Monday, October 17, 2011

There is only one TRUE GOD!

I have recently been exposed to some false or "half-teaching" of "preaching" For this I thought I would share this scripture. It is sometimes hard to tell what is true or not especially when it's coming through someone who is a leader is proclaiming to have a revelation of sorts. I have gone back to reading through the whole Bible again. Also if I have a specific question I look to the front of the Bible or go to a site like www.biblegateway.com There you can type in specific verses or key words and get some CORRECT info.
I also have a book that we use regularly for the children called "What Does the Bible Say About That?" a really great resource.
If someone, anyone tries to tell you something and cannot back it up with the word of God then I say move it along, and quickly...


Galatians 1:5-9
New Living Translation (NLT)
5 All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.
There Is Only One Good News 6 I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ.[
a] You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News 7 but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ.
8 Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you. 9 I say again what we have said before: If anyone preaches any other Good News than the one you welcomed, let that person be cursed
.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Our Saturday

My daughter & I got up early and went to a bunch of yard sales. We didn't spend much but did bring home a few treasures!
Then the kids went to a local fall festival parade. Hubby & I took a drive over to a farm where they sell feed corn for a better price than the feed stores. We bought 10 bags. This will feed the pig & the cracked corn the chickens. They also had sweet potatoes in 40lb boxes for sale. We bought one of those too.
While there the nice farmer showed us around. We got to see how the grain grinder thing worked & another machine that filled and then sewed the bags shut. He also shared with us all about how they started the farm there over 50 years ago, about the big grain bins, elevator & more. It was very interesting & we both appreciated the information.
After that drive we stopped off at a little convenience store out in the country & got some cream soda's. ~yum~
We took the long way home & arrived just about the same time the kids did.
While hubby and kids fed the animals & fixed the tiller I got dinner started.
We had baked sweet potatoes (of course) and grilled pork chops. We also had some left-over blueberry pound cake from the other day.
My daughter & I played around on the trampoline, son visited his girlfriend, and hubby watched a little tv.
Now we're about ready to go to bed. It was a long, fun day!

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Dinner Salad

Last night I made THE dinner salad.

In a really big bowl put:

(All chopped fine)
Lettuce
1 tart apple
chicken breast
bacon

A handful of:
dried cranberries
pecans
feta cheese

Pour over this some poppy seed dressing.

Toss to coat and let set for about 15 minutes.

Serve & enjoy!

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Contest

There is a contest over at Homemaking on the Homestead for some green cleaning products. If you'd like to enter head over there & do so.
Hope ya'll have a great day!

Monday, September 5, 2011

LABOR Day...

So the guys are off from work today!
We've been enjoying the unordinarily cool weather in the 80's. So my husband decided with the 3 day weekend we'd get going on the new pig pens. We've got the main beams concreted in the ground. -This took much time & muscle from my husband & son as the ground back there is soooooo hard.
They have gone to home depot for the wood to frame the roof. The actual roof will be tin that we got for FREE! Woo hoo! We already have the gate & most of the pannels so other than the roof it's not costing us too much. (Wood has gone up like everything else though)
Yesterday after a day of working we made a trip to Sams and then enjoyed the evening out on the porch. We made bbq chicken, mexican corn, baked potatoes, & lemon pound cake. The cake was on sale at Sams and oh my is it good! I see that as a yummy breakfast with my coffee for the next couple of days....I'm so bad. lol
Today we'll be grilling again this evening. Hamburgers this time & probably just chips to go with them as we'll be busy.
I will share some pictures of the pen when we finish & also probably have it on our youtube channel. --I'm really enjoying the youtube!
Hope ya'll have a fun labor day.

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Salad, beautiful salad...

Garden: lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, pea pods, radishes
Mexican: lettuce, tortillia strips (or chips), taco meat, beans, cheese, tomato
Asian: lettuce, chinese crunchy noodles, mandarin oranges, cabbage, shredded carrot
Dinner or meal:
-Pineapple salad- lettuce, red onion, grilled chicken, grilled pineapple
-Fried- breaded chicken strips & any toppings
-Cob- lettuce, diced ham, chopped boiled egg, & any other toppings
Those are just a few. Get creative & enjoy those salads!



Monday, August 29, 2011

A productive Monday

I got quite a bit accomplished today. Deep cleaned the living room & kitchen AND got my new craft room in order.
Now next week for the fun stuff. Get some bright fun things for the craft room...material for curtains, peg board, etc. Since it's not in the house I am going to go with some really fun colorful decorations. I can't wait!

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Mid August Around the Homestead

So it's mid August so I thought I'd share a few things that we've been doing around the homestead.



~Once a week baking - on the porch of course as temps have not been below 100 in quite a while.

