Grow Your Own Vanilla Beans!

How To Grow Your Own Vanilla Beans? Many people are interested in growing their favorite plants in their house. For all those who love the aromatic vanilla flavor, here we describe the steps involved in growing vanilla beans indoors. Vanilla (Vanilla planifolia) is a climbing orchid native to Mexico and it is the only edible member of the orchid family. These amazing plant is the most widely used orchid, which has economical importance, and probably, everyone is familiar with vanilla flavoring used in cooking.

Check out this link to find out how!https://coffeebreak.life/how-to-grow-your-own-vanilla-beans/

Study: Elderberry Cuts Duration of Colds and Flu in Half

Make sure your medicine cabinet is stocked with elderberry syrup this winter. Studies show it can totally eliminate cold and flu symptoms within 48 hours.

Several studies have confirmed the immune-boosting power of elderberries.

Studies from 2004 and 2009 demonstrated its ability to cut flu duration in half, and in many cases eliminate symptoms within 48 hours. A more recent 2016 study, shows the berry works similar magic on colds.

The 2004 study, published in the Journal of International Medical Research, showed that when elderberry extract is used within 48 hours of the onset of the influenza A or B virus, it shortens the duration of flu symptoms by an average of four days.

Patients received 15 ml of elderberry syrup four times a day for 5 days.

In a 2009 study, published in the Online Journal of Pharmacology, H1N1 and avian flu patients were given four 175-milligram doses of elderberry extract daily.

While a group of patients receiving a placebo showed no improvement or worsening symptoms, those who received the extract “showed significant improvement within 24 hours.”

Fever, headache, muscle ache and nasal congestion were significantly reduced within 24 hours.

“Within 48 hours of treatment, nearly 90% of the elderberry extract treated patients were either symptom free or had only mild symptoms,” the researchers wrote.

A 2016 study, published in Nutrients, showed elderberry can reduce the duration and symptoms of a cold in air travelers.

Travelers using this herb from 10 days before travel until four to five days after arriving overseas experienced on average a two-day shorter duration of their colds and also a significant reduction in cold symptoms.

Found at:

https://returntonow.net/2018/11/18/study-elderberry-cuts-duration-of-colds-and-flu-in-half/

You can grow Loofah sponges right in your own backyard!

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/AcmZNgngYJUic5zosQeR3W04kL7fgdXitJbs3ubzEpKVeXXTDFuRj4E/

The Beauty of Pollination

Watch this wonderful video on the beauty of pollination! 

https://www.ted.com/talks/louie_schwartzberg_the_hidden_beauty_of_pollination?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare

Camping Tips to End out the Summer!

Kitchen essentials

·         Water – 2.5 to 5-gallon containers. You need 2 – 4 quarts of water per day per person. And that’s only to drink. Don’t forget water will be needed for cooking and clean up.

·         Stove and fuel (and waterproof matches)

·         Tarp, ropes, clothesline, etc.

·         Table or something to use as a table if you want to rough it.

·         Seating – camp stools, camp chairs, logs, large rocks, etc.

·         Frying pan and Dutch oven – cast iron is best but heavy. You can transport stuff in the Dutch oven.

·         Coffee pot – can be used to heat water for tea, soup, pasta, coffee, hot chocolate or for doing dishes

·         Plastic bowl or tub – for washing up and storage

·         Rags, old towels, scrubbies and biodegradable soap

·         Eating utensils – knives, forks and spoons

·         Cooking utensils – sharp knife, can-opener, large spoon, spatula

·         Cutting board – wood or plastic

·         Cooler – good for up to 2 days if most of the food is frozen

·         Plastic tubs with tight fitting lids (or bear proof container)

·         Zip lock bags for food storage.

·         Aluminum foil (wrap foods up and cook)

Food To Take on a Camping Trip

·         Premade meals – dried, dehydrated, freeze dried (this stuff can be expensive, be creative and make your own meal ahead of time yourself)

·         Tea, coffee, hot chocolate, dry juice mixes

·         Hard cheese does not need refrigeration (I don't care what they say)

·         Cereals – granola, cream of wheat, oatmeal, muesli

·         Fruit – fresh and dried

·         Nuts – great in meals or for snacking

·         Sunflower Seeds – great in meals or trail mixes

·         Breads – flat breads and hard crackers (regular bread gets squashed)

·         Soups – instant Knorr, Ramen or bullion to make your own

·         Lentils – quick cook, dried or canned beans

·         Pasta – thinner cooks faster

·         Dried veggies

·         Honey, sugar

·         Peanut butter

·         Flavoring agents – soy sauce, hot sauce, salt, pepper, garlic, dried onion, cilantro, cinnamon etc.

