Wool Dryer Balls

As you know, I am always on the hunt for a way to accomplish household tasks and save money at the same time.  Previously I posted about a home made fabric softener that used inexpensive hair conditioner and white vinegar.  Then I just started using the white vinegar straight in the softener dispenser in the washer.  It worked great and I didn't need the conditioner which mostly added scent.  Now I am going one step further.  I made wool dryer balls.

They sell online for $20 or more for 6 balls.  Basically you throw them into the dryer with your wet clothes, they bounce around and soften the clothes.   Look up Woolzies and see what they are.

Here is my version with the process for making them.

The first thing I did was to check my yarn stash for some 100% wool yarn.  I found this.  Who knows how old it could be.  The label shows it's very old.  It was still in good shape though so I wound it into a ball about two inches in diameter.  I got two balls from this skein.  I found another and wound two more balls.  Then I found a tweed skein and wound two more.  I'm not sure about the color fastness of this yarn so I won't be using them with white clothes for now. 

Here are the six balls of wool yarn. 

 P.S.  I made the basket a few years ago.

Next I secured the yarn ends by pulling the end through the ball and put them one by one in the leg of a panty hose.  I tied the stocking between each ball.  Then I put them into the washing machine to felt.  Felting is the term to shrink the wool fibers with moisture and heat.  How many of us have put a wool sweater in the washing machine by mistake and shrunk it several sizes and matted the knitting.  You want to do that in this project.  After washing,  then put them into the dryer and completely dry.

When dry, untie the panty hose and take out the felted balls.  They should be matted balls and unable to unravel.  Don't use super wash wool because it won't felt.  As I said before, I probably won't test these out with white clothes because I'm not sure about fading.  That is probably why the purchased balls are white.  I will see how they work and let you know.  If you want a scent, put a few drops of essential oil on the dryer ball and the scent will be released in the dryer.

Towel Bars made out of a Willow Tree

The bathrooms in our house were in need of complete remodels when we purchased our house.  The upstairs bath was one of the first projects.  Luckily we happened on a hickory vanity and linen cabinet at a local lumber yard.  It looked rustic enough for the cabin.  It didn't come with a mirror so my husband bought hickory lumber and made a frame to match the cabinet and we installed the framed mirror over the vanity.

The project was almost done, but we needed towel bars.  Nothing we saw looked right so we got the bright idea of going down in the marsh and collecting some willow branches.  We thought it would give us a couple years of use and time to decide what we wanted.  That was ten years ago and they are still functioning just fine.  You never know what you can find in your own backyard.  They were hard to photograph, but you get the idea.

 

With the scraps that were left, we also made a shelf.

Willow branches are very flexible.  We bought two chairs from a local craftsman.  He used the same type of willow material as we used.  The best part is that Willows  grow very quickly so in a short time you would never know that we cut some branches for our towel bars.

Chicken Lasagna

Well, it's Tuesday and that means I post what I am having for dinner.  My husband likes lasagna and I often make the traditional fare, but he also likes the Chicken Lasagna that I make.  The recipe calls for ground chicken or turkey, but sometimes I just cook a couple chicken breasts and dice them.  It just depends what I have on hand.

These are the ingredients that you will need.

 

Chicken Lasagna

2 T. Olive Oil

1 lb. Ground Chicken (or Turkey)

1 Onion, finely chopped

3 Garlic cloves, minced

1/8 to 1 t. Cayenne pepper

2 (14.5 oz) Diced Tomatoes (Use the one with herbs if you like that taste)

1 small can of Tomato Sauce

¼ t. Salt

1 (15 oz) container Ricotta Cheese

3 cups (12 oz.) shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided

½ cup grated Parmesan Cheese

1 Egg

½ lb. Lasagna Noodles

There is no need to boil the noodles for this lasagna. The noodles absorb moisture from the sauce as this dish bakes.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray shallow pan with nonstick cooking spray. Heat oil in large skillet until hot. Add chicken and cook until browned with onion,  garlic and cayenne pepper. Stir well and add tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper.

