yellow tassel
Current Events, Journal, Tips and Tricks

Home Schooling in California

My face when I think about having young kids now

Way back in the long, long ago, I had little ones (who have miraculously become wonderful adults). For various reasons, I chose to home school some of them (that sounds like I had 1,000 children. No, I had three and home schooled 2 of them for a time). I would like to share my experiences and resources (there are probably better ones now, since everything has changed). It doesn’t have to be as Mad Max as it used to be.

First: if you choose to truly home school your children (not just choose distance learning through an established school or school district), you must officially become a private school. There are no exceptions. However, just because you are a private school does not mean you are free from the state of California’s control. There are basic requirements for who can participate in your school, what information must be accessible to the state if they show up at your door, what basics need to be taught, etc. However, at the time of the writing of this article, students are not required to have immunizations for entry if they attend a home-based private school or an independent study program with no classroom-based instruction. Due to the nature of executive orders, this could change any time. Be sure to check the Department of Education’s Immunization Requirements page.

I would suggest you become a member of the Home School Association of California. They were immensely helpful when I began (and the internet was young) and used to offer a fantastic CD of ready-made school forms to keep you more organized (I do not know if they still do that). Here is their quick guide to home schooling:

https://www.hsc.org/quickguide

Second: Before you embark on this journey, decide how you are going to teach your children. The state of California’s Department of Education has some basic requirements listed on their website, per grade: Education Code for Private Schools and Schooling at Home.

Kindergarten through 6th Grade
7th Grade through 12th Grade

As you can see, these are very general, wide-ranging areas of study. So, what is required to obtain a high school diploma? Not as much (or as many credits) as you think. Here is the breakdown of state requirements, plus UC and CSU requirements for freshman admission: Graduation Requirements.

Graduation and Freshman Enrollment Requirements
neon signage
Photo by Ivan Bertolazzi on Pexels.com

Third: Now that you can see how minimal California’s education requirements are, it’s time for the hardest part for me: how to teach to your child. This is immensely beneficial for life: how many times have you tried to teach your child (or help them with homework) and nothing you tried worked? We all learn differently. I learn differently than my children and it made it difficult for me to connect with them. If I had the online resources there are now, I would have been a much more effective teacher and my children would have been much happier being home schooled.

Here are some wonderful articles about how to discover your (and your child’s) learning styles and how to connect with material:

Here are both parts of podcast from “Focus on the Family.” While they are a Christian foundation, these episodes are wonderfully educational.

teacher talking to the class
Photo by Max Fischer on Pexels.com

Fourth: Now it is time to develop your curriculum. Exactly what (and how) are you going to teach your children? This is all up to you.

  • If you want physical books, go to thrift stores. You cannot beat $.25 to $1 for a book!
  • Do you want videos or audio books? YouTube, Vimeo, or Odysee are fantastic options along with various podcast options.
  • Are you looking for projects for you children to do? What do you do around the house?
    • Cooking, baking, or canning/fermenting are wonderful for not only Home Economics but Math and Chemistry.
    • Geometry, basic Math AND the essential skill of reading a tape measure (it’s surprising just how many people cannot read a tape measure) can be building a dog house.
    • Science is replacing a light fixture or installing a solar charged light fixture outside.
    • Biology could be incubating some eggs and breaking them open once per week to compare the changes throughout the incubation cycle.

Here are some more wonderful suggestions:

Fifth: Be patient with yourself and your child. Neither one of you will ever be perfect. There will be fantastic days and there will be horrible days. If you accept this from the beginning, this will give the both of you the freedom to find your groove. I wish you and your child the best of luck, love, and success during this new phase in your lives.

And here are two resources for high school students/parents that I did not have a specific place for. I do not know if I wholeheartedly support the main organization, these are handy:

Dinner, Level 1, Levels 2 And Above, Lunch, Recipe, Soups

Chicken Soup and Canned Chicken Broth

I did not grow up eating many root vegetables, so when I found a recipe for chicken soup that included parsnips and turnips I was highly skeptical. After I made it, I was hooked! There can be no chicken soup (or broth) without them! In this video, I am not only making soup but am canning broth. For the specifics on the equipment (and tools) you will need, please read my Home Canned Meat post. I am not including a nutritional analysis with this recipe. This recipe is so variable and I have no way of knowing how many carbohydrates are in the strained broth.

Chicken Soup and Canned Chicken Broth Recipe

For the broth:

  • 2 to 3 pounds of chicken (either whole pieces or leftover chicken carcass)
  • 2 parsnips, roughly chopped
  • 3 to 4 turnips, roughly chopped
  • 2 to 4 carrots, roughly chopped
  • 2 to 4 celery stalks, roughly chopped
  • 1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves , roughly chopped (optional)
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon pepper, or to taste
  • Water, to cover

For the soup:

  • 2 to 3 pounds chicken meat (either from the broth or fresh)
  • 2 to 4 carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 2 to 4 celery stalks, sliced
  • 1/2 to 1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
  • 1 to 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced (optional) 1 to 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
  • Water, to cover
  • Optional ingredients for soup: 2 to 3 zucchini, spiralized 3 Yukon Gold potatoes, diced or 1 to 2 cups of dry rice or 1 to 2 cups of dry pasta (bow ties, rotini, egg noodles, etc.) or 1 to 2 cups of chopped greens (spinach, beet greens, kale, etc.) or Matzo balls or 1 to 2 teaspoons fresh dill, minced 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Place all of the ingredients for the broth in a large pot (or slow cooker, electric roaster, or pressure cooker). Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium or medium low (you want it at a slight boil). Depending on your cooking method, let cook for 4 to 12 hours (you want everything cooked to absolute mush). Strain the broth from the solids, making sure to remove all bones.

