Recommended: Fresh Food From Small Spaces

If you ache to move to the country so you can grow your own food and raise your own chickens, you might find that you can start right where you are.  Anyone can grow food, even if you live in a tiny apartment!

"Fresh Food From Small Spaces" by R.J. Rupenthal shows you how to make the most from small spaces.  Anyone can sprout seeds on a kitchen counter to add nutrition to their meals.  A sunny window sill is all it takes to get things started.  Even a small balcony can be enough space to grow a few pounds of tomatoes or peppers and other delicious foods.

Although I do not have a tiny space, this book was exciting to me.  I lived in apartments and condos with nothing more than a small patio or balcony for outdoor space for the first nine years of my married life.  If I had only known what I discovered in this book!!

In this book, you will learn what to use for planting containers, how to use vertical space and reflected light, how to start transplants and grow fruit and berries.  You'll also learn how to do some amazing things in your own kitchen, such as sprouting, making kefir, yogurt and fermented foods, and cultivating mushrooms.  You might even live in a situation where you can eke out enough space to raise chickens and honeybees!  In addition, you will discover how to make compost using worms and how to prepare for survival in the case of food shortages.

In my own backyard, I've been thinking in terms of square-foot gardening.  This book focuses on square-inch gardening to make the most out of tiny spaces.  This is the only book of its kind that I've been able to find.  No other book gives such great detail about "farming" from your apartment!

So if you've been daydreaming of the day you will have your own "farm", even if it's just a large backyard, then dream no more.  Start where you are!

Modest Swimwear

I am all about modesty when it comes to swimwear.  I feel embarrassed when I see a woman wearing a bikini.  I feel especially upset about it when I have my children with me.

Here are a couple of websites that have darling swimsuits that are much more modest than the horrible things offered by the truckload at most stores.

Divinita Sole has gorgeous swimsuits that are wonderfully modest.  They help you to find the right kind of suit for your body type.

Lime Ricki also offers cute, yet modest, swimsuits.  They also offer maternity suits and suits for little girls.  They will soon be offering a line for men as well.

Cookbook For Kids... AND Adults

Among my favorite cookbooks is one that was actually made for kids.  Why do I like it so much?

1.  The recipes are exceptionally healthy and easy.

2.  It teaches about how certain ingredients are grown, where they're grown, and the different varieties available.

3.  There are beautiful pictures to go along with each step of the recipe.

4.  Some of my favorite recipes were found in this cookbook.

Cook It Together by Annabel Karmel is a superb cookbook.  My daughter and I are planning to cook everything in it during our summer break from homeschool.  Even my son enjoys following the recipes from this book.

I think that it is so important for children to learn how to cook from a fairly young age.  My kids started with making their own peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  Then they learned to cook eggs.  When I felt they were responsible enough, I taught them how to use the sharp knives.  My daughter thoroughly enjoys chopping up vegetables and making salads.  She's quite adventurous in the kitchen and even invented her own cookie recipe.

Do your kids a favor and allow them to experiment from time to time.  If you want your kids to continue to eat healthy once they grow up and leave home, then it's important for you to train them and allow them to experiment in your kitchen.  Equip them to be able to feed themselves and others well.  And this goes for boys as much as girls!

Urban "Farm"

Urban homesteading and urban farming are big buzz words these days, and for good reason.  Our society has reached a place where we rely almost exclusively on conglomerate food delivery systems (aka supermarkets).  Gone are the days of Laura's little house in the midwest prairie where Pa built a house with raw materials that he gathered with his bare hands and where nearly everything they ate was grown, hunted or foraged.

Yet more and more Americans feel compelled to start growing their own foods again.  Their reasons are varied: healthier food, less expensive food, hobby, or a desire to be a little more self-reliant.  Whatever their reasons, more people are trying to relearn what was once common knowledge to pioneering Americans.

My own journey began with two large terra cotta pots.  I planted a tomato plant in one and a cucumber plant in another.  I harvested several cucumbers, but not one tomato, although the plant towered over my head.  I learned that they were too shaded on my patio.  I graduated to a four-foot by four-foot raised bed, then added another, then doubled that.  It's been a process of experimentation, some errors and failures, and plenty of delicious food that I started from seed.  

I also added chickens.  Just one to start with.  My kids named her "Chicken".  Then we added three more: Buttercup, Milly and Jackson.  Every egg that is found brings a sense of wonder and thrill to my children, and I love the extra food it puts on my table.  There is something so empowering and exciting that comes from producing food on your own piece of property.  And if I can do it in the scorching Sonoran Desert, you can do it wherever you live!

