DIY 3 Ingredient Lotion Bars

Hi all! We've had a fierce little winter here in southern Ohio, and lots of cold, dry air with it. That means lots of chapped skin and eczema flare ups in my family. My mom and I have been making these lotion bars for about 2 years now to help out with the skin irritation. These things are amazing for eczema, chapped lips, dry or rough skin (elbows, hands, knees, feet), as well as a daily chapstick or moisturizer. They are amazingly soft and smooth on your skin, are all natural, non-toxic, and they smell wonderful.

Here's how we do it:
*   beeswax
*   grapeseed oil   
*   coconut oil
Equal parts of all three ingredients. It doesn't have to be exact, just close enough.

1. In a double boiler, melt beeswax on medium until it completely liquefies.

2. Add the coconut oil,  and melt until completely liquefied.

3. Add the grapeseed oil, and melt until all ingredients are completely liquefied. 

4. Spoon into silicone molds with a ladle and allow to cool completely at room temperature until set.

5. Pop out of the molds and relish the silky softness. Store in an air tight container in a cool, dry place.

6. To use, simply rub a bar on a troublesome rough spot.

Some tips and thoughts:

* Do not use these if you are allergic to bees or honey, and be careful with using them on babies unless you know they're not allergic.

* I don't have a double boiler. I just use a metal dog food bowl that is big enough to fit over a kettle. Not fancy. At all.

* These are awesome! They do not leave an oily residue on your skin, and  they're completely non-toxic and pet and baby safe if consumed.  

* I've only ever used silicone candy molds. I suppose these could be poured into anything as long as you covered it with plastic wrap or something. I love the silicone, because the lotion bars just pop right out and they are in cute little shapes.
* Save casted off chips and spilled pieces. These can be re-melted and reused.

* These make great gifts or party favors.

* These are awesome for eczema, bug bites, burns, etc.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask! Thanks for reading.

Expecting Kids

Hi all! We are very pregnant here on the farm and very excited! We are expecting some cute little kids. Cali, our doe, is...well...she's HUGE. We hope to have some goat kids within the month. Probably sooner rather than later.

As we are novice goat keepers we made a big rookie mistake in keeping our doe housed with our buck. We had all intentions of her getting preggo, but we don't know the conception date, so we're a little lost on the due date. *rips hair out* We know these things:

◆ goats gestate for 140-150 days
◆ we noticed a change in Cali's...*cough* width *cough*in October.
◆ Cali has begun to fill her udder with milk
◆ baby goat movement can be felt in the right side of Cali's stomach (left is less reliable because of rumen)

She is now separated from our male goat, Dexter. We give her lots of hay, warm water to drink, lots of comfy bedding, and a private stall. I check for signs of labor about three times daily. Morning, afternoon, night. Here are the things I look for:

◆ hollow areas around the flank and tail (this indicates a loosening of ligaments and such)
◆ loosening of ligaments around the tail head (usually most reliable predictor)
◆ behavioral change-more stand-offish or more affectionate than usual
◆ "talking"-mama goats do this to bond with the babies
◆ restlessness-pacing, pawing the ground, headbutting fences, nesting, getting up and down
◆ discharge or mucus leaking from the girly parts
◆ full, tight, "shiny" udder (least reliable predictor)

I have been prepping some supplies in anticipation for a goat birth! I hope to share this in another blog post! Thanks for reading!

First Seeds of 2014 Season

Hi all! It may seem like an odd time to get garden seeds, but we have acquired our first seeds of the season. We have 59 days until the first day of Spring, and I am pumped! The seeds we purchased will need to be started soon so that we can grow them in our zone. (Zone 6A)

I purchased these seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, one of my favorite places! Baker Creek always includes some free seeds so, that's why the melons are included. 

We'll be starting seeds soon, so check back for seed starting extravaganza! Thanks for reading!

Homegrown Popcorn

Hi all! It's the first snow of the season here on the farm. It's icy cold outside and we are already dealing with our winter farm problems. Despite all of that, I decided it was a good day to snuggle with the little guy and have some of our homegrown popcorn. Here's how we did it:
                                              
Growth
Growing the popcorn was easy. You just grow it like you would regular corn. Just like sweet corn, it can be planted in rows or hills. The popcorn took a little longer to reach maturity. The variety we grew was an heirloom variety called Strawberry Popcorn. So named for its resemblance to strawberries in size and color.

Harvest
Allow the popcorn to dry out on the corn stalks and harvest when the stalk is completely dry and brown. Avoid harvesting after a rain, snow, or frost. Afternoon is probably the best time. This is all to avoid extra moisture. The popcorn kernals should be dry and hard. If a kernal is milky when punctured, it IS NOT ready.