Place the broth back in the pot. If you used whole pieces of chicken, separate the meat from the bones (once cooled enough to touch).

If you are going to can your chicken broth, you can evenly distribute your chicken meat between all of your jars and top with broth or just leave the meat out. Process in a pressure canner for the recommended pressure (and time) per your elevation. Remember that this broth can be used just like store-bought chicken broth. You do not want to over-season the broth prior to canning it to allow you the flexibility to use the broth however you wish.

Now, if you aren’t canning your broth, throw the rest of the ingredients in the broth, bring to a boil, then turn down to medium. Let it boil until everything is cooked. BAM! You have soup for days! 🙂

Current Events, Goals, Journal

To Learn, You Must Do

It’s rare when I am surprised by anything I read online. The last time I was truly shocked about anything in the public domain was when Trump won the Presidential election. Watching the election night coverage (yes, we watched all night) was true “shock and awe.” That was the best reality show we have ever watched and the reactions were priceless (and gloriously genuine). Virtually no one expected that outcome, especially me. I didn’t vote for Clinton or Trump. I can’t stand any of the Clintons but figured Hillary was going to win no matter who she was running against. See? “Shock and Awe.”

Most of the online election aftermath has caused my eyes to roll way too much. Both sides, with their diehard supporters who never really paid attention to what their candidates actually believed, just irritate me. As much as I love the MAGAs’ dread when they realize Trump isn’t the ultraconservative they assumed he was, I really loathe those Hillary supporters who assumed, because I did not support her (and definitely did not support Obama), that I was a Trump supporter. I knew some of these people for over 20 years, yet they lashed out at me like I had suggested someone needed to start drowning puppies. They chose to ignore the fact that I had never supported any of the chosen Republican candidates that ran against Obama in both elections. All logic and reason left their overly emotional brains and (from what I have seen) has never returned.

This has never been more evident than what has actually surprised me online: they are scared and talking about arming themselves and either advocating for (or anticipating) a civil war. I have even read some hoping for a military coup. It feels like a really bad episode of the Twilight Zone since this is the same talk I saw from ultra-conservatives when Obama was elected to office except then, the “fight” was to preserve the Constitution and now the “fight” is to dismantle it (despite the calls to arm themselves). They just aren’t thinking this through. Why would they want to give up control of their lives (and their right to protect their lives) to the very people they are protesting against?

This is new territory for me. I knew what to ignore when Obama was first elected as mostly grandstanding (or in my off-line words, idiots being keyboard commandos) but I don’t know this new crop of people. I am not sure how serious they are or are they just typing all of that to make others think they are serious.What I do know is there are too many people within society who do not understand that just because they think (or say) something doesn’t mean they will always win. These people also do not understand that with every loss, there is a lesson that can be learned if they are willing to remove emotion from the equation.

I do know that, outside of the anti-Trump groups, I have noticed an uptick in worry and a desire to begin preparing for … something. I am not sure exactly what the impetus to prepare is. I do not think it really matters. Whether people are preparing for some sort of civil war, civil unrest, disruption in the food chain, nuclear war, natural disasters, or any other imagined scenario, the path toward independence and security is the same:

To Learn Must Do

You can have all the books in the world but if you have never grown a tomato plant, you will never be able to grow all the fruits and vegetables you need to sustain your family. This also applies to splitting your own firewood or baking bread (you know, actually cooking) or sewing a shirt or repairing your appliances or any number of skills you think you will need to survive any of the disastrous scenarios people can imagine.

This also goes for life in general (which was the original intention of this post). If all you do is read books without putting into practice what you read, you have learned nothing. Online marketing, SEO optimization, building your email list, writing (and publishing) a book, improving your health, losing weight, increasing your strength … none of the knowledge you acquire from any book, course, or video will do you any good if you don’t physically DO anything!

So, where do you begin? Go through everything you have learned over the course of the last year and figure out what one activity you can do today, right now. Choose just one. Then tomorrow, choose another. Slowly build up until you are practicing what you were taught (and learning what will work and what won’t). Not everything you have been taught will lead you to your ultimate goal (or end up working the way you intended). So, you set aside those things that are not working for you and move onto another activity.

The most important thing to know is you cannot control everything. You will not get everything you think you want (or things will not go the way you have planned). This is called life. You either embrace that fact or you will end up just spinning around in circles, blaming others for life not going the way you intended.

