Monday Moments

Don't forget our Coconut Oil Give-Away  CLICK HERE!

Making Your Own Gluten-Free Vanilla

According to Vanilla Review, "Quality vanilla is a tasty and essential cooking ingredient. It’s also very expensive. By making our own extraction we get the highest possible quality product made from the absolute best vanilla beans. Considering that the FDA regulates vanilla extract by bean weight and not bean quality, you never know what you might be getting with manufactured products. Your vanilla will be free of the artificial colors and vile corn sweeteners found in even high-quality vanilla extracts. Hand crafted vanilla extract is a great gift that will last a lifetime — like a fine wine, vanilla extract matures with age."

Wow, the ingredients are expensive!!!  Have you price Vanilla Beans lately?  Actually the beans have gone down in price.  Remember to get only the best quality beans and they should be fresh and soft.  We think that dollar for dollar and quality of product you will find that making your own Vanilla will actually save you money in the long run!

We found an excellant tutorial for you HERE.  We love our homemade vanilla and if you are Gluten-Intollerant or Celiac then you will be glad you made your own too!

Making your own vanilla does require liquor, as does making some of your own herbal extracts.  The following is for us gluten-free folks:

Gluten-Free Vodka BrandsChopin (potato based) - http://www.chopinvodka.com/
Ciroc (grape based) - http://www.cirocvodka.com/
Ciroc now features flavored vodkas!

Gluten-Free Rum
Most Rum is naturally gluten-free, including Bacardi & Cruzan. Beware Rums with fancy "natural flavors" that could be hiding wheat, barley or malt.


The Gift of Hospitality
Our Hospitality Hint of the Week

Today we are going to begin a series of ideas on things you can to to Bless others in the name of Jesus Christ.

Many people are homebound for one reason or another and often forgotten. This Hospitality Hint is great for the homebound or just ANYONE for that matter.  There are many lonely people in this world often surrounded by thousands.

Call or Text

Check in every once in awhile allows others know your are thinking of them.  A phone call is more personal, but a quick text message can be equally appreciated by most people.  Even Facebook messages or emails can be encouraging.

Reading Through the Bible In a Year

We are again attempting to read through the Bible this year. Just joining us or did you get behind? No matter and no need to play catch-up. Start where you are today and go forward.

Monday: Luke 4:1-12, Ephesians 5:22-33, Psalms 119:81-88, 1 Kings 17-18

Tuesday: Luke 4:13-30, Ephesians 6:1-9, Psalms 119:89-96, 1 Kings 19-20

Wednesday: Luke 4:31-37, Ephesians 6:10-24, Psalms 119:97-104, 1 Kings 21-22

Thursday: Luke 4:38-44, Phillippians 1:1-11, Psalms 119:105-112, 2 Kings 1-3

Friday: Luke 5:1-11, Phillippians 1:12-20, Psalms 119:113-120, 2 Kings 4-5
Saturday: Luke 5:12-16, Pillippians 1:21-30, Psalms 119:121-128, 2 Kings 6-7

Sunday: Luke 5:17-26, Phillippians 2:1-11, Psalms 119:129-136, 2 Kings 8-9

We also like to read a Proverb a Day corresponding to the day of the month. This month I am memorizing Psalms 20, could you memorize a Psalm?

Genealogy or Family History

Ever wondered who your grandparents were or where they came from? I have been finding out some interesting things, solving some medical mysteries and just having some fun with genealogy (family history) explorations!  If you want to find out how to search your family history or see what fun I'm having visit my other BLOG  http://footstepsbehindme.blogspot.com

101 Herbs That Heal

Below is the First 10 in my list of the 101 Plants/shrubs/Trees on our property that have healing qualities.

1. Aloe
2. Apple Trees
3. Aronia
4. Basil
5. Blackberry
6. Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
7. Calendula (Calendula officinalis)
8. Catnip
9. Cayenne
10. Chaomile

Cayenne

This rather ambiguous little pepper has so many uses and health benefits that I decided just to link you to them.

