Common Sense Homesteading- Immune Booster

I just had to share this great post off of Common Sense Homesteading. I think we could all use this boost too our immune system as everywhere we go right now people are sick.  I receive their great blog via e-mail. I share their article with you this way as I have some that read my blog and they just don't understand the whole link thing. They would not know how to get to Common Sense Homesteading and they would not know how to get back here. So I give all credit to this great site, please go check out their site.   Common Sense Homesteading

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Immune Boosting Herbs in Finger Gelatin Posted: 17 Oct 2012 09:01 PM PDT If you’re like me and have been reading about anti-viral and antibacterial herbs, and looking for more ways to get them into to your kids, you may want to give this recipe a try – or make your own variation.  I infused immune boosting herbs in finger gelatin made with fruit juice.  I thought about calling them “homemade flu shots”, after the infamous “jello shot”, but don’t want to get busted by some government agency.  Call them what you like, and enjoy some extra anti-oxidants and cold and flu fighting herbs. Which Herbs Boost the Immune System? There are many herbs that boost the immune system, although not all of them are “jello-friendly”.  For instance, I know garlic jello is just not going to fly.  Body and Soul~Mind and Spirit lists arandanon, astraglaus, calendula, cat’s claw, echinacea, garlic, ginger, hyssop, sage, St. john’s Wort and turmeric.  Everyday Health lists cinnamon (and carrots and grapefruit).  Natural News lists echinacea, ginseng, garlic, bell peppers, ginger, turmeric, gingko biloba, ganaderma, astragalus and cat’s claw. Mint family plants such as peppermint and lemon balm are also anti-viral. For ease of use, I grabbed some cinnamon sticks and dried ginger root, some mint leaves and echinacea tea.  I encourage you to experiment with different combinations.  Do always check for any drug interactions if you are on medication.  Most common culinary herbs are pretty safe, but there are a lot of meds out there so it’s best to double check, especially if you’re consuming in quantity (meds or herbs or both). Knox Blox with Herbs -  Immune Boosting Herbs in Finger Gelatin Ingredients: 4 envelopes unflavored gelatin (I used Knox) 1 cup cold fruit juice* 3 cups fruit juice, heated with herbs or 2 cups hot fruit juice plus one cup tea* 2 tablespoons honey, optional *Possible fruit/herb combinations include: Apple/Cinnamon/Ginger – 1 cup cold apple cider, 3 cups hot apple cider simmered with 2 cinnamon sticks and 1/2 teaspoon dried ginger root or 1 teaspoon fresh ginger Apple-Carrot/Echinacea – 1 cup cold apple cider, 2 cups carrot juice, 1 cup echinacea tea Apple-Carrot/Ginger – 1 cup cold apple cider, 2 cups carrot juice plus 1 cup apple cider, simmered with 1/2 teaspoon dried ginger root or 1 teaspoon fresh ginger Apple/Mint – 1 cup cold apple cider, 2 cups hot apple cider, 1 cup peppermint tea Pomegranate/Lemon Balm – 1 cup cold pomegranate juice, 2 cups hot pomegranate juice, 1 cup lemon balm tea Orange/Ginger – 1 cup cold orange (or carrot) juice, 3 cups hot orange juice simmered with 1/2 teaspoon dried ginger root or 1 teaspoon fresh ginger Directions: Prepare hot ingredients – If using juice with herbs, place juice and herbs in medium saucepot and simmer for 10 minutes.  If using tea, brew tea and let steep for 10 minutes, covered, then mix with juice in saucepot and heat to boiling. Sprinkle gelatin over cold juice in large bowl; let stand 1 minute.  Add hot juice and stir until gelatin dissolves completely, about 5 minutes.  Stir in honey if desired.  Pour into 13x9x2 inch pan. (Half batches can be molded in a bread pan or 9×9 pan.) Refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours.  To serve, cut into 1 inch cubes.  Makes about 9 dozen. The boys, not too surprisingly, liked the apple/cinnamon/ginger best, but I’ll keep experimenting.  I think this is a fun way to get in more herbs. P.S. – You could use spiced elderberry wine for a grown up version.  Wildcrafting Wednesday I’m joining up with Kathy at Mind, Body and Sole and Sharon at Wood Wife’s Journal to host Wildcrafting Wednesday.  Please share your stories on how you incorporate herbs into day-to-day life. We welcome anything and everything herbal – from crafts to cleaning to tinctures to cooking. Home remedies for common ailments are especially appreciated. Self-sufficient living and back-to-basics tips to save food, money, and resources are great, too – if it involves traditional methods of homemaking and home healing then we want to read about it! Maybe you’ve got a sweet stillroom, a beautiful herb garden or a handy cold frame – tell us about it. Just link up your post using the linky widget, add a link back here, and leave a comment below telling a bit about your post. Return links benefit everyone, so please don’t skip that step. Older posts are welcome, but skip the giveaways, since those links become outdated. (You can leave a link to a giveaway in the comments, if you like.) Last week’s top posts were: Natural Vapor Rub for Coughs & Colds by Nearly Natural Nicole Immune Boosting Tea by Modern Alternative Mama Why Sea Salt is Much Better Than Refined Salt by Small Footprint Family Thanks for linking up and we hope you’ll join us again.

