Monday, January 30, 2012

Orange Marmalade. The Epic Tale.


Orange Marmalade is a wonderful substance! Over the weekend my parents and I took the time to make 56 half pints of it. The oranges came off one tree in their back yard. We all took estimates on how many oranges there were. My dad said 40...Momma said 100ish...I said around 160. Dad, it turns out was dead wrong. Though we didn't count to see exactly how many there were there were a whole lot more than 40. Now onto the how to's. First things first, do not attempt to make this unless you have a full 2 days to devote to it. Also, you may want to invest in a electric juicer.

The recipe! We loosely used the recipe found in the Ball Blue Book guide to preserving. You can find this very handy book at most major retailers and book stores or on their website www.freshpreserving.com

2 cups thinly sliced orange peel (about 10 medium)
1 quart chopped orange pulp (about 2 medium)
1 cup thinly sliced and seeded lemon (about 2 medium)
1 1/2 quarts water
Sugar
Combine all ingredients, except sugar in a large sauce pot; simmer 5 minutes. Cover and let stand 12 to 18 hours in a cool place. Cook rapidly until peel is tender. Measure fruit and liquid. Add one cup of sugar for each cup fruit mixture, stirring until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Cook rapidly almost to gelling point. As mixture thickens, stir frequently to prevent sticking. Remove from heat. Skim foam if necessary. Ladle hot marmalade into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Adjust 2 piece caps. Process 10 minutes in a boiling water canner.


Alright, that was the basic recipe, now this is how we did it, again we loosely used the Ball recipe.

Step 1: Gather oranges.

Step 2: Cut and juice Oranges. Save the pulp.
Step 3: Cut skin off of the juiced oranges. Set aside.

Step 4: Slice lemons thinly as recipe stated.

Step 5: Either cut up peels until they reach desired size by hand, or put them in a food processor to break them up to the size you want. We used the food processor.

Step 6: Though the recipe calls for water, we had so much juice from the oranges that we just used it. Combine the ingredients except for the sugar, simmer 5 minutes and let sit for 12 to 18 hours.

Step 7: This is where our recipe and the Ball recipe differs. We wanted some more flavor in our marmalade than just orange. During the holidays we make a hot punch with cloves, allspice, and cinnamon. So we made sachets of these spices to sit in the orange slurry for the entire 12 to 18 hours.


Step 8: The next day... remove sachets, measure how much slurry you have. Add sugar to slurry, and mix well until sugar is dissolved.

Step 9: Bring mixture to a boil stirring constantly. It took us 20 minutes of constant stirring at a rolling boil to reach gelling point.
Step 10: When you believe your marmalade is at the gel point, use the spoon test to check its consistancy.

Side note: this is what our marmalade looked like when it was ready to put into jars.

Step 11: Skim foam and ladle mixture into jars leaving a 1/4 inch head room. 

Step 12: Put lids and rings on jars tightly. This is another place we differ from the recipe. Because the marmalade is so hot when it is put in the jars, processing it again is not really necessary. All of our jars sealed without processing. And you are done! Here is the finished product, perfectly staged by my wonderful detail obsessed Momma.


Thursday, January 26, 2012

Here Comes the Sun (Eventually!) And zombies.

Even with my life in upheaval, not knowing what my job will be or where I'll be living in the next month, I couldn't help myself but buy seeds. I know. I know. ANOTHER thing to move if I do. But hey, if the zombie apocalypse happens in the next month, you're going to want to be on my team... 

Everything I ordered came from Baker Creek Seed Co, which deals exclusively with rare and heirloom seeds, and operates a huge seed bank (in case of zombies I bet.) They're a family-run operation, and they're just so darn cute I can't help buy buy from them.


They also carry all kinds of neato stuff, which helps. And look at that guy's shirt!!


So what did I buy?

Haha, complete randomness! I'm currently at work, but I got a bee in my bonnet about ordering seeds (I have a secret project in mind and I really want to get started!) I couldn't remember exactly what I already have (pretty much all the essentials I think) so I just ordered odd and unusual things.
Here's the run through, and any running commentary I have to offer.

