life in e-v-v-ery breath

Here's to learning to live simply (and loving every minute of it!)

2011-04-30T18:41:00.002-06:00

It has been a crazy month, can you tell, I've not blogged for a while! I am the kind of person who dives 120% into something. That means that the laundry, the house cleaning, meals, and sometimes the children all have to wait until I'm dried off and out of the water, ready to run another direction! While my honey has been working hard in the city, I've been working towards bringing Riverstone Studios back into some sort of swing out of our new home here on the acreage. In the next few days we will begin holding local Pottery Classes and Workshops (like making home made laundry soap and photography). Why?

We have been dreaming of living off grid and running our own business for the past 8 years. We used to run Riverstone Studios out of our home in the city before we moved to the country. What seems like interruptions these past few years have actually been opportunities to build stronger character (and stronger houses!) And now we are embarking on a new phase of sustainable... Kelly quit his day job!

Joshuah & Matthew 4 years ago when we first started building

So where are we at in our off-grid, sustainable plan?
- We harvest 75% of our power from the wind with our wind turbine
- We have photovoltaic solar panels on order to complement our wind system that should arrive within a week
- We capture our water from the rain and store it in an underground cistern
- We purify the rainwater with porcelain and charcoal filtration system for drinking
- We built a straw bale garage and are in the process of transforming it into a straw bale Guest House
- We built a chicken brooder house out of cedar (and it survived hurricane type winds)
- We are in the process of building a straw bale barn with a living roof
- We heat our house water with free wind power
- We heat our house with wood salvaged from a city compost yard (people cutting down oak, maple, spruce and other trees from their back yards do the work for us...we don't even have to start our chain saw)
- We have a 100' x 100' garden plot that we've begun planting, harvesting and preserving
- We have 100 Saskatoon berry, 50 choke cherry, 30 raspberry canes and 2 cherry trees, plus 300+ poplar, jack pine and Colorado spruce planted
- We have 13 laying hens producing a dozen eggs a day, plus a beautiful setup for 50-60 chickens for meat to be ordered next month
- We have 5 wonderful "little" piggies...and 2 of those "little" piggies (aptly named Salty and Tasty) will be joining us for supper next week!
- We home school our beautiful children, instilling values and building Godly character as we live, work and play together
- And last but NOT LEAST, my wonderful husband, Kelly just finished his last week at work! We have been dreaming of working together and raising our boys together ever since we married.

Now we're living the dream! We're up for the challenge 120% and there's no going back now!

Kelly at home behind the lens

We've just finished our very first winter living off-grid in the Saskatchewan Prairies and loved it, loved it, loved it! YES it was difficult at times (any type of homesteading is)! Living off-grid and homesteading in the prairies causes one to be a bit more creative, a bit more tough, and a lot more stubborn! I can honestly say that our family comes by all of these quite honestly!

Here's to learning to live simply and loving every minute of it!

outside: 10 deg C, 30 klm winds and plenty of work to be done
inside Guest House: 22.5 deg C with a blanket of peaceful contentment around us all

"God is faithful, all we need is a tiny little bit of faith" Matthew age 9

Homemade Deodorant - Riverstone Studios Handmade Soaps, Pottery & More

2011-04-05T17:19:00.000-06:00

Homemade Deodorant - success!

I have been looking for a recipe for home made deodorant for a couple of months now. To be honest, I have done very little research about the hazards of using commercial deodorants and antiperspirants. What I do know, through the grape vine, is that the aluminum in antiperspirants can be dangerous. My theory on all this stuff is this: "If I read the ingredient list and cannot pronounce more than a few of the words and have no idea what it is, then it is probably NOT good for me or my family!" Just read my post about Johnson & Johnson's Baby Shampoo! That was a HUGE turning point for our family - no more will we live aware of hazards and yet too comfortable with our lifestyle to make any changes!

So here's what I did. I typically search the Internet for recipes of whatever I am looking for (my honey wants me to throw away all my cookbooks because I hardly use them anymore - I'm working on thinning out my shelf but can't seem to throw them all away yet!). After I've found some recipes, I check out the comments posted from those who have tried it to see if I can anticipate any possible issues. Once I've decided which recipe to try, I gather ingredients and jump right in!

The first recipe I found was this one on Angry Chicken. Then found this one at Miss Smith At Home. Miss Smith actually started with Angry Chicken's recipe and adjusted it to her liking. Her recipe sounded good to me but there was still one problem: I live 1 1/2 hours from a major shopping city where I might find things like cocoa butter, Shea butter and vegetable glycerin so I was rather discouraged. I wanted to grab what I have in my kitchen and make home made deodorant without all the fuss! So...I continued looking.

I found Fimby. I loved Renee`s post and kept reading. I read the comments to her blog - ALL the comments! And I learned a lot about some of the problems with skin irritation. Now we have sensitive skin so I figured I had better pay attention. The search continued and I found A Moms Blog and JACKPOT! I had found my nonsensical recipe (with a few adjustments of course!)

So here is my recipe:

Star Anise Deodorant - Riverstone Studios

5-6 Tablespoons Organic Coconut Oil (use in solid form)
just a bit more than 1/8 c. baking soda *
1/4 c. cornstarch
5-6 finely ground star anise seeds

Mix soda and cornstarch together until blended well. Add coconut oil until you get a nice smooth consistency. Add fresh ground star anise seeds. Store in a 6 oz lidded jar.

To use: Using your fingernail, scoop out a pea sized amount of deodorant. Roll it into a ball and apply with fingers underneath your arm. I usually rub the rest into the palms of my hands.

* baking soda can cause sensitive skin to become irritated for some people. I have already halved the original amount of baking soda knowing that both my husband and I have sensitive skin. Feel free to adjust your recipe as you feel.

A couple of notes:
- star anise seed natural anti fungal, antibacterial, inhibits yeast growth
- other ideas might be to use good quality essential oils.
- Tea Tree Oil: anti fungal, disinfectant
- Coconut Oil: antibacterial properties
- Sage Oil: natural antiperspirant
- Lavender Oil - antibacterial
- Caster Oil - super oil for natural skin care

My response:

I LOVE IT! I have been using Tom's deodorant for a couple of years now so switching over to my homemade deodorant has not been much of an issue. I still sweat, only I've found that the crushed star anise actually works better at keeping the odor away longer than Tom's. In my research I found out that odor is a result of bacterial growth (bacteria needs warmth, moisture and food!) So my conclusion is that if I am using an antibacterial (coconut oil), natural absorbents (baking soda, cornstarch), and star anise seeds (subtle natural fragrance, antibacterial and anti fungal) things should start smelling good!

Now, don't get me wrong, I still sweat! I figure that since my body is designed to sweat, call it my built-in air conditioner, then I should let it do it's job - and smell a bit nice while it's at work! (I am not much for strong fragrances so the subtle smell of star anise works great for me but you might be interested in one of the essential oils I've mentioned above.)

My husband's response:

I'll try to put into words some of our conversations. He typically uses Antiperspirants because he works in the professional world around people all the time and needs to feel confident right now that he won't smell! One day when he was off work, he tried my deodorant and remarked how well it worked! Then after a few days of using it he found he was smelling stronger and my deodorant didn't seem to be working as well. My conclusion is that if he has been using an antiperspirant all these years, it will take time for his body to detoxify and then I believe he should find success. So, I imagine, for the next few weeks he will be using his old standby on work days in the city and maybe after that he'll go all out and stick to the deodorant.

If you are thinking of switching from a antiperspirant to a deodorant, you may want to do so during vacation or holidays so that your body can cleanse itself well and give the deodorant a fair fight! Just my thoughts.

If you have any insight or wisdom you would like to share with me or readers, please feel free to comment. I will reply in my comments as well - dialogue is always good!

If you try my recipe let me know what you think. I'd love to hear about it. I will be adding it to my shop as well, so if you would like to order a jar, just send me a quick note and I'd be more than happy!

- Audrey

Tightly Woven Existance

2011-04-05T11:17:00.000-06:00

part of the large herd a couple of years ago, this year many have perished

It seems like lots is going on around here, yet some days it seems like we are standing still - in the mud! Do you know what I mean? It's as if the melting of the snow only increases the pangs of nature for true spring.

I can see it in the deer. There are a few that have stuck around, but one in particular comes out to the yard every night at dusk to nibble on the last of our grass reserves. Earlier she looked much thinner and desperate, but now I see she is plumping up a bit (probably with little Bambi inside) and nibbling further down the slope where fresh alfalfa is sprouting.

I see it in our boys. They are getting restless with their indoor routines. They are eager to ride bikes, explore and play outside - (my issue: they are usually covered head to toe in mud! Oh, well - I'll get over it ;)

I see it in myself too! It feels like I just want to scream WHEN WILL SPRING BE HERE? I wonder if this feeling is connected to the anticipation of the death and resurrection of our Lord? Is it my spirit that cries out for the old wicked ways in me to die there on the cross? Is this agonizing waiting really my souls longing for new life? Kelly and I married on Resurrection Sunday for this very reason - to celebrate the amazing gift of new life. How mysterious is the tightly woven existence of spirit and flesh.

Spring is coming soon!

outside: 2 deg C, very little wind and the snow continues to melt
inside Guest House: 23 deg C, I keep the wood stove damped down most days until evening to make night time fires easier to start.

Our wind turbine tower - how it works video

2011-04-02T10:13:00.001-06:00

Just a little video Kelly made of our wind turbine and a bit on how it works. You can find it here on our youtube channel.

Have a great day, we're off to do chores and create little rivers around the yard! We have tons of snow and it's melting so fast these days that it's pooling around the house - not so good! So we're digging little trenches to lead the water further down the hill. The joys of homesteading! Making the best of the struggles, relishing in the joys of living off-grid and raising our family. There are so many more blessings in our lives than struggles - we just need to keep our eyes on the prize!

we're living life in every breath - hope you are too!
- have a fantastic day.
Audrey

Riverstone Studios - Soap Making Workshop

2011-03-21T16:51:00.001-06:00

Riverstone Studios - Unscented Laundry Soap

"When my family began to struggle with skin rashes and irritations from commercial laundry products, I started looking for other options. I found it very expensive to purchase chemical free soaps so I decided to make my own. Now I make a batch of soap in one day that lasts 1/2 a year for a fraction of the cost of commercial laundry soap. It really does get our clothes clean, is good for the environment, and I know EXACTLY what it's made of."

Join us for a day learning the basics of making pure and natural handmade laundry soap. We start the day with you learning how to make pure natural soap bars. Next we transform those bars into powdered laundry soap and finally liquid laundry soap. These laundry soaps are excellent for high efficiency, front loading washing machines, as well as top loading washers due to their low sud quality.

The next workshop will be held

Saturday, May 14th, 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM in Craik, SK.

Classes are limited on a 1st come basis.

Workshop will include recipes and all supplies required to

make your own 4 litres of laundry soap to take home.

That's enough for 120 loads of laundry!

Prices:

$65 before May 1st

$75 if registered after May 1st

Call 683-9666 to register today or

email info@riverstonestudios.ca

Great for front loading and top loading washing machines.

outside: 0 deg C, 31 klm wind producing plenty of power for a productive day

inside Guest House: +22 deg. C warm and cozy while the wind blows

Riverstone Studios - Engagement Photography

2011-03-18T10:39:00.001-06:00

Handmade Soaps & Upcoming Workshops

2011-03-16T09:22:00.001-06:00

Natural Baby Castile Soap

Natural Pet Soap - for your furry & hairy friends

Traveller's Backpacker's & Camper's Soap

We've just added three great Castile Soaps to our shop this week. Castile soap originated from Italy are made primarily from virgin olive oil. We have added organic coconut oil to our Castile soaps because of the amazing health benefits. I just read that coconut oil is antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti fungal, antibacterial, soothing, etc. We use coconut oil all year round on our skin to sooth and vitalize our skin in the summer heat as well in the winter to moisturize and replenish wind blown, chap skin.

Castile soaps are known for their natural healing of eczema, dry skin, psoriasis, achne and blemishes while being gentle enough for your baby! I have been impressed with it's gentle cleansing on my pre-teen's oily skin and it's great lather. It's worth looking into!

Upcoming Workshops:

May 14th - Laundry Soap Making Workshop - We are very excited to be offering this very practical soap making workshop. We will start out by making laundry soap bars and by the end of the day each of you will return home excited and with your own batch of laundry soap too! Call for more information.

May 28th - Photography Workshop - We are excited to teach yet another Photography workshop at the river bank in Saskatoon. This is a great chance to learn how to take better photos. This is a very popular workshop so make sure you register soon. You can find more info here.

On a farm note: We've had an exciting time on our off-grid farm as our sewer lines froze last week. We've spent an entire week trying to thaw out 35 feet of frozen lines in -25 deg C temperatures. Needless to say that things have finally thawed out enough to start running downhill again! Thank God for warmer winds and thank you Kelly for your perseverance! Come to think of it, this is the only ON-GRID thing we have going at the farm! Isn't that funny! We decided that if we were to house 30 or more retreat guests at a time we would need dependable waste water facilities right off the bat. Well, as it turns out it really doesn't matter if or not your on-grid or not, when it's cold things freeze up! It's a steep learning curve regardless of your grid choice. Lesson learned: when it's really cold, flush that low-flow more often :)

Well, with all that said, I've got chores to get done and soap to make! Enjoy each moment with peace and calm regardless of your circumstances - perseverance brings character and Help is on the way.

outside: -2 deg C, warming up quite nicely
inside guest house: 24 deg C, more than cozy

Pure & Clean Peppermint Castile Soap for problem skin - Riverstone Studios Handmade Soaps and More!

2011-03-10T20:13:00.000-06:00

Pure & Clean Peppermint Castile Soap

We've just added Peppermint Castile Soap to our shop. We have found this soap works great for naturally healing acne, blemished skin, dry skin, eczema and psoriasis. It lathers really well and can be use for hair, body and hands.

100% Vegan Soap - Natural Antioxidant - Biodegradable - Safe for Water Tables

The weather has begun to warm up in our neck of the prairies! Snow is starting to melt, it makes spring feel a lot closer!

outside:1 deg C. with showers on the way
inside Guest House: 24.5 deg. C and cozy

Between the Dreaming and the Coming True

2011-02-26T17:07:00.000-06:00

Well, as you may or may not know, our family has been working towards living a more sustainable life - together. It all started with dreams to build a straw bale house and quickly that dream grew to our desire to work together in a family business. Kelly has been in an industry where has worked with some industry accepted nasty products (some containing known carcinogens) and plastic products with huge amounts of waste known well for their staggering long lifespans in the land fill for nearly 20 years now. After walking with his first wife and newborn son, as she battled cancer at the age of 33, Kelly was determined to find a way to spend more time with his family. After the birth of our second son we began dreaming about Riverstone Studios. Within a year we registered our business name and started holding music, pottery and scrap booking workshops in the lower level of our home in the city. It didn't take long and we started getting requests for photography workshops and photo shoots and we loved it!

Riverstone Studios - music, photography, pottery

Then something new was planted in our hearts. We noticed that every time we visited family on the farm we felt an amazing peace and calm. The desire to live off the land had sprouted! Now our dreams included wide open prairie, laying hens, maybe a milking cow and horses in the pasture!

Our boys, Joshuah and Matthew, four years ago.

As I drove into town today, the song playing in the car caught my attention. I brought the CD into the house so I could play it and the CD was titled "Between the Dreaming and the Coming True" by Bebo Norman. The title described it all - we are between the dreaming and the coming true for our family!

Kelly's work in the city is coming to a close and we are gearing up to run Riverstone Studios full time! The seeds planted in our hearts 8 years ago have slowly been growing. Now is the time for fruit!! We still look at each other in amazement - it is hard to believe all that has happened this past year; Kelly transitioned his work hours from full time management to part time staff; we moved onto our land full time; our boys are homeschooling again; we are raising 20 laying hens, chickens, 5 pigs and a pony. We have planted a small plot of organic wheat, hundreds of fruit and berry trees as well as shelter trees every spring and a vegetable garden as well! Not to forget the process of building off-grid; set up a wind turbine, water catchment system, heating systems, the straw bale guest house in progress and house/studio in progress as well.

I believe that the dreaming never ends and neither does the coming true.
Somehow, it feels like the two will dance gracefully through our lives, bringing fulfillment, hope and life.

And so, here we go dreaming again!

Riverstone Studios schedule for retreats and workshops 2011 is now posted!
We have an exciting year in the making! Check it out on the side of our blogs.

A year of dreaming dreams... and the faith to see those dreams coming true.

outside: - 12 deg. C and windy as all heck!
inside Guest House: 20.2 dec. C - it's a bit chilly but my honey just put another log on the fire!

mid-winter break

2011-02-15T08:39:00.000-06:00

I think I will be taking a little break this week. We are all down with our first cold/flu of the winter season - not bad eh? But since we are all hit at the same time, it takes a lot to get the regular stuff done around here. So we are focusing on resting, oil of oregano and lots of fluids!

Blessings to you and your families. I'll catch up later with you on some great things happening with Riverstone Studios, our farm and family.

outside: 1 deg C and between 1 and 2 kiliwatts of power all night! Good stuff!
inside: 24.1 deg C with lots of sniffles

Snapshot - random pics

2011-02-12T17:35:00.000-06:00

It's been a while since I've blogged but to be honest I was stuck! Every time I checked my blog I stared at the picture in my Toxic Baby Shampoo post in disbelief at the truth. Even today, I read the last part about perfume and commented to my husband in renewed shock. I can't believe that many natural fragrances are linked to cancer! He continued to tell me about the toxicity of many natural fragrances and how it isn't simply one fragrance that causes problems but rather the overwhelming attack that our bodies suffer as a result of fragrances in everything from diapers to bed sheets!!! Ahh!!

I still am not sure exactly how to go on from there...

Maybe if I think of some of my favorite things that might help me get out of this mud...

My boys building flashlights with their Daddy

These are our boys proudly displaying their newly created flashlights after a home school lesson with Daddy. We're trying the 'grow your hair long' stint again! I think we've realized that Matthew (9yrs) looks really great with a clean cut style around the ears and back but long on the top (we cut his hair shortly after this pic was taken) . And Joshuah (6yrs) definitely loves growing it long. He is joining one of his friends in a challenge to grow their hair 13 inches long so that it can be made into wigs for those fighting cancer. We're all for it! (and personally, I think he looks very cute!)

Mom's Blue China

As I was looking for pictures to post I found this one. This is my Mom and Dad's blue china that was given to them as a wedding gift nearly 45 years ago. I have always really liked blue china and I am pretty staring at the patterns as I dried dishes all those years helped! Thanks Mom for raising me well! These pieces are still packed away somewhere but when I find them, I'll be sure to set them in Great Grandpa Michelski's cabinet.

That is... once I've sanded and repainted it... and replaced the broken glass from moving...
Oh, the joys of moving... I am so glad we plan to stay here until the end of our days!

