometer, the packet of culture and one gallon of milk.

Pour your gallon of milk into the stainless steel pot and put it on the stove.

Set your oven at medium high IF you will be watching the pot. If not you can set it on low and stir occasionally as it heats up. In any case stir now and again and check the temperature of the milk

As soon as it reaches 86 degrees remove the pot from the stove.   Open the packet of kefir cultures, sprinkle over the milk and stir until dissolved

Now it is time for pour the mixture into your canning jars. I like to use a canning funnel for this job. It is not absolutely necessary but helps keep the mess at a minimum.

Fill both jars to the top

Put the lid on them and let them sit out on the counter for 12 to 18 hours. I try and make this in the later afternoon and then just let it sit on the counter till morning.

When the time is up you can open the lid and there is your kefir! As you can see it is nice and thick.. but not as thick as yogurt. The consistency is more like thick buttermilk.

When you start to run out of kefir it is even easier to make more.

Fill a clean canning jar ¼ full of kefir. Pour milk to the top of the jar. Cover and leave out at room temperature for 12 to 18 hours. And that is it!!
 

Kefir can be used in place of milk or yogurt in smoothies. That is how I like to use it most often. I have used it also in place of buttermilk for baking. But my favorite use is in smoothies.

Here is a delicious and simple strawberry kefir smoothie recipe that is perfect for these warm summer days.

Strawberry Kefir Smoothie
Crystal Miller


1 heaping cup fresh strawberries (frozen will also work)
1 cup kefir
Honey to taste, optional

Gather your ingredients together

Put kefir and strawberries into your blender.

Turn your blender on high and mix until all is smooth (taste to see if you want to add a little honey for sweetener at this point).

Pour into a glass

Serve to your eager and appreciative family!  :)

And enjoy!


 

Mint Ice Tea

This is one of my favourite summer time drinks.  It's so easy to make and is very thirst quenching on a hot day.

Mint Ice Tea

6 cups boiling water

4 tea bags

1 cup packed fresh mint

3/4 cup frozen lemonade concentrate drink  

Pour boiling water over tea bags.  Cover & steep for 5 minutes.

Remove tea bags Cool for 15 minutes and add mint.  Steep and strain.

Refrigerate until cold.

How To Never Run Out Of Groceries Again!

I posted this over on my other blog Around The Homestead and thought I'd share it here to. 

How many times does it happen to us, in the middle of making supper we find we are missing an important ingredient.  We rush to the store for just ONE thing and before we know it other “extras” have found there way into our cart.  Soon the one item has cost you 30.00 plus and a lot of wasted time.

So how do we avoid falling into this trap?

1. Make a Menu List

Write down all of your family’s favorite meals, and include the ingredients.

2. Make a Master Shopping List

You can set this up how it best suites your family.  For ours we made a 3 column chart.  One each for freezer, fridge, and pantry.  We then listed each item we used on a regular bases in the proper column.

We decided how many of each item we wanted to keep on hand.  Beside each item put the desired number of check boxes. 

Now this is the important part.  EVERY time you open something that is on your list check it off right a way.  No you might not NEED it this week but now that you’ve opened that jar of mayo you should buy another one to replace it.  Then when you are getting low you don’t need to make a trip out to buy another. 

Preparing our list this way has saved us a lot of money and time.  It’s stopped the quick trip to the corner store for 1 item.  And since our local store has a minimum purchase amount to use debit that 1 item would always cost us 10.00.  Our other alternative was to drive to the next town for one thing and spend the difference in gas and time. 

Life on Old Crow Farm

Simple Hospitality.......

(This is a reposting from last year.)

( I saw that someone else here at HSB was reading the book.) 

Simple Hospitality......It really can be simple!!

I have been reading the book written by Jane Jarrell, titled, "Simple Hospitality". I thought I might share a little of it with you here each day.

I really enjoyed reading this one thing that she wrote about using the letters that spell out the word "hospitalty". So today we look at the H.

H--Hospital For The Soul

Why does one go to the hospital? To visit, maybe, or to welcome a new person into the world. But oftentimes it's because our bodies are broken.A hospital can be a place to go for healing and repair.

So the word hospitable is taken from the word hospital, which means a charitable institution, a repair shop, a hospice, or a shelter. Hospitality is a shelter for the soul, healing for the spirit. So when we open our home in the true spirit of hospitality or when we bring our gifts of hospitality outside of our homes, we are offering hospitality!!

The Bible states it this way: Romans 12:9-13, "Let love be without dissimulation.....v10, Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;. .vs12, Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; vs13, Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality."

