Community Planting

I have always dreamed of living in a community of people who help each other. And here I am, living the dream! We moved to Georgia from Virginia 7 years ago, this July. When we lived in Virginia, we lived on an Army base. We were all women with children about the same age with husbands overseas. We depended on each other for companionship as well as child care when we needed to go to the store right quick, or when we needed to complain or be uplifted. It was like an extended family. Someone was always home...But when I got here, it was hard to start over in a new place. Though everyone I lived next to was nice, it took awhile to really get settled and get to know them. Four years actually. People that aren't in survival situations, like wives with deployed spouses and small children, just aren't forthright in letting you into their personal lives. You can't just run to your neighbor if you need something, or are just lonely. But when my husband was deployed, God opened the curtain and let my neighbors in. It all started when a dear friend of mine initiated a work party to fix the rest of my fixer-upper house for a present for my husband serving in Iraq. It was my first taste of community in GA. A whole bunch of people showed up, some I knew and a lot I didn't. It was amazing to see how much people really care about those soldiers serving. And a neighbor came over and asked what was going on and it opened the door to a friendship.
By-and-by, we have helped each other out in various ways and he asked if we would like to use his back 2 acres for planting. Of course we jumped at this opportunity to learn how to farm on a larger scale, so we agreed and set to work. My husband was over there killing himself with a hand tiller and another neighbor took pity on him and asked if we would like to use his tractor. Well, yeah! Then he brought us manure from a Friend of his who has horses, and a dump truck and he put several loads of manure on it all for us, and then used his front loader to spread it out for us!
So that brings me back to the present and Planting day for the big field. It went wonderfully. My sister came over and gave us a hand in planting corn, beans, sorghum, chicken feed crops, and melons. And then when we thought we were all done, we remembered it was time to mound the potatoes which are huge! WE worked for 5 hours and had a ball, everything is better with lots of Friends, family and fun. So as we finished up our wonderful land-lender brought us out some cold beer on tap! It can't get better than that. It was his birthday and we sat around and visited for awhile and my sister's oldest son and his friend came over and had a drink with us too. Of course, the neighbor with the tractor saw us all over there and came by to see, and talked with us for a while. And last but not least Willow got to play with a little girl 2 houses down, who is just her age, while we worked so everyone was happy, down to the littlest "who". We are truly blessed!Even the neighbors dogs showed up for the party!
Here are some pictures of the freshly planted fields and the potatoes...

Here chick, chick....

I must say that before 2 years ago my chicken experience was limited to a childhood song and a cartoon rooster, named fog horn-leg horn. I thought they were cute and all, but now I am hooked! We got our first taste of chicken husbandry the year my husband was deployed and we got them as a distraction. Since then we have had about 48 chickens in subsequent years, we had our losses due to dogs and have had our first success this year at a broody hen. I am so excited! She is our smallest hen( a bantam) and she is sitting on the smallest, cutest eggs I've ever seen. Though her brood will be a strange one; her rooster is an araucana. They should be interesting... My daughter has her on a maternity schedule; eggs due to hatch in what she thinks is 25 more days. When we got this last batch we had hoped for some buff orphingtons(got a rooster and 2 hens in a coop together) but they are showing no signs of broodiness, Or a araucana match. But alas, we have bantams...oh well, you get what you can. Maybe they will have miniature green eggs. Well I thought I would attach some photos of the other chickens anyway, I love to watch them run around. They remind me of the movie 'Chicken Run'. They are always plotting.... this is willow with strawberry, she is one of our first chickens. This is Marshal Dillan. He is our buff orphington rooster.This is the father of the brood.

my new favorites

I have been trying to find a recipe for alternative sausage for a long time, and finally found one I like.


