Gardening and Muffins

April 15, 2013

The garden is coming along splendidly.  We are very excited about our investment and the potentional payoff of it.  I has been difficult this year with the investment of the light shelves for seedlings.  Along with finally putting the last fence post in and then stapling a critter proof fence to the split rail.  We only needed to purchase 12 Kale plants so far.  Along with all of the seedlings we had to try something else new, hardening off seedlings.  This made me the most nervous of all.  We purchased a set of shelves and then mounted them to a simple board with wheels.  I was able to roll out the plants, several hours every day and then roll them back into the garage.

The first day the plants were out 8-12 then 8-2, then 8-4, then 8-8, then 24 hours a day.  This plan worked wonderfully since we had some beautiful weather last week.  I was able to plant 27 cabbage plants, and 18 Broccoli plants.  I then watered them with Miracle Grow Organic Plant Fertilizer.  Using a simple hose attachment I watered all the new plants, here is the one I purchased at our local true value .  It worked wonderfully for the fertilizer and the fruit tree spray.  We also purchased a new Cortland Apple Tree and planted it near the Golden Delicious from last year.  I sprayed down both trees very well, hoping to avoid the Apple tree scab that we had last year.

Here are the Cabbage Plants

 

The peas have seriously sprouted

 

Some of the broccoli is looking a bit shocked this morning, but not too bad, I have faith that it will live.

 

Onions and the Kale have sprouted, just waiting on the carrots.

 

This year we also put in a garden gate.  We just purchased a simple gate kit from Home Depot and installed it.  After a few tries we had it level and ready to go.  Hopefully this will help keep the critters out also.

Today is a big day for seedlings, today we are going to be starting our Tomatoe and Pepper plants, also we will be working on transfering some Lettuce starts to bigger pots.

Now onto the best part of the day, other than coffee, my new recipe for Oatmeal Cranberry Muffins, using Mary Jane Farm Baking Mix

1 cup milk
1 cup Quick Cooking Oats
1 egg
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
1 2/3 cup Baking Mix
1/2 cup apple juice infused dried cranberries

In a mixing bowl, mix up the milk, oats, egg, oil, sugar, and baking mix.  After mixed through fold in the dried cranberries.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Enjoy!

Bagels and Badges

We are working on merit badges for Mary Jane's Farm Farmgirls today.  Writing and submitting, here are my some of my recent submissions.

Quilting-Intermediate

 



Heirlooms Forever - Beginner

Tatting - Beginner

Alot of people that know me, understand that the Farmgirls have changed my life and and how my family lives.  It is an amazing sisterhood of women that want nothing more than to help each other and make everything at home.  For more information about the Forums and all the great information on them go to http://www.maryjanesfarm.com/snitz/default.asp and for the Farmgirl Sisterhood http://www.farmgirlsisterhood.org/

As for today my family is in love with bagels.  I wanted to post our recipe for making homemade bagels in a very easy way.  They barely last 24 hours in our home.  You can make them by hand by mixing the ingredients and then letting rise until doubled.  But to save time I use the dough setting on my bread maker.

Homemade Bagels
3,5 cups Flour
4.5 teaspoons of yeast
3 Tablespoons of Sugar
1 Tablespoon Salt
1.5 Cups Hot water (110 degrees)

Boiling Water bath
1.5 Quarts of water
1.5 Tablespoons

Place Bagel ingredients into breadmachine in manufacturer's specified order.  Set to Dough setting and run.

This is what the dough looks like when it is done.

Make into 8 balls and then poke holes with thumb into center.  Stretch them out a bit and place on wax paper.  Let rise about 10 minutes.

Prepare the Boiling water bath in pot.

Using a slotted spoon give the syrup a stir in the boiling water bath.

(can you tell I made Spagetti Sauce)
Place the bagels into the water and let boil on each side for about 30 seconds.  Place onto Renoyld's Non-Stick Foil on a cookie sheet.  (I have also used a LATHERED with butter flavored crisco cookie sheet)

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes.

