Archive for the ‘Simple Living’ Category

We took our lovely wheat from our recent bulk order…

And ground it into flour in my brand-new NutriMill Grain Mill.

Then we used the EZ Wheat Bread recipe from Everyday Food Storage (we’ve been using her EZ White Bread up to this point).

(Nick actually made one batch with our fresh-ground flour prior to this, but used the recipe we’ve been using for white bread. As you might expect, it was rather short and dense).

Anyhow, off I went, piling the ingredients in the bowl.

Here’s my lovely assistant, the KitchenAid mixer, doing all the “hard labor” part of the job.

After that, it rises in a bowl for about an hour. It took a bit longer, as it was (surprisingly) chilly in my kitchen.

Then punched down, shaped in to loaves, and left to rise in the loaf pans for another hour or so.

Here are the loaves, after that second rise, ready to go in the oven. I didn’t do a very good job of dividing the dough in half, did I?

We had tweaked the time and temperature a bit on her white bread recipe, but since this was (a) a different recipe, and (b) a new oven from when we worked that all out, I decided to go with the (higher) temperature listed on the recipe.

I didn’t think it was quite done, but it had to come out before we got to “charcoal” on the top.

Sitting there, buttered and shiny, it sure looks good, doesn’t it?

But, alas…

It was not, in fact, done in the middle.

While I was, naturally, very disappointed in the waste, as well as not being able to enjoy the fruits of my labors, I do realize that this is a learning process.

Although we have been baking our own bread for several years now, we have stuck with one “tried and true” recipe — and we went through this same process in the beginning getting it worked out, too.

So, today, we are back at it.

The flour has been ground, and the mixer is churning away.

We’ll lower the oven temperature 25 degrees, and extend the baking time a bit. I’ll keep an eye on things and see if it look like it might still need foil over the top, as well.

Hopefully we’ll have a delicious treat later this afternoon. One step further down the road…

[Tiffany: I discovered this post by Wolf while trying to wade through my overstuffed "Drafts" folder. He wrote it a year ago, but somehow it never got published! Our timeframe had shifted somewhat, but the principles and thought process remain.]

Contentment on a shoestring budget.

And on a two year timeline.

We are setting a two year timeline for the project because of our oldest son. He will be old enough to move on to college or wherever in two years. Two years sounded like a good timeframe for trying to get a lot of things ready for us to move out to the homeplace.

I will be doing most of the work myself (with help from Tiffany and the kids, when possible).

I have worked construction and I’m a pretty handy guy. I have no problem with the labor and I can grasp the concepts if I get some input and counseling for the engineering parts.

Heck I can even do a fair job if I can get my hands on a good book.

We need to build out the home my father built, to suit our family and lifestyle.

• We want a summer kitchen and a stone wall and tower.
• We plan to build the building around a courtyard style structure.
• After that, we will need to build all the animal and equipment structures needed. A barn for the animals and for the equipment we will have. We want a fenced perimeter to keep the animals from wandering away.
• And of course don’t forget about the things needed for a self-sufficient life: We are figuring on having a mill (water wheel) to supply some of the power we need. Solar and wind power would be good things to have, too, for alternatives.

The first thing I’m looking for is the best foundation to have in the area.

I’ll be building a stone wall about one to two feet thick around the outer perimeter of the building we will live in.

I don’t know if it’s best to build the floor inside the walls on footings or to have the floor joists run into the walls. Maybe not even do the joists at all, but I think it would be cheaper than a concrete slab.

I also want to make sure it lasts for a long time. I would like for my kids to take over when I get too old and their kids after that. The construction should be easy to repair when needed.

I guess the first thing I will need is a sawmill. It will be a great benefit to have our own lumber capabilities. I’ve seen those portable bandsaw things around. Or I could go the John Walton way and hook up an old car engine to a big circular saw blade.

We’ll just have to pray and study on these things for a while. If you have any helpful ideas or materials, let me know.

(Photo from Homesteading in Tennessee)

I wish I’d taken pictures of the bulk food order we picked up from the LDS Cannery in Slidell last week…

It was on this big flat cart, like you use at Lowe’s, and it totally filled up the back of my Tahoe (that was before Clyde – wait, you didn’t read the story about Clyde??).

