Stockpiling

As we are hit with coronavirus globally, I have noticed which items have been emptied out of stores first. I went to several places, both big box stores and tiny local stores, and they all had several things in common.
Walmart - they were completely sold out of toilet paper, rubbing alcohol, Lysol wipes, aloe vera gel (an ingredient in making your own disinfectant wipes), Hydrogen Peroxide, raw chicken, cans of beans, dried beans, flour, and white sugar. They were low on cereal, Splenda, and paper towel.
My local Co-op - they were completely sold out of toilet paper, Lysol wipes, flour, and white sugar. They were low on chicken and cereal.
Safeway - they were completely sold out of toilet paper, Lysol wipes, instant noodles, and white sugar. They were low on flour, cereal, canned soup, and Splenda.
My local private grocery store - they were completely sold out of toilet paper, Lysol wipes, and white sugar. They were low on flour.
My local dollar store - they were completely sold out of toilet paper, Lysol wipes. They weren't low on anything, but didn't offer a lot of grocery items to begin with.

We had a nice chat with one of the stock people at Safeway. She said that she'd seen someone load up a full cart with jugs of milk. The staff were all laughing because it all expires on the same day. Are people seriously freezing milk?! There is NOT A SHORTAGE - if things sell out, they will be replenished once the next order comes in. Our shipments are not at a standstill - Please, people, stop panic-buying!

I also want to mention that humans have lived without all these "luxury goods" for centuries. There are alternatives to using them. If you have legitimately run out of toilet paper (and can't get more because these jerks keep stockpiling it), then consider using a bidet (or a diaper-sprayer, or simply a pop-top water bottle that squirts), OR think of using "family cloth" (reusable fabric squares that get washed once soiled). Heck, in a pinch you could use some of the leaves that will be growing outside soon, or some people joke about using their mismatched socks!

Overall, let's take care of each other (even though we're supposed to stay long-distance). If you have extra TP, share with someone who has run out. In the grand scheme of things, it is more important to be kind than to use something unnecessarily plushily soft on your bum.

Garden Update June 2016

Although spring seemed to arrive early, my cukes and squashes did not take well to being transplanted outside so early. I lost all of them, so I direct-seeded a new batch. I still kept the same types as before though, just a couple of each. My mother also gave me 1 spaghetti squash and 1 butternut squash plant, which are already flowering. The rest are about a couple inches high but doing well.

A couple hills didn't sprout though, so my husband has offered to put some heirloom pole beans in their spot. I'm fine with that. He also cleared another area of garden and planted roughly 44 feet of 'Green Arrow' peas. I know we're planting rather late (June 25th), but supposedly these peas do fine even in heat. That's why I chose them over the Homesteader peas. We're also going to plant some cilantro in the empty end-row by his potatoes, simply because that's his national herb.

He's become quite the avid gardener, and offered to build me bean/pea trellises. He enjoyed the project and shows off his gorgeous potatoes and onions to anyone who will listen.

The whole family chipped in to weed the garden thoroughly a few days ago, and despite having a very dry winter, we are having a summer filled with thunderstorms. I have only had to water my garden twice this year. Bring it on!

2015 Total Harvest

Spring is sprung, the grass is riz... and I just realized I never posted my total harvest count for last year! So here are the numbers. My husband took a more active role in gardening, which you can see evidence of in our potatoes. That's all he wanted, so we ended up planting nearly 90 hills of potatoes. We planted half our garden in corn, but it didn't seem to germinate, so we re-planted, and then it ALL came up! However corn never yields very good here, combined with the overcrowding and it was not impressive. So that's the third and last attempt at corn.

We have his sister living with us this year, so we'll have extra garden labour, however I'm working part-time and also pregnant, so that will be a hindrance to weeding and harvesting. Our oldest daughter is 5 now, so she will have her own little plot. She's decided on spinach, lettuce and carrots, plus there are already a couple strawberry plants in her bed so I'm sure she'll have fun tending it.

