First Day Musings --- Creative Homemaking

Yarn holder and handmade knitting needles: Riverslea Farm

The Hidden Art of Homemaking, by Edith Shaeffer

Knitting project: Hannah's hat with Bear Yarn (shetland wool)

Several bloggers have written about Edith Schaeffer's The Hidden Art of Homemaking, and, frankly, after reading it the first time, I didn't get it. Where were the hints on organization? Recipes? Patterns? Anything, please?? Nothing of that kind was there. It was a book about creativity and how to tap in and use it in your life -- not just your home.

The first publishing was in 1971 -- how well I recall that year! I was in love with Iverson James McCann and wanted to live on his family farm in South Georgia growing peanuts. Yeah. It was a good year. But, if you can remember those days, you recall, too, that was a time of great confusion about gender roles and Just Whom Am I? This book seems to answer some of those lingering questions.

Homemaking is neither masculine or feminine. Rather, it is our way of attempting to create a full life which honors our Creator. And, since we all have the Breath of God in us, we are all, to some extent, creators as well.

So many people like to cite the Proverbs 31 woman as the perfect wife. However, if you look closely at the scripture, you will see that she is strong, wise, hard working, physically active, prudent, determined, and CREATIVE. Aren't these qualities that describe men as well as women? Isn't this really what all of us should be? Women are not meant to "love pink, fluffiness, glitter, and watching men's muscles" as I read on a blog not long ago. Frankly, I nearly tossed my cookies. Such a statement demeans a woman, but also the man, if all he is good for is physical labor and admiration.

Women are strong. We are wise. We are demanding. We are tender. But, most of all, we are just as unique as the men we adore. Flex those muscles, emotional, mental, spiritual AND physical! It is within your means to create the life you want to live. As Shaeffer writes: "The Christian should have more vividly expressed creativity in his daily life, and have more creative freedom, as well as the possiblity of a continuing development in creative activities." In short, why are you just sitting here? Get up and create something beautiful!

V-I-C-T-O-R-Y

Dishcloths are quick and easy to knit and they are great sellers at the Farmer's Market. I have been addicted to the waffle dishcloths, but have discovered there is a lot of interest in: "the round one Grandma / Mama used to make." So, I set out to knit a few.

Here's the first, and so far, the only one:

You knew it would be purple, right??

Anyhow, the first pattern Went Just Fine, but then the pattern went all to slaw. I couldn't get it to match up. It looked like this:

Okay. You probably can't see it; the row is one stitch short. One. Only One. I couldn't find it. I looked at my yarn overs and such. Nothing. Nada. Then, I realized, I was ending the pattern one row too soon. Of course, it makes a lot more sense if you knit, I guess. If you don't, just trust me, it was like trying to tie your shoes with a knot in one side of the lace; it will tie a sort-of bow, but you still know it isn't right.

Are you brave enough to give it a go?

Round Dish Cloth Pattern


Materials: 4-ply cotton yarn, such as Peaches and Cream; knitting needles of appropriate size to match the yarn (I use size 8).

Cast on 15 sts.

Row 1: knit

Row 2: k3, YO, k until one st remains on left needle. DO NOT KNIT LAST ST, turn.

Row 3 (and all odd rows): knit

Row 4: k3, YO, k until 2 sts rem on left ndl. Turn.

Row 6: k3, YO, k until 3 sts rem on left ndl. Turn.

Row 8: Bind off 3 sts, k2, YO, k until 4 sts rem on left ndl. Turn.

Row 10: k3, YO, k until 5 sts rem on left ndl. Turn.

Row12: k3, YO, k until 6 sts rem on left ndl. Turn.

Row 14: Bind off 3 sts, k2, YO, k until 7 sts rem on left ndl. Turn.

Row 16: k3, YO, k until 8 sts rem on left ndl. Turn.

Row 18: k3, YO, k until 9 sts rem on left ndl. Turn.

Row 20: Bind off 3 sts, knit across (15sts total).

Repeat rows 1-20 seven more times. Bind off, leaving a long tail for sewing the seam. Sew cast on edge to bind off edge, and sew around center and pull to close hole.

Happy knitting!

It's A Dozey...