Drying
You want to let the popcorn dry out further for at least 1-2 months. You can husk them all and store them in a container with plenty of airflow. I used a metal fruit bowl with lots of openings and kept it on our table. Alternately, you can peel the husks back like a banana and tie them in bundles of three and let them hang from the husks.

Eating
This is the best part! Once your popcorn has dried out completely, it's ready to be eaten. I had read that my variety could be popped right on the cob, while this was true, it isn't the best way. Otherwise you'll end up with something looking like this:

Some of the kernels came off but mostly I just had popcorn on-the-con. Not so great and it stayed lava hot for a while.

The best method is to shuck the popcorn kernels off the cob prior to popping. This is actually pretty easy and I achieved it using my thumbs. Be sure to shuck into a deep container as those kernels like to fly. Once you've shucked the popcorn kernals throw your cob into the compost heap and pour your kernels into a brown paper bag. I popped mine anywhere between 1:30 to 2:30 in the microwave. You'll know they're finished when you hear long pauses between pops. You can season with butter and salt, caramel, cheese powder, or any other favorite popcorn topping. It also tastes good plain. The Strawberry Popcorn variety we grew made enough for a small bowl, enough for one person to snack on.

If you want to package them up for home use or as gifts you can shuck 1-2 cobs into a brown bag, fold the top down, label with the popcorn name, directions, and even a message. Put the folded bag into a ziploc and voila!

I was so thrilled about how this turned out. I can't wait to grow more next year. I think we may experiment with another variety. I forgot to note that this popcorn popped up so...cute! The kernels were miniature!

Thanks for reading!

Old Fashioned Popcorn Garland

Hi all! Christmas is already upon us! It doesn't even seem possible. At any rate, I decided to make some old fashioned popcorn garland for our lovely tree. Here's how I did it:

Materials:
•   bulk white popcorn
•   dental floss
•   whole fresh cranberries (optional)
•   needle

1. Cook your popcorn. I chose white because of its nice bright color. I cooked about a whole cup which was 3 batches.
2. Allow the popcorn to cool completely in an airy spot. Pick a spot where it won't be disturbed. It will need to stay there for 8-24 hours to "stale up". Stale popcorn threads easier. I poured mine out on wax paper on the table.
3. Dry your cranberries.
4. Cut 9 foot lengths of dental floss to work with. My tree is pretty large, so it look about 7 strands.
5. Tie a knot (I do a cluster of knots) on one end of the floss. Thread the opposite end onto the needle. Be sure to leave tails on both ends for tying the stands together.
6. Pick a nice comfy spot on the couch, and find a good movie to watch. Older kids can help with this project if you trust them with a needle. Begin stringing your popcorn and cranberries. I strung in a pattern of 10 popcorn, 3 cranberries.
7. Once you are finished filling up the strand, tie some knots at the end. Go ahead and put the strand on the tree to see how much you'll need. As you progress, tie the strands together to make one large strand. 

It will be a bit delicate at first. The cranberries look like pretty little red beads. Enjoy your garland!

Thanks for reading!

Fodder Experiment Flop

Hi all. Just a quick update on my fodder experiment. Just to let you know, it isn't going well. :'( I'm going to start everything over again soon, but for now I'm giving it up. I had some mold growth early on and very little sprouting. I'm going to evaluate my procedure and set-up and start over!

Thanks for reading!

Sprouting Fodder Grains: Day 0

Hi all! It is the beginning of my fodder system experiment and I'm very excited! If you haven't checked out my other blog posts about this, you can find them here:

What The Fudge Is Fodder?

My DIY Fodder System Set-Up
                                                 
The first thing you have to do before you even begin sprouting the grains is to soak them. Like many other seeds, soaking helps the grains germinate so that they will sprout and grow.

First, you must decide how much barley (or whatever you are using) you will need. The sources I have used both suggest that when sprouting you want about a half inch depth in your container. Now, to achieve that depth after soaking, you actually want to pour in enough in the pan to measure 1/2 inch then cut that in half. Once again, soak half of what you think you need. The barley will plump up during soaking and will be twice the size of the original grain. I use a plastic tumbler to scoop mine out of the grain sack, as it is the perfect amount once it has been soaked.

Soak the grains in a clean container. I use a large plastic deli container. You really can use pretty much anything. Pour the grains into the container and cover completely with water. I like to use about twice as much water, so the water to barley ratio is 2:1. I like to use lukewarm water.

Finally, you just want to allow the grains to soak for 12-18 hours in a room where it won't be bothered and that is 50-70º (which is most ideal for germination). They don't require sun.

That's it until tomorrow! Thanks for reading!