·         Canned meats – or dried

·         Alfalfa or dry beans for sprouting (in a zip lock bag with damp paper towel).

·         Chocolate, marshmallows, graham crackers! (For S'mores)

·         Potatoes - you can almost make a meal out of a baked potato (with cheese), or chop and fry up potatoes with eggs, onions, almost anything. A versatile, not squashable food. 

Huge Altered Book Junk Journal Sewing Themed Fully Embellished

This altered book junk journal has hundreds of pages in 5 fully embellished signatures! It is sewing themed journal and has ribbon, lace, fabric, journal cards, vintage sewing ads, washi tape, and ink stamps.

Also assorted papers, ephemera, paperclips, paper to journal on, foldouts and tuck pockets. 

With plenty of room for your own special touches! 

Book measures 9 x 7 ½ inches.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/594553937/huge-altered-book-junk-journal-sewing?ref=shop_home_feat_2

Raising Pygmy Goats

Pygmy goats are kept for pets, show, milk, meat and even mohair. They are easy to keep and
only require fresh water, pygmy goat grain ration, and access to good quality hay or pasture.
The amount of grain for each pygmy goat varies and is dependant upon their age, current
weight or body condition, the climate, and whether or not they are in kid.

Although goats of all kinds are ‘easy keepers’ they do require clean living conditions, including their water and feed. Goats would rather starve or thirst than eat or drink soiled or spoiled food and water.

You’ll also want to ensure your pygmy goats get the required minerals from a salt block – this does not need to be moderated or rationed, they’ll use it when their bodies need it.
Many small homesteaders today are raising Pygmy goats for show and pets for the children in the family.

If you’re still not ‘sold’ on a standard size dairy or meat goat’s value (Nubian, Boer, etc.) to
your family or homestead, Pygmies are a nice introduction. You might also be interested in
some of the crossbred, novelty or dual purpose breeds.

Although a milk or mohair goat can be sold for meat, and meat and mohair goats can be
milked, no one breed meets the needs of farmers wanting the best of all three worlds. In the
past 20 years however, many new breeds are being created and marketed as dual purpose
breeds.

Registered Dwarf Breeds – Are dwarf goats with the small scale farmer or those wanting a goat as a pet in mind. Dwarf goats include the Nigerian Dwarf and the African Pygmy.
The Nigerian Dwarf – stands between 17-20 inches tall as an adult and weighs approximately 75 pounds. This goat easily produces one quart of milk per day (ample for a small family) and requires 1/3 the amount of space and feed that a full-size milk goat requires.

African Pygmy Goats – These are the goats you see at most petting zoos. They are small
(20-25 inches tall) and weigh around 50-60 pounds as adults. Their milk is higher in butterfat than any other goat (approximately 6%).

Keep in mind however, that goats are herd animals. You can’t buy just one or they will bleat
constantly and be terribly lonely and unhappy – to some extremes they will waste away or run away at all costs.

Small farm hands like to raise Pygmy goats because they are easy to handle, are affectionate
and lovable, not to mention playful!

Full grown does, bucks and wethers range from 16 to 23 inches at the withers and usually
weigh 40 to 70 pounds.

Pygmy goats usually birth 1-3 kids weighing in at 2-4 pounds each.

Pygmy Goat Colors

Agoutis are dark goats ranging from silver-grey to black, and have solid stockings darker
than the main body color.

Caramels are light colored goats ranging from white to light brown and have light vertical
stripes on the front of dark stockings.

Solid Blacks are, well solid black and are without stocking or white patches anywhere.
Blacks are also without stockings but may have a secondary color around eyes, ears, and
nose.

How to Raise Pygmy Goats

Myotonic or Fainting goats are wonderful pets they stay small do not require milking and
breed and kid easily.

Pygmy goats are cute and cuddly and provide many valuable services. For example, they
keep the vegetation on your property cut, they produce natural fertilizers that you can use for
your garden, and they also help control populations of fleas and ticks on your property.

