Simple Living :: The Farmer's Market



As the warm season approaches, Farmer's Markets begin to appear across Texas. Locally, we have the Historic Farmer's Market which offers bountiful produce, dairy products, organic meats, wines, artisan crafts and foods.

Most cities or towns across the state (and country) have lovely venues for this re-emerging trend. Not your grandparents' market, these newer Farmer's Markets offer a variety of gourmet palette appeasing items. With trendy home-made gifts and toys for children, these newer markets appeal to every age.



Tips for visiting your Farmer's Market

• Arrive on time. Most of the vendors are setting up and are not ready to open if you are early. Be courteous and arrive at opening or a little after.

• Bring your own reusable bags. If you're planning on purchasing several items, it is wise to bring your own bag. Most vendors will have a few plastic bags on hand, but it appears overly trendy, not to mention easy, to bring your own from home.

 



• Bring cash. While technology has come a long way with the use of iPhones and the Square, many merchants will not have those offerings. Cash is king at the Farmer's Market and may allow you to barter if you feel the need.

• Ask about the produce. If you are looking for organic produce, don't be afraid to ask the farmers. They will know best and you won't make false assumptions.



You definitely don't want to miss out on this summer's offerings - stop by your local Farmer's Market this week and support your local agriculture!



Simple Living :: 13 Things to Learn in 2013 Update

Six months ago, I made a list of things to learn for 2013. I'm actually quite shocked it has been six months!

I've been able to cross off some of those items, but they are all still a work in progress! I'm hoping to have everything crossed off by December!

_____________________

Each year, many people make resolutions to uphold. While resolutions are not usually on my radar, I do pick a yearly theme and do my best to live up to that theme throughout the year.

2012 was a year of firsts for me. I had the opportunity to do quite a bit of things for the first time: feeding giraffes, traveling to Wyoming, South Dakota and Palm Springs, growing a produce garden, teaching JMG, hosting a cookie exchange, having a niece, starting a blog, and more.

This year, I want to continue my love of learning by learning new things as well as expanding my knowledge in areas I enjoy. Here are my 13 Things to Learn in 2013:

• Learn how to fly fish
• Properly care for Orchids
• Perfect several French pastries I've definitely completed this task - although, I think I shall always want to learn how to make more!
• CPR and First Aide
• Learn how to design and build a museum While it is not finished yet, I feel I've certainly learned how to design and build a museum. And, it is a LOT of work!
• Say Yes more to my family and No more to others
• Understand how to use my DLSR and edit my photos I've really enjoyed knowing how to edit my photos. I'm planning on taking a photography class later this year to continue this goal.
• Learn a yarn craft
• Expand on suburban gardening and raised beds
• Take a Hunter Safety Course and a Concealed Handgun Course
• How to maintain proper fitness
• Learn to Dance Jake and I recently learned how to Rumba. I still want to learn how to Waltz and half a dozen other steps, so each month we will be headed to class!
• Learn a Foreign Language  I've learned construction speak. I'm not sure this counts as a foreign language, but it was definitely foreign to me! I'm still planning on picking up a real language through the year. But, I'm checking this one off!

Simple Living :: Winter Bird Feeding





 



In the mornings (when it is warm enough), I sit on my patio sipping cocoa and watch birds flock to my feeders for a Winter meal. The doves, wrens, sparrows, titmouse, and even the wily woodpecker visit each day. Their melodies turning into a lovely song make the mornings pleasant. The cardinals and jays battle over the feeders mid-afternoon and by dark, all is quiet. {To keep the squirrels at bay, I leave corn cobs below my feeders for them to snack upon.}

In the Winter months, birds will gather for any free buffet of high protein seeds, suet, or peanuts. This time of year can be difficult for birds to find food; oftentimes, insects are dormant or dead and berries or seeds are buried under snow. If you hang feeders, be sure to keep them out of the wind and be prepared to fill them often.

This week, more birds have visited the feeders than usual; I've filled them each morning. To help offset the cost of seed (which can get quite costly), I look for seed to go on sale in October. The last seed I purchased cost $1 per 10 pounds. I bought all the store had!

All About Birds has a useful post discussing How to Choose Bird Seed. I highly recommend reading it before you begin Winter feeding.

