Home Life

Thanks to Candy and her blog I found a super easy yogurt recipe using a crockpot.  I tried it last night and had creamy yogurt this morning. 

I’ve tried to make yogurt three times already and failed each time.  I wanted an organic, healthy milk in my yogurt but the brand I kept picking was ultra-pasturized.  A big no no for yogurt making (I didn’t even realise this until last night when I took a good look at the milk container… My husband was already out so I asked him to pick me up a non-ultra-pasturized whole milk)

You’ll need 8 cups of milk and 1/4c whole milk, plain quality yogurt (I visited Maureen at Health Matters for my yogurt).  Once you have your first batch of homemade yogurt, you can use 1/2c of your own starter for your next batch.

Pour 8 cups of milk into your slow cooker.  Cook on low 2.5 hrs.  Turn the crockpot off and let it sit, covered, for 3 hours.

Mix in your yogurt starter, cover the crockpot, insulate with some heavy towels on top and let sit overnight.  By morning you’ll have yogurt!

You can make your own mixins with fruit, granola and anything else you like in your yogurt.  Yum!

Making Skirts

  I’ve looked at stores to see if I could just buy skirts because I felt that option would be much easier, but they are all so colorful, short, frilly, lacy at the store… Everything but what I’m looking for: straight, long, and simple.  In all honesty, making a long, straight, simple skirt is VERY easy, and will end up saving you a lot of money in the long run, especially if you buy your fabric on clearance (or better yet, try to find fabric at a garage sale. One year my husband bought me a huge box of fabric from a garage sale - years later I am STILL trying to work my way through it). 

Gather your fabric, a measuring tape, cutting board, marking pen, paper for the pattern and marker, sewing machine, thread and elastic… Let’s make a simple, long skirt!

Make your pattern

1. Measure the WIDEST part of your hip and add 8 inches.  You want the widest part of your hip - around the point of your hip and around your bottom.  Not where your waistline would be.

2. Measure the LENGTH of the skirt you want to make (your hem).  Add 3 inches.

3. Lay out some paper - tape a few pieces of paper together to start your pattern.

4. Divide the number of inches from #1 by Four.  This is the width and waistline for the top of your pattern.  Using your measuring tape, measure out the inches at the top of your paper you taped together.

5. Now drop your tape vertical down your paper from the end of your waist - measure out the length now and draw a line from your waist to your hem.  Mark your fold line along one side - this will be the side that you line up against the fold in your fabric. It will be helpful to mark “Cut Two” on your pattern because you will need two patterns cut to make your skirt.

6. Line your pattern up on the fold of your fabric.  Trace or go right to cutting the pattern. Cut two.

Now, it’s time to sew it together.

1. Once cut out, pin your skirt front and back together, so that it looks inside out.  You want the OUTSIDE of the skirt touching together, and pin the edges.

2. Using a 5/8in. seam allowance, straight stitch the sides together. 

3. Now finish your seams by zig-zagging the edges.  You can also just serge them together if you own a serger.

4. Fold in the top of your skirt 1/4 in. It is helpful to iron down your seams before you sew, to keep them in place.  Straight stitch down the middle of your seam. Remember you have two layers of fabric - only do one layer of fabric at a time (don’t sew them both together!) and also remember that the inside of your skirt is the side you want the edges of your seams to show - so be sure to fold UP and not UNDER when you are sewing on this layer.

5. Fold the top again about 1.5 inches and pin. This is where your elastic will go and you are creating a casing for it.  I suggest laying string as you pin, and once everything is pinned and sewn down, you can tie your elastic to the string and pull the elastic through the casing.  Once pinned, straight stitch around the waistline leaving enough space between your stitch and the fold, so your elastic can move freely.  Leave an opening.

6. Measure your waistline and cut elastic the same size.  Thread this through (helpful to tie to string and pull right through).  Stitch the elastic together.