Even if you believe that the climate changing is caused by humans, what can you really do about that? Can you, personally, eliminate all excess carbon emissions from the planet, allowing your tomatoes to grow better this year? No, and even if you could, what would happen if the climate didn’t change back? What if all the scientists who support human caused climate change are proven wrong? What would you do with your life then?

We all need to focus on what we can personally change: our sphere of influence. Plant a tree, get your yard equipment serviced so it burns fuel more efficiently, stop using so many weed killers or bug sprays, pick up the garbage on your street (then the next street, then your entire neighborhood), dig up your lawn and plant food, vote for a city councilperson who embraces your way of thinking, etc. These are the types of acts that will ultimately change the world, not blocking traffic or hiding in your house waiting for the end of the world.

Cleaning, Soap, Soapmaking

My Soap Making Page

Soap Making

As daunting a task as soap making seems to be, it truly is a simple process. Once you get the basics down, the possibilities are endless! Here are some links to get you started:

Rainy Day Foods Intro to Soapmaking

MMS Lye Calculator (the best one out there)

The key to soap making is being prepared. You must have everything there, ready to be used, and the correct lye to fat ratio (see MMS Lye Calculator). You can try any recipe you see on-line, but be sure to check the lye calculator to ensure the proportions are correct. If the proportions are not correct, you can either end up with a soap too soft to use or so harsh it can burn your skin. Like I said, preparation is the key.

I make soap using what I have on-hand. I typically use anything you can eat. The only time I buy anything special is if I run out (I did not grow enough), or just really like it (like Coconut Oil). I keep soap making as simple (and natural) as possible. This allows me to make soap if I run out of Coconut Oil, or a particular essential oil. Purchasing as local as I can is also important to me. If I can’t find something close by, then I branch out. My Coconut Oil I purchased from a food supplier in Los Angeles, and essential oils from Arizona. If I find a supplier closer to me, then I will purchase from them. Do your best to purchase from organic sources that you (or someone you know) trust. We put enough chemicals into our bodies that we don’t need to add more.

This brings me to essential oils (referred to as EO in soaping circles). Not only do I use essential oils for their fragrance, but also their medicinal or aromatherapy qualities. The beauty of essential oils is their purity. When you get lavender essential oil, that’s all it is. There are no unknown scents or colors added. Unless I know the supplier is reputable, I am very weary of Fragrance Oils. I never know what kind of oils they used to make that particular scent. There are books out there that give formulas for mixing your own essential oils. Give those a try before purchasing a Fragrance Oil (usually referred to as FO).

There are some fantastic colors that can be added to your soaps. To me, it’s adding more expense to the soap unnecessarily and more chemicals (whether natural or man-made). My soaps are naturally colored, by the herb I am using or the soap making process itself. When I first began, I thought I needed everything under the sun in my soaps to make them better. For my kitchen soap, I added cornmeal and for my lavender I added the lavender buds. Over time, I realized those additions did not make me any cleaner and just left a mess in the tub. Now, simple soaps are the way to go.

Once you get to the point where you are ready to begin the process, you need to consider safety. Lye is extremely caustic. I always wear long sleeved shirts, long pants, glasses (any kind will do, as long as they protect your eyes from splashing lye), real shoes (not sandals), and rubber gloves. The only chemical that has burned me worse than lye is paint stripper. Also, you need to be in a well ventilated area. The first time I made soap, I did it in the garage (with the doors closed). As soon as the fumes reached my face I had an instant asthma attack.

The containers you do your mixing in are also important. They can be earthen ware, stainless steel, or plastic. No other metals can be used, since they will react with the lye. It is best to only use these items for soaping. You will need two containers, one for the lye solution and one for the oils. You also need something to stir the liquids with. I use wooden spoons. One thing to keep in mind is lye will weaken wooden spoons, so keep an eye on them and if they show any signs of weakening (splintering) then get a new one.

Now for molds. You can either spend up to hundreds of dollars on fancy molds, or go down to the lumber store and make your own. Some people use candle molds, which are fine as long as they are not tin. Mine? I took an old wooden T.V. tray and removed the legs. I flipped it upside down and made a frame with pine 1X4s. That’s it! I line the mold with freezer paper (not the kind with plastic on one side, but traditional freezer paper), pour the soup into the mold, then tamp it down to eliminate air pockets (I knock the mold against the table).

The following description of my method of making soap is called “Cold Process” (or CP). I have always liked this method because it is a slower process, and since sometimes I am not as organized as I should be, this gives me time to run and get whatever it is I forgot.

Melt all your oils, and keep them lukewarm. Mix the lye and water, ensuring the lye is completely dissolved. Once the lye water is the same temperature as your oils, SLOWLY pour the lye water into the oils, stirring constantly. Continue stirring for what seems like forever (or use a hand blender, like a Braun mixer). When it has the consistency of soft pudding, that is called trace. That is the time when you would add any essential oils or other additives you desire. Stir a little longer, then poor into molds.

