Thanks to all who submitted post for this 51st Edition of the Homesteading Carnival . Hosting is new to me so please bear with me as I give it a try.

Summer is uopn us. That means changes and excitment on the Homestead.  Around here it means lots of gardening and canning. School will out and that always means more time with the grandkids for me.

Over at HowToMe they are planning  How to Put on a “Princess/Royal Picnic” Party . Now that sounds like fun. All of us have young princes and princesses in our lifes. What better way to spend time with them than on a Royal Picnic.

Mors kids at home means more cookies to bake. The Y-2K Hippie  ( Don't you just love that name!) has a great recipe for Pumpkin Cookies posted. Be sure and  check out the links for free pattern projects she has on her site while you are there.

Those of us who are fortunate enough to have goats or are planning to get goats will love the article Oak Hill Homestead   has  for training a goat to a milk stand. Goats are wonderful on the homestead. 

The following is a posting on Milk Goats from a favorite yahoo group I am on called

 Organic Homesteading & Gardening

( You caught me, that is me ( Grandma Rosie) milking a goat!)

"In the world of dairy goats, Saanens are like Holsteins - they produce the
most milk, but it has the lowest butterfat percentage (below 3.5%). The
Nubian compares to the Jersey - lowest total production, but highest in
butterfat (around 4%). The remainder of the Swiss breeds (Alpine, Toggenburg
Oberhasli) rank between those two; when I kept my Alpine herd and we tested
they averaged around 3.7% butterfat. I'm not sure how the Nigerian goats
fit into this, but I've heard their milk (as well as Boers) have a much
higher percentage. Nigerians were pretty much a novelty still by the time I
gave up keeping goats.

Another thing that affects the butterfat content of milk is where the goat
is at in her lactation period(which averages 10 months). When she is milking
at her peak the fat content is lower, and it rises towards the end of the
period as her production lessens. And what she eats, too, she needs a diet
high in fiber (about 17%) and protein (16-18%) for good milk production.
Goats are browsers - broad-leaved forbs are better for them than grass to
graze on, and your hay should also be a mixture of grass plus forbs (like
clover and alfalfa).

And there are also changes in milk taste to deal with that result from
changes in feed (as well as the temporary effects from things goats eat -
like evergreens (which always made the milk taste like turpentine smells to
me), or wild garlic/onions, and even from the genetic background of the goat
- I've had a goat or two whose milk just plain tasted bad no matter how you
adjusted her feed or managed her care! They passed the trait on to their
daughters, too. That's why I've always recommended you taste the milk before
completing the purchase……."  Rowan

Jacque over at Walking Therin really hit home with me on an artcle on Sleep and how our sleep patterns are affected by light. I have struggled with this all my life. Thanks Jacque for posting this. We more hours of daylight I need all the help I can get to go to sleep when I should.

Erica over at the The Sojourner blog has a delicious recipe posted for us.  Stuffed Grape Leaves a favorite her Grandmother used to make. Sounds perfect for a summer evening family meal.

Our friend Jennifer at Quiverfull Family blog titled The Hummingbirds are Back!  I love this little beauties. I plant several of thier favorites to lure them to my yard. The are one of God's most amazing gifts to us.

Miss Jocelyn at  A Pondering Heart  blog has a recipe for us. Perfect for summer and bursting with health. Check out her post Honey Lemonaide Anyone!

Keri Mae at A Happy Home has some good advice for us. Take a Siesta and Save Your Heart. This is a informative article and a good idea for the hot summer months ahead.

Mrs.P at Handmade at the Farm blog has posted a recipe for a Dough Enhancer Recipe to use in all those fresh hot wheat loaves to serve our families this summer.

Hannah at The Purloined Letter tells us what to do with all those lovely Dandy Lions that some consider weeds and others find very useful indeed. Here at Grandma Rosie's they are a blessing.

So just what is the right hieght to cut your grass this summer. You can find out over at Hobby Lawn Care's article titled "Why Is The Proper Lawn Clipping Height So Important?"

Amanda sent me a great post called My Learning Experience. It touched my heart. It will yours to.

Have a great week and be sure and send in submissions for next weeks Carnival. Grandma Rosie