DIY: Herbal Insect Repellant

I found this article in a Babyfit's Natural Mother e-newsletter. I haven't tried it, but it looks pretty easy.

Besides driving your cat crazy, catnip has another more practical (but less entertaining) use. It also drives away the mosquitoes. According to a study at Iowa State University Department of Entomology, an essential oil found in catnip is 10 times more effective at repelling mosquitoes than potent chemicals such as DEET. If you grow catnip in your yard, you'll get moderate protection from the pests, but for greater benefit, you can try making your own skin potion from your fall harvest. Here's how to make your own herbal insect repellant:

What you'll need:
2 cups catnip, stemmed
1 cup dried peppermint
1 cup rosemary, cut into 6-inch sprigs
2 cups grape seed oil or almond oil

Directions:
Place herbs on a cutting board or counter, and lightly crush them with a rolling pin. Place them into a clean glass jar with a screw-on lid. Pour in the oil, seal the jar and place in a cool, dark cupboard for two weeks. Lightly shake the jar once a day for two weeks. Strain into a clean jar, seal and refrigerate (it will keep for up to 8 months). To use, rub on exposed skin.

QUICK TIP :
Check your local nursery for catnip plants, or simply order seeds online.

Summer and Fall, 2008

Every year flies by faster than the last. I started noticing this phenomenon when I was in college, and it is no less true now that I am married and have children. There just doesn't seem to be enough time to do all the things I want to do, to send that thank you note as soon as someone does something thoughtful for me, to keep that little curl from baby's first haircut in her baby book. "Baby" is now almost 10 years old and her baby book, although admittedly more complete than those of her 6 younger siblings, is nothing to brag about.

This summer (starting with the spring, really) I took lots of pictures and even downloaded most of them onto my computer, with the idea that I would post them here on my blog to share with the world, or at least with that part of the world that might be interested in the happenings at our little house on the prairie.

Here are some of the things that happened during the warmer months this year. Pictures will have to come later, as something on my computer won't let me do anything with the pictures I have downloaded, and won't let me download any pictures that are on my camera:

We painted the house yellow. By "we" I mean my husband. By "yellow" I mean "Fairy Lily" Colorplace paint from Walmart.

We cleaned out the back room so the kids would have a place to play. Again, by "we" I mean my husband. I went through some boxes and threw a lot away and found new homes for some things, but he has a keen, organizing mind and I stand in awe that he could go into the already full room with boxes and boxes of "stuff" and a couple of hours later come to me and say, "Come see," and I behold a clean (vacuumed, even!) floor, walls lined with shelves and a sewing table by the window with my sewing machine set up and ready for Christmas sewing projects! Ian, you amaze me!

Annie (5) and Lucy (9) learned to ride bikes on a dirt road with no training wheels.

Margaret (8) can ride a big bike and made her First Holy Communion in May.

Ian & I took Maria (10 months old at the time) to New Jersey for the Catholic Marketing Network conference. We spent a day in New York City and a night in Boston with my sister, who is a Daughter of Saint Paul. It was a fun vacation. The rest of the kids stayed with Ian's parents here in Colorado. They had a great time with their grandparents, and we are eternally grateful to said grandparents for their generosity.

At some point I took a big box of peaches and made pie fillings to put in the freezer for some special winter or spring party. Yum. I was going to do the same with apples with my Mother-In-Law, but the apple crops in Colorado were ruined this year. Oh well, maybe next year.

I am sure we did more, but my poor brain can't think of anything else at the moment. I'll post more when I remember and when I can get at those pictures!

Applesauce

Way back in October, Mom invited us over to make and put up applesauce and apple pie filling. I am finally putting up these pictures from that event!First, you wash all your apples.


Then, you core and halve them.


After boiling the apples in water, get a strong guy to move the pots for you.


We all took turns turning the handle on the grinder.

The finished applesauce was YUMMY!!!

Baby, It's Cold Outside

This is what it looks like outside:



So this is what we did inside:



Yep! It's time to make Christmas cookies! Today we made Gingersnaps, and hopefully in the coming weeks we'll make Rum Balls, Springerle, Pine Bark, and Christmas Eve Mice. If we do get around to doing all that, I'll post pictures and recipes.

Here's the recipe for Gingersnaps (adapted from Faith & Family magazine, Nov/Dec 2007 issue)

2 1/4 Cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. each ground ginger, cloves, and cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
3/4 Cup shortening
1 Cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 Cup molasses
granulated sugar for rolling

Preheat oven to 375*F. Greese 2 baking sheets. In a bowl, mix together the flour, spices and salt. In large bowl, cream the shortening, brown sugar, egg and molasses. Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture until well blended. Pinch off 1-inch-sized pieces of dough and roll into balls. Roll in granulated sugar and place 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Flatten cookies with the bottom of a glass. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes*. Let cool on wire racks.

* 10 minutes was too long in my oven: I had better luck with 8 minutes.

Fried Green Tomatoes, Anyone? Please?

My Father-In-Law's greenhouse yielded quite a bounty of tomatoes this year, as you can see.



Unfortunately, the growing season in our part of the country does not allow ALL the tomatoes to ripen, so now we need to do something with the green ones. Does anyone have a recipe or two for unripened tomatoes, and will the recipe freeze well?



Here's Ian making salsa with some of the red tomatoes. Yummy! That will go into the freezer.



This is the recipe we used for the salsa:

Tomato Freezer Salsa

5 large field tomatoes, peeled
2 Tbsp. olive oil
6 green onions, finely chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped*
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 Cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

1. Coarsely chop the tomatoes and place in a sieve over a bowl to drain extra juice.

2. Heat oil over medium heat in a nonstick skillet.

3. Add onions, jalapeno pepper and garlic; cook for 7 minutes or until softened but not brown, stirring often.

4. Let cool.

5. Stir in drained tomatoes.

6. Stir in lime juice, salt, and pepper.

7. Spoon into tightly sealed plastic containers and freeze for up to 4 months.

* For a little bite of spiciness, keep some of the seeds and put them into your salsa with the jalapenos. The salsa we made had NO heat whatsoever without the seeds.

Fall is Here

Yesterday was a glorious day. The weather was beautiful and we spent the afternoon and evening outdoors with family and friends celebrating the end of summer and the beginning of autumn feasting on paella & gazpacho (two traditional Spanish dishes) and sangria (Spanish red wine punch), as well as desserts and appetizers galore.

Today started foggy and cold, and right now, at 1:30 in the afternoon, the rain has started and the wind has shifted to the North. Definitely tea and cozy sweater weather!

Sharing the Bounty

Peach jam! Pickles! Applesauce!

My Mother-n-Law is taking time this summer to teach me how to make such culinary delights, and if we can control ourselves and not eat it all before Thanksgiving, there will be a jar of peach preserves for Uncle Tommy and his family, a jar of applesauce for Aunt Mary, and a tin of spiced nuts for Uncle John. Not to mention the rum balls for Aunt Elizabeth and Gingerbread cookies for Grandpa.

I am hoping that Uncle Brandon will share his home-made Christmas Ale in return!