Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Happy Rustic Thanksgiving



Today I am doing a little prepping for Thanksgiving.  I like to get my table linens all figured out, washed and ironed,  my centerpieces figured out,  and my flowers arranged.  I thought I would share with you a very easy and inexpensive way to brighten up your table.  So simple,  but your family will feel like you really went the extra mile...So, here is my 10 minute centerpiece...

So, first of all you will need a container. I don't have any fancy vases in my house, and frankly, they just wouldn't fit in.  This year I chose some cute storage jars that I have,  but you could use canning jars too.

Next, you will need something to cut branches with.  I would not use your good  scissors, unless you want them to never work good again.  I grabbed my pruners and headed out for some "fillers".  I chose to use Alder branches, but any kind of branches will work. I have used spruce bows, birch branches, anything close will work.  Arrange these in your container.  These will serve as the framework of your design.

Next, You will start adding your flowers. I just bought a bouquet of fall colored flowers from the grocery store.  I separated the flowers,  and divided them up between my three jars.  You want to recut the stems and remove any leaves that will be submerged.  I did this until the jars seemed full and balanced.

Next, I wanted to dress up the jars a little bit, and al least cover up the screw rings at the top.  Hmmm... I decided to just cut some strips of burlap that I had out in my garden shed, wrap them around the tops, and tie it with twine!
So, thats it! Super simple, Super cute, Super inexpensive.  Thats the thing I love about rustic...Most of the things you need to decorate with are readily available in your house, or just outside your door.  Natures Bounty <3

Ta Da! <3

Monday, November 19, 2012

Merry Rustic Christmas!


So, with all this beautiful weather we have been having up here in northern Minnesota, I thought I would get a jump start on some of my Christmas decorating. I decided this year that I wanted to decorate the two whiskey barrel planters that sit in front of our log home. I did a little looking around on the web and found some pretty neat ideas that looked fairly simple (I like simple). Plus, it looked like I could get most of my supplies right here in the woods (I like cheap, too). I thought they turned out pretty cute, so I thought I'd share it.

Spruce top

First of all, you will need a container. Like I said, I used my whiskey barrel planters for mine. I like that they had dirt in them and they are heavy enough to not blow over. My only problem was that they were frozen, and I had to poke holes in the dirt with a screwdriver!

Mixed greens
 Second, You will need a spruce top. We have a lot of those, so the dogs and I set out to find the perfect ones. We were out of luck. They all seemed a little thin or too big or too small...finally I just picked two that seemed "okay" and we headed home.  I got them stuck in the frozen dirt and called it a day.

Umm..?
The next day the dogs and I set out to go get our "fillers". You want to get a mix of greens to fill in around your base. I tried to find different textures and colors. I used Blue spruce, Juniper, Pine and balsam. Arrange the greens around your base, and get it all filled in. At this point, I started to second guess the whole process...It didn't look very promising, but I kept going...

Next was a trip to the local craft store to find some red berries on a stick. According to the info I read you want to get plastic berries. The real ones fall off right away, and the foam ones will pop in the freezing weather. Trust me, It was not easy to find the plastic berries. While I was searching for the berries, I came across these silver glittered curly sticks. I thought they looked kinda fun, and my containers seemed to need a lot of help. The curly sticks were cheap, so in the cart they went. If they were horribly wrong, I thought I could always stick them in the Christmas tree!



Getting better...
I was amazed at how much the little sticks and the red berries helped! It seemed that maybe this was going to work out. I was getting excited, BUT, it still needed a little something more. I decided to sleep on it, and figure it out the next day.The next day I went in to get some groceries, and they have all the Christmas stuff out, so I decided to look around. I picked up a bag of pinecones and a couple of red bows. Hopefully this was the little extra that it needed. I hurried home and put away the groceries. Finally, I thought, after four days of playing around with this , The end is in sight. So, I went out and I wired the pinecones on to sticks and put them in, attached the bows, and WAH.LAH. The finished project! It really was quite simple, and very inexpensive, and Fun.


Merry Rustic Christmas!

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Cranberries ~ Canned or Cooked?

Our family has always used the canned cranberries, and to be honest, I'm just not a fan. So this year I'm thinking I will switch it up a bit. I did a little searching, and I found this recipe on the SBCanning web site. The recipe was simple to make, and I think its pretty darn good, so I thought I would share it with you. Maybe It will inspire you to ditch the can too :)

Leslie's Cranberry Orange Sauce

So, you will need:

8 to 9 cups cranberries  (2 bags of the Ocean Spray brand)
4 cups sugar
4 cups water
2 oranges

This recipe makes 12 half pint jars, but you can easily cut it in half if you like.


