Onions! So useful, so versatile. Can’t believe anybody wouldn’t like these buggers. But, the real question is “are onions good for you?” And that would be a resounding YES! Even though onions are mostly water (almost 90%), they’re still packed with nutrients. They’re loaded with antioxidants, and may contribute to heart health. Top that all […]
How to Identify Saddle Feathers in Roosters
Are you suspecting you might have roosters in your young flock of chickens? It seems to happen on a regular basis. You buy a group of straight run* chicks and eventually discover there are waaaay too many males in your group. Here’s how you can identify then at a young age, in case you want […]
24 Things NOT to do on Your Homestead
It’s frustrating. I get it. You finally have your piece of land – a place you’ve wanted for a big garden and to raise animals for as long as you could remember. You want to jump in with both feet to get your dream homestead rolling along. WAIT! Just breathe. Rushing in to plant a […]
Does Your Jam Have Enough Sugar?
Getting the amount of sugar right in your jam or jelly is important for proper setting up. Too little sugar will turn into a runny mess. Using a Thermometer An accurate thermometer provides the simplest and safest way to tell when the sugar has reached the proper concentration. Star by measuring the exact temperature at […]
Testing Fruit for Pectin and Acid
To test fruit for pectin, mix 1 teaspoon of cooked fruit with 1 tablespoon of rubbing alcohol. If the mixture coagulates into a single clump, there is sufficient pectin. (Do not taste the mixture, since rubbing alcohol is poisonous!) To check fruit for acidity, compare its taste to that of a mixture consisting of 3 […]
Preserving Fruits into Jams & Jellies
Unlike jelly, which is made from fruit juice, other sugar-preserved foods contain parts of the whole fruit. Fruit butter is mashed pulp simmered with sugar until the pulp is thick; in the other fruit products pieces of fruit float in a light gel. Jam consists of gelled, mashed pulp; preserves are made of fruit pieces […]
Wild Goose Chase Quilt Pattern
Once you hear the name of this pattern you can’t help but see the flying geese in it. I can definitely see how the creator of this design calls it “Wild Goose Chase”. Now I’m seeing all these birds flying in these quilts! Quick note: the “featured image” at the top of the […]
Sunshine and Shadow Quilt Pattern
The Sunshine and Shadow pattern has always seemed a little trippy to me, especially when you take a few steps back and look at the pattern from a distance. They almost seems like a version of a mandala of sorts. Their common ground is using many small squares and arranging them in diagonal rows from […]
Drunkard’s Path Quilt Design
The Drunkard’s Path quilt design can be made into a wide variety of variations, all beautiful in their own way.
Quilting in Early America
These early American quilts were probably sewn randomly, in the style known as crazy quilt, but as fabric became more available simple geometric motifs were developed