Jam Making Giveaway

BoHo Farm and Home is having a great giveaway.. Visit her blog and enter to win http://www.bohofarmandhome.com/2011/05/jam-making-giveaway.html

I sure could use any and all canning materials:)

Growing Tomatoes & Dr. Earth

I'm still pretty new to gardening and VERY new to growing my own tomatoes.  I bought some tomato starts from a lady at my local Gardening Fair she grows every thing organically.  Her tomato starts are seriously amazing, the stocks are soo thick.  She said she never needs tomato cages or any support.  I tried to rack her brain of any advice for growing tomatoes, and some of her advice was to use fertilizer often, she said the ratio she preferred was 5-7-3, or basically any ORGANIC tomato/vegetable fertilizer should work. 

Some good friends had the most amazing cherry tomato plant, it was seriously a huge bush of thousands of beautiful bright red cherry tomatoes, it was the biggest bush of tomatoes I have ever seen, seriously! They are BIG fans of  Dr. Earth Fertilizer, so I bought a bag of Dr. Earth Organic 5 - Tomato, Vegetable, & Herb Fertilizer.  So we shall see how it works.  What Organic fertilizers have worked best for you????  And I would love more tomato growing advice:) 

Thank You Lord I Get To Be A Momma

Oh that God would give every mother a vision of the glory and splendor of the work that is given to her when a babe is place in her bosom to be nursed and trained! Could she have but one glimpse in to the future of that life as it reaches on into eternity; could she look into its soul to see its possibilities; could she be made to understand her own personal responsibility for the training of this child, for the development of its life, and for its destiny,--she would see that in all God's world there is no other work so noble and so worthy of her best powers, and she would commit to no others hands the sacred and holy trust given to her.~ J.R. Miller, Homemaking

(Borrowed From Regan Family Farms Blog)

Natural Remedy For Sunburns

My little Chloe girl got a sunburn on her back and booty:(  Yeah, I know not a good spot to burn.  So I looked up remedies for sunburns at Earth Clinic and I found great reviews for Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) and Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (EVCO) for sunburns.  So first we applied the ACV (she didn't  like that too much), then once the ACV dried we applied the (EVCO).  The next day she was still red but the pain was completely gone, and she never peeled or complained about it again:)

A Big "Thank You" To All My Followers

I just want to send out a Thank you too all of my 21 followers.. I am getting more and more followers SLOWLY but surely, and I feel very honored, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart:)  Thank you for spending time out of your precious life to read my thoughts...  I hope I can encourage each and every one of you in one way or another, but especially in your walk with Yeshua (The Hebrew name for Jesus) :)

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Take My Eyes Off My Self And Put Them On Christ

I think most of us struggle with keeping our eyes on Christ. Its soo easy to get consumed with our own wants, needs, anxieties, problems etc. but if we have our eyes on Christ we won't notice these things.  I struggle with taking each and every word some one speaks to me and analyze it and try to figure out whether or not they like me or dislike me. If I feel they don't like me I will then start shutting down, when I start shutting down I stop talking, and sit and have a pity party for myself.. When truly I don't really know their intentions, only the Lord knows.. So when I concentrate on how they are treating me and take things personal I have my eyes on myself and not on Christ, if I shut down when my feeling are hurt how am I supposed to be Christ like and die to self and continue to serve and Love someone? 

  (I hope I am making since)

Fair or not fair.  Equal or unequal.  Just or unjust.  We can tend to weigh it all.  And if were not careful, our view of the world can become distorted.  Every little word can take on a hidden meaning.  Each action can turn into a personal attack. 

"I do all the work," we mutter to ourselves. 

"How dare they treat me like that?"

These thoughts can easily outweigh everything good in our lives.  Because when we look for injustice, we usually find it.  And when we expect life to always be fair, we inevitably set ourselves up for a big disappointment. 

When I start feeling that things are unfair, I take a step back and think about when Christ became man.  I think of all the unfair things that happened to him.  He NEVER complained..  He died to self , and died for all of us nasty, disgusting sinners..  

Too be continued :)

Some Verses To Think On

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.   John 12:24

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.   Romans 12:1-2

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.   Luke 9:23

Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.   1 Peter 4:1-2

And if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.   Romans 8:17

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.   Luke 9:23-24

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us  Romans 8:18

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  Galatians 5:22

What Im Listening To

How To Dry Clean Eggs

If you are new to keeping chickens for eggs, you are probably still trying to figure out the best way to clean your eggs.  The first thing to do is make sure they have a clean laying area.  What we have found works best for laying material is pine shavings, it seems to almost work like cat litter, it attracts the moisture and keeps the chicken poo covered up, its cozy for the hens too:)  If you notice any chicky poo being tracked in try to clean it as soon as you can, this helps keep your eggs clean..

