Another baby sweater set

 This month I made yet another baby sweater set (with a sweater rather like this one). I am having so much fun turning my odds and ends of leftover yarn to make cute stuff for babies with. I used up every little scrap of this particular type of white yarn on this set. I had used up all the peach too and thought I didn't have enough yarn when Mara produced from her room another ball of the peach yarn.

 I love the touch that the flowers add to the simple sweater and hat. This is the link to the basic pattern that I used. I just did a little changing on it to make it a bit more special. This sweater set I donated to a fundraiser silent auction. I hope to make another one soon to have to give away friends that have babies.

I am linking this to:

Enjoying working and relaxing outside!

We are so enjoying being able to work and play and even eat outdoors now. We have had some pretty lovely weather and the leaves are popping out on the trees and the grass is getting pretty green. This morning while working outside I actually got hot and that is saying quite a bit for my cold blooded self. I am chilly now however, just sitting here in the downstairs typing.

  Since the weather has been nice it has made us feel like getting busy and getting some of those outdoor activities done.  We checked on the bees again (a couple of times since last report) and gave them their medicine. I was checking to see how well the queen was laying and if they had a nice brood going. I have read about this but I still feel rather unqualified for being able to tell for sure if things are really going well or not. 

 The two hives are both busy and we see workers bringing pollen back regularly but one (Catnip Castle) is busier than the other. Not only do we see more activity at Catnip Castle but they also have a bunch of larva and I can't see any of that in Moonbeam Manor. They do both have capped brood cells so hopefully everything is all right. The bees at Catnip Castle have gone through their sugar water much more quickly as well.

 All of the kids have taken turns dressing up and helping with the bees. They are all incredibly interested and I love having them learn along with me. Megan is a bit more timid but yesterday I dressed her up and she was peering right in there just like the big kids. She is the clothing police for anybody that looks at our hives. She is quick to warn the the bees might sting you if you wear black or brown which is what we had been told. She is extremely careful not to wear those colors anywhere near the bees herself.

 Last Thursday evening (which actually wasn't quite so warm) we decided to cook hot dogs over a fire and eat outside. We really enjoy the laid back feeling that comes from cooking over and then eating around the fire.

 I got my rag rug for the dining room doorway done! I would have been done sooner but had some issues with it laying flat around the edges and I had to pull some out and do it over. It is behaving fairly well now. I am enjoying our new rug and of course loving the fact that it was made from something that would have otherwise been trash (Our old stained slipcovers and our very faded curtains).

 After much trench digging by the kids Ken was able to lay the electric wire and provide electricity by the bee yard so that I could plug in the fencer. Unfortunately the fencer seems to have an issue so the fence isn't electric yet but hopefully I just need to replace some fuses. This beekeeping business is certainly an education as I have never dealt with things like fuses before.

Ken did the electric work on Saturday and he also replaced an outdoor faucet that was leaking badly and....

He tilled my (our) garden!!!

I am very excited about that and I am eager to get the peas, lettuce, carrots and onions planted. Most everything else will have to wait until Memorial Day weekend.

Ken also helped me with the strawberry patch but as we aren't finished with that yet I think I will share about that next week. :-)

I am linking up the the Homestead Barn Hop hosted by

Amy @ Homestead Revival

Jill @ The Prairie Homestead

Kendra @ New Life on a Homestead and

Megan @ A Blossoming Homestead

He cares for you!

 “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith!  And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it.  For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them.  But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well." Luke12:27-31



We have really been enjoying the flowers that have started blooming around here. As we look at them how wonderful it is to be reminded of how God cares for them and how much more he cares for us!

An apron from old overalls

  A while back I had seen an apron at a craft store that had been made from cutting out the pocket/zipper area from a pair of jeans (so it was basically in a half circle shape) and then attaching a wide ruffle and a tie to it. I thought it would be fun to try and so pulled out my box of old jeans for that purpose one day last week.

 The first thing I pulled out was a pair of girls (size 7 or 8) overalls that had holes in the knees. That wasn't what I was looking for but then I thought "Why not?" I could make an apron with a bib which is what I prefer anyway. Here is how I did it:

The picture above is what I started with.
1. I unbuttoned the sides of the overalls and then seam ripped the seams down to the level of the crotch seam.
2. I cut straight across from side to side just above the crotch.

3. I found some ribbon I wanted to use to complete the neck loop and for waist ties.
4. I cut the shoulder straps off at the place that they matched the width of my ribbon.
5. I figured out how long I needed the neck to be (it is adjustable because of the way you can adjust overall straps) and cut the ribbon the right length to finish the neck strap.
6. I sewed the ribbon in place.

7. I found some white fabric to make the apron longer. I cut it around twice as wide as the denim and as long as I desired.

8. I gathered the white fabric and then sewed it to the denim.

9. I turned under the edges of the white fabric (I cut the corners so they were rounded) and then sewed lace around the edge of the whole bottom section of the apron.

10. I measured a ribbon long enough to use for the waist ties, I threaded it through the belt loops and then sewed it to secure it on each side.