Spicy Italian Vegetarian Sausages


2 1/4 cups vital wheat gluten
1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes or soy been puree(I use the stuff left over from making soy milk.)
1/4 cup chickpea flour
2 tbsp Bills Best Chik’Nish Seasoning (if using another brand which is salty, or saltier than Bill’s Best, you’ll want to greatly reduce the amount you use)
2 tbsp granulated onion
1 to 2 tbsp fennel seed, optional
2 tsp coarsely ground pepper, preferably freshly ground
2 tsp ground paprika
1 tsp dried chili flakes, optional
1 tsp ground smoked paprika
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground allspice
2 1/4 cups cool water*
6 to 8 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp soy sauce


1. In a large bowl, mix together all of the dry ingredients. Whisk together the water, garlic, olive oil and soy sauce and using a fork, gently stir into the dry ingredients. Stir just until ingredients are mixed. If dough mixture is too dry, you can add another tablespoon of water or as needed.
2. Scoop 1/2 cup dough mixture at a time and shape into logs. Place logs on piece of aluminum foil and roll up, twisting ends. Place sausages in pot and boil for 30 minutes. Once sausages have cooled, remove from foil and refrigerate until ready to eat. After cooling, the sausages may feel a bit dry on the outside. Don’t worry, as they will soften and firm up considerably after chilling. You can use an alternative to foil, I am still experimenting to find a good shape, but patties work well too. I half the recipe, use some and freeze some. It makes about 48 links or small patties.
pictures of a Sunday cooking spree. See how pretty the sausages are?!

Here is the recipe for the energy bars you see. Love them too!

Energy bars
1/2 c. dried fruit of choice coarsely chopped.
1 c. old fasioned oats
3/4 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. honey or brown sugar
1/2 c. ground nuts of choice (I like sunflower, flax, and pumpkin seeds, with walnuts)
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 ground cinnamon
3/4 c. butter
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Mix thoroughly, spread into a 9x9 pan or double recipe for 9x11 pan and cook on 350 degrees for 35 min. Super simple and always enjoyable. I like to keep them for times when we need a quick snack, or for a hike or something.

Its gardening time!

After the cold extremely long (three month) winter we experienced here in Georgia, I am so glad it is finally my favorite time of year, Garden time! When I am not gardening, I am planning on gardening. parusing catalogs, plotting which goes where, and then scraping it all when it actually comes to planting day. Oh well, it passes those winter days.
My very first garden was in Ft. Lee, Virginia. It consisted of a 2x7 ft. long plot of nasturtiams and cucumbers, why I have not idea, probubly someone told me they were easy. Well after they grew, I was hooked! When we moved to GA we lived in a very small rental house that I wasn't allowed to plant anything in the ground. I was so bummed. My wonderful sister went out and bought me pots and seeds and helped me plant a beautiful pot garden with tomatoes, cucumbers, and flowers. I was back in school at the time, to expand my herbalist knowledge and it was perfect for a busy mom in school. SO then we bought our fixer-upper and I was pregnant with our fourth child and that put my garden plans on hold for yet another year, but finally, we were able to put in a garden "for real", or kinda anyway. We put up long row boxes,5 boxes 1x20ft. and planted squash, tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, okra, and cantalopes. We had so much it took over the yard! Oh how happy I was!
The next year we expanded and put in a couple of small gardens for herbs, both culinary and medicinal. Oh the joy, I was growing my two favorite things. I would wonder for hours among the plants and revel in the fact that they were mine. My herbalism went to a whole new level, as I was not only making medicine, but growing it and learning about it first hand by observing the plants in their element. But I am never ready to settle, so the next year I had even bigger plans. But my husband was sent to Iraq and I thought my plans were on hold. I had just had a ton (or 3) delivered to the house, and I had no idea how I was going to move it all! But God is good, he sent some good freinds over to help. We moved it all and I was able to add another vegitable garden to the mix. Now I could grow eggplant, some berries, and more tomatoes! When my husband got home, we added a new garden, and since the year before we had finally had enough rain to get the ground workable, we decided to get a tiller and try our hand at real dirt farming (small scale). We plotted a garden of 30x40 ft proportions and had manure haled in to make it rich. It was so beautiful, I could hardly believe it, my dreams were finally comming to fruition. I was a gardener.
We also put in an orchard and some other fruit bearing plants as edible landscaping.
So this year, we have expanded once more. ( and here I thought I was content). Our neighbor asked us if we would like to use his land to put in a couple of gardens, he has 1 acre. So we did! So far we have planted potatoes and have plans for feed crops for both our chickens and ourselves. God has blessed us so much in our lives. "Never knock humble beginnings" someone once told me. Now I understand....
Here are some pictures of our gardens this year. We started today, April 10. Only the beginning....

