Storing Food for the Winter

Every summer we preserve food from our garden, the farmers market, and local fruit farms to eat during the winter. We try to eat seasonally, so no fresh strawberries in February for us, but we still enjoy the nutrients of strawberries throughout the winter in smoothies and over oatmeal.

Each summer it's always a guess at how much of each fruit and vegetable to put up. Keeping a record of the previous year helps by giving me a place to start from and then I either do more or less of the food based on if we ran out early or had extra left over at the beginning of the next season. This coming summer I am planning on doing more of about everything...little boys eat a lot...A LOT!

Here is our 2012 pantry.

Asparagus - 10 quarts frozen

Strawberries - 34 pints frozen

Blueberries - (2) 10# boxes frozen

Tart cherries - 5 pints frozen

Peaches - 25 pints plus 3 quarts canned and 1 quart frozen

Peach Jam - 11.5 jelly jars canned

Raspberry Jam - 5 jelly jars + 1 pint canned

Pears - 18 pints canned

Corn - 30 pints frozen

Apples - 1 pint + 4 jelly jars of apple butter and 8 quarts crock pot applesauce canned

Tomatoes - Whole, 40 quarts + 1 pint canned

Dill Pickles - 7 pints canned

Sweet Pickles- 4 pints canned

Relish - 7 pints canned

Carrots - Lots and lots and lots stored in a cool dry place

Salsa - 30 pints canned

Peppers - 14 pints green peppers frozen + 7 quarts colored peppers frozen

Homemade Spice Mixes

For the past few years I have been making my own seasoning blends and keeping them on hand for when I need them in recipes. I make a large quantity at once and use a small amount so it lasts quite a long time. This way it becomes just as much of a convenience item as a packet of Lipton onion soup mix or Ortega taco seasoning mix; which is what I had used in the past. These blends also leave out all the MSG and other yucky ingredients, and I'm sure they are much lower in sodium.

Here are the 3 blends I make and use. All of them fit nicely in a pint sized mason jar for storage.

Taco Seasoning Mix

• 12 T Chili Powder
• 1 T Garlic Powder
• 1 T Onion Powder
• 1 T Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 T Dried Oregano
• 2 T Paprika
• 6 T Cumin
• 2 T Sea Salt
• 3 T Black Pepper

Use 2 Tablespoons/1 pound of ground beef.


Onion Soup Mix

• 1 1/3 cup Dried Minced Onion
• 2 T Parsley Flakes
• 4 t Onion Powder
• 4 t Turmeric
• 2 t Sea Salt
• 2 t Sucanat
• 1 t Black Pepper

Use 2-4 Tablespoons per recipe.


Chili Seasoning

• 20 T Chili Powder
• 5 t Paprika
• 5 t Oregano
• 5 t Cayenne Pepper
• 5 t Cumin
• 5 t Sea Salt
• 5 t Black Pepper

Use 3 Tablespoons/1 pound of ground beef.

Homemade Laundry Soap

I made a fresh batch of laundry soap the other day and even though I have already shared my recipe on here before, I wanted to repost it for anyone who missed it the first time around and wanted to try making it.  This is what mine looks like using a cheese grater for the bar of soap, but a friend of mine recently make some for the first time and used a blender for the soap after slicing the bar into thin strips.  I'm sure a food processor would also work well.  I'm going to try that next time to make the soap into more of a powder.

Dry Laundry Detergent

4 cups grated soap (I use Fels Naptha)
4 cups Baking Soda
4 cups Washing Soda
8 cups Borax

Use approx. 2 Tablespoons per load.

I mix it all in a 2.5 gallon Rubbermaid tub with a lid and keep a Tablespoon measuring cup inside the tub.

I have been using this for about 2 years now and the first time I made it I added up the cost to less than $12.50 and it lasted me over a year!  As I do more laundry now with more family members it doesn't last quite as long, but still saves me a bundle compared to store bought.

More on Cloth Diapering

When I wrote a previous post on cloth diapering, I said that the one thing I have had trouble with is the velcro closure wearing out and no longer holding my diapers together. I have gotten a whole new set of mediums and larges free from BumGenius because they were still under the 1 year warranty, but then the warranties expired and I was left with perfectly good cloth diapers with perfectly bad velcro.