11. I double stitched over many of the flattened seams to make a more finished look.

This was a very quick project and a really fun way to give new life to an old pair of overalls. It sold on a silent auction at a fundraiser last week.

I am linking this to:

Frugal Friday at Life as Mom

and

What works for me in using whole grains...

A reader of this blog recently asked about our buying of wheat and other grains, storing them and making bread with them. So I decided I would write a post to answer the questions as much as I can and link to places where I have already answered the questions. So here we go...

Buying Grain:

We buy our wheat, corn, rye and some dry beans from a grain elevator. My Dad was the one who first found the place we use but if you live in an area that grows grain I would just check around. Look in the phone book or just stop in at one (they are pretty easy to spot in a town because of their tall elevators) and check and see if they sell grain that can be used for human consumption. This has been by far the cheapest way we have found grain. This last time I spent $13 for bags of wheat that were 50 or 60 lbs. Sometimes we have paid as much as $22 (that was only once) and often it is even cheaper- I think $8 per bag is the least we have paid. Corn cost me $8 a bag this time.

Other options for buying grain are:

• Azure Standard, what I can't get at the grain elevator I usually buy there (Oatmeal, rice, etc. but they sell wheat and such as well.).
• We also used to buy our wheat through the local health food co-op. They would give me a little discount when I would buy a 50 lb. bag at a time.
• 

  

  Making Pita Bread
  
  

  
  A friend of mine who lives in the twin cities (where we are not aware of any grain elevators) has bought her wheat for a pretty good price through a local bread bakery (or something like that). Just start asking around locally and you might find a very economical source.

Storing Grain:

My dad has been able to get a bunch of food grade 5 gallon buckets for free from some restaurants in town. We wash them out and dry them very thoroughly and put our grain in them. I have an out of the way spot in my laundry room where I put the buckets full of grain. I also will put some of the grain in smaller one gallon (ice cream ) buckets. As long as they are dry and air tight it has lasted very well for us. Some people but sticks of mint gum in the bucket to keep away some sort of bug. We haven't had problems with bugs however.

Cornbread

Grinding Grain:

Ken's parents gave a Whisper Mill grain grinder for a wedding gift. As the years have gone by I use it more and more. I have been very happy with it. Grinding your own grain just as you use it allows you to have fresh (not rancid) flours with all their vitamins intact. Here is a post of mine with more details on grinding grain.

Whole Wheat Bread

Using Whole Grain Flours:

 I do usually have white flour on hand but I use our own whole grain flours more than 10 times as much as the white flour. I just put it in place of the white flour in pretty much every recipe I make. Sometimes I will put a little white flour in as well but not always. It does taste a little different and sometimes it can be drier so adding some extra moisture can sometimes be nice but overall I like the taste much better. If whole grains are a new thing for your family then you might want to slowly add whole grain flours and then start using more of them and less of the white flour just gradually. Taste buds will adjust.

 Here are some recipes that I do like to use for making our wholewheat breads:

• Our normal Whole Wheat Bread.
• Cornbread
• Butterhorn Rolls
• Hamburger Buns
• Flat Bread

This is how using whole grains works for me! Let me know if you have any questions and please feel free to share any of your own tips!

The Fight of Our Lives {book review}

 Lately I have been able to read a very interesting book: The Fight of Our Lives by William J. Bennett and Seth Leibsohn. The book's subtitle is : Knowing the Enemy, Speaking the Truth and Choosing to Win the War Against Radical Islam. I think this topic is a very important one. We have seen the results of Radical Islamic Terrorism in our country and around the world.

  This is a subject that is quite applicable to our lives, however many try to ignore the subject and often we are in the dark to the true situation. As the kids and I studied about the countries of the Middle East this past year we were so often saddened by what we read. The people in those countries have never even dreamed of having the freedoms that we enjoy. They are a slaves to a religion that celebrates death instead of life. In the fight of our lives I learned even more horrifying details about what goes on in those countries, about how the country of Iran used (in large numbers) preteens and teens to check areas for landmines. What special method do they use? None! They simply walk across the area and are blown to bits if they happen to step in the wrong place. The government is quite sensitive to their tender young feelings however. Before going out they are each given a set of plastic keys and told that they will unlock paradise for them.

 I could go on and on but we might not have time or space for that. I do think it important to be honest about the fact that much of the terrorism we have seen in our country in recent years has had something (often much ) to do with the religion of Islam. This observation is not a popular one, it is not politically correct to say such things but unfortunately it is true. Our President is one of the people that will not admit there is any correlation in fact he says: "I consider it part of my responsibility as president of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear."  and he has worked in as many ways as he can to make sure that nothing bad is said or thought of the Islamic religion.

 Now I do want to be quite clear, I do not have any dislike or hatred toward people of the Islamic religion. I have known some that I have considered friends. There are many lovely people that were raised in that religion and are neat people. I do have a problem with many things that are taught in that religion however and when people actually strive to follow it completely, it isn't good.

 I appreciate this book for facts it presents, for helping me understand much more fully what is going on in our world today and for being willing to stand for the truth even when it isn't popular.

Disclosure: I received this book free from Book Sneeze for the purposes of reviewing. I was not required to write a positive review. The thoughts expressed are my own.