I pray that your family is healthy and well and your home is filled with a contented peace today.
- Audrey

outside: 3 deg. C, and the swallows are jumping in the snow looking for seeds
inside: 24.0 degrees, boys quietly playing Lego and it's nearly time for supper with friends...

Feature Friday - Baby Shampoo Toxic Ingredients

2011-02-04T17:41:00.001-06:00

I am more than a little shocked! I started writing a completely different blog today and then I got sidetracked by wondering what was in our baby shampoo. Yes, our shampoo. (But not after tonight. It's taking the fast train out of our house!) Now, I don't have babies any more, (my youngest is 6 years old) and I still like using a gentle shampoo for my boys. I grew up using this identical shampoo because it kept my long hair under control and easier to comb out. Anyways... here's the info:

These are the ingredients in the bottle of Johnson's No More Tangles shampoo + conditioner: (in order as written on the bottle).

Water
- that's the simple one H20

Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Antistatic Agent; Hair Conditioning Agent; Skin-Conditioning Agent - Miscellaneous;Surfactant - Cleansing Agent; Surfactant - Foam Booster; Viscosity Increasing Agent - Aqueous; FOAM BOOSTING; VISCOSITY CONTROLLING
- Cocamidopropyl betaine is a synthetic surfactant; it has been associated with irritation and allergic contact dermatitis, reactions that could be due to the ingredient itself or to impurities present in it, such as 3-dimethylaminopropylamine.

- Allergies/immunotoxicity: known human imune system toxicant,
- Ecotoxicology: suspect to be an environmental toxin,
- Use restrictions: Safe for use in cosmetics with some qualifications,
- source: http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/ingredient.php?ingred06=701520

PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate
Fragrance Ingredient; Surfactant - Cleansing Agent; Surfactant - Solubilizing Agent; EMULSIFYING
PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate is an ethoxylated sorbitan monoester of Lauric Acid (q.v.) with anaverage of 80 moles of ethylene oxide.

- Use Restrictions: Violation of industry recommendations - Restricted in cosmetics; use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions - Not safe for use on injured or damaged skin,
- Allergies/immunotoxicity: Human skin toxicant - strong evidence
- Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive): Limited evidence of sense organ toxicity
- Developmental/reproductive toxicity: one or more animal studies show reproductive effects at high doses
- Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs): One or more animal studies show skin irritation at moderate doses
- Multiple, additive exposure sources: Designated as safe for general or specific, limited use in food
- Ecotoxicology: Not suspected to be an environmental toxin
- source: http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/ingredient.php?ingred06=704685

Sodium Trideceth Sulfate
(also listed as Ether Sulfate, Ethanol or a long list of other names)
Surfactant - Cleansing Agent; Surfactant - Emulsifying Agent; FOAMING

- Sodium Trideceth Sulfate is a sodium salt of sulfated ethoxylated Tridecyl Alcohol (q.v.).

- Data Gaps: Not assessed for safety in cosmetics by industry panel
- Ecotoxicology: Not suspected to be an environmental toxin
- Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive): Classified as not expected to be potentially toxic or harmful
- Persistence and bioaccumulation: Not suspected to be persistent
- source: http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/ingredient.php?ingred06=706204

PEG-150 Distearate
Surfactant - Cleansing Agent; Surfactant - Solubilizing Agent
- PEG-150 Distearate is a polyethylene glycol diester of stearic acid.

- Use Restrictions: Violation of industry recommendations - Restricted in cosmetics; use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions, Not safe for use on injured or damaged skin, Determined safe for use in cosmetics, subject to concentration or use limitations, Safe for use in cosmetics with some qualifications
-Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive): Limited evidence of sense organ toxicity
- Date Gaps: Safety assessment was based on related chemical
- Multiple, additive exposure sources: Designated as safe for general or specific, limited use in food
- Persistence and bioaccumulation: Not suspected to be bioaccumulative
- Ecotoxicology: Not suspected to be an environmental toxin
- source: http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/ingredient.php?ingred06=704526

Decyl Glucoside
Surfactant - Cleansing Agent; EMULSION STABILISING

Decyl glucoside is a glucose-based surfactant commonly used in shampoos and body washes.
- Data Gaps: Not assessed for safety in cosmetics by industry panel
- 7 studies in PubMed science library may include information on the toxicity of this chemical
- source: http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/ingredient.php?ingred06=701883

- plant derived, biodegradable, natural product for sensative skin
- source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decyl_glucoside

PEG-12 Dimethicone
Hair Conditioning Agent; Skin-Conditioning Agent - Miscellaneous; SKIN CONDITIONING
- Use restrictions: Violation of industry recommendations, restricted in cosmetics; use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions, Not safe for use on injured or damaged skin, Determined safe for use in cosmetics, subject to concentration or use limitations - Safe for use in cosmetics with some qualifications
- Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive): Limited evidence of sense organ toxicity
- Multiple, additive exposure sources: Designated as safe for general or specific, limited use in food
- PEG-40 dimethicone is a synthetic polymer composed of PEG (polyethylene glycol) and dimethicone, a silicon-based polymer. Due to the presence of PEG, this ingredient may contain potentially toxic manufacturing impurities such as 1,4-dioxane.

- source: http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/ingredient.php?ingred06=704504

Polyquaternium-44
Antistatic Agent; Film Former; Hair Conditioning Agent; FILM FORMING
- Polyquaternium-44 is a polymeric quaternary ammonium salt consisting of vinylpyrrolidoneand quaternized imidazoline monomers.

- Data gaps: Not assessed for safety in cosmetics by industry panel
- source: http://cosmeticsdatabase.org/ingredient.php?ingred06=705116

Tetrasodium EDTA
Chelating Agent

- EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) is a chelating agent, used to sequester and decrease the reactivity of metal ions that may be present in a product.

- Occupational hazards: Allowed workplace exposures restricted to low doses
- Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive): Limited evidence of eye toxicity, classified as expected to be toxic or harmful
- Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs): One or more animal studies show skin irritation at low doses
- Enhanced skin absorption: Penetration enhancer
- Multiple, additive exposure sources: Designated as safe for general or specific, limited use in food
- source: http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/ingredient.php?ingred06=706510

Quarternium-15
Antistatic Agent; Preservative
- This ingredient is a quaternary ammonium salt used as a preservative; it acts as a formaldehyde releaser.

- Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive): Classified as expected to be toxic or harmful, Classified as medium human health priority
- Developmental/reproductive toxicity: One or more animal studies show reproductive effects at high doses
- Cancer: One or more in vitro tests non-mammalian cells show positive mutation results
- Neurotoxicity: One or more animal studies show brain, nervous system, or behavioral effects at high doses
- Endocrine disruption: One or more animal studies show endocrine system disruption at high doses

- Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs): One or more animal studies show skin irritation at moderate doses
- source: http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/ingredient/705478/QUATERNIUM-15/?ingred06=705478

Violet 2
D&C Violet 2 is a synthetic dye produced from petroleum or coal tar sources; this dye is FDA-approved for use in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. This ingredient may be derived from animals. From PETA's Caring Consumer: Pigments from animal, plant, and synthetic sources used to color foods, cosmetics, and other products. Cochineal is from insects. Widely used FD&C and D&C colors are coaltar (bituminous coal) derivatives that are continuously tested on animals due to their carcinogenic properties. Alternatives: grapes, beets, turmeric, saffron, carrots, chlorophyll, annatto, alkanet.
- Use restrictions: Violation of government restrictions - Restricted in cosmetics; use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions - Color additive approved by FDA for use in cosmetics: external use only
- Cancer: Possible carcinogen
- Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive): Classified as a high human health priority, Classified as expected to be toxic or harmful
- Persistence and bioaccumulation: Not suspected to be bioaccumulative
- Ecotoxicology: Not suspected to be an environmental toxin
- source: http://www.cosmeticdatabase.com/ingredient.php?ingred06=701828

Blue 1
- Data Gaps: Not assessed for safety in cosmetics by industry panel
- source: http://www.cosmeticdatabase.com/ingredient/741875/BLUE_1/

Citric Acid
- Usually produced in powder form, citric acid is naturally found in citrus fruits. It easily mixes into liquids, making it a valuable acid. Lemons and limes have high concentrations of citric acid, accounting for their bitter taste. Oranges and tangerines are also high in citric acid, though lower than the more bitter citrus fruits. You can find citric acid present in certain berries too, particularly raspberries and blackberries.

- Citric acid is used as a flavoring in many preparations of Vitamin C, and has a wide variety of other uses. In industry, citric acid can be used to make good “natural” cleaners, though some may still contain chemicals that are not exactly natural. It’s also now commonly used in preparing photographs.
- source: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-citric-acid.htm

Parfum
- Of the thousands of chemicals used in fragrances, most have not been tested for toxicity, alone or in combination. Many of these unlisted ingredients are irritants and can trigger allergies, migraines, and asthma symptoms. iii A survey of asthmatics found that perfume and/or colognes triggered attacks in nearly three out of four individuals. iv There is also evidence suggesting that exposure to perfume can exacerbate asthma, and perhaps even contribute to its development in children. v

People with multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS) or environmentally linked illnesses are particularly vulnerable, with fragrances implicated both in development of the condition and triggering symptoms. v

However, anyone might experience skin irritation or runny eyes and nose. U.K. researchers have reported that "perfume" is the second most common cause of allergy in patients at dermatology clinics. vi In addition, in laboratory experiments, individual fragrance ingredients have been associated with cancer vii,viii and neurotoxicity ix among other adverse health effects.
- source: http://www.davidsuzuki.org/issues/health/science/toxics/fragrance-and-parfum/

I'm speechless. I have made a shampoo bar that we love using but I thought I would use up the bottles of shampoo from the store that we still have (so as not to waste it). Nope - it's going. As of now, we no longer buy any more shampoo products. At least this way I know what is going in and on my skin.

I hope this investigation of Johnson's Baby Shampoo has been more than informative for you.
Blessings to you and your loved ones today.
- Audrey

Snapshot - February Snow

2011-02-02T13:58:00.000-06:00

Everyone everywhere seems to be dealing with snow - some more than others!

This is Smokey. He is definitely outfitted to keep warm.

This morning's view out our south facing window.

Snow, snow and more snow.

kind of a dreamy landscape isn't it?

trying to capture the snow and the wind turbine...

outside: -9 deg C and windy
inside: 25 deg C (I'm trying to thaw the frozen water line leading to the washing machine - not sure it's working!?* oh well, laundry another day!)

Homeschooling "Unschooling"

2011-01-30T20:30:00.002-06:00

Homeschooling has always been at the back of our minds when it came to schooling options. When our oldest was in Kindergarten we home schooled him into Grade 1 because he spent more time in hospitals than in school. Homeschooling should have been easy then - but it wasn't.

Children's Hospital Edmonton - Matty's third surgery 5 years old

At this age, Matty had spent more time in hospitals than he did in school. Although he loved the social aspects of school he just couldn't keep up to the physical and mental demands required. Since this was my first shot at homeschooling I jumped in head first! (I tend to do that without thinking first!) I ordered textbooks, workbooks, Math, Science, Phonics, Art... I went the 9 miles with my 5 year old!

And burnt out fast!

We had a son with chronic health issues... we were all in and out of hospitals every 2 weeks... while still in the first few years of being married ... with a toddler tagging along. Homeschooling was like going to the dentist - without the anesthetic! My son and I fought, argued, threw tantrums (both of us!) and struggled ALL OF THE TIME.

Within a year, Matt seemed ready to try public school again. (I had obviously failed at homeschooling so I figured I'd leave it to the professionals - so I thought). After meeting with the school I felt confident that they would attend to his needs. And they did for the most part. Whew, we got through Grade 1. Matt's marks were average and his report cards great yet we still wondered if things were really as good as they seemed. Then came Grade 2.

The first day of school I rejoiced that I finally had 8 hours to myself while my oldest was securely in Grade 2 and our youngest had just entered pre-K with excitement. I was also excited for them - and for me! Independence at all ranks!

Then things started happening. We saw increased signs of stress and anxiety with our oldest. Chewing shirts until they looked like rags hanging off his bony shoulders. Emotional outbreaks and constant disciplining. He loved school. He loved his friends. He loved all the exciting things that happened - hot dog day, spirit day, treasure boxes, stickers, rewards for work well done! What could be wrong we asked? We didn't know so we just kept rolling with the punches.

Then it hit - the punches I mean! His anxiety turned into anger just over half way into the school year. He was angry at me. He was angry at his little brother. He was angry at his dad. He was angry at the world! What is going on? Is it anxiety or is it something bigger? We began looking for assessments to find the answers. Nothing. In every meeting, assessment, diagnostic exam he hit the NORMAL range. Exasperated we wondered what we should do? We discussed homeschooling again. Not yet, maybe later.

So we moved on. Literally.

Proudly showing off his Star Wars Space Ship design

We had been preparing to move to our acreage/farm for the past three years. It was like out second home and now it was time to make it our permanent home. The last month of school was so difficult that we pulled the boys out of school a week early and moved to the farm.

We spent the next three months making home as stable as possible for our oldest while still trying to live as a family. Things only got worse. More doctor's visits only at these ones, I was in tears. We needed help. They put Matty on ADHD medications to help control his anger while it seemed like everyone around us watched in disbelief. No one else ever saw the troubled Matty. All they saw was a 'normal child' who seemed a bit stressed. Then it was time for school to start in our new home town.

Again, the school recognized the struggles our family had been walking through and agreed to do anything they could to help. I sure hoped so! We went through September holding our breath. Everything was fine at school - not at home. Tensions built. More medications. October was the same. "Maybe you need some parenting counselling". November came and we just continued on this horrible roller coaster ride called 'normal life' of short lived ups with 10 second pivots at the top of the ride that resulted in the repeating (almost scripted) and eventual crash that left many wounded and crippled.

That was it. We prayed. Matty, Daddy and I. We all looked for the answer. Within a week we were all convinced that homeschooling was the answer. I attended a breakfast meeting with Homeschooling moms who shared their stories. I sat in tears weeping. "This is what he needs" I thought. I knew it in my heart - deep inside I knew that he was an intelligent boy - beyond his years in some ways. But how was I going to tap into his potential and help him survive daily routines. They had a name for it... "Un-Schooling"!

I couldn't believe it! I had laid awake at night wishing I could take Matty out of school and just teach him how to live - really LIVE. Without stress. Without panic attacks. Without fear and nightmares. Without medications. Once we mastered living - I figured then we could go on to pursue great things - or maybe I should say that once we mastered living - we would have pursued great things!

Christmas Day - learning to snowboard

It is now the end of January and the boys have been ~~homeschooled~~ unschooled for two months now. In that time we've been learning to live together as a family. Matthew has risen strides above where he was two months ago. Although the learning curve is steep (when is it ever an easy slope eh?) he is being challenged constantly to rise to the occasion. Not only that but he has been taken off three of his four ADHD medications and we anticipate that he should be able to go off the last one in a month or so!

I think that is amazing! While Matty was in school 6 months he gained an 'acceptable' education with the need of 4 ADHD medications and now while at home only 2 months he has been able to throw them in the garbage! Some may argue though that we are not providing him an 'acceptable' education. You know - especially calling it "UnSchooling!" I beg to differ. I've got my son back. He still struggles but nothing like before.

Showing off the l.e.d. flashlights they just made.

Here is a brief outline of the things the boys have been learning this month:

- math - fractions - baking

- team work and perseverance - daily chores

- animal husbandry - chickens, horse, pigs, salamander

- working independently

- health - daily medical care on his own

- science - understanding power systems and water systems

- home economics - hand stitching, cooking, baking

- electronic engineering - building their own flashlight

- reading - out loud and silent reading - 18 books to date

- math - cool games on Internet

- printing - writing letters and reports

- arts - numerous crafts and gifts

- recess - plenty of sunshine and outdoor play (more than they've ever done before) and loving it

- learning to snow board

- emotional health - taking responsibility for actions and emotions, learning to cope with anxiety, stress and disappointment (how many of us wish we'd learned that a lot earlier?)

- faith - learning to quiet themselves to listen to the still small voice of their Creator, seeing answers to their prayers

The list goes on....

My lessons learned:

- listen to the quiet voice of the Lord's leading - He knows what is best for my children!

- God loves my children even more than I do! And he has sent the Helper (Spirit) to guide them. My job is to teach my children to quiet themselves to hear His voice and then choose to listen.

- my children HAVE the potential to succeed! They just need to choose it!

- when I remember these things, I am a good teacher and an even better parent!

outside: -22 deg C, light flurries with 200 watts of power trickling in

inside Guest House: 22.4 deg C, a beautiful fire in the wood stove and two boys peacefully asleep

Friday Feature - Honey 'n Oats Soap - Riverstone Studios Handmade Soaps, Pottery and More

2011-01-28T16:20:00.000-06:00

Well, it's Friday and around our house the homeschool week comes to a close and we go into a different mode. What exactly that looks like is difficult to describe actually! Our homeschooling/building/farm lifestyle is very flexible and so there is a natural ebb and flow that defies calendar boundaries. Yet, the weekend still feels different from the week for some reason. Maybe it's the opportunity to visit with family and friends as their work weeks have ended. Maybe it is just a bit more relaxed. Either way, Fridays are always good!

I thought I would add one more good thing to Fridays: Feature Friday. It's an opportunity for you to get to know a bit more about the work we do, our products and the people behind Riverstone Studios. Ever since my husband and I started dreaming of running our own business we have always felt it was to be like a community. Riverstone Studios is not just about our family and what we are doing. It is about a community of people expressing ourselves through creativity - and our desire to share those gifts with others. I guess I would like to capture the heart of Riverstone Studios and send it your way.

Honey 'n Oats Soap - Riverstone Studios Handmade Soaps, Pottery & More

When I was a teenager, I used to mix honey and oats in a bowl and plaster it on my face. I loved the way if made my skin feel tight and clean. Thinking back on it now, it was kind of funny. I used to sit perched on the edge of the bathtub with a towel on my lap ready to catch the odd blob that would fall from my plastered face. When I began dreaming of making handmade soaps again this was the first soap on my list. I found a recipe with a combination of Olive, Coconut and Caster Oils to replenish and soften the skin and went with a bit of creativity from there.

Switching from regular, store bought brands of soap has really impacted our family. There is a strong feeling of satisfaction knowing that we are using soaps with natural ingredients on our skin without the added chemicals, preservatives and fregrances. Even our 6 year old son is making a concious choice when choosing soaps to clean with. For a while we had various bottles of unfinished shampoo or soaps around the house along with my handmade soaps to choose from. One day he told me that he prefers our soap because it is better for him. As a parent it makes me feel so good knowing I can provide my children with healthy choices.