I then came across www.convertmydiapers.com and I was sold. This woman removed the old velcro and replaced it with snaps. And the snaps even match the color of the diapers (which is just a bonus). She will also replace worn out elastic and lots of other things to spruce up old diapers. They came in the mail last week and I haven't had to rely on a disposable diaper since. I am just tickled pink!

Here is what they look like when snaped together.Here is the rows of snaps in which to use depending on the size of the child. Lots of options for a better fit.I'm dreaming of snaps these days....

20 Chicks

We have decided to raise chickens. Not at our house, but at my parents' house. They are outside the city limits and have done it before when I was around Magnolia and Boothe's age. It's not too hard to raise a chicken and we have plenty of family that knows about them, who we can ask if we have questions. I hear it only takes 2 months for a chicken to be full grown. Hope it goes well and we continue to raise more after these. We are also planning on getting 6 fully grown layers soon. I say "we" but I mean my parents since they are the ones doing all the work.Magnolia wanted to name them, but I don't want to get attached. Maybe I'm already attached just looking at this picture. But then they get big and ugly and stupid and then I'm ok.Magnolia was surprisingly gentle with them. Even helping Boothe.Boothe really got a kick out of them. She wanted to hold one SO badly, but would squeeze a little too hard. When she saw one she wanted to grab she would grunt and flap her arms to show her anticipation! Maybe next summer!
My sister and I were having a hard time finding affordable trustworthy poultry. This is our solution. Next we will have my mom milking cows....

My first trip to Trader Joes

I made my first visit to Trader Joe's the other weekend when I was in Indianapolis for my friend's wedding. I had heard about how great it was for years. I even hopped on the bandwagon on a "Put a Trader Joe's in South Bend" Facebook group. And now I can officially say I have shopped at a Trader Joe's and ummm, it's kinda awesome.

The prices are so reasonable compared to a health food store or my grocery. I grabbed some organic Trader Joe's peanut butter, ketchup and bread. I browsed through a great dried fruit and nut section and bought some organic raisins and cranberries. And I decided to try out their toothpaste and hand soap since both were over half the price of the stuff I normally use. Dan was disappointed that we couldn't try out their award winning Two-Buck-Chuck Wine, but we shopped on a Sunday. Apparently their wine and beer section is very impressive so I'm sure next time we stop by Dan will fill the cart.

We have a wedding in Indy tomorrow so maybe our next trip will be sooner than I think. It just depends on how early we hit the road.

The picture of Boothe has nothing to do with this post or Trader Joe's, I just can't do a blog post without at least one picture!

Cloth Diapering

So, cloth diapers....I began using cloth diapers on Magnolia when she was just a few weeks old and have loved it. I knew I wanted to use cloth even before Magnolia was born for several reasons. 1. The environment, 2. The cost (ESPECIALLY since I knew I wanted more children and could reuse the diapers), 3. Better for my baby's bottom (no nasty chemicals in cloth diapers and less diaper rash, it's true), and most importantly for me 4. If mothers 40,50,60 years ago and further back to the beginning of time could do it, then so could I! My grandmothers didn't have another option and raised many children. I already had it easier since I could have disposables on hand for emergencies, had a machine washer and dryer and new and improved ways of cloth diapering; I wanted to diaper the old fashioned way.

There is so much info on cloth diapers that I don't know where to start. The websites that I have used are Greenmountaindiapers.com and Cottonbabies.com. There is a lot of info on those site to read, but here, as too the point as I can be, is my opinion and advice....

You as a mom have to decide what is best for your child/family. Either all cloth, all disposable or a combination of both. We do about 90% cloth and keep a package of disposables on hand for when all of the diapers are in the wash and to keep a couple in the diaper bag for emergencies. With Boothe we have used disposables at night often too. I never did this with Magnolia. I guess after having 2 babes I needed some kind of short cut to make me feel like I was getting a little bit of a break.

There are basically 4 different types of cloth diapers....

• Prefolds (the old fashion square ones),
• Fitteds (like prefolds, but have the elastic and buttons sewn in so you don't have to use diaper pins)

*both prefolds and fitteds need diaper covers because they are not waterproof,

• Pocket (a waterproof cover with a pocket inside that you insert an absorbing liner), and
• All-in-Ones (AIOs, just like a disposable that you throw in the washer, they need nothing else added to them; no covers, no inserts).