First up, I bought Aoyu edamame. I am obsessed with edamame. It's green, which is unusual for me, but these little guys are better than chips!

I go through phases, but sometimes I'll eat a bag a day, which I think might mean I need a 10-step program... So, as they say, grow what you eat. And I eat a lot of edamame. It's also sort of low and bushy, so I'm going to try it in containers and see how it does.

Next up, I got some Stuttgarter onion seeds. I've never done onions from seed, so I'm interested to try. I bought this variety for sentimentality's sake... We used to live in Germany, and we always said something REALLY big was "Bigger than Stuttgart!" I think these guys might live up to that name!



Whoa.

Then, I got some small Spoon Gourds. Because HOLY CRAP I CAN GROW FLATWARE.
 
 No really. Holy. Cow. Isn't that neat? Again, when the zombies rise, I don't want to have to eat with my hands.*

Also, in case of zombie apocalypse, we're going to need a protein source, right? Well folks, quinoa is one awesome grain that also has almost entirely complete amino acids. (I'm pretty sure it's complete, but I thought I'd throw that qualifier out there for all you haters.) Quinoa is a grain, with a very light taste, that is delicious! It also looks to be easy  to grow (doesn't do well in hot weather though, sorry Patricia!) and is lovely to look at.
This one is called "Brightest Brilliant Quinoa." Lovely!

I also got two other veggies, but those are the super-secret ones. As soon as I've completed my nefarious plans, I'll let you know what they are!

Then I did something I rarely do: I bought flower seeds. I don't know why, but I hardly ever think to start flowers from seed. 

These zinnias caught my eye, and there's nothing like a huge patch of zinnias to brighten your day. They also make great cut flowers. 

 I've been wanting these Strawflowers forever, so I finally bit the bullet and bought them. 
Not only are they pretty on the plant, with a neat papery texture, but they also dry beautifully and last virtually forever (or at least until my cats chew on them.)

Lastly, I got these little babies: 
Dwarf Jewel Nasturtiums. Why? Why not! They're pretty, grow out of control (although these ones are supposed to be more compact), and, heck, you can eat the flowers. Do you need another reason?

I hope you all are as excited for spring as I am. All of this will likely be put in containers, so stay tuned to see how they turn out!

~Sarah

*I don't really plan for the zombie apocalypse. However, I do like knowing that, no matter what comes, I'll be fed. And spooned. And, ok, maybe I'm a little paranoid about zombie apocalypse. Just a little.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Warm Hands Warm Hearts!!!!

Now that Christmas is over I can start posting about gifts that I crafted! The first one is going to be hand warmers!!! I made these as a present for my blogging partner, but I don't know if she has even gotten them, US postal service is not what it use to be! These are so easy to make I had everything laying around the house that I needed. Supplies you need are scrap material, rice, a needle, pins, and thread. To make them warm put them in the microwave for 30 to 45 seconds. They hold their heat for 45 minutes to an hour!

Step one: Cut out 4 of the same sized shapes, I chose hearts because they went with the theme I was going with, which was warm hands warm heart.
Step 2: Pin fabric back to back with the fabric front on the inside.
Step 3: Sew around the outer edge using small stitches, leave a hole. I found it easiest to leave the hole at the point of the heart.
Step 4: Turn outside in.
Step 5: Fill with rice.
Step 6: Stitch the hole closed! And you are all done!


Sunday, January 22, 2012

Weekend Wrap Up!

Hey friends!

 Hope everyone has had a good weekend so far. Mine's been busy, full of classes and cleaning mostly, with a teeny bit of crafting thrown in.