A bit about our soaps:

We use as many natural and organic ingredients in our soaps as possible to provide a healthy, gentle soap for everyone in your household. We feel we have a responsability in caring for our environment and our bodies and so we've carefully chosen to include sustainable and renewable ingredients without adding chemicals, fregrances or petrolium products. We allow the natural ingredients themselves to provide any fregrance that may be found in our soaps. We do not add any fregrance oils or herbal essences therefore our soaps are considered unscented or fregrance free.

Honey 'n Oats Soap Ingredients: Raw Local Honey, Rolled Oats, Virgin Olive Oil, Organic Coconut Oil, Vegetable Lard, Caster Oil, Distilled Water, Lye.

100% Vegan Soap
If you have any questions or comments about today's Feature Friday, please feel free to email or comment below and I would be happy to reply.

You can find Honey 'n Oats Soap and other Riverstone Studios Handmade Soaps, Pottery and more at our Etsy giftshop by clicking 'Honey 'n Oats Soap' in this paragraph or clicking the Etsy button on the right side of my blog. If you live in the Craik/Davidson region of Saskatchewan we would like to offer you a local price for our products so be sure to mention where you are from in your email or comment.

Have a great weekend! - Audrey

outside: -7 deg C with a strong wind, clear and sunny all day
inside Guest House: a cozy and peaceful 22 deg C

Riverstone Studios - Handmade Soaps, Pottery and More

2011-01-24T16:41:00.001-06:00

Riverstone Studios is excited to announce the opening of our on-line gift shop! If you've been following my blog the last few months, you may recall my November 2010 post called "An old favorite...revisited" . I asked you if you could guess what project I was working on based on a photograph? I gave a few clues:

Hint 1: It was about 20 years ago when I first tried making this and it was a success.

Hint 2: My Grandmother made it and used it all the time.

The answer: HOMEMADE SOAPS! And yes, it was at least 20 years ago when I made my first batch of soap. I remember that I was so nervous about mixing the lye and water that I made the entire batch of soap on the cement pad in my pack yard!

Ever since that first batch of soap I have dreamed of making soaps for my family and friends. With the anticipation of opening an on-line gift shop there seemed no better time than now to get back into the swing of things! We anticipate that in the next few months we will have many more fantastic bath and body soaps and laundry soap for sale as well as pottery and more!

We use as many natural and organic ingredients in our soaps as possible to provide a healthy, gentle soap for everyone in your household. We feel we have a responsability in caring for our environment and our bodies and so we've carefully chosen to include sustainable and renewable ingredients without adding chemicals, fregrances or petrolium products. You can find out more about our products by visiting Riverstone Studios Gift Shop and selecting any of our Bath and Body Soaps. Be sure to check out our Soap Packages as well (you can save on shipping)!

I will be featuring each of our items on my blog and keeping you up-to-date with the happenings of Riverstone Studios and our little homestead. We are ramping up for an exciting year in anticipation of good things! Stay tuned!

It's been so long since I've posted that I forgot...

outside: -4 deg C, with just enough wind to keep things runn'n
inside:22.9 deg C, with warm coals heating and sleepy heads after a day of quincy building

december update

2011-01-08T15:46:00.002-06:00

Our family has had a really great Christmas season! We were able to visit grandparents before and after Christmas and spent a lot of quality family time here on the farm.

Since this is our first winter here, it has been a great opportunity to see if our systems will make the cold winters in Saskatchewan. Some systems have worked well and others have needed more tender care! (Kelly spent most of the week of Christmas thawing out frozen water lines!!!) So we have concluded that winter is a good time to stay home and holidays will be great in summer time!

Our first month homeschooling has been fabulous! The boys have really come to the plate and shown me that they can accomplish things independantly and are enjoying the freedom that being at home brings. Both Kelly and I enjoy spending time with our boys teaching and enjoying life. Matthew's emotional health is much more stable and we are able to reduce his medication. For that reason alone, we are thankful to be homeschooling.

I've spent most of December in a lot more pain, moving slower and learning not to push my limits. Around the new year I figured I should see a doctor to find out if something more is going on. My hunch was right. I've got a kidney infection - and it feels like a kicker! I'm drinking lots of fluids, resting and the boys are helping out with chores (they are such a blessing!). Needless to say, things have slowed down in the blogging world but I'm just slowing down - not giving up! :)

Kelly has been working on getting more drywall hung, mudding and painting walls. Things are coming together so nicely.

The boys (all three) got snowboards for Christmas this year. Kelly even designed cool snowboarding stickers for them! Matt and Josh were more than thrilled and it's so great to see them outside every day growing in confidence and ability. When the boys were still toddlers, I would day dream about our family going on ski trips and I would stay in the lodge with a warm cup of coffee and a good book! (I used to prefer the cross country part of skiing but now-a-days I think skiing is out of the question for me). So now they are saving their money to go on a snow boarding trip to Fort QuAppelle for a day. How neat it is to see dreams come true! And yes, I will be in the challet enjoying my coffee and a good book!

Kelly and I are working on getting more work prepared for Riverstone Studios. Our hope is that this year Riverstone Studios photography, pottery, retreats, workshops and gift shop will be our main source of income. I am hoping to have everything ready to begin selling hand soaps, hair and body soaps and laundry soaps (all unscented for sensative skin) as well as gift cards in January.

Two years ago, I opened an on-line gift shop called Riverstone Gift Shop on Etsy. I began selling my pottery at that time but found it quite challenging with my pain levels and limited pottery items to sell. After a while of thinking things through, I realized that my passion about living simply is very practical and many others are seeking to live simpler healthier lives as well. That's when I realized that I can make soap for my family and maybe for a few other families as well. I am very excited to be sharing the simple things in life with you all.

It is an exciting time for our family! Things are coming together - for this I am grateful.
Don't be afraid to dream big dreams!

Stay tuned for more updates on the opening of our gift shop!

outside: -11 deg. C with a strong south wind, Low -16 with flurries today
inside Guest House: 23.1 deg C, freshly baked bread cooling on the stove and a warm hearth in the living room

"Isn't this an independent activity?"

2010-12-15T17:48:00.000-06:00

We are in our second week of homeschooling (for the second time around - and probably forever!!) and I find myself saying it over and over again "This should be an independently activity - why am I getting involved!" in a loud tone of voice. Other such phrases include:

"Why am I yelling again!"
"Ok, ok, I am talking in a calm voice now, can you do the same please?"
"(insert name here), you have been asked to do _____. Why are you bothering your brother?"
"You are old enough to do this yourself!"
"Did you talk to your teacher this way?"
"Did you flip out at school when this happened? Then why are you doing it at home?"

In addition, I have thrown their 'stuff' out the back door into the snow when they don't clean up the first time I ask them. I have to set the stove timer way too often and I'm getting sick of it. Now I get them to set the timer instead! AND I have gotten NONE of my own work done for two weeks now! (Except when Kelly gets home and then I hang a 'LEAVE ME ALONE' sign on my forehead and across my chest until my task is completed. I thank God for Thursdays!)

So now that I'm done ranting I can tell you some of the really great things about the past two weeks:
1. less meltdowns from child #1, with less severity too!
2. when meltdowns do occur with child #1, we know exactly what has been happening in his little life and can pinpoint it easier (most of the time).
3. way more quality time with both of my boys - soo good
4. movie time in the middle of the morning
5. we sleep in every day!!! (very good for child #1 who had trouble sleeping, very good for child #2 who simply needs more sleep, very very good for mommy who get's little sleep most days anyways!!
6. this week's highlight - visiting the library!! Can you believe that!! (it wasn't Ruckers or the fun factory or buying something! I love country life!!)
7. I have seen them actually work independently (it's a vague memory to me today...)
8. we pray together when the storm wind blows so hard that we need to shut down the wind turbine and it's difficult to do in high winds - and we see God answer! Their response, "Of course He did" and "Yes, I said thank you!"

Even though it's damn hard work, I wouldn't give them back to someone who has no clue what their emotional, spiritual and physical needs are for 40 hours every week! (no offense to their teachers, I greatly respect what they do for our children).

The best part is that even though I get frustrated, tired and grumpy. I know that their Heavenly Father knows exactly what they need, what I need to do for them, and what I need too!

I just need to ask...

(I failed to do that today when things started to go sour.)

outside: -7 deg. C, High: -3 deg. C and a Low of -11 deg. C - it's a calm, warm day after a night of stormy freezing rain
inside Guest House: 21.5 deg. C and just starting a fire for the evening and it's quiet (the boys are outside!)

a steep learning curve

2010-12-08T13:20:00.000-06:00

The boys have been especially enjoying the snow this year. It's the first year spending the entire winter here at the farm (the past three years we've just visited on weekends to build). One of the best things is the snow hill that their daddy is building them. It has a steep slope at one end and a sharp drop at the other end. It's amazing to watch them start out on the slope and gradually get their courage up to try the sharp drops. They're becoming pro's at it now!

So, since I don't prefer winter sports, I thought I would slide down a slippery slope myself this week!

I decided to bake bread in our wood stove.

Doesn't that picture just look fantastic - I can almost smell the bread baking!

I did a bit of research. I heated the stove to 350 deg. C and waited for the embers to settle. Then I stuck a nice piece of wood on top of the coals to use as a sort-of-table-thingy inside the stove. I opened the door and set my pan of beautiful looking bread onto my 'table'.

So far - so good! Right??~! A golden loaf of bread baking nicely in a wood stove filled with burning embers!

Then the unthinkable happened! (At least it was unthinkable to me!) The flames ignited my table-thingy and began to lick up the sides of the stove and across the top of my oven!

I found out that bread burns very quickly and burns really nicely too! Once it looked safe to open the door once again, I removed my completely charred blob of what-once-was-bread and my badly treated cast iron pan to lick my wounds.

As things cooled down, I set another piece of dough in another cast iron pan and set it to rise. Later to bake in our propane oven. Just as it usually does...

I am sure that more research is needed. I'm glad I ventured out into the unknown and I hope that future attempts might be more fruitful! :)

homeschooling update: things are a bit rocky right now, our oldest needs routine and a sense of control - hopefully a schedule will help with that...more to come.

outside: Hi: -1 deg. C, Lo: -15 deg. C, Presently: -11 deg. C with 11 klm/hr winds producing

900 watts of power (the first wind we've had in the past week!)

inside Guest House: 21.8 deg. C

Menu Planning Monday - Nov 29 2010

2010-11-29T16:27:00.005-06:00

Ok, ok, ok! I'll try this planning thing again! I realized this afternoon that if I am on the verge of home schooling once again, I will need to be organized - you think?!!!

So here goes... (and you can keep me accountable :)

Monday

toast with butter & brown sugar

chicken noodle soup and fresh baked sour dough bread

Tuesday

granola and milk

vegetable soup
beef tacos & salsa

Wednesday

cereal or toast

deer sausage, beets and mashed potatoes

Thursday

granola and milk

stove top roast chicken

Friday
granola and milk

French toast, deer sausage and hashbrowns

Saturday

eggs and toast

chicken in mushroom sauce on rice

Sunday

granola and milk
spagetti squash, roasted zucchini, ground beef and tomato sauce

It's going to be a-work-in-progress I'm pretty sure of that! Here's hop'n...

a quiet Monday... maybe my last...

2010-11-29T15:12:00.000-06:00

I love every aspect of our building process - except the clean up of course! I guess the best part is the transformation of old to new, from un-organized to organized, from one open space to rooms taking shape. Our bathroom door was one of the first transformations that made me excited to be helping once again. This past fall, I worked on stripping the 50 year old paint off of these old fir doors and then began the staining process. (I'm not finished yet, it still needs another coat but I'll get to that!!) I love the contrast of dark wood against lighter backgrounds and the window frames in this door shows it off so well. Kelly applied this frosted glass onto the windows with this beautiful scroll applied to the four corners. I just love it!

Then there's the door handles. We've travelled North America scouring Antique shops and old forgotten buildings for these glass handles. I just love them! When we started looking a couple of years ago, I was certain that you could still purchase the plates at the hardware stores. Then when it was time to install our first door we found they did not sell the plates alone any longer. They now sell the brass plate along with a glass handle at a reasonable price! Needless to say, I'm a little disappointed that the nostalgic glass handles cannot be used in our home quite yet, but I still really like these ones.

You might have noticed that the door plate is NOT brass! I really really dislike brass anything! (Just ask Kelly) So my sweet, patient husband has found me a gun stock spray paint that I really like and is re-finishing all the brass details to my liking!

So that's my 'tour' of our building progress for today. We have done other things but I have not been taking pictures so I guess I'd better get on that!

I've spent my day taking care of our youngest while we both have sore tummies and feel a bit off, baking bread, taking a nap and doing chores. Not much really but then we don't feel like doing much today. Maybe tomorrow I can get to making some of our gifts for family and friends and enjoy coffee with my neighbour. This is my last week on my own - starting Monday we home school!

Part of me just cannot wait to homeschool knowing that the overall stress and anxiety that our oldest suffers with will hopefully be resolved and I can spend this time with both my boys and watch them grow. Another part of me is a little afraid that I will never have time alone or with my husband again!! (I know, it's unrealistic but I still feel it!)

I guess the bottom line is that we both know (actually the boys have made this decision with us) that this is what is best for our boys at this time. My job now is to stop fussing... listen... and pray! :)

outside: at present: -7 deg C, Hi: -8 deg C, Lo:-11 deg C, western winds and flurries
inside Guest House:23.3 deg C, with bread rising on the oven, Lego on the table and a warm fire in the stove!

this little piggie... lived in a straw house

2010-11-24T09:29:00.000-06:00

Amazing! It only took about 15 minutes for all 5 of them to figure out that they should NOT go near the fence! S-M-A-R-T little piggies!!

It was difficult getting a picture of these little piggies because if I went into the pen they would be excitedly nipping at my ankles and all around me. As it was, I had to be careful to get both the piggies and their new winter home in the photo without encouraging them to get closer to the electric fence!

Well, I think the names have stuck! Every time the boys refer to our piggies I hear the names "Tasty", "Bacon" and "Yummy"! I think I will add "Chops" and "Hammy"!

I just couldn't resist adding Spirit today! She has had her thick winter coat for a month or so now and she's getting used to walking on ice skates! (Her hoofs clump up with snow into a ball and then eventually it falls off! It's a delicate balance for a while but she won't let us clean her feet so she's stuck with it!

Thankful note: The wind-less spell has broken and we are gaining juice in the battery bank! A load of laundry and dishes done by 9am! Sometimes being thankful for the little things in life makes one's heart swell.

Oh, how we love country life!

outside: presently: -19 deg C, High: -16 deg C, Lo: -22 deg C with gently flurries and wind producing about 500 watts of power
inside Guest House: 20 deg C with a freshly stoked fire in the wood stove

an old favorite... revisited

2010-11-23T17:08:00.000-06:00

As we continue to settle into our home in the country I find myself looking for that sense of 'me' in and amongst the animals, gyp rock, fir doors and straw bales. It's not to say I'm looking for places where I'm involved. I try to be involved in as much as I can - to my husband's dismay at times I'm sure. But I find myself asking for my pottery to be brought from the city into my kitchen, even though we have not gotten to the cupboards yet and we JUST finished putting in the raised floor. I miss my pillows, my fig trees, my 'things'. Silly it seems as I write it and yet this feels like the best way to describe where I've been at lately.

So, after shopping at what must have been 4 or 5 different stores in the city this past weekend I was ready to get down to business! Can you guess what project I'm working on?

Hint 1: It was about 20 years ago when I first tried making this and it was a success.
Hint 2: My Grandmother made it and used it all the time.

- May your hearts be settled in His care and comfort tonight,
Audrey

outside: present temp -19 dec C , High -15 deg C, -22 deg C, just enough wind to trickle some power
inside Guest House: cozy 22.0 deg C (and no children in sight - at least until supper!)

they got the groove! - Yeo Valley Official Advert.

2010-11-22T19:00:00.002-06:00

The boys and I played it over and over! Enjoy and take care!

Here's their web site : http://www.yeovalleyorganic.co.uk/ it's well worth checking out.

Oil of Oregano

2010-11-22T17:06:00.001-06:00

Our family has dealt with our fair share (sometimes it feels like it's more than our share...) of medical and health issues. Regardless of what comes our way, we believe that our God is the source of all health and healing and we are not without hope. With that hope in mind, we have often been attracted to homeopathic remedies or natural resources for health and healing.

About a year ago, a friend told me how Oil of Oregano was effective in helping her young children deal with colds and the flu. She told me that when she applied the oil (mixed with olive oil) to the bottoms of their feet, within days their cold symptoms would be gone and they would feel better. So I bought it and read the pamphlet that came with the bottle. Our family used it for a period of time and when cold season came and went the little bottle sort of got lost in the medicine box and the thought of it was far from our minds. Until last week.

A new friend of mine reminded me of the hopeful claims of Oil of Oregano one afternoon and that evening I found myself reading the pamphlet by the light of the computer screen as my family watched a movie together (I am rarely distracted from a movie!) That night I applied the oil to the bottoms of our youngest boy's feet, on his spine and neck as he had signs of yet another cold along with pink eye. He stayed home the following day from school and we repeated the application of oil morning and night for three days. He missed only that first day of school and all signs of illness have disappeared.

And then there's my story. I have adhesions that cause chronic pain across my lower abdomen, both hips and down one of my legs. I am presently taking strong pain relieving medications along with anti-inflammatory medication to help me function daily. Although these medications do help with my pain and I am able to do more than if I wasn't taking them, I still struggle with pain daily and I am unable to function to the fullest of my potential. I have tried the Oil of Oregano for a couple of days now, and when I take it according to the pamphlet, I am noticing a significant benefit! I need 1/3 less pain medication since I began taking the Oil of Oregano. The pamphlet claims the oil is provides healing from infection and reduces inflammation (among a long list of other benefits). For me, this is hopeful! I'm now on a diet of oregano (I'm tasting pizza 24-7!) I can handle that!!

I believe that God has provided the essentials for our health and healing and we can find them when we seek His wisdom and direction. I am impressed with Oil of Oregano and am willing to put it to the test believing that healing can come - all in good time.

(In the meantime, we continue to grow in character and perseverance!)
I hope this gives you some insight, check out the link on the pamphlet to find more information.

I'm presently working on some new Riverstone Studios Gift Shop items. I'll keep you posted as things progress!
outside: Hi - 14 deg C, Lo -18 deg C, Presently -21 deg C
(no wind at all today...power supply from generator today)
inside Guest House: 21 deg C with a good fire a burn'n

smarter chicken!

2010-11-17T11:32:00.001-06:00

Well, I have to admit, I love doing chickens! I'm probably crazy but I think it's because things are getting easier (thanks to my husband's smart thinking!). Last year we raised 40 meat birds and it seemed to take us forever to butcher and get them in the freezer. We would do about 5-6 birds in a day and it would take us all day to do it! Talk about a steep learning curve! We would haul out the table, buckets for feathers, metal pail, concrete blocks and the propain burner. Not to mention the bowls, wash basin with water, knives and axe. Then we would round'em up and process them but it seemed so complicated and time consuming for only 6 birds a day!

