ABCD farming Andriod app

  Hi good evening Everyone. An andriod app from us, which will keep you updated  with our blogger feeds. This app is created using appyet website. 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1N516pin_BGYoavePqBiDi5_aJSJz-rX5/view?usp=drivesdkhttps://drive.google.com/file/d/1N516pin_BGYoavePqBiDi5_aJSJz-rX5/view?usp=drivesdk

View our sitemap

Read More

Growing Corn for Popcorn

Growing Corn for Popcorn 
Thought to start a small business. 3 basic Aim of my business.
1. Business need to be Agriculture Related.
2. Need to be grown and processed by ourselves.
3. The people in every age  need to like the product.
4. The cost of the product should be Low.
5. Should be easily delivered.

Thought of Popcorn, as it satisfies all the Five basic aims. At this period, Looking to take up the survey with the people. Need to analyse what the people are thinking. If the Popcorn business is started, need to analyse the sales.

View our sitemap

you can also send your suggestions through facebook.

ABCD farming

Read More

Community Supported Agriculture in India

When I searched for "CSA meaning" in Google, the result is as shown below

Community Supported Agriculture

     CSA Stands for Community Supported Agriculture. CSA allows city residents to have direct access to high quality, fresh produce grown locally by regional farmers. When you become a member of a CSA, you're purchasing a “share” of vegetables from a regional farmer.

In most of the Countries CSA is implemented and was running successfully by the farmers. One of my collegue where i met him at Annadana has started a CSA in Italy. You can visit their page. https://m.facebook.com/camasarot/

• Where they grow food in Raised beds. (To know about Raised bed Farming click here)
• No tractors are used. 
• They use simple hand tools like seeder, wheel hoe for ploughing, weeder, etc..

      While searching for CSA in India I came through Navadharshanam Trust near Thally road, Hosur taluk. Where they Work with Partnership with the Local farmers and Consumers. You can Visit there page here.

here is a good book where you can learn about creating and managing FPO About CSA
   The Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a partnership between the Growing farmers and the consumers where the profits and loss in the farming is shared.

How to Plan ?

•  For the Delivery of the vegetables to the consumers, farmers need to plan up for the pickup centres where consumers will get their shares once a week or twice a week. 
• The consumers has to choose the requirement of the vegetables, greens, fruits, at the time of registration.
• They can choose to get a basket of 4-15 kg Mixed vegetables and 2-5 bunches of Greens every week.
• The Local Farmers need to plan accordingly to Grow the quantity of vegetables and greens Ordered by consumers.

Conclusion :

The CSA Method is really a helpful for both the ends, as the Profit or Loss is equally shared between the farmers and consumers.

CSA can't be implemented in rural areas especially countries in India, as Maximum people occupation is farming.

CSA can work well in urban areas.

If Government takes some good Initiatives regarding Community Assisted Agriculture, we don't need to Import edible consumables from any other country.  India's agrarian import bill for 2015-16  Rs 1,402,680,000,000. Click here

References:

• NFSM
• Better India
• Google

• View our sitemap
  
  

Read More

How to know whether your vegetables are organic or chemically grown ?

we have some few ways to know whether the food or vegetables which we consume are organically or chemically grown. It depends on Appearance, Taste, Size, Insects, Smell Test, Cooking time, etc...

Courtesy: DNAINDIA

Appearance
     If it is naturally and organically grown, no two items will look identical... ever! It's just not possible to find two things that look absolutely alike in nature. No two leaves of the same mango tree will ever look 100% alike. Similarly, each apple, mango or even grain will always look different from another. Their colour, shape, structure will never be uniform. There will, for instance, be different shades of yellow in your moong dal instead of the uniformly bleached yellow of the regular packaged dal.

Size Up
    Fruits, vegetables and grains won't be huge in size. So while it is okay to go "ooh aah!" over huge potatoes, tomatoes, cabbages, eggplants, cauliflower, capsicum and the humble lauki, or bottle gourd, it is better not to transfer them to your plate. There are, of course, special cases in which people do grow large-sized fruits and vegetables organically as well, but they are not the norm and are difficult to find.

