• Homesteading When It's Hot, Hot, Hot
  -- By Nancy Carter
• New Homesteader Syndrome
  -- Reality of homesteading clashed with your dreams? Lisa Vitello says you might have New Homesteader Syndrome.
• Basil for the Summertime Garden
  -- Catherine Love has some tips for growing and using this herb that can really take the summertime heat!
• 16 Ways to Conserve Water on Your Homestead
  -- With the summer sun beating down, Melonie Murray shares some tips for saving both water and money.
• Are You in a Pickle?
  -- Martha Greene shares her tips for growing cucumbers and for making Zesty & Crunchy Homemade Dills.
• Easy Tote Bags
  -- Looking for a quick summer project? Randi Hayden tells how you can make the perfect summer tote bag.
• Ten Tips for Staying Cool This Summer
  -- Editor Nancy Carter will help you cool things down a bit this summer with these great energy- and money-saving tips.

gardening earning income from your farm animals - large and small simplicity and saving money putting food by finding your perfect homestead homestead humor natural cleaning products for you and your home home dairying quilting recipes and kitchen suggestions time-saving tips and going green

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There was a quaint old Franklin stove in the kitchen area for heat, and we couldn't wait to spark up our first fire! This was where one of our first homesteading lessons came into play, i.e., to get a really good fire going one must have dry wood and an airtight stove. Quaint though it was, we quickly found out that our woodstove had more cracks than the Parthenon and a voracious appetite for firewood! It was so hard to keep a fire going during the night that we often could see our breath when we woke up in the morning. Undaunted, we forged ahead. We wanted to get off the grid, have a family cow, grow huge quantities of vegetables and sell them at the farmer's market, raise chickens, make our own soap, spin wool, and generally become completely self-sufficient. And we wanted it to happen NOW! We had new homesteader syndrome. Folks with this syndrome can be easily spotted. You'll see them at feed stores. They are the ones with the blanched look on their faces because they just found out how much the grain is really going to cost for that cow they just bought. Or, you might see them running down a dark country road in the middle of the night chasing their goats because they didn't realize that those sneaky girls can clear a five foot fence like a walk in the park. And they are usually covered in poison oak. You see, there were a few facts we hadn't taken into account when we first embarked on this path. One fact is that it takes money, lots of it, to actually become self-sufficient. My husband had a job at the local lumber mill and I stayed home - we didn't have loads of cash to spare. Many of the projects we envisioned required equipment like solar panels, generators, tillers, and lumber that could cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. That was reality check #1. Reality check #2 came when we started populating our homestead with animals. Over the course of the next few years we raised goats, turkeys, pigs, chickens, rabbits, and sheep. Each of these acquisitions required separate housing, special feed, and various other necessities specific to each animal. I was pregnant with our third child and running around trying to collect eggs, slop pigs, take care of baby bunnies, and round up the ever-wandersome turkeys. Trying to milk goats twice a day while nursing my own baby was too much lactating for this homestead woman!

Thou dost visit the earth, and cause it to overflow;
Thou dost greatly enrich it; the stream of God is full of water;
Thou dost prepare their grain, for thus Thou dost prepare the earth.
Thou dost water its furrows abundantly; Thou dost settle its ridges;
Thou dost soften it with showers; Thou dost bless its growth.
Thou hast crowned the year with Thy bounty, and Thy paths drip with fatness.
The pastures of the wilderness drip, and the hills gird themselves with rejoicing.
The meadows are clothed with flocks, and the valleys are covered with grain;
They shout for joy, yes, they sing.
-- Psalm 65:9-13

Pistou

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil

1 tsp. chopped garlic

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp. chopped tomato

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together using a food processor or mortar and pestle.
Use to top off fresh tomato soup, veggies, steak, fish, or chicken.

