Briar Patch

Fridays are busy busy here at Rocky Creek. In addition to all the farm stuff that has to be done I have a farmers market in downtown KC. Yes, still. This is an INDOOR fabulous organic market that you will just love. CLICK HERE TO VISIT THEIR WEBSITE.

Tomorrow I have my second craft show of the season at the Montgomery in Excelsior Springs. Come on by--lots of great HERBAL PRODUCTS.

Briar Patch is my rabbit village built by my FarmBoy Gary. Here are the inhabitants:

The Patriarch "Paddy" (white-French Angora) and newest occupant "Pepper" (black-English Angora). They are getting acquainted in the bunny yard separated by fencing. You can see a ramp in the background where Paddy goes up to his hutch.

From left to right: Cherry Blossom(white-French Angora , Nutmeg (brown-French Angora and Thumbelina (white/brown-English Angora) chowing on comfrey.

This is S'mores our only non-Angora bunny. He's a doll.

This is Paddy ON TOP of his hutch in Briar Patch. He's a dare devil.

Thumbelina just hangin' out on her sun porch in front of her apartment. Isn't she a cutie patootie?

Nutmeg grooming Thumbelina. Both Nutmeg and Cherry Blossom baby Thumbelina--it's so stinkin' cute.

Cherry Blossom on her sun porch. She's giving Pepper the evil eye through the cage partition. For some reason she just hates poor little Pepper.

Pepper enjoying yard time without the others. We have to keep her separate for now.

They all love Briar Patch: it has separate apartments for each of them, sun porches and ramps down to the yard. I'll post better pics of the whole complex one day. Not today! Have an herbalicious week end.... :)

Men Cook Dinner Day

Woohooo, ladies. It's the national day for men to cook today! I am one of the chosen ones in that my FarmBoy Gary loves to cook. HERE IS a recipe from our website that even the culinary challenged men can do. It's right up their alley GRILLING.

Don't make the mistake of thinking grilling is only for warm months. We grill 12 months out of the year. This recipe for Grilled Onions is super easy and super good.

It's a beautiful day here at the farm. We've had several cloudy, windy, rainy, muddy days so the sunshine is soooo appreciated. FarmBoy Gary is working on making goat stalls in our barn. Yay! I wanted them to each have their own space. It's an old barn, but FarmBoy works wonders with his handy dandy hammer and yellow power tools....of which I am banned from touching.

Becky's spot where Daisy gored her is healing quite nicely. One day when I'm not talking about food I'm going to post pics of wounds and expound on my triple whammy herbal first aid protocol. IT"S GREAT. In the meantime you can read about it HERE

Yesterday I did battle with my sewing machine (Asian beetles invaded us during the hot spell last week and apparently they thought they would winter over in the mechanics of my Singer)and my serger (missing screw). However, I persevered and am almost done.

DRATTED BEETLES...THEY WERE EVERYWHERE!!!

We have a what I refer to as a mountain behind our barns. It is goat heaven. They always come when I call. Here is a short clip of their stampede down the mountain and into the barn yard in response to me yelling "GOAT" at the top of my lungs. Cute, huh?!

Master Tonic and Conquering Machines

I got my Master Tonic made yesterday...let me tell ya THIS IS POTENT!! I'm so glad I used the food processor. That may sound every-day ordinary to you, but the food processor and I have had a running battle ever since it first appeared on my kitchen counter. My husband LOVES it and uses it for everything. I just couldn't get the hang of getting that lid on right--me and mechanical/electronic things don't sync up.

Considering the ingredients in Master Tonic--onions, garlic, horseradish, ginger, peppers (jalapeno and GHOST PEPPERS)--I knew I would be in trouble if I tried MY WAY of chopping by hand. For some reason known only to the kitchen angels everything went perfectly; the food processor decided to be my friend. And, it's a good thing because my eyes, mouth and throat were burning as it was.

My GHOST PEPPER bush hanging in the cottage

So, if you didn't go to the website that tells all about Master Tonic, get yourself on over there now BY CLICKING HERE. The weather is turning; it's cold, windy and rainy in the valley today. This means you will have that telltale tickle in the back of your throat that signals the onset of a cold or worse. This Master Tonic is a NATURAL way to combat the beasties of winter. It takes two weeks to "brew" so don't delay; do it today.