I plan on participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count again this year. The count takes place February 15th through the 18th and anyone can take part in it. By providing a local bird count, researchers can track migrations, keep up with the effects of West Nile, and check biodiversity throughout the country. This is a fantastic way to introduce your children or yourself to bird watching. If you plan on participating, visit the website, have a field guide and binoculars handy, and don't forget the cocoa!

What type of seed do you prefer to feed to your local birds? Have you ever participated in a bird count?

Simple Living :: 13 Things to Learn in 2013

Each year, many people make resolutions to uphold. While resolutions are not usually on my radar, I do pick a yearly theme and do my best to live up to that theme throughout the year.

2012 was a year of firsts for me. I had the opportunity to do quite a bit of things for the first time: feeding giraffes, traveling to Wyoming, South Dakota and Palm Springs, growing a produce garden, teaching JMG, hosting a cookie exchange, having a niece, starting a blog, and more.

This year, I want to continue my love of learning by learning new things as well as expanding my knowledge in areas I enjoy. Here are my 13 Things to Learn in 2013:

• Learn how to fly fish
• Properly care for Orchids
• Perfect several French pastries
• CPR and First Aide
• Learn how to design and build a museum
• Say Yes more to my family and No more to others
• Understand how to use my DLSR and edit my photos
• Learn a yarn craft
• Expand on suburban gardening and raised beds
• Take a Hunter Safety Course and a Concealed Handgun Course
• How to maintain proper fitness
• Waltz

Simple Living :: Paper Making with Children

 

 

Recently, I held a Junior Master Gardening class and taught the children how to make paper. I'll be completely honest with you all and go on record to say, "I had no idea how to make paper before we started this endeavor!"
All that aside, making paper (at least this kind) was extremely easy, not to mention fulfilling and fun.

Materials:

• Half a gallon to whole gallon plastic baggie filled with one square inch pieces of newspaper. Fill baggie with water and allow to sit overnight.
• A blender - not your best for sure! I got mine at Wal-Mart for about $15. You might can find one at a thrift store.
• Screens - Using window screen replacement material cut rectangles or squares in adequate size for your needs. Tape edges with duct tape to prevent tears, frays, or cuts to your fingers. The frames I used were about 6.5 x 7.5 inches.
• Paper towels - you will need an entire roll!
• Styrofoam plates
• Various cookie cutters (If you're wanting sheets, try the large rectangular cookie cutters used to make ginger bread houses)
• Embellishments: flower seeds, colored raffia paper, etc.

Let's begin!
 

 

1. Fill your blender approximately 1/2  full with shredded paper and the rest of the way with water.

 

 2. Pulse blender until shredded paper turns into paper pulp. The blender may clog, if so, unplug and stir pulp with a chop stick or wooden spoon.



 3. Place a paper towel down on your work surface. Then, place the screen on top of the paper towel. Next, place your desired cookie cutter on top of the screen. Using a spoon, add a small amount of pulp in the center of the cookie cutter and spread evenly with your fingers.

{Warning: You will get messy! I advise removing rings!}

 



 

4. When spreading out the pulp, you want it to be as thin as possible, but not have any visible holes. Once I get the pulp spread out in my cookie cutter, I remove some and spread it out again to fill the vacant hole. Do this step until you can no longer spread it thinly without holes forming.

 

 

5. After the pulp is spread to the desired consistency, push down on your cutter and gently lift it off as if you were pressing out a cookie from dough.

 

 

 

6. Take another paper towel and press hard onto the paper shape. You want to remove as much water as possible. Gently remove the towel so as not to tear the paper.

 

 

7. Place a paper towel on a Styrofoam plate. Turn the plate and towel upside down over the paper cut-out and screen. Carefully, lift everything and flip it over so the plate in now on the bottom. Peel the screen back slowly from your paper.

 

Viola! You've made paper! Now, let it dry for about 24 hours.

 

If you want to add wildflower seeds to make your paper plantable, do that in step 3 after you've got the desired consistency of pulp. You can also add colored raffia at this stage too.

 

Once dry, you can write or paint on your paper; turn it into an ornament or name tag; and even use it for crafts. Experiment with different types of recycled paper for texture and color variety.