~ 4 batches of soap made

~Canned some pinto beans for the first time

~ Organized all the pantry's and freezers

~Made a small koi pond

~Died our big pond blue (it's really neat looking)

~Doing some evening fishing

~Getting ready for a rummage sale

~Homeschooling (Started back Aug. 1)

~Lots of swimming
~Got my daughter signed up for dance class


That & probably more I'm forgetting. Along with making sure the animals don't run out of water. It's been a hot, hot summer with no rain. Most plant life around here is shriveled up.

I'm ever so ready for fall!

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Cooking Day Today

I had a cooking day today.
I made:
Granola cereal
Chewy granola bars - heavenly homemakers recipe
Mexican chocolate dipped pecans
Breakfast burritos (freezer)

Tomorrow I plan on making:
applesauce muffins (freezer) - heavenly homemakers recipe
pancakes (freezer and for our breakfast)

I also cleaned out 2 of the pantries and the small freezer. I spent most of the day indoors other than to hang clothes on the line. It's been around 106-110 the last few days so the dryer will not be on any time soon! The only plus is the clothes sure don't take long to dry.

Healthier Chicken Nuggets or Strips

Most of us enjoy chicken nuggets until we started hearing here & there about what "bad" things are in them. Then we watched a show called "Kill it, Cook it, Eat it." Well after seeing all the "junk" we have all given those babies up!
Of course, there is a healthier way to make something similar and much tastier too!

Homemade chicken nuggets/strips

Take some boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
Cut them into nuggets or strips.

In a bowl mash up cornflakes OR rice krispies OR use bread crumbs.
Add a little onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, & basil.
OR (another OR) just use shake & bake like my mama does. They're good.

Roll the chicken around until covered.

Put on a sprayed cookie sheet. Then spray the top of the chicken with the spray. (Get one of those misters you can put coconut or olive oil in)

Put in oven on 350 for about 30 minutes or until done.

YUMMY!

*In case you're wondering why I have so very many "or's," it's because I use what I have on hand for many recipes & it almost always turns out fine. No need to run to the store for bread crumbs when you have crackers, etc.

Monday, August 1, 2011

Back to school

Starting our 2011-2012 school year today.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Well, not quite...












I posted on Mon. that I was glad my canning season was over. Well, I should have said "mostly" over. My husband made a run through the remains of the garden & came in with a big basket full of jalapeno peppers. So yesterday I canned 5 more pints of sliced peppers.
I see lots of nachos and spicey food in our future!


How to can jalapeno slices:
#1 most important tip is WEAR GLOVES!!!
Next wash and slice the peppers. (you could remove the seeds, but who really has time for that?)
Place in clean jars.
Then in a big pot fill with half white vinegar & have water.
Put 1/4 tsp salt into the jars on top of the peppers.
The pour the very hot vinegar water mixture on leaving the headspace.
Quickly wipe rims & put on your lids & rings.
Leave untouched on the counter & they will seal.
--Now, technically the book says you have to water bath process these for about 10 minutes. So I need to add that. --However I don't & they have lasted for years. So it's up to you.

Monday, July 18, 2011

Canning season

My summer canning season is over...whew!

Now time to start some decluttering that's gotten away from me!

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Kittens



Our kitten babysitting job ends today. Do you think they are going to miss each other???

(Ours is the striped one)

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Easy Southern Supper

Purple Hull Peas with Ham

3 cups fresh or frozen purple hull peas
1/2 lb ham chopped in little chunks
1/2 small onion (chopped in little chunks)
1 tsp. cajun seasoning
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
6 cups water

Put all in crockpot. Set to low and let cook for about 6-7 hours. Serve over rice & with a big hunk of cornbread on the side!

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Homemade Ketchup

It is a tad spicey for my daughter's taste so later in the week I made a batch omitting the cayenne pepper...and it was DELISH!

The rest of the family LOVED the spicey flavor. My son said it was the best ketchup he's ever had!


It was a bit time consuming but, as with all other homemade goods, I know exactly what's in mine. to make 5 pints there was 1 cup of sugar, tomatoes, 1 onion, vinegar, & seasonings. 1 cup of sugar is not too bad when you figure that's divided among 5 pints. -Most ketchups contain lots more sugar and/or corn syrup along with loads of other un-pronouncables.

So homemade ketchup gets a big thumbs up. I now have 9 jars preserved and 1 in the fridge!

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

1,2,3, Easy & Delicious Chicken Dinner

#1-Place some chicken in crockpot (bone in or out). Pour on a can of cream of chicken soup. Then sprinkle on some cajun seasoning (we use Tony's). Cover and cook for about 7 hours.
#2-When almost done, make some noodles, mashed potatoes, or rice to smother with the delicious gravy that this will make in the crockpot.
#3-Open a can of veggies and viola!

Monday, June 27, 2011

Ketchup



Going to attempt to make ketchup for the first time today!

Friday, June 24, 2011

A little of what I've been up to...