This semester I registered for two classes: Fruit and Vegetable Production, and a Sheep practicum at the EKU farm. That means that every day except Saturday, I'm at work or school. Whew! Busy season again. Fruit and Veg is looking to be an awesome class. We plan out a large market garden, and we also try raising and selling a crop (ours are some Chinese cabbage types.) Sheep is HYSTERICALLY FUNNY. It's run by the sheep and pig manager, but there's definitely more to do with the pigs (the beauty of sheep is that they are super-low maintenance. Doesn't make for a very action-packed class though.) So I've been learning a heck of a lot about pigs. Mostly about how much they smell. Can I tell you how much they smell?

They smell so much that even after coming home and washing my clothes and SEARING the smell off myself, I CAN STILL SMELL IT. I catch whiffs of it EVERYWHERE. The smell of lard is overpowering when I cook. All I have to say is that I will never. NEVER. buy commercial pork again. Commercial pork raising is possibly the most disgusting thing I've ever seen, and EKU's farm is tiny in comparison to most, and pretty cutting-edge with technology. It's still. effing. gross. I've raised pigs on pasture, and happy free pork is incomparable. Pigs love to root. They love to roll in mud. They like to run around. Sometimes, they even like to catch and eat birds (true story.) Things pigs should never have to do include roll in their own poo instead of mud (pigs are actually fastidious), or stand in one place for their entire lives. Or be artificially inseminated.
It really looks like this.
 I'm all about pork, I love bacon, and I am all about eating pigs before they eat me, but I'm pretty sure I will go out of my way from now on to find pork that is pasture-raised. Anything is better than pork that lives on concrete and only eats corn and soybeans. Even if it means they snack on the occasional sparrow. 

In other news, we've already had a set of twin lambs born. Effing cute. Hoping there are more coming this week! There should also be piglets by Tuesday! Baby season! I think by now I'd actually feel better about eating lamb than pork. At least sheep aren't raised in barns without access to grass and sunshine and air. Ugh. People, this is why farming has a bad name.

Meanwhile, in Craft World:

Sebastian found a new bed. That's a dress I'm supposed to be hemming for a friend. I blame him for my slow turn-over.

I also cut out pieces for my next big project, a tshirt quilt. Everyone should know by now that I'm pretty much a hoarder (ok, there's no "pretty much" about it.) I've been lugging around dozens of tshirts for years because they mean something to me (bands I like, places I've been, gifts that have been given to me.) With the prospect of moving again looming on the horizon, I've been trying to do something about the "stuff" situation, starting with clothes. Friday, after pig class, and a butt-busting Zumba class with all the girls, they all came over to rifle through all the clothes I've decided to give away (the girls, not the pigs.) I definitely made a significant dent in my collection, but couldn't give away my beloved tshirts. And so, with friendly chatter cheering me on, I cut out 31 12" tshirt squares to be made into a quilt. If I can find 5 more, I can make a quilt that is 6'X6', which is intense. Or I can make a 5'X6' quilt and a pillow. Can't decide. Any thoughts, dear readers?


The stack!

I also finally found myself a cake plate! I've been looking for one for quite some time. Throwing cakes on a dinner plate never works out quite how I imagine it will. And so I christened it with a cream cheese banana cake, which is delish!
I'll leave you all with that!

Have a happy start to your week, everyone!
~Sarah

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Knitting and the Past

Or Knitting IN the Past? You decide!

Yesterday, I had an interview for a farmer/historical interpreter position at this historic farm outside of DC. I'm super excited about it... it seems like all of my favorite interests and hobbies into one job, and then PAYS ME to do it. Really. Effing. Exciting.

It did get me thinking though: If I actually get this job, I'm going to have to cover the tattoo on my forearm. You know what that means?

KNITTING PROJECT!!

I found a pattern on Ravelry for 18th century mitts (ie fingerless gloves), which were apparently very popular back in the day. They kept your hands warm in the winter, and protected from the sun in the summer. They also cover tattoos nicely. And so, the knitting began!

The pattern is really easy, and I modified it a bit, but not too much.

Kind of looks like some sort of torturous medical device at this point.
 There's a really neat "seam" detail on the outside edge.


 The whole arm


 Hand detail


 Inside out gives you a good view of all of the shaping in the forearm that makes it fit nicely.


