| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| MaryJanesNiece |
Posted - Oct 22 2015 : 7:57:05 PM
I am excited to begin working on my merit badges and sharing my experiences with everyone! After much debating I was finally able to pick the top 4 badges I plan to accomplish first!
I chose….
1.Pampered Pets (Outpost)
-It’s important to me that my pets are healthy and will live a long happy life. Knowing what is best for them will allow me to enhance their life.
2. Bread Making (Farm Kitchen)
-I have always enjoyed cooking and now look forward to a better way of cooking.
3. Embroidery (Stitching and Crafting)
- Would love to make something special for my baby boy just like my Grandma Butters made for me.
4. Water Conservation (Cleaning Up)
- I love the idea of helping save the planet as well as help me save money on my bill.
With that in mind, what merit badges do you fellow farmgirls plan on accomplishing first? Or working towards right now? Any of them hold a special meaning that drives you to accomplish one over another?
Much luck and enjoyment in your merit badge experiences!
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| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| MaryJanesNiece |
Posted - Jul 15 2024 : 3:14:25 PM
Wow Shennandoah! That is beautiful. You did a great job.
Krista |
| jillyd |
Posted - Jul 15 2024 : 11:12:04 AM
Shennandoah, your work is outstanding What a gorgeous buffet! I'll have to take a look at that badge. Not that I have time right now, but always good to have ideas percolating away in the back of my brain. 
Jill
Farmgirl #6748
"When life gets super crazy, do your art. It helps you remember the exquisite, imaginary, delightful, lovely side of what is otherwise sometimes a bit much" Sylvia Olsen |
| Blessed in Colorado |
Posted - Jul 13 2024 : 1:37:07 PM
Hilary, I sent you an email through MaryJanes Farm.
Big Hugs,
Debbie
#1582
Blessed in Oregon
With Colorado on My Mind
Farmgirl of the Month September 2012, February 2018, September 2022
“My altars are My Mountains
and the Ocean.” Lord Byron”
When I am Old I Shall Wear Purple, I am Old now!!
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| levisgrammy |
Posted - Jul 13 2024 : 02:52:13 AM
I have never had a problem with blanching and freezing my green beans. I've done it that way for years but my family also likes dilly beans so I have also made them that way. No pressure canner since they have vinegar they can be done in a water bath.
Shenandoah what a pretty buffet you have now!
~Denise
Sister #43~
"I am a bookaholic and I have no desire to be cured."
"Home is where we find comfort, security, memories, friendship, hospitality, and above all, family. It is the place that deserves our commitment and loyalty." William J. Bennett
"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." Psalm 119:105
http://www.ladybugsandlilacs.blogspot.com/
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| KnyttWytch |
Posted - Jul 12 2024 : 9:43:35 PM
Wow! that looks so good!
#6958 Disabled knitter and stitcher (lover of real food!) |
| shennandoah |
Posted - Jul 12 2024 : 7:12:36 PM
Finally finished my project for my expert level furniture makeover badge. Picked up this buffet on Facebook for $100. The company that made it is out of business. Other original buffets like this one from this company run for $1500-$3000 on eBay. This one had been painted with a heavy duty enamel and had lots of dings and gouges, so had to fill in what I could. Painted to match our existing furniture and filled the drawers with my vintage linens and holiday entertaining items. Love having more space for these plus a great surface for holiday displays!
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| MaryJanesNiece |
Posted - Jul 12 2024 : 1:38:22 PM
I may need to try that, Heather. I can freeze red, orange, and yellow peppers just fine, but green ones always have a nasty taste. Maybe if I try the mylar bags then they won't taste bad.
Krista |
| nndairy |
Posted - Jul 11 2024 : 1:50:41 PM
Another option for freezing that I've had success with is mylar bags. They're used for long term food storage but I use them in the freezer for my dried herbs, fresh and dried fruit, and some veggies (like green peppers and onions). I put some fresh blueberries in a bag last August and forgot about them. I just found them and they're perfect - no frost, no off flavor, nothing! I didn't even seal them up with heat - I just used the zipper part (like a regular baggie) since I get in them regularly rather than long term storage.
~Heather
“I would rather be on my farm than be emperor of the world.” — George Washington
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| MaryJanesNiece |
Posted - Jul 05 2024 : 1:05:30 PM
Thanks for sharing!
Krista |
| Nancy Joplin |
Posted - Jul 05 2024 : 12:52:38 PM
Hi, Shennandoah! My Mother-in-law always pressure canned her green beans! They were amazing! It was the only way that my Father-in-law would eat green beans!
Nancy 8352 |
| shennandoah |
Posted - Jul 05 2024 : 06:10:17 AM
Glad I'm not the only one! |
| MaryJanesNiece |
Posted - Jul 03 2024 : 2:36:03 PM
I agree Shennandoah. I froze some sugar snap peas a couple years ago and they were awful. Maybe they would benefit from the vacuum sealer.