7. Try your skirt on to be sure it fits well.  If it’s a good fit, stitch the opening closed.

8.  Now it’s time to work on the hem. It’s really helpful to have someone there to help you with this - or a full length mirror.  If you have someone there to help you, put the skirt on and have your helper mark where you want the hem.  Then take the skirt off, fold up the hem and stich 1/4in., and again to the length you want your hem at and straight stitch it.  If you don’t have someone there to help, sew your hem 1/4in., and take your skirt up to the length of hem you think you’ll want.  Hem it, and look at it in the mirror.  Make adjustments until you get the length you want, then straight stitch your hem.

All Done!

In the spirit of being environmentally-friendly with all of that gift wrap, why not wrap your gifts using fabric?  You can also make gift bags out of fabric, and they can be re-used again and again.

 Here is a link to making and folding your cloth gift wrap

http://layersofmeaning.org/wp/?p=325

A few of my many interests include healthy eating, home made meals and home made ingredients, and WHY home made is healther.

One thing I make a point of doing is always making home made broths and stocks instead of buying canned or bouillon cubes.  Lately I’ve had to buy a few cans here or there of chicken broth, and I just used the last of my beef stock today in our stew.  So right now I am preparing beef bones to be made into a wonderful stock so I can stock my deep freezer again, and the next time we cook a whole chicken I will have enough bones and meaty parts to turn into chicken broth or stock (I’ve been collecting bones and meaty parts in my freezer…).

If you ever make vegetable stocks for soups - save all of your veggie scraps (except on items such as potatoes or brocolli).  Your scraps can be used in place of fresh vegetables for this purpose, saving the fresh veggies for a meal you’ll eat and preventing veggie scraps from entering the garbage can (unless you compost!).  I hate throwing things into the landfill (when you choose to recycle plastics/metals, take your scrap papers to the paper retriever, and save most of your food scraps, you may be amazed at how little you take the trash out!)

Two articles I found incredibly helpful on HOW and WHY to make healthy, home made broths and stocks are here and here.  These are in my homesteading binder and referred to often.

Aside from using fresh broths and stocks, you can easily freeze them, boil them down to create a thickened and condensed version (add water when using in recipes to create your stock again), and even can them.  This way you can make a lot at once and have it available when you need it.

Stocks and broths can be made from vegetables, fish, duck, chicken, beef, and lamb.  They can be used in soups, stews and casseroles or even on their own as an incredibly healthy drink.

To prepare stocks, you’ll need bones and bits of meat, vegetables and good water.  For beef and lamb stocks, bones are browned in the oven to give flavor and color.  Refer to the articles linked above for step by step instructions and recipes.  Making broth can take a few hours to all night or even 24 hours.  But it’s really a simple process.

A household notebook can be a great way to keep you organized.  A household notebook is a central location for phone numbers, calendars, business cards, to-do lists, chore lists, inspiration/motivation, cleaning lists, schedules, odds and ends, shopping lists, plans, and much more.  This isn’t the typical binder you’d buy in a store!  This is something every “keeper of the home” must create and personalize according to her family

Check out this fantastic link for a full “course” in creating a household notebook, plus a tour through her own.  On the left column you’ll find a long list of others who have created household notebooks and have them displayed on their website.  Excellent inspiration and ideas for creating your own!!

Holidays are approaching!  Something home made, from the heart, can make for a very special gift for loved ones.  You can create thoughtful, useful, and memorable gifts usually for much less than what you’d pay for something in the store, too.  This can help keep your holiday spending budget under control.  Also, keep in mind that the holidays are not the only time you can make homemade gifts!  Birthdays and anniversaries count, too!

If you do a search online, you’ll come up with a TON of home made gift ideas.  Here are a few to get you started:

• Kitchen accessories for the ladies in your life.  Tube-shaped grocery bag holders, placemats, silverwear holders, cute dish towel racks, etc.
• Home-canned jams, jellies, preserves, salsa
• Create a “homecare” basket with home-made cleaning solutions, soaps, detergent and write up a booklet full of other cleaning recipes and nontoxic cleaning ideas.
• Sew clothing or accessories (bags, purses, decorate belts, etc.)
• Home-made household notebooks, pregnancy journals, “baby’s first year” or “school year” scrapbooks for the young and school aged children (made for their parents to write in, of course).  Many free forms and templates are available online, or you can create your own.
• For the kids: bake up some home-made dough threading items, big beads for threading, puzzles and geometric shapes.  Create a felt board or a flannel board (view my personal blog to see how I did it) complete with a set of felt or flannel board peices.  Sew up cloth diapers for a new baby in your life.  Dollhouses, dollhouse accessories, wooden trucks and a toolset (created out of tools you no longer need) can make nice age-appropriete gifts, also. 
• Mason jar mixes: dry cookie and soup mixes make for nice, easy gifts.

