Planting Potatoes

We have 104 potato plants in the ground! This is how we did it...

We got seed potatoes and I cut them in halves or quarters, so there was at least one bud on each piece. Then I let them sit on the counter on a cookie sheet (or somewhere dry and with airflow) for a couple days until they look like this...

Then we headed out back and dug trenches 4-6 inches deep.

Place the seeds about a foot apart with the buds facing up.

Then cover with just about 2 inches of soil, saving the rest of the soil for piling up around the plant as it grows. Don't let any potatoes see the sun!

We planted our first 40 seeds on April 4th, and finished up the row with 64 more seeds on April 14.  The first signs of plant popped through on April 30th!

I love how the plants burst through the soil. I've found new plants bursting through every day since the 30th!

The plants will wilt and yellow when they're ready to harvest. That'll be awhile. But I'm excited!

Here's a few shots of what else is going on around the garden...

Raspberry bushes graciously donated by my Aunt Pam:

Strawberry bushes are flowering!

Peas growing unevenly:

Spinach:

Lots and lots of onions! Framed by lovely dandelions:

What a blessing to get to work God's soil!

Living my Passion

Recently, I've taken a liking to cooking. (Today alone I made buffalo chicken grilled cheese, beef stew, rosemary bread, and monster cookies - all homemade!)

I've been more diligent with homeschooling.

I have a very organized garden.

I have a home-management notebook in the works (more on this another time).

I even have plans for some major de-cluttering! (Much more on this also very soon).

Liking to cook and wanting to de-clutter are the two biggest shocks to everyone who knows me, including myself. The past few weeks I've been trying to figure out what happened to me.

At first I was thinking it must be Pinterest. So many motivational ideas! But in the past, gobs of ideas like that would stress me out.

Maybe I'm just maturing? Hopefully I am, but what brought on this almost sudden maturity?

So I thought back to when I started to enjoy this domestic life to the full, and it hit me that when I stopped stressing about making money (through jewelry or babysitting) and finally allowed myself to live my passion (wife and mom), I began to simply enjoy life more.

I love my job.

I chatted with my mom about this some the other day. She said a few years ago she decided to stop stressing about all sorts of other things and focus on her passion - teaching string and piano. I can tell you that I have seen a marked improvement in her overall everyday mood! I actually used to think she didn't like teaching all that much, but the last couple of years I noticed that she was enjoying it. And even more amazing than that... she has been significantly more successful now that she focuses on what God gave her a passion for. I noticed these things before she said anything to me about dropping other forms of income to focus on teaching.

My sister-in-law has a very similar story that I think she should share on her blog ;)

I am passionate about being home with my kids, homeschooling them, and making sure the house is spiffed and dinner is ready when the love of my life walks in the door. I am passionate about utilizing what God has blessed us with (our house, our yard, our money) the very best way possible - which is often very different for different people!

Other things I was doing - like jewelry - I enjoyed. And maybe someday I can pursue that again. But being a full-time wife and mom is the passion God has given me right now and I plan to live it to the full.

I babysat for over a year and when we decided that I shouldn't babysit anymore, I was concerned about the loss of income. Ever since I quit babysitting and put aside jewelry, we have been more blessed financially than we had been our whole marriage.

I think God is happy with me living the passion He gave me.

Are you living your passion? What's cluttering up your life, preventing you from living fully?

Linking up HERE as I am eternally grateful to be living my passion!

Spring is here!

It has been gorgeous this week! Which means...

A. Very little housework was accomplished

B. The garden is in full swing!

My amazing man spent his last couple of days of spring break working very hard on the Jacobs Family Garden:

This year has been my most organized year, which is a very good thing given the fact that our garden is approximately 1,100 square feet! I keep running out of seeds.

So far we have planted...

• Yellow Onions
• Green Onions
• Red Onions
• Peas
• Strawberries
• Potatoes
• Spinach

Next up...

• More Onions
• More Potatoes
• Blueberries
• Grapes
• Raspberries 

Marie is very excited about her first garden! (She is not big on getting her hands dirty, though!) She has a strawberry plant in her garden so far. I asked her what else she wanted to plant and she said peas because she remembers eating them without cooking them last summer. But given the fact that there is a 25 foot row of peas right next to her little corner, I suggested flowers, and she loves the idea! So as of right now, that is the plan. Any flower suggestions?

What are you planting? 

Beating the Blahs {Part 4 - All Thing Homemade}

I can't believe it's already the middle of March! What on earth?!?

I thought that the winter would be boring and slow so I decided to do this "Beating the Blahs" series to keep me productive. I had no idea this would end up being probably the busiest winter of my adult life thus far.

It's okay. I'm loving it!

That doesn't get me out of the final "beating the blahs." I will be focusing on all things homemade.

First, I must tell you that I do not have a conviction to get rid of everything store-bought just because it might have something iffy in it (what doesn't cause cancer anymore??). While I am a fan of all-natural for sure (been buying Melaleuca for most of my life!), my main goal is to save money. And hopefully save money while keeping it as natural as possible!

