Happy Monday Everyone!

   Good morning to all of you!

   I am sorry it has been a couple days since I posted, but things have been really busy around here. I have three sickies for kids, two who are toddlers, and one who is a big kid of 12. My husband also missed two days of work over this horrible cold/flu that hit our house on Thursday morning and stayed through the weekend.
   I wanted to post today and just let you know I will be getting back to normal postings either tomorrow or later today. I am putting in my garden today and tomorrow, all the plants that I have grown from seeds, and as we grow about 60% of what we eat, that is very time consuming.
   I am a piano teacher, and this is also the week of my kids' piano recital--so would you pray I can get everything accomplished and keep this yucky stuff away until the week is over......or forever???
   I just wanted to say that if you are looking for a quick support for your system while you are ill---that products from Rhea's Herbs really do come in handy and work fast. They aren't paying me to say this, I just wanted to let you know that since my family got sick on Thursday I have been back taking their "Anti-Plague" formula and so far have seen nothing hit my system that has not been gone within a few hours.
   So if you are waiting for your herbs to grow this year, and meanwhile, looking for something to have on hand, check out their site. I have included their link at the bottom of the page for those of you who would like to check it out.
  Finally, I posted this on the FB page the other day as it caught my attention at the time. I am planning on getting the ingredients and making up some of this--the fact that it is a dual product where you can use the tonic for warding off colds, and the pulp for seasoning is a big plus. :)

 Check out this blog and their master tonic recipe right HERE.

Hope all is well with you and with your families!

Many Blessings to you and yours,

Heather

  
Rhea's Herbs Link: http://www.rheasherbalextractions.com/GLOSSARY.html

Before you do any gardening, you HAVE to watch this one

   How can I cover anything about dirt, or types of gardening, without telling you AGAIN, 

to watch this video?

While it is a two hour video, I am telling you, it will either revolutionize the way that you garden now, or you will be starting out so far ahead of where the rest of us did.

BACK TO EDEN FREE FILM 

  My husband and I have decided to invest in a wood chipper and from now on go the "easy route" when it comes to gardening, by following this method along with what we already do.
   This is all I am posting for today as I am finishing out the posts on the power of good dirt and the six basic kinds of gardening I have done a lot of research into over the last few years. Next up is the ten things you SHOULD plant, and how to inter-plant things so that you have better yield and healthier plants.

   Have a wonderful day!

   Many Blessing to you and yours,

Heather

So many choices, and so Little Time--more gardening options

   Welcome back, dear readers!

image courtesy

   I am glad to see so many returning each day for this long and lazy series on gardening basics. I hope that for those of you who are joining us for the first time, you have checked out the beginning of our series on All About the Dirt and the first 3 types of gardening, because one is crucial to you understanding the rest of the series, and the second is important for learning about the option you have to work with.

   And you wouldn't want to limit your choices now, would you?

   We covered three basic gardening options yesterday, and today we are going to cover the final three that I find relevant to this series, in that they are the most talked about and considered options in the myriad that exist in gardening world. Everyone has their own preference, but I am going about this series as if you perhaps are just starting out, or looking for an easier way to garden.

   Today  the first option we are going to cover is "Lasagna or No-Till" gardening. As I said before in my first post, we chose to do a combination of this type of gardening and Square foot gardening in our raised beds because we did not want to have a lot of tilling, and turning, and removing soil or putting soil back in every year. Here is a fantastic video on YouTube about no-till gardening:

I love michigansnowpony's videos--she is really helpful for any level! Check out her other stuff!

   Do you see how easy this type of gardening can be? I heard about this years ago but did not fully understand it until I saw this video and began to grasp the concept. The only thing I plan on adding to my beds that I have not previously done yet is earthworms. I have found quite a few that have joined the party from the "wild", but want to make sure I have those heavy hitters well spread out throughout my beds so I know both the soil and the plants will benefit from them. More on that later on in the series.

   Now let's talk about Keyhole gardening, which is a relatively new concept, but absolutely fascinates me because I can completely understand how it works. We have plans for our keyhole garden drawn up for the front yard, but will most likely be putting it off until next Spring after we can get the two dying trees in front of the house taken down with a friend's help later this summer. Or, if there is enough time with the other gardens in full production, we will put it up late this fall. Here is the amazing idea, and I have included another link below for those of you who want to know more.

   I think one of the best things about this is it doesn't require a lot of space AND you can use whatever you have on hand to create it. We pass by large rock piles every day on the edge of the fields, and know we could have enough rocks to create one of these just by asking...and just the simplicity of it is so appealing to me. Cant you see one of these overflowing with herbs, and strawberries? Think of the amount you can grow in a small space, and all you have to do to feed it is throw compostable stuff in the middle, then water it. Seriously, sounds like my kind of gardening. The lazy kind. :)

   Finally, our last one for today is a type of raised bed gardening called "Mound Gardening". It is simple, it is effective, and there are actually quite a few working organic farms that are using this method. Here is the video that describes the process.