One of the most inspiring websites I've ever visited is Path to Freedom's Little Homestead in the City.  The Dervaes family is a living example of breaking the grip of America's food system and "big ag".  They live in an ordinary home in the heart of Pasadena, California, with only one-tenth of an acre of yard space.  Yet in that setting, they produce 350 different kinds of vegetables, herbs, fruits and berries, harvesting about 6,000 pounds annually!  They also collect thousands of eggs per year from their backyard foul, and honey from their own beehives.  This feeds their family of five and also produces income as they sell to local restaurants and neighbors.

But the Dervaes do so much more than just produce food on their tiny piece of property.  You really ought to check out their website.  It will inspire you and help you to understand just how much you can do to be more self-reliant, even in the most urban setting!  Visit Path to Freedom's Little Homestead in the City to find out more.

The Seven Pillars of Health

I have read numerous books on the topic of natural health, but The Seven Pillars of Health by Dr. Don Colbert takes them all.  Trying to figure out how to eat and live a healthy lifestyle can be overwhelming.  This books helps you to focus specifically on seven of the most important things:

Water.  Sleep and rest.  Living foods.  Exercise.  Detoxification.  Nutritional supplements.  Coping with stress.

"These are not the seven 'fads' of health or the seven 'theories' of health, but the seven pillars of health.  Backed up by medical research and my actual experiences with real problems and real people that span more than two decades of practice, these seven pillars have contributed health and freedom to thousands of people. ...It won't take more work on your part.  You will simply exchange old habits for new ones."

In this book, I learned my body's relation to each of the these seven pillars.  I found the information to be easy to understand and easy to apply.  If you want to get a good grasp on good health, this is the best starting point that I could suggest.  

Choosing a Food Dryer

In a previous post about drying fruit, I promised to recommend a good food dryer to you.

Being that I live in the dry Sonoran Desert, I actually dried bananas outside on a window screen for a couple of years.  I stopped doing this because I started reading about the process of drying produce and found that this was not the safest way of drying food.

I had contemplated building a solar food dryer, but I never got around to doing it.

I finally did some research on electric food dryers.  They range considerably in prices, but I found that an inexpensive brand that I could buy at Wal-Mart had received tremendous reviews.  I purchased it and have found it to be perfect for my needs.

Introducing the Snackmaster Express Food Dehydrator:

For $49, you get four trays, a recipe book, a fruit roll sheet, and 2 packs of jerky spice and cure.  You can add several trays, sold separately.  It's not as quiet as I'd like, but it gets the job done quickly!  You can't beat the price, and it seems that most people who bought this machine have been pleased with it.  And I thoroughly enjoy mine!

Taking Charge of Your Fertility... Naturally

I'm going to get a little personal in this post because it touches on a subject that too many women have little knowledge about... their fertility.

I happen to be one of those people who remained a virgin till marriage.  When I was a couple of months away from my wedding, my fiance and I discussed the subject of when we might have children.  Both of us felt that we wanted to wait a year or two before becoming parents.  The big question in my mind was how to avoid pregnancy until then.

This was a subject that no one ever discussed, so I was thoroughly ignorant.  The only thing I knew to do was use birth control pills.  I talked to my mom and she didn't have much in the way of advice, so I went to a gynecologist and asked numerous questions.  Everyone seemed to think that using "the pill" was a simple and logical solution to avoiding pregnancy.  So that's the route I chose.

In those days, I knew very little about pharmaceuticals and so little about REAL nutrition and health.  When I first got married, I realized that there was quite a lot I didn't know.  I lived near a small library and started bringing loads of books home to learn about everything a good wife/homemaker should know.  As I began to learn more, I started coming across things that talked about the dangers of birth control pills.  It had never occurred to me that their could be any health risk in swallowing those tiny pills everyday.

I grew more and more uneasy about taking the pill.  I finally sat down with the pamphlet that came in every prescription of pills (which I'd never bothered to read before).  Twenty minutes later, after reading every word of that tiny print, I was convinced that I could not put another one of those things in my mouth for the rest of my life!  When my husband came home, I made my grand announcement: I was going off the pill.

At this point, we'd been married only six months, and neither of us wanted to have children yet.  The next day I went to the library, not really sure what to look for.  I found the appropriate section and found one book that might give me the answer I was looking for: "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" by Toni Weschler.

