MockHomesteading

What does Organic really mean?

2012-02-09T12:46:00.001-08:00

Skin toner transition!

2012-02-09T10:52:00.000-08:00

During the winter, we normally use our space heaters and a forced air furnace. While keeping us warm and toasty, it really dries my skin out. So, I discovered that I can transition my toner from astringent to moisturing. What I did was I added 2 tsps of vegetable glycerin and 1 oz of rose water per 3 ozs of toner. I poured out my toner into a bowl, added them and mixed them really well just poured it back into the bottle with a funnel.

Vegetable glycerin is an emollient, a humectant and it's hygroscopic (attracts water from the air). Rosewater nourishes the skin with a plethora of benefits. It tightens pores, reduces fine lines and wrinkles, and balances sebum production. It also is naturally antibacterial!

Getting stuff done... The percentage/steps correlation.

2012-01-09T11:56:00.000-08:00

I have noticed that the amount of steps that a project takes directly correlates to the likelihood that said project will get done. If a project has 0 Steps that means that it has a 100% chance of being completed. 10 or more steps? Means there is a 1% chance of being accomplished.

Let me give you an example:
Doing dishes? 3 steps. Fill sink, wash dishes and dry/put away = 80% chance of being done. If you have no dishwashing detergent, that adds 3 more steps = 40% chance of being accomplished. The reason? Get into car, buy detergent, come home, fill sink. wash dishes, dry and put away. 6 steps vs 3 steps. But if you make sure you always have detergent, then you only have 3 steps.

Doing Laundry:
There is a 40% chance that it will be completed. Put clothes in washer, Wash Clothes, transfer to dryer, Dry clothes, Transfer to basket, Put away clothes. 6 steps. Out of laundry detergent? 9 steps. you have a 10% chance of getting it done. Broken drier? You'll be lucky if you get it done once a week!
Now, some might say that getting them dry and and in a basket is 'done'. Not really. That's just something we tell ourselves so we don't feel like crap when we have clothes all over our bed or in multiple baskets all over the house.

Just imagine how this transfers over to DIY projects! Okay, if you want to build a desk that hangs on the wall. Do you have brackets? Do you have laminated plywood? There is an 80% chance that will be completed. Do you need to go to the hardware store to get those things? There's a 30% chance to getting it done. Decide to get wood boards and varnish it yourself? Your chance of completing it just went down to 10%. Keep in mind you can't varnish it AFTER you've already set up your desk, plus you need a place to varnish it, and a semi nice day to do it. Your chances went waaaaaaaaaaaay down of completing the project.

OI!

2011-11-27T00:06:00.001-08:00

Source: Frugal dad

Mock Soup of Champions

2011-09-22T15:17:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 QT of broth
2 Cups of Meat
3-5 Cans of Veggies
4 Tbsps of Garlic Powder, 4 tsp of pepper (no salt needed, believe me, it's got enough already)

Optional: Cornstarch to thicken

You can, of course, modify this. It's simply a base.

The last time I made this soup (which was about... an hour ago) I used 1 QT of beef broth, 1 package of onion soup mix, 1.5 cups of freeze dried beef, 2 cans of (mostly drained) green beans, 1 can of corn, 1 can of peas, 1 can of whole baby potatoes, sliced up and a handful of sliced baby carrots, garlic and freshly ground pepper.

Instructions:

I simmered it uncovered for 20 minutes. To that I added 1 Tbsp of beef bullion, and 1 1/4 Tbsp of cornstarch dissoved in a 1/4 of a cup of cold water (mixed well). I drizzled the cornstarch mixture in slowly to thicken. I continued cooking for another 15 minutes.

I served it over a sliced open roll, and it's absolutely fantastic. This was my second helping. I am so full *holds tummy*

Tactical knitting

2011-05-21T17:08:00.001-07:00

So today, while Cuteboy and I are down with a cold... he decided to teach me the cobra knot or something. And after we both are conscious, then we can get this place packed up.

Updated:
He is making a strap for his 'man purse' and I was just mucking about with some spare cording. We've made it back to the mock homestead and are working on a ventilation system for the basement.

Gardening

2011-05-17T02:30:00.001-07:00

The boys made me a couple of raised bed gardens this year out of cedar boards. Cuteboy wound up completing them with me dutifully holding the mag lite while he used the power drill.

On that note, should I ever need to buy a power drill again, I will be getting a DeWitt. Black & Decker is nearly impossible to buy replacement battery packs locally.