   This is like a combination of a lot of other types of gardening we have covered. Can you see how this ancient form of gardening has spawned off some of the others over time?
   One of the beauties of raised beds, whether built from wood, or just heaped up from earth, is that they drain more quickly, they warm up more quickly, and require less weeding. I am hardening off all of my little plants to put them into the ground almost a full month ahead of time, all because the soil in my raised beds is warm and inviting, ready to help them sink their roots down and start producing goodies for my family in a couple months. I can hardly wait for that first cherry tomato to ripen so I can pop it in my mouth, or the first batch of lovely basil for pesto. Mmmmmmmmm.

    So of all of these types we have covered, which one interests you the most? Which one are you planning on trying? In most areas of the US it is time to plant and get those seeds into the ground, or will be in the next couple of weeks. I would really like to hear from you, and please, if you have any questions, let me know, and I will do my best to answer you. Tomorrow we are going to cover what the ten easiest plants are to grow, as well as a part of the time being devoted to those of you who want to container garden, but arent sure where to start. I hope you will come back and join us! :)

Many Blessings to you and yours,

Heather

 

A Plethora of Gardening Options...

   I just love that word.

 Plethora. 

You can actually roll your tongue while you say it and it makes your mouth feel all funny. 

However,I digress....

   Yesterday we talked about how the single most important thing you can learn about gardening and put to good use it that it is all about the dirt. If you havent seen that post, you just cant skip it, so please click ((here)) to go back to it.
   For those of you following right along with me, today we are going to talk about three of the six options I gave you simple links on yesterday. All are different types and philosophies of gardening, and honestly, they are just scratching the surface. Seems like the longer I do this the more comes up, and more ways we find in different parts of the world that really would work universally, but no-one has ever tried to make something from Africa work in Conneticut or something. So please remember that these are just a FEW ideas, and if you spend a few hours browsing on YouTube or wherever, I am quite sure you will find more to look into.
We will cover the last three option tomorrow to give you some more ideas, and then head into talking about planting, seed starting, and companion planting.
   The first type of gardening we are going to cover are for those of you who are looking into using containers for gardening, or for those of you who rent, and who would like the ability to have a mobile garden if and when the need arises. I first stumbled across this brilliant idea created by two highschool boys in their quest to find a sustainable way to grow food for the millions who go hungry in inner cities around the world. Their project was called global buckets, and I tell you what, with their instructions, and a little elbow grease, I think this is one of the most imaginative and workable ways on the market to grow a good amount of produce in a small space. Here is their first video, and you can follow others by just plugging in "Global Buckets" into the YouTube Search option:

Isn't that just about the neatest thing out there? 

Those two brilliant young men will shape the world one day, you wait and see. :)

   I would have loved to have been their piano teacher. :) If you are looking for similar ideas but want to make you own without supporting their charity, then please keep looking on youtube. I, for one, think what they are doing is worthwhile and should be supported.

   Now let's talk about an entirely different form of gardening, one that uses the ground, and space, and is popular in places in Europe where the idea originated. It is called Huglekulture, and the basic premise is digging a trench in the ground, loading it with wood waste, such a fallen trees, branches, etc, and then building a mound over the top in a very specific way. Sounds a little crazy right? But think about it. If you have ever been out in the forest, you know this is how nature was designed to work. Middle of the forest, the tree falls, it begins to break down, seeds find places to root, breaking it down further, and it nourishes the growing plants, slowly becoming part of the forest floor. This is the same concept, just replicated and manipulated to work for man in a garden situation, and has got some seriously dedicated followers around the globe. I have gone back and forth on this idea, but rather than me give you my opinion, I want you to form your own. Why dont you watch this video from YouTube again and see what you think.

Isnt that interesting, as well? To the mind of a lady who grew up tromping through the forest I totally understand it, and just wish I had enough room to re-create it. I might find more room in a couple years after we get all the fruit trees, etc in  and I am looking for the next project to add to the Welcoming House. To watch more from this genre of gardening, you can check out their website at www.permies.com.

