Homemade Bread

It is so easy to run to the store and buy a loaf of bread.  But it's also easy to make your own!

I have been making bread for the local farmers market.  I happened to have one left over from Saturday, so I sliced it up so we could use it.
 

Now I'm not allowed to buy store bought bread again!

I have to admit, it does taste amazing.  There are no preservatives and it can be made as natural or organic as you want.

If you haven't made bread before, I would recommend that you get a bread machine.  It is really hard to screw up bread when the machine knows exactly what it is supposed to do!

I bought mine at a garage sale.  My dad knew I was wanting one and he happened to see one at a garage sale for $5!  Steal I know!  So after he called me, I ran down there and purchased it.  It was awhile before I used it because I was just afraid. I really had no idea how simple it really was.

So here is my guide to making bread in a bread machine.  It is really simple!  Once you have a machine, just find some good recipes that people say work great.  I searched pinterest for bread machine recipes and found so many!  Check the comments for positive ones.  If there is a bunch of negative Nancys, don't try it.  Then put the ingredients in the order listed.  I like to let my yeast, water and sugar set a bit before I start adding to it to give it a jump start...  Then close the lid and hit the right button.  It is seriously that easy...  ENJOY!!

Drink Your Water

I know I have written about drinking water before.  It is super important to drink water.  Your body is over 60% water and if you are not giving it what it needs, it is not going to function right!

Josh and I started a gallon challenge.  No we aren't chugging a gallon of milk. We are chugging a gallon of water.  Chugging throughout the day that is.

You should drink half your weight in water up to 150 oz.  So lets say you weight 200 lbs.  You would drink 100 oz of water a day.  This not only keeps you healthy but also promotes weightloss too!

I am always looking for creative ways to get my water in and this seemed easy and doable.  I have seen lots of examples on pinterest.  My favorite had inspirations written on every hour mark to keep you going.  So far my bottle is boring and only has the times written.

Josh actually jumped on board (He HATES water) and has stuck with it for a week now.  I always fall behind during the day due to running the kids around or baking pies, but I catch up at the end of the day.  That is why I like having it end at 5.  It gives me a chance to make up for it at night.  Although the later I finish in the day means more trips to the bathroom when I should be sleeping!

I am also taking doTERRA's lifelong vitality pack along with drinking my water.  I am hoping that together I can get my body the things it needs.  If you are interested in doTERRAs line of vitamins, shoot me a message.  I would love to tell you more about them.

Pies, Pies, Everywhere Are Pies!

Blackberry pie before it went into
the oven.

Something new is going on at the Vogele Homestead and when I say new, I mean BRAND NEW.

PIES.

I have never ever in my life made a pie.  Let me repeat.  NEVER.

Just like everyone else I know, when I needed a pie, or anything baked that needed to be edible, I called dear ol' Mum and begged her to do it for me.  She is pretty good.  Awesome.  Baking goddess.  Well, you get the idea.

Yummy insides to the peach pie crumble.

Strawberry pie crumble and blueberry/cherry American
flag pie after they came out of the oven.

So when we got the idea to bake pies at the local farmers market one cold Saturday, naturally I was like uhhhh..... Ok, I will try!  So the first place I went was to my mom's to learn how to make pie crust.  Homemade pie crust is so much better than store bought, so I knew if I was going to make pies, they would have to be as fresh and homemade as I could make them!

Next problem was figuring out what kinds to make.  After reading all the rules and regulations on farmers markets in the wonderful state of Kansas, I narrowed my choices down to fruit pies.  We choose to make a Strawberry crumb pie, a cherry pie with a lattice top, an apple pie with a lattice top, and a strawberry and Blueberry mixed pie with a star crust.

Strawberry and strawberry/blueberry pies before the oven.

I posted pictures of the pies on the local buy same trade Facebook page and had lots of comments, likes and shares.  We were excited to have the 4 pies at the farmers market with several loafs of bread (potato, raisin, and honey oat), mini loafs of sweet breads (banana and chocolate chip zucchini) and several dozen eggs from our lovely backyard chickens.

When Josh arrived at the farmers market, people were waiting on PIES!  He couldn't believe it.  People were helping him unload the items so that they would have first choice!

Strawberry/blueberry pie baked to  perfection!

By 9:30 we were completely sold out!   Of everything!

This last week we have been taking orders on pies since so many came and didn't get one.  The response has been awesome.  It allows me to make a little bit extra during the summer and gives me something to do with the kids.

I must say, I am not sure why I have never tried baking pies before.  They are not quite the rabid monster I expected them to be!

Cherry pie.  Looks so yummy!

