Recycled Canning Labels

How do you label your canned goods for your own personal pantry? All those cute ideas on Pinterest are great for sharing a jar with a friend, but who really takes that much time to decorate their jars for the home pantry?

I know... we want it to look really cool when we open up a cupboard or the pantry door. All those jars lined up looking pretty. Actually, the food in them usually looks pretty awesome just as it is, but how do you tell the difference between cherry jam and strawberry preserves? Which pickles were the extra spicy? Hey... we've been known to pickle just about everything, including zucchini! Have you ever tried to discern which are the zukes and which are the cukes? Good luck!

Here's an easy way to recycle some brown paper bags to make labels humble enough for the home pantry, but fun enough to actually make the jars look kind of cute... like the trendy boutique jars you see here and there in various shops.

You'll need some basic supplies... things I like to keep on hand in the kitchen anyway.

• a large circle punch (the blue item in the picture below; you can pick it up at a craft store)
• a small hole punch (not a standard hole punch; also from the craft store)
• kitchen twine
• an extra fine sharpie pen
• a fine sharpie pen

• and paper bags, of course! Either grocery sacks or lunch bags will work.

As you can see below, it doesn't matter if the sacks are pre-printed. Just flip the tag over after punching it out with the circular punch. Then use the small hole punch to make two holes for the twine.

Label however you'd like your tags to read, but you really should include the year. It's too hard to remember how old a jar of preserves are later down the road.

Run the string around the top of the jar and come through the two holes from the back side of the tag to the front and tie. And you're done! Do this assembly line style and it won't take long at all.

If you want to dress the jars up just a bit for giving away, just add a paper cupcake liner flipped over the top of the jar (a piece of rolled tape underneath will help hold it while you tie). I found these for $1 at a craft store in all different patterns with cute sayings. Since I only use the Tattler Re-usable Canning Lids for home use (besides being re-useable, they're bpa free!), I try to can a few jars with traditional canning lids. That way friends don't have to worry about returning the Tattler lids.

If you don't like using the string, another way I've labeled is to cut a circle out of the brown paper bag the same size as the canning lid. Add a stamp and what you want it to say and use the screw ring to hold it in place. Works great for everyday in the pantry as well.

There are about a billion ways you could do canning labels, but these really are frugal, quick, and easy. And I'm sure you could make some even cuter! Hope this gets you started. I think for Inspiration Friday, I'll post some more ideas from around the web. It's that time of year, you know.

This post was linked to Carnival of Home Preserving

Homesteading Limitations

Once again, the subject of "trying to do it all" has come up in our local homesteading group, as well as during a conversation with a couple of ladies at church this week. If you're over 18, you've probably already figured it out... there's no way one person can juggle all the balls at once. Like herding a bunch of baby goats, trying to line them all up at once (right!). Just when you get one in place, two more are running off in two different directions.

There are NO super women. 

Yes, there are some that get more done than others. And let's remember... there are seasons in life that differ. The daily routines (or lack thereof) are much different for the home with 3 toddlers as opposed to the home of teenagers or even empty nesters. Everyone is busy; it's just a different KIND of busy. (Okay... not everyone. If you're lazy, then forget the rest of this post and get up and get to it! But for all you over achievers out there... READ ON!)

So now we throw in caring for animals, tending a garden, cooking everything from scratch, maybe going "green", or some other worthy endeavour on top of all the typical homemaking duties a wife and mother must juggle. What kind of madness have we succumbed to in order to add more to our already full plate? Many an inquiring mind has looked at us and wondered!

Because we love it. Or we desire a certain lifestyle. Perhaps we feel called to it. Whatever our motivations for embracing homesteading, there are those moments that we wonder... 

Am I doing the right things with my time? Have I taken on too much? Was it wise to begin this project? Is it really important that I (fill in the blank)?

A few thoughts... and these are mostly reminders of things we already know.

• Homesteading should be for the LONG haul; something that develops over time. Not in a month or a year or even in 2 - 3 years. It's a lifetime of learning and expanding. It's a journey! Enjoy the ride! 

• Don't compare your own homesteading journey with someone else's. It's unique to you and your family. That's why we all name our homesteads something different!

