Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Cleaning Tile And Grout



Spring is the time of year for cleaning the house, the yard and the barn. Nothing makes the end of winter more apparent than getting rid of the dust and grime of winter. Living in a cold winter climate means when the snow melts, we have mud. I mean a lot of mud. Our dog and cats come in the house with it on their feet. Now granted all of my pets do not like mud, not even the horses. It cannot be helped though. As much as you try to get around it, there is always more.

A major cleaning job inside the house is cleaning the tile and grout. It is a job that takes a lot of time as the grout gets very dirty. I try to do this job every year if possible. Sometimes I am sorry to say, I have neglected it. There are businesses though, like The Steam Team, in Round Rock TX, tile cleaning, that will do this service for you. They use high pressure steam and they will get every bit of dirt out of the tile and grout. If you work a full time job, and just don't have the time to do it yourself, that would be a good option. Or if you have trouble stooping down on the floor to do this job. Like me, having bad knees or other physical ailment, then it is something you might want to consider. Not cleaning the grout can result in mold in your house and you do not want that.

This is the way I have always done it:

First I fill a spray bottle with vinegar and hot water. I use half vinegar and half hot water. Sprinkle baking soda on top of the grout, then spray with the bottle, enough to soak it. I let it sit like that for about 5-10 minutes, depending on how dirty it is. Then I scrub it with a brush. I mean, really scrub it! The type of brush to use is up to you. You can use a hard toothbrush or buy a special brush and use it just for that. That is what I do. The one I use is classified as a vegetable brush and has hard bristles.

After scrubbing, and if you are fairly certain you got rid of the dirt and grime on the grout, rinse it off and mop the floor. It should look like new for awhile. Of course, I understand The Steam Team would do a better job.





Copyright © 2012 Kathleen G. Lupole
All Photographs Copyright © 2012  Kathleen G. Lupole

Saturday, April 14, 2012

eBooks For Homesteaders & Preparers





My new Saturday topic is now a list of books I have discovered for your kindle. If you aren't a Kindle owner, you may want to download the Free Kindle Reading Apps from Amazon, that makes it possible for you to read Kindle books on your computer. My list today is eBooks for the homesteader, prepper or just someone who likes to be independent and ready if an emergency situation arises. You know how much I like that topic!





Prep School: Cooking Without Electricity - This eBook is written by Ash Bauer and is a short topic book put together by the Prep School. They have other topics as well, or will soon. This book focuses on how to cook if there is a power outage, and how to do it safely.







Poverty Prepping: How to Stock up For Tomorrow When You Can't Afford To Eat Today - What a great idea for a book! So many people contact me with this very question. This eBook is written by fellow homesteader, Sue Gregersen, who not only writes books on prepping and homesteading, but actually lives it!





Emergency Food Storage - A Primer On Long Term Food Storage And Emergency Preparedness - This eBook is written by Byrant Jones. From the reasons why you may need to prepare, to how to store your supplies, or what items to store to barter with others, including an introduction to seeds, and which ones to store, he gives a lot of important preparedness information.




 Growing Root Vegetables At Home: A guide on how to grow amazingly tasty potatoes, carrots, beetroots, parsnips, swedes and turnips - Written by Oliver Ramsey, this eBook is a guide to growing potatoes, carrots, beets, parsnips, swedes and turnips. Root vegetables are an essential vegetable to grow because it can be stored for a long period. Fill your root cellar with roots and you will eat all winter and early spring!




Coconut Cures: Preventing and Treating Common Health Problems with Coconut - This eBook written by Bruce Fife, is so good, and full of information that most people may not have any idea about. I had this book in paper form and I loved it. Learn how good coconut is for your health! Learn how it can prevent diseases and cure many other health issues.



 Crochet Rag Rugs Household Pattern Collection (How to Make a Rag Rug) - This eBook is written by Sarah Holmes and is very valuable information for a preparer or homesteader. Knowing how to make rag rugs in times when you need them or can barter them with others is an excellent idea! This eBook is a bit pricey at $14.97, but it is a pattern book and that alone, makes it worth every penny.




Basic Soap Making: All the Skills and Tools You Need to Get Started (How To Basics) - Soap making is essential for most homesteaders, and it is a good thing to know how to do. This eBook will get you started if you have not done it yet.




Oral Health, Naturally: Homemade Toothpaste and Mouthwash Recipes - This eBook is essential for knowing how to make toothpaste and mouthwash. Written by Kirsten Anderberg who has been a vaudevillian performer for over 30 years, and writes about natural health, poverty and other interesting topics.