The plant itself is rather easy to grow and like hot weather so if you'd like to grow a pepper that has a little bite without burning your face off, Cayenne peppers are probably the way to go. They have a medium heat and are used in many Cajun and Mexican dishes. Here are a few steps to growing your own supply of this versatile and hot, but not too hot, pepper.

Check out the Chili Man

or this UTube Video

http://youtu.be/i2LX59Z2pU0


Chaomile

Why Do People Use Chamomile?

Chamomile has a long history of use in Europe for digestive ailments. The active constiuents of chamomile have anti-inflammatory properties, and ease spasm and discomfort in the digestive tract.

• Indigestion
• Anxiety
• Insomnia
• Canker sores
• Colic
• Conjunctivitis, eye irritations
• Crohn's disease
• Diarrhea
• Eczema
• Gingivitis
• Hemorrhoids
• Menstrual disorders
• Migraine
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Peptic ulcer
• Skin irritations
• Ulcerative colitis
• Minor wounds

Safety
Chamomile is part of the Asteraceae plant family, which includes ragweed and chrysanthemum, so people with allergies may react when they use chamomile either internally or topically. Call your doctor if you experience vomiting, skin irritation, allergic reactions (chest tightness, wheezing, hives, rash, itching) after chamomile use.
Chamomile should not be taken during pregnancy or breast-feeding.
Chamomile contains coumarin, a naturally-occurring compound with anticoagulant or blood-thinning effects. It should not be combined with warfarin or other medications or supplements that have the same effect or be used by people with bleeding disorders. It shouldn't be used two weeks before or after surgery.

Here's a great UTube Video on how to grow Chamomile

http://youtu.be/gtqyUhSZxi0

Monday This 'n That

Greetings friends!  Thanks for coming to visit today!  Mondays seem to be the day that I put together several tips and thoughts to get your week started.

The garden is looking lovely and the flower beds that I started and/or renovated are taking shape thanks to the hard work of my helpers.  Getting all this work done with two folks, getting older, and slightly handicapped is not easy.  I'm going to have to wrap my brain around projects that aren't so demanding.  Unfortunately, it seems, that my old girl (my 130+ year old house) is always in some state of needing repair.

Meet Beef and Buddy

Today we are introducing you to some of the members of our farm family.  Buddy the Llama (pictured above with our Boer Goat Buck) has been with us for 12 years or so.  We bought him as a 9 month old black Llama with hopes that he would be a guard Llama for our sheep.  He was naughty with the sheep so not knowing what else to do with him we put him in with our cows and calves.  He loved it!  He took to guarding the calves like nobodies business!  We no longer have dairy or beef cows except for the lone beef we grow our every year.  So now he has charge of the lone dairy calf we are growing out for beef and a couple of buck goats.  He's getting really gray but we hope he is enjoying his final years here at our farm.  Life expectency of a Llama is 20-25 years so he has a few years left.  Not every Llama is suitable for use as a guard.  He has to have a special personality.  Our Buddy is really a buddy to us, especially Mike.

Meet Beef, he is our newest beef project.  He is a Guernsey Dairy Bull Calf.  We bought him from our local raw milk dairy where he spent his first week eating milk straight from his mother.  We continue to feed him milk via a bottle, now he gets goat milk and has started to eat grass.

The Economy
"We who live in free market societies believe that growth, prosperity and ultimately human fulfillment, are created from the bottom up, not the government down. Only when the human spirit is allowed to invent and create, only when individuals are given a personal stake in deciding economic policies and benefitting from their success -- only then can societies remain economically alive, dynamic, progressive, and free. Trust the people. This is the one irrefutable lesson of the entire postwar period contradicting the notion that rigid government controls are essential to economic development."

Ronald Regan, September 29, 1981

Reading Through the Bible In a Year

We are again attempting to read through the Bible this year. Just joining us or did you get behind? No matter and no need to play catch-up. Start where you are today and go forward.

