You are What You........

EAT!!!

OK OK, I know I haven't written a post in forever its been a crazy few months. I have said it before and I will say it again, the most amazing thing about living where I do is the fact that we not only get a Spring growing season like the rest of the country, but we get a Fall and Winter season too!! So, drum roll please!!!!!! This is what I am planting this fall!!!

But first a little about the company I order seed from. The company is called Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. In the vast world of seed they are a small company. Their company sells Heirloom Seed, which in easy terms means you can harvest the seed from the fruits, vegetables, or flowers and plant it again and again without the risk of unnaturally genetically modifying it. For the already garden savvy they are Non GMO. Please visit them at http://rareseeds.com/

 First up Cowpeas, or as they are known in my neck of the woods, Black Eyed Peas. These grow amazingly in my area! Last fall I was able to pick and dry over 2 lbs. of beans on a shorter row than I have now! They will be planted mixed together on one row. The 2 varieties I will be planting on the same row are Purple Hull Pink Eyed and Purple Hulled Specked peas.

 Next are the Green Bean types. Another fun fact about me is that I Preserve by canning, a lot!!! Green beans are my favorite thing in the world to can as well! I was able to put up 22 jars of beans over this summer, but that will not be enough to last through the winter and back into next summer as I learned last year. So, I am growing them again, but this time I am adding a variety at my Husband's request. The 2 varieties are the classic Blue Lake Bush 274 and the new is the Roma II Bush, which is a Italian style flat green bean. Each will have a full row.

Last in the Bean category are the Butter Bean/ Lima Beans. These like the Black Eyed Peas will be dried. I have never tried to grow Lima's but I have been told I live in a good area for them to thrive! They will be planted together on 1 row half and half. The 2 varieties of these are Dixie Speckled Butterpea and Henderson's Bush Lima beans.

In a category all its own is the Corn. I will be planting 4 rows of corn this fall!!! This spring I had only 2 rows and I really really hoped it would be enough to can, but no, not even close. I will be planting both sweet eating corn and dent feed corn for the critters. I am changing the variety of sweet corn after the really very sad sad yield I got this summer. On the other hand the Dent corn really produced amazingly and we already have a quarter of a 5 gallon bucket filled with dry kernels and still have more drying to add. The 2 varieties are Golden Bantam 12 Row, the sweet and Thompson Prolific Dent Corn the name is very fitting.

The final, I am growing you to stick you in a jar veggie, is Cucumbers!!! I love pickles so so much! Sadly because of all the rain this spring my cucumbers I planted didn't make because they were choked out be weeds before they had a chance and we couldn't fight them fast enough! Hopefully this Fall we will have better luck and I will get a TON to make up for it!!!!! These 2 varieties are Delikatesse Cucumbers and Parisian Pickling Cucumbers, awesome names I think!!!

Last, but certainly not least is the one type of plant any good fall garden should have!!! PUMPKINS of course!!! I hope we have a good yield, because not only do I want to have a fully decorated yard this year, but I would also like to sell a few to fund my makeup and beauty item habits!!! The varieties we are planting are Connecticut Field Pumpkins and Jack be Little Pumpkins!

Ok, now, this little beauty is the freebie I got with my seed order. Every order gets a free packet of seeds, I am not sure if there is a certain amount you have to spend before you get it or not, but I have received a packet with everyone of my orders. I do grow tomatoes, but I have a really hard time starting them from seed because of the spring humidity and rain and my lack of a green house for winter sprouting. I buy seedlings. So, in my other blog http://ssbeautyreview.blogspot.com/ , I am working on getting together a bunch of cool products to giveaway. I am going to be adding this packet of tomato seeds to my giveaway collection. I don't know when I will do the giveaway, so keep an eye out on both blogs! 

A working woman with a Huge garden!

Hey there patient readers, sorry I haven't been around. But I am now a working woman, lol! I am now the office manager at All Terrain Motorsports, which is my dear husband's, cousin's motorcycle and ATV shop. I have been hard at it trying to organize and make things run smoothly, so when I get home, work in the garden, feed the diva, and go to whatever practice or meeting we have to go to, I am dead beat. But I decided to share some pics of where I work. Hope to get some more down time soon so that I can fully update you on everything. But, now I need to make french toast for a hungry diva!

Inside the Showroom

From the Left Side

Straight on

Panoramic View of my Work World.

Sorry for my lack of blogging!

Hey there readers, long time, no see! Sorry for my absence, but March is a super busy month for any farmer or gardener in the deep south! This month already I have planted all of my veggies in the garden, weeded, and watered til I was blue in the face. I have built a fence for my peas, which are now blooming, and thinned the carrots which are growing now at double speed. Then on top of that, I still have my girl scout troop and my diva girl has started playing Tball and practice is 2 times a week. So crazy busy spring thus far! Hopefully when everything calms down I will be able to blog on a more regular basis. Sarah should be back with us soon as well. She has been equally as busy with her awesome new job! Here are some pics of spring Tball! Enjoy!

