Years ago my sister and I each bought yogurt makers and made our own yogurt with raw milk. It was good but since my yogurt maker died I've been buying it ready made. I like the variety of flavours available but am finding them all too sweet. That led me to buying plain, unsweetened from the health food store at a cost of about $4.00 a litre.

After a little research I found out that it can be made without a yogurt maker if you have a heating pad. I had heard before that you could make it in a thermos or in the oven but my oven doesn't go low enough (lowest setting is 150 degrees) and I don't have a big, wide mouth thermos.

The heating pad worked great! I put the pint sized jars onto the heated pad, folded the pad over the top and covered the whole thing up with a heavy towel. In 4 hours it was ready. It may have been ready even sooner but I forgot about it so it might only take 3 this way.

It turned out very nice, thick and tasty, not too tart and definitely not too sweet! And all it needs is a bit of jam or fruit for flavour and there you have it. Very inexpensive with a litre of milk costing around $1.00!

To learn more about yogurt making at home check out these links:

http://chetday.com/howtomakeyogurt.htm

http://rubyglen.com/kitchen/yogurt.htm

Blessings, Joy

Really Nice Coleslaw

Our weather has finally warmed up and it feels good to be munching on cool, crisp salad for supper.

Coleslaw is a salad we make lots of and I usually just toss the cabbage, carrots, raisins, etc. with some mayonnaise and add some sugar and seasonings. But I found a great recipe for salad dressing which Jill from Living on a Dime has on her site (Crunchy Veggie Salad) and today I adapted it a bit and used it for the slaw.

So what I did was mix about 1/2 cup mayo, scant 1/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons cider vinegar (could even use a bit more), and lots of coarse black pepper. Pour over the mixture of cabbage, carrots and raisins and add 1/2 tin of drained, crushed pineapple. Mix well and refrigerate until ready to serve.

This was very tasty with a nice tropical touch and of course the sugar makes you want to eat more and more. But hey, at least the veggies are good for us!

Happy eating,
Joy

My sister just sent this to me and I thought it was worth sharing. Thanks Sylv.

:: A holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said," Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like." The Lord led the holy man to two doors.

He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in. In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew which smelled delicious and made the holy man's mouth water. The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly.

They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms and although each of them found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful, because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoon back into their mouths.

The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering. The Lord said, "You have seen Hell."

They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew, which made the holy man's mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well-nourished and laughing and talking.

The holy man said, "I don't understand."

"It is simple" said the Lord, "it requires but one skill." "You see, they have learned to feed each other, while the greedy only think of themselves." ::

Kelly - nice hat!

While sorting through our pictures I came across these priceless old ones, a few of which I snapped myself around the age of 10 or 12 with my very first camera. Wonderful inventions cameras are... and what lasting memories they create!

My brother Bryan. Handsome fellow.

My brother's nifty new car

My brother Norman. Very cool guy.

My nephew, David, just learning to walk

'Davie' - He was the cutest little guy you ever did see. He's still pretty cute (his wife would agree).

Oh, to be a Bear!

Here's something cute that I saw the other day.

I Wanna be a Bear

When you're a bear you get to hibernate. You do nothing but sleep for six months.
I could deal with that.

Before you hibernate, you're supposed to eat yourself stupid.
I could deal with that too.

When you're a girl bear, you birth your children (who are the size of walnuts) while you're sleeping and wake to partially grown, cute, cuddly cubs.
I could definitely deal with that.

If you're a mama bear, everyone knows you mean business. You swat anyone who bothers your cubs. If your cubs get out of line, you swat them too.
I could deal with that.

If you're a bear, your mate EXPECTS you to wake up growling. He EXPECTS that you will have hairy legs and excess body fat.

Yup, I wanna be a bear!

My mother-in-law is the Thrift Queen. She deserves the title because she was recycling long before reclycling became 'fashionable'. Nothing gets wasted around her house because she delights in turning trash into treasure. She has made school desks into coffee tables, table legs into tea trolleys, and tomato juice cans into footstools or what she calls 'bollies'. No fancy schmancy cookbook covers for her, she just slides her book inside a clean bread bag and voila, her pages stay splat free! Even her plastic grocery bags get snipped up and turned into rugs.

When putting away the leftovers after supper today I found myself employing another tactic which my dear MIL taught me long ago as a way to save on plastic wrap. USE BREAD BAGS! Instead of using a clingy wrap (which often won't cover the plate properly anyway) slide the whole thing into a clean bag, twist the end and tuck it under. If the bag isn't wide enough simply slit it up one side and you'll have a little tent which will cover almost any plate. This works great for big items like a roasted chicken or ham, etc. and doesn't cost a penny :-) (it's the scotch in my blood).

If any of you have frugal tips to share I'd love to hear them and post them.

Cheers, Joy

Here's a neat idea which I read while exploring another lady's site. I'd really like to try it!

Flower Pot Grill

:: A good ceramic (terra cotta) flower pot makes the perfect vessel for a quick grill. The ceramic material holds in and focuses heat while insulating the outside. The shape and size of a 10 inch pot is perfect for a few kebabs and the charcoal will stay hot for hours of cooking fun. And, of course, a ceramic flower pot is very inexpensive.

What you want to buy is a good quality 10 or 12 inch ceramic flower pot with two saucer. We'll get to why you need two saucers for each pot later. You will also need some sand, enough to nearly half fill the pot. This is all you need for the grill. Of course you will also need charcoal and some skewers, as well as something to cook, but the grill is done.

Warning: I said that the terra cotta of the flower pot will insulate your grill. This doesn't mean that the pot will not get hot. It will get horribly hot and should be placed somewhere stable and safe. At all times someone should be responsible for each pot you put out and at all times until that pot's fire is extinguished.