So this year we continued practicing our moto "work smarter - not harder". We simplified things and set up our station near the chicken pen. It consisted of :

Inside the barn:
1. a hook - a piece of stiff wire bent into a crook shape to nab the leg of a suspecting bird
2. me and my hubby catching 5 birds at a time

The Station just outside the pen:
1. a 'killing cone' fastened to a post (hang the bird upside down in the cone and let it drain) and a very sharp knife with a bucket underneath to catch the heads, feet and drippings
2. 4 pieces of twine hanging on the fense (for the birds-in-waiting)
3. a metal canner filled with water heating on the barbeque (to dip the bird into, makes it easier to pluck the feathers), water tank on the trailer right beside the station ready to supply fresh water whenever needed, and a thermometer to ensure we had just the right temperature
4. a chicken plucker (acquired from a family that no longer raises meat birds - it does the job amazingly well!) and a husband who knows just how to hold a chicken to get 98% of the feathers off!
5. plastic chairs to sit on (while I plucked the last few feathers)
6. an old table with a really good knife (actually designed for dressing), a bowl for the livers and a 'guts' bucket (future cat food)
7. a wash basin filled with cold water (for the birds that have been feathered and dressed)

Inside the Guest House:
1. a sink filled with cold water (holds 4-5 birds quite nicely) to clean off any remaining feathers, a knife for scraping some of the skin, removing pin feathers and cleaning the ends of the feet/legs (I'm not as brave to cook the feet as Kim does, but my grandparents used to do it and it makes fantastic soup stock and gravies!)
2. a second sink with a wire rack sitting angled to drain the birds of any access water
3. a cutting board, sharp knife and large zip-loc freezer bags to chop the bird into pieces and bag them as desired
4. a table with brown freezer paper, packing tape dispenser and a black marker with which to wrap and label the packages - ready for the freezer!

With all that said, we processed 130 meat birds with ease this year! We found that I could handle about 15 birds a day quite well with my limited energy levels and pain tollerance. One day we did 30 and that was definitly too much but it was really great to get them done when we did. The good this is that we avoided the really cold days and we were still able to meet all of our chicken orders.

I will definitely be raising meat birds again next year (for our family as well as a few others)! I think our little farm can handle it just fine now! And now that we are raising piggies, we will be looking at a new kind of processing this coming spring! I can't wait to make Mennonite farmer sausage! hmmm, hmmm, hmmm. There's nothing like it - my mouth is watering so I'd better stop day dreaming!

Have a fantastic day, I'm off to practice my new skill - knitting!

outside: Hi -7 deg.C, Low -11 deg.C no wind (very little wind this week), overcast and lightly snowing

inside Guest House: 20.2 deg. C and a fire that must have some wet wood 'cause I just can't get it a blaz'n!

the world of LEGO

2010-11-16T08:35:00.000-06:00

For some reason every time I try to type the word Lego it does not look right. Now, I'll be the first to admit, I am a horrible speller but unless this word is in caps or big colourful block letters it just does not seem right!

This is our Matthew (Matty) and his really awesome Lego creation! It is a battle ship from Star Wars equipped with every gadget, knob and blaster necessary to keep the planet safe! We are starting to ~~homeschool~~ un-school in a couple of weeks (more on that in blog in days to come) and Lego is a MAJOR part of the curriculum! (If anyone has boxes of mixed and various Lego hanging around collecting dust, we would be more than happy to purchase it from you.) We are starting to dream in Lego blocks! We saw an announcement on a blog informing readers of the winners of the Lego Robotics Competition in the U.S. and hour hearts started to race! What a great time we would have... so don't be too surprised to find us hosting a competition in the months to come!

- I hope your day is filled with unexplainable Peace that settles all concerns of this life.

outside: Hi -1 deg. C, Low -10 deg.C with a 50% chance of flurries, SE wind at 3klm/hr
inside Guest House: 22.5 deg. C with glowing coals and golden flickers of flame

What a day...

2010-11-10T13:08:00.000-06:00

Now that I've had my little cry and a few moments to be eternally grateful for the gift of my husband and children I figureI should get to work! I facebooked this morning in shame that I sent the boys to school with dry shredded wheat cereal (my choice food today as well), regular potato chips, a couple of cardboard-like (but tasty none the less) girl guide cookies and a carrot!

I'd better get baking!

As I looked in my cupboard to take stock of what was on hand (we're learning to live with what we have instead of always consuming more...) I found a gift jar of cookie mix called "creamsicle" something or other, and a bag of pre-mixed white cake. My original plan has always been to make atleast 5 loaves of bread today and cinnamon buns - anything else and everything else was going to be icing on the cake!

So threw in a load of laundry, and mixed my bread. I'm working on trying as many recipes from the book my honey bought me for my birthday (he really does love me)... it's this book:

- insert picture here - I can't get the pic's off the camera today.

Then I mixed the cookie recipe and baked the cookies, ran lunch errands and had a nap! This was starting to be a productive day! I baked two loaves of bread and a pan of cinnamon buns just in time for the boys to come home from school. Then things went down hill - fast!!

Matt came in yelling at his brother, the brother came in and dumped everything in front of the door and turned to go outside. Then Matt started talking sharing an important picture he made me while I was trying to ask Josh to pick up his stuff - and - then - I - started - yelling!!!! Somehow I need to find some order!

It went from bad to worse. Just when Josh went outside to play and all I had to deal with was one very adjetated and ready-to-explode- Matthew, Josh came in the house insisting that he was invited to a friends birthday party and it was RIGHT NOW! Then Matt insisted he was invited too! After a long ordeal including calling the parents of this little girl, I now have a crying 6 year old because there is NO birthday party and according to his little friend, he was invited to her party!

The saga continues...

I finally got the boys settled down and we are all talking at a normal decible and they're out to play...until the door opens... more issues!

Honestly, why can't we just make popcorn and watch a movie instead of all this real life drama!!

After talking with our oldest a little longer, I find out that there is more bullying today at school. This is one of those things I honestly do not know how to deal with. One minute I want my son to just walk away from the daily incidences and the next moment I want him to wind-up and... but that's not what I really want. I want the bullying to stop. I want people to love one another with kindness not hurtful words and shoving and kicking. We need the Lord's wisdom. We need to protect our children but also need to teach them how to deal with conflict in a healthy way. I am so thankful that my boys tell me everything. (honestly, at times it is quite exhausting but at least I know what's going on in their little lives!).

So in prayer we will get on with our evening. But first a cinnimon bun for everyone! Then chicken noodle soup with fresh bread and maybe a movie snuggling on the coutch!

The next day... well, we so enjoyed our chicken noodle soup, fresh bread and cinnamon buns (hopefully I can bake more today!) and we DID enjoy the rest of our evening watching a movie but I didn't get my snuggles on the coutch! The boys are growing up I guess! I wrote an email to the principle of our school last night and this morning with hopes of finding a good direction for the children and the school...

... in the end I've concluded:
I am a HANDS ON type of person. I make pottery, I bake bread, I help my husband build straw-bale walls, I am ACTIVE in the lives of my children. - sometimes to a fault but I can live with that! I thank God for the person he is shaping me to be. :)

outside: high 0 deg. C, low -4 deg. C, with flurries forcasted, generating on average 1 KW of wind power thus far today
inside Guest House: a comfortable 22 deg. C with a gently fire a burn'n, calm and peaceful

Missing you today...

2010-11-09T09:15:00.002-06:00

Tracey Taylor-Faye

1970 - 2002

All of a sudden everything stopped when I found your picture today. I miss you deeply. My thoughts go to what might have been. And I need to stop myself from wandering 'what if?' The reality is that God is a good God. He had a plan for your life, even though it seems to have been too short. That plan involved me somehow. He wove and twisted our lives together with such grace and beauty that where your colour ended, mine began. He asked me to pick up where you left off. Often I wish we had been woven side-by-side in this tapestry...but then, nothing would be as it is today...Thank you for trusting God. Thank you for loving Kelly. Thank you for carrying Matthew for 8 months with a heart of joy and thankfulness for this little life inside of you. Thank you for being my friend.

outside: high 4 deg. C, low 1 deg C, wind NNW 16, 2.3mm precipitation
guest house: 21 degrees C and a freshly stoked fire

Sweet & Salty Kettle Corn

2010-10-12T19:05:00.000-06:00

We found a new treat in the grocers this past weekend. If everyone in our family likes something I usually try to find a way to duplicate it, either buy it or make it. I much prefer to make it if I can. So tonight I made Sweet & Salty Kettle Corn in our brand-new-to-us popcorn kettle (given to us by a good friend). Personally, I think it was FABULOUS! Of course, the boys said they liked it, and then a few minutes later our youngest said something was missing! They can be so fickle! So give it a try and let me know what YOU think!

Sweet & Salty Kettle Corn

1/2 c. popping corn
2 T. canola oil
3 T. sugar
salt to taste

Heat oil in a large popcorn kettle or heavy saucepan. Pour in the popcorn and sprinkle the sugar and some salt on top. Stir and cover. When things start to heat up, stir or shake continiously to avoid burning until the popcorn is all popped. As soon as you hear the corn not popping any longer, take it off the heat and immediately pour into a large serving bowl. Add more salt to taste and enjoy!

Makes 8-10 cups

outside: 7 deg F, Hi 14, Low 5
guest house: 24.6 deg F (with gentle fires burning throught the evening)

thankful...

2010-10-11T20:08:00.002-06:00

It's been on my mind to send you all a cute Thanksgiving message. It really is not like me to be so cliche but for some reason, as I hung my laundry this afternoon, I thought of you.

So since the children are in bed now, I thought I'd find a cute little something to tag onto my blog.

My first place to look was Hoops and Yoyo.

and then I found it.

It was my first introduction to Hoops and Yoyo.

It's kinda like the first time I read Calvin & Hobbs. It's strange how something strikes a cord in you - you like it, it sticks with you and somehow it's humorously truthful.

So here it is.

My Thanksgiving note to you!

Happy Thanksgiving!

outside: 4 deg. partly cloudy, Hi 14, Lo 4

guest house: 18.5 deg. comfortable

How are you? Really?

2010-10-04T21:07:00.003-06:00

If you've been following my blog for a while, you may remember why I began my blog. It was because of the courage and faith that my Auntie Susan exemplified as she battled breast cancer. I felt compelled to make a daily effort to be thankful for each breath I've been given and to find joy in each struggle or challenge that we face. (you can read my first blog here.) Well, this weekend, we were privileged to celebrate my Uncle Abe's (my late Auntie husband) wedding day with his new bride. It was great! They were like two young kids in their 60's (I'm guessing), nervous and excited to begin their journey together. But I digress. As I sat down at a table across from relatives, one of my Aunties asked me how I'm doing. "Good" I replied, "Good". She looked at me again and then said, "Really??" and challenged my response as if to say she could see right through me. "Well," I said, "Not good in body but good in every other way!" She nodded her head and we talked about something else. I am always astonished when people can see right through me or maybe frustrated would be a better word. I wear my heart and emotions on my sleeve (it a default in my programming!), but I had hoped that my poker face was getting better. Apparently not!

So, how am I? I've seen better weeks, that's for sure! I fell last week, causing more of the adhesions in my abdomen and hips to tear, leaving me with more pain. I've had to double up my already 'healthy' dose of pain medication making mobility more difficult and driving is not safe. Our entire family has been fighting colds for a couple of weeks now (oh, ya, first month of school). And mine has turned into a bugger of a throat infection. We continue to struggle to find solutions to help our 9 year old son find security and peace in each day (he is in the Autistic Spectrum and we're waiting for an assessment).

In the midst of it all, He is our strength. I cried out today as I struggled with my pain, "I need help today Lord." And He was there. My boys had a really great day playing together and later in the afternoon a friend called to see if they could come over to play. I slept the enire day! I'm a bit better. Here's hope for tomorrow. Thank God for answered prayers.

In the meantime, I'll keep praying, taking my antibiotics, drink lots of liquids and rest as much as I can!

So, how are you doing? Really!

P.S. Oh, and Chelsea, I really love checking your blog and listening to your music selections. Thanks for adding it to your blog! I'll have to figure out how to add that sort of thing here somehow. FYI, Chelsea is one of my followers, you can click on her pic and find her blog from there.

outside: cloudy, high 13 deg, low 5
guest house: 19.2 deg - time to start a fire

canning over already? sniff sniff

2010-09-28T09:01:00.000-06:00

I spent the past two weeks running my feet off - with joy! I was canning and no one was going to stop me! With building like crazy these past 3 years I have not done very much canning. Instead we chose to eat whatever we had stored and one day, some day I would resume my canning traditions. This year we were fortunate to be able to plant a small garden. With time restraints we chose to focus on planting mostly root cellar vegetables with a few tomatoes and beans for fresh eating. I didn't have much to choose from the garden to preserve. Off to local growers, friends back yard apple trees, cucumber and tomato plants, and a few cases of fruit from the grocer. I must say, if it weren't for the abundance of friends gardens, I would have done very little canning this year. I hope that next year we can produce more food than we need so that we can pass-it-on. (That's the plan anyways.)

I've been keeping tabs on things in notebooks and journals of our chicken production and I plan to keep tabs on the rest of the farm as well. Then I realized (with Crystal's help) that my blog is an excellent way to keep tabs on things - an on-line journal as such. So for my own information, here's my canning records for September 2010:

7 pints        - Zucchini Relish
6 pints       - Sweet Pickles
5 quarts     - Dill Pickles
4 1/2 pints - Old Fashioned Hamburger Relish
12 pints      - 9-Day Pickles
11 pints      - Bread & Butter Pickles
12 quarts    - Pear Preserves
4 quarts      - Pear sauce
18 pints      - Crabapple Jelly
20              - Apple Turnovers
4                - Apple Pies
9 quarts, 5 pints - Cherry Preserves
3                - Cherry Pies
16 pints      - Plum & Ginger Jam
5 quarts      - Plum Preserves
3 quarts      - Frozen Plums
2 quarts    - Red Tomatoes, halved
4 quarts    - Stewed Green Tomatoes
50 cobs    - Frozen Corn

Abundant blessings in store!

outside: 17deg C, High 25d/Low 11d
guest house: 19.6 deg C at 9:00 am (no fires burning)

coming of age and turning grey...

2010-09-27T12:09:00.001-06:00

I celebrated my 40th birthday nearly a month ago. I have to admit I was quite excited to be turning 40 and even more excited to find a few more grey hair! Yes, that's right GREY hair! No I don't pluck them out and I don't dress them in a different color! My husband asked me why I like grey hair so much and it got me thinking.

It's the way I am. I really like who I am (don't get me wrong, I don't like my impatience, my selfishness, ...I could go on.) When I was a teenager I really was never satisfied with who I was. That carried on into my 20's and by 25 I started to like me but I still struggled to feel like I belonged or was valued. Then my 30's came along and things started to change. I started to live out the person I was inside, not the person I thought everyone wanted to see. I started to explore the creative arts, music, dance and pottery. I liked me. I fell in love with the man in my dreams (literally) and I became a mom twice over. We've been married 8 years now and I love our life together.

I used to think that beauty was the smoothness of your skin, the cut of your hair and the clothes you dressed in. This belief brought me much anguish and trouble as a young woman. I now see beauty as an overflow of the character and spirit within. It eminates or radiates from a person's core being and shines through in the way they live and interact with those around them.

I have known some women who have shown me what true beauty is. They embraced life while living with pain and illness. It destroyed their bodies while they fought to live. What once was described as beautiful was now skin and bone, aged far beyond their years. Their joy to live and celebrate EVERY BREATH challenged everyone to look at them for who they were, not what they looked like. It has been described to me that our bodies are like a tent. The outer covering is only temporary but it is the inside, the character, the faith, the Love, the Person that remains. Something inside me has changed. Their journey, and mine, is shaping who I am becoming. I am forever grateful.

As I approached my 40th with these thoughts in mind, I decided to get a grey streak to celebrate! I made my appointment at the hairdressers. She informed me that grey is a very difficult colour to achieve. "How difficult could it be" I thought. The first week I had a bronze/strangely gold streak. NOT what I had anticipated. Week two it was a bright bluish purple! Week three is was less purple, more metallic blue with about 4 inches of beautiful silvery grey at the bottom. Week four, the blue has settled out and it's looking beautifully grey! I'm very pleased. (I've seen some older ladies with bluish grey hair or pinkish grey hair. Now I know what they are going through to get a nice even silvery grey colour! whew, what a lot of work! It's a good thing I only dabble in hair colour every 15 years or so!)

And so, as I continue to celebrate my 40th year I am thankful to be alive! Thankful for each day I share this life with my husband, children, family and friends. Grateful for each opportunity to learn new things and grow in character. I hope that I would be blessed with wisdom in each coming year, a calm, peaceful grace that overflows and a deep love and trust in the Lord my God.

outdoors: 15deg C
strawbale guest house: 22.1deg C (with no fires burning)

a farming we will go...

2010-09-23T11:46:00.001-06:00

Over the last 6 months or so we've called our home in the country 'the acreage' and some have even called it 'the farm'. Since moving in full time in June, our family has settled in and we feel as though our feet are planted firmly on the ground. This is where we belong. We are settled. We are committed. We are grateful.

Getting the boys off to school has been a really great. I feel as though I am being spoiled. I get to stay in my pajamas and housecoat while I make school lunches and get the boys out to the road to catch the bus. Once they're gone, I can make myself a cup of coffee and watch them at the window until the flashing lights of the bus disappear from sight. The peacefulness of the new day is welcomed by all.

After a light bite I'm dressed and ready for chores and a full day of activity. The affectionate label of 'farm' was really more of a suggestion or a word spoken in hopes of what our little plot of land might someday be. To our delight, the progression from acreage to farm has begun. We've taken another step towards raising more of our own food and acquiring more animals.

Last Saturday we packed up the boys and hit the road. The next stop was a cozy little farm in South West Saskatchewan.

Now how do we get 5 of those babies out of the pen and into a crate on the trailer?

We learned first hand, you chase, and run, and corner them.

And they get away, so you chase, run and corner them some more.

Until you grab one! These little piglets were definitely fiesty little gals! Our two boys wanted to help pick piglets but it was a bit too dangerous with all those mama pigs around. Matthew had his chance to help later once we were home. Now to pack up one more animal and we're on our way home.

Here's the little piggies in their new home. They seemed to think that our fences were just a suggestion to stay home on the first night. We spent our Sunday morning chasing pigs through the field with help from some of our friends. We had 10 people (adults and children) rounding them up but we eventually got them back home! What once was our chicken coop, then became our brooder house is now our pig pen! (Do what ya gotta do to get the job done! Creativity at it's finest I think!)

They are quite skittish around us still but they are getting used to feeding time. It's neat, when they hear me coming to fill their pail with lunch they get so excited! Definitely cute piggies! We have not named them yet. We try not to name the food we plan on eating some day. It helps not to get too attached. It would be strange to be able to name the bacon on my breakfast plate, don't you think?