Monday:  Luke 1:57-66, Ephesians 2:11-22, Psalms 119:25-32, 1 Kings 6-7

Tuesday:  Luke 1: 67-80, Ephesians 3:1-13, Psalms 119:33-40, 1 Kings 8

Wednesday: Luke 2:1-20, Ephesians 3:14-21, Psalms 119:41-48, 1 Kings 9-10

Thursday: Luke 2:21-40, Ephesians 4:1-16, Psalms 119:49-56, 1 Kings 11

Friday: Luke 2:41-52, Ephesians 4:17-24, Psalms 119:57-64, 1 Kings 12
Saturday: Luke 3:1-20, Ephesians 4:25-32, Psalms 119:65-72, 1 Kings 13-14

Sunday: Luke 3:21-38, Ephesians 5:1-21, Psalms 119:73-80, 1 Kings 15-16

We also like to read a Proverb a Day corresponding to the day of the month. This month I am memorizing Psalms 20, could you memorize a Psalm?

101 Herbs That Heal

Below is the First 10 in my list of the 101 Plants/shrubs/Trees on our property that have healing qualities.

1. Aloe
2. Apple Trees
3. Aronia
4. Basil
5. Blackberry
6. Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
7. Calendula (Calendula officinalis)
8. Catnip
9. Cayenne
10. Chaomile

I only have 58 more plants/trees/shrubs to propigate. (Chuckle) This also means I get to create more beds to plant all these wonderful and beautiful plants. There's nothing like edible landscape, incorporate all these wonderful plants into your landscape and include them in your 'flower' and garden beds. We will discuss two plants a week.

Calendula

According to Wickapedia Calendula or "pot marigold, is a genus of about 12–20 species of annual or perennial herbaceous plants in the daisy family Asteraceae, native to the area from Macaronesia east through the Mediterranean region to Iran. Calendula should not be confused with other plants that are also known as marigolds, such as corn marigold, desert marigold, marsh marigold, or plants of the genus Tagetes.

The name Calendula stems from the Latin kalendae, meaning first day of the month, presumably because pot marigolds are in bloom at the start of most months of the year. "

Calendula is usually used externally for its antiseptic and healing properties in treating skin infections, cuts, punctures, scrapes, burns and chapped or chafed skin or lips. The tea or the tincture in water can be swished and swallowed in order to help heal oral lesions, sore throat, or gastric ulcer. Calendula has a good history of external use in the treatment of varicose veins.

Cat Mint aka Catnip

Catnip is almost a weed around here.  A member of the mint family, it got it's name because of how much Cat's love the herb.  Common catnip looks alot like lemon balm and often has a lemony flavor and can be used in place of lemon balm in some instances. 

Not all Catnips are the same.

Catnip has a history of medicinal use for a variety of ailments.  The plant has been consumed as a tea, juice, tincture, infusion or poultice, and has also been smoked.  However, its medicinal use has fallen out of favor with the development of more effective drugs. 
The presence of a chemical called nepetalactone produces sedative-like affects in humans, making catnip a popular home remedy for headaches as well as insomnia.  

To make catnip tea, add one teaspoon of dried catnip leaves or three to four teaspoons of fresh catnip leaves to a mug of boiling water and let it steep.

Nepetalactone is a mosquito and fly repellent.  Oil isolated from catnip by steam distillation is a repellent against insects, in particular mosquitoes, cockroaches and termites.   Research suggests that in a test tube, distilled nepetalactone repels mosquitoes ten times more effectively than DEET, the active ingredient in most insect repellents, but that it is not as effective a repellent when used on the skin.

For educational purposes only This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Monday This 'n That

In honor of those who lost their lives while serving our country, we would like to share with you President Ronald Reagan’s 1986 Memorial Day remarks at Arlington National Cemetery:

"Today is the day we put aside to remember fallen heroes and to pray that no heroes will ever have to die for us again. It’s a day of thanks for the valor of others, a day to remember the splendor of America and those of her children who rest in this cemetery and others. It’s a day to be with the family and remember.

I was thinking this morning that across the country children and their parents will be going to the town parade and the young ones will sit on the sidewalks and wave their flags as the band goes by. Later, maybe, they’ll have a cookout or a day at the beach. And that’s good, because today is a day to be with the family and to remember.

