Strawberries Galore!

I feel so blessed to live in the location in which I do. Sometimes I whine that I cannot wait to get out of the city but I am truly blessed and need to remember that from time to time!

About fifteen minutes out of town there is a large farm and they have a farm market. It's not quite a "farmer's market" like many think of when they hear the term but it does us well (next time I will snap a few shots!).

A couple of days ago I decided to take a drive "north" and see what they had. Strawberries were in full bounty! It was beautiful. I was so excited! The boys and I purchased a large passel of strawberries and headed home.

 

With all these strawberries, I have spent the past couple days making strawberry jam and dehydrating strawberries.  Wanna know the simple process I use to make jam? I'm sure glad you asked because I am excited to tell somebody! :)

Of course the first step in the jam making process is to wash the strawberries thoroughly. After washed, I go through strawberry by strawberry and cut of the stem and leaves as well as cut out all of the bad spots.

This may come as a shock to you but here it goes... I am weird. I do not like the texture of strawberries. The taste is alright but the mushy weird feeling just does not work for me. Keeping that in mind, as I cut the strawberries, I throw them into a blender.

If using the blender method, I would recommend leaving a little juice in the bottom. It makes the blending process go a lot smoother. However, make sure to put the lid back on. It makes a disastrous mess with more liquid in the bottom to begin with.

I have been talking to a lot of mothers who, myself included, are just not happy with the amount of sugar a lot of recipes call for when making jam. While at the store the other day, I found Ball Naturals pectin. With this pectin, you only use 1 cup of apple or white grape juice. No other sugar necessary (Please read the five star review. It explains the product very well and I have had no problem with mine.) Using this pectin, you use four cups of prepared strawberries and 1 cup juice to one box.

Continually stir. Using stainless steel pots, my jam cooked quickly and began sticking to the bottom. Bring to a rolling boil and take off of burner or heat source. I skimmed the foam off of the top and then ladled the jam into pint jars leaving 1/2 inch head space. Before putting lids on, be sure to wipe rim of jar. Often the jam gets on the rim and makes sealing impossible.

Place jars in pot in which there is enough room to cover with water. Keep in mind you will be bringing water to a rolling boil when you are looking for a usable pot. Bring water to rolling boil for 10 minutes. Take off of heat and allow to sit for five minutes.

 Carefully, pull jars from water and place on a soft surface. Allow to sit, undisturbed, for twelve hours. Jam should be "set" and sealed. If you see that a jar is not sealing withing a couple of hours, you can reprocess or you can refrigerate.

Isn't this just the most beautiful colored jam you've ever seen? I stand in awe of the wonderfully vibrant colors the Lord saw fit to make strawberries. He's truly amazing!

Next up I will be showing the dehydrating process. Come on back!

Cutting Ties

Lately, I have been convicted. I am dedicated to trying to get my family back to the "simple life". However, my actions and the steps I am taking just don't show that importance.

I was reading this blog post the other day about making permanent lifestyle changes and it spoke to me. There are MANY habits I need to change. I just need to "bite the bullet" - "take the plunge" and cut ties.

There are many "necessities" that aren't really necessities being used around here. Therefore, I have compiled a goal list of where I want to be and when. You know I love lists and you can never have too many! :)


Friday May 27 - Cutting ties with shampoo for myself first and then possibly others. I will be embracing the "no poo" method.
Friday June 3 - Cutting ties with the clothes dryer. We have been slowly moving towards this but inevitably we get behind or lazy and revert to using it.
Friday June 10 - Cutting ties with store bought bread. I always get in good habits doing this and once again I get lazy or something happens.
Friday June 17 - Cutting ties with the dishwasher.
Friday June 24 - Cutting ties with disposable diapers. Lincoln WILL be toilet trained or we will go back to using cloth for him.
Friday July 1 - Cutting ties with grocery stores. We will be planning ahead enough to get what we need from the produce delivery, farm or co-op. Other than that, no stores.

