Just saying HI!

Things have been going very well for us here in Fort Worth. I like staying busy and thought I'd give an update on things going on, as well as some ideas for future blogs. I would love to hear your opinions on what you would be interested in reading, or comments about what I've written so far. 

Saturday we went to a hard cheese class and made some Parmesan cheese. It really wasn't hard but the necessary equipment isn't cheap! The press is about $375, special refrigerator (maintaining 55 degrees-much warmer than your normal one), then cheese molds, starters, mats, brine bucket, all stainless steel tools, as you can see it adds up fast. However, once you have the equipment you can continue to use the equipment for years. So for now I will work on the soft cheeses that don't require very many special tools. I'll blog more about Saturday later.

Liama - protects the goats

Matthew 6:11
Give Us our Daily Bread

Sunday I made a bunch of jalapeño jellies. It seems to be my most popular with my friends and neighbors. I wanted to restock my pantry before I began working again. I made a double batch of the plain, and tried some new ideas. The new types sound good to me and seem to be popular at nicer grocery stores like Central Market. I made organic peach jalapeño and organic blueberry jalapeño jellies. Sound good to you? 

Typically jalapeño jelly is served poured on top of cream cheese and eaten with corn chips or crackers. I do think the new varieties will be nice on crackers alone. I did make one mistake, I used powered pectin, and not the liquid...and sad to say they just aren't firm enough! Not sure if you're a canner, but that means I need to un-can, reheat to a boil, add the liquid pectin, re-wash the mason jars, re-sterilize the jars, and water bath them again! Ugg, all that work. Oh well, live and learn. I know there is a way to convert the powered pectin into the liquid...something to figure out as the liquid is twice as expensive!

Our Soap Curing

Today we went to make some goat milk soap. It's the cold press process, and is a lot of manual labor! We spent three hours and made about 75 bars...so that's worth it. Something else to blog about in the future. 

I've been making dog food lately, as store bought food only has to be 12 percent digestible! That is the FDA regulations! No wonder there is so much waste, they can't digest much of what type are eating! So disappointing to learn about...but glad I know so I can feed my pets healthier.

Our Bestfriends Food

Who is your best friend?

Zeus - Love this dog!

About 18 months ago, I had the worst experience anyone could ever suffer, the loss of a child. I won't get into that sad story but I will say that my most loyal of "friends" were my dogs (OK, my fat kitty Romeo was pretty great too). They didn't allow me to stay in bed all day crying...they were hungry, or had to go out, or needed a walk. They sat by me in my darkest hours and did what all best friends do...they patiently love you while you heal.

Isis the ever loyal boxer

I have to admit, I truly LOVE animals. I connect with them at a unique level and have a special affection towards them. Recently, a friend told me that the FDA suggests that dog food be 12% digestible! Really? Many of us love our dogs and yet do you know what you’re feeding your dog? Do you read the package? Is the first ingredient MEAT, then vegetables and/or brown rice? In the past year, I have been working to reduce my monthly expenses. When you have three dogs, one cat and a parrot - you spend a lot of money on food and treats. I don't care for Wal-Mart, but thought I'd look there for ANY dog food that listed meat first. No, none, nadda! All cornmeal...which dogs do you know that like to eat a diet of mainly cornmeal? Luckily, I found some decent food that didn't break the bank which contains lamb, brown rice and then vegetables! However, I wanted to add more healthy things into their bodies.

I eat a lot of vegetable and grain soup and prior to seasoning it to my taste buds; I scoop some on my dog’s dry food. They LOVE it. Honestly, all my pets love split pea soup, white bean soup, vegetable soup, and chicken noodle soup - split pea being an all time favorite! BEWARE do NOT add onions, they are toxic to dogs. Another suggestion, start slowly. You know what happens to you when you add too much fiber to your diet in one day, don't you?

Salsa - Katrina's dog

Proverbs 18:24 

A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Romeo - the Catdog (pronounced kadog)

A friend recommended the book, "The Whole Pet Diet", by Andi Brown. It is a wonderful book with lots of good ideas and suggestions!

One recipe she suggests to improve on your dogs coat, and to help reduce itching is called, "Recipe for a Beautiful Coat".

Recipe for a Beautiful Coat

8 oz Soybean or Olive oil

1 oz Cod liver oil

1 oz Wheat Germ oil

1 oz Flax Seed oil

1 Clove garlic

2 inch sprig of rosemary

Toss into your food processor, or blend and blend together. Place in a dark glass jar. Place in the refrigerator for freshness. It will last about 2 months. 

2-11 lbs   1\2 tsp

12-25 lbs  1 tsp

26-50 lbs  2 tsp

51-100 lbs 1 tbsp

I hope you go and look at the food you feed your best friend and make an necessary changes so they can be with you as long as possible!

P.S. We call Romeo a catdog because he really thinks he is a dog. He does have some cat tendencies, but mainly acts like a dog!

Apple Cider Vinegar - Making Your Own

Do you know how good for your health Apple Cider Vinegar is for our bodies? Have you heard much about it? There is a lot of talk about it, some of it speculation and some facts. 