Eggs come out perfectly clean, its amazing how the Lord made everything PERFECT!  Its important to know a few things about cleaning your eggs to keep them fresher, longer.  First of all eggs have a natural antibacterial coating on them called the Bloom.  This amazing coating protects the egg from any bacteria getting to the inside.  If the eggs are washed the bloom can be washed off, then your eggs are at risk!

Hopefully if you are able to keep your laying area clean you wont even need to clean your eggs, but if there is a little bit of poo on them all you do is use something abrasive, I use a little sanding block that looks like this

I think a little sanding block like the one pictured above is about $3 at walmart, or any hardware store.  Make sure you sanitize the sanding block occasionally.

Also make sure its the most fine sanding block, cause you don't want to sand away the bloom.

If your egg looks really messy you can rinse it in warmer water then the temperature of the egg.  Don't use cold water.  I never wash my eggs, if they are too dirty.  I just boil the eggs that are really dirty. 

I have read that in other countries eggs can't be sold in stores that have been washed, they believe that the hygiene of the farm should be so clean that the eggs shouldn't need to be washed, unlike the USA standards the FDA mandates that all the eggs must be washed since most of the egg farms are soo filthy, and most of the time they use chemicals to wash the eggs.  Just another reason to have your own laying hens.

Homemade Elderberry Blueberry Yogurt

My family loves yogurt but I don't really love all the sugar in flavored yogurts, so I came up with a delicious concoction.  Elderberry and blueberries go great together especially in plain yogurt, and I don't think it could be any healthier.  Its packed with antioxidant's, probiotics, vitamin C and the list goes on my friend:)  We eat this almost every morning.

Oh and I forgot to tell you I use store bought yogurt, but Raw milk yogurt would be even better (Or ice cream).

So here it goes, this is all you need:

Brown Cow with Cream On Top Plain Yogurt (Or plain yogurt of your liking)

Elderberry Syrup (Recipe is on my blog)

Wild Blueberries (I like the wild blueberries they are smaller and tangier)

Now just mix it to your desired flavor:)

I also make some in these fantastic Ball Brands containers (they are BPA free and the perfect size), for My Beloved's lunch.

"He who guards his mouth and his tongue
keeps himself from calamity."
Proverbs 21:23

Homemakers Don't Be Discouraged

About 4 Years ago I left my job as a medical assistant to begin my God-given roll, being a wife, mom, and homemaker, and I have never looked back.  The Lord is a great provider, we have never been in need on just my husbands income, and that's pretty darn amazing with this econmy.  I was also blessed to grow up to have a stay at home mom that I am soo very thankful for. 
I stay at home with my 3 year old, 2 year old, and a 9 month old.

Motherhood is a calling. It's a womanly calling. And let's not be cowed by those who extinguish the light and joy of sexuality by trying to persuade us to forget words like manly and womanly. At the beginning of time when God made the first man and the first woman in His image, He put both under the divine command to be fruitful.
The woman's obedience to that command meant self-giving. First, she gave herself to her husband. He initiated. She responded. Then she gave herself for the life of her child. A woman knows in the deepest regions of her being that it's this very self-giving for which she was made, single or married.
Her level of maturity is measured by how much she gives to others. If she's married, she gives herself to her husband and she receives. If she's a mother, she loses her life in her child and mysteriously she finds it. A woman knows that no one can really say where the giving ends and the receiving starts.
It's no wonder we're confused when urged to look for some better or higher vocation in which to prove our personhood. No wonder we're distressed to be subjected to male standards or told that the notion of femininity and masculinity are obsolete. Old-fashioned notions they are indeed, but they weren't ours to begin with. They were God's. He planned the whole system, and it's God Himself who calls. He calls some to be single, some married people to be childless, but He calls most women to be mothers.
There are, the Bible tells us, differences of gifts and they're all given according to God's grace. If our calling is to be mothers, let's be mothers with all our hearts-gladly, simply, and humbly, like that little peasant girl Mary, who spoke for all women for all time when she said, 'Behold, the handmaid of the Lord. Be it unto me according to Thy word."  

Growing Our Potatoes In 5 Gallon Buckets

As some of you may know I have a teeny weeny itsy bitsy back yard, so we are definitely limited on our garden space.  My beloved began researching different ways to garden with limited space and came up with a great way to grow our potatoes. From what we have read potatoes deplete your soil quickly so if we plant our potatoes in buckets, after harvest we can then either throw that soil out, or use it for flower pots etc.  Plus planting in buckets helps save our garden space for other yummy veggies:)

How To Grow Potatoes In Buckets

We are using 5 gallon buckets, that we had given to us by a friend that came from a restaurant.  The buckets where food grade.  You want to make sure the buckets you use never had any chemicals in them previously. 

