A New Blog

 

Hello! It has been a long while since I've posted on this blog. I hope this finds all of you well. 

 I would like to announce, to anyone who happens by this blog or is still subscribed to follow, that I've started a new blog. I have spent the last few months building a new site and it is now launched! I invite you to follow the link below, take a look around and subscribe to stay up to date. 

This blog will remain open as a reference and you are always welcome to browse around. Thank you for your time spent here!

Blessings to you and yours from ours, Jennifer

New blog: An Old House and Some Land

Ice Box Pickles

Our garden has been producing a nice amount of cucumbers for it's size. I had quite a few in the fridge and wanted to make some pickles but didn't quite have enough to go through the whole canning process.  I decided to try my hand at making a batch of ice box pickles. Some people may call them refrigerator pickles. I looked online and found a simple recipe to try. I made a few variations to better suit me and oh my..they are good! My husband said they are the best pickles he's ever had and to not bother making anything else. With that,  I'd say they were a success! I've since made two batches of these pickles. The second time I made them I had a little pickle juice left in the jar (Yes, I drank quite a bit of the juice..) so I just added to what was already there, plus made a second jar.

This is a very simple recipe that is quick to throw together. It's easy to adjust if you want to make a smaller batch. This is also a great way to enjoy fresh cucumbers out of your garden if you aren't comfortable with canning yet.The pickles can be eaten right away but of course they are more flavorful after a day or two. They will keep well in the ice box for weeks but trust me, they won't last that long!

Ingredients needed:

10-12 pickling cucumbers
4 cups water
2 cups of white vinegar
2 tablespoons of pure salt (I use pink salt)
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 big bunch of fresh dill (Or dried dill. I've used both depending on availability in my garden)
3 crushed heads of garlic (or  to taste)
Course ground pepper (to taste)

This will make approx 2-3 quarts of pickles depending on the size of your cucumbers.


Directions:

-Wash and slice your cucumbers. We prefer ours sliced somewhat thick. Set aside.

-Start your brine..combine water, vinegar, salt and sugar in a pot. Bring to a boil and stir to dissolve the salt and sugar. Remove from heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.

-Add your cucumbers to the jars. Be careful not to over pack so there's plenty of room for the brine and herbs. Divide your dill, garlic and  pepper into each jar. More pepper and garlic really creates a great flavor. I put 2 heads of garlic and two good pinches of pepper per jar. Pour the cooled brine into the jars, covering the cucumbers and herbs completely.

-Put your lids on your jars and pop them in the fridge.

That's it! Super simple and so good. You could also add jalapenos in with your cucumbers if you want a little heat. 

I hope you give them a try. Enjoy!!

"For He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things."

                                                    Psalm 107:9

"...How does your garden grow?"

We've always kept a garden. My very first blog posts spoke of how I remember walking through the garden as a little girl. Growing up, I remember my mom and grandma canning and "putting up" the harvest from our gardens. That is something I continued as a keeper of my own home. My husband, kids and I have always enjoyed gardening and we're excited to have the opportunity to grow things once again.

Over the years we have had big gardens, multiple small gardens, raised bed gardens...we would grow things however and where-ever we could. Here, at our little rent house, we have wide massive views but don't have much yard space. We've still managed to put in a few beds for vegetables, herbs and some flowers. We have been enjoying fresh squash and cucumbers galore! There isn't much better than a fresh cucumber right off the vine. We are finally getting some tomatoes, so little cherry tomatoes have been a regular at lunch time.

It has been so nice to be able to end our day walking around our little yard, watering the garden, enjoying the breeze and taking in the beautiful views. Hearing nothing but the wind blowing and the crickets chirping. Simple pleasures..

"He who shares joy in what he's grown, spreads joy abroad and doubles his own."

                                                                         ~Unknown 

Learning how to keep house, again.

   It's funny how you forget to do things..baking a recipe you used to be able make in your sleep, keeping the house organized even with your kid's constant messes, stocking a fridge and pantry for more than a week's worth of meals.. But that's what I've done. I've forgotten how to do these things and am having to find my way again like a young newlywed just learning to keep house.