Spooner Advocate Column- October 18, 2012

Good morning folks.  I hope this finds you all doing well and enjoying the weather, its been sad to see all the leaves leaving the trees- I did love the colors! We added some animals to the farm this week, so of course that meant working outside, in the rain. If I have the weekend off, you know the weather is going to be all over the map. The new geese and the pigs are settling in on the farm pretty well. If you don't know we live on a farm and quite a number of our animals came to use through having to be re-homed due to various reasons. We are always so blessed when people call or e-mail and think too rehome their farm animals with us. We have also taken in birds and reptiles in the past! My daughter was quite surprised when she opened the door and our geese population had increased from 4 to 16! If you ever need help rehoming animals due to death, drought, or any other reasons feel to contact me, we can put our heads together and figure out a solution.

My tips for getting ready for the winter this week are. Pick up the dishes, pots, chairs or anything else you use to decorate your yard and put them up. If water gets in things it can expand and break that item, your items will also last longer if you put them inside for the winter. Don't have a garage or shed? Then put the pots on top of the stacked chairs and then put a tarp around the chairs with a bungy cord. Do you need to cover your septic area? It is easier to do that now than when the forecaster is talking snow. Try on all those winter clothes that we all have not seen for months. Do you have a jacket that fits? Hats and scarves for all the people that live in your house? Do you have mittens, an extra pair? Do they match? Look now BEFORE you need them.
 

Congratulations to the Spooner Rails football team who won over the Hayward Hurricanes last friday night. It was pretty crustal that the Rails win as it was their Homecoming game but also now they get to go to the playoffs!! Way to go Rails! You guys rock!

Medicare open enrollment starts Oct 15 and goes through December 7th, 2012. If you need help in deciding how to pick a plan or stay on a plan you can go on the Medicare Plan Finder at www.medicare.gov/find-a-plan. If you want a person to actually help you out collecting information to make an educated decision you can go to the Wisconsin Aging and Disability Resource Center. They can be found at www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/ltcare/adrc/customer/adrccontactlist.pdf .

News from Springbrook VFW Post 10568 - The Springbrook VFW Post 10568 is having a Gun raffle. Raffle tickets are $1 donation it 6 for $5. There are 5 top prizes, 3 of which are guns, the fourth and fifth prize are $100 cash. The Gun raffle prizes will be awarded November 21,2012 so you still have time to get your raffle tickets. They are also collected unopened, new toys for the Marine Corps “Toys for Tots” program. If you have any questions feel free to give them a call at 715-766-2128, they open at 3pm on the weekdays and noon on weekends. As always everyone is invited to come to the community potluck every Wednesday 5-6 pm, please bring a dish to share.

Thimbles Quilt shop in Trego will be starting their demos again now that it is fall. Every Saturday they will demo something new to make, they usually have  treats and a how- to sheet that you can take home so that when you get around to making the project you can remember how. If you have any questions give the store a call- 715-635-6040.

Here is a recipe that I am going to share with you, I love to have a good, thick, tasty soup when the weather gets cold. I found this recipe on www.allrecipes.com . They really have a ton of great recipes and they are even rated so you know if folks have made them and have liked the recipe or not. Please don't let the serving size on this one scare you, you can always freeze it or how about sharing some with the neighbor next door? There are alot of elderly out there that would love a great big bowl of Potato Cheese Soup, do something nice for someone you may not know now but who may become a good friend!

