Ketchup Recipe

Ketchup has to be one of the most used condiments in our home. We love it on everything, now that summer is here we can use fresh tomatoes from the garden to make fresh, healthy, ketchup. By making your own ketchup u can save quite a bit.

Ketchup

•  24 large tomatoes peeled, chopped, cored
• 1 large yellow onion
• 1 large red bell pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons celery seed
• 1 tsp mustard seed
• 1 tsp whole allspice
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 1 cup packed brown sugar 
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp paprika

In a large pot combine tomatoes, onion, and pepper and cook on medium heat until soft. Sieve the vegetables into the pot until you have a puree. 

Cook the puree on high until it is thick and reduced by half. 

Cut a 10 cm square of cheesecloth and place the celery seed, mustard seed, allspice, and cinnamon stick in the center of the bag and tie up all four corners to create a tight bag. 

Add the spice bag, brown sugar, and salt into tomato puree. Cook on low for 25 mins. 

Add the cider vinegar and paprika. Continue cooking stirring frequently until the mixture is thick. 

Now u can begin the canning process by pouring your ketchup into jars. Use a hot water bath and ensure a tight seal. Cool, label and store for up to one year. Ketchup will be ready to eat in one week. 

Enjoy the fruits of your labour and save a ton of money by using up all your tomatoes!

Fixing Splayed Leg on a Duckling

The past couple weeks I have learned a lot and lost a few small pet duckies along the way. It has been a hard learning experience but now I know of your duck doesn't stick to her food she will lay eggs that are impenetrable to ducklings. My duck was eating nothing but chicken food and the enzymes creating rock hard shells causing the babies to die in their shells. We were able to save two of them but one of them has splayed leg. 

But what is splayed leg or spraddle leg? There is an excellent article here. Basically it is a condition where the baby bird cannot use their legs. It is however a correctable condition in many cases. I found many helpful videos on youtube and used the one I thought would be the best for my duckies condition. 

When I had helped her out of her prison shell she was very weak from fighting her way out. She couldn't move without help, and could barely lift her head.  She has gotten many baths and had been fed using a syringe and wet food. Now she is finally beginning to get the food herself which is a step in the right direction. 

So here is the video I chose to create my leg brace for her. 

Now I am waiting to see if the fix will set and my ducky will survive. Sadly if it doesn't work she will be put down. So cross your fingers, its only been one day and she is showing improvement.

Viva Vantage & Cozy Coupe Makeover

Sun faded toys usually are unavoidable and can look a bit lame and boring in the backyard, or at least that's how we look at things around here. I don't like having boring faded toys in my yard,they just look so sad. So my sons Little Tikes Cozy Coupe was in desperate need of a face lift. 

I got started scrubbing all the dirt and mud off,which was no easy task since my kids enjoy mud bogging in the backyard. But I used my Viva Vantage paper towels to get the job done. I only had to use 2 sheets to remove all that grime! This paper towel is super strong, absorbent, and has great scrubbing power!

Once the car was clean it was time to take this tiny car to the next level with some of my artwork. I used permanent paint markers and went to town. 

I added some fine lines, racing stripes, an awesome skull, an adorable face as well as some cheeky back talk to turn this car into a prized gem. 

Keep Cool With A Water Relay

It is so hot out where we live, we have been reaching 40 degrees Celsius and just boiling. The kids get a bit grumpy when it's hot and they proclaim that they are bored and don't want to play in the sun because it's too hot. So I thought of a great way to keep the kids entertained, cool, following instructions, and working on their hand eye coordination. 

A water relay is the perfect way to beat the heat. I simply filled small containers with water and set them up on obstacles the children need to tackle while holding their container of water, the object of the game is to get through each obstacle without spilling or with spilling as little water as possible.

 Each obstacle was different, like riding a scooter with one hand while holding the water. They ride the scooter to a designated spot and return to a bucket where they pour in the remaining water. They accumulate as much water from each container and obstacle and I measure who got the most.

Other obstacles included pushing small trucks and strollers with containers of water as well as trying to go down a slide with a small awkward container of water. The kids had a blast filling the bucket and when they were finished and I had marked there line I dumped the collected water on their heads. 

How have you been beating the heat?

Cheap DIY Silhouette Shirts

I absolutely love the look of these awesome shirts I made for my kids and I. There are tons of tutorials on screen printing and what not but they are all pricey and can cost quite a bit by the time your done. So the solution is to find a better way to get your personalized look on your shirt. 

I had this great idea as soon as I found Tulip Fabric Spray Paint! All you need to do is make a stencil and spray the shirt. Well first I made my daughter this one:

I made myself one with a big buck head to and it looks wicked cool. And then I made my oldest boy this one: 

They are really neat looking, and they are as simple as:

• Find a picture you like the silhouette of
• Cut it out
• Glue it to the shirt using washable school glue
• Spray with Tulip Fabric Spray Paint
• Let dry for 4 hours
• Turn it inside out and wash it
• Wear it

Boom your done. Now you can create numerous new looks with one bottle of paint and some cheap shirts. I found a few of mine at Walmart for $3 each and second hand stores for $1. The bottle of spray paint was just under $10 and can make lots of shirts. 

Preventable Death Of Children

My kids are my life, most parents feel the same way. We all want the best for our kids and try to do our best to create a happy, healthy life for them. A couple of things have really tugged at my heart strings this week regarding children and safety. 