Now, you need to choose how you want the soap to look. Do you want it solid (milky, looking like store-bought soap) or would you prefer a more translucent color (similar to glycerine). If you want your soap solid, you only need to place something thin (like paper towels) over the mold to prevent dust from getting on your soap. If you want it more like glycerine, wrap the mold with a heavy towel or blanket. It’s the temperature difference that changes the soap. Leave the soap in the mold for 12 to 24 hours (if you leave the soap in the mold longer than that, it will be virtually impossible to cut into bars).

Cutting the soap into bars can be tricky. If you are making soap to sell, you have to have bars that are consistent in weight. If you are not planning on selling your soap, just cut the bars so they can comfortably fit in your hand. Then you can finish off the edges of the soap using either a knife or vegetable peeler. They can be any shape you want. Use your imagination!

Place the bars on a shelf or rack that allows good air flow, and let them cure for at least 4 to 6 weeks. This allows the soap to dry and harden. You will know when it’s ready. If you can squeeze the soap, you have to wait. The amount of time needed depends on how humid your environment is. To protect your soap from dust, place cheesecloth over the top. Once your soap is ready, store it like you normally would any soap. I keep mine in separate cardboard boxes, separated by type. OH! One more thing. The longer your soap sits, the more any scent will dissipate.

About Milk Soaps

You can take any soap recipe and replace the liquid (water) with cow or goat milk. There are two things you need to do that are different. If you want a white soap (due to the high natural sugar content in milk, which caramelizes/burns at high heat) the milk has to be frozen (I froze mine in ice cube trays). I tossed my frozen goats milk in the bucket, poured the lye over the ice cubes, stirred until the milk was no longer frozen, then proceeded with the rest of the recipe. Otherwise, the color of the soap will end up being anywhere from light tan to dark brown. The other change is you do not insulate the soap (wrap it in a blanket or towel).

My Basic Recipes

This is my basic recipe and one castille recipe for soap. With this, I can replace any ingredient (like, if I am out of an item), adjust amounts of the other ingredients, then run it through the lye calculator again.

Brenda’s Basic Soap Recipe

Notes

Brenda’s Basic Soap Recipe
  • 28 ounces of Olive Oil
  • 28 ounces of Coconut Oil
  • 44 ounces of Shortening
  • 7 ounces of Cocoa Butter
  • 14.9 ounces Lye
  • 40 ounces Water
  • 4 ounces Essential Oil (optional)
Castile Soap Recipe
  • 107 ounces of Olive Oil
  • 13.7 ounces of Lye
  • 30 ounces of Water

NOTE: For Liquid Castile Soap, place 1 cup grated Castile, 3 cups water in a large pot. Turn on low heat and stir constantly until soap has dissolved. Add 2 Tablespoons glycerin. Once dissolved, transfer to a jar and cover tightly.

As you can see from the Castile Soap recipe, soap can be as simple or as complex as you want. What I do to make each type of soap unique is first, decided what kind of soap I want. For my Lavender soap, I start a few days ahead of time. I heat up the water and oil (separately, of course), then put lavender buds in the liquids and let them steep for at least 48 hours.

Then, I strain and make my soap. This adds more of the lavender into the soap and colors the soap naturally. My lavender soap turns out a very pale lavender color.

For my Kitchen Soap, I do the same with dried Calendula (Marigold) petals. I have even thought of doing this with coffee, since coffee is supposed help remove odors from your hands.

For hand washing dishes, I grate some soap, mix it with water, and use that just like commercial detergent. Not only does it cut the grease, it does not dry your hands.

Liquid Soap

There are three ways you can make liquid hand soap:

1. Make bar soap, grate it, then mix boiling water with it to get the right consistency. This is good for making small batches at a time. Without adding a chemical preservative, this will go rancid and/or bacteria can grow if left sitting too long (more than two to three months or so in the summer and it needs to be discarded and a fresh batch made).

2. Go to a good craft/hobby store, like Michaels, and purchase liquid soap base. It’s basically unscented liquid soap. Then you can add some essential oils to scent it or add natural anti-bacterial properties (lavender and rosemary are good for that, if you like the scent, tea tree oil is a great anti-bacterial though a little goes a long way and smells very medicinal).

3. Make it from scratch.

Here are three basic recipes (liquid soap requires potassium hydroxide instead of sodium hydroxide, which is your Red Devil lye. This is basically the difference between hard soap and soft soap):

Basic Liquid Soap

Notes

Basic Liquid Soap (you can use any oils you want as long as you adjust the amount of lye)
http://www.snowdriftfarm.com/form_liquidsoaprecipes.html (website is no longer online)
Measurements by weight
  • 45 oz. coconut 76 degree
  • 80 oz. sunflower seed oil
  • 48 fluid oz. Water
  • 26 oz. Potassium hydroxide (This is a 3% lye discount.)
  • 2 to 2.5 gallons Dilution Water

Liquid Soap

Notes

Liquid Soap (you can use any oils you want as long as you adjust the amount of lye)
Originally from The Sage but I am unable to locate a new link for this recipe. http://www.thesage.com/recipes/recipes.php?.State=Display&id=102
Measurements by weight
  • 1 ounce weight Avocado Oil
  • 4 ounces weight Coconut Oil
  • 11 ounces weight Hydrogenated Soybean Oil (shortening)
  • 3.1 ounces weight KOH (potassium hydroxide)
  • 8 ounces water (and we all know that water is the same in ounces weight as it is in fluid ounces)
Instructions:
Mix as usual.
Phase 1
Allow the water and KOH to be mixed and then added to melted fats. Stir until trace (read use a hand blender). Allow to sit for a few days until pH tests low.
Phase 2
Then slowly stir (use a spoon) in extra water to create a liquid soap.
Notes & Comments:
Heidi Feldman (list member) uses a gelled water, created from soaking Irish moss in water, when adding the water during phase 2. Also, scenting is done is phase 2, not in phase 1. The reason? It sticks!

