Farm Updates

This is just a small update about the farming side of our life. The Hubby has done a great job on the garden. These are a few pictures.

White Scalloped Squash

Green Pepper

Okra Plants

Today's harvest

Below is a picture of our newest baby rabbits. The picture is slightly blurry because they are like little jumping beans in the nest box. They are about 3 days old here. Hairless and wrinkly, aren't they? In just 2 weeks they will have all their fur and their eyes and ears will be open. These guys are going to be cute!

Baby Rabbits

6 Tips for Camping with a One Year Old

Our family loves to camp. We are not hardcore campers, though. I'm not big on having the little ones out there in the extreme heat/cold or storms. We've decided to go again when the weather cools off here a little bit. We've had a heat index of 100 degrees or more for the last few weeks. 

This year we will have a 15 month old with us. I've been searching Pinterest for some tips to make things easier. I thought I would share with you some of the ideas that I'm going to try. After our trip, I will let you know whether they were a success or failure.

6 Tips for Camping with a 1 Year Old

1) A tent to sleep in and a tent for the little ones to play in. Extra bugs and dirt can go in the play tent and stay out of the big one.

2) A Sound Machine to help everyone sleep.

3) A Baby Carrier that can also carry baby on back or hip for hiking trips.

4) Some kind of bug repellent is a MUST. I don't really want to put any bug spray or bug lotion on the littlest one, though. I would like to try these stickers.

Creamy Baby Oil also works wonders against mosquitoes. I'm not sure about ticks.

5) I love the idea of using Johnson's Baby Head-to-Toe Disposable Washcloths to give the little ones a bath before bed so they will sleep better.

6) The Pack and Play will be another good place for the littlest one to play so that I don't have to worry about her walking into the fire or something while I'm busy.

For more camping tips, check out my Camping Pinterest Board. Let me know if you've got any good tips for camping with a one year old.

Perfect Southern Biscuits

My husband and I LOVE large buttery biscuits! No matter how hard I tried to make them, I could never find the perfect recipe. Until the day that I did! I modified that recipe, of course. I thought I would share with you how I made them. Let me know if you love them as much as we do!

How to Make Perfect Southern Biscuits

Add Self-Rising Flour to a mixing bowl. Cut in cold butter with a pastry blender until coarse crumbs form. (The pastry blender makes life SO much easier!)

Blending butter and flour.

Add milk. Using a fork, stir until just moistened. Turn out onto a floured surface.

Dough ready to roll out.

Lightly knead the dough with floured hands for about 30 seconds or until nearly smooth. Roll dough to 3/4 inch thickness.

Dough 3/4 inch thick.

I like to use an old soup can with holes cut into the bottom to cut out 12 biscuits. Place on a greased cooking sheet with sides touching.

Biscuits ready to bake.

Bake at 475 degrees for 13 minutes or until golden brown.

Golden Perfect Southern Biscuits

Spread butter on top and serve warm. My husband loves his biscuits with honey.

Warm biscuit served with honey

To print this recipe, pop-out the image below.

It's Time to Can Peaches!

My friend Kaity and I canned peaches for the first time this weekend. Things like this are definitely more fun to do with a friend! Since we had never canned peaches before we needed a little help. We found some awesome instructions on this post. 

How to Can Peaches

Ingredients Needed:

Peaches

Water

Fruit Fresh

Equipment Needed:

Water Bath Canner

Jars, Rings, New Lids

Jar Lifter

Magnetic Lid Lifter

Knife

How we did it:

We had 3 boxes of peaches that were each a 1/2 bushel. We decided to can them in three batches. This worked well for us, but it took ALL day long. Good thing we were having fun, right?

1/2 Bushel of Peaches

Begin by washing the peaches.

Washing Peaches

The peaches were then peeled, quartered, and pits removed. Use Fresh Fruit to keep them looking nice because this process takes a while.

Peaches ready for the jar

The water in the Water Bath Canner was heating during this process.

Water Bath Canner

The jars were washed and kept warm while the lids were in a little pot of simmering water. Then it was time to put in the peaches and the hot water before placing them in the Water Bath Canner. (Make sure to wipe off the jar rims before placing the lids on.) Process pint sized jars for 25 minutes and quart sized jars for 30 minutes. Remove the jars and place them on a towel to cool. 

Canned peaches cooling on a towel

Let me know how your canning process is different than mine!

Tips to Keep Your Family Safe in the Sun

Summer may not be officially here yet, but it has been over 90 degrees every day this week. Feels like summer to me! Which reminded me of how important it is to keep our children safe from the harmful effects of the sun. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, one blistering burn as a child more than doubles the risk of skin cancer in adulthood. I have seen the effects of skin cancer on my Father-in-Law. I do NOT want that future for my children. 

Here are tips to keep your family safe from the sun this summer.