   Okay, and the last type of gardening that we are going to cover in today's post is Square foot gardening. I was created by a man named Mel back in the 70's as he was looking for a way to get a much larger yield from a small space rather than doing a regular form of gardening. There are many different variations of his method, and instead of a video on this one, I am just going to give you a couple links, as well as post a couple pictures. When we cover planting crops I will again revisit how to plant your veggies and fruits according to his planting method, only because it is what I use, and I have had good success with it. Here is the link to go to his main page, where you will probably lose a good ten minutes getting lost in learning about it:

http://www.squarefootgardening.org/

Here are a couple other links I found that give you variations on the idea:

http://www.squarefootgardening.com
http://frugaldad.com/2008/03/03/how-to-build-a-square-foot-garden/

Here was ours as we were building it--I will post more pics of it this Spring once we can get the camera to download the new pics. It now has a fence completely surrounding it with a gate, the frame in back is standing up with chain link for items to grow up, and the entire garden is covered in wood chips. It is SO nice to grow in!

Come back tomorrow as we cover the other three ways to garden in depth.

Many blessings to you and yours,

Heather

Its All About the Dirt....

   Lovely morning, isnt it?

   I just wanted to welcome you back to the Welcoming House! As we are gearing up here for gardening season, and due to the rather wonderful response from many on the FB page about 's where we should head next, I am jumping headfirst into a basic series on gardening a la Heather starting this morning.

   I am quite excited about it. And there are a couple reasons why.

1. I love to garden. I have done this for 11 Springs, Summers and Falls, and I have STILL not gotten over how miraculous it is to plant a tiny seed, and see life thrust forth from the ground up. Not to mention the miracles I see as it reproduces itself a thousand fold each year, yielding fruit, vegetables, and richness every single year.
2. I feel closer to the Lord in the garden than in any other place in the world, and that includes even church. The lessons he has taught me out there, about patience, beauty in the midst of pain, how faithful he is, and how we should never take life for granted...well, those all impact me daily. And all from crawling around and getting dirt under my fingernails.
3. My final reason is YOU, actually. You see, I try not to worry about many of you who send me emails and ask questions about basic things like gardening. I am quite sure that many of you are looking around at the world as we are seeing it and wondering how long it will be until things take another turn for the worse. It seems like we just cant catch a break, between food prices being outrageous and gas climbing by the day. I know there are a lot of moms, dads, and singles out there wondering how they can make things stretch a little more, keep their kids fed when they can barely afford daycare, gas and diapers, etc. When I did my first series, Making DO Without Missing a Thing, there was a constant theme among the responses here and where it was posted--people are desperate and wondering what to do. I would encourage you today, if you are there, RIGHT NOW, then please please please, CLICK HERE to head on over there and read that series. I want to help you, and I poured my heart and soul into that, for those of you who need it. And folks, I hate to tell you, but I just dont see how it cant get worse with all the red flags going up right now in all different areas of the economy. Gardening is one of the easiest, most satisfying, and most frugal of things you can do immediately to make life a little easier and better.

    So, now that we have that out of the way, I am going to share the single most important thing you can learn over the next however many posts I am going to link to this article.

    It is ALL ABOUT THE DIRT when it comes to gardening.

   Seriously.

    If you have poor dirt, you will have a poor garden. You will work your tail off for a small return, and it will absolutely kill you to see such a small result every fall. The opposite is also true. If you work smart, not hard, at having good dirt, then you will have a heavy yield, and relatively pest-free garden.
    And so, we are going to talk about what kind of dirt is best, how to use that dirt, how to make it better, and what simple things you can do to make a garden less work, and more yield for anyone who is looking to garden without killing themselves over it. :) Ready? Here we go!

   I am blessed to live in the farming Heartland of America and all the amazing soil that goes right along with it. You pull up a bunch of grass and we have black, rich dirt that grows just about anything. For years, while I was thankful for the dirt, I went about things the hard way, tilling up the ground, fighting the weeds, picking the bugs, etc. But the ideas I am going to pass on to you today are what I have learned in my (short-er) journey about what works, and will work no matter where you are. If you are in an apartment and looking for small options, that is okay, because you will still glean some information from this too, and we will have a small section for you later on this week. :)

   Not all dirt is conducive to growing plants. Some areas have heavy clay that needs something like sand to "amend it"---otherwise known as "making it better" for those of you who dont speak garden-ese Other areas have very powdery soil that is too light and needs some heavy, rich compost added to make it better and more able to sustain life.
   However, the very best results I have had in my many years of gardening have been in using raised beds, of one form or another, and container gardening.
   Currently I have one rather large raised bed garden with five beds that measure 4' X 12'. One has a framework set up in it to grow things up--last year we used this to grow peas and heirloom dry beans, and it was fabulous. We are actually putting in another raised bed garden this Spring here at the new house, as well as a few other ideas we have been tossing around, like a keyhole garden, and strictly herb garden very close to the house. But more on that later.
   All of our raised beds use a modified square foot gardening method, in that the planting method is the same, but I had no desire to take the soil in and out every year, or turn it, or till it, etc etc etc. So instead, we use raised beds with a "lasagna" gardening method, or "no-till" gardening method. Basically, every year, we add more good organic stuff, such as grass clippings, composts, rabbit or horse manure, etc, to the bed in the fall and sometimes in the Spring, and let nature take it's course in breaking down things for the gardening season the next time around. We mulch our beds very heavily with wood chips, and have had amazing results from it.
   When we made our beds, we did a lot of research, and this was how we built them:

