Jaune Desprez Rose. Photo by Kyla DeHaven.

Valentine’s Day is next Tuesday.  You usually get one of two responses to this celebration.  You either get someone who just loves it and is looking forward to doing something special for those he/she loves.  Or, you get a groan accompanied with resentment for a day where he/she feels obligated to do something special for those he/she loves.  Regardless of how you feel about February 14th, Valentine’s Day is not just a day to celebrate love.  For homesteaders in my area, it is a day that signals it is time to get to work outside.

Valentine’s Day signals it is time to prune your rose bushes.  If you are not quite sure how to do it, then watch a short instructional video I posted last year on an article entitled, “Roses on Valentine’s Day.”  If your honey sweeps you away for a romantic outing, don’t refuse him/her.  Go, have fun.  Then tend your rose bushes another day.  It is not the specific day that is important; it is just an easy day to remember mid-February.

Valentine’s Day also signals it is time to get your potatoes in the ground.  Weather conditions do apply, however.  You don’t want your soil too saturated because your seed potatoes will rot, which is one of the reasons that I am posting this article today.  If you are wanting to plant potatoes, then you need to prepare for the big day.  Till your soil and let it rest for a few days.  This process also allows the soil to dry out.

We have had so much rain lately that our ground is well-saturated.  A reader wrote me the other day to tell me how her tiller got stuck in their garden.  It happens to the best of us.  Ironically since winter set in here in Southeast Texas, the skies opened up as well.  Don’t get me wrong, I am not complaining in the least, but the soil does need to be loosened and worked before you plant this year.

You also need to purchase your seed potatoes.  Decide on your variety.  Make sure the potatoes are covered in eyes.  A day or two before your designated plant day, you can cut them leaving at least one eye on each section.  I like to leave two eyes.  I spread them out on boards and allow them to air dry until I am ready to put in the ground.  If you do it too far in advance, the potatoes will shrivel up and get soft.  If you do cut them up as you plant, you risk them rotting in the soil from being too wet.

If you are looking for gift ideas, what woman does not like to receive flowers?  Roses are the most popular flower to be given on February 14th.  In fact, I found a statistic that 110 million roses are sold and/or delivered in one year for Valentine’s Day.  That is a lot of roses!  The majority of those given are red.

Why not give a rose bush as a gift?  It is the gift that keeps giving.  Why give roses once a year when you can have them throughout the  year at your home?  In fact I cut beautiful pink roses for my Thanksgiving dinner table this past November.

Growing roses bushes are not difficult.  I have about ten rose bushes in my front yard.  There are so many varieties and colors from which to choose.  My favorite is the Jaune Desprez rose bush I purchased from the Antique Rose Emporium in Independence, Texas.  They are beautiful peach-colored roses with an amazing fragrance.  If you have never been to the Antique Rose Emporium and are relatively close to Independence, then you need to plan a day trip in the spring.  Until then, prune the rose bushes you already have and get those potatoes started in the garden.

Also, I made an error in my recipe for my bread on Friday.  I noticed it on Saturday and fixed it, but wanted to point it out if you printed it out on Friday.  Instead of four eggs, you need to use eight eggs.  It is a typo with consequences.  I want you to reproduce the good loaves of bread that I made so please make sure that you have the right amount of eggs in the recipe.

A while ago, I published an essay written by my son, Clayton.  The purpose of posting it was to encourage him.  “Encourage the writer, don’t critique the writing,” is a mantra that I repeat to myself silently as I educate my children.  In other words, I pay attention to the content and thoughts and not the grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc.  There is a reason that even great authors have editors.  Clayton is a gifted writer with a vivid imagination and an incredible vocabulary.  And, I am not just saying it because I am his mama.

In another attempt to encourage him, I want to post his first draft of the beginning section of a short story he is currently writing.  I hope that you enjoy it and will leave him positive feedback.  Keep in mind that Clayton is fifteen years old.