1) Sunblock - use a broad spectrum sunblock with at least an SPF of 15. Apply 15 to 30 minutes before going outside. Reapply every 2 hours or sooner if swimming or sweating.
2) Avoid going outside or stay in the shade between the hours of 10am and 4pm when the sun is hottest.
3) Take frequent breaks in the shade or indoors during other times of the day.
4) Wear protective clothing, sunglasses, and hats.

These tips will greatly reduce the risk of skin cancer due to sun exposure. Your children will thank you one day.

For more tips, check out these two websites:

How to Keep Your Baby Safe in the Sun by babycenter.com
How to Be Safe When You're in the Sun by kidshealth.org

Get Home Bag

Last week, I wrote about 20 items to keep in your vehicle in case of emergencies. You can read that post here. I mentioned a Get Home Bag (GHB) as one of those items. I thought I would go into more detail about what that is and why it is useful.

What is a Get Home Bag?

 A Get Home Bag (GHB) is a bag with all the supplies that you will need to get back home.

Why might you need a Get Home Bag? 

Natural disasters, weather related emergencies, or even terrorist attacks are some examples of when you might need to use your GHB.

How much to put in your Get Home Bag?

I like to have supplies that will last for at least 24 hours in my bag. The farthest I usually drive is 25 to 30 miles away from home. If I could walk 20 minutes per mile it would take 8 and a 1/2 hours to walk home if I walked steadily and did not take breaks. I will most likely have little ones with me, will have to walk off-road, and over hills.....we will have to take breaks! Therefore, we will be prepared to spend the night outside.

What kind of bag should you use as a Get Home Bag?

Lightweight, Water-Resistant Hiking Backpack

There are several different styles of bags that you could use as a GHB. I like to use a backpack (like the one above), but you could use a messenger bag, a large hand bag, or a 5.11 PUSH Pack. It's important that your GHB look normal. You don't want to stand out in the crowd. Someone who is not as prepared as you might realize that you have supplies that they want.

What should you put in your Get Home Bag?

Your GHB should be lightweight. Keep it under 15 pounds. With that said, here is a list of items that I like to keep in my GHB.

1) Emergency Tube Tent: this will keep you off the ground and out of the rain, wind, or snow.
2) Emergency Sleeping Bag: in addition to the tent, you will be warm and dry.
3) 550 Paracord: there are so many uses for cordage!
4) LifeStraw Personal Water Filter: you can stick this into a puddle, pond, or creek and drink without getting sick. Much smaller and lighter than water bottles.
5) 400 Calorie Food Bars: these are not what you want to snack on, but they will give you the energy you need to get home. Rotate these so that they do not expire.
6) Weather Appropriate Change of Clothes: these should be replaced twice a year. Extra pair of socks. Hat and gloves for the winter.
7) First Aid Kit: Homemade (be sure to include Moleskin - works wonders for blisters) or one like the Ultralight Adventure Medical Kit.
8) Knife: I like the Smith and Wesson Search and Rescue Fixed Blade Knife - this can be used for protection as well as cutting rope or anything else that needs cutting. This weighs a little over a pound, but can be multipurpose.
9) Protection - if you carry a gun, it should not be in your GHB, although you could include extra ammunition. You might put pepper spray or a tazer in your GHB.
10) At least 2 ways to start fire: I prefer a lighter and water-proof matches with Vaseline soaked cotton balls.
11) Flashlight with extra batteries. I like the small LED flashlights.
12) Map and Compass - you should also learn how to use these if you don't already know.
13) Multitool: these have pliers, knives, a can opener, and a bottle opener. Very handy tool to have!
14) Hand wipes and hand sanitizer.
15) Chapstick with SPF

Click here for a printable Basic Get Home Bag Pack List from Stephanie Dayle at American Preppers Network.

Each member of your family needs their own GHB (if they are old enough to carry one). I have two little ones so I will carry their food and clothes in my bag and they will share my tent and sleeping bag. This is something I hope we never have to use, but like I said last week: it's better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. If you have any comments or suggestions, please don't hesitate to add them!

For more information check out these blog posts:
American Preppers Network's Get Home Bags for Everyday People. Why You Need One.
Tactical Intelligence.Net's Get-Home Bag.
The Prepper Journal's Prepping 101 - Get Home Bag

20 Items to Keep in Your Vehicle for Emergencies

I don't know about you, but I spend a lot of time in my vehicle. I take the kids to their grand parents' while I'm at work, to the doctor, the dentist, to homeschool events, and to hang out with friends. I go to the grocery store, to my own doctor, to pay bills, etc. As a family, we go on field trips and vacations. You get the picture. I know I'm not alone in all this traveling. You do it, too. There are certain items that we should always keep in our vehicle "just in case." We hope to never have to use them, but it would be better to have them and not need them rather than need them and not have them.  

Here is a list of 20 items that the Hubby and I decided would be best to keep in my vehicle. 

 

Comment below if you have any other suggestions!