1. My husband measured and built simple frames for the beds. We laid them on the ground, straight grassy backyard like a lot of people have, and then began by laying layers of wet newspaper down inside and also under the edges of the wood so as to have no weeds popping up in the inside edges of the beds. Why newspaper? because it created an effective, bio-degradable weed mat that would eventually break down beneath the soil of the bed without allowing the grass to grow up through it. It takes one season for this to happen, and then the following season plants that need deeper root systems will also be able to push deeper into the ground beneath the beds as needed. The soil becomes soft, and with the grass composting underneath it, it is rich, loamy soil. Or atleast, here it is. If you live in a dry desert area, or have clay like soil, it will still break down, but it may take a little longer, and will just get better with the years.
2. We then used rich organic compost, and put a 2" layer over the newspaper in each of the beds. If you can find compost in bulk for cheap--seriously, do it. This was the only financial mistake we made, and after we had filled the beds, we discovered a lovely monstrous pile of gorgeous compost for FREE down at the "Pit" which is where all the town leaves, etc go each fall. Check horse stables, small farms, etc, before you go the route we did of buying a gazillion small bags of rich compost. Make that layer over the wet newspaper.
3. we found a local source of black dirt from a friend that was relatively weed free. I traded lessons, and he agreed to haul it in his large trailer and dump it off at the site. There are a lot of options out there, and so research your area to see what is available. We actually know people who have done it for free, who have dug it themselves, who have put ads in the paper and gotten it for nothing...you just have to do your legwork to find it.
4. This is where we got a little different from the regular square foot gardening folks. We did not do a wheelbarrow full of stuff and mix it all up in some perfect ratio. We put a 2 " layer of dirt, then sprinkled peat moss over the top to cover. Then we repeated the compost, the dirt and the peat moss, ending with a layer of dirt, and topping off with a heavy wood chip mulch on the beds. Over the summer we mulched with more dried grass clippings, and had a very successful year with yield and with keeping the weeds at bay.

   There are many different ways to garden, from time intensive to ways that use almost no effort at all and eventually take care of themselves. But when you are starting out, the plan should always be to start with the very best dirt, compost, and beds you can start with. I would encourage you to browse through my links below and see if anything catches your attention, then do a little legwork on your own to find your best option. Otherwise, we are also going to be covering those topics tomorrow and showing you a little bit about each one.
   I would also encourage you, folks, if you have not gardened before, and you are not sure you want to try, start small. Use containers as your first year gardening. There are some great ideas out there for container gardening, and I will be including those in a couple days. But if you are serious about providing even a little of your food, then you need to start now before it is too late, and you are right in the middle of the crowd with everyone else looking for seeds, and a way to grow them. Because I really think its coming. :(
   Come back tomorrow for our next post on what is easiest to grow and how to get started planting.

Many Blessings to you and yours,

Heather

Here are some excellent ideas to consider if you are looking at different types of gardening. 

Just click on the links.

Bucket gardening::CLICK HERE

Hugelkultur:click here

SquareFoot gardening:CLICK HERE

Lasagna or "no-till" gardening:click here

Keyhole gardening:CLICK HERE

Mound gardening:click here

Thoughtful Thursdays Post One--A Theme of Grace

   I have been a SAHM (stay at home mom for those of you who are as computer illiterate as I am) for just over 12 years. And some days........it seems like an eternity.
   Now I know for some of you with larger families, you think "*puh* 12 years? That's nothing! Just a walk in the park!"....and I would agree with you.
   But this mommy heart sometimes just wants to sit down in the middle of the floor and have a full-scale tantrum where I get to scream things like " NO NO NO" and "ME ME ME".

   Like the time when, for the fourth day in a row, I have to move all my nicely re-folded clothes off of the bed my handy hubby is already snoring away in just so I can crawl, exhausted into bed.
   Or when, for the tenth time in a week I am scrubbing crayon off the walls. (I seriously don't know where they are getting them--there has GOT to be a stash somewhere)
   Or when my 12 year old daughter brings down a mountain of laundry, including a stack of things I folded two days ago that somehow ended up on the floor, because she went crazy this morning trying to find the "perfect pink outfit' for home school co-op today.
   I don't need to go into the poop-smearing messes I have dealt with, or the twins who love to split up on me outside in our yard, one running as fast as her fat little legs can carry her towards the busy street, while the other runs as fast as her thunder thighs can rub towards the dog that bites in the next yard. What do you do?

