Kitchen Scraps

 

Something new we've been working on this summer is saving our kitchen scraps for the compost pile and the chickens. We've not yet successfully made compost but a few years ago we made a compost bin and this year we're actually filling it up. To help prevent me and everyone else from being lazy and throwing away the scraps I placed two buckets on the kitchen counter next to the sink. One labeled for the chickens and one for the compost pile.

 

 

It really helps to have something with a lid so the kitchen doesn't stink. Well sometimes it stinks anyway but it's not from the scraps :)

 

So then there was the problem of what scraps to put in each bucket. So I printed this handy little picture from Healthy Homemakers that someone posted on Facebook and hung it over the sink. It lists what to compost, what not to compost, and how to compost.

 

 

 

I hope to find something similar to print that lists favorite chicken scraps. For now I'm just winging it and giving the chickens everything that's still good. I do have a website I reference to on my phone if something is questionable.

 

 

 



10 Days and 10 Chickens

 

 

 

Ten days ago we began a brand new family adventure. We bought ten pastured, organically fed laying hens!!

 

 

Loving her new home.

 

 

 

LUNCH!

 

 



I really like this girl :)

 

 

So it's not painted yet but I plan on getting around to that this fall.
It' going to be totally awesome!

 

 

The kids are in love with these girls! They go out three or four times a day looking for eggs, bringing them treats, and making sure each chicken is accounted for. What a character building experience for them this will be. We've had dogs, cats, and guinea pigs in the past but never anything that actually provided food for our family. The care the girls have put into these chickens really makes them feel like they're helping provide for the family, and they are!

 

"Can't a girl get a little privacy around here"

 

 

 

Our first 6 eggs! Aren't they beauties?!

 

 

 

We had been buying organic pastured eggs from some of our local friends & farmers with prices ranging from $3.50 to $5.00 a dozen for the last two years. I know that sounds high for a dozen eggs but they are one of the key nutritional ingredients in our real food diet. While we estimate the chickens will cost roughly $40 a month in feed, I believe that it's totally worth it for fresh organic food for our family and joy of knowing our hands provided it (ok the chickens helped too).

 

 

 

 

We're on the road to becoming self sufficient one step at a time and making better choices for our family every day.

 

 

 

 



Monday Monday

After a pretty good four day weekend, I woke up and it was today. Monday. A day of epic failure and great success. I woke up bright and early to get a jump start on my chores. My to do list included: tenderloin in crock pot, baked potatoes in another crock pot, fresh green beans from my new friend on the stove, homemade rolls, homemade ice cream, orthodontist at 3:00, get eggs, clean kitchen, catch up on laundry, clean bathrooms, do some school work.

Crazy list right? Well the crazy part is that almost everything actually got done. With the exception of all the laundry and only half of my bathroom (laundry is still going and the bathroom has been aborted until tomorrow... or the next day.... or when ever we get around to it).

So what was the failure? The rolls actually came out more like biscuits and my Honey won't touch them, we were late to the orthodontist so we had to be "worked in", my Honey was late for work and broke his new phone this morning so he has been in a horrible mood, and the kids have complained and cried all day with little or no naps.

My first attempt at "rolls" :(



Obviously the success is that my list was close to complete and dinner & ice cream were fabulous. We used our new ice cream maker for the first time and we were able to enjoy some delicious and healthy ice cream made with yummy fresh milk. I enjoy eating food when I know right where the ingredients came from.

Our new ice cream maker that we received as a gift last week

I'd like to keep going and tell all about my daughter's weekend on a mission trip with some great people from our church but I have to call it a night and hit the sac. I'll post about her trip soon.

A Cold

Taking care of little ones while fighting a cold is no fun task. My head and throat hurt. Talking loud enough for everyone to hear me is the last thing I feel like doing but it's even more annoying to have to repeat myself all day. These kids are running amok. They are wild! They can sense when Mom is down and they love to use that time for wreaking havoc on the house.
I am trying to overcome this cold naturally. In sickness I find it difficult to stay natural but I will do my best.



My defense has been:

Drinking lots of broth & filtered water
Juicing (although I've only managed once and the mess is still lingering in the kitchen)
Taking my Moringa more faithful than usual
Honey
Rest

Surely tomorrow will be a better day!

