Thank You!

Just wanted to say, "Thank You!" to all who have served to preserve our freedoms.

Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends...John 15:13

Perfect Popcorn

We really enjoy snacking on popcorn.  It has even been a Sunday evening "supper" coupled with apple slices on a few occasions.
I'm rather picky about my popcorn though! I despise microwave popcorn.  (called "cancer corn" in our home!) 
I'm not a big fan of hot air popped corn either.  Plain popcorn is like, well styrofoam. When I've tried to add butter to air popped corn - I usually just get it too greasy!  
Overly salty is yucky too.  
So - what do I like?

The kids gave me this for Christmas a couple of years ago. It's a stove-top popper.     

It makes the perfect popcorn!  Below is my recipe.

2 Tbsp. coconut oil {organic, extra virgin}

1 Tbsp. olive oil {extra virgin, cold pressed}

1 tsp. salt {himilayan}

2/3 c. popcorn {organic}

As you heat over medium-high heat, you crank the handle.  This keeps the popcorn and oils moving so that they don't burn.  It's that easy!

It's done when the popcorn starts to overflow and you can't crank the handle anymore.  Every kernel pops!

It's nicely flavored ~ lightly salted, not too greasy! 

Otis heartily agrees!

You've gotta try it!

What would you say if I told you that you could enjoy a chocolate shake and not feel guilty about it...not one little bit?  Would you believe me?  Would you trust me? {Ha reminds me of the saying, "never trust a skinny cook."}

Meet the Chococado! 
This is an amazingly yummy shake.  You would never guess the ingredients by the look or by the taste. 
It's DELICIOUS - and you should try it!!  Trust me!

In a blender combine:
1 avocado
1 large handful of spinach
1 spoonful of cocoa powder
a few drops of stevia to taste (I used a bit of agave)
a dash of vanilla
1-1/2 c. of chocolate almond milk
lots of ice

Blend until smooth and enjoy!

Goat Keeping

Several years ago after a very discouraging outbreak of mastitis in our goats (all four in milk at that time) we made two changes that have made all the difference in the world for their health!
The first one was switching from an iodine udder wash to using GSE.  See my post about that here.
The other change we made, at the recommendation of our vet who grew up raising sheep, was to use sawdust for bedding instead of straw.  He explained to us that the bacteria (Staphylococcus strains) sit on top of the surface of the straw.  When the goats lie on top of it they are exposed more readily to the bacteria.  Of course with straw, it requires  frequently pulling off the soiled straw and top dressing with fresh - and then a more thorough cleaning 1-2 times a week.  This just stirs up the bacteria.
Sawdust is used differently.  Twice per week, we only discard the clumps and cover with a layer of clean sawdust.  We keep building up the layers of sawdust which smothers and suffocates the bacteria.  The floor of the barn will build up to about a foot. We only deep clean the pens about once every 3-4 months - taking out all the sawdust (down to the dirt floor), putting a layer of lyme down, then a layer of fresh sawdust to begin again. 
While it does require an extra errand to pick up the sawdust, it's only necessary every other month.* 
We buy a truck-load at a time (in our mini Toyota pick up)  It's a bed-full (and I do mean full) for just under $30.  First, the Mister lines the bed with an extra large tarp.  The man at the shavings/sawdust place loads it full with his tractor, and then Eric folds up the corners and edges of the tarp and secures it for the drive home.  We could have it delivered, but they require a much larger quantity purchase plus trucking fees.  We don't have the storage space for that kind of purchase and this works much better for our monthly budget.
If you choose to use this method, DO NOT USE SHAVINGS - it must be sawdust. 

*We currently only have four goats and are only using one of the four pens in the barn. The pens are 10' x 10'.  When we had thirteen goats we used all four pens, and it was a once per month errand, just to give you an idea.

I'm linking up with Amy's Homestead Revival for this week's barn hop...Monday May, 21

Happy Mother ~ Happy Day!