As you can see, R.T. enjoys the wheat berries straight out of the bag!

All in all, we got:

• 3 bags of wheat (25 lbs. each)
• 1 bag of black beans
• 1 bag of white beans (great northern)
• 1 bag of sugar
• 1 bag of oats
• 1 box of potato flakes
• 1 box of rice
• 1 box of spaghetti
• 1 box of macaroni
• 1 box of powdered milk
• Plus a package of 100 Oxygen Absorbers to package with the food for storage

Naturally, we got home to discover that we didn’t have enough of the 5-gallon buckets accumulated to store it all! It’s been slow going getting them from the Commissary bakery, but I have a couple of other places to try now, so maybe we can get caught up.

I’ve also gotten in with a group of ladies on an order for combined shipping, to get some Gamma Lids – that will resolve my issues with a couple of buckets I have that are lidless, as well as making life easier in general. (They snap on with a gasket like the regular lids, then the center part screws open (but seals tight) for access).

That’s a lot of supplies! Time to organize the “pantry” space in the back hall closet…

Read about the beginning of our natural deodorant adventure HERE.

Looking at the date I first wrote about natural deodorant made me realize that it’s been SIX MONTHS now. There have been several interesting developments that I wanted to share with you – at least if you consider anything about deodorant interesting!

One of the first things was giving up on the store-bought deodorant stick dispenser.

Fist of all, it’s not made for that kind of use. After a refill or two, the pusher-upper stopped pushing – the threads had stripped.

Secondly, it’s not really, really suited for this product. Your “Secret” doesn’t turn to liquid if it gets a little warm in your bathroom…

My first through was that it was “a bother” to scoop some of the mixture out with my fingers and smear it on my underarms. After all, then I also had to wash off my hand.

Wow, really?

I had no idea I was that much of a prima donna!

Then I ran across a great quote. Someone shared on Facebook, so I’m not sure this is an exact quote, and I have no source… But I like it!

Simple living does not mean removing all complexities.
It means focusing your energy on the complexities that matter.

No, mixing up the deodorant is not quite as simple as buying a tube of that stuff at the store.

No, applying it turns out not to be as simple as swiping some on from that tube.

But… it’s better. It’s more wholesome. It even is, in the grand scheme of life, a more simple – straightforward – product.

So, I continue.

And Wolf got on the bandwagon, as well, with trepidation.

He has used deodorant spray for many years, because stick deodorant clogged his pores and caused under-arm irritation.

Besides, he hates coconut. I don’t say “hate” much… I think it applies here.

The verdict?

A new convert!

He is not bothered by the scent. He does not have irritation or clogged pores. And apparently it’s getting the job done.

Oh, and he totally agrees with my rambling thoughts on the “complexity” of creating and applying it.

I have enough shopping bags that I can usually take care of all my grocery shopping, especially since it is now more often split up between the Commissary and the Farmer’s Market… Did I mention that the most wonderful ones ever are on Etsy, from Hillbilly Creations? She has listings with new as well as upcycled fabrics, or she can custom-upcycle from your items!

ANYHOW, I’ve almost gotten into the habit of always having the bags with me, and that’s all feeling pretty settled.

So now other things are starting to occur to me.

1. When we went up to visit family over Memorial Day, I packed our church clothes and shoes. Usually, I put each shoe (or each pair, depending) in a plastic grocery bag, to keep the suitcase and clothes clean. What do I use for that?

My same shopping totes would work, of course – although that didn’t occur to me at the time, for some reason.

2. We also use the plastic shopping bags for cleaning the cat box. It’s much more convenient to be able to clean the cat box without, for instance, taking it outside to the trash can. Plus, who wants the stinky cat litter sitting around making the trash can gross?

3. And what about produce? Bananas or pineapples can be free-floating, but it would be much easier to have a bag to contain the peaches, plums, or tomatoes… and when things are sold by weight, you don’t want to use a big (heavy) cloth tote!

Presumably, I want something like these (set of 3, from 3BBags.com)?

