We’re working on Mom’s new bread book. Can’t wait to share more details, but in the meantime, here’s a little behind the scenes …
A professional photo shoot at MaryJanesFarm. Haha! Karina was shooting the girls making biscuits and of course making a mess with the flour. We were shooting under one of our wall-tent canopies, and there was a small hole in the canvas that was making a large sun spot on the girls’ hands. So, using my professional skills, I grabbed a broom and used it to block the sun. And that’s how the pros do it.
In the Aug/Sept issue of MaryJanesFarm, “The Experiment” (on newsstands July 14), we led you here to my daily journal for a chance to win a free sampling of products from our favorite apothecary, Mountain Rose Herbs. While I enjoy many of Mountain Rose Herbs’ bath, body, and kitchen products myself, I’m also glad to report that they’re one of my cows’ favorite suppliers, too. “What do herbs have to do with cows?” you may ask. Well, I make a non-toxic homemade fly spray for my herd using MRH essential oils.
In the Aug/Sept issue of MaryJanesFarm, “The Experiment” (on newsstands July 14), we led you here to my daily journal for a chance to win a free sample of our ChillOver Powder. Over the years, we’ve given you lots of ideas for yummy concoctions using ChillOver Powder, my gelatin alternative. Looks like gelatin. Tastes like gelatin. It isn’t. It’s better! My innovative ChillOver Powder is for all the people who grew up loving gelatin desserts but gave up on them, knowing their animal origin.
But recently, Megan discovered a new craft using ChillOver Powder: gel-plate printing. “After purchasing a commercial gel plate and spending some time ‘printing’ with it,” Megan says, “I quickly understood what folks-in-the-know were raving about. But I couldn’t stop thinking how easy these plates might be to make myself, so I took my newfound craft to another level: the kitchen. With a sense of adventure, I tied on my apron and experimented with MaryJane’s ChillOver Powder, our gelatin substitute. The result? Well, let’s just say the proof was in the printing.”
Find step-by-step instructions for gel-plate printing in the “Farm Life” section of the Aug/Sept issue. And for a chance to win a pouch of ChillOver Powder, tell me about a new craft you’ve discovered in the comments below. We’ll toss your name in a hat and draw one lucky winner in mid-September, when the Aug/Sept issue expires on newsstands. Stay tuned for more magazine-related giveaways!
If you’re not yet a subscriber to MaryJanesFarm, subscribe here for only $19.95/year.
Welcome New Sisters! (click for current roster)
Merit Badge Awardees (click for latest awards)
My featured Merit Badge Awardee of the Week is … Caitlin Hargett!!!
Caitlin Hargett (#6460) has received a certificate of achievement in Garden Gate for earning a Beginner Level Gaining Ground Merit Badge!
“I set up a worm farm for composting and read Worms Eat My Garbage.
Worm farming is actually pretty tricky. I lost all my worms in the first week and had to buy more. So far these have lasted about 3 weeks, but I don’t have them happy enough to eat all the compost I have to give. I’m going to keep up with it and hopefully find a good system for all of us.”
We are lucky to have a good selection of little stores in our sweet small town. We also have an amazing, independently-owned building supply store. Moscow Building Supply has a great selection of home goods and plants, as well as hardware, and I’ve always thought that the best thing about MBS is their customer service. There’s always someone there to assist me with any questions I may have, and they’ve even been known to help me with a few brainstorming sessions on how to best tackle a project. That kind of service is one-of-a-kind!
Our small town also has an annual art walk, where the local businesses display local artists’ works and we close down Main Street to traffic and open it up to folks actively working on their art … spray painting, glass blowing, metal working, etc. This year, MBS had their own huge art booth. Their crew had cut about a billion pieces of wood and set up stations with instructors to help kids build and paint their own airplanes.
The kids loved it! There was a long line, with each kid patiently waiting to build their own plane. Did I mention, completely free of charge?!? This kind of service is so far above and beyond, and I can’t express how cool it was that they had put it together for our kids.
The kids worked on their hammering, sanding, screwing, and painting skills. We were probably there for over an hour, with the MBS crew guiding my kids through each step.
So, here’s my huge shout-out to MBS and my own gentle reminder to support my local businesses because they support me. Both girls have their airplanes proudly displayed at our house, and I see them being a permanent part of our décor for years to come. Thanks, MBS!
In the Aug/Sept issue of MaryJanesFarm, “The Experiment” (on newsstands July 14), we led you here to my daily journal for a chance to win a free sampling of “the perfect clothespin,” featured in our “Home Safe Home” section.
You probably know that we love clothespins here at MaryJanesFarm. You might have seen the article, “The Humble Clothespin,” in our “Celebrating 15 Years” Feb/Mar 2015 issue. And recently, we discovered another small company that makes old-fashioned wooden clothespins by hand. Albert Crooks and his 15-year-old son, Al, craft beautiful, sturdy clothespins from ash (the perfect hardwood for clothespins) and heavy-duty, stainless-steel springs manufactured in the U.S. “No more using four or five cheap clothespins to hang a wet towel to line dry. Our clothespins are tumble sanded and are finished with tung oil, which will not leach out and stain your laundry.” For beautiful clothespins that will last a lifetime, visit AllAmericanClothespins.com.
For a chance to win a sampling of “the perfect clothespin,” tell me how hanging laundry on the line makes you feel in the comments below. We’ll toss your name in a hat and draw one lucky winner in mid-September, when the Aug/Sept issue expires on newsstands. Stay tuned for more magazine-related giveaways!
If you’re not yet a subscriber to MaryJanesFarm, subscribe here for only $19.95/year.
Buy props used in MaryJane’s books and magazine!
5% of profits will benefit www.firstbook.org, a non-profit that provides new books to children from low-income families throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Here’s how:
MaryJane will post a photo and a description of a prop and its cost along with a few details as to its condition here: https://shop.maryjanesfarm.org/MaryJanesCurations. It’s a playful way to be the new owner of a little bit of farm herstory.