I just wanted to drink it in - the warm sunshine, the beautiful sea,  the salty sea air, the sweet smiles on each of my family's faces.  That's the kind of Mother's Day I had today.  Perfect!  I could not have asked for a better day! 
Once I heard that the weather for today was going to be sunny and warm, I told my family I wanted to go to a park in Mukilteo that has a beautiful Sound view and take a bunch of pictures of us all.  It's free, it's fun, and I wanted new, updated photos for the frames in the house.  I love when the laughter and joy of everyone just having fun together is captured.  They aren't photographic "masterpieces" because of the bright sun, but in the Northwest....we'll take the bright sun! 

Ahhh, the sun and the sea...{just needs a little goat grazing on the grass
:-) }

 

Matt

Caleb and Matt

Hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil!

Mary Anne and Hannah

Hannah with Ellie and Abbie

Abigail

Mary

Daniel and Ellie

Miss Mary

Caleb

Friends!

 

The Blanchet Bunch

My Mister

His Hotty (He made me write this!)

Bacon and egg muffins

I recently found this muffin recipe and knew immediately that I might have a few in my family who would enjoy these. {namely my teenage sons, who believe that everything should be accompanied by bacon!}

I was right - they were a hit! 
Hope you enjoy them too.

Bacon and Egg Muffins
4 slices bacon, cut in thirds (I use Trader Joe's uncured Apple smoked bacon)
5 eggs
1 c. unbleached flour *
1/2 c. cornmeal
2 Tbsp. sugar
2-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. milk
1/4 c. butter, melted
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat your oven to 400.
Fry your bacon just until crisp.  Reserve drippings.

Put 2 teaspoons or so of the drippings back into the frying pan. 

For the scrambled eggs - beat 3 of the eggs, + 2 Tbsp. water, + a dash of salt and pepper together. 

Cook eggs in the hot frying pan over medium heat without stirring until the eggs begin to set on the bottom and around the edges. With a spatula, lift and fold for the uncooked portion to flow underneath.  Cook until set but still moist.  Transfer to a bowl; set aside.

Brush 12 muffin cups lightly with some remaining bacon drippings. 
In a medium bowl stir together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Combine milk, melted butter, and remaining 2 eggs.  Beat. Stir into flour mixture.
Fold in scrambled eggs and cheese.  Spoon into muffin cups (cups with be full.)

Place 1 bacon piece on each muffin.

Bake 15-17 minutes or until light brown and a toothpick inserted the center comes out clean.

Cool slightly in the pan on rack.  Run a table knife around the edges of muffins to loosen; remove from pans.  Serve with maple syrup, if desired.

Makes 12 (202 calories each)

* While, I haven't tried it, I think you could easily substitute Bob's Red Mill gluten free baking flour for the regular flour and have a wonderful gluten free muffin. 

Hair

Don't you find it so frustrating when you find a hairstyle that you really like, except that YOUR hair doesn't want to cooperate.  As you try to make this syle work for you, you discover that your hair is

too thick,

or too thin,

or too straight,

or too curly,

or too....

This was the look that Caleb liked

He wanted it long, straight, rugged and handsome,

but, no matter how long Caleb grew his hair, it just got curlier.

Long, thick, curly, and uncooperative -

 NOT what he wanted!

After having it long for almost 6 years, he decided it was time for a change.

He's going for a new look - more like this one...

You should have seen the wig he left behind on the floor! Seriously!

It's a new look for a new stage of life. Next up - graduation and then on to the Guild!

Soap and candle sale today

Just a quick reminder....Don't forget Karen's soap and candle sale today!

GSE

Do you know about grapefruit seed extract ~ GSE? 

The active ingredient of grapefruit seed extract is non-toxic and is synthesized from the seed and pulp of certified organically grown grapefruit. The process converts the grapefruit bioflavonoids (polyphenolics) into an extremely potent compound.  It’s considered to be anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal, anti-parasitic .  Four stars in my book!