Where do I begin? How do I fill you in on the last few years in one blog post? The last time I made an entry we were beginning a new chapter in our lives at our new-old farm in Oklahoma. Now, here we are beginning anew for the third time in four years. I'm not complaining, just blown away. Let's catch up..We purchased our farm in the Spring of 2015 with plans to renovate the 19th century home and barns, turning the old place into the farm of our dreams. We parked our RV out front and started clearing out and cleaning up. Renovations were slow seeing that we were mostly doing the work ourselves, only contracting out some of the bigger projects, and we were working on things as money allowed. We worked, we made friends we enjoyed life. Fast forward to Fall of 2017..work relocates us to Northeastern Kentucky! At this point we haven't finished the renovation or "moved in" but onward we must go. It was a bit exciting to go someplace new, see new places, experience mountain life..but, it was sad to leave friends and say goodbye to our dream. We got the husband settled in at a "temporary" one bedroom furnished apartment until we could find a little farm somewhere to make our home. The kids and I joined him a few months later. In the apartment. I had dreams of finding a little cabin in the hills with an old tobacco barn out back. We searched and searched but never found a place we felt comfortable buying. Living all the while in the little apartment in the heart of the historic arts district in town. What an adjustment for our family.. town life with our free range farm kids! We stayed there for a year until work relocated us again. Now here we are, renting a little farmhouse in West Texas. What an adventure these last few years have been. We've stretched ourselves and have grown in so many ways we never would have if we'd never stepped out and left our little nest in late 2014.

So, we are living in a house for the first time in years. We have experienced RV and tiny apartment living which was a completely new twist on homemaking for me. Where we used to buy and store food in bulk, grow/harvest/put up our own produce, butcher our own meat.. I found myself buying a tiny amount of groceries at a time, once or twice a week. "Cleaning house" took minutes in those small spaces. The kid's belongings were minimal in our tight quarters, which meant less to keep organized. I did little to no baking because camper and apartment ovens leave much to be desired. You know that saying, "If you don't use it, you lose it?" Well, I lost it. We've been in this house for a couple of weeks now and it seems that I have been running around in circles so much that I catch myself from behind. Laundry, sweeping, dishes, dusting, picking up.. then there's baking and cooking recipes that I haven't made in so long that I've forgotten how. Sometimes I just stop and ask myself "How did I do that?" It's really weird. But it's all slowly coming back to me. It's nice to have our "stuff" back that has been in storage for years. I have to admit that much of that "stuff" found its way to the dumpster. It's amazing how much you can actually live without. But it is really nice to end the day sitting in the living room with my husband on our comfy chairs and enjoy a cup of coffee. As I sink back into the life of a country homemaker, I'm finding joy in the simple things I once did. It's so nice and we are so blessed.

We look forward to seeing where this winding road we call life will lead us next and I hope to find more things to blog about in the future. Blessings to you and yours, from ours.

The New Farm

   Something about installing a mailbox seems to make it official. We closed on our new/old farm almost two weeks ago. Although we have MUCH work to do, we are excited to have had the opportunity to buy this place.

This old homestead was built in the 1880s. It's been in the same family since it was built until now. Three generations were born in the house. I'm sure there were many moments of laughter and many of tears. It's full of history. The house was built with a crossway dogtrot to allow the air to move throughout the house. Although there was much more land originally, we purchased the place with 95 acres. Talk about enlarging your tents! There are numerous old barns, some salvageable and some not, 3 ponds and a creek. There's also an old windmill that we hope to be able to get back to working. It was the first in the county "back in the day." Much of the land is open and rolling but there are wooded areas throughout. On one end of the property there is a nice rocky hill that at one time hosted a bluegrass festival for many years. There are still the remains of some of the old booths and the stage. If you close your eyes you can almost hear the sound of the fiddles, banjos and mandolins drifting on the wind. We feel so blessed to be able to bring this place back to life!

Our internet service is not reliable but we hope to be able to post the restoration process here on the blog. We hope you follow along with us on this new journey.

And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in.

Isaiah 58:12

Cramped Quarters and the Wintertime Bug

   Usually in our family when one person gets sick it trickles down the line no matter how hard we try to isolate ourselves. In a camper, there is no isolation! Over the last week we have each had our turn with headaches, fever and coughing. No fun seeing that we actually had a beautiful week with warmer days that we couldn't even enjoy. Instead, we sat in bed sipping hot tea and snoozing.

I'm not sure what we've had but I treated it like the common cold or flu. Lots of Vitamin C tablets, Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar, Oregano essential oil and raw honey from our bees. I also made garlic oil and rubbed it on our feet before bedtime and rubbed RC and Raven essential oil blends on our chests throughout the day to help with coughing and congestion. This and lots of hot tea did the trick. And Jesus of course. Where would we be without Him?