Make a list of the people you need to shop for.  Then list their interests, wants or needs.  Then search for gifts you think they’d enjoy!

What have you done, or plan to do?

http://www.freshpreserving.com/pages/home/1.php is a GREAT resource.

Hold your mouse over the “how to” section on the menu bar and click on your topic of choice from the drop down menu.  Guides to canning high and low acid foods, and more.  Super resource.

Ditch the microwavable stuff in favor for something healthier and much tastier.  hey - if my husband can fall in love with home made butterless popcorn (when he used to be an ‘extreme butter’ microwavable popcorn kinda guy) there is hope for everyone!

The recipe is simple: 3 ounces of oil (we use peanut oil and use a shot glass for easy measuring… we don’t drink but it seems there is always a shot glass sitting around!), 1/2 cup popcorn and salt to taste.  I use a metal mixing bowl and cover it with foil (poke some holes so steam can escape), then use tongs to shake the bowl over the burner on high head.  Shake vigorously as you hear the kernals pop, then once it seems like the ‘grand finale’ has finished, slide it over to a cool burner and continue to shake for a second or two.

You can of course add butter or other seasoning to your popcorn.

Save money, stay healthy… how can you go wrong??  No popcorn machine needed here!

This came in my inbox this morning from the organichomesteadinggardening yahoogroup.  I’m sure we can all come up with additional uses for vinegar, but here are 60 to get us started!