I made 17 jars of tomato juice today & 17 jars of tomato sauce. In the picture are some jars of pasta/spaghetti sauce I made a couple of days ago.

Tomorrow I've got a bushel of tomatoes & peppers waiting to be made into chunky salsa. Whew...



Thursday, June 23, 2011

How bad I am...

For supper tonight my daughter is cooking. Fish sticks and mac & cheese...
We will also be eating it around the tv... The Apple Dumpling Gang on dvd borrowed from the library.
Sure does sound good!

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Meatball subs

Oven Meatball subs:

1lb ground beef or pork
1/2 cup oats
1 egg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. parsley
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder

Also need 1 jar spaghetti sauce, hotdog buns, & motzarella cheese.

Mix all in bowl. Place meatballs in a 9x13 casserole dish. Put in oven at 350* for about 30-40 minutes or until done.
Then pour on a jar of red pasta/spaghetti sauce.
Put back in oven for about 10 minutes or until bubbly.
Slice meatballs in half (or if you make smaller ones leave them whole). Lay on a hotdog bun & sprinkle with motzarella cheese.
Delish!
**As with almost all my recipes feel free to replace some ingredients with what you have. Use fresh garlic, spices, or onions. Use breadcrumbs or cracker crumbs in place of oats. Use cheddar cheese, or no cheese, whatever! lol This is just what we had tonight.

Monday, June 20, 2011

FLYing again

A few years ago I read a book by the flylady. I followed her guides and for about a year or so my home & house were running like a well-oiled machine. Then, I really don't know or remember why, but I got out of the routines. Many things have happened in our lives since then & I feel the need for more order around here. So...I checked the book out at the library & her we go again! I like to start things on Monday's so today is my first day back to doing the "baby steps."
Also today I've got laundry going & then after a little break in the pool I'll get back to making tomato sauce. We've got tomatoes galore! With prices being around $2 and up per pound I feel very greatful to have all of these tomatoes.

Friday, June 10, 2011

My Friday & Homeschool Planning

I've already got the tomatoes on the stove to boil for spaghetti sauce. I decided that since I've got the peppers & spices I'll go ahead and season this batch up. (The others I've done this year are plain)
Also today I think my mom, niece, & nephew are going to come over and swim. It looks to be in the high 90's again. The pool stays shaded about half through the day so that is nice. What's not nice is, and I do this almost every year, I swam & layed on my raft yesterday with my daughter & guess who's got a sunburn today??? Not too bad but I'm a pinky face, sholders, back, etc. Today the sunscreen will be loaded on!
While my sauce is simmering, I'm trying to plan out next year's homeschool curriculum. A little while back we changed some things & I think I've finally found a good balance of what we do. We are mostly of what I like to call "Real learning." We do a math curriculum (saxon) and then lots of reading, writing & practical "real" learning. Gardening, animal care, cooking, canning, caring for the home, shopping, budgeting, shopping, and of course we start our day off with devotions & Bible reading.
Things I am thinking of ordering this year are:
Apologia Botany
A good sketch pad (or the notebook thing that goes along with the botany book)
good colored pencils
LLATL
I already have everything else & more so unless something pops out at me as I'm browsing the RR & CBD websites that will probably be all we need.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Gateway Worship - Revelation Song - Kari Jobe

Gives me chills!
What a spirit filled night this must have been.

Tomato sauce








Making tomato sauce again today. Using my most favorite & easy recipe from heavenly homemaker.

Wash & core tomatoes. Put in blender & blend up. Put in pot and cook down to desired consistancy. Then waterbath for 25 minutes.

Perfect, yummy, fresh sauce everytime!

...today will make 10 pints jarred up!

Monday, June 6, 2011

Corn & Taters

We picked all of our corn & potatoes yesterday.
Wound up with 13 gallon bags full of corn on the cob. (cut small)
We also got approximately 150lbs. new red potatoes & 60lbs. white potatoes.
I thought I got idaho or brown skinned white potatoes but they are a golden color like a butter potato.
We should have had some more corn for us but we think we left it on the stalk a little too long. --That's ok though. The chickens & pigs will enjoy it.
I boiled up some small potatoes with green beans to go with our steaks for dinner yesterday and they were declicious!
I am so thankful to the Lord for providing us with a good harvest.

Country style green beans & potatoes

fresh green beans-washed & snapped
fresh little potatoes-washed well skins on or off doesn't matter
a couple tablespoons good lard OR a couple pieces of bacon OR a ham slice
salt & pepper
a little butter

Put lard, bacon, or ham (or all 3 if you're really into the meat) lol.
Melt or cook the meat. Then add the beans & taters. Fill up to just cover the veggies with water. Add a little salt & pepper. Stir & bring to a boil. Simmer until potatoes are done. Drain off most of the water & put in a little butter. Stir and serve.

