|
I live in the sountheastern part of Indiana and have been on a search for whole wheat berries. The prices seem reasonable on the internet until it comes to shipping. It's over $90-100 just for shipping. I can't afford that. So if you know of any place let me know. Kristen Earls |
|
I was wanting your opinion on heirloom seeds. Where do you buy them? What type grows the best? Just anything you can tell me. I've been searching on the internet; I don't know which companies are realiable, user friendly, and have good service. I wantto be able to buy once, boecause I want to start seed saving. So a good reasource on seed saving would be great also. Have a blessed day, Kristen |
|
The leaves and red, yellow, orange, and it made me think God IS GREAT. He gave us the season to renew the earth. All this death will result in a rebirth in the spring. God is in control, so I will trust in HIM and HIM alone. No one can save me or anybody else. Let go enjoy God's wonderful creation.
We are about to leave for our church's Wed. night dinner. I love beingin the house of the Lord with my brothers and sisters in Christ. Have a wonderful day. Kristen |
|
Jia Jiawill be have more surgery Nov. 18th. They our going to release a skin fold under her chin, do some electrolysis (sp.) on her facial hair, and then use a laser to resurface her scar tissue to lessen the redness. I will let you now how it goes! Thanks for the prayers. Picture of JIaJIa camping.
|
|
This Saturday was our Homestudy. It went well, however they didn'tsend us all the papework. So we our waiting for them to send more papers. They will also need to walk through our homeagain because we had the wrong fire extinguisher
|
(It was what they wrote down on the form, but then said it changed). We also have to all get TB test (yeah, NOT). I can't complain though because our Social Worker is going to email us this report before he sends it off to make sure we are OK with his assement of our family. It could take 2 to 3 weeks to finsh then it goes to the deptment heads to approve or reject us. All we can do is leave itin God's hands. |
Well the day has finally come.... This Saturday someone from Social Services will be at our house to do a homestudy. Hopefully, this will be the last step before we can actively begin to search (that sounds strange) for a child or children to adopt. We are going through the state and so far met all the requirements and took all the classes. So if you could remember or pray for my family this Saturday that everything will work out. Thank you. I am starting to get a little nervous about a stranger coming into our home and measuring everything, checking out our children, and us too. His report will determine if we can adopt!! Either way we must trust in the Lord, and God willing He will see fit to bless us with more children. Blessings, Kristen |
|
I've been busy working on crafts for christmas. Then I decided to paint my kitchen and living room , so my house is a wreak. I put up the first coat last night after church (I was up until 1 am) and today I want to get the final coat up today while the kids are doing their schoolwork. I will put up before and after pictures sometime in the future. Have a great day! Kristen |
|
Well, we are serious thinking of getting a woodburning stove. We are thinking aboutt he Hotblast warm air furance 1400 by US Stoves. Itsayyou can hook itto your vent to either heat the whole house or to suppliment your furance. Does anyone have this stove or have another model? PLease letmeknow about it. We have a forced airelectric furance and electricy is running high. I keep the house around 65 and our bill runs between $200-400 a month. During the non heating months the bill is $80-90, so I know it is the furance. Our contractor talked us out of geothermal b/c his said the upcostwasso much higher and forced air was effiecent (NOT!) We our kicking ourselves for not sticking to our original plans. Plus we want to have a heat source if the electric is off. Blessings, Kristen |
|
With all that is goingon I feel the need to be prepared. I has always had extra food in the freezer and pantry,but wouldlike to have more. I have canned alot more this year, but it is mainly fruits, jams, butters, salsas, and pickles. I do not yet have a pressure cooker, so the veggies are in the freezer. Meet prices are high so I hope Hubby and son can fill up the freezer with deer meat. We are also raising a meat goat to see if the meat is something we'd eat. I only have 25#of rice, 50# of sugar, 4#oats, 25" of wheat flour, andacouple pouds of yeast, baking soda, corn meal, grits, cream of wheat, and salt. I have around 10# of dried beans. I don't have a grain mill so I don't know how long I could store ground whole wheat flour. Is a grain mill a good purchase? How about one that does not run on electricty? I really want to prepare just in case there is no electricity. MeandHubbywant to haveextra justin case some ofourfamily needs to live with us. I found some food grade plastic storeage container at http://beprepared.com/category.asp?c=442&name=Food-Grade%20Storage%20Containers&bhcd2=1224087988 they run betwwen $6-9 with lids. Is that a good buy. We have been blessed this with extra money and would like to buy in bulk. So, I need some containers. Have a great day, Kristen |
I have been trying to get healthy and lose 38lbs while my Hubby is at the Police Acad. He has always been fit and active. It is so frustrasting because he can eat whatever he wants to and not gain weight. I lost another 3lbs. this week (155) Yeah!!! It is coming off my behind and stomach, however, it does not want to come off my arms . Well, I am happy with the progress. I would show pictures, but I stayed away from the camera and haven't he a picture taken since lossing the weight. I still think I should loss some more weight (be around 140-145lbs) I am going to focus on my arms and try to tone them up. |
|
