Baby it's cold outside!

Squirrel Yoga!

Here I sit, back in my big fuzzy sweater and socks. We had a few warmer days, not exactly summer, but warmer. Fifty degrees feels pretty good after twenty degree days and two degree nights. We had a dusting of snow this morning, and I watched the squirrels doing their daily yoga/breakfast routine while it was snowing all around. I have to say my "ooh I love snow" attitude has turned to "meh, it's sort of pretty. Thank goodness it stopped!" I am not looking forward to running errands in the cold today, but am glad I know the joys of heated seats now.  I have always been taught to look for the good in everything. You may think it is funny to say, but many good things came from our vehicle being wrecked and having to replace it in January. First of all, we weren't seriously injured, and now are blessed with heated seats. Something I didn't know I missed until I had it. Wow! For an older aching back it is just the thing in this weather. There were some other blessings that came from that accident, suffice it to say God is good. 

One of the things we always look forward to during Spring when it is still cold outside is starting seedlings indoors for planting later in the garden when the weather is nice and warm. Here in Northern Indiana that is usually around the end of May.  We ordered some heirloom seeds over the past weekend from Baker's Creek and are anxiously awaiting their arrival. Last year we were late with planting and didn't get any good red tomatoes, but had beautiful vines and great looking green tomatoes. If only we had a few more weeks warm weather. There was a pony farm on our property at one time and we have decided that has helped to fertilize our dirt so well. We are looking forward to seeing what we can grown this year. We use different containers to start seed, some peat pots, some made from old toilet paper tubes, some left over plastic containers. What ever you have that will hold some seed starting mix and water. It's a great way to recycle. We also use fish fertilizer and avoid chemicals in our garden. 

Seeds ready for planting!

If you are interested in starting seeds indoors, here is a great article from Organic Gardening Magazine. How to start seeds indoors. There is just something about that first ripe tomato from your own garden that tastes so good. The smell of tomato vines and tomatoes warmed in the sun is heavenly. You can even grow a few plants in containers if you don't want to have a full garden. We usually have some of both, and beds full of herbs and flowers. Gardening is good for the soul and works away a world of cares.

The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just on the body, but the soul.

Alfred Austin

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/alfredaust169801.html#Akq2TWdE5hL3KRJv.99

 "The glory of gardening: Hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul." -Alfred Austin

Wishing you much success with your gardening endeavors and many blessings along the way,

Stace

The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just on the body, but the soul.

Alfred Austin

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/alfredaust169801.html#Akq2TWdE5hL3KRJv.99

The best place to find God is in a garden. You can dig for him there.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/garden.html#6wVvYJymDiqXRdpB.99

The best place to find God is in a garden. You can dig for him there.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/garden.html#6wVvYJymDiqXRdpB.99Wishing you much success with your gardening endeavors, and many blessings

 

A Breath of Fresh Air

Lacie enjoying a spring day.

Ah, to feel the breath of spring blowing in the windows and filling our home with freshness. Not going to happen any time soon I am afraid. We have had a long cold winter with temps below freezing most days and many in the single digits. No open windows here. We also have a small herd of critters that add their own four footed aroma to the bouquet of smells in the house. Mix in a little damp from all the snow and you have a combination that needs more than a Yankee Candle to conquer.  Essential oil to the rescue. I find that a light sprinkle of baking soda infused with essential oils on the carpet or a spray of essential oil in the air can make a world of difference, at least until we can open the windows and let the real fresh air in.

Lamont says, "Go Colts!"

 You have probably seen the boxes of carpet sprinkle in the store advertising all sorts of clean smells to freshen your home. Close beside them are the cans of air freshener with the same claims.  They can be expensive and have scents and additives that stir up allergies and are not good for anyone with respiratory problems. I used these for years. And years. Quick way to make the house smell good, right? Also a quick way to start sneezing, eyes watering and other nasty stuff. I will spare you the details. I have learned that some things nurses feel perfectly comfortable discussing are not necessarily considered appropriate for everyone. The wide eyed stares of other restaurant customers make this pretty evident. (Sorry sweet husband. You are the best! )

Warrior Queen Boudicca smells tuna!

