Our Adirondack Mountains Vacation

Baby Chicks!

Bryan (my husband) and I would really love to have a small hobby farm, but we just don't have enough yard space.  Right now we sit on an acre of land.  It is large enough for some fruit trees, a garden, and a fairly large yard.  We decided that chickens are probably the only animal that we could raise on our small piece of land.  So yesterday we loaded the kids up and headed down to Tractor Supply to check out the new baby chicks.  We are planning on raising the chicks for meat.  I really hope we don't get too attached.  Right now they are really cute!

While we were purchasing our chicks we noticed that one had a broken leg.  They store manager informed us that someone had been banging on the bin earlier and she is sure that he was trampled then.  We didn't want to leave him there to die by himself so we decided to bring him home with us.  We made a little cast for his leg out of a plastic straw and some first aid tape.  He seems to be doing really well.  He is eating and drinking and moving around.  We do have him in a little spot by himself until he feels better.  If all goes well he should be healed in about two weeks and ready to join his friends.  I will try to take some more pictures tonight...

Cornish Rock Baby Chicks

Aren't they so cute!?!  We are feeding them organic chicken feed and water right now.  When they get a little bigger we will let them outside so that they can eat grass and bugs too.

Caring for Blueberry Bushes

Every year the office that I work in puts a group order together for Blueberry Bushes.  For the past 4 years or so I have purchases several bushes each year.  Through trial and error I have finally figured out how to get the biggest crop out of your blueberry bushes.

The blossoms are so beautiful in the spring!

Before you plant your bush you want to make sure that you have your soil prepared.  Blueberries like acidic soil.  They will grow without the acid, but it will not produce much fruit.  When deciding where to plant your bushes, look for a sunny spot with good drainage.

PH Tester

To test your soil acidity you will need a PH tester.  I purchased mine from Amazon.  You can also find one at a hardware store.  You are looking for a PH of below 5.  To achieve a lower PH you can either purchase a soil acidifier (like this one) from Lowes or Home Depot, or you can buy a big bag of elemental sulfur from a farm and tractor supply store.

When placing your plants, dig the whole twice the size of the root ball, and space each plant 5 feet apart.  Sprinkle the soil acidifier in the bottom of the whole and use a mixture of potting soil and peat moss.  The will allow for your roots to move easier in the dirt and give them a head start with growing.  Pack the dirt firmly and add more soil acidifier.  

To keep the weeds away from the base of your bushes, cut a circle of garden fabric and place it around each base (you will have to cut a line through the circle to be able to put it around the bush).  Cover each circle with wood chips and water the plant.  You should water the plant on a regular basis for the first spring/summer and then as needed from then on.

The first year you plant your blueberries you will want to pinch the buds (the flowers in the picture above) off of the plant so that all of the plants energy can go into making the root structure stronger.  

When planting blueberries you want to plant several different varieties so that they have a better chance of cross pollinating.

Peanut Butter Cups

Probably the thing that I miss the most, since we stopped eating processed food is chocolate.  If I were every having a bad day, all I needed was a candy bar and it was an instant pick me up.  Not too long ago I was offered a peanut butter cup and when I ate it it tasted nothing like what I remembered.  It was just way too sweet. 

I have wanted to make completely from scratch peanut butter cups for a really long time and I finally got to doing it.  The are very easy to make.

 

Ingredients:

* Chocolate (You can use your favorite chocolate chips, but I used 1/2 this homemade chocolate recipe)

*   1/2 Cup Natural Peanut Butter (without the oil that floats to the top)

*   1/4 Cup Raw Honey

 

 

 

Step 1:  Make your homemade chocolate, or melt your favorite chocolate chips.

 

 

Step 2: Poor the oil off of your natural peanut butter and reserve to add back.  Measure out 1/2 cup into a bowl, and add the oil back to your jar.  (I used fresh ground peanut butter so it didn't have any oil to poor off.)

