Kitchen Vixen

Hallelujah, I think summer is finally here.

     It is common for the first two weeks in June to be chilly. We were a bit disappointed when we woke up to a light layer of snow on the first Saturday in June. Fortunately we had tarped the garden, so everything was alright.

     We drove to a town called Fairfield about an hour away for the 40th wedding anniversary of some very dear friends. They commented that the area had received some light snow 40 years ago as well.

     We had a wonderful time and were happy to say that the snow was melted when we drove home.

     Last week Jonathan had baseball tournaments in the evenings. When they were finished on Friday, we breathed a sigh of relief. Baseball is a lot of fun, but with the nice weather finally here, we had plenty to do outside.

     So far, I have kept up with the mowing and stained a section of fence. Jonathan chose a bright blue paint for a worn brown chair and table for his room and both pieces look much better with fresh paint on them.

     We are keeping up with homeschool, including reading and plus and minus math flash cards. When August arrives, I will be doing some canning, so it is much harder then to keep up with other things.

     I went to a local grain elevator yesterday to barter some bread for a bucket of hard red spring wheat. The manager we know has moved onto Great Falls and there is some one new in his place. He mentioned he would rather barter for donuts than bread. I will get Maria's donut recipe. She gets marriage proposals when she makes them at school.

     Well, the library is off and running. Till next time.

                                                        Denise (prairiemom)

More Like Summer Now

Cold in June

     Hello everyone. Just a quick greeting from chilly northern Montana. We had a couple of warm days over the weekend, but June brought some chilly days and nights. That's quite normal for our area, but a little disheartening for those of us who enjoy gardening.

     This morning I woke to a chilly house and the outdoor thermometer read 30 degrees. I had covered the garden the night before, but last night I thought it would be okay. The only thing I fret about at this point are the string beans, which are at the two leaf stage. So far they look okay. I didn't find ice in my garden hose this morning, which was encouraging. So tonight the tarps will come out again to keep the beans covered.

     Preschool ended for the year last Wednesday and I have been delighted to be at home. I had to explain to Jonathan that even though he is on "vacation" I still have lots of work to do. It doesn't mean that I will be all work and no play, just that I will have to balance them.

     We began his summer homeschool program and he is happy to do it. I use a comprehensive workbook from Bob Jones University and it doesn't take too long to do. It keeps him from forgetting so much during the summer and gives him the chance to learn some new concepts. 

     I can see that we will have to work on some areas in his reading. I have found he has difficulty recognizing long vowel sounds when they are made by two vowel together, such as: "ea" to make a long "e" sound or "ai" to make a long "a" sound.

     I will be tutoring two children this summer, a brother and sister. I got a homeschool book called Reading Strands to help all the children improve their reading comprehension. It looks like a very valuable resource, I'm glad to report.

     Maria was here visiting for a week recently. It was a pleasure to have her here. She was able to attend our local high school's graduation and a couple nice parties afterward. That's always fun.

     Well, better get something accomplished for the day. Bless you all.

                                                      Denise (prairiemom)

Green Grass - Still Waiting for Leaves

     Greetings everyone. We had a particularly hard winter, along with 2-1/2 feet of snow in late April, causing our spring to arrive a little late. I'm just starting to see leaves on some trees. Such a lovely sight.

     I've mowed our lawn twice now and it's starting to dry out. Water is pricey in our area, so I can only water our large lawn lightly. Dandylions are beginning to pop out, so I will spot spray a little 2-4D on them. I don't like my whole lawn covered in a chemical soup, but I will spray out a few weeds here and there, so they don't take over.

     I'm so pleased to say that David was able to rototill my garden on Saturday. It was quite a job because he dug out more of the lawn to enlarge the garden. I avoid working on Sunday, but I have to admit that I planted the seeds in the garden last Sunday due to my feeling of being behind in getting the garden started.

     I"m glad that nothing has sprouted yet because this morning the water in my garden hose was frozen. Yes, gardening in northern Montana (zone 3) is quite a challenge.

     Maria has some time off from work, so she has decided to spend it in Conrad, tomorrow through next Thursday. Our high school will have its graduation on Sunday, along with various parties in people's homes. One of her good friends is in town for the summer, so she can get together with her too. We will love having her with us for awhile. I know she will get homesick for the mountains and be glad to return to Montana Wilderness School of the Bible to cook for various summer camps.

     My frugal thought for the week is to encourage your to challenge yourself to see how many areas of your grocery store you can avoid when you're shopping.

     Sometimes my frugal habits seem like a lot of work, but my monthly trip to the grocery store is very encouraging. I find that I don't shop in several aisles at the store due to the practices I have aquired. Since I make our bread, I avoid the bread aisle, which is amazing long! I rarely buy anything in the frozen aisle due to gardening and canning. Since we have elk meat in the freezer, I don't spend much time in the meat section either. Although sometimes some chicken is a nice alternative. I skim through the cleaning supplies since I make my own general cleaner with ammonia, alcohol and water. (Have you priced the generic Windex lately? Spendy...)

     I probably pick up the majority of purchases in the baking area.

     Wal-mart isn't a favorite of mine, but I do appreciate being able to buy sewing notions and office supplies along with my groceries.

     Well enough for this time. May your week be blessed.

                                                                                           Denise (prairiemom)

Windy Days

     We've been having normal weather for May, cold and windy. It's finally dry enough to till my garden, so this weekend will have to be when it gets done.

     A group from Montana Bible College in Bozeman was in Conrad preforming at the Christian School today. The group arrived last night and we provided a bed for one of the young men. We were delighted to find out that he is the man who is seriously dating one of Maria's dearest friends. It was a pleasure to get to know him better. She is getting quite a catch!

     I drove to Choteau today to take David out for lunch. Tomorrow is his birthday. He isn't much into celebrating, but we will probably have some homemade pizza for dinner tomorrow night.

     Well, I do have another frugal thought for the week. I am going to make a point of learning more about our nearby thrift stores. Great Falls has a Salvation Army and a Good Will. Both are nice, clean stores, but I have to admit that I find their prices rather high. I am going to try to find out when they have sales and when certain items are plentiful.

     Last October, I noticed that the Salvation Army had a large rack of very nice snow pants and snowbibs. Jonny didn't need any at the time, but next fall, I will be sure to check to see what they have. They also had a large assortment of baseball cleats at that time, for $2 a pair. In the fall, I may pick up the two sizes he is most likely to need the next spring. If I guess wrong, I can bless someone else with the cleats.

     Right after Thanksgiving the Goodwill had two large racks of Christmas sweaters. I know of some women's groups who enjoy having "ugly Christmas sweater" parties. They find the ugliest Christmas sweaters they can and wear them to the party in the spirit of friendly competition to discover who came up with the ugliest sweater. Doesn't that sound like fun?

     Blessings to all of you this coming week.

                                                                                                    Denise (prairiemom)

Green Grass

     Hello everyone.

     Last week I ranted and raved about our snowstorm and now this week I can state that it is all melted and our grass is a vivid shade of green.

     Maria was on a trip to Moab, Utah when the storm occurred. She and her roommates headed for home last Tuesday and due to the snow, spent two nights in Helena and then two nights in Augusta before the snow to the school was plowed.

     They had their graduation last Saturday and the students either returned home or went on to something new and different. Now Maria and the girls are getting ready for a youth retreat this weekend. There will be 30 in the group. After cooking for 70 during the school year, 30 seems like a vacation.

     I'm eager for the ground to dry so we can till our garden, add a layer of goat manure and till again. Our soil is a heavy clay, so it has to be totally dry or we end up with a mess.

     I have a frugal thought for this week. Have you noticed with our nation's economic troubles that frugal is becoming trendy?  I read in the paper recently that many mothers are switching from disposable to cloth diapers.

     When my babies were small, I chose to use cloth diapers. Plus I tore up an old flannel sheet for wipes. I couldn't spare $30 to $40 a month from my grocery budget for disposables.

     I did learn some things about cloth diapers I will pass on if someone reading this may be considering using them.

     Cloth diapers smell much fresher if they are rinsed in the machine before they are laundered. I washed mine in Borax, a little bleach and used white vinegar as a softener. I was only able to find plastic pant covers at Wal-mart, leading me to think that most cloth diapers are used as burp cloths.

     I would soak the plastic pants in a vinegar, water solution until I had enough of them for a small load and then line dry them. Bleach will make them very brittle.

     Until next time, I hope you will have a great week.

                                                       Denise (prairiemom)

Wow, What a Snowstorm

          Greetings everyone,

     We just had a snowstorm that left us with 2 feet of heavy, wet snow. The last time David and I can remember a storm of such magnitude in our area was in 1983 in May around the time of his 25th birthday. We were living on the family farm at the time and were without power for 6 days. Do you know how much snow you need to melt on the woodstove to provide enough water to flush a toilet? Answer: lots! After a couple day of not flushing, I was determined to get 'er done.

     Our area schools were closed yesterday and today and David has been unable to travel to Choteau for work. Jonathan has had a great time. He and a little friend played in the snow in our backyard yesterday. Today he got together with a group of neighborhood kids and sledded on some huge snowpiles in the parking lot of a nearby church. He should sleep well tonight.

     Recently I acquired a copy of Backwoods Home magazine and read a couple of very encouraging articles written by a veteran homesteader named Jackie Clay. It got me to thinking that it would be fun to add some frugal tips to my blogs. Technically we aren't homesteaders. We live in a town of about 2500 on the prairies of northcentral Montana, but we have many homesteader interests and habits. Frugal living is a passion of mine. If I can provide any ideas that are useful for anyone, I will be pleased. Otherwise it will just be enjoyable to get in some blog conversations with those who are like minded.

     So, why frugal living for us? It began nearly 21 years ago when our daughter, Maria, was born. I didn't find the idea of leaving her with a sitter so I could work full-time at all appealing. Especially since we wanted to raise her to be a godly woman. In order to help out with a little part-time work, but mostly to be at home with her, I began to find ways to make it affordable.

     We had many years of infertility before Jonathan was born 8 years ago. After waiting for him for so many years, I , once again, didn't want to leave him with a sitter and spend my time earning money.

     Has it been easy? Of course not. Really, what is? Would I choose to focus on being a wife and mother if I could do it all over again? Absolutely. Can it be discouraging? Sometimes. It sure helps to get together with like minded people though and discuss ways to achieve our common goals.

     So, without further comment, here is my frugal thought for the week. (Actually this one is likely more of an organizational tip than a frugal one). A magazine article I read awhile ago suggested acquiring a plastic tub with a lid to hold picnic items, such as: paper plates, cups and silverware. I buy those items in bulk when I am at a discount store and they are ready for summertime outdoor meals, taking food to neighbors or church family or even for snacks for Jonathan's activities. It works well to buy disposable aluminum pans on sale for taking meals to people who need a little extra help and  storing them in the plastic tub as well.

     It is almost time to open the library doors, so I will wish you a blessed week.

                                                          Denise (prairiemom)

April Snowshowers

     We're certainly having a normal Spring in northcentral Montana. Today was snowy and there was a cold wind blowing from the north. The good news is that the snow will melt quickly and the lawns and trees are getting a good drink of water.

     Last night was Jonathan's AWANA awards night. He got a ribbon for finishing his second book, followed by brownies and ice cream.

     Maria and everyone at Montana Wilderness School of the Bible will be leaving for Moab, Utah about 4:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. It is an annual trip for the school, so they can camp in late April and spend some time hiking together before their graduation ceremony in early May.

