Traditional Homemaking Fall/Spring 2009! - Page 2

[Katico]

Originally Posted by MyLittleWarrior

Today I'm making Mulligatawny soup and some bean & bacon soup for the freezer.

Would love the bean & bacon recipe!

The Mama Earth Soup looks fantastic!

Do any of you make your own salves? I have made one type - shea butter, jojoba,tea tree and lavender and it has become our "go-to" for any cut, scrape, etc. I'd be interested in what other people make and use!

[MyLittleWarrior]

Originally Posted by Katico

Would love the bean & bacon recipe!

Well, I had a migraine all day, so I got a double batch of Mulligatawny, but the bean and bacon didn't happen today. I think I'll make it tomorrow though, since my beans are cooked and in the freezer. I'm also not much of a recipe person, but here's my basic forumla:

Bean and Bacon Soup
1 med onion
1 carrot
1 stalk celery
1 C diced tomatoes (or 1 can, or 1 can tomato sauce, whatever you have)
1 qt chicken broth or stock
salt and pepper to taste
Bacon (the more the merrier
beans (right now I have pinto beans, but any white or brown bean would work I'm sure. Black beans would give it a funny color but would taste fine, and I don't really like kidney beans, not sure why) - the more you use the thicker it will be. I'd say about 1 C cooked or 1 can rinsed would be about right)

Cook and crumble bacon, set aside. Dice onion, carrot, and celery. Saute in a couple tbsp bacon grease (or butter or olive oil) until onion is golden. Add tomatoes and chicken stock, salt and pepper. Simmer for 1 hr. Add about 1/2-2/3 of the beans, and puree in blender or with an immersion blender (if using a stand blender, allow to cool for a little bit or it will explode hot soup all over you and the ceiling) Return to pot and add remaining beans and the crumbled bacon. Serve with bread for dunking. Also good with ham instead of bacon.

[marimara]

Originally Posted by Katico

Would love the bean & bacon recipe!

The Mama Earth Soup looks fantastic!

Do any of you make your own salves? I have made one type - shea butter, jojoba,tea tree and lavender and it has become our "go-to" for any cut, scrape, etc. I'd be interested in what other people make and use!

I used to make salves a long time ago. I've made soaps and candles too, back then. Nowadays, I get most of that stuff for so cheap from small shops or stores that it's not worth it for me to have the supplies on hand.

Though I do keep essential oils on hand and this is what I make with them:

Oil for colds/flus~basically a homemade natural version of Vicks VapoRub~a mix of carriers oils w/rosemary, lavender, peppermint

I scent my own facial spritz

I make some natural scented perfume oils for myself~my personal favorite so far is Rosemary Mint Aveda knockoff

Sometimes I buy unscented body lotion and scent a small portion of it with EOs.

I make foaming hand/body soap w/Dr. Bronners and some EOs

I put EOs on a handtowel and throw in the dryer w/laundry (when I use the dryer) for a special touch since I don't use dryer sheets. Lately I've been using the dryer more than normal since it's been raining lots.

I mix in EOs with homemade vinegar/water all purpose cleaner, though I haven't done this in a while. Lately I haven't really used all purpose cleaner all that much. I've been cheating and buying toilet cleaner and using lysol wipes on the counters and toilets : **Note: this is a goal for me for 2010 to get back to my natural cleaners. We had a run of illnesses in this house and it made me go back to the heavy duty stuff and I never returned to the natural cleaners out of laziness. Plus my combo of baking soda and vinegar doesn't seem to keep the toilets clean as long as Lysol Toilet Cleaner.


I've made deodorant spray in the past w/EOs and rubbing alcohol and witch hazel but can only use that in the fall/winter around her since I live in hell (it's really hot here for a lot of the year)
That's all I can think of right now!

ETA: I just realized what a wild and varied resource this thread is! We have recipes for food, home stuff, patterns, daily schedules, you name it, we cover it!

[marimara]

My Little Warrior: Just saw your wallabybags cover and I think it's brillliant! These are NOT for microwaving, right? I never microwave in plastic but my neighbor does and it just got me thinking. Do you think those would be functional in just plain cotton? I don't use plastic or paper towels so when I nuke something messy I place a small cotton flannel T&T sewn napkin over it to catch the splatters. What about an all cotton one? Would that work to keep foods fresh in the fridge?

[MyLittleWarrior]

Originally Posted by marimara

My Little Warrior: Just saw your wallabybags cover and I think it's brillliant! These are NOT for microwaving, right? I never microwave in plastic but my neighbor does and it just got me thinking. Do you think those would be functional in just plain cotton? I don't use plastic or paper towels so when I nuke something messy I place a small cotton flannel T&T sewn napkin over it to catch the splatters. What about an all cotton one? Would that work to keep foods fresh in the fridge?

