Some Exciting News and a Product Update

Some fun and exciting news. .. 

Today, we will be be delivering some product samples to a local honey company! We are sure hoping that the products do well for them, and that this becomes a lasting partnership. That makes this That makes this a good time to answer some questions that we get a lot, just for your information!

These are stick lip balms. This version is a Chocolate Hazelnut Honey variety. The ones in a stick are a little harder than those in a tub, but generally the same ingredients, We have a host of different kinds that we can make, but usually make them to order. What you see here has honey, beeswax, cocoa butter, hazelnut oil, dutch cocoa, glycerin and vitamin E.  Good stuff. Some of our best sellers are actually tub or glass vial roll-ons. We do a lava lights one in many flavors, and some with chocolate cherry, chocolate mint, mocha, etc. If you are looking for a flavor you love, or specific essential or extract oils, let me know, I may just have a great recipe.

This basket happens to contain two types of soap and some lotion bars.

The soaps, because this is for a group that specializes in honey are two types of our oatmeal, goat's milk and honey recipe. The oatmeal serves to calm and cool sensitive skin. The goat's milk is tremendously nourishing, and goat's milk, as it is close in composition to human breast milk, is better utilized by our skin to nourish and repair it.  The honey is great for those with sensitive skin or acne or rashes. Surprising, but true! There are a variety of oils used, including cocoa butter, and several others. Specific recipes can vary a bit by the requests in a given batch. Don't hesitate to put in a request for a whole small batch just for you! This basket has a plain (unscented with essential oils) version as well as a holiday spice variety, which has clove, cinnamon, orange and nutmeg essential oils mixed in at trace to help get you ready for the holiday season. I even threw in one peppermint soap. True peppermint essential oils are outstanding for opening up the sinuses when you have allergies, and the good stuff won't set off those of us with sensitivities to chemicals. Some folks like the spearmint or eucalyptus for this, but the peppermint is the most popular these days.

What can I say about lotion bars? GOOD STUFF! Typically, lotions take some wonderful oils and do a few things. The first, the frequently use alcohol so that it evaporates and make you feel as though it is soaking in, though it is actually drying your skin. Second, they almost always thin the oils with water, then thicken them with corn starch derivative to keep them thick as well as oodles of preservatives. Since it is the chemicals and preservative that my family cannot handle, and I take issue with genetically modified corn, we take a different approach. We begin with local beeswax, filter it an extra time, and then add pure cocoa butter, and a variety of pure oils and butters, essential oils for aromatherapy and vitamin E for a natural boost to the skin and to help with shelf life. Again, oils can vary greatly. While coconut oil is a fantastic base, some folks who have sought us out because they know we are glad to individually formulate cannot have that, or cannot have another oil. So these recipes vary some, and we try to keep a couple different recipes in stock.

I know, that is a LOT of information!. But feel free to ask ANY questions you may have. That is why you would work with a small local company that specializes in serving the individual needs of the customer in a natural way that supports the health of the customer and sustainable agriculture!

Anybody for Hoecakes for Breakfast?

Many of you know that teaching rather runs in the family around here.  Between my mother, Charlie's Grandma, and my home schooling the kids, our children stand no chance of missing possible lessons! After Charlie's grandma passed away this year, we all inherited her books and curriculum left over from her teaching days. 

Many of the books were from younger ages, though there were some really fun ones, as well as some great reference and culture books. Some, we will use for the fun of a springboard into a lesson. Wyatt and I ended up storing three large boxes worth in plastic totes in the shed. For some reason, this one ended up on the dining table.

Amidst some random conversations last week, I picked it up and began reading. The kids wee sitting there at the table, with Bailey not knowing what I expected and Wyatt looking at me strangely. So then, I couldn't help myself...

I read it, showing pictures to the kids, and going all out with the voices... hey maybe I should be one of those librarians...

We learned about a fictional boy whose first and middle names were George Washington, after our first president, and about how this boy wanted to know everything about our six-foot-two inch first President who showed us what it meant to be a leader, a Commander in Chief, and to peacefully do what was right for a nation.

And we learned that almost none of the books about him talk about what he ate for breakfast.

Apparently, President Washington was rumored to have hands so big and strong that he could bend horseshoes with them. Hmmm...

And apparently he ate hoecakes for breakfast. Three of them.  With the same number of cups of tea.

Hoe cakes apparently have many different recipes and are named for the shovel they would be cooked on in the fire.  That was the first bone of contention. Apparently in the story, there were no hoes inside George Washington's house when the boy went to visit, so they used a griddle because the grandma in the story refused to cook with a hoe. Seeing as how it is monsoon season here, and lots of stuff ends up mucking things out with the flooding, thee was no way I was trying to make a hoe clean enough to cook breakfast on!

So over the weekend, I pulled up a couple of recipes, and learned that originally hoe cakes were simply cornmeal with water, later using things like milk, eggs and sugar as well. So the first round was as simple as they could be...