So real Christian hospitality isn't an option, it is what God commands.

Tomorrow, we will move on to the next letter "O".

Today I will cover "O" & "S", Since I did not have time to do it yesterday. So here we go!!

O-Obedience

Some may think focusing on hospitality is frivolous or a waste of time. But in reality it is nothing less than obeying God's clear command in Scripture. Hospitality was not Martha Stewart's invention; it was God's!! Romans 12 paints an incredible picture of what it means to truely give our lives to God......In these selfless acts, we serve not only those in need but Christ Himself. Hospitality is obeying God by cheerfully serving others.

S-Simplicity

If we don't approach hospitality simply, most of us won't do it at all. When we exchange the harried hoopla for the heartfelt, everyone is blessed. Can we be comfortable when everything is not perfect, or do we always need to put on a show for people? As one lady states "I don't want to buy your house, I just want to visit." Simplicity brings us closer to having authentic relationships. Our fucus is on our guests, not on the "stuff" that surrounds us.

(All of the above is taken from the book, Simple Hospitality, written by Jane Jarrell.)

Come back Monday for "P" !!

Simple Hospitality......It really can be simple!!

I have not forgotten this, I just have been busy around the house. That is why I am a home-keeper. Now Back to the series on Hospitality......

P--Prayer

Hospitality involves prayer. Ask God to show you who and how to show hospitality to. God will show you the when, the how, and the what that someone might need. I may not know what a person needs at the time but God knows!! You should always ask God for His blessing on the gathering you are about to have with someone, no matter how small or large the number will be.

I--Intimacy

Intimacy is sharing who you are and what you are to others. You need this type of relationship with your husband, your family and your friends, but nurturing genuine intimacy takes time and effort.

Cell phones and emails are nice, but we need to take time to sit quietly with a friend sometimes. You never know where they are at or what they may need.. Time plus realness plus genuine caring equals intimacy.

(all of this is taken from the book "Simple Hospitality" written by Jane Jarrell.)

Simple Hospitality......It really can be simple!!

T--To Go

Are you ready to take your kindness on the road? Do you have a plan or list of ideas that will work in a hurry?

Keep a few recipes with the ingredients on hand so that you can prepare a meal or a welcoming treat for someone in need.

There is something extra-special about busy people who take the time to reach out and help others.

A--Acknowledge and Appreciate

We all have our own gifts, but what about those who are known for the hospitality? They also need a "dose" of hospitality sometimes. They need to be acknowledged for their kindness, appreciated for the efforts and recipients of the hospitality of others.

Most of us are "takers' by nature and unless we make a conscious effort, we"ll always take and forget to give back. Those who are more "givers", either by nature or intent, often get taken for granted.

In our busy lives, gratitude is often felt yet not expressed.

L--Lifestyle

Hospitality is a lifestyle, a ministry lifestyle. God weaves it into our hearts. We all need each other to make the body of Christ its best. You are making the commitment to a lifestyle of opening up your heart to others on a regular basis.

You will need to start small, perhaps by committing to one act of hospitality each month. Gradually you will see how easy it is and move towards once a week and before you know it you will be asking God to show you someone in need everyday!!

Take time to ask God to show you how He might use you today, this week or this month. You are allowing God to work through you and when He is working , we can not fail.

I will write about the last three letters tomorrow. Don't forget to come back and read.

The Last Part on "Simple Hospitality ......

I--Ideas

When looking for ideas for hospitality, scan your favorite magazines, talk with your friends or keep a simple notebook or card file with your favorite recipes, holiday decorating ideas, party themes, or anything else that spurs your hospitality thinking. Just keep it simple, and honest. Let God's love show through you and that will be all that you need to make any time a good time to visit.

T--Time

We are all short on time for the things that we want to do or need to do. That is why hospitality is such a valuable gift to others. It means we gave them our most precious resource: our time.

Think of things to do for hospitality for others when you are doing for your family. Double a casserole for dinner one night and freeze the one for a family that may be in need, or a mother who may be sick at the time.

When baking cookies for your family, bake a few more to brighten someone's day. Out buying groceries? Cut back on one thing or two for snacks and make up a meal for a new mom.

If your time is limited, begin your quest to hospitality with small things and think about other ways that you will want to show it when your time allows for it.

Y--You

To show hospitality to others, you must first love yourself so that you are capable of loving others. This means taking care of yourself so that you are able to take care of others.When we've taken the time to put our own hearts in order, we are freed to reach beyond ourselves to meet others where they are.

More....Simple Hospitality.....