Arlington, this place of so many memories, is a fitting place for some remembering. So many wonderful men and women rest here, men and women who led colorful, vivid, and passionate lives. There are the greats of the military: Bull Halsey and the Admirals Leahy, father and son; Black Jack Pershing; and the GI’s general, Omar Bradley. Great men all, military men. But there are others here known for other things.

Here in Arlington rests a sharecropper’s son who became a hero to a lonely people. Joe Louis came from nowhere, but he knew how to fight. And he galvanized a nation in the days after Pearl Harbor when he put on the uniform of his country and said, “I know we’ll win because we’re on God’s side.” Audie Murphy is here, Audie Murphy of the wild, wild courage. For what else would you call it when a man bounds to the top of a disabled tank, stops an enemy advance, saves lives, and rallies his men, and all of it single-handedly. When he radioed for artillery support and was asked how close the enemy was to his position, he said, “Wait a minute and I’ll let you speak to them.” [Laughter]
Michael Smith is here, and Dick Scobee, both of the space shuttle Challenger. Their courage wasn’t wild, but thoughtful, the mature and measured courage of career professionals who took prudent risks for great reward—in their case, to advance the sum total of knowledge in the world. They’re only the latest to rest here; they join other great explorers with names like Grissom and Chaffee.
Oliver Wendell Holmes is here, the great jurist and fighter for the right. A poet searching for an image of true majesty could not rest until he seized on “Holmes dissenting in a sordid age.” Young Holmes served in the Civil War. He might have been thinking of the crosses and stars of Arlington when he wrote: “At the grave of a hero we end, not with sorrow at the inevitable loss, but with the contagion of his courage; and with a kind of desperate joy we go back to the fight.

All of these men were different, but they shared this in common: They loved America very much. There was nothing they wouldn’t do for her. And they loved with the sureness of the young. It’s hard not to think of the young in a place like this, for it’s the young who do the fighting and dying when a peace fails and a war begins. Not far from here is the statue of the three servicemen—the three fighting boys of Vietnam. It, too, has majesty and more. Perhaps you’ve seen it—three rough boys walking together, looking ahead with a steady gaze. There’s something wounded about them, a kind of resigned toughness. But there’s an unexpected tenderness, too. At first you don’t really notice, but then you see it. The three are touching each other, as if they’re supporting each other, helping each other on.

I know that many veterans of Vietnam will gather today, some of them perhaps by the wall. And they’re still helping each other on. They were quite a group, the boys of Vietnam—boys who fought a terrible and vicious war without enough support from home, boys who were dodging bullets while we debated the efficacy of the battle. It was often our poor who fought in that war; it was the unpampered boys of the working class who picked up the rifles and went on the march. They learned not to rely on us; they learned to rely on each other. And they were special in another way: They chose to be faithful. They chose to reject the fashionable skepticism of their time. They chose to believe and answer the call of duty. They had the wild, wild courage of youth. They seized certainty from the heart of an ambivalent age; they stood for something.

And we owe them something, those boys. We owe them first a promise: That just as they did not forget their missing comrades, neither, ever, will we. And there are other promises. We must always remember that peace is a fragile thing that needs constant vigilance. We owe them a promise to look at the world with a steady gaze and, perhaps, a resigned toughness, knowing that we have adversaries in the world and challenges and the only way to meet them and maintain the peace is by staying strong.

That, of course, is the lesson of this century, a lesson learned in the Sudetenland, in Poland, in Hungary, in Czechoslovakia, in Cambodia. If we really care about peace, we must stay strong. If we really care about peace, we must, through our strength, demonstrate our unwillingness to accept an ending of the peace. We must be strong enough to create peace where it does not exist and strong enough to protect it where it does. That’s the lesson of this century and, I think, of this day. And that’s all I wanted to say. The rest of my contribution is to leave this great place to its peace, a peace it has earned.

Thank all of you, and God bless you, and have a day full of memories."


Recycled Backyard
Tire  gardens are becoming popular and what a great way to recycle something you’d  normally toss. You can paint them, stack them or even make them look like flowers! 