Anyone have any good suggestions, for these situations, or other “next steps”?

Sounds serious, eh?

I’ve never “gardened”.

Houseplants, yes. Water the lawn and mow it, yes.

“Garden”, no.

But if we’re going to make Contentment (see our explanation page, and posts about it) a reality, it’s going to take quite a bit of farm know-how.

So I figure I better work on knowing how, now.

I’m starting with the most-recommended book in my informal survey of gardening friends:

I have to make a few decisions such as –

• Where to put the garden in the yard
• How big to make it (in this case, how many “squares” to create)
• Dig into the ground only, or build raised beds on top?
• How best to make a fertile plot of of this horrible, sandy soil (what needs to be added)

All before we even get to the fun questions, such as choosing which crops to grow!

I sent for the Free Catalog from Gardens Alive, which includes a $25 coupon (not a sponsored endorsement, just sharing a deal!). Using it, I got their 10 pack of seeds, since they meet my primary requirement of being open-pollinated / heirloom varieties. I may not be saving any seeds this year, but I know that that is part of our future.

I want to eat the food the way God designed it, and I want it to reproduce itself self-sufficiently – also the way God designed it.

Their 10-pack includes:

• Blue Lake 274 Bush Bean
• Detroit Dark Red Beet
• Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce
• Cal Wonder Pepper
• Cherry Belle Radish
• Danvers 126 Carrot
• Bloomsdale Spinach
• Early Summer Crookneck Squash
• Brandywine Red Tomato
• Sweet Burpless Cucumber Hybrid

We will probably not grow the beet or the radish, but will use the other eight as our first experiments with each of those vegetables.

Important things we’re considering adding include Corn, Blackeyed Peas, Pole Beans, Winter Squash, Brussels Sprouts, Garlic, Onion, and some friendly and edible plants like Nasturtium and Marigold.

Some things I’m anxious to grow we won’t start until we move up to the land, since they’re not annuals: Asparagus, Blueberries, etc.

And how do Strawberries grow in Mississippi? In Florida they’re an annual crop, since there’s no winter to speak of to create the dormancy period which would signal them to produce again… So, here, can I keep them going?

I plan to grow a few little trees in containers – like Clementines. Not sure whether I should start those now, or would the trip still traumatize them too much?

Yes, I’m totally overwhelmed. Likely I will end up throwing myself on the mercy of the garden department staff at Lowes….

I actually started on the road to naturalizing my deodorant even before my adventures with the No Shampoo Method, so I thought it was about time I shared!

Like my friend Lisa Stone, I started with simply dampening my armpit and using baking soda. I confess I was surprised – it worked really well!

The only immediately drawback was that it was somewhat messy (baking soda dust all over the bathroom).

As time went on, I also got some irritation starting (especially on one side). I guess it is a little harsh – we use it as a scouring agent in cleaning, after all!

So I decided to jump in with both feet and try the homemade deodorant so perfectly explained and illustrated over at Kitchen Stewardship (her photo). There’s another great tutorial at Passionate Homemaking.

The recipe is simply this:

• 6-8 Tbsp Coconut oil (cooled to a solid)
• 1/4 cup baking soda
• 1/4 cup cornstarch (or arrowroot powder)

You just mix this up, then fill an old commercial deodorant container, and you’re all set!

This recipe filled my old “Secret” tube, with enough left (stored in a Tupperware in the refrigerator) to fill it probably twice more.

I have been using this preparation for a while now, and I am very pleased with the results.

As a deodorant, it works beautifully. And since switching over from plain baking soda, I have not had any skin irritation.

Although solid when cool, the mixture is a little more gooey than the recipes seem to indicate when I apply it, so I think I probably need to use less oil and/or more cornstarch next time. I’ll try adding more cornstarch to the leftover mixture before the next refill. (Obviously it is not a problem that has stopped me from using the mixture as is…)

Wolf dislikes coconut a lot, so I’m not sure if he’ll be willing to use this. It doesn’t leave you smelling tropical all day, but it does have a scent (which I actually like a lot!) when you are putting it on.

We could try another oil, but coconut has various properties that make it a superior choice (such as being antibacterial).