 

 

Step 3: Mix together the peanut butter and honey.  Roll into 12 balls and flatten.

 

Peanut butter and honey balls.



Step 4: Fill 12 mini candy cup liners half way with the chocolate, place a peanut butter ball on top, and cover with chocolate.

 

 

Refrigerate for several hours, until firm.  Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

 

Baked Chicken Wings

These are the best chicken wings I have ever had.  Not only are these tasty, but they are baked too, so I don't feel bad about eating them.  This method produces moist, flavorful meat with a deliciously crisp skin.  Don't these just look mouthwatering?  I can already taste the hot sauce just thinking about it.

 

 

Ingredients:

1 dozen Chicken Wings (I used Organic)

1/2 Cup Arrowroot Powder (If you don't have it, you can use cornstarch)

1 tsp Paprika

1 tsp Garlic Powder

1/2 tsp Sea Salt

1/2 tsp Fresh Ground Pepper (We like a lot of pepper)

Coconut Oil for the Pan (You can also use butter, or olive oil)

 

Preheat your oven to 400° and oil your pan.  I have had the most success when using my cast iron griddle pan.  It holds the heat really well.  I would suggest you use cast iron, but if you do not have cast iron use a thick cookie sheet.

 

With a paper towel dry each chicken wing.  This step is really important.  This is what makes the skin really crispy.

 

In a bowl mix together the arrowroot powder, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.  Coat each piece of chicken in the mixture and place on the cookie sheet leaving adequate space between each piece.  Continue until you have coated all pieces.

 

Allow the arrowroot mixture to rest on the chicken for 10 minutes.

 

Bake the wings for 30 minutes, flipping half way.  Check a wing to make sure the meat near the bone is not pink.

 

We don't toss our wings in hot sauce because one of my boys likes spicy and the other doesn't.  You can either toss your wings in your sauce of choice, dip them, or eat them as is.  The skin has really great flavor.

 

Spring is Almost Here!

I know, it is hard to believe that Spring is almost here.  As I type this the white stuff is flying in the sky.  In a few short weeks I will be starting me seeds for my garden and I thought I would add a couple of tips that I have found helpful.

This first tip I found on Pinterest (are you on Pinterest?  It is addicting...)

www.gardeners.com

Last year we had a problem with our cucumbers going everywhere.  So this year we are planning to trellis them.  The trellis pictures is (/was) available for purchase through the link above.  I will have my husband build these for me and they will be collapsible for easy storage.

To grow your plants on a trellis you will need to teach them.  Start by placing the vines on chicken wire and if they fall place them again.  Eventually they will grab on and grow.

Underneath the cucumbers you will want to plant something that likes cooler temperatures and shade.  Lettuce or spinach would be great.  This will give you twice as much produce for a smaller space and both plants will be happier.

The trellis will also help to keep your cucumbers firm and bug/slug free.

Happy Gardening!

Chocolate Chip Chunks - Refined Sugar Free

Ingredients:

1 Cup Cocoa Butter

1 Cup Cocoa Powder

¾ Cup Raw Honey

1 Vanilla Bean

¼ tsp Sea Salt

In a double boiler melt the cocoa butter.  If you do not have a double boiler you can fill a pan partially with water, and place a glass bowl, metal bowl or smaller pan over top of the boiling water.  It is important to make sure that none of the water gets in your cocoa butter.
 


Room temperature Cocoa Butter

 While you are melting the cocoa butter, take the vanilla bean and split it in half.  Using a butter knife or spoon, gently scrape the paste out of the bean.  You will only need the paste for this recipe, but you can save the pod for making homemade vanilla or for another application.  Vanilla beans are a little pricey, but I like to use them when I don’t want what I am making to get an alcohol taste from vanilla extract.  If you would rather use vanilla extract, that will work too.