I'm off to my sewing room; I got my granddaughter's dress pattern traced and the pieces cut out so she's all ready to sew. I'm feeling confident since my food processor success so first thing I'm going to get my serger(really? serger isn't in Microsoft's dictionary?!) up and running....remember what I said about my relationship with mechanical/electronic stuff? Well, I use my sewing machine regularly, but haven't used my serger in 5 years!!! So, wish me luck.

Rainy Day

Oh I'm so happy---Daylight Savings Time is OVER. Whewww. Made it through another summer. I'm a lark, you see. Larks love mornings. This lark loves doing chores in the daylight. This lark loves having more time in the a.m. to get things done. When daylight is delayed, chores are delayed, tasks are delayed. And, don't even get me started on evening snaffus because of the extended daylight. Enough on that subject.

So, it's been a while since I've been here. My little fingers have been busy with other farm related stuff; but I'm going to make a valiant effort to journal my journey. After all, I know a lot of you keep checking and checking to see what's new.

Milking is full swing. Customers just love my sweet sweet goat milk. I have four fresh but until this morning I was only milking three and letting my darling little Chloe (4 months old) have all she wanted. She is a twin and was super tiny so I didn't mind her drinking her fill every day. But, she's a fine little future milker now and has to grow up a little bit. I will still let her nurse all day, pen her mom, Polly, up at night, milk Polly in the mornings and let Chloe run with her mom all day. I learned this neat once a day milking procedure from Molly--a delightful lady who shares all she knows on her website.CLICK HERE TO CHECK HER OUT

Chloe-one hour old. Isn't she a beauty?

Yesterday I cleaned the chicken house, goat barn and rabbitry or as I like to call it Briar Patch. I have four gorgeous Angora rabbit does--Cherry Blossom, Nutmeg, Thumbalina and Pepper, one buck, Paddy, and one adorable little male of unkown origin--S'mores. Brair Patch is an ingenious creation of my farmboy husband, Gary. It has apartments, sunporches and ramps down to the yards. The rabbits love it.

So it's raining this morning so I am going to make my grand daughter a birthday dress, make a Master Tonic CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE and do up the rest of the pears a friend of mine gave me. The Master Tonic is similar to the Fire Cider I used to make. I'll let you know how much of this to do today list I actually get done!

Have an herbalicious day.

Snappers!

We’ve had a lot of rain and that always signals the snapping turtles to begin. Walking, crawling, prowling, courting, stalking. I was doing chores day before yesterday and as I went through the goat yard gate I noticed something by my poo bucket. I keep an empty 5 gallon bucket looped over a fence pole to help me clean out stalls. (It doesn’t do much.)

Huddled down into the grass was this “small” snapping turtle. His shell was about the size of a dinner plate. He hissed and carried on like a two year old when I scooped him up in the bucket and dumped him in a galvanized tub in the back of ZuZu (farm truck). My thought was to show him to H2…my grandson. (Henry #2..actually he’s #3 but he’s #2 in his household!!) He relates to any wild thing. It brings out his own internal wildness and I mean that in a most natural good way.

This is H2 several years ago..he still fishes and he still has that big smile. Oh, and he has teeth now.

I went to town and when I got back to the farm the turtle had not only escaped the confines of the tub, he had managed to get out of the truck bed and continued his walk-about. The creek borders our property so I imagine that’s where he came from and whence he returned. I’m thankful he didn’t get one of my cats or chickens in those jaws.

Today PT Patti Petunia and I were cruising down the road and this gigantic snapper was right in the middle of my lane. There was oncoming traffic so swerving was out of the question. So I slowed down to a crawl and straddled him so as not to hit him with a tire. He was so large as I went over him the back of that prehistoric shell clunked all along the underside of PT Patti. It sounded like I was going over a boulder. In my rearview mirror he stuck out that long neck and stared at me. If looks could kill.

I’m counting the days till two of my does, Polly and Becky, have their kids. I separate them at night from the rest of my herd. This morning I was just certain I had a baby because neither of them were up yet. But, no. They were just sleeping in, which my goats do often. They can be such sleepy heads. I’ve had to wake them up to milk! So, not like chickens—I hear that cockadoodledoo every morning just before daybreak. It’s so nice to smile before your eyes are even open. I love the farm.

Comings and Goings...

The last two weeks have been a whirlwind of activity surpassing even our usual schedule.

We had our first Integrated Pest Management Workshop. We were thrilled by the great attendance. Our speakers from Lincoln university were knowledgeable and so very willing to help with anyone's "pest" problem. Read all about it HERE Click on SARE Research Study.