Soapmaking extravaganza!

Well its that time of year again.... every spring I make soap for personal use and to sell at the summer fairs that we attend. So a Friend of mine came over and our kids played and we cooked soap! When I first started making soap, I was on my own, with a book. Not the best combo. I was not sure what to do and a little scared. I had heard that lye was caustic and poisonous and to be feared! So I geared up in full armour, gloves full leather apron and face mask, the whole 9 yards. I blew up one batch like mount Vesuvius, so I was glad I was geared up! But later I found out that it was because I was using an aluminum pot, so make sure your pot is stainless steel or plated with something. I use a canning pot now. I also had a hard time bringing the soap to trace because I was using a spoon and sheer muscle strength. I learned a stick blender is a fine investment, brings the time down to 10 minutes. Once I ruined about $30 worth of stuff by not using a proper recipe, so I soon learned that it was imperative to find a book that had a good tried and true method, and not depend on free Internet ones. Here is the basic recipe I use: 24 ounces olive oil 24 ounces coconut oil 38 ounces vegetable shortening or palm kernel oil 12 ounces sodium hydroxide mixed in 12 ounces water then add 3 ounces essential oil (EO) of your choice . When you mix soap, make sure you wear gloves to protect your hands, because lye can be very drying, but for the most part, if you have a good recipe, the other gear is unnecessary. Soap making is alot of hurry-up and wait. You have to get all your stuff measured. Get your lye in first. And put in the water, then the lye or it can pop in your face-very bad.... Then put your hard oils in your pot and let it melt, then remove it from heat and add your liquid oils. Then let everything sit, for a long time. I usually start several batches then put them all aside and fix everything else. I line my moulds and mix my EOs. My husband put together some "lovely" wooden moulds for me. They can house 2 batches or you can take out the middle and make one large batch. Because I make soap for sale, I make a ton! But mostly you will only need one or two batches to last a year, depending on the amount of people in your home and how much you end up giving away. Inevitably, when people find out you make soap they will want to try it... Anyway, I LOVE to mix the EOs. I find it to be a wonderful and relaxing job. I start with some oils that are my favorite and go from there. You really can't go wrong with lavender, grapefruit, orange, and lemon. If you love spicy, you can go for strait peppermint, Cinnamon, or pine, all of which turn out lovely. This year I went for some new scents and made wonderful spicy or woodsy scents, but also went with citrus and lavender as well, because everyone loves those. I also like to swirl in helpful herbs to make great colors and patterns in teh soap. Some of the ones I love the most are: rose hips( vitamin-C, pink), elderberries(antioxidnets, purple), tumeric (anioxidents, yellow), lemongrass(fragrance, green) to name a few. You can also add finley ground oatmeal for softening of the skin or corn meal for an exfolient. These you add at about 2 ounces per batch after you have poured into the mould.
I have included some pictures of the wonderful soaps we made. Soap making is so much fun, I think everyone ought to try it once. If you don't feel like doing it on your own, you should try it with someone who has already done it and make a party out of it. After you have enjoyed homemade soaps, you will never want to go back!