Krista |
| Jokamartell |
Posted - Jul 02 2024 : 7:37:11 PM
Shennandoah, I feel so much better hearing your green bean issues. That’s exactly what happened to my green beans we grew from last year. We will definitely pressure canning them from now on. Glad to hear that you have had success with bananas! I’ll have to try that if given the opportunity. :)
Karen :)
To quote one of my past preschoolers “Not one of those Karens, but a good Karen”! Haha |
| shennandoah |
Posted - Jul 02 2024 : 5:15:19 PM
Thanks Krista! The vacuum sealer is very handy though I’m trying to cut down on single use plastic. But for certain foods it’s the only thing that renders them freezer safe. |
| MaryJanesNiece |
Posted - Jul 01 2024 : 7:54:28 PM
Shennandoah, that is awesome. You have been super busy. I am going to work on this badge this year. I have been doing it in the past for my bell peppers and zucchini. But I am hoping to do lots more this year. I have also been wanting a vacuum sealer. I will have to get one soon.
Krista |
| shennandoah |
Posted - Jun 30 2024 : 03:42:03 AM
Awesome Krista! I’ve been lucky and have been finding buttons at garage sales and thrift stores and am rebuilding my collection.
I’ve been working on a few badges. In particular the puttin up and canning badges. For the puttin up badge I started last fall with trying to freeze some of the excess green beans I had. I did research and tried both blanching and not blanching before placing in vacuum seal bags. I also tried three different ways of freezing organic bananas I got on clearance at the store. I tried just placing them in a freezer safe container, in a vacuum seal bag, and slicing them and placing them on parchment layers in a container. Last I shredded some excess carrots I had at the end of winter and put them in 2 cup and 3 cup freezer safe containers.
The carrots worked great. I use the 2 cups for soups (let them get to room temp then sauté) and steam the 3 cup for carrot cake. Both turned out delicious! Infroze the bananas for banana bread. The method that worked the best were the vacuum bags. The container let way too much air in and slicing was messy and after awhile it was hard to get them off the paper again. My green beans, however, were terrible. Both versions just tasted awful. I’m not sure what I did wrong. But I got a pressure canner and think that will be my method for green bean preservation instead of freezing. |
| MaryJanesNiece |
Posted - Jun 24 2024 : 2:28:16 PM
Thanks Karen.
Krista |
| Jokamartell |
Posted - Jun 17 2024 : 7:13:46 PM
Love your collection, Krista! :)
Karen :)
To quote one of my past preschoolers “Not one of those Karens, but a good Karen”! Haha |
| MaryJanesNiece |
Posted - Jun 17 2024 : 1:43:09 PM
My button collection is officially started! There are so many neat buttons. All different sizes and shapes and pretty colors. My favorite button is a wavy button.
Now I can apply for my beginner buttoned up!
Krista |
| MaryJanesNiece |
Posted - Jun 14 2024 : 1:23:15 PM
Jill, that is so exciting. I would love to hear if you end up finding any that work for both. Keep us posted on if they end up doing any!
Krista |
| jillyd |
Posted - Jun 12 2024 : 5:25:16 PM
Thanks for the information, Krista. I had been thinking to have the boys work on things to put in the local fair this summer when they are visiting. But I will take a look at the badges and see if we couldn't do things that would work for both.
Jill
Farmgirl #6748
"When life gets super crazy, do your art. It helps you remember the exquisite, imaginary, delightful, lovely side of what is otherwise sometimes a bit much" Sylvia Olsen |
| MaryJanesNiece |
Posted - Jun 12 2024 : 12:37:21 PM
Karen, I think so too!
Jill, I am actually planning to work on the young cultivator badges with my daughter who is now 6 and with my 2 sons who are 7 and 8. I think it just depends on the badge they pick and their skill level. Some require writing in a journal. My boys would be ready for that especially my 8 year old, but Everleigh would struggle a little. That's why I plan to start with the hands on badges for them.
Krista |
| jillyd |
Posted - Jun 11 2024 : 10:50:59 AM
That's an interesting badge, Krista. I had never looked at it before. I have quite a large button collection from my mother and aunt. I did sort them into colours at one point. It would be interesting to look at them again from a collector's point of view. Maybe over the summer. Thanks for your sharing. I'll have to look into button crafts. I had intended to make Christmas ornaments one year. I haven't looked at the young cultivator's badges, are there some suitable for 7 year old boys?
Jill
Farmgirl #6748
"When life gets super crazy, do your art. It helps you remember the exquisite, imaginary, delightful, lovely side of what is otherwise sometimes a bit much" Sylvia Olsen |
| Jokamartell |
Posted - Jun 10 2024 : 7:32:16 PM
Krista, that will be so fun to earn badges with Everleigh!!
:)
Karen :)
To quote one of my past preschoolers “Not one of those Karens, but a good Karen”! Haha |
| MaryJanesNiece |
Posted - Jun 10 2024 : 2:01:01 PM
Surprisingly I don't have any random buttons. Any time I have needed a button I have just purchased what I needed. I recently purchased a large bag of buttons and this week I plan to work on my buttoned up badge. I am also going to involve my kids and have them work on their young cultivator button badges. Now that Everleigh has turned 6, we can all work on them together. The button badge seems like an easy place to get started!
Krista |