Unplugged - Written by Hillary Bergeon, this eBook is the author's memoir of surviving her move to building an off-the-grid home in the Appalachian Mountains.





Living on an Acre, 2nd: A Practical Guide to the Self-Reliant Life - If you are wanting to move to your own homestead, then this eBook is for you! This is the classic  USDA book on self-reliant living, completely revised and  updated.


I hope you find some you like. If you buy any eBooks at Amazon and think they would be good for homesteaders or for being self-sufficient or prepping, please comment with the name of the book and author, so I can add it here next week. If you are an author and would like me to review your eBook, contact me!



Copyright © 2012 Kathleen G. Lupole
All Photographs Copyright © 2012  Kathleen G. Lupole

I am a participant in Amazon's associates program
Affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to their products and sites.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

I Choose Low Carbs For Good Health!


My son, Jeff!
Recently my son has had some swelling in his legs. Now he is not overweight, but is a smoker and has horrible eating habits. I am going to do my best to get him on a low carb diet, since I know first hand how good it makes you feel. It definitely improves your health the fastest. Before he would laugh at me about it, and say everyone has to die some way. Now he is NOT laughing! Now he is nervous, scared and even has agreed to go to his doctor for a much needed physical. Which is something as he is VERY scared of doctors! I am not talking about a child here, but a grown man in his early forties!

I have come to rely on my low carb way of eating for optimum health. Once you get started on it I found, that I was not hungry at all. I only eat twice a day, breakfast and supper. Eating eggs in some way for breakfast, maybe with bacon or a One Minute Muffin. Supper is always meat and salad. Sometimes I add or substitute for the salad, a low carb vegetable. If I need something sweet, I like to make my own version of an egg cream with Da Vinci Sugar Free Syrup, cream and seltzer. Strawberry or peach, being my all time favorite!

Salad with dressing, mushrooms and burger is an easy low carb meal!

Remembering to always eat everything in moderation, even foods that are good for you. I believe your body gets tired of the same old food over and over. It becomes boring if you are eating meat and salad every day. Just because it is easy and you want to stay on your low carb plan. Do it differently every time. One day have the meat in a salad, such as turkey, tuna, salmon or chicken salad. Serve it on top of a tossed salad. Next day if you still have the turkey salad left, serve it on a low carb cracker or bread, or inside a green pepper or tomato. Make it interesting!

Pouring eggs into pan for yummy omelet!

Eggs are a good example of a food everyone gets tired of real fast. Omelets are good as you can put whatever you want in them. Egg salad for breakfast is a nice change. I like hard boiled eggs with horseradish. Or how about scrambled eggs with mushrooms and onions? Bacon and eggs is my very favorite, but I don't eat it every day. I try to change what I eat, so it is never the same thing every day. I am on a very tight budget, so I am very careful what kind of foods I buy.

This is the basic recipe for the 1-Minute Muffin, but check out the link for more variations:


1-Minute Muffin


In a tea cup or custard dish (I use)

Melt 1 or 2 tsp of butter or coconut oil (microwave for 5-10 seconds*)
Mix in 1/4 cup of flaxseed meal (and/or mix with almond meal, protein powder)
1/4 tsp of baking powder
1 egg

Sweetener to taste (i.e., 1-2 packets of Splenda or 1 TBS of SF syrup)
Microwave on high for 1 minute*
Turn out and let cool

The muffin may look kind of wet at first, but it dries quickly as it cools.
Eat warm with butter or wrap cooled muffin in plastic to eat later.

*cooking time may vary depending on your microwave, avoid overcooking I cook my muffin on top of my wood stove in a cast iron Dutch oven or in my gas oven on about 325 degrees.

Happy Low Carbing!







Copyright © 2012 Kathleen G. Lupole
All Photographs Copyright © 2012  Kathleen G. Lupole

Monday, April 09, 2012

Moving The Fence Line

A beautiful spring day!

Recently we had to start working on moving our fence line by the barn. We moved it back a few feet from the driveway. The horses have a pretty big paddock and I don't think it will matter once the grass comes in. For now though, it looks a little different. They usually stick their heads under or over the fence wire to eat the grass on the other side. They are pretty good at avoiding the shock from the hot wire.

The fence line on the paddock is moved now!


The reason for moving the fence line though has nothing to do with the grass. It has to do with the installation of our brand new wind turbine! Yes, it will be going up this summer I hope. It will be behind our barn and the guide wires will be over the barn and in this area where the fence used to be. We do not want our horses messing with it and getting hurt. Or taking the wire down.