This Weeks Menu Plan
Remember ALL the recipes we use are GLUTEN FREE

Monday: Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, Potato Salad, Cole Slaw, S'mores
Tuesday: Salmon with Asparagus, Rice (opt), glazed Carrots
Wednesday: Chicken Fried Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Green Beans
Thursday: Gluten-Free Parmesan Chicken, Noodles with Marinara, Super Salad
Friday: Crispy Orange Beef with Broccoli, steamed snow peas
Saturday: Hamburgers, Waffle Fries, Raw Veggie Plate
Sunday Brunch: Gluten-Free Buckwheat Blueberry Pancakes, Sausage Patties Supper: Beef Fried
Rice


KNOW YOUR FARMER!!!!

Do you know your local farmer?  Can you purchase fresh fruits & vegetables, grass-fed beef, free-range chickens, farm fresh eggs and raw milk locally (within 100 miles or less)?  If not, why not? Look for your local farmer, he/she can be found.

This week Grandma Farmer is picking: Broccoli, Snap Peas, Sugar Pod Peas, Turnip Greens, Beet Greens, Rainbow Chard, Spinach, Sage, Spearmint, Oregano, Chives (Garlic & Regular), Dill, Thyme, Green Onions, Red Russian Kale, Aragula

Reading Through the Bible In a Year
We are again attempting to read through the Bible this year. Just joining us or did you get behind? No matter and no need to play catch-up. Start where you are today and go forward.



Friday: Luke 1:1-25, Ephesians 1:1-14, Psalms 119:1-8, 1 Kings 1
Saturday: Luke 1:26-38, Ephesians 1:15-23, Psalms 119:9-16, 1 Kings 2-3
Sunday:  Luke 1:39-56, Ephesians 2:1-10, Psalms 119:17-24, 1 Kings 4-5

We also like to read a Proverb a Day corresponding to the day of the month. This month I am memorizing Psalms 32, could you memorize a Psalm?

101 Herbs That Heal
Below is the First 10 in my list of the 101 Plants/shrubs/Trees on our property that have healing qualities.

1. Aloe
2. Apple Trees
3. Aronia
4. Basil
5. Blackberry
6. Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
7. Calendula (Calendula officinalis)
8. Catnip
9. Cayenne
10. Chaomile

I only have 58 more plants/trees/shrubs to propigate. (Chuckle) This also means I get to create more beds to plant all these wonderful and beautiful plants. There's nothing like edible landscape, incorporate all these wonderful plants into your landscape and include them in your 'flower' and garden beds. We will discuss two plants a week.

Aronia Berries

What makes Aronia Berries so healthy?

Aronia berries contain what may be the worlds highest concentration of the antioxidant anthocyanin. Anthocyanin is the pigment that makes the berry so dark, (so dark in fact that this berry is the world's best source of natural dye) and like all dark-colored fruits (blueberries, concord grapes, acai, etc.) it has been shown to benefit your body in many ways.

What are the benefits of eating aronia berries?

High concentrations of anthocyanins are well documented in many fruits (most famously the dark grapes that color red wine) to offer almost supernatural benefits. They work by boosting & assisting your body's immune system, so naturally there are few ailments that they DON'T work to fight.

For instance; cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, liver failure, DNA degradation, broken bones, burnt skin, and even viral infections have all been tested against high dosages of anthocyanin, all to impressive results.

In fact, science has clearly shown that the only problems your body could have that anthocyanins cannot help in some way are those that are 'genetic,' because your body's DNA instructions are to make sure that problem exists.

How much it helps your condition, however, has too many personal variables to discuss here, so you should consult a qualified doctor before taking mass dosages of this fruit juice for your individual problem.

Where can I find aronia berries?

Farmers Markets and your Local Farmers like GRANDMA FARMER grow aronia berries right on their farms!

Blackberry



The blackberry is known to contain polyphenol antioxidants, naturally occurring chemicals that can upregulate certain beneficial metabolic processes in mammals. The astringent blackberry root is sometimes used in herbal medicine as a treatment for diarrhea and dysentery.

