Home Sweet Home

I forgot how much I miss the mountains. I am spending some time with my brother and family for Thanksgiving. I don't have any internet (or phone) connection where he lives so I won't be posting for a couple of days.

A couple tablespoons a day keeps the Doctor away!!!

{Update} Here are some pictures of the last batch I made...

***Caution***

Never turn the blender on before putting the lid on. You will end up with a mess.

The finished project. I bought this bottle at Target and it works perfect for pouring out the  syrup.

Every mom knows that this time of year is hard. The kids are getting excited about the holidays coming up, you have lots of shopping, cooking, wrapping, planning, and cleaning to do. Add a mom who works outside the home on top of that and your time (and patience) is running thin. Who has time for a cough? Sometimes you child may not be sick but just have a cough that you can't get rid of. Many times I have whisked Haily off to the Dr. just to be told to buy an over the counter cough syrup (YUCK) and wait it out. Do they work? Not generally and they are full of artificial junk. TWO THUMBS DOWN! I have started using a recipe that I found online. It's simple to make, doesn't taste worse than the store bought (notice I didn't say it tastes better) and it's all natural. Try it next time that pesky cough comes around...


You will need:
1 bunch of radishes
1 red onion
1 head of garlic
3-4 lemons
1 cup of honey


I have adjusted my recipe from this one to my taste.


Directions: Chop the greens off the radishes and wash really, really well then chop 3-4 of them. Peel and chop 1/2 onion. Peel 3 cloves of garlic. Juice 3-4 lemons. Add all to a blender and whip it, whip it good (I know you're singing along too). When mixed, add 1 cup honey (I use raw but any will work). You should have a lovely shade of bright red syrup. Depending on your blender you might need to strain (so it's not gritty). This can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Take 2 tablespoons about 3 times a day.

Here is another source of homemade recipes for coughs.

Honey is used to sooth sore throats
Garlic acts as an antibiotic with vitamins and minerals
Onion has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties
Radishes have been used as an alternative for whooping cough

Busy Mom = Crockpot cooking

Lindsay is hosting a

I love to make simple but delicious meals on days when I need to get dinner on the table FAST. That usually means using the crock pot. Here is one of my favorites...

{Pork roast and sauerkraut}

 


Only two ingredients (unless you want to add some spices) go into the pot... a Pork Loin Roast and Sauerkraut. Just put the roast in your crockpot and dump sauerkraut over it. Cook on high if the roast is frozen and low if thawed. I cook for 8 hrs while I'm at work but it could be done before that. You can use sauerkraut bought from the store but I made the recipe that Lindsay makes and loved it. YUMMY! My husband even likes this recipe and he doesn't care for sauerkraut. I will make him a steamed veggie to go with the roast and I "hog" all the kraut. 

My brother the "Dentist"

My daughter has been losing teeth like crazy lately. She loves to wiggle them but doesn't like when it's time for them to come out. Last Christmas when my brother Eric was visiting and Haily kept complaining about a loose tooth she had. Whining and complaining is not a friend of my brothers so he "talked" her into letting him pull it.

Here's the story:

It was his last day here; I was on the computer upstairs and Haily, Aaron, & Eric were downstairs. I heard this hair curling scream from downstairs and ran as fast as I could to see what happened to my baby. The kitchen floor was painted in blood and the trail led to the bathroom. I peek in to see Aaron and Eric surrounding Haily, whose head was in the sink. They were splashing water in her face and she was not happy about it. I finally was able to give her a hug and ask what happened. She told me that "Uncle Eric promised he wouldn't pull until I said ok..." Eric had distracted her enough to tap the tooth out. It was that loose (not sure why she bled so much).

(Move forward to today)

We are planning to visit Eric in Virginia for Thanksgiving. Haily has a tooth that is loose but won't come out because the new tooth is starting to come in behind it. I couldn't resist telling her "It's a good thing we will be at Eric's soon. He will get that tooth out for you"

Can you hear the screams yet?? Do you have any funny stories or memories about teeth?