A good pot shouldn't have any cracks. Cracks can cause your pot to break when filled with burning coals, and that would be bad.

Preparing the Pot

Place your flower pot onto the saucer. Flower pots have a hole in the bottom and you don't want your sand to pour out through that hole so from this point onward the pot and saucer have to be kept together. Fortunately the saucer will remain cool no matter how hot the pot gets so you can handle the pot by the saucer, but please, be very careful.

The pot needs to be nearly half full of sand. The sand insulated the bottom of the pot from the heat so you can set your flower pot grill on surfaces that won't take the heat. Of course you need to keep flammable materials far away from your flower pot grills.

Building your fire

For a single 10 inch flower pot grill you will want about 12 to 14 standard charcoal briquettes. You will want them burning when they go into the pot. So you need something to light the charcoal in and a way to move the hot coals into the pot.

To light the charcoal a charcoal chimney works great. This will let you quickly and easily light plenty of charcoal. Light the charcoal and with a pair of tongs transfer the burning hot coals into the flowerpot on top of the sand. The coals do not have to be completely ready (white and ashy) yet, but they need to be hot and burning.

Transportation Problem: Moving a hot flower pot grill, heavy with sand and burning coals can be difficult and dangerous. However, filling a flower pot with burning hot coals sitting on a table can also be dangerous. You can choose to do either. I tend to fill the pots on the table and not try to move them too much. I fill the pots with the table clears and everyone a safe distance away. Use a pair of good tongs to pick up the coals one by one to place inside the pot. You need a single layer of coals in your pot. Do not over fill them because the excess heat can cause your pot to crack or break.

Cooking on your Pot
You can spend days trying to find the perfect cooking grate for your flower pot so you can set a single burger patty on it, one at a time. Or you can choose the smart path and go with kebabs for your flower pot cookout. A 10 inch flower pot can hold three good sized kebabs and cook them in about 10 minutes. Since you have the pot handy your guests can take turns grilling up a wide range of foods over the course of the two hours that your flower pot grill will stay hot. Most of all have a good time.

I said that you needed two saucers for each pot but I haven't told you what to do with that second saucer yet. When you are done cooking on your flower pot grill, place the second saucer on top of the pot to extinguish the fire. Warning: Do not pour water into your flower pot grill. The sudden shock of cold can break you pot, making a very big mess. ::

I'm not sure though what she means by a charcoal chimmney, do any of you know?

I've been asked if I would consider making some soaps, etc. to sell at a local farm stand. This would require considerable footwork as I would need to register with Health Canada (yes, in Canada SOAP is considered a cosmetic), and redesign all my labels to comply. Canadian regulations now state that labels must be in both English and French and all ingredients must be listed with the INCI ( International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredient) names. Some of these names are reeeeally long and will be hard to fit on smaller items. Have a look at this list -

Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil

Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter)

Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil

Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil

Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil

Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil

Gaultheria Procumbens (Wintergreen) Leaf Oil

Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Fruit Extract

and the list goes on.........

Thankfully, water is simply 'Aqua'.

A big undertaking. I would need lots of prayer for this one.

A tribute to my mother on Mother's Day

My mother left her earthly home in 2003. She was the most beautiful woman I have ever known; so sweet and gentle, loving and kind, and I'm so thankful she was mine.

She had 5 children and endured all our childish antics with the utmost of patience - no matter what we did she loved us all the same. She had 19 grandchildren and gave lovingly and generously to each and every one.

We miss her terribly but take solace in the fact that the day will come when we will be together once again.

I came accross this little poem which, I'm convinced, must have been written about her...

WONDERFUL MOTHER

God made a wonderful mother,

A mother who never grows old;

He made her smile of the sunshine,

And He molded her heart of pure gold;

In her eyes He placed bright shining stars,

In her cheeks fair roses you see;

God made a wonderful mother,

And He gave that dear mother to me.

(by Pat O'Reilly)

My mother's favourite song

A short little story from another family who also lost their 'girls' to predators .

Click link to read.

http://www.joshharris.com/2006/02/tragedy_at_the_harris_farm.php

Me. [with dripping paintbrush in hand] Hello?
She. Hello!
Me. [a little slower - not sure who it is] Hel...lo.
She. [with a little giggle] Hello!
Me. Can I help you?
She. [chuckling] Have you got the tea on?
Me. Pardon me?
She. [laughing harder] Have you got the tea on?
Me. Tea??? Um...ah...who might you be looking for?
She. We just thought we'd come for tea.
Me. Ummm...okay, but who are you looking for?
She. [totally cracked up by now] You're not my daughter, are you.
Me. [laughing] Ah...I don't think so.
She. Oh, I am so very sorry! My daughter does this to me all the time. She changes her voice when I call her to make me think I've got the wrong number. Oh, I sure hope I didn't take you away from anything important.
Me. [laughing hard, phone in one hand, paintbrush in the other] Oh, no, that's okay. I'm just glad to know I'm not the only one who has does things like that!
She. [after saying "what? "to someone in the background] Oh, Hank says where do you live? We'll come for tea anyway.
Me. I'll put the kettle on.

And so goes the hilarious phone conversation with a complete stranger this past week. I do love the comical events in life that pop up so unexpectedly and leave us chuckling for hours or even weeks later.

A little squirrel waiting for breakfast. Note the hummingbird in the top right corner. You can click on the picture to enlarge it.

A new way to play Solitaire

Yes... that is a wireless mouse in Kelly's hand, and he has found a new way to play his favourite game.

my brother Norm, sister-in-law Lois, and their very first grand baby, Cadel. Cadel is a welsh name and is pronounced caDEL (as in cadet).

Our very dear friends with whom we have shared many happy times. They moved to the UK in November and, needless to say, they are sorely missed.