Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Buttermilk Biscuits















 Old Fashioned Butter Milk Biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter, very cold (you can also use Crisco)
1 cup buttermilk

Preheat your oven to 450. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, or in the bowl of a food processor. Cut the butter into chunks and cut into the flour until it resembles course meal. Add the buttermilk and mix just until combined. At this point if it appears on the dry side, add a bit more buttermilk. It should be very wet.

Turn the dough out onto a floured board. Gently, gently PAT (do NOT roll with a rolling pin) the dough out until it's about 1/2" thick. Fold the dough about 5 times, gently press the dough down to a 1 inch thick. Use a round cutter to cut into rounds.

Place the biscuits on a cookie sheet touching each other. Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until they are a beautiful light golden brown on top and bottom. Do not over bake.

Hints: Your dough must be handled as little as possible or you will have tough biscuits. So work quickly. If you use a food processor the ingredients stay colder and there's less chance of over mixing. You also must pat the dough out with your hands, lightly. Don't roll these with a rolling pin or you will have tough biscuits.

You can also make them up and freeze them on a cookie sheet. Once they are frozen, drop them into a ziploc bag or container for up to one month. Then just bake frozen biscuits as you need them in the oven at 450 degrees for 20 minutes.

Photography ©Welcome Home

Monday, July 8, 2013

Antibacterial Natural Spray


http://homesteadinginmaine.blogspot.com/2013/02/making-your-own-antibacterial-spray.html#.Udr_pfm1HnF

AND THIS IN FROM MAINE AS WELL........

Friday, February 15, 2013

Making Your Own Antibacterial Spray


Herbs and essential oils can do much of the work around the house for us, especially when it comes to cleaning.

Making your own antibacterial spray is inexpensive and easy.

Start with a clean spray bottle.

Mint, lavender, tea tree, sage and rosemary are all bacteria fighting herbs. Combine 1 teaspoon of essential from any of those herbs to 1 cup of white vinegar. Vinegar is a good germ killer, and we use it to clean most surfaces.

Put your mixture in the spray bottle, give it a good mix and you are ready to go! We use this mixture to clean cutting boards, kitchen counters and the bathroom. The essential oils make cleaning a joy (well, almost!)

http://homesteadinginmaine.blogspot.com/2013/02/making-your-own-antibacterial-spray.html#.Udr_pfm1HnF

Horse and Cattle BUG Spray

The Three Horses
http://homesteadinginmaine.blogspot.com/search/label/bug%20spray%20for%20horses%2Fcows#.Udr-Bfm1HnG

AND THIS IN FROM A MAINE HORSE OWNER.....if you have been to Maine in BUG season you KNOW they have vicious BLACK FLIES that leave HOLES where they bite.

Monday, May 18, 2009


We're getting into bug season soon and it seems as though the horses and cows suffer as much as we do. The flies can be terrible for them, and being good owners, we want to ease their discomfort. 

Here is a recipe that a friend gave us last summer that has worked quite well on both horses and cattle.

1 gallon water
½ cup Murphy’s Soap
¼ cup vinegar (we use homemade apple cider vinegar in ours, but regular vinegar works fine, too)

Place in spray bottle and apply as needed, taking care around the eyes.
http://homesteadinginmaine.blogspot.com/search/label/bug%20spray%20for%20horses%2Fcows#.Udr-Bfm1HnG

Friday, July 5, 2013

Upcycle Sweaters to Socks

Photo: Sweater sleeve socks! Well, it's still winter over here. Must have been a cute sweater..

Upcycle File Cabinet




http://blog.tttreasure.com/2012/turning-your-old-file-cabinet-into-a-garage-storage-favorite/

Here’s what you’ll need:
1. Sand paper
2. Spray Primer and Paint
3. Painter’s masking tape
4. Casters (4 if converting a small cabinet, 6 if working with a large one)
5. Peg Board and peg board hanging kit
6. Scrap wood
7. screws
8. Level (if choosing to do a decorative stripe)
9. Power drill
1. Lightly sand and wipe cabinet clean so that spray primer affixes easily. Spray with primer and allow to dry completely. Using a level, mark where your decorative stripe will be located (if you choose to do one).

Primed Cabinet

2. Cover contrasting stripe with tape and spray the rest of the cabinet with the spray paint of your choice (a glossy finish looks great on a file cabinet). Allow to dry completely before removing tape.

Ready for Candy Apple Red

3. Cover the painted part of the cabinet with tape and/or newspapers to protect newly painted surface and paint contrasting stripes. Allow to dry completely before removing the tape.

Kind of like that Mustang I hope to own someday....

Now you’re ready to affix the cabinet to its rolling base:
5. Cut scrap wood to slightly smaller size than the base of the cabinet.
6. Measure casters to be affixed at equal intervals from each other along the board, approximately 2 inches from the edge of the board.

You know what they say: Measure twice...

7. Mark holes with pencil where each caster is to be screwed in and affix with a washer and machine screw.

You're on a roll!

8. Using a hand saw, cut your peg board to slightly smaller than each end of the cabinet and affix to the sides using the peg board hanging kit sold in stores.



Teacup Upcycle

Pinned Image
http://www.etsy.com/listing/109423928/wedding-teacup-wine-glass-wedding-wine?utm_campaign=Share&utm_medium=PageTools&utm_source=Pinterest

Soaker-Hose You Make At Home



 Using a drill and a small bit, drill holes into the hose. 

Lay in the garden and cover with mulch. 

When you turn on the water, it will distribute 
the water evenly around the plants.

http://gardening.sheknows.com/2011/06/30/diy-soaker-hose/