There is no doubt in my mind that God led me to exactly what I needed.  As I read this book, I learned things about my body that I never knew before.  For the first time I understood how my monthly cycle worked and what was happening at each phase of the cycle.  This book taught me how to control my fertility naturally!  I felt set free!  I learned how to determine when I was about to ovulate so I could avoid sexual activity and therefore avoid pregnancy.  And when I WAS ready to have children, I used the same method to determine when I would be fertile.

I have successfully used this method exclusively for fifteen years.  I used the chart given in the book for about two years until I knew my body and my cycle so well that I didn't need to use it anymore.

In hindsight, I would have to say that this book was the very first step in my knowledge base of living a natural lifestyle, free from prescription drugs, processed foods, and manufactured garbage.  Little did I know that I'd be where I am today simply because I got freaked out about taking a tiny pill.  But I'm so grateful.  And I have two beautiful children!

It is my opinion that every girl ought to be taught about these things before graduating from high school. It is important for women to understand their bodies!  This book is a jewel of a find for those who want to avoid the toxic options of fertility.

Homeschool Karate

I have been homeschooling my kids from the very beginning.  As they got a little older, I wanted to add something new and exciting each school year.  One of their favorites was a karate course via DVD.

Homeschool Karate is an excellent course offered by a Christian instructor from Sandpoint, Idaho.  It focuses on self-defense, with a remarkable absence of anything related to eastern mysticism or philosophies.  Your children will love it, but it's also something all members of the family can enjoy together.

This series begins with the DVD called "Dealing With a Bully".  I felt that this was an excellent start to the karate program, as it teaches children how to do their best to avoid conflict.  The instructor also emphasizes that self-defense is meaningless apart from trusting your life to Yahweh.

The series includes beginner, intermediate, and advanced DVDs.  My children have thoroughly enjoyed this course, and it was a great way for them to get some physical fitness.

While on a summer vacation in northern Idaho a few years ago, the instructor, Mike, was so generous to meet us at his studio in Sandpoint on his day off so that my kids could meet him.  He spent nearly an hour going through various exercises and techniques with them, giving them some great input on how to make improvements.

Homeschool Karate gets all thumbs up from this family!

Character Building for Families

I love it when I find a precious gem for our homeschool.  There are plenty of good materials, but occasionally I come across some exceptional materials.  Character Building for Families happens to be one of those stand-out jewels.

Character Building for Families can be used as a family devotional, for your homeschool, or as a character class for group study.  It is suitable for all ages.  The lessons are fully prepared in an easy outline form, so there is no preparation work required.  Each lesson contains Scripture reading, discussion points, and memorization suggestions.  My children love looking up the verses and taking turns reading out loud.

There are two volumes available that address the following character traits:

VOLUME 1:  obedience, orderliness, diligence, loyalty, deference, cheerfulness, gentleness (kindness), contentment, gratitude, truthfulness, servanthood and hospitality.  There are 165 lessons in this volume.

VOLUME 2:  stewardship (of money, time, speech, bodies, friends and the gospel), teachableness, mercy, patience, and desire for Yashuah (Jesus).  There are 135 lessons in this volume.

I have yet to find anything so valuable for Bible classes in our homeschool.  We can use these over and over again.  And to be quite honest, they have challenged my husband and I to develop our character in these areas as well.

Each volume is only $15.00, and this includes the cost of shipping.  It is worth its weight in gold!

Blendtec... My Kitchen Favorite

Sometimes it is worth spending extra money on a kitchen tool that will enable you to eat healthier meals while making food preparation simple.  For me, it must be extraordinary and something I will use routinely in order for its cost to be justified.

A Blendtec blender is one of those tools.

I have been amazed at how much use this appliance gets and equally amazed at the number of things I use it for.  I primarily bought it because I had been wanting to grind my own wheat.  A quality electric wheat grinder is too pricy for me, and it only does one thing... grinds grain.

What have I done with my Blendtec?

SMOOTHIES: I can make breakfast smoothies for my family of four in less than one minute.

FLOUR: The most satisfying thing I've used this blender for is grinding my own flour.  I have been astounded at the difference between fresh-ground wheat flour and store-bought wheat flour.  You would have to taste it to believe how delicious it is!  Nothing has been removed, and nothing added.  And it only takes 50 seconds!

SOUP:  This blender has a soup setting.  My favorite is from the Blendtec recipe book... tortilla soup.  I love putting all that beautiful, raw produce in there with some spices and a little cheese, hitting the "soup" button, and filling four bowls with hot soup in just a matter of a couple of minutes.