Blackberries are notable for their high nutritional contents of dietary fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, folic acid (a B vitamin), and the essential mineral manganese.

Blackberries rank highly among fruits for antioxidant strength, particularly due to their dense contents of polyphenolic compounds, such as ellagic acid, tannins, ellagitannins, quercetin, gallic acid, anthocyanins and cyanidins.

Blackberries have an ORAC value (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) of 5347 per 100 grams, including them among the top-ranked ORAC fruits. Another report using a different assay for assessing antioxidant strength placed blackberry at the top of more than 1000 antioxidant foods consumed in the United States.

Nutrient content of seeds

Blackberries contain numerous large seeds that are not always preferred by consumers. The seeds contain some oil which is rich in omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) and -6 fats (linoleic acid), as well as some protein, dietary fiber, carotenoids, ellagitannins and ellagic acid.

Monday This 'n That

My garden and yard is starting to look good inspite of the handicap and chronic pain that was inflicted on me by a doctor who messed up my last knee surgery.  I'm thankful for my husband who is working tons of extra hours (inspite of his own handicap) so that we can afford to hire help for me in the garden and yard.  What a blessing.  My inside chores and BLOGGING is suffering for lack of time, it is dry and we could really use some rain, so a good three day rain would be helpful right now.


You are going to love tomorrows post about my ear infection that I healed at home and how I did it.




Homemade Lemonade Easy On The Budget

1 cup Organic Lemon or Lime Juice, or some of each
3/4 cup Organic Cane Sugar, ½ cup honey or ¾ tsp liquid Stevia extract

Stir together 6 1/2 cups water, juice and sweetener of choice in a 2-quart pitcher. Serve over ice.

Reading Through the Bible In a Year
We are again attempting to read through the Bible this year. Just joining us or did you get behind? No matter and no need to play catch-up. Start where you are today and go forward.

Monday: Mark 15:1-15, Galatians 4:1-20, Psalms 114, 2 Samuel 16-17
Tuesday: Mark 15:16-32, Galatians 4:21-31, Psalms 115, 2 Samuel 18-19
Wednesday: Mark 15:33-41, Galatians 5:1-12, Psalms 116, 2 Samuel 20-21
Thursday: Mark 15:42-47, Galatians 13-26, Psalms 117, 2 Samuel 22
Friday: Mark 16, Galatians 6, Psalms 118, 2 Samuel 23-24
Saturday:  Luke 1:1-25, Ephesians 1:1-14, Psalms 119:1-8, 1 Kings 1
Sunday: Luke 1:26-38, Ephesians 1:15-23, Psalms 119:9-16, 1 Kings 2-3


We also like to read a Proverb a Day corresponding to the day of the month. This month I am memorizing Psalms 32, could you memorize a Psalm?

Myth: Food from the farmers’ market is so clean, you can eat it right there.

Fact: Before you polish off that entire quart of cherry tomatoes on the ride home, think of all the people who may have picked over them before you got there. Dirty hands = dirty produce. And although it may be free of pesticide residues, it could still harbor dirt and other bacteria that aren’t good for you. Get your produce home, then clean it with this cheap and effective produce spray: In a spray bottle, mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar, and 1 cup cold tap water. Shake well to mix it up, spray on your produce, and rinse before eating.

Read this entire article

This Weeks Meal Plan

Monday - Sweet & Sour Chicken Wings, Refried Rice
Tuesday - Easy Gluten-Free Skillet Lasagna, Super Salad
Wednesday -Stuffed Chicken Breast, Carrot Cucumber Salad
Thursday - Fiery Scallops & Bok Choy over Cello Noodles, steamed sugar snap peas
Friday - Sweet and Sticky Spareribs, Crispy Potatoes, Fennel Cabbage Salad
Saturday - Grilled Steak, Baked Potato, Super Salad
Sunday Brunch:Italian Frittata, Salad; Supper: Chicken Salad Sandwiches, Fruit Salad

Our GAME PLAN contains grocery list and a day by day list of to-do's for your meal plan. We'll send this to you for a $1 donation to Grandma Farmer to PAYPAL at gramafarmer@gmail.com

101 Herbs That Heal

Below is the First 10 in my list of the 101 Plants/shrubs/Trees on our property that have healing qualities.