While the sauce is simmering, stir together ricotta cheese, 2 cups of mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and the egg.

Spread 1 cup of tomato mixture in the bottom of the pan, then place 3 uncooked lasagna noodles side by side over the sauce. Spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture over the noodles, sprinkle with 1/3 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Spoon one-half of the remaining tomato mixture over cheese. Repeat layering placing the lasagna noodles in the opposite directions with each layer, ending with mozzarella cheese.

Cover and bake 30-35 minutes until sauce is bubbling. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

Adventure Bound

We are almost finished with the bedroom remodel that I spoke of in a previous blog (Getting Through the Winter).  I will post finished photos of that later.  While deciding what items should be returned to the room and which items should be discarded, I came across my favorite school book.  In seventh grade we had an English book called Adventure Bound.  Way back then, when I was in school, we had to memorize poems and stand up in front of the class to recite them.  I still remember so many of them to this day.  I don't remember the teachers name, but I remember the poems.  Many years ago I found a copy somewhere and felt the need to buy it.  I think I will keep it.   The Fly Lady probably wouldn't approve (http://www.flylady.net/).

There was The Village Blacksmith by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Under the spreading chestnut tree, The village smithy stands.
The smith a mighty man is he, With large and sinewy hand.
And the muscles of his brawny arms, Are strong as iron bands.

Or The Barefoot Boy by John Greenleaf Whittier

Blessings on thee, little man
Barefoot boy, with cheek of tan.
With thy turned up pantaloons,
And thy merry whistled tunes.

I memorized Hiawatha's Childhood and Nancy Hanks.  Who would have thought that all these years later, I still remember most of them.

There were stories too.  Rikki-Tikki-Tavi by Rudyard Kipling as well as science stories, interesting people like Henry Ford, sports and animals.  I realize that much of my trivia knowledge came out of this book.  I wonder what twelve year old kids of today will remember when they are sixty five.  I bet they will never take a trip to the past in a school book.

Great Horned Owl

 

This is Autumn a Great Horned Owl living at the

Feather Wildlife Rehabilitation Center  in New London, Wisconsin

http://www.thefeather.org is the website for the rehabilitation center in New London.

Everyone is fascinated with owls.  Some think they are wise, some think they are spooky and I think they are beautiful.  This year we plan to put up an owl house to attract them, and perhaps they will raise a family in one of our trees.  We have plans and have one nearly done, however putting it up will have to wait until the snow melts a little.  The houses are supposed to be installed by February 1, but that is impossible this year with trees full of snow and the ice.  We will get it up when we can and hopefully at some point have a family of owls move in.

 The tall trees are still full of snow.

I will have to watch the webcam to keep track of the progress of Ms Harvey, a Great Horned Owl.
She laid her first egg of 2013 on January 30th.

Here is Ms Harvey's story from the website.

"Ms Harvey, the great horned owl, came to the Feather Wildlife Rehabilitation center in May 1997 as a bird taken in illegal activity.   She was raised by humans and we did not think she would make a release when she was able to fly.  But she proved us wrong and flew and killed and was released in fall of 1997. She wears a US Fish and Wildlife band on her right leg, #599-10043.
She continued to stay in the area of where she was released and showed up on occasion.  We  put food out for her so she would stay here to get a good start.   That was the start of our “perk” with a great horned female owl.
  Starting in 2003 she started to lay eggs on top on another owl cage and they rolled off.  So we put up a bushel basket and she took it for her nest in 2004 and brought off one baby owl.
  Now the male she chose does not incubate the eggs when she gets off the nest to eat, etc.  So there are many years when the eggs freeze.   But each year we get young great horned owls that we can not put back in the nest, so until they can fly we put them in with our surrogate great horned. When the time is right we put them in the air by the nest and Ms Harvey takes over from there. 
  In 2009 she raised two young to about 2 weeks and both of them were predated, possibly by raccoons.  In 2010 she had a late hatch and brought off two young.  Each year has a story to tell about the nest and the activity. In 2011 she again lost the first clutch and re nested two weeks later and brought off one chick.   We gave her two more young  owls to raise. One of them is still here food begging.
We have been blessed to have this bird in our lives and now wish to share it with all of you on the internet.  So many good things are happening all around us if we just pay attention. "