~Drill holes in bottom of bucket

~Throw in about 1-2 inches of stones for drainage

~Cover the stones with some sort of screen so that you don't plug up your drainage

~Add about 1-2 inches of soil/compost material

~Then add your potato with about 2-3 eyes

~Use just enough soil to cover your potato

~Make sure your soil is moist, but not too wet

~It will take about 1-2 weeks for it to pop through the surface

~Once it pops through just cover it with about 1 inch of soil until it gets close to the top of the bucket

 I have heard that some people have got up to 15lbs of tomatoes from 1 - 5 gallon bucket, but our expectations are not that high:) 

We planted Yukon Golds, and Russet potatoes. And we have 10 - 5 gallon buckets and they seem to be doing great so far.. I'm really excited to see how they turn out. 

     This is the potatoes poking through:)

And now I'm going to leave you with a picture of Gracie from last summer with one of our huge cucumbers.

These cucumbers didn't taste very good until they got huge, I'm guessing we did some thing wrong:)

"That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil-this is the gift of God."
Ecclesiastes 3:13

Our New Pup

 We got a new pup and her name is Lucy and she is 8 weeks old.  She is a lab/Australian Shepard mix and is as cute as can be:)  

The girls absolutely love her.  Her first night home she slept in her dog house that My Beloved made for her, she didn't make a peep all night.  She was born outside, and had never been in the house before so she loves the outdoors, which is great because we have had issues with past dogs sleeping in our bed with us, and I don't think that would go real well considering we co-sleep now.   

Soo all that to say she is PERFECT!  

We are working on her getting used to our chickens, because we're hoping they can be friends:)  

While playing outside with Lucy I decided to take some pics of my girls, I got some cute ones so I thought I would share them with you.

"Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed."

Proverbs 16:3

Construction Zone

My Blog is going through some major transformations, and I am soo excited about it!  I just created a new button for my blog on the sidebar, feel free to grab it and put it where ever year heart desires:)  It can be over whelming at times trying to figure out this blog stuff, but I'm finally catching on (I think)  ;)  

The Raw Truth About Raw Milk

My family has been blessed with having a friend to get Raw Milk from.  We have been drinking it for a year now and have benefited from it greatly.  There are great benefits from drinking raw milk, so I would like to share with you some things I have learned about raw milk.

                                                    (Borrowed from Milk can photo by Morgan Noguellou)

Raw Milk is Health Food

Raw milk from clean, healthy cows bears no comparison – in taste or nutrition – to pasteurized milk. High quality raw milk will always win out over the pasteurized variety.
It’s important to know that the milk you drink will only be as healthy as the cow that produced it. Make sure to source your raw milk from a clean, well-run farm that gives its cows access to pasture.
Raw milk from grass fed cows is full of things that your body will thrive on, including:

• healthy bacteria
• raw fat
• cancer-fighting conjugated linoleic acid (CLA)

It’s not uncommon for people who drink raw milk to report improvement or disappearance of troubling health issues – everything from allergies to digestive trouble to skin problems like eczema.
After years of consuming highly processed foods, we are experiencing skyrocketing rates of chronic, debilitating conditions like asthma, obesity and diabetes.
Pasteurized milk was the very first processed food we were exposed to, and countless numbers of people are experiencing all kinds of health troubles, from digestive upset to perhaps even autism.
This is why even organic milk, which should be from relatively healthy cows, is STILL not a healthy choice for milk, as it is still pasteurized.

Yet, many people thrive on raw dairy. As with nearly any food, the closer you consume it to its natural state, the better. And this is also true for milk.

Are You Ready to Join the Raw Milk Revolution?

Fortunately, no matter how far public health officials go to discredit the benefits of raw milk, a growing number of Americans are choosing natural dairy sources, even though they may be technically breaking their local law.
If you’re still on the fence, I suggest you talk to people in your area who drink raw milk and eat raw dairy products. I assure you there are more raw-milk drinkers around than you may think.

And you don’t have to stop with milk. Most raw-milk providers also offer other wonderful raw dairy products like cheeses, sour cream, kefir, yogurt, butter, and fresh cream. The flavor of these dairy products is incomparable -- rich, creamy, sweet and incredibly fresh.
Visit RealMilk.com for sources of raw dairy products near you.
You might also consider getting involved with organizations like the Weston A. Price Foundation and the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund who are working toward true freedom of choice for American consumers.  (Information comes from Dr. Mercola)

Genesis 18:8 And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.

Job 10:10 Hast thou not poured me out as milk, and curdled me like cheese?

Proverbs 30:33 Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.

1 Peter 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: