Frontier Freedom

We finally got a new computer and are back online. It’s been an exciting and busy winter for us already. After much consideration, I have set up a new blog.  I hope you’ll visit.  Just click the picture. We’ve had lots of snow.  My boys and I are running our own trapline this winter (actually two), and they recently got their first marten. It was quite the day for them!  We often stop along the trail to build a fire, warm our hands and have hot chocolate before snowshoeing home. Please stop by for a visit.

We finally returned from town, but I have not been able to post. Winter is sneaking up on us way too fast, and I still have lots to do before it snows. The early morning temperatures are usually right around freezing, so it won’t be long. Now it looks like our laptop is about to go belly up. The screen is a strange pink color, and every time we connect the power cord to the 12-volt system, the screen goes black.  We have to rely on the battery that came with the laptop over 5 years ago, so that only gives us a few minutes at a time now. But, since everything takes much longer than normal to load, it doesn’t do us much good. I’m not sure when we’ll be able to get our laptop fixed or replaced, but once we do I’ll start blogging (and visiting) again. Our 16 year old workhorse chainsaw finally bit the dust, too. Since we need one for firewood to heat and cook, and to cut logs for our new cabin, that’s at the top of the list when my husband makes a trip into town next month. I hope everyone has a great start to homeschooling this year!

Jenny

The boys and I will head to town next week for a few days. A shopping trip isn’t a big deal to most people, but I haven’t been in town or driven a car in 5 months. It’ll probably be at least another six months or so before I go again, so my few days in town are jammed. It always takes more time than I expect to get ready for the trip. That’s why I have not posted much or visited other blogs lately.

I start making a shopping list as soon as I return from my previous trip. I always forget a few things, can’t find a few “necessities”, or run out of time (or steam) before I work through my list. I write my list in two parts. The first part is for things I absolutely MUST get or do while in town. The second half is what would be nice, but not major problem if I get home without it. Whatever I don’t get we do without until the next trip.

I used to write a date on everything we opened (bags of oats, buckets of peanut butter, jars of spices, etc.). Then, when we ran out, I could calculate how long the item lasted, and how much we need for six months or a year. Now I pretty much know how much of everything we use each year, so I don’t do that very often.

Before each trip, I inventory my kitchen shelves, and my husband goes to the cache to see what’s there. In addition to the groceries, we try to think about equipment, such as chain saws, the 4 wheeler, snow machine and other things. Those are close to being necessities out here. (I expect the economy and political system to totally crash, and we’ll find out soon enough that they aren’t really necessities.) My husband uses the 4 wheeler during the summer to haul water, and the plane load of stuff to our cabin from the lake. He uses the snow machine throughout our long winters to haul water and logs for firewood. I don’t like motors, so I stick with the dog, but that’s beside the point. It’s always a gamble trying to decide what is likely to break, and what will probably make it though without major replacement parts until the next trip. Several years ago the steering column on the snow machine broke at the beginning of the winter. I went into town a couple of months later, had it welded, and bought an extra to have on hand. That was five years ago, and it looks like the machine will die long before we need that extra steering column. So much for gambling (uh, I mean, planning).

My shopping lists are unbelievably long. Once, a few years back, I lost my list in the first store! What a disaster. I came home with a year’s supply of some things we already had plenty of, and totally forgot things we’d been out of for months. At the time we didn’t have internet, so I couldn’t email my husband. We had a radio phone so I could have called him to make another list. But, the phone was on a huge party line, so all the other families and businesses scattered throughout the bush in this part of Alaska could hear our conversations, and our shopping list. So, now I make a few copies and keep them stashed in my suitcase.

I got sidetracked because I still have not organized and re-written my shopping list. My original has things from the hardware store mixed with groceries, as well as notes and errands to run, so I have to revamp it.  Sunday I will bake some breads and cookies as gifts for the pilot, air taxi folks and the gracious friends who have offered to have us stay with them and let us borrow their car. I have finished all the birch bark baskets except one, have finished all the soap orders, and have even made a baby gift.

Here’s a picture of the baby gift. The air taxi owner’s wife just had a little girl. I had so much fun knitting those pretty little girly things. I found the patterns on Ravelry. The hat is a pink Scalloped Lace Baby Cap by Carrie Griffin. I cannot find the pattern for the Mary Jane booties to give credit. I did not have a card or wrapping paper, so the boys made a little card. I wrapped the box in butcher paper, the boys drew colorful pictures, and then tied it with yellow yarn. So, now I’m almost caught up and ready to head to town. I’ll try to get back to blogging (and recipes) when we return late next week.

Jed had his 6th birthday this week, and this is the first time we’ve actually celebrated. My husband has never been a fan of celebrating birthdays, so up til now, I’ve agreed not to do it. He’s never really said we absolutely can’t do it. He just doesn’t like it. But, I like doing that sort of thing, so he agreed that we could start with Jed’s birthday.

We live in the bush, so it was a simple event. We spent time outdoors and just enjoyed the day. The weather has been uncooperative, so none of the folks who have vacation cabins out here were able to visit. Our “Old Timer” neighbor, Bud was our only guest. Jed made a special invitation for him. While he and Chuck delivered the invitation, Zeke and I made birthday cards and drew pictures on butcher paper to use as the wrapping paper.

I made a chocolate cake, at Jed’s request, but I didn’t let him see it decorated until after supper. I’m not very good at decorating cakes, but it was bright and colorful, so Jed was pleased. I really should have made it a gluten-free cake, but I figured since it had all that powdered sugar and food coloring in the frosting, I might as well go all out. I tried to off-set the “poisons” by giving him enzymes. He didn’t bounce off the walls like he usually does when he eats anything with food coloring, and he wasn’t cranky like he usually is when he gets gluten and sugar (only a few times a year).

The gifts were few, and homemade, except for Bud’s gift. A while back he bought a couple of Mora hunting knives for the boys, and waited for Jed’s birthday to give them to Zeke and Jed. Of course, it will be a couple of years before they get to carry them without supervision.

Since reading that wonderful book about Jim Bowie, Zeke and Jed have been practicing making knives from the different wood around here. They have discovered that cottonwood sharpens the easiest, although it is also the softest of the woods. They break rocks and use them as sharpening stones. They have learned which rocks are hardest and can be used to break the softer rocks. They know which ones will be rough inside (better for the initial sharpening), and which rocks are better for the finishing touches on their wooden knife blades. The boys are very proud of the knives Bud gave them, though. My sister-in law said that her husband’s dad gave her boys hatchets when they were about the same age as my boys. Hmmmm. Maybe we’ll wait a year or so on that. I’m planning to look for a bow and arrows when we get to town. I think there are some that even kids this young can pull.

Jed loves flying. I like to knit in the evenings, so I made him a stuffed airplane (picture at the top). He caught me knitting it when I thought he was asleep, so I told him it was going to be a hat. He actually believed me! At least he didn’t catch me stuffing it or sewing it together. He loved it so much that he sleeps with it. He said it’s his favorite gift, even better than the knife. I think it’s special to him because I made it. I found the pattern free online. I didn’t have regular stuffing that’s supposed to be used for toys, so I used what I had on hand, which was the stuff for the middle of quilts (I think it’s called quilt batting???). Didn’t turn out a smooth as I wanted, but Jed didn’t notice.

He’s been asking for a berry picking basket like mine for a couple of years. I usually just give the boys a plastic bag when we go into the woods for berries, fiddleheads, spruce tips or wild greens. I will probably have to make one for Zeke before the summer is out. I made it from birch bark, and the rim from a highbush cranberry branch.

I started “Yummy Monday” several weeks ago as a way for folks to share recipes. If you know of another recipe share going on at HomeschoolBlogger, please let me know. I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel. In the mean time, I’ll try to post a recipe each Sunday night or Monday morning, and I’ll have it set up on McLinky (Linky Tools). If you would like to share a recipe, just write your post, then click here to enter your link (web address for your recipe blog post) and to view the entire list of entered links with other Yummy Monday recipes. Feel free to use my picture at the top for your Yummy Monday posts, and I’d appreciate a link back to my blog.

I make several seasoning mixes to use when I cook. This week’s recipe is for a Mexican Seasoning Mix. I use it for tacos, nachos, and burritos. We like it better than the store bought.

Mexican Seasoning Mix

Yield: Enough to season about 8 pounds of meat. This a medium mix; not really hot, but hotter than mild.

3/4 cup rice flour (or plain wheat flour)
1/4 cup chili powder (homemade or store bought)
1/4 cup paprika
1/4 cup sea salt
6 Tbsp. dehydrated minced onion
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
4 tsp. garlic powder
4 tsp. sugar (evaporated cane juice or maple sugar)
2 tsp. oregano
1 1/2 Tbsp. cumin

Combine all ingredients and store in a glass jar with a lid. To use, brown 1 pound of ground meat; drain. Stir in 1/4 cup of the seasoning mix and 2/3 cup water. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, and cook, uncovered, for about 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until it reaches the desired consistency. Then use it as you would for tacos, nachos, or burritos. Sometimes I add a little salsa while it’s cooking and decrease the water a bit.

Next week I will post a recipe (and a picture) for delicious gluten-free chocolate cake. I know, the chocolate kind of blasts the healthy aspect of gluten-free, but my youngest son will turn six this week, so I’m making a chocolate birthday cake for him.

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On the Heart and Mind:

Like many people, I’ve been worried about the oil “spill” (as the media insists on downplaying it) in the Gulf of Mexico. I keep reading stories of people in Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South and North Carolina and other states who are hundreds of miles from the disaster and who are beginning to have unexplained health problems, finding spots on crops, having sudden crop failures, and finding dead birds in their yards that had been healthy and nesting there the day before. Some stories report cracks in the ocean floor and other areas where gasses are spewing. There are stories about the incredibly high levels of methane and other gasses in the air.

I read one report of sick clean-up crews who are being turned away from the hospital near the spill area and being sent to a new “center” set up by BP so they can keep track of and provide their own treatments for their employees.  Clean-up workers and others are prohibited from talking to the press. The press is not even allowed in the area. There are reports that the Navy has pulled out of the Gulf. There are stories about how the “spill” could even lead to a massive tsunami in the Gulf. There is so much more.

The uncertainty about what is really going on, and the uncertainty about the future is very worrisome.

On a lighter note, and closer to home, I finally made arrangements to go into town. I’m not disappointed that I couldn’t get everything coordinated until August. Now I need to start ordering some things so they will be on the plane when it comes to get us. I feel so wasteful when the plane comes out empty. We have to charter a plane when we want to go to town, and the price is the same whether it’s empty or full. The bulk of it will be groceries. I order many groceries from a restaurant supply place in town and have them deliver to the air taxi. I order other things from a co-op. I need to get more yarn ordered so that I can finish Zeke’s bedspread and for socks, hats and mittens for this winter. I have a long list of things. It will likely be our only plane until after the first of the year, unless my husband goes into town this fall.

On the Home Front:

Our cabin is about a mile down the trail through the woods from the lake. Today we walked to the lake for a picnic lunch and had a fun afternoon. The first picture is of two loons we enjoyed watching while we ate lunch. They were in the middle of the lake, so I didn’t get a very good pic. Then a picture of Jedidiah opening his pack, ready for a snack. Later I tried to teach the boys how to skip rocks. It didn’t take long for the students to surpass their teacher. Before long Zeke was able to select the perfect rock and then make it skip across the water 4 times! The events in the news make me appreciate times like this with my family more than ever.

From the Schoolroom:

Zeke and Jed found 14 different kinds of mushrooms today. A few days ago they noticed that we have many different kinds right around our cabin. I’m not very good at identifying mushrooms, so we decided to try to make a few spore prints to see if that would help us. I’m sorry to say that it didn’t, although we had fun making the prints (left). Many edible mushrooms resemble poisonous varieties, so I don’t like to take a chance with them.

Today we saw a Birch Bolete mushroom at the edge of the woods near the lake. I wish I’d taken our mushroom book with us so that we could have identified it at the time. It is supposed to be very good to eat, only I didn’t know that until after we returned home and found it in the mushroom guide.

Every year we have a nice patch of sulfur shelf mushrooms that grow on a spruce stump from a blow-down. I will be glad to see them later when they begin to grow. They are easy to identify, and good to eat.

If you’d like to learn how we made our mushroom spore prints, see this post.

Family Read Aloud:

We are reading an old Landmark book, The Pony Express by Samuel Hopkins Adams. It is filled with wonderful information, but a bit dry. I expected it to have more adventure to hold the attention of young boys. There are 20 chapters, and since we’re only reading one each night, we’ll be on this book for a while. It is beginning to get more exciting for the boys.

In the Craft Corner:

I’ve been busy making lots of birch bark baskets this week. No new pictures yet (I’ll post some next week), but if you’d like to see some of the baskets I sell, take a look here. I have almost filled all the orders and will mail them when we go to town. I still need to make several more batches of soap. I have lots of spruce pitch in the oils I use for soaps. It smells so good! I’m planning to make a batch with it next week.

Jedidiah will be 6 next week. There are no stores here. Even if there were, I’d probably still make his gifts. I’ve always preferred homemade gifts. Jed loves flying in bush planes so I found a cute pattern to knit a plane. I was going to try to hide it from him completely, but he kept catching me. So, I just told him I’m making a hat for his birthday. That satisfied him. He just can’t figure out where all those pieces are going to end up on a hat. I hope he isn’t disappointed when he unwraps the box and sees that it’s really a plane. (No chance!)

In the Woods

We hunted for mushrooms, tried to identify them (with minimal success), collected a few to make spore prints and learned how mushrooms reproduce.

In the Kitchen:

I’m trying to do better again about keeping the boys completely gluten-free (I never let them have sugar or soy). They do so much better without any gluten, sugar, soy or casein. I’m always at least fairly careful about it, but lately I haven’t worried too much if they get a little gluten. But, they’ve been crankier than usual, and forgetful, so I’m back to being strict with their foods. I’ll let them slide on Jed’s birthday, and give them enzymes.

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Spore print of mushrooms in our yard

We’ve had quite a bit of rain this summer, and with it has come an abundance of mushrooms. Yesterday Zeke and Jed noticed that we have many different kinds and asked me what they are called. I don’t know much about mushrooms, so I got out a little book called Alaska’s Mushrooms by Harriette Parker, and tried to identify the first clump we came to in our yard. Based on appearance, I had no idea what kind they were. All I knew was that they were little brown, gilled mushrooms. Since spore prints are

Spore print of same kind of mushroom. The black paper distorts the color.

kind of the defining test for mushroom identification, we decided to give that a try. The color of the spore print will give you a good idea of the mushroom’s identity. (After we got our prints started, we went back outside and I sent the boys on a mushroom hunt to find as many mushrooms as they could near our cabin. I took pictures and added them to the end of this post.)

Mushroom caps of the same variety on white and black paper for comparison of spore prints.

Jars are placed over the mushroom caps.

We had never made mushroom spore prints before, so it was fun for the boys and me. It’s very simple. Collect the mushroom. If you are not certain of their safety, it’s best to wear gloves. If you can’t do that, handle minimally and wash hands well before touching your eyes, nose or mouth, and before handling food. Don’t eat them unless you are certain they are safe. Some mushrooms are very poisonous. Cut the stem close to the cap (for most mushrooms), and place it gill side down (or spore side down if it is a non-gilled mushroom) on white paper. Cover the mushroom caps with a jar or bowl, and leave at least two hours or overnight. Then remove the jar and carefully lift the mushroom cap from the paper.

The mushrooms we used for our first spore prints (top).

White paper is usually best because it reveals the true color. Black paper can distort the color, as you see in the photo near the top. The prints above were taken from the same type of mushroom (left), but the prints on the black paper appear to have much more red. The actual color was a reddish brown, but not that red. If you know a spore print will be white or very light, then gray or black paper should be used.

It is important to cover the mushroom caps with a jar or bowl. This will prevent spores from blowing around the house in air currents, it will protect you and your family from breathing potentially dangerous spores, and

it will prevent the mushrooms from being disturbed. If you are out hiking and want to make a spore print, my mushroom book recommended placing the mushroom cap on a white card, covering it with waxed paper and placing it someplace in your pack so that it won’t be disturbed. Mushrooms are a great treat in meals, if you know what you’re eating.

Spore prints cannot be obtained from mushrooms that are too young, too old, too dry, soggy or sterile. Our first mushrooms were pretty wet, so I half expected not to see any prints.

Spore print of another gilled mushroom

To the left is another spore print. There were several kinds of mushrooms on the end of this old birch log. We removed the top one (seen in the picture above) for a spore print. The actual spore print color was a medium brown.

Since I could not figure out how to make a slideshow of the other mushrooms my sons found around our cabin, here are a few more pictures. I know the identity of a few of them, but not all.

These are birch conks. Some of the Alaska Natives have told me that they burn them and then use the ashes like chewing tobacco. They call it “Black Bull”. We use it to repel mosquitoes when we’re working outside. We punch a few holes near the bottom of a coffee can, get a small fire going, add a few birch conks, and keep them smoldering. The smoke keeps bugs away.

Zeke and I think these (below) are angel wings, but we’re not sure. If they are, then they are edible. Since I’m not sure, we’ll leave them. They are old and were growing on a spruce stump.

These are Coral Mushrooms growing on a spruce stump

I have no idea what this is. We tried to get a spore print, but it smelled bad and within a few minutes of handling it, I got a mild headache so we tossed it.

I think this is a variety of Artist’s Conk. Some folks paint scenes on them and sell them to tourists. These are gray on the bottom and white with a suede feel on the top. I broke one off for a better picture. This one was on an old birch log that was overgrown with grass. You can see all the dead grass that had grown through it. There are others below it.

I don’t know what these are called, either, but the boys found them not far from our cabin under an old blow-down log, so I added it to the collection.

We have some Sulfur Shelf (edible) and Fly Agaric (poisonous) not too far from our cabin, but they are not growing yet. The pictures above were all we found right close. It was fun for Zeke and Jed to learn about mushrooms.

This week’s recipe is for Homemade Noodles. Yummy Monday is a recent, weekly feature of The Last Frontier blog that I hope others will join. I thought it would be fun to share recipes to help with ideas for meals and treats. I’ll try to post a recipe each Sunday night or Monday morning, and I’ll have it set up on McLinky (Linky Tools). If you would like to share a recipe, just write your post, then click here to enter your link (web address for your recipe blog post) and to view the entire list of entered links with other Yummy Monday recipes. Feel free to use my picture at the top for your Yummy Monday posts, and I’d appreciate a link back to my blog.

I’ve always loved homemade noodles. They’re really pretty easy and quick to make. Here’s my recipe for noodle dough. The instructions look a little long, but it’s just to explain. It’s quick, and so much better than store-bought, especially for company. This recipe is versatile. You can add spinach to make green noodles. You can cook them right away, make ahead and let them dry. The recipe can also be doubled or tripled.

Homemade Noodles

Yield: about 6 servings

• about 1 1/2 to 2 cups plain flour (plus more for dusting)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp. vegetable oil
• about 2 Tbsp. water
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup well-drained and squeeze-dried, finely chopped cooked spinach (optional)

Combine 1 1/2 cups flour and the salt. Stir in eggs, oil and water all together. The dough will be a little crumbly and sticky. If you want green noodles, add the spinach now. Work the dough with your hands and knead it like bread dough, gradually adding more flour as necessary. In a couple of minutes it begins to act more like a normal dough. Knead about 10 minutes. You need a soft, smooth elastic dough. Shape into a ball.

Divide dough in half. Dust one half with flour, cover with plastic wrap and set aside. Shape the other half into a ball. On a very well floured smooth surface, roll out the dough into a circle or oval. Decide how long you want your noodles and roll it so one side is that length. I roll a little, then sprinkle more flour on the top and bottom as needed. Roll until it is just about paper thin.

Now, dust the top with flour and roll it up into sort of a log. Not too tight, but not floppy loose, either. Slice with a sharp knife to any thickness. I usually cut them about 1/4 to 3/8 inch for soup or spaghetti, or up to about 2 inches wide for lasagna. Once you have the log cut into slices, unroll each noodle and place on a board or cooling rack to dry a little. You could lay them in strips, but I just make loose piles of noodles. If you have a pasta drying rack (or a clean broom handle) you can hang them to dry. Let the noodles dry about 15 to 30 minutes before cooking. Sometimes I make extra and dry them completely before storing.

Cook in rapidly-boiling salted water for about 5 minutes, or until tender. I add a couple of tablespoons of oil to the water before adding the noodles. Drain and serve or add them to a soup.

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My husband ran across this quiz. Many of the questions were once on the citizenship test for immigrants to the United States. I need to brush up on the amendments. Click here to take the short quiz.

On the Heart and Mind:

I’ve been procrastinating this week — actually for the last couple of months. I need to make arrangements to go into town for a few days, but I keep putting it off. I have so much to do around here, and I really don’t want to take the time off to fly to Anchorage, drive a car in traffic, and all the other stuff that goes with being in a city. It’s really eating at me. I get so nervous being in town, shopping and driving since I only do that a couple of times a year!  But, I will make arrangements on Monday and just get it over with. Then I won’t have to worry about it again until at least after the first of the year.

On the Home Front:

Still working on the house, little by little. This week it seemed that many small projects took over.

In the Garden:

Hugel Kultur Bed

My husband built a Hugel Kultur bed. He wrote a blog post about it here, just in case any of you are like I was, and have no idea what a Hugel Kultur bed is. The general idea is to keep the ground moist, and to keep good microbes working in the soil. We’re going to test it out when we divide our rhubarb this fall. Chuck dug an area 12 ft. long x 6 ft. wide (he later decided that was too wide), and about a foot and a half deep. He removed the sod first and set it aside. Then he spread old pieces of logs around the pit, put the sod on (roots up), and filled in with the dirt. We’ll see how it goes.

From the Schoolroom:

It seems like we just finished school, but now I’m organizing books and making some detailed plans to start again. I really enjoy homeschooling. Sometimes I think I should have been a teacher rather than a nurse. We don’t have a library, so I have to buy or trade for all the books we use. Since we’re basically using the Charlotte Mason method, we read LOTS of books. A friend visited and brought our mail, so the boys and I have had fun browsing through the new-to-us books and planning our school year.

I’m especially excited about history, although while I’m planning math, that’s the one that excites me. When I’m planning science, that’s the one to get top honors. Right now, though, it’s history!  We’re using TruthQuest History. We’ll start with the guide for American History for Young Students I. It looks like lots of fun, and we have many wonderful books planned.

We won’t actually start school until after I get the garden harvested (my husband is a hunting guide and is usually away for a couple of months, so the harvest is my job). But, I promised the boys that we would start history as soon as we return from town. I’m getting some timeline figures, maps and a few other things from Homeschool In The Woods, and we’re all looking forward to using those along with the books we’re planning to read. For the remainder of the summer we will read about a few New World Explorers: Leif the Lucky, Christopher Columbus, De Soto, Conquista! (Coronado fits in with that one), and Henry Hudson. We’ll take our time reading the books, start a timeline and do a few activities like maps, games, learn about ships and how to tie a few knots, and other things. I’m guessing that should easily get us through until we “officially” start school on a regular schedule.

Family Read Aloud:

We finished Wind in the Willows tonight. The boys enjoyed the part in the Buffalo Bill book from a week or so ago that talked about the Pony Express, so I think tomorrow night we will begin a wonderful old Landmark book, “The Pony Express” by Samuel Hopkins Adams. I’ve only glanced through it, but it looks to be full of adventure!

In the Craft Corner:

Birch Bark Baskets

I’m still plugging away at hexagons for the bedspread I’m making for one of my sons, Zeke. I only made two more hexagons this week, though. I have to admit that I’m beginning to get bored with hexagons. But, I want to keep at it until I just can’t stand it anymore. That way I’ll have so many that I’ll be committed to finishing.

Jed’s birthday is coming up, so I need to start on something for him — Maybe a stuffed toy??? He likes bright colors and loves wearing socks I make for him. Maybe some bright striped socks????? Hmmmm. I don’t know what to make. Suggestions please!   He’s been asking me for a little birch bark berry-picking basket so he’ll have one of his own when he helps me pick spruce tips, berries, wild greens for salads and other things. So, I’m definitely going to make him a basket. (I know, that sounds like a “foo-foo” strange gift for a 6 year old boy, but for a bush rat, it’s actually a very handy “tool”. Sure beats a plastic bag!.) But, I do want to knit something fun for him.

I made two birch bark baskets this week — a bread/fruit basket and a berry-picking basket. I have not quite finished the berry-picking basket. I still need to make the leather carrying strap for it. Sunday I will gather more bark and spend most of the week on baskets. I still have a few more weeks of making baskets and soap before I’ll have all the orders filled. If you would like a basket, homemade soap or other things, click here to see more pictures, prices and info on how to order.

In the Woods

Except for gathering bark, I haven’t spent much time in the woods this week.

Grandma's Dilly Bread

In the Kitchen:

More rhubarb juice and sauce. I have been making homemade noodles again since I ran out of the store-bought kind months ago. I’ll post a recipe for this upcoming Yummy Monday. I also made my husband’s favorite bread, Dilly Bread! His grandmother used to make it especially for him when he was growing up. I rarely have any cottage cheese, but this week I had some and made a HUGE loaf of it today. I haven’t made Dilly bread in years. I’d forgotten how good it is. Now I remember why it is my husband’s favorite “specialty” bread.

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Last year I began using Math On The Level (MOTL) with my children. It is the most wonderful, common sense math curriculum I’ve ever seen. The authors of the program, Carlita and John Boyles (homeschooling parents) are offering a free webinar on Tuesday, July 13 at 2:00 PM Eastern Time. It is hosted by The Old Schoolhouse and HomeschoolBlogger. You can register here http://homeschoolblogger.com/webinar/ . They are having sort of a “pre-show” starting at 1:00 PM Eastern time. Parents will be able to ask questions during the webinar.

Carlita said that during the first part of the webinar they are planning to talk about “stepping out of the box” in teaching math, why it’s good to use a real-life approach, and how to do that. Their focus is to “equip parents to understand teaching math and to be more effective at teaching math.” I can tell you from experience that Math On The Level does exactly that!

Although the webinar will not be an ad for Math On The Level, they will, of course, spend a little time telling folks about the curriculum. But, I’ll try to tell you a little about it here. Math On The Level is a complete K-8 math curriculum for the entire family. There is enough structure in the program to keep you organized and keep you moving in the right direction for your children. But, there is also plenty of flexibility so that you are teaching what your children are developmentally ready to learn, instead of what some textbook publisher says your children “should” be doing at such-and-such point each year. Your children will learn each math concept as they are ready. By the time they finish, they will have learned each concept that is necessary to move into Algebra and beyond. And, best of all, you AND your children will have fun with math. Instead of it being one of those “OK, lets get it over with” chores each day, math becomes something to look forward to.

One of the things I love about Math On The Level is that multiple children can be taught at the same time according to what each child is ready to learn. Developmental level of each child is the key to this curriculum. Even though my boys are only four months apart in age, their math level is very different. However, I can do the same activities with both of them to teach what each child  needs to learn and is ready to learn.

Zeke loves everything about numbers, and without much effort on either his or my part he is able to understand many concepts that are typically taught much later in school. Jed has many strengths, but math isn’t one of them. He is having trouble recognizing numbers. But, when we have our math time each day, we all do the same things. I do not have separate lessons for each of them. If we’re baking cookies, we might double the recipe. Zeke might add fractions with like denominators, while Jed might tell me that the top number is a 3, and then help Zeke put the ingredients into the bowl. As I bake the cookies, the boys do chores, each worth a certain amount of money. They have to figure out how much money they have earned and pick out the coins from a box we use for school money. Then they get to buy cookies from the storekeeper (me)!

The books that come with the program are for the parents rather than the children. You purchase the books, and then can use them for all of your children from Pre-School through Pre-Algebra. They are not textbooks nor workbooks. They teach you, the parent how to teach using real life. Math readers and games can be used, if you like, but absolutely nothing is else beyond the MOTL books is necessary for this program.

There is an example of a typical Scope and Sequence chart in the binder that is included with Math On The Level, but it is only to give parents a general idea. It is not there to make parents think that concepts must be taught in that order. I do not follow it, but I do refer to it once in a while, sort of like a brochure of a vacation destination. You plan on visiting certain places and doing certain things, but there is no right or wrong order in which to experience everything. You do it according to how it fits into your overall plan, the ages and interests of your family members, and how everyone is feeling on any given day.

For example, sometimes I plan to do something outside with my boys that will be a good way for them to learn a particular math concept. But, when we wake up that morning, the weather isn’t cooperating, or maybe someone invites us to dinner and I need to bake bread or a pie to take, so we just don’t get to the activity I’d planned for math. But all isn’t lost. We can still do math that day, only we do something different. Maybe we play “Countdown” or another math game to reinforce/learn concepts. Or maybe we make a board game from a file folder, make up our own rules and then play the game.  Or, I’ll let them help me in the kitchen. That’s a wonderful way to learn fractions, measurement, addition, multiplication, division, etc.

There is a wonderful Concepts Chart included in the Math On The Level binder that you can use for all of your children so you know what they know. My son Zeke, who is 6 and just finished kindergarten has been able to zoom ahead with fractions because I’m learning how to present and teach concepts that he is ready to learn, and in a way that suits him. On other concepts, he’s still at a typical kindergarten level. That’s fine. He learns each concept as he is ready to learn it. And when he is ready for each concept, he “gets it” very easily. There is no struggle for either of us. Math is fun. The same is true for Jed. He’s still not zooming ahead in math, but now he at least has an interest in learning math, and he thoroughly enjoys it.

Another innovative and very welcome feature of Math On The Level is the 5-A-Day. Children do not need to do pages of workbook problems each day. Once they are ready to do written work (I think this is usually around 2nd grade, sometimes 1st, and sometimes much later), you give them 5 review problems each day. There are plenty of sample problems for you to use at the back of each book. All of the concepts on the 5-A-Days should already be mastered. The 5-A-Day’s are for consistent review. Concepts begin as daily review with one problem for that concept each day. This may only be necessary for a few days, or perhaps a couple of weeks. Once you feel that your child  knows it very well, move it to every other day, then weekly, and eventually to once every three weeks. Each concept through pre-algebra can be reviewed at least once every three weeks, and with only 5 problems each day. This is possible because many concepts can be combined in one math problem (you could have an addition problem on the left side, a subtraction problem on the right, and the child chooses <, >, or =; they have to work each problem first, and review several concepts in one problem). Some concepts are dropped once more advanced concepts are learned (drop single digit addition once multiple digit addition is learned). There is a written chart in the binder to keep track of which concepts to review, and how often, or you can request a wonderful computer spreadsheet that is very helpful. This is available for folks who buy the program and are past their 60-Day trial period. I’ve only played around with this so far because we haven’t actually started the 5-A-Day’s yet, but I think I’ll start it this year.

This is not at all a complete review of Math On The Level. I hope you will join me and register for the free webinar (click here), and visit the Math On The Level website.  There is so much more to it, and the whole concept is amazingly simple. On the Math On The Level website there is a link to a very helpful Yahoo Group. There are hundreds of parents in the group, and their children are all ages. All of your questions can be answered there, or by using the Contact Us form on the Math On The Level website. Also, once you purchase Math On The Level, you have 60 Days to try it out. If you are not satisfied, you can return it for a refund. See their website for details.

I hope you all had a wonderful Independence Day!

Yummy Monday is a new, weekly feature of The Last Frontier blog. I thought it would be fun to share recipes to help with ideas for meals and treats. I’ll try to post a recipe each Sunday night or Monday morning, and I’ll have it set up on McLinky (Linky Tools). If you would like to share a recipe, just write your post, then click here to enter your link (web address for your recipe blog post) and to view the entire list of entered links with other Yummy Monday recipes. Feel free to use my picture at the top for your Yummy Monday posts, and I’d appreciate a link back to my blog.

Wild Chives are abundant this time of year, so I do all sorts of things with them. They are great for preventing and curing colds, other viruses, and bacterial infections. Each year I chop a bunch of roots, place them in a few jars with chopped, organic garlic, and then fill the jars with organic apple cider vinegar. My boys enjoy it, and it works wonders! We use it on salads, or take a few tablespoons a day when we’re in town or if one of us feels kind of under the weather.

OK, I know you are reading this for my Wild Chive Bread recipe, so I’ll get right to it. This is delicious, moist bread!

Wild Chive Bread

Yield: 2 loaves or a bunch of rolls

• 2 3/4 cups water
• 7 Tbsp. sugar
• 2 Tbsp. active dry yeast
• 3 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 cups softened cream cheese
• about 2 1/2 cups chopped fresh chives (wild chives have better flavor than cultivated, but any fresh chives will work)
• about 7 1/2 cups plain flour

Dissolve sugar in very warm water. Sprinkle yeast onto water and wait about 5 minutes until bubbly. Stir in salt, cream cheese, chives and about 2 cups of the flour. Stir well. Gradually add more flour and stir until too stiff to stir; then turn onto floured surface and gradually knead in additional flour until the dough is soft and elastic.  Shape into a ball, coat lightly with vegetable oil, place in a bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap. (When I cover dough with a damp towel, the dough either sticks to the towel or it dries out while it rises. Years ago I read about using plastic wrap instead of a damp towel, and this is what I’ve done ever since.)

Let dough rise in a warm place, free of drafts until doubled in bulk, approximately 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Punch dough down. Shape into two loaves (or rolls) and place in greased pans. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to almost double in bulk. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F. oven until lightly browned. When done, remove from pans. This is delicious hot, but let the loaves cool a bit before slicing.

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On the Heart and Mind:

My boys are always on my heart and mind. I love watching them mature, make discoveries and learn new skills. This week they decided to make their own bows and arrows from sticks and pieces of string. Very primitive, but it’s a start! They got pretty good at shooting rubber ducks off a stump!

Before they could build their precision bows, they needed to build a workbench. The picture below is of Jedidiah working on his first of several bows.

Jed making his first bow and arrow at the workbench he and Zeke built.

The next one shows Ezekiel and Jedidiah with their “perfected” bows and shooting their first arrows.

Zeke and Jed shooting their perfected bows.

They used rubber ducks on a stump for target practice.

Zeke and Jed used rubber ducks on a stump for target practice.

On the Home Front:

We’ve been “working on” a new log cabin for the last 5 years. But, for many reasons we haven’t done much with it in the last 4 1/2. We’re finally getting back to it! When we built the tiny frame cabin we’re living in now, we intended for it to be “temporary”, and just something to provide shelter while we built our real house, which we expected to finish within two years. That was 12 years ago! Like so many other Alaskans, once we had four walls and a roof over our heads, other projects got in the way.

The new cabin will be much larger than the one we’re in now — 36′ x 24 (one floor). We dug the root cellar a while back, but as you can see, lots of plants have taken hold.

I’m excited because Chuck started back on the floor joists last week and began digging the root cellar back out today. That was supposed to be my job, but he got bored with the floor joists. He said he’ll start milling boards for the root cellar walls next week if I will do the floor joists! Hooray! We’re making progress. I’ve never made floor joists, but he said he’ll teach me. He already has them milled, but they are not cut to the proper length. I think this means I’ll get my first chainsaw lessons too!

I’m really hoping (and begging) for a well in the root cellar so that I can have a pitcher pump in the kitchen. It will be so nice to just pump water whenever we want it instead of hauling it in 5-gallon buckets from the spring. I’ll still have to heat it on the wood stove to wash dishes, but it will be so nice to have a real sink with a pitcher pump!

From the Schoolroom:

This time of year “school” is real life (usually outside). A few months ago we read Charlotte’s Web. Ever since, my boys have been fascinated with spiders.

This week they found an egg sac on some tall grass down the hill from our cabin just as the hundreds of baby spiders were emerging. Jed ran to tell me, so I grabbed the camera. A short time later Zeke and Jed went back, but the spiders were gone. I don’t know if they had just dispersed, or if the robin we saw on the trail beside them fed them to here babies.

I admit that I kill spiders in the house. But, I don’t worry about them too much outside. Yesterday Zeke and Jed watched a spider eat a mosquito, so as far as I’m concerned, they earn their keep.

We have about 15 swallow boxes around the yard. Not all are full of nests. Yesterday the swallows were making a lot of noise around one of the boxes, so I knew a squirrel or a camp robber must be getting the nest of babies. By the time I got outside the squirrel had left the nest and run up a nearby spruce tree. Sadly, it ate the baby birds. The boys and I watched for a while from the porch as most of the swallows quickly gathered grass, feathers and other materials, and helped the mama bird build another nest in one of the empty boxes. I was surprised to see that since they usually leave to migrate south by mid to late July. I doubt they’ll have time to hatch and mature enough to make the long trip south.

Family Read Aloud:

We just finished Buffalo Bill: Boy of the Plains by Augusta Stevenson. Jedidiah asked to read The Wind In The Willows again. It is a fun book and my boys are thoroughly enjoying it!

In the Craft Corner:

I only finished two hexagons this week. I’m making a camouflage blanket/bedspread for one of my son’s, Ezekiel. I have 16. Only 79 to go!

I was planning to make birch bark baskets for people who have already ordered them, but we ended up with lots of meat, so I had to put the baskets on hold and get the meat and fish canned. That’s a problem I love to have!

Chickweed - The salve is great for burns, mosquito bites and bee stings. As a tea or tincture, it helps metabolize carbohydrates and fats.

In the Woods:

Maybe I should have changed the sub-title of this one to “In the Garden” since I picked Chickweed and made several jars of salve. Just in time, too! The day I made it, I spilled boiling water on my hand. Chickweed is wonderful for burns, so I immediately rubbed lots of the Chickweed Salve on the burn. Within a few minutes the pain was gone. My thumb was swollen that night, but there was only a tiny blister (and no more pain). Chickweed is a great plant for so many things!

Storage Cache

In the Kitchen:

I’ve been busy canning meat and fish. Still lots more to go. I wish we had a way to keep it frozen. A propane freezer would be so convenient. Not complaining, though. I’m very thankful to have the meat! It feels good to see all those jars on the shelves in the cache.

Pressure canning meat and fish

More Rhubarb! I put up more rhubarb juice and sauce this week. We were invited to have supper again at the little lodge on the lake, and I was asked to bring dessert. I told the owners I’d come up with something new, but they insisted on my Rhubarb Crunch again (click here for the recipe). My husband wanted me to make an extra one for us. That was a tempting thought, but I used all my self-control and didn’t do it.

This past Monday I began a recipe share here at the Last Frontier Blog. If you would like to join us (doesn’t have to be on Mondays), write your recipe and post it on your blog as usual, then check back here at The Last Frontier so that you can post your blog link at Linky tools. I will have the link in my Yummy Monday recipe so that others can find it. I will try to post Sunday night or Monday morning. Since Wild Chives are abundant now, I made some Wild Chive and Cream Cheese Bread this week. I will share my recipe on Yummy Monday!

We had friends over for a spaghetti supper. I did not have any pasta, so I made noodles. It’s been such a long time since I’ve made noodles that I’d forgotten how good they are homemade! I’ll save that one for a future Yummy Monday.

If you would like to join Weekly Wrap Up, just write yours and then visit Canadagirl for instructions on how to link it so that the rest of us can find it.

Yummy Monday is a new, weekly feature of The Last Frontier blog. I thought it would be fun to share recipes to help with ideas for meals and treats. I’ll try to post a recipe each Sunday night or Monday morning, and I’ll have it set up on McLinky (Link Tools). If you would like to share a recipe, just write your post, then click here to enter your link and view the entire list of entered links with other Yummy Monday recipes. Feel free to use the picture at the top, and I’d appreciate a link back to my blog.

Rhubarb took over my kitchen for a couple of days last week, so I’ll kick off Yummy Monday with a few delicious Rhubarb recipes — Rhubarb Nut Bread and Rhubarb Crunch.

Rhubarb Nut Bread

Rhubarb Nut Bread

(This recipe is based on an Applesauce Nut Bread recipe from Southern Living 1981 Annual Recipes cookbook.)

Yield: 1 loaf

• 1 cup sugar (I use maple sugar or evaporate cane juice)
• 1 1/4 cup rhubarb sauce (recipe follows)
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 3 Tbsp. milk
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 1/3 cups chopped pecans or walnuts, divided
• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix well and set aside.

Combine flour, soda, baking powder, 1 tsp. cinnamon, salt and nutmeg; add to rhubarb mixture, beating until smooth. Stir in 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts.

Spoon batter into a greased and floured 9″ x 5″ x 3″ loaf pan. Combine remaining nuts, brown sugar ad 1/2 tsp. cinnamon; sprinkle over batter. Bake at 350 degrees F. for about 60 to 70 minutes. Check after 30 minutes. If the top begins to brown too fast, cover loosely with foil.

Rhubarb Jelly, Rhubarb Juice and Rhubarb Sauce

When done, uncover ad cool 10 minutes in pan. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack.

Rhubarb Sauce

I make Rhubarb Sauce with the rhubarb pulp from making rhubarb juice. I got this from Canadagirl. Chop rhubarb, place in a saucepan and cover with water. Heat and let simmer until just before it turns mushy (but it seems that I always cook mine a bit too long. Still tastes great, though). I strain through a colander, and can the juice in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes (quarts). To the pulp, I add maple sugar to taste, and then can it in pint jars along with the rhubarb juice. We use Rhubarb Sauce as we would applesauce. The juice is used like lemonade.

Rhubarb Crunch

I had been making Rhubarb Crunch from a recipe I got from the Alaska Cooperative Extension Service, only I made a few changes. I have since seen this recipe on several recipe websites. I recently took it for a treat when we were invited to supper at a nearby lodge. There were a dozen people there and everyone loved it. The recipe below can be doubled.

