Child wood rolling pin set

This is a favorite rolling pin for children. They love using this, it is perfect for little hands to work in the kitchen while Mom or Grandma are baking. The small handles are just right so they can grip the wood rolling pin easily. You may find this set at http://www.stitchthrutime.com/

Venison Stew and Cherry or Blueberry muffins

Whole Wheat Cherry Muffins or Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup white flour

1/8 to 1/4 sugar (or you can use honey)

4 teaspoons baking powder

About 2 Tablespoons canola or vegtable oil

2 eggs

About 1 cup milk. If you use white flour only use less milk

Combine ingredients (don't mix too much).

Put cherries or blueberries into muffin cups. I use frozen cherries as I don't usually have fresh cherries around.

If you want to put blueberries in put in as many as you want into the batter before putting into the muffin pans.

Put into well greased muffin pans, should make about 12 muffins.

Bake 450 degrees for 15 minutes.

Venison Stew or Beef Stew

Brown Venison (or beef) in large pan, add garlic and cook until brown

Add

1 quart tomatoes

A few carrots chopped

A few potatoes chopped

Celery

More garlic chopped

Fresh sage (or dried if you don't have fresh)

Parsley

1/4 teaspoon cayanne pepper (you may use more or less according to taste

Water, fill up to about 2/3 of pan after putting everything in. Water is important as you need to cook the vegtables. I let my stew cook for several hours on low simmer with lid on or until done.

If you want salt you may put it in but I don't salt my food when cooking as usually people will put salt in even before tasting and I don't like a lot of salt in my food. I would rather use herbs.

Throw in any other vegtables you want, it's your stew. If you do put in peas wait until right before serving and pot in briefly so they don't overcook.

If you have any leftover gravy or drippings from a roast also include it in also.

Planting Peas

Planting Peas

Just planted the peas. Hopefully enough to put in the freezer for the long winter.

I like to plant my peas about 3 inches apart and cover with three times as much dirt as my pea is in size. It is best to plant when it is cooler, not too cold or they won't germinate. Peas prefer the cold rather than the warm.
I know this doesn't look like Martha Stewart planting her peas but I don't have the gardeners she has sigh.. Even one would be nice..

All dressed up to feed the bees.

I may not look my best, but I would rather not look so lovely and get the job done. This outfit is one that helps so the bees don't get inside my clothes and sting me while I attend to the hives.

I just gave them medicine and fed them sugar water.

Bee sugar water

I use two cups sugar to one cup water.

I bring to boil 8 cups of water

Pour in 16 cups granulated sugar and stir until dissolved. Do not bring to boil again. You are not making candy and you just want to dissolve the sugar into the water.

Let cool and put into clean container.

Spring Bee Feeding

It is time to feed the bees and give them their medicine. Two new hives this year.

Tomatoes waiting for Spring

These tomatoes were planted in January from seed. It will be May when they are able to be planted outside.

Some of the tomato plants are heritage while others are not. I try to do early tomatoes although some are so good you just take a chance with them. These tomatoes are ready to transplant into bigger containers. I plant two tomato seeds per about 4 inch peat pot.

The trees are starting to blossom in the West and soon it will be time for apricot jam. If you want a good apricot and jam recipe just go to http://www.stitchthrutime.com/ for great canning recipes.

Long Hard Winter

It has been a long hard winter, the snow just melted last week (finally). Looking forward to spring with visions of a good garden this year!

Cookie Cutter Display

Cookie Cutter Display

     An old cupboard from the 1800's I use to display my cookie cutters and other fun things. I like using old candy jars for my cookie and pie cutters. If you don't have old jars just go buy one and they work just as well.  Candy jars look nice and keep the cookie cutters available and easy to see.  The two mixers at the top one from my Grandmother and another a find at an antique store.

     Many years ago I heard if you have a memory of something and don't have that particular object from your family, you can always get that object even though it isn't the original and it will bring back the same memories.

Apricot Jam Recipe

Putting Wax on raspberry jam.