On major cutting ties area that will just be for a short time but will need a lot of preparation will be a spending freeze from December to February. The only spending we will be taking part in is fresh milk and eggs from the farm.

That means:

1. We will need to be working diligently to ensure enough food is put up for the winter months.
2. We will need to make sure gift ideas are began and finished by December for Christmas.
3. We will need to have an idea for Kristian's first birthday and have the materials on hand.

With cutting ties with the stores and with the spending freeze, I am hoping to wean my family away from even more "processed" foods. An example is spaghetti noodles. I know spaghetti noodles are not "processed" food per say but they must go through some kind of process in a plant or warehouse from I don't know where with I don't know who/what touching my food. 

How about you? Any ties you want to cut with "necessities" in your home? Have you? What's holding you?

Garden Journal - Monday, May 30

We had a great and productive weekend here around the Davis' house!

I am so relieved to announce that we have all our garden(s) in!

My favorite part of gardening is definently NOT planting. I love to weed, take care of, harvest and preserve but getting the seeds in the ground stresses me out. I think it comes from my OCD/perfectionist side. All rows must be straight and with equal distance apart. My poor husband. It is quite an interesting time putting a garden in with me. But now, all I have to do is the "work" I enjoy.

Here are some pictures for the garden journal:

My container tomato plant. Doing quite well in spite of the winds this past week.

 With the constant rain, the little sun we had caused my tomato plants to thrive. I really think they are enjoying the extremely HOT weather as well!

Hard to tell with all the green but a closer picture.

  Excited for the fruits this plant with bear!

 Side view

  side garden view

 snow peas

 shell peas

 spinach slowly growing

 kale

 cauliflower, broccoli and cabbage trying to survive the squirrels

 beautiful cabbage plant

 beautiful broccoli plant

 more cabbage and peppers awaiting planting

 delicious lettuce needing to be cut for eating

 yummy lettuce blend!

 This brand of lettuce is having a harder time getting going but has such a sweet taste. Lincoln just stands and eats it out of the container!

 Andy worked so hard to get our "new to us" tiller to run. Thanks so much hunny <3!

 Bed of garlic - almost time for harvesting! I will be drying it and dehydrating it as well as using it fresh!

 Before - bed number 2 - I am not very good about cleaning out and preparing beds for the next season in the fall. This is one area that I want to be researching and working on this year.

planting carrots and getting sun burnt! :)

  Trying to make the "perfect" row and spacing!

 Bed number 2 - after - raised bed of carrots!

 Our longer garden that you look out the kitchen sink window and see. I cannot wait to look out and see all the fruits of our labor!

 Loves that even though it's not his favorite, Andy still helps and supports me when I garden! :)

 Seeds planted in order from fence to back door (right to left)

Fence: Watermelons and Melons

(from left to right in row)

7 Crimson Sweet Watermelon

2 Golden Honey Dew

2 Escondido Gold Melon

3 Amish Melon

Row 2: Squash and Zucchini

(from left to right in row)

9 Burgess Butternut Squash 

9 Black Beauty Zucchini

Row 3: Pumpkins

(from left to right in row)

4 Connecticut Field

6 Big Max

6 Galeux d'Eysines

Row 4-5: Beets

Detroit Red

Row 6-7: Cucumbers

Double Yield

Row 8-9: Onions

Yellow of Parma

Row 10-24: Green Beans

(from left to right in row)
11 rows of Blue Lake
1 row of Blue Contender
2 rows of Ideal Market

Getting our marigolds ready to be planted in between rows and plants

 

This year, I am just jumping in (trying to plan ahead a little) but really trying new things and trying to find things that work for us. I'm not sure how some things will turn out but you never know until you give it a try!

How about you? How does your garden grow?

Looking Ahead to June

Are there any seriously dependent list makers out there like me? I cannot live without my lists. I tried and seriously came unraveled.

One thing that I'd like to begin doing on my blog is making goals for the month ahead. That would bring us to June.

In June....

