Homemade Journal (great gift)

I used homemade paper for my journal and when I make my next batch of paper I'll post a how-to.



But you can use anything; printer paper, construction paper, or all that blank paper that collects in the back of sketch books.

To start you need to decide the size of the journal and how many pages it will hold.

The journal above is 5 1/2 X 71/2 and 18 pages

Next we make the cover. I just painted 2 pages of sketch paper, but you can use scrap book paper or newspaper. Anything so long as it is significantly larger than your cover pages.

Now using the cover page as a template; cut the paper that is to cover it 1/2 inch larger and cut off the corners so that it will easily wrap around the page.

Then using spray adhesive, spray both the page and the cover and allow to dry. Once dry rub together and fold sprayed flaps down.

Next score only the front cover by cutting it half way through 1 inch away from the top.

And then mark three centered holes for stringing it all together. Use this cover as a template for putting the holes in the other sheets of paper.

You can use a hole punch but the pages might be alittle thick for that assuming you have used thick paper. I used a metal scribe, or this tool:

Next, string a tapestry needle with whatever you choose to bind the journal with. I used three strands of thin hemp.

Make sure that what your using is long. Longer than you think you'll need assuming you want a clasp. I'd say about 30 inches.

Tie a hoop knot , and thread the string from front to back through the middle hole. Then from back to front through the left hole (dont pull to tight!) and then across the journal front to back through the right hole and pull through the loop that has formed on the back and tie off. If you want to make a clasp, dont cut the string at this point.

Now to make a button clasp. Wrap the string from the back from bottom to top twice around the journal and mark on the string where you would want the button to be.



Slide the button to that point and secure. Then at the end of the string make a hoop knot ( make sure it is the right length to reach the clasp. Cut off the excess and there you go!

Your very own journal!

I will be giving out quite a few of these for Christmas this year!

I've found the straight 8s

              So I checked the garden I'd say around 9 or 10 this morning, that's when I found the curvy cukes. So later on in the day, around 5, I waltzed my way back down, to check on the okra and tomatoes and just in general look at the garden. And there they were....

 Laying right there. How could I not have seen them? These are obviously the straight 8s. Now if only I could remember what the curvy cukes were....



The 2 big ones are a little bigger than I'd perfer but they'll pickle up nice enough. How I blindly tromped through the garden not seeing these bad boys I'll never know.

A couple of weeks ago we found this biggin' in the garden.

As you can see he was longer than a paper towel roll. I had found, the day before, the one above him. And was shocked and then the next day found the big one, only inches away. It's crazy how they hide from ya.

Can ya tell I've got cucumber fever?

Crazy Curvy Cukes

So in the garden this year we planted okra, jalapeno, tomato, pumpkin, watermelon, squash, zucchini, broccoli, bush and pole beans, and last but not least cucumbers. There are a couple different varieties, many of which have at the moment slipped my mind. I do remember that there are straight eights and a mici hybrid asian variety.

Anywho, I went out to the garden this morning. Just to kind of give everything a once over and as I was digging through the cuke vines thanking the bumble bees for doing their job i started noticing a few cukes ready for pickin'. And there was one thing all these cukes had in common...

They were curvy as all get out!
Now we've gotten some of these before and they taste just fine except for the skinny part which has no seeds and is quite bitter but the rest of the cuke is tasty enough it makes up for it.

This fella here was about to curve in on himself. The bitter part is the skinny part, in the bend.

A week more of days like this and it'll be picklin' time again.

Pickles,pickles,pickles!

First post, WOOT WOOT!

This year in the garden we went a little crazy on the cucumbers. 12 plants...for a 2 person family!
So once everything started coming in we were slightly overwhelmed. Solution for this problem?
.... refrigerator pickles! They were ridiculously easy and pretty cheap.

I got everything at walmart and it was about 20 bucks. And that's assuming you dont already have quart canning jars.

I used Ball brand quart Jars (sanitize them in the dishwasher) and Ball brand pickle crisp. Also Mrs.Wages kosher dill pickling mix.

According to the back of the mix you need:

-9-11lbs pickling cucumbers(about 50- 3to 4 inches)
(now I didnt use 50 cukes probably close to 15 but they were a bigger variety. Also the package says it makes 7 quarts but i only made 4 and filled the jars entirely with liquid only pouring out about another jars worth so im assuming if you really pack the jars tightly with cukes you could get 7 quarts)
-3 1/3 Cups white wine vinegar (5% acidity)
7 1/3 C water

Wash and and get the cukes ready. you can either do them whole or spears or slices. I went for the spears.

Next in a large stock pot I mixed the water, vinegar and pickle mix. Bring it to just under a boil. Boy will the kitchen begin to smell good at this point!

When the mix is good and ready, start packing the cukes into the jars(sanitized in the dishwasher). I packed in as many as would fit but not so much that they seemed crammed, then pour in the hot liquid. Next add a round 1/4 teaspoon of the pickle crisp to each jar and put on the lids.Let the pickles cool to room temperature anywhere from 1 hour to 2 hours, when cooled stick 'em in the fridge. They need a good 24 hours to soak up the flavor. And need to be stored in the fridge.

And there you have it.
Next.... pickled okra, yum!