• Remember that springtime on a homestead is always ridiculously busy. Keep your schedule light during this time. Remember Little House on the Prairie? They schooled around the harvest - for a reason! They needed every hand on deck! This next year, with the exception of some on line classes, I hope to be done with the remaining subjects by April 1st... just in time for chicks, garden starts, and waking up the bees! Hopefully, that will lighten the load just a bit.

• Add one thing at a time and become proficient at it before taking on another skill. REALLY proficient. 

• If you feel strongly to add something else to your plate, before you do, wait at least 3 days, but if possible, try to wait a couple of weeks and see if the urge to do it passes. Pray about it, research it, and think if there is something you can eliminate to make room before adding one more thing. Run it by your spouse and get his or her input. Usually they will see things from a little bit different perspective. I waited 2-3 years to actually acquire my goats because my husband wasn't ready. It was a wise decision and when we were both ready, we took the plunge. I'm so glad I waited! 

• Whatever it is your doing, get it organized and create a routine as soon as possible. And teach everyone who will be involved what the routine is. As the months come and go, the schedule will need to be readjusted based on the calendar, weather, and time changes. It's amazing how quickly something like milking a goat can be done when there's a routine to follow and supplies are organized!

• Do not let your homestead become a burden. If it is, stop and evaluate WHY it feels that way! It should mostly be a JOY (with small bouts of challenges that are discouraging, but not the norm). Get away once in a while. Yes, you will have to have someone watch the farm; maybe pay them (trading is better!). Your homestead is dependent on God first and foremost, not you. Getting away is a good reminder and will refresh you for the work that awaits when you get home. If you have to, plan several smaller trips (2 nights?), rather than one big one, but get away and TRUST THE LORD!

• It's okay to let go of something. For example, if you find that it's too hard to keep goats, and you've done all you can to make it work, find them a really good home and move on. Perhaps it will work during another season of your life. Letting go doesn't mean you can't pick it back up again! 

• Find something to do daily on your homestead that gives you GREAT pleasure. For me... it's hanging laundry, having tea, lighting a candle, wearing an apron, opening the windows (in summer), curling up by the fire with a good book (in winter), getting in bed early to read and relax, eating outdoors... 

• When you lay down at night, rehearse for a minute all the things you DID get done and thank the Lord. If it was a particularly difficult day, and more went wrong than right, you can still thank the Lord for SOMETHING! The fact that you weren't sick, you were able to physically handle the trials that came your way, that everyone is safe in their beds, that there was food on the table, that you learned a life lesson (I had to tell myself this when I killed my bees and I was so distraught!). 

Just for the record... my home is not always perfect. Let me rephrase that... it's never perfect. My home is probably a lot like every other home... clean for a couple of hours and lived in the rest of the time. I often choose to let the floors go. Living in the country, it's an unending battle. They get cleaned for company or when my husband, who is extremely patient (despite his preference for clean floors), might make the slightest mention of their need to be swept and mopped. 

You really want to live a simple life? Get this lesson down... and accept it. Embrace it. Be content and at peace with what God has said yes and no to. And enjoy!

What are you struggling with in your homesteading journey? What do you think you might need to let go of?

Me? I let go of some blogging last week - only one post other than the Barn Hop! And today... sorry, but only one photo. I let the rest go.

Barn Hop #65

Welcome to the Monday Homestead Barn Hop where you're invited to link up your blog with your very best post of the week; something happening at your homestead or something of interest that will help benefit fellow homesteaders. Plus, each of the 3 Homestead Barn Hop hostess selects her favorite post of the week to highlight the following week. So be sure to visit all three blogs because the "Featured Homestead" could be YOURS!

Many of you may remember Mrs. Sherry Lee of A Baker's Dozen Barnhouse News who lost her husband in a tornado over a year ago. God has been so good to sustain them through their year of grief and sorrow. And he has provided abundantly for their needs... This past week, Sherry linked up her new homestead! 

This is a very special post where we can rejoice with a sister in the Lord who has persevered (along with the help of her children and many others) to re-establish her family on land that will farmed. Please take a moment and stop by to say hello and thank the Lord with her!

 

Some more housekeeping news...

Starting THIS week, the Barn Hop Hostesses will select our Featured Posts from those that include the Homestead Barn Hop "button" on their blog post OR sidebar. We want to help spread the community spirit and so many of you have so graciously done so. Thank you!! We appreciate the fact that you've taken the time to include this button on your post and tried to encourage others to participate!