It involves beneficial insect plantings, sacrifice plants and chicken tractors. Now how could you not be interested in that!

My little sick hen went to the Great Chicken Yard In The Sky. She gave it her best but just couldn't pull through. I partially blame myself because she spent that night out in the cold rain after she was getting better.

I was asked a question about the apple cider vinegar. It was an ingredient in my health potion. No, it's purpose is not as a sort of smelling salt. The organic components of the ACV are health promoting and life giving. Watch for details at my other blog Nana Earth.

Farmers Market is booming. I just love being with like-minded folks. It's energizing. For those of you in the Kansas City area, drop by: Bad Seed Farmers Market 1909 McGee KC on Fridays 4 to 9 pm. It's a happening organic market..you're gonna love it. And, stop by my booth for World's Best Eggs. Their production is overseen by Mable, Queen of her Kingdom.

This is my little sweetheart, Mable. She loves attention. Read some Mable stories HERE.

Remember my camera saga? Well I have lots of new photos on it, but haven't had time to download the software on my computer. Soon....

Part of my extra activity has been to go to the Iowa Sheep-Fiber doings in Des Moines. My daughter gave me a male Angora bunny for Mother's Day (ADORABLE) He was born on St Patricks Day so I named him "Sean Patrick "Paddy" O'Hara. (Again, photos in my camera!)

I plan to spin the bunny fiber so we thought it would be a grand adventure to go to the fiber-festival. We took a class to learn all about Angora bunnies. It's quite different than raising regular rabbits and I look forward to getting a female.

FarmBoy Gary is going to add on to my bunny complex.

I'm sure I've mentioned loosing half my garden to the freaky hard-freeze in May. I did replant with what I had in my greenhouse, Sprout, but it didn't fill all the spaces. A friend of mine has thousands of extra plants so I made a trip to his place and brought home literally a Patti-car-load of plants.

This is PT Patti Petunia. She's a purple PT Cruiser and I can PACK her FULL. I mean FULL. This photo is at a farmers market.

So, now, my task is laid before me...plant, plant, plant.

Pepper Predicament

Friday 5-31

I'm getting ready for farmers market..Friday mornings are always hectic. It involves getting together any produce I've harvested (this week berries and onions), deciding what to put it in for my tables, whether or not to "bundle" (rubberband) it, getting the eggs packed into iced coolers, labeling milk for deliveries on the way to market, rounding up any floral or herbal baskets I've planted, cutting any flowers blooming (this week PEONIES--they are gorgeous), making sure I have my other herbal products I want to take, checking on literature and signs, table cloths, tables, change...well you get the picture.

Yesterday morning my little sick hen was better, then by days end she was not so good. It rained all day so she kept walking over to the door and getting wet. I dosed her good at nightfall, but I really thought she would be dead this morning.

She's a trooper; she wasn't very perky but alive. I gave her her usual dosage, some ACV water and hoped for the best. I'm worried because I won't be here to dose her every 2-3 hours like I have been.

I finally got my nightshade garden done. I planted bell peppers and those marvelous little sweet cherry peppers. I had dug the holes the day before when I planted tomatoes so I thought it would be easy-breezy to plant the peppers.

I like to work in the garden during a slow-misty rain. Dream on. It was pouring down. And, thundering. And, lightening. Cassie is terrified of storms so she would not stay in ZUZU-our Toyota farm truck. She insisted on staying UNDER me as I planted. My gloves were caked with a good half inch of mud; my boots were like big zombie boots--they had at least 2-3 inches of mud clinging to every step. For some reason in a moment of insanity I opted not to wear a hat so the rain was running down my face and into my eyes. The little rake I was using was also covered with mud and became heavier with each swipe at the ground.

I always try to weed as I plant; two birds with one stone, so to speak. Trouble is when I pulled them up they wouldn't leave my glove as I tried to sling them off. Mud equals glue. What I thought would be an easy item on my to-do list was proving to be troublesome and time consuming. However: Perserverance wins the day. The peppers are in!

Gotta go...I'll let you know how market goes.

This is ZUZU. I love this truck.

Relapse and Mystery Solved

We have a chicken wire fence around our gardens but it is far from chicken proof. Multiple times during the day we send Cassie to "herd" the chickens back over to their side of the fence.

