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Make your own butterOne day last week I remembered that I had bought some heavy cream over the holidays for Moma's Favorite Cookie, which I am GOING to post the recipe for! REALLY! :) Well, I thought with this much cream, it would be a good time to show the children how to make butter... well the easy way to make butter.We pulled out the ole food processor.  Poured in all that cream and turned it on... There were a few different stages that I told them we would see...First of all we saw it just as a liquid, as it is as cream. We would start seeing the cream slowly becoming thicker, until we had it at the whipped cream stage. They all tried it at this point and sneered... sadly they thought it would taste like cool whip. Pitiful, huh? I told them at the enormous amounts of 'stuff' added to cool whip and this was so much better, and that we could add a little sweetner if we wanted whipped cream, but we want butter!  Keep it moving, keep it moving...FINALLY! BUTTER! :) HURRAH!  Please forgive the skunk stripes down my child's hair... our New Years Party got a bit crazy! :) haha Mmm... this butter is good, Mom!We even took the buttermilk and put it in a jar to use later and washed the curds with ice water to help get all the milk off so the butter would last longer. Now a solid. How crazy are we? Doing school when we are supposed to be on holiday? haha... so is the life of a homeschooler. I hope you have a great day friends. From My Homestead to Yours, ~Chas~ Chasity L. Burrell Heritage Acres Farm Wish Books...Oh, those tempting little darlings are arriving daily in the mail What lovely thoughts they do bring to mind, gorgeously blooming flowers, luscious fruits and bountiful vegetables all in a perfectly tended garden Making a long list of new things to try and some old favorites to replant comes next. Then reality sinks in when I actually add up the cost of my wish list I've yet to sit down for my list making this year, and it is just about time to start some things indoors I will probably order from Bountiful Gardens and Seed Savers Exchange this year. I love The Cook's Garden catalog, too; though mine has not yet arrived. What are your favorite places to order seeds from? Next week I'll try to post a few picks for 2009 from my wish list. Please share your own favorite seed catalogs, and any "must have" items from your own wish list this year! With Wishes for a Bountiful New Gardening Year, Christmas BeansHave you finished your Christmas shopping? What little I did is done, thank goodness for 2 day delivery and online shopping My plans for a completely home-made and home-grown Christmas did not come to pass this year....too many moves and other distractions kept me from accomplishing my holiday goal. But, there is always next year...and I plan to start much, much earlier then! I'm making a list now, and collecting ideas along the way. Here's one that caught my eye, and would be fun for the gardener on your list (or yourself if you love to grow things as I do): How about growing or gifting some Christmas Beans next year! I pray you have a peaceful blessed Christmas! I'll see you here on January 5th and we'll begin perusing all the gorgeous seed catalogs that are arriving in my mail box these days.... they've been another distraction from my Christmas crafting and baking Yummy Christmas Treat My Mom got these for us one day while we were running errands in town. They were yummy! I like how Christmas-y they look :) I ate one with sprinkles! mmm Have a great day! Cameo A Great new e-bookIn todays uncertain times, families are trying hard to consolidate spendings. But, oftentimes we scrimp in ways we shouldn't. We try to cut our food budget, and we wind up leaving out good healthy foods that we need most. But!
Good healthy meals don't have to cost a fortune. Crystal Miller has come up with a great e-book to help with this dilemma. There is hope! Using beans is a great way to help save on your grocery budget but still feeding your family healthy meals. In this e-book Crystal gives us some fantastic tips on how to cook the beans, for added nutrition and taste. And my oh my at the recipes... there are so many tasty looking recipes! Speaking of recipes, I have tried a couple and I am very eager to try many more! One in particular is the Pineapple Bean Bake... Mmmm, I think it sounds delicious! :) Another great feature is that she has given us step-by-steps with pictures! I LOVE pictures, they help me to 'see' what I need to do. It is obvious Crystal has taken great time and care in making this e-book and I am sure you will enjoy it every bit as much as I have. Not only will you get lots and lots of main dish recipes using beans, but, Crystal has also included ways to use beans in sweet treats! I am amazed... that is a brand new idea for me. :) You can click on the link on the links below to visit Crystal, and if you are as eager as I am to give your family healthy, low cost meals check out Cooking with Beans. Crystal Miller's blog
Crystal's e-book, Cooking with Beans From my Homestead to Yours, ~Chas~ Chasity L. Burrell Senior Editor Homesteadblogger Heritage Acres Farm Simple Classy Christmas GiftsBrick and mortar stores have simple gifts CHEAP. When I say cheap, I mean that they have learned that gift baskets or sets are used in abundance. However they have put together either the cheapest products at what may seem like a reasonable price or have put a few choice pieces together at a premium price; neither of which are personal or make for a classy gift. Here is a list of easy to put together handmade gifts which have a minimal investment, but have a classy and personal touch for all the people on your Christmas list.