June marks the beginning of summer in the northern hemisphere and in many places means hot days and overheated families looking for ways to cool off. Before you let the kids run in the sprinkler for a couple of hours, though, think it through. Taking care of your homestead means being a good steward of your resources, both natural and financial. Look over this list of ways to conserve water and see what tips you can implement on your 'stead to cut down on your water use and save some cash. Outdoors Use mulch and shade netting around plants to help them retain moisture. Install a drip irrigation system that will help deliver water more effectively to thirsty plantings. Install rain barrels at gutter downspouts; use the cache of rainwater to water the garden. Plant succulents if you're in an arid geographical area. Consider native trees and flowers for other areas. They will be much more hardy and able to survive the weather of your location. Water early in the day so that moisture doesn't evaporate during the hottest parts of the day. (This also allows plants the opportunity to soak up more moisture and fight root rot and mildew.) Pack in those plants. Dense plantings allow for better water storage in root areas. Try washing your vehicles on the lawn with a low-toxicity cleanser. You'll get a clean car and watered grass. Install spray nozzles on hoses that allow you to shut off the water while gardening or washing windows and vehicles rather than letting the hose run. Consider letting grass on lawns go dormant, through its natural cycle, by not watering. I've done this for several years now and my yard has come back just fine when the fall rains return! (Some of my neighbors even post signs that say, "My yard isn't dead; it's just dormant!") Indoors Install low-flow showerheads, taps, and toilets. At the very least, install aerators on faucets. Turn off the water while brushing your teeth, washing hands, shaving, or rinsing items like produce, plates, and utensils. Consider cutting back on the number of baths taken in the household. Teach children to take showers when possible. Make baths a relaxing splurge rather than an everyday occurrence. Wash only full loads of dishes and clothes in appliances, or adjust the settings for smaller loads. Use phosphate-free detergents and soaps and consider installing a gray-water plumbing system that will allow you to re-use water in the flower garden. (Check local ordinances about this option; it may not be allowed in some areas!) Above all else, fix those leaky faucets and toilets. You can save a lot of water (and a lot of money!) by fixing one dripping tap or constantly running toilet. As for those sprinkler runs, don't feel guilty. After all, if you don't want your lush lawn to go dormant, it will have to be watered. You might as well let the kids get some exercise, have some fun, and do some "yard work" at the same time!

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Have you tried pickling your summer cukes? Are they tasteless or mushy? Yukkk! We've been gardening as a family for about 20 years now to raise as much of our food as we can. Cucumbers have always had a big spot in our garden. They need a big spot, as they are very aggressive and like to spread out - way out! They have got to be one of my favorite summer foods no matter how much garden space they take up. Here is what I've learned about those crunchy cukes and how I make the BEST homemade pickles from our garden cucumbers. Cucumbers have been around a long time! They are one of the oldest known cultivated plants. You'll even see them mentioned in the Old Testament of the Bible. They have always been an important plant in the American backyard garden. You will see every sort of variety listed in seed catalogs. I have found they are strong and very easy to start from seed, so it is wasted expense to buy small plants to transplant into the garden. They can be sown directly into the garden soil after all danger of frost is past and the soil has warmed. Don't plant too early in the spring or vines may grow poorly or not even germinate. They like WARM! Planting the seeds in a rounded hill is good, because the seeds will rot if they are too moist. Cucumber vines take up a lot of space! Your rows will need to be at least three feet apart. In my herb and flower garden I have a trellis that I grow a few cukes on. I just think it is fun to stroll through my flower garden and pick off a crunchy, green cucumber, wipe it on my apron, and bite into it! It's one of life's simple pleasures! Of course, growing your vines up a trellis will save a lot of space. We have a large vegetable garden, so we usually plant most of our cucumbers on the ground. That is the most common way it is done. But, if you are up for putting together a trellis, go for it! I used a 4x4 treated post on each end for my trellis. Then I purchased a sheet of wooden lattice and nailed it to each post. If you want a long trellis you can just bury your end posts and then stretch heavy wire between the two posts near the top of the post and another wire about 12" from the ground. Then you will need to criss-cross wire or heavy string from both horizontal wires for the vines and tendrils to climb on and attach to. The cucumber fruit sets from the male flower. In some varieties you will see early flowers but no fruit. These are the female flowers - they will drop off and soon be followed by male flowers. Just have patience. You may have trouble with beetles or vine borers or mildew. There are a variety of natural, homemade pesticides you can use to combat these garden ailments. Check out a gardening book from your local library and educate yourself and then go after those pests! Watering after your plant is established is important if there isn't adequate rainfall. Lack of water will make a very bitter tasting cuke. Pull the cucumbers carefully from their stems when they are about one to two inches around. When the baby cucumbers appear, they seem to grow right before your eyes! The vines need to be checked at least every other day. If left unattended for a week or more, you will have large, yellowing clubs instead of crunchy, green cucumbers. If you have plenty of rain, sunshine, and good soil, you soon should have a basketful of fresh, homegrown garden cucumbers to enjoy.