 Scream 

"DANGER !!" 

      and watch your children halt with mouths open, 

                  and your social life fly right out the door and up into the clouds, of course. 

   I mean, who is going to socialize with an insane mid-30's woman who cant keep her toddlers out of the street, and who screams things like that on a quiet street in the middle of the day?

   Or how about getting said very naughty children ready for bath time, turning on the water, and coming back out only to see them doing a crazy dance in the giant picture window in the dining room window seat completely  naked...........while cars drive by and honk, and your very reclusive neighbor is staring in shock.

Seriously, I was only gone 30 seconds.

Hopefully I don't get called by the paper, and none of my piano parents will mention it.

Hopefully.

   I know you will laugh, some of you, and some of you will disown this page and tell your friends to NEVER go over there, but if I can't be real, well, then God cant do the work on me that He needs to if I am going to hide from it. I have never claimed to be perfect, and the thought is laughable at the least....
   These are the days sometimes I feel my heart cry out, in selfishness, of course, and the cry is loud, persistent, and screaming: "What about ME?"
    What about my clothes, dishes, shower, lunch, time with friends, shopping, quiet car rides, etc etc etc.

what. about. me???

    And then I think back to when my oldest was only two years old.

   It passed so quickly. One day I had a toddler in little bubble sundresses, and then *blink* I have a lovely young woman on the edge of growing up into an adult.

Who can wear my shoes.

   One of these days all my clothes will be lined up in the closet, waiting for me to wear them....while I eagerly wait for the phone to ring with news of my children out busy with their own families, and lives.

   My house can be clean, because I have nothing better to do than battle imaginary dust bunnies and dust my thousand knick-knacks. I can go to bed at 8pm then (after watching Wheel of Fortune and eating my microwave dinner), and snore right next to my handy hubby (who will be less handy, but even cuter in a grumpy little old man way).

   It's true isn't it?

   One day all those things will come, and I will wish for these moments to come back, just for a glimpse, so I can see in the midst of the craziness and poop smearing that God was trying in His own gentle way to teach me a lesson, from one servant, humble in mind and heart, to another who rebels at the thought of one more simple poopy diaper.

   What is that lesson?

It is that to be undiginified,

to lose myself as I am serving others in my family

as I am tying shoes, and wiping adorable tushies, and washing laundry...

as I am saving my children from cars, and dogs that bite

as I am loving, and laughing, and crying...........

He lifts me up.

   All I need to do is to think of my Savior---who came, and served, and died, for me. When I tell my toddler for the zillionth time to get off the table and have to discipline her, ready to run stark-raving mad out the back door into oblivion---I am quietly and deeply reminded of how He treats me time and time again when I do the same wrong thing over and over and over.

While there are always consequences for my decisions, the one prevailing theme of my walk with Christ has been the theme of  Grace.

   So tonight, as I write this post, and I think of the things I have seen and gone through today, I have a few quiet observations I think are being laid on my heart from the Lord.

1. May I be thankful for the blessing of having enough clothing for my children and myself that the putting it away reminds me how wealthy we really are in light of the poverty of others.
2. May I remember that just as a fresh coat of paint can cover the scribbles of my small children, the mercy of the Father washes the marks of my selfishness and stubbornness away when I let Him.
3. May I be sensitive to a time in my oldest daughter's life that she looks like a woman, but still has the heart of a child that needs tender and gentle nurturing from her Mamma. And thank you, Lord Jesus, thank you, thank you, thank you for making me the mamma to that precious, sweet-hearted girl.
4. May I never forget the feeling of how beautiful it is to be a child, unfettered by the judgement of others, comfortable in my own skin, and happy just to be in the sunshine, laughing and playing.

   When I am at my weakest, then HE is at His strongest.

   If I remember that each day the good things, and the bad, are just more opportunities to walk, and talk, and teach my children as we go together through this crazy life of ours, my life grows richer by the moment.

   Where are you at in your heart today? 

Do you need someone to pray for you and lift you up?

    I am starting something new every Thursday here on the Welcoming House Blog,as well as on the Welcoming House FB Page. Today is the day I want to pray for you, to know your needs, and to open it up to others to read your comment and lift you up. Will you participate? Please leave your comment below and if you don't want to share specifics, just ask us to pray. From now on we are going to take one day a week for this--- and they will be under the title of Thoughtful Thursdays. It will be open every week for prayer requests in the comment section, and I encourage you to participate not only by sharing, but taking a few seconds to lift someone else up in prayer who is needing  the support.

Many Blessings to you and yours

Heather

An (Almost) Wordless Wednesday--Pics

Good morning to all of you! :)

I decided with as busy as my Wednesdays are from now through the end of the school year, 

on Wednesdays I will be just sharing  pictures on that are my favorites, 

and give you a picture of life here at

The Welcoming House.

Enjoy!

yep---you can see how thankful I will be to be done with potty training in another month or so. But it was just so pretty I had to share. Plus, with baby tushies just this cute, how can you not love cloth diapers?

I made these for my twins.

I know I am not supposed to talk, but hey, you know that is almost impossible for me, right? :)

Many Blessings to you and yours,

Heather

A Productive Day

   Good morning, everyone!

   I have had a rather busy Monday, which is why I did not post yesterday. I knew you were all still absorbing information from the last series we did on growing herbs, and I had a few things to take care of yesterday, even while dealing with a cold.

   As I have shared with you in the past, living on one income can be difficult at times, especially when that income is below what is considered the poverty level, and you have children. However, we have found many ways to make it work, we live very comfortably, and while it is more work on our part, we feel satisfied that we have put our own sweat, blood, and tears into our family, home, and surroundings.

   There was a huge blow out meat sale (with another one coming soon--YES!), where we were able to get good, wholesome chickens for .78 a lb. Being us, we purchased an entire case, and decided immediately that we would put most of them into canned chicken since we loved the convenience and the intense flavor of it last time we did it.

   I can hear some of you now.

   12 chickens, Heather? Really? What did you do with them while you were working on the others? I dont even have space for that many chickens.

   Well, they came frozen in a case. So I got out my huge electric roaster that was a gift from my in-laws a couple years ago, plopped three frozen ones in after rinsing them and carving the bag of stuff out of the middle, and seasoned them. Three chickens at a time, 2 Qts of water, and 3-4 hours later and I had some beautiful chickens ready to process. Plop another three in, follow the same route, and in as much time as I would spend taking care of my children, teaching school, and piano for one day, and I have six chickens, processed, cooled and ready to go. The other six went into the deep freeze as I did not feel well enough to process all 12............yet.

   Did I tell you we already have six chickens in the freezer for roasted chickens that we bought on another blow out sale about a month ago? Yes, we like chicken. The only way we would like it better is if we could raise our own, but at this point, that is not happening due to city regulations we are trying to work on.

However, all that aside.....

   Those six chickens made 24 pints of shredded chicken, which was processed in its own broth. That means 24 meals for our little family, since we try to limit our meat and make it into other dishes. I also processed another 4 Qts of wonderful chicken broth, and 14 jars of different kinds of beans. We use a lot of food storage, and I make chickpeas and black beans the most--but I tell you, having to cook them from scratch is rather a pain since I tend to be a grab and go kind of cook because I am so busy. Now I have 14 lovely jars ready to go, and plan on doing more today as well as having the regular baking day of bread and pizza crusts.

   I thought some of you would appreciate the tips on how to process a chicken from start to finish. I plan on linking this later this summer to a short series on how to stretch a chicken for four days of meals with a family of five, but for those of you who are curious, here is a good recipe for you!

Many Blessings to you and yours,

Heather

How to roast and process chickens for canning:

Clean them inside and out with running water, then pat dry with a clean towel or washcloth.Rub the outsides with garlic salt and a little pepper if you are not allergic. Place them in the roaster, put two quarts of water in the roaster with them if you are doing 3 chickens. I start mine half frozen, so if yours are thawed, your times will be shorter. Cook on high for 3 hours, until juices come out clear when pricked in-between thigh and side of chicken. I then remove each chicken into its own bowl or platter to cool down for 30 minutes. At that point in time I debone the chicken, putting the meat into a clean ice cream pail or large bowl, and returning the larger bones and carcass, as well as the gizzards, neck and other pieces in the bag back into the broth. I add as much water as needed to make sure the roaster is 3/4 full, add 4 good sized carrots, 8 stalks of celery, 2 onions (skins and all) that have been chopped in quarters, 3 cloves of garlic, one hot pepper, and 3 tsp of sea salt. (remember there is already salt in the broth from the rubbing on the chicken, so you may want to start with two tsp just until you know what your family likes. I cook this on low for 6-8 hours, then strain completely (I use a metal colander and a clean lint-free white cotton towel). The Bones will look whiteish,which means you got all the good stuff out. I cool broth overnight so the fat rises to the top, skim off the fat in the morning, reheat and use this broth over the jars of chicken. To process it, you take each pint jar and stuff with chicken to just below the lowest thread on the mouth, pour boiling broth over the top, make sure there are no bubbles hiding by running a chopstick or bamboo stick around the edges. Wipe the rim clean with another rag dipped in vinegar to get rid of any grease or splashes of broth. Put lids on, put rings on finger tight, then place in PC canner with warmed water that is the same temp as the broth inside it. Lock lid and PC for 75 minutes pints, 90 minutes quarts at 11 lbs pressure (or whatever it is where you are). The chicken, when you use it, is so incredibly flavorful and nummy, you will never go back. If you are just processing the broth, the pressure is still the same because it is meat based, but you only need to process the pints for 12 minutes and the Quarts for 14.

