A walk around home

Cold Antler Farm Give away

I wanted to pass this give away along since both books Jenna is offering sound great and could be useful to boot. So travel on over to her blog and sign up!
 Rois

Interesting things are brewing

Image by .brioso. via Flickr

 A couple of interesting things are in the works here.One of which we will benefit directly from and another is an opportunity to see something neat.
  Last fall when I bought apples from Fruits of our Neighbors Nat and I talked about a trade at some point,some of our bacon for some of his hard apple cider.The cider is ready and the trade is in place.Tomorrow we are swapping samples! Then next week when the bacon is ready we will do the full swap.7 bottles of cider for 5 pounds of bacon.Some good eating and times are head.
   A couple of days ago our neighbor stopped by to let us know that he would have his churches big canning machine for the morning on Saturday(tomorrow) ,he invited us to use it if we liked. This machine uses big 5 pound cans to process whatever it is you want to can.Some of the things he mentioned were,flour,seeds,beans or any other goods one would want to store safely away.Although Chance and I do not A. have the cans or B.have anything we would want to store this way, we are hoping to stop by and check this machine out.I am hoping I can take a few photos of the whole thing to share with all of you. Part of me wishes we were not missing out on the use of the machine but then again it's not quiet what we are doing.The offer is kind and we are glad he thought of us.
  It is Friday! And I have this feeling in my gut that by afternoon my house may become full with extra bodies,most likely of the teenager size.So I called Chance and asked him for a request for a treat,he chose my Sticky Cinnamon Rolls. This is good suggestion, I can do a double batch easily and no one can say no to them. I could make a bet with Chance about how long the rolls will last if the house fills up,I could be owed some sort of riches by bed time tonight.These do not have frosting on their tops but rather have a sticky caramel type goo and how much spice they have can be left up to the baker.I sometimes add in raisins or nuts to the filling.Today I am opting for just gooey yum.  Now that I may have your attention here is my recipe.


Sticky Cinnamon Rolls:

Dough -
   4 1/2 teaspoons yeast
   1/4 Cup Sugar
   1/4 Cup lukewarm Water
   2 eggs
   2 Cups lukewarm milk
   3 teaspoons Salt
   6-6 1/2 Cups Flour  plus some for kneading
   1/4 Cup Oil

Soften the yeast and sugar with the lukewarm water,Beat the eggs,add the milk add the yeast-sugar mixture,salt,half the flour,then mix thoroughly.Add the oil and beat well.Add the rest of the flour or enough to make a soft dough.Turn out on to a well flour surface to knead or knead using a stand mixer,until smooth and elastic but no longer sticking to the bowl or surface. ( this dough is SUPER soft and sticky, when I do not use my mixer to knead it I am sure to oil my hands to prevent the dough from sticking.You will need some extra flour to get the dough to not stick.) Place in a well oiled bowl.Oil the top of the dough to keep it from drying out.Cover with a towel and let rise until double in bulk.Knead down then let it rise for another 45 minutes.
  At this point you can use the dough for rolls baking them at 425 for 15-20 minutes or continue on for Sticky Cinnamon Rolls.

The above dough will make a double batch of the rolls. I rarely bother with a single batch because they are so good.A single/half batch of dough will make around one 9x13 sized pan of Sticky Rolls.The recipe below for the syrup is for a  doubled batch of dough.But first you need to make the rolls.

Roll dough about 1/2 inch thick.Brush rolled dough with some melted butter,sprinkle with a generous amount of brown sugar and cinnamon which you have mixed together.Usually 1 Cup of Brown Sugar and 1 Tablespoon of cinnamon,adjust to taste.Roll the dough carefully beginning at the wide side and working away from you.Seal the dough bt pinching the edges together. Cut roll into 1 inch slices.Cover the bottom of a oiled pan with the cooled syrup,add cut slices,cut side down in pan.Do not crowd or the middles will pop up.Bake in a preheated oven at 375 F for 20-25 minutes.Remove from oven and let them stand for 5 minutes to give the syrup time to thicken. Now place a cookie sheet or preferably a jelly roll pan on top of the pan and flip the pan of rolls over.Voila!

Syrup for Rolls-
  2 Cups brown sugar
  1/2 Cup butter
  4 Tablespoons corn syrup or honey 
 1/2 Cup water
 Cook until sugar has completely dissolved,stir most of the time. Cool before placing rolls in the syrup.
  For those of you who like nuts you can pour the syrup into your baking pan and then sprinkle chopped nuts over the syrup before placing the rolls.

Enjoy your days everyone, I am  off to roll out my dough.
  Rois







  
 

Message to Todd

Hi Todd, Please email us.Chance was reading your blog and would love to talk with you some time about meat.
 Thanks
 Chance and Rois

Small sized shopping bags

I have been having tech issues which frustrate me to no end . Why one whole paragraph is underlined is a mystery and how to get rid of it with out re-writing the whole post is beyond my skills. So if this post is late and the pictures and text don't line up, I blame the computer.

 Monday  my friend Alison came over and we each did a bit of sewing.I have been wanting to make some smaller sized cloth bags to use at the store for produce or bulk items,that became my project for the day. Since we e put bulk items into containers here at home we end up with bags we have to recycle here at home or remember to take to the recycling bins at the stores. The smaller bags will help us use less,one more step forward for us. To make the bags I used some left over fabric,ribbon and made some tags from yogurt tub lids.