Hmm...I'm really not sure about the microwave. These are made of the same PUL used in diaper covers, and as a matter of caution I don't recommend them for storing hot foods or heating in (I don't have any baggies listed right now but I also make sandwich type bags. Check my sold items for pics)

I would think an all cotton one would breathe too much for keeping things fresh in the fridge for very long. But I know some mamas sew reusable sandwich baggies out of cotton and say they work fine for keeping a sandwich soft until lunch time. I like the pul because it's easy to rinse if it gets sticky but can still be machine washed if needed.

[1jooj]

Katico, I'm going to be making some salves. I have bees, so I cleaned my cappings for the wax. I saw a little bag of beeswax beads in the health food store today for $6, so I can see why it could get pricey. I use the EOs for other stuff too, so I have them on hand. I have made one just as a chapped hand balm, using beeswax and olive oil, and I steeped melissa, sage and lemon verbena in the oil. I keep it in the kitchen, and everyone who comes over uses it.

I have pears in the dryer. I also have about 8gal pears waiting. I think I am going to try canning some. I want to take pears and pickles to the nice neighbors who kindly shared.

Tomorrow is a big cleaning day, and I'm going to cook Moroccan harira with one of our soup roosters. I have lots of barn work, too. Milked one of my goats tonight. We're weaning, and my mama goat needed a little pressure relieved. Just took a little more than a cup. Not bad from a Boer goat. Raw goat milk for my morning coffee.

[artparent]

wow, lucky you!

are you using dry or fresh herbs to steep in the oil --would you elaborate on your process for me? you melt the wax in after and stir it up? more!

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[brightonwoman]

subbing

(how did I not know that this thread existed???!!!)

[artparent]

(i don't know!! but welcome! have you read the old ones?)

oh, i was thinking about how cold winter will get, i've always wanted to put hot water bottles in our bed before we get in, but some folks in my family are scared of getting scalded. okay, point taken. what i think i'm going to do now, is make rice packs! we don't own a microwave, but apparently you can wrap them in aluminum foil, and put them in a 350 f oven for half an hour or so! i want to make pretty ones with my new fabric (if i ever get it!) and throw them in the oven after i cook dinner, then pop them under the wool duvets! it will be nice to make one for my big girl's bed, too. lovely i don't plan to heat our bedroom this winter, particularly because i just discovered that the top of the window doesn't actually close and partly as an excuse to make lots of quilts and throws for the bed : the heat pillows will also be nice weights for yoga i'm thinking lavender would be lovely inside them too. i want to make some sachets, too. i saw this linen one, but i wondered about just some very light fabric, what would you use?

my grandmother, so the story goes, would heat up some whole grains in a pot with water, i don't know what else, then put it in the bed under down comforters all day, and they'd eat the porridge at night. or else, put it in the bed at night, and they'd eat it in the morning. i have no idea, but the second one makes more sense to me. either way it is delightful! i will ask my aunt in the morning, none of the siblings could agree last time i inquired, what type of grain it was. i am so sad that she died before i was into all of this stuff, she used to gather nettles for soup, and picked thousands of wild blackberries and made jam for us, and all kinds of great stuff, i missed out on asking her all about .

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[AngelBee]

Hello

[nathansmum]

A Spring mama here! :

I've had my seedlings growing since the beginning of August and put some in the ground over the weekend. Had a week of frosts last week, so will wait another week or so till I plant out my tomatoes, pumpkins, cucumbers and other temperature sensitive plants.

Haven't been doing any thing particularly home-makery lately. Just continuing to do my flylady zones and really enjoying keeping on top of that deep cleaning (I don't do her other daily routines).

Have been doing a herbal medicine course and really enjoying making tinctures and teas so far. Look forward to summer and harvesting flowers etc. Need to source more herbs to pop in the ground though.

[Katico]

Originally Posted by artparent

(i don't know!! but welcome! have you read the old ones?)

oh, i was thinking about how cold winter will get, i've always wanted to put hot water bottles in our bed before we get in, but some folks in my family are scared of getting scalded. okay, point taken. what i think i'm going to do now, is make rice packs!

*

One of my Xmas gifts to everyone last year was mini rice packs for their pockets. You warm them up, pop them in coat pockets and they keep your hands warm - especially great for those who walk or take the bus on winter mornings!