Your Insect Friends
    Keedas (worms) in your grains are actually good news. Naturally grown sabut daals (like moong sabut, or urad sabut), atta, maida, brown rice, white rice and other grains will get keedas after two-three months and especially in the rains... because keedas too know that non-organic food is just not edible. So don't jump up and down when you see the worms; all you need to do is wash the grain or sun them out like our grandmothers would and still live on to a 100 years. Keedas don't contaminate your food, pesticides do. Similarly, if you see a few holes in the leaves of the greens you are buying, pick up the bunch; it means it is not heavily 'pesticided'. And one rule of thumb to follow with greens is this: after washing them well, give a final rinse of salt water for two-three minutes. This helps remove germs and residue.

Tasty
    Natural is just tastier. When you cook organic vegetables, you will realise that you need less spices as there is so much natural flavour. Similarly, organic fruits are juicier as they are allowed to ripen on the tree. Otherwise, fruits are usually plucked when green and then gassed to ripen and increase shelf life. In the case of a banana, your taste buds will speak up because the pesticide fruit has more water due to the spraying of acetylene gas. Unfortunately, most mangoes today are artificially ripened and apples have the maximum pesticides. The adage 'an apple a day keeps the doctor away' is actually only for organic apples.

Healthier 
    Organic feels healthier, is far lighter on the digestive system and also helps reduce acidity and gas related GI issues. You will feel a perceptible difference soon enough.

The Smell Test
    The aroma and texture of organic food is totally different — very potent, in fact. Organic spices, for instance, will have a strong aroma and flavour as they retain their oil content. In non-organic spices, the oils have been extracted and sold separately so they are devoid of any oil. Plus they are usually adulterated, so you need to use more to get the same result. Try ajwain/laung/zeera... just eat it raw and you'll know the difference. Your tongue will have a strong sensation after half a teaspoon of organic ajwain. Similarly, organic apples have a divine fragrance; keep a crate of organic apples in the house to find out. One problem though is that industries now do a good job of recreating the original smell. The smell of pure ghee, for example, is added in the lab. Some just add the fragrance to make you think you are buying pure ghee, whereas you could actually be buying something totally nutritionless and worthless. So be careful.


Cook Faster
     Organically grown food always cooks much faster; in fact if you are a multi-tasker, be careful as you might just burn the dish if you go out to peep in the garden while it is cooking. Food with pesticides needs to be cooked for much longer periods.

Certification
      Though not a norm in India yet, sometimes fruits and vegetables meant for exports do land up in the local market and have a sticker on them that can be checked. (4 digit PLU — price look up code  the sticker basically means grown with pesticides; 5 digit codes starting with 8 means GM grown, 5 digit codes starting with 9 means organically grown. In India, we basically have the regular 4 digit PLU which indicates that it is grown with pesticides).

Shelf Life
      It is a myth that organic fruits and vegetables spoil faster; stored in a refrigerator they last for a long time.

View our sitemap

Read More

An Article on Thannal Hand sculpted homes

courtesy : fwdlife.in

Biju Bhaskar is promoting the concept of 

natural building through his venture, Thannal

Architecture does not just entail the construction of a building, but it is the setting up of a philosophy, thought process, values, and ideals. While conventional architectural models may be an inanimate block of concrete and cement that are ‘finished’ at the end of the erection; there are, however, alternate forms of edifices that are more alive through their symbiosis with nature. And Thannal is one such body that works for the assimilation of nature with human dwellings.

Biju Bhaskar worked in regular architecture for a long duration before quitting it ten years ago. He started Thannal in 2011 with the objective of trying to explore alternative architecture, which consists of green, sustainable, traditional, and vernacular architecture. “We do not compare our works with architecture, but we call it natural building. It’s a term that’s not well-known in the media. The natural building movement is gaining momentum internationally, but is not that progressed in Kerala,” he says. “We have to rethink the subject of mud architecture, which is in practice in Kerala currently, about whether we are doing it through pure sustainable methods,” says Biju, who specializes in mud architecture and operates in the village of Thiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu.