Preparation : Prepare 12 half pint jars, lids, and rings. Sterilize the jars and keep them in the hot water till its time for processing. Make sure to fill your water bath canner and get the water to a simmer.

Cooking: In a large stainless steel add water, sugar, zest and juice of 2 oranges and heat up over medium heat. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Add the cranberries and bring back to a boil. the cranberries will begin popping.  If you like it whole cranberries and some sauce use a potato masher to smooth the cranberries. If you want it to be just sauce you can use an immersion blender. Cook stirring occasionally until the mixture thickens, about 10 minutes.   Remove from heat.

Filling the jars:  On a dishtowel place your hot jars and using your funnel in each jar using a ladle then fill the jars leaving ½” headspace.   Remove air bubbles and refill to the proper headspace with the mixture if necessary. Taking a clean papertowel wet it with warm water and wipe the rims of the jars removing any food particles that would interfere with a good seal. Using your magic wand extract the lids from the hot water and place them on the now cleaned rims. Add your rings to the tops of each of the jars and turn to seal just "finger tight". 
Processing: Make sure your rack is on the bottom of the canner and place the jars in the water bath making sure that the water covers each of the jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add hot water to the canner if it doesn't measure up. Cover the pot and turn up the heat under the canner and wait for the water to start boiling. Once the water has come to a boil start your timer for 10 minutes. When complete turn off the heat and remove the cover and let the jars sit for another few minutes. Remove the jars and place them back on the dishtowel in a place that they will sit overnight to cool. Do not touch or move them till the next morning.
Sealing: Some time in the next hour your jars will be making a "pinging" or "popping" noise. That is the glass cooling and the reaction of the lids being sucked into the jar for proper sealing. Some recipes may take overnight to seal. Check your lids and reprocess any jars that did not seal.



Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Tincture To the Rescue.

Immune boosting Echinacea
 So, today I woke up with that tell-tale sign of an oncoming cold...watery eyes and scratchy throat. Darn! However,  I am excited to say, that thanks to a friend of mine that encouraged me to try making echinacea tincture,  I feel like I may have a fighting chance to ward this one off...

Echinacea tincture is believed to be very helpful in fighting many bothersome seasonal afflictions, such as cold and flu, and boost your immune system.  It's very popular and can be purchased quite readily, BUT, it is also super easy to make yourself, especially if you grow this hardy perennial in your garden.

I have to admit I was skeptical to try this,  I mean after all this is medicine were talking about, and I really did not want to be responsible for poisoning anyone!  However, after a reassuring talk from my friend and a few google searches,  I decided I would give it a shot.

So, lets get started.  First you need to purchase your alcohol. You want to purchase vodka that is at least 40% alcohol, or 80 proof.  You can use stronger ones, but this is what was recommended to me.  Next, you will need a jar with a tight fitting lid.  I used a pint canning jar for my first batch.  The bigger the jar, the more vodka and echinacea you'll need.  Next, you need to go harvest your plant material.  You can use the flowers, leaves, stems, and even the roots.  I personally did not want to take a chance of killing my plants, so I left the roots alone :)

So, first, you chop up all your plant material. chop, chop. Second, you stuff it in the jar. Third, you top off the jar with vodka, leaving enough room so that shaking will be effective. Fourth, put the lid on it, give it a good shake, and write the date on the lid.  Now put it somewhere where you will see it and remember to shake it up every couple of days. I put mine in the cupboard with the spices. After 4 to 6 weeks of that, your ready to filter out the plant material. I used a coffee filter and a funnel and filtered it right into a amber bottle. The dark bottles help to protect it from light, which can deteriorate the potency of your tincture. Label your bottle, and thats it!

So, the next time you get that warning that your about to come down with something,  you will have your very own immune system booster!  Just take a couple of drops (yes, drops, not spoonfuls) a few times a day. You can even dilute it in tea or water if you want.

I hope that you found this post helpful, and that you might even try to make this home made remedy yourself. It's amazing the gifts that Mother Nature provides for us...Just outside, in our flowerbeds.

A big THANK YOU to my friend Nancy for giving me the courage to go down this path :)



Saturday, September 29, 2012

Simple Treasures

Recently I was out taking my dogs for a nice, long, morning walk out on our trails, and I was really enjoying all the sights and sounds that the changing of the seasons has to offer. While we were walking I was thinking how I would way rather be out in the woods than anywhere, and that I was very content. This one thought triggered a whole list of things that I find to be the little treasures of a simple life.

I would rather cook a healthy, colorful, balanced meal with all the bounty from my gardens, than go to an expensive restaurant.

I would rather put on my rubber boots than a pair of heels.