1. Aloe
2. Apple Trees
3. Aronia
4. Basil
5. Blackberry
6. Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
7. Calendula (Calendula officinalis)
8. Catnip
9. Cayenne
10. Chaomile

I only have 58 more plants/trees/shrubs to propigate. (Chuckle) This also means I get to create more beds to plant all these wonderful and beautiful plants. There's nothing like edible landscape, incorporate all these wonderful plants into your landscape and include them in your 'flower' and garden beds. We will discuss two plants a week.

Aloe

I would never be without an Aloe Vera plant in various sizes.  Here we have to have it as an inside plant.  I use the smaller leaves for minor kitchen burns but have filleted larger leaves and placed on larger burns when necessary.  It is amazing how the burned skin will suck the moisture out of a plank of skinned aloe leaf.  I change often and find the used up portion just a paper thin piece left even though the piece I put on the burn was at least a quarter inch thick originally.  When I've used this the healing is usually quick and without scarring.  For serious burns see your Doctor.



Apple Tree

Medicinal qualities?  I found an interesting article by Jim McDonald which is worth a read.  Very interesting.

Monday This & That

Available this week at Grandma Farmers Garden
Grandma Farmer uses all organic pratices but is not a certified farm.
Beautiful Farm Fresh Chicken, raised on grass and organic grains.  4-5.25 pound birds, frozen (there will be 8 available fresh Wednesday, next week).  $2.75 per pound.  Supplies Limited.

Farm Fresh Eggs,  fed Organic Grains, Kelp, Alfalfa Leaves.  Cage Free, plenty of outdoor exercise.  Normally $3.00 a dozen, this weeks special $2.50 a dozen while supplies last.

Picking This Week: Asparagus $3 a pound, Baby Turnip Greens 4-oz $2, Rhubarb $3 a pound, Chives, Oregano, Sage, Cilantro and Lemon Balm all $2 an ounce, Bok Choy (Baby) 4-oz for $1.15, Green Onions (6-8 bunch) $2, Red Russian Kale 4-oz for $2

Now available:  Clumps of 5-6 fans Daylilies  $6 a clump.

CONTACT ME for pick-up.

Asparagus and Jack Cheese Frittata
Serves 8-10

8 large eggs
1/2 cup shredded Jack cheese
1 teaspoon sea salt
Black pepper
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch pieces (3 cups)
3 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1. Heat the broiler to high and arrange the rack in upper third.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, cheese, salt, and pepper until combined.
3. In large ovenproof frying pan, heat the oil and the butter over med-high heat.
4. Add asparagus, seasoned with salt and pepper.  Cook stirring occasionally, until cooked through (5 min).
5. Stir in the cilantro.  Reduce heat to low, pour in egg mixture and cook until a 1-inch border of egg mixture is firm (3 minutes).  The center of the frittata will not be set at this point.
6. Place the pan in oven and broil until some spots are berowned and eggs are fust set, about 2 minutes.
7. Cut into wedges and serve.

Eggs, Bacon Cheese Potatoes
Serves 2

2 ounces bacon, diced
2-3 green onions, thinly sliced
2 medium potatoes, diced
2 large farm fresh eggs, beatened
1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
salt and pepper
butter or coconut oil

1. Heat cast iron skillet with 1 tablespoon butter or coconut oil and add the diced bacon.  Cook and remove from skillet and reserve.
2. Add diced potatoes and onions.  Cover and cook on medium until cooked and browned.
3. Return bacon to skillet along with beaten eggs.  Cook, stirring to scramble eggs.
4. Remove from heat, Salt and pepper to taste.
5. Sprinkle with cheese, cover until cheese is melted.
6. Serve immediately with fresh salsa if you like.

Stop and Smell The Roses

So have I taken my own advice this last week since writing the article with the above name (click on the title if you haven't read the article yet).  No, it doesn't seem so.  What does it take before we begin to slow down, begin to eat right, begin to.....