They didn't hold together very well!

They looked a little like mangled hush puppies, rather than breakfast when I served them. 

Wyatt decided that real maple syrup would have been around there, so he had some hoe cakes with his maple syrup... see how these History lessons can go south?  But he did prove timelines. That child should be a lawyer...

They were really crumbly, but not bad. So then I added some milk, thinking we could enjoy a discussion about tracing the lineage of recipes in history, something we have discussed when talking about processed foods and organics.

These seemed a little better formed to me, more like a pancake.

They also seemed to hold together a bit better.

The kids liked the original version better. They thought it just had more flavor and texture in the first one. Funny how that happens with the original getting watered down sometimes, isn't it?

I had originally promised to let them break into some Boston trading company tea, but then we forgot. Oops.

But I have a feeling that Wyatt will really want it when we make another revolutionary war themed meal he has been looking forward to- fire cakes. Maybe this next weekend we can delve into that one!

Water Harvesting Update and the Last of Monsoon 2014

We have been working hard on several projects around here lately.around here lately, as the school year begins and the monsoon season draws to a close. This week we were blessed with another quarter inch of rain. That really isn't much, but in a year where we have registered less than three inches total, we are thankful for every drop!

Recently, I posted the assembly of the first of our true rainwater harvesting barrels. Seeing as how many drought ravaged states are beginning to outlaw water harvesting, I am thankful our still encourages it, and fully intend to encourage others to keep the practice strong.

The day after we got it going, I got this video of our system in action. Clearly, we need to work on down spouts soon!

The blue one with the lid turned out to be very easy to maintain, with just a little apple cider vinegar keeping things clean and clear. Compared with the open buckets my husband has helpfully lined up while I work on the system, this is far superior, and I have been really excited by the ease the system is managed with. I really wish I had started this project earlier in the summer!

We started the weekend with full water barrels, though I was trying to use more of the water from the open barrels where the water doesn't keep as well, so when a little bit of rain came through yesterday (an I mean a LITTLE bit) there was almost no room in the blue barrel. Oh, well, I tried, but each of the barrels did get about 10 gallons, with the open one getting about 15, While that isn't much, it is enough to water for another day, so who would I me to turn that down?

It turned out the video of the barrels and the first watering can I filled was too big for uploading directly into the blog, but here is the link to it. So next, I need to pick up a couple more bulkheads and do the overflow barrels as well as the downspouts and the other corners of the house.

Link to the first watering can filling from the barrel!

Anyhow, that is the water harvesting update for now. What have you tried that has worked or not? It is so helpful to share information to help each other do better by the environment and take better care of our organic gardens. Thanks for sharing!

Baby Chicks Available at Local Hardware Store

A little over a week ago brought a new adventure for the little chicks of Patriot's Dream. One of the local hardware stores has begun carrying chicks. They ordered in some Ameraucanas from a hatchery, and since things were going well they wanted to add some local chicks as well. Four little ones from our recent hatch went along.

Wyatt packed the little ones in a crate lined with towels and played with them in the back seat on the way to deliver them.

I don't think they were too sure about leaving their friends in the brooder!

Here is Wyatt with the little ones, riding in to town.

Initially, the delivery went really well. But the littlest was just too little for the digs there, so Charlie stopped to pick her up on his way home from work (in the middle of a big rain storm, no less!) That little one came home and nestled right back in here. The Silkies long thought they were her mama, since she was younger than the rest, though in the bottom photo, she is nestled in to the feathers of a slightly larger chick of her own breed who we didn't take along since we believe it will be a boy. You have to look really closely in order to see the little one tucked under and a little behind the wing.

One of the many benefits of working with a local breeder is the support you get, and the service. For us, we are thrilled that the three little ones were sold to local homes, and things went so well, they asked for more chicks! We didn't have any at that moment, as we had cleaned out the incubator, but likely will soon.

Well, pretty exciting to have such positive partnerships with local businesses and good people! More exciting news to come as well!

Water Harvesting Project, prototype one

One of the ongoing sustainability concerns for farming in the desert is water. This is a big issue, actually, with many large scale commercial farming practices using older methods of irrigation which often cannot be viable in the long term with the ever increasing number of people using the limited water supply.

Drought is commonplace, and extreme drought has brought frightening pictures and a concern for the future.  Some states have outlawed water harvesting in the hopes of recharging dwindling supplies in underground aquifers. 

I really feel that we can appropriately harvest water while recharging aquifers and responsibly reducing consumption, though it does require all of  to work together and not waste. 

We have put lots of research into making a water harvesting system for our veggies,  and as we get better, we will also apply this to our sprouting system within the livestock pens, which should also help with flooding concerns in the rainy season. 

This is our first prototype.  We began with a blue barrel. Even though it was considered food safe,  I soaked it three time with water and an ACE (apple cider vinegar) and water dilution before beginning. 

