Homestead Community

Homestead Community Post Homemade Convenience: Time Saving and Frugal

Convenience food you can afford to stock up on

Homesteading in Small Spaces Gardening in the City or Suburbs

Looking to Our Pioneers

Spring 2012

For the Love of Ducks Raising Ducks for Eggs

You Can Bee a Beekeeper Beekeeping Basics-Desert Bees

Alternate Lighting

How to Light Your Way Without the Grid

Why I chose the Homestead Life

20 Minute Cute Kitchen Curtains Step By Step Sewing Instructions

A Magazine for the Whole Family

Table of contents:

Homesteading:

3 For the Love of Ducks Raising Ducks for Eggs

5 Making a Wattle Fence Picture Tutorial using Sticks

7 Looking to Our Pioneers Why I chose the Homestead Life

Spring Issue April-July 2012

17 Homesteading in Small Spaces Gardening in the City or Suburbs

Mark and Erin Harrison Editors - in - Chief

20 You Can Bee a Beekeeper Beekeeping Basics-Desert Bees

Article Coordinators Daniel and Abby Jo Van Houtan

23 Grandpa Jakes Fire Theory

Article Proofing

Great Story about Cutting the Old Wood Pile

27 Alternate Lighting

How to Light Your Way Without the Grid

29 Making a Bottle Lamp Simple, Easy, and Renewable

Homemaking:

2 Thoughts on Washing Dishes

Olivia H. Berry Deb Gates

Writers Mark and Erin Harrison Daniel and Abby Jo Van Houtan Amy Walker Jill Winger Merissa Alink Owen Newman Michael Smith Olivia H. Berry Bethany Kreyssig Pauline Abello

Why Wash Dishes By Hand?

Design and Layout Erin Harrison

13 Letter to My Clothesline A Great New Way to Dry Your Clothing

15 Homemade Convenience

Time Saving and Frugal- Making the Most With What You Have

Photography Mark and Erin Harrison Daniel and Abby Jo Van Houtan Amy Walker Jill Winger Merissa Alink Bethany Krieysig Pauline Abello

37 20 Minute Cute Kitchen Curtains Step By Step Sewing Instructions Family Fun: 25 The Code of the West Cowboys Creed

35 Coloring Picture and Word Puzzles Natural Health: 32 Healing Yourself Naturally Using Herbs to Heal

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Do you have story, recipe or how-to. We love to here from our readers! Here are a few topics we would like to hear about; homesteading (wherever you live), simplicity, gardening, sustainability, repurposed furniture, forgotten skills, grandma and grandpa stories, Canning and crafting. Please submit your articles to: hcpemag@gmail.com HCP reserves the right to edit any submission.

Anyone remember the days when

we washed all the dishes by hand every single day? You know, before dishwashers were popular or even invented?

You might think I’m crazy, but it wouldn’t be such a bad thing if a movement to ditch the dishwasher sprang up in homes across the country. Yes, there a lot of other things you could be doing in the time that it takes to wash them by hand, but would it accomplish as much?

For example...

• Would another activity allow two siblings to have to learn to work together to get a job done?

• How about a game of “pop the towel” with a brother? (ouch! I’d skip that one!)

• Any chance it would develop a sense of joy in an 8 year old (standing on a chair, of course) for a job well done?

• Just wondering, but would it allow sisters to work together, side by side, at the end of the day where they would learn to share their secret thoughts with one other?

• And would the memories of home and family be engraved as deeply on the mind and heart?

Forgive me for being so nostalgic, but I just spent the evening last night doing the dishes, by hand, with my 12 year old chattering non-stop about stories she had been listening to, books she was reading, and some of her deepest feelings... all while I washed and she dried.

Before it was over, she had us both in tears over one of her stories! I know she didn’t realize it, but the joy in my soul for another little peak into the window of her heart was overwhelming... and good! Would another activity have opened up such an opportunity? Some

perhaps, but not many.

As we were finishing up and things were winding down, it caused me to reflect back on a scene in my grandmother’s home where I often helped with the dishes.

Her little cottage kitchen was so small, you had to do them without fail just to have any counter space! The window above the sink would often be open on summer evenings and a train would whistle in the distance or the crickets in the yard could be heard singing their night song. As I dried, her large white cotton flour sack dish towels always felt so good when they were wet.

Especially on hot nights!

Somehow this ritual made me feel knitted together with my family. Like I was a part of something bigger than just ME. I know I didn’t understand how significant these little things were at the time, but I’m so glad today that I was blessed to have them. And it’s important that we provide this type of experiences for our own children, whether they desire them at the time or not. In time, they’ll long for such moments!

So, I guess it really isn’t about washing dishes after all, but rather spending time as members of a family doing the mundane chores of life, whatever they may be, in order to have time to connect... one soul to another.

Today, Amy and her daughters have ditched the dishwasher for good and do all their dishes by hand... every single day!

Amy Walker, Blogger Homestead Revival™ http://homesteadrevival.blogspot.com

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year ago, I would never have thought I would have my own flock of ducks. We always have had chickens around this homestead. I always thought ducks would some how be harder to manage. Where I got that, I do not know?

One day I ran across an article describing the many benefits of ducks. So began my search to know more about ducks‌ laying ducks to be specific. I have found that ducks are easy and versatile keepers. People usually keep ducks for their eggs and meat, but most people fall in love with their playful and entertaining antics.

Ducks are also prone to fewer diseases than hens. The clincher for me though was the amount of eggs certain breeds could produce a year. The majority of ducks we have in our flock are Khaki Campbell; they tout egg production of over 300 eggs a year. So far they live up to it. My three khaki girls are laying five eggs a

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Duck Egg Du tch Baby

day! They can lay more than one egg a day. The Indian Runner is second only to the Khaki Campbell. Both of these great breeds are very hardy.

Raising ducks is very simple, much like raising chickens. Ducks however require more drinking water, as they immerse their entire bill in the water. Ducks love water. They don’t have to have a pond, but a deep low water trough or kiddie pool will do the job. Ducks love to forage. They enjoy bugs, slugs, snails, plants and roots. You can even let them patrol your gardens to help control garden pests.

You might want to keep an eye on them though, just in case they run out of bugs and slugs. You never know, they might find your garden appealing fodder. If you have a lot of predators around, like I do, you will need to keep them penned up or build a duck tractor so they can forage.

½ C. Butter 2 C. Milk 8 Eggs 2 tsp Vanilla Extract 2 C. Flour 5 Tbs. Suga r

We add a lit tle lemon ze st too!

This makes two cast iron pans full about 8-9 in ch skillets.

Put ¼ cup of butter in each cast iron pan; place th at in a 425˚ oven until th butter is mel e ted and bubb ly (you want hot, but don’ it t burn the bu tter) Combine milk, eg gs, and vanilla . Beat well an stir in slow d ly flour and sugar. Beat smooth. Pou until r the batter into the hot pans. Bake fo r 20 minutes or until wel raised and br lown on top.

We love to dr izzle with le mon juice an d

Ducks that are laying will need extra food. You can buy a generic laying feed or you can mix up a basic mash: corn, barley or oats with a little fish meal. When it comes to housing ducks need a small draft free home to lay their eggs and go into at night for protection from the weather and critters. Domesticated ducks are heavier compared to the wild counterparts, however they can fly/glide over low fencing, though usually they don’t if they have sufficient forage and food. If you ever have a problem with a duck that likes to fly the coop, you can always clip their wings.

Ducks are known worldwide for diversity and easy keeping. I would go so far as to say, a perfect homestead keeper!.

Duck Eggs!

What fascinated me the most however was the lift duck eggs are suppose to give too baked goods. The cook in me, had to try this out. It is said, French bakeries only use duck eggs. I also think it’s the rich and flavorful, almost decadent taste these eggs bring to your cooking.

My family loves our ducks and the wonderful eggs they bring to the homestead. Here is one of our favorite recipes we use for breakfast. I use to make these with chicken eggs, and now I always use my duck eggs for the incredible lift it gives!

By Abby Jo @ Forgotten Way Farms.com

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Wattle Fencing originated in England hundreds of years ago. It is a very practical and economical fencing using brush sticks from the woods.

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Thought you might enjoy a pictorial guide on how we build wattle fencing....

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Looking to our Pioneers

By Erin Harrison

Why I chose the Homesteading Life

Pictured above: Great Grandpa Frederick Reichel (circled), one of 10 children. Photo was taken 1890 in Germany before the family traveled by boat to the United States, and then to settle in Kaukauna WI Far left: Great Grandpa Fred’s son, Frances pictured in the middle, working the horses to make roads. 1920 Kaukauna, WI Bottom Middle: Great Grandpa Fred Reichel standing in front of his tavern.

1914 Kaukauna, WI

Bottom right: My Grandpa Cyril Reichel, age 4, youngest of 12 kids on the homestead in 1920.

Kaukauna, WI

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W

hy did I choose homesteading? I think back to a warm July morning in my grandma Julia’s kitchen. I was sitting at the table with my legs dangling down, waiting for my slice of hot fresh bread. I can still remember the aroma of that bread. Grandma with her apron dusted with fresh flour, briskly walked over to the oven and took the 5 loaves out one by one.

I just beamed with excitement knowing I would be the first to indulge. You could hear the crunch of Me and my Grandma Julia the crust as she gently cut Reichel. 1981 the end of the loaf off for me.

Oh, how I loved the crust ends because I had short hair. Grandma always told me “Your hair will grow longer if you eat your crust.” I really believed those words, so I would be getting a double dose on that end piece. She covered my bread with a thick layer of her homemade strawberry freezer jam before she handed it in my direction. The combination of sweet with warm and tender crisp made me want to be like grandma. I wanted to bake bread just like her.

