Some of the little things I did with my parents while they were here visiting.

Berry Berry Jam-

We collected some wild blackberries (while we were collecting blackberries we were also feeding chiggers.) Then we washed them up.

Added 6 cups of sugar (yes, it's a lot) and I heated it up and mixed it together.

Then I added some strawberries.

One packet of Pectin and two teaspoons of lemon juice. Kept heating it up and let it boil (making sure it didn't stick on the bottom of the pot.) Once it was all cooked up I put them in mason jars (stuff like this doesn't last long in my house.)

It tasted pretty good!

We also made fresh bread and cream cheese.
How we made our cream cheese was with two quarts of cream (goat or cow.) Then we added 1/2 a tablet of rennet and one packet of Mesophilic direct set started. We let it sit for 14 hours. Then we hung it in a cheese cloth to let it drain. After that we put it in the refrigerator.

We also made shampoo together with soapwort (the plant above)

Here is a picture of my dad being silly. He was picking 1 cup of soapwort for me (I love my dad!)
Most recipes called for the root but I have read a few with the leaf. I myself like the leaf and it makes a gentle cleaner (low suds but it works.)

Next my mom tore the soapwort up into small parts and added them into my tea pot along with water (We put 1 full quart of water into the tea pot.) Then we boiled it for 15 min.

Then we put a coffee filter with a rubber band holding it in place. Once the soapwort was done boiling we let it cooled some and then poured it into this jar.

We also made homemade Vinegar with our water kefir

(now we just have to let it sit for 6 months..lol.)

One of my trips with my parents was to a really neat place in Collinsville, Alabama called Collinsville Trade Day.

I have been to a few flea markets up in Ohio but I never really liked them BUT this place is different. I know it's hard to think that a flea market could be different but this one is. You really didn't know what you would see next. We seen everything from fruit stands, tons of live animals, clothing, old butter churns, furniture, rugs, and so much more that I couldn't even beginning to tell you everything.

If, you really look at the first picture you'll see something dark green it is cactus (they say you can fry it up or eat it raw.)

Below is some of the other things we seen at Collinsville (no, I didn't come home with any animals but I was amazed at the number of animals.)

We seen everything from trained birds, horses, tons of goats, dogs of all different kinds, pigs, rabbits, chickens, snakes, spiders, and more.