If you would like for me to bake you a pie, please visit our Facebook page and send me a message with your order.  I can make you just about any type of fruit pie you are wanting as long as I can get the fruit!

Happy eating!

Homemade Dryer Sheets?? Who knew!

I am always looking for new cool ways to use essential oils to make my family healthier, my life easier, or to give me an excuse to buy more oils!  I have heard of people using them in laundry and really haven't put my thought to it.  I wash my clothes to get oils out of them right??  But, it kept popping up in my research that this was a great way to use oils to help keep us healthier.

I think EVERYONE loves the smell of clean clothes.  I think everyone LOVES soft fluffy towels.  We use dryer sheets to help make this joyful occurrence happen.  But, did you know that dryer sheets are FULL of nasty chemicals?  Not only do these chemicals get on your clothes and then transfer to your skin, but they also break down the mechanical parts of your dryer!  So, not only are you keeping your body healthier, your dryer will last longer.  You can thank me later.

If that isn't enough to get you running to find fabric scraps, think about giving back to the earth.  Dryer sheets have to go somewhere when they are worn out and used up after every load.  So what do you do with them?  In the trash they go!  So this is an eco-friendly alternative!  Also, since they are reusable and the ingredients are cheap, it is a frugal alternative to buying pricey dryer sheets.  Last, you can pick your sent!  You can add what ever smells you want.  Maybe you like lavender or lemon or both!  You can play with your sent until you find your favorite.  HOW MUCH FUN IS THAT?!

First let me show you how to make these simple dryer sheets.

First you need to find old towels, tshirts, or raid your fabric scrap bin.  (I went and raided my mom's as I do not have one of my own.)  Cut what ever fabric you find into squares.  I cut mine into 8 inch squares.  Seemed to be about the size of a normal dryer sheet.

You have several options to finish the edges of the fabric.  You can either leave them as is and let them fray and replace when needed.  You can cut the edges with pinking shears to keep fraying to a minimum.  You can also zig zag stitch the edges and then also cut them with pinking shears.  That's what we did!

This is a great time to get kids sewing.  It doesn't matter if they don't sew straight, unless you are OCD.  My kiddo loves to sew with his Granny.

Once you have your "dryer sheets" made, next you need to mix up the concoction that they will soak in.  To do this you need simple ingredients that, if you are an oily like me, you already have.

You need:
-1/2 cup of vinegar
-10 drops of your favorite essential oils  (I used elevation.)

Pretty easy right??

Mix all of that together and then pour into a container that you can seal.  This can be a canning jar, a pretty glass container, basically anything glass you can put a top on.  You can even put a pretty label on the front.  What ever floats your boat.

You can mix it up if you want to use them right away like I did.  Depending on the load you might want to use a couple.  All you have to do is grab a corner, wring it out, and toss in the dryer with your clothes.  Then when you are done toss them back in the jar and repeat the steps for the next load.  SO SIMPLE.


You might be wondering why this works...

Well, vinegar is a natural fabric softener and static reducer.  You can also use it to eliminate odors in clothes when you wash them.  There are a ton of uses for vinegar.  Google it!

I hope you enjoy making your dryer sheets.  I know we enjoyed making ours!  Let me know how you like them or if there is a favorite "flavor" of sent you like to use.  I would love to try it.  I am ready to experiment with our next smells once the liquid is all used up in the current one.

Reading List

I love to read.  Problem is, the past three years, all I had time to read were text books!  Now that my Masters is completed, I can read what ever I want!  It's so exciting!

Although I have lots of books on the list to read, the first one I am tackling is Captivating by John & Stasi Eldredge.

Once we head down to the library for our weekly trips for the kids summer reading, I will add to my list.

Do you have any good books you would recomend?  Josh and I are always looking for good reads.

May the rains bring blessings and provide you with more time to grab a book and read!  I know it has us.

Zit Away Spray

I love my doTERRA oils.  I try to use them for everything from healing to baking to lifting my spirits.  Pinterest is full of fun possibilities for essential oils.

One thing that I found was a zit away spray.  I hate to admit it, but I have problematic skin.  I am always looking for ways to make it clearer, and more lovely.  When I saw this Zit Away Spray, I wanted to try it.  So I made some last night and want to share the recipe with you.

It is really simple to make.

All you need is:
- Witch Hazel
Melaleuca
Lavender
2 oz spray bottle

I purchased my witch hazel from the Natural Grocers in Wichita.  The oils are of course doTERRA.  If you don't know about doTERRA oils message me.  I would love to talk to you about them.