My grandma Julia came from a Dutch immigrant family who settled in the village of Little Chute, WI. She was the oldest of 14 kids, so she was half ways a mother to most of them. In the early 1900s, there were still no automobiles in her poor Dutch community and she would recall harsh winters where they rode in a cutter (horse drawn sleigh) to church on Sundays. Baking bread was a part of her daily chores, for there were a lot of mouths to feed in their humble home. She would tell me story after story on how she would have to scrub that wooden plank floor every morning and evening on her hands and knees. There was no finish on their floor, so an occasional sliver was par for the course.

Her mother needed so much help that she made her quit school at an early age to assist in running the home. Grandma was smart, she worked hard, and was quick witted. She sure didn’t suffer for a lack of education. After she married at age 17, she still worked full time at her mother’s home to help with all the mending, bread baking, and diaper washing. She lived at her new husband’s parent’s homestead. Her first baby was born premature and since they did not have neonatal care in those days, she had her at home and the baby was so tiny that she told me that she had to put her in a shoe box to keep her swaddled. It is

amazing that the baby survived, but she did, and my aunt Janice is still alive today!

When Grandma got older and her daughters started using a bread machine, she told them as she moved her fingers in a kneading fashion, “These are my bread makers.” Grandma told me that she loved the feeling of dough between her fingers and even though times were changing, she never stopped enjoying making fresh baked bread. I can still see her punching her hands in that great big white bread bowl.

Her husband, Grandpa Cyril, came from a German immigrant family. They were farmers. Grandpa told me stories of Reichel’s pond which was used to harvest ice in the winter months and he was in charge of delivering ice with a team of horses. His father was a pioneer from Germany and when he settled in Wisconsin, he married an Indian girl. My Grandpa Cyril would never let us forget his “Inyin Blood.”

He had stories about his parents, how they put their heart and soul into the land. Their blood, sweat, and tears carved a village out of that thick forest land. They were one of the first settlers to Kaukauna, Wisconsin. Trees had to be plucked out of that land one by one, by horse and man power alone, to make way for the farm. My Grandpa Cyril helped carve the roads out with a team of horses.

Eventually, the village became a logging town and now it is one of the biggest paper industry towns in the nation. His father, Great Grandpa Fred Reichel, found a hilltop to raise his family and start his homestead. He built a small tavern at the top of the hill and much of the community would enjoy getting together there. He milked about 14 cows by hand and all of his kids went out to the barn to milk.

Auntie Janice was a little girl when they still ran the dairy. She would help her Cyril and Julia Reichel’s wedding grandfather Julia Derks Reichel in the Dutch village of Little Chute, WI 1925

photo. May 1, 1935 Little Chute, WI

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he nt . o ice stead n a I me eJ nti l ho na, W u A che au i Re Kauk 1939

The Simple Life:

out with the milking since she had the tiniest hands.

There was one cow that had the smallest teats and they needed her hands to work the milk out of them.

She told me how they would strain the milk out into the old tall milk cans and load up the old wood lined pickup truck and deliver the milk down to the creamery. On occasion, they would make ice cream from the jersey cream and it was such a treat. They would turn it round and round in an old hand-cranked ice-cream maker.

They raised gardens for produce. Back then, my great grandparents stored what they could in a root cellar or canned and made things like sour kraut in crocks. They raised pigs and chickens. The pigs were butchered by hand and the hams were smoked in an old smoke house. They would use the entire animal, never wasting a thing. The head meat, liver, and heart were ground up with cabbage, spices, and onions, stuffed for long sausage rings and boiled in a big black cauldron outside. Aunt Janice remembers it to be the best sausage she ever tasted.

At the bottom of the hill was the Fox River and within the lowland, there was a pond that they laid claim to. It was a perfect place to harvest ice to sell. They were the first ice farmers in the area. Each block of ice was cut by hand with

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large saws and stored in sawdust to preserve it. These pioneers of the valley were so resourceful and found many ways to feed their families.

When we think of the pioneers, we often drum up a picture of Little House on the Prairie with covered wagons, log cabins, and little girls in braids running through a meadow. That was Hollywood’s spin. These were the real nuts and bolts of our grass root pioneers.

The real pioneers who survived the trek out west and much more, survived the land in its harshest moments.

There was no running water or indoor plumbing, no electricity, no grocery markets with fresh produce, no computers to research on, no cars or planes, and no telephone to call for help. In the mid 1800s, when our Great Grandparents braved the land, they spent about 90% of their time focusing on feeding their families.

My grandparents tell me of stories when they nearly starved because the harvest did not come in or conditions rendered them unfruitful, but because they did not have the conveniences we have today, they had to figure out how to make everything from scratch or they did without. They had to cut down each tree by hand and pull the very large roots out with a team of horses. It was a very dangerous job and required the

My Great Grandpa Fred with son, Roman, and one of their milk cows.

1920 Kaukauna, WI

Simple does not mean easy because the “simple life” is hard work. You have the “simple life” when the majority of your time and energy is put towards the basic needs of life, which are food, shelter, and clothing. entire community to pitch in. They needed the land cleared to grow crops and to raise livestock.

If you did not have a family cow, you went without butter, cheese, and fresh milk. So, preparing the land for pasture, barn, and gardens was a real necessity. Every minute counted because from every stitch of clothing made, every building built, and every meal on the table, everything was made from scratch.

It took the entire family and sometimes an entire community to work together to survive. With no entitlement programs, if you did not work, you did not eat.

My mother and father bought their first home in Hortonville, Wisconsin. We had a very big garden every summer and grew many different things. I remember mom telling me to pick raspberries, sending me out with a pail. The raspberries were so good that I had a hard time filling the bucket because I was eating almost every berry I picked. Mom made the best raspberry jam. Dad really loved to garden and put his whole heart into it. They remind me of how big the tomatoes and strawberries were. He was able to figure out what the plants needed in the soil to grow better using all organic fertilizers.

Another thing that really stands out in my mind was Uncle Gary’s little homestead. Uncle Gary worked full time at the paper mill, but wanted to also raise all their food on his two acre farmette. He raised pigs, chickens, ducks, rabbits, steer, geese, and a great big garden. Going to their homestead was one of my fondest memories. The smell of the pigpen is something that I will never forget! Us kids would run the farm, free and full of imagination. We would chase pigs, catch chickens, and build forts in the barn. There was a huge cottonwood tree in front of the barn, and Uncle Gary push us so high that we could almost see over the barn.

Butchering day was a big day because he would invite all the aunts and uncles out to help. I was the kid that tried to save the chicken from getting it’s head cut off. It was just so unfair in my small mind that they had to die so we could eat. But it was a part of life on a farm and an aspect I did not like but had to overcome later in life. Uncle Gary’s boys would go catch the chickens and he would bleed them out and pluck them, after that to all the women who were pull-

ing out the pin feathers.

My dad and my Grandpa Cyril were in charge of the gutting. It took the whole day to clean all the birds, but it was a great time to get together with all my cousins and play while our parents worked.

Years passed and I became interested in art, education, and sports. I got caught up in everything but food. In fact, I forgot to eat half the time. My mind was filled with all these dreams of going to college and becoming somebody. I watched television everyday and talked on the phone-a typical teenager. I didn’t like to work very much or help my parents and my room was a pig pen. Between homework and artwork, I was busy. Mom would yell at me for not helping enough around the house and for being lazy. When she was only 12 years old, she had to cook all the meals at her home.

I never took any interest in cooking food, so when the day came that I was married, I did not know what to do.

I would go to the grocery store and buy boxes of cereal for breakfast, macaroni and cheese in a box, frozen pizzas, and what ever kind of convenience food I could afford.

Something happened to me after I found out we were expecting our first child. I started to think about food. I remembered my life growing up and found such joy in those memories of Grandma’s fresh baked bread and uncle Gary’s little farmette. I wanted that for my new child. I did not know where to start, but I knew that I needed to start somewhere. Grandma! I could learn from Grandma.

I invited Grandma over for a meal one time and I wanted to make her proud of me. This was the first big meal I ever prepared in my little apartment kitchen. I threw some whole potatoes in some water and brought those to a boil, coated some chicken breasts with Uncle Gary’s Geese at his shake’n’bake homestead and put them

1981 Kaukauna, WI

Me with our family milk cow.

2011 Hortonville, WI

in the oven.

When the potatoes were done, I stared at them for awhile wondering how in the world you make mashed potatoes. My mom gave me a salad shooter for a wedding gift, so I thought that would work. I sent boiling hot potatoes through that machine and found out what a mistake that was. There were hot mashed potatoes splattered in a 10 foot radius of the machine. I was burned and I still had a pot full of potatoes to mash. Using a fork was my only option at the time. I did not add salt or butter either! With all that commotion, the chicken was forgotten in the oven and the smoke coming through the cracks was a good indication that my chicken was burnt.

Grandma came over and as she gnawed on my chicken and tried to swallow my cold, tasteless potatoes, she saw that I was trying. She pretended that my meal was great because she sure did not want to discourage me.

After that, I was smitten with Grandma’s kitchen on the old hilltop. It was the same house she raised her five children in. She brought out that big white bread pan and taught me how to make my own bread. I would push the dough this way, and she would grab my hands out and push the dough that way. Eventually, I got the hang of it and made my first batch of bread. It was the most incredible feeling.

Now I knew what the rest of my life looked like. I knew why I would never want a bread machine because the dough between my fingers was such a great feeling. I was being resourceful like Grandma. I was using my hands to make

Never too late to learn something new. something that we could actually eat! I asked Grandma about the crust, how it could have more nutritionand she just laughed and said, “I was just telling you that to get you to eat the whole piece.”

Grandma soon had a stroke and later she died, but I was so thankful that she never gave up on me, no matter how dumb I seemed at times.

After Grandma passed away, I made my own strawberry freezer jam, figured out how to make my own peanut butter, and made a batch of homemade bread. We were living at our first homestead and my son was sitting at the same table I sat at when I was a little girl with his legs dangling down. I made him a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. As I handed it to him, I said “Miles, this entire sandwich is made by scratch.” He looked puzzled and said, “Who’s Scratch, I don’t think I met her yet.”