My goals in the kitchen are:

• be more diligent in taking care of my water kefir, dairy kefir and sourdough starter. I need to feed them properly and actually use them. 
• tackle the area of breakfast. Breakfast is usually just thrown together. I am terrible at actually planning ahead and soaking and preparing for it. I will be adding breakfast to my menu plans.
• to begin making my own granola. My family LOVES granola in our yoghurt. This would be an exciting treat for my kids. I will be scouring the Internet for good granola recipes.. Know of any?

My homemaking goals are:

• to begin a cleaning routine.
• to have a specific baking/preparing day.

My frugality goals are:

• to be more intentional about my time. Making the most of it and not just wandering from one thing to another. Do things that matter and have a positive affect on my family, me and those around me.
• stop eating out.

 My gardening goals are:

• to take pictures and be more diligent in documenting on journey. I am notorious for coming up with good ideas, them working and then the next year totally forgetting what I did.

Books I will be reading:

• Real Food Has Curves: How to Get Off Processed Food, Lose Weight, and Love What You Eat 
• The Edible Front Yard: The Mow-Less, Grow-More Plan for a Beautiful, Bountiful Garden

How about you? Any intentional ideas for next month?

What I Want to Be When I Grow Up

Sometimes I feel as if my life just took off without me. All of the sudden I was out of high school doing stupid things and the next I was a mother and a wife. I catch myself wondering if I really ever figured out who I was and if I ever grew up.

Enter meltdown...

My oldest son is graduating from preschool this evening and moving on to all day kindergarten next year. I know y'all are laughing at me... All of the sudden this feeling came over me. I am going to be lost when I don't have kids at home anymore!

So after many days, weeks.. of praying, I decided what I want to be when I grow up. I adore being out in farm country. There is a peace that washes over me. God's beautiful country. I can feel Him in the breeze and see Him in the blowing grass in the fields. I long to be a country girl. I long to harvest our own foods and I long to be able to do it myself. I long to raise free range meat and breed horses. I long to do so much. I'm not sure just yet what my area will be but I know God's plan is great!

I have no idea to do a lot of what I will need to do but the next four years will be dedicated to trying to obtain financial security, lots of reading and research, and learning as much as I can about the life on a farm from right here in my own little suburban development.

I am beginning to garden at my home and trying to learn many other skills. I will be checking in and giving y'all progress updates and most likely some good stories of success and failure.

Join me on my journey from crazy suburbia to peaceful pastures!

Suburban Gardening

I am so excited about the new gardening season. This year we are trying to garden at our home in a suburb of Dayton. I am very excited!

Here are some pictures of the beginning stages of the garden:

Have you started working on your garden? Any new ideas that you will be trying this year?

Don't Be Mistaken

About a month ago I was asked to be a speaker at our local Women's Center - Walk for Life. I felt it such a great honor to be asked. I feel with the Lord's help, I have come so far. I have a story and I want to share.

Never in my wildest dreams, I did I think it would drag so much up. Not on my end per say but on others. I had truly thought we'd gotten past this.

I feel like I have been given a great gift, a gift of understanding. I have walked through the fire of judgment. I have felt the snare of others. It hurts. Having gone through that, I would hope that I will not be that way towards another.

I want to make myself clear on one note. Make NO mistake that I didn't and don't feel your judgment. Just because I say nothing and don't retaliate does not mean it doesn't hurt.

Back then, I thought I deserved it. I thought it was retribution for my sins. Now that I've grown up and grown in my faith, I now know treating anyone like this is just wrong. I didn't deserve it, nor do others.

When you judge someone, don't be under the misconception that they don't feel it by the way you don't acknowledge them or "guide" them with spiritual condemnation. They feel it and they know it.

Trust me, I as well as others - I'm sure, have condemned ourselves. We praise a Merciful and Forgiving Father. I can assure you that His forgiveness is much easier to come by than our own.

Make no mistake. We have all sinned. Some sins are more evident and out in the open than others.

So please, keep your judgments and your Scarlet Letters and throw no stone until the plank is pulled from your own...

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye." 

Matthew 7:1-5