Anyway, take your spray bottle and fill it with 10 drops of each oil and then top the bottle off with the witch hazel.  Hard, I know!  Give it a good shake and you are ready to go.

You can use this two ways.  You can spray directly on your cleansed face or you can spray on a cotton ball or pad and wipe in an upward motion on your face.

Let me know what you think.

**Disclosure: I am a doTERRA Wellness Advocate and receive commissions and/or bonuses from doTERRA.  Also, I am not a medical professional. The statements and suggestions given here have not been evaluated by the FDA. I am simply sharing ideas and suggestions on how to use essential oils in everyday life. I assume no liability for the way you choose to use essential oils. Use your good judgment and act responsibly.

DIY Essential Oil Shaving Cream

So, I decided that shaving cream was expensive and full of chemicals that I didn't want to slather on my legs.  I found a recipe online that would use coconut oil, aloe vera, vitamin E, and doTERRA essential oils.  I thought it sounded easy enough to try.

All you need is:

1/4 of coconut oil

3/4 of aloe vera

a couple vitamin E capsules

10-15 drops of your favorite oil

Heat the coconut oil up if it isn't already in liquid form.  Then add the aloe vera.  Mix well.  Take the vitamin E capsules and poke a hole in it and squeeze.  I used a tooth pick and it worked well.  Then put drops of your favorite oil in and mix well.  I found that shaking everything seemed to mix it up better than stirring.

Once you have everything stirred up, pour it into a pretty pump bottle and stick in your shower!  Let me know how you like it!

PS:  I love doTERRA's shampoo and conditioner too.

**Disclosure: I am a doTERRA Wellness Advocate and receive commissions and/or bonuses from doTERRA.  Also, I am not a medical professional. The statements and suggestions given here have not been evaluated by the FDA. I am simply sharing ideas and suggestions on how to use essential oils in everyday life. I assume no liability for the way you choose to use essential oils. Use your good judgment and act responsibly.

Drinking Oils!

If you are thinking about using oils in your water, you need to invest in a glass water bottle.  Essential oils can break down plastics making it possible to ingest them.  EWW! This is a new bottle that I have on my wish list!  There are lots of oils that you can use in your water and they all do different things for your body.  Check out the ones on the following picture.  I love wild orange and lemon both in my water.

 I have seen where people use a rubber band to keep track of the number of bottles they drink.   Do you know how much water you should drink?  Take your body weight and divide it in half.  That is the amount of water you should be drinking every day. Don't let it overwhelm you!  Just do the best you can!

You might have seen many posts on facebook or other sites about the importance of drinking lemon.  I have a friend that drinks a cup of warm water with lemon every day.  She says that she can not start her day with out it.  There are so many benefits to do it, I can understand why she does.  Think about adding lemon to your water in the morning.  There are so many benefits!

Do your body a favor.  Keep hydrated!

Hunting

Hunting is something that has been a part of my life since I was old enough to see over the cut milo stalks in the field and walk several miles at a time.  My dad took me hunting every pheasant season and I was on a boat in the summer at numerous lakes fishing.  Just recently I have become obsessed with deer hunting since my husband has introduced me to it.  He has patiently taught me how to shoot a bow and now we are teaching our children the same.

I understand that there are mixed feelings on hunting.  I feel though that God has provided us with animals on earth to not only care for, but also so that they can care for and nourish our bodies.

Genesis 9:3 - Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you.  And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything.

I completely understand that taking the life of an animal can seem barbaric.  Every animal that makes a sacrifice for my family is not taken lightly.  The first deer I shot I shed many tears.  Tears for the loss of life, tears of thankfulness, and tears of joy for actually being successful.

Hunting is not for everyone.  Everyone is entitled to their opinion of it.  But, in a world so full of hate, don't waste breath on insulting a hunter for what they choose to do.  If they are like us, we are only trying to feed our family the way God intended.  We want to feed our family off the land, with what God provides, and to be ensured that what we are putting in our bodies is healthy.

Truth is, I'm always saddened when I kill an animal, It's not remorse I feel.  I know why I'm a hunter.  It's out of respect. -Donnie Vincent

Essential Oil Necklace

I am really loving essential oils.  They are becoming an addiction almost.  I am trying to learn all I can about natural things I can do to help my family with ailments they have from day to day.  I hate running to the medicine cabinet and pulling out something that was made in a laboratory and promised safe. Now when we have headaches, I have oil.  Stomach ache?  Oil!  Cold?  OIL!  Oils are something that God created for us.  We have been ignoring things that the Bible has been telling us for years.  Why do you think the Wise Men brought such precious oils to baby Jesus?  Wasn't because they were looking for the perfect White Elephant gift for the party.  It was because it was They were gifts fit for a KING.