Later that year I met some Amish and began learning more skills from them. I learned how to sew, can, drive horses, make noodles, and butcher livestock. It became such a thrill for me to learn these skills. Soon, we bought our first milk cow, and chickens, goats, and a pony. Homesteading became a way of life for our little family. I keep learning every day and look forward to what I will learn tomorrow. Now I can almost everything from meat and dairy, to vegetables and fruits. I have nearly a thousand jars sitting on the shelves along with buckets of grains, seeds, and legumes. I grind my own wheat, make my own diary products, and cook many healthy meals on the homestead. Every time I bake bread, I make sure the kids are helping me every step of the way. They are my little buddies. We bond more with work than in play and actually, when you work together, sometimes the work feels like play.

Both my husband and I grew up with few skills in the way of farming, but because of all the stories of our grandparents, the life they lived and how they worked hard as a family, we knew that we wanted that for our children. We are teaching our children to work hard and be resourceful just like our grandparents taught us by their example.

Cooking with my five children 2011 Hortonville, WI

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New DVD release

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fter over three years of Living, Learning, and Filming as a family, we are proud to present VOL. 4 of our Homesteading For Beginners DVD Series.

Some of the topics include: •Episode One:

Raising sheep, sheering, building pens, and building pasture fencing

•Episode Two:

Raising Pigs, Soap Making, and Laundry

•Episode Three:

Gardening, Canning, Making Jam

•Episode Four:

Raising Cows, Easy Cheese press, Making Hard Cheese, , Raising Rabbits, Raising/Butchering and Canning Turkey

•Episode Five:

Cutting Down Trees, Wood Burning Basics, Campouts, Building Shelves

•Episode Six:

Sewing Dresses, Basic Quilt Making, Recipes

Homesteading for Beginners Vol. Four Available for Pre Order NOW! All pre-orders are 25% off the retail price of $39.95

www.Homestead-Store.com

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A Letter to My Clothesline

By Jill Winger Okay,

Dear Clothesline,

e. I have spent ing going, you and m th od go a d ha e e’v W hanging diapers,

ur side, faithfully yo by n oo rn te af er many a summ s, and onesies. sheets, shirts, sock ld of my laundry right. You’ve kept ho e m cane do s ay alw You’ve inds, and even the oc w e rc fo ean ic rr at, hu through extreme he . rm to from sional thunders and kept my house ey on m of ts lo e m You’ve saved

mer heat. stifling in the sum t you may have becoming even more your dedication. Bu d an ny pa m co ur as before.

I’ve enjoyed yo visit you as often to t ou en be t n’ ve noticed that I ha nest. another…

And I must be ho fallen in love with It’s because I’ve

ing Rack.

The Homestead Dry ard box; a rived in a big cardbo ar It . st fir at re mpanion I wasn’t su

ed it would be a co m su as I s. el w do d really did. jumble of sticks an ber of the team. I em m l na io dit ad an swept away. to you, just ther, my heart was ge to t en sp e w e my front door. No But the more tim ck, just steps from de t on fr e th on sket, the rack It sits with my laundry ba rd ya ck ba e th to ng more traipsi cessible. of is just so easily ac … Sheets, all sizes ything I need it to er ev lf the s ha ld e ho m s It ke

rs. It ta pe dia h ot cl y m en d ev ss with finding clothing, towels, an d I don’t have to fu an , w no s he ot cl time to hang . weather enough clothespins were always a fairu yo it, it m ad to for Though I hate

ill I have to settle w er ng lo No . ck ra drying are covered friend. But not my intertime when you w e th in r ye dr ic ing room using the electr ill come into the liv w ck ra g yin dr e Th ainst me, will you? with ice and snow. won’t hold that ag u Yo e. er th k or w and go to tand. on’t take Surely you unders t don’t worry, I w Bu . am y all re I y, st for So I’m sorr

every so often… ju u yo it vis to e m co you down. I’ll still . old times sake

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Cordially, Jill

so that was a tongue-in-cheek review of my new rack from Homestead Drying Racks. But don’t let the cuteness fool you, I love this thing! Like I said above, I really didn’t expect to use it as much as I have. I mean, who cares what you hang your clothes on, as long as they are dry, right?

Wrong! I am finding myself FAR preferring my drying rack. It has saved me so much time and I love how accessible it is right out on the front deck. Just throw the clothes over the sturdy wooden dowels and you are good to go. Plus, it’s big enough that I have yet to run out of roomeven with my biggest loads of blankets or diapers!

The craftsmanship is excellent, and the assembly directions are thorough and easy to follow. I haven’t

The Prairie Homestead: Return to your Roots www.theprairiehomestead.com Natural Homesteading, Traditional Foods, and Homemade Living

used my clothesline since we assembled the rack, and I don’t see myself going back to it, especially with winter coming.

Here’s what it comes down to: if you are just planning to hang clothes outside to dry “for fun” once per month or so, then you probably don’t need a rack. However, if you are looking at taking the lifestyle of homesteading/off-grid living/sustainability more seriously, then it’s important to have the quality tools you need to complete your tasks as efficiently as possible. I don’t know about you, but anything that helps me save time and hassle around our homestead is very worth it to me!

To purchase a handcrafted drying rack of your own...Go to... www.HomesteadDryingRacks.com

My only caveat is to do some measuring before you order if you have a tiny house. I received the largest rack they make (The Homesteader), and it is BIG. It’s perfect for us, since we have a good sized deck to use it with, but if you have an apartment or tiny balcony, you might want to make sure the size you order will fit your space. Thankfully, Mark Harrison makes 3 different sizes to fit any sized homestead.

My rack hard at work

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By Merissa Alink When you start the transition to a more self sufficient

lifestyle, one of the first things you might start to miss is convenience foods. No, I’m not talking greasy fast food burgers and fries, I mean the things you might have kept in your pantry; cake mixes, brownie mixes, boxed cookies and crackers. Things that make life a little easier when you were in a rush. Something you might not miss is the cost of those convenience items. $2-$3 or more for a box of crackers, at least $1 a box for cake mixes, it all adds up and we end up paying the price for that convenience food.

Well, I happen to think we can have the best of both worlds. (The best of all worlds actually when you consider losing the preservatives and chemicals that go into convenience and boxed foods!) You can still have convenience foods without using a lot of your precious grocery budget, and you can do this without even making a trip to the store.

How? By making your own convenience mixes! Now, I have 2 ways that I do this. Either I will take a day and make up big batches of convenience foods and mixes or I will make a jar or two extra when I’m

already making the item. For example if I’m making brownies, I’ll mix up 3 batches instead of one. Then I’ll take the dry ingredients for 2 batches and separate them into jars and put them on my pantry shelf, and go about finishing my third batch to have now.

Where do we find the recipes for these homemade convenience foods? Well, it’s so simple! Just measure all the dry ingredients of your favorite recipes right into a jar to be put in your pantry. Then make a label for the front of what wet ingredients you need to add to finish the product. I have about 3 jars of each convenience food I make. I already have labels on these jars because I use them over and over. Once I use the mix out of the jar I will set it in a special spot in my kitchen so the next time I make a batch I can refill the same jar with the same mix. Here are a few of my favorite homemade convenience food recipes!

e

ecip R up

f Soered mr ilk o m wd ou on

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Cre

ith fl po ill ix wof 2 c. 2 ½ c.en bou flakes m e k n h m chic onio of t crea ¼ c.. dried ½ c. ake it x i m 2T se, m s to . jar. to uhroom up mix y d size o s a t s e u r r a re d m om a qu ou a . Ad shro ly in en y. water mu g h u W ¼c sn fits 1 cipe e r One

Plain Crackers 1 c. flour ½ t. salt When you are ready to make them, add 2 T. melted butter and 6-7 T. warm water. Mix with a fork. Do not knead the dough, roll out very thin on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle tops with salt and score into small squares with a pizza cutter.

Bake at 350˚ for about 15 minutes or until slightly browned.

Vanilla Wafers Crackers from the store, $2 and up.

Plain Crackers Recipe: 1 c. flour = 12¢ Salt = too small an amount to count 2 T. butter = 16¢ Total = 28¢

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¼ t. salt 1 c. sugar 1 1/3 c. flour ¾ t. baking powder When you are ready to make the mix, whip one egg white, 1 stick softened butter, 2 T. vanilla extract, and 1 T. milk. Add in the mix from the jar and stir well. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350˚ for 15-20 minutes. The cookies will harden as they cool so don’t overbake.

Yellow Cake Mix 1 ½ c. flour 1 c. sugar (again, you can use any kind) 1 t. baking soda ½ t. salt Mix together and pour into a jar. When you are ready to make the recipe, add ½ c. oil, 1 c. milk, 2 t. vanilla, and 1 T. of vinegar. Pour into a greased 8x8 pan and bake at 350˚ for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

You can even make mixes of your favorite snacks. Then it’s so easy to grab a jar and mix them up! For a fraction of the price too!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix ¾ c. sugar ¾ c. brown sugar 2 ¼ c. flour 1 t. baking soda 1 t. salt 1 c. chocolate chips When you are ready to make the mix, add the mix in the jar with 1 c. butter (softened), 1 t. vanilla, and 2 eggs. Mix well. Drop by tablespoonful onto a greased cookie sheet and bake at 350˚ for 12 minutes.

Another money saving idea you can use while making your own mixes is to not use nice canning jars, but reuse jars from other products. I put my mixes in old salsa, mayonnaise, and other random glass jars! So instead of taking up one of my valuable canning jars I just reuse the jar from another product that I already purchased.

So now, maybe you are thinking, well this is convenient but is it really any cheaper? Check out the amazing savings on the Cracker Recipe featured over the cracker photo.

As you can see, it’s easy, and cheap to make your own homemade versions of convenience foods. Not everyone has all hours of the day to be mixing up dishes and making food for their families so this way offers a healthy, fast, thrifty alternative.