These are my thoughts. Leslie Valeska ~Contributing Writer~
Gifts and Crafts for the GardenerLooking for a gift idea for a gardener, or maybe a craft to keep little hands (or your own) busy this season? How about the SeedSavers calendar? I know at least one gardener who would love to find this under the Christmas tree Seedsavers also has some interesting New for 2009 items- the Himalayan Poppy (it's blue!) caught my eye. I do love poppies, though. I got seeds for the gorgeous Tasha Tudor heirloom Lettuce Poppy for my birthday! If you would like to share a gift from your own garden or stash of seeds, here is a link for printable seed packets. Seeds are a great gift for veteran gardeners, and just might be the start of a new hobby for someone who has not yet been bitten by the "garden bug"! How about making some paper cards or ornaments that you can plant! Thrifty Fun has how-to's for making "seed paper". If time allows this year, I plan to make some little heart ornaments with poppy seeds (of course) imbedded in them. This would be fun for other occasions, as well- like Valentine's Day if I don't get my Christmas hearts made I think these seed balls would be fun to make; but I'm not sure where you get the terra cotta clay. Another fun "seedy" craft for the kids (and big kids) to make and give is seed tape. For more gift ideas for the gardener on your list, see Emily Compost's Gardener's Christmas Wish List. I particularly like the gift certificate to be a "worker bee" for a day For a great gift for gardener or cook, how about a bar of Farmhouse Kitchen Hand Scrub from Hick Chicks Soap Barn? I haven't tried this particular soap yet, but the Buttermilk Rosemary and In the Raw soaps are fabulous! Can't go wrong with the lip butters or lotion bars (I LOVE the Gingersnap one), either. That's just a few little ideas to get you inspired. And...if you are a gardener yourself, you now have a few fun "gardeny" things to create during the cold days of winter when it's too cold to get outside and dig in the dirt. Christmas Blessings to You and Yours,
Candy Bar FudgeI got this idea from a lady online and tried it recently. It was delicious. I do have a kitchen scale to weigh out the candy bars, but you should be able to chop up the candy bars to get 2 cups. The recipe calls for 12oz and I used a 12.8 oz bag of Snickers Bar mini candy bars and ended up removing about 2 or 3 of the bars to get the 12 oz. This recipe is just basically a marshmallow fudge recipe that I have converted into a candy bar fudge recipe.
I am giving this fudge away as gifts. My plan was to cut the fudge up into squares and put them in round gift tins that you can purchase just about anywhere. Then my daughter Emily had a great idea. She suggested lining the gift tins with saran wrap and just pouring the fudge into these instead of the 9x9 pan. How easy is that!
 Then we both had the idea that you could probably do two layers.. just put wax paper and maybe another layer of saran wrap over the first batch and pour the second batch on top after the first batch has chilled.. that way the recipients has more than one type of fudge to enjoy. Candy Bar Fudge
4 Cups mini marshmallows
2/3 cup milk (I used half n half but evaporated milk would work and regular milk would probably work too)
1/4 cup butter
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups (12 oz.) chocolate semi-sweet morsels – I used chopped up candy bars in place of the chips as stated above
1 tsp. vanilla
Combine marshmallows, milk, butter, sugar and salt in a large cooking pot. While stirring bring to a full boil. Reduce heat to medium and continue stirring and boiling for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla and candy bar pieces (which ever you are using). Stir very well until candy bar pieces are melted. Pour into a 9x9 pan that has been buttered. Chill.
Crystal Miller
Breakfast for PenniesThis is can be a crazy time of year. You may need to alter your schedule to accommodate those activities that you don’t have on your calendar at other times of the year. One thing you don’t want to skimp on is breakfast, since it is the meal that may very well get your family through the day, while keeping the tummy grumblies at bay. But putting together a breakfast that is warm, nutritious and tummy filling can be a challenge. Those little instant oatmeal packets are an excellent way to meet all those needs. But if you want to simplify AND be frugal with your breakfast consider making your own instant oatmeal. It’s simple and frugal! Instant Oatmeal 4 c instant oatmeal (available for pennies at bulk food stores) 1 c brown sugar OR 1 c sugar (sucanat & trubinado work, too) + 2 tsp of ground cinnamon Place ingredients in a large zip style plastic. Shake to mix. Pinch of salt When ready to make breakfast, place ¼ c mix in a microwave safe bowl with ½ water. Heat 3 minutes. Stir and allow cooling for a few minutes. Alter to suit taste. These are my thoughts. Leslie Valeska ~Contributing Writer~
Sew an Apron!I have been making aprons for Christmas gifts this year. I thought I would share a really unique, cute, fun and easy apron pattern with you. It is called the “4 Corners Apron”. You can purchase the pattern from Vanilla House Designs http://www.vanillahousedesigns.com/p132-four-corners-apron/ If you have basic sewing skills you will find this pattern is not difficult to make.
Here are a few that I have made recently:
     Happy Sewing Ladies!
Crystal Miller
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...yep, you know what I mean...SEED CATALOGS! 
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; but this afternoon looks to be cold and dreary outside- perfect weather for "seed shopping" in my book! 
Leslie Valeska is the lucky wife of Thomas. With children ranging in ages from 4-16, she has had a lot of time to learn and experience much of the fine art of homemaking. She is a writer, speaker, and vintage seamstress. For FREE daily tips and a FREE E-zine on simple and frugal living visit her blog 
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Leslie Valeska is the lucky wife of Thomas. With children ranging in ages from 4-16, she has had a lot of time to learn and experience much of the fine art of homemaking. She is a writer, speaker, and vintage seamstress. For FREE daily tips and a FREE E-zine on simple and frugal living visit her blog 
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