Its Growing!!!!

Another year, another spring, brings a new planted garden! As of now we have broccoli, carrots, and peas in the ground. Guess what, they are all up. After last fall's dismal failure in the broccoli and carrots dept. I am so happy to see them growing! My challenge at the moment is fabricating the fence for my peas to grow on as they already have tendrils growing. As of now working on the fence I already have 2 blisters and cuts all over my arms from the chicken wire. One row is completely done and the other row is short so it won't be as much work. Here are some pictures of the lovely growing world!

The two planted rows. The row on the left are just peas. The row on the right is carrots, broccoli, and a few more peas.

Peas!

Carrots!

Broccoli!

These 2 are pictures are of the fence I have thoroughly injured myself creating...

The pots on my front steps. The big pots have violas in them and the little ones are strawberries.

Strawberry plant, already has a strawberry on it!

Last but not least, these are my garlic plants! And there is a little strawberry plant in the planter on the right. It was the only one that grew out of my first attempt. Never buy strawberry plants that are closed up in a plastic bag.

On the Fronteir

Yeah, it's been a while. I blame it on the moving, and then the post-work exhaustion. There's nothing like manual labor to remind you how out of shape you are!

So far, I am more than pleased with my new career choice (historic interpreter and farmer for those not in the know.) Its been a blast working with everyone, all of the animals, and all of the period gear!

I have three close co-workers, and then tons of peripheral people (volunteers, the lady that runs the gatehouse, our handyman, my boss, etc.) Heather is the farm wife (now widowed in our farm story since my predecessor left.) she runs just about everything, and is pretty spectacular. Tama is the other farmer with me (my younger, unmarried sister in our tale.) She's a crack up, and we end up doing a lot of our tasks together, and chatting all the while. J-D is the facilities manager (our neighbor on the farm.) He's pretty dang awesome too.

It's only been two weeks so far, but so much has gotten done, and tons more is in the works! Today, we read through all of the apprentice applications for children who want to work on the farm and chose our favorites (we chose 13 new ones, there are 63 total!) Tama and I have also been busy using the draw knives to make new clapboards for the farm house's roof, which is leaking like a sieve. I managed to get the smelliest chicken poop on me, so I had my jeans in the wash and was wearing my petticoat while they ran. Then Tama knocked the wind out of herself with a rogue board, and she recommended that I put my stays on to avoid such a terrible fate. Which led to this spectacular outfit:

I looked just as homeless yesterday when all of my clothes were in the dryer from being rain drenched. I love our dress code.

In crafty news, during the rain day, we got too lazy to do anything big, so Tama and I both made ourselves housewives, which is a fancy 18th century name for a sewing kit. Mine has three parts: two pockets and a pin cushion built into the middle. It's all made from scraps of linen and some raw wool for the pincushion stuffing. Did I mention that the entire bottom shelf in our 7' long fabric closet is free scraps? Yeah. Heaven. Anyway. I also made myself a leather thimble (because why not?) and added a nice chunk of beeswax, some needles, and straight pins. I think now it's time to go 18th century sewing accoutrement shopping... Oh yeah!

There's tons more to talk about it, but is 8:40 and I'm already ready to sleep! And apologies, I'm posting from my phone, and I have no idea what's going on with the pictures. I'm sure y'all are smart enough to figure it out ;-)

<3 Sarah

Teaching Charity Without Being Pushy.

I am all about charity and giving in my personal life, but when it comes to teaching kids about giving its not easy. For my scouts this year we are going to be doing our service project through AnySailor.com. Since we live in a Navy area I thought this would be fitting, mostly because there are many in the Navy from here and other places serving overseas in combat areas. Any Sailor is pretty easy to go through. First you read through the units that have posted and see who they are and what they need. Then you pick the unit that you want and request their detailed information. Once you have collected the things for them you send them to the address provided. Tonight we will be collecting the donations for the unit and the girls will be drawing pictures to add to the care package. When we get done with our meeting this evening I will scan in their art work so that all of you readers can see their ways of giving!

Twisting away again...Working with grapevine!

Every year a wonderful time comes around when my Dad prunes the grape arbors, and I reap the benefits! I love working with grapevine, as a weaving material it is wonderful! This year I am going to make baskets as well as wreaths. Today though I wanted to share how to make a grapevine wreath with all of you! You can find grapevine all over, growing wild mostly. Most home owners see it as a weed, so ask if you can cut it from their yard, or if you know someone who grows grapes ask if you can have the cuttings after they prune! Here you go readers, have fun! Hopefully we will start hearing from Sarah soon, she is semi settled and has started her new job as a farmer girl!