We brought home one more animal. I've only taken one picture of her so far because I don't want to startle her. Her name is Spirit.

She is gentle, calm and absolutely perfect for our family. She is a Welsh Pony of about 10-12 years we think. She is getting used to Kelly and I being around her and as she learns to trust us, we'll have the boys around her more often as well. She rides well and is quite used to both children and adults so we have hopes of teaching the boys to ride next summer.

I'm sure the new additions to our farm will bring many hours of fun and excitement. With that said, I think we've now earned the official 'farm' status. Have I mentioned that I love living on the farm? I'm definitly enjoying the transition from city chick to farm girl.

Thank God It's Monday!!

2010-09-13T11:56:00.001-06:00

Well, I've spent the past 4 days working like mad and feeling like I'm getting nothing accomplished!

As of Thursday I had crabapple juice/syrup fermenting on the counter, cucumbers getting soft in the box and a few jars in the fridge waiting to can, corn litterally molding in the box and tomatoes ripening faster than we can eat them. I had a ton of work to do and what seemed like plenty of time to do it.

Kelly had planned on either stuccoing outside or working indoors (depending on the weather). I had canning and preserving to tackle. I figured all should go well. It either rained or was too windy to stucco so that meant that Kelly was working inside. Sounds fine. I would stay in the kitchen and he could work on stuff in the house. There was definitely no shortage of work for the both of us. The kidlets are off to school so the day begins.

To make a really long story much shorter...There were many inturruptions. I either ran out of supplies or was missing something and had to beg, borrow or buy more. The time it took to feed everyone and clean it up was a pain in the neck! Hanging insulation, sanding drywall, and building inside is very messy when trying to keep a kitchen clean for canning. A pet tiger salamander whos lunch sometimes escapes from the tank (in the kitchen) makes for a challenging day! Needless to say there were times I felt rather stressed.

In the end we did a ton of work. Did I finish my canning? No. But I enjoyed two lunch dates with my sweetie, a Star Wars movie with my boys, Kelly was able to get a lot of work done inside the house (no more tools in my livingroom!) and I got a good start on my canning and preserving.

Things don't always work out the way we planned. But experience reminds me that it's not only the destination but also the journey that matters!

And I thank God it's Monday. I'm home alone and getting a heap of work accomplished!

"Pretty Boy" (Fabio)

2010-09-08T19:48:00.000-06:00

We have 72 roos! (At least that's as many as I can count!) 70 of them will be heading to various freezers in the next month or so and two will stay. One is a bantom Silky named 'Clive' (rather odd, strange little fellow that we simply adore!) and then there's 'Pretty Boy'! He struts his stuff around the yard letting everyone know how great he is. It's amazing how he can keep his rank among so many (much younger) roos. But he does it somehow. Either way, he's a great rooster and we're glad to have him around.

I must say though, that I will be glad for the winter months when we just tend to our Hennie Pennies and a few roosters. Right now feeding time is quite literally a feeding frenzy and I can't seem to walk anywhere without stepping on some toes! New seasons are so refreshing.

Grilled Zucchini

2010-09-07T21:03:00.000-06:00

I've heard it more than once that if zucchini is in season you'd better not forget to lock your car doors or someone will fill your front seat with gifts of increadible amounts of zucchini! It's one of those vegetables that when it grows, there is more than enough for everyone and once again I am one of the odd-ducks that love zucchini!

Growing up I don't recall having any particular opinion of this green thing we call a vegetable. It was usually grated and frozen to be secretly hidden inside future chocolate cakes. (Which, I might add, is a reasonable use for this flavourless green log). It wasn't until I realized that if you sliced and grilled it in butter and garlic that things really came alive.

I called a friend of mine today. She had been given an arm full of zucchini and offered some to me. Without hesitation I accepted the offer. I was certain that I could do something other than chocolate cake! It sat on my counter for the afternoon (while I continued to work on the box of crab apples sitting in the middle of my kitchen!). When the apples gave me a break I did some research.

I recalled that Barbara Kingsolver mentioned in her book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle that they made pizza in the middle of winter with grilled peppers, tomatoes and zucchini from that year's garden harvest. I confirmed that you can grill zucchini and then freeze it for use in sauces, pizza's and soups. Check out her recipes here.

I threw a few ingredients together in a bowl. Oil, fresh garlic, oregano, basil, salt, pepper. (Anything, really, might do, depending on your tastes.) I sliced the zucchini in various ways to see what would work best; circles (with seeds scooped out) and thick and thin sticks (with seeds scooped out). I conclude that the circles worked best for even grilling, and I thing they look the best too!

Once they were all grilled I quickly set aside some for my evening meal and set the rest on plates (cookie sheets would work well if available) headed for the freezer. Tomorrow I will pop them into bags and they'll be ready for winter pizza! I can't wait!

Maybe next year we can grill some peppers and tomatoes too!

Plum and Ginger Jam

2010-09-06T14:45:00.000-06:00

I admit it! I am a different breed! I love canning and preserving food every fall with hopes of filling the cold room shelves for winter. My kitchen floor is wall to wall - jars, sugar, spices, salt, fruit and vegetables waiting to be cooked, grilled, frozen or canned! Why go to all that trouble you ask?

My husband and I considered the actual cost of making a dozen jars of jam. I purchased the plums for $25.00 or so; used 4 cups of sugar so let's say $1.00 of sugar, 2 packages of pectin for $2.00; not to mention my time and labour and the cost of the jars (I recycle most of my jars so there is really little cost). All in all, we figured that it must have been close to $30 to make two dozen jars of plum and ginger jam!

So why do we do it?
1. Because it tastes better than anything on the grocery store shelves.
2. Because we know exactly what we are eating (no list of ingredients we cannot pronounce.)
3. Because we are healthier for it.
4. And we love doing it!
So here it is! Our sons gave it two thumbs up! Josh calls it my Fantastic Plum Jam! If you'd like to site the recipe I found it here at http://www.thekitchn.com/. I adjusted the recipe. It's absolutely worth trying!

Plum and Ginger Jam

makes about 6 pint sized jars

2-3 dozen red plums (NOT prune plums)
1 teaspoon grated, fresh ginger (I used dried, powedered ginger and it worked just fine but if you have fresh, definitely use it!)

2 cups white sugar

1 lemon, juiced

1 box of fruit pectin (follow instructions in the box)

Cut the plums away from their pits and into chunks. Add fruit and the rest of the ingredients to a large sauce pan.

Heat the mixture over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil. Continue to boil, stirring constantly, mashing the fruit into small pieces as it softens and cooks. (I didn't have to mash mine since I cooked it a second time in attempt to thicken it a bit more.)

Once desired thickness is achieved (when it drops off the spoon in thick globs - I also tested it in the freezer by placing a glob of jam on a frozen plate and ran my finger through the jam. When the jam separates and isn't not runny - it's good to go.)

Remove from heat, cool, and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. OR

Remove from heat and place in sterilized jars. Water process the jars for 5 minutes. OR

If you are in our family; get out the loaf of bread and give everyone a taste! - enjoy!

summer smatterings...

2010-08-31T10:15:00.001-06:00

So, here are the summer's happenings in no particular order! My pics are all mixed up and so was the summer for that matter!

Firstly, I guess I should mention that we moved from the city to the farm/acreage this spring. As soon as school was out (actually a few days before school ended) we were 'home' for good! The next few weeks we were here and there for family gatherings but as far as we were concerned we now lived on the farm. The transition was welcomed by all four of us (and our cat and kittens) with excitement and joy. Unfortunately, the stresses of leaving friends and familiarity made the transition harder than we expected. As a result, the boys and I have pretty much parked ourselves at the farm so as to develop a strong sense of stability for our eldest son.

Speaking of whom, celebrated his 9th birthday this summer! Here's a picture of Matty with his ' look up for a picture and no silly stuff!' look! We have a small refrigerator (I mean really small!) and no oven to date so birthdays are always Daddy's specialty! He shops for the cake or cupcakes (that do not need refrigeration) and all the fun that goes along with Matty's birthday! The Star Wars cake was fantastic and everyone had something to play with after they tasted the icing! Thank you to everyone who shared in Matty's special day.

It didn't take long for us to realize that we couldn't wait any longer. The wind tower had to be re-built and we HAD to get our power up and running again. Filling the generator with gas every couple of days while trying to build was killing us financially! So Kelly went to work bringing the images, design and dimentions that he had been creating to reality.

With grateful hearts our tower and turbine was built and irrected with no incidences or mishaps! There is a story/myth that we've heard that the day you set up a wind turbine there will be no wind. That's exactly what happened. We waited until the next day to watch it spin and boy did we have wind! We still look out the front window and gaze in awe at this quiet power machine!

I think it was right around then that we experienced a mid-day shower with marble sized hail! It sliced holes right through the onion greens, yet hardly touched my tomato plants! The boys were excited about having Christmas in July - literally!

We ordered 160 baby chicks at the beginning of June. Most as meat birds and I had hopes that the few females in the bunch might be good layers in the next year. Unfortunately with frequent rain, cool weather and thunder & lightning storms we lost 90 baby birds! Oh, and a few went to the neighbourhood skunks that we later trapped! So, once again, we planted our feet and weathered the storm. I ordered another 46 birds at the beginning of August. We have had to run a heat lamp most of the month to keep them warm enough but so far so good!

Ironicly, after two failed attempts to raise baby chicks ourselves, two (or mabye three) of our laying hens have decided to brood! There must be at least 30 eggs between the three of them all bundled up in one corner of the barn! Isn't it ironic! Mother Nature knows best - we just have to keep our noses out of her business don't you think?!

Ok, let's see what's next...

This is a picture of my kitchen to date... on the very left (half cut off of the picture) is where the water heater and water pump sit. Next is our propane furnace (hopefully hooked up soon), my stove, my concrete counter top (built by my wonderful husband.) It is really nice to have some order once again!
See his blog for details... http://www.riverstonestudios.blogspot.com/

We covered the old garage door with straw bales and inserted a patio door on the south side of the house/guest house. It is so great! We've already begun to stucco the front (south) side to close it in for winter.

Dropping off the HUGE propane tank in what is basicly my front yard! "I have plans", I told the delivery man, "plans to cover this beautiful white tank with bushes and trees!" "Every woman tells me that" was his reply! Somehow I believe him!

Our cedar chicken coop is now lined with bubble-foil-bubble for insulative purposes. It looks like a big silver kettle inside! We've re-named it our brooder house - this is where the baby chicks dwell. Then to the left is our straw bale barn. It presently houses our 70 meat birds, 16 laying hens and 2 roosters (and a bit of extra storage space for the winter).

This is Pretty Boy! (or Fabio if you prefer!) He is a laced wynedette roo with attitude! He literally walks around strutting his stuff and saying "Look at me, I'm so P-R-E-T-T-Y!" Our other rooster is a bantom silky and I've lovingly named him Clive. His is kind of awkward, kind of motherly, kind of odd. He's so cute! (I'll have to take a picture of him next).

Here's my boys! Matthew on the left and Joshuah on the right! Oh so sweet.

The first day of taking the bus to school! The first day of school in a small town. Monumental to say the least! This is the pile of rocks at the front of our drive way (someday to become a water feature). The skeleton of our future house is directly behind Josh, and behind that is our house/future guest house. Behind Matty flies our wind turbine.

Here I am - the first day alone, without my boys!! - I've actually had a chance to drink my coffee before they left (un-heard-of) and I'm wait'n for the bus to arrive! Josh took a picture of me. He's getting pretty good at photography!

Kelly and I working together once again! I love Him so much! I love working together to build our home. Who do you think works the hardest, me or him? (You can tell by who's covered in cement and lime!) Kelly was spraying stucco on the house (and himself apparently) and I was filling the sprayer and sifting lime.

Other than that, the boys signed up for the library summer reading program and really loved it! They both won prizes and read a zillion books. They also took swimming lessons at the Regional Park (located basicly at the bottom of our land - a 2 minute drive). Swimming lessons has given them both greater confidence in water and a sense of independance. I spent my summer settling into our home, establishing a sense of routine and stability for our eldest son, tending to the garden, kittens and chickens and helping Kelly with whatever I could to continue closing our house in for winter. Kelly has been the jack-of-all-trades this summer. He has been stretched to work quite a few full weeks of work, run errands every evening in the city to prepare for building, minding the rental house in the city, building non-stop on every day off, working at building Riverstone Studios - Photography by connecting with potential clients and booking photo sets and then trying to make sure he spends quality time with the boys and I.

Now that the weather is getting cooler it is necessary that we keep at it and get closed in for winter. At times it seems like there is still so much to do yet and so little time. We just need to remember that there is a bigger piture than only what we see. We are to do our part and work hard and as we trust in God's timing for everything we will live in His peace and prosperity.

I'm thinking of blogging again!

2010-08-16T22:18:00.001-06:00

I'm thinking about blogging again! It must be a sign that things are settling down in our household (whew).

We have spent the summer settling in (as best as one can do while living with power tools in your kitchen/ livingroom/ bedroom/ bathroom/ garage/ back yard/ front yard!), building (like mad it seems), gardening (a bit) and caring for the (intense) needs of our boys this summer. And what a summer it has been!

Then I remembered that school starts in 9 days! I have not told the boys yet! Hopefully a calm week and a tour of the school will help them make a worry free transition into a new school in a new town!

So, after all that, I hope that in a little over a week I will have time, energy, photos and blessings to journal!

I must say that I have been so grateful to be able to leave the computer turned off, leave the telephone and the city and just BE with my boys. Living on the land, breathing the air, caring for our chickens, hanging laundry on the line and watching my tomatoes (and my sons) grow. I can imagine being no place else!

More to come...

We are home!

2010-06-30T20:41:00.000-06:00

Well, we made it through the last weeks of school - just barely! Our oldest found the transition very difficult with a teacher regularily absent due to health issues, constantly changing school and home schedules and the frustrating anticipation of the 'unknown' every day. In his struggle to find stability in a very changing world, our sweet boy was not so sweet any longer to say the least. It has been heart wrenching to struggle with him these past two months but I think it is finally over. Our family celebrated the last day of school three days before the official end date and spent a few extra days at the farm. It was the best choice ever! The boys said a joyful good-bye to their friends in the city and headed 'HOME'.

The beginning of summer always starts out with making sun tea! A jar of water, one tea bag and 1/4 cup of sugar (or less) quenches even the thirstiest thirst!

Next we mow down the alphalfa and timothy grasses around the play center so that they boys can actually play! It was three feet high I'm sure! Next comes the whipper snipper!

A sure sign that spring is well on it's way is the returning of the barn swallows. They love our ~~garage~~ guest house and never let us forget that their babies are near!

This might look like two posts in the ground to YOU but to me it's WE ARE HERE FOR GOOD! This is my permanent laundry line! For the last three years we have always had a temporary set up but now we're building to stay put.

We are gathering stock for the winter! Yes, I know it is only the beginning of July but cold weather comes hard and fast here in the Saskatchewan prairies and we need all the prep time we can get! It's a beautiful sight.

The power system. With our turbine down we are using a generator to produce power to store in our battery bank. It is now my turn to learn how to run this baby! To date I can turn it on, watch for low battery signs, run the generator and shut is down! Whew... that's really good for a non-mechanicly inclined wife!

This is the beginnings of our barn. Kelly has worked very hard in the pouring rain to get this far. Now the straw bales are too wet to move from the pile so we wait for the sunshine. As soon as he can pick up a bale without breaking the twine we'll have the walls up. Until then, 100 + birds huddle together in the coop (just in the background).

Our neighbour needed to pound some posts Saturday morning. By the end of the day we had shared the rental of an amazing post pounder, pounded more posts around our land and set up another pasture for future livestock! Another job finished and it feels great!

Home. There really is no place like it. We have been travelling back and forth between two homes for the past 3 1/2 years. Although both places felt like home we always felt disconnected from friends, family and community as we put every effort into building.

Something is beginning to settle in us all.

Our home still needs a permanent kitchen, two bedrooms, wood flooring, walls, paint, fixtures, windows ... (I could go on and on..) but that does not seem to matter to any of us.

We are home.

just keep swimming...

2010-06-17T11:01:00.000-06:00

You might ask why I have not updated my posts recently. I have purposely left the 'love is...' post up because I have needed to read and re-read it to stay sane! Life has been quite stressful around our home for quite a while as our oldest is having many struggles adjusting to the many changes in life. My focus has been on taking care of his emotional and physical needs, while trying to keep things 'normal'. As well, it has been raining so much lately that it seems like we are really getting very little done at the farm.

And so, we just keep swimming... (the video is for Cindy! :)

Love is...

2010-06-04T22:18:00.004-06:00

love is patient...

to remain composed, stay calm

to undergo pain, trials without murmuring; long-suffering

to have quality of enduring, to physically suffer or bear

love is kind...

goodness,

gentleness,

a kind heart,

a kind act.

we have a dream...

2010-06-03T13:52:00.005-06:00

(this photo was taken four years ago when we purchased the land)
Well, here it comes again. I need to plan a menu for the weekend. I seem to do better some days when I look in the cupboard and just throw something together. Those days are long gone! The cuboard contains a scattering of different items that really do not go together, the pantry tells the same story. Shopping trips are usually directed by the "must have" list rather than the "want" list.

We dream of a sustainable lifestyle. Harvesting vegetables from our garden and possibly wheat from the field. We dream of chickens, cabrito (goat), pork and possibly moose in our freezer! We dream of preserves and canning sitting all lined up on the shelves in the pantry. Drinking cold milk from our own animals and making cheese with the excess. We dream of a healthy lifestyle, eating foods in season, working together with nature to raise and grow the food that sustains us.

It seems so far away some days. A farm cannot be built in a day. And yet all it takes is one day at a time and faith in a vision bigger than we can see.

I often need to talk myself through these things. One step at a time means literally that! My step today is not to look too far into what I hope to be our future, but rather...(the phone is rings!)

My husband just called asking if we would be interested in trading chickens for a calf!!! I asked him to explain (I am not sure if I should believe what I'm hearing!) A fellow Kelly works with (or his brother) has too many calves and might be interested in trading a calf for chickens! -- I am speechless! "I'd trade in a moment!" I responded.

One step at a time! It might be our dream but the One who has planted this dream in our hearts is the Dream Maker! -- I am speechless!

So as I dream (a dream that really WILL come true) I will plan the menu:

Thursday:
Breakfast: homemade granola
Lunch: chicken & strawberry salad
Supper: homemade chicken noodle soup & bread

Friday:
Breakfast: toast
Lunch: ? tba ?
Supper: chicken salad sandwiches & vegetables (on the way to the farm)

Saturday:
Breakfast: hot cereal
Lunch: egg salad sandwiches & apple slices
Supper: pasta & sauce

Sunday:
Breakfast: eggs & toast
Lunch: leftovers
Supper: celebrate Papa's birthday in the city

day-old chicks

2010-05-31T08:28:00.001-06:00

Well, incubating didn't turn out the first time (we'll try again as soon as we've moved) so we've purchased 150 day-old chicks from the local hatchery - and 5 turkeys! We're bringing up the first 100 now and the other 50 will be picked up in a couple of weeks. This gives us time to build another coop and get things settled at the farm. We have had a lot of heavy rains and wind this past month which has made it nearly impossible to get any outdoor work done. A typical month of May in Craik!