ICE CREAM:  I gave away my electric ice cream maker because I can get fabulous ice cream in less than one minute with this appliance!

MAYONNAISE:  I love making homemade mayo in this blender.  It's so easy that I stopped buying store-bought mayo.

It can do so much more.  I have yet to try making my own nut butter, which it is capable of doing, too.  The Blendtec blender comes with a fabulous recipe book.  You can purchase directly from Blendtec, but I recommend you wait until a Costco near you has a demonstration.  They cost a little less and you get a much longer warranty, not to mention no shipping charges.

If you want to watch part 2 of the demo....

From Home Base does not receive any compensation from Blendtec.  This is a product that I love and feel is worth recommending.

Inexpensive or Free Books

I love books.  Although e-books are gaining more popularity by the day, I find that it is more expensive to purchase the books I want in this format.  In addition, I still prefer the feel of a real book with real ink and paper in my hands.

Check out these two websites:

PAPERBACK SWAP: When you set up an account at this website, you can swap paperback, hardback or audio books with other members.  When I say swap, I mean FREE!  You earn book credits by posting and swapping your books.  In turn, you use those credits to "order" books from other members.  If someone "orders" one of the books you've posted, you are expected to pay the shipping, but the website has a cool feature where you can print the packaging materials right there.  Check out this link to see how Paperback Swap works, or watch this quick video:

DEALOZ: If you can't find what you're looking for at Paperback Swap, visit DealOz.  This website does a huge amount of bargain hunting for you in a matter of seconds.  Once you enter the name of the book or video you want, it searches the internet to find where you can purchase it.  You will be given a chart with the name of the seller/website, the cost for the item, the price for shipping, any available discounts or coupons, and a final cost, pointing you to the best price.  From there, you can select the seller that most interests you and you are directed to that seller's website.  Transactions do not take place on DealOz.

Recommended: "Radical"

When I read “Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream” by David Platt, I felt as though I had been pierced to the heart.  Having grown up in the “American church culture”, I struggled with many of the things Yahshua (Jesus) had said about material possessions.  To me, material possessions were an outward indicator of Yahweh’s blessing in a person’s life. 

A month before I picked up this book, I had a compelling inner drive to dramatically reduce the possessions in my home.  I took two weeks off from homeschool during the holidays and spent ten days attacking my home, one room at a time.  It was mentally and physically exhausting, but there was a strange sense of freedom that was stirred up in me as I got rid of stuff.  Even my children were assigned the task of “purging” their own rooms.

Many lessons were learned from this experience.  But I knew that Yahweh still wanted to communicate something to me.  A friend urged me to read this book, so after my house-purge, I opened the book and began reading. 

 For the first time, I began to look honestly at the things Yahshua said to those who wanted to follow Him:

… Sell all you have, give it to the poor, and THEN come and follow Me.

… Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Me.

… What you did for the least of these my brothers, you did unto Me.

… A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.

As I read this book, my view of stuff began to change.  I realized that I had been blessed SO THAT I could be a blessing.  SO THAT I could feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, clothe the naked, pray for the sick, cast out demons, and preach the gospel. 

I will let David Platt talk to you about this book:

Recommended: "Public Education Against America"

When people find out that I homeschool my children, I’m never sure what kind of response I’m going to get:

“Good for you.  I wish I had homeschooled my kids.”

“I could never spend that much time around my kids.  I’m so glad when school starts so I can get them out of my hair for a few hours a day.”

“Aren’t you afraid that they won’t be able to get into college?”

“What about socializing?”

For most people, there is the one question that they aren’t quite brave enough to ask, and that is, “Why?”  For me the answer is so simple, yet as I try to give that answer, I find that it is also complex.

There is no ONE reason for homeschooling.  But I think that the book “Public Education Against America” by the late Marlin Maddoux gives some compelling reasons for homeschooling.  This thoroughly researched book will frighten you, challenge you, and motivate you to think twice about entrusting your precious children to the public education system, and to some extent, to any school system.

“While America wasn’t looking, Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic was largely replaced by Moral Relativism and Secular Humanism in our kindergartens, grade schools, and universities. 

“This manipulation of the values and beliefs of our young generation is not an accident nor is it due to incompetence.  It is a deliberate assault on the spiritual and moral compass of America’s children.”

This is the book I wanted to write.  After several months of research, I stumbled upon this book the same month it was released.  I was thrilled to find that Maddoux had thoroughly covered so many of the things that I wanted to communicate about the state of America’s education system.  I feel that if you really care about the moral and spiritual state of your children, you owe it to them to read this book.