Step one: Start with a decent sized vine that can be made into a circle longer than the size you want the wreath.

Step Two: Make a circle with the vine tucking the ends like you would start tying a knot.

Step Three: Add another vine. Start it by tucking the thick end of the vine into an open area of the knotted first loop.

Step Four: Wrap the vine around and around the original loop taking care to hold down the ends so they do not slip out. Tuck the end into a open gap.

Step Five: Continue adding vines until your desired width is reached. You can go the same direction as you add each vine or you can go the opposite direction each time. I personally prefer to add each opposite, it seems to make them stronger. Tuck the last end securely, and you will have a wreath that will last years to come.

Sew excited!

Hehehehe, see what I did there?? Did ya??? Today I found out that there is a JoAnns in Brunswick, GA that just had their grand opening. For those of you who don't know what JoAnn's is, its a fabric and craft store. I have been limited on the fabric and pattern front around here, especially for plus sized patterns for myself. Now, with this excitement you dear readers will begin seeing my toddler steps toward sewing my own clothes, since I can't ever seem to find anything I like in the regular stores! See you guys soon! Hopefully there will be pictures of popping plants!

As The Garden Grows!

This year we have expanded our garden! It's going to be epic! We will be planting: Lima Beans, Peas, Carrots, Broccoli, Peppers, Tomatoes, Green Beans, Dent Corn (for chicken feed), Zucchini, Crook Neck Squash, Cucumbers, Sweet Corn, and Watermelons. On top of that I already have my Strawberries and Garlic planted in planters in the front yard. Most of my seed will come from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. Sarah mentioned them in one of her posts, here is the site if you are interested. http://rareseeds.com/ Tomorrow or possibly this evening we will be planting the Peas, Broccoli, and Carrots. I really hope the Broccoli and Carrots make this time, they didn't last fall. Here is a pic of it all tilled, and Shane hoeing the rows!

New toys!!!! And SLIME!

This weekend my husband and I bought our new washer and dryer. A lot of people probably don't see a big deal with that, but we do! This is the fist new set we have ever bought in our almost 6 years of marriage!!!! They are so amazingly quiet, I almost forget that they are on! Here is a picture of the pretty's!

Here is a fun activity to go with the little ones in your life! Last Monday my girl scout troop made slime, I love this stuff! Once it gets done it lasts forever and cleans up off of anything! Here is how to make it!

You will need:
Elmer's White Glue
Borax Powder
Food Coloring
Water
Ziploc bags both for mixing and for storing the slime.

Here is a link to the actual recipe http://chemistry.about.com/od/chemistryactivities/ss/slimerecipe.htm

I did make a couple of changes to the how to, like we used Ziploc bags instead of bowls to mix the slime, it cut down on the mess by a ton and with 6 girls doing the same activity lack of mess was a good thing. I also premixed the water and glue, and borax and water. Sorry there are no pictures of the girls actually making the slime, but I was going around helping each of them.

 The table where I had everything set up.

 The Glue and water mixture.

 Food Coloring

This is what I had the borax and water mix in.

Pro*CRAFT*ination

No, I don't have a lisp, I have a procrastination problem, and it involves a lot of crafting. Now before everyone starts lecturing me (mother), let me defend myself, as much as I can.

Although I know that my move is looming on the horizon (holy crap 5 days to pack!), the inevitable sifting through my belongings rakes up a multitude of lost and unfinished projects that beg to be addressed. Usually while enjoying a nice film, or an episode of Downton Abbey (anyone else obsessed!?) Some of what you will see here today were already completed projects; some were projects to give to folks before my departure. So although my time could have been better spent (in my defense, most of these were projects I took to work), they did accomplish one thing: They freed up valuable space. They also rock, but that's irrelevant.

And so, I bring you: The Already-Finished Projects That I've Probably Moved 500 Miles

I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but my friend and co-worker has pretty much the cutest baby on the planet. I'm kind of sad we aren't related, so that if something catastrophic happened, I might possibly receive custody of this giggly, smiley small person. Darn the bad luck. Anyway, said child has become the dumping ground for all my baby-nesting projects, as I am childless but still can't stop myself from making some of the adorable baby accoutrements I see. I think her mom is ok with it. And so, as I was sifting through the stuff still in my former-roommate's basement, I found these babies that I made while living in Virginia (2 years ago, cough cough...), when I re-discovered knitting. First, is the watermelon hat.

I have no idea why this is sideways.

Can we get a collective "Ahhhhh"? I can't wait to see this on a sweet baby noggin. Nothing cuter than children dressed like fruits. Which leads us to this:

This was originally supposed to be a lime, and was my first stranded knitting project, but honestly, it could be a lime, a turtle, or the outside of the watermelon to my over-imaginative mind. Whatever you think it is, I'm sure the baby will make it look cuter. 