Enjoy!

And the winner is>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Denise Babbit!!!!

Denise would you please contact me immediately using the Contact Me button at the top of the page so we can discuss how to get the $15 gift certificate to you from the giveaway??

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!

I wanted to say thanks to everyone who participated, who gave feedback, and who shared their different favorite posts from the Growing Your Own Medicine series.

I am taking a day off to be with my family and will be back tomorrow. I have had numerous requests to talk about gardening with the season soon upon us, so that will be the next thing I am covering in depth for you. :)

Check back tomorrow to see all the new ideas and suggestions!

Many Blessings to you and yours,

Heather

 

Final Giveaway Post--Last chance!---for Growing Your Own medicine Series

   Hi, everyone! 

Happy Weekend!

 

I wanted to make sure to clear up some confusion on my part (and probably yours) on yesterday's entries. I saw a few floating around FB, and was not sure who they came from, SO, if you shared your favorite post on FB or Pinterest, the only way I will know to count you is by your commenting on yesterday's post, or on the post on FB for me. I certainly don't want to have anyone miss out on this awesome giveaway if they followed the rules but did not understand, so please please PLEASE leave a comment over there or even over here.



   Today's rules are super simple. All I want is for you to leave a comment with the link of the first item you would be purchasing if you were to win the Baker's Creek Heirloom Seeds $15 gift certificate.

    You need to click the link below, choose what you want, copy and paste the address into your comment on this post for a final chance to enter the contest. I cant wait to see what you will choose! I have been tremendously happy with the seeds I have gotten from there, and they are all growing so happy and strong this year, even though some of them are second generation from the seeds I purchased originally from them.

   We are now supposed to get snow showers on Monday, so there again goes my plans of getting anything in the garden this weekend..........I was thinking of sowing a few peas or lettuce or something, but I think another week is just fine for waiting. Hope we don't get a crazy hot summer all of a sudden, though, or I will be getting a fall crop of those things instead. It would be nice to get two crops in this year. :)
   I just wanted to say how blessed I am to be able to share this with you and know that some people are getting so much out of it. I have actually  been approached by a reader who has asked me to contribute to her E-book on small space gardening, and I have agreed, so keep an eye out here for more updates in the not-so-far future!
   Just so you know, if you would pick something other than herbs, don't be afraid to let me know. I just want to know that someone is getting a lot out of their gift certificate that they will enjoy! :)
    Here is the link to click to go to their website and pick what you want. Don't forget to come back here and post your choice, and if you forgot to comment on yesterday, let me know so I can correct my number of entries. :)

Baker's Creek Heirloom Seeds

   Remember, the winner will be posted first thing Monday morning both here and over on the Welcoming House FB Page. Many thanks to all of you for contributing to another successful series here at The Welcoming House!

 This contest is now closed! Thanks for your participation!!!

Many Blessings to you and yours,

Heather

Giveaway Post #2---along with the Series Growing Your Own Medicine

   Well, I guess we will see how many entrants we have by Saturday evening when this whole shebang closes, but yesterday's post only brought 12 entries for both Facebook and here on the blog! Those are some really good odds for some of you! However, I'd like to see more participation from a larger amount of our reader base, SOOOOOO....................

   So let's ramp it up a bit, shall we?

image courtesy

   To enter today, you will need to do the following:

1. Be a member of the blog (as in signed up via email or reader) OR a member of the Welcoming House Facebook page (click the link on my picture ribbon, top left to head over there).
2. Pick one of the days from the series, OR this post and share on FB or Pinterest about what you are going to be trying that is new from this series.
3. please leave a comment below letting me know which option you chose so I can mark you down. IN SHORT, to enter today you must be a member and share a post on one of those social media sites, and then let me know which one you chose to do.

    It has been a tough day for me with my fibromyalgia flare up, where my body wants to just be resting but my schedule was full with lessons for four full hours this afternoon. It ended up well though, with a little rest, two cuddly toddlers, a treat from my mom for the girls, a babysitter my kids LOVE here for the entire time I taught, and best of all, seeing a  child go from feeling they fail at everything to determined they would succeed at something. :0)

   It has been an interesting week around here, how about where you are?

   This week I have learned two new guitar chords after years of trying and failing to play that instrument.

   I have had my second series wrap up in spectacular style with many people really digging in and really enjoying what they are learning.