Creamy Slow Cooker Potato Cheese Soup- makes 18 servings

        1/4 cup butter  

        1/2 white onion, chopped

        1/4 cup all-purpose flour

        2 cups water

        2 large carrots, diced

        4 stalks celery, diced

        1 tablespoon dried, minced garlic

        salt and pepper to taste

        1 cup milk

        2 tablespoons chicken soup base

        1 cup warm water

        5 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cubed

        1 bay leaf

        1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

        6 slices crisp cooked bacon, crumbled

Directions

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion in butter until translucent. Stir in flour until smooth, then gradually stir in 2 cups water, carrots, celery, garlic, salt, and pepper. Heat through, then stir in milk. Dissolve chicken base in 1 cup warm water, and pour into vegetable mixture.
2. Place potatoes in slow cooker, and pour heated vegetable mixture into potatoes. Place bay leaf in pot.
3. Cover, and cook 5 hours on High, or 8 hours on Low.
4. Remove bay leaf. Puree about 4 cups of the soup in a blender or food processor, and then stir pureed soup into contents of slow cooker. Stir in cheese and bacon until cheese is melted

 

That is all that I have this time for you. Please let me know if you have any info that you would like shared with the community. You can reach me at 612-619-7700 or drop me an e-mail at twogirlsandagarden@msn.com This column is posted on my blog every Thursday as well and is read by folks that do come to our area, so please let me know what is going on out there. Have a fabulous week!

Try- it Tuesday! - October 16,2012

Hello there folks, sorry I haven't been around to chat with all of you. There has not been enough time in the day for me to get all the things I need or would like to get done... done.

For those that don't know I am currently carrying 18 credits- the classes, Native American History, Native American Culture, Composition, Native American Beading, Native American Yarn Bag Weaving, Intro to Higher Learning. I attend at LCO Community College , very nice College and not too far from my house. I have received only one B. all the rest are A so far, so I am doing pretty good. =) I don't talk about grades with anyone other than my daughter especially since this week and part of next week we are working on Mid-terms! ugghhhhh

That means time Management at our house though! I am trying to instill this in my own daughter as it was never really taught to me. I have to say that I am learning alot of things this semester that I did not know before, guess that I am getting my monies worth huh??

So today I am going to share my Try-It....besides going back to school carrying 18 credits... my Try-It is my beading. Now I have beaded before but not since I was young have I done any Native American beading. So here we go.......





Bad picture but it was taken with the phone. These are two pairs that I have finished, iof course I finished the other brown and gold after I took the picture. I did the orange/blue with a different fringe than I have been trying to do on others, they turned out to my liking. Also used some bugle beads in the fringe on the brown/gold and I really like them as well. Thank goodness that Cleo White, my teacher gave some pointers on the fringe as I was really not liking how they were turning out at all before!




So Mikhaila came with me a week ago (friday) to beading class and we were learning the fancy zigzag pattern. So she made a sample and then got one earring almost done in class. After I got home the next day she wanted to know if I wanted to see what she made....... yup all done! Love that color!!




Her stictches are perfect. She really did an amazing job on this!





So the red/blue and the peach/green on the left were my samples of the zigzag stitch. the pink/blue are done, but I did not like the fringe on them so over the weekend I ripped them out and redid them. Will have to post a different picture later.




So I ripped out the pink/blue and liked them so much better that I also ripped out the red/gold too. I redid the red ones and they are awesome now! I still have to finish the green pair. Oh yes I even took the plung and burned off all the strings- there are no knots holding these together! I was paranoid as I thought I would set the whole thing on fire! LOL




Close-up of the samples we do before ever starting the earrings, or whatever we are going to make.





This was my sample of the fancy zigzag. I had started another one and did not like it so I ripped it all out and started over! Yes, thanks to knitting I can rip and redo and not be too concerned about it! I know myself well enough that if I do not rip it, it will bother me and I will not like it! Might as well just get it done right away!




I do like this color combo and I think I will make a pair with these colors. I was pretty impressed that the zigzag connected really nice in the middle. Also this pattern is way easier to do than the regular zigzag! I think this is a nice pattern to work on. 




Another bad picture, my camera is slowly going! I wish someone out there in camera land would send me a camera to try. I would do a whole blog on it! Well more than one blog as we are always taking pictures and posting things on here or Face Book! Anyway these are the rings we started on the first day of class, they are done on wire. The one on the right is a pattern I made up, the ring on the left is all done in one bead- they are half gold/ half red!!!





Last is the earrings that Mikhaila started in class, and finished the next day! I am really liking these! I suggested to use the mixed beads- the ones that come in the weaving kits all pre-packaged up. So I told her just pick some that you will use as dark and use all the rest as light. Very nice huh??

