My Little Lyon Farm: my life

Showing posts with label my life. Show all posts

Homemade Laundry Soap & Inflation?

Posted by Unknown at Wednesday, June 24, 2015

So, do you use store-bought or homemade laundry detergent?

I'm addicted to the homemade, and have been using it exclusively for about 2 years now. I have been having mixed feelings about the companies who make Fels-Naptha and Zote soap tho. I remember when I first started making my homemade soap, the cost of a bar was $0.97. I went to buy it the other day and the cost is now $1.97!! Really??? Inflation has went up a whole DOLLAR?!? I think not!! I know it's a supply & demand issue, with so many people now purchasing it to make homemade. So... my ~~cheap~~ frugal self went in search of my grandmother's old school lye & lard laundry soap recipe.....

and I found it!!

I'll be adding bars of it to my Etsy store here, so keep an eye out!! :)

I found this darlin’ Wash Day instruction on the internet and thought it gave a great perspective on what the homemaker in the early 1900’s had to go through just to do a load of laundry! Now I understand the meaning of “Wash Day”. It took the whole day!

ADVICE TO A 1912 BRIDE

Years ago a Kentucky grandmother gave a bride the following recipe for washing clothes (misspelled words and all) :

Bild fire in back yard to heet kettle of rainwater.
Set tubs so smoke won’t blow in eyes if wind is pert.
Shave one hole cake lie soap in boilin water.
Sort things, make three piles. 1 pile white. 1 pile cullord. 1 pile work britches and rags.
To make starch stur flour in cold water to smooth then thin down with boilin water.
Rub dirty spots on board, scrub hard, then boil. Rub cullord but don’t boil — just rench and starch.
Take white things out of kettle with broom stick handle then rench, blew and starch.
Spred tee towels on grass.
Hang old rags on fence.
Pour rench water in flower bed.
Scrub porch with hot soapy water.
Turn tubs upside down.
Go put on cleen dress, smooth hair with side combs, brew cup of tee — set and rest a spell and count your blessins.

I just just love the 1951 Whirlpool ad!! It's even more neat for me as I WORK at Whirlpool now building dryers. LOL

My Early Blight Struggle.... It Begins Again

Posted by Unknown at Sunday, May 31, 2015

And it begins....

The Struggle.

I don't know if I posted about my plight last year with this awful early blight on my tomatoes or not, but it's beginning already this year. *Sigh*

I lost over 6 plants and I'd venture to guess almost 2/3 of my total harvest because I just couldn't keep up with it. Honestly I didn't try very hard either... I wasn't sure if it was truly blight or not so I kept hoping that it would just "come out of it" on it's own. All my hoping did NOTHING. LOL

So this year, I have already found it attacking my poor tomato plants. Mind you, I have my tomatoes in bottom watering planters this year, because I was hoping that not having water laying on the leaves would keep the blight at bay. Nope.

So I started researching what exactly early blight is, and how to treat it so that I don't lose my harvest this year.

Tomato blight, in its different forms, is a disease that attacks a plant’s foliage, stems, and even fruit.

Early blight (one form of tomato blight) is caused by a fungus,Alternaria solani, which over-winters in the soil and infected plants. Affected plants underproduce. Leaves may drop, leaving fruit open to sunscald.

Early blight’s Latin name is sometimes confused with a form of tomato rot, alternaria, a different tomato problem altogether. To muddle matters further, early blight is occasionally mistaken for Septoria leaf spot because the two diseases infect tomatoes at the same time.

Dark, concentric spots (brown to black), ¼ - ½” in diameter, form on lower leaves and stems. Early blight is marked by tell-tale rings.

Fruit can also be affected; spots often begin near stem of fruit

Lower leaves turn yellow and drop

Rotate crops. Early blight remains active for a year. Spores can be dormant in the soil for several years.

Plant disease-resistant hybrids to strengthen your plant’s chances of being blight-free.

Plant tomatoes in a raised bed to improve drainage and prevent diseases from spreading.

Give tomato plants extra space (more than 24 inches) to let air to move among leaves and keep them dry.

