The Garden

This morning, before it got too hot out, I took pictures of what I like to thinks is my homestead, as least is my homestead for now. As I've probably mentioned before, I'm still quite young and live with my parents. Since I live with my parents I'm restricted in what I can do with my lifestyle. In other words I'm not allowed to have chickens, can a winter supply of food, eat 95% local, or run my garden with out someone else stepping in and doing what they want with it.

With is what happened this season. I had it all planned out, carefully not over doing it, seeds bought and all. My dad and I were suppose to put a fence up around our raised beds. Three posts in and he didn't to the forth. Needless to say the fence was never finished but I was still determined to get something into the ground. I planted bush peas but they never came up. I didn't give up so I planted bush beans which yeilded about six plants that are yet producing. During the winter I didn't really feel like doing seedlings for sweet peppers so I bought six plants from Walmart and those are also still producing. Then the fence issue came up. We ended up putting scrap pieces of chicken wire up around everything which makes it hard to weed. Okay, so not a problem right? Then came the tomatoes. In my plan I didn't include tomatoes because everyone around here does tomotoes. My dad never passes up anything free so he planted as many tomato plants as he could, about eight, that covered a row and a half of potential beet and squash plots. I also see not logic in planting a blueberry bush in raised beds in the middle of the garden.

This is the back view of my green peppers. Notice how they are protected.

My only cucumber plant next to some random rot; grass clipps and such. Another thing I need to do is designate a compost pile. It's everywhere right now.One of my green bean plants. Still being choked my weeds. I need to mulch better next year.

I'll post the rest as a slideshow.

Jammin'

What a event. Around 11 o'clock in the morning I started. I mushed my berries one layer at a time. At first I didn't know what this was. So I threw a few berries into the bowl and mashed them then add more. Hopefully this was what they were getting at. The biggest mistake the I made was not starting the canner before I started jamming. After I made the jam, which was quite easy, I put the lids and bands on and waited for canner to boil. During that time I encountered another problem, the half pint jars don't fit on the rack! With a little testing I noticed that the jars fit nicely on the outer edge of the rack and if I carefully lower and raise it would work. I lost my jar lifter, which is old anyway, but it worked with regular tongs. After the jars were processed you couldn't imagine my excitment when I heard the tops pop! It was like Christmas. All of my jars sealed.

It's amazing to know that you played a part in putting food up for the winter. Yeah, it's only jam but that's one less thing that I need to buy at the supermarket. I played a part in it's making. I picked the berries, mashed them, cooked, and processed them. Just knowing that will make the jam taste great. As for the cost, it was about $1.79 per jar which doesn't include getting a canner, bands, jar lifter and anything that can be reused. So for $9 in berries, about $1 in sugar, 75 cents for six lids. If you have your own blackberry bush it's even cheaper, only 30 cents a jar.

I'm looking forward to making pickles next weekend and after that perhaps applesauce. Yummy!

Twitter

Great news! Every time I update my blog I update my Twitter with the link. For those who Twitter a lot this is great! Just follow me, Willowoak.

Not Quite As Planned

Those two lovely jars of lemon tea were shared looking over the Delaware River. What a lovely way to end a perfect picking session. Well, things didn't go quite as planned. Instead of picking raspberries, which seem out of season, we picked blackberries. That goodness for thornless blackberry bushes! It was a lot of fun. My friend and I each picked two quarts of blackberries, about 3 pounds each, enough to make jam and then some. We squeezed outselves through the canes, fought off bugs and the occasional spider web. It was humid but it was nice when you could feel the breeze come off the Delaware River. And it didn't rain like it said it was going to! As after picking blackberries which, if anyone is curious, cost about $9 for a little over 3 pounds, we sipped lemon tea by the river and knitted, talked about being self sufficant, and Made From Stratch. It's amazing how good it is to be around someone that is like minded.

P.S. In case you are wondering, we picked at Trauger's Farm and Market on Rt 611.