It's fall, that means time to start on all those cosy crafts. Me and Hubby decided to have a homemade Christmas. We will only be giving homemade presents this year! It is going to be fun. Our kids are not getting much this year b/c we spent this summer building a two story fort for them. I will get some pictures soon, but we are still working on it. However the kids can play in it now. We just have to put up some trim and paint it. We decided to make marshmellow shooters for our nephews and the kids. I made ahat and scarf for JiaJia and am making another one for my prayer warrior in church. I want to make some jean aprons, tee shirt dress, and many other things. So what are you doing for Christmas? Do you have any homemade gift ideas? I will start downloading some of our projects as we go along. Have a wonderful day, Kristen
|
Purse I made for my mom's birthday.|
Well it been awhile since I posted a blog. I find it hard to write on a blog, although I love reading the other blogs. Today I hadto take my son to the orthodonist today to get his bottom braces on. Since I was up in the city I went shopping.(bad idea). I really didn't write a list I just wrote a few things down that I need and thought I'd just wing it. I have been trying to stock up on sales items to stick in my pantry and prices have went up alot! I have been caaning alot out of my garden, but it is pretty much done. The deers got all my fall bean plants and they our working on my peas. So, I not optimistic that we'll have peas. All this story to say I spent too much money. I am so glad I take cash or I'd probable spend more. The only meat I got was some hotdogs (if you call that meat) and 3 pork roast. Meat is getting ridiculous. I can't wait until deer hunting so I can have free meat because my meat supplyis running low. With trying to stock up on basic pantry items and grocery needs we are spending around $300 a month (including tolieteries and pet food) for 5 people, 1 cat, 2 dogs, and 2 goats. I usually make everything from scratch (including bread), or buy a product with coupons and it is free or close to being free. What about you? What is your budget? What are you doing for meat? Or let me know if you have a good tip? Have a great day!!!
|
|
For the past few days I have been busy canning. Today I made 7 more pints of peach butter. The biscuit were so good with the peach butter. I went to the garden and picked some cukes, green peppers, radishes, turnips, and tomatoes. I froze 6 quarts of green peppers, and in the process of making sweet pickles relish. I would like to start canning peaches, but I’m watching my S-I-L 4 children while she goes to a funeral. So maybe I’ll try to can a little tonight. I also need to do my cardio workout today. I switch everyday between cardio and strength training. I have officially lost 15 lbs. in 6 weeks. I have maybe 20 or to go (I might not lose that much if depends how I look.) I have a lot more energy, however now that Hubby is home for a month I hope I don’t slack off or eat too much. We also need to do our daily family Bible reading today. DD has been doing the read aloud. She is doing really good b/c we are in Chron. and there are so many hard names. Blessings, Kristen |
|
Well me and the kids went to the Amish Store (we call it "Amish-mart") to pick up the 2 bushels of peaches. They were only $17 a bushel (that sounded like a good deal to me.). We got them home and a started to make the crockpot peach butter (recipe below). It turn out so good and smelled heavenly. Well, it turned out good until oneof the jars broke while I was processing it. I was upset b/c I hated wasting that yummy butter. Tomorrow I'm making biscuits to try out the jam. We will be making batch 2 tomorrow. We also freezed 18 quarts of peaches. I still have a little over 1 bushel left. So I will be making 1or 2 more batches of butter and can the rest. We also will be eating some fresh. I have to tell you the carsmelled so good on the way home and in the house. Peach butter: 10 cups peaches 4 cups sugar 4 tea cinnamon 1 tea cloves Puree peaches put into crock pot add the rest ingred. turn on high stir occationally. I pureed when it was done ,also. Wash jars and lids fill leaving 1/4 in. headspace, process 5 mins. God Bless, Kristen |
|
Praise theLORD, my Hubby is home for a full month starting Monday. So I realized I need to plan a bigger meal. I also will be getting 2 bushels of peaches tomorrow from the Amish store. So, we'll be doing some canning this week. Breakfast M-chocolate and butterscotch chip muffins T- biscuits and eggs W- cereal TH- pancakes F- bananna bread S- biscuits and gravy SU- coffee cake Lunch- Raimen noodles, leftovers, tuna, PBJ, salad, fruit, carrots. Dinners- M- POrk chops potatoes veggies T- Chicken noodle soup W- ham hashbrowns veggies TH- Red beans and rice polish sauage apple sauce F-Leftovers S-Ribs baked potatoes corn on cob SU- Leftovers Have a blessed week, Kristen |
|
My first born turned 11 years old today! It was a happy time and a little sad for me. As birthday boy I did all his chores for the day and he got to pick the dinner. He chose shrimp alfredo pasta w/ green beans and garlic bread. For dessert we had cookie cake, that he helped make. We also watched Wipeout (he was so happy). Every year he gets a little older and soon he will be out in the world without mom or dad. I asked him if he felt older and he said yes, but still likes being a kid. I think that is what I like best about homeschooling; my kids can be kids. They love to ride bikes, go into the woods, finding bugs and animals, and like spending time with us. Not worrying about TV or movie stars, what clothes are "in", what people might think of them, peer pressure, gossiping, and acting like it’s a chore to spend time with the family. My son is such a kind-hearted young man who truly has a heart that wants to help people. I hope that as he ages this will not change. I’m so glad he asked the Lord into his heart and was baptized. I so grateful for the joy he has brought to our family. I love you son more than you’ll ever know. I’m so glad God chose you to be in our family. It took me several times to figure out how to size this picture. I didn't think I was going to get it.