There are definitely pros and cons to all 4 types. We have mostly the AIO kind which are super easy especially when you are away from home, but they take FOREVER to dry which wastes a lot of time and electricity. I hang them on the clothes line when the weather is nice, but can't always depend on the weather to be nice whenever I need to wash diapers! Speaking of line drying diapers; it is absolutely the BEST way to dry diapers. The sun bleaches them and removes lingering odors and the breeze fluffs them up and makes them soft. I go into a depression during the winter when I can't line dry my diapers.

The AIOs come in different sizes. We have 15 of each size. Small, Medium and Large.

We have a couple of Pocket which are a breeze to dry and work just as well as an AIO. They usually (maybe always) come in a single size with snaps on the front to adjust as baby grows. They tend to be a little bulky for smaller babies. You can stuff the pocket with as much padding as you need depending on how much absorbency you need.

With both the AIOs and the Pocket diapers, I have had issues with the velcro wearing out. I use BumGenius and they have great customer service. While under warrenty I have recieved brand new batches of diapers after the velcro wore out. After the warrenty expires though, you're screwed. They are now making the same diapers but with snaps instead of velcro. Do you think snaps would also eventually wear out? Before I have another baby, I may convert my velcro diapers to snap ones. Anyone know a good seamstress?

We also have used the Prefolds which I used a whole lot with Boothe. They are REALLY cheap, are easy to wash and dry and can be used as a cleaning rag after you are done with kids in diapers. There is also a thing called a Snappi which works on Prefolds rather than diapers pins. I have those and diaper pins and prefer the Snappi. They are really easy to use.

I don't have any Fitteds, but I think they would be a great diaper. Since they are so similar to Prefolds I would just rather spend the $1.50/prefold rather than the $7+ on fitteds.

Here is what I would suggest to someone wanted to use cloth on their baby. When the baby is 0-6 month old and only eating milk or formula, their poopy diapers can be thrown right into the washer without having to do anything before hand. Babies aren't very wiggly yet so the AIOs which take a long time to dry don't really offer much more convenience. Price wise the prefolds, up until solids are introduced into the baby's diet, just make more sense.

After 6 months when they are eating foods then the additional expense and drying time of the AIO may be worth it. I would recommend either Thirsties or a Wool Diaper cover for the prefolds and fitteds.

A purple Thirsties cover.

Hopefully this will make reading up on cloth diapers a little less overwhelming. If you choose to go with prefolds ONLY get them from Greenmountaindiapers.com. They are made to the dimensions that actually fit the baby. I have no idea how the other diaper sites can sell these prefold diapers that do not fit. I ordered some from cottonbabies.com and ended up having to cut and sew them to the right size. Greenmountaindiapers.com are the perfect fit.

My cottonbabies.com prefold cut into a dimension that actually fits.

My cut prefold from cottonbabies.com. I used the smaller piece as a liner when I needed extra absorbency.

And lastly when washing cotton diapers you want to use a detergent that is free of any additives. Detergent can build up on fabrics and that will make the diapers less absorbent. I use Arm and Hammer's Free and Clear. I have tried others, but have always come back to the A&H. Works the best for me. Here is a great list (and a great site) of detergents for washing diapers. Best Detergents

I have several friends and family members who have used cloth on their kiddos. If you are reading this and have used cloth diapers recently or before disposable diapers were even mainstream, please share your experience, recommendations and likes/dislikes!

Favorite "green" things

ORGANIC FOOD
About a year and a half ago I began reading and learning about becoming more "green." We began eating more organic foods. We try and eat more natural foods and more whole foods. We eat less processed foods. We eat out less.

I would never commit to eating ONLY foods that are grown naturally, raised naturally and are healthy for us because I don't feel that occasionally indulging in these foods will do much damage to our health. We like to eat out once in a while and would never make a fuss when eating at someone else's home because we "don't eat" what they are serving us. I also haven't found good replacements for some of the things we eat at home.