A non-baby project that I had sitting around will hopefully fulfill a friend's need for a brooch (if we ever get together, agh!) I made this like a year and a half ago, but hopefully it will fit in with her shabby-chic aesthetic.

If not, haha sucker, it's a handmade gift and now you'll have to keep it forever!

And so we move along to Projects Whose Parts Were Finished, But Not Completely Assembled (isn't that life?) I'm pretty sure I also made these in Virginia, 2 years and 500 miles ago. It was supposed to be stuffed with a foam cube, but I really just wanted it to be in chubby baby hands asap, so it's stuffed with fiber-fill, and as such is not square in the slightest, but I'm sure the baby won't critique my lack of geometry skills. 

In fact, I'm pretty sure she'll just slobber on it.

Each side is a different pattern, which was great for learning new stitches. There's a purple, red, and green side that you can't see. Not that I don't love my friend, but I can't wait until babe is chucking this at her :-)

Which brings us to the final project of the night, Things That I Had Just Barely Started But Should Probably Finish Before I Leave: a headband for my roomie. She's a brave woman, and actually goes outside to exercise (run, what is that?) so I thought she could use one of these to keep her ears warm. Except that it hasn't really gotten cold this year. But whatevs, I started it before I realized this was going to be eternal fall. There's always next year. These are a good way to keep your ears warm without looking entirely like a snowman. Hopefully a little more stylish. 

You can also see that I have packed nothing in my office.

 They kind of remind me of a 20's turban. They're super-easy to make. You literally knit a rectangle long enough to go around your head (you can make it as wide or as skinny as you want it.) After you bind off, you sew the ends together, overlapped, and then pull the yarn to gather it. Then you just wrap some extra yarn around it to cover the join. I think this one took under 2 hours once I finally picked it back up. I made two for myself over Christmas, and I finished each one while watching one of the last installments of Harry Potter.

A better view. And yes, mom, I know my hair is a mess. I promise I fixed it after I saw this picture.

And there you have it folks. Moving is a process. And for me, it's achingly slow. But I also accomplish a lot in my efforts to not have to pack as much junk. Best of luck to you all as you do your spring cleaning, moving, etc. May many projects finally be finished!

~Sarah

Mooooooving!

Hey every body! I am indeed moving to DC (or more correctly, Maryland) next weekend, so please forgive my spotty posting for the next little bit. I should get it done, but cut me some slack! There hasn't been a whole lot of packing going on yet, as I am still whittling down my belongings to what I *actually* need and want. Luckily, I've had a great helper.

I have a post for tonight, but then I realized it was all about surprise gifts that I'm delivering tomorrow (yes, it's still Christmas around here!) Bear with me as I distribute my goods, and I'll post them all here this weekend!

Today, I did receive my order from Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company. They're so lovely!

 And I got a free packet too! Can't tell you what it is, because it's one of those pesky leftover Christmas presents I have going ;-) I was highly tickled that my invoice was signed by this guy

and the farm that I'll be working at is called Claude M(oore) too! Hilarious!

If you want to know more about my job, check out this post on my personal blog! It's definitely worth it!

Until this weekend,
~Sarah

Orange Marmalade aftermath... Orange Extract.

After we got finished making our half a ton of orange marmalade we still had a ton of peels left over. So I went a googling to see how to make orange extract out of the left overs! I was in luck there is a whole how to on the Live Strong website. Here is the link if you would like to try it yourself using their precise instructions. http://www.livestrong.com/article/354088-how-to-extract-oil-from-the-skin-of-oranges/ Here is my how to, its a little less scientific.

What you will need:
Orange Peel
Mason Jar with lid and ring
Vodka

Step 1: Put cut up orange skins on a sunny shelf for a couple of hours to dry them.
Step 2: When peels are decently dry put them in a food processor until they turn into a dry paste like consistency. It will look something like this.

Step 3: Put the orange paste into a clear mason jar.
Step 4: Pour in vodka until the orange is just covered. Seal jar and shake.
Step 5: Put jar near a sunny window for 3 days, shake at least 2 times a day.

Step 5: Strain out the peel using a cloth so that the liquid goes into a shallow pan. I just used a thin dish towel.

Step 6: Allow the liquid to sit for at least 12 hours so that the alcohol evaporates. Here is a series of photos to show how it looks throughout the 12 hours.

Step 7: Restrain liquid to remove any chunks that might have gotten into the extract, I used a coffee filter.

Step 8: Pour into a seal able container and store in a dark area. I found this container at Michaels for 99 cent! Isn't it a lovely color!!! I had a little bit left in the container that I strained it in so I rubbed it all over my hands, they are so soft now!

While on the live strong site I found a page about purposes for orange oil here it is! I hope that some of you readers out there try it. Let us know how yours turns out! http://www.livestrong.com/article/185636-purpose-of-orange-oil/