*You can also make this with some extra ham & don't drain the water. It makes a good filling soup in the winter. You can also cook this in the crockpot.

Friday, June 3, 2011

More food storage

Today I've got some sad news...a gopher has killed one of my big yellow squash plants. -Stinker-
Also most of my cucumbers!!!

Anyhow, the good news is I picked a batch of green beans yesterday. Also our ton of potato plants will be harvested over the weekend so I'm hoping for a good crop of them. The fun/neat thing about potatoes is it's like you're digging up burried treasure. You never know what you've got until you dig!

Today I will be freezing squash & making a couple of squash casseroles to freeze for busy nights. Also more bell peppers to freeze. I'm going to make some stuffed bell peppers (the same recipe I shared here) to freeze as well.

This and a quick trip to the library & my mom's should keep us busy for the day.

Giveaway

There is a neat giveaway over at Raising Homemakers site. Check it out!!!

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Food Storage Update






8 pts jalapeno slices



2 qts jalapeno slices



4 pts & 2 half pits of grape jelly made



4 half pints apple jelly made (this one didn't set up so now I need to see what I can do with it) Any ideas???



Also got some squash blanched & frozen & 3 gallon bags of bell peppers.






Today's kitchen tasks:



Make 2 loaves bread & 1 batch sandwich buns



Make granola



Make 1 batch cookies



Get stew going in the crockpot






I figure since it's going to be in the 90's and I'll have to run the big oven I may as well get several things done at one time. Mostly I use my little electric oven out on the porch during summer. The crockpot is run outdoors mostly too!

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Tomatoes...

Well, we picked our first 4 red tomatoes yesterday. So as for my plans next week...I'll probably be up to my eyeballs in tomatoes. That's when the real fun begins..cough...lol
I was trying to decide if I wanted to buy a tomato press, or food processer for my tomatoes this year since my blender is barely moving.
We decided on a blender called the Ninja. It's a biggie with 3 blades in it. I'm hoping this will do the job. If not, an express order on a press will be going out to amazon.
Hope ya'll have a good day!

Monday, May 23, 2011

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Barley & Stuffed Bell Pepper Recipe



Do you eat barley? I have to admit this grain is one that used to rarely be seen on our menu. Did you know there is such a thing as quick barley? So maybe not as totally healthy as the regular stuff, but it's still good for you. Fiber is one of the main things that our bodies are usually missing. When you don't get much fiber things tend to not "move" as well through our bodies. So we are trying to add much more whole grains to our diets.

So how to use barley? My favorite way is in soups. Add some into vegetable soup, beef soup, chicken soup, also you can use barley in place of rice in some recipes for a change.

The other night we had stuffed bell peppers made with barley where I would normally have used rice. No one ever said anything. They just ate them & even my daughter who normally doesn't care for that ate it!

Here's the simple recipe.

Stuffed Bell Peppers with Barley

4 bell peppers
1 cup cooked barley
1/2 lb ground pork (or beef)
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. chopped garlic
salt & pepper
1 pt. canned tomato sauce (or tomato soup)

Wash, seed, & cut bell peppers in half legnth wise. (to make 8 little pepper bowls)
Set in a casserole dish.
In a bowl mix meat, onion powder, basil, garlic, salt, & pepper.
Then stuff a handful into the pepper.
Pour sauce on top.
Add about 1 cup water to the pan to soften the peppers & so they won't stick.
Bake in 350 oven for about 45 minutes or until meat is done.



Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Getting ready...



So I'm getting ready for canning & preserving season.
Today I picked 10 yellow squash from the garden. Tonight I'll use a couple of them in our chicken stir-fry over rice. The rest will probably be used later this week. After that I'll make up some squash dressing casseroles to freeze. --We don't care alot for frozen squash sliced up so I would prefer to do it as casseroles and also shredded up for squash fritters. yum!
My plans this year are similar to last year.
I plan on freezing the following:
soup & chili starter (made with peppers, onions, tomatoes & italian seasonings)
bell pepper (sliced & chopped)
onion (sliced & chopped)
corn on the cob
Also frozen tomato paste in ice cube portions (as suggested by one of my readers)
purple hull peas
blueberries & blackberries

Canned:
tomato products (plain sauce, pizza sauce, pasta sauce, whole, salsa, & tomato juice)
whole kernel corn
creamed corn
green beans
potatoes (for quick parsley potatoes & potato salad)

Blueberry jam
Blackberry jam
Apple butter & jelly
Peach jam

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Let the preserving begin...

I had a package of pectin in the pantry from last season so I made some apple jelly!

Picked some some bell peppers & squash from the garden. Stuffed bell peppers & squash fritters for supper tonight!