 I learned a better way to freshen the carpet, air and leave a nice smell in our home. Through my study of alternative medicine I learned about all the wonderful benefits of using essential oils. Some of them have antibacterial and antifungal properties and can lift your mood so even better for your home. None of those artificial smells made in a lab. So grab the baking soda, essential oils and let's freshen up that house!

Smaug the Destroyer investigating good smells.

For carpet sprinkle all you need is some baking soda and essential oils of choice. I use Lavender, Peppermint, Rosemary and Tea Tree essential oil for an everyday fresh smell. For every 2 cups of baking soda I use a total of about 20-25 drops of essential oil. I found a cocktail shaker in a box that we bought at an auction (Now there's an afternoon well spent and another story altogether). It doesn't have a lid, so I use plastic wrap to cover it and secure it with a rubber band. I can mix and shake the baking soda/essential oil in one container. Works great. You can also mix the baking soda and essential oil in a bowl and use a sieve to sprinkle, or a Parmesan cheese container with a lid used to sprinkle works well. I then sprinkle the carpets lightly and let it sit for at least 30 minutes. Then vacuum. Easy peasy. Fresh smells, no sneezes, less costs. The thing to remember is to go easy on the sprinkle. The baking soda can build up under the carpet if too much is used, and then you have dust which can add to allergies and such.

For a quick room spray I mix 1/2 cup distilled water and 1/2 cup vodka (Cheap vodka. The $10 a liter taste like gasoline stuff works wonderfully. I would advise against drinking it though. Ick.) Add approximately 10-15 drops essential oils of your choice, give it a shake and spray into the air. Use caution around fabrics, animals and surfaces that might not work well with liquid.

You can change the scents to suite your mood, or the time of year. I find orange and clove to be a nice fall/winter scent. The possibilities are endless. I buy most of my oils from Mountain Rose Herbs as I know they have good quality organic oils and the price is great. You can also find essential oils at most health food stores or natural markets. Cathy's Natural Market here in Northern Indiana also carries a nice selection locally.

So here's to spring being around the corner, hope abounds that soon we will be able to pull back the curtains and throw up the sashes to let a breath of fresh clean air in. 

“She did not need much, wanted very little. A kind word, sincerity, fresh air, clean water, a garden, kisses, books to read, sheltering arms, a cosey bed, and to love and be loved in return.”

-Starra Neely Blade

Wishing you many blessings,
Stace

I blurt, You blurt, We all blurt for yogurt!

Ok, ok. So not as catchy as the I scream, you scream ditty. And while ice cream is my favorite sweet treat, (always best enjoyed when it's around -100 degrees and snow on the ground for some reason) yogurt is a crazy healthy food that does wonders for your body. Ice cream not so much. 

We were traveling this weekend and had the standard hotel complimentary breakfast. I went for a cup of yogurt and was quickly reminded why I make our yogurt here at home. The list of ingredients went something like this: Cultured grade A nonfat milk, water, blueberry puree, fructose, contains less than 1% of modified corn starch, natural flavor, carmine (for color), sucralose, malic acid, potassium sorbate(to maintain freshness), acesulfame potassium, sodium citrate (taken from the Dannon "light and fit" info page online).  My home made yogurt ingredient list is much simpler: Fresh milk, yogurt culture. Some store bought yogurt even contains gelatin and pectin to thicken it. The yogurt cultures thicken home made. And there is the ubiquitous ingredient "natural flavors". There is a multitude of bad for you stuff that can be included in this handy phrase. Also, I try to avoid artificial sweeteners because I am not convinced they are a healthy alternative for our bodies.The healthy bacteria Lactobacillus in yogurt does wonders for our gut (think Jamie Lee Curtis and the Activia commercials) and we need that. Our gut is where the processing of our food takes place and it needs these guys to do it effectively. It also effects many processes that effect how our body feels (more on that later). We give our guts and the healthy bacteria that live there a hard way to go with medication, stress and our typical American diet so it helps to replenish the good guys.  And besides all that, a bowl of creamy thick yogurt with raw honey and fresh fruit is just simply tasty. Oh so much more than that little cup with the "natural flavor".