Building homes was a community-based activity where if you wanted to build your home, your friends, family, neighbors – everyone – came to help you; but today that’s not the case, and one takes huge loans to build their homes. “Kerala is a state that has a large population belonging to the high-income group, so there is a huge potential of using your money to build your home sustainably,” observes Biju. “In the current architectural scenario in Kerala, none of the materials used in building homes is from your native land. Some of the others who proclaim building mud homes are not doing it through pure natural methods, as they are mixing cement with the mud, which lessens the quality of the mud.”

Accessible to all
The beauty of mud building is that it can be built for anyone, rich or poor; the difference comes only in the finishing, says Biju. “It has been only 90 years since cement came into Kerala, and today we are in a stage where people think that they cannot do without it. But don’t we see buildings that are over a hundred years old that are still going strong – temples, churches, manas, etc.? The concrete buildings of today can last only about 20 years before cracks start developing in it. No concrete building has completed 100 years in Kerala.”

A building’s walls are like the skin on your body – they are porous and have a breathing quality, says Biju. Only the buildings of olden times had such walls and construction; they kept the building naturally cool. “Today’s buildings don’t have such a quality, and instead make the interiors of the building hot. Enormous power is used through air-conditioning to keep it cool.”

Hand in hand with nature
Another focus area for Thannal is the communion of plants and buildings. “In our research, we have found that plants have a lot of importance in buildings. The bark and sap of plants can be used in various ways in the construction of a building.” And there is no bigger example for this than Biju’s own abode, which is an earthbag home. “It has about 12 varieties of herbal ingredients in it. So the air that passes through the walls is diluted with the essence of these herbs.” Biju points out that cement companies today are one of the major sources of air pollution. The paints used nowadays are also mixed with toxins that are dangerous to people’s health.

Biju says that there are a lot of positive changes happening in India and with the younger generation of architects for the past ten years. “The green movement in agriculture – organic farming, is coming along very well, what with the involvement of renowned people such as the actor, Sreenivasan. A lot of farmers come to meet us.” But at the same time, Biju rues another fact. “What is saddening is that villagers are lured by the urban living styles and moving towards it, discarding their natural means of life. So we are building free homes for them to bring them back to it and make them realise the importance of it.”

Towards growing more villages
Biju talks about his philosophy at Thannal. “We believe that instead of growing more towns, we should grow more villages because today, the times have changed, and one need not live in an urban scenario for sustenance. Villages and pure natural building should thrive.”

At Thannal, which Biju set up with his wife Sindhu, they give a lot of prominence to research and documentation. With the aim of growing more natural builders, they hold workshops to disperse the awareness. “We have created a hub called Natural Builders of India. Those who pass out have to complete a project in two years that is completely based on natural building. I also bring two-three projects as there are no examples for students in India. And at the end of the project, each student has to bring another student to enroll in it. So according to our calculation, the natural building movement is going to bloom in five years’ time in India. ”

Biju takes up only a maximum of two or three projects in a year. Receiving volunteers from all over India, their income is only from the workshops that they hold, claims Biju. A naturally built home of 500-1,000sq ft can be completed in four to five months. The costs, naturally, are always lower than conventionally built structures.

Thannal works across India and they choose villages after extensive studies. “In our travels, we discovered that all these people who are knowledgeable about natural building in the villages, are all 70-80 years old. We are trying to revive their knowledge, for which, we are living with a master mason every year. We use local people from the particular areas, as that way, there is exchange of information.”
Biju is an avid traveller and a devotee of Ramana Maharshi. Asked why he chose to settle in Thiruvannamalai, Biju says, “It is a place of gurus and a place for self-enquiry. It is one among the Pancha Bhoota Sthalam, and is symbolic of fire. And all gurus have taught that one should build mud houses.”

View our sitemap

Read More

ABCD FARMING ON GOOGLE

Very glad to say ABCD FARMING on google.

The land ploughed thoroughly. where my father helped with this land preparation. The water drained in the pathway of Lake. Ready to put pipeline. but it still takes another Fifteen days.

