Here are some videos.. I think ppl should watch!

shttp://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=2gm9q8uabTs
This link shows another guy that thinks like Ron Paul!!
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/82331887/?lt=em
What Ive been seeing for a long time..

http://www.glennbeck.com/2011/10/13/what-can-you-do-to-prepare/

http://www.glennbeck.com/2011/10/14/highlights-from-last-nights-gbtv-special/
here is the videos to the link above this. The second video is not as boring as the 1st .. so you may want to just skip to the 2nd video! LOL

Canning

I am gonna attempt to "canning" this year. Ive been reading and reading all about it. I have a wonderful neighbor  across the street who is gonna teach me a bit here there. He is a sweet old man and I hope to learn lots from him. If you have any recipes or suggestions for a newbie please comment and ill take it all in. I am hoping I can get a friend or two to join me on this quest so it can be a fun craft to do together. I do need the equipment first. My neighbor has some stuff he has stored away and needs to find so that will help me a lot. He also has tons of books that he used over the years. I want to learn now but I have not even started me garden yet lol! Im jumping the gun! I cant wait to start blogging more about this down the road.

Gardening!

So here is some things I have been up too and why I have not been posting on my blog!

Here is my STRAWBERRIES! The top set was planted a while ago, then we decided to get more and so the lower one was just planted today.

4/20/12 Update on strawberry plants

This is a new picture of my celery from my post a week ago. ill post a newer pic next week of its progress.

... this died :(

 Here is all of my herbs besides my Thyme. I still have to plant it. if you look in te 2nd row the first one those are green onions. I did them the same as the celery in the below post.

4/21/12 Update on my herbs.. See how big they are getting

  This is a walnut tree I have been growing since last summer from a seedling. I found another walnut in my yard and planted it today also. So lets hope it roots.
... this is the same.. not sure if it will live much longer

These are my Tomatoes(12 of them), Bell Peppers (12 of them), Red Peppers (6 of them) and Jalapeno Peppers (6 of them)

4/21/12 Update on my Tomatoes, Bell Peppers, Red Peppers and Jalapeno Peppers

These are our potatoes we are waiting to plant in our garden

4.15.2012 We finally put these in the ground!

  We just planted all of these 2 weeks ago. These are Raspberries and Marion-Berry. 

  Here they are zoomed out

  This is a herb called French Tarragon - 

4/25/12 This is what I collected last night from this plant..

 Can you say lots of French Tarragon!!

 This is our Rhubarb-Which we need to space out.
Update: this is HUGE and we have finally separated these out all over our yard

 This here is Blueberries
Update these are blooming :)

More Raspberries

Where our garden is at.

Update:

We have made a path which I should show you and we also planted our corn already

ill be taking new pictures as I go along. My husband tilled this whole thing already today.

This is our huge Lavender

More Blueberries on the side of our house.

Homesteading

I grew up in a home where my mom would always prepare for the worst. First it was the y2k.. and others that came along we would hoard firewood, water, bathroom stuff, medicine and always food!

I know some things about gardening and this year im doing it. Even though my mom and dad are dead and cant give me hint and advise. I am jumping into it full force. My neighbor is helping too. He has some canning equipment and is willing to show me and my husband how to use it.

Another thing I have wild rhubarb growing in my yard, with blueberries, raspberries, french tarragon and lavender. But back to the rhubarb is that someone is willing to show me how to cook with it if I give them a start of one of my plants so they can grow their own. Im pretty happy right now.

We just got more berried bushes.. one blackberry (thorn-less) from my neighbor and another kind of raspberry and Marion Berry bush!

I am currently growing in my green house attached to my living-room.. walnut tree, tomatoes, two kinds of bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, strawberries and cayenne pepper. They will be transported to the garden once they are big enough. And after we buy an ax and tiller to help with the projects we got going on.

We recently got two truck loads of wood for FREE. I am hoping to go back and get another truck load soon. But we will see. I have a lot on my plate at them moment. I also work full time as does my husband. But if the banks close and we have no money how will we survive. I don't plan my life around tomorrow but I will be prepared to feed my family. I wish my friend and her husband was still in the state as they are with me on this and we could have teamed up. They say its better to have more families involved to help you out. But right now I guess it just me and my husband.

Ill take picture later today of all the plants if I can! If anyone has their input on this post please post away.

Gardening Tricks!

Next time you go buy celery.

Cut the end off AND DON'T THROW IT AWAY!!

Get a jar or planter and put some soil in it.
Next add the celery end into the planter..
in a couple of days you will see it sprouting a new stalk.
I have one in my gardening room. I planted it four days ago and this is what it looks like right now..

as you can tell it is sprouting in the middle already. Just keep watering it and take what you need and you'll have all the celery you will need :)

Non-Dairy Ice Cream

Here is what it asks for.

3 bananas
-Coconut milk
-Powdered sugar
-Vanilla

I skipped all of those ingredients and used only soy silk milk vanilla flavor.

I cut my bananas up in bite sizes and placed then on the cookie sheet with wax paper under them.
Freeze for one hour. i left mine in for a couple of hours as the kids had to take a nap :)
Add the bananas slowly into a food processor and then once it is getting smooth add 1/2 a cup of the milk
or if you want to follow the other recipe.
1/2 cup of coconut milk
1tbsp of powdered sugar
1teaspoon of vanilla 

Blend until mixed.. For color I also added raspberries it turned pink. For those little girls who love to read pinkalious books this is a perfect treat. You can add any toppings to it later.

I did not take picture but i'll make it again and Ill post them then. :)