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Sheltering question

Today I am going to take a minute to get "deep." I have been asked in the past & then recently again about sheltering our children. For one thing I really don't think just because we homeschool our children automatically means we "shelter" them. In fact there are some times I wonder if I should have done it more.
With the world we live in there are so many things that used to be considered "bad" or "unspeakable" that are just accepted as "normal" these days. It sadens most Christians including myself.
I have been forced to teach my children about some things sooner than I would have due to things being put around us. Teenage pregnancy, unwed mothers, homosexuality, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, favoritism, etc. I'm not claiming to be perfect either, I have my own faults too, but the above sort-of just fell into our laps through extended family.--None of which go along with God's word.
So for sheltering, I've had to address these questions from the children on a "need to know" basis. --I won't lie to my children so when a question comes up I answer it honestly & try to put it into words they could understand at the time but with no "extras" added in. We do however refer to the Bible with explainations for why we should or should not do things so this has helped.
Anyway while I will not picket or fight with some of the people mentioned above, after years of trying to do what I thought was best we have had to cut ties with some.
Another question I get is how are you claiming to be Christian but judging these people. Well, the way I see it is they have to see their own sins. I don't hate these people, I feel for them as lost souls. We pray for them but this does not mean putting my children or myself in their lives daily. We are called as parents to protect our children's hearts. We also have to protect our own.
I've been caught up in the gossip game with others in the past. Even if I didn't technically SAY anything, the fact that I listened & didn't walk away or say something to change the subject was my fault. When we are around people like this after a while I have seen changes in myself. I start to look at people more critically, take things too personally, and this does nothing but put me in a bad mind. Our children are the same.
In an AOP devotion I read today it says this:
"Although we are to reach the lost with the love of Christ, God exhorts us to remember that we are his temple (2 Corinthians 6:16)There's only one way to reach the world yet remain separate & holy to God. We must yoke ourselves to Him "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me. (Matthew 11:29a)"

Lord, Please forgive me for giving in to sin
Please help us to teach our children your rules & laws & not give in to the lies of the world.
Help us to be good examples & a witness to you.
Amen

Monday, April 25, 2011

Shaklee cleaning products give-away

There is a contest going on over at http://homesteadinghomemaker.blogspot.com/2011/04/first-ever-blog-giveaway.html
for some shaklee cleaning products.
There is more info about the give-away and the products on the above link.
I sure hope I win!!!!

Sunday, April 24, 2011

He is Risen!!!



Happy Easter

Home canned tomatoes

Friday evening I discovered that I'd used my last jar of home canned spaghetti sauce. Not too bad as I purposely did not try to conserve it to see how long it would last. I still have other tomato products on the shelves though. So to make the spaghetti sauce I just used a quart of tomato sauce, some of my homemade tomato paste, & the usual seasonings. Turned out great! I've still got about 8 quarts of regular tomato sauce & 5 pints.
Our garden is looking really good so far. We planted: bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, banana peppers, yellow sweet corn, green beans, yellow squash, brussel sprouts, cucumbers, potatoes, & of course, lots of tomatoes!
Best wishes to any other fellow gardeners out there!

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Organic, organic, organic...

From time to time I am asked if our vegetables, eggs, homestead are "organic." We don't routinely use pesticides on our garden, but have when needed. We do not feed our animals any feed with added hormones or give un-needed shots. BUT...are we "organic?" In a short answer, "No." To be qualified as organic you must meet many requirements that frankly I'm just not really interested in doing. We eat eggs from our chickens, pork & beef, vegetables from our garden, & fruit from our trees. We make most of our own soaps, laundry detergent, & cleaning products. So we're trying our best to do things for ourselves when possible. I think all of this "organic" stuff is great, but I think some people may need to do some research on what exactly "organic" means here in the U.S. Just paying more in the store doesn't mean it's always healthier.

Friday, March 18, 2011

Roast Beef Sandwiches

We've all got good recipes for roast beef but here's another one. I made this tonight for supper. We shredded it up and served it on toasted hogie rolls with a bit of au jou (or broth) for dipping. YUMMO!

Roast Beef for Sandwiches
1 beef roast
1 bunch green onions
2 cups beef stock
1 cup water
1 tsp. browning sauce
1 tsp. onion powder

Saute onions in skillet for just a couple of minutes. Place in crockpot. Then brown roast on all sides in the same skillet. Put this in crockpot. Pour on the water, broth, browning sauce, & onion powder. Put on the lid & cook for about 6 hours on high.
When done, shred a bit with a fork. Put on toasted hogie rolls with a dab of mayo & horseradish (ohh I love horseradish) Serve a little bit of sauce in a dish for dipping.

What's kickin' chicken?


Our chickens sure are. We've gotten back to eggs galore!

So the onions are getting flowers, potatoes are coming up in the garden & the brussel sprouts look good. The tomatoes, peppers, & corn have been planted. Tomorrow I'll get the squash seeds in the ground too.