Build your herd. Pygmy goats, like other goats, are herding animals. To preserve their mental
and physical health, you will need at least two pygmy goats for your herd.

2
Create a secure and safe enclosure. Pygmy goats are skilled at demolition, so use cattle
fencing to keep them in a specific area and keep out predators. Make sure you provide the
pygmy goats with enough space for play, from a half acre for two goats to several acres for
larger herds. Large dog houses provide great daytime shelter from wind and bad weather. A
barn stall is needed for night time and winter shelter.

3
Feed pygmy goats a well-balanced diet. During the spring and summer, your goats will get
most of their nourishment from grasses and brush. However, you will need to supplement
their diet with goat rations to ensure that they're getting all the minerals they need. When wild grasses and brush are not available, feed your goats sweet feed and goat rations.

4
Worm your pygmy goats every couple of months
Limit how often you breed the pygmy goats. While pygmy goats can give birth more
than once a year, it is not recommended to breed them more than once a year. You
will produce much healthier kids with a single pregnancy a year. Does should be about
18 months old before they are bred. If your does are having a hard time feeding their
kids, bottle-feed the babies when necessary.

5
Provide toys for your pygmy goats. Picnic tables are a great recreational item for goats.
The pygmies can climb on the table and even chew on it. Other toys include boulders,
balls and tires. Select items that are non-toxic and capable of withstanding abuse from
the goats.


Courtesy of Laura Childs

Etsy Shop Is Open!

Howdy everyone! What a long winter this is turning out to be..lol Soon we can get some seeds started for the garden, that will make me so happy!

In the mean time I have been working on my etsy shop and would love if you could visit me. I have homemade soap, junk journals, and journal signatures! Some embellished and some ready for your finishing touches..hope to see you there. :)

https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChickadeePines?ref=seller-platform-mcnav

River Valley Pumpkin Fest and Craft Fair

Come check out our booth Chickadee Pines Handmade Crafts Oct. 14, 2017 where we will be featuring some of our J.R.Watkins products along with handmade crafts and soaps.

http://www.envisionrumford.org/vendors-sponsors.html

Making Soap and Dehydrating Fruit

Crafted some Lavender Goat's Milk soap with my harvested flowers! Do any of you make soaps or other crafts? I am also dehydrating some grapefruit to use in my homemade potpourri. Having a fun and relaxing 4th. of July week!

Homemade Soaps

Our first batch of Honey Almond Oatmeal Goat's Milk and the other is Cucumber Melon Goat's Milk. All made with natural ingredients. No harsh chemicals like store bought soaps. These soaps are very gentle on skin and are moisturizing. They leave your skin feeling soft, clean, and smooth.

Neighbours: Explaining Canada Day to America

18 Homemade Salsas to Make

 Fermented Salsa

You can ferment foods because it's good for your microbiome, or you can do it because you like the science experiment aspect of cooking, or you can do it because it tastes good. Whatever your reason, you'll be glad you did when you try this tangy, almost effervescent salsa recipe.

Find this and many more at the following link!





http://www.countryliving.com/food-drinks/a5299/homemade-salsa-recipes-cosmo/

New Supplies for Homemade Products

Hi everyone! I have received a new batch of supplies for making my soaps and salves. I am also going to try my hand at lip balms this time as well.

I had to purchase a new scale along with beeswax, melt and pour soap, essential oils, Castile soap, Shea Butter and Vitamin E Capsules.

I also bought some new amber colored jars and lip balm tubes. I will get started and update soon with photos of how things turned out! 

Happy New Year to you All!

Small Batch Canning and Dehydrating

Well made a small batch of Black Raspberry Preserves, and dehydrated zucchini and yellow squash..filled a pint jar which when re-hydrated will yield 6 squash! Can't wait to make beef jerky and more veggies. Cooking down the apples for applesauce as well. Good day!

Making Relish and Getting Ready for Fall!

Made my first batch of Zucchini Relish! Starting with small batches to make it easier. Next I will be making Red or Black Raspberry Jam and some Pickled Spiced Plums to serve with Pork Roast or Beef. The Fall centerpiece here on the table was an idea from Pinterest..thought it was pretty cute and easy to make.