For those who need a bit of help installing the button, you can easily do so by copying it and uploading it as a regular photo with a link back to one of our blogs OR you can get the code version by going to my right side bar and clicking the chicken photo that says "HR Buttons". Just scroll down until you see the Homestead Barn Hop button.

For those who have been featured...

If you've been a featured blogger on the Barn Hop, either now or in the past, we now have a special button for you should you wish to add it to your sidebar stating that you've been a featured blogger! You can find it on my button page by clicking the hen with the blue barn on my sidebar that says "HR Buttons". It's a good idea to link it back to the page where you were featured so your readers can see. (These buttons do not have a code since it needs to be linked to the page you're featured in and it will change from week to week. Just copy the button or drag it to your desktop).

How can you get selected as a "Featured Homestead"? 

First, be sure you've included the actual Barn Hop button on your post. Thank you for sharing the message about the Barn Hop!

Second, as much as we all like a great giveaway (who doesn't?), this linkup is for posts on homesteading so that we can learn from each other and share great ideas, so pick something that is about homesteading or your homestead that would be of interest to others.

Third, if at all possible, include a photo in your post. If it doesn't have a photo, you're still eligible, but everyone likes to "SEE" what you're talking about, so one or two pics is a good idea!

Join The Barn Hop!

Jill @ The Prairie Homestead

Kendra @ New Life on a Homestead

and Amy @ Homestead Revival...

...invite you to link up and share your homesteading adventures!

1. Write a blog post about what's going on at your homestead or a post on something you're learning or an item of interest that will benefit the homesteading community. Be sure to add the red barn button and link back here so others can join in the fun. We kindly ask that you please do NOT include give-aways, advertisements, or eBook sales - Thank you!

2. Come back here and enter your information in the Linky. Please be sure to link to your actual post (click your title and then copy the URL above) and not your home page so those participating later in the week can find your post easily.

3. If you don't have a blog, leave a comment and tell us what's going on at your homestead!

Please Note: As hostesses of the Homestead Barn Hop, please understand that we reserve the right to remove any links that are not family friendly. While this may be subjective, we will err on the side of caution in order to keep our blogs appropriate for all readers. Thank you for your understanding!


Occasionally there is a problem posting due to glitches in the internet or the Linky Tools. If you have difficulties or see that your post is removed and it follows all "family friendly" guidelines above, please wait a little while and try re-posting. We're sorry for any inconvenience this may cause, be we do not have absolute control over the internet. Thank you for your patience and understanding!

Natural Goat Care Resources

It's cold again and I'm off to curl up with a couple of books from the library on the subject of natural goat care. Can you believe we were back in coats in June? Thankfully it didn't freeze - only 39 degrees last night and tonight!

I've already started the first book, The Complete Herbal Handbook for Farm and Stable by Juliette de Bairacli Levy, I and could hardly stop reading long enough to get up and actually go milk the goats! First and foremost, her book seems to be filled with a lot of wonderful common sense along with her experiences from lots and lots of observation and experimentation. Second, I was tickled pink that despite first being written in 1957, I already have a large amount of the plants and herbs she calls for in her preparations. And third, her book addresses poultry, bees, and sheep-dogs along with a few other animals that I currently do not own. I'm hoping to glean some things from all three categories for my own farm.

The second book, Natural Goat Care by Pat Coleby, came highly recommended. When I did some further investigation, it seems like Coleby is widely read and often referred to for natural methodologies with caprines.

While this second book has a chapter on herbal remedies, it's much broader, delving into all areas of caring for a goat naturally... from housing to management and everything in between. And I do mean everything! This hefty paperback has over 350 pages with black and white photos, sketches, and diagrams. It should be an excellent addition to the farm library even if I don't agree with every practice Coleby recommends. And I'm hoping it saves me a lot of time searching on the internet! This book was written in 2001, so it's fairly current.

Finally, another great source I've found for natural goat care is Molly Nolte's Fias Co Farm site. Molly has obviously spent hours upon hours compiling a lot of wonderful information for her readers, along with plans for milking stands, herbal preparations (which she sells at Molly's Herbals), and links with all kinds of information. I can't recommend her site enough! Thanks, Molly, for helping us all out on our goat adventures!

