A Learning Year

This is my first year storing local food for the winter. We should be OK on strawberry jams & jellies -there are about 2 dozen in the pantry, plus the raspberry jam. I've canned 12 pints applesauce, and have the same to do again, plus 40lbs of granny smith apples to dry & can. We have home-canned chicken & beef broth, beef stew, Hobbit Stew, and bread & butter pickles.

A lot of food has been dried: tomatoes, potatoes, turnips, turnip greens, bananas, watermelon, peppers, celery - if I can dry it I'm trying it! We have a box of winter squash stored as well.

I plan on learning to make sourdough bread, and keep the starter going.

I'm still putting up, for as long as the local market is open. I'm not sure how long our stores will last, but it's a learning year.

for a full pantry list, scroll all the way down the page

A Handmade Yule

I plan on making a fair bit of my gifts this Yule. I like to make gifts that are used. My shelves are quite full of knicknacks, and no one needs more clutter. Things like Gifts-in-a-Jar are great - it's like saying "Have a night off from cooking dinner!" or "Enjoy special hot chocolate while it snows" and such sweet things. I've picked up two recipe books for these, and I have links below as well.

Here's my list so far:

• Purse for Dear Niece
• Lemon Hand Scrub for various relatives
• Cider Jelly for various relatives
  
• Basket of homemade jellys for Grandfather (which he loves)
  
• Basket of home-dried diced peppers for mother
• Not sure what else, yet...

Although I do knit and crochet, except for what's already started I'm not sure I'll be able to make more yarny gifts. And, granted, there are only a few people that get those ... I'm more generous with food than knitwear :)

Gift-in-a-Jar links:
Cookies in a Jar
Painted Desert Chili - makes a lot of chili, tastes great, looks almost too pretty to eat. Yes, it got rave reviews as a gift!
Gifts in a Jar Recipes (several sections!)
Gifts in a Jar - LOTS of recipes!

with many thanks to Ravelers who have posted them!

sneak peak

Homemade Beauty

I make what I can of my beauty products. Currently, I make and use my own body scrub, hair gel, shampoo/conditioner, salve, and moisturizer.

Since I've started making my own hair care products, my hair needs less attention and looks healthier. It dries faster and styles easier. It's soft, shiny, bouncy, and healthy.

My shampoo is simple baking soda, scrubbed gently into my scalp and left for about 5 minutes before rinsing out. I only use the baking soda when I need it, as it can lighten hair (it did mine!) The conditioner is 4 Tbsp cider vinegar in 32 ounces water, poured over my hair and rinsed out. And no, you can't smell it later. A bit of the gel on the ends, when my hair is still wet, seems nearly to heal damaged ends.

The first few weeks are more challenging ... commercial shampoos strip your hair, so your scalp over-produces the natural oils. Once you stop using commercial shampoos it takes your scalp a bit to adjust and *stop* overproducing them.

Related Links

Nature Moms: The No Shampoo Alternative: directions, and more detailed reasons why it's good

Life Less Plastic: The No-Shampoo Revolution: She talks about going no-poo, and there's lots of reader feedback as well.

Ravelry: No-Poo thread (free membership needed, knitting/weaving/crochet/ spinning site)