Water the soil – not the plants – to prevent splashing. Avoid overhead watering.

Mulch with black plastic or landscape fabric to prevent fungus from spreading up onto leaves.

Stake tomato plants for better circulation.

Remove and destroy affected plants at the end of the season.

Ok.. now I'm informed. So how am I personally choosing to deal with this??

I chose to use planters in order to change the watering method and avoid water laying on the leaves. They are staked/caged properly within these planters so that they can grow properly.

What I'm concluding here is that either my dirt or my water (damn city processed & treated stuff that I have to deal with) is highly susceptible to fungus. I kinda already knew that since I get random mushrooms and toadstools growing in the dumbest spots in my yard.

Since I don't use chemicals in ANY form in my garden- not even Miracle Grow, I chose to treat the early blight like I do the dusty mildew that attacks my squash and zucchini plants. Vinegar and water. Yep. Vinegar is an antifungal, so I just mix 4 tbsp. with a gallon of water (boiled, distilled or store bought- I REALLY think the water has something to do with this issue) and spray on the plants, making sure to get both the tops and the underside of the leaves thoroughly. This is AFTER trimming off all of the spotted, affected leaves on the plant.

Only one of my planters was infected horribly, so it's all trimmed back and treated, and most of the other planters looked fine so far, but I treated with the vinegar mixture as a prevention method. (You can't be too careful here.)

Do you have early blight already or any fungal issues effecting your garden??

I will keep you updated as to how this protocol works for me. In the meantime, make sure you comment and let me know what you do to deal with blight or other garden issues.

I Don't Want to Fit In... and Some Awesome Articles!!

Posted by Unknown at Monday, May 25, 2015

There is so much work happening in my home/yard right now. I officially tilled up about 40% of my yard to grow everything under the sun. Well, not everything, but the things that I know I will eat & use all summer and can preserve for winter usage also. I have all the normal veggies planted.

My asparagus harvest was small, but it was expected. It started coming in and then we got a fluke frost one night that just seemed to kill it off and make it start over. Ugh. But, what are ya gonna do?

I had a 4 day weekend from work, and honestly, most long weekends I remember that I work harder at home than I ever do at work. LOL It's just such mindless monotony in the shop. I love working at home tho. It's constant change and I see more reward than just a paycheck. Someday I'll be able to quit my job and just homestead full time, but I don't see my DH on board with that any time soon..

I love what I do, but I wish I had more support from my city dweller hubby. I don't want to fit in with this ideal of what we should do with our lives. I saw a quote, and forgive me for not knowing it verbatim, but it says essentially that we buy into the idea of a mortgage and possessions that we just have to have, and then have to work to pay for the things that we don't have time to enjoy because we are at work paying for them.

I don't want to fit in with that societal "norm". I just want to do what I want to do.

Ok... enough with my rant. I found some awesome posts this week that I just have to share with you all!!

14 Prepper Items To Look For At Garage Sales

This is a great article to get you ready for garage sale season. I'm actually attempting to plan my own garage sale too. I've realized just how much "junk" I have accumulated. LOL

bottle bird houses home design DIY Plastic Bottle Bird Residence

These are just the most adorable things!! I was just thinking of getting some birdhouses to feed the birds in hopes that maybe they will leave me some of my harvest of strawberries & blackberries this year. (Distraction methods!!) You can see the tutorial here.

Rhubarb Dandelion pie recipe- I bet you never knew dandelions could be so tasty! | Montana Homesteader

This!!!

This!!

Did anyone else know THIS is a thing!???

OMG. I cannot wait to try this one out! I've really started the whole "foraging" movement, not that there is a lot to forage in a subdivision, but hey, gimme credit for trying, ok?

The Montana Homesteader has me SERIOUSLY excited to try this one!!

Find anything good this week??

Let me know!!

My Holiday Break 2014

Posted by Unknown at Tuesday, January 06, 2015

Good morning!

I woke up this morning to SNOW!! Hooray! I know a lot of people do not like snow, but it's a necessary thing for Mother Nature to do, and I know that without a pretty cold winter, the garden is going to be MURDER to keep bugs out of organically. And I really need the squash bug from last year to die!!