I planted several bulbs of garlic in the fall, so we'll see if they sprout. I already have one gentleman from the community who has said he'll take as many as i want to get rid of. There is also a couple that said they'd like to try some of the tapped maple syrup, which should be starting in the next couple days.

Apple Picking and Processing

It's that time of year again! I love picking apples, but since I don't have my own tree, I rely upon the generosity of others. This year I had a lady from my parents' church let me pick from her tree (cooking apples) and on Friday we will be picking at the same house as last year (crabapples). We've already picked about 150 lbs of apples, which surpassed last year's amount and we're not even done yet!

I count myself blessed for several reasons: First, because we have my teenage sister-in-law living with us and she's going to sell apple pies at the farmer's market to afford new sneakers. Secondly, because I believe the economic situation is heading in a downward spiral (already groceries are getting quite expensive), so anything we can get for free from nature helps us out. We are making only pies from the cooking apples and will make juice from the crabapples. My 4-year old loves juice!

Due to a late frost this year, there were ZERO saskatoons, which I literally cried about. However, it didn't kill the chokecherries, so we had a couple picks and made pancake syrup from them. I didn't make jelly/jam this year because my husband got sick of it. I made so much jam last year that he was up to his eyeballs, so, no jam this year...

Here is a picture of my pie-making - I usually can my apple pie filling, but since my husband was kind enough to make me crusts, I'll use em!

Veggies for Zones 2-3

I live smack dab in the middle of the Canadian prairies - it's an agriculture dream with the endless seas of wheat, canola and flax all around. Vegetables do wonderful in our rich topsoil, but the climate is a big challenge. Typically in my area of Manitoba our last frost date is May 28th and our first frost date is at the beginning of September, meaning I always aim for veggies that can be harvested within 60-75 days.

In our zone, potatoes win over corn every time. There is either not enough sun or not enough heat during any given summer to have corn grow well. Sure, it'll grow, but not to its full potential. Potatoes, however, grow in even the worst conditions. Plus, if you eat nothing but potatoes all day (and drink milk) you'll get all your nutritional requirements. They may be starchy, but they've got a little bit of every vitamin and mineral in them.

The next most wonderful vegetable here is beans. They're easy to plant, easy to harvest, and easy to store. I prefer bush beans because pole beans tend to grow taller than me and I don't have fancy trellises for them. If you're practical like me, bush beans are the way to go.

If you have enough space, I want to sing praises for pumpkins as well. Just four pumpkins kept our family in pies for the whole winter (but that's only because I didn't tell my husband how many I'd made, otherwise they would've just lasted a month!). Plus, pumpkin seeds are very high in iron, which is handy for pregnant, nursing, or menstruating women, or for anyone who donates blood regularly.

Although it's not a veggie, I also want to mention rhubarb and raspberries. These perennial fruits are absolutely essential for any northern garden. They require very little care and produce heartily. Oh, and they taste great!

I hope I've given you some ideas about what you should plant in your garden, but you're not limited to this list. I find tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers (which all love heat) are difficult, but not impossible, to grow here, but you must start them indoors and keep them there until all threat of frost has passed. Good luck!

Pattern Review: McCalls 9635

Yet another jammies pattern! With summer coming (and my little girl addicted to dresses), I decided to make her another nightgown. Honestly, I chose this pattern because it looked easy, and I was not disappointed! I think apart from the cutting, it took me half an hour maximum.

The pattern instructions were easy to follow, the pattern itself was a dream, and although there aren't too many style options, it's a great straightforward pattern to have in your repetoire. I felt it could teach a beginner the best construction methods to use with other clothing items. I definitely recommend it! Now here are some pictures of the finished product:

Oma's Booties

With size 3mm needles (set of five) cast on 28 (so working on 4 needles you should have 7 sts on each needle). pattern is 4 rows purl, 4 rows knit. Work pattern 3 times for cuff. Working on one needle only, work ridges. But since it's worked flat, the pattern will be purl row, knit row, purl row, knit row, then work another four alternating rows, starting with knit. (If you want, slip the first stitch of each row to make picking up easier) - you will do a total of 32 rows. Pick up 11 stitches along each side for a total of 50 stitches. (So the two small needles should have 7 each and the larger needles have 18 each). Work4 rows purl, 4 rows knit, 4 rows purl. Divide for sole (6, 18, 8, 18) with smaller needles being at the toe and heel. k2tog at the beginning and end of each needle, knitting the rest. Naturally, the smaller needles will disappear but just keep working on the other two. Work 6 rows, turn inside out and seam closed.