   I have had some really precious moments with my kids this week, including hearing my just-turned-two year olds finally start to talk (their little voices are so precious!) (so far my favorite word to hear them say is chainsaw---sounds goofy, but we heat with wood, and they freak out, shrieking the word when they hear Dad using it)

   I managed to keep the home fires burning while keeping up with keeping on, and bless my family....while remembering that these crazy days wont last and I am blessed to be home.

   And finally, I think I have my front yard herb garden planned out perfectly, thanks to this series putting everything in the same place for my references, not in a bunch of notebooks. I am reminded which herbs I wanted to try new this year, which ones were indispensible, and which ones I think I am just going to stock up from someplace reputable. :) I had nine more herbs I wanted to share with you, plus a couple other tips, but I think this is perhaps best, and I will just include everything into the E-book I am working on that is supposed to come out this summer, for those of you who are interested. :)

   I hope you have fun sharing and passing your comments on! I am blessed to know you and be able to share with you!

This contest is now closed. Thanks for your participation!

 

Many Blessings to you and yours,

Heather

   What exciting has happened in your life this week? Anything new you have learned? Anything you have persevered in that is paying in rewards? Please share!

Here is the link to click to browse through the entire series, and you can share it to enter the contest:

Growing Your Own Medicine Series Page

   

First Chance for Gift Certificate Giveaway----For the Growing Your Own Medicine Series

 
Good morning, everyone! Hope you are bright and chipper with the promise of the weekend right around the corner.

   I must be honest with you...today I am very very tired. I am dealing with a cold, and a little normal everyday stress, both of which seem to have set off a flare up of my fibromyalgia.
However, I am still joyful and looking forward to this! :)

   In fact, it is the reason why I have decided rather than doing another blog post on herbs, I am just going to give you the contest rules for the giveaway and take the day off, watching your comments stack up and entering you. Thank you for your lovely comments over the last couple weeks, and I am very thankful that many of you have walked away actually learning something and hoping to use it. :)

   As I stated last week when talking about this, each day Thursday, Friday and Saturday, you will have the opportunity to enter the giveaway in a different way.

Today is simple, and you will enjoy it.

   I want you to go back to the beginning of the Growing Your Own Medicine series by clicking the link at the bottom of the page (I would open it in another tab if I were you so you can come back here), and then leave a comment on this post telling me which post was your favorite and why. Yes, you can only choose one, and YES, you can only leave one comment. I am opening this exact same thing up over at the Welcoming House FB page today so we can have a broad spectrum of entrants. So please choose to leave one here, or over on the FB page, not both. :) If you happen to do this, that's okay, I will just count you once. You can leave your comment on this post all the way through until Saturday evening at 10Pm CST when I will close the giveaway and count entrants. So if you are seeing this for the first time Saturday at 9pm--you still have a chance! :)
   The prize is a $15 gift certificate to Baker's Heirloom Seeds in the hopes that someone will use it to start their own kitchen medicine cupboard through an herb garden, although the winner obviously will be able to use it however they choose. :)
   I would encourage you to head on over there and check out some of their great seeds---we have had wonderful success with their items, and always have had strong and healthy plants that produce seeds we can re-use each year, thanks to their breeding programs.
   Saturday will be the last day of the giveaway, and the winner will be announced first thing Monday morning. :)

   So, are you ready?

   Click the link below and dont forget to post a comment with what day was your favorite and why. :)

Growing Your Own Medicine Series 

This Contest is now closed.Thanks for your participation!

Many Blessings to you and yours,

Heather

What has Gripped Me this Easter Holiday...

   I am just stunned.

   I finally got the opportunity to read a few of the blogs I tend to follow, and one of my very favorites has a two part series on Easter that really has got me thinking, sharing, wondering what I can do next.
   As Christians, it is so easy to let this holiday take over our thinking, dress our kids up nicely, walk the line between Jesus and the Easter Bunny, and let it slide.
   But what Easter (or Resurrection Sunday) is all about is sacrifice.

   What Jesus did for us is just that...

 sacrifice.

   I dont want to go on and on about this idea, because I say it so poorly compared to Jen Hatmaker, whose blog has often made me sit back and think........or like tonight, sit back and cry as I think of all I could be doing for those around me who need to see love in action.
   As you ready your hearts and your family for the celebration of Easter, would you read her posts for me? I guarantee you it will make you sit back, rethink, and be encouraged to walk out your faith in a living, and desperate world.

image courtesy

Here is the first part of her two part series:

 

The Easter Conundrum--Part One by Jen Hatmaker

and here is the second part (the one that really really got me)

The Easter Conundrum--Part Two (Confession)-by Jen Hatmaker

Have a blessed Easter! As I love to say to those dear to me every Easter:

He Is RISEN!

Yes, He is risen Indeed! :)

Many Blessings to you and yours,

Heather