SIXTY USES OF VINEGAR
1.. Arthritis tonic and treatment; 2 spoonfuls of apple cider vinegar and honey in a glass of water several times daily.
2.. Thirst-quenching drink: apple cider vinegar mixed with cold water.
3.. Sagging cane chairs: sponge them with a hot solution of half vinegar and half water. Place the chairs out in the hot sun to dry.
4.. Skin burns: apply ice cold vinegar right away for fast relief. Will prevent burn blisters.
5.. Add a spoonful of vinegar to cooking water to make cauliflower white and clean.
6.. Storing cheese: keep it fresh longer by wrapping it in a vinegar-soaked cloth and keeping it in a sealed container.
7.. Remove stains from stainless steel and chrome with a vinegar-dampened cloth.
8.. Rinse glasses and dishes in water and vinegar to remove spots and film.
9.. Prevent grease build-up in your oven by frequently wiping it with vinegar.
10.. Wipe jars of preserves and canned food with vinegar to prevent mold-producing bacteria.
11.. To eliminate mildew, dust and odors, wipe down walls with vinegar-soaked cloth.
12.. Clean windows with vinegar and water.
13.. Hardened paint brushes: simmer in boiling vinegar and wash in hot soapy water.
14.. Clean breadbox and food containers with vinegar-dampened cloth to keep fresh-smelling and clean.
15.. Pour boiling vinegar down drains to unclog and clean them.
16.. Clean fireplace bricks with undiluted vinegar.
17.. An excellent all-purpose cleaner: vinegar mixed with salt. Cleans copper, bronze, brass, dishes, pots, pans, skillets, glasses, windows. Rinse well.
18.. Make your catsup and other condiments last long by adding vinegar.
19.. To clear up respiratory congestion, inhale a vapor mist from steaming pot containing water and several spoonfuls of vinegar.
20.. Apple cider vinegar and honey as a cure-all: use to prevent apathy, obesity, hay fever, asthma, rashes, food poisoning, heartburn, sore throat, bad eyesight, dandruff, brittle nails and bad breath.
21.. When boiling eggs, add some vinegar to the water to prevent white from leaking out of a cracked egg.
22.. When poaching eggs, add a teaspoon of vinegar to the water to prevent separation.
23.. Weight loss: vinegar helps prevent fat from accumulating in the body.
24.. Canned fish and shrimp: to give it a freshly caught taste, soak in a mixture of sherry and 2 tablespoons of vinegar.
25.. Add a spoonful of vinegar when cooking fruit to improve the flavor.
26.. Soak fish in vinegar and water before cooking for a tender, sweeter taste.
27.. Add vinegar to boiling ham to improve flavor and cut salty taste.
28.. Improve the flavor of desserts by adding a touch of vinegar.
29.. Add vinegar to your deep fryer to eliminate a greasy taste.
30.. Add a tablespoon of vinegar to fruit gelatin to hold it firm.
31.. Steep your favorite herb in vinegar until you have a pleasing taste and aroma.
32.. Use vinegar instead of lemon on fried and broiled foods.
33.. To remove lime coating on your tea kettle; add vinegar to the water and let stand overnight.
34.. To make a good liniment: beat 1 whole egg, add 1 cup vinegar and 1 cup turpentine. Blend.
35.. Apply vinegar to chapped, cracked skin for quick healing.
36.. Vinegar promotes skin health: rub on tired, sore or swollen areas.
37.. Reduce mineral deposits in pipes, radiators, kettles and tanks by adding vinegar into the system.
38.. Rub vinegar on the cut end of uncooked ham to prevent mold.
39.. Clean jars with vinegar and water to remove odor.
40.. Avoid cabbage odor by adding vinegar to the cooking water.
41.. Skunk odor: remove from pets by rubbing fur with vinegar.
42.. Paint adheres better to galvanized metal that has been wiped with vinegar.
43.. Pets’ drinking water: add vinegar to eliminate odor and encourage shiny fur.
44.. For fluffy meringue: beat 3 egg whites with a teaspoon of vinegar.
45.. Pie crust: add 1 tablespoon vinegar to your pastry recipe for an exceptional crust.
46.. Half a teaspoon per quart of patching plaster allows you more time to work the plaster before it hardens.
47.. Prevent discoloration of peeled potatoes by adding a few drops of vinegar to water. They will keep fresh for days in fridge.
48.. Poultry water: add vinegar to increase egg production and to produce tender meat.
49.. Preserve peppers: put freshly picked peppers in a sterilized jar and finish filling with boiling vinegar.
50.. Olives and pimentos will keep indefinitely if covered with vinegar and refrigerated.
51.. Add 1 tsp. vinegar to cooking water for fluffier rice.
52.. Add vinegar to laundry rinse water: removes all soap and prevents yellowing.
53.. After shampoo hair rinse: 1 ounce apple cider vinegar in 1 quart of distilled water.
54.. For a shiny crust on homemade bread and rolls: just before they have finished baking, take them out, brush crusts with vinegar, return to oven to finish baking.
55.. Homemade sour cream: blend together 1 cup cottage cheese, 1/4 cup skim milk and 1 tsp. vinegar.
56.. Boil vinegar and water in pots to remove stains.
57.. Remove berry stains from hands with vinegar.
58.. Prevent sugaring by mixing a drop of vinegar in the cake icing.
59.. Cold vinegar relieves sunburn.
60.. When boiling meat, add a spoonful of vinegar to the water to make it more tender.

I have been using the home-made detergent through several loads.  The first load I washed some clothing I had forgotten about that was wet and incredibly smelly.  I was prepared to run two loads, as I usually have to with storebought detergent to get the stench out of the clothing.  However, I didn’t have to.  Using 2 tablespoons of the home made detergent, the clothing came out clean and smelling fresh.

The real test came while washing cloth diapers.  However, I have to say the home made detergent did a better job than the storebought varieties we’ve tried.  The diapers came out brighter, cleaner, fresher smelling and softer. 

So far, I’m impressed.  Check out the very low cost and very easy to make detergent recipe in the Make Your Own category.