A Penny Saved #3: Heating Water

This is so minor, but that's what saving a penny is all about; teeny tiny little things that eventually do add up.

I was making scones for breakfast the other day and wanted tea, so I considered stove top or microwave to heat my water.  Being more of a traditionalist, I poured water into my little kettle and set it on the stove.  Then it dawned on me.  Why turn on the stove when the over is already on and still empty as I worked the scone dough?  I grabbed one of my little enamel pots, put the tea water in it and placed it in the oven.  By the time the scones were ready to bake, the water ready for tea!  One less burner on, one more penny saved!

This is where I really wish I had a Vermont Bun Baker.  One stove, one source of energy consumption would heat the house and cook and bake and heat water!  Some day, perhaps.  Some day.

A Wuss About the Cold

The crisp, Autumn air came early this year.  Many fires around the area have already been lit.  The smell of woodsmoke, like incense, wafts through the air.  We're relying on sunlight through west facing windows and an electric fireplace to keep us warm in the mornings and evenings.

As I venture out every morning to tend to the animals I remember something about myself.  I am a wuss about the cold.  I could tolerate the cold somewhat before, but since I got pregnant with my 3rd child, I have been hopelessly intolerant of the cold.  It is painful and all-consuming to me.  If my bones get cold, only a long hot shower and bundling up tight helps.  I have times where every inch of me is shivering under covers, with a hat on in bed.

But, my animals need my care and I hope that I can acclimate my body as I go outside every day to tend to them.

Considering Solar Lights

The back corner of my local Target store had a box of two solar lights for a drastic clearance price.  I bought the box and it sat in my kitchen for two months.  I finally installed one near the pig and goat pens and one on the chicken hut.  And I love them!  They don't last terribly long into the night, but are perfect when we're still doing chores past sunset.

Those little lights got me thinking about how I could harness the sun's energy for my little house.  There are a lot of solar energy incentives these days, but Mr. Scott isn't fully convinced at totally converting our house to solar.  But that doesn't mean I can't do something on a smaller scale indoors.

I came across THIS article for a bit of inspiration.

Also, we have a garage/driveway light that burned out years ago and we never replaced it because it cost a lot to run it.  But I found THIS solar light and I'm seriously considering it.

In addition to those ideas, I'm wondering if I could rig up a solar light for inside the barn.  Right now, I just use a flashlight for evening milkings.

What other ways can we harness the sun's energy on a micro scale?

Another Freebie: Magnetic Paper Towel Holder

While I use a lot of cloth products in the home, sometimes paper towels come in handy, anyway.  Since we moved into this little cottage 9 years ago, the paper towels either were shoved into a drawer in the kitchen, or got tossed about the counter top, always in the way, falling over, and so on.  I tried eliminating having paper towels at all and I was moderately successful at it for a while.  But, paper towels are back in my life and back on my counter top.

With space limited in my small kitchen, I wanted something I could mount under my cabinet.  Unfortunately, finding cabinet mounted pt holders is hard enough.  Add in the complication that my cabinets are 1950's enameled metal, and I need something magnetized...even harder to find!

I held off for all these years and finally had enough this week.  I'm on an organization spree and I wanted that pt holder!  I found what I was looking for online, but I had the choice between $20 plus shipping and get it sooner, or $5.00 and free shipping and not getting it until next month.  Neither seemed reasonable to me.  So, in my quest to get what I want NOW and not pay a dime for it, I scoured the shed, garage, basement and junk drawer and found everything I needed right here to make my own magnetic pt holder:  scrap wood, dowel, finishing nails, semi gloss white spray paint.

Voila!

Considering Beans and Ration/Depression Cookbooks

Times of lean and times of plenty occur throughout life as well as times of examining the health and well being of one's family.

I believe in a well-balanced, omnivore diet based on what is available locally, what our ancestry tells us, and what is on sale.  *wink*

As we seek ways to burn smaller holes in our wallets and keep our health, I consider the humble bean.  I'm sure we could sustain ourselves quite nicely on a day or two a week of beans.  But, cooking them in delicious ways escapes me.

I seek answers to the bean question and other frugal meal solutions in old Depression Era cookbooks and World War 2 Ration cookbooks.

If you have a recipe or suggestion, please share in the comments.

Our First Egg!

We were surprised to check on the chickens midday and find a little white orb sitting next to their little summer coop.  I don't know which of my girls laid the egg, so I am keeping a close eye on them to see who nestles into that spot regularly.  They do have nesting boxes, but apparently, out of doors laying is preferable to this one.

Book Review: One Woman Farm by Jenna Woginrich

My eyes scanned the titles on the bindings of the books on the shelves in the gift store at Farmers' Museum in Cooperstown, NY.  They made a sudden stop at this one and I snatched it off the shelf like I was going to steal it.  A quick thumb-through and I knew I wanted to read this book.

Let's start with first impressions.  The title caught my eye immediately because between Mr. Scott's career and illnesses, I largely run the micro farm on my own.  The fact that a woman is running a farm entirely on her own (that she didn't grow up in) intrigued me and I hoped to glean inspiration and support from the pages.  If she could do it, maybe I could, too!

I loved the format of the book, too.  It is done in journal form, following days and seasons bit by bit.  This makes it an easy, quick read; two things I need with my busy life.  The illustrations are charming, too, making it a relaxing, content book to read.

Now, on to the content, itself.  Ms. Woginrich has been criticized for being too romantic and idealistic about her farm life in this book.  (Amazon.com reviews)  I, personally, found it a pleasure to read.  I was under no impression that this was supposed to be a non-fiction account or how-to book.  I knew it was prose and enjoyed the metaphors, related to some of them, even.  The perspective she shared was quite relatable.

Farm life is real.  Farm life is dirty, hard work, painful, exhausting, worrisome, sad.  It is all that.  But it is, beautiful, fresh, new, rewarding, strengthening, hopeful, joyful, too.  Ms. Woginrich shares that wide-eyed side.  She chooses to see that and share that in her prose.  She is living her dream, so why not describe it in a dream-like way?

I also related to Ms. Woginrich's desire to have many irons in the fire.  So much has been lost over time and technology.  I understand her desire to get back to basics....things that were taught from birth and just naturally done in days gone by are now "hobbies" and "past-times," "irons in the fire" and "unnecessary in today's world."  But, to have that ability, to learn that new thing, to try, fail and try again is GOOD.  So, as a read about her new ventures in the book, I cheered her on and hoped for the best.  I, myself tackled a few new to me things this year and I wasn't sure I'd be successful.  The thought that I might fail was humbling, but, I accepted it, shared that reality, grit my teeth and did it anyway.  Reading Ms. Woginrich doing the same was a boon to me.

There were two specific moments in the book that really had me on my feet.  The first was when I discovered that she has a Vermont Bun Baker stove.  I. WANT. ONE!  Reading this bit early on the in the book literally had me scouring the internet for the author.  I found her on facebook, introduced myself and just had to tell her how excited I was to read that she has a VBB.  The second was when I realized she lives just two counties from me, in the same county one of my brothers lives in!  I hope some day we can shake hands.  I'd love to tour her farm, see her little house (another relatable fact), and admire her Vermont Bun Baker.

So, if you want a gentle read, a true story, a beautiful, charming place to escape to, and a bit of inspiration, I suggest you read One Woman Farm: My life shared with sheep, pigs, chickens, goats, and a fine fiddle by Jenna Woginrich.  You can also visit her blog HERE.

*I obtained permission from the author to do this review.  I am doing this review because I wanted to.  I am not receiving nor did I seek out compensation for doing this review.