What else is going on tomorrow??? Pig cookin' time. We got one of our hogs cleaned & split. Half will go on the open fire in the morning to cook all day. The skins will be fried & made into chicharrones (pork rinds) and jars of lard to use for cooking. Makes me think back to one of the Little House on the Prairie books I remember reading with the kids.

We decided with all that's going on around here that it was time to get rid of 2 of the pigs. It was just getting too much to keep feeding them all right now. So we are left with just "Gloria" the big mama sweet hog. We hope to breed her later on in the year & then sell the piglets. She will go to another farm to "visit" a boar so that will give us time to get the pen taken down & rebuilt on a better spot in the back.

So that's the plan for our weekend so far.

Hope ya'll have a great night.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Monday Around the Homestead

So today started off really early around our house. My daughter & her dog climbed into our bed as really loud thunder rumbled in the sky. I mean really loud!
The men went to work & we stayed in bed a little longer. I love to listen to the rain on the metal roof.
Later we had some breakfast of homemade granola cereal, did school work, & laundry.
The storm was gone by lunch and we enjoyed the outdoors for a little.
Hubby was home early & we got the animals all taken care of.
Supper tonight was left-overs from my mother-in-law's birthday party we held here on Saturday. For that we had a mexican fiesta...enchiladas, mexican casserole, spanish rice, pinto beans, salsa verde', red salsa, chips, cupcakes & ice cream...Wow!
I plan on sharing the rice recipe tomorrow.
After being up and busy all day I'm just plain old tired. So it's bath & bed for me.
Hope ya'll have a great night.
p.s. I would love to hear some comments if you have them.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

I Help Everyone - Who Is Going to Help Me?

I've watched several videos from this woman lately & they are very inspirational. This one seems to be relevant at the moment for me!
I hope everyone has a blessed day.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Homemade Granola Cereal

6 c. quick oats
1/2 c. whole wheat flour (I use freshly ground hard white wheat)
1 c. shredded coconut
1/2 c. powdered milk
2 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. kosher salt

Mix all of this well in a big bowl.

Then in a small pot put:

1/2 c. canola oil
1/3 c. honey
1/3 c. molasses
1 T. vanilla

Do not boil. Just heat until it will pour easily.

Pour this over your oat mixture. Mix well with a big spoon until it's all covered & turned light brown.

Then put on 2 sprayed cookie sheets. Place in oven at 300* for about 30 minutes. Stir after about every 10 minutes. Watch it because it will burn if you're not careful.

Allow to cool completely. Then you can add dried fruit like cranberries, raisins, or blueberries. Also some sliced almonds are good to mix in too.

I store it in a tupperware type container or a big bowl with a tight-fitting lid.

Enjoy just as you would other cold cereals in a bowl with some milk!

Monday, March 7, 2011

It's been a long time coming...

We've known for a while that the time was near, but now we have exact confirmation. The company my husband works for is closing & it the building has been sold. So we will join many others in the country right now by being unemployed.
Thankfully we've saved & are debt free so I know we will be ok. I have faith that all things happen for a reason even if we don't really know the reason yet.
My daughter & I are getting ready to expand our sales on our cleaning & body products. I am going to make a website & start to sell online and continue locally. When the site is up I will share on here, facebook, & wherever else possible.
Take care & hope ya'll have a blessed day!

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart & lean not unto thine own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths. -Proverbs 3:56

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Lovin' The Farmgirl

My mom gave me a cute little book called "Lovin' the Farmgirl." At the end there are some quotes/exerpts that I thought were so cute & I thought I'd share a couple of them.

You know you're a farmgirl when as soon as you see a car pulling down the lane to your house, you instantly get up and make a fresh pot of coffee!

You know you're a farmgirl when you get a wheelbarrow for your anniversary or Valentine's day and say, "It's just what I wanted!"

You know you're a farmgirl when the best part of your day is slipping on your mud boots to head outside.

You know you're a farmgirl when an entire conversation with your girlfriends revolves around hay.

You know you're a farmgirl when you're most likely to be found in the barn than in the beauty parlor.

Cute! I'll share some others later.
Hope ya'll have a good day!

Monday, February 28, 2011

Menu for March



I've decided to go back to doing my main shopping 1x a month. Here's what's on the menu for the month:

Breakfasts- eggs, sausage, bacon, oatmeal, granola, toast, french toast, pancakes, waffles, biscuits, gravy, applesauce muffins, ham, smoothies

Lunches- left-overs, salad, sandwiches (tuna, turkey, ham, cheese, pb&j, blt), pita with guac or hummus, crackers & cream cheese or peanutbutter, applesauce, fresh fruit

Snacks or to-go bags- vienna sausages (I hate these but the kids & hubby love them), nuts, granola, string cheese, crackers, yogurt