Simple Living :: DIY Microwave Popcorn

 

Our little household goes through popcorn like there is no tomorrow! My husband, Jake, can't stand the stuff, but the boys and I love it. After trying to find ways to cut our grocery budget, I realized we were spending $10 to $12 a month just on popcorn. Wow! (Hi, I'm Michelle, and I'm a popcorn addict.)

At the last park day, I asked the question about do it yourself popcorn. One friend suggested the Whirly Pop, which is a neat stove-top popper; another suggested making your own microwave bags. Since I was quite ready to purchase a Whirly Pop, I opted for trying it on my own method first.

Here's how to make your own DIY Microwave Popcorn:

Using a brown paper lunch bag, spray a little non-stick cooking spray inside. I like to use Trader Joe's Olive Oil Spray. Add 1/3 cup popcorn kernels and fold over the edge of the bag twice. Lay the bag on its side inside your microwave.

 

I used our microwave's popcorn setting, which is about three and a half minutes. However, everyone's microwave is different, so please watch your popcorn closely and when the popping slows stop the microwave. We don't want any fires!

When opening your brown paper bag full of yummy popcorn, be careful as the steam will be hot! You can season the popcorn to your individual taste or eat Au natural.

 

The boys love sea salt and Parmesan cheese as toppings!

Since this began as a way to help lower my monthly grocery budget, I wanted to give you a cost breakdown for this project.

1 - 2lb bag of popcorn = $2.89
1 - 50 count of brown paper sacks = $1.29

Using 1/3 cup of popcorn, I can make about 20 bags of microwave popcorn. Each bag would cost me only 15 cents to produce in comparison to the minimum of $1 per bag I had been paying. That's a huge savings! I mean, its not going to build our retirement, but every penny counts. Plus, this is an EASY way to save and it really is a simple process.

What flavor combinations do you use on your popcorn? My boys are dying to try some new flavors!

Simple Living :: Teaching Children to Budget, Part 2

Last Monday morning, I gave the boys a twenty dollar bill and explained their budgeting objectives. Everything they wanted to do outside the home for the week would have to be paid for using this $20 only. 

I showed them how to search for coupons and how to use them effectively. They got creative in planning their summer fun activities and even learned a lesson or two along the way.

Monday:

The boys signed up for the Kids Bowl Free program earlier this summer. This wonderful program through AMF allows kids to bowl two games per day free, as long as they are registered and bring their coupons. Since they already both have personal bowling shoes there is no additional expense to bowl.

After bowling, we headed over to Sonic for drinks. The boys had previously been given tokens for a free medium drink each from our local summer reading program.

Across from the Sonic is a great park that my my boys just love. We played until they couldn't play any longer!

After the park, they were a little peckish. Since my birthday is in July, I received a coupon from Schlotzsky's for a free birthday pizza. Snack accomplished!

Total Cost of the Day: $0

Tuesday:

On Tuesday, the boys slept in a bit. I think they wore themselves out with all the free fun the day before.

We decided to take our big dog to the dog park for a little fun and exercise. I'm not sure who ran more - the humans or the canine.

On Tuesday, we also went to lunch. The boys had 2 kids eat free at Jason's Deli coupons and I just happened to have a $5 off any entree coupon for my birthday. Needless to say it was a yummy and cheap lunch (only $4.34)!

Our Bed Bath & Beyond also opened on Tuesday. The eldest got to be the first customer through the door. He was pretty excited. I was more excited about having this great store in our city!

Mid-afternoon, we went to check on the gardens we are raising and the boys harvested tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and a squash. 

We also stopped by Radio Shack and picked up the youngest a Hex-bug on sale for a mere $2.

Total Cost of the Day: $6.34

Wednesday:

Wednesday was the 4th of July! We started the morning off by having a competition to see who could wear the most red, white, and blue! Happy Birthday, America! 

We had made plans to attend the movies this afternoon to watch Journey 2. It would have cost the boys $4.50, but they checked the RedBox listings online and found one available to rent for less than the cost of going to the movies. Were they using great budgeting skills? Oh yes, they were!

We had popcorn and sodas at the house. So, the movie break only cost them $1.30

This movie is hilarious! And a fun sequal to Journey to the Center of the Earth.