Matthew 2:11 -  They entered the house and saw the child in the arms of Mary, his mother.  Overcome, they kneeled and worshiped him.  They opened their luggage and presented gifts: gold, frankincense, myrrh.

So, while searching the internet (aka Pinterest...lol) I found a way to take Essential Oils with me everywhere I go.  I could make a necklace!  Not only does it look way cooler than the ones you can buy online, you can make it match your personality.  Below is a picture of the necklace I made today.  Looks like a normal necklace but...

 

Inside the locket I have placed a piece of felt.  You can soak the felt with any essential oil you want.  I have chosen Balance.  It is a grounding blend and we all know I need that!  I have ordered some grapefruit and some other uplifting oils to use in it.  Just trade out the felt depending on the oil you want for the day.

Visit the original post to get more ideas about how to make necklaces at the original post I found here!  The options are endless!  Be creative!  Post pictures of necklaces you have found or made!  I would love to see them!

If you are interested in Essential Oils and their benefits I would love to talk to you about it.  If you are ready to sign up and start helping your family make healthier decisions, go here.

**Disclosure: I am a doTERRA Wellness Advocate and receive commissions and/or bonuses from doTERRA.  Also, I am not a medical professional. The statements and suggestions given here have not been evaluated by the FDA. I am simply sharing ideas and suggestions on how to use essential oils in everyday life. I assume no liability for the way you choose to use essential oils. Use your good judgment and act responsibly.

Halloween is Upon Us...

I am sure that everyone has their costume picked out, their house decorated in scary things, and their bowls full of lots of sugary treats to hand out to kids that knock on their door all night long.  I love Halloween.  It is one of my favorite holidays (If you want to call it that!).  I love all the kids in their costumes.  I love dressing my kids up and the excitement from the candy falling into their bags.

With all the excitement, do not forget to be safe!  I found the following safety tips from the Girl Scout page.  Most of them are no brainers.  Just think of it as my PSA for the Trick or Treat season.  :)

Hope everyone has a FUN and SAFE Halloween!!  Post comments of your kiddos in their costumes!

RD in his Ninja Turtle costume at the church's annual Trunk or Treat.

Pear Butter...LOVE Fall.

We made pear butter yesterday.  I searched high and low for a good pear recipe that would work for us and really didn't find anything that fit the bill.  I just did it my own way.  I took several recipes and mixed them together to create two.  The result?  DELICIOUS.  All it took was a Victorio Strainer, a couple pots of boiling water, some sugar and spices, a couple crock pots, and a lots of arm muscle.  I think I ran the strainer for several hours between all the pears for butter and the apples for applesauce.

A friend stopped by the other day to let me know that the pear tree at their parents was full (along with the apple) and that if I wanted to go pick, I could.  After talking with Josh, we decided that we would go Sunday after church.  After the kid and hubby picked several buckets (josh was making a bucket to feed the deer where we hunt), we sent home.  We couldn't do anything with the pears or apples that day because we had to head out to the field to hunt.  It is bow season and we take every opportunity that we can to get out and reconnect with nature.  Oh, and fill our freezer of course if the good Lord lets us.

I invited my wonderful mom over to help me with both the apple sauce and the pear butter.  It is much easier with several people.  Josh works odd shifts and would not be on a shift to where he could help me until next week.  So, not to risk the fruit getting too ripe, mom and I got to work.  First we cut up the fruit.  Apples you can half or quarter depending on their size.  The pears we cutt he ends off and quartered.  Then you throw them in a pot of boiling water for about 15 to 20 minutes until they are soft.  Make sure that you wash the fruit before hand and cut out any bad parts.  The strainer does an awesome job of keeping seeds, skin, etc out of the pulp, but it of course can not tell the difference in good or bad flesh.

You can see how messy my kitchen was.  We had stuff strung everywhere!  Mom would boil the fruit and then I would strain it.  We did this for about an hour on each fruit.  Which is not bad at all when you consider how much work it would be if you had to peal, core, and cut all of the fruit.  The Victorio is my HERO.  Not sure I would be able to can as much as I do without it.

This is what the strainer looks like from the top.  Fruit (or whatever) goes in the white funnel.  You push it down with the red "plunger" as you turn the crank.  It then runs it through a screen.  Out one side (you can see in the bowl) is the pulp and juice.  Out the other (you can see at the top of the picture) is the skins, seeds, etc.  By the way, my chickens LOVED the skins.