It is effective in the fight against over 800 viral and bacterial strains, 100 fungi strains and a growing number of parasites.  With this in mind here are some common uses for GSE.

As a cleaning agent...

• GSE in its diluted form can be used as an all-purpose household cleaner. Add 15 to 30 drops to a 32 oz. spray bottle and use on all surfaces {kitchen counters, baby toys, etc.} 
• Kitchen utensils and refrigerator surfaces are great to clean with GSE.
• Scrub in 15 to 20 drops of GSE directly on your cutting board, leave it for a half hour and then rinse thoroughly and allow to dry.
• You can use it as a fruit and vegetable wash to rid the skins of potential pathogens and pesticides.
• GSE is a nontoxic way to clean your toothbrush by soaking it in a few drops of diluted GSE for up to 15 minutes.
• Bring GSE camping as a biodegradable way to clean dishes.

External Use

• Use GSE externally to treat mild skin rashes, irritations and acne. Dilute a few drops of GSE in water and apply directly to irritated skin, wash off after a few minutes a repeat throughout the day.
• You can soak fingernails and toenails in a GSE dilution to act as an antifungal.
• For a face wash, put a few drops of GSE in the palm of your hands and apply to a damp face, washing in circular motions and rinsing completely.
• Add a few drops to your shampoo and massage into your scalp, leaving it in for two to five minutes. This may help relieve dry, itchy scalp or cradle cap. Avoid contact with your eyes.

You can use it internally too as a Ph balancer, a throat gargle, an ear rinse (ear infection), a nose rinse (sinisitus/allergies.) 

*Please note that this is not meant to take the place of your doctor’s advice and course of treatment for you so be sure to seek the advice of your physician first.  Also – those with a known allergy to citrus fruits should not use GSE.

Recently, a blogger asked me what we use for an udder wash with the goats.  After a very disheartening and discouraging year (several years ago) with an outbreak of mastitis, we changed two things.  We switched from using an iodine wash to a GSE wash, and we switched from using straw as bedding to sawdust.

I was so happy to find an all natural product that I could use on the goats and on the surfaces too.  Pure and Simple. 

GSE has such great broad spectrum uses.  Topically it disinfects the skin on the udder.  In my research, I found that not all substances disinfect against “organic matter” that are also safe to use on skin.  Iodine is one such substance and that is why we changed.  We are meticulous about our procedures.  We use paper towel and we consider each sheet as single-use and never “double-dip” in the GSE wash.  By doing this, the integrity of the GSE wash remains uncontaminated, therefore, we are able to also use the wash for cleaning the stanchion and other surfaces that need to be wiped down.  Lastly, we can offer this GSE rinse as drinking water for the goats because it’s great for the intestinal tract. Grapefruit seed extract clears the body of harmful bacteria, viruses, infection and fungi, simultaneously promoting and protecting the immune system. It has the ability to rid the body of parasites as well. I use the dilution of 14 drops of Nutribiotic GSE liquid concentrate to ¾ gallon of warm water.

I found these links to be so helpful in understanding the classes of cleaners and their effectiveness for our purposes.
http://www.microbiol.unimelb.edu.au/staff/ehs/chemdisinfect.html
http://www.nutriteam.com/study.htm

We wanted the disinfectant that we used to have these qualities:

Broad spectrum activity

Retention of activity in presence of organic matter
Low oral toxicity and skin irritation
High activity at same pH as the detergent component
Odor-free

Compatibility with effective detergents

GSE has been proven in laboratory tests to be 10 to 100 times more effective as a disinfectant than chlorine, colloidal silver, and iodine. The United States Department of Agriculture tested GSE and found it effective against four animal viruses: Foot and Mouth Disease, African Swine fever, Swine Vesicular Disease, and Avian influenza.

Amazing stuff that GSE!  I highly recommend it.  I buy it in the health food section of my local grocery store (Fred Meyer).  It costs about $11 for 2 fluid ounces.