Synthetic Goodness

Have you ever noticed how we surround ourselves with fake? Man's desire to improve everything natural has taken over. Nothing is ever good enough. We are lazy and we want for much! There have been millions of products created to get better faster results for everything under the sun. The sun. Let's start there.


How many products are on the market right now that uses God's powerful creation, the sun, as a marketing strategy? Laundry products smell like the sun and whiten like the sun. We are spending money to make our clothes smell and look like they were dried in the free sun. I'd like to mention from my own recent experiences that the sun actually works better than the fake products anyway. After discovering the miraculous abilities of the sun I went through my kids clothes and gathered all the white shirts, washed them in hot water, and hung them on the line to dry. Guess what, no more stains, no more dull white color, just bright, new looking hand-me-downs! And let's not forgot those tanning beds! Nothing says synthetic like some lovely orange tinted skin. Again, people spending money on fake when the real thing is free and better. The sun is a blessing and a tool for all of creation.

Here's another one I know most of us can relate to. How much money have you spent on candles, air fresheners, and similar products over the years? We are spending money on giving the impression we've baked some delicious goodies, "sorry Honey there's no pie or cookies; it's just my new candle". I have so many of these products cluttering up my home it's unbelievable and I haven't even purchased anything new in over half a year.

I am finding it more and more wasteful for my family to continue on like this. Don't get me wrong, I will always have a dryer, candles, and my beloved Scentsys but my kitchen and clothesline will no longer be neglected. I will use these blessings for real goodness as often as I can.

GIANT Baby Steps

When my family and I decided to become better educated about the food we eat, we watched various documentaries on food and the food industry like Food Inc. and Super Size Me. These eye opening films lead us to begin learning where our food comes from and what ingredients it contains.

I read countless news articles and reports on contaminated food and food recalls that I had never really been aware of before. To say the least, I was disgusted. Eric Schlosser said it perfectly when he said " There is this deliberate veil, this curtain, that's dropped between us and where our food is coming from." So once I removed this "curtain", hung by the food industry, I was left feeling helpless and frustrated. The more I learned the worse I felt. I started to recognize marketing scams like "all natural" and "no artificial ingredients/preservatives" which are on practically everything in the store! I didn't know what to buy anymore. I actually went to the grocery store to do my weekly shopping and came out with virtually nothing.

I have always just ran up to the one stop shop convenience store, filled up our cart with every household need for the week, and headed home. Bam! Two hours from start to finish. There are no seasons for fruit or veggies in the grocery store. The supply of milk and eggs is never low. Everything is always available. While this is a nice idea, having everything available at all times, we are all paying the hefty price of good health for these modern conveniences and most of us don't even know it.

According to the American Cancer Society's Fact and Figures for 2012:

"About 1,638,910 new cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed in 2012. This estimate does not include carcinoma in situ (noninvasive cancer) of any site except urinary bladder, and does not include basal and squamous cell skin cancers, which are not required to be reported to cancer registries."

"In 2012, about 577,190 Americans are expected to die of cancer, more than 1,500 people a day. Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the US, exceeded only by heart disease, accounting for nearly 1 of every 4 deaths."

Are these statistics alone not enough to make us re-evaluate our lifestyles?? What about all of the other diseases affecting Americans? Almost all of them are related to nutrition and lifestyle.

When the typical American decides to eat healthier, what do they do? That's easy, they watch their fat and calorie intake. They spend their shopping trips at the one stop shops looking for labels like low carb, low fat, low sugar, and so on. A few stock up on fruits and vegetables, but usually let them rot in the refrigerator involving bread. I know because I did it. But now I am learning more every day about real food and making changes one baby step at a time.

My family's baby steps have included:

• Eliminating processed food.
• Avoiding foods that contain msg & hfcs.
• Only organic fruit and vegetables (to avoid genetically modified food and food treated with chemicals or hormones)
• Buying milk from a local source.
• Only raw grass fed cheese.
• Free range local organic eggs.
• We are currently working on a few different meat sources. Our meat is coming from a variety of places right now, mostly local farmers or Trader Joe's. Meat is a tough one.

It's really tough to stay on our tight food budget of $600 a month and some times I can't get certain items I need right when I need them, which can be a pain. I have to be very careful to plan my meals for the week and now I'm working on monthly meal planning which I hope will make things easier.