I am currently testing this pattern and would love feedback!
EDIT: Thanks to Lise for pointing out I'd repeated myself in saying to divide onto four needles. I also re-wrote the top portion to be ridged instead of flat, for extra stretch and to stay true to my Oma's originals.

Pattern Review: Simplicity 2280

Simplicity 2280 is a button-blouse pajama top with pants. Honestly, I've never made any style blouse before and I can honestly say this was a great pattern to start with. The pattern and instructions were very straight-forward except (being a complete newbie at facings) the instructions regarding the final step for the facing could've been more clear or shown another illustration about what the final product should look like after the final sewing step. I ended up trimming excessively because I felt the facing was too floppy/unfinished around the neck, when I should've left well enough alone.

That being said, it still came out great. One change I made was to use ribbed knit on the arms instead of the fabric band.

Pattern Review: Butterick 4222

Although this nightgown appears identical (on the package) to the last one I made, it is infinitely better in construction and clarity of instructions. The neckline was also much tighter than the last one, although I did wander from the instructions in making the yoke reversible rather than with interfacing. And I did not use lace. I thought they overdid it. My daughter loves the nightgown and it is very comfy. Plus, the pattern works up large, so even though my daughter cannot wear a commercial size 6, the pattern size 6 is still roomy.

Pattern Review: Simplicity 8127

This pattern was quite a challenge, perhaps because I'm sleep-deprived, but it required complete ripping-out and re-sewing several times. I was ready to throw it out the window or relegate it to the this-pattern-sucks-so-bad-I-will-not-even-finish-it pile. It barely received a 2/10 score in my books. If the finished product weren't so cute, it would've gotten a zero. The instructions could've been more detailed, the yoke could've been more beginner-friendly by having more markings for attachment instead of just vague suggestions in the instructions about placement. The piecemeal gathering was time-consuming, and the single button-and-loop in the back has never appealed to me.

As you can see, I didn't do the elasticized sleeves, but instead just left them loose. It was a perfect length for my little girl, but that's only because I had shortened it during the cutting stage by about 4 inches. The neckline did not turn out like the pattern picture - it was humungously gaping. Overall (as you can tell) this pattern did not impress me and I will not be making it again.

Pattern Review: Burda 9782

My husband recently bought me Burda #9782 (sleeper with feet or without, and a sleep sack). It goes from 3 months to size 2 and opens along the neck/side with snaps. It has ribbed knit for the neck and cuffs. My daughter can't sleep without something on her feet, and it seems everything in Walmart stops having feet after size 18 months, because they assume they're walking by then. But what if you have a bigger child in that size who is not even close to walking? Well, make your own! I did purchase some of the grippy-fabric though, just to be safe. I made a size 2 for the future (and for fair submission this summer) and a size 6 months.

Overall, I'm extremely pleased with this pattern. It was very quick to make! However, if a person was an inexperienced sewer, they might be confused at some of the unclear directions. Also, I had to tweak the snap-band a bit. It goes continuously in one piece, but the opposite side has a bit of a corner. So I angled the band at the same place to avoid a bit of waving. Babyville Boutique snaps were used - 9 in total seemed about right.

Staying Sane While Breastfeeding

A lot of women have trouble with breastfeeding, even second- or third-time moms because each baby is different. My first daughter would open her mouth wide, had a perfect latch, and would drain the breast completely. No problems. My second is a different story! Here is a list of what has worked for me to get better sleep and make sure she gets the nutrition she needs.