After they are finished immediatly pull them from the foil and cut with a bread knife.  Enjoy!

A Friend In Need

So after my post about baby diapers I received an email regarding Post-Partum Reusable Pads.  This woman was very unsatisfied with what she was finding online and wanted to know if I could come up with a pattern for her.  This pattern uses the leftover pieces of fabric from my previous diaper post.  If purchasing the fabric for the liners you will need 12 inches of PUL fabric, and 6 inches of one sided fleece.  Each pad requires one cloth prefold diaper and 1/2 yard of 100% cotton flannel.  Also you will need snaps.  Also about 12 inches of ric rac for each pad.

For your PUL fabric and one-sided fleece I will plug the Kids in the Garden here For the Prefold diapers you can purchase them at Babies R Us (12 for 16.99).  Last the Snaps, I love KamSnaps to no end here .  For the 1/2 Yard of 100% flannel I suggest grabbing it at Joanns, every once in a while, the price drops to 2.79 a yard.

First to do is print out the pattern here when the pieces come together they will look like this

You must cut the following pieces, per pad.... 1 one-sided fleece of "Pad Liner", 1 flannel of "pad Liner" and "Pad Shell", 1 prefolded diaper of "Pad Liner", 1 PUL of "Pad Shell".

 

Here are all the pieces cut out for 2 pad sets.

 

To sew the liners, place the right side of the fleece to the right side of the flannel, topped with the prefolded diaper, pin together.

 

 

I left the space to turn it right side out along the side.

 

To Pin the ric rac in, place it about two inches from the very ends of the pad shell, pin in place.

Now place the lining on top and pin together the Pad shell PUL to the flannel.

I left the opening to flip right side out on one end of the Pad shell.

 

 

Sew along the edges about 12-13 mm away from the needle all the way around, leaving the opening to flip right side out.

Cut notches all round the curves. 

Then flip right side out. 

 

Stitch about 12 mm again around the outside and across the wings to secure the seams.  Coming close to the edge of the opening used to flip it right side out. 

 

 

 

For the Pad Liner I doubled stitched.

 

 

 

 

The Pad Liner fits right into the Pad Shell under the ric rac.  Add a snap on each of the wings to secure it to the undergarment.

 

They do fold nice and discreetly fit into a purse.

 

 

These are great practice if you are trying to gear up to sew some diapers, same fabrics and same snaps.

 

Have a wonderful day.

 

 

 

 

Diaper Pattern and Directions

Diaper Day!

As promised I am going to share with you my diaper pattern for a reusable pocket diaper.  Plus the directions on how to make them for sizes Newborn to 5 (27 lb+).  A few things that you need are some fabrics.  I use Kids in the Garden here you can purchase the fabrics by the inches, every 20 inches of the PUL fabric I get 3 diapers.  I also like to get the white microfleece one-sided for the linings, or side that will touch the baby's skin.  It is really soft and stays soft.  Another thing to get are snap pliers and snaps.  I know I have seen them at Joann but I love KAMSnaps here they have great customer service.  Please note if you buy the size 16 or smaller snaps you HAVE to buy the extra long prong.  For diapers I love the size 20 snaps.  Each diaper needs 16 sockets and caps and another 6 studs and caps.

The last and final thing is to find 3/8" wide button hole elastic the example here is 6 mm wide.  The only place that I have found is on ebay through this seller here  I cannot say my opinion on the seller or the feedback.  I am only saying that you need a very thin button hole elastic.  You will also need 1/2 inch or 5/8 inch buttons.  Colors don't 100% matter, but if you are making diapers with the white PUL I would suggest white or clear buttons.  There are 5 buttons per diaper.