First one of the kids in my sons school was accidentally ran over by a vehicle and left in critical condition, he is the sweetest boy and I hope he pulls through. If you would like to read his story you can do so here: Jonah's Story

The boys accident was completely avoidable and preventable. 

The next tragic story I just read about and didn't even think was a possibility is leaving your child in a hot car. Apparently this happens more often then you would think, people are totally crazy about when people leave dogs in cars but what about a child? Until I read this story I wasn't even aware of the problem. This is not something that is labelled as bad parenting either, we all make mistakes and even the most caring, loving, and careful parent can make this mistake.

So parents I want you to read these stories and think long and hard about what can happen to your precious babies. Think about how you would feel when you are the one responsible for the death of your own child, and how you would face the other people in your life to tell them the tragic news. Maybe this will make you more aware of the possibilities of preventable deaths. For more information on children and vehicle safety go to http://www.kidsandcars.org/

Duck Breeding Facts & Information

I have been raising birds for almost two years now and have learned so many things it is amazing. Ducks have got to be my favorite bird, closely followed by chickens, I also raise quail but I'm not much of a quail person, they are high maintenance.

Breeding ducks and hatching eggs has been a fun experience for sure and I have learned a few things I thought I should share so here are some duck breeding facts:

• Ducks breeding period is from late winter to early summer, although some breeds will lay all year.
• Mating can be violent and stressful on females, they can lose a lot of feathers and get injured during mating.Males bite down on the scruff of the neck causing painful marks, bruising and even cuts.
• More than one female per drake is recommended, I have just the pair of Welsh Harlequin ducks and my female is very sore and tired looking. 
• You may need to separate your males and females if mating becomes too stressful.
• Male ducks will try mating with other species, such as chickens, I have seen it.
• Most duck breeds produce an egg a day, which can be very exhausting so be sure to provide adequate food and drinking water.
• Not all ducks will become broody and hatch their own eggs, u may need an incubator if you want ducklings.
• Fertilized eggs can be eaten jut like chicken eggs, or sold to others to hatch. 
• Ducks can be a good way to make money, I sell my ducklings for $10 each, fertilized eggs for $2 each, and full grown for $25.  

All in all I love my ducks and all my birds, it has been fun learning with my kids and being able to teach them where their food comes from. I also love the fact that I am not supporting the giant egg factories where birds are kept in harsh conditions. 

E.A.T. End Allergies Together

As a mother of 3 I am very glad that my kids can eat anything I give them. There is no worries about dying due to a bite of food. Others aren't so lucky, we were recently at a birthday party and were eating Dairy Queen ice cream cake for dessert, nobody thought anything of it until one little boy piped up and said "I can't have peanuts" well who would have thought an ice cream cake may contain traces of peanuts. The family hosting the party called and asked and yes it is true anyone with a severe peanut allergy should not eat ice cream cake due to traces that may be present. Poor little guy. 

So what are we doing in the world to try and find a cure for food allergies? Nowhere near what we should be doing. So E.A.T. has some information to share with the world. 

JUST ONE BITE AWAY...

 

People with food allergies can’t just

eat. The action of eating is often

scary and life threatening, and yet

eating is a part of every day life,

and a way of life.

Every 3 minutes a person visits the

ER with an allergic reaction. 

 

WE ARE COMMITTED TO RESEARCH

E•A•T

is a non-profit organization

solely focused on accelerating the

pace of research by funding

researchers seeking a cure for

this growing epidemic.

100% of

proceeds go directly to

researchers.

Every contribution

makes a real difference. 

 

We know the numbers. In 2013, less

than $65m went towards the

$500m

needed every year

to fund promising

research. That’s not enough to help

our children any time soon.

Every dollar we raise connects the

dots between people with food

allergies...scientists...researchers...

physicians...and a cure.

Help us now... we can’t solve this

problem without you. It’s time to End

Allergies Together

 

Please visit them to find out more: 

EndAllergiesTogether.com

 

#MakeWaterWork For Your Ducks & Chickens

My ducks and chickens need fresh clean water all year. It can be costly if you aren't lucky like me and have water ways that run through your backyard. When we first got our chickens and ducks we noticed a small stream that runs through the yard so we decided to take full advantage of it and build a small pond. 

The other day I was getting all my chickens fresh water and realized I can divert the water into a small creek through the chicken run, into the pond, and so on. So my chickens can get fresh clean water all year without wasting any and saving physical energy that can be used elsewhere. 

It is of course a work in progress, it is going to look stunning when I am done though. I am going to finish the digging and lining today then later tonight I am going to get some plants and rocks to make it beautiful. With the extreme heat and drought conditions we may face this summer it is never a bad idea to find ways of conserving water.

Now that's making water work.

DIY Father's Day Gift

Father's Day is quickly approaching and I would like to show some appreciation to the daddy in our life by making his day super special. By creating extra special gifts that are made using our little artists our Father's Day is going to be awesome!

One of our gifts is a two piece. Not only have the kids created an adorable card/banner but I took this adorable picture and I am going to get it developed, blown up, and framed. So if you have a dad in your life that likes fishing this is the project for you.

Begin by stamping your little ones feet in some colorful paint. Let it dry and then draw the fishy tails and other water details. Add an additional "We Love Dad" and you have the perfect photo prop and card for your special man to enjoy.