Just a quick note

I just wanted to let you all know what I accomplished today. I was finally able to get in touch with the LDS center. Grim and I have an appointment for next Thursday night. I can't wait. We are going to do bulk this time. As the man that I spoke with said that since we were unfirmiliar with the way of the pouches it would take a considerable amount of time for the amount I want to get. Lets just say that it will be quite a bit.... LOL! That really is an understatement....

Grim, was nice enough to order me a hand grinder. It is on its way. Should be here early next week. When we went to see the Amish a couple months ago, I got wheat berries. So as soon as it shows up, I plan on tring it out. Yeah!!! It is coming from Emergency Essentials.

I also wanted to let you know that if your looking for wheat berries and need them now. Try looking at Walmart. They had both red and white wheat berries. $13.xx for a 25lb bag. Kind of expensive, considering what the price is at the LDS. But if your in a pinch and need it now, then that may be an option for you.

Oh, I got tired of looking at the box with my sewing projects in it. So I got out the machine. I fixed Mouthy's jammies and I sewed the back to the patchwork that has been pinned for months. I even sewed up the baby fleece blanket. Really pretty pinks and purple. If any one is interested in the fleece baby blanket let me know and we can work something out.

I also have 3 copies of Mary Jane Farms Outpost. These are brand new books. I fell into a deal and am willing to pass on the savings to you. If you interested let me know.

Gotta Run,
Yart

Happy Solstice!

The last couple of weeks have been so busy! But that is the way things go when school is getting finished. Well, it is official the monsters are out of school and they all passed to the next grade! We went on a small vacation to the 3rd largest bridge in the world. Mackinac Bridge! We had a great time but since it has been forever since we went camping, it has been decided to look into getting a camper. Grim and I are just too old and broken to sleep on the air mattresses. LOL! We went to all the mainland sites. The island will have to wait for the next trip. There just wasn't enough time to go everywhere.

Just to show you that I did make it to see Mary Jane Butters. Here is a picture of her holding the Michigan apron! I had a wonderful time and met a great bunch of ladies! Thank you Dandelion Farm Girls for making me feel so welcome!!!And I couldn't post without showing off the garden! This is what it looked like last week before we left. It has grown by leaps and bounds but I didn't take new pictures yet! Look at all the flowers on the tomato plant! I think this year I will weigh the produce as it comes in the house. It should be interesting, to say the least. Gotta Run,
Yart

June 3rd

This is my 250th post.... Who knew I had this much to say! LOL!

Last night I was out in the garden picking more strawberries. By the way I will be freezing them for now... Everyone is getting tired of them. Good thing I don't have acres of them.... Oh well! But anyways, as I was looking around at everything I noticed something on my garlic..... I vaguely remember Skippy's Mom talking about Garlic Scapes so into the house I come to look up Garlic Scapes. Sure enough that is what I have. You see they only grow on hard neck garlic. And that is what I planted last year.... Some purple hard neck type of garlic that I got at one of the farmers markets.

Skippy's Vegetable Garden - Garlic- Thanks for posting or I might have never know what I treasure I had.
eHow on Garlic Scapes
2SistersGarlic has some great recipe ideas
GarlicFarm has everything you wanted to know about Garlic but were afraid to ask

I have a lot of running around to do tonight. Picky monster has a 7th grade sendoff from 5-7. Band monster has practice from 6-9 and I have a meeting at 7, which I will have to take Picky with me. While all of this is going on Mouthy monster and Grim will be holding down the fort. I think I need a nap and the day has just begun... LOL!

I have an opportunity to meet Mary Jane Butters next week at a Luncheon. I can wait I will be able to meet other Farmgirls from around the state as well. The last get together was right after Grims motorcycle accident and I just couldn't leave him for the day. It is going to be a ton of fun... Now what to wear?!? LOL!

Gotta Run,
Yart

Monday Rambling's

I am still here.... But I am still off my feet. I went for the MRI last Wednesday. I won't know the results until next Monday. I also went and had a physical therapy session. They didn't understand how to bill my insurance so I wouldn't have a $20 co-pay so that is the end of them. If I had paid them the co-pay I would be out a butt load of money. We are talking like $3-4 hundred dollars, and I don't have that type of money laying around. Especially since we don't know what is wrong with my ankle yet. It still is no better actually I think it might be worse. This is why I usually suffer in silence.