So first thing is first.  You need the pattern and I uploaded it.  Click this link.  DO NOT hit the green download button.  Scroll down and you will find a red button underneath the opening page that reads "Download".  This will open up adobe reader and the document.  This document is not for commercial use without my permission.  Please message me or email me to gain permission.  Print the document THREE times.  This is so for every 20 inches you can pin all of the patterns at once.  Line the A lines up, B Lines and C lines.  Tape the paper together and then cut out the diaper shape.  The picture above is three of the pattern in tracing paper.

Starting with the PUL fabrics, cut the three diapers.  I line them up with one flipped, this allows all three to fit.  See the picture below.

When cutting the one-sided fleece you can do the same thing as flipping, but you don't have to because the fabric is 60" wide.  But you will want to either bend down the tab on the one side of the diaper.  We only need that with the PUL not the fleece.

Now take a pin and one of the pattern pieces and stab holes in the black dots on the pattern.  Using a permanent marker use the holes to transfer onto the pattern.  Do this to all the black dots.

Now you get to use the snap pliers.  You must set the first 6 snaps on the 8 snap set.  You will want to cut small squares of PUL from your excess because the prongs are too long for a single layer of fabric.  Using the awl tool punch the hole through the two excess squares and the black dot on the diaper.  The socket will be the good side of the fabric.  KamSnaps has some wonderful videos online here they are great at showing you how to use the pliers.  Do the first 6 snaps on either side of the diapers with sockets only to all the diapers.

You can see the use of the excess squares here, on the wrong (shiny) side of the PUL Fabric.

Next we must sew the tab for the elastic down.  This is done with a single straight stitch.

For the button hole elastic of this part of the you only need to finish off one side.  Mark the last four holes A through D.

String the good edge through the channel and then sew the excess raw edge down.

Sew a button right under the edge of the open side of the channel, so that way the back can be adjustable.

The channel should look like this when done and buttoned. 

Now pin the right sides together of the PUL and the fleece.  The elastic area is the entry for the insert, so this must remain open.

Here is the finished sewing area on the closed side.  You can cut notches to the seam but I have not ever found this to be a needed item.

Refering back to the pattern find the lines right under the snap marks.  These are marked "I."  Using pins mark them on the diaper.

Sew the channel for the elastic on the sides.  This channel must be at least at the 15mm mark or 1/2 inch on the machine.  It depends on how wide the elastic you purchased is.  Obviously you want the channel a bit bigger than the elastic and I would say just as big as the button.

Do this to both sides of the diaper.

Using a sharp pair of scissors cut a hole at each end of both channels.

In this hole hand sew a button.  This does not get sewn to the fleece lining, just inside the hole.  Do this for all the holes that were created at each end of the channels.









You must take the double elastic now and create the Double Alphabet elastic.  Both ends must be finished off, this helps keep them from popping out constantly.  I used letters A-G and it has worked great.  But if I was you I would say to go A - H.

Using a safety pin string the Double Alphabet elastic into the channel.

Depending on the size that you are making, this is a newborn size (F-G)  Loop the button onto the desired size of elastic.

Stuff the excess elastic down into the opposite side of the channel.  This excess just hangs out until you need it while the baby grows.

Pull the elastic through with the safety pin and loop the elastic onto the correct size with the button.  Stuffing the excess again into the diaper.

Stuff the buttons into the fleece.  I will tell you they pop out sometimes after a wash I just push them back in.  Repeat the Double Alphabet elastic process on the other side.

Using the Snap pliers finish off the sockets.  And on the opening side of the diaper, put the studs.

Now let us talk about inserts.  This is a prefold insert from Gerber that you can purchase in most baby sections of Target, Walmart and of course Babies R Us.  These are inside of my diapers and work just fine.  First step open up the diaper like this.

Fold over each side so it is a trifold.

I then fold the diaper over, using the size to guide me.  Obviously as the baby gets bigger the fold becomes less pronounced.

Folded side first stuff the insert inside the diaper, using the entry with the back elastic. 

Fold the lining over the insert to create a nice edge.











All done!  One reusable diaper ready for sizes Newborn to 5.  Be green and Be Awesome.