So now besides a little coughing we are good to go and can enjoy the sunshine and beautiful days while they last. Except for dad. He's just starting to fill poorly. Hopefully we can nip it in the bud before it progresses. Curious of our remedy regimen? Here it is below...


Needed:
Vitamin C tablets (500mg)
100% Pure Oregano essential oil (AKA Oil of Oregano, we use Young Living)
Organic apple cider vinegar (with the mother)
RC and Raven essential oil blends (available through Young Living Essential Oils)
Raw honey
Fresh garlic
Olive oil
And of course...a dose of prayer and a little pinch of faith

-Vitamin C every 2 hrs until reaching bowel tolerance then reduced to half doses.

-1 drop of oregano EO in a spoonful of honey every 2 hrs. (Elderberry syrup can also be used and is an excellent immune booster but we didn't have any.)

-1 TBSP honey each hr. (or Elderberry syrup, 1/2 TBSP for the kids)

- 1 TBSP ACV diluted in about 8 oz water every 3 hrs.

-Garlic oil rubbed heavily on the bottom of  the feet before bedtime and covered with socks. (mince fresh garlic, cover with olive oil and let sit for a few hrs then strain.)

-RC and Raven rubbed on the chest and back as needed.

Lots of brothy soup and water, water, water!

Why Vitamin C? It's an immune booster and is an important vitamin and antioxidant that the body uses to keep us strong and healthy. Our body doesn't make vitamin C so it must be obtained through our diet.

Oregano? The essential oil of oregano has been found to be a powerful anti-viral. Wait....viruses can't be treated and they have to "run their course." Not so! 

What does organic apple cider vinegar do? It alkalizes the body and helps to destroy any yeast in the body that can be feeding infection.

Honey? And why "raw" honey? Where do I start...when raw, it's full of great things and is a wonderful addition to our daily diet. Such as antioxidants, enzymes, minerals, and vitamins. It's also the best thing ever for soothing a sore throat and calming a cough. (Not recommended for children under 1 yr) When processed all these wonderful enzymes die and the honey loses its therapeutic benefits.

What does garlic do besides make me smell like Italian food? It's an immune booster and works as an antibiotic killing infecting bacteria. Why on the bottom of the feet? Anything applied to the soles of the feet absorbs into the bloodstream in 22 minutes. 

What is RC and Raven?? These are essential oil blends that include a variety of essential oils that are beneficial to respiratory infections. Such as 3 different types of Eucalyptus, Wintergreen, Myrtle, Lavender, Cypress, Peppermint, and Ravensara, just to  name a few. Also anti-viral. 

" Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health..."

3 John 1:2 NIV

 (Please keep in mind that this is how WE treated our sickness and I am by no means recommending treatment to anyone else.)

UPDATE: Many things have changed in alternative medicine since I first wrote this post. The way we word things is much more restricted. Please understand, I make no claims to treatment. Please practice safety and understanding. In full disclosure: Home remedies are not meant to replace modern medicine or professional medical advice. Home remedies can be useful for some conditions, but they may not always be safe or effective for everyone. They are not meant to treat, cure or heal sickness and disease but help to support, maintain and promote good health and wellbeing. A single study or clinical trial may not cover diverse communities or bodies, and what research notes as beneficial may not always work for you. The remedies shared on the site are based on therapeutic usages and although these remedies are generally safe and usually have no side effects, I advise that these be practised / taken at the user’s sole discretion. Please consult with your physician before incorporating any remedies into your healthcare regimen.

Camper Living

   It's been a while since I've posted and there's much to update. Our home sold to a nice young family who we hope enjoys loving and living there as much as we did. We made the move to our new destination about a month ago. We're living in our RV right now at a quiet little campground while we wait. Wait on closing on our new place. We found an old farm that is just waiting for someone to bring it back to life. It chose us. We're in the process of purchasing it now and if all goes well we will be closing within the next week or so. Details to come.

Camper living...yes we're doing it. There are folks in our family that think we're crazy, think we'll freeze, and think I'll pull my hair out. There have been a couple of times that I've questioned myself but actually it's not that bad. We are keeping the bare minimal as far as clothes, dishes, books... Everything else is in storage and we'll rotate items as needed. Organization is a must. I hate clutter so we have to work hard at staying tidy and orderly. Schooling, bath time, cooking.. these can all be a challenge but we're working together and making it happen. I met a lady at church last Sunday who has eight children and one on the way and guess what? They are living in a camper! If they can do it we surely can! So, onward we go!