After the movie, our library had a Party in the Plaza. The boys and I went and they got free lemonade and cake, made some crafts, and watched a local magician. It was a pretty fun time! We even ran into a friend who gave us great advice on where to watch the fireworks - thanks JLF!

We did have to get a large vanilla Dr. Pepper from Sonic at some point - we shared, so only $1.18.

We had friends come up from Nacogdoches and we grilled out for the 4th.
Then watched the largest fireworks show in East Texas - it lasted for 30 minutes!!!

Total Cost for the Day : $1.18

Thursday:

We began Thursday a little behind schedule, but we eventually made it to Park Day with a few of our fellow homeschoolers. We even brought garden veggies to share!

My Mom (Nana) met us for lunch at Luby's, dessert at our local yogurt shop, and a little birthday shopping. We had a really enjoyable day. We also had piano lessons on Thursday.

Total Cost for the Day: $0

Friday:

Friday was my birthday - more on this later! However, all birthday activities were paid for by Jake, a.k.a. Daddy, so the boys spent nothing!

Total Cost for the Day :$0

Saturday:

On Saturday, the boys' Aunt and Uncle came up for a visit. We mainly worked on chores the first half of the day and played the second half. The boys eagerly built LEGO creations from their shopping trip with Nana on Thursday.

We were fortunate enough to have received tickets to the Pump Jacks baseball game for the evening. We had planned on going Friday night, but we were hit with a monsoon and the game was cancelled. While at the game, the boys bought snacks.

Total Cost for the Day: $5

Sunday:

Sunday morning, the boys, Jake, and I went to church. The boys gave tithes on their original $20 dollars. Afterwards, we came home and took a nap, well, at least I did!

The evening found us our friends' home for a gathering of our church Care Group and lots of good food!

Total Cost for the Day: $2

Summary:

All in all, this was a delightful week, filled with lots of fun as well as a couple of teachable moments. The boys learned they could stretch their budget through the use of  coupons, freebies, and even substitutions. They learned the importance of budgeting for giving to others. They even learned how to work together in making financial decisions.

Total Spent During the Week: $15.82

But, most importantly, they learned how to save: Money Saved = $4.08

Simple Living :: Teaching Children How to Budget, Part 1

Budgeting is an important aspect of life. It recently became a topic of discussion in our household after the boys held a garage sale to raise money for our summer vacation. They still have this week of break before we hit the books for 5 more weeks - after which, we're taking a family vacation together.

They puzzled over how they would have fun this week while also trying to save money. I decided to make this a teaching moment and we began a short lesson on budgeting followed by an experiment.

I gave the boys twenty dollars (note: not $20 each, but together) this week to spend on whatever outside the house fun, food, drinks, and whatnots they chose. We went searching for coupons to save money on activities and planned out some free things to pass the time.

We started yesterday morning and things are looking good, so far! We've actually planned out the rest of the week (well, at least until Friday) and we've printed out everything they need for a successful and thrifty, fun-filled week.

I've noticed an increased interest by both of the boys to conserve their cash, as well as to stick to their budget. Ideally, they would enjoy the week, spend some of the cash, and conserve some for the trip. They decided I needed to take photos for all of the week's activities to share their creative choices with others. They have kept up with receipts and are tracking all their spending. I'm really interested to see how this little experiment ends up!

Have you ever tried something like this with your children? If so, how did they do?

Simple Living :: Creating Your Own Terrarium

Terrariums harken back to the Victorian era where ladies would create magnificent flora displays to showcase their horticultural talents. Beyond these small-scale man made worlds, the Victorians created the Conservatory in which hot tropic grasslands, humid rainforests, arid deserts, and even barren alpine hills were recreated inside. Where as modern terrarium containers include glass jars or open bowls, the Victorian terrariums where miniature replicas of their beloved Conservatories.

I recently taught my Junior Master Gardener class how to make terrariums. Terrariums offer a unique gardening experience in which children and adults learn to recreate a biome and the water cycle, as well as maintain a habitable world. The children thoroughly enjoyed this project. One child added a small frog to his terrarium.

Enjoy the beauty of plants indoors this summer by creating your very own!