1) Sore nipples? Yah, mine were covered in scabs and there was a time when I literally pulled off a chunk of skin after she was done nursing. When she would latch on, my toes would curl and I would cry. The solution was to talk to my midwife AND public health nurse, both of which showed me better latching techniques and holds that wouldn't leave my back stiff. When you are comfy and have a proper latch, there should be no pain. However, if you still have scabs, it may hurt for a bit until they're better, but you should notice a definite improvement within a couple feedings. Make sure baby has fish-lips!
2) No sleep? Baby was waking every 45 minutes at night. Everyone said to switch to formula, but I knew my milk was not the problem because I was "block-feeding", meaning feeding on the same breast multiple times, so she was guaranteed to get hind-milk. Instead of switching to formula, I switched everything else! I switched diaper brands, sleeping arrangements (husband got to sleep in the basement - sorry, honey!), and warmth levels. What works for us may not work for everybody, but for my baby Pampers, bed-sharing and a warm blanket without swaddling worked like a charm. At only 6 days old, she was having 2-hour stretches and even one 3.5-hour stretch!
3) Overall breast soreness - I have rather large breasts, so I find going bra-less makes them even more sore. This is just something you have to experiment with. But if you find the perfect nursing bra, wear is out! Wear it every day because sore boobies are no fun. They will distract you from everything else you need/want to do. And make sure it's not too tight.
4) Shower with super-hot water to help settle engorgement. It won't last long, I promise! And give them vigorous massages to get rid of any internal milk-lumps. Prevent mastitis - an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Hopefully all these tips will help you out. And if you need in-person help, don't hesitate to contact a Lactation Consultant - that's what they're there for!

Maternity Romper

I invented a pattern (that's right... run in fear!). It's hot summertime and my last child was a winter-baby so I have only one pair of shorts. That alone necessitated the invention of this pattern. I have a 44" belly right now, and this is not form-fitting, so hopefully it will fit any Medium-sized woman (pre-pregnancy) her entire 9 months. Good thing about it is I can step right into it - no need for a zipper! It was one of my first times sewing with jersey knit, and I must admit, it's rather nice.

Booties or Slippers

I have to give credit where it's due... I have been on the hunt for the PERFECT bootie for a long time. Something quick, minimal sewing, cute, doesn't fall off, and no seams showing. Well, I found it on the <"a href="http://dorothy-comewhatmayandloveit.blogspot.ca/2010/01/bootie-tutorial.html">Dorothy Was Here blog. Her slippers/booties are so amazingly wonderful that there are no words to describe them. I have made several pairs (even some for donation) and upsizing is not hard to eyeball.



Naturally, if you're going to make a bajillion, or if they're not for home use, please head over to her blog and see her rules on that.

Tapping Maple Trees

I live in a house surrounded by Manitoba Maples (also known as Box Elders). Although these trees don't give the same syrup as trees found in Quebec, the sap can still be made into a tasty syrup. So this spring I finally had the equipment and time to tap them. I had two taps (one of which broke... my own fault). Here is a picture of our pot hanging to catch the drips.



The drips came at a steady pace. The temperature last night when we tapped was +8 celcius and it got down to -3 celcius at night. Today it looks like it's going to rain and there's a heavy wind, but it's +3 celcius. So I brought it in before the rain. This means we only collected from 6 p.m. to noon and still got a hefty amount:



Thus ends our tree-tapping experiment for this year. This was simply to see what it was all about and whether it was possible. I am boiling down the sap as I type and have vowed to try again next year. One thing I will do differently is buy metal spigots instead of cheap plastic. Tap on!

A Happy and Unhappy New Year

Well, 2014 has arrived. The wonderful New Years news is that I am pregnant. The not-so-good news is that my 2-year old daughter suffered a spiral fracture on her left leg. Having a super-active little one stuck in a cast for a month is not fun or easy, however it has helped me think of different activities to do with her. We've explored new crafts and even invited a nurse to our house for a mini-lesson on checkups (she got to use a stethoscope, but she was scared of the blood pressure cuff). I made several lessons that can be adapted for individual kids or small groups, which I will post under the "Homeschool" section sometime this week.