One thing I've definitely learned over the last two years... goat owners have definite opinions on raising their herds and those opinions can differ considerably! And just like doctors, vets can have varying opinions - often backed up by research that seems to contradict the other. The only thing one can do is read, study, practice, and observe. Over time, herd management will yield to that which has proven itself over and over again in the barn... or field... or wherever.

UPDATE 6/7/12: Thanks to Homestead Revival Reader Theresa who commented on a couple of excellent resources that should be added to this list. Fir Meadow also sells herbal products for dairy goats and has a wealth of information on their site as well as in Katherine Drovdahl's book, "The Accessible Pet, Equine and Livestock Herbal". I have not read this book, but given the popularity of her site, I'm sure the book is a good read.


The second resource she mentioned was a Yahoo group for those interested in an ongoing dialog for natural goat practices: Totally Natural Goats. You will need to request membership via the link I've provided.

If you've had experience with either of these books, please share your observations, pros and cons. 

Barn Hop #64

Welcome to the Monday Homestead Barn Hop where you're invited to link up your blog with your very best post of the week; something happening at your homestead or something of interest that will help benefit fellow homesteaders. Plus, each of the 3 Homestead Barn Hop hostess selects her favorite post of the week to highlight the following week. So be sure to visit all three blogs because the "Featured Homestead" could be YOURS!

Rose Petal from Live Ready Now had an incredible post on her family's recent trials on their homestead. As I read her post, I was amazed at the difficulties they were facing and yet, as they sought the Lord, they were able to see the lessons He was teaching them and the need to endure in the future. 

When I saw the link up titled "Done with Homesteading", I thought,  "Who's quitting? And WHY?"! And then, when I saw it was Rose Petal, I thought I had read wrong... until I read about her week! Now I've had some bad weeks homesteading, but none like hers! I honestly believe quitting would have been a consideration for me as well. I couldn't blame her for wanting to pack the bags and head back to civilization (so to speak). 

But she didn't throw in the towel... not yet. And she shared 7 things she has learned in the process. Friends, these are seven important things that you need to read and mediate on! I agree with each one of the things she listed and they are things that I have not articulated strongly enough, so I was very pleased to read her post all the way to the end and glean such wonderful thoughts. I hope they are profitable for you as well!

Just a bit of housekeeping news...

Starting next week, the Barn Hop Hostesses will select our Featured Posts from those that include the Homestead Barn Hop "button" on their blog post. We want to help spread the community spirit and so many of you have so graciously done so. Thank you!! We appreciate the fact that you've taken the time to include this button on your post and tried to encourage others to participate!

For those who need a bit of help installing the button, you can easily do so by copying it and uploading it as a regular photo with a link back to one of our blogs OR you can get the code version by going to my right side bar and clicking the chicken photo that says "HR Buttons". Just scroll down until you see the Homestead Barn Hop button.

For those who have been featured...

If you've been a featured blogger on the Barn Hop, either now or in the past, we will have a special button for you should you wish to add it to your sidebar stating that you've been a featured blogger! You may link it back to the page where you were featured so your readers can see.

Join The Barn Hop!

Jill @ The Prairie Homestead

Kendra @ New Life on a Homestead

and Amy @ Homestead Revival...

...invite you to link up and share your homesteading adventures!

1. Write a blog post about what's going on at your homestead or a post on something you're learning or an item of interest that will benefit the homesteading community. Be sure to add the red barn button and link back here so others can join in the fun.

2. Come back here and enter your information in the Linky. Please be sure to link to your actual post (click your title and then copy the URL above) and not your home page so those participating later in the week can find your post easily.

3. If you don't have a blog, leave a comment and tell us what's going on at your homestead!

Please Note: As hostesses of the Homestead Barn Hop, please understand that we reserve the right to remove any links that are not family friendly. While this may be subjective, we will err on the side of caution in order to keep our blogs appropriate for all readers. Thank you for your understanding!


Occasionally there is a problem posting due to glitches in the internet or the Linky Tools. If you have difficulties or see that your post is removed and it follows all "family friendly" guidelines above, please wait a little while and try re-posting. We're sorry for any inconvenience this may cause, be we do not have absolute control over the internet. Thank you for your patience and understanding!

Preparedness Challenge #35

Welcome to the Preparedness Challenge! Sorry that it's a week late! It's usually the last Saturday of the month, but just pretend it's still May for a minute.