For a smaller batch, and step by step instructions (with pictures) you can try this recipe: <http://candleandsoap.about.com/od/liquidsoap/ss/basicliquidsoap.htm>http://candleandsoap.about.com/od/liquidsoap/ss/basicliquidsoap.htm

Suppliers

If you can’t find suppliers locally, there are a few I have purchased from and really like in my links section.

There are tons of recipes on the web for making soaps and shampoos. As long as you verify the correct amount of lye with a good calculator <https://www.the-sage.com/lyecalc/>MMS Lye Calculator you can’t really go wrong!

Laundry

There are many recipes online for laundry soap. I would suggest trying them until you find the one you like. I only tried one recipe but I ended up going back to Tide.

With my husband’s greasy work, and a 13 year old, I use a homemade spot treater. I got this recipe from <http://www.thefrugalshopper.com/articles/softener.shtml>The Frugal Shopper. I LOVE this stuff! It works so well I use it for cleaning everything! It especially works wonders on a greasy stove!

Stain Remover

Notes

Stain Remover
  • 1/2 cup of Ammonia
  • 1/2 cup of Vinegar (great way to use that white vinegar)
  • 2 Tablespoons Liquid Laundry Detergent
  • 2 quarts water
I don’t add the Liquid Laundry Detergent, since mine is powdered. Pour ingredients in a 1 gallon bottle (used plastic vinegar bottles work perfect for this). Make sure the lid is on tight, and shake bottle to mix. Pour into a spray bottle, and spray away!

How Did A Newbie Do?

I get so excited when someone tries soap making for the first time, and that’s exactly what an online friend did after reading this page. Here is his experience:

“July 17, 2006: Well, I made my first attempt at making soap. Just basic plain lard based variety. Figure if I start simple and something goes wacky I may have a chance to figure out what went wrong since EO is subject to being converted also plus other variables would complicate that process. Learn first then get fancy. 😉 Anyway, 4 pounds of lard, 8.45 ounces of lye and 24 ounces of water later I have a batch in a computer keyboard box lined with plastic for a “mold”. Trace wasn’t happening worth mentioning after three hours of stirring. I think one thing affecting it was I used the maximum amount of water recommended. So I started using a regular blender at a lower speed (puree) and let it blend for about 4 minutes per load which brought it almost to trace then stirred all the “blended” loads together and started a second run through blender. The second blender run required a higher speed and after only a minute or so it was tracing big time, almost like warm buttercream frosting. After running it all through blender second time I stirred it all together again to even it out then poured into my “mold”.

I would highly recommend using a stick blender and won’t attempt this again until I have one since it was close to 90 minutes before the batch would stop separating almost immediately when stirring stopped which obviously is not good. I think this may be related also to the water issue. I did use one trick from Hershberger in the Walton link which is to use ice water and ice when mixing your lye. Keeps the fumes down a bunch and takes less time to wait for it to cool since it doesn’t get as hot. Eight ice cubes and ice water from a jug till it measured 24 ounces, then added the lye. Worked great.

At any rate I should end up with a little over 5 pounds of soap for a total cost of about $4.50 which is about 30 cents less than what half that much Ivory soap would cost me so its a good deal. I’ll try to remember to let you know what its like to use after its cured.” “August 08, 2006: Just a quick note to let you know the soap works great. Somewhat drying but then I didn’t allow for a lot of excess fat. It doesn’t give lots of lather but then lard soap isn’t supposed to either. But, when you wash with it you can see the difference in ‘clean’ compared to ‘factory soap or detergent/deodorant bars’. Thanks for prompting me to do this.

Laughs at Hurricanes”

Crafts, Sewing

Finished Full Apron

Well, I’ve been a bit busy.  I’m really enjoying sewing and can’t wait to move on up to something that can be worn out in public, though this is pretty dang close, even though it is an apron.   So, let’s start with the basics:

This is the pattern I used:

apron

I am not a girly girl in any way (my usual attire is a 3X White T-shirt and sweat pants, worn with Birkenstock shoes, of course).  Hair?  Makeup?  Twice a year, at the most.  So, to test myself, I chose apron E (center right) but decided to add the ruffle to the bottom.  For some reason, I felt the ruffles over the shoulder would be a bit much.  🙂

This pattern was much less confusing than the bath robe I made.  The only thing I had to learn, really, was machine gathering.  See, I could never understand what they were saying when I read about how to do gathers on a sewing machine, so I decided to just do them by hand.  Well, since these sewing projects are being done so I can learn how to make things properly, I decided to look again.  Once again, You Tube to the rescue!  Now, I had two comments on my Facebook wall about this.  Both said they learned to machine gather by sewing three (not two) lines of basting.   I will try that next time.