Once we got all of the fruit done it was time to transfer it to the crock pot.  There are lots of pear butter recipes out there on the internet.  If you want to check out my canning Pinterest board you can find quite a few.  The two that I used to create my own were the slow cooker vanilla caramel one and just a regular old pear butter recipe.  It turned out vary tasty so I am sure that you can not really screw it up.  Well, unless you dump a whole bottle of cloves in it or something...lol

Can you tell I was cleaning my cabinet while cooking?  I got the Norwex Cleaning Paste in the picture along with my Enviro Cloth.  I love my Norwex cleaning supplies (Shameless plug).  I think everyone should try them!

After I let the pear butter cook on low in the crockpot over night, I added the rest of the ingredients, like the recipe called for (mainly because I had so much anyway, it wouldn't all fit without cooking down some!).  I also noticed it wasn't as creamy as I like it so I took a hand blender and blended everything until it was a smooth creamy consistency.  After all the flavors meshed and it became the right consistency, I started filling jars.  One all twenty jars were filled I put them in the water bath for 11 minutes (adjusted for elevation).

They all sealed and were ready for me to take to the basement the next morning.  BEAUTIFUL creamy color.  Wonderful smell.  LOVELY FALL!  Of course I had to try some too.  The kids and the husband all gave their seal of approval.

Go out and enjoy the smells, sounds, and crispness of Fall.  It never sticks around long enough.

FabFitFun...

I love getting boxes in the mail.  It is an addiction I think.  Getting things mailed to me has always been fun and something that I looked forward to.  Now that I am an adult, with a checking account, I don't have to wait for people to think of me and send things.  I can send them to myself!  And BOY do I!  So much, that I am thinking my husband wished that Amazon Prime was NEVER created!  :)

One thing that you can find on the internet are these subscriptions to "boxes".  It started with a Fit box.  When that was canceled I moved on to a snack box through NatureBox.  These are great, healthy, natural snacks for the family.  We LOVE them.  (If you are interested, comment your email and I will send you link for $10 off!)  I wanted more though.  I started running.  Funny right?  If you personally know me, you know that God built me to "walk slowly and carry heavy things".  I do not have the body to run, nor will I ever.  But I "enjoy" it.  I signed up for a half marathon Jan 1st.  Serious stuff right!?

So anyway, when searching for more boxes that I could have surprise me at my door step I came across the company FabFitFun.  I was thinking to myself....Am I fabulous?  Of Course.  Do I stay fit?  Try to!  Do I like to have fun?  Heck yes!  So instantly I was searching for the sign up button.  I wanted this way cool box!  I patiently waited for the Summer box to come.  And FINALLY it did!!

Once I got the box out of the mailbox I ran inside to see what kind of goodies I was blessed with.  (Even though I had to pay, it still felt like Christmas Day!  :)  It was so pretty when I opened it.  They had tissue paper and a cool VIP sticker.  I felt like a star getting this kind of treatment.

The Big Rev

List of everything in the box and the retail value of goodies.

SO COOL RIGHT?

Inside they has a list that explained what everything was and how much the retail cost was.  I spent a little over $30 and got over $200 in products.  Yes there are always going to be products you might not try, or things that you might not use...but overall I think it is a fun, awesome box full of neat things you wouldn't normally pamper yourself with.  PLUS its like Christmas every 3 months!  Who doesn't like Christmas!?

Some of the things that came in the summer box, also listed beside here, were a FabFitFun infuser bottle (BPA free) and a Thursday Friday Away Mini Clutch/Makeup Bag.  Now, the bottle I will use alot.  It has a pretty funny saying on the bottom, "Grab life by the exercise balls".  Makes me chuckle.  The bag, not so much.  It is cute, but I don't do makeup.  I am sure I can gift it, or put it to use some how.  There is also a facial that retails for $95.  HOLY COW, I would never spend that much money on my face!  There was some SPF.  Everyone can always use that.  No Fizz Oil...Sweet!  Nail polish in a great color, ORANGE.  Lip balm is always great because if you are like me, you have 50 sticks of it and can't find one.  Plus this kind is to makeover your make out.  I am sure that will be interesting...  HA!  PopChips were eaten when I first opened the box, before I took the picture...OOPS!  Shave gel and girly products, two things most women can't go with out.  Last but not least, they included a Slimfast Have your cake... Meal bar.  Sounds like a protein bar I could eat!

A look inside the box.  Don't wait, order yours!

Now, that I have you interested in getting a box of your own, please feel free to use the following code to get $15 off your box!  Only three of you can use it so hurry!  Fall boxes are going to ship out first.  Go to vip.fabfitfun.com and redeem the following code for your discount.  1939452

You will not be sorry that you did.

Ciao!