I prefer picking my garden to going to the grocery store.

I would rather drive an older vehicle than have a car payment.

I would rather eat an elk burger over a Kobe beef steak.

I would rather split, stack, and haul firewood and enjoy the wood fire, than turn up the thermostat and have a fuel bill.

I like homemade bread more than store bought.

I would rather sit in the garden and watch the chickens than go to a movie in the theatre.

My favorite designer is Levis.

My emeralds are the little green eggs I get from my hens.

My alarm clock is the roosters crowing.

I love saving all the kitchen scraps and making my own compost, compared to buying it in a bag.

I really like finding good yard sales and finding useful items that are old and made in the USA. They were built to last, not like the junk in the stores now.

I would rather buy bird food, than pay for cable.

These are a few of the little things that give me joy, the choices I have made to have a more simple life, the gifts I have been given that allow me to feel connected and balanced, that allow me to spend more time at home and less time out in the workplace.

So, the next time you want to go to the mall, and shop, stop. and think. and maybe take the dogs out for a nice long walk in the woods, take the time to appreciate all the sights and sounds that the changing of the seasons has to offer. Take time to enjoy all the simple things around you.




Monday, September 24, 2012

Comfort food for thought.

Yesterdays post left me emotionally drained, so I have decided that today I was just going to take it easy. I have a million things that I would like to be doing on these last days before the really cold weather starts, but I find myself not really motivated to do much. So, I lounged around all morning and had coffee with a dear friend and we chatted and nibbled on zucchini bread, went for a walk out in the woods, and went and visited the chicken coop and collected the tiny pullet eggs. It is amazing what gifts an old friendship can offer. After she left I began to realize that I was feeling much better. Now I am ready to tackle my green peppers, and have decided to stuff them and cook them on the grill. After that I am going to wash all the downstairs windows and I think I will call that, "good enough" for this day.

What I have learned to today is that sometimes you just have to be gentle with yourself. That when you let something big and emotional out, it can be a weight lifted off your soul, but then take time to heal. To lick your wounds and re group. Have coffee with your best friend. Nibble on zucchini bread. Take a walk in the woods.

It is these little things, that are a comfort too me.

Sunday, September 23, 2012

I was going to talk about green peppers today...

Today's entry was going to be about all the green peppers I just picked, and what I was going to do with them all, but my mind is on something else today.

Last year at this time, the weather was getting cooler and I needed to go out and collect birch bark to start fires in our wood stove. I had recently heard that my sister was back in town, so I thought I would invite her out to the house to go play in the woods with me and to have lunch.  I was very excited to spend time with her again, as I had heard she was really struggling and that her son had been in a terrible accident. My sister and I had not been in contact for a really long time, and I was anxious to reconnect.

You see, my sister was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder and depression among other things.  We were very close growing up, but had drifted apart as her symptoms started to show.  I had moved away from home and so had she.  In 2001 I had moved back to my home town and we quickly rekindled our sisterhood.  It didn't take long before I realized just how bad her condition was, and being a single mother with three daughters, I just couldn't risk exposing them to her erratic behaviors.  I did not understand the battles she was fighting, and to be honest, it scared the crap out of me.  I quickly turned my back on her.  She ended up moving away, and we completely lost touch.  Then, last year, I made the phone call when I heard she was back in town.

She was going to come over, and I was so excited.  I had learned much about her disorder, and I was sure that I could be a better sister to her.  My children were all grown and I had time to be there for her.  I told her how sorry I was for turning my back on her and that I hoped she would forgive me.  We cried on the phone and she said that she loved me, and that I was a blessing.  We were going to get another chance to be family, again.  I spent the day cleaning the house, and getting groceries and plans were made that I would pick her up the next morning.     

Early the next morning my phone rang.

I knew, as soon as I looked at the caller ID. It was my stepmom.  I knew, before I even answered.  I knew.

My funny, smart, beautiful sister was gone.

 I was so glad that she and I had that last conversation.  I am so thankful that I was given the chance to tell her I loved her and how sorry I was.  I am thankful that I had done the research to understand a little better just how tortured she was.

So my message today is that if you know someone that is battling mental illness, or depression, please, PLEASE tell them you love them, and if you think for  a second that they may hurt themselves, call 911.  Also, do the research to understand what they are going through.  It is not a "choice." Their actions are usually a call for help.  Learn what healthy boundaries you need to set, and what their care plan is.  most of all, don't judge.  People are not judged for cancer or heart attacks, why should they be judged for a brain that was wired up wrong?

So, if you wanted to hear about green peppers today, I'm sorry. We will have to save that for another day  :)

R.I.P. Tracey