Some SAHM's have a home-based business. Some do the coupon thing. God has made it very clear on a number of occasions that neither are for me! But making things at home to save money... I enjoy it and so far God is blessing it!

You may recall the homemade laundry soap I make now that has saved us lots of moolah.

We were spending about $10/month on laundry detergent (this was before Kempton!). Now I spend about $12 every 6 months or so. That looks like a pretty stinkin' good deal to me.

What is next on the homemade agenda?

Dishwasher Detergent.

The Ingredients:

1C Borax
1/2C Washing Soda
1/2C Baking Soda
4 Packets unsweetened lemonade (or citric acid)
1/2C Kosher Salt

Put all ingredients in a container at least 32oz in size. Seal up and shake!

Use 1T per load. Then add white vinegar as a rinsing agent to your machine.

Because of the citric acid (lemonade), this will probably get clumpy. I left the container open for a few hours, stirring occasionally. And each time I go to use some, I stir it. After the first day I haven't had any trouble with clumping.

Check out THIS SITE for cost breakdown and lots more info.

Next up: Handsoap/Body Wash. Suggestions or recommendations appreciated! Also, if you make something homemade that you love, please share!

Beating the Blahs {Part 3 - Spring Cleaning Edition}

{Part 1}
{Part 2}

I'll be honest, a part of me is hoping if I begin this whole spring cleaning thing, spring will come sooner! Or at least it'll feel more like spring around here.

Just let me dream.

I'm no expert at cleaning and I'm not an organized person. My approach to spring cleaning thus far has been: when the mood strikes, I follow; when I see dirt, I clean it up. So I'm just going to share with you one room that I've spent a lot of time in the past couple of days and things I've found to clean that I would not have thought of on a regular cleaning day.

Now Enter: The Bathroom.

Dun.Dun.Dun.

Spring Cleaning the Bathroom

1. Go to this website: How to Clean Your Bathroom Like a Pro. This is to make sure you know the basics of cleaning a bathroom. I learned a lot from this!

2. Step back and look at what you haven't covered yet.

• Ledge above the shower
• Shower Curtain
• Curtain rod
• Curtain hangers
• Shower head
• Under the shampoo bottle
• Faucets
• Walls
• Picture frames
• Baseboards
• Door

You'll find plenty of dirt in all those places!

Cleaning bathrooms has always been my most hated chore. Because of that, I'm not usually a huge fan of hanging out in my bathroom. But after the couple of hours I spent cleaning the kids' bathroom and then again in the master bathroom, they may be my favorite rooms in the house at the moment.

A couple of tips:

1. I don't have a microfiber cloth so I put Derek's old undershirts to good use. I like to clean things dry, meaning I spray surfaces down with cleaner (Melaleuca's Tub&Tile) then wipe it down with either a dry rag or toilet paper/paper towel. My bathrooms feel so much cleaner since I started doing this! Hope they actually are.

2. Put baking soda to ((another)) good use. Scrub the faucets with it and a sponge to get rid of the soap scum.

Now please, tell me what I'm missing and give me some tips! I may be somewhere in my 20s already, but I still have so much to learn.

Here is a super simple spring cleaning list on Pinterest that would be fun to follow for people who love following lists. (That group only includes me about half of the time. I haven't decided which half this time is yet).

Source: mommysavers.com via Derek Lindsay on Pinterest

"Beating the Blahs {Part 3 - All Things Homemade}" will be coming next month. One of the things on the list is daily shower cleaner. Any recommendations??

Beating the Blahs {Part 2}

{Part 1} Valentine's Crafts
{Part 2} Around the House

The thing about beating the blahs is the "blahs" actually fight back. I have no real desire to attack house projects. But I'm determined to make a list anyway to hopefully motivate me. It really helped with {Part 1}. I actually have a craving for a craft every day now! So here's to hoping...

1. Build shelves in the storage room for DVDs. Oh yay, Derek already did that! He's the best. (I'll share details in a later post).

2. Add Kempton to the walls of the boys' room. Jack's name is on the wall so I'm planning on taking out the "A" and the "C" and using the "J" for Jack and the "K" for Kempton and making mini collages around them. We'll see how that goes.

3. Paint the little mirror black and hang it.

4. Line the fridge shelves

Source: iowagirleats.com via Derek Lindsay on Pinterest

5. Purchase tiles from the Habitat ReStore for behind the kitchen sink. Hang.

Only 5, you say? Yes.

I told you, the blahs are trying to beat me down, so I'm taking it slow.

And I can't think of anything else at the moment that doesn't involve more money than we've got. Even these are pushing it.

I am giving myself a deadline as much as I don't want to bc otherwise this stuff will probably never get done. Expect completed updates by Valentine's Day at which time I will post the next "Beating the Blahs" post.

{Part 3} Spring Cleaning (Look for this post in February!)
{Part 4} All Things Homemade (Look for this post in March!)

How are you "beating the blahs" of winter?

Must-Do Pins

Just have to share a couple of pins I've tried that totally worked! I didn't take any of my own pics so I'll just share the pins and vouch for them.

First...