For more information on frugal living check out www.LittleHouseLiving.com

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Homesteading in Small Spaces

By Bethany Kreyssig

Making the Most of What You’ve Got I

n this issue, I want to encourage everyone, whether you live in an apartment building, are renting a house in the suburbs, or are blessed with an acre or two of your own; there is much you can do to provide food for your family.

The first thing I recommend you do is to find out the zoning and other laws or ordinances you are required to obey.

If you have an HOA (Homeowner’s Association) make sure you check with the head of the group to find out what restrictions apply, such as placement restrictions for your garden. Some HOAs will go as far as to tell you how tall your grass is allowed to grow and will fine you for letting it get too long! Since it is your neighborhood that set up these guidelines, you may be able to ask for an exception and you want to be very familiar with the restrictions and well prepared in any presentations for a variance. Keep your focus on the positive side. Make sure you don’t insult them as you always get more bees with honey than with vinegar. Perhaps you will be allowed to have your own chickens, if you offer to sell them to the neighbors at a reduced rate.

Calling your local town hall and asking to talk with a zoning regulations officer is a wise idea. In some smaller towns, a town clerk may be able to give you the needed information.

You want to be sure you are within the law; all it takes is for one neighbor to complain and you may need to find a new home for your chickens!

With proper planning, small gardens can produce an abundance of food for a family. We had two seasons worth of growing when we lived in South Carolina, a blessing indeed.

But if you don’t take into consideration the proper placement of your garden, even a long growing season doesn’t mean success.

The first thing to consider in garden placement is light.

Your veggies and fruit are going to need a lot of sunshine, so you will want to plan carefully to get them this vital ingredient. Watch your land as the

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spring leaves come out because what was sunny in the winter months can be shaded in the summer months. Also take into your deliberations the way the sun will move across your property, your deck or balcony. Gardens do well when facing north to south with the sun moving across them from east to west. Accordingly, you would plant your taller veggies to the north end of your garden and move on down in size from there toward the south end of the garden.

Another consideration is the types of weeds that thrive in your area. The first year we lived in the South we dug a plot of earth, tilled it and tilled it, modified the clay soil with all sorts of additions (manure, peat, good dirt, etc.) and spent most of the growing season trying to save our veggies from the encroaching grasses! In the South, the grass grows horizontally!

Fescue grasses are incredible growers and can swallow up a garden in no time! We stopped the battle of the grasses in the beginning of August, and by Labor Day, the grass had filled in the garden to the point you would never have known there was ever a garden there. We didn’t harvest much that year. The lesson here is to decide how much time you will have to devote to keeping the grass and weeds out of your garden and choose the type of garden you will have accordingly.

A soil test if the best way to determine what your soil will need for optimal growing conditions. You can have this done relatively inexpensively through your local extension office, but you can also check with local garden centers as they may offer them, sell do-it-yourself kits, or have some great recommendations for either free or inexpensive testing. And it never hurts to ask where other gardeners go. When we were in the South, it was kind of a no-brainer, everywhere you looked it was red clay; not too hard to know it was going to need help. I might as well plant in cement as that clay! In the North East however, dirt looks like, well, dirt! But even healthy-looking soil might be lacking. If you like to live on the edge, you can wing it like we do.

You can also look online at your state University website for information on planting times, fertilization, soil enrichment, etc. You can find almost everything you need online.

My recommendation? RAISED BEDS! When tight on space, raised beds will do the trick every time. No serious weed issues, easy to tend, no grass to deal with, and you make the soil bed yourself. Raised beds can be configured to any space, long, squat, whatever. They can be set out in your yard or you can place them along your foundation as more of a landscaping idea. Just be careful when planting up near your home as houses

make big shadows. As long as they will get the sun they need, a good 6-8 hours, and you will be all set!

So, what do you need for a raised bed?

You can get as fancy as you wish with all sorts of brackets, but for us, simple is better and helps to keep costs down. We started by figuring out what we wanted to grow and how much we wanted to grow of each veggie. In two raised beds that were approximately 8x8 each, we grew corn, zucchini, squash, beans, cucumbers, watermelons, cantaloupes, peppers, carrots, turnips, and beets. Can you believe it? You don’t have to have a bunch of space, just a little creativity.

After you decide on the size of your beds, buy pressure treated lumber and straight pieces for cross posts. We stacked the lumber two pieces high to get plenty of depth for our beds and secured them with cross boards. We skipped the brackets on the edges and used wood screws all the way around to hook them together. When we placed them in the yard, we covered the bottom (over the grass) with newspaper instead of digging up the grass. I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to dig up that southern grass that is growing in cement, er, I mean “clay” soil, but Phew! I’d rather kill it in an environmentally friendly, recyclable way, so that is what we did.

You could also use a weed barrier that is sold at local hardware stores and gardening centers.

Voila! Raised beds!

When planning your beds, consider what you’re planting, how much room it will need and how b-i-g it is going to get. Our zukes and squash nearly took over the bed they were in and slowed the peppers down quite a bit. It all ended up fine because in the South, the season is long. For those of you with a one shot season, you will want to make sure you leave plenty of room. Following the spacing guidelines of your veggie variety will be very important for you to follow. Sometimes you can overcome this by doing what is called companion planting. For instance, beans can grow up corn stalks without harming the corn. Cucumbers, melons and all vines can be grown on cages, fencing, or whatever you can rig up for a vertical climb. You will need to keep training those vines to go where you want them to, so you will need to check daily to keep them going up. When the fruit begins to appear, you might want to use some old nylons, or whatever you can get your hands on (scrap fabric, old t-shirts, etc.) to tie up your fruit. Think support! You don’t want to wrap your fruit as it will need to grow and expand and receive sunlight, which is why nylons work so well. Make a sling for your fruit to rest on and check often to see if it needs adjusting as the fruit grows. Cucumbers are usually fine on their own, but melons of any kind and certain varieties of eggplant and squash will need to be supported on your climbing trellis. Companion planting is also helpful because some varieties are best planted with other varieties as they can enrich the soil for one another. Since our squash plants grew so large, we added a third bed the following season and began building the soil with compost all autumn and winter long.

Compost! How do you compost in a small area? Most of us who live in a neighborhood or town can attest to the lovely neighborhood dogs, opossums or raccoons that like to rattle our garbage cans on occasion so you must keep in mind that your compost may look like an easy meal. You will want to keep your compost free of pests and out of your neighbors’ sight. There are many plans on the internet for small compost containers and depending on your space, one of

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those might work best for you. Due to ants and critters, we knew we didn’t want to try an open, on the ground compost. So, we built a stand (see pic) out of that same pressure treated wood, stained it and bought a used food grade barrel from a junk place we found on Craigslist. You can check with local restaurants for these containers as well. Please make sure it is food grade if you are using plastic. An old metal garbage will work also, but I find that those rust too quickly. And keep in mind that your compost bin needs to have plenty of sunlight to help with the chemical changes going on within it. By building a stand, inserting a rod to spin it on, you have your own spinning compost for a fraction of what most gardening centers want for a similar style.

Just don’t overload it like we did- it will break! It was messy. :) Another idea is to place a wire mesh cage inside your barrel. If you can secure it so it doesn’t flop around inside, you can make a door in it too. Place your large scraps in it and over time, as you spin your barrel, the fresh compost that has broken down will fall through the holes and then you can take just this out for your garden while the rest of the big chunks continue to break down. This will be my next design for our compost bin.

What about you folks with no yard? I haven’t forgotten you either. We have moved away from our raised beds and are renting now. No raised beds or gardens for us! So, do I give up?

NO! I’m just learning a new language....containers! Now, I don’t even really have a sunny window to speak of, so you might be in a better position than I am. Still, you can grow veggies in almost any container and you can even set them about your patio, porch, deck or window sills for ambiance. Even on a small balcony, you can grow all the things I did by using pots and plastic containers of all sizes. Just remember our earlier rule of thumb, sunlight and direction. Don’t crowd your smaller things behind your taller things (don’t put your peppers behind your corn!). I am using Rubbermaid containers this year. I have decided that since I am in a northern climate, I will not make a self-watering style, but if you are in a warmer climate, you may want to do this and you can learn more about it by going to this website: http://www.josho.com/gardening.htm. They offer complete plans free of charge! Who knows, maybe I’ll decide to give it a whirl, but for now, I am using one container at a time due to

cost constraints. Just make sure whatever you use, you give it some good drainage holes.

You don’t need a lot of space in order to harvest an abundant supply of garden produce. From our two 8x8’s we could have fed an army! We harvested so much that we not only ate fresh veggies all season, we gave much away and other things became compost. I don’t have a canner, but I did dehydrate and freeze so much that I really could have used another freezer!

Don’t think you won’t have much because you don’t live on a big 20-acre farm. Do you really need 500 tomato plants? The key is to think realistically for what your family will consume in a season and if you have the means for preserving what you can’t eat fresh.

Oh, speaking of tomatoes, I used an old horse trough I found in the woods back in Connecticut for growing my tomatoes. My toddler had fun driving his little cars in it and then torturing my plants. Broke them all, but they actually came back! We had some very lovely tomatoes to enjoy and they were delicious...if I could get to them before he did!

You can always resort to grow lights if absolutely necessary, but this is not something I’ve ever done for the long haul.

A better idea would be to find a friend or relative who has some outdoor space and offer to split the goods and share the work! Could be a great time to bond and share your love for the Lord’s wonderful creation.

Happy gardening!

Our compost bin

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You Can Bee a

Beekeeper By, Pauline Abello arizonabees.weebly.com

remember the first time we got bees. Looking at my husband, I was brimming with excitement, “We are BEEKEEPERS!” It truly is an exciting day when you get your first hive. We got into beekeeping because we use so much honey (about 12 gallons a year—we have cut out all processed sugar and seen miraculous healing) and also it made sense to have bees to pollinate our large gardens and orchard.

2)Gloves—the catalogs sell them

Beekeeping can seem daunting, expensive, and even a little scary at first; but it doesn’t have to be. This is how we have kept things inexpensive and safe:

4)Smoker—this is helpful if you are dealing with African bees or catching established hives. But in most bee yards a spray bottle with water is all you really need.

