Keeping little hands busy

I've mentioned before that we're cutting down on watching TV. But as we walk this out there are certain struggles that have come up. One of these is keeping my girls busy! Because they are used to watching tv they tend to come to me saying "momma I'm bored". You'd think at 4 and 2 they wouldn't even know to say that! But sure enough after awhile it seems we run out of things to do and then the tv comes on.

What I've started doing is keeping an arsenal of shows that are approved, but that I know they won't just sit and watch. That way even though the tv is on they'll still be playing or even maybe trying to do what they see. One GREAT show for this purpose are the Homestead Blessings DVDs. There are a bunch in the collection and each video teaches different homesteading skills. The women in the videos are a mother and her three daughters. They are all modestly dressed and are a great example for showing that modesty doesn't have to ever be compromised, even with farm chores. (to find out where to purchase these and other dvds see this post)

Here is a sample video:

And here's a whole video:

Another thing that I'm starting to realize I MUST do is, include them more. I grew up with children being shewed out of the kitchen, so this is totally different than what I'm used to. But having my girls in the kitchen will keep them busy, while also training them for the future. So I've decided to take on certain projects to not only include them but also encourage learning a skill.

This week we made some raspberry jam and baked bread! For the jam I just took a bag of frozen berries cooked them down and added some sugar. That is my normal method mostly because we eat it right away. If I was canning them I'd use pectin. I let my 4 year old pour the berries and stir everything up.

The bread we baked is a quick bread recipe, because telling my girlies they have to wait 2 hours for the dough to rise just didn't seem like it would be a good idea lol. We bake bread weekly for Shabbat so they are pretty familiar with the process, but this time I let them help with everything not just the shaping.

showing all the ingredients



watching the yeast work

kneading the dough

getting to enjoy the fruit of their labor

The recipe (this makes 3 or 4 loaves):
2 1/2 cups warm water
6 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp oil
3 tbsp yeast
6 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp salt

Pre-heat oven to 400*. Mix the oil, sugar, water, and yeast then let sit for 5 minutes. Add the flour, salt, and baking soda. Mix, knead (about 5-10 minutes), and shape. Bake for about 30-40 minutes. Enjoy!

...with quietness they work, and eat their own bread... -2 Thesalonians 3:12

Linking up with Eco Kids Tuesday

DIY: Eczema Rescue Salve

I mentioned before that our youngest has eczema, and that it's something we are really hoping to treat with herbs. So I read up on herbs that are good for treating eczema topically and decided to make this herbal salve. The method I used is the basic method for making a salve so it can be done with whatever herbs you want. 

Here's what I did:

First I made an herbal oil infusion. This can be done quickly in a crockpot or over a few weeks in a jar. I chose the quick method, using echinacea, comfrey, and plantain. I put the herbs in my crockpot and then covered them with olive oil (coconut may be a better oil for this, but we avoid it because of allergies). I let them sit for about an hour on low and then switched it to warm for 2 more hours. You have to know your crockpot to determine the heat settings, because having it too hot will fry your herbs. 

After the herbs and oil cooled I strained out the oil. You can use a cheese cloth or a clean cotton cloth to strain it, make sure to squeeze the herbs to get out all the oily goodness. Then slowly heat the oil on the stove.

Gradually add in your beeswax. Mine came in little pieces but if you have a brick then you need to grate it so that you have small pieces. I didn't measure this step I just added some and then tested to see if it was the right consistency. 

Drip some of your oil wax mixture onto a plate to test the consistency. It  should cool quickly so you'll know if it's right. Mine was just how I wanted it on the first test. but if yours isn't then add more wax to harden it or more oil to soften it. 

Once it was the right consistency I poured it in a bowl and stirred it until it cooled. This is important because if you don't stir it the oil and wax will separate. 

Once it cooled  I poured the mixture into a tin and smoothed out the top. I also had my hubby make a cute label since it's for a cute little girl :o)

I'm only planning to use this to get her condition under control. After that I'll use it sort of as a spot treatment. It's also good for cuts, scraps, and bug bites. The salve should last for a few years, but if you want to add to it's shelf life you can add some vitamin E oil. 

...and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine. 

-Ezekiel 47:12

Linking up with: Health 2day Wednesday, Eco Kids Tuesdays