So any other beaders out there? Any Native American beaders out there? Hope you enjoyed my Try-It Tuesday project. Make sure you go over to Jo's Country Junction to see what others are trying.

Until next time, stay warm, wear a smile and be kind to your fellow humans!



Spooner Advocate Column- October 11, 2012

Good morning folks. As the weather has been getting colder I thought we could talk about some things to do to get ready for colder weather, this is just easy things to do to get started, especially since we have flakes forcasted for this week again. Get a bucket by the door that has sand in it, you can use it on the slippery steps, it is also animal friendly. Or you can always use a sand mixture with the snow melt pellets mixed in - just remember those pellets are hard on animals feet, maybe plants around the steps. Put a shovel in the inside of your house or at least on the porch- we forgot this last year and well... it was alot of fun walking through snow to the barn to get one! Have you cut back the plants that should be cut back in the fall? Did you leave some of the plants, grasses, bushes that have gone to seed or that are overgrown for the birds to eat and take shelter in when it is really cold? Please think of the animals that might come through your yard this fall or winter, try to make it as animal friendly as you can. If the cold weather coming early means a cold winter for the humans just think what it means for the animals that live out ther all the time. Do you have a tip or a recipe to share? I would love to hear it.

The Springbrook VFW Post 10568 will be having Les Millard over at the VFW Canteen hosting Karaoke from 5:30-9 pm on October 13.This is a change in the date so please note that so you go on the right date. The Canteen will also be hosting a meat raffle on October 13th  from 3-5:30. If you have any questions feel free to give them a call at 715-766-2128, they open at 3pm on the weekdays and noon on weekends. As always everyone is invited to come to the community potluck every Wednesday 5-6 pm, please bring a dish to share.The Springbrook VFW Post 10568 is having a Gun raffle. Raffle tickets are $1 donation it 6 for $5. There are 5 top prizes, 3 of which are guns, the fourth and fifth prize are $100 cash. The Gun raffle prizes will be awarded November 21,2012 so you still have time to get your raffle tickets. You may buy tickets for the raffle while you are up at the Canteen listening to Les! They are also collected unopened, new toys for the Marine Corps “Toys for Tots” program.

Sherrine called to let me know that the  Namekogan Congregational  Harvest dinner is Tuesday October 9th from 5-7, the column had already gone to press last week.  I am hoping that the meal is a success, I will try to get over there to eat some great food.

Please remember that the deadline for information making it into the column is Sunday night or early (by 9am) Monday morning. The sooner you tell me the longer I can put it in the paper. So if there are events that you know of that are planned already please let me know, that way we can get them out there to the public.

I hope everyone had a wonderful time at Stone Lake Cranberry Festival. I am sure that it was alot of fun, I heard some positive feedback so people must have had a good time.I know that I would have liked to go but I worked all weekend. I still need to get over there and buy some cranberries from someone! I would love too freeze a bunch and be able to dry some as well.

 Mark your calendar- the 1st annual Octoberfest is coming to Shell Lake October 13- 5pm- 11 pm. Sounds like they are going to have brat sliders, sauerkraut, pretzels. All you can eat Bavarian Waffles. Live polka band with dancing, of course beer and other refreshments. For more information email info@shelllakeartscenter.org or go to their website www.shelllakeartscenter.org.

Thimbles Quilt shop in Trego will be starting their demos again now that it is fall. Every Saturday they will demo something new to make, they usually have  treats and a how- to sheet that you can take home so that when you get around to making the project you can remember how. If you have any questions give the store a call- 715-635-6040.

That is all that I have this time for you. Please let me know if you have any info that you would like shared with the community. This column is posted on my blog every Thursday as well and is read by folks that do come to our area, so please let me know what is going on out there. Have a awesome week!

 

Hey, Hey, No Christopher Columbus Day!

As today is Christopher Columbus Day I thought I would repost this from Daniel McNeet.

Thank You Mr. McNeet for allowing me to share this.I am glad people are taking a stand and are speaking out the truth about what Christopher Columbus really did. I think as Americans we have really had our heads buried in the sand for far too long. Please read and know your history! Look at history from all sides-I am sure if we as a nation looked at the Indian, Black, Japanese, Chinese or any other side we would be seeing a different picture! There are people we should not being holding in such high regard, Christopher Columbus happens to be one of them.