There is a typhoon over Okinawa and it is a dozey. Will you please remember our Airmen (and mine in particular) as they wait the winds and water out? Apparently it is quite bad...

I Passed!

I saw this at Goodwill this week and wanted wanted wanted it...

I mean WANTED IT!!

It was $75 for 10 pieces...

I WANTED IT...

I drove home.

Looked it up on the Internet to see the value.

I WANTED IT NOW...

I thought about $75.

It wasn't that much...

I REALLY WANTED IT....

I showed it to my BFF Eleanor.

She agreed.

I not only wanted it; I needed it.

What a friend.

We decided that if it were still at the store today,

I could bring it home.

It was.

I left it on the shelf.

I have decided that it is just stuff.

I want my house paid for so I can stay home.

The $75 was transfered as a principle payment on the house.

I still want it... but I don't need it....

Funny thing.

This scripture has run through my head all morning: 

 Matthew 25:23:

His lord said unto him,

 "Well done, good and faithful servant;

thou hast been faithful over a few things,

I will make thee ruler over many things:

enter thou into the joy of thy lord."

I Think I Have A Problem

I am picking up firewood on the side of the road and

convincing strangers to help me load it....

At least I am not carrying my new chain saw with me...

Yet...

I haven't shown you that nice toy, have I?

Do you think I need a 12-step program or a bigger car?

All Bubbly!

This times two is how many bars of soap I have made in the past few days --- nine batches to be exact -- or 54 bars. Each is scented for the fall or Christmas holidays. Some of it will need a little trimming around the edges, but for now, it is done and drying.

With the humidity, it is tough to get the soap to dry well. So, I moved my drying rack upstairs and have a fan on in the room. That will do nothing for the humidity, but it does get the air moving a little to help it out.

Today I started on a new adventure. I want to get my dairy license so that I can start selling cheese. Without the license, I can't and I just won't bend the rules for anyone --- even though I am tempted sometimes! So, I have been to the Health Department and talked with them for quite a while. Seems I won't need a commercial kitchen license to make cheese, just the dairy one. That will certainly, I hope, make it more doable. And, since I will never milk more than four or five does, I will fall under different regulations. Brenda, at Granny's Best, inspired me to give it a go. Of course, she does it on a much larger scale than I!

Have you tried to make homemade cheese? It is quite simple. Really.

Simple Homemade Cheese

1 gallon whole milk (skim won't work! You need the fat!)
1 pinch salt
1 large lemon, juiced


Directions

Pour the milk into a large pot, and stir in a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent the milk from scorching on the bottom of the pot.

When the milk begins to boil (small bubbles will first appear at the edges), turn off the heat. Stir lemon juice into the milk, and the milk will curdle. You may need to wait 5 or 10 minutes.

Line a sieve or colander with a cheesecloth, and pour the milk through the cloth to catch the curds. What is left in the cheesecloth is the Farmer's Cheese. The liquid is the whey. Some people keep the whey and drink it, but I give it to the hens. They love it, and me, when they have it!

Gather the cloth around the cheese, and squeeze out as much of the whey as you can. Wrap in plastic, or place in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator.

You can season this with almost any herb mixture. How about some of that pesto?? Or, maybe some garlic and onion chopped for a dip? Or chili peppers? Or just plain? You can't go wrong with it! I promise!

Enjoy!

Nine Minutes Or Less

We are eating a lot of this these days. Kinda tells you what did well in the garden.

It is becoming this:

Whole Wheat Pasta with Pesto. 

Yummers...

Garlic Pesto

3 c. basil leaves (wash if they have been sprayed; I use a combination of curly basil and sweet basil)
3 T. pine nuts
1 clove garlic or 1/2 t. powdered garlic (or to taste)

Using a food processor, chop until blended. Mine is chopped until the pine nuts are fine little grains.

Add:

1/2 c. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Mix until blended.

I put mine in a pasta bowl and then add the pasta to it. It seems to blend better. You can also add little butter to the pasta just before mixing it with the pesto. We put fresh Parmesan cheese on the individual servings, but you could add it to the pesto as well.

You can freeze this as well by spooning the mixture into ice trays, freezing, and then storing in a Ziploc or freezer container. When you are ready to use, set out and let thaw. Perfecta for marinara, too!