Source: thekitchn.com via Derek Lindsay on Pinterest

My Story:
Just before leaving for PA, I used a bunch of green onions and dropped the white roots into a little cup with water and left it by the sink. I don't have a good place in my house for plants to get sun so it got zero sun. I seriously cut them all the way down to the white and when we got back a couple weeks later, I had green onions spilling onto my counter!

What I Learned:
Something a gardener should probably think to do... remember to refill the water. And I feel confident that mine would look quite a bit healthier if they had a little sun. But they have served (and continue to serve!) me well.

Next up...

Source: loveveggiesandyoga.com via Derek Lindsay on Pinterest

My Story:
Just did this yesterday and was blown away at how easy it was! Seriously like 3-5 minutes process. Grab peanuts, toss them in a food processor, and hold down the button. Watch peanuts turn to peanut butter in minutes! And you can add any kind of flavoring you want!

What I Learned:
I don't know about pricing. I mean, peanuts can be pricey. And don't make the same stupid mistake I did and just buy the cheapest. I usually check labels, but I honestly didn't think peanuts would have high fructose corn syrup and xanthum gum in them?!? Seriously, I just thought they were peanuts. You live, you learn.

A little encouragement... according to fooducate.com, the Kroger brand honey and dry roasted peanuts (that I used for this) get a B- while Jif creamy peanut butter (what WIC lets us get) gets a C and is labeled "One of the worst products in its category."

I'm not really encouraged by that at all.

Moral of the stories...
Try these pins and learn from my mistakes! You will not regret it! :)

Derek's Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hey, I have another recipe for you! And as usual it is ridiculously simple and a staple in this house.

Meet Derek's Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies...

That is actually what my MIL wrote at the top of the recipe card. That is their name forever and ever.

First cream together:

1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 small package vanilla or white chocolate instant pudding (we use white chocolate bc Derek loves white chocolate!)

Second add and mix:

2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Third add and mix:

2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
6 oz chocolate chips (or as much as you want/have in your cupboard!)

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Enjoy!

As I type this I'm realizing I totally forgot to add baking soda when I baked these today! And they are still fantastic. Add enough butter and chocolate chips and you can make anything delicious! :)

Note: I made a double batch and used butterscotch chips along with chocolate chips because I didn't have enough chocolate chips. We usually use white and milk chocolate chips.

Homemade Strawberry Jam

I posted a snippet about this amazing stuff last year but I thought this year I would give you the full recipe (which is found in the Sure Jell box). As soon as you finish skimming through this post, run out to your local farmers market and get to work! You will not regret it!



I bought 8 quarts of freshly picked strawberries from Bullards. Some of the most beautiful strawberries I've ever seen or tasted!

Here's what you'll need:

1. Strawberries (2 pt. make 5 cups)
2. Sugar (4 cups for one batch)
3. Sure Jell (1 box a batch)
4. Jars

Here is what I got for 36 (miscellaneously sized) jars:

1. That huge box of berries above - $28
2. 15 lbs sugar (I used about 13) - $10.08
3. 8 boxes Sure Jell - $20
4. Miscellaneous jars saved over the years - free
Total = $58.08

If you have any kind of coupon savvy-ness, this could easily be much cheaper! I made enough jars for 3 a month for the next year. Most people don't go through jam quite that fast, but if most people made this jam they probably would!!

Here's what you'll do:

1. Gather supplies.

Obviously you will need different amounts than what is pictured!

 2. Cut the tops and any bruises off strawberries.

Watch Biggest Loser on Netflix while you do this.

3. Rinse strawberries.

I just rinsed a couple of cups then moved right into the next step.

4. Mash strawberries.

A potato masher works great unless you are doing a million batches like me. In that case, a small food processor is your savior. If you use a food processor, just do a handful or two at a time so you have control of how fine you make your berries. Don't puree, tho!

5. Measure strawberries.

You need 2 cups of mashed strawberries. Pour them into a large bowl.

6. Add 4 cups sugar. Stir and let sit for 10 minutes.

Sorry no pic for this one. I knew I'd forget a picture somewhere.


7. Prepare Sure Jell.

When you have 2-3 minutes left of your 10 minutes, pour the packet of Sure Jell and 3/4 c water into a small saucepan. Bring it to a boil. Once it is boiling, stir constantly for 1 minute.

8. Add Sure Jell mixture to strawberry mixture.

Stir for about 3 minutes or until it is no longer grainy.

9. Pour jam into jars.

Make sure to leave about a half inch of space at the top for freezing.

10. Done!!

Let the jam sit at room temperature for 24 hours then freeze for up to a year! (Well, the year thing is what the box says, but it totally lasts longer than that).

What else I have to say:

-This is a messy (and delicious!) process. Be prepared.

This doesn't include the jar filling station!

-A lot can be accomplished during that ten minutes of letting your berries sit. I rinsed and chopped more berries, wiped down counter space, wiped down already filled jars and put lids on, put my feet up, etc.

-It took me between 4 and 5 hours total. I wouldn't recommend starting at 9pm. But I do recommend doing this while you are kid free!

-Once you eat this jam, you will never go back!!



Linking up! -