Seasonal Foods

The harvest is in and the snow has come down. Everything is under a blanket of white, so it's time to switch gears and hibernate. Now is the time of year for comfort foods. I believe in eating seasonal foods (for cost and also for the environment) so I'm eating lots of mandarin oranges (in-season, although they do travel a fair distance) and squash (in-season and local). Frankly I've never tried spaghetti squash or acorn squash, so I bought some from just down the road and plan on cooking them up into something delectable for the whole family to try. Living with picky eaters, I always cook a "sweet" recipe first, to see if they like the taste, then delve into earthier flavours once they're used to it.

What are your favourite winter foods and recipes?

Zucchini harvest

I have never planted zucchini... heck, I rarely even eat it! But my father's cousin has an acreage and literally, her whole plot of land is garden. Seriously. She showed me her zucchini plant, and gave me a couple, so I had an opportunity to test out recipes that otherwise I would've ignored.

I hope you like my mother's delicious chocolate zucchini cake!

Chocolate Zucchini Cake
1/2 c. butter, softened
4 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 c. sour cream
1 chocolate fudge cake with pudding in mix (18.25g)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 c. grated zucchini
1 c. chocolate chips
1 c. chopped pecans
Mix ingredients with electric mixer. Grease and flour bundt pan or 10" tube pan. Bake at 325 for 40-50 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool on rack 15 minutes, then invert on a serving plate to continue cooling. Frost when cool if you want.

Easy Apple Cider

A lady across the track has let me harvest some of her crabapples (roughly 19 lbs). A friend of my dad's let me harvest 12 lbs of eating apples. A family at church dropped off two grocery bags of crabapples. The man who rents me his garden let me harvest 16 lbs of eating apples. Needless to say, we had a lot of apples.

I've already got apple pies coming out our ears, and with a new school job (yay!) I don't have much time anymore for putting up the harvest. So what to do? Cider, of course! Here is the recipe which was given to me by the first aforementioned lady:

12 qts water
12 qts apples or crabapples, cut in half
Bring to boil for 5 minutes. Add 2/3 cup Cream of Tartar. Cover with lid and let sit 24 hours. Strain and can (process in boiling water canner 10 minutes) or put into airtight food-grade containers (I washed out my juice and milk jugs and used them).

If you're going to freeze it, leave plenty of headspace for the juice to expand. Also, this will produce unsweetened apple juice. If you like a sweeter drink, add 4 cups sugar per 30 cups juice (or I just add a tablespoon per glass).

(for those of you who are curious about the difference between apple juice and apple cider - apple juice is simply put through more levels of straining to remove sediment).

Harvest and Foraging

For those of you who read my weekly articles in the Strathclair & District Review, you'll know that I found a grove of trees that has chokecherries, pin cherries, saskatoons, rosehips, and hawthorns. All within town (right by my old house, in fact). My mother and I gathered 2 litres of chokecherries before the mosquitoes ate us alive (and I twisted my ankle on a tree root) and I made some awesome jelly with it. Sadly the saskatoons were all dried up and the rosehips weren't dark enough. I think by now they should be ready, although they have a better flavour after the first frost. A local lady has decided to try to start up a farmers market here in town so I called and signed myself up for a table. A word of advice that I gave to myself is not to sell any leafy greens - whatever doesn't sell would have to be eaten before it wilts, and I'm the only one in the house who eats lettuce. So I'll just be selling beets and canned goods. I'm already crafting Christmas items - knitting and crocheting bath sets for family members. For those of you on Ravelry, I'm making "Grandmother's Favorite" washcloth, "Spiral Scrubbie" and a generic soap saver. Can't start Christmas items too early, because (due to my wrist surgery) my knitting is so slow.