Now I won't even begin to tell you that I always pack healthy food alternatives when we travel and we never eat out etc, etc because that just isn't the case. We don't get the whole "healthy" thing perfect all the time. I do like to think that the good helps to balance out the bad. So that being said, this is how I make yogurt. It really is crazy simple.

First I skim off the cream from a half gallon of fresh milk. I use this to make butter and then pour the buttermilk that is left back into the half gallon of milk. You can also use the buttermilk to make biscuits or cook with. Yum. If you use store bought homogenized milk then simply follow this process with what ever type of milk you use. Full fat makes a nice creamy yogurt.  Heat the milk over low heat to between 185 and 195 degrees, but don't let it boil. If it gets a "skin" on top just skim this off. Remove the pan from the stove and let it sit til it cools to approx. 110 degrees. Make sure it is under 120 degrees. This is when you add the yogurt culture. You can buy a culture, or use a store bought yogurt of choice. I used a store bought Greek yogurt we liked without the undesirable ingredients. Add approximately 2 tablespoons to  8 cups/half gallon of milk. Stir gently. You don't want to crowd the bacteria so it will have room to grow. No need for more. Then pour the milk into a container that will keep water out. I use a glass jar or glass mixing bowl with a lid. Sit this into a cooler and fill the cooler with 120 degree water to just below the lid of the container of milk. Our tap water is 120 degrees so I just use it. Cover with the cooler lid and let sit for at least 5 hours. The bacteria like a steady low temp to grow, too hot or cold and you don't get yogurt. I know this from personal experience. And yes, I wanted to cry over spoiled milk. Yuck.    You can let it sit for up to 10 hours according to some info I have read. The longer it sits, the more tartness will develop. 5-6 hours usually gets just the right amount of tang for us. After it has cultured it should be thickened and will have a watery whey.  You can strain it in the refrigerator using a colander lined with cheese cloth or a paper towel if you want it thicker. Straining for a few hours will result in a consistency of Greek yogurt. 24 hours will give you a wonderful thick yogurt cheese with a consistency similar to cream cheese or marscapone. Our yogurt generally keeps about 1-2 weeks in the fridge. You can eat it plain, add honey and fruit, put it on a baked potato instead of sour cream, use it in recipes, or make frozen yogurt! We really like yogurt cheese marinated in olive oil. Be sure to save a couple of tablespoons of your yogurt to make the next batch.

Yougurt cheese in oil

Add approx. 1 teaspoon salt to 8 cups of yogurt before straining and mix well. Strain approx. 24 hours in the refrigerator. 

Good quality extra virgin olive oil
Herbs of choice. We use rosemary, oregano and hot pepper flakes
Garlic (of course) slivered

Pour a little olive oil in a jar, enough to cover bottom so yogurt won't stick. Add in a few garlic slivers and a sprinkle of herbs. Roll yogurt into balls using approx 1 tablespoon for each. You can use a spoon but I have a tiny scoop that is used for cookie dough that makes this go much faster. Continue to add layers of yogurt balls and herbs/garlic til all yogurt is used. The oil should cover the yogurt and herbs/garlic should be dispersed throughout. I  give it a gentle little spin to help the yogurt settle in. Now the hard part. Let it sit for 2-3 days in the refrigerator (if you can last that long before sneaking a taste). The flavors will infuse into the oil and this makes a great spread for crackers or on a piece of home made bread. 

So there you go. Easy-peasy and so good tasting and good for you. If you are in the northern Indiana area and are interested in grass fed fresh milk via a herd share Pasture's Delights has a great program and delivers. If you are in South Central KY Stoney Creek Farm offers herd shares and the milk is available for pick up at locations in the area.

Wishing you many blessings and yummy yogurt,

Stace