Pictures to accompany soon. It was too dark to take any actual pictures of the assembly. Also Cuteboy made me some hydroponic food factory rigs too, he just has to bring them up from his soon to be ex apartment.

And so it begins:

2011-05-15T20:16:00.000-07:00

Today we decided to start our garden. Monk and I headed out this morning to the Farmer's market. We picked out 2 orange pepper plants. 2 red pepper plants, 2 cayenne pepper plants, 3 brandy wine tomatoes, 4 beefsteaks and 3 pineapple tomato plants.

Cuteboy and I went in to Menard's to get some cedar boards for the frames. Cedar is naturally insect repellant, and picked up a few more seeds.

2011-04-04T20:27:00.000-07:00

How to Subvert Censorship
By Doug Hewitt

Censorship takes many forms, but news is typically a big target .Censorship has become a hot topic around the world. In China, Google is threatening to leave the country. In Iran, news has to get smuggled out via cell phone videos. While some countries take pride in the freedom of the press, other countries view censorship as a method to remain in power.

But what is censorship? It's the suppression of free speech, and it doesn't have to be of the government variety. Some speech can be censored based on social norms. For example, newspapers typically don't print letters to the editor that contain profanity. These newspapers censor such letters. On the other hand, profanity can certainly be found on the Internet. It's not censored by some governments.

At high school graduations, there have been cases in which valedictory speeches have been censored. And when students read their speeches anyway, they are threatened with retraction of their diplomas by school officials who argue that students are expected to follow codes of conduct. Parents have certainly been known to censor their children. "Shut up," can be an effective form of censorship for an authoritative parent. However, as children grow into teenagers, the "shut up" may lose its efficacy.

While it may be easy to condemn censorship by the governments of Iran and China, there are other forms of censorship in more complicated situations where lives are at stake. For example, in 2005 a Danish newspaper published a cartoon depicting the Islamic prophet Muhammad, despite opposition to what hard-line Muslims viewed as blasphemy. The publication of the cartoons led to attempts on the life of Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard and violence at Danish embassies around the world. Some newspapers refused to publish the cartoon, effectively censoring it, as an editorial decision.

If you believe in free speech and the power of democracy, there are ways in which you can subvert censorship. Censorship can take many forms, and the actions to subvert the suppression may depend on the form of censorship. But there are steps everyone can take to promote free speech.

Instructions
Step 1

A tape recorder may not be the newest technology, but it's very portable!Get the latest in electronic recording and transmitting gadgetry. In countries such as Iran and China, the government may be effective in censoring online outlets such as YouTube, but there have been attempts by Twitter to get around the censorship. Cell phone videos from Iran escaped the country to be broadcast worldwide. By helping the people of these countries possess the latest electronic technologies, they can be helped to stay a step ahead of the governments. Mobile electronic recording devices can also be taken out of the country for broadcast, thereby taking an end-run around the government's censorship.

Step 2
Go underground. Let's face it: standing in a government square and shouting out your negative opinion of the authoritative regime is likely to land you in jail. If you're in high school or college, writing a column that is against editorial guidelines isn't likely to get published. In these situations, the censorship can be bypassed by going underground. There have been many underground school papers over the years, some of them becoming quite popular. In some ways, this is the opposite of getting the latest electronic technologies. This is going the paper route. While governments and schools can track down and block electronic submissions, they will find it more difficult to track down an issue of "The Weekly Underground Opinion" that is sitting on a coffee shop table.

Step 3
Take small steps. Instead of going all out in with an in-your-face speech that confronts authority, whether it's a government or a school board, push the boundaries in small steps. In some ways, this is the way that Hollywood went. The scenes of intimacy are certainly more explicit today than were allowed in the past. So, at first show a little leg, and move on from there. Before you know it, we have a rating system in which explicit scenes are not censored, they're just rated so that everyone knows what's in them. So, take small steps in the subversion process. Remember that every journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. For example, you could start a legitimate radio station, then slowly evolve with greater expressions of free speech and more robust opinions.

Step 4
Challenge authority. Use caution with this step, as it can be dangerous, depending on your situation. People living in a country with a legitimate legal system can make legal challenges to censorship. If the case doesn't go in your favor, appeal the decision. Bring another legal challenge to a variation of the censorship. This can have the effect of whittling away at the power of censorship. However, if you're in China, standing in front of a line of tanks in Tiananmen Square, this form of challenging authority can have deadly effects.