Each month USA Emergency Supply hosts a give away to encourage families to set something aside to prepare for a time of emergency or the unexpected. Those who link up or leave a comment of something they did during the month to be prepared will be entered in the drawing.

This month, with all the "camping talk" here on the blog, we thought that an emergency kit for the outdoors would be a great item for everyone to have in their camping supplies.  Emergencies don't happen exclusively at home. In fact, often our medical emergencies happen when we're enjoying the outdoors. (Wasp stings... that was our last "catastrophe".) Sorry I don't have a photo to show you the kit, but you can read about it HERE.

Another item we're including is Kurt King's "Herbs to the Rescue", an herbal first aid handbook that you can take with you - just in case!


How I Met The Challenge!

Here's what I did this month in each category (see category definitions near bottom of the post)...

• Food Storage: I replenished my wheat and oat storage since we go through this pretty fast. Did I mention I bought half a cow? It should be here this month (June)! But I'm getting ahead of myself.

• Emergency Preparedness: I purchased two books on edible wild plants. I had put this purchase off for way too long. With all the spring weeds popping up all over my property, I figured now was a good time to get familiar with them! The first book I selected was Nature's Garden by Samuel Thayer and the second was Edible Wild Plants, by John Kallas. Both were highly rated and between the two, they should cover a lot of plants!

• Sustainable Living: This month I started several medicinal herbs from seeds, planted lots of summer vegetables in the garden, and brought home my new milk goat. I also did a bit of research on forages for animals and I experimented by sprouting some wheat for the hens. I did this without artificial lights or watering systems so I could see if it could be done easily if the electricity is down. No problem - especially since someone told me that the wheat grass is at it's nutritional peak for chickens on day 4 after sprouting.

Now it's your turn to join the Preparedness Challenge..

Join the Challenge & Enter The Give Away

To be entered in the drawing, leave a comment on something you did this week to be more prepared in terms of food storage, emergencies, or sustainable living (or all three areas!) OR link up your Preparedness Challenge blog post (you only need to comment or post, not both). Posts not related to at least one of the three areas of preparedness will not be counted toward the give-away. Please be sure to clearly state in your comment or post what you did this month to be more prepared (see my example above as one easy way to do this). Again, the three areas we are focusing on include: 


• food storage for life's unexpected events whether related to long term effects from a disaster or a job loss and everything in between

• emergencies for times of power outages, natural disasters, and such

• sustainable living in order to be more independent, both physically and financially, and to live as close to the land as possible given each individual's situation 

Please be respectful of our challenge and only add a post on one of these three preparedness topics ONLY in order to retain the integrity of the link up event. If your post is just a general homesteading post, please save it for the Monday Homestead Barn Hop.

NOTE: This challenge and give-away ends Friday, June 8, at 11:59 p.m. PST.

Be sure to take the Preparedness Challenge picture and add it to your blog so others know you're participating and hopefully they'll join up, too! THANK YOU!!

Update: The Great Tomato Experiment

Believe it or not, last week the temperature around here dropped to around 32 degrees one night and hovering just above that 2-3 other nights. We even got the slightest dusting of snow. {Sigh... } Such is life on a mountain.

The good news... my tomatoes did GREAT! I wanted to get them in early so that they would get a jump on the season (since it's so short here), so I planted them before the recommended May 31st date.

Since planting them in the ground in buckets (read about that HERE), I just used the bucket lid to cover them up. It was a super quick and easy task that my kids could help with. And despite high winds two nights, they stayed in place without any issues.

Only one plant had extended itself beyond the rim in such a way that I couldn't use the lid. I don't know if I failed to plant it as deep in the bucket or if it's just a larger plant much sooner (I believe the latter), but I just inverted another bucket on top of it and it did fine.

I've also noticed that they are doing really well for this early in the season. I believe the concentrated water with hay to prevent drying out has helped, but even more so, the heat generated from the bucket has created a great environment. And the bees are very interested in these plants!  As a side note, I've realized that the buckets have offered protection from wind, hoses being dragged through the garden, and saved them from the little feet of my helpers! It's much easier to notice the white buckets than a small green plant.

So as of today, I'm definitely pleased with the bucket experiment (more updates to come). If I can obtain some more before the weekend is out, I'm going to do this with my peppers as well. They typically struggle and limp along in our cooler mountain climate.

Anyone trying this experiment that would like to share how it's working for you?