Christopher Columbus Day

Good day, good people.
Christopher Columbus was an explorer, entrepreneur, self-promoter and genocider.
Colorado was the first state to designate Columbus Day in 1906 as an official state holiday. The federal government declared it in 1937. I wonder if Colorado and the U.S. would have done so if they had information other than the Christopher Columbus myth.
Christopher Columbus discovered the West Indies, but did not set foot on the mainland of North America. He arrived on the island of Hispaniola which was occupied by the friendly and peaceful Arawak-Taino Indians. He started by sending 500 slaves back to Spain. Unfortunately, almost all of them died during the trip. He continued to send large quantities of slaves back to Spain. But, the slave trade turned out not to be profitable because of the high-death rate during transportation. So, he turned his attention to collecting gold.
He assigned quotas of gold to be collected by all Indians fourteen years of age and older. If they did not deliver, Columbus the humanitarian would have their hands cut off, tortured, other atrocities and/or murdered. Depending upon which historian you read, Columbus was responsible for the deaths by disease, murder and/or genocide between 100,000 to 400,000 Indians.
Also, Columbus ordered Indian-slave labor on the islands, and it contributed to the genocide. Additionally, he forced Catholicism upon them.
William Bigelow in his article “Once Upon A Genocide” sets forth the atrocities Columbus committed among the Arawak-Taino Indians.
Bartholomew De Las Casas was born in 1484 and died 18 July 1566. He was a 16^th Century historian, Dominican friar and transcribed Columbus’s journal. He also wrote History of the Indies. He writes about the mistreatment of the Indians by Columbus and the Spaniards. “. . .[Columbus] was so anxious to please the king that he committed irreparable crimes against the Indians.” Brackets are mine.
Jack McIver Weatherford is the former DeWitt Wallace Professor of anthropology at Macalester College in Minnesota. He said, “In October, we honor Christopher Columbus who opened the Atlantic slave trade and launched one of the greatest waves of genocide known in history.”
There is a considerable effort by historians and others to remove Columbus Day as a holiday and set forth the facts of his crimes against humanity.
So, why do we celebrate a national holiday for a genocider who did not discover North America?
What is your thought on perpetuating Columbus Day or eliminating it?
I hope this article will give you something to consider and discuss. To be successful you must understand other people’s opinions and care about them. Be patient. Listen and read what others have to say; you may learn something you want to know.
I care about your opinion. Contacting me with comments and constructive criticisms athttp://bit.ly/z5MgmK with honesty and pleasantness their constant companions will always be welcomed. Or, you may click on the Facebook or Twitter icons under the graphic of Operation Downfall at the bottom of the page..

Operation Downfall by Daniel McNeet
DanielMcNeet.com

Crex Meadows- Benefit Dinner, October 13, 2012

I just wanted to get this information out there for all you fans of Crex Meadows. If you do not know, or have never been to Crex Meadows please check them out at Crex Meadows . I know this was sent too me this morning and so there is still an opportunity too go. Please support this wonderful natural resource.

The Friends of Crex invites you to the 3rd annual

Land Acquisition Fund Benefit Dinner

Saturday, October 13, 2012,

6:00—9:00 PM

At the Crex Meadows Wildlife Education and Visitor Center

Join us for the cocktail hour at 6pm, followed by dinner at 7pm.

Dinner will includehomemade bread, salad, grilled chicken, wild rice pilaf, green beans and pie.

Our speaker for the evening is Darby Nelson, freelance

writer and conservation activist. He received his Ph.D. in

aquatic ecology at the University of Minnesota and taught

biology and environmental science at Anoka-Ramsey

Community College for 35 years. He also served three terms

in the Minnesota state legislature. He will speak about his

book, For the Love of Lakes. In the tradition of Aldo

Leopold’s seminal work, A Sand County Almanac, For Love of Lakes focuses on the lakes, ponds, and waters outside your very home and the intricacies of these  ecosystems.

Tickets for this dinner are $50 per person. There is a limit of 70 seats.The registration deadline is October 5, unless we fill up early.

Name(s) _______________________________________________________________________

Address _______________________________________________________________________

City ______________________________________ State ___________ ZIP ________________

Phone ______________________ Email ____________________________________________

___ I/We will attend. # People ______ Enclosed is $ ____________ ($50/person)

___ I/We would like to make an additional donation of $ ___________ to the Land Acquisition Fund.

-or-

___ I/We cannot attend, but I would like to donate $ ______________ to the Land Acquisition Fund.

Please make checks out to Friends of Crex. To pay by credit card, please call us at 715-463-CREX .