Inside of Vanilla Bean

Once the cocoa butter is melted, remove it from heat and add everything but the honey.  You want to make sure that the mixture cools to at least 110◦ so that it doesn’t kill off the good stuff in the honey (more to come about honey is a later post).  You don’t need to use a thermometer, just wait until it feels a little warmer than body temperature.



Raw Honey

At this point you can put the mixture in a blender and beat it up to get a smoother consistency, or just mix it really well.  Poor in to an 8X8 pan lined with wax paper and place in the refrigerator for several hours, or until firm.

I like to take them out of the pan and cut them in to chunks.  Then place in an air tight container and store in the refrigerator.

My kids love snacking on these and I feel good about it because I have control over the ingredients and I know they are getting nutrients from the cocoa butter and honey.

You can use these chocolate chip chunks in any recipe that you would normally put chocolate chips. 

Or you can also poor this chocolate in candy molds or to dip your favorite fruit.

*I have linked the ingredients above to where you can purchase them.  The cocoa butter is really great.  It smells heavenly.  You should try to purchase raw honey locally, but if you can't find it I have had the brand linked and it is also really delicious.  I purchase my vanilla beans via Amazon in bulk.  It is much more cost effective this way.  If you have never tasted the flavor that you can get from a vanilla bean, you really must.  The smell is just amazing too.

All Natural Homemade Hair Spray

Specialty Bottle

Have you ever flipped your hairspray bottle over and actually looked at the ingredients contained in that little bottle?  I can't even begin to try to pronounce half of the ingredients, which begs the question, can this really be safe?

Within the last couple of years I have gradually switched out my body care products for more natural alternatives.  With [lots of] research, trial, and error I have come up with some really great alternatives to chemical laden products that I used to use on a daily basis.

When it comes to hairspray, you probably already have all of the ingredients at home.  I have tried recipes that called for boiling citrus, allowing to cool, and adding rubbing alcohol.  I didn't like these recipes because they were time consuming and the alcohol smelled awful when sprayed.  They also didn't hold very well.

To make a strong hold hairspray, all you need is:

8oz hot water

2oz vodka

2tbsp sugar

Optional:

1tsp Coconut Oil (this will only work in the summer as it will solidify at <76◦)

1tbsp Aloe Vera (the real stuff, it shouldn't have any coloring)

Several Drops Essential Oils

Mountain Rose Herbs

To your hot water, add the sugar and stir until dissolved.  Add the vodka, and stir again.  It is as easy as that.  If you would like to add the optional ingredients you can do that now.  Coconut Oil and Aloe Vera will add a little softness to the hairspray, and essential oils will give it a pleasant smell.  If the hairspray is too firm for your liking, reduce the sugar and/or vodka.

I like to use peppermint and lavender essential oil in my hairspray.  You only need about 5 drops of each, a little goes a long way.

I like to purchase my essential oils from Mountain Rose Herbs.  All of their oils are pure and organic, or harvested from wild plants from regions that do not use pesticides.  They are affordable too.  You can also purchase essential oils, and many other products from VitaCost. <-- If you use this link you will be given $10 off of your first purchase of $30 or more.

I purchase my containers from two places.  If you are putting together a large order for containers you can use Specialty Bottle, but their shipping in costly, and takes a while.  Most of the time I order from Whole Sale Supplies Plus.  Their prices are good, and you can usually get a deal on free shipping.

If you would like to browse my online store for natural soaps, lip balms, scrubs, soaks, and more please visit www.etsy.com/shop/NaturalBeautyCare.  If there is an item that you would like to see me add to my shop, please feel free to message me.    

Ricotta

Do you buy your ricotta by the cottage cheese?  The stuff that has been sitting on the shelf for a couple of weeks already, and has a shelf life for a month or more longer?  Try this simple recipe.  It is only two ingredients, and it is so easy and delicious.  If you have never had fresh ricotta, you don't know what you are missing.  It has a creamy, delicate flavor, and is so cost effective to make.

Ingredients:

Milk - 1 Gallon

Cider Vinegar - 1/4 Cup

Yup, seriously, that is it!