Just confused between methods to undergo. whether to take market gardening or mono farming.

However planning to build a cob house which will be used as a mini party hall. I like use locally available materials.

Looking for some innovative ideas to be self sufficient...!

View our sitemap

Read More

Everything is happening for good.

Today feeling little bit happier.
I got the job which i thought. Now i can be a part time farmer. I can work in fields from early morning to 10 AM. And then i have a good job in a reputed company 12 noon to 8 PM. flexible time to work. By god's grace everything is happening Fine.

NOW IN FIELDS
_______________
Eucalyptus trees are chopped off.
Roots are sold, and the land will be levelled within 2 to 3 days.
2 months before it rained heavily. due to that our village storage lake has been filled.
And also the pathways are filled. due to that we would not able to install pipeline from my brothers borewell to my land.
Expecting that the water in the pathway will be drained before the end of january.

FUTURE PLANS
----------------------
Thinking of to build cob house in the farm whether the wattle and daub type or Adobe type.
Little bit confused whether to do MONO culture farming or to adapt MARKET GARDENS.
The land is about 80 cents. looking to make 180 raised beds which is 1M width and 10M length.
Like to follow permaculture (no till farming and organic) no usage of chemicals.
Looking to grow foods in organic way.

View our sitemap

Read More

Siitlingi - Self Sufficient Living

Coutesy- The Alternative

Self sustainable people
Sittlingi valley, a tribal settlement in Tamil Nadu, is today an
amazing example of how a system of beliefs, well-intentioned people,
and patient, sustained hard work can help a community seek its own
solutions for life improvement.

I have always been interested and intrigued by the colourful
handicraft work of rural artisans. A call for volunteers to help an
artisan collective called Porgai and a chance meeting with Dr.
Sukanya, trustee at Tribal Health India (THI), an NGO that worked in
the Dharmpuri district of Tamil Nadu,for a sustainable tribal welfare,
took me right to Sittlingi valley, amidst the scenic Nilgiris
mountains, to meet and understand the people behind the weaves.
THI_waitingarea

Community based healthcare. The waiting area outside the THI hospital

A 5-hour drive from Bangalore through the Hosur – Krishnagiri – Salem
route, Sittlingi is a land of tribals, the local Kalrayan people as
well as the Lambanis, who have migrated here from from Rajasthan,
Andhra Pradesh and other parts of India.
A valley that can take care of itself

Nestled between two hill ranges – Kalrayan and Sitteri, Sittlingi was
once a back of beyond place with no roads to connect villages with the
nearby towns. For any medical consultations or even emergencies, the
tribal folks living here had to travel by foot through the surrounding
forests to reach either Salem or Dharmapuri.

The arrival of the doctor couple, Dr. Reji and Lalitha, changed the
face and fortunes of Sittlingi. Over the last 16 years, the doctors
have worked not only to establish a tribal hospital at Sittlingi, but
also in helping the community maintain good health, re-vitalize their
farming practices, preserve their culture and ensure that they are
self-sustained.

An earlier piece on The Alternative talks about how the health and
lives of the tribal folk has changed for the better after Tribal
Health Initiative was set up here. My effort was to go find out what
next and what the valley looked like today.
THI_solar

Solar panel installation provide renewable power in the Kalrayan hills.
Tools in the hands of the people

Sittlingi, with the help of THI, proves how all it takes is a bunch of
simple, well thought through initiatives to ensure that a village can
bring life improvement for its people. Sittlingi has implemented

– A yearly insurance scheme for elders, where each of them pays Rs. 30
for a year, which includes hospital admissions, treatment, food, stay
and every expense incurred at the hospital.

– Low cost medicines, procured from LOCOST, a drug manufacturing
social enterprise a Baroda, with drugs costing almost 1/4th to 1/10th
of the MRPs at local pharmacies.

– Community health programs where doctors and health workers travel to
the villages to speak to people and spread awareness of the various
diseases

– An incinerator to take care of the huge amount of medicine waste
that is generated and can become a bio-hazard for the area.