Crex Meadows: not all public land

When Crex Meadows was established in 1946, a Project Boundary was drawn around property that

would create the most effective and productive wildlife area. At the present time the DNR owns

28,259 acres of the 31, 094 acres that lie within the project boundary. The DNR has made a continuous

effort to purchase remaining private land as it becomes available, but for a variety of reasons

it is becoming more difficult for the DNR to purchase property.

Land Acquisition Fund:

The Friends of Crex has established a fund to help the DNR purchase key properties within the

boundaries of the Glacial Lakes Grantsburg Wildlife Areas (Crex Meadows, Fish Lake, Amsterdam

Sloughs and Danbury). To date, we have raised over $55,000 for Land Acquisition use. We need

much more than this in order to achieve all of our Land Acquisition goals.

How it works

A variety of methods have been and will be used to help the state obtain critical lands. The funds

may be used as collateral to obtain Stewardship grants and grants from other organizations to

purchase lands that would be donated to the WI-DNR. The funds may also be used outright to

purchase land, with the understanding that the WI-DNR will eventually purchase these lands from us.

You can “Own” Crex Meadows

The original land at Crex Meadows cost the State of

Wisconsin $30 per acre. Each donor who gives $30 or

more will receive an honorary deed to current Crex

Meadows property (at the current average rate of

$1500/acre, $30 would “buy” 870 square feet) which

will include coordinates to your property.

Any donation of $30 or more (NOT including your dinner

reservation), qualifies for a land deed. Please

specify on your donation how you want your name

displayed on the Land Deed.

Thank you for your donation

and for your continued and generous support of all the

efforts of the Friends of Crex

Spooner Advocate Column- October 4, 2012

Good morning folks. Not too much going on that I have heard about. I think I will start sharing some yard/gardening tips in my next column.So if you want to share a good trick you use for getting ready for winter please let me know.Or if anyone has some awesome recipes to submit send them to me as well. We are getting into the season to eat "comfort" food and we have the holidays around the corner.

The Springbrook VFW Post 10568 is having a Gun raffle. Raffle tickets are $1 donation it 6 for $5. There are 5 top prizes, 3 of which are guns, the fourth and fifth prize are $100 cash. The Gun raffle prizes will be awarded November 21,2012 so you still have time to get your raffle tickets. They are also collected unopened, new toys for the Marine Corps “Toys for Tots” program. Put it on your calendar- October 12 Les Millard will be over at the VFW Canteen hosting Karaoke from 6-9 pm. If you have any questions feel free to give them a call at 715-766-2128, they open at 3pm on the weekdays and noon on weekends. As always everyone is invited to come to the community potluck every Wednesday 5-6 pm, please bring a dish to share.

This weekend Fiber Functions Yarns is having their Fall Open House on October 6 and 7th, 2012. Audrey Anderson is the wonderful lady who owns the shop, she has an open house the first weekend of October every year. She carries knitting and weaving supplies, has classes that you can register for, an awesome variety of yarns that she carries! I love to go to her shop as she carries alot of wool, artistian yarns and I am in love with the nettle yarn she carries as well. She is a wealth of information and would love to hear from you if you are having problems get some yarn or with something you are making. Fiber Functions Yarn is located at 682 263rd Avenue, Frederic 715-472-8276. Now don't let the location scare you away from goint to the shop, it is well worth the trip. Also Audrey does mail order and will open if you schedule a time to come out. The easiest way from our location is to go from Rice Lake on 48 west towards Luck. Any questions give Audrey a call.

 Mark your calendar- the 1st annual Octoberfest is coming to Shell Lake October 13- 5pm- 11 pm. Sounds like they are going to have brat sliders, sauerkraut, pretzels. All you can eat Bavarian Waffles. Live polka band with dancing, of course beer and other refreshments. For more information email info@shelllakeartscenter.org or go to their website www.shelllakeartscenter.org.

The 6th Annual Falling Leaves Shop Hop that was held this last weekend Sept. 21-29, 2012 was alot of fun. Thanks to all the shops that participated- Busy Bobbin (Rice Lake), The Calico Shoppe (Eau Claire), Pins and Needles (St. Croix Falls), Quilt Yard (Osseo), Sew Little Time (Hudson), Thimbles (Trego) It was alot of fun.

Thimbles Quilt shop in Trego will be starting their demos again now that it is fall. Every Saturday they will demo something new to make, they usually have  treats and a how- to sheet that you can take home so that when you get around to making the project you can remember how. If you have any questions give the store a call- 715-635-6040.