Besides smoke causes the bees to go into alarm mode and they start filling themselves with honey getting ready to flee. Water spraying on them is more like rain—they don’t like it but it is less alarming.

1) Jacket with hood—obviously you will need some kind of protective gear. If you are scared while you are handling the bees they will know it and you’ll be more likely to make mistakes. Get yourself a good set of coveralls that will last, choose a helmet or hood that you prefer. In AZ where we live, we have lots of African bees so we chose the more expensive coverall sets that were ranked highest when tested in the African Bee yards in TX. Brushy Mountain carries these ones. (brushymountainbeefarm. com)

3)Bee brush—this is for brushing the bees off the comb so you can inspect it or harvest it. If you are really pinching pennies you can just as easily use a branch with leaves, but a bee brush is not very expensive and useful.

ining

n tra eper i

Beeke

I

Desert Bees

And of course you are going to need a hive. The “old standard” of hives is the Langstroth. It looks like a bunch of stacked boxes. You have probably seen it. We have found it has a lot of problems and more and more beekeepers seeking natural alternatives to modern commercial beekeeping are straying away from it. If you haven’t heard, there is a real honeybee

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Congratulations!

crisis. The bees are dying in droves. We think some of the elements of the Langstroth hive are contributing to this and we have sought a way to improve upon it. God made the bees. The best we can do as beekeepers is simulate their native environment and how God created them. The more we interrupt it, stress them out, and feed them toxic things to their bodies the more we should expect them to react negatively.

There are two things about the Langstroth that we don’t like: 1) it requires you to move boxes around.

This is really stressful for the bees who require a constant temperature in the hive which they work very hard to maintain. If you like the box design, we find a better substitute is the Warre Hive (http://www. thewarrestore.com/ ) which requires less disturbance of the bees. 2) We also don’t like the foundation.

This is an even bigger problem. Each frame in a Langstroth hive contains a sheet of man-made foundation. Some company (usually in China) collects wax (most likely has pesticides and medication in it) and makes this foundation that simulates what the bees naturally make. It comes complete with the little hexagons in it and everything. The real disaster is that the little hexagons have been made to be large—about 5mm. In nature, the bee only makes the hexagons to be about 4.5mm. This extra .5 mm produces a BIGGER bee. The commercial beekeepers like that because the bees then have longer tongues to reach in different kind of flowers and also carry more pollen thus producing more honey. It actually becomes genetic in a way because it takes awhile to breed out the large bee. Dee Lusby and her late husband Ed, discovered some years ago that the bigger bees are less resistant to mites. The mites are one of the biggest enemies of commercial beekeepers hives. They will kill a hive. I have watched a video where a healthy bee picked up a mite and body slammed it, killing it. A healthy hive can defend itself just fine against those mites. A sick hive full of huge bees can’t. So the commercial beekeepers regularly medicate their bees. This is considered the norm.

How can you correct this? If you are using a Langstroth, opt not to use foundation. You will get less honey but it is a trade for the health of the bee (the reason you get less honey is because you are harvesting the wax this way and they have to use a lot of energy to remake the wax. However, all natural bees wax sells more per lb. than honey, so it’s not a bad trade.) The bees will build their own comb just fine without the man-made foundation. And then you won’t have all the toxic pesticides in there either. They also will make more drone comb without the foundation. To a commercial beekeeper this is downside because drones do nothing but fertilize the queen, but in AZ where Africanized bees are aggressively mating with beekeeper’s European bees, having more drones out to compete with mating is a huge plus that is being overlooked.

Another option is to use a Warre hive (mentioned above) or use the Horizontal Top Bar hive (http://www. biobees.com ). In both of these hives the bees will draw their own comb from a horizontal bar. We personally use both the Warre and Horizontal Top Bar hives. Each has it’s advantages and disadvantages. Both the Warre and the Top Bar hives are fairly simple to build and many plans are available on the internet.

We built one of our Top Bar hives for $3 with culled wood from the lumber store. Beekeeping doesn’t have to be expensive!

That brings us to bees—you can’t be a beekeeper without them! But how to get them? And where? Well the most expensive choice (and the most convenient) is to buy a package of bees March-May. They are overnighted to you by mail unless you pick them up. Who knows what kind of medicated, corn-syrup fed, sick bees you are getting. And if they aren’t from your area they aren’t adapted to the weather. But at least it is a start. A better option is to buy a nuke from a local beekeeper (this is a fully functioning small hive). But again, unless you know his beekeeping practices it may be less than ideal. We think the very best option is to catch a swarm.

Swarming is how bees multiply. In the spring a new queen is born, so the old queen and some of the bees with her will go find a nice tree (bush, eave of a house) to hangout until they have scouted out a new place to make their home. It usually looks like a big ball of bees. Thankfully swarms are very docile, they have no hive to protect so they aren’t really aggressive (usually). It is as simple as putting a box underneath the

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You are on your way to becoming a beekeeper! tree limb and shaking the bees into the box. They are heavy from all the honey they have filled themselves with and they will fall right in, then close the lid. The key is to get the queen—she is in the middle of the ball. As long as she gets inside the box they will all go in there (provided you put a hole on the side!) We like the bankers boxes (filing folder boxes that have a single detachable lid) so you don’t have to deal with all the flaps when you are quickly trying to close them in. Set the box down, wait until nightfall, and then all the bees that were out looking for a new home will come back and go into the box. Tape up the hole and take them home! There are a lot of videos on catching swarms on the internet. You should watch as many as you can before attempting to catch your first swarm. Advertise that you will collect swarms for free and watch how many calls you get every day!

You can even charge a decent amount and still get lots of calls because most people don’t want to call a pest guy to kill them.

You can also put out “swarm traps”. A box that is the right size and at the right height (usually 10 feet high) with the right scent (lemongrass oil smells like the queen) will often catch swarming bees. Then you can dump them into your hive! You can make this box or buy them from bee catalogs.

And then there are established hives. Like ones that are under people’s sheds, or in their garage. For someone who likes honey, this can get you gallons, not to mention free bees. But catching an established hive is not recommended for beginners as they will be very aggressive. You will want a smoker for sure. After you are done you will have a very good understanding of Deuteronomy 1:44! “And the Amorites, which dwelt in that mountain, came out against you, and chased you, as bees do.”

sure to put some honey in their hive, honey is their food.

And please don’t ever, ever, ever feed your bees sugar, corn syrup, soda, or powder sugar! Commercial beekeepers harvest honey in spring, and then again at the end of the summer. They take every last drop of honey so the bees have nothing to last them through the winter, so they feed them sugar or corn syrup to supplement them through that time. Sugar is not at all the like living, raw food that honey is. God designed bees to eat honey, so if you harvested too much and must feed them, feed them raw honey, preferably their own. That is why we choose to only harvest honey in the spring when the pollen is flowing, that way we know we are truly taking what was an excess from their winter stores.

Congratulations! You are on your way to becoming a beekeeper!

Truly what an exciting hobby it is. The world needs more beekeepers who are concerned with beekeeping the way that God designed the bees to thrive. There are precious few people that are willing to take on the adventure to raise bees in a natural way, and even fewer of them are Christians. Have fun learning about the bees and enjoy the delicious honey you harvest. The bees will amaze you and leave you in awe of God’s incredible creation.

If you do attempt to take a hive bring buckets with lids for all the honey comb. Many times they have found a nice home in someone’s wall, shed, or even house! This likely involves cutting them and their comb out and is a potential liability issue. The homeowner must understand that demolition may be involved. There are ways to get them out using a wire mesh funnel that does not involve demolition, the bees go out but can’t come back in. But that does take 3+ weeks and willing homeowner to wait that long, not to mention the availability to check the funnel and make sure it is not clogged with bees. This method requires some experience. These methods and others can be seen on the video “Free Bees for You” (available through Brushy Mountain Bee Farm).

Once you get your bees, practice bee guardianship; make sure your bees have food and water. That means making sure your bees have water so they don’t go drinking out of your neighbor’s chlorinated pool. Put rocks in the bottom of a tray of water so they don’t drown. And make sure your bees have flowers in your yard to collect pollen from so they are not searching in your neighbor’s pesticide filled garden and potentially stinging them. If you get your bees in a dearth (before the flowers have started blossoming) be

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O

ur M Lazy 5 cattle ranch is as real to me now as it was then. As I look into the campfire remembering, my fire hypnotized gaze is staring past a Grandpa Jakes campfire grate holding one Dutch oven with two browned, stuffed Cornish game hens. In the other Dutch oven, hangs a pineapple upside down cake just starting to steam. The second grate holds a cast iron frying pan with onions and potatoes frying. A fresh salad with Lisa’s homemade blue-cheese dressing sits covered on the picnic table and I am remembering M Lazy 5 and especially Grandpa Jake.

Growing up on a fairly large cattle ranch in northwestern Montana should be a requirement for every boy or girl. As I write, I feel some of this is going to be worth reliving – if only on paper. But it’s Grandpa Jake I am thinking about now and a question I asked him right after I turned eight years old.

The hay was in, all three cuttings! The gravity irrigation pond a mile from the house made the alfalfa grow faster than quack grass, and if I am remembering right, the oats and wheat was harvested as well. The eight cords of wood (it looked like a hundred to me) was stacked, of which I was involved with more than I cared to remember. There were times that being the

oldest of three boys had its disadvantages and that wood pile with “my name on it,” as dad said, was at the top of my disadvantage list. My own wood project consisted of a log raft and an old bamboo fishing pole with a hand crank, open faced reel. I was feared by every brook trout as far as you could see up and down Miller Creek and the irrigation canal. Dad said if we worked hard we could play hard, and being eight, I liked that last part of one of Dad’s famous sayings the best. The memories of the M Lazy 5 years are many and rich, but it is Grandpa Jake I am remembering. We were on our yearly Labor Day camping trip which consisted of catching two or three hundred white fish. We men caught and cleaned the fish and Mom and Grandma and Grandpa Jake canned them for the winter provision. Being too old to navigate the rocks on the river excused him from the fishing cleaning job. After we got home, Dad and I smoked about seventy-five or so, depending on the size. We were just settling down for the evening around the fire after a fresh fried fish supper with homegrown fried potatoes and garden fresh corn on the cob. Mom’s homemade instant hot chocolate flowed and life was good.