I hope this will stop the horses from chewing on the barn. They have been chewing on it pretty regular and this new fence line is far enough away that they shouldn't be able to reach it. This fence is pretty small for three spirited horses. We are fortunate that they don't care to get out of their paddock anymore. Must be as they have aged, they are homebodies now......like me! The area in the photo between the fence and the yard should have grass growing as soon as the weather turns warm. I can't wait to see how it will look!



Hobo sleeping in the sun!






Copyright © 2012 Kathleen G. Lupole
All Photographs Copyright © 2012  Kathleen G. Lupole




Saturday, April 07, 2012

Cookbooks For Your Kindle

My Kindle Fire! I love it!

It has been over four months since I got my new Kindle Fire. Do I still love it? Yes! I do! Very much so. Every night, I read before going to bed and it is what I look forward to every evening. Sometimes I read out loud to my husband. Many times though, he falls asleep, so I just read to myself. There are many books on Amazon for free every day, so if you have a Kindle, you probably already know that. If you aren't a Kindle owner, you may want to download the Free Kindle Reading Apps from Amazon, that makes it possible for you to read Kindle books on your computer.

I have had people asking me for cookbooks for their kindles, so here is a list of some books I have found. These are NOT free books! You can find those on Amazon, but they change daily. Hope these cookbooks will give you an idea of some of the great books available for the Kindle.




More Make It Fast, Cook It Slow: 200 Brand-New, Budget-Friendly, Slow-Cooker Recipes - This book is written by Stephanie O'Dea, who is a blogger and is very popular. Her blog is at Stephanie O'Dea.





The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet - This book is written by Robb Wolf who has a website at Robb Wolf and also writes a blog. He apparently has quite the reputation. I read some interesting reviews and testimonials about this Paleo Diet. It sound close to low carb but not exactly. Allows fruit, but not dairy..........I want both!





Casseroles - Best Recipes from Club, Church and Community Cookbooks - This book is full of good casserole recipes, as well as written and formatted outstandingly.  I know this because one of the reviews I read of this book, a reviewer commented on that fact. I love casseroles and will be adding this book to my kindle as soon as I add my gift card to my account at Amazon.






  The Happy Herbivore Cookbook - This cookbook written by Lindsay Nixon is a cookbook for a healthy vegan diet. Some of the reviews I read about this book, state that it doesn't matter if you are vegan or not, that the recipes will suit anyone who wants to eat healthy.




  Edible Wild Plants (The Wild Food Adventure) - This book is not exactly a cookbook, but does give directions on how to identify, cook and eat the edible wild plants. Written by John Kallas, PhD, who has a website at Wild Food Adventures for more information.





The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from My Frontier (Enhanced) - Who has not heard of The Pioneer Woman? Ree Drummond writes a blog at The Pioneer Woman, where she writes about her life on an Oklahoma ranch. Excellent!




  30 Delicious Refrigerator Cake Recipes - Icebox cakes and desserts were popular when I was growing up in the 50's. My mother made them often. This cookbook written by Lori Burke includes how to cut the calories in the recipes. A good collection of easy to make cakes!





Quick-Fix Southern: Homemade Hospitality in 30 Minutes or Less - This book is written by Rebecca Lang, who writes for Southern Living magazine. I grew up in the south so liked the idea of a cookbook that shortens southern recipes for quicker preparation. No pictures, but I'd rather have more recipes and less photos on my kindle.



  Easy, Fabulous Bread Making: A collection of quick, no-knead, homemade bread recipes - Written by Barbara Mack, this book gives you the recipes for making no-knead bread, which is just what I wanted. Thank you, Barbara Mack! I can't wait to try it!




1001 Low-Carb Recipes: Hundreds of Delicious Recipes from Dinner to Dessert That Let You Live Your Low-Carb Lifestyle and N - This cookbook is written by one of very favorite authors, Dana Carpender! Her books have been essential to my low carb way of eating. This book is a compilation of her other books. She probably wanted to make it easier for us Kindle owners (and she did!). Her recipes are REAL food for a low carber! If you are searching for a way to get out of the rut of meat and salad (which is what I did), then check out Dana's book. You can also check out her website at Hold The Toast!


I think I will be doing this as a feature on my blog every Saturday. Highlighting some kindle books for my readers. Hope this helps you find some good kindle books. If there is a type of book you are looking for,  leave a comment or contact me using my contact me form. Thanks for reading!



Copyright © 2012 Kathleen G. Lupole
All Photographs Copyright © 2012  Kathleen G. Lupole


I am a participant in Amazon's  associates program.
Affiliate advertising programs are designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to their products and sites.