I've been asked if we're homesick. Yes and no. Up to now I personally have been doing ok. Yes, I've missed seeing my family who lived near us. We are used to seeing them on a regular basis so that is taking some getting used to. And we're much further from the rest of our family who we already had many miles between us and now there's even more. So this will all take some adjusting. But actually "homesick" I haven't been. Until this morning. I had a friendly reminder of what we left behind by my daughter's pet cockatiel who started the day with "whip-poor-will, whip-poor-will..." You see, on nice days Cocoa would spend time on the front porch enjoying the company of the many wild birds that made our place their home. He began mimicking many of them. His favorite? The Whip-poor-will. This morning while Cocoa was singing his borrowed song I got a little ache for home. I missed waking up to a quiet house and walking to my front door to greet the morning. I'd see the sun peaking through the leaves of my trees and hear the birds singing their morning songs. It was my favorite time of day. There it was...homesickness. It rose up and then it was gone. Then it came again, and then it was gone again. It was like little waves of sadness. But, I know that the Lord has great things for us. He's never led us astray and He won't start now. So when I feel these little aches for home I will pick my head up and look to the future that God has for us. I know it's filled with greatness or He wouldn't have brought us here.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."

Jeremiah 29:11

Seasonal Changes

   Well, we're getting a little closer. We've done some touch ups on our house...some paint, new porch posts, new flooring... Our place is now on the market! We have packed up a lot of our personal items that we can temporarily live without and have them stored for the move. We have been keeping our eyes out for a new place but haven't purchased anything yet. When we do I'll be sure to share it with you here.

As the weather cools, I'm enjoying having the windows open so the breeze can move through the house. I love to see the lace curtains flowing and moving in and out as if the the house were breathing in the fresh cool air from outside. I'd usually be harvesting vegetables from our fall garden right now but I didn't plant one since we found out we were moving. Now I wish I would have because I miss it. So, the days are slower and quiet for the most part. We are back to doing our homeschool lessons full time and we've been enjoying some porch time. The leaves are falling, our property is changing and getting ready for a few months of restful sleep. Then it will spring back to life and be full of color again. I pray someone buys this place and enjoys it as we have. It's been a good home. A good place for growing things. And not just vegetables.

 

New news...

   I apologize to those who read our blog. I have been busy these last several months and I don't see life slowing down for us in the near future. Besides homeschooling and homesteading duties we now have something else added to our plate. Touching up the house and preparing our homestead to be put on the market. Yes...we're moving. The husband has taken a new position with a company out of state so we will be packing up our family and farm and relocating. This is an exciting and heart breaking adventure rolled into one. Life has a crazy way of throwing a curve ball at times. We have thought of moving in the past but we had come to a place where we thought we were going to stay here and bloom where we're planted. Then "Surprise!" ... a nice job offer in an area where we have the opportunity to purchase land at a price that is hard to come by here in Texas. Although we are very sad to leave our friends and family we are excited about the opportunity to start over and enlarge our tents a little. I feel like we are jumping out of our comfortable little nest. Spreading our wings and preparing to take flight.

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we venture down this new road. I will do my best to post updates as they come along.

~Jennifer

The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father's family, and go to the land that I will show you."

                                                                                                                  Genesis 12:1

Plantin' Taters

 

Howdy! It's been a while since I've made a post. A long while. I'm a bit behind on posting all the latest goings-ons around here and I hope to catch up over the next week.

We enjoyed beautiful weather Sunday. It was cool and sunny. During the afternoon we decided to put some potatoes in the ground. I purchased a 50 pound bag of red potatoes over a week ago and I've been itching to get them in the ground. I'm hoping we have better luck with our potatoes this year. Ants have been a huge problem in the past. Hopefully we will have a nice harvest in a few months. I have big plans for added pantry storage so I can put up more food than ever. Keep checking back for more updates on the homestead!