I’ll keep you posted…

My decision to move away from commercial shampoo products was based, as most things are, on a complex range of factors…

• Toxic chemicals used in the commercial products
• Desire to be able to live a more simple life
• Trying to use products with a more “green” footprint, including production, as well as less disposable packaging
• Trying to get back to the simple goodness of the things God created for us
• Frugal desire to avoid the high cost of the store-bought solutions

As I mentioned in my post on the No Shampoo Method e-Book, I dove right in and started experimenting on myself after reading a number of blog posts and articles.

Being a little squeamish of using eggs, I started with the seemingly universal “shampoo” – baking soda.

I poured some into my hand, mixed in enough water to make a paste, and scrubbed it in.

It seemed to work well enough. But it didn’t help my dry scalp, and it left my hair more dry and unpleasant than usual.

I figured I needed conditioner, but was frankly hesitant about the smell of vinegar, which seemed to be what most people use. Heck, I couldn’t even imagine how it could be a “conditioner”!

After perusing the No Shampoo Method e-Book, I got a better handle on some method variations.

First, I took my trusty Tupperware shaker cup, put some baking soda in the bottom, and added about a cup of warm water. Shaken up, this was a terrific shampoo that used much less baking soda.

Then I rinsed out the cup, added about 1/2 c. of apple cider vinegar, and filled to 2 cups with water. Voila, conditioning rinse!

I also found a great article about many uses for apple cider vinegar in hair care on a blog called Sweet Additions (about which I know nothing else).

This was a winner!

My hair feels silky soft, my scalp seems to be normalizing and balancing out, and best of all – once dry even my husband couldn’t detect a vinegar smell in my hair! (He has a very sensitive nose, and I asked him to sniff my hair without giving him any clue as to why I was asking).

I am hoping that with continuing use I will see even more improvement in my scalp.

Essential Oils are the next step. They can both add a pleasant fragrance, and also provide their own beneficial effects…

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Reminder: Until Jan. 6, you can enter to win a copy of the No Shampoo Method e-Book, just by clicking over and leaving a comment!

I enjoy vanilla, and having already purchased whole vanilla beans because we like to use them in ice cream I was inspired by the Heavenly Homemakers post on making your own vanilla (extract).

In the end, I more closely followed the instructions at VanillaReview.com – but it’s all pretty similar. (I also liked the instructions at Vanilla Enchantment).

Sadly, we did not think to photograph the process… I guess I’m just not quite used to the idea of documenting everything I do!

We only waited a few weeks before we started using the vanilla, which isn’t long enough in anyone’s book.

It does have a strong vanilla flavor already, but it is rather harsh. Hopefully it will become richer and mellow out as it ages more…

A friend recommended a chocolate-chip recipe that several women in our online group think are wonderful, so I was anxious to try them. When I looked at the ingredients, though, I noticed that one thing called for was a box of Instant Vanilla Pudding.

Hmmmm.

I sparked an interesting conversation on my Facebook wall when I asked folks who might know how to make pudding from scratch – “What would I substitute in this recipe to do this naturally?”

The long and short of it, we decided, was that there are lots of (relatively) healthy, natural ways to make pudding, and even pudding mix… But they won’t work in that recipe without the “Instant” – which is simply something not found in nature.

What is it, you ask?

Well, the ingredients in a box of band-name Instant Pudding include a bunch of things like sugar and cornstarch, their various “natural and artificial” flavors and colors, and…

Disodium Phosphate (for thickening)

That’s exactly how it is listed in the ingredients – like they know it’s a weird thing, so they felt the need to explain…

Now disodium phosphate, it turns out, is not as un-natural, or as scary, as I had though the “secret ingredient” might be.

It is actually commonly used for such purposes, as well as sometimes in cheese making.
People even take it straight as a health supplement (especially for the liver, gallbladder, and overall pH balance)!
It’s also used to prevent calcium deposits in steam boilers… Hmmmm.

I feel better knowing.

But I think I’ll stick with pudding from scratch ingredients I have in my kitchen… And stick with my old favorite chocolate chip cookies, too.