Over the holiday break from work, I did a LOT of cleaning, I got some great gifts from my family and friends, and I got some crafting done.

Here is the hanging pot rack complete with the Emeril pans that my DH got me for Christmas. I love the stainless steel, and the best part: these babies are oven safe up to 500 degrees!! I can now make skillet chicken parmesan and actually finish it off with the broiler.

I also have a new fridge sitting in the garage just waiting for me to gut the kitchen so I can bring it inside. It's a 4 door Kenmore. I've now got an awesome French door refrigerator, with a separate crisper drawer and a freezer drawer with 3 inserts. It's just amazing!! But, it's too wide for the space, so I'm ripping out the upper & lower cabinet to replace with narrower ones. I'm going to repurpose the old cabinets into an island. :) I'll make sure I post pics of my progress.

And my crafting...

I appliqued these newborn-3 mo. onesies. They are available to purchase in my Etsy store.

And I made this super cute owl fabric rag quilt too!! This was a very fun project, so I just know I will be making more of these! This is also available in my Etsy store.

Hope your holidays were wonderful too!

Top 5 Crafting Pins: Week of 12-1-2014

Posted by Unknown at Wednesday, December 03, 2014

I am a TOTAL Pinterest addict....

sometimes I think that there should be a 12 Step Program because of this site! LOL
And then they gave us an app for our phones.... WHAT were they thinking???

I find the best ideas on Pinterest each and every day. I've done some of them, but I'm going to be working more on crafting and other projects since winter is officially here and outdoor things are just too cold. Can't dig a hole in frozen ground, now can ya?

Here are my 5 favorite crafty pins from this past week. Make sure you stop by my boards and find some of your own favorites!!

Check back tomorrow for my Top 5 Recipes of the week!!

Plastic Bottle Zipper Container from Pop Sugar

This little gem looks like so much fun to make... and to load up with things. I see tons of ways to use this as storage, as gift containers, and I'm sure once I have a few in my hands I will find tons of ways to use these!

Sewing Table Organizer from http://webstore.quiltropolis.net/

Where in the devil has this been hiding my entire life?? I'm forever trying to grab things out of drawers, laying them down in front of me and then dropping or simply losing them. (Yes, when they are staring me in the face. I know I'm not the only one!) I have visions of seam rippers and scissors, all within reach and organized so that I can actually sew instead of finding supplies!

The Bapron (Baby Apron) from Cherry Plum

This pin is kind of a fibber, as there is no free pattern or tutorial to be found. But the concept is awesome, and I'm planning on taking a general bib pattern and altering it to this. Give me some cute fabric, some terrycloth or flannel for lining and some bias tape, and I'm sure I can get this done. Make sure if you try to let me know how it turns out. Send me a picture or two- I love seeing what fabric and alterations everyone makes!

Greeting Snowmen from Sugarbee Crafts

I'm a sucker for Christmas decorations; especially snowmen. I just HAVE to make this. I've been looking at it trying to think of the best way to add lights to brighten it up. I also don't want people to not be able to see it in the dark, considering it's dark at around 4:30p around here!!

Homemade Pillowcase from http://patches.typepad.com/

This seems like a no-brainer. Heck, I saw this and thought, "Why have I never thought of doing this?" Talk about a smack in the forehead moment!!

But this has so many possibilities that I just have to try it. And sheet sets are getting SO Expensive!! I would love to be able to make my own sets with fabric I adore!

I hope you love these pins as much as I do! Have your own favorites for the week? I would love to see them!! Leave me a comment with a link to your Pinterest boards so I can follow you!! Maybe one of your pins will become one of my favorites!!

The Case of the Accidental Sweet Potato

Posted by Unknown at Monday, October 20, 2014

The Case of the Accidental Sweet Potato,
Or The Hidden Sweet Potato

Sometimes the decisions we make early on prove to just be a "learning experience" later in Fall... especially when it comes to planting and growing. No matter how many times I plant in my lifetime, I live for not just the bounty of my garden, but for the little surprises, whether good or bad, that befall our Little Lyon Farm.