We have had many people ask us if we can raise meat birds for them this year and so we've started what might develop some day into a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) venture! We are excited about providing healthy, medication and chemical free meat to families we know. What a blessing it is. We are excited about this new adventure on the farm.

Joshuah Aidan

2010-05-28T12:20:00.002-06:00

We love ALL of who you are Joshuah Aidan!

Happy 6th Birthday!

purposeful work and blessings too

2010-05-14T23:29:00.001-06:00

Kelly continues to work on plumbing and electricals. It is slow going but we keep reminding ourselves that even though all this stuff gets burried in the walls and floor after which no one gives them a second thought, they are integral parts of a warm, Saskatchewan winter home! Running water, hot water on demand, flushing toilets - for these things I am grateful.

One sheet of plywood at a time, Kelly continues to build our floor. We are building a sub-floor over the existing concrete floor with heat vents that will run from a propane furnace. We hope to take advantage of the propane heat during cold winter months to keep our water systems from freezing when we are away from home. Our main source of heat will be from the wood stove in this same photograph.

We also transplanted 160 sapplings from the larger garden area. They have a new home in a smaller, more managable nursery garden for now. The plot of land we chose held our bale stack for the past two years and as a result, most of the vegitation has been killed off. That leaves fertile, barren soil ready for tilling and planting! Sounds like a good option to me! We were very encouraged to see many new shoots - the hopes of a forrest for future generations.

We are starting a really great tradition. I get to spend Mother's Day weekend with the three loves of my life, on our farm, BUILDING FENCES! The above picture was taken last year, same time, same place. We were frustrated with people driving over our young trees without any thought to where the driveway might be so we started fencing. I was thrilled - honestly!

This year was no exception! The need for an enclosed pasture presented itself to be immediate when the chickens found our neighbor's garden patch! This year we rented a post-hole-pounder and it was SWEEET! Kelly finished the posts for the pasture and we promptly went to finish off the posts for the front fence that we had started last spring. All in good time and it saved Kelly's back! I like this tradition.

Isn't it beautiful!

Happy belated Mother's Day to all you mothers, sisters, wives and care givers.

Tomato Starters for sale this Saturday!

2010-05-12T13:56:00.003-06:00

Heritage tomato starters for a dollar! The one pictured above is the Andrew Rahar's Jumbo Red Tomato - healthy plants producing heavy yields of deep red beefsteak that average 1 lb. Great slicer that is very dense and meaty with exceptional taste and aroma. Excellent main crop. I have another heritage tomato as well.

Come for a cup of coffee and a visit and pick up some tomatoes while you're here!

Saturday, May 15 all day
at 362 Lloyd Crescent, Saskatoon

2010-05-06T09:37:00.002-06:00

I love watching seeds push up from the soft soil and begin to grow! Our tomatoes are well on their way, the marygolds have just begun to sprout and I've just planted half a dozen spagetti squash. I am using a great amount of restraint so as not to over plant. I can always add more to the garden if I have space. I need to learn to start small and grow the garden as I have energy!

A few new geranium starters to sit in the windowsil until the weather warms up. Orange, red and pink! I love it! My focus this year is definitely on vegetables but I just needed a bit of 'pretty' to plant in between the rows.

We've been reading Farmer Boy on and off for quite a while now. The boys never seem to grow tired of it and I love it too. I need to build a consistant time before bed to read to them, rub backs and pray over them. When we spend this time together it is so sweet. I'm packing the book to bring to the acreage with hopes of developing a consistant habit!

Have a great weekend.

snapshot

2010-05-05T12:47:00.000-06:00

quiet moments in the back yard with a cup of hot coffee (the snow that fell overnight has nearly melted now :)

chip issues...

2010-04-30T12:47:00.006-06:00

I'm itching to post today but the computer ate my photo card chip!

I joyfully zipped around the yard and house last night after the boys were in bed with attempts to blog my week. A bit zealously I snapped my cell phone card into the computer and it was gone! I dropped my chip into a slot meant for our camera chip card!

The boys and I are off to join Kelly at the acreage for the weekend so I guess my update will have to wait!

Here's a quick summary:

- it's raining nearly every day - all day (I love it!)
- creative play is the best thing since sliced bread! We are soooo reaping the benefits of putting away the computer games until next winter!

- my oldest persistantly asked to bake cookies last night from a recipe he copied from school
- there were no melt-downs, no tears and everyone worked together and had lots of fun! (This makes up for so many other moments in our week ;)
- I found out the next day that he 'adjusted' the recipe! That explains how little flour there was and how much sugar and chocolate chips! "Mommy, my cookies are even better than yours!" was his exclamation.

- I'm hoping to candle our chick eggs tomorrow (day 6). This will give us a chance to see if we've totally messed up and start again! I'm hopeful for at least a few growing chicks! If not, we'll start again. Our 17 girls gave us 69 eggs last week! There is no shortage of opportunities. (I'll keep you all posted - I am SO enjoying this!)
- this is a photo I found here - this is exactly what our eggs are looking like! That is the little chick inside!

- a snapshot of my favorite place in our back yard.
- be sure to take advantage of every opportunity to celebrate life to the fullest, love more deeply and laugh often my friends.

Egg Incubator

2010-04-27T11:22:00.004-06:00

We have all grown so fond of our Henny Pennies and Roos! The boys enjoy spending time catching, naming and petting their little hens and bringing them treats of scraps throughout the day. It really is amazing to see how our feathered friends have brought us all more aware of the quality of food we eat. Without words we are somehow amazed by the miracle of life every time we collect our eggs.

So, naturally as we started to talk about raising as meat birds again this year. We started to look at the options. My first instinct was to build an incubator and try to hatch our own. Our Henny Pennies are not really broody yet but hopefully we may get a few right from the nest. Then the issue was "How do we transport them every week to the acreage and back to the city without changing the temperature of the incubator?" So we looked at purchasing day-old chicks again. We started considering the cost. Why pay someone else when we have roosters, hens and eggs! So we and came back to the incubator issue. It didn't take long until we learned that you can travel with the incubator for 40 minutes to an hour without any trouble. So we put ourselves to work.

Here is what we used to build our egg incubator:

- foam cooler from Canadian Tire (No CFC's) cost $10.99
- 25 Watt incandescant light bulb
- lamp kit cost $14.29
- tray for eggs to rest on, re-purposed a hanging shelf from my laundry room
- tray to hold water, re-cycled plastic container from purchased strawberries
- clean new sponge, found in the laundry room
- thermostat/humidity index, found one at the acreage
- plexiglass window, provided by my husband
- AC/DC power inverter, to plug the incubator into the truck as we travel, found at the acreage
- we added a dimmer stitch to the system so that we could 'tweek' the temperatures a bit better (this is our substitution for a thermostat!)

Here is a picture showing the inside of the incubator. The hanging shelf fit perfectly!

I'm not sure why my pictures are being downloaded sideways suddenly? I can't figure out what happened!

This is our viewpoint as we watch the little eggs.

I love working with my husband on projects. He taught me how to wire a lamp light kit and then he cut the windows out of the foam and installed a piece of plexiglass. I would have probably used duct tape and made a horrible mess of things! I love the way he brings creativity to everything we do. Thank you Kell.

We are now on Day #2 (19 days to go!) and I am journaling all the details from temperature and humidity to visual observations. I'll be sure to post any further developments - hopefully baby chicks!

Here is a list of some of the links we used:

Urban Sustainability: Buiding an Incubator Part II - http://suburbansustainability.wordpress.com/tag/incubator/

The Easy Chicken for beginners: Incubating Your Eggs - http://shilala.com/incubating.html

University of Missouri Small Flock Series - Incubation of Poultry - http://extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPub.aspx?P=G8353

My Pet Chicken - http://www.mypetchicken.com/default.aspx

April - Fight or Flight!

2010-04-26T17:38:00.001-06:00

Well, it has been a couple of weeks since I've blogged. Our family has taken some down time while we try to figure out what comes next. The past month has taken a toll on all of us. Our youngest spent much of last week at home with tummy aches, our oldest continued school but struggled greatly with any upset in the routine - wait a minute - 'melt down' is the best way I could describe his struggle. And the two of us - well, we had our fair share of meltdowns but sought Peace and rest whenever possible.

It's been so good, yet so hard. One moment we are exhausted and discouraged and then the next something arises inside and we aren't finished fighting for our dreams yet!

Here are some of the things we have been doing - and more of where we're at:

Craik hosted the FAME - "Farm Art Midlakes Exhibition" this year. Kelly and I were pleased to work together with some awesome people to bring it all together. Artists were invited from the Midlakes Region of Saskatchewan to share and sell their art work.

Kelly was our personal minstrel for the day! Everyone enjoyed visiting, listening to music and enjoying the atmosphere of the Fame Art Sale. It was a really good opportunity to meet new people in our community and visit with some of the friends we've made thus far. We felt refreshed and encouraged.

Last week Kelly framed in and leveled a portion of our floor. We are building a raised floor off of the concrete so we can force heat throughout during the winter months. Everything we do is - bit-by-bit or one-piece-at-a-time. We live in a very small space shared with power tools, building supplies, a wind power system, stored pottery supplies, beds...etc. Every step forward seems monumental.

This may seem trivial for some but this tank is as important to us as power. Having it installed means we can collect rain water to use for bathing and washing. No more hauling buckets! Kelly has worked so very hard these past two weeks to get this system up and running.

Dear Glorified Honey Bucket (transportable camping toilet), you have provided our family with both outdoor and indoor releaf for three long years now and for this we offer you a grateful Good-bye! But there is one person we owe even more gratitude to; the "Custodian of the Honey Bucket" - Kelly - you have endured so much CRAP these past three years so that your family could survive toilet training while living in the middle of an open field and make frequent midnight trips to the outhouse. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Yup! It's fully functional! It really does flow down hill! Thank you honey for my porcelain anniversary gift!

I think the best part of the past two weeks has to be the people who have given of their time and energy to bless our family.

My parents - two days after the storm they drove out to help us re-build our chicken coop and clean up nearly all of the garbage and building materials that had been blown around the country side. Thank you Mom & Dad for your support and encouragement to fulfill our dreams.

Our dear friends Lee & Crystal - this past week Lee gave up holiday time to drive over six hours to work hard for 12 long hours! Lee helped Kelly pull bales out of a good portion of the fallen walls, and moved beams tirelessly. The wind blew and the skies rained but you wouldn't give up! Most of all, you blessed my husband with words of thoughtful encouragement. And Crystal. Thank you for giving us your help-mate for a day and a half so that we could be blessed. Thank you my dear friend.

Our Katimavik friends - Saturday a group of young people who were visiting Craik for the Earth Day Film Festival offered to help us with even more clean-up! These energetic young people jumped in with both feet! They moved more bales, moved beams and salvaged as much as they could from the wreckage. They also helped me locate and dig up nearly all of the small tree saplings that had been overgrown by alphalfa.

Distant Friends & Family - you have sent heartfelt encouragement through many phone calls and emails. We feel cared for and very loved. Thank you.

Our hearts are filled with gratitude as we look upon this past week. There is no way we could have accomplished all of this on our own.

I've heard many times that it takes a community to raise a child. I believe it takes a community to belong. We are so grateful for each of you.

All our love,

the Taylor-Faye family

thoughts

2010-04-19T16:10:00.005-06:00

"But homesteading is clean living, good, earthy, sun-drenched work, leaving you with that happy kind of tiredness at the end of the day."

"Nature is flexible. If man wants paridise, she will oblige. If he wants despair and destruction, she will oblige. Neither will come overnight. Nevertheless, change marches on steadily, unrelenting. It is still possible to decide which road will be taken, but not for long."

Quote from the book: Grow It! by Richard W. Langer (The Beginnier's Complete In-Harmony-With-Nature Small Farm Guide From Vegetable and Grain Growing to Livestock Care )

Psalm 23 - Wind storm April 8, 2010

2010-04-13T13:18:00.003-06:00

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside quiet waters,

he restores my soul.

He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,

and I WILL dwell in the house

of the Lord forever.

This verse was running through my head the entire day before the wind storm. I wonder why!!? I am pretty sure it is to remind me that the Lord is taking care of my family - regardless of our circumstances, regardless of what happens.

Here are some pictures of the carnage:

This is what is left standing after 24 hours of 60 km/hr winds with gusts reaching 110 km/hr. Although the structures were secure, walls filled with straw bales were no match for these winds. The bracing at the bottoms of the beams are still in the concrete with the nails standing straight up! The wind simply lifted the beams and bales until the first set of walls fell. Then the game of dominoes began.

Our canvas structure we had hoped to use for storage. At least this time it was only 100 feet away instead of a couple of kilometers! We are convinced that tarps and temporary storage units are just not compatible with Craik winds!

This was our chicken coop and watering system. The coop used to be up on those concrete blocks. The wind picked it up, flipped it on it's roof and the tumbled it around one more time, leaving the roof behind and landing it on the floor! The roof, floor and walls were all separate but yet somehow in tact. We chose this opportunity to relocate the coop. My parents drove down three days later to help us rebuild the coop. Our 20 heritage chickens faired pretty well. There was only one injury and some really shaken up chickens! (We told our children we would be getting scrambled eggs from the chickens - and come to think of it, I served scrambled eggs twice that weekend! )

I spent most of Thursday night startled by the sounds of crashing dibris and battering tin on the roof above my sleeping family as the wind pushed through the country side. Occasionally I would fall into a fitful sleep between the crashing sounds and my pleading prayers. (I'm not kidding!)

I awoke at 6:30 am to a loud rash. It took me half an hour to muster enough courage to go to the window and see what happened. "Kelly our wind turbine is down!" I exclaimed. "And so is all of our studio!" I began to cry. Kelly came to the window in disbelief. We embraced as Kelly assured me that we would rebuild.

The winds continued to threaten our safety so we drove into Craik to seek shelter with some friends. Feeling refreshed and grateful we were ready to face the winds again. We returned to our home 4 hours later and just in time. The tin on the roof of our Guest House was starting to weaken and we spent the next hour or so securing the roof and the tin with hopes that it would not rip away.

The winds continued to press us to exhaustion. We packed up our children and drove into town where we stayed the night in the motel. We snuggled together, safe and warm as the storm continued around us.

Saturday morning we returned to the acreage with hopes of beginning the clean-up. The winds were still too strong so we kept the fire going and kept busy inside.

Sunday morning we woke to clear blue skies and the hopes of re-building the chicken coop. My parents arrived shortly after breakfast and the work began. Nearly 9 hours later the chicken coop was relocated, rebuilt and filled with our feathered friends.

We packed up our family and headed back to the city. During the quiet drive we realized something: the only structure left standing on our 11 acres of land was the garage now Guest House where we had slept during the storm.

The guest house will be our permanent home until the house/studio is re-built. This is the inscription we made the day we poured the foundation nearly three years ago. My pleading prayers did not fall on deaf ears.

God is good. We have a beautiful family. We are all safe. Our dream has not died.

Thank you for listening/reading our story. In many ways life in ev-v-ery breath has become an on-line journal of our family's journey in homesteading. For this I am grateful. I hope I never forget our many blessings.

homemade yogurt

2010-04-07T09:51:00.000-06:00

I've been making yogurt for nearly 20 years now! It's hard to believe but it's one of the first things I was passionate about in my early 20's. I started out making homemade yogurt in my Coleman thermos (normally used to keep water or iced tea cold on hot summer days). The method was definitely more taxing. I used a candy thermometer to measure the correct temperature. Once the temperature was reached I would pour my milk in the thermos for 12 hours and wait with baited breath. Sometimes it worked. Sometimes it didn't! I've since purchased a yogurt maker and the process is much easier.

First I measure out my milk using the glass jars I intend to fill and place it in a medium sized kettle. I have saved one jar of yogurt from the previous batch to use as my starter so I need to measure out 6 jars of milk. (Store bought milk works just fine and for some reason the lactose intollerant folks in our family can enjoy store bought yogurt or yogurt made from store bought milk just fine - get that!) We are presently using fresh raw milk that has begun to sour a bit.

Place the kettle on medium heat and watch it carefully. You want the milk to heat gently, stirring frequently, so that it forms a foamy, bubbly edge around the sides of the pot. You DO NOT want to bring it to a boil!

As soon as the edges have started forming foam remove from heat and set aside. Allow the milk to cool to room temperature.

Using your yogurt culture (either 1 cup of store bought yogurt or 1 jar of yogurt from your previous batch) begin integrating the culture into the milk. I place a bit of yogurt into the pot to allow room in my jar. Then I add some milk from my kettle to the jar of yogurt and stir it up. I then place a bit of this yogurt/milk mixture into the kettle and add more milk to my jar of yogurt. Repeat this step until all of the yogurt is added to the milk.

Using a small whisk, I combine the yogurt and milk well.

Next I fill my jars as full as they will allow.

And place them in my Cuisine Art Yogurt Maker. 12 hours later I have fresh yogurt.

quiet green restoration

2010-04-06T15:11:00.003-06:00

I planted peas at the beginning of February in tiny pots and stuck them all in our north facing windowsil. Call me eager for spring I guess. They grew slowly while the snow covered the ground. Then I transplanted them and it almost seemed as if these tiny buds knew that spring was near. The weather warmed up and they began to stretch upwards.

As they grew taller I strung pieces of hemp twine from the top of the windowsil down to the soil in each pot. As the plants stretched upward, I wrapped the tender vines around the twine with hopes that the peas little tendrels would clutch on tightly. So far so good! With baited breath I waited for the first tiny budding flower. And then with doubts I wondered if we might get any peas. (I wasn't sure if peas needed tiny bugs or ants to assist in pollination).

Then just yesterday I caught a glimps of, YES! a fresh pea pod! There was a silent sense of awe as I count the tiny white buds shooting for the sunlight that will soon become fresh green pods of goodness.

Does this mean that hope will arise even when doubts fill my thoughts?
Will there be fruit for my labours even though I've just planted a seed... and waited?
Can the SON light fill every core of my being as I rest... with the promise of a life giving harvest?

The Lord is my Shepherd,
I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he restores my soul.

Menu Plan Monday - April 5th

2010-04-05T09:22:00.011-06:00

I've been planning my menu in a much less organized fashion these past months. There have been times when a slip of paper on the fridge offered daily direction. Other times it depended on was in the refrigerator. After spotting the heading "Menu Plan Monday" from Kim's blog Jabez Farm I couldn't resist the temptation to be just a bit more organized!