While my husband recommended a larger saw, I have issues with my hands,  and went for the smaller one! I used twine to set my line for cutting around the top. Despite the two holes already there, I know that I will need access to scrub the barrel out between seasons, as well as access for working on the bulkhead attachments.

Then I got to play with power tools. Off came the top of the barrel. That part was easy!

I had several of these blocks laying around- actually like five of them, so not enough for too much, but enough for this spot. I started off with two blocks- a single thickness, then added the additional since the overflow barrel is supposed to be a bit lower, and because I wanted plenty of clearance around the house bib.

Then it was time for MORE CLEANING. High power with the hose, then three more rounds with ACV, alternated with the hose. ACV is also great for keeping the algae down and the bugs away, so I put a little more in before I reassembled the while thing, too.

I just put the ACV straight in a spray bottle lots of uses for that!

Then I needed something to keep the top of the barrel on, so I improvised a little. I had some wooden dowels left over from another project, so I used roofing screws from yet another project to attached them to the outside. Note for future reference on this one- I put one of them right near a seam, and it is a little close to the lid top seam in that spot, so I have to be really careful putting the lid back on.

Here it is with the lid on, at the corner of the house. That is a pomegranate tree right behind, and there are several other plants along that edge of the porch.

I knew I neened a hole saw for the bulkhead that the hose bib would screw into. What I had was designed for wood. Rather than go crazy and buy another, I tried a test hole in the top first. It came out fine, so it was time to put the bulkhead hole in!

Fortunately, that was pretty easy. The sizes I had for hole saw bits were pretty close, and the first one I drilled was not quite big enough for the threads, so I ended up needing a second go round. That's okay, though, it worked.

The bulkheads are easily found at your neighborhood hardware store. Funny thing, these actually thread left handed. That was weird, but it went in easily, with a gasket to provide the seal from leaks on each side.

The outside was just as easy, too.

Then, with plumber's tape around the threads of the hose bib, it went in easily itself.  We chose for it to angle down and away fro the porch to make the hose work easier for me.

Then I needed something in the top to let water in and keep gunk out. That started with a hole around the area where the test hole had gone.

Things were starting to look almost functional by this point!

Here is the close up of the fancy-dancy hose bib and bulkhead work.

Okay, so at that popoint I took a break to actually get dinner on the table, and then came back to work on the screening. I decided to go a little crazy with the caulking. And to keep the mesh down, I went high tech with a plant from the porch.

Pretty fancy, huh?

In the end, that didn't stay very flat, so I may screw it down with washers. We will have to see on that one!

Well, here is the prototype. As I type this, a storm is threatening, so I am REALLY hoping to get to see how it works tonight! On that note, here is to reducing waste and reusing where we can, and farming sustain-ably!

What projects have you tried? We would love for you to share all you have learned so we can all learn together! Have a great night.

Last Tuesday's Big Storm

These are pictures and videos captured after the monsoon storm on 12 August 2014.

This is the driveway to go around back to the livestock. Yes, Running water higher than my ankles.

The chicken barn flooded as well.

My truck with ramps in front of it, it is just in our front yard.

Our neighbors across the street got some rain, the horses sure didn't seem to thrilled.

The main road running next to the house, flooded.

The farm truck was parked., right outside the gate.

Shine, the pygmy goat, in a flooded shelter. First time he'd ever seen a flood.

Again the driveway back to the livestock.

This was taken standing near the entrance to our little neighborhood. Yes, the whole thing is flooded.

And, last, but certainly important, the main road flooded and people drive anyway.

"White" Wicker Chair Project

I don't know about your house, but at our house, there is just never enough seating in the living room! I have long had a desire for a fun little wicker chair, though had no desire to spend much money on one since we have so many animals and animals don't tend to be good to the wicker. 

Nevertheless, when I found a black wicker chair for free on Craigslist, the wheels were turning. When I realized that I would be right down the street from where the free chair was located the following day, I couldn't resist!

Black, however, isn't really my thing. And while brown would likely have matched the living room better, there is just something in me about wicker being white to look its best. So out came the spray paint. I should have gotten a photo of the original color, but here is my project anyway =)... already in progress...

Slowly but surely moving toward its new look, and showing off the weeds by the back retaining wall at the same time!

You can see more of the original color as I was working underneath.

Overall, the project took a few days and a little over two cans of paint.

Here it is, coming along...

starting to look as though it was meant to be white all along...

And here it is with the cushion I bought for less than $10 at a thrift store and worked to make sure was clean before putting it on the chair. 

Our living room has lots of green with lots of animals- mostly elk and deer, and the like, but puppies fit in beautifully!

It took a bit for it to settle in, but my new chair that I thought would have no competition for me has also become a favorite of Wyatt!

All in all, I am pretty happy with the way my new twenty some dollar chair came out. What do you think?