That is all that I have this time for you. Please let me know if you have any info that you would like shared with the community. 

 

Common Sense Homesteading

     This is information that I really wanted to share with everyone, this information is not my own. This great info came to me through a blog I belong too. As people know I think we should be knowledgeable of what is growing around us. We should know what can be harvested out of our own backyards- there is alot of "weeds" out there that we can eat! This was a nice example, I thought it should be shared with all you folks.
     I would highly recommend going to Commen Sense Homesteading to see what other great things they have talked about. Enjoy!

Velvetleaf – Weekly Weeder #38 and Wildcrafting Wednesday

Posted: 03 Oct 2012 09:30 PM PDT

Today’s featured plant is Velvetleaf, Abutilon theophrasti.

Velvetleaf is also known as China Jute, Buttonweed, Butterprint , Indian Mallow, Piemarker, Wild Cotton, abutilon, elephant ears, cottonweed, abutilon hemp, Manchurian jute, and American jute . (source)

Range and Identification of Velvetleaf

Velvetleaf is native to Asia and was introduced to America via India.  The University of Tennessee Extension states:

Velvetleaf originated in either China or India. Its use as a fiber crop in China dates to 2000 B.C. or earlier. It is still grown there for fiber, which is used to make ropes, coarse cloth, nets, paper and caulk for boats. Whether as foreign material in crop seed or as an intended fiber crop, velvetleaf arrived
in North America probably before 1700, and became widespread along the East Coast by the early 1700s. Because the colonies desperately needed fiber for
rope and cloth, velvetleaf was widely cultivated in the mid-1700s. Although attempts to process velvetleaf fiber never succeeded economically, U. S. farmers continued to cultivate it for more than 100 years.

Velvetleaf is now found through almost all of North America, except for the extreme north (see map).  It’s found in field, along roadsides and railways, in gardens and waste areas.  It’s an annual with a deep tap root.
With up to 17,000 seeds per plant, velvetleaf is quite prolific.   www.wssa.net explains why many farmers hate this plant and now consider it a noxious weed.

Velvetleaf seeds have tough seed coats which protect them against digestion by farm animals; in fact, experimental germination of velvetleaf seed requires scarification with 1 M sulfuric acid for 15 min or boiling for 1 min (9). Seeds can remain viable for 50 yr when stored in the soil (12); one researcher reported 43% germination after 39 yr of burial (11). The seeds and seed coats also have chemicals and microbial agents which inhibit growth of bacteria and fungi.

Because it is in the same family as cotton, it can act as a host plant for diseases and insects.  Also, it have been shown to depress germination rates of other plants (see above article for more info).  (Maybe it could be used as a trap plant?)
Velvetleaf plants are tall and leggy, reaching up to 8 feet tall, but most plants are in the 2-4 foot tall range.  The leaves are heart shaped, and soft and velvety to the touch.  In a pinch, the soft leaves can be used as a toilet paper substitute.  (Do be careful – some people may get an allergic skin reaction from the plant.)  This leaf is about half as big as I’ve seen them get – they can reach near dinner plate size.

The flowers are small, yellow, and rather inconspicuous.  You can see some open flowers on the Wisconsin Master Gardener site.  I caught these late in the day so they were closed.

 The seed heads are quite lovely.  They are about an inch across.

The seeds themselves are small, dark and heart shaped – and very tough. They are roughly 1/8″ across.

Wildlife Uses of Velvetleaf

 Wisconsin Master Gardener states:

In the U.S., the prairie deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) and the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus), eat 70-90% of the seeds produced in Iowa corn fields, and likely they or similar rodents do the same elsewhere. Many insects also feed on the seeds, especially the native scentless plant bug (Rhopalidae) Niesthrea louisianica, whose immatures and adults feed on seeds of malvaceous plants. Inundative releases of this bug were used for biological control in New York and four midwestern states, resulting in a significant reduction in seed viability in the areas where it was established.

The University of Tennessee says the seeds are also eaten by mourning doves and quail.
Illinois Wildflowers covers the insect guests of velvetleaf:

The nectar and pollen of the flowers attract various kinds of bees, including bumblebees, leaf-cutting bees (Megachile spp.), miner bees (Melissodes spp.), and Halictid bees. Occasionally, small butterflies and skippers visit the flowers for nectar, while Syrphid flies feed on the abundant pollen. Two insects feed destructively on VelvetLeaf. The caterpillars of Pyrgus communis (Checkered Skipper) make folded-leaf nests from which they feed, while a scentless plant bug, Niesthrea louisianica, feeds on the floral buds, flowers, and seeds.