Step 5
If you don't speak up, there'll be no one to listen.Speak up and recruit. In some cases, nobody knows the boundaries of censorship. If people are silent, censorship wins. If you speak up, maybe not everyone will hear, but some people will. Although the immediate results of Tiananmen Square were horrendous for some participants, some would argue that it started a movement that continues to this day--the subversion of censorship and the striving for freedoms. Situations may demand that you recruit others to your ideas. Talk to a few people at first, making your case. Then bring others into the fold. If your ideas and opinions are well-founded and the truth of them is apparent, you should have no trouble convincing others that you're right. Getting them to stand up with you and express those opinions may be more difficult, but consider a college campus in which every single student stands up to a particular form of censorship. The people will win, or at least a bargain will be made with the students, thereby undermining the censorship.

Bacon Cookies!!!

2011-01-06T12:39:00.000-08:00

Bacon Cookies!!!'

Myra, my most darling cooking bff ever has linked this to me. And I must say, it's intriguing.

Eat Better Starting Now: 11 More Food Resolutions for 2011 | TakePart - Inspiration to Action

2011-01-06T10:59:00.000-08:00

Eat Better Starting Now: 11 More Food Resolutions for 2011 | TakePart - Inspiration to Action

I am going to be buying from a CSA this year. I am going to also buy an extra bit on the side of fruit to put in the deep freezer. Our deep freeze is out in the mudroom, so it only has to work in the summer.

Spaetzle | Skip To My Lou

2011-01-06T10:57:00.000-08:00

Spaetzle | Skip To My Lou

I am so going to make this. Soon. After I take a nap...

not martha — to make: pies baked in tiny jars

2011-01-06T08:51:00.000-08:00

not martha — to make: pies baked in tiny jars

I am totally doing this next year for everyone's Christmas presents. Totally. Expect it. Blueberry, Blackberry, Apple, Cherry. Doing it.

Saving this for later- Twist Cleaning stuff-

2011-01-05T00:22:00.000-08:00

http://www.twistclean.com/

Ecofriendly cleaning stuff for the kitchen.

And Caldera dishwashing brushes: AWESOMENESS

Read this

2010-12-10T16:56:00.001-08:00

http://www.danoah.com/2010/09/you-just-broke-your-child.html
I am going to go hug my kids now :(

Homemade Insect Repellant

2010-09-23T16:35:00.000-07:00

Image via Wikipedia

Make sure it is PURE. The artificial stuff is worthless.

2 cups of water
1 tbsp of Dr Bronner's or Biokleen concentrated cleaner
1 cinnamon stick
1 oz of pure vanilla extract
20 drops of tea tree oil
10 drops of peppermint oil

Put all ingredients into a spray bottle and shake the heck of out of it. You can add a bit of vodka or everclear, but I think that might be a bit overkill. Spray wherever you see any trouble. Insects can't stand the stuff and flee!

Mock Adventures in Dinner- Tuesday Night

2010-09-14T17:15:00.000-07:00

My recipe plan for the evening, let's see how it goes :)

Salmon Patties
Carrots and Asparagus with Hollandaise sauce
Baked Beans
Fresh Fruit with Banana dressing
Ruby Red Tea

For the Salmon Patties I used:

1 14 oz can of Salmon
1 egg
3/4 of a cup of breadcrumbs (I prefer Italian seasoned)
1 Tbsp of garlic

I opened the can and added all the ingredients to a mixing bowl. I mashed up the little bones with a fork, because it totally adds a neat crunchy and it adds calcium to your meal. I formed them into patties about the size of my hand (I have little hands)
I had fried some bacon to use the grease to add some flavor to the salmon. It turned out to be a mistake. The patties would not fry up properly and kept sticking to the bottom. I then waited for it to cool down and reformed them into patties. I then reformed the patties and put them on a foil lined tin for the toaster oven and broiled them for about 7 minutes. It was pretty successful.

Now, onto the next order of business:

Asparagus and carrots. I used a bag of baby carrots, and I used fresh asparagus with the ends trimmed off. I steamed them in the Rice Steamer (with the steaming basket) for 10 minutes. I used the I opened a package of hollandaise seasoning from Stonemill and used organic plain almond milk instead of the cow's milk and made it according to the directions.

The baked beans I baked earlier:
I mixed 2 cans of pork and beans, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1/8 of a cup of MockKetchup, 3 Tbsps of dehydrated minced onions, and 2 turkey dogs cut into slices into a casserole dish. I baked them for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

The Banana dressing was super simple:
1 banana, 2 tbsps of brown sugar, 1/2 cup of sour cream, and 1 tsp of lemon juice whipped up in a blender.