The Extraodinary Adventures of G.A. Henty: Under Drake's Flag

   I'm a bit nostalgic by nature. When I think of days gone by I think of families huddled around the radio in the evenings listening to The Grand Ole Opry or to an exciting radio drama. What a way to spend the evening! Recently, we've had the opportunity to pop some popcorn and gather together to listen to a fantastic audio theater production. The Extraordinary Adventures of G.A. Henty: Under Drake's Flag. This truly brought to life G.A. Henty's book of the same title. This 2 hour action packed drama takes you along on the adventures of Ned and Gerald as they grow from boys to men under the leadership of Sir Francis Drake, the well respected and famous ship captain. What a fantastic Christmas gift this would make for your children! While enjoying this story they would learn the value of good morals, bravery, honor, and integrity while experiencing thrilling shipwrecks and battles at sea. And most importantly...how to fully rely on God no matter what your circumstances are. There's even a bit of romance in the mix. This story was enjoyed by the entire family. Boys and girls. Young and...not as young. The quality of this production is fantastic. From music to crashing waves, every little sound affect brings this story alive right before your eyes. So...need a nice relaxing evening at home with the kids full of family friendly entertainment? Look no further than Under Drake's Flag. But beware...you may find yourself sitting at the end of your seat at times or with your faces glued to the radio as if you could peak through the speakers and get a glimpse of life at sea with Sir Francis Drake!

For more information visit www.hentyalive.com!

 

 

 

Cooler Days and Earlier Nights

 

   It's that time of year. I woke up this morning wanting to start a fire in our wood stove. Our days lately have been nice and cool. Our nights are pretty chilly. The leaves are starting to turn colors and fall to the ground. The animals are putting on their winter coats. It's getting dark quite a bit earlier now. We've been having to get our chores done earlier in the evening to keep from walking around in the dark. These early nights are nice and peaceful. Everyone has been winding down sooner. We've had coffee-and-a-good-book kind of evenings instead of working outside until the sun goes down. The kids have been settling down with a book or playing on the living room floor. We are slowly moving towards that slower pace time of year. Not that all work is done in the cooler months. Our winters are pretty mild so we garden throughout the fall and most of winter. Right now in the garden we have cabbages, brussel sprouts, greens of many kinds, green beans, pumpkins, tomatoes, peppers, radishes, carrots, and herbs. Fortunately we have been having plenty of rain so we haven't had to water the gardens. And because of the cooler temperatures the weeds and grass aren't growing like they were. Less work! Also, the goats come in this time of year. We are only breeding two does this year. Although love is in the air out in the goat pasture we have decided to A.I. instead of do live breedings. This is something new for us and we are excited to introduce some really nice bloodlines into our herd.

So, that's life on our little homestead this time of year. What is fall like in your neck of the woods??

Apples, Apples, and MORE Apples!

 

 

 

   There's nothing better than a fresh crispy apple. We love apples and eat a lot of them in our family. Recently we ordered apples along with others in the church we attend. We purchased 160 pounds! We made 120 pounds into applesauce. The other 40 pounds were split with my parents.

My mom and sister came over one evening. We sorted the 40 pound box we shared separating the bruised and smaller apples. These were made into apple butter. These we peeled and cored by hand and cut into quarters. The larger apples were peeled, cored and sliced for apple pie filling. Thank the Lord for my apple peeling/coring/slicing gadget! Quite a few of these were eaten fresh before we even got started. We ended up with 8 quarts of apple pie filling and 9 pints of apple butter. The apple butter is absolutely wonderful smeared on warm buttery biscuits!

The families at church got together for applesauce making. This was a fun experience. The apples were going to be quartered the evening before applesauce making day. We live about 2 hours away from where we attend church. The church families offered to prepare our apples for us so we wouldn't have to do them all ourselves or make the trip 2 days in a row. This was a blessing. Everyone working together made quick work of the apple quartering. The next morning we arrived at the designated home where there were boxes upon boxes of prepared apples. All the church ladies arrived and we started washing, cooking, milling and canning apples. We had 4 stoves going, numerous pressure cookers and 2 food mills. This was an all day job and a lot of work but many hands made light work and the day was very enjoyable. By the end of the day I'm guessing we probably put up between 600-700 pounds of apples. When I left that evening they were processing the last few batches. Our 120 pounds of apples made almost 60 quarts of delicious applesauce.

We are so enjoying eating our fresh applesauce. It makes a nutritious snack or side dish at meal time. And apple pie is only a jar away.  Now... I want to plant an apple orchard!

My girls peeling the apples for apple butter.

My son and husband...peeling, coring, and slicing for apple pie filling. The chickens and pig thoroughly enjoyed the peels!

Here I am making applesauce in the food mill. My daughter is watching and learning while helping out with one of the sweet babies.