I did change one thing, though.  There is no way I’m going to button and unbutton (or try to slip this thing on) the straps.  So, I left them loose and just tied them around my neck (I still need to figure out how to make button holes on my machine, anyway).

And since I am not a girly girl, I decided to go all out and become one for the photos of this apron.  I love this thing!  The fabric I got from my hubby’s grandmother.  She was a spit-fire of a woman and we miss her dearly.  I think of her every day.

Apron2
Apron3
Crafts, Sewing

My Latest Focus: Sewing (and finishing) an Apron

Two years ago, I got on a tangent to learn how to properly crochet.  Last year, it was a little wood carving but mostly knitting (still is … I’m hoarding knitting patterns like the internet will shut down tomorrow).  This year?  Sewing.  I have been an avid hoarder of all things “sewing” for as long as I can remember.  I’ve been known to hold onto clothing I don’t like just because the fabric is a good quality.  When I am offered any kind of fabric, I gratefully accept it.  And patterns?  As soon as I get the schedule down, I will be, once again, buying as many sale patterns as I am allowed.  Most of my new patterns were purchased when they used to have rotating sales on McCall’s and Butterick (one week, McCall’s would be 99 cents each, the next week would be Butterick).  Since that time, fabric stores have closed down (or moved) and I have lost track of when those sales occur.

Having said all that, until this past Winter, I had only sewn one garment with a pattern.  That was when I was 16 years old and my friend’s mom was showing us how to not only sew from a pattern but to re-size and alter.  That’s it.  So, 29 years later, I decided to try my hand at another one (more about that in a future post).  In reality, this drive stemmed from me looking inward to find out who I am and what my focus in life should be.  I have so many varied interests (obvious from anyone who looks at all my blogs) I knew it would be difficult to narrow it down.  That’s when I (once again) remembered high school and a short one-semester class I took: Home Ec.  Bells started ringing, lights began to flash, and I jumped for joy!  That’s basically what I my interests have been all these years!

So, I went “a-Googling”.  I wanted to find out exactly where the subject of Home Economics stemmed, what was taught, and what is taught now (if anything).  More downloads later, and I began reading, “Elementary Home Economics – First Lessons In Sewing and Textiles, Foods and Cookery, and the Care of the House” by Mary Lockwood Matthews, B.S. (which is available free from Google Books or scroll to the bottom and you can download it from me). 

As I began reading it, I realized just how uneducated I am.  I had to look up most of the terms, regarding types of fabric.  No matter how well they described some of them, I still had no idea what they were talking about (and seriously doubt most who work in the local fabric stores, which are now mostly large chain stores, would know).

The first project for these children was to make an apron.  This apron is designed for sewing, to keep your clothes clean and neat.  It called for a fabric called dimity. Even after looking it up, I cannot say I would know it if I saw it in the store.  So, I went through my fabric stash and found some that I thought would be a good substitute.  It turns out it wasn’t.  I think the fabric is too dense for the pattern.  See, the apron is basically one piece of fabric, that is gathered at the waist and the bottom is turned up to make pockets.  This is what I ended up with:

CAM00068

How do you like those pockets?  I also did not stitch this by hand.  My patience was not with me and I have a new sewing machine I need to get used to, so I used it.  I was supposed to make a button hole (I know I could do it by hand but I copped attitude) but I don’t know how to use my button hole attachment on this new machine.  It bunched and just made me mad.  🙂  So, I thought about this (and thought about this) and ended up just removing the gathers and sewed on some Velcro for the closure in the back.  The Velcro works but I think I’ll just extend the waist band so this can be tied.  I love the new version:

Apron After

It wraps almost all around my bum and that’s perfect, since I am messy when I cook, clean, sew, do anything crafty.  It reminds me of an apron that showed up on my Facebook feed for gathering eggs (made from a pillow case).  My next sewing post will be within the next week or so.  I have made two items from one pattern (pajama pants and a robe).  I’m about to lay out the pattern for the top, then I’ll make the shorts and post about those (my observations and musings about the experience).  My eventual goal is to get to the point where I can make something I feel comfortable wearing out in public (Lord knows I have plenty of patterns to choose from).  lol

This is how I finished it.  The velcro wasn’t working.  It wasn’t strong enough.  So, I sewed on a different waist band, making it longer so I could wrap it around and tie it in the front.  I’m happy with it!

Half Apron
Bread, Recipe

Naan Bread (or How To Make Your Dog Hate You)

Let me begin this post with a disclaimer: I know nothing about real naan bread.  I’m pretty sure I’ve only had real Indian food once.  That was at a restaurant in London, with a friend standing next to me saying, “Try that, not that” as he steered me away from the really spicy foods (I couldn’t handle those at the time).  I really can’t recall if there was anything there that resembled a bread product.  So, why am I making naan?  My husband.  He bought some at Costco (La Brea Brand) and really loved them.  So, I thought, how hard could they be to make?