This Weeks Bible Reading

Monday:  Mark 7:1-23, 1 Cor 12:1-13, Psalms 88, Judges 13-15
Tuesday:  Mark 7:24-37, 1 Cor 12:14-31, Psalms 89:1-18, John 16
Wednesday: Mark 8:1-13, 1 Cor 13, Psalms 89:19-52, Judges 17-18
Thursday:  Mark 8:14-21, 1 Cor 14:1-25, Psalms 90, Judges 19
Friday: Mark 8:22-30, 1 Cor 14:26-40, Psalms 91, Judges 20-21
Saturday:  Mark 8:31-38, 1 Cor 15:1-28, Psalms 92, Ruth 1
Sunday:  Mark 9:1-13, 1 Cor 15:29-58, Psalms 93, Ruth 2-3

Family History - Genealogy Days

Our new BLOG is hosting a FREE Beginning Geneology On-line Workshop, some fun Geneology Challenges and great trivia days.

This weeks feature is the HOMESTEAD ACT

Bible Reading - April 15

Reading Through the Bible In a Year
We are again attempting to read through the Bible this year. Just joining us or did you get behind? No matter and no need to play catch-up. Start where you are today and go forward.

Mark 6:1-13

1 Corinthians 10:1-13

Psalms 84

Judges 6-7

Bible Reading - April 14

Reading Through the Bible In a Year
We are again attempting to read through the Bible this year. Just joining us or did you get behind? No matter and no need to play catch-up. Start where you are today and go forward.

Mark 5:21-43

1 Corinthians 9:13-27

Psalms 83

Judges 4-5

Bible Reading - April 13

Reading Through the Bible In a Year
We are again attempting to read through the Bible this year. Just joining us or did you get behind? No matter and no need to play catch-up. Start where you are today and go forward.

Mark 5:1-20

1 Corinthians 9:1-12

Psalms 82

Judges 1-3

Bible Reading - April 12

Reading Through the Bible In a Year

We are again attempting to read through the Bible this year.  Just joining us or did you get behind?  No matter and no need to play catch-up.  Start where you are today and go forward.
Mark 4:21-41

1 Corinthians 8

Psalms 81

Joshua 24

Bible Reading - April 11

Reading Through the Bible In a Year

Mark 4:1-20

1 Corinthians 7:17-40

Psalms 80

Joshua 22-23

Bible Reading - April 10

Reading Through the Bible In a Year

Mark 3:20-35

1 Corinthians 7:1-16

Psalms 79

Joshua 20-21

Bible Reading - April 9

Reading Through the Bible in a Year

Mark 3:1-19

1 Corinthians 6:12-20

Psalms 78:40-72

Joshua 18-19

Bible Reading April 8

Reading Through the Bible in a Year

Mark 2:18-28

1 Corinthians 6:1-11

Psalms 78:1-39

Joshua 15-17

Bible Reading - April 7

Reading Through the Bible In a Year

Mark 2:13-17

I Corintians 5

Psalms 77

Joshua 13-14

Bible Reading April 6th

Reading Through the Bible in a Year

Mark 2:1-12

1 Corinthians 4

Psalms 76

Joshua 10-12

Reading Through the Bible - April 5

Reading Through The Bible In a Year

Mark 1:35-45

1 Corinthians 3

Psalms 74

Joshua 8-9

Bible Reading - April 4

Reading Through The Bible In a Year
Mark 1:21-34

1 Corinthans 2

Psalms 74

Joshua 6-7

Bible Reading - April 3

Reading Through The Bible In a Year

Mark 1:9-20

1 Corinthians 1:18-31

Pslams 73

Joshua 3-5

Bible Reading - March 2

Reading Through the Bible In a Year

Mark 1:1-8

1 Corinthians 1:1-17

Psalms 72

Joshua 1-2

Bible Reading for March 25

Reading Through the Bible in a Year

Matthew 28:11-20

Romans 16

Psalms 71

Deut.  33-34