Apricot Jam
I like my apricots ripe, you get a sweeter creamier jam. Wash your apricots and pit. Cut out any bad or spoiled spots and give to your chickens if you have them. Grind apricots slightly in your grinder, I prefer having small chunks of apricot in my jam so don't puree.
Wash your jars and lids, put the jars into a water bath on the stove to sterilize In a separate pan put your screw on jar rings and bands, simmer on low heat to sterilize them also. If you want to put wax on the top of your jam, I put paraffin in a double boiler, be very careful with the wax and never put hot wax directly on the stove to heat as it will get hot and start on fire. Read the instructions on the wax label before using. Caution: Wax will ignite if overheated or exposed to open flame. To avoid danger and to preserve the quality of the wax, always melt over water - preferably in a double boiler. Also if you put hot wax in water it will explode. Make sure you read all the caution labels on the wax before heating. Put your apricots in a large pan with 1/4 cup of lemon juice and I use 1 package of Ball fruit Jell Pectin per 5 cups of apricot. You can buy this at any grocery store, Wal-Mart or K-mart.
Bring your apricots to a boil (the instructions are inside of the ball pectin). Bring your jam to a boil that can't be stirred down. When jam comes to a boil add your sugar. Have your sugar ready so you can pour and stir sugar in. The recipe calls for 7 cups of sugar which is too sweet for me, I put in about 5 cups of sugar, which is enough to make a sweet jam, but not too much. I also like my jam a little runny, I don't like it set up like cement. I use my apricot jam in many of my recipes, and on toast muffins and apricot syrup on pancakes. I also think a softer apricot jam tastes better. You can do what you want as this is your jam. Just make sure you get it hot enough to kill the bacteria before putting in your jars.After it comes to a boil, stir it on medium heat (while it is boiling) until when you hold up your wooden spoon it slowly drips off, I think it resembles a bad case of cellulite (that is the best description I can give you), until it thickens to the consistency you want. Remember that when it cools it will thicken more.
The recipe in the ball pectin says stir for one minute after you bring it to a boil that can't be stirred down, but since I don't put in as much sugar I stir it longer on a medium heat until I feel it is the consistency I like.
When our jam is done turn off and ladle into hot jars. Buy yourself a canning funnel, it is worth the couple of dollars you'll spend on it and saves precious jam and easy clean up spills. Remove funnel before putting on wax.I put about 3 tablespoons of wax on top and then wipe with a clean wet cloth around the rim to make sure it seals well. Make sure your lids and rings have been sterilized. I use a small pan of boiling water with a lid on it and let it boil on low while I am making my jam.. Put lid and rim on your jar and tighten. I use ball or kerr canning lids only, they are a good quality lid. Cover jars with a clean towel.
Let set for 24 hours before you wash and label them. I like to label the lid instead of the jar, it is much easier to throw away a lid then scrub off a canning jar label when you get ready to use it next year. When you reuse your bottles you don't have to wash off the labels. Always label what your jam is and the year so you can rotate your fruit. You can put your name on it if you like to give as gifts.
I recommend you check with your ball canning book or your local extension agency for times on all your canning recipes, also be sure and use a steam-pressure canner for your vegetables, this is a must for safety!
Always check your ball canning book for times and safety tips. Time may vary with your location so you should also check with your state extension agency for exact times. They also have canning books available for not very much, at least they do in our state.

Caution: Wax will ignite if overheated or exposed to open flame. To avoid danger and to preserve the quality of the wax, always check instructions on the wax you buy. Never put wax in pan directly over heat, preferably use a double boiler.

Never throw hot or burning wax in water, it will explode! I repeat,

NEVER THROW HOT OR BURNING WAX IN WATER, IT WILL EXPLODE!!!


I always wear aprons when canning, be careful when canning, it can be a fun experience, but you don't want to get burnt.
Never throw hot or burning wax in water, it will explode! I repeat,
NEVER THROW HOT OR BURNING WAX IN WATER, IT WILL EXPLODE!!!

Pint Jars ready for Jam
I like to sterilize my pints in water. You have to be careful not to burn yourself, always use safety when canning.Some people use a dishwasher, but I like to sterilize my pint jars in water before putting the jam in.

Garden Table

Country girl with her garden table. The salad table is in addition to a large garden, it is perfect for lettuce, spinach and other leafy greens.
Below are directions for building the planting table.

The garden table is 33 inches wide by 58 inches long, you will need the following tools and materials:
Untreated framing lumber: two 10-foot-long two-by-fours and two 12-foot-long two-by-fours
2 1/2-inch galvanized deck screws
3/8-inch staples
1 pound of 1-inch roofing nails
3-by-5-foot roll of aluminum window screening
3-by-5-foot roll of 1/2-inch mesh hardware cloth (galvanized wire mesh; comes in a roll)
Handsaw
Hammer
Tape measure
Square
Tin snips
Staple gun
Drill

Garden Table How-To Make It:

1. Make the frame by taking two 58-inch two-by-fours and attaching them to two 30-inch two-by-fours with galvanized screws. The two interior cross pieces are attached 18 3/4-inches from each end of the long piece, making three equal sections.
2. Staple window screen on the outside bottom of the frame.
3. Center the hardware cloth over the window screen; pull it taught and staple to the frame bottom.
4. Nail roofing nails around the frame for added support.

5. If you want the additional braces at the bottom and sides you will need extra 2 x 4's to brace it like in the picture.

Soil: The best growing medium is 50 percent soilless mix and 50 percent high-quality compost. The commercial soilless mix usually contains peat, perlite, and vermiculite, but new organic soilless mixes contain coir (shredded coconut fibers) and rice hulls. Work water into the soilless mixes to get them moistened. Then, combine the soilless mix evenly with the compost and fill the frame to the top -- it will settle some, and that's fine.

You may find this cute apron at www.stitchthrutime.com

Country Apron girl in her yellow salt & pepper apron enjoying the flowers of summer. You can find this and many other old fashioned aprons at www.stitchthrutime.com

Country Apron Girl

Just a little note for country and city girls who love aprons, you know you are not alone!

We'll start with just a fun apron and expand them as we go along.

One of my favorite is the 1940 apron from http://www.stitchthrutime.com/ It comes in many different materials, but one of my favorite is the 1940 in red polka dot. Retro aprons are back, this one has the red polka dot and red gingham together in a fun apron that I like to wear in the kitchen.