I try as much as possible to make our meals and snacks from scratch. With 2 little ones, I also can't commit to making everything from scratch, but I do what I can. There are some things I don't even want to make from scratch (at least on a regular basis) like crackers and potato chips. I got a bread machine for Christmas and have been making wonderful breads and just recently made a simple bread that will work perfectly for sandwiches. I have also been making homemade granola (I will post my recipe soon) that we now eat as our morning cereal, sprinkle it on yogurt or eat it as a snack, as well as homemade granola bars.

Some of our favorite brands for crackers. I also use a lot of Meijer Organics brand.

BAD PLASTICS

During our "green" transition I also became aware of the bad plastics out there especially in baby and children toys, sippy cups, teething rings, etc. The bad chemicals to watch out for are BPA, PVC and Phthalates. These things just aren't healthy for kids to be putting into their mouths. I don't trust what science may discover down the road about the effects of long term use/exposure to these chemicals. Think how often we hear about recalls for lead paint in toys and this has been a known toxin for decades. I went through our toys and kitchen items and anything that was made from these chemicals or I wasn't sure about I got rid of.

COSMETICS
We have simplified the toiletries and cosmetics we use. In the shower and bath tub, Dan and the girls only use Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap for both their hair and bodies. I use it also, but still feel a need for a conditioner and a clarifying shampoo once a week. But I may try to phase this out in the future. I use the castile soap for shaving too. We have a couple different types of organic lotions that the 4 of us use, but sparingly. Natural toothpaste (Tom's of Maine), natural makeup (I like Physician's Formula Organic brand from the drugstore, there are more expensive brands of safe and natural cosmetics, but this works fine for me), natural nailpolish and remover (PiggyPaint), natural deodorant, natural shaving cream and natural lip balm (Bert's Bees or 100% shea butter). If you want to check out how safe the products you use are try the Skin Deep.













CLEANING
As far as changing my cleaning to non-toxic, I decided to go 100% natural and have completely stopped cleaning my house...haha just kidding. I did remove all bleach and chemicals from my home. I now use vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, castile soap and a couple of store bought natural cleansers. There are some nasty things in your usual cleaners. I found it odd that I was bringing into my home cleaners containing chemicals, that could kill my child if accidentally consumed, to remove things like soap scum, grass stains and dirt that are completely harmless. About a year ago I made my own powder laundry detergent. It cost me about 12.50 to make and I have used about 2/3 of it. That means my homemade, non-toxic detergent is saving me about $15/month. It works great. Here is the recipe in case you would like to try it. I made a large amount because I wanted it to last awhile, which obviously it has, but you can always make a smaller amount...

8 cups Borax
4 cups Washing Soda
4 cups Baking Soda
4 cups grated soap (I used Fels Naptha)
Mix together and you're done. It took me about 3 bars of soap to get just over 4 cups.

Vinegar is my new fabric softener and dryer balls have replaced my dryer sheets.

I LOVE Lemi-Shine. It removes hard water deposits from anything and everything. It will be your best friend if you let it. It usually comes in a little canister, but I was out at the moment.

No more chemical hand sanitizers for us. Clean Well is all natural and still kills 99% of germs like your usual alcohol or triclosan based sanitizers. We also use the Clean Well hand soap, but Target stopped carrying it so we are out and I need to probably order some more online.

All natural loofah dish scrubber. They are kind of expensive for a sponge but they last a long time and it just falls apart and biodegrades so I'm not adding anything to our trash pile. I found about 10 at Tuesday Morning at about 75% off retail recently!

My favorite reusable bag. Lightweight and very compact. Its very easy to keep them in my purse or diaper bag and never forget them at home.

There is SO much more in-depth information about any of these topics online and in books. If you want to learn more I can recommend a couple of good books I have read. The library was my best friend when I was reading up on all of this.

I hope to post again soon on the effect these changes have had on me.

The little things that bring so much joy

I would never have thought 5 years ago that putting up a clothes line would make me so happy! Last summer was the first time I dried my clothes outside and all winter I have missed it. There is just something about clean clothes that have dried naturally in the sun. My whites are brighter, my jeans are crisper and everything smells so wonderful. And I can't tell you how nice Boothe's cloth diapers become after a day on the line. As much as my family has enjoyed the much needed fresh air, I know our clothes have also benefited from being outdoors in the spring air!