Dinners-

1-bean burritos, chips & salsa

2-crunchy tacos, rice

3-flautas, rice, salad

4- enchilada casserole, rice, mexi-corn

5-spaghetti, meatballs, garlic rolls

6-feticcuine w/clam sauce, garlic rolls

7-lasaguna roll-ups, garlic toast, salad

8-vegetable soup, crackers

9-chicken stirfry, fried rice

10-blueberry pancakes, sausage

11-fritata w/veggies, biscuits

12-lentil soup, cornbread

13-chicken fried stead, mash pot w/gravy, green beans

14-chicken in white sauce, mash pot, peas

15-homemade chicken nuggets, baked pot, corn on cob

16-pork cutlets, rice, honey carrots

17- grilled pork chops, sweet potatoes, peas

18- shish kabobs (steak, peppers, mushrooms) grilled potatoes w/onions

19-grilled rib eyes, boiled green beans w/potatoes, cornbread

20- grilled pork steaks & hot dogs, macaroni salad

21- crockpot stew, cornbread

22-crockpot pintos

23- crockpot beef tips & rice, peas

24- crockpot pork roast w/sour kraut, potatoes, mustard greens

25- sloppy joes, fries

26- mexican cornbread casserole, salad, & fruit cobbler

27-hamburgers, fries

28-boiled shrimp, corn, & potatoes

29- pizza

30-pizza


To fit my budget I've set for the next 30 days I will be making just about everything from scratch that I can. I will also buy a couple of things still every week like a gallon milk, lettuce, & fresh fruit. Other than that my shopping is done!

Monday, February 14, 2011

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Fall Garden video.MP4

I almost forgot...we now have a youtube channel! Here's video #1. I hope to do more soon. If you like it, please subscribe to our channel. ~Thanks!

Deals for the week...

First let me say, I don't normally shop at County Market, as the stores around here aren't in the best of areas. However, you can take your ad to Wal-mart & they will match the prices so that is what I do. There is alot on sale, but I'll share the things I would possibly use or buy:

Del Monte Ketchup .88 for 24oz bottle (I've tried homemade ketchup & org & we really don't care for any we've tried so far)
Tony Chachere's Rice Mix .88 for 8oz box (their dirty rice is pretty good if you don't like to make your own)
5lb bag red potatoes $1.48
Jumbo roma tomatoes .98 lb.
Fresh green onions 2/.88
Florida sunburst tangerines 10/$1.99
3lb. bag red delicious apples $2.98
Sunkist tuna .58 (not as good as the .44 deal I got a while back, but not bad for today's prices)

Brookshires Deals:
3lb bag boneless/skinless chicken breast fillets 2/$10
hass avocados $1 each (says large & my daughter loves them. Fish tacos are on the menu so I'll probably get a few)
Charmin tp & bounty towels 8pk 2/$10
Maxwell house coffee 4/$10 (hubby takes coffee thermos everyday to work)
Kotex fem care 4/$10 I think I have coupons for this!
Colgate toothbrushes 10/$10
Cabot cheese 2/$4 (My favorite is the white sharp cheddar)
There are many other 10 for $10 deals this week there too. No where do I see where you HAVE to buy 10 for them to be $1 each (unlike Kroger where you do). Brookshires also does double & triple coupons!

Thursday already...

This week has flown by for me!
On Tuesday I watched a show called "Extreem Couponing." Anyone else see it? Anyhoo...these people saved so much by using coupons. I'm talking like a bill over $600 down to $50. Another woman had over $200 and got it down to $6!!! So I started investigating. I've been looking online and in the sale ads but so far no super deals like they got. I must admit I'm skeptical about coupons. In the past it seems like most of them are for things we don't buy anyway like alot of boxed dinners, processed meats, etc. I do however usually use the ones for toothpaste & other personal care products. So I'm just going to keep an eye out & start collecting coupons a little more & see how I do.
I'm really working hard on getting things cleaned out & organized around my house. It seems like there are always areas that tend to collect junk around here. So this week I did get my desk area organized. That included going through old magazines, filing cabinets, & tossing (actually burning) old bill statements & things like that.
I also made up new lesson plans for my children for them to begin next Mon. Schooling is another area where I feel we are needing more organization. I found a really neat book with some art projects in it for Abby's history for the next few weeks. With my children being ages 16 & 12 they can do much more on there own. This has freed my time up some so I can work on my own projects more too.
I've also gotten a new meal plan made for my binder. I plan on updating that today.
It's cold & wet again...and very muddy around here so other than to feed the animals I really plan on spending most of our time indoors. Get a load of laundry done & possibly clean out the pantry.
Hope ya'll have a nice day!

Friday, January 14, 2011

Deal of the day...


Beans & Rice...
Brookshires has 1lb. bags of pinto beans & 1lb. bags of rice for .79 cents. So stock up!

Friday around the homestead...