Well, they aren’t very difficult to make.  It’s really the cooking that is tricky.  I will explain that in a bit.  First, I tried two different recipes.

The first was this one: How to make the perfect naan bread. She basically took a few recipes apart and put a new one together, with hers calling for water as the liquid and yogurt. She said it’s the perfect one, right? Well, maybe it was the cooking method I used (which I read about on another web page) but I doubt it. I placed two rimmed baking sheets in the oven and turned on the broiler. Once the sheets were hot, I placed the naan on the baking sheets and watched them carefully as they cooked. These had a fantastic flavor but didn’t have … not sure how to describe it, but they weren’t as elastic as they should have been.

These were still warm.
These were still warm.

The second recipe I just finished is this one: How to Make Naan Bread {Step by Step Instructions and Pictures}. She used milk as the liquid with no yogurt. The texture was fantastic! They were elastic and the dough behaved wonderfully BUT there’s little flavor. So, this is where I thought I saw my dog pack a bag to leave me: I cooked these as described in the recipe. I placed those same rimmed baking sheets in the oven and set the temperature to 500 degrees F. Well, when I opened up the oven door, a lovely cloud of smoke engulfed me and spread like a lethal fog throughout the house. My dog, who hates being outside alone, actually went to the back door and would not leave it until I let him outside. Take a look at how these turned out compared to the first batch:

These were still warm also but look at the difference in texture/density.
These were still warm also but look at the difference in texture/density.

So, what is my conclusion? I think the next batch, I will just add 5 Tablespoons of plain yogurt (have a little bit left so I will be making some more) to the second recipe After really looking at both recipes, that won’t work.  So, after looking long and hard, this recipe has everything: milk, yogurt AND butter, so this is the recipe I’ll use: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/onion-naan AND possibly buy a couple of baking stones (or brand new baking sheets). I’m not sure my dog can handle another day like today. 🙂

I just did this recipe (February 27, 2015) and cooked the bread on the charcoal grill. FANTASTIC! The flavor was perfect and the texture was fantastic! We learned the hard way NOT to roll them too thin or immediately put them over the coals (we ended up with a giant burned cracker). Here’s a picture of how we cooked them, followed by the recipe.

CAM00056

http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/onion-naan

Onion Naan

  • 3/4 cup whole milk
  • 1 1/4-ounce envelope active dry yeast
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus more for surface and hands
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1 cup whole-milk yogurt (not Greek)
  • 2 tablespoons melted ghee (clarified butter) or vegetable oil plus more
Bread, Recipe

Challah

The first loaf of bread I ever made was challah.  I had to be … maybe 12 years old?  I don’t remember the exact age but do remember where we were living (so that narrows down the time frame a bit).  I also remember that beautiful loaf of bread.  It was gorgeous and HUGE!  I was so proud!  Well, until I cut into that dark golden crust to find raw dough (just about an inch of the dough had cooked … the rest was raw as can be).  That was also the last time I made bread until I was an adult.  I’ve made bread that resembled a chunk of concrete to bread that resembled a dried glob of glue but I was determined.  It’s taken me many years of trial and error to figure out exactly how long to knead and  how much flour/liquid to add to obtain the right consistency.   I’m very happy with my bread making skills (I’ve worked hard for them 🙂 ).

So, while trying to figure out a way to pay back my neighbor for finishing off the front yard that we started whacking on Valentine’s Day, I decided on challah.  I have been wanting to make it so long and this time (yes, this was the first time I had made it since that day too many years ago) it was beautiful (and edible)! I used a recipe I had written down and stuffed in my binder of recipes.  I have no idea when I wrote this down or who it was who originally shared it (may have been a friend who lives in Israel) BUT I discovered (while doing my favorite activity … searching the internet) a woman who pretty much uses the same recipe on You Tube!  The recipe she uses makes 4 huge loaves.  The recipe I have makes 6 standard loaves (so, just cut the dough into 6 pieces instead of 4 and you are good, unless you have a large family or are making this to take somewhere).

So, here is the playlist of her videos, plus a couple more.  The first video is an amazing demonstration of various ways to form/braid rolls and loaves.  I just sat there with my jaw open, in shock that there are so many different ways to manipulate the dough!  The second is a woman demonstrating the various braiding methods for loaves: from 3 strands up to 9 strands.

AND here’s my bread:

I cut the dough into 6 sections and made 4 loaves.
I cut the dough into 6 sections and made 4 loaves.

See that ugly loaf?  That’s what happens when you forget to grease your loaf pans!  Here’s a close-up:

The bottom of the loaf stuck like crazy to the pan.
The bottom of the loaf stuck like crazy to the pan.

So, those took care of four of the dough chunks and this is what I did with the other two.  I cut each of them into 6 sections and made sandwich rolls out of them.  Now, these look beautiful but I cooked them way too long.  That’s what happens when you turn the timer off (because they weren’t quite brown enough) and then proceed to talk to the neighbor about how her grandson is doing.