I didn't get a pic of the beans. I forgot they were warming and I demolished the dinner before I could take a pic of them. :D

Homemade Autumn Potpourri

2010-09-13T23:03:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

3 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp of ginger
1 tsp of nutmeg
1 tsp of ground or whole cloves
2 cups of water

Directions:

Put all ingredients into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to 'low' and enjoy the fragrance wafting through your house. You can save the cinnamon sticks and use them repeatedly until they no longer seem effective. Continue to refresh it with water when it seems to be getting low.

Ruby Red Tea- AKA Koolaide for the kids (and me)

2010-08-24T15:45:00.000-07:00

What you'll need:

Gallon Pitcher

7 bags of Passion Tea (Hibiscus) from Tazo

3 bags of Rose Hip Tea from Alvita (extremely high in Vitamin C)

1.5 cups of Sugar (Turbando, Raw, Organic, Whatever)

1/2 cup of Agave Nectar

(Makes enough for 1 gallon)

Bring a small kettle (or pan) of water to a boil. Take off the heat and pour over the tea bags. Let steep for 10 minutes while you go clean up a mess, find cups, or other random thing you get called away to do. When your timer dings, or you remember to actually go back into the kitchen, take out the tea bags and add your sweetener. Stir well. Add enough water and ice to make one gallon and enjoy! :)

Make Your Own Pore Strips from Michelle Phan

2010-08-06T10:44:00.000-07:00

Orange Vinegar

2010-08-02T01:11:00.000-07:00

Image via Wikipedia

I picked up a resealable bucket for free from one of the Amish shops I visit. It contained black ground pepper and still smells very strongly from it.

What I am doing is making an orange vinegar with it. I put the peels from an orange into the bucket, and have covered it with vinegar. I add new peels every time i peel and re cover the bucket with the sealed lid.

I can use this vinegar in a variety of ways. I can use it for an interesting kick to my recipes that require vinegar. I can use half vinegar and half water in a spray bottle as an effective surface cleaner. I can use an even more diluted vinegar mix as an acid rinse for my hair (dandruff fighting) and as a soap scum remover for the bath.

Cost? About 60 cents for the vinegar.

Replaces or enhances: Gourmet Balsamic Vinegar, Dandruff Shampoo, Hard Surface Cleaner, Fabric Softener, Water softener.

Reduces Plastic Packaging, and gas wasted on distribution of other products :)

Homemade Soda Pop

2010-08-02T01:09:00.000-07:00

Image via Wikipedia

Description:
Yummy, and High Fructose Corn Syrup freeeeeee!

Ingredients:
1. 2 parts Sugar ( I use 2 cups of raw sugar)
2. 1 part Water (I use 1 cup)
3. Club Soda
4. Flavoring (I use sassafras concentrate for the root beer replacing the water with it or a couple tbsps of vanilla extract for cream soda. You can find other flavorings at the store or you can use ginger in the syrup, the possibilities are endless)

Time:
5 minutes
Difficulty:
Easy
Serving Size:
2 liters if you use 1 cup water and 2 cups of sugar

Preparation:

1. Clean your prep area! FFS what, were you born in a barn? Don't answer that. Do you have a funnel? A container to keep your syrup in? Do you have a pan? A measuring thingy?A spoon? Do you have flavoring? Good, let's go.

Instructions:
1. Put your water into the pan and boil it.
2. Add flavoring
3. Put your sugar in and boil one minute longer
4. Take off heat and let cool for a few minutes
5. Pour into a clean container and store in the fridge (you can keep it there for a week or two, remember no preservatives means it has a shelf life)
6. Use 4 Tbsp per 8 ounces of club soda
7. voila! Homemade soda!

Cinnamon Rolls

2010-08-02T01:06:00.000-07:00

1 cup of warm water (like a baby bottle warm)
Pour into the Breadmachine or in a large freaking bowl
Add
1 tbsp of sugar
Then sprinkle
2 tbsp of yeast over the top

Let this sit for about 5 minutes
When it starts to get all foamy and smelling slightly (this is called a bloom)
Add:
½ cup of oil (I use coconut)
2 eggs
½ cup sugar
1-1/2 cups warm milk (I use reconstituted powdered)
and 3 cups of flour (I use half whole wheat and half All purpose)

Turn on the bread machine or mixer and let work for about a minute (or use a spoon mixing 50 time clockwise and 50 times counter clock wise)

It should be stringy at this point. That means you have started to activate the gluten.
Add another 3 to 4 cups of flour and mix until the dough forms a good ball, coming away from the sides of the bowl. (It's okay to add a bit more)

Now if you are kneading by hand you want to turn it out on a lightly floured surface and let 'rest' for about 10 minutes. Then start kneading for 5-10 minutes. The more you knead, the better the crumb. If it is still in the bread machine, don't worry about it. Let it rise for at least an hour in a warm place (I leave mine in the bread machine) until it doubles. Then punch it down. Wait until it doubles again and then divide it in half (don't punch it down) Let it rest for about 10 minutes.