Monday
     homemade yogurt, dried cranberries and chocolate chips
     buns on the go while running errands
     baked wild salmon with cheesy scalloped potatoes

Tuesday
     toast with creamed cheese spread and jam
     summa borscht (german potato soup) and biscuits
     roast chicken, potatoes, cellery and carrots with gravy

Wednesday
     granola or cold cereal
     homemade macaroni and cheese
     cold chicken sandwiches, vege's and apple slices as we travel to the acreage

Thursday
     granola or hot cereal
     grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup
     chicken, walnut and cranberry salad with fresh bread

Friday
     fried eggs, bacon and toast
     chicken noodle soup with fresh bread
     BBQ wild salmon and rice
Saturday
     hot cereal or granola
     carbonero with either chicken or salmon
     BBQ pizza with homemade mozzarella

Sunday
     hot cereal or granola
     leftovers
     toast and eggs

When Your Hut's on Fire - a story

2010-03-31T17:16:00.001-06:00

After I sent my post yesterday I checked our email and we had recieved an email from a family member living in another country. I noticed it was a forward so I didn't open it (as we've been getting a lot of spam lately). Kelly arrived home from work and within a few minutes we were off for a short date and a meeting. As we sat down at the table to order drinks, Kelly passed me a piece of paper with the email printed on it. Here is what I read: (I couldn't copy the picture to my blog so I found a similar picture on the internet to give you the idea).

When Your Hut's on Fire

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him. Every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect himself from the elements, and to store his few possessions. One day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, with smoke rolling up to the sky. He felt the worst had happened, and everything was lost. He was stunned with disbelief, grief, and anger. He cried out, 'God! How could you do this to me?'

Early the next day, he was awakened by the sound of a ship approaching the island! It had come to rescue him! 'How did you know I was here?' asked the weary man of his rescuers. 'We saw your smoke signal,' they replied.

The Moral of This Story: It's easy to get discouraged when things are going bad, but we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of our pain and suffering.

Remember that the next time your little hut seems to be burning to the ground. It just may be a smoke signal that summons the Grace of God.

What else can I say. I guess Grace is on HIS way!

Hope arise!

2010-03-30T15:01:00.001-06:00

It has been a long winter. It has been a very long year and a half of 'winter' learning to deal with pain on a daily basis and the adjustments that brings to a marriage and family. "If it doesn't kill you it'll make you stronger" has been my husband's mantra since I met him nearly 8 years ago. At first it was kind of funny hearing it. It has been much of our reality since we met. It is actually an encouragement to me these days. It means that there IS STILL HOPE. Hope when my body is exhausted from the constant pain and lack of sleep. Hope when my emotions struggle to see beyond the moment. Hope when I watch my husband build alone while I stand in the mud.

HOPE engages me to live (genuinely and intently). HOPE encourages me to love (in word and in deed). HOPE leads me to faith (faith for a miracle).

The HOPE of spring after a long winter somehow sustains me these days. The cold has passed and the sun warms my skin. I dream...of coffee out on the back swing... of spring chicks hatching...of working together with my husband to see the vision of our future come to pass.... of someday not living in pain.

I am learning to enjoy each moment.

I am learning to rest.

Mozzarella Cheese Sucess!

2010-03-30T14:11:00.000-06:00

I am easily a week behind on blogging! What can I say, when spring arrives, our family literally lives 3-4 days in the city and 3-4 days at the acreage. I LOVE it! As soon as we drive onto our land WE'RE HOME. Even the cat can't wait to get out of the truck and run around! So my blogging might be more sparatic but I'll definitely keep at it.

Last week before we left I attempted my Mozzarella recipe once again and it worked fantasticly! I figure it's like making good bread; when you're learning you try different recipes (or sometimes the same one until you get it right!), sometimes you get light airy bread other times you get a rock hard bread-like substance. I am learning the truth in my Mother-in-law's advice "Don't worry if it doesn't work out, just feed it to the animals and try again! - that's why you should always have animals on the farm."

So here is how I made my cheese. I will try to be as acurate as possible. Before you begin you might want to do some research and gleen as much as you can about making mozzarella. Here are the sites I've been reading:

I used this recipe (modified slightly - no microwave): Ricki's 30 Minute Mozzarella
(Great pictures and tutorials)
This is the same recipe just worded differently: Animal,Vegetable,Miracle
This is a great site for refining your technique to get the best mozzarella results: FAQ Mozzarella

Prepare your work area:
- do not prepare any other food while you are making cheese
- put all food products away
- move all sponges, cloths and dirty towels away from your work surface, wipe your sink and stove with soap and water
- finally use your antibacterial cleaner to wipe down all surfaces
- replace previously used towels and cloths with clean ones

Process:
Crush 1/4 tablet of rennet and dissolve in 1/4 cup of cool unchlorinated water and set aside for use later. (I have liquid rennet and follow the directions on the bottle.)

Heat the milk to 90F and add 1.5-2 tsp. of citric acid. this will bring the milk to the proper acidity to stretch well later. As you approach 90F you will notice your milk beginning to curdle due to the acidity and temp.

When at 90F add your rennet (which you prepared in previous step) to the milk and stir in a top to bottom motion for 30-60 seconds
...then stop.

Now turn the heat off (it may continue to rise as high as 105F or so).

Let the milk remain quiet for the next 3-5 minutes during which it will form a curd . A longer set will result in a firmer curd. (I left mine for an hour as I had an errand to run. When I returned it was well set and I was ready to continue.)

Cut the curds into a 1" checkerboard pattern and then scoop with a slotted spoon into a heat proof bowl to be used in the microwave. (I scooped my curd into a cloth bag set inside my collander with a bowl beneath to catch the whey). (If the curd is too soft at this point let set for another minute or so).

You will now press the curd gently with your hand, pouring off as much whey as possible. Reserve this whey to use in cooking or making ricotta. (I use it for making ginger ale).

*Microwave the curd on HI for 1 minute. You will notice more whey has run out of the curd. Drain off all whey as you did before. Quickly work the cheese with a spoon or your hands until it is cool enough to touch (rubber gloves will help since the cheese is almost too hot to touch at this point.)

Microwave 2 more times for 35 seconds each and repeat the kneading as in the last step. Drain all of the whey off as you go.*

I DO NOT HAVE A MICROWAVE - and never will! (but that's another long discussion about cancer causing radiation...) So I modified my method as follows:

I put the whey back in my large kettle on the stove for the heating-kneading steps. Heat the whey to 175F. This is a good stretching temperature (but very hot - this is where rubber gloves are worth having. I purchased a new pair just for cheese making). Place a small ball of curd into the slotted spoon and dip it into the hot whey for 8-10 seconds.

Remove from whey and knead quickly a couple of times as you would bread dough. Place the same ball into the slotted spoon and dip for 8-10 seconds. Then knead again. Repeat until it is smooth and shiny. (It only took 2-3 heating-kneading steps to see the curd begin to stretch and look shiny. Continue until the curd is well stretched and even in texture.) Add salt to taste near the finish. (Our family does not use salt very much and so I am surprised at how much salt it requires to give the cheese a good flavor. Salt helps cure and preserve the cheese, and makes it taste really good!)

At this point the cheese should be soft and pliable enought to stretch like taffy. It is ready to eat when it cools. (The photo above was taken after the second stretch.)

Form it into a ball and drop into ice water to cool and refrigerate. When cold you can wrap it in plastic wrap and it will last for several days but is best when eaten fresh.

I dragged the boys out of bed to enjoy some melted mozzarella on toast. I just had to share it! They loved the stringy cheese of course.

It was an exciting moment for us all (ok, maybe more for me since I haven't eaten mozzarella for nearly 10 years due to a lactose intollerance!) (Sorry these pictures are not very good, it's difficult to hold my husband's professional camera with rubber gloves and whey all over my hands so I tried using my phone camera for making the cheese. I think I'll use Kelly's camera for better pics!)

We packed up the next day to head to the acreage. The rest of the cheese, along with numberous fresh ingredients waited paitently until we returned four days later, tired, dirty and hungry. The pizza was great!

If you make cheese, please be sure to journal your cheesemaking progress so that I (along with others) may learn from you. I have spent the last year and a half searching for someone to teach me how to make cheese and it is nearly impossible to find anyone (except for a university professional cooking class). It is important that we preserve age old methods of preparing healthy, nourishing food for our families. Without them food as we know it will be lost to pre-packaged, scientificly assembled ingredients that faintly resemble the foods that have nourished mankind for hundred's of years. It is vital that we learn from women who have walked before us, feeding their families for decades from the food they grew in their gardens, milked from their cows and cooked in their kitchens. We have a legacy to pass on. Are you ready?

Selected preliminary scenes from Zoot Pictures

2010-03-24T23:30:00.003-06:00

Eco-Home Adventures - The Passionate Eye | CBC News Network

2010-03-24T10:48:00.002-06:00

Eco-Home Adventures - The Passionate Eye CBC News Network

"The race to build green homes on $1 lots and the challenges that places on four couples and their relationships." - That is the spin taken in a new CBC documentary called "Eco Home Adventures", directed by Leif Kaldor. The documentary premieres on CBC's Passionate Eye, this Wednesday, March 24, at 10pm ET/PT.

NOTE: that's 8:00 pm Saskatchewan time! Yup, that's me on the cover in my strawbale swinging days!

this week at a glance

2010-03-18T11:19:00.002-06:00

It has been a busy week of family, kitchen stuff and somehow finding time to rest. I've piled my schedule a bit full this week and my pain level at the end of the day is evidence that I need to take it easier the rest of the week. (Blogging is one way to keep me stationary!) So here's a glance at my week...

Crispy Nuts:

I dehydrated my second batch of these delicious crispy nuts! (click for the link). Kelly and I can't get enough of them. The boys are still a bit shy of them. Matthew like peanuts, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds so I added those to this batch. I'm finding that when I purchase nuts in the bulk section of the grocery they don't taste as fresh. Next time I will try packaged nuts and seeds. - I found them on Evelyn Field's blog in her Soaked Granola Recipe. - Thanks Evelyn!

Cheddar Cheese:

Next I attempted once again to make cheese! This time it was a Cheddar Cheese recipe I got from a new friend. She is 79 years old and she has been making cheese kind of following the recipe for years and years. I was thrilled when my milk began to separate! Here I've taken a picture of the curd after I've cut it and the whey separating.

Here is the cheese at the point of salting. After this it is pressed for 24 hours and hung to 'cure'. I'll be the first to admit that I have much to learn about making cheese! I've never gotten this far and been sucessful so I'm definitely on a learning curve! As it hung curing for a week the kitchen (and probably the entire house) smelled much like parmesan cheese (we call it stinky cheese in our house!). When I couldn't stand the suspense (and the smell had subsided meaning that it was curing) any longer, I make pizza for supper! The cheese had dried around the edges quite a bit. I think making a larger batch next time and sealing it with wax might avoid the drying. The funny thing is that it looked and tasted exactly like parmesan cheese (only I couldn't grate it because it was too hard!). Everyone love the pizza! (which is amazing since someone usually complains about something!).

Either way - I'm learning and I won't give up! I just keep reminding myself that one day I'll have it figured out! I promise that when it really works, I will post each step and exactly how I did it! It will be a great day!

Sprouted Wheat Sourdough Bread:

My next adventure began with our organic wheat berries. In order to make sprouted wheat sourdough bread I needed to separate the wheat from the chaff.

Then I began soaking and draining my wheat along with sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and a jar of mixed seeds for the crispy nuts. The wheat sprouted really well and so did the sunflower seeds. The pumpkin seeds got black and moldy and ended up in the garbage (I don't think the chickens or the vermi-composting worms really want moldy food!). It all worked great and the bread is a hit!

Here are some links I found in my research:

11th Heaven's Homemaking Haven
Beginning With Bread
Wild Yeast
To Your Health Sprouted Flour Co.

A New Book!

I bought the book! Thanks to Cindy's blog at A Step of Health and Evelyn's blog Evelyn Fields my curiosity about this book brought me to buying it. Yesterday I spent an hour resting my body as I devoured the information and recipes in this book. Here is a clip from Cindy's blog:

Sally Fallon's Wisdom - Nourishing Tradition Diets

Sally Fallon is the author of Nourishing Traditions. Her life story is worth reading and she has inspired our family in so many ways. She is not afraid to tackle every sacred cow in our world...the FDA, the USDA, the federal government, large agribusiness, big pharmaceutical business, the medical profession...she does what I wish I had the courage, knowledge and skill to do. But since I don't and she has already tackled it then why don't we all just be on her team. As a community, we can affect change.

You can read more on Cindy's blog here.

Catching a Leprechaun!

As soon as Matt & Josh got home from school yesterday they devised their own Leprechaun Traps! From what I can tell, they set up a box of some sort with green gems, shiney items or anything sparkling inside and set a trap door. This way, when the leprechaun sneeks in to take the treasure you catch him! (sorry the pictures are not good, I took them with my phone in the dark so that I didn't wake Matty).

Well, last night, while the boys were sleeping the Leprechaun came and snatched up a big armfull of green gems, shiney and sparkling things and made a run for it! Unfortunately something startled him (maybe the cat) and he dropped his treasures as he ran out of the room, leaving a trail of Leprechaun dust (unknown to the boys, it looks and tastes alot like green jello powder!?!) What fun!

Canvassing with Matthew:

Yesterday Matthew and I began door-to-door canvassing on our block for the Kidney Foundation of Canada. I felt it was important to explain to Matthew that we are collecting money for the KFC so that they can help other families who have a son or daughter with kidney disease and other kidney problems like his. I started out talking at the first few houses and then Matty asked if he could do it too. He quickly memorized a short question to ask people and off he went. It didn't take long for me to get tired and I wanted to head home but Matty insisted that he could finish the rest of the route! I assured him that I needed to do only a little each day and that we would finish the route together.

It is a privilege to be able to teach him the importance of doing something for others. As we chatted with a little boy and his family as they gave what little they had my heart swelled with gratitude. It was a blessing to see Matty shine! He truely has a generous and compassionate heart.

why I fuss the way I do...

2010-03-10T14:37:00.002-06:00

If you've read my blog (or my husband's blog for that matter) and you've heard us rant and rave about our frustrations with chemical laced foods, femaldehide (a known cancer causing agent) in buidling materials and so on, you may be thinking "she fusses too much! what's the big deal?"

Well, we have two beautiful boys and THEY are the big deal. Let me tell you a story:

Monday evening our oldest son and my husband returned from the doctor's office some 5 hours away. Matty has been seeing a specialist regularily from the moment he was born. Due to a blockage in utero, his kidneys, uterors and bladder are mis-shaped and do not work efficiently and thus have to work extra hard to keep up with his body. For his first 5 years we spent every 6 weeks in the hospital with chronic severe kidney and bladder infections. Then came surgery #3 and two more years of living between home and the hospital with our newest addition to the family. Matthew has typically always been in the 10th to 15th percentile for weight and height. The Nutritionalists continued to give us more ideas as to how to help Matthew gain weight with no success. We desperately needed some answers.

Then two years ago our specialists took a long hard look at what we were doing and helped us re-assess things. We made some changes to Matthew's daily medical care with hopes of stopping the infections. By the grace of God, Matthew has now gone 2 full years without any infections!

We also made some changes at home. My husband and I decided that we would make a concious effort to provide our entire family with healthy food. Food that has not been geneticly modified. Food that is not stored in toxic leaching plastic. Food without chemicals and traces of antibiotics. Food that is exactly the way it was created.

In the past two years we have chosen to...
- continued to purchase beef from a family member (we know where it comes from)
- only purchase organic fruits and vegetables from the grocery
- buy from local farmer's markets when possilbe
- raise our own chickens for the freezer
- raise our own hens for their eggs
- eat in restaurants less and instead cook really delicious foods at home
- grow a bit of our own organic wheat
- plant 100 chokecherry bushes, 125 maple saplings and 80 saskatoon berry bushes at the acreage
- pick saskatoons, raspberries, rhubarb and whatever else we could eat in season
- if we could build it, we would
- if we could make it, we would
- if I could bake it, I would
- if we could grow it, we would

The result:
Matthew has gained 6 pound in weight and 2 inches in height in the past year! He is back in the 25th percentile! This is monumental in his little life! We have much to celebrate!

The Nutritionalist said, "I don't know what you've been doing - but keep doing it!"

So I will. With the assurance that God really does provide everything we need, food, shelter, strength for today, and like the song says, and bright hope for tomorrow!

homemade marmelade jam

2010-03-10T13:39:00.003-06:00

We've been slowly running out of jam and the time has finally come to fill up the shelf. I've been finding great recipes to make jam with my rhubarb but I've been waiting for the chance to make some more marmelade. The other day I bought a hand full of organic oranges and they were such a great price that I went back a second time and bought more! I had been eyeing the lemons as well and couldn't resist! So a couple of days ago I started my marmelade jam with great anticipation.

I found this recipe at http://www.thekitchn.com/ and have returned frequently for more great recipes. I love the fact that all I need is fruit, sugar and water! You don't really need to add pectin since the seeds or pips from the oranges and lemons are simmered with the fruit to release the pecitn, thus thickening the mixture. If I can make something from scratch, using whole, un-modified ingredients I'm sold for life! The best part is that prior to making my own marmelade, I didn't really care for it much. Now I'm hooked, line and sinker! The three jam eaters in our household can't seem to get enough!

Orange Ginger Marmelade
oranges
a few lemons
sugar
water
1 oz fresh ginger root, sliced

Wash the oranges and lemons. Slice them as finely as possible and place in a large bowl. I like them halved, then sliced to give larger pieces of fruit, quartered works very well too. Save the pips (seeds) and enclose them in some cheesecloth tied securely with string. Measure the fruit and write that number down somewhere. Fill the bowl with enough water to cover the fruit and a bit more. Place the bowl of sliced fruit, water and pips in a bag in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Remove from the refrigerator and place into a large soup kettle. Boil the mixture for an hour and transfer back to the bowl. Let stand in a cool place for another 24 hours. I just leave mine in the soup kettle on the counter in a cool location. Measure the fruit and liquid. For every 1 cup of cooked pulp and juice, add 1 1/2 cups sugar. For 8 cups of fruit I added 8 cups of sugar. Discard the cloth bag and mix in the sugar. Slice up your fresh ginger root and place in a tea ball or another piece of cheesecloth bag and place into your kettle with the fruit. Reduce on low to medium heat until you've reached the desired thickness. (See "How do I know when my jam is thick enough? below). Pour into sterilized jars. Seal using the water canning method. I bring my jam to a slow boil and then pour it into hot, sterilized jars and seal. Once the jar lids have popped I know it's sealed. Allow to set at room temperature until cool. Store in a cool place.

How do I know when my jam is firm enough?