It's another cold one today. I plan on baking some bread & some hot pocket type pies. I saw the recipe in a magazine and don't rember it all, but basically it's a flaky pie type dough with a filling of meat & sweet potatoes. I'm just going to season it up where it tastes good & then bake the little pies. I figure they will be good for lunches.

I also plan on figuring out my co-op orders for the future. I think if I plan more carefully I can get stocked up & save some money.

Take care all & hope you have a great day!

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Crockpot soup (Semi-homemade)

Potato ham chowder

1 box scallop potatoes
1 can ham
4 cups chicken broth
3 green onions
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 cups milk
1/3 cup flour

Place potatoes, sauce packet, ham, broth, onions, & pepper in crockpot. Turn on high. Allow to cook for about 3 hours. Then place the milk & flour into a jar. Shake well to get out all lumps. When potatoes are tender pour this in and stir. Allow to cook for about another 20-30 minutes. Serve.

This was really good! I'm adding it to my recipe binder as an easy meal to have on hand.

Deals this week...CARROTS


It's not advertised, but Super 1 has 5lb bags of whole carrots for $2.50 so that's .50 lb. Anyhow, here's what I did...
1. Bought some carrots.
2. Peel, wash, & slice them into rounds.
3. Blanch in salted water for 3-5 minutes.
4. Allow to dry a little on a clean towel.
5. Place into freezer bags & freeze.
Use just as you would any other frozen carrots but feel happy that you spent way less!
Don't foget that carrots are good for your eyes...Did you ever see a rabbit wearing glasses???

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Plain old pintos

Here is a favorite dish around here that's cheap & easy. You can cook these on the stovetop, crockpot, or pressure cooker. The ingredients are the same the time only changes by the desired way of cooking.

1/2 cup of pintos per person
3x the amount of water
(so for our family I put 2 cups beans, 6 cups water)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder or a couple fresh cloves
1 tsp basil

Put all in pot and allow to cook until tender. For pressure cooker this will take about 35 minutes at 15lbs pressure.

I usually double or triple this recipe when I make it. Freeze left overs for refried beans, bean soup, or anything you would use pintos in.

For our meal last night we had a bowl of beans with a few jalapeno slices mixed in and a tad of the pepper juice. Along side we had warm corn tortillias with butter. A big slice of cornbread & rice is good with this too!

Monday, January 10, 2011

The "not so glamorous" life on the homestead


Funny to me that I would say that some think living like we do would be glamorous...however when you look at the pretty pictures and magazine articles about farming & homesteading it tends to always lean tward the "glamorous" side.
While I love living the way we do, it's not reality to think you can wake up to a perfectly landscaped lawn, beautiful roosters crowing, and go take a dip in the gorgeous, bug free pond and lounge for the day while sipping on fresh squeezed lemonade and then go and admire the ever-so-tidy home and rows of canned goods without realizing the work that has gone into them. I love looking at that stuff too but I thought today I'd share a winter day with you.
Let's start off with that we had an ice storm yesterday and it's now melting, even though it's still really cold out. Then on Saturday evening my husband's back got a pinched nerve (for which he's at the chiropractor right now with our son) So....chores were up to us.
Back to my day... I did sleep in a bit, then did the usual morning routine: make coffee, breakfast, computer a bit, and even watched a show with the kids. Then I made a batch of lye soap. Did some laundry, and cleaned up the kitchen & washroom.
The chiropracter called to say they could get him in so he & my son left.
I bundled up and went out to get the feeding and watering done. I guess the chickens were impatient as feeding was a little later than usual and one jumped on my head as I was getting the feed out and scratched me. (peroxide has been applied!) Then I fed the banty chickens that are in separate cages for now. Then off to the ducks, the little pig, and then the other chicken coop. While in there I realized the tarps we are using as a temporary roof have come apart so they are able to get out. Luckily I guess they didn't realize that yet. So I got a pole and tried to prop it up in the middle to shake off some of the snow & ice. Well of course it fell and then so did a chunk of ice on my head (guess it was my day for head injuries)lol. So I finally got that fixed good enough. Then I fed the dogs in the kennels. Well one of them had pooed in his bowl (who knows why) So I cleaned that out but of course he jumped on me in the process and of course when I turned on the hose to clean out the bowl someone had left the spout on so it sprayed all over me. By now my gloves were soaked and my hands were freezing. Then it was off to the back to feed the hogs. While back there they jumped up and splashed pig mud on me. Lastly I fed the dogs in the yard, who also enjoyed jumping around in the mud right by me. So finally I was headed back inside... freezing hands, wet, and probably had just about every kind of manure on me somewhere.---How glamorous!
So here I now sit at my computer. In my warm little house with blankets hung over the windows to help keep the cold out. I have a pot of beans in the pressure cooker and a warm fire in the fireplace. AND still I'm thankful for being able to live the way we do! ~Perhaps only other homesteaders would understand...