Garden Teaser

One more year

 Remember this?

Just found out we get to lease the House on the Hill for one more year. Can't wait to get out the shovel!
Big Hugs,
Kat

Giddy

*AND there's even an article on taking care of sheep and goats. Heeee.

Weekend Homesteading Project #1

So this weekend I engaged in my first documented homesteading project. 

 Dunh-dunh-DUHNNNNN!!!!!!!

Aren't you proud of me??


Homemade laundry soap. Yes, yes, I know--you are, at this moment, in awe of the sheer homestead-er-ness of this adventure. 


Fresh out of laundry detergent (a very, very, very bad thing in this household), I decided to begin the process of embarking on our first little baby steps away from utter Apple-Mango-Tango-Gain-Scented-Targ--ay-Dependency.


First I researched recipes.  I was disappointed to find that most were liquid, which I thought might not be as easy to store.  And then I happened upon a very simple powder recipe here.


Now, calm down (I know you are waiting with bated breath for me to divulge my laundry soap secrets; because it's not, like, it's in a gazillion places on the internet and stuff).


So, honestly, to confess, I did wind up at Target.  But only to purchase this...

And this...































Okay, y'all.

So here's the secret only your grandma and the rest of the blogosphere knows about part:

You take one bar of Ivory soap and grate it.  

Note--I've read many recommendations since, that using a food processor is actually speedier and safer--as (and we're not naming names or anything), but someone *may* have grated a bit of her thumb during this whole experience and although she *may* have gotten a kiss to make it better from her hubby, she also *may* have realized only too late that the use of a food processor would also have probably created more uniform-sized-dissolvable granules (which *may* definitely appeal to that person's control-freak sensibilities). 
Now, since we're on the subject of using an item primarily created for the everyday processing of food (as name indicates, duh), to pulsate something that probably shouldn't be ingested by human or beastie, herein lies a conundrum.  MarkaLee asked me, "So, is it still safe to put food in there afterward?." "Idunno," I said. "The other bloggers who have done so still appear to be alive and posting." To which he replied, in a Pirates-of-the-Carribean voice, "Deeeaaaad Bloggers telllll noooo talezzzzz."

Yes. I told you we are nerds. Please do not try to ignore this fact.

And hey, how many countless kids had their little pie-holes washed out with Ivory soap, and still grew to be strong, healthy, upstanding denizens of society?

But I digress.

One bar of Ivory soap (grated or pulsated, your choice).
One cup of Arm and Hammer Washing Soda (and folks, be not confused by the little box you keep in your spice cabinet--this is WASHING SODA. Found in the LAUNDRY AISLE. Just sayin').
One cup of Borax.


Mix, pulsate or tie to a jack hammer (your choice).


And voila!  Homemade (almost) laundry soap.  
And it's thrifty, too, almost a full 20 cents less per load as you only use a Tablespoon for regular loads or 2 for really scrungy loads.


But.


I couldn't stop there.

Oooohhhhh-ho-ho no.


Me being me, I need something cute to keep it in.


So I took two pickle jars I had been saving, and some chalkboard paint.
I squared off a label-sized patch using tape and aluminum foil, took the jars out on the porch with my trusty-dusty drop canvas, and spray painted the patches and the lids to the jars using the chalkboard paint.

MarkaLee comment upon seeing this conglomeration when he arrived home from a long afternoon of teaching lessons, "We're trying to get aliens to land on our porch?  Sweeeeeet."

I re-applied paint to ensure even coverage and about two hours and one stick of chalk later, I had these babies:

Oh pickle jars, how I love thee....

But be not envious of these marvels... you too can easily possess Pottery-Barn-esque laundry jars on a dollar-store budget.  All it takes is a little paint, a serious craving for pickles and fearlessness in the face of the cheese grater-thingy/food processor.

And did the soap work?  Yes.  Clothes were bright, stains were lessened, although I may try Zote soap in the future as a comparison.  Overall rating, 8.5 out of 10 pitchforks.

So let me know if you try this--I'd love to hear about your ideas and experiences...

Happy Homesteading, my friends!
Big Hugs,
Kat

Grape Expectations

Makes me want to channel Lucy

These grapes hang on our backyard arbor. How they've survived two prior careless tenants, broken sprinklers and my transitioning but still mostly black thumb is a mystery to us.  

The flavor of these grapes is really lovely--sweet and tangy all at once. I'm betting they would make a terrific homemade wine.  What do you think?  Should we endeavor to create our first bottle of Three Bags Full table wine?

Big Hugs,
Kat
P.S. -- Just for grins...

Blank Canvas

Our Garden-to-be*

We are still waiting to hear whether we get to rent this home for another year.  Meanwhile, this little corner of the back yard remains fallow and deliciously full of possibilities! Keep your fingers crossed for us!

Big Hugs,
Kat

Homesteading 101

Awesome chicken picture from here

So, how does one begin homesteading? I mean, does it start with a desire to grow things and turning off the lights when you're out of the room and blossom to livestock and canning and beekeeping and so on?  The ways to begin are seemingly endless! Have you ever been so eager to learn or know something that the sheer opportunity and choice paralyzes you? 

So, if anyone's out there, I'd love to hear your thoughts. How did or would you start?  What is the first step that you would take?  What have you learned?