Some of our applesauce still waiting to be processed.



"I have given you every plant with seeds on the face of the earth and every tree that has fruit with seeds. This will be your food." Genesis 1:29



 

The Prairie Primer- Big Woods complete!

   Yes, I am a big slacker blogger! I have not been able to find time to blog regularly as you can see. I believe I will make an entry at the end of each unit instead of at the end of each week. That will give me time to blog about other things on the homestead as well. I hope!

We have finished the Little House in the Big Woods unit and we so enjoyed it. We actually just began the Little House on the Prairie unit. Unfortunately, our camera broke so we don't have as many photos to post as we did at the beginning of the Big Woods unit. What did we learn?? We learned about honeybees and the nutritional value of raw honey. We studied the moon and it's phases, we learned how "Pa" provided for his family and how his family trusted and respected him. What a good example of a Godly man "Pa" is. And lets not forget "Ma." She was an excellent example of a Godly woman. What a wonderful wife and mother. We learned about oats. How to harvest them, their nutritional value, and how to cook them. We also made granola using oats and raw honey. Yum! We studied yellow jackets and how to treat stings and sickness with herbs like they used to "back in the day" seeing that doctor's weren't readily available. This was interesting because we also use herbs and essential oils medicinally in our home. We studied how important it is to follow the instructions of your parents and not be swept up in foolish behavior.  We made Johnny Cakes and studied the history of Johnny Cakes as well as the history of songs like "Oh Susanna." We learned about maple sugaring and hope to be able to experience sap collecting and the syrup making process this year. We studied the California Gold Rush. While studying about the Gold Rush my children learned that getting rich quick is usually never the case. To be successful takes a lot of hard work, time, and a good quick mind. Most importantly my children learned that life is not all about wealth but about love, happiness and servitude to God. My little Grace always tells us "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." From her favorite book in the Bible, Matthew 6:19-21  So very true.

During the Big Woods unit the kids had the opportunity to visit Laura Ingalls Wilder's home in Mansfield, Mo while on vacation with their grandparents. This was exciting for them. This was the home Laura lived in while writing the Little House books. While there they were able to see many things that belonged to Laura and the Ingalls family. Including Pa's fiddle. Sadly, they were not allowed to take pictures inside the house.

 

 

The Wilder's "modern house."

 

We also went on a field trip to our local museum where we saw an old log cabin, a wagon, and many historical items that would have been used in Laura's time as a child. Such as a long rifle like Pa had and a butter churn like Ma used to make butter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zucchini Casserole

 

  
   Once again we have zucchini growing in our garden. This afternoon I picked a couple then came in and started preparing them for supper. Recently I found the best zucchini casserole recipe in a magazine that I read. I'm sorry, I can't post a picture because it's baking in the oven at the moment while a roast is simmering on the stove. Soon I'll be making mashed potatoes to go along with it. Fresh baked bread will finish off the meal. Yum, can't wait. The house smells sooo good right now.... OK, back to the casserole...this recipe is super simple and very good. I hope you give it a try.

Zucchini Casserole

3 c shredded zucchini
2 TBs flour
1/2 c shredded cheese
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 c quick oats
1/2 c oil
1 or 2 shredded onions

Mix ingredients and pour into a greased casserole. Top with shredded cheese if desired. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Enjoy!

The Prairie Primer - First 2 Weeks

   I know I said that I was planning to post at the end of each week but I just didn't have time at the end of week one. So, I decided to wait until the end of our second week. We have enjoyed our first two weeks of our "Big Woods" study. We have done many fun things. We've studied bears, owls, maple sugaring, trees, lungs, skin.... MANY things. We've also studied the history of music from Laura's day. Like Yankee Doodle, Buffalo Gals and Pop Goes the Weasel.

This was our first morning. The kids were so excited they ate and did their chores in a snap. They were ready for school before 7:30. And yes....they just had to have school by lamp light. Here they are coloring Little House pictures to put on the front of their binders.

Laura Ingalls had only a corn cob doll named Susan to play with as a little girl in the Big Woods. The kids made corn cob dolls (and a corn cob boat) and were encouraged to play only with this for the day.

We studied owls and learned that owls swallow their prey whole. Afterwards they regurgitate a pellet that contains the hair and bones of their prey which can't be digested by the owl. We dissected owl pellets and found many little bones.

The girls weren't so sure about this experiment but once they got into it the found it pretty interesting. Joseph loved the idea from the start. Typical boy!