• 1 cup flour
• 3/4 cup uncooked rolled oats
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 4 cups diced rhubarb
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Mix the flour, oatmeal, brown sugar, butter and cinnamon until crumbly. Press half the mixture into a 9″ square pan. Bake at 350 degrees F. 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

In a saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, water and vanilla. Cook until thick and clear.

Spread diced rhubarb over crumb mixture in the square pan. Pour the cornstarch mixture over rhubarb. Top with remaining crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees F. about 35 to 40 minutes or until bubbly. Delicious served warm.

On the Heart and Mind:

I’ve been comparing and contrasting our lifestyle to that of pioneer families, and wondering how these childhood experiences of our boys growing up in the Alaskan bush will impact their lives when they grow up. I wonder how they will fit into college life or the work world with all the city folks.

We’re reading a biography about the childhood of Buffalo Bill. As a young man, he was quite impressive. People really took to him because of his manners, strong character and abilities. When we are with other families, the adults often tell us how much they enjoy our boys because they are so well-mannered and have a deeper understanding of the natural world around them than most other children. (This is because of their experiences — they are outside hours each day instead of playing computer games, watching television or for whatever reason being forced to stay indoors most of the day.)

Values of people throughout the world are changing rapidly. I wonder if any of my boys’ experiences will mean anything by the time they leave home. I wonder if they will be seen as “oddities”, or if this lifestyle will help them. I think this is a great place for boys to grow up. They have so much freedom to explore and discover things for themselves.

It’s kind of ironic when I think about it. I was born and raised in the big city, but I never felt at home with that lifestyle, even though it was all I knew. I just didn’t fit in with the big city lifestyle. I always wished I’d been raised on a farm or out in the country. Now that I’m living in the wilderness, I feel so completely comfortable and at home here. As one old friend put it, I’m finally in my element. I wonder how my boys will see this lifestyle when they grow up and look back. I’m afraid I might have one city boy.

On the Home Front:

We’ve been working on a new house for years. We started it about 5 years ago, but then progress stopped. We’re finally starting to get back to it. We have the logs in the ground for the foundation. The basement (actually more of a root cellar) was dug a few years ago, but since we didn’t get the walls up, lots of the dirt has been caving in so it has been decided that it will be my job to dig it out again. I have baskets that I have to finish by the end of next week, so then it will be time for me to get back to work on the new cabin. It will be a log cabin . . . . someday!

We went to the lake and my husband gave the boys their first swimming lessons today. They didn’t need their life jackets, but since they’re new the boys insisted on wearing them. The mosquitoes were so bad that even my husband wore his head net. The bugs didn’t seem to bother Jedidiah, so he kept his net in his pocket.

From the Schoolroom:

We’re not doing any formal schooling this summer. But, Zeke and Jed amaze me by how much they have grown in maturity over the last couple of months. I think that’s why this has seemed like a busier summer than in the last few years. They are old enough to be of great help to us, and can be so independent.

This week they found some scrap lumber. OK, it’s not exactly scrap lumber. They stole some boards that my husband milled. He is planning to build sort of a  little cold room in a corner of our cabin so that our potatoes and other things store better. Zeke and Jed decided he could do without a few because they really “needed” a tree house. Soooooo, they built one themselves!

I was really impressed. They found a bucket of bent nails and asked their daddy if they could have them. Then they borrowed a couple of his hammers and went to work straightening the nails. They hauled the lumber to their chosen spot and started building. From time to time they’d ask Chuck to cut a board “right here”. Then they’d get back to work. They are learning to plan ahead and figure out things. They are also learning to work together, which is a BIG plus! And, it is very sturdy.

Now, their tree house is only about 4 feet off the ground, and they ran out of boards before they got any walls or a roof built, but that’s beside the point. This was their first “large scale” building project. There were a few smacked fingers, but what does it matter? They had fun!

Family Read Aloud:

“Buffalo Bill: Boy of the Plains” by Augusta Stevenson from the Childhood of Famous Americans series. I read one chapter to them each night before bed. Zeke and Jed are loving these stories!

In the Craft Corner:

I made a batch of Balm of Gilead Soap. This batch is a bit darker than previous batches. Has the same woodsy scent. No volcanoes or big messes this time.

I’m knitting hexagons for a blanket for Zeke (he drew the longest straw and gets the first blanket). 14 down; only 81 to go! Zooming right along, aren’t I?

In the Woods

We’ve been eating lots of wild greens for salads, but they are just about too old now to enjoy. I wish I’d planted some lettuce in the garden this year.

I picked some chickweed to make a few jars of salve. I keep a jar in the kitchen to use when I get burned on the wood stove (and sell the rest). I’m getting back to drinking chickweed tea, and will make a few jars of tincture to have for the winter.

In the Kitchen:

I’ve really been into sourdough this week. I just love a breakfast that keeps me from getting hungry most of the day. Sourdough hotcakes are wonderful, so we’ve been having them most every morning. Today we had them with Highbush Cranberry Syrup that a friend made last fall. Someone recently sent us some delicious homemade strawberry jam. I think that will be good tomorrow morning. Earlier in the week I made my first loaves of sourdough bread in over a year. You can read my post and recipe here.

Would anyone like to join me in posting a recipe or two each week, or as often as you can? I was thinking of doing it sort of like the Weekly Wrap Up is done with the linky thing so that others can join me. It would be a great way to share recipes and get new ideas for meals and treats. If you know of another recipe share type thing already going on at Homeschool Blogger, please let me know. I’ll just join that instead of starting a new one.  If there’s not already one, then what about a name for this one? My son, Ezekiel thought it chould be called “Yummy Monday”.  I can’t think of anything, and that has a nice ring to it , so unless someone has a different name in mind and would like to go with a different day of the week. that’s how we’ll begin. I’ll post my recipes Monday and set it up so others can post their blog address to the linky thing (can’t remember what it’s called right now) and share their recipes, too. There will be a link at the end of my “Yummy Monday” post.

If you would like to join Weekly Wrap Up, just write yours and then visit Canadagirl.