Rainwater Collection

Kellie is extending her break from MIFS while her newly expanded family settles in. Today I am replaying another post from Stop the Ride, but would like to open up Friday's to you our wonderful readers. Do you have a post that you'd like to share?  Please email me at makeitfromscratch at yahoo.com if you would like to guest post for MIFS.

When you pay for your water, you garden, you are in a drought, and the water company is requesting a large rate increase, a rainwater collection system is suddenly very appealing. 

Our collection system involves collecting the rain water that falls on the roof of our house. It uses the existing gutter and down spouting system. You really can't tell that we are doing anything different by just looking at the house.

The down spouting then runs into PVC pipe and then to the tank. Our pipe is buried, but I have seen systems that simply attached the pipe around the foundation of the house. In my opinion, having PVC wrapped around your house is not all that attractive, but it does save you from digging up your yard. The PVC runs to the tank and fills from the top. The other PVC is the overflow pipe for when the tank is full. We've talked about creating a small duck pond at the end of this pipe.

Our tank is about 2000 gallons. Probably more than we need, but this is a tank that we already had. It is what we used before we had water lines to our house. No, it is not exactly attractive either, but it is out of the main view of the house, tucked in some trees by the rabbit hutches. We don't have neighbors, so who is going to complain? A small building is also planned for the area in front of the hutches. That will help hide the tank even more.

Does it work? I tried to find how much rain we've gotten in the past few days. According to one source, it has been less than 1/4 an inch. It seems to me that we have gotten more than that, but I don't have a rain gauge up. Let's be generous and say we've gotten double that; an 1/2 inch. From those rains we have collected over four hundred gallons of water.


Our system is not yet complete. A small pump still needs to be added. That will enable us to easily get the water up to the garden. Currently the water would have to be hauled by bucket to the garden. We may use the water for more than just the garden too. I'm thinking of it for the animals, the kid's sprinkler, and I'm wondering if I could finagle the hose up to the washer for laundry.

*Update*

We've been using this system for almost two years now. At the end of the overflow pipe we put an old barrel cut in half long ways. It serves as a watering trough for the animals in the pasture. We also attached the pump and are able to water the garden and most of the livestock with this collected water. We do need to add a small amount of bleach to the tank every so often to keep the algae from growing. This system has worked out wonderfully! 

Stuffed Wild Grape Leaves

The other day I noticed that the leaves on the wild grape vine along our driveway are beginning to open up. Soon it will be time to harvest a bunch of these, and make stuffed grape leaves. 

These are a little time intensive to make, so I recommend making a large batch and freezing the extras for quick and easy dinners later. 

Carnival #114

Apologies for the tardiness of the carnival today. The carnival can be found at Lighter Side. There are so many amazing food posts this week. It was worth the wait. 

Utterly Deadly Pecan Pie

Some years ago my great aunt, who is in her 90's, found her way to my husbands heart. The way to melt my husband is to make him pecan pie. He has cleaned her gutters for a homemade pecan pie. I've never tried to make one. This recipe looks like a good one to start with. Now what job should I ask him to do as I'm making the pie? 

Rosemary Pecan Raisin Crisps

These sound absolutely fabulous. I've never made my own crackers either. Something else to try! 

Recycled Plastic and Denim Sit-Upon

I just love Cindy. She has so many wonderful creations, but this is pure genius. Perfect for camping, picnics, and sporting events. 

Thanks for joining us for the carnival this week. Next week the carnival will be hosted at I've Got a Little Space to Fill. Hope to see your post there! 

Would you like to host the carnival? We need host blogs for the end of May and beyond. Please email or leave a comment to sign up to host. 

Homemade Miracle Whip

Find other recipes, crafts, and frugal home making tips at Jenn's Frugal Front Porch.

This is a great recipe I posted on my blog a few weeks ago I felt I HAD to share with all you here.
I love Miracle Whip even though hubby favors plain mayo. When I ran out of Miracle Whip a few weekends ago, I thought I'd try making a home made batch. The only ingredient I needed was dry mustard which is readily available at my local grocer for a semi reasonable price! I read over several recipes I found online and modified this one based on what I learned. It turned out great and tastes JUST LIKE Miracle Whip to me. This is just one more product I'll never buy again!