 Palm side


 And finally, the thumb side!

I really like them, they fit nicely, and they should keep my hands toasty (and tattoo covered) nicely. It definitely is going to take another skein to finish the second one, so I stopped by Michael's today! For some reason, this one took me like 6 days to finish. Since I wrote down what I did on the first one, and I'm in the groove, the second one might not take is long!

So, my deal with the universe is that I will actually finish the second one, and so will get the job! Wish me luck!


Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Compost, It Does a Garden Good

As so many other gardeners have been told and have learned over the years compost is great! I agree fully! Knowing I wanted to start composting I did a quick search to see how much a ready to go composting unit  cost, and got sticker shock, to buy one is not cheap at all. So I began racking my brain to figure out how to make one. I wanted a something contained because I didn't want a pile of stuff in the yard. Finally, after quite a while I figured out a solution. Concrete blocks!!! We have tons of them all over the place collected from lord knows where. So I put them to use! My compost bin has 2 sections, one for now, and one for later. When the compost in one has fully broken down I don't want to add new stuff to it is the reason for 2 bins. Here are some pictures I took to give you readers an idea. It hasn't fully settled yet, but its getting there! Happy Composting!


Monday, January 16, 2012

You have questions? I have answers!

I asked my facebook friends to post some questions they would like answers to and I got some nibbles! I hope these answers help more people than just the people who asked the questions!

From Tiffany: Gardening tips (fertilizer, bug issues, etc); Favorite recipes

               Fertilizer is always a big question. If you want full organic then composting is the way to go. I will actually be doing a full post about that on Wed. seeing as how I just built a compost bin from cinder blocks. If going fully organic isn't a big deal for you, in our area a good 10-10-10 mix is the most common to use.
                With bug issues, you can use your normal pesticides, but, then you run the risk of all the ickys going into your body, and that is bad. There are all different kinds of natural pesticides that you can use. Many herbs and flowers are great for some pest control issues here is a great site that tells what plant is good for what pest http://www.gardensablaze.com/Companions/CompanionPest.htm
                  And some of my favorite recipes are kind of all over the place. One that is always a big hit is called Stuff in a Bowl. It's super easy, full of flavor and pretty quick to get on the table. The ingredients are 1 box of long grain wild rice (flavored), one can of black beans or blackeyed peas, and 1/2 lb of GA Boy smoked sausage cut into bite sized pieces. Follow the directions on the box of rice as normal, when rice is fully cooked add beans undrained, when they have cooked down a bit add the sausage, serve when sausage is warmed through!


From Sarah: Gardening for rookies! How can I grow my own tomatoes in a pot....or whatever it is they can grow in!?

                Tomatoes are so easy to grow not in a garden setting. I would get 5 gallon buckets or large terra cotta pots,if you want them to look prettier, to plant them in. I suggest for a beginner to buy the plant seedlings, all of my family even though we are old hats at planting still buy plants instead of starting them from seed. You can usually find these in the spring at your local home depot or hardware store. Use miracle grow or something like it when watering instead of using a larger garden space fertilizer. Good luck!


From Candice: I have some herb and sweet pea seeds i have no idea what to do with. The best glitter paint for accenting a mural wall ... and any ideas for what to with those tiny vinyl records with the big hole...im thinking bracelets.


              A 5 gallon bucket would be great for the peas, I would plant them there are built them a little trellis to grow up onto. For the herb seeds I would go to the dollar store, this time of year they usually sell the long planters, depending on what they are you can either plant them indoors on a window sill or outside in a nice sunny place. If you keep them fed and watered they should last quite a while!
              There is actually clear glitter spray paint that can be bought at most all home improvement stores! It should work well, but make sure the area is well ventilated. 
              Bracelets are an awesome idea! I want pictures!!!
             

Thursday, January 12, 2012

An interesting proposition.