– Provisions for the local patient attendants to cook their own food
if they preferred.

– Solar panels used for storing energy and to act as power backup.

Providing high quality healthcare in the hill district is Dr. Ravi,
who decided to settle back in Sittilingi after travelling around the
world with his wife (who holds an MSc in Nursing) and their
three-year-old daughter. They have opened up a little training centre
for the health workers at the hospital. A Delhi-based architect and
his wife have decided to move down to Sittilingi to set up and run an
alternative school for the children of the local tribes.

A small community television box provides entertainment, news and
awareness during evening chai sessions with patient attendees and
visitors.


THI_TV

The community TV that beams awareness and entertainment programs at
the hospital.
The other side of progress

That progress and policy can indeed impact healthcare is visible when
one talks to Dr. Lalitha. When asked about challenges in helping the
people of Sittlingi sustain, Dr. Lalitha spoke of some interesting
developments that inadvertently became obstacles to be sorted out:

The road: A road built to connect Sittlingi with Salem enabled people
to travel easily and get a first hand view of what is happening in
bigger cities. Food habits changed based on what they observed in
other places, which saw a slow increase in health related problems.

Stop millets, grow rice: The farmers used to grow millets, well known
for their nutritional value, around the valley. Government policies,
aimed at the betterment of the poor, started introducing rice at Re. 1
a kilo, and then free rice for the poor. Farmers were encouraged to
grow cash crops to earn more and stop growing millets. The downside?
There ended the track leading to good health.

The push towards instutional delivery: THI doctors encourage
deliveries at the homes of the tribal people, assisted by health
auxiliaries and doctors if and when necessary. This ensures good
health of both the mother and the baby after birth, thus reducing the
infant mortality rate. Here again, introduction of incentives by the
Government – Rs. 12000 to the mother if the child is delivered in a
PHC, when the PHCs have poor facilities here and no qualified doctors
or nurses – worsened the problem.

No permanent job: The farmer works 4 months in a year on his farms.
For the remaining 8 months, in the absence of a daily wage or income,
he is forced to migrate to other cities and towns. This has the
fallout of introducing new diseases that farmers tend to catch due to
their travels. For e.g, tuberculosis was unheard of in Sittilingi due
to environmental conditions, until the migration to other places
happened. People came back to the valley with such diseases.
THI_Porgai

Bags, jewel cases and other accessories made by the Lambani artisan
collective at Sittlingi.
Stemming migration

Porgai, one of the recent THI initiated efforts, translates to pride
in the language of the locals. To address the problems of health due
to migration, the doctors started to think about how to help people
stay back in their villages with a stable daily wage, so that they
wouldn't have go looking for jobs elsewhere 8 months in a year.

This led to reviving Lambani embroidery among the women that they have
always been conversant with. Dr.Lalitha helped them to be in sync with
the latest trends and colour combinations.

Going back to Swadeshi roots, another unique effort here has been to
encourage the people of Sittilingi to produce their own cotton, which
they use to weave and tailor into kurtas / tops etc; the women then
embroider these tops.

I came away from Sittlingi filled with admiration for the wonderful
work done here as well as a bunch of ideas and perspectives around
development. Sittlingi valley is today an amazing example of how a
system of beliefs, well-intentioned people, and patient, sustained
hard work can support a community that can aspire for a better life
and seek its own solutions to implement it.View our sitemap

Read More

Seasonal fruit calendar for South India

Courtesy - Farming Collective

Fruits yielding calender
---------------------------------
Mango : April - July

Jackfruit : April - June

Wood apple : Apr - May. Someone said upto Aug/Sep

Grape : Nov-Dec (isn't it twice a year?)

Sapota : Sep-Nov (isn't it twice a year?)

Pomegranate : Mar-May (isn't it twice a year?)

