Cloth Napkins

This New Years I was able to fulfill a little vision I've had for a while! I found, on ebay from an estate sale, a "lot" of vintage and not-so-vintage (does 80s count?? far left, lol) CLOTH NAPKINS! No more paper napkins for us! I always feel terrible about the waste paper products generate, but was pretty particular about what I was looking for! Viola! Aren't they lovely?? They make this little homesteader's heart happy! :)

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post about our exciting "new" addition to the Cosner homestead! :)

Potato Storage Method

I am already garden-dreaming for the spring and summer, and I came across this neat comment in a post on my favorite blog One Hundred Dollars A Month (see sidebar, too lazy this morning to connect a link):

My grandmother always stored her potatoes in homemade sacks…..how u say??? Burlap “2.99 a yard” at my local fabric store and I got 8 yards for a dollar at a yard sale…..make a large sack with a drawstring top…..like the old horse feed etc. sacks of the 1950′s….they last forever…..Fill the sack with taters and hang it from the ceiling in your pantry or where ever you can…..I hang mine in our third garage….it’s dark and dry in there…..I store all my staple veggies this way…I grow alot….”I’ve got BOYS!!!” lol Onions and garlic too….I make sacks of all sizes….Now days burlap comes in colors!!! I’m a “natural fiber” liking person so dye near my food makes me shiver….But my mom likes the red burlap. Another way to make the sacks is to go to yard sales and buy old linen doilies or table cloths and sew them together….they are the cutest things!!! AND they hold up great…..Do the drawstring with ribbon…good quality….again, .99 cents a yard here in Mississippi…..I hope this gives u an idea or two….I’ve been growing my potatoes in barrels….I cut a door close to the bottom to harvest easily….I’m going to try the fence method along with my tried success this year….It looks better than my bright blue barrels!!! lol

Super cool. My potatoes in the ground were a total bust this year, but to be honest--I lost patience with them. This year, I am going to try two potato towers on the edges of my garden, and see what happens. :)

This year's current garden dream: Two potato towers, four tomato plants, pumpkins and watermelons, and green peppers in containers. Emphasis on the peppers--I really want to spend the time figuring out how to grow those suckers! $1.00 per pepper at the store, and my family are avid eaters!! Last year's pepper crop was also a failure. :(  Tomatoes and pumpkins were a success. I have heard that cantaloupes and watermelons grow well here. BUT...we are going to be out and about this summer, with a couple of longer-vacations planned to the mountains and to see our oldest daughter in Monterey--gotta find someone willing to take care of my garden! Summers are BRUTAL.

What are YOU planting??

Monogomy

Monogamy is Unnatural

Matt Walsh hits the nail on the head, again.

Saturdays

Oh my, yesterday was just perfect. I didn't leave my home for errands or work or life even once. I hung out my laundry, did some sweeping and mopping; made cars out of boxes and paper plates and paint with my kids, watched my son practice archery and sword fighting; read half a novel that I am completely engaged in and enjoying; watched Haley Mills movies and took a long, 2 mile walk through the desert with three of the most amazing children I've ever known; spent lots of good and loving time with my husband; and went to bed at 830 after a long, hot bath.

Perfection.

Bookshelf

Just finished:

SO GOOD! Its the fourth in a series, although its not really a chronological series; and there's another one out, but the paperback isn't out until April. Such a good read.

And started:

Holiday Happenings

Here are some pictures from our Christmas season :)  We had a lovely holiday! My favorite picture is of the candy cane pizza I made for Christmas eve!

Applesauce Muffins

I made these yesterday for after school snack, and they were amazing! I put in probably double the spices they asked for and added some nutmeg; also, instead of 3/4 cup of applesauce, I used about 1 1/4 cup--the batter looked way too dry. Then I added just a handful of chocolate chips, so that every muffin had one or two--DELICIOUS!!!

Also, learned a neat trick for softening butter:

How To Soften Butter

It works!!