The life of a healer

Here is a glimpse inside my mind. Sometimes when I am turned back to the art of healing, I get lost in the case I am taking. I go inside the person on a very intimate level. Peeling the symptoms back like layers in of an onion. It is sometimes hard to know where one ends and another begins. That is why I rely on God. He is my healer. I can take the lessons he teaches me in my own healing process. When I take on another's health, I am able to be healed. We are the world and the world is looking for a better way. A way with peace and happiness and joy, answers to life's hard questions. Jesus is that way, he is the answers. I had to learn that before I could truly become a healer. We turn to medical professionals, to herbalists, to chiropractors and gurus, but what we are all seeking is the healing of the soul(which is the mind, the emotions, and the will). No doctor can heal those ills. I think that is why I learned about herbs, though at the time I thought it was because I was seeking the healing of my child's body. But I believe everything is a metaphor, and I was really seeking to know if there was a better way. I have been on this journey for 10 years now and I have found the answer is "Yes". The the realm of plant medicine,with the way It is cellular, it is something that we see and yet can't see, correlates to Faith. The power is there, all around us. In the very plants we walk by, or kill as weeds, is what God put on earth to use to get relief when we are sick, and ultimately draw us toward real healing.It is what truly drew me. When we decide to take herbs we are making our first step outside of being told what to do. A physician's medicine is passive, there is nothing to do on your part. You take the medicine the symptoms abate, you think everything is better, then it comes back, maybe not in the same form, but you are still sick. Herbalism is the first step towards faith. You have to be tierd enough of the system to look elsewhere. Then your life is led to an herbalist. That is where transformation begins to take place, for healing is a process. To take herbal medicine is to take our healing into our own hands. Each herb is a plant, and each plant is part of life. You breath their breath, you can look at them, touch them, you can even grow them. They are tangible, personal healing. When you hold that plant, you have to have faith that they aren't poisonous, like we were taught. You have to have faith that they can heal. You have to look inside yourself and dig through the layers to get to who you are, to really connect to what it is that makes you sick. Herbs in and of themselves can't truly heal you, neither can medications. They have healing principles,yes. I have seen people healed of ailments with them even if they didn't believe in a higher power, but the symptoms always return. More sickness surfaces. Then that one is better and more return. A truly healed person doesn't need to keep coming back for more. They now work preventative, through a thoroughly well body.If you get sick, you think back to where that started in your life, fix that and then you are well again. There is no shame or condemnation if we do get sick, just don't stay that way.( There is nothing inside you that is too big or scary for God.) When you are healed, you are happy, fully reliant on God. That is the only true healing, when you get beneath all the symptoms and see you; and you and God as one. God cannot be sick. And he is in you. I am going to add the bible verse that helped me the most in my journey to healing. (I had to go through my own healing process, because a sick healer doesn't heal) 1 john 4:13 "God has given us his very own spirit; we understand that he abides in us and we in him and it is given witness by the spirit within us". That is exactly what healing is. It is recognizing God in us and us in him and letting that bear witness through the spirit, who is well and alive, peaceful and happy, inside us. As we live that, we give glory to our Father. God meets us where ever we are at, so he guides the physicians when they work on us, and he leads us to the next step when we are ready, then he helps us through the process of healing until finally we get to the door of real health. We knock and it is Jesus who opens the door, He was the one all along. The physician, the herbalist, the guru, whatever. His only wish is that we receive the gift that he gave us, the healing that he deserves. So in his name, lets accept that gift and let it transform us into new bodies, full of health and vigour. So we can enjoy the lives he gave us; our children, our husband or wife, and our house (yes and even the fact that we have enough stuff to make such a mess), the fact that we have enough food, abundance of choices! He has to help us see the world, through his eyes, who sees the truth. So lets really heal and see what we can do! I am not the healer, the herbs are not the healer, the physician is not the healer, Jesus is, in us. Whenever I start to think I have anything to do with the herbalism that I know, He always turns me back to shows me it is only Him, it always has been,and I can rest in that.