Nerale (Jamun) : May-June

Orange : Nov-Dec

Guava : July-Sep

Amla : Oct - Dec

Custard apple : Aug-Sep

Avocado: Mar - Apr (have seen it later in Coorg)

Passion fruit : June/jul/ aug

Strawberries : Sep-Jan

Fig in six months : July to Aug. Later Feb-march

(Papaya, Banana, Water melon, Musk Melon etc is grown all through the year) View our sitemap

Read More

Make your own scottish oat cakes

Courtesy - Dawn Fedyck (fb)

Scottish Oat Cakes

1-1/2 cups Scottish Oatmeal (Rolled oats pulverized in a food
processor to a rough flour consistency)
1/2 cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 Tbsp Brown Sugar (Jaggery)
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
1/4 cup Butter if eating quickly or Butter flavored vegetable
shortening if storing for longer times , melted
1/2 cup Hot Water

Directions
Preheat oven to 325°F.

Place all but 2 tablespoons of the Scottish Oatmeal in a bowl with
flour, sugar, salt and baking powder; stir until combined. Add butter
and stir until evenly distributed. With a fork, mix in water, just
until moistened. Pat dough into a ball, and then flatten slightly.

Sprinkle reserved 2 tablespoons oats on a board. Roll dough out 1/4
inch thick. With a 2 to 3 inch round cutter, cut dough into rounds.
Re-roll and cut scraps. Place oatcakes about 1/4 inch apart on a
greased baking sheet.


Bake until Scottish Oatcakes are golden, approximately 25 minutes. Let
cool on a rack.
Enjoy plain, serve with jam or cheese, or use them to build hors
d'oeuvres, salmon.

Makes 12 Scottish Oatcakes.

View our sitemap

Read More

All Purpose Biscuit Mix and Recipes you can try at your home or homestead

Courtesy - Dawn Fedyck (fb)

All purpose Biscuit Mix & Recipes
All-Purpose Baking Mix

9 cups All-Purpose Flour {or 4 1/2 cups whole wheat and 4 1/2 cups all-purpose}
1/3 cup double-acting baking powder
5 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups nonfat dry milk, or dried buttermilk powder (I use a
combination - 3/4 cup each dry milk and buttermilk powder)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable shortening; use butter-flavored if you like
Combine all of the dry ingredients into a large bowl, whisking them
together to blend.

Using a pastry fork or blender mix in the shortening till the mixture
looks like coarse crumbs.
Store the mix in plastic bags or an airtight container for up to 1
month at room temperature; or longer in the freezer.

Recipes Using The Mix:
Biscuits
2 cups All-Purpose Baking Mix
1/2 cup cold milk
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
In a large bowl, stir together the baking mix and milk to make a soft
dough. Turn the dough out onto a work surface sprinkled with baking
mix, sprinkle the top of the dough with a bit more mix, and knead a
few turns, until cohesive. Pat the dough about 3/4" thick, and cut
with a 2" to 2 1/2" biscuit cutter. Place the biscuits on an
un-greased baking sheet.
Bake the biscuits for 8 to 12 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from
the oven, and serve hot.
Yield: about a dozen biscuits, depending on size.


Muffins
3 cups All-Purpose Mix
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup dried fruit or nuts, cinnamon chips, lemon chips, or the
flavored chip of your choice
1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
2 large eggs
1 cup water
cinnamon-sugar or coarse sugar, for the tops of the muffins (optional)
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a muffin pan by
lightly greasing the 12 muffin cups.
In a large bowl, whisk together the All-Purpose Mix, sugar, dried
fruits or nuts or chips, and cinnamon. In a separate bowl or cup,
whisk together the eggs and water, then stir these liquid ingredients
into the dry ingredients.
Use a muffin scoop or 1/4-cup measure to fill the muffin cups 3/4
full. Sprinkle the tops with cinnamon-sugar or coarse sugar, if
desired.

Bake the muffins for 18 to 22 minutes, till they're golden. Remove
them from the oven, and allow them to cool in the pan for 5 to 8
minutes. Rap the pan on the edge of a counter sharply to loosen the
muffins, and turn them out onto a rack. Serve them warm. Yield: 12
muffins.