Anyways, even though I am off my feet I have been busy. I have been working on my MaryJane Farm's Merit badges. I still have to take pictures but I did manage to make my first apron.... well, not my first one..... My first time making one but it is actually for Grim. That makes sense I think... LOL! Years ago I bought material to make Grim a pair of casual pants, which I never got around to making. With all that material laying around I thought that I would put it to good use. So 1 apron down, and I also finished up that beginner level bag. It taught me a ton about doing what you know is right instead of following the pattern. I know just enough to be dangerous. And that is usually my downfall. But it is done now!!!! I also made the little sewing kit. I think it turned out really cute.

I got a dresser from my mom this weekend. It got put into my room as the old one I had, had to go (today is garbage day). It is smaller then the one I got rid of so I had to go through my clothes. Two garbage bags to donate and I know I will find more as I go through them again. It feels so liberating to get rid of stuff. Now all I need is Spring to show up so we can paint the bedroom and rearrange and it will be good for another couple of years!

Since I haven't been exercising, I have been trying to eat better. I have made sure that I am eating a salad with dinner and eating either broccoli or brussel sprouts. I have cut down on my pasta and bread consumption. I did slip up and have an ice cream sundae. But that's life, right?

They are calling for 4 inches of snow tonight. I am kind of hoping for more. We really haven't had much snow this winter. But then on the other hand I really want the warmer weather to hurry up and get here.... I know I'm fickle... LOL!

Gotta Run,
Yart

Witty Topic

No witty topics... LOL! I just couldn't come up with a title. In my little correspondence box it says that today is a good day to write. So here I am. Since I did the jelly, I was feeling a little bit energized to do more canning. It is like tattoo's, it gets in your blood. So off to the market I went. I found another 5 pound box of clementines. And I found a great way to preserve them. Marisa at Food in Jars has inspired me to try out her recipe for Canned Clementines.

I also have a few lemons that I need to do something with. So I will be trying my hand at Lemon Jelly. I found a recipe here. I will be water bathing them for 10 minutes for 1/2 pints and 15 minutes for pints, as paraffin wax is no longer an recommended method for preserving food. And have no fear I will be taking pictures with my crappy camera phone. *reminder to self buy a cord for camera*

I got my sprouts all cleaned up and in the fridge. Now if they will only eat them. That is ultimately the question. I also started some mung beans to sprout last night. Then they will have a couple of different types to choose from. Worse comes to worse at least I know how to do it if I ever get animals, then they can have greens in the winter. But I'm not giving up hope just yet, it is still a very new concept.

I have now officially become a paid member to the Mary Jane Farms. So I will be working on my merit badges. One of the first ones that I am doing is making my own cleaners. I have wanted to do this for a long time, just never got around to it. Last night I made up an all purpose cleaner. I will post the recipe for it later when I have the magazine in front of me. Don't want to give any bad information. But I did find a site that has a great deal of recipes that you all might be interested in. Homemade Household Cleaners.

Gotta Run,
Yart

Fit as a Farm Hand week 3

Here is the permalink if anyone else wants to join in.

Weight loss.....
2.2 pounds, Still don't know how that happened...

Exercise.....
Must have tossed and turned an awful lot in my sleep. Cause, I didn't do any exercise this week. My ankle is doing better from the rest. But where did the weight loss come from....hmmmmm! I am hoping to get back on the treadmill this week sometime or at least the Wii.

Diet.....
I am eating whole wheat bread, and I did add wheat germ into the hamburgers I made the other night. And I ate bean soup for dinner last night. Maybe the grains and fiber are helping?!? Only time will tell for sure.

I have joined up to be a Farmgirl on MaryJane's Farm Website! And soon I will be a paid member so that I can partake in the Merit Badge Program. A lot of the things I can get badges for I am already doing but there are a lot of things that I want to learn and now have an incentive to do it. I am very excited to do this. I always wanted to be a girl scout and couldn't. Put the older monsters into it and they did well, until we had a run in with a crappy troop leader. But this will be for me and them. The way I see it, is that when I am learning new things they will want to be involved so they will learn also! As I learn these things I will be posting them here and showing off my badges!

Gotta Run,
Yart