Blankets and toys and books OH MY!

I was visiting Our Family Highlights and loved the poem she shared. I thought it would encourage us moms with young children so I am sharing it with you. 

"The Toy-Strewn Home" by Edgar Guest

Give me the house where the toys are strewn,
Where the dolls are asleep in the chairs,
Where the building blocks and the toy balloon
And the soldiers guard the stairs.
Let me step in a house where the tiny cart
With the horses rules the floor,
And rest comes into my weary heart,
For I am at home once more.
Give me the house with the toys about,
With the battered old train of cars,
The box of paints and the books left out,
And the ship with her broken spars.
Let me step in a house at the close of day
That is littered with children’s toys,
And dwell once more in the haunts of play,
With the echoes of by-gone noise.
Give me the house where the toys are seen,
The house where the children romp,
And I’ll happier be than man has been
‘Neath the gilded dome of pomp.
Let me see the litter of bright-eyed play
Strewn over the parlor floor,
And the joys I knew in a far-off day
Will gladden my heart once more.
Whoever has lived in a toy-strewn home.
Though feeble he be and gray,
Will yearn, no matter how far he roam,
For the glorious disarray
Of the little home with its littered floor
That was his in the by-gone days ;
And his heart will throb as it throbbed before,
When he rests where a baby plays.

Garden Journal 2009

Stephanie over at Keeper of the Home is hosting an Organic Gardening Carnival. Well, she was hosting it on November 4th but I have been sick for the past couple of days and just got my "color" back so I am adding my post now. I had to realize that it's ok to let everything go for a couple of days - Family and health first!!!

This year was my 3rd attempt at a garden. Let's take a look at my progress...

♦The first year was a flop since I was gone almost every weekend. I work full time so that was when I could really work in the garden and preserve my bounty. 

♦The 2nd year I only put in tomato, cucumber, and banana pepper plants. I did well with the cucumbers and peppers but I couldn't keep up with the tomatoes. I didn't really know was scared to try preserving them. I never wanted to learn to can from my mom (oh my, teenagers can be so silly) and now that she is gone I had no one to teach me. They rotted! What a waste.

♦Third times a charm! This year I was a little more ambitious. I live in the village with  .20 acre of land which my house and garage are on so I only have room for small garden. This year I planted lettuce, peas, cucumbers, tomatoes, and peppers. I also was able to utilize some of my Father-in-laws garden space for planting a large crop of tomatoes (4 varieties) and peppers (3 varieties). I wanted to be able to have enough for hot pepper relish and salsa for my business I started in May (BTW, I have learned how to can! Hooray). Things were off to a great start early in the season. I planted peas in April via seed. I live in Western New York so I was a little worried about the ground being workable for them but they did fine. I soaked the seeds for a hour before planting (this gives them a boost in my clay soil). I started my lettuce and cucumbers from seed indoors then tried transplanting them. The lettuce did ok but the cucumbers didn't make it. I ended up buying cucumber plants when I bought my tomato and pepper plants. Next year I plan on planting more peas so I can preserve some (all the kids in the neighborhood raided them). Maybe a late season crop will go in around August. I would like to plant different cucumbers so I can make some pickles and relish. My tomatoes at both my house and my FIL's got blight, apparently almost everyone's tomatoes around here were hit with this disease. Any tips to battle this? I have a friend who gave me her spaghetti sauce recipe and  was able to get a batch out of the tomatoes (together we had at least 5 doz planted). The peppers did wonderful and got several batches of hot pepper relish out of them. I know I planted banana and a purple variety (not sure on the other 2) and would like to add more for next year. My FIL always has an abundance of zucchini and squash so I get his extra. As far as pests...I didn't have any problems except for the blight. 

Here is one of my only pictures from the season. 

I am looking forward to another sucessfull year of planting, harvesting, and preserving.

Down for the count

I will be back soon. Family is down for the count with what seems to be the flu.