Two Jars of Lemon Iced Tea

Looks yummy, doesn't it? Lately I've been aspiring to make things. I'm not talking about cookies I'm talking about pickles and jam. I've been craving homemade pickles and jam. Soon that craving will be satisfied. Tomorrow a friend and I will go pick raspberries, enjoy these two jars of lemon iced tea and knit. It's not much but at least I get to spend a little time with someone other than my mom and the people that I work with. And with our haul tomorrow, raspberries and pickling cucumbers, I shall make jam and pickles! That's all I'm going to do in the way of canning this year. Hopefully next year I will take on a little more, at least one or two more things; perhaps tomato sauce and strawberry jam? Well, whatever I decide I bet it will be good.

As for the lemon iced tea I got the recipe from here. But for those too lazy to click the link here it is:

2 tea bags

2 oz lemon juice

3/4 cup sugar

2 qt water

Boil water. Remove from heat and steep tea bags covered for an hour. Stir in sugar and lemon juice. Served chilled or over ice.

Today's Haul

The ground is still very soggy and I don't want to chance falling in the mud, although it would be fun. So what kind of a haul did I get? No, it's not raspberries, blueberries or anything like that. Oh no, it was canning jars! What makes this so special to be considered a haul? Well, I've been interested in canning some of my own things such as jams, pickles, apple butter, ect. but the intital cost was going to throw me into the loop. The thing with canning is that when you first start you need to buy everything. The Ball brand water bath canning kit has everything you need to start but it would cost you about $50. Yikes! However, I am fortunate enough to have parents that use to can. That's right, I get everything. Grant it, I had to hunt everything down in the cellar but it's worth not spending the $50. When I first got down there I was playing with small stones but I hit the mother load; unopened boxes of wide mouth canning jars! And better yet there were coupons inside with no expiration date! JACKPOT! So now I've cut cost down to another $20 because I would have had to bought jelly jars and wide mouth jar which are about $10 a box. All I really need to spend it the $2 for the jelly jar lids, $3 on pickle mix, $2 on fruit pertin, and how ever much cucumbers and raspberries will cost. Sweet, right?

Soggy Days

On days like these when the rain never seems to end we, or at least I, look to ways to pass the time indoors. Okay, I'm not an all out mountian girl that wants to spend every waking minute outside, but I wish I did. No, not wish, I will become that girl.
Anyway, on days like these I turn to more simple forms of entertainment. My scarf is coming along well, I hope to finish it by September. Also, to the tune of my own entertainment, I wish to play the fiddle. Okay, IMing a friend is not considered a simple form of entertainment but I can stop anytime I wish.

Film Review: National Geographic: Human Footprint

Ever wonder how many daipers babies will use in their life time or how much milk you will drink? Then this is the documentary for you. This film is about the footprint humans leave on the earth, mostly about garbage, and it's effects on the environment. It follows two youngsters throughout their lives and shows with numbers and visual how much of a footprint you leave. Nevermind about your carbon footprint or how long things would take to break down. Not even a synopsis of how to solve this problem about garbage.

In the first segement they show you how many diapers babies use and say how many gallons of water you would use washing reuasables. But which is better? Who knows they don't tell you.

To me, this film was only a start of a better film on the human footprint all we need to know is how to reduce it.

2 of 5 stars for get statistics and examples but it feels incomplete and sort of demonicizes humans.

Learning to Knit

I know how to crochet, sew, bake, speak German, and even play the clarinet. Something was missing and after reading Jenna's book it was something more then just chickens and a nice garden. It was knitting.

I've tried it before without much success. Yes, I was even in a knitting club in middle school where I didn't learn much and if I did, I don't remember any of it. Inspired by Jenna's books I decided it was time to take it on with the promise of nice fuzy warm socks in the winter. So, on a misson to Joanns for flannel for burp clothes for my sister I journeyed into the yarn and needle aisle. Needless to say I got out with size 9 needles a two skeins of wool/acrylic blend to practice with and to knit a classic scarf.

Having a vague idea of how to cast on I started but knew something was wrong, I couldn't start a new row. After a little research, I found a video with a british woman showing you how to cast on with two needles. It may take longer to do but it works for me!

