Do It Yourself-dom
• Thursday, December 17, 2009 - Corn Bread/Muffin Mix
In my attempt to be more self sufficient I came across this recipe from allrecipes.com. If you are not familiar with this site, check it out! It is a valuable tool. I upped the salt in my version so if you go to allrecipes.com it will be a little different.
Corn Bread/Muffin Mix
AKA: homemade Jiffy Mix
Ingredients
- 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS:
Directions
In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients; cut in shortening (I use a pastry blender, but you can also use a couple forks) until crumbly. Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
To make corn bread/muffins:
In a bowl, beat egg; add milk and mix well. Stir in 2-1/3 cups corn bread mix just until moistened (the batter will be lumpy). Pour into a greased 8-in. square baking pan or 9 muffin cups. Bake at 425 degrees F for 20-25 minutes.
Yield: 9 serving per batch, 45 servings total for all batches.
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• Thursday, October 15, 2009 - Grateful
I am struck. Struck grateful. I know, I know. Not the usual way you would state a grateful feeling. But I must let you on a secret. I have been having myself a little pity party.
This isn't going right.
That person is mad at me.
I feel isolated and lonely.
I miss friends.
I miss family.
I've let myself go.
I'm not the mother/wife/daughter/sister/friend I should be.
All the ugly things we say to ourselves when we are feeling blue. But this morning as I was going about my daily routine I began to feel a lightening of spirit. Yes, it is a nasty drizzly gloomy day here in small town, Kentucky but God shone His light on me and I was warmed from within. It started so subtly. Just a pinprick of light. But I knew. I knew that it was a gift from my Father. And when I acknowledged His offering I was filled with such a grateful feeling. I have such wonderful things.
I have a home.
I have a family.
I have health.
But most of all, I have a Father who loves me wholly and completely!
Thank you, Jesus. Thank you so much for picking me up out of my muck and mire. Thank you for loving me despite my rotten attitude and my rotten behavior. Please, God, please show me the path you have for me. Please help me get out of this rut in which I have been stuck. |
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• Wednesday, June 17, 2009 - I did it!
I did it! I did it! I really, really did it! And just what did I do........
Can you tell I am really excited?!?!?!? This was my first try at incubating eggs. I set 35 total. When I candled at day 10, five were not fertile. So then I was down to 30 eggs.
26 eggs hatched! We are a little concerned about one of them. It just isn't as peppy as it should be. But 26 of 30 hatched. Not bad for a novice, I'd say. And aren't they just as cute as can be. I just love those fuzzybutts.
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• Thursday, May 28, 2009 - baby bunnies and other spring stuff
Well, it is official. 'Chocolate' is a mama. And so is 'Brownie.' Yep, both girls decided to drop their litters today. So rabbit population here has jumped from 5 to 15. Kids were instructed that original rabbits were to only get 'food' names, hence Chocolate, Brownie, Caramel, Oreo and Milkshake. These litters will either be dinner sometime in the future or sold at a farm sale sometime this fall.
On a gardening note: I was fortunate enough to get the garden out early this year. About 5 or 6 weeks ago. Just in time for the massive amounts of rain. Good thing: plants that I set out look really good. Bad thing: so do all the weeds. Another bad thing: seeds did not fair so well. I think they were water logged. Thinking about tilling up all the beans and corn and replanting. Once I get the weeds under control I might post a picture. So probably like-NEVER.
In the garden this year: cucumbers, cantaloupe, peppers (habero, jalepeno and banana), red and yellow onions, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, tomatoes, squash, zucchini, lima and green beans and corn. I also have some birdhouse gourd and butternut squash seeds that I need to put out.
A chicken note: I am in the process of incubating our first time. I set 35 eggs in the incubator May 24th. So far so good. Temperature and humidity seem to be within tolerable range. So, I guess, we will see.
School this year has been a long drawn out process and will continue through most of the summer. We have had our sickest cold/flu season ever. That on top of holidays and the ice storm has just put us WAY behind. The natives have turned a bit restless with the news that other kids are finishing up but we WILL persevere.
PS Nancy, guess I was right I won't wait 4 months to blog again. I waited 6 months instead. LOL! Oh, well. |
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• Tuesday, November 25, 2008 - The long anticipated RE-entry
Ok, Nancy, here it is. I will RE-enter the bloggy world.
Update on garden:
Squash and zucchini were plentiful. Put up a bunch and shared even more.
Cantaloupe was delicious.
Tomatoes: blueberry sized a definite winner. My full sized ones did nothing. I mean a big fat NOTHING. And I was so looking forward to canning some to enjoy in soups and chili's right about now.
What I learned: get off my duff earlier to put out garden and stagger planting times.
Ok, that's wasn't too painful. Maybe I won't wait 4 months to do that again. |
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• Tuesday, August 5, 2008 - It's that time of year again
Wow, can you believe that it is time to pull out the school work again? And believe it or not the kids are excited about starting. When the curriculum came our youngest (age 5 and his first official year of school) promptly got the nail file and started opening the box. He just had to see his "school."
This year is surely to have it's ups and downs. Transitioning from having one child schooling to two is bound to have some adjustment time, but we are excited! So much so that I believe we will start next week and I usually don't start until after Labor Day. There is just so much summer fun still to be had. But that's one of the joys of homeschooling. We can take an afternoon off to go swimming or go play with friends or even a whole day.
We love it!!! |
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• Tuesday, July 15, 2008 - Homemade Yogurt
I found this recipe on one of my favorite recipe sites, All recipes. It looks really easy and I was wondering has anyone tried to make their own yogurt and if so what were your results.
Homemade Yogurt
INGREDIENTS
- 4 cups water, divided
- 1 1/2 tablespoons plain yogurt with active cultures
- 1 3/4 cups dry milk powder
DIRECTIONS
- Pour 2 cups of water into a sealable 1 quart container, and stir in the yogurt until dissolved. Whisk in powdered milk until completely blended. Fill with remaining water, and stir. Close the lid, and set in a warm place for 12 to 15 hours. I use a gas oven (turned off), or even a heating pad. Refrigerate, until chilled before serving.
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• Monday, July 14, 2008 - Awesome video
• Monday, July 14, 2008 - My garden's first fruits
Looky here first fruits from the garden.
Let me explain. Tomato plants were hard to come by when I put out my garden (rather late). I looked high and low. I ended up getting a few freebie plants for blueberry sized tomatoes from a kind Mennonite lady. And lo and behold, they are truly blueberry sized tomatoes and yummy. They are similar in flavor to a cherry tomato but maybe slightly more tart. But never fear, I did finally find plenty of regular tomatoes and am looking forward to canning some.
Also included in my garden: cucumbers, banana and bell peppers, onions, cantaloupe, yellow squash, zucchini, sweet corn, and green beans that didn't come up well and I will intermingle with my fall garden. |
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• Friday, July 11, 2008 - The kids are gone....
The kids are gone for a week and a half. Whatever shall I do??? I know sleep, read, clean without interference, garden, go on a date with hubby, lunch with friends. Ahhhh, so many options!!!
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• Tuesday, June 24, 2008 - Do It Yourselfdom-explanation
Let me explain the title to this here blog. We are the original "Do It Yourselfers.''
Hubby rebuilds engines, transmissions, and all other vehicular repairs. He can build a computer from scratch components. He can fix anything. He is what you would definitely would call a man's man. He thrives on the tinkering.
I am willing to try my hand at just about anything related to domestic life. I cook from scratch, I craft, I bake. I am ever expanding my horizons. This year I have even put out a good sized garden in hopes of canning and we recently got some hand-me-down chickens or practice chickens as we call them. They aren't laying too well but it is a good way to test the waters.
Our ultimate Do It Yourself project is our home. We lived in a 28ft. fifth-wheel camper for 22 months while we built it. Yes, I said we built it. Let me tell you what we did not do first.
Hired out:
basement digging
basement walls
the pouring of the basement floor
insulation
heating and cooling
finishing of drywall
pouring the slab for the carport and front porch
What we did:
framing
electrical
plumbing
siding
roofing (sheet metal)
window and door hanging
hanging of drywall
painting
tile laid
lamenated/floating floor
installed kitchen and bath room cabinetry
I am probably forgetting somethings but truth be told I have probably blocked those memories, because it was a trying time. Just building the house was one thing. But living in a camper with two children and homeschooling made for a season of life I would rather not try again. I tell people one thing that helped us is that my husband and I mostly took turns being crazy. Thank you, Jesus.
We have been living in our home for a little over 2 years and there are still tons still to do. We just about have all siding done, but still need soffit and fascia. We have several interior doors to buy/hang, trim, flooring and a few other odd jobs to go. Until the money fairies visit it will be a little project at a time, but I wouldn't trade the experience or our home for anything. Sure it still makes me crazy on occasion. But we have grown as a family, we have been stretched to our limit (and occasionally past) and we have bounced back. |
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• Monday, June 23, 2008 - Little bites
I wouldn't call us seasoned veterans but we have been doing this homeschool thing for awhile. (2007-2008 school year was our 5th year). The longer we homeschool the longer I say I will homeschool. Starting out I think the thought of homeschooling all the way through high school was too much. The task too large. But as I sit here today I realize it is all about little bites. You don't eat a meal by cramming the whole thing in your mouth. Little bites, Becky, little bites. Yes, we will do another year. Yes, we will do 3 more years. But please don't ask me about 5 more years. The thought is too big.
Yes, little bites is the way to go. |
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