What is apple cider vinegar?
Vinegar is a product of fermentation. This is a process in which sugars in a food are broken down by bacteria and yeast. In the first stage of fermentation, the sugars are turned into alcohol. Then, if the alcohol ferments further, you get vinegar. Apple cider vinegar comes from pulverized apples that have gone through this process.

Per webMD, "Over the centuries, vinegar has been used for many purposes: making pickles, killing weeds, cleaning coffee makers, polishing armor, and dressing salads... It is thought to help with several conditions, including diabetes and obesity.

Other websites say apple cider vinegar can be used as a: face toner, reduce the effects of sunburn, douche, weight loss aid, treat dandruff, a remedy for arthritis, remove warts, lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, also known to have antibacterial and anti-fungal properties (10 Health Benefits from http://www.healthdiaries..com). 

Just placed in the jar

The best known organic seller of apple cider vinegar is Bragg (www.bragg.com).

I believe it's good for us and wanted to see how hard it would be to make my own. The Internet has several sites that tell you how to do it, some more complicated than others. 

One site said when making an apple pie save the peels and cores and use those to make you own organic apple cider vinegar. I wasn't making apple pie, as I was looking for some health benefits ...but homemade applesauce sounded good. As I've said before I wanted to make my own food, reducing costs and knowing what was in my food so made some homemade applesauce and it was delicious! 

Chunky applesauce. Yum!

Song of  Solomon  2:5

"Sustain me with raisins; refresh me with apples, for I am sick with love"

I used various different types of organic apples. I typically prefer tart apples but wanted to mix it up. Grabbed 10 apples; a few gala, jazz, pink lady, and golden delicious. Peeled them, cored them and chopped them. Placed them in a pot, allowed them to warm up and cook for about 25 minutes, until the juices naturally came out. I then added some sugar and cinnamon. So much better than store bought, and nice and chunky!

On to the apple cider vinegar...take your peels and cores place them in a clean glass bowl. Measure how many quarts of filtered water it would take to cover them completely. Then add a 1/2 cup of sugar for each quart. Stir well. Place a plate over the apples so that all the apples are completely submerged. Cover with a clean cotton tea towel and place in a dark room for a week. The temputure in the room should not exceed 75 degrees. A week later you should see a bit of foam, which indicates the apples are beginning to ferment. Also you will smell the vinegar smell beginning. Scoop out all of the peels and cores and strain the apple sugar water. Pour into sterilized mason jars. Cover the top with a few layers of cheese cloth and place the outside rim of the two part canning lid on top.

Take the jars and bring them into a dark cool room for 6 weeks. Open the jars periodically and stir so the "Mother" sinks to the bottom and more forms on top.  I found these instructions on http://www.grit.com/fresh-eggs-daily/make-your-own-apple-cider-vinegar.aspx. 

So why buy apple cider vinegar when you can make it yourself? The next time you make the applesauce or apple pie, make some more apple cider vinegar and  pour a bit of your other vinegar into the jars as that will speed up the process. The "mother" is alive and is similar to the "mother" in yogurt and/or sourdough starter. So using a touch of "her" will help make more of whatever product your making!

Enjoy!

Plant some potatoes with your kids

If you are new to gardening I suggest you start small. I live in North Central Texas, and our summers are impossibly HOT! I am from Southern California, and it seems to me that having a garden there was so much easier!

I started with several herbs that can be grown in little pots in the window sill. Be careful as the summer progresses you will need to take care that the plants don't get too much sun, or scorch. 

Herbs: Catnip, Dill, Basil, Thyme, Chives

Psalm 56:3

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.

Red Potato with eyes

Another easy plant to grow in Texas is potatoes. Start with an organic potato. Non organic potatoes are treated with some chemical that restricts them from growing in your pantry. Allow the potato to grow eyes. Cut it into 4 pieces and leave on the counter overnight. 

Create a good place for them to grow. You could use an old whiskey barrel, a raised bed, or a really large pot. As they grow you will want to mound dirt on the top of the area they are growing, but do NOT cover the green stem growing upward. Water regularly, but don't keep wet. In about 6 weeks you will have a bunch of potatoes!

Preparing an avocado seed

 Another cool thing is to bury the top of your pineapple. Yes it will grow! Enjoy your fresh, preferably organic pineapple now and then see what happens when you plan the top. I also love to plant my avocado seeds. I start them in water, as I have done for years but heard you don't need to do this step. 

We need to teach children that good foods come from our gardens, yes in all that good organic dirt! Kids love dirt, now show them it’s good for more than mud pies! Somehow kids think food has to come from the grocery store. I think we need to take the time to teach them better than that. Even if you’re busy plant a few fruit trees, or some herbs, or perhaps potatoes!

Avocado Plant @ 2 months

I volunteer at the BRIT - Botanical Research Institute of Texas, and the Botanical Gardens in Fort Worth. The children we teach are fascinated to see their food growing. They are really proud when they can plant something and then later eat it!

Check out your area http://www.motherearthnews.com/ask-our-experts/what-vegetables-would-grow