The Fall of Lucifer
by Clayton Holliday

There they were, standing on the edge of the Gate. Gazing at the sunset at the end of yet another day, the angels of God stood on the brink of the realm of man. The sunlight made their armor shine and its last warm rays hit the angels in the face like a gentle breeze. As the last shimmer of light faded and darkness crept in, artificial light started to spring up in its wake. One of the angels, Gabriel, spared a quick glance at the humans. Strange creatures these humans are. Always fighting each other for “world domination,” but ironically they have not and never will succeed. Driven by their greed, selfishness, and pride, all seeds of Lucifer, they muster on to no avail. Their ignorance will lead to their doom.

Lucifer was once high in the ranks of angels, covered with precious stones, and with the seal of perfection but his pride made him boastful. Drunk with vanity, he challenged the power of God. Like the humans today, he wanted more power, as did several others, and they soon mutinied. The angels of God, and those who followed Lucifer, fought in a great battle in the Heavens. Lucifer’s army were soon forced to surrender and brought before the Almighty to account for their actions. The courtroom had not, and hasn’t since been used for the judgment of immortals. The roof was domed, with great pillars at its base. In the center was a silver chair with intricate designs, surrounded by rows and rows of seats that seemed to sparkle in the light of God. There Lucifer sat and his hatred grew stronger.

The room seemed empty, but soon, the seats were being filled with glowing angels. The sound of chains and the moans of the unfaithful filled the air. They were stripped of their jewels and walked in shame to their seats beside their “leader”. As soon as all were seated, an overpowering flash and the sound of ten thousand storms erupted from thin air over the judicial throne. And there sat God, towering over the rest. At the sight of Him, every angel, including Lucifer, rose from their seat, dropped to one knee, and bowed. In a voice like a waterfall, He spoke to Lucifer, “You, my unfaithful servant, have caused me great strife by acting against me in such a manner as this. Your pride has cost you and your followers dearly. You and your followers are hereby banished from this realm!”

As soon as the Almighty finished speaking, a giant crack split the ground beneath Lucifer and his angels, or the devil and the Fallen as they were known thence forth. They started to sink and soon, were falling into Hades and to Earth. As Lucifer fell through the layers of the atmosphere, he saw that he was drifting toward the Garden of Eden. And so the seed of evil was planted in God’s garden. Lucifer woke and found himself alone in the perfect garden, full of forever-ripened fruits and vegetables. He sat up and took in his surroundings, which was a feast for the eyes. He found himself famished and took an apple from a nearby tree. Lucifer expected a mouthful of sweet fruit, but found that it had become rotten in his palm. Even in the Garden of Eden, he was still punished.

Lucifer continued to wander through the garden, searching for the slightest morsel to eat, but there was none that didn’t rot at his touch. He was feed only by his pride, anger, and greed.  Stripped of his splendor, the only nourishment that sustained him was his drive to avenge that which he had lost. He planned and plotted to get even. As he wandered aimlessly, the only sound that accompanied him was the sound of his own footsteps. As the day went by, birds and fish sprang forth into being. The silence broke as the sound of birds playing, filled in the air. While they swooped and glided between the trees, Lucifer watched in amazement. When they saw him, they stopped and grew quiet. He continued to walk until he found a stream, filled with fish darting back and forth. As they saw him, they too grew still. And so silence crept in again.

As a second day passed, beasts walked upon the earth. Lucifer grew jealous as he watched them devour fruits and berries, as well as grass and the leaves of the trees. Infuriated, he began to think of ways to use them against God himself. As he thought, Lucifer heard an unfamiliar sound. It grew louder as it came closer. Curious, Lucifer jumped into the nearest tree and watched from an overhanging branch. The sound’s origin walked upright on two legs. It was hairless and strong. As it talked, the animals seemed to listen. “This must be Man,” he thought to himself, for he was made in God’s image.