3 of these large rolls is the equivalent to one loaf.
3 of these large rolls is the equivalent to one loaf.

And here’s the recipe I used:

Challah (Braided Bread)

Video

Notes

Challah
  • 3 Tablespoons Yeast
  • 4 cups warm Water
  • 1/2 cup Sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons Salt (reduce if you use salted butter instead of oil, like I did)
  • 1 cup Vegetable Oil (I don’t use vegetable oil nor canola oil.  I used melted butter because my olive oil supply is currently limited and I forgot I had peanut oil)
  • 4 large Eggs
  • 12 cups Flour (approximate)
For Egg Wash:
  • 1 large Egg
  • 1 Tablespoon Water
  • 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract or Vanilla Sugar (optional)
  • 1/4 cup Sesame Seeds (optional)
In a large bowl (remember, enough dough for 6 loaves of bread), pour in the warm water (How warm?  I test on my wrist: if it doesn’t make me flinch, it’s good.  For more specifics, check out this web page: Yeast Is Fussy About Temperature) and whisk in the yeast and sugar (I use Saf-Instant.  I don’t bake a lot  so once opened, I store it in the freezer.  I have had the most consistent results from this yeast even when it has expired).  Let sit in a warm spot until it looks like a layer of foam is across the top of the liquid.
In a smaller bowl, break the eggs into it and whisk in the salt and oil.  Once the yeast is ready (proofed), whisk the egg mixture into the yeast until everything is well incorporated and you can’t see chunk of egg.  Now, for the fun part: adding the flour.
Using a large spoon, stir the flour (1 to 2 cups at a time) into the liquid.  Keep doing this until it feels like your arm is going to fall off (I tried making large batches of dough like this when I had a working Kitchen Aid mixer … it wasn’t pretty and is probably what lead to it dying).  Then, on a large surface (counter top, kitchen table, whatever will work as long as it is sturdy) sprinkle about 1/4 cup or so of flour and turn your dough out onto the floured surface.  Time to knead in more flour.
This is where I used to mess up.  When a recipe called for X-amount of flour, I used it all.  The amount of flour you use depends on so many factors from the humidity in your house to the size of the eggs you use to what kind of flour you are using that you need to pay attention to how the dough is behaving to determine how much flour you really use for a certain recipe.  I typically add (to the bowl) all but the last two or so cups, then add more flour while I knead.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
When the dough is ready place in an oiled bowl (I don’t have one large enough so I used my stock pot), cover with plastic wrap or a towel (I usually wet a towel with hot water, wring it out, and cover the bowl with it if I’m using a container that doesn’t like plastic wrap) and let rise until doubled (1 to 2 hours, depending on how warm your house is).  Once it is risen, punch the dough down and place it onto a very lightly floured surface.  Knead just a bit so you can form a nice ball, then separate into sections to make loaves or rolls.
Now, get the egg wash ready.  In a small bowl, beat the egg with the water and vanilla (if you are using it).
Each one of the loaves I did a 6-strand braid and the rolls were two strands each.  You can shape the dough however you want. Once shaped, brush with the egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds (if using).  Let the loaves rise until nearly doubled (1 or 2 hours).  Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the loaves are a deep golden brown.  Each one of my loaves were baked for 25 to 30 minutes and, because I got distracted, the rolls probably went for about 40 minutes.
Cake, Dessert, Food Storage, Recipe

Old-Fashioned Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

So, do you have canned carrots (or you could use older fresh carrots) that turned to mush and you don’t know what to do with them?  How about make a carrot cake!  I’m also thinking this may be good with canned pumpkin and/or canned sweet potato.

Update: I just made this (muffins instead of cake … baked for 15 to 20 minutes) and they are amazing!  They aren’t spike-your-blood-sugar sweet and so flavorful!  This recipe is a keeper.  I made some changes that I will note here:

  1. Replaced 1/2 cup of the flour with almond flour
  2. Replaced the remaining flour (1 cup) with 1/3 cup of wheat germ (Why?  Because I had some)
  3. Reduced the milk to 1/4 cup due to the excess liquid in my carrots
  4. Reduced the total added sweetener by half (so, 3/4 cup total), then replaced 1/4 cup of the brown sugar with Splenda
  5. Substituted all-spice for the nutmeg (Why?  Because I didn’t have any nutmeg)

Note: I had one quart of thickly cut home canned carrots and ended up with about 1 1/2 cups of mashed carrots.  I adjusted the recipe accordingly.

I may or may not make the frosting but if I do, it will be with mostly Splenda with a bit of powdered sugar (I have come to the conclusion that Splenda tends to get bitter if using a lot … mostly because I kept trying to slip some in hubby’s coffee and he immediately noticed).

http://www.daringgourmet.com/2014/02/18/old-fashioned-carrot-cake-with-cream-cheese-frosting/

For Cake:
½ cup walnuts
1 cup pureed carrots (boil just under a pound of carrots until soft; drain and cool, then puree in a food processor.)
1½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1½ cups firmly packed light brown sugar
½ cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest (be careful to avoid the white pith of the orange, it’s bitter)
½ cup raisins

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup powdered sugar
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract