Making a gnome and wax on jellies

I have been seeing these gnomes all over the internet and I thought, I could try that. So I did. I had some leftover wool roving for the beard and to keep his hat lifted I took a toilet paper roll and snipped one end to a point and glued the point together before gluing to the top of the head and adding a sock. The buttons were from the leftover heart button project from last year.

The body is the regular way you see many sock creatures on line... stuffed with rice and tied with rubber bands, same with the nose. 

Put a half sock over his bottom and add the beard. I put the beard, aka the wool, glued onto a piece of leftover triangle batting from a quilt. 

I think he is kinda cute and will create more... so many ideas were swimming in my brain after I made this little magically guy. 

It has been warm the last two days.  We consider this the warm before the storm since it is suppose to snow tonight and this weekend. The birds were loving it. 

I learned something about making jam this week.  I love making jellies and jams and have gotten pretty good at it. My mom taught me. With six kids to raise, she had to find ways to save and making her own jams and jellies was one way. 

Look closely at the bottom right of my pantry and you will see a box of wax.  Growing up my mom would seal her jellies with a layer of wax on top instead of sealing with lids and rings.  I knew this method was pretty much discontinued but why? Here is what I found out - The temperature in a pantry can fluctuate causing the wax to expand and contract. This caused, at times - not always, mold.  It is a type of mold that even if scraped off has invisible vines climbing down into the jelly.  That's not the really bad part. The really bad part is they have found that this type of mold is a carcinogenetic.  To make jams and jellies we usually use large amounts of sugar. To me that make sense that this mold is a carcinogenetic,  sugar is something cancer feeds on. Learning this today was a big ah-ha moment for me and fascinating.

I still like to keep the box to think of those who tried a different method.

oh... and I survived those wax seal yummy jams and jellies Mom made without a single tummy ache. 

peace 

Sunday, canning, chickens, jelly and some clean up

The freezer is full of meat chickens.  We lost a few this year but we did end up with seventeen in the freezer. They weighed out at 3-7 pounds. They look pretty healthy and we are so grateful for the food it will give us.

Went to mass today and later turned off everything at 3pm for Divine Mercy Hour.  I used the time to pray and pick dandelions. 

In jars today  - Canned mint jelly and dandelion jelly.  There isn't much meat that I like besides the local pork, lamb and our own hand raise chickens.  So, to go along with our lamb,  I made mint jelly. I make it every year and love the stuff.

I have always wanted to try dandelion jelly.  My Dad loved the idea of living on the land... literally, and every so often, he would make us a dandelion salad or get us to try dandelion root.  In honor of my Dad, whose birthday would have been next week, I picked dandelions.  I friend of mine who knows alot about food nutrition,  was visiting this weekend and brought me a fruit and vegetable cleaner he makes.  I gave it a try on my mint and dandelions today. 

We don't spray our dandelions and we only had a few this year due to a lack of moisture but I thought what the heck, I'll give it a try.  I did add a wee bit of orange rind to mine. It turned out perfect and the taste is similar to honey.  

Next up was to put dinner in the over. Simply baked one of our chickens with salt and pepper. In the last 10 minutes I put some of our Thai dipping sauce that I canned last year over it. Yum!

Books - I love this book with recipes from the 1700's... really food like on the homestead. I can't wait to try many of the recipes!

Dude had Poo Duty today... hey, it's not all fun on the homestead but when you have a tractor it's not so bad.

This rooster thought he was king of the poo pile! poor soul

Looks great Dude.

The chicken and the Nova Scotia Hodge Podge is finished and it's time for dinner. (Did I tell you I am smittened with Nova Scotia? Definitely on my bucket list to visit. )

Time to settle in for the evening... a book, some thread, a bit of fabric... you know the drill. 

peace.

Canning and greenhouse update.

Wow! What a gorgeous day!   I know, I know enjoy it while I can it is going to be a harsh winter. Well, not sure if it will but I am, indeed enjoying the Sunday Funday of 80*.  A good example was last night Hunter Moon walk we took with the animals last night. Perfect sweater weather.  The only strange thing is we haven't heard the coyotes the last few nights...but I'm not complaining.

No coyotes but I do believe spirits of the plains were with us. 

Greenhouse update

We still have stuff growing. We will pull up any radishes left over and plant lettuce. The collards are loving the weather.

Carrots and tomatoes need to come out. 

Yep, picked MORE spaghetti squash. 

Glad there is some spinach still producing. 

Nasturtiums for salad and drying.

I will use the corn stalks for decoration or the goats. They love them. 

If the animals new fur coats mean anything then Winter IS Coming. 

Brought out some snackages for the animals. They came running.

God forbid we leave the horse out!

Bees are still active and I will get one more lavender cutting tomorrow.

Salsa making today. 

It turned out ...FABULOUS!

We brought in the sunflowers to dry. We will use for the birds this winter. 

A friend gave me strawberries and raspberries from her garden. We grow them we just don't eat them, she said. What?? Yes, I will, with much gratitude, take them off your hands! So today I made jam, combining them both. 

Turned out sooooooo good. (And yes, mom, if you are reading this... I forgot the pat of butter to reduce the foam. But it is scrumptious! )

I did manage a nap. I am one of those people who takes a 15 minute nap that felt like hours and feel great. 

Dinner came together in minutes. Veggies from garden as stir-fry with chicken over spaghetti squash instead of rice.

I will have this quilted tonight.  Determined!

peace, health, and happiness.