|
|
I'm so upset. A few days ago I saw these funny looking bugs on the pumpkins and yellow squash, so I just sprayed them off with a water hose. It did not work. Today there was thousands of what I now know are squash bug (thanks to a unit study on plants). Well I found some home remedies that said use a sprayer w/1c. Murphy's oil soap, 1 T canola oil, and cayenne peppers w/ 1gallon of water. First DS and me turned on the hose and tried to drown them then he followed behind spraying the leaves and dirt w/ our concoction. Some seem to be dying and I was taking out my frustration by squashing (no pun) those little bugs to death. Sadly, I could save the pumpkins they completely ate all the leaves and started on the fruit. The kids are sad b/c this is the second year we tried and failed to produce pumpkins. I so wanted to make pumpkin butter from those, and the kids wanted to carve them. I am unsure if the squash can be saved. It just isn't turning out to be a good year for our garden. I told Hubby that if we were pioneers I would have starved us. He says I'm learning and will do better every year (this is only my second year ever gardening). Maybe God is trying to tell me to be patience and rely on Him. Which is easy to say, but hard to do (for me anyway). Well, if anyone out there has some useful tips for getting rid of these pests; let me know. Also my tomatoes refuse to turn red. They have been on the vine green forever and are pretty small. I guess I need help with that too. Blessing,
p.s I was going to take pictures ofthe garden, but it made me sad. Kristen |
|
Well, we have been doing school all Summer, but only on Tues, Wed, Thurs. This will be changing In September when we will be going to 5 days a week. So, I felt compelled to get some chores done. Did some laundry (wash, hung, and folded), washed some lace curtains my mom gave me and hung them in my living room and the school room, canned 3 jars of sweet pickles, 2 jars of relish, in process of making yogurt, paid some bills, exercised, tended the garden, read the Bible with the kids. I think we are going to take a stroll down the lane. The weather has been lovely, however my garden could use so rain. I don't like watering. I still need to get the unit study on Pioneers printed out for this weeks school. I broke it down into 2 weeks. I'vebeen sprinkling the school with unit studies I have been getting (for free!) to not make school so schoolish (I know not a real word). I find I get bored with school, too. My kiddos and me will be starting our 7th year of homeschooling. I love it most days. Other days I want to scream (and I usually do. I hate that!) I also need to work on ouradoption papers for our homestudy. They sent us what seems like a thousand papers and question to answers. But it needs to be done. The health department was suppose to come out today to get a sample of our water, but they never came. (I MAD!!) We need that test for our homestudy. Well I off fora walk with my family. Blessings, Kristen |
|
I thought I'd try the weekly menu post! Breakfast: M- Cereal T- Cin. bread W- toast & eggs T- muffins (kids choice) F- Leftover above breakfast S- Pancakes & eggs S- egg bacon toast Lunch- Leftovers from dinner or ramin noodles PBJ Dinners- M- Tuna noodle cass. (only b/c Hubby isn't home b/c he hates it) T- DS 11th B-day! Shirmp noodle alfredo & green beans (so9n choice) W- Left over TNC T- Polish sausage peas mash potato F- Homeschool Cookout S- Hamburger packs (camping) S- BLT's applesauce chips We are going camping Fri, Sat,and Sun!! |
|
Thanks Amy for your comment, and you didn’t offend me at all. I am what most people would call "green" because: I grow and can our food, make my own natural cleaning products, make natural soap, hang my clothes to dry, thrift shop, combining trip (common sense), and do the 3 R (reduce, reuse, recycle), etc. I love learning how to homestead and enjoying the simple life. My point is "green" is a new way for commercialism. Just look at the Internet ads, TV (which I don't watch except for "Wipeout" last night with the kids, which was funny, and the weather). The ads were either about some company being "green" or back-to-school commercials with children dressed inappropriately. They want us to do the 3 R's, but still buy all their products. What a joke. Most homesteaders want the simple life. Most do not realizes the people controlling this "green" movement are indeed worshipping creation or I should say money. However, most normal people do not feel this way. We just want to do their part to keep this world God gave us clean. We know we are to protect the animals because God commanded us to have dominion over the animals and to work the ground with our hands (this is all in Genesis). Now that sin can into the world even the Earth moans, and one day it will be destroyed (not by man, but God) So, in closing I still don’t like the word "green" for what it represents in the media and commercialism. However, I love the word God called us to be "stewards". It sounds so much nicer and had a broader meaning. We are not just stewards of God’s great creation, but His children, His money, and even our life (which is His). I think that why the homesteading blog is so great. A bunch of people coming together to try to live the simple life. God bless you all.
Kristen |