As we all sat around the fire and the light danced on our old walled canvas tent, Grandpa Jake sat sideways to the fire on a stool leaning against a tree and I sat on the ground facing the fire right next to him. This grand old man was a legend in his own time – or at least a legend in mine! He had trapped in Northern Canada as a young man, prospected for gold, bootlegged whisky during prohibition, ranched, hard rock mined, and was finishing his accomplishments off with being my Grandpa.

As I sat next to him staring into the fire I asked, “Grandpa, why does the wood burn so bright”? He glanced at me for a short look and stared back into the fire and was quite for a minute or so. He looked again at me knowingly, and slowly said, “You know how the trees sit out in the sun light getting bigger and bigger year after year? They gather the sun in their wood,

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Fire Theory growing, waiting for the day it can give the sun back in a campfire. The bright light and the heat is the sun of all those years shining back on us all at once.� Some theories you don’t need told twice and, after all these years, that was one of them. The wood pile seemed a little easier after that. Lisa and I forgot the picnic table and spun the Grandpa Jakes campfire cooking grates away from the fire and let them cool. We sat on our camp chairs close to the fire and each other, using the grates as our own personal table, for the Cornish game

hens and potatoes were done to perfection. We ate a wonderful meal staring into a warm, bright fire and we laughed as I told Lisa tales of the M Lazy Five and Grandpa Jake.

By Don Moss Handcrafter of Grandpa Jakes @ Forgotten Way Farms.com

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The Code of theA Cowboys WestCreed

Write it in your heart. Stand by the code, and it will stand by you. Ask no more and give no less than honesty, courage, loyalty, generosity, and fairness.

Never grumble. It makes you about as welcome as a sidewinder in a cow camp.

Remain independent of any source of income that will deprive you of your personal liberties.

If your guts have turned to fiddle strings on the Cowboy Trail, it ain’t good for you and it ain’t safe for me.

When you give a lesson in meaness to a critter or a person, don’t be surprised if they learn their lesson.

If you get to thinkin’ you’re a person of influence, try orderin’ somebody else’s dog around.

You can just about always stand more’n you thin you can.

Never try to run a bluff when you’re poke’s empty.

There’s two theories to arguin’ with a woman.

Neither one works.

Generally, you ain’t learnin’ nothin’ when you’re mouth is a-jawin’.

Makin’ it in life is kinda like bustin’ broncs; you’re gonna get thrown a lot. The simple secret is to keep gettin’ back on.

There’s no place ‘round the campfire for a quitter’s blanket.

Only a buzzard feeds on his friends.

Never miss a good chance to shut up.

Nobody ever drowned himself in his own sweat.

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If you work for a man, ride for his brand. Treat his cattle as if they were your own.

Honesty is NOT something you should flirt with~you should be married to it.

The cowboy who exaggerates too much soon finds that everyone else has left the campfire.

Talk low, talk slow, and don’t say too much.

The length of a conversation don’t tell nothin’ bout the size of the intellect.

Pick the right horse for the job.

When you get to where you’ve goin’ the first thing to do is take care of the horse you rode in on.

There’s a lot more to ridin’ a horse than just sittin’ in the saddle and lettin’ yer feet hang down.

It’s best to keep your troubles pretty much to yourself, ‘cause half the people you tell ‘em to won’t care, and the other half will be glad to hear you’ve got ‘em. ~Source Unknown

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B

AlternateBy Lighting Owen Newman

eing prepared is more than part of the Boy Scout’s Creed; it should be a way of life. One way to be prepared is to have the means and knowledge to light your home in the manner of Little House on the Prairie, if necessary.

There are many types of lighting systems, from the simple to the technologically advanced. What the homesteader needs is a simple, inexpensive way to do it. I will explain the simple methods we have used, what works best, and why.

Candle Lanterns

Candles The first thing most people think of for alternate lighting is candles. It’s always good to have a few around. Several candles can bring quite a bit of light to a room. We have a couple of plastic shoeboxes full of candles. We pick them up at yard sales for pennies each. Dollar stores, salvage groceries, and thrift shops are places to check out, too.

You can buy or make candle holders with a mirror on the back to reflect more light into the room.

Pillar candles are actually poor for lighting, but can be melted down to make tapers.

Save all your candle stubs for this purpose.

Making tapers is not difficult. You just need some heavy string or twine, a metal washer, and some melted wax.

If you have an old coffee

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can, place all stubs in it. Put the can of wax into a stock pot with water over the stove. Gently heat the water until the wax is melted. Now you tie your strings to the washers. Start dipping the washer side down into the melted wax until the string is coated. Repeat until you achieve the thickness that you desire for your candle.

Candle lanterns are very useful outdoors. They can be purchased at places that cater to re-enactors.

You can also make one from a gallon can. Punch a small hole just under the rim and another at the bottom. Make sure it is through the side and the bottom. Use a heavy wire secured through the holes for a handle. On what will be the bottom and ¾ of the way back from the open end, make an X cut with a sharp knife. Make the cuts the size of the candle. Push these in. Insert the candle into the hole about two inches. The prongs formed by the X cut will hold the candle in. This gives off an amazing amount of light that even wind cannot blow out. We used one of these when we lived in the mountains in Northwestern Montana.

Kerosene Lamps The next form of lighting that people think of is kerosene lamps. These can be bought fairly cheap at hardware stores, yard sales, and farm auctions.

Thrift stores also have them on occasion. If there are flea markets in your area, be sure to check them out. You can find some real bargains there. Stay away from antique shops, as their prices are in-

flated and you don’t need the fancy lamps they sell anyway.

As with all petroleum products, kerosene is getting expensive. Make sure you are getting K-1. If the seller can’t guarantee it to be K-1, do not buy it. Keep your wicks cut square, free from hard deposits, and keep your chimneys clean. Plain old vinegar is the best thing to clean glass chimneys.

After cleaning, polish with a sheet of newspaper.

The only fuels you should use in a wick lamp are the K-1 or lamp oil. Never use charcoal lighter, diesel, white gas, or solvents. They are dangerous and you will get burned, maybe even killed. If you operate your kerosene lamps safely and keep them clean, you will enjoy the light they give.

Propane The next type of lighting is propane. The fuel is cheap, the light is good, and it is clean.

You can buy units that go on the wall, chandeliers, and lanterns that use a small tank.

You can also buy a “tree” that fits on a 20-30 pound tank. A set-up like this it can be used for a month or two. Many Amish have fitted their homes and shops for propane. They make a cabinet for the tank and put a shade on the top. It looks just like an electric floor lamp.

only makes very low hissing noise.

Backup It is a good idea to have a backup to a back up.

That way you always have a means of lighting if one system, for some reason, should fail.

Background on Author: Owen Newman is a retired cattle rancher who lived many years off grid in the mountain valleys of Montana. He worked as a blacksmith, leather tanner, and still uses horse and buggy as a means of transportation. He lives in Missouri with his wife, Evie Newman.

Comparing Lighting Methods We have used all three types of lighting and have been satisfied with the light they put out. Our favorite would be the kerosene lamps. The light is softer and easier on the eyes, especially in the early morning. If you need a lot of light, then you should use propane. If you use a low-pressure regulator, it

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Put a Light in your Cabin

By Michael Smith (Veshengro) The humble Bottle Lamp, the one that you make for yourself from scrap, is probably one of the easiest and cheapest ways to put some light into the darkness, whether that is in your home during a power outage or in a cabin or cave. It is also something that the homesteader who needs to be frugal but needs some extra lights can make use of. At the same time one recycles old glass jars and short squat glass bottles.

Some vendors of survival goods and equipment do sell what I would call a ‘glass jar’ with a wick which burns lamp-oil. They call it a “survival candle,” but those things ain’t no candles as such at all. They really are nothing but bottle lamps. And bottle lamps you don’t bother to go out and buy and spend good hard-earned dollars on; you make ‘em yourself.

In other places similar lamps were used in days gone by, and in some case that ain’t even that long ago as in the case of the homesteads, the squats, and outstations, in the outback of the big island continent of Australia. There, the Bushmen (in no way to be confused with the Bushmen of South Africa) used such lamps in various ways and they were known among some of them as “slush lamps.” I have made such a small lamp from and empty (obvious, you say) glass bottle (see picture) that contained once an orange drink called “Orangina” and have used it on many an occasion when the light went out or when I was living in places without electricity. But there are also various other small bottles with metal screw top lids that you could use and which are equally suitable for conversion into a bottle lamp. The metal screw top is important, though if you haven’t got one on the bottle then that isn’t the end of the world yet either but I’ll come back to that one later on.

The little bottle lamp that I made for myself took about ten minutes to make, and no more than that, after I had drunk the drink and cleaned and dried it. I made a hole in the center of the metal screw top and fitted a hollow rivet into it and afterwards I made a wick for it from a strip from an old 100% cotton T-shirt. It does work. You can use kerosene, JP4 highgrade aviation fuel as that used by helicopters, coal oil, lamp oil like citronella and such, as well as liquid paraffin. If you find a little glass jar or a bottle that is nice and suitable to be made into a bottle lamp but it hasn’t got a metal screw top then don’t despair. Use a 2p coin (that is a British copper coin of 1 inch diameter) or a metal disc of similar size and especially one that fits well over the neck of the bottle in question. Drill a whole through the center and put your homemade wick through this

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hole. Using this coin or metal disc in place of the metal screw top, your little lamp is ready to light your home.

Only small bottles can be used for making bottle lamps.