In a pan large enough to fit 1 gallon + some wiggle room, poor the gallon of milk.  Make sure that you are not using a copper pan.  The milk doesn't react well in copper.  Poor 1/4 cup of vinegar in the milk.  You can use any kind, but I prefer the delicate flavor of the cider vinegar.  Heat the milk to about 180 degrees, stirring until you see little white flecks (curd) forming.  Stop stirring at this point so that you don't break up the curds.  If you do not have a thermometer don't worry, you should heat the milk to just below the boiling point.  You will see the milk separate and all of the curd will float to the top.  Let it rest for 5 minutes or so and then with a slotted spoon, ladle in to a strainer, lined with cheese cloth.  If you do not have cheese cloth you can use a clean dish towel.  Let the ricotta drain in the cheese cloth until it is at the desired consistency.  Depending on what you are going to use the ricotta for will depend on how firm you want it to be.  If you are using your ricotta in a pasta dish, drain for 10 minutes or so.  If you would like it to be a little firmer, say for a cheesecake drain for 40 minutes or so.  Now pat yourself on the back, you just made ricotta!  Season as you wish.  Use within a week.

Refined Sugar Free Jam

When I decided that I wanted to make jam, I knew that I didn’t want to use any sugar or pectin, but I wanted it to be really tasty.  So I found a recipe on one of my favorite blogs and modified it to my taste.  You can certainly use sugar if you would like.  The recipe is pretty basic, and then you can add other flavorings.

Here is a list of some sugar substitutes:

Honey

Agave Nectar

Maple Syrup

Molasses

This is where I purchased my jars.  Most of the jars are able to be used for canning.  I plan on giving these away as gifts, so I wanted to have some nice jars.  The shipping is pretty high, so if you want to make an order it might be a good idea to do a group order with some friends.

http://www.specialtybottle.com/

Basic Recipe:

Fresh Local Strawberries – 3 pounds

Apple – pealed and shredded  (apples contain a lot of natural pectin!)

Lemon – half

Sugar in some form listed above – 2 cups

Combine all ingredients and mash together.  Heat on med-high heat until the mixture is boiling.  Boil until the jam gets to the jelling stage (this took me about an hour), stirring frequently.  You can test the jam by putting a plate in the freezer and spooning a small amount of jam onto the chilled plate.  If you can push it with your finger and it is thick then it is good.  At this point you can take the jam off of the heat and either ladle hot jam into sterilized jars and process in a water bath for 10 minutes, removing from the water and allowing to rest for 12 hours; or you can let the jam cool, ladle in to containers and freeze.  Because of the low sugar content of this jam it will only keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks, but I don’t think that will be a problem.  We have never been jam eaters, but since having made homemade jam, we haven’t kept a jar for more than 2 or 3 days.

Modifications:

Strawberry Maple Jam

Follow directions for basic recipe, using maple syrup as the sugar.  During the last couple of minutes of cooking, add 2 teaspoons of cinnamon.  Process as listed above.

Strawberry Vanilla Jam

Follow directs for basic recipe, using agave nectar as the sugar.  While cooking, split a vanilla bean down the middle.  Scrape the insides from the bean and add both the bean and the insides to the jam mixture.  Once you take the jam off of the heat, carefully take the bean pod out of the jam* and add 1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract.  Stir and process as listed above.

I purchased my vanilla beans from Amazon.com.  They are really great quality and you can't beat the price.  At the grocery store you will pay about $5 a piece for vanilla beans.  Through Amazon I got about 50 (I think it was actually 52) beans for $24.99.  Lets do that math.  $24.99/50 = .4998, or about $.50 each.  That is 10 times cheaper! 

* Save the spent bean pod for another application.  Just rinse off jam, allow to dry and store in an airtight container.

This recipe has been modified from this blg http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/05/10/how-to-can-some-jam-a-simple-method-without-pectin/