First, you'll need to gather the following items, all of which can be found at your local gardening supply store: potting soil, pebbles or pea gravel, activated charcoal, and spagnum moss. You will also need plants for your terrarium. Some of my students brought plants from the garden: clover, ivy, and a variety of grasses and moss. Others bought their plants: ivy, ferns, and succulents. If you use succulents, instead of potting soil, you will need a specialized succulent soil. You will also need a container. The best containers are those made from glass. You can select an ornate jar or a over-sized pickle jar; it is really up to your preference. Succulents work best in an open glass bowl.

Let's begin!

First, ensure your jar or bowl is clean. Then, place approximately one inch of pebbles in your jar. The pebbles will act as your drainage.

Next, add 1/2 inch of activated charcoal. Make sure to not mix the pebbles and the charcoal. The charcoal is the filter for your little biome.

After the charcoal, add one to two inches of spagnum moss. You should pack it down slightly. The moss acts as your soil barrier.

Then, add one to two inches of potting soil. This will depend on the size of your jar and plants. Again, slightly pack this down. By now, you should easily be able to see the four layers of your terrarium through the glass.

This is actually my favorite part: you may now add your plants! After I get them planted, I like to add a few pebbles and moss pieces to the top for decoration.

Don't forget to add moisture to your terrarium. You want to ensure your plants are thriving, but do not over water. You can leave your terrarium open or closed, but you need to check on it daily for the first month. Make adjustments as needed. If you add an insect or small reptile, make sure you are feeding it properly.

I hope you enjoy this project as much as my students did!

I've started to get terrarium fever - I'm experimenting with this jar, as I've planted forget-me-nots in it. I'll update on their growth.

Simple Living :: How to Make Freezer Jam

A few weeks ago, my good friend Kathe taught me how to make freezer jam. When she first mentioned making it, I was excited because I remembered my grandmother making jam when I was a child and I've always wanted to learn. Kathe told me we could have it all done in about 30 minutes, but I was sceptical because I just knew it was one of those hard-to-make things.

During my last grocery shopping trip, I passed down an aisle selling Sure Gel (fruit pectin), Ball plastic jars, and labels. After making the jam with Kathe, I decided to try my hand at it solo, so I bought enough supplies for one batch.

Last night, I thawed the strawberries we picked at McPeak's last month in preparation for this morning's easy freezer jam session.

In each package of Sure Gel there are precise and easy to understand instructions. Be sure to read these before beginning and decide if you are making jam or jelly.

For those who don't know, jam is has bits of fruit in it, while jelly does not and is made from the juice of the fruits. Today, I made strawberry jam.

You need to wash and dry all of the containers you will be storing your jam in as to prevent any contamination.

You will need one package of Sure Gel premium fruit pectin (they do sell a lower sugar version), 4 cups of sugar (depending on which type of fruit you use), 2 cups of pureed or mashed fruit (strawberries), approximately six 8 oz. containers, and labels if so desired.

Let's begin!

When I made this with Kathe, we had fresh strawberries and used a masher to get the desired consistency of the fruit. This morning, I tossed two cups of half-way thawed/frozen berries into our food processor and pulsed two to three times. Your measurements for making jam need to be precise.

In a separate bowl, I measured 4 cups of sugar. Then, I mixed the berries into the sugar and allowed them to sit for 10 minutes.

While I was waiting on the sugar to absorb all of the berry juice, I put the package of pectin and 3/4 cup of water on to boil. While bringing the pectin mix to boil, I stirred constantly. I allowed it to boil for 1 minute, while still stirring.

Next, I poured the pectin over the berry sugar mix and blended it all together. The Sure Gel directions say to mix for 3 minutes or until the sugar in completely dissolved and no longer grainy.

Once mixed, I used a measuring cup and added approximately 1 cup of jam to each of my Ball plastic jars. I did leave a little room for expansion. Before screwing the lid on, I wiped the rims of the jars. Kathe tells me this is a very important step! She has had experienced with jam jars that were not cleaned and can testify to their stickiness.

Be sure to label your containers to ensure freshness. Let your jam stand at room temperature for about 24 hours; after which, you may place them in the freezer. But, don't forget to leave one in the fridge!

Sure Gel recommends refrigerated jams have a shelf-life of about 3 weeks and those frozen can last up to a year.

My next jam session will be a pepper and cactus jam. My eldest son is a pepper belly and can't wait to try it!

Do you have any suggestions for making jam or jelly? Do you have a favorite?