Mambo Italiano

Creamy Italian Dressing

¾ c. mayonnaise

¼ c. sour cream

2 tsp. White wine vinegar

¼ tsp. Dry mustard

¼ tsp. Basil

¼ tsp. Oregano

1/8 tsp. Salt

1/8 tsp. Garlic powder

2 tbs. Milk

2 tsp. Parmesan cheese

Blend ingredients till creamy. Keep in tightly covered container in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Homesteader University

I found a list of 101 Homesteader Skills on Mother Earth News a few years ago, and decided to start checking them off. Homesteading has come on me progressively. I started sewing and drawing at age 5, moved to woodworking and embroidery at 11, FINALLY got crochet to click at 19, taught myself to cook from scratch and garden at 20, and it's moved on to framing a basement, butchering chickens, canning, freezing, dehydrating, you name it. Since Granny Miller DID name it with this list, I can see how far I have to go.

Let's see, I think it will be easiest to start with what I already know:

1. Firearm safety
2. Grow a vegetable garden
3. Read the weather (thanks to Girl's Camp!)
4. Learn to use a shovel, spade or hoe without hurting your back
5. Learn to light a fire indoors or outdoors
6. Learn to crochet
7. Learn to hang clothes on a clothesline
8. Learn to cook 10 meals from scratch
9. Learn to distinguish healthy plants and animals from unhealthy
10. Learn basic sewing skills
11. Learn how and when to use hybrid seeds
12. Learn to live within your financial means
13. Learn to clean and fillet a fish
14. Learn to can and preserve
15. Learn to use a washtub and washboard
16. Learn leatherworking
17. Learn to plan an orchard
18. Learn to jerry-rig anything with baling twine, duct tape and whatever is on hand (Thanks MacGyver!)
19. Learn to refinish furniture
20. Learn to mentally deal with life, death, and failure
21. Learn to use non-electric lighting
22. Learn how to give an injection
23. Learn to use basic carpentry tools
24. Learn how to use a wood stove and bank a fire
25. Learn to make butter
26. Learn to use a hot bed or cold frame
27. Learn how to plant a tree
28.  Learn how to bake bread
29. Learn to use a garden sprayer
30. Learn to grow herbs
31. Learn to grind wheat
32. Learn to make paper and ink
33. Learn the idea of false economy and when to buy for quality or make it oneself
34. Learn to choose a location for a garden
35. Learn to weave a basket
36.  Learn to make firestarters
37. Learn to sew your own underwear/clothes
38. Learn basic plumbing

A Bit Of Froth

The exploitation and suffering behind each daisy and leaf makes the romance of this lace that much more poignant, and yet I am dazzled by the intricate patterns that have flavored the history of that scepter'd isle, Great Britain. Celestial mists of this fine Honiton lace enveloped Victoria as she married Prince Albert, the love of her life; her remnants of roses and forget-me-nots have wrapped their soft petals around every Royal child born in England since that time. The fragile remains of garments treasured by aristocrats endure forever in varnished paintings of these fortunate lords, resplendent in their lacy ruffs, alongside ladies draped in gauzy veils, and skirts of vines and gardenias. These souvenirs of the golden age of lace demonstrate the enduring power of this seemingly modest cottage art, even to the artists, who painstakingly reproduced the filmy designs in titanium white on their canvasses.

Antique bobbin lace pillow on a roller

Corner of a napkin or handkerchief bordered with reticella needlepoint lace in the design of which acorns and carnations are mingled with geometric radiations probably of english early 17th century.

Gorgeous figural bobbin lace

Cracking The Pig

I'm excited to begin blogging about our homesteading journey. A lot of crazy things have already happened,  as we've prepared to get serious about changing our lives, the most recent being buying our property.

It took us a year to find just the right place. I think the "experts" are right about that one: if we'd just picked any old place, we'd have spent tons of money making it tolerable. So, we wandered all over northern and southern Idaho with kids in tow, looking for the one with our proverbial name on it.

We really loved the St. Maries area of Northern Idaho. The woods are incredible, and the people were so friendly. We visited a ward one Sunday and they had to open the overflow because we were there (small branch, 6 benches, and there's 9 of us!) They wanted us to stay and we adored them. We visited 9 properties on our list, our favorite being a 20 acre plot in Santa nearby that was just gorgeous.

In Southern Idaho, we wandered Montpelier, Preston, Malad and thereabouts, visiting another 8 properties. We were pleased to see a gorgeous 6.39 acre property with a seasonal creek (good, my boys can't swim), a good well already on the property, and within commute of a big enough town. We put it up to a family vote and the kids voted to be closer to relatives. Southern Idaho it was.

We agonized over partly financing the property, but having "been there, done that" with the whole bank-slave thing, buying outright seemed to be the best option. Our goal is to be as debt-free and self-sufficient as possible. We were truly stunned when the sellers accepted our low offer, which meant taking a hammer to our piggy bank so we didn't have to finance at all! The downside is we spent our entire savings on it, and couldn't start building. Well, we figure time passes anyway, so no rush. We hope to have the first phase of the house built in 5 years.

It feels great to have something to truly call our own. We aren't answerable to the banks, we don't have payments hanging over our heads, we aren't forced to make and waste lots of money, and we can do anything we want to. We're free!

On An Average Day

Heartmade and Handmade: The Laces of Britain by Old Fashioned Mama

The delicate, ancient work of old hands and young lie peacefully in this hallowed room within the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Behind the cool glass in their cherry stands, the intricate weavings and knotting of silk and linen threads form the echoes of more flowers than Eden could have dreamed of; sprigs of tiny orange blossoms and English roses upon grounds of ribbons, hyacinths among trefoils, and even the shadows of children’s paper doll garlands stretched across lengths of insertion. Gazing at these cream flounces and gossamer veils that have seen history transpire, I imagine them between my appreciative fingers. There is no modern lace made by machine which can match the feel of these masterpieces on my skin; each the result of hours and hours of tedious work per square inch, and lives sacrificed to the completion of this quixotic art.