Cassie our #1 Miss Fixit. If anyone says anything in a reprimanding voice to the cats, the chickens, the goats, whatever, Cassie is right there to take matters in hand. She's a miniature Australian Shepherd.

The hen that was sick the other day managed to get through the fence into the gardens. We have a cover crop of rye still standing on one of the gardens that we are waiting to come to a head so we can crimp it for mulch. It is over 5 feet tall and thick as a medieval forest. FarmBoy Gary was busy preparing to put out the water lines to various parts of the farm when he saw the little hen crouched in the rye.

It stormed last night so she was soaked through and through. I took her back to sick bay; she was lethargic and barely opened her eyes. I mixed together another oatstraw concoction I fixed before and also made a molasses liquid tonic I could squirt into her mouth. She was too far out of it to peck at the oatstraw. I dipped her beak into the Apple Cider Vinegar water and she did swallow so that made me hopeful. I gave her the molasses tonic every 2-3 hours all day. I set her in the sun and as soon as she dryed off she moved into the brooder house; I was glad to see her moving around.

This evening she moved further into the straw to sleep so I'm anxious to see how she is in the morning.

I carry my camera with me all day every day; it's like a siamese twin to my phone. Three weeks ago it was MIA. I have looked EVERYWHERE for that camera. It's just a little Kodak but takes very good pics, it's easy to use and stands up to my rough farm treatment. And, I had a bucket-load of photos in it.

I looked in drawers, under beds, in glove boxes, under the sink, in the hay manger, in the feed bins, on the lawn mower, in the mailbox, in the frig (really), behind the trash burn-bin, in the rain barrel. But, as FarmBoy Gary delights in telling me every time I loose something, "you didn't look EVERYWHERE or you would have found it."

This afternoon he came walking across the lawn swinging my little scratched pink camera by its cord handle. "OH MY GOSH YOU FOUND MY CAMERA", I said in my squealing happy voice. We have a little stack of bricks in the center of my circle herb garden waiting with brick-like patience to become the centerpoint; the camera was laying right on top.

"Oh, yeah, THAT'S where I laid it".

We have had multiple rain storms in three weeks. Hmmm. Not lookin' good. I revved up my famous positive attitude and plugged the camera into the charger. Several hours later I turned it on and it made a pathetic little whine, opened its lens partway then closed up and hasn't made a peep since. I left it for Farmboy Gary; he can fix anything.

Sick Chicken and Goat Quarters

Day before yesterday I noticed a hen standing alone, feathers all plumped out like a little puff ball. Upon examination she had just a touch of diarrhea and didn't look right in her face. You know how you can tell your child is sick by their expression? It's the same with animals--if you take the time to get to know them.

I put her in sick bay and started a health regime. First I put organic apple cider vinegar in her water. I routinely put it in all the chicken waters--probably once or twice a week. I use approximately a teaspoon per gallon.

Then I fixed her feed. I used a base of oatstraw--the herb kind not the straw kind. I added diatomaceous earth (the computer just tried to change that to semiautomatic earth!), molasses and probiotics. At first she didn't want to eat, but after I got her started she pecked away. I stayed with her to encourage eating for awhile; she also drank some of the ACV water.

I let her have peace, quiet and privacy overnight and this morning she was rearing to get out and hunt for worms so I think she' going to be fine.

Cali Cat's kittens are seven weeks old now so it's time to find homes. We have their mother, (of course) and their grandmother--Katy Scarlet O'Hara. They are the most loving cats we have ever had...it seems to run in the family!

Daisy (left)-- my Queen and primary milker and Button who is fresh now but wasn't in this photo.

I'm having to rearrange my goat quarters. I have two stalls and have been keeping Daisy (the Queen) and Button (her daughter) in them at night. They both have beautiful long horns and can be a bit bully-ish. Plus, Button's baby, Zipper, is 3 months old and it's time for him to share the milk with me. So, I separate Button and Zipper during the night, milk Button in the mornings and let Zipper have it the rest of the day.

This is Polly--what a cutie patootie.

Polly and Becky--two of my Tiny Trio-- are "kidspecting" the last week of June and the first week of July. I want them to have the two stalls for kidding and maternity leave. So, I am gradually moving Daisy and Button out, and Polly and Becky in.

Neither Polly nor Becky have horns (I'll save the pro/con-horn story for another day) and they are very small so are easily intimidated. Betty, the third goat in my Tiny Trio is not pregnant but since the three of them have always been together, I let them all sleep in the stall.

Becky and Betty--BFFs.

It would not be large enough to house them during waking hours, but is plenty big for all of them to sleep. I've seen them sleeping and even when they have wide open spaces they always cuddle up together.

By the time the kids arrive in about 4 weeks I will have Polly in one stall and Becky in the other stall; Daisy and Button will be out in the common areas and Zipper will be in the not-yet-completed MAN quarters. I may let Betty stay in with Becky even when she has her baby. They are so affectionate toward one another. They will lay down with their bodies touching and one will lay her head on the other. They are inseparable. Polly stays pretty close to them, but Becky and Betty seem to be bonded in spirit. I'm thinking that Becky may be less stressed during childbirth if Betty is in with her. I don't know... we'll see.

FARM JOURNAL

Memorial MonDay

I am changing the premise of this blog. I’ve had so many folks talk to me about the day to day happenings on the farm, what it requires to actually…well…farm. So I decided to post journal entries. I hope you will come along and experience the joy and the heartache of taking care of animals, the land and yourself as we try to etch out a living.

The “information” part of this blog is delegated to my other blog: Nana Earth and to my website: Rocky Creek Valley.

This morning is the perfect time to begin; it is storming up a blaze outside. That’s ok; we need the rain.

We purchased this “farm” four years ago this fall. It was abandoned, neglected and overgrown with weeds as tall as my 5’1” head. The fields had been in hay for years; making gardens there has proven to take great commitment and resolve. The house and outbuildings were in such bad shape the appraiser wouldn’t even include them in the appraisal. Good news for our bank account; bad news for housing ourselves and the animals.

When we began searching for a farm we had a list of things we wanted. Flat driveway. Paved road. Trees and rocks and hills good for goats, fields for hay, creek, pond. An old house for my herb doings. A trailer pad for our living quarters. YES, we found it. It had everything on our check list and it was within a few miles of two of our children.

So here we are…four years later. FarmBoy Gary reworked the old house for my herb business and classes. He measured and nailed and caulked the old out buildings into useable chicken houses and implement storage. We purchased a small barn (red, of course) to house and milk the goats.

I have about 80 chickens, 3 roosters among them. Check out my rooster story “Game of Thrones” at www.nanaearth.weebly.com

My small Saanen dairy herd is growing. I have two fresh now –Daisy and Button--and two –Polly and Becky--due to kid the last of June/first of July. One little doe, Betty, is not healthy enough yet to breed. Polly, Becky and Betty were rescue goats I bought from the lady who rescued them. They are small compared to Daisy and Button (mother/daughter) but Polly and Becky snapped right out of it. Betty is still very skinny, too skinny. I continue to treat her with healthy concoctions of my own making. She’ll come along.

I was supposed to have a tour this morning, but as I mentioned it is storming. Normally I do tours on Wednesdays but this is a faithful group who come once a year and also have me speak to their group annually.

I am in the process of cleaning out the barn. Last fall I tried a new system of layering. Instead of taking out the soiled straw daily you put clean straw over the top. This creates an insulating layer that actually creates its own heat during the winter. It worked great. Till spring.

I started with the loft. The 4 ft high loft in its tallest center. The sides slop to—I don’t know—maybe 2 feet high. WHAT A JOB. I hoed and raked and shoveled and sweated—all while bent over in a most uncomfortable position. In my wildest dream I thought I could clean the whole barn in the morning and clean the chicken house (where I practiced the same layering technique) in the afternoon. Dream on.

After pulling and pushing and grunting to get a layer at a time loose I still had to throw it over the railing, get it into the wheelbarrow and push/pull it out the compost area. I worked three hours and was so tired and hot and dizzy I had to quit. The sun glared down on that tin roof merely an inch from my head and proceeded to bake me. I didn’t have a thermometer in there but I figured I was done. And, I didn’t smell too good either.

I worked three days @ three hours each day and I have the loft done and one stall. I still have another stall and the loafing area to do. And, the chicken house. To be continued. But, that compost pile is growing nicely.

The rain is pouring down; good, the gardens need it. It isn’t growing great with hot temps one day and cold the next. Down in this valley it’s much colder; we had a freeze a couple weeks ago and lost every warm weather plant in the garden. The loss of the tomatoes broke my heart but I pressed on and replanted what I had left in my little greenhouse (Sprout). FarmBoy Gary unaware that I had planted new ones came in one day all excited and said, “Elizabeth, your tomatoes came back!”

“Really?” I said. “That’s quite a feat considering I pulled them and threw them in the compost.”

Farm Fair Review

Farm Life so encompasses my time that it seems that I have completely ignored my farm blog forever. I plan to rectify that.

Yesterday was cold and rainy but we pressed on with our first annual Farm Fair. The idea was to have vendors with interesting wares, classes with spellbinding topics, demonstrations that wowed, kids games that prompted giggles and hay rides that showed off the view of the valley from the top of the mountain. And, except for the view from the top, everything thing else came to pass. Maybe with a few less peeps, but those who braved the weather left smiling.

There was added excitement when "Bob" the tractor failed to pull the wagon load of peeps up the steep, muddy "road" to the top of the mountain. With each of the three failed attempts backing down was a thrill in itself.

Hayride highjinks.

Cassie and the girls on the hayride. She never passes up an opportunity to be the center of attention.

Wonderful articulated carvings from Dale of Rayville. I especially like Abe Lincoln; a confederate soldier stood nearby!

My peeps learning how to mix their own feed to obtain the desired % of protein. I mix my own feed here at Rocky Creek and change the protein level depending on the circumstances.

Our incredibly talented Caitlyn and her felted animals. I loved the WOLF. Her hats were a hit; especially on this COLD day. Caitlyn also gave us a spinning demo. Caitlyn is another of our talented Rayville residents.

Rayville's resident soapmaker, Shonna. Her patrons LOVE her and her many varieties of sudsy, old fashioned, super-duper soap; she does her part in keeping Rayville squeaky clean.

The incomparable Parker women of Parker's Pasture Raised Beef, Pork, Poultry and Lamb. The girls do remarkable embroidery on their tea towels and offer other hand-made items. They live about 10 miles as the crow flies from Rocky Creek.

Farmer Gary teaching a class on rabbit hutches. Our hutch is empty right now but I'm going to get some Angoras. To spin the fiber. Can't wait.

Jeff Dobbs and our grandson, H2. Jeff and Henry are both outdoorsmen; I knew they would take to one another. H2 has a You Tube channel: Get Outside With Henry. Jeff's You Tube channel is Lone Aspen Outdoors. Check them out if you love nature!

Other classes we held were Natural Pesticides and Fertilizers, Beneficial Insects, Chicken Tractors and Laundry Soap making. Inside the Cottage a display featured how to make salve--dandelions being the dominant herb right now. Be sure to check out our regular classes at www.rockycreekvalley.com

HOW-TO-TUESDAY Wash Your Hair

How To Wash Your Hair

I have spent a great deal of time and money to find the perfect shampoo. I was delighted when the manufacturers decided to go "natural". Unfortunately, natural is not always what it implies; government agencies have taken great liberties with meanings of everyday words. Natural shampoos are laden with chemicals and seemed little better than conventional ones.

I tried making my own but it still wasn't quite right. Then I hit upon an old recipe, one that I had tried years ago. It is so simple and so effective and so economical. It may be too simple. Something that easy can't work? Right?

Wrong.

So, here it is.

Baking Soda

Put about one tablespoon baking soda in a container then fill it with water. Pour this over your hair massaging into the scalp and throughout your hair. Leave on for a few seconds then rinse off. Your hair will be squeaky clean.

This is wonderful for children and a true no tears shampoo.

Rosemary Vinegar

Herbs infused in white vinegar is a great hair conditioner. This one is rosemary (good for brunettes, red heads). I have used lavender and rose petals, too. If you are blond, try chamomile. Put the herbs in the jar; it doesn't matter how much. It depends on how strong or mild you want it. Experiment! I have several sprigs of rosemary in this jar.

Pour a small amount into a container--I use the same jar that I had the baking soda in. Pour this over your hair. CAREFUL here, because this WILL burn your eyes. Do not rinse off.

There may be a slight vinegar smell, but this will dissapate and you will just smell clean with a hint of herb.

I love this dynamic duo...I hope you'll give it a try.

And, as always I hope you will share your ideas and how-to's with us by adding your name and website below.

HOW-TO-TUESDAY Homemade Salted Caramel

 

Ostensibly I should show you how to do something today, but let's try something a little different. I found this wonderfully simple recipe for caramel sauce and the photos with it are great. Why, I asked myself, should I try to do it all over when this one is done superbly?

So have a look at this link and make some caramel sauce for Thanksgiving. I think you're gonna love it.... Thanks Brown Eyed Baker... And, as always, if you have something to share add your name and your link and we will check out your How To.

HOW-TO-TUESDAY Feeding Bees

 
I recently acquired a new hive that I'm very excited about...the bees are the result of crossing a wild hive with Italian bees.  They are just beautiful--all dark and mysterious.  I bought them from a beekeeper who practices natural beekeeping--no medicines, pesticides, chemicals, etc.  The result is a hardy hive with strong immune systems. 

It was late in the season for a new hive, so to ensure that they have enough to eat through the winter I have to  feed them sugar water.  Ordinarily, I am against sugar, but in this case, the bees will die if they do not have enough honey to see them through till spring and the flowers are few and far between this time of year.

It's simple enough.  You'll need sugar, water, a mixing/storing jar, 2 smaller jars and a measuring cup.

I made the fall sugar water recipe which is 2 parts sugar to 1 part NON-CHLORINATED water.   My hot water is SUPER hot, so all I do is add the water to the sugar and let it sit until the sugar is dissolved.  You may have to cook it on low for a few minutes.  Let the water COOL completely.

Poke several small holes in the lids then pour some sugar water into 2 pint jars and place in empty super on top of hive.  I use shims to hold the jars off the "floor".  This gives the bees just enough room to walk under and draw the water from the holes.  Some folks put these jars outside the hive, but I like them inside.  This protects them from weather and other sugar lovers.  And, if it's raining, the bees can still get their sugar water. You can see them congregated in the center of the photo....they come up through that oval hole from the main hive into the empty super. Aren't they adorable?

Americas bees are dying at an alarming rate which affects our food supply.  Being informed is the first step to finding a solution to this problem.  You can start by having a look around this website and watching the film.
 Vanishing of the Bees Film :: Home brought to you by The Co-operative

And, as always, please feel free to share your HOW TO with us by adding your name and URL below.  This will provide a link to your website and your brilliant HOW TO.

HOW-TO-TUESDAY Prepping For Pennies

Tuesday is long gone but life had me going in other directions yesterday and I couldn't post.

My grandma called it Stuff In The Cellar. In my time we called it Food Storage. Then it was Emergency Preparedness. Now we call it Prepping.

I guess I’m a Prepper.

Whatever it’s called, it’s a good idea. Some folks may take it to the extreme, but that’s just human nature. Most of us don’t have thousands of dollars worth of disposable income to build a special room but we all have space under the bed.

We may not have the wherewithal to purchase an extra freezer stocked with steaks but we can buy canned goods on sale and stick them behind the shoes in the closet.

Prepping is about planning and thinking and being creative.

Back in the 80’s when I first started thinking about this, it was overwhelming. Where would I get the extra money to purchase the items? Where would I put those items if I had them? And, what the heck do you do with whole wheat? I mean WHOLE wheat still in grain form.

So, I started with what I had. Every time I emptied a bleach bottle I filled it with water. Folks cringe at that now, but when you have NO water, bleach bottle water will fill a lot of needs. We can go many days without food, but we need WATER.

Canned goods may be the easiest thing to stockpile. Even if it’s just one can per grocery trip. Almost every budget can handle that. Some stores offer cases at a very low price so you may have to change-up your shopping habits.

First Aid items can be found in unexpected places. Feminine hygiene products make excellent bandages. Peroxide is very cheap—a bottle thrown into the cart during a “-–Mart” trip won’t even be noticed at check out time. At the Salvation Army store I found this huge, HUGE bag of cheese cloth. I’ve used that for countless projects including first aid.

Dollar stores and salvage places are great for finding prepper bargains. I live in a very small town and we have two salvage stores. I once found a case of Raman noodles for a couple of dollars.

And, don't forget the simple thing of gardening. You don't need acres; you only need inches. Veggies will grow in the tiniest of spaces hiding around your yard. No yard? Use containers. They don't need to be fancy; discarded cans and plastics with holes punched in them will work.

It's winter now, but you can still begin. Almost everyone has milk containers--check out my winter gardening blog for tips on how to plant seeds now then sit back and wait.

Indoor herb gardens can flourish with a small amount of attention. You don't need special "grow" lights; use flourescents for that winter sunshine.

You will have your own unique ideas and once you BEGIN things will pop into your head and resources will come out of the blue. The key is to START. Don’t try to plan everything out before hand. Yes, it’s great to have a plan—I am a planner. But, it’s so easy to get bogged down in the thinking and never launch.