This is a skeleton from Heaven's pellet. We are pretty sure it was a mouse. Each pellet had 2 or 3 skeletons. They must have been hungry owls!

The kids learned about the importance and purpose of our skin.

We studied how our lungs take in air and provide oxygen for our bodies. These are lung models we made to show how our diaphragm helps us to breath.

 

 

When our diaphragm contracts it moves down, drawing air into our lungs.

 

 

When our diaphragm relaxes it moves up, pushing air out of our lungs. This was a neat experiment.

We read that Laura's Pa liked to whittle. He whittled Ma a pretty shelf. Joseph has been looking forward to learning the traditional art of whittling. He has started whittling designs on a stick. Thank goodness we have Aflac. :)

 

 

I could have posted many more pictures. We did so much.  These past couple of weeks have been a great start to a new year and we are looking forward to the rest of the year.

 

 

 

"Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning. "

Proverbs 9:9

 

 

The Prairie Primer

  

   Today we started our new school year using The Prairie Primer.  The Prairie Primer is a literature based unit study based on the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. We will be learning  about the 1800s world of the homesteader on the American frontier. It will be interesting to compare the life of the homesteader then to our lives now. Along with literature and history, The Prairie Primer covers social studies, geography, writing, science, health and nutrition, bible study, character building, and life application. We are rounding out this curriculum with grammar and math using resources by Rod and Staff. We are also using a reading program called Drawn Into the Heart of Reading. We look forward to incorporating crafts that the children already plan to learn into our school studies this year. Things like spinning, whittling, sewing, butchering and preserving meat, canning and drying produce and herbs from our garden, animal husbandry, and so many more things.

I plan to post pictures showing what we have studied and made while using The Primer at the end of each week. I hope you enjoy following along on our Little House adventure.

"And all your children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of your children."

Isaiah 54:13

Corn bread

   Corn bread....we eat it with most suppers. My husband thinks he's the best corn bread maker ever. And I have to say that he does makes some good corn bread. We like to cook it in a cast iron skillet. Cast iron cooks nice and even and puts on a nice crust. I thought I'd share my husband's corn bread recipe with you. Give it a try. You won't be disappointed.

1 cup all-purpose flour (we use freshly ground flour)
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
4 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 olive oil
coconut oil for skillet

Mix together dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients together in a separate bowl then mix all ingredients together well. Heavily coat your cast iron skillet with coconut oil. Set the skillet on the stove top burner and heat. Pour batter into hot skillet and let it cook undisturbed for a few minutes. You'll know it's ready when the edge of the batter starts to separate somewhat from the side of the skillet and rise up a bit. When this happens place into a 425 degree preheated oven and bake for approx. 20 minutes or until golden brown. When it's finished slice it and cover it with butter. It's also great drizzled with honey. Enjoy!

Children

   Sugar and spice and everything nice, that's what little girls are made of. Snips, snails and puppy dog tails, that's what little boys are made of. Well, yes and no. Mine are made of a little of this, that and a few other things. hehe... But I can say that my children are what my world is made of. I thought I would post a picture of my little country bumpkins. I love my family. I am one blessed woman.

 

"Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them..."     Psalm 127:3-5 NASB

 

 

 

Click here to listen to "That's Important To Me." Great song, great message.

 

 

 

Green Beans

 

   I can remember loving to eat "Green beans from Grandpa's garden." Actually, those were the only green beans I would eat. Or so I thought. Later I found out that when green beans from Grandpa's garden were no longer available my mother would open a can of store bought green beans and tell me they were Grandpa's so I would eat them. Oh the trickery....can you believe that!

 

Unfortunately, we had no green beans from our garden this spring. We planted 200 beans which grew to be beautiful plants....with almost no beans. What few we had were not very good. Kentucky Wonder proved to be less than wonderful this go-round. 

 

Thankfully, we had someone from church share their bounty with us which was such a blessing. My daughter, Heaven,  and I spent the day snapping and canning green beans. We put up 15 quarts which will happily hold us over while our next batch of green beans grow.  I pray these will produce well for us so we'll have more than enough green beans in the garden this fall to put up for the year.
 

 

 

The wise store up choice food and olive oil,

but fools gulp theirs down. 

 Proverbs 21:20 NIV

 



 

Click this link to hear one of our girls' favorite songs....
Green beans in the Garden.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQ3CPlD9YD8