     Maria hadn't been looking forward to the trip, but her attitude has improved. She bought about $1400 worth of groceries in Great Falls on Monday and she and her roommates have been very busy preparing as much food ahead of time as possible. Now it doesn't seem like so much work to them.

     They will return home on Tuesday, so they can begin to prepare for their graduation dinner. Maria dreads graduation because it is likely she won't see many of the students again. They live all over the USA and some are from Canada. Twelve of the students are returning next year as second year students and she is thrilled because her best friend will be among them. Her friend comes from Pennsylvania and they became better acquainted when Maria and her roommates opened their home one night a week for a ladies' Bible study.

     We're going to Great Falls on Saturday for our monthly grocery run. We have some tax refund money that will be spent on a treadmill. In our area it is too icy and snowy to walk safely for several months out of the year, so David and I both agreed that a treadmill would be a real blessing for our family. Well hey, it's cheaper than a fracture!

     Bless you all.

                                                               Denise (prairiemom)

7 More Weeks

     I often dislike counting down to events because it makes me feel like I'm wishing my life away. However, Jonathan and I are well aware that there are only 7 more weeks of school left for both of us.

     As the weather gets warmer, I find myself ready to get outside and tackle some of the many projects that come with being a homeowner as well as a gardener.

     David has been industrious, digging postholes (not a favorite chore) so we can move a fence and combine our two garden spots, thereby making an even larger garden spot. At first the prospect seemed intimidating, but I realized that even with a larger garden area, I'm not obligated to plant all of it. In reality, I realize that it will be difficult to leave any of it unused once I get started.

     The spinach I planted in about 1/3 of my cold frame is beginning to come through the soil. That's always exciting. I'm finding more places to use spinach, such as: pizza, lasagna and enchiladas.

     Our Easter was fun. We went to Montana Wilderness School of the Bible and at the ham dinner Maria cooked for the students. Afterward we went to her cabin and she and David hid some Spiderman Easter eggs for Jonathan. We enjoyed having a chance to talk with some of the students as well.

     Maria told me that there are romances everywhere on campus. I guess that's why Bible colleges are often called Bridal colleges. Maria is still among the single. I wouldn't be surprised if her dad got a call from some nervous young man some day asking for permission to date his daughter. We'll see...

     Better get ready to open the library. Bless you all.

                                                       Denise (prairiemom)

We Must Be Rednecks

     Last weekend when I talked with Maria on the phone, she told me that she and two other female staff members from MWSB went gopher hunting that day. She said one of the girls took a picture of her shooting her rifle from her open sunroof in her truck.  I told her that was likely an indication of her being a redneck...

     There are many who would consider us to be rather "rural" since we all shoot bows and guns and frequently dine on wild game. After all, we all own complete camo outfits as well. So, yee-haw!

     Our weather has been just lovely recently, prompting me to plant about a third of my cold frame with lettuce and spinach seeds a couple of days ago. The ice is almost all melted from my garden spot. David tells me that in a few weeks when the garden is dry, we will get some goat manure from a local lady's farm and till it in.

     Last Friday evening I took a gardening class sponsored by our local gardening club and the county extension office. Wow. I learned a lot.

     Did you know that generally speaking the soil East of the Mississippi tends to be acid and the soil West of Old MIss is usually alkaline? No more dumping my very alkaline woodstove ashes on the garden spot! 

     Jonathan was home with a cold today. I had him relax by watching a John Wayne movie. It is very apparent that our family enjoys a variety of old movies. Jonathan gets excited when a movie is in color!

      After awhile he perked up considerably, so I took him to school. He got caught up on his work and was able to participate in the first grade's Easter egg hunt. What fun for everyone. The second graders were in charge of hiding the eggs and this year's first graders look forward to having that job next year.

     We will drive to Montana Wilderness School of the Bible for Easter. Maria and her assistants will be cooking an Easter dinner for staff and students and we will enjoy celebrating with them.

      A very blessed Easter to my blogging friends.

                                                                                                    Denise (prairiemom)