Yesterday evening a good friend and family member posted an interesting proposition on Facebook. This was the post:
I will make you something (handmade) before the end of 2012 if you are one of the first 5 people to post. No telling what you may get. Just be ready for something fun from Pinterest. :)

You have to turn around and do this as well. Pay It Forward. :)
I love random handmade things and crafting, but a lot of the time I get wrapped up in the where am I going to put it. This will give me an excuse to make things so that question won't over tax my brain! Plus I love making things for others! So I challenge each of you to try this! You never know what the outcome will be, and  most people love to get a gift no matter what time of year!
 

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Blackberry Pie!

Sorry I have been AWOL for the last week, but I have been kind of ill. Every Spring and Summer when my happy little world is brimming in green I go blackberry picking. Then, in the winter I have a wonderful go to for dessert, blackberry pie! Here is the recipe I use, and a few pictures of the yumminess!



  • 4 cups fresh blackberries
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1/4 cup white sugar

Directions

  1. Combine 3 1/2 cups berries with the sugar and flour. Spoon the mixture into an unbaked pie shell. Spread the remaining 1/2 cup berries on top of the sweetened berries, and cover with the top crust. Seal and crimp the edges. Brush the top crust with milk, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup sugar.
  2. Bake at 425 degree F (220 degrees C) for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature of the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C), and bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Resolutions

Sorry for the hiatus guys, but holidays just put me in the mood for crafting and family time, not computer time! I've actually really enjoyed my two weeks pretty much unplugged (from the computer at least.) Might have to try it more often.

And so, we find ourselves in a new year (2012! No way!), and along with the new year seems to come the endless resolutions, promises of fitness, healthful eating, stopping smoking, you name it. While I feel these are worthy goals, sometimes we set unobtainable goals for ourselves, and are confronted with disappointment when we fail to achieve them. And so, I bring you:

Sarah's List of 10 Somewhat-Lofty, But Mostly Easy, Goals For the New Year

Goal 1: Every other month is "No Buying Craft Supplies Month." Although I will make allowances for emergencies (birthdays, etc, not emergencies like "OMG, I have to make this!), every other month I commit myself to not buying random craft crap. Sad that this is my #1, but it will probably be the hardest.

Goal 2: No soda within 4 hours of waking. Sad again, but necessary. Really, I'd like to phase soda out entirely, but I'll accept no morning soda if that doesn't work out. 
Goal 3: Do my dishes by the end of each day. I'm pretty good about this, but sometimes I'm lazy. I need to cut that out. 

Goal 4: Make a chore calendar. Sadly needed. I think if I keep it to one big task per day, I can do it. It would be awesome to make this a spin-off craft project and do embroidered dish towels depicting the chores I've chosen. Nerd. 
Goal 5: Ditto with pet care. I think just formulating the list will help me solidify a schedule. 

 Goal 6: Be physically active every day. This should be easy this semester at least, as I am taking an Ag course on sheep that involves working out on EKU's farm for a certain number of hours each week. This is my favorite way to work out ;-)

Goal 7: Cook more every week. Keep track of how many meals I cook, and try to increase that number every week. And, of course, eat more vegetables. I'm moving sort of towards the Paleo diet, but I have way too much dairy to deal with to go full-scale. Cutting back on starches and carbs should help though.

Goal 8: Sleep no more than 8 hours a night. The world could be ending this year, I would hate to sleep through the last year! Plus, I sleep too much.

Goal 9: Keep my room clean. Because I am 12 and need to be reminded to do so. Or maybe this one should be "Get rid of enough clothes that they can all fit in the spaces which are provided." I really thought about "Have no more than 6 pairs of non-wool socks", but that seems like the easy way out. Sweaters and jackets really need to be cleared out. I have a problem with having dozens of both. Maybe this should just be "Have less crap." I like that.

Goal 10: Don't overdo it. Sometimes hard to remember with all these lists and such, but I need to remember to just relax sometimes. I think we all do.


Bun sure knows how to relax ;-) 

Happy New Year, Y'all. Looking forward to another year of homemaking-goodness with you fine folks!

~Sarah