Is Velvetleaf Edible?

The seeds are commonly eaten in China and India.  I tried some myself today.  they have a rather nutty flavor, and are easier to chew than sunflower seeds.  Wikipedia says the leaves are edible, but I don’t always trust their info.
As always, any medical information is for informational purposes only. Always exercise caution when using any wild plants and make sure you have positively identified the plant.  You can check out my favorite wildcrafting books for more help.
Please Like, Pin or otherwise share this post if you would like the Weekly Weeder series to continue. 
Mountain Rose Herbs stocks many of the herbs and plants featured on Wildcrafting Wednesday. They also carry an assortment of bottles, droppers and other supplies, plus some really soft organic cotton t-shirts.

Wildcrafting Wednesday

I’m joining up with Kathy at Mind, Body and Sole and Sharon at Wood Wife’s Journal to host Wildcrafting Wednesday.  Please share your stories on how you incorporate herbs into day-to-day life. We welcome anything and everything herbal – from crafts to cleaning to tinctures to cooking. Home remedies for common ailments are especially appreciated.
Self-sufficient living and back-to-basics tips to save food, money, and resources are great, too – if it involves traditional methods of homemaking and home healing then we want to read about it! Maybe you’ve got a sweet stillroom, a beautiful herb garden or a handy cold frame – tell us about it.
Just link up your post using the linky widget, add a link back here, and leave a comment below telling a bit about your post. Return links benefit everyone, so please don’t skip that step. Older posts are welcome, but skip the giveaways, since those links become outdated. (You can leave a link to a giveaway in the comments, if you like.)

Stone Lake Cranberry Festival Oct 5 & 6, 2012

(photo courtesy of the Stone Lake Cranberry
    festival website)
Have you been to the Stone Lake Cranberry Festival before? Looks like a lot of fun things too see, great food to eat. Don't forget to go check out the vendors, remember the holidays are right around the corner! Have a great time!

                 Schedule of Events

Friday September 30th

Luncheon ~ Stone Lake Lion’s Hall

11:30 Social Hour~12:30 Luncheon

Royalty Coronation

Saturday October 1st

Arts, Crafts and Flea Market

Over 300 Vendors • Inside & Out

9:00am - 4:00pm

Cranberries, Craisins and Festival Apparel

Cranberry Corner

Located at the top of Main Street Hill

9:00am - 4:00pm

Marsh Tours

Located Under Water Tower

10:00am - 4:00pm

Cranberry Pancake Breakfast

Stone Lake Fire Hall

7:00am - 11:00am

Cranberry Baking Contest

Stone Lake Fire Hall

Registration 10:00am~Judging 11:00 am

Pie and Ice Cream Social

Stone Lake Lutheran Church

9:00am - 3:00pm

Beer and Brat Tent

Stone Lake Lions Hall

9:00am - 4:00pm

Parade

Main Street & Hwy 70

2:00 pm

Krate Derby

Main Street Hill

Immediately Following Parade

CRANBERRIES • CRAISINS • ARTS & CRAFTS

FOOD BOOTHS • FLEA MARKET • SOUVENIRS

FARMER’S MARKET • STREET ENTERTAINMENT

Friday Oct. 5th 2012
Luncheon
Stone Lake Lion’s Hall
11:30 Social Hour
~12:30 Luncheon
Royalty Coronation

Wine Tasting
Red Schoolhouse Wines
5:00pm - 8:00pm

Saturday Oct 6th 2012
Arts, Crafts
and Flea Market
Over 300 Vendors
Inside & Out
9:00am - 5:00pm

Cranberries, Craisins
and Festival Apparel
Cranberry Corner
Located at the top
of Main Street Hill
9:00am - 5:00pm

Marsh Tours
Located Under
Water Tower
10:00am - 4:00pm

Cranberry Pancake Breakfast
Stone Lake Fire Hall
7:00am - 11:00am

Cranberry Baking Contest
Stone Lake Fire Hall
Registration 10:00am
Judging 11:00 am

Pie and Ice Cream Social
Stone Lake Lutheran Church
9:00am - 3:00pm

Beer, Brat and Turkey Leg Tent
Stone Lake Lions Hall
9:00am - 4:00pm

Parade
Main Street & Hwy 70
2:00 pm

Krate Derby
Main Street Hill
Immediately Following
Parade

More information on the events can be found at Stone Lake Cranberry Festival