[mummy2jess]

hi
I would like to join this thread too - I read through alot of the old one but never got the courage up to post
I have three children aged 4, 2 and 7 months. My oldest started school yesterday .
I have been trying to do more traditional things around the house, for example I have crocheted some clothes for my baby and I have started to make one or two bit with the sewing machine. I cook quite alot but do tend to go through phases with that.
In the autumn this year I would like to start making some things for christmas presents and I am making a wonderpets cape for my son for his brithday in November. It might go horribly wrong but at least i have tried lol

sophie

[SparklingGemini]

Originally Posted by brightonwoman

subbing

(how did I not know that this thread existed???!!!)

Yeah! Me too!! I'm very excited to have found this thread!

As for me, I sew, quilt, cook from scratch, bake, can, share a garden with mom(we have a teeny yard at our place, so her house gets the big garden!), have a small herb garden, knit and a few other odd things.

I'm hoping to finally start a vermicompost bin this year. And my brother is just showing an interest in beekeeping, so I'm looking forward to all the goodness and craftiness that will bring.

And I have a super yummy recipe for minestrone if anyone wants it. (I figure since soup recipes were being shared, I'd offer...)

[FillingMyQuiver]

Just wanted to post a "Hi"

I lurked on the other 2 threads and will probably just lurk on this one too. I have 4 children under 6, so life is quite crazy, but I'm here, taking it all in.

I LOVE traditional homemaking, and seek to increase my skills all the time. To date, I cook from scratch, water bath can (don't have a pressure canner, YET), sew, knit, make beeswax candles, a little quilting, getting into woodworking this year, and hoping to get our garden set up over this fall and winter so we will be in full production come spring.

And I would love a minestrone soup recipe. The Bean and Bacon soup sounds good, and I think my DH might actually eat it:

[vermontmomma]

those rice packs sound great! i may make some for winter.

on to salves...i make an all purpose lavender comfrey one that works on anything you can think of. there are a ton of great recipes to try out there. here's some things to know if you want to make a salve:
double boilers are great for infusing herbs into oil but don't let it get too hot or the herbs will fry.
the herbs should be dry or at least wilted so the water content is lower.
add the wax a little at a time and check the consistancy by putting a little on a spoon and refridgerating for a few minutes.
add essential oils towards the end so they don't diffuse away into the air. a little goes a long way.

i always love reading any recipes anyone want to post. here's a wicked easy peanut butter cookie recipe that's good for the gluten intolerant.

1 cup natural pb
1 cup sugar
1 egg

that's it! :350 degrees for 10 minutes like just about every other cookie recipe.

[AFWife]

Re: Rice packs

My mom makes some of those and uses bird seed instead...just make sure and get the kind without corn. After a few trips in the microwave the seed dries out and holds heat for longer (the first several times the pack will feel damp...) People LOVE them and it was a lifesaver when I was 9mo along with excruciating back pain.

[simplespirit]

: subbing

[nerdymom]

Hello friends! So glad to see we have a new thread! I've been absent for a little while, taking a mini internet break. But I'm back now! I've been keeping busy, trying to get out a little more and shake this blue feeling I've had. The autumn weather here has helped a lot. Which is odd, since my mom always feels depressed when it's cool and rainy, but my favorite color is grey. And you will have a hard time convincing me there is a more beautiful place on earth than the Blue Ridge Mountains in October.

I've done some sewing, making a few things up for Jack. I finally used the last of my store bought laundry detergent and got to make up my own. It was so easy, took 10 minutes and seems to work really well. I am pleased with it. Been trying to be more consistent with housework, since while he never complains I know John likes it when the house is tidy. So more time spent cleaning + very active almost toddler = a lot less time for the things I want. aint it always the way? I've collected some really wonderful fabric for myself, and I need to get sewing for myself. But toddler clothes are so much more fun!

Well, I'll sign off for now. PS I am full of envy over all the preserving being done! Someday...

[RomanCarmelMom]

I am so happy to have found this thread!

I am a SAHM, but am slowly learning how to be a traditional homemaker. I am about to clean out the house, repaint the entire inside, and then reorganize as I put the rooms back together. I'm also about to undertake making all of our bread from scratch. I have never made a loaf of bread that did not turn out well, so I suppose I have no excuse for not making it daily! I want to learn to crochet, and sew. I know how to cross stitch, but am not fond of it. I also want to learn how to make butter and cheese. We already brew beer, but are going to learn how to make wine next summer. We're going to plant the start of our urban orchard this winter! We have impossible-to-work-with red clay, so I'm making hugelkultur beds to plant the berry bushes in. Who would have though that being a homemaker involved digging ditches??