These are my family's "baby steps" and they have been a pain. After all, baby steps can be rather difficult when you're just a baby. That's what I feel like, a baby who has everything to learn about nutrition and real food. So we may be taking small baby steps to some, but to us they are GIANT! 

Magical Tea Tree Oil

A few months ago I was introduced to a tea tree/melaleuca oil. It has definitely amazed me with it's wide variety of uses and effectiveness. I have only used it for a few ailments but I have found it to be more effective then other products I have tried. This lead me to do a little research to see what other uses there are for tea tree oil. Apparently there are tons! I advise you to do your own research before treating any condition with a home remedy but below is list I have compiled from many different resources on the uses for tea tree oil. 

But first, what is tea tree oil?
Tea tree oil is an essential oil obtained by steam distillation of the leaves of Melaleuca alternifolia, a plant native to Australia. Historically, the leaves were used as a substitute for tea, which is how tea tree oil got its name. The part used medicinally is the oil from the leaves.Tea tree has a long history of traditional use. Australian aboriginals used tea tree leaves for healing skin cuts, burns, and infections.Tea tree oil contains constituents called terpenoids, which have been found to have antiseptic and antifungal activity. The compound terpinen-4-ol is the most abundant and is thought to be responsible for most of tea tree oil's antimicrobial activity.

Uses:

Abrasions: Add 5 drops of Tea Tree Oil in a bowl of warm water to clean the abrasion. Tea Tree oil may be applied directly to the skin to stimulate regeneration of injuries and fight bacterial and fungal infection.

Acne: Using a Tea Tree Oil Soap to treat acne has been very effective for many.

Athlete's Foot: Being a fungal based problem, Tea Tree Oil does a great job eliminating the problem. Add Tea Tree Oil directly to the affected area as needed until fungus is completely healed or put 2-3 drops in your palm and add a carrier oil or lotion and apply at least once a day. Keep foot clean and dry.

Bad Breath: Add a drop or two of Tea Tree Oil and baking soda to your tooth brush. DO NOT SWALLOW!

Body Odor: Add several drops to bath water daily to fight off the bacteria causing body odor. Add a few drops to a small amount of baking soda and put in smelly shoes to eliminate nasty odors.

Boils: Wash the area surrounding the boil thoroughly and then apply full strength with a cotton swab two to four times each day for four days. A gauze pad saturated with the oil may also be applied directly to the boil for up to twelve hours. Also, there is clinical evidence that topical dermatological preparations containing tea tree oil may be more effective than conventional antibiotics in preventing transmission of MRSA. I wish I had known this when MRSA swept though my family six years ago.

Bug Buster: Keep a spray bottle mixed with 15 drops of Tea Tree Oil and a quart of water to repel insects. In the summer when you see ants on your patio or deck, spray your natural Bug Buster several times a day for several days and they'll find somewhere else to go. Natural doesn't work fast like chemicals, but then it doesn't kill a little bit of you either.

Burns: Being a non-greasy and volatile oil, Tea Tree Oil is excellent for burns. Any of the oil which has not been absorbed within 10 minutes will evaporate, allowing the skin to breathe. Speedy treatment is essential. The burn should be put under cold running water or packed in ice for one minute. Then, alternate applications of Tea Tree Oil and cold water for ten more minutes. The oil may be poured from the bottle directly over the burn. The oil can be applied liberally twice daily for three to four days if necessary.

Canker Sores and Laryngitis: Add 3-4 drops of Tea Tree Oil to one cup of warm water. Gargle this solution twice daily. Do not swallow.

Cleaning: Add 1 - 2 teaspoons of Tea Tree Oil to 1 - 2 cups of water in a spray bottle to disinfect and clean surfaces.

Cold Sores: Drastically reduce the healing time of cold sores by applying Tea Tree Oil directly or diluted if necessary to the cold sore.

Common Cold: Add a ten fifteen drops of Tea Tree Oil to a pan or sink of HOT water. Cover your head with a towel and inhale the steam from the water as deeply as possible through your nose or just add to a vaporizer.

Dandruff: Add to your shampoo for dandruff, dry or oily scalp, and itchy scalp. Use 10 drops to an 8 ounce bottle. Diaper Rash - Apply 2-3 drops of oil mixed in your palm with a carrier oil (not baby oil - it contains mineral oil which causes Vitamin A deficiencies).