The wick cannot draw the kerosene up from, for instance, the depth of a big bottle such as a wine or whiskey one. Ideally the bottle should be short and squat; no more than 5 ½ to 6 inches high and the wider, e.g. the squatter, the better.

Small glass jars with metal lids such as those that once may have had mustard or preserves in them also can be used as a “bottle lamp” in the same way as “Orangina” glass bottle in the picture. The little jar lamps are probably safer even, in regard to falling over, than are those small bottles.

M Smith © 2011 Safety: Never leave lamp unattended. Children should have help from an adult.

Homestead Store The Difference:

These drying racks are handcrafted to last a life time.

3 sizes: large “Homesteader” Clothes Drying Rack 56 lin. ft. of drying space Size: 6’x4’ Size When Opened: 6”-32”

medium “Pioneer” Clothes Drying Rack 30 lin. ft. of drying space Size: 5’x3’ Size When Opened: 6”-30”

SMALL “Peddler” Clothes Drying Rack 20 lin. ft. of drying space Size: 38” x30” Size When Opened: 6”-24”

The Homestead Drying Rack is more expensive than most drying racks - but when you understand the difference in the way it’s built, you’ll understand why. Our drying racks provide optimal air-flow, thanks to the “V” design which also offers more room for clothes.

Unlike the accordion style drying racks, our drying racks allow a person to dry extra large loads, sheets, blankets, rugs, and any other drying needs you have.

When you want to save money and conserve

energy, this rack will help in achieving your goal.

The “Homesteader” is our Extra Large drying rack for every day use. This lovely drying rack holds very large load or “Super Load.” This is our family friendly drying rack. (We have a large family and needed something that would work for us.) This drying rack is huge. Sheets & blankets dry wonderfully on this drying rack. It is amazingly compact for its large size. I store mine in my hallway up against the wall when not in use (which is almost never!). This offers 56’ lineal ft. of drying space. If you want to replace your dryer,

This is the drying rack for you!

Mark Harrison working in his wood shop making clothes drying racks.

Rural Wisconsin MADE IN THE USA!

Check out the Homestead Store to find our great products. We have off grid laundry supplies, hand crank grain mills, homesteading books, and Homestead DVDs.

www.Homestead-Store.com

Erin’s

Super Green

Ingredients:

Drink Mix

alfalfa, barley grass, beet root, burdock root, chamomile flowers, cinnamon, dandelion leaf, fennel seed, ginkgo leaf, ginseng root, green tea, hawthorn berry, kelp, lemon peel, nutritional yeast, oatstraw, olive leaf, orange peel, passion flower, red raspberry, rose hips, spinach leaf, spirulina, St. John’s wort, nettle leaf, turmeric root, wheat grass.

After much research, I developed a Super Green Smoothie Mix that contains 28 different herbs that contain a balance of nutrition that tops any multivitamin you can buy on the market for literally half the price. When this is mixed into a smoothie, you can rest assured knowing the kids are getting the benefits daily. With the knowledge that we should be getting our 5-6 serving of veggies a day, breakfast is the one meal most people forget to add them to. A typical American breakfast consists of eggs, meat, bread, cereal, yogurt, milk, or fruit. If you add a few tablespoons of my Super Green Smoothie Mix to an entire smoothie, some mung bean sprouts, kale, and spinach, you have a very healthy power packed smoothie that contains at least a couple servings of your much needed greens without the struggle.

Adding the nutrients to a delightfully creamy smoothie is just the perfect fix.

Erin’s Sick Tea Blend

This tea has carried my family through many cold winters filled with exposure to many viruses. The flavor is fruity and sweet, very pleasant. Our children go back for more cups of tea. They add a little cream and raw honey and that makes for a delicious powerful immune building blend.

A powerful blend of: Chamomile Flowers, Echineacea Propuree, Yarrow Flowers, Goldenseal Root, Hibiscus Flower, Chickweed, Fenugreek Seed, Cinnamon Bark, Elderberries, Wild Cherry Bark, Cloves Directions: 1 Tablespoon of herb blend to 2 cups water or 1/4 cup of herb per 2 quarts of water. First bring just the water to a boil. Turn water off and add the loose herbs, cover and steep for 10 minutes. Strain herb out and place in refrigerator to reconstitute. You can reconstitute this Sick Tea Blend up to three times. While hot, add some cream and raw honey for a creamy flavor.

To purchase the Herbal Blends

By Erin, go to...

www.Homestead-Store.com 31

The Natural Road to Good Health By: Olivia H. Berry

If you want a quick-fix for a medical condition, man-made prescrip-

tions and over-the-counter drugs will probably work best. On the other hand, if you want to work with your body and involve it in the healing process, herbs act in a totally different way than man-made drugs. All prescription and over-the-counter drugs are made with chemicals and artificial substances. The chemical reaction that occurs when these drugs are used causes tissues and organs in your body to adjust to the foreign substances. Your body is forced to comply with the chemical changes taking place inside of you, and this often leads to some unwanted results in the form of side effects and adverse reactions. The chemical change that occurs with the use of pharmaceuticals is quick, which might explain why they are accompanied by such devastating side effects.

Herbs, on the other hand, work slower and are gentler to our body systems. They work with our bodies to peacefully encourage healing. Herbs work differently in each person and, while side effects can occur when using herbs, usually changing the dose or switching to a different herb with similar healing properties can eliminate any unwanted effects.

These kinds of side effects are generally never as dangerous and lifethreatening as those that occur with the use of man-made drugs.

However, caution should be taken any time a person is dealing with illness and trying to treat it, whether by man-made or natural means. Do your own research and be thoroughly informed about the herbs you are using. This is especially true if you are pregnant or nursing, if you have existing illnesses of major body organs, or if you are currently taking prescription or over-the-counter medications.

To avoid all of the confusion that can accompany drug or herb use, a strong emphasis needs to be placed on prevention. The best way to avoid illness and disease is by keeping the body strong and healthy. This means eating a variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs as a part of your daily diet. Avoid processed foods and anything containing artificial flavors and colors. This will maintain your good health by giving

your body the nutrition it needs to sustain life and avoiding the chemicals that can interfere with good health. Also, exercising and physical activity through hard work rids the body of toxins by sweating. Then, if you do get ill because of a weakened immune system or some invading germ, therapeutic doses of herbs stimulate your body to heal itself. This is the best way to fix a problem - a natural cure for the natural body.

Once you are ill, it takes longer to reach the desired effect with herbs because they are intended to be used on a regular basis as a supplement to your diet. Over time you can correct the nutritional imbalance and restore your good health. You can add herbs daily to foods and teas or take them separately as supplements in capsule form. Most medical conditions can be narrowed down to one culprit - a bad diet. While traumatic experiences, accidents, and environmental causes can contribute to ill health, it is usually years of eating unhealthy that finally catches up to us and causes us the most trouble.

The Problem In ages past, people were a lot healthier and had less disease. That was when they ate fresh fruits and vegetables and lean meats that were baked, boiled or grilled. Some cultures even lived on raw meat. Herbs and spices were added for flavor, but these additions also provided vitamins and minerals. When people got sick, they took larger doses of herbs to help their bodies function the way they were supposed to in order to correct the problem. It is important to note that Twinkies, soda pop, and T.V. dinners were absent from the diet of these healthy cultures.

When people started frying meat and vegetables in animal fat and eating processed foods with man-made additives and preservatives, health started deteriorating. Today, almost everything is processed and filled with chemicals. These foods are cheaper and more convenient, but that is not the natural state of the foods that we should be consuming. It is harder to find foods in their natural state, but it is well worth the search. When you

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And God said, Behold, I have given you ev face of all the earth, and every tree, in the w you it shall be for meat. get back to the basics of nutrition and stop ingesting man-made products that have no nutritional value, you will see a change in your energy levels, your hormone balance, and even disease states will change.

We know that diseases can be reversed if we will only do what it takes naturally, but instead we go to the doctor and take prescriptions that are man-made with chemicals. This is introducing more foreign chemicals into the body that was made to be treated naturally. Besides that, drugs typically do not heal. They only conceal. They cover up symptoms and when you stop taking them, the symptoms return.

This is why some people have to take pharmaceutical drugs for the rest of their lives. When a person doesn’t know to do things differently, or worse – he refuses - then he is left with only one option. That option is drugs with side effects. Herbs are different. They work with your body to bring back balance and healing.

Why Herbs?

Using herbs is one of the ways to reverse disease conditions naturally without worsening our health. Introducing foreign products into our bodies through pharmaceuticals forces a change, but we often have to

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take other drugs to counter the side affects from the first drug. It is far wiser to use natural products that encourage the body to start healing itself.

Herbs are the basis for many forms of natural healing, including aromatherapy and homeopathy. Many people who are interested in herbs are also interested in overall body health, also known as holistic treatment. This includes exercise and eating right, as well as avoiding environmental pollutants and emotional stress.

For some reason, the traditional medical community seems not to recognize diet as the cause of most diseases states. Doctors may mention diet in passing, and even give drugs to replace missing nutrients, but these are still unnatural chemical substances. This small attempt, coupled with pharmaceutical therapy, allows the patient to continue their bad habits while expecting the drugs to correct the problem. In actuality, the drugs just cover up the problem and the body continues to suffer.

What doctors overlook is the vast array of natural resources that can be utilized to correct nutritional deficiencies and promote health gently. They continue to pump chemicals into our bodies while overlooking the natural alternatives. There is so much money involved in traditional medicine that they would not consider referring people to holistic treatments in order to cure themselves. By using the unnatural medications, they continue to perpetuate the illnesses that they claim to be curing. Eating right and replacing

very herb bearing seed, which is upon the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to Genesis 1:29 your body’s depleted vitamins and minerals naturally can do wonders for your health!