Cinnamon Rolls

Dough
4 cups All-Purpose Mix
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup + 1 to 2 tablespoons water or milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Filling
3/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 tablespoon Instant Clearjel® OR 2 tablespoons (1/2 ounce) unbleached
all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup diced pecans or raisins (optional)
1/2 cup cinnamon chips (optional)

Glaze
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons cream or 2 to 3 tablespoons water or milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

To make the Dough: In a medium-sized bowl whisk together all of the
dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, the
water or milk, and vanilla. Combine the dry and wet ingredients, and
mix to form a slightly sticky dough. Flatten the dough into a
rectangle, cover it, and let it rest for 15 minutes.

To Make The Filling: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the dry
ingredients, then cut in the shortening or butter. Add water to form a
spreadable paste; reserve the nuts and chips for later.

The Assembly: Generously flour your work surface, and roll the dough
into a 12 x 15-inch rectangle, sprinkling both sides of the dough with
flour if it's very sticky. Spread the dough with the filling, and
sprinkle it with the nuts or raisins, and cinnamon chips, if you're
using them. Starting at a short edge, carefully roll the dough into a
log. Cut the log into 12 1-inch slices.

Lay the rolls in a lightly greased 9 x 13-inch pan. Bake for 22 to 25
minutes, until they're golden brown. Let them cool in the pan for 10
minutes, then spread or drizzle them with the glaze, which you've made
by whisking together the sugar, vanilla, and cream or water. For best
flavor and texture, serve the rolls warm. Yield: 12 rolls.


Scones
2 1/2 cups All-Purpose Mix
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3/4 cup raisins, currants, or the dried fruit of your choice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1/3 cup whole milk or cream
coarse white sugar or cinnamon-sugar, for topping (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Whisk the sugar, dried fruit and nutmeg into the All-Purpose Mix.
Whisk the vanilla, egg and milk/cream together, and stir them into the
dry ingredients. Mix until evenly moistened.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Gently fold it
over until it holds together. Place it on a lightly greased baking
sheet, pat it into an 8-inch circle, and cut it into 8 wedges. Pull
the wedges apart slightly. Brush the tops of the scones with a bit of
milk, and sprinkle them with coarse sugar.
Bake them for 18 to 22 minutes, until lightly browned. Yield: 8 scones.


Pancakes or Waffles
1 to 1 1/4 cups water or milk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
2 cups All-Purpose Mix

In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the water or milk,
egg and vanilla, if you're using it. Mix these liquid ingredients into
the All-Purpose Mix and stir gently until only a few small lumps
remain.

Heat a griddle or cast iron pan over medium heat. Brush it with oil or
melted butter. When the griddle is the proper temperature a drop of
water will bounce across the surface. Use a 1/4-cup measure or muffin
scoop to ladle the batter onto the griddle. Turn the pancakes over
when the bubbles that appear on the surface remain open. Cooking the
other side of the pancakes will take a much shorter time, perhaps only
30 seconds or so, depending on the heat of the griddle and the
thickness of the pancakes. Remove the pancakes from the griddle, and
serve them hot. Yield: 1 dozen 3-inch pancakes.

The same batter may be used for waffles; however, adding a tablespoon
of vegetable oil to the batter will result in a crisper waffle. Be
sure to grease the waffle iron, and preheat it. Waffle irons differ
considerably, but most will cook waffles in 2 to 4 minutes. Yield: 3
or 4 large waffles.

Happy Homesteading :)

View our sitemap

Read More

How to Make your own Lavender Perfume With or without Alcohol

Courtesy - Mollysims

Procedure for preparation of your own Lavender perfume
---------------------------------------------------------------------
* 1 glass spray bottle, 4 oz

* Mostly 3.5 oz of vodka is used as a carrier oil. If you don't
prefer alcohol in your perfume, You can also use jojoba or grapeseed
oil!)

* 15 drops lavender essential oil

* 5 drops lemon essential oil

* 30 drops vanilla essential oil

Directions for use
--------------------------
* Combine all ingredients and shake before use!

* No need to say, enjoy the pleasant smell..!

View our sitemap

Read More