• Use only small to medium sized cucumbers.
• Do not pick and wait to pickle them. Pick, wash, and do it quickly. From garden to jar as quickly as possible is the goal. If you cannot get to pickling immediately, soaking them in clean ice water for up to two hours is good to keep them fresh and crunchy. If you cannot get to them in that time period it is best to leave them on the vine a few more hours until you can. If this isn't possible, you could wash them with a vegetable brush, freeing them from all garden dirt and debris and pat dry. Refrigerate NO MORE than 24 hours before pickling.
• Have sanitized and spotlessly clean quart or pint jars ready. How many jars? How many cukes do you have? This recipe is great as you can make them jar by jar as the cukes come out of the garden.
• Small cukes I leave whole, medium ones I split lengthwise. Medium to larger I cut in 1" thick slices.
• Fill your clean jars with your clean cukes.
• Add into each quart jar you have filled with cukes
  (for pints cut recipe in half):

  1 tsp. dill seed or 1 small fresh dill flower head
  5 black peppercorns
  1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (makes 'em zesty! - omit for milder pickles)
  1 Tbsp. dry onion flakes (could use a bit of diced fresh onion)
  1/8 tsp. of alum powder (available in spice category at the grocer)
  2 whole garlic cloves, peeled 1/8 tsp. turmeric

• When all your jars are ready and filled, put on a LARGE pot of brine to boil. (Brine recipe may be multiplied or reduced according to how many jars you are making. Extra brine not used can be stored in large gallon jars with tight lids and saved for next pickle making session. No need to refrigerate. However, you must boil the brine again before using the next time.)
• BRINE:

  6 cups white vinegar
  3 cups apple cider vinegar
  1 1/2 cups pickling and canning salt (if using table salt your pickle juice will be cloudy)
  19 cups water

• Pour boiling brine over your filled jars of spices and cukes.
• Slide a wooden spoon handle in the jar and distribute brine and let air bubbles come to the top.
• Add in enough brine to come to within 1 inch of jar rim.
• Wipe rim clean with a clean damp paper towel.
• Put a sealing lid and ring on the jar and screw on firmly but do not wrench.
• Bring a large canner of water to a full boil.
• Put sealed pickle jars into boiling water using a jar lifter. (available from www.MarmeeDear.com)
• Let water come back to a boil and remove immediately.
• Set jars to cool on a flat, sturdy surface covered in a large towel. Do not set in the path of a cold draft.
• Let stand for 24 hours.
• Wash outside of jars thoroughly with mild soapy water, rinse.
• Dry and put in a cool, dark, dry pantry. If you do not put clean, dry jars away for the long winter storage, the lids may rust and mold may grow on the outside of the jars from residues.
• Allow pickles to mellow for 2 weeks for best flavor.
• For crunchiest best flavor, refrigerate the pickles to chill before eating.

	Making a tote bag is surprisingly easy. I made this strawberry tote bag using this excellent tutorial by Super Eggplant:
	I started with a set of kitchen curtains that I found at the thrift store for $2, but you could use approximately 1/2 yard of 100% cotton fabric - one piece for the inside of the bag and one piece for the outside. I used 2 yards of 1-inch wide ribbon for the straps:

	I cut my pieces into 14 1/2 x 14 1/2 inch squares. Since I wanted my bag to be durable and able to carry books and such, I ironed fusible interfacing to the back of each square (I used DecorBond, which is available at Walmart for $2.50 per yard).
	You can make your bag with any fabric (generally a 100% cotton, non-stretchy fabric is best) and use any ribbon or fabric for the straps. This would be an excellent way to make swim-lesson totes for your children or a library book bag for yourself, and it would also be a great way to teach your kids to sew! To access the tutorial, click here. Enjoy!

1. Clean and maintain your cooling system to increase its efficiency. Changing your filters once a month can save up to 5% of your cooling costs.
2. Caulk and weatherstrip to prevent cool air from escaping from the house.
3. Keep shades and curtains drawn to keep the heat of the sun outside. White will help reflect the sun away from your house and can reduce your heat gain by 40%.
4. Use fans to keep the air moving inside, which makes the house feel cooler. A ceiling fan can make your room feel 4 degrees cooler.
5. Dry laundry outside so that your dryer doesn't put heat in the house.
6. Grill outside instead of heating up the kitchen.
7. Air dry dishes instead of using the dishwasher drying cycle.
8. Switch to compact fluorescent bulbs because they not only use 75% less energy and put off brighter light, but they also put off less heat.
9. Turn off any electronics not in use to keep them from putting off excess heat.
10. Wear lightweight clothes, eat lighter summer fare, and enjoy frozen treats!