Dry Skin: Add 6 - 7 drops of Tea Tree Oil per oz. of Almond Oil and apply to skin often.Earache: Add one drop tea tree oil to one teaspoon olive oil. Gently drop a small amount into the affected ear for a few moment, then tilt head to remove excess oil. You can also massage the diluted oil around the outside of the earache. Repeat as necessary. NEVER apply tea tree oil to the ear without first diluting.

Fleas: Use 10 drops to 8 oz. of water and spray on animal's coat as you rub it in. It will be good for their skin also. This needs to be done daily until the problem is under control in the home. After all fleas are gone you can put it in a spritzer bottle and give your animal a spritz all over once or twice a day if fleas are in the area.

Fungus Nails: Andrew Weil, M.D. in "Natural Health, Natural Medicine", says Tea Tree Oil will clear up fungal infections of both toenails and fingernails even if they are resistant to strong systemic antibiotics.

Flu: Add ten drops tea tree oil to a warm bath and soak. After dilute five drops tea tree oil in one teaspoon almond oil and massage your whole body. Go to bed and rest.

Genital Warts: Simply dab a cotton swab into the tea tree oil and gently apply it to the wart. Repeat this once a day for 10 days. If the treatment is effective, the wart will eventually turn white and then fall off. Note that the tea tree oil may causing a slight stinging sensation.

Hair: Add a few drops to your shampoo or conditioner.

Infected/Sore Nails - Applied several times a day.

Insect Bites and Stings: As soon as possible, apply the oil full strength directly to the bite with a finger or cotton ball. I felt immediate relief!

Laundry Disinfectant: For heavily soiled, bacteria ridden laundry, add one teaspoon to the washer to disinfect and reduce transmission of fungal infections.

Leeches: To remove leeches apply one or two drops of tea tree oil directly to the leech

Lice - Mix five drops of Tea Tree Oil in a teaspoon of shampoo and wash the hair. Repeat this treatment twice daily until the lice are gone.

Mites: Use 10 drops in a tablespoon of water.Then take a small eyedropper and squirt in one ear at a time, instantly covering the opening with the ear flap and a towel to avoid it being shaken on or around the animal. You can also use olive oil instead of water which will "stick" better to the ear. Spend at least a full minute massaging the ear to keep the animal from shaking it all out before it gets into the ear canal and begins doing its work. Massage as long as you can because it could be a one administration event if you can keep it all in there for 3 - 5 minutes. Be sure to wipe any residue off with either method so you don't have the dog or cat ingesting it since smaller weight animals can get too much of it quickly.

Mustiness and mold: Add 15 drops of tea tree oil to 2 cups water in a spray bottle and spray generously to eliminate mold and musty odors.

Nasal Congestion:  boiling water. Inhale the vapours for 5 to 10 minutes.

Poison Ivy: Add two teaspoons to 1/4 cup almond oil or other carrier oil. Dab onto poison ivy repeatedly until blisters heal

Ringworm: Apply two to three drops directly to the affected area several times per day until gone.

Skin Problems: Use one teaspoon in a tub of bath water for a very invigorating bath. It is reported to help sooth and disinfect the skin in cases of psoriasis, eczema and so forth.  That's a lot of uses!!!!!

Splinters: First, soak the afflicted area in hot water to soften the skin. Then, apply Tea Tree Oil full strength. Remove the splinter with a sterilized needle. Clean the cut, dry the area and reapply the oil.

Sunburn: Add five - seven drops to 1/8 cup Vitamin E oil and apply to burned skin frequently or dilute one part Tea Tree Oil with ten parts of olive oil or coconut oil and spread freely over the affected areas. This is reported to be soothing and pain-relieving and to reduce blistering and peeling. People have also applied tea tree oil full strength to sunburn.

Ticks: Apply a drop or two directly to the tick then gently remove tick with tweezers. If tick doesn't let go, apply another drop of tea tree oil.

Warts: Add a drop or two directly to wart frequently until gone.

Yeast Infection: Cisopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol). Mix the solution, which should appear milky white. Store the solution in the dropper bottle. Add 10 drops of the solution to a pint of water. Use this douche once a day for a week.

WOW!