Weekly Menu

Every Sunday is my cooking/weekly planning day. I usually take Saturdays to rest and renew from the week, so when Sunday rolls around it is time to start planning for how the next week will go. I have found that when cooking mostly everything from scratch, small weekly batches of crackers, granola bars, cookies, soy milk, or extra bread stuffs/treats should be made on Sunday to keep ahead of the game. I have found that putting together a weekly menu can help with this process greatly, because you know what you will need and you won't waste your time making random stuff and be caught without something you need. Having a once a week cooking can also help to free you up so that you aren't cooking constantly to keep up. It is a little like grocery shopping, except you don't have to leave home to get supplies. I only shop every 2 weeks for fresh stuff, and I get bulk dried goods, which I order online, from bulkfoods.com. I make my menu around what foods I have available. So here is my weekly menu with recipes, that way if you want to try my method, you can just copy it or mix and match with some of your families favorite foods. This can help get you started. DAY; BREAKFAST; LUNCH; DINNER Sunday: coffee cake egg/cheese sandwiches breaded Garlic dill fish citrus dressed asparagus quinoa pine nut pilaf Monday: cereal or oatmeal, turkey sandwiches, Cock pot chicken/ bulgar with savory greens /Tuscan limas with sage. Tuesday: waffles with apple butter with sliced strawberries, chicken noodle soup with corn bread ,Lentil sambar with tortillas Wednesday: eggs/biscuits/soy sausage , baked potatoes, quiche made with Kale,tomato,onion, Thursday:orange/cranberry breakfast bread, grilled cheese sandwich/carrot/celery sticks with peanut butter , Hamburgers oven fried potatoes. Friday: cereal or oatmeal, bean burritos, Baked ziti/ garlic bread/ Caesar salad. Saturday: pancakes with maple syrup, Reuben sandwiches, Cook-out at my sister's. I useually set this up on a grid format for easy reading, but the blog wouldn't post it that way.
So that is the menu, if its on there than I have to make it. So I set it up before hand, then I make most of it on Sunday and a few things throughout the week. If I need to make it the day before, then I put a note under the day space as to what preparations to make, and if it needs to be done that day, I put a note under the day what needs to be made before the meal. I also include the page number and what cookbook it came from. Here is an example: Sunday: soak soy beans, make tortillas (I usually make so or a double batch for the week), make bread, master bread mix for week, make cookies, crackers, and pick asparagus for dinner. Monday: make soy milk (I have a Soya Joy milk maker), make Brioche (I have too many eggs) Tuesday: make waffles Wednesday: Make sausage (I use vital wheat gluten) recipe I got off the Internet, great flavor Thursday: make ziti noodles ( I use a Pastamaster 1200, makes noodles in 10 minutes) Friday: nothing Saturday: nothing Snacks for the week consist of saltine crackers (which I buy) with peanut butter, apples and honey, popcorn (home-popped), muffins, or bread with butter or peanut butter, or carrots, fruit sesame sticks. I usually make granola bars and graham crackers on Sundays for early risers so they can have a little something before breakfast, but there are still some from last week. Some of the things I make on Sunday only have to be done every two weeks, for they keep well and I make big batches. You can also make large batches of your dinners and freeze them for later use. I get most of my recipes from The Joy of Cooking, The moosewood cookbook of low-fat meals, and The moosewood restraunt's simple suppers. I also use recipe.com if I have an abundance of a certain vegetable out of the garden and need new ideas for it. My family and I love variety, so learning new ways to cook the same old foods is a wonderful addition to our lives. Usually before purchasing a new cookbook, I will check it out at the library. Most libraries have a huge selection of cookbooks, from the mundane to the extraordinary. As a home school extra, we sometimes will get a cookbook about a region we are studying and incorporate some new things into our dinners, some stay, some don't. If there are any recipes from the menu you would like, let me know and I will post them. Have a great week and happy, healthy eating!