This webcam is from New London Wisconsin with live video of the mama Ms Harvey sitting on the egg.
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/9305380

We attended a presentation from the people of the rehab center.  Here are a few more breeds of owls that they brought along to show.  If anyone has the opportunity to see this, it is wonderful.

 Marsh or Burrowing Owl
We had this type of Owl in one of our trees this winter.
I saw him catch a mouse and eat it so I hope he stays around.

I didn't get a good photo.  This is the best I could do.

 Saw-whet Owl

  Screech Owl

Barred Owl

Jimmy Didn't See His Shadow

Wisconsin has it's own groundhog named Jimmy.  He resides in Sun Prairie Wisconsin and comes out on February 2 to predict when Spring will arrive.  Truth be told, we would be very happy with the worse case scenario of six weeks until Spring.  This year he did not see his shadow and that means an early Spring.  Apparently if the groundhog sees his shadow, he gets scared and goes back into his den or hole or whatever his home is called.  That gives the impression that it is too early to come out and we have to wait six weeks.  It's fun but I've never seen the prediction come true.  Especially today because we woke up to a couple more inches of snow.  My friend posted a cartoon on Facebook that stated the obvious.  It is a picture of a groundhog that says "I'm a rodent, not a meteorologist".  So true.

This is a photo of a groundhog we saw while taking a walk down a local bike trail.  I don't know what he was doing but he also seems scared, probably of us.  He probably predicted an early Spring and he thinks were mad at him because it didn't happen.  We love all the seasons and that's why we live here.

Other animals probably want to have winter for a while longer.  They seem to be enjoying it.

The Possum

The Deer

And A Fox

Apple Cider Vinegar

I am not a health care professional so what I have to write about today is not based on anything but experience.  For detailed information you'll have to google it.  What I am talking about is Apple Cider Vinegar.   It has to be the raw, organic, unfiltered vinegar with the "mother".  The “mother” is made up living nutrients and bacteria that you can actually see as they settle in the bottom of the bottle like sediment. The “mother” is believed to have anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. ACV, the acronym for Apple Cider Vinegar, is a very helpful addition to my health and the health of my family.  It has many benefits especially when mixed with natural honey.  My husband had acid reflux and the doctor put him on acid blocker medication.  This medication shut down some of the acid receptors in the stomach and supposedly lowered the amount of stomach acid.  I suggested he start taking two teaspoons of ACV and one teaspoon of honey in a glass of water.  He did it morning and night.  In a couple days, he quit his medication and hasn't needed it since.  Even though ACV is acidic, it becomes alkaline in the stomach.  I had been taking it for a while because I read of all it's fantastic benefits (google that too), but I didn't have such dramatic results.  I can say that after Christmas my grandchildren all had colds and the stomach flu.  Of course, they coughed right in my face and kissed me.  I was feeling a little sick to my stomach one night and took a generous swig of vinegar and honey.  It settled my stomach almost immediately.  Soon after beginning the regiment, I began giving it to my dad.  He is 88 and drinks it before bed.  He claims it helps him have a good night sleep. Who knew.  The goodness of this product may be in our heads, but as my mother used to say "if it's all in your head, then maybe that's where you need the help".



Helpful website:
http://cookitallergyfree.com/blog/2011/09/wh-you-should-be-drinking-apple-cider-vinegar/#.UQw_VxlguhM

I have purchased this Bragg brand and also the Vitacost brand.