The Basics of Herbal Healing One thing to remember about disease states or illnesses is that many times the symptom is the body’s attempt to rid itself of toxins. The body eliminates toxins through four channels in the body: the bowels, the kidneys, the skin, and the respiratory tract. When the body tries to eliminate toxins through the bowel, a person may experience nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. When the body uses the skin to eliminate toxins, the result is rashes, pimples, hives, acne, dandruff, itching, and body odor. When it tries to eliminate through the respiratory tract, it can cause runny noses, watery eyes, post-nasal drip, earaches, sneezing, sore throat, tonsillitis, bronchitis, bad breath, coughs, and congestion in the lungs. When the body tries to eliminate through the kidneys, the result will be frequent urination, burning on urination, leg cramps and back pain.

So many times we try to stop a runny nose from running, but this actually keeps the toxins in the body. Everything should be done to expel the toxins by boosting the body’s ability to fight the illness. The action of herbs does just that. They pump up the immune system and restore depleted vitamins and minerals to the body systems that are in need. They strengthen the body’s own healing mechanisms - thus healing the body through completely natural means.

But Herbs Aren’t Regulated You may wonder why the FDA does not research, test, and approve herbal remedies and single herbs. The bottom line is that pharmaceutical companies could not actually make money on natural products like cinnamon, garlic, and cayenne. In many cases the manufacture of pharmaceutical drugs may begin with a natural substance, but once chemicals and additives are added that bind it in tablet form or give it better taste, it is more chemical than natural. Now the drug is not healthy.

Pharmaceutical companies make money on the premise that their product works best and only they have the secret. Once people started realizing what was in the products, they would just go out and get some from their grocery store or plant some in their backyard. For instance, garlic is not only a culinary ingredient, but it is also one of nature’s best antibiotics. It is a natural resource and anyone can get it, whether from the grocery store or by growing it themselves. While the FDA would certainly love to outlaw the use of garlic for its antibiotic properties, it would have to restrict its culinary uses as well.

The FDA doesn’t evaluate and regulate herbal remedies because there is no money in it for the pharmaceutical industry. The demand for herbs does not exceed the supply-which is what is needed in order for pharmaceutical companies to make money. Natural products are far too available.

Some commercial supplement companies offer combinations of certain herbs that make it easier for people to get the herbs-but you can still get the herbs yourself and make your own combinations. You can not do that with Tylenol and Codeine. You can’t make either one by taking a leisurely stroll through your backyard.

The bottom line is that there is no way for pharmaceutical companies to make money off of God’s natural healers. For many who do not under-

stand herbs, they interpret the FDA’s disregard of herbs to mean that herbs do not work. The truth is just that we don’t have to go to the doctor to get them.

The Safety of Herbs Anyone who is really interested in natural remedies can get books or get on the internet and learn about the safety and effectiveness of herbs and herbal supplements. It is responsible to question what is in commercial herbal supplements. There are companies who put fillers and unnecessary chemicals in them. If you are concerned about this, then find a reputable supplier of dried herbs and make your own. You can make tinctures with glycerin or alcohol, or grind the leaves into powder and put the powder into capsules. You can make cough drops, ointments, inhalants, and just about anything else you might need to heal your family.

The fact that the FDA can’t make money off of something that grows in the back yard doesn’t mean it isn’t safe. Yes, you can take too much of an herb and get a negative reaction (diarrhea, headache) and yes, you can take an herb that interacts with a pharmaceutical you are also taking (garlic with blood pressure meds). This is why doing your own research is part of natural healing. How often do you hear of someone dying from an herbal remedy? People die more often and have much more serious complications because of taking man-made pharmaceuticals. Statistical evidence proves this.

The FDA may not regulate herbs, but the reputable companies who harvest and sell them are honest and serious about what they do because they know people depend on them. They prove themselves by testing their products for quality and safety. They have high professional standards that have not been achieved by the FDA, whose practice of releasing harmful, costly drugs to the public are more evidence of its greed.

It certainly is easier to allow someone else to diagnose and treat our illnesses. Then we do not feel like we are to blame if healing does not come. But it takes strength, patience, wisdom, and confidence to seek our own answers and provide for our own healing. These are noble virtues that are worth fighting for.

We may pray for wisdom and may realize that some problems are too big for us. Perhaps we need to get a diagnosis from a doctor in order to know how to treat certain conditions. Experience then comes as we refuse the medication the doctor prescribes and conduct our own research to find the right herbal alternative. Then we wait patiently, knowing that we are relying on God and His resources to provide healing.

There is great satisfaction in knowing that we have provided for the healing of our family members without further compromising their health. This is just another step in learning to fully rely on God for all of our needs.

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Coloring Fun Print out and color

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Homesteading Games Fun for the whole family Word Search ACROSS 3 can be milked, smaller than a cow 4 an insect that pollinates the garden 5 can be used for healing or flavoring 9 an animal you can use to work in a field or ride on 10 an animal that eats grass 14 something that homesteaders make to wash hands with 15 one way you preserve your harvest 16 where you grow vegetables DOWN 1 this is sewed together in patches 2 the natural alarm clock-bird-of the farm 4 a building where you keep animals 5 what you feed a horse 6 an animal that gets a haircut 7 a needle pulling thread 8 what you do with your cow 10 a firm dairy product 11 can be used to make candles with 12 an animal you raise on a farm that likes mud 13 grows in a forest, used to heat homes 17 a bird that likes water and lays eggs

Word Puzzle BAKING BEEKEEPER CAMPFIRE CANDLE CLOTHESLINE COOKING COWBOY DISHES DUCK

EGGS GARDEN GRANDPA HERBS HOMESTEAD LANTERN LAUNDRY PIONEER SWARM

WRITING CONTEST Using words in the word search or word puzzle of this issue, write a short story or poem. We will choose several to add to our next issue. Email all submissions to: hcpemag@gmail.com

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20 minute Cute Kitchen Curtains Basic Tutorial

First, you need to find a fabric that will accent the room. I chose some

old barn red and cream gingham check to accentuate my golden colored kitchen. I have been using golds, browns, reds, and rusts as my color scheme for my kitchen because they speak fall and harvest to my heart. Fall is such a bountiful time that the color gives me a very productive feeling. Using gingham check is great because it helps to make straight lines while sewing and is very sweet. Here is a photo of my kitchen with the curtains hanging.

Now you will hem (folding fabric about 3/4 of an inch and sewing it down) the short sides in about a 1/2 inch.

To make the hem nice and straight, you just make sure the edge is at the same distance from the metal sewing foot. Most sewing machines have little groves in where they guide the distance. Follow that down the short sides. Next, you will make the bottom hem (the long side). I made this hem about 3 inches wide all the way across.

-------short side--------

You can get started. We made a valence, so we eyed up this piece to the window to make sure it would be long enough. I wanted to have a bit of a gather at the top so it was good to have the fabric longer than the window. Some like a lot of gather so you can simply double the length of your window to achieve this. Triple the length for a super ruffle.

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I place a stick pin in there to keep that width, so I can bring the end of the fabric over to mark that same hem and pin both so I have a good guide to follow the whole length of the bottom hem.

Because you want a nice “finished” look for the bottom of your curtain valence, you will want to tuck under and pin the length of the hem before stitching it on the machine.

Now you can slide your curtain rod into that hole

Again pin the width you like (mine was 6 inches), and then match the opposite side length wise so the hem is straight.

I pin it about every 4 inches to keep it in place. .See how the top ruffles up so nice! Isn’t this cute?

You can place a piece of masking tape on the machine body as a guide to keep your hem the correct distance so it will stay nice and straight.

Now that the 3 inch hem is pinned, you can straight stitch the entire length, staying very close to the edge of the fold near the pin heads, so the hem catches properly.

After the hem is set, you can start on the top hemming portion. I chose to do two stitches so as to have an upper ruffle. This is optional, but I think it is very sweet. I folded the top down about 6 inches for ample ruffle room at the top. 

My Amish friends came for a visit for the day, bringing all kinds of pies and cookies for a tea party. They commented right away, “Wow, Erin, I love your new curtains, they make your kitchen so homey!” Little did they know, I made them all that morning! They really only take about 20 minutes for each curtain. So easy. All you need to know is how to sew a straight stitch. I will be showing how to sew more things on our upcoming Homesteading for Beginners DVD volume 4.

Follow that line all the way down and then you can start in on the second straight stitch about 1-2 inches below this stitch, so you allow a tunnel all the way through to fit your curtain rod through. You can slide the tape over to adjust the distance and to make the nice even straight line the full length as well.

By Erin Harrison www.HomesteadCommuintyPost.com

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Campfire Cooker This is a heavy-duty campfire cooker that is handcrafted on a mountain in North Idaho and made to move up and down at 360° in any direction for easy movement, temperature control, and serving. This wonderful Campfire Cooker comes with two hand-held campfire remotes. These remotes move the grates, arms, and hooks where you need them so you never touch anything HOT. “Remotes” make it so easy to move your pots and pans off the fire for stirring and serving. This ingenious tool makes campfire cooking simply enjoyable.

Parts Included: 1- ground rod, 2- 12”x12” cooking grates, 1- hook arm, and 2- campfire remotes. www.ForgottenWayFarms.com

“For we are laborurers together with God; ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.” 1 Cor. 3:9

Bringing Families together for the Greater Good Whether you are beginners at these homesteading skills or you have a self sufficient lifestyle, this website is for you. We are the family that created the Homesteading for Beginners DVD series. We have a desire to minister to families worldwide, giving them helpful hints and giving families like yours an opportunity to write articles and share ideas. We hope that by doing this, we will encourage parents to work with their children and provide them with responsibility as well as good health.

Join to become a member of our Homesteading community. In this community you will be able to share your ideas, write articles upon request, and find the supplies you need at a fraction of the cost anywhere else. Our members are always giving thrifty tips along the way. All you need to do is ask.

“Love the homesteading forum you’ve put together! We have made such dear friends from it--another homeschooling homesteading family lives 1.5 hrs away and I saw they were in AZ so I emailed them through your website--that was maybe a year ago--and now they are really good friends of ours--so neat! ” ~Mom from Arizona

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www.HomesteadCommunityPost.com