So kniting I went! I praticed that for awhile and pulled it out. Why? Something else was missing, having it smooth. To my luck I found a video teaching how to do it. Apparently, the stitch that I was doing was called the "knit stitch" and the one that I needed to make a smooth piece was called the "pearl stitch", which is the knit stitch backwards.

I'm going to continue pacticing and hopefully I'll have some cozy pairs of socks by winter and maybe some cotton ones for summer.

Resource Videos:

Two Needle Cast On Method

Knit Stitch

Pearl Stitch

Book Review: Made From Scratch by Jenna Woginrich

Where you ever curious about how to make clothes but only thought that I master seamstress could make them? Did you ever wonder where that delicious golden honey came from? What about how to churn butter but always thought that you needed one of those big hand churns? Well think again! Jenna not only tells you how you can achieve a simpler lifestyle but also of her triumphs and failures. As you learn through her captivating chapters you learn that it doesn't take much to make you happy. Maybe a home cooked meal with eggs fresh from the chicken or veggies fresh from your garden. One quickly learns that the smallest things can make on happy.
Join Jenna as she takes you on her journey to a more self-sufficient life as she acquires chicken, bees, and rabbits, and learns how to sew and knit.
After the book, she doesn't leave you in the dark as to where to go next. She includes a helpful list of books and websites that will help.
So what are you waiting for? Order your copy now, son!

Order now!

Jenna's Blog: Cold Antler Farm

References from back of book

General Interest
The Contrary Farmer by Gene Logsdon
Better Off by Eric Brende
Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery
MaryJane's Idea Book by MaryJane Butters
Hit By a Farm by Catherine Friend
Storey's Basic Country Skills by John and Martha Storey

Homesteading
The Good Life by Scott Nearing
Countryside magazine
Urban Homesteading
How to Homestead
Homegrown Evolution
Lehman's
Hobby Farms magazine
Barnyard in Your Backyard edited by Gail Damerow
The Have-More Plan by Ed and Carolyn Robinson

Green Living and Renewable Energy
Green People
Home Power magazine
Carbon Fund
Gaiam
Treehugger

Gardening
Seeds of Change
Pinetree Seeds
You Grow Girl
MaryJanesFarm
Food Not Lawns by H. C. Flores
The Vegetable Gardener's Bible by Edward C. Smith
The Gardener's A-Z Guide to Orangic Food by Tanya L.K. Denckla
The Veggie Gardener's Answer Book by Barbara Ellis

Kitchen Aid
Take Two & Butter 'Em While They're Hot by Barbara Swell
Ball Canning
Lodge Manufacturing
Blue Ribbon Recipes by the Farmer's Almanac
Eat Well Guide
The Big Book of Preserving the Harvest by Carol W. Costenbader
Serving Up the Harvest by Andrea Chesman

Working Dogs
Black Ice Kennels
Wolf Packs
Ruff Wear
Wilczek Woodworks
Sled Dog Central

Chickens
Backyard Chickens
My Pet Chicken
Murray McMurray Hatchery
Living with Chickens by Jay Rossier
Keep Chickens! by Barbara Kilarski
Storey's Illustrates Guide to Poultry Breeds by Carol Ekarius
Storey's Guide to Rising Chickens by Gail Damerow
Chicken Coops by Judy Pangman
Omlet

Rabbits
Storey's Guide to Raising Rabbits by Bob Bennett

Bees
Better Bee
My Beehives
Dadant and Sons
Western Bee Supplies

Sewing and Knitting
Built by Wendy
Simplicity
Stephanie Pear-McPhee
Knit Picks
Sew What! Skirts by Framcesca DenHartog and Carole Ann Camp
Sew What! Fleece by Carol Jessop and Chaila Sekora

Music and Jams
Native Ground
Parick Costello
Wood 'n' Strings
Acoustic Friends
Banjo Hut
Mandolin Hut
MvNally Strumsticks
Morgan Monroe
Jay Buckey
Blue Grass Music Jams

Organizations
Sierra Club
Organic Consumers Association
Rural Roots

Farm Finding and Social Networking
Local Harvest
Farmers Only
Sustainable Communities