Dutch Oven Cooking Free Books

Here are just two of the many guides and books to dutch oven cooking for your campsite or homestead! Enjoy!

Camp Chief - Dutch Oven Cooking Guide
http://www.campchef.com/media/manuals/CastIronRecipeBook.pdf


Idaho State University - Dutch Oven Cookbook
http://www.isu.edu/outdoor/pdf/2012_cookbook.pdf

Growing Fruit Trees From Seeds

You can save big bucks growing peaches, apricots and nectarines from seeds. Growing fruit trees from seeds is remarkably easy on you and your wallet!

Most fruit trees are best grown from grafted trees that cost $25 to $35 each. But with peaches, nectarines and apricots, you can cut your cost to zero by growing fruit trees from seeds.

Because cross-pollination between varieties produces variable results, apples and some other fruit trees are usually not grown from seeds. (Instead, cuttings or buds of the best varieties are grafted onto rootstocks to produce trees that bear fruit just like the parent tree’s.) But the almondlike seeds in pits from peaches, nectarines and apricots do a good job of carrying on the desirable traits of their parents. You can simply sprout and grow a seed from a great-tasting specimen, and you have a good chance of sinking your teeth into sweet, juicy fruit from your own tree in only three to five years.

Summer is the best time for growing fruit trees, because you can seek out mid- or late-season varieties grown in your region. The best seeds come from fully ripe fruit. Avoid seeds from early maturing varieties because their seeds may not develop enough to sprout. Locally grown varieties are more likely to prosper in your garden compared to varieties grown a thousand miles away, and looking for likely candidates is tasty fun! Eat lots of peaches from farm stands and farmers markets, and save the pits from those that taste like peach heaven. And if you live where you can get local apricots and nectarines, you can try growing them from seeds too.

Cracking in Safely

Let the pits dry on your kitchen counter for a few days. Drying allows the seed inside the shell to shrink slightly so it’s easier to get out. The shell also becomes more brittle and easier to crack as it dries.

When the pits look and feel dry, you can crack them open to harvest the actual seeds, which look like almonds, a close botanical cousin. You can hold pits on edge and tap them with a hammer, which works well for a few pits but can cause high casualties in terms of accidentally smashed seeds (and fingers). You will lose far fewer seeds by cracking the pits with a vise, lodging both sides of the pit’s long seams between the opposing jaws. (See photo in the Image Gallery.) Crank the vise closed slowly — be careful for your fingers! — until the pit cracks.

If you don’t have a vise, try a nut cracker. Or you might get enough pit-cracking compression from another type of screw clamp, including the one that holds your food grinder, juicer or hand-cranked grain mill to your kitchen counter — you never know until you try! After you get the seeds out, put them in a closed container in your refrigerator or other place cool enough to store raw nuts.

Strategic Stratification

The time for vegetables and flowers to sprout from seeds to transplants is measured in days or weeks, but with peaches and most other temperate-zone tree fruits, the pregermination process adds two to three months to the timetable. Natural sprouting inhibitors present in the seeds must be deactivated by exposure to cool temperatures for a two- to three-month period. In nature, this chilling period occurs naturally as winter cold comes, fluctuates and invariably leads to spring. You can simply plant peach, apricot and nectarine seeds in pots and bury the pots in a corner of the garden. Seeds that are not discovered by marauding squirrels, curious dogs or other vagaries of the great outdoors will probably sprout in spring.

Continue reading here: http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/growing-fruit-trees-zmaz08jjzmcc.aspx

By Lee Reich 

Photo by William D. Adams

Making 50 Hour Soy Survival Candles

All you need are some half pint glass canning jars, a 5 lb. bag of soy wax, some wicks, aluminum foil and a #10 can.

Check out this wonderful site to get the tutorial!! Enjoy! http://happymoneysaver.com/happy-homesteading-making-50-hour-soy-survival-candles/

Chicken Tunnel to Build

Build your own chicken tunnel and create an effective and versatile way for your chickens to move around your homestead.

The purpose of a chicken tunnel is to provide a pathway for your chickens to navigate when they want to be out of their coop. A yard or a garden that has weeds or overgrowth is a great place for your chickens to find food. Another reason to build a custom chicken tunnel is to keep your chickens in confined area, but permit them to walk around.

Check out the story at:

http://homestead-and-survival.com/make-chicken-tunnel/