As I took the two loaves out of the oven, the first thing that struck me was their appearance.  They were beautiful with a deep golden brown crust.  They were not flat hard bricks, but instead had risen well with only baking soda as the leavening agent.  As I sliced the loaf, the texture was good and held together.  It did not crumble all over the place; therefore, it made good sandwiches.  This bread was a hit.  My only regret was not taking a picture of the loaves before my family devoured them.

 Almond Flour Bread

5 cups of blanched almond flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sea salt
1 stick of butter, melted
1/2 cup honey
8 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  I used my electric stand mixer to make this bread; however, it is not necessary.  In the large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt together.  Add the melted butter and honey.  Turn the mixer on the lowest speed.  Add the eggs one at a time as the dough is mixing.  Beat it until everything is combined well. 

Divide the dough equally into two oiled loaf pans.  Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.  Allow to cool for five minutes in the pan and remove to a cooling rack.  Slice and serve warm or later at room temperature.  Makes two loaves. 

We had warm slices of bread iced with butter.  Later we had grilled cheese sandwiches.  We also used two slices like hamburger buns another day.  And, my husband ate toast for breakfast this morning.  I thought the two loaves went pretty far considering how many people we are feeding.  Already each child has asked me when I am going to bake more of my bread.

Baking bread on SCD was never on my radar ten months ago.  However, it is possible.  It helps give a little variety to your meals and satisfy even the appetites of growing boys and girls.  Try my recipe and let me know what you think of it.

Dr. Mercola put out an article entitled, “The Honey You Should Never Buy-It May Be Tainted with Lead and Antibiotics.“  If you are not interested in the part about the bee colony collapse, scroll down to the sub-title, “Is Your Honey Fake?”  The assertions in the article are a result from a study by Food Safety News.

Researchers tested honey from all over the United States from farmer’s markets to Costco to the little packages of honey available at fast food chains.  What they found is astounding.  Over 3/4 of the honey tested is not what bees make.  Let me say it another way.  Only 25% of the honey tested was actually the honey that bees have been making since creation!

I am sure you are wondering, “What have I been putting in my coffee or tea every morning?”  Well most likely, it has been ultra-filtered, sometimes diluted with water, without a trace of pollen or any beneficial element of honey.  The FDA does not even consider ultra-filtered honey to be honey at all according to their agency press officer, Tammy Ward.

Most American beekeepers are puzzled by the desire of companies to ultra-filter honey except for one reason, which is to hide the origin of the honey.  Therefore, it is highly likely that the honey comes from China.  Chinese honey has been found to be tainted in many instances with antibiotics or contaminants.  Removing the pollen enables them to get around steep tariffs on importing their cheap honey.

I don’t want to restate everything in both of the above-mentioned articles, but rather focus on what to do now.  Well, don’t buy your non-organic honey from chain stores except for health food stores.  Your best bet is to look for local honey.  Supporting your local beekeepers will help them out and insure that you receive the real deal.

When we first began our adventure on the SCD protocol, thanks to one of my readers, I was able to buy raw local honey in bulk.  I had a 5 gallon bucket filled with the sweet stuff.  Since we rely on honey so much on this diet, we went through the raw honey quicker than expected.  I have been trying to find some ever since and have been buying honey in 3 pound containers from grocery stores.  After reading this disturbing news, I am trying even harder to track down some local raw honey.

Unfortunately the severe drought we experienced, negatively impacted the bees in the area.  Whole hives were either killed by the intense heat or the lack of plants and lack of water did not allow the bees to produce enough excess honey.  If you are aware of a source, please let me know by email.  My family and I would greatly appreciate it.  I would also like to know your thoughts.  Are you disturbed by this news?  Let me know your thoughts.

The most important thing to consider is finding varieties that are suited to your climate.  The National Gardening Association has a great map of the United States with the different zones clearly laid out.  Locating your zone should be simple enough; you just type in your zip code.  Memorize it so that while you are flipping through seed catalogs or perusing the labels on trees for sale you order the appropriate plants with confidence.  If you are like me, you don’t want to waste your money and time with the wrong varieties.