I put a plate in the freezer when I begin making jam. Then testing a drop of jam onto the frozen plate to see if the jam is firm enough. I've read that if you nudge it and it wrinkles, it's ready. I usually dip my finger in it to see if it has any body. If it is too runny, I continue simmering, if it wrinkles, I jar it up! My first batch was really thick but it was easy to fix. Upon opening a jar, we just added a bit of water to the thick jam and mixed it up to the consistency we desired. I'm no expert in jam making but it works! What works for you?

Just as a side note: It is important to watch your jam very closely when using this method. My first batch was beautifully thick. (I like thick jam) My most recent batch was less sucessful. I did not attend well enough to my kettle while the jam was thickening and in a moment the sugar began to brown. I checked the kettle and it was not burning but I think the sugar began to crystalize or candy. It tastes like candied oranges! So far we like it but it looks more like mud in a jar than bright orange marmelade but I'll still enjoy it. I think it would taste really good mixed in yogurt or poured over ice cream. So keep your eyes on your kettle! :}

Homemade Ginger Ale

2010-03-09T11:21:00.000-06:00

It has been a couple of weeks since I started making Ginger Ale. It's kind of funny though, I can't call it 'ginger ale' to my family because as soon as they hear those words the store bought pop comes to mind. So I call it "mommy's strawberry/ginger juice". What's funny is that this is actually what "Ginger Ale" SHOULD taste like! Three out of the four of us like it so I am excited to keep making it. You can the recipe at A Step of Health or at Evelyn Fields.

I've been trying variations to see what we like the best. So far, a bold flavored fruit juice seems to be the best. Frozen strawberry/kiwi juice from concentrate with extra lime juice added is great. The other day I tried raspberry lemonaide and again if I added the regular juice it seemed a bit weak tasting but once I added extra fresh squeezed lemon juice it was an instant hit!

I'm in the process of using up all the frozen rhubarb in my freezer for jam and stumbled upon a recipe for Rhubarb Syrup. I made some up and it makes a great Rhubarb Ginger Cooler! (you might consider adding sparkling water instead of water for a fizzy summer drink.)

Rhubarb Syrup

4 c. rhubarb
1 c. sugar
1 c. water

Combine the water and sugar and bring it to a boil. Add the fruit and simmer on medium heat, stirring occasionally until the rhubarb softens. Reduce heat and cover the pot, stirring occasionally, until the rhubarb breaks down into fibers. Remove from heat and pour through a fine mesh strainer, pressing with the back of a spoon until all the juice is released. Remaining fruit can be used to serve over ice cream or in rhubarb crisp. Chill and then serve in your favorite drink.

Since learning that plastic releases toxins as it ages and simply when it is washed, we have tried not to purchase pop or juice in plastic containers. I'll tell you it's difficult! My solution is to make more of my own drinks and juices. We have been making our own iced tea, lemon aid and apple juice for many years and now we've added the ginger ale (and numerous variations) and rhubarb ginger coolers! Summer sounds delicious!

If you haven't figured it out yet, I've been following Cindy and Evelyn's blogs pretty closely. Many of their ideas for recipes comes from a book called Nourishing Traditions. It's on my "Want List"! I have learned much from these two beautiful ladies and am grateful for the kindred spirit we seem to share. Homesteading is a lifestyle weather you live in the city or the country - it is possible!

Today I have separated the cream from my fresh milk, started making yogurt, canned rhubarb syrup, brought my lemon & orange slices to a boil ready to make marmelade tomorrow and made strawberry pie as requested for dessert tonight. I couldn't be happier and couldn't be doing anything more rewarding with my morning. I have much to be grateful for.

homemade creamed cheese spread

2010-03-07T13:00:00.003-06:00

As soon as I found this recipe for Whey and Ginger Ale on Cindy's blog, I HAD to try it! My first questions was "What exactly is whey?" and then I asked "Can I really make my own Ginger Ale?"

As I began reading I found that I could make whey by taking my homemade yogurt (this batch was from store bought milk) and placing in into a piece of cloth and strain the liquid into a jar. I used a piece of sheer fabric I had hanging around (cotton or cheese cloth would work as well). Once the liquid (whey) was completely strained from the curd (yogurt) I was left with an amazing creamed cheese spread and a jar of whey! Distracted by the delectable creamy spread, I set the whey aside.

I absolutely LOVE the creamed cheese spread! For lunch I made toast with my new creamed cheese spread and some homemade marmelade jam. My mouth watered as I took my first taste. After lunch I quickly thought of some other ways to enjoy this creamed cheese spread. I set some of the spread aside into a seperate dish and added some Mrs. Dash no-salt seasoning to create our own herbed cream cheese. My husband and I are enjoying every bite!
Thank you Cindy! Not only am I able to make yet another wholesome food from scratch but I am also able to enjoy more dairy!

Next on my list - trying Cindy's Ginger Ale recipe.

even the hens are settled!

2010-03-06T11:23:00.003-06:00

This past week we took a day to bring another trailer load to the acreage for storage. In the midst of unloading, we were able to offer our 17 heritage hens and 3 roos some fresh straw, water and a new outlook! Spring is definitely on it's way!

Kelly built some permanent nesting/brooding boxes for our hennies. No more cardboard boxes for our girls!

We've noticed that at least one of our Americana's is getting a bit broody. She will lay in the nest for hours on end. When I find an egg dropped in the straw and place it near her, she quickly snuggles it under her spread wings and adds extra straw to keep everyone warm. I've spent nearly all of my 39 years in the city and don't profess to know much about poultry but I think we might be getting chicks this spring!

household changes

2010-03-06T10:50:00.000-06:00

Well, we've packed, moved numerous trailer loads, cleaned, painted and scrubbed every corner of the main level of our house in the city. Now it's ready for our new renters to move in!

This is the view into the kitchen and hallway. We've painted everything in more neutral colors. I miss my olive green walls already!

The bathroom and bedrooms got a fresh coat of beige as well. The antique dresser with hand-made pottery sink and antique goose-neck faucet makes the bathroom a welcoming place to let go of the days cares.

It's amazing to see how large the livingroom actually is when you are not using as an office, living room, tv room, music room and storage space! How good it has been to put things in storage and downsize. I highly recommend it!

We are fairly well settled in the basement suite just downstairs from these pictures. It's definitely an adjustment living in 400 sq feet with one bedroom but we're enjoying the challenge! It is a reminder that we are really moving forward and although we have much work to get the guest house ready, we will be moving to the acreage full time at the end of spring. One step at a time, we're getting there!

Raw Milk Victory in CANADA!

2010-02-24T09:14:00.000-06:00

Our family is on a journey to find raw milk. The options of buying a cow right now does not seem logic when we are still trying to renovate and live on the acreage full time. Some day maybe...

A friend of mine emailed me this article a while ago and Cindy featured it today on her blog so I thought I might spread the news as well. It's good news for small dairy farmers, better news for dairy drinkers! (By the way, both my youngest son and I are lactose intolerant and we can drink whole, raw milk with no stomach aches or side affects! hmmm, I wonder why?)

Here is the article.

On a side note, we're still painting and cleaning to try to rent the main level of our home. I can't wait to update you on my home made cream cheese (lactose free) and I'm working on making my first batch of home made ginger ale! So very exciting! Have a great week.

a little time

2010-02-15T14:28:00.002-06:00

Just wanted to leave a little note that our family is taking a little time away and I may not be blogging for a week or so. We actually are not going away anywhere but rather we are working together at home. We are packing up and moving downstairs to our basement suite until spring so that we can renovate, paint and rent out the main level of our city home. In four months or so we anticipate moving to the guest house at the acreage and living there full time. (K will be working part time in the city for the next few years so the basement suite is a great place for us to hang our hats in the city). This next step towards off-grid living and homesteading is an exciting time for us all. Have a great week or so. - Blessings.

Un-Plastic Journal - Seed Saving

2010-02-15T14:17:00.004-06:00

After doing a little research I learned that once your seeds are cleaned and dry you can store them in envelopes, pop them in a jar and you're ready for next year's planting. I found some mint green envelopes that we've been holding on to for 10 years (literally), cut them in thirds, taped the edges and labeled my seed packages. I tried a number of jars and finally resorted to my favorite 4L. recycled pickle jar (from a restaurant). If I recall correctly, my mother and grandmother used to store seeds in babyfood jars and recycled pill bottles as well.

My seeds sat on my pantry shelf all winter waiting for spring fever to set in. Well, it's the middle of February and I have little pea sprouts started on my windowsill. Call me a fanatic!

Oh, and one more thing, it's best to purchase heritage organic seeds that have been passed down from generation to generation if you wish to save seeds. The typical seeds you purchase in any store are usually treated with pesticides and herbicides and may also be geneticly modified to prevent effective re-seeding. A great way to start saving seeds is to attend a Seedy Saturday in your community.

Spring fever has devinitely arrived, I'm itching to transplant my little seedlings already!

Window Pane Valentines Cookie

2010-02-10T13:46:00.000-06:00

I've been thinking about making this cookie for about a week now. I love sugar cookies any time of the year! When I came across this recipe with Jolly Ranchers in the center I couldn't resist. It's super easy and fun to make. I'll pack them up and send a bunch off to school on Friday.

Window Pane Valentines Cookies

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups flour
Hard candy for cookie center (we used Jolly Ranchers)

Instructions

1. To make the dough: Using an electric mixer at medium-high speed, cream the butter, gradually adding the sugar. Beat in the egg until evenly mixed, then blend in the vanilla extract and salt.

2. With a wooden spoon, stir the flour into the creamed ingredients, about one third at a time, until evenly blended. The dough may seem soft, but it will firm up when refrigerated. (I added the flour with my electric mixer and it worked great.)

3. Divide the dough in half. Flatten each portion into a disk and seal in plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight. (Due to my lack of planning, I only refrigerated mine for about 4 hours and it worked well.)

4. To create the cookies: Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Cover a sturdy baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly coat the foil with cooking spray. (I used olive oil.) Between 2 sheets of waxed paper lightly dusted with flour, roll the dough to a 1/4-inch thickness. Remove the top sheet.

5. Cut out the cookies with a large cookie cutter. Use a spatula to transfer the shapes to the baking sheet, leaving about an inch between cookies. Remove the centers of the cookies with a smaller cookie cutter. (Save the centers to bake later.) (I did not have a small heart cookie cutter so I used a small star cookie cutter for some and the circle from a shot glass for most of them.)

6. Place a hard candy (we used Jolly Ranchers) in the center of each heart and bake until the cookies start to brown lightly around the edges and the candy is melted, about 8 to 10 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes ( I found cooling them for 10-12 minutes, until the candy centres were completely cooled worked the best), then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely. To prevent sticking, line your serving plate or tin with waxed paper and place additional waxed paper between layers.

Makes 30.

They're fantastic what else can I say! ENJOY!
- More valentines gift giving ideas comming soon!

Un-Plastic Journal - Why Un-plastic?

2010-02-08T10:06:00.004-06:00

I'm no scientist and I definitely don't know how to explain all the health concerns surrounding the leeching of plastics in our food. But I am convinced that I can find a way to prepare our food without exposing my family to toxic chemicals. For my family that means trying to grow as many foods organicly as possible and preserving them through drying or canning. I just read that Bisphenol A is released from plastics when they are washed, heated or exposed to acidic substances such as citrus fruits and soda and simply from the aging of the pastic.

That means (to my shock and somewhat amazement) that:
- when I wash anything that is plastic it releases toxins
- when I heat our food in plastic (making rice in the rice steamer) it releases toxins into my families food
- when I serve food that has been sold in tin cans (lined with plastic), especially tomatoes or acidic foods, toxins are released into our food
- when I purchase pop in cans or bottles (acidic liquid) it's toxic! (hmmm, that bottle of ginger ale does not sound so appetizing any more...)

I can't imagine how much I am exposing my family to toxic chemicals in the purchases I make, but I am certainly convicted that I've been making some poor choices when it comes to plastic!

Why am I so concerned you ask? Because I believe that multiple exposure to toxins over many years is bound to cause ill affects. How can you drink a little poison every day and not eventually die from it? Why would I knowingly prepare and serve toxified food and beverages to my children every day for the sake of convenience!? Those who tote 'safe plastics' may be presenting a 'don't worry' response to my concerns but I am not convinced.

As I mentioned, I am not a journalist, I am a wife to a godly man and mother of two beautiful children. I don't know how to present all the facts in a convincing argument. All I know is that I am concerned. So I am doing some research and trying to make decisions to help my children live long and healthy lives.

So what can we do in a world overloaded with plastics?

1. Educate yourself. Do some research on plastics. Rent some documentaries on the subject, check the internet and read books. There is lots of information out there, you just have to look. The article I read this morning can be found here.

2. Decide where your convictions lie. We may not be able to save the world in a year but one person's choices can affect generations to come. Here is the blog of someone who is seeking to go plastic free for a year. She has great articles with lots of solid research.

3. Take one step. Choose to reduce your use of plastics in one area of your life. Maybe that's purchasing a canteen and a water filter instead of drinking bottled water. I chose the kitchen as my first battle ground. Over the past few years I've found that this concious effort has affected other choices as well.

4. Be encouraged. We are all called to a purpose. Wife, mother, friend, sister. Be the best you can be with what you've been given. There is no expectation for you to throw away every piece of plastic in your home, unless you are strongly convicted to do so (don't let me stop you!) No one will judge you. No one will look down their nose at you or criticize you.

5. Make a decision and vote with your dollars! If you don't buy that plastic lined tin can of tomatoes but instead grow your own in a pot in your window or purchase it from the farmer's market you will be one less number in their consumer survey to confirm the demand for such items.

6. Remember it's a process. Rome wasn't built in a day! Although I started this process years ago, I am constantly learning. As I am convicted I make changes to my purchasing habits one step at a time.

I think this might be the last time we buy pop in plastic bottles. There's got to be a different option out there.
- Have a great day. I'm off to bake some bread.
- Audrey

Your Hands - JJ Heller

2010-02-06T19:41:00.001-06:00

This song is where I'm at these days. It sinks deep into my heart, brings tears to my eyes and settles my soul. - Audrey

upcycle kids valentines mailbox

2010-02-02T10:26:00.004-06:00

We have a child who insists on collecting everything from rocks to milk container lids and rusty bottle caps. I must admit that I think that collections are a really neat thing and they express ones personality. But I struggle with the display and storage of the miriad of collections our beautiful, obsession based child has cluttering his room. As I was searching for some valentines day gift ideas I ran across a valentines mailbox. We have build our own 'Upcycled' version:

We started with empty kleenex boxes, cut out three sides to form a lid and covered the hole with recycled mailouts that were printed on cardstock paper and taped in place.

Then I covered the entire box with newsprint (brown paper or recycled paper bags might work to leave a better 'canvas' for little artists) and cut out the opening for the lid. Doing so left the edges unsealed so I used tape to seal the edges of the opening, both top and bottom, so that the newsprint would not get ripped. Next I taped on a piece of red ribbon to aid in lifting the lid.

Then came the fun part. I set out stickers, markers, buttons, glue sticks, sequence,monograms and ribbon for the boys to decorate with. I tried to keep them focused on a valentines day theme as one of the boys wanted to deviate to transformer stickers (call me a perfectionist!) They continued working on them the next day, perfecting their mailboxes. I think it was a hit!

Although I love being a crafty person, I must admit I struggle with the mess. The thought of stuff everywhere keeps my sewing machine packed and my clay in bags. I really need to let go more often 'cause when I do, life is much more fun!

More Valentines Day ideas coming soon. Have a great day.

Un-Plastic Journal - for the freezer

2010-01-22T14:45:00.003-06:00

I've been racking my brain for ways to freeze food without using plastic pails, plastic bags, plastic wrap or plastic containers! It hit me one day as I emptied my flour into it's rightful jar - flour bags! Grandma used to re-use her flour bags for everything from pillow cases to freezing chicken! I made a huge batch of my homemade noodles the other day and they're ready to freeze so I broke them into these two recycled flour bags. I think that should do the trick.

I have also found that recycled metal cookie tins also work great for freezing muffins, cookies or other baking. They pack well and the lid fits firmly in place, ready to freeze, simply line with wax paper or bakers paper to keep layered muffins and squares from sticking! The great thing is that many of the tins have old fashioned pictures of winter scenes on them which makes them a great cookie jar once they're out of the freezer. I started collecting my tins nearly 20 years ago and sometimes find good un-used tins at the local second hand stores.

Old fashioned brown freezer paper works great too! We've wrapped all of our chicken in the paper this last year after we processed them. Butchers usually wrap our meat in plastic wrap and then butcher's paper which is logical. This way the juices won't run all over your freezer (like some of my packages did!) Next year I think I'll let my meat sit a while to drain the extra water absorbed from cleaning and then package them. I think freezing them wrapped in brown paper and then on cookie sheets may help freeze them faster too.

So these are my thought on freezing in an un-plastic world. If you have any ideas or suggestions I'd love to hear them!

frosty blue

2010-01-21T09:08:00.003-06:00

Josh found these hollyhock buds on our walk home from to school under a grey/blue morning sky. I love the frosted crystals of snow. I caught the last glimpse of them just before they melted.

My blue glass vase makes a nice home for such a humble remembrance of summer blossoms.

May Peace be abundant in your hearts today.

the birds and the bees

2010-01-20T16:41:00.005-06:00

This is our new wynedette roo. He is quite the go getter! Definitely very showy!

This is the gang. They seem to be settling in quite well - I think. When I went to check on them one was huddled up in the straw breathing heavy. My first thought was she's dead! I just watched her laying sort-of side ways and not moving. I think I have a lot to learn about the mating rituals of chickens! I reached down to pick her up and she squawked, flapped and ran away!? !?

unchanging love

2010-01-19T09:27:00.002-06:00

...."your love is amazing,

steady and unchanging,

your love is a mountain,

steady beneath my feet"...

I picked up the headphones as I began to blog since the boys are playing wii quite loudly beside me. These are the words that sank deep into my soul. It's like eating fresh bread. It is sweet to the taste, feels good as I let it settle, satisfying deeply. I've been caught off guard by the goodness of the Lord this morning. Tears come to my eyes often these days as I feel like a completely different person. The last residual affects of a year on Tylenol, caffeine and codeine are waining. I feel hope rising in my thoughts of our families, excitement as I think of each day to rejoice with my husband and children. Gone is the haze of incomplete thought, numbed emotion, exaggerated feelings of aggression or anger. Gone is the confusing pain that is complicated by pain causing side affects and 'fake pain' created by the drug. Gone is the constant pin-pricking feeling all over my skin when my children come for a hug...instead I feel deep love, sincere joy and an overflowing grateful heart.

I wonder sometimes if it wasn't for this steady, unchanging love where I might be.

a little bit of twisted sanity

2010-01-13T11:32:00.003-06:00

fresh baked bread on the counter, stewing beef on the stove, slow roasting chicken in the crock pot, the table filled with stuff for the acreage, keys, banking, and envelopes for the post at the door. I'm keeping busy to stay sane! All I know is that melting butter on a fresh baked bun is somehow calming, and for that I am grateful!