The internet offers you an unlimited resource—once you go here you will not lack for advise! HERE is just one to get you started.

A comment on my facebook prompted this how-to. It can be scary to think about prepping. There are always those who make the rest of us feel inadequate, but, chickadees, we must press on. For YOUrself. For YOUr family. Got ideas? Got resources to share? Sign in below and add your URL. THANKS!

Mark your calendar; grab your gloves; find your pen/paper; it's time for herb class.

ROOTS!

Burdock

Get to the bottom of things during our autumn herb root class. We will study dandelion, burdock, horseradish AND I'VE ADDED POKE and ELECAMPANE. We will explore how these herbs can have a positive effect on your health and also how to make them into remedies.

Elecampane

We will go on an outdoor digging expedition--weather permitting!

THIS Tuesday, November 6 10 am to noon Rocky Creek Valley Farm

$20 Call or email to register. Optional make and take $5.

37009 W. 156th St Rayville, MO 64084 816-853-0440 lizzy@rcvfarm.com

Last years ROOTS class digging burdock.

Halloween Horror

I was thinking of food this morning. Actually, I think about food a lot. Afflictions I've had over the years have been food related--my most recent Alpha-Gal allergy.

And, I often think of things I could have done differently raising my family. The elimination of FAST FOODS being one of them. It is one of my greatest shortfalls as a mother to admit that some of my daughter's first words were "Fench fwy" and "coke".

I was young and unwise.

Now I am old(er) and wise(er.

Since ubiquitous McDonald's was the first fast food we frequented, and is available on every other corner, I usually use them for my example. This is not to say other fast foods are not equally as guilty of faux food.

Today kids will be suiting up for trick/treating and moms will be scurrying around trying to make it happen. The perfect time for fast food. In my mind I see little ghosts clutching french fry packets, the undead gobbling down a burger and Justin Bieber look-alikes guzzling a diet coke.

It makes my stomach tighten. The lists of BAD things you are eating along with that #1 are no secret. But, we get busy and we forget. We are in a hurry so we justify.

Please, moms. THINK about the horror that years of fast food will do to your child.

A good way to keep reminding ourselves of the damage hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oil will do to our bodies is to read, Read, READ. The research has been done for you folks. GMO and high fructose corn syrup are villains masked as nutrition; not just for Halloween, but every day.

And, if you want to see a real fast food HALLOWEEN HORROR go HERE

HOW-TO-TUESDAY Calcium

I have so many women ask me about calcium that I decided to re-post an article I wrote a year and a half ago.

Today's HOW-TO is about calcium and how to actually get it inside so your body can use it. So many of the calcium supplements cannot be utilized, broken-down or put to good use inside you. As an herbalist, I have a couple, three actually, good ways to get calcium. Good usable calcium. Calcium that will actually affect your bones by making them stronger and yes, even help to relieve that old-fashioned aching in your bones.

Chances are you have been throwing yours in the trash or grinding it down the garbage disposal, or, if you are really "green", you are tossing your calcium on the compost pile. What the heck am I talking about?

E G G S H E L L S

This first tip is so stinkin' easy your first thought will be that it can't possibly work. Well, it does! When making your next recipe that calls for eggs (please use local farm-pasture-raised eggs!) just follow these simple rules:

1) Save your eggshells.
2) Wash your eggshells.

3) Pour boiling water over your eggshells.

4) Let them cool.

5) Add some lemon. (1/2 tsp per 6 shells)

6) Strain into jar and cap.

7) Use or freeze. Ice trays work wonderfully.

How easy was that? A "dose" is about 1/4 cup of eggshell water. You can just drink it, add it your favorite juice or fruit smoothy. (I have great recipes for smoothies on my website)

Second tip: Instead of water, cover the eggshells with apple cider vinegar DO NOT USE WHITE VINEGAR or I'll have to come out there and get cha! (that's "farm" for get you), organic is BEST. Let it sit at least 2 weeks, 6 weeks is better. Dose is 1 tsp per day.

Third tip: Calcium Tea. If you want to make it yourself the directions are on my website HERE in the Library section under Calcium Tea. It has delightful herbs that are chock full of a lot of minerals, not just calcium. Or, if you want it "ready-made" I also have it for sale in my on-line store HERE

Now, it's your turn to share. Just type in your name and your website or blog address. Your name will appear and folks can click it to be magically transported to your HOW-TO. Thanks for sharing.