Tincture Making 101

This Saturday was tincture making day. So I thought I would post on how it is done, and a few of my annual favorites.
There are several different methods of extraction, but tincturing is one of my favorites. Tincture making is a process of extracting the medicinal components of herbs into an alcohol base, for use in easier and more accurate dosing. Tinctures can be made as a simple (which is only one herb) or a formula (which is two or more herbs). I like to do simples, because I use the same herb for many different formulas, but as a beginner you can just choose the formula you need and make one batch for your herbal medicine chest. I usually put together several formulas of the ones I know I use often. You want to purchase your herbs from a reputable source, dried herbs loose their potency after one year, so make sure your source uses fresh herbs seasonally. I purchase mine from www.mountainroseherbs.com. I have used them for years because their herbs are always fresh with vibrant color and smells. Their shipping can be high, so if you only need one or a few herbs, go in with others on the order or purchase them from a local source, like a whole foods market.
Next you want to have your recipe in front of you so that you know which herbs to use and in what part. Lets say your recipe calls for 2 parts echinacea, 1 part goldenseal and 1 part slippery elm. Your parts can be anything you like just make sure you use the method. Example: you make 1 part equal 1/2 cup. then your formula would look like this; 1 cup echinacea, 1/2 cup goldenseal, 1/2 cup slippery elm. Or you can use weight(my favorite method, it is most accurate). When you are dealing in weight, you will find that roots and barks are heavier, so you use less and dried herbs and flowers are lighter so you will have more, which is why weight is more accurate method for medicine making.
After you mix your formula then you will take your 90 proof alcohol (I like to use the cheapest vodka)and pour over the top so that all the herbs are submerged with 1 inch of alcohol covering the top. As the herbs expand, top off with alcohol always keeping them with one inch over the top.
You will then label with what the herb is and the date of making. Shake daily for one week, then keep in dark, cool place like a cubard, shaking few times a week for 3 more weeks. You may start to use them after two weeks, but don't decant until 4 weeks has passed.
To decant your tincture, get a bowl and a pair of cheep pantyhose and cut off the bottom 12". You will then fit it over the top of your jar and pour contents into it over the bowl. Then squeeze all the tincture out of the herb and dispose of used herb into the compost. Get a clean jar or wine bottle, or what not, and pour the tincture into it. Label with name and date and put away for later use! Very simple, yet effective.

Here are a couple of the formulas I like to have around at all times: Immune boost
2 parts elderberries
1 part rose hips
1 part shitake mushrooms
1 part astragulus root


This formula is an immune enhancer. You can take this on a daily basis for life. It has no drug interactions and can be used for young and old alike.

Another is: Calming Formula
1 part catnip
1 part chamomile flowers
1 part skulcap

This is used for calming the nerves and helping to promote good restful sleep. It is also helpful in high blood pressure due to stress. Children do well with this one.

Another is: Think well formula
1 part gota kola
1 part gingko biloba
1/4 part ginseng root

This one helps the mom or student(or anyone) who needs a mental boost. Helps clear the mind for better thinking, as well as boosting energy levels. May add St. john's wort if depression is an issue, but do not take if you are already taking antidepressants, it counteracts.

Another is: Cough formula
1 part comfrey root
1 part slippery elm
1 part fenugreek seeds
1 part thyme

This one is useful in coughs of many types. Helps to move mucus, break up congestion, it is a fungicide for the lungs and a demulcent, or coats the mucus membranes. Helpful if sore throat is present.

Another is: cold and flu fighter
1 part linden leaf
1 part yarrow flowers
1 part elder flowers
1 part peppermint leaf
1/2 part licorice

*1/4 part valarian root can be added in case of flu, it helps with sleep, which helps with recovery!

Another is: tummy tamer
1 part chamomile flowers
1 part fennel seed
1 part dandelion root

This one helps with indigestion, gas, and acid reflux. I like to put it in a little sprite for a yummy-tasting, fast acting concoction. Can also be added to ginger ale.

Lastly, because of the seasonal change we are currently undergoing, I will mention: Spring tonic
1 part yellow dock root
1 part burdock root
1 part nettles
1 part dandelion root and leaf

Helps to clear out the winter stagnation and get the liver and kidneys flowing again. Take this one in March for an easier change.

Every home should also be stocked with this simple: Echinacea Augustifolia root(tincture 1:6 parts herb:alcohol).

As I continue to post you will build up quite a home medicine chest. In order to better learn how to use these and in what quantities, I suggest purchasing a couple of books. My favorites are: Bartram's Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine by Thomas Bartrum, and Making Plant Medicine by Richo Cech. These will get you started and give you great bathroom reading as you learn the different plants and how to use them.

Learning herbal medicine is an art that was used by people before the more modern Heroic medicine came into the picture. We can relearn this ancient art and take care of the preventative work at home, for a fraction of the cost of going to the doctor. That also keeps the Doctors free to deal with what we can't take care of, and maybe help bring health care prices down. So tell your Friends and family how to use the herbs as well and lets do our part to make a better world.