Ingredients

• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbs powdered sugar
• 1 tbs lime or lemon juice
• 2 tbs vinegar
• 1 1/2 c vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 tbs cornstarch
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• 1/2 c boiling water
• 2 tbs vinegar
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Directions

1. Mix the first four ingredients together with a mixer.
2. Slowly drizzle the oil into the egg mixture making sure to mix thoroughly. Be careful not to add your oil too fast.
3. Mix in 2 tbs of vinegar and set aside.
   
4. In a separate bowl, mix cornstarch, mustard and vinegar together till combined.
5. Add to cornstarch mixture to boiling water and cook till smooth and pudding like. It should only take a few minutes.
6. Slowly add the hot cornstarch/mustard mixture to the egg mixture and blend well.
7. Add paprika and garlic powder. I did this at the end but you should be able to add this anytime.
8. Refrigerate in airtight container or clean Miracle Whip/Mayo jar.

Makes enough to fill one 11.25 oz jar.

What product would you LOVE to never buy again??????

Time to Let the Kids Craft!

~Heather also blogs at HEATHER LESSITER/It's All for the Best and The Fat Bottomed Girl.~

Spring gives us lots of opportunities to get those kiddos crafting. Mother's Day and Teacher Appreciation (or end of the school year) gifts are always more special when they're hand-made. Hand-made gifts take a lot of thought and planning and, let's face it, they have a little bit of love built right in. Below are some suggestions for crafts that any mom, grandma, teacher, principal, aunt or whomever will sincerely appreciate.

Homemade Bookmarks, made from ribbon or hand-stamped, are the perfect thing for a teacher or bookworm in the family.

Whip up a few 5 Minute No-Sew Purses for the girlie-girl in your life!

Kellie showed us how to make some fabulous Drink Coasters that I would LOVE to have!

Two years ago, the boys and I made Neck Coolers for Mother's Day and they were a HUGE hit! This is one of my most popular posts and a handmade item I get requests for all the time.

Gifts are extra special when they are made from scratch!!!

Firsts on the First - May

Happy May to you, and welcome to the Firsts on the First. Firsts on the first is my little motivator to try new things, and to make the items that I keep saying, "I'd like to try that someday." I hope you will join in and share something new that you have tried recently. 

I just love this time of year. I love watching the plants grow, and the sudden lush green foliage that is all around. All the change and the beautiful weather is down right inspiring.

With the added motivation of studying about the Czech Republic with the kids we tried several Czech dishes in the last few weeks. They were delicious. Both dishes included making dumplings which I had never made before. We made potato and flour dumplings. Both were very good and delicious. 

The last dish that we tried was Chicken Paprikash. Heather shared this recipe with me, and it was wonderful and economical. I can see this becoming a regular item on the menu. 

Did you try something new this month? Please share with us by putting your link in Mr. Linky below. A link back to Firsts on the First would also be appreciated. 

More Planters from Repuposed Items

Another oldie but goodie from Stop the Ride. 

The vegetable gardens are full, and now my mind is turning to flowers. I don't plant a lot of flowers, but I do like to have a few planters around. I do have a few store bought containers to plant in, but my favorite planters are ones made from repurposed items. Those of you who've been around awhile may remember the planters I made last year from rotten logs. My mom uses an old fashioned cream separator for a planter. This year I planted herbs in an old wash basin.

You can make planters out of about any item that will hold the dirt. Here are a few tips for making a planter out of repurposed items.

1. Choose a container.
You'll want one proportionate to the plants you want to use. Just be sure to pick something that doesn't have any chemical residues that might kill the plants.

2. Do you need fill?
If the container is large you do not have to fill it all with dirt. Put plastic bottles in the bottom. I used shopping bags in the log planter. It takes up space and creates drainage, not to mention keeps your planter lighter.

3. You do need drainage.
Extra water can't be allowed to puddle in the container. You need a hole or two in the bottom. Put drier lint over the holes to allow water to flow out while keeping the dirt in. A layer of gravel in the bottom of the planter can help with drainage also.

4. Fill with dirt.
Use potting soil or your compost.

5. Put in the flowers.
Be sure to choose plants that will grow well in similar conditions and in the location you intend for the planter.

6. Enjoy.
Don't forget to water.

Planters can be made out of so many things. What catches your eye? Planters out of old wagons, bathtubs, or chipped pottery pieces are interesting.  Just remember there can be a fine line between creative and just junky. Never could figure out why people planted in old toilets!

What are some different items you've seen used for a planter?