I put half of it in a bowl in my fridge for refridgerator rolls, but for cinnamon rolls:

Put half of the dough on a non stick jelly roll pan. Put saran wrap over the dough and then roll it flat. You can stick it in the dough in the fridge if you want at this point to make it easier to roll.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Now mix up the spread for the inside

1 cup sugar, packed
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup softened Margarine

Spread it evenly over the rolled out dough. At this point I keep my fingers buttered to make it easier to roll up the dough. Starting from the wide side of the pan roll up the dough. Going slowly and smoothly, roll it all up until it is on the other side. Now you can cut it into 12-16 rolls either with a sharp knife or some kitchen string (tying each piece off) Put the individual rolls on a baking pan.

Put the baking pan in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown

While it is baking- mix up the icing:

2 cups of powdered sugar (in halves)
tsp of vanilla extract
1 cup of "I can't believe you bought this at ALDI" butter spread or softened butter stuff
4 tbsp of softened cream cheese.

Gather your ingredients, nuke the butter and cream cheese if you forgot to put them out to soften earlier. Medium sized bowl and a fork (which is what I used) or whisk thingymabob.

Put 1 cup of powdered sugar in the bowl.Add the butter and vanilla. Mix constantly. When it is all incorporated, add the cream cheese. When that is all mixed in add the last bit of sugar a bit at a time until you reach the consistency you want. I like it thick so I add the whole cup of powdered sugar.

At this point the rolls should be done. Take them out and put the icing on them immediately.

Try to let them cool and then gobble them up!

Mockie's Blueberry Cordial- First attempt Shared Tuesday, September 29, 2009 at 9:49am

2010-08-02T01:02:00.000-07:00

You will need:

1 Qt Mason Jar
2 cups of blueberries
1 cup of sugar
650 ml of Everclear or Vodka (The Everclear is going to be MUCH stronger than the vodka. You have been warned)
Honey
Patience.

In a wide mouth 1 quart mason jar I layered sugar and blueberries.
I stuck these in the microwave on 30 power for 1.5 minutes, screwing the cap on shaking every 30 seconds.

After that I poured the Everclear until it reached the lip of the jar. I sealed and now I am putting it away for two weeks. At that point I will do a taste test and add a tbsp of honey for complexity, and bottle it. If it doesn't taste ready, I will continue this until 2 months is up.

Here is the yummy concoction already showing it's pretty blue color!

Blueberry Cordial

And in it's resting place next to the honey that will be added later.

yummy!

E's Planet Kakeo

2010-08-02T00:59:00.000-07:00

E says he discovered a new planet and it just came into his brain.

It is a rainbow planet and it's name is Kakeo. It has it's own moon, and atmosphere and people and houses. It has parks. You can land on it. It has lava deep in the ground that is called magma. It has volcanoes and geysers and water. It is bigger than Jupiter. It has animals and trees and bushes, and bridges and rocks. He says it is a lower planet with rainbow colors.He says there are two suns, because the Planet Kakeo does not have a dark side.

My clever imaginative boy. :)

MockHomesteading

What does Organic really mean?

Skin toner transition!

Getting stuff done... The percentage/steps correlation.

Mock Soup of Champions

Tactical knitting

Gardening

And so it begins:

Bacon Cookies!!!

Eat Better Starting Now: 11 More Food Resolutions for 2011 | TakePart - Inspiration to Action

Spaetzle | Skip To My Lou

not martha — to make: pies baked in tiny jars

Saving this for later- Twist Cleaning stuff-

Read this

Homemade Insect Repellant

Related articles by Zemanta

Mock Adventures in Dinner- Tuesday Night

Homemade Autumn Potpourri

Ruby Red Tea- AKA Koolaide for the kids (and me)

Make Your Own Pore Strips from Michelle Phan

Orange Vinegar

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Homemade Soda Pop

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Cinnamon Rolls

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Mockie's Blueberry Cordial- First attempt Shared Tuesday, September 29, 2009 at 9:49am

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E's Planet Kakeo