My husband might love coconut, but we don’t exactly live in a tropical paradise.  My mom sent him a coconut tree from Hawaii and he planted it in a huge pot.  It grew slowly, and was doing alright during the summer.  He forgot to bring it in during the night one evening during the early fall.  The cold night air zapped it and it died.  Luckily, we did not have any money tied up in this project.  It was more an experiment than anything else, but lesson learned.

This might seem silly, but it is still an important part of the process.  Pick varieties that your family likes to eat.  If you hate the seeds in berries, don’t plant raspberries or blackberries.  If you hate your yard littered with nuts and hulls, don’t plant pecan trees in your yard.  You want to be blessed with fruit and/or nuts, not cursed by them.

Do some research.  Does your fruit tree self-pollinate?  Or, does it need another tree or another variety with which to pollinate?  You don’t want to have a beautiful tree that cannot bear any fruit.  Years ago, I planted a pear tree knowing that my neighbors had several just across the dirt road.  Therefore I am able to have pears with only one tree in my yard.

Plant according to the directions that come with the plant/tree/vine.  Most trees need to be staked until they grow strong enough to withstand the winds.  Vines like grapes or berries will need a support on which to grow.  A strong perimeter fence does nicely for berries.  I find the fruit is much easier to pick when grown on a fence or support than left to spread out over the ground.

Our climate does well for pears, some varieties of apples, limes, some oranges, berries, grapes, plums, some peaches, and plums.  Of these, grapes, dewberries, and blackberries grow rampant in the wild.  They are very hearty, as are pears.  Pear trees are usually the only remnant left from an old homestead.  The family left long ago and the house might even be gone, but the pear tree still bears fruit.  Therefore, I would recommend any of these hearty fruit vines/trees to the beginner.  In my opinion, the peach is the most finicky.  I just don’t know anyone that has had a great success with peaches in my area.

So, are you ready to realize your dream of raising your own fruit or nuts?  Now is the time.  Let me know what you are planting and/or what you already have established on your place.

Since starting on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD), I have not been taking any supplements, vitamins, or medicines.  Most everything has a starch of some sort.  In my efforts to “fanatically adhere” to the diet, I don’t even take anything for pain like Advil or aspirin; therefore, I did not spend any of my precious time trying to find legal supplements.

On April 1st, 2011, my family and I began our journey on SCD.  Some members of my family have seen remarkable results.  My husband lost 32 pounds.  My daughter lost 34 pounds and has grown an incredible 4 inches.  What is so incredible is that a year before the diet, she did not grow at all, not even a 1/4 of an inch!  Isaac and Andrew have also grown 2 inches each.

Jake and I have not seen remarkable results.  He has grown, but not a surprising amount.  I cannot lose a pound no matter how hard I try.  At the same time, Jake and I do not have a big problem with wheat, gluten, and milk like the others.  I guess that is why we see any real exterior results.

Well, I am totally excited because I just returned from a check-up with my doctor.  I am so proud to announce that my adrenal and thyroid glands are working well.  I have absolutely no yeast problem in my gut.  My body requires no additional vitamins or minerals, including EFAs.  All of my levels are great!  The doctor did not recommend any supplements or medicine whatsoever.

Sometimes when you are on a diet, your body suffers from the lack of something.  Some diets are not healthy to be on period.  However, I am now convinced that eating on the SCD protocol is absolutely healthy even for people like me who do not suffer from intestinal issues.  It does not take a genius to know that a lifestyle free from processed foods, starches, and sugar is a healthy one.  I just did not realize the impact the diet was having on my body.

If for some reason you have been looking into the SCD protocol and just aren’t sure if it is for your family, write me.  I will try to answer all of your questions.  It is not easy to follow, but it plays an important role in making your family healthy.