The first photo shows how I cut the tub lids out.Followed by tracing small circles.Then cutting the circles out. I later punched holes in each round and pulled the bags drawstring through the hole. When I go to the store I can use the stores grease pencils to write the bin number on my recycled tags.I also might pick up a grease pencil at an art supply store, to keep in my stash of shopping bags.

                                               

Here are the bags before they were sewn together.I had some left over pieces from another project and had enough to make 4 bags in two sizes.I love the print of the fabric and think it is much cheerier than the plain muslin ones I have seen for sale at our local store. I made only 4 until I figure out if they really are easy and useful. I also want to see how the store clerks react to them. At one of the stores I know there will be no problems. And at the other store I shop there won't be any issues if I can go on a day when my favorite clerk is working. She's my fav because she does not mind me using paper bags for produce and bulk items even though it slows the line down, her co-workers grumble over the paper bags. 

  When I sewed the bags up I gave them French seams for the strength.I also used the zig-zag stitch for the fold over for the drawstring casing. For the drawstring I used some left over ribbon that was the prefect shade of blue,not planned that way I was just using up what I had on hand.




This photo shows the bags all finished.I was able to fit 6 medium sized oranges in one bag and about 1 1/2 pounds of rice in the other. I am pretty sure we will be able to use these bags for the dry items we buy.If I end up with something a bit sticky I can always wash the bags once I am home.

   Finally I would like to introduce the newest member of the family,Sparrow. She came with the name Daisy but we know 4 other little dogs with the same name so the boys chose to re-name her. Sparrow is a mini-spotted- Doxie, she is 2 and since she is a rescued dog that is about all we know about her. Our friends rescued her from a home where she was not being fed. When our friends first got her she was skin and bones but she is starting to plump up.She has some basic good manners,listens well,follows me everywhere and is settling in great considering she has been here less than 2 days. Thora our other dog seems to be fine with her,Toby the cat is indifferent especially since the dog is smaller than the cat. The chickens are puzzled and watch from afar with a look that says "What the heck is it?" Sparrow seems to be thinking the same of them but they will learn to live together.I never thought we would have such a tiny dog but she has such spunk I am sure she will do just fine.I do draw the line at dressing the dog like a baby. When we went to the local pet store to buy her a collar Chance suggested we just look at the sweaters and coats since she will need something in our cool wet climate.ACK!!! and DOUBLE ACK!!!!!! Poor dogs,who in the hell thinks a dog needs a dress is whacked out. Most likely I will find a pattern and sew her a rain cape or like the neighbor find something at the thrift stores. (Don't get me started on the prices for those "clothes"for dogs!) The photo is not so great,she just won't hold still long enough to get a better one.
  The sun is supposed to come out today,please God let it be true! I need a big fat dose of vitamin D straight from Dr Sunshine.In spite of the pouring rain and wind the seeds we planted are coming up,Beets, Carrots, Salad Greens,Chards and the Sweet Peas too. The chickens are cranking out the eggs but I have not sold any more. Seeing all those eggs sitting in their basket has inspired me to try some recipes that use lots of eggs and the boys are on a Toast and Eggs for Breakfast kick.
 Rois

Happy Easter

 Happy Easter to my readers who celebrate and I hope those of you who observe Passover had a good holiday as well. This year was our first year not dying eggs or any of the Easter Bunny stuff. Kind of strange to be at that point but the boys are growing up after all so the day was coming.Sol went to Seder Dinner for the first time and I think he was feeling a bit more connected to his Jewish heritage.Issac is pushing 16 and has never cared much for Easter.
  I was the only one interested in trying to dye a few eggs with natural dyes. I took two of our eggs and blew out the egg, I was not interested in eating boiled egg so I saved the eggs for baking today. I made a dye from 4 Red Zinger tea bags and let the eggs set over night. Since our eggs are brown and even though I chose one light one and one dark the results were "Preschool Brown." I used to teach Preschool and when the kids would mix all of the primary colored paints together we would end up with Preschool Brown.Not a charming color but when you are 4 it is lovely. I'd like to try this again but with some white eggs.
  Having been rained in for most of the week there is not a lot to report here. I did discover how our Rooster and the one more clever Wynadott are escaping the coop.There is a spot in their fencing that has rolled over,the chickens have learned that they can jump up on to it and hop out of the coop. It must be time to clip the chickens wings and fix the fence.
   We are feeling a bit cooped up ourselves. Every year we get this brilliant weather in February and then by March we are back to cooler rain.Most years we can hang on knowing that Spring will return but this year the rain is like being water tortured.The drip,drip of the rain hitting the windows and rolling down your neck each time you step out the door.
  My brain has stolen some of the clouds from the sky and feel I have nothing of great importance to share.
 Let me place you on hold while we get back to things.I promise it won't be forever like when you call the phone company,we won't play that God awful music too loudly and we won't ask you to press a series of numbers just to end up in the wrong department.I'll have Homesteading Crafty Goodness to report on tomorrow. I am making something that will keep our journey moving forward......
   Rois

Vibrant Eggs, Dyed Naturally

Vibrant Eggs, Dyed Naturally

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I got this article as an email today and I think we are going to give it a go.The boys have been wanting to do something different than the regular dyes so this should work just great. I'll post photo's when we do it.
  Rois

Update: I seem to be the only person interested in this project.Yet another new era with the boys. I am currently soaking 2 eggs in a dye bath made for Red Zinger type tea.It takes over night for it to work so I will come back with photos when I can.