I have a large terra cotta pot in the front of my house, and this year, because I was planting tomatoes out there also, I decided to plant marigolds. (In case you don't know, marigolds are awesome companion plants for tomatoes; distracting bugs and helping stave off various diseases.) Marigolds are gorgeous all on their own, but I like the trailing "filler" plants flowing out of the pot also, so I chose to add in some sweet potato vine.

It was gorgeous! All summer!

But Fall is upon us, and it was time to start cleaning out my planters of the dead stuff before I had to do it in the snow. Trust me... living in northwest Ohio, this is the time of year when it can be 65 one day and dump snow on you the next. I swear our TV weathermen all just have a set of dice to throw in the air before they go on the news. It's really that unpredictable!!

But I digress....

As I'm pulling the roots of the vines and marigolds out of the pot, low and behold, I came across this MONSTER of a sweet potato hidden away. Now, I know... you are thinking, "But didn't you expect that to grow?"

Not really. It's a small pot. Usually the tubers acclimate to the size of the pot, essentially stunting growth and yielding only potatoes the size of my ring finger. (Honestly, don't believe me? Comment below and I promise I will post pictures of the other 8-10 tiny sweet potatoes that were hidden in there!!)

Here is my monster sweet potato... with a tube of Chapstick for size comparison. :)

Ok, I've seen bigger, but my point is for the size of the pot, this thing is a GIANT!!

I have yet to actually harvest the sweet potato crop in my backyard, but it's coming soon.

No one in my house really even likes these but me, but I figure I cook, they eat. If they cook, they get an opinion. LOL So, I usually see how many pounds I get, can 4-10 quarts to have on hand for casserole or sweet potato pie. The rest I chop up, par boil for 3 min, dunk into ice water, dry them off real well. I then get out a big cookie sheet and spread them out to freeze individually. I usually leave them in the freezer this way overnight. There's nothing worse than going through all that work and then forgetting to cover them!!

I sometimes throw some salt, pepper and onion powder on them before the first freeze, but it's ok to not season until you cook them. I typically bake these at 400 degrees for 15 min (or until done), flipping about halfway through. If you haven't already seasoned them, when you are flipping is the time to do it.

You can deep fry them also, and then mix some chili sauce with mayonnaise for a really tasty dipping sauce.

Let me know if you preserve, use or have other ways to keep your sweet potatoes. I love finding new ways to use them besides the old stand by's.

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Free Ebooks: 4/10/2014- and more!!

Posted by Unknown at Thursday, April 10, 2014

Yes, you have found the FREE ebook post for today, but I wanted to chat a little about what's going on here on my Little Lyon Farm. :)

First off, my onions, broccoli, carrots, catnip & parsley are doing AWESOME in their winter sowing containers. I'm soooo excited for planting season that I can barely contain myself!! I also received an AeroGarden from my WONDERFUL hubby for my birthday, and the herbs I have growing in that are RoCKing!! The fun is going to be when I can transplant those into soil and into the greenhouse so I can start all the garden seeds in the AeroGarden . The packaging states that they should sprout in only 4 weeks... so I'm hoping to get everything transplanted this weekend and the starts in there and going and ready for May 17th!!

One of my rhubarb roots actually came back! I thought for sure last year that the darned squirrels or rabbits had gotten ahold of all of them, but nope. Here the little bugger is!!

I've finally found the way that I want my tiny house to look once I get things going on it. This is what I want..

However, the picture shows a 24' gooseneck trailer. I'm thinking that the gooseneck isn't a viable option for me, so I'm just adjusting the floorplan to suit me. Also, I'm aiming for only a 20' trailer. 24' is just too costly and I think would be too big for what I'm going for. I'm trying to scale down, and I think even 24' would be more space for more stuff that I just don't need.

And... as promised...

*Please verify that the books you choose are still FREE at time of purchase. I can only verify the FREE price at time of publishing this blog. Amazon reserves the right to change their prices at any time without notice. Thank you and enjoy!*