You’ve thought about homesteading, you’ve perused land, you may even be well on your way to purchasing a farmhouse.  On the other hand, you may live on some land already but feel a bit overwhelmed at how to start the process of homesteading and becoming more self sufficient.  You have come to the right place and I am here to help.

It has only been a short time (we are in our fourth year) that we have had our own little homestead.  I call it little because we live on just shy of 6 acres, not grandiose by any means but definitely large enough to raise some livestock, garden, can the bounty and feel like I am at least on the road to homesteading.  Looking back though, I realize that this is a journey that I really began years and years ago when I started wanting to be more in touch with the way my grandmother and mother grew up.  I wanted to learn some of the old skills, the ones we would now refer to as “self sufficiency skills” it is more of a pop culture word now but what it really means is that we can do for ourselves. 

Many of the skills of our parents, grandparents, and great grandparents for that matter are becoming lost to so many generations because we feel that they are antiquated, there is  a growing movement happening though.  It is a bit of an enlightenment really, some of us are starting to realize that when those previous generations are gone, the skills and knowledge that they have are also lost, forever.  Unless…we get busy and begin learning now. 

It is all to easy to feel inadequate if you look online at homesteaders who are blogging about their great accomplishments and adventures, but just know that we all start somewhere and we all are on a journey, I know I still am and there will always be someone further along that journey than me. (I have a post here to give you a healthy perspective)  We all have to start somewhere though.
Where do you start though?  Here are some great tips to get you going.

1. Check out the print
​
There are a number of fantastic books out there where you can begin to glean information even if you haven’t purchased that land yet.  The skills you can read about and learn are an education that cannot be taken from you so get busy!

2. Read About Other's Journeys (not to compare yourself but to learn)

 Here are a few of the bloggers I love to read...

 - The Farm Barbie
 - Oakhill Homestead
 - Simple Life Mom
 -Not So Modern Housewife
 -The Chicken Chick
​

3. Start Small

This relates to ANY topic be it Gardening, Animal Husbandry, Canning, Sewing, Homeschooling, From Scratch Baking...any of them.  Start where you are and start small.  Master a few areas through some trial and error and you will feel even more confident about your ability to move forward and on to the next area of interest.

4. Keep a Journal

Many of us start down the homesteading path and become easily discouraged when we have a few fails (and you will).  Keeping a journal of what you are doing, what is working and what is not is very helpful.  Also, if you are venturing into livestock KEEP NOTES.  

​This is so important because in the excitement of getting those new chicks, piglets or any other animal you will forget.  However, many months or even a year down the line you may want to know what all of your hard work is netting you in your pocketbook, without good records of the amount of cash you spent up front, and the amount you regularly spend on feed, there is no way to go back and get accurate facts.

5.  Connect with Mentors

None of us can do this alone.  You will find (if you haven't already) that many a farmer, gardener, or homesteader will relish sharing their knowledge with a fledgling newbie.  Just be respectful of their time and compensate them when possible (a homemade loaf of bread, some fresh cool new variety of veggie you grew, a dozen eggs, you get the picture).  

I find that the BEST advice out there is that which comes from the crowd of folks over the age of 70 years old.  The older the better actually.  They have lived this life, they have years of experience that is worth its weight in gold, go out there and get some for yourself. If you aren't sure where to find someone, look for a local farmer's market and find the oldest gent or lady there.  If that isn't an option, look around you, find some farms and go introduce yourself, taking along some goodies from your place for the introduction never hurt either.

Related Posts: Not Yet A Homesteader, Chickens on the Farm,  and Organic Gardening.

Want to read more posts by other homesteaders?  Check out these roundups that have tons of fantastic information!

Many well meaning parents have a tendency to idealize what homeschooling actually is. The daydream can go something like this: days are spent languishing in rich literature, afternoons are spent learning thrilling hands-on science experiments, and weekends are spent going on exceptionally educational and exciting field trips that the whole family can enjoy.  All of this and in the end these parents will turn out a child thankful for the amazing experiences afforded to them by their loving and doting parents who have sacrificed to provide the best education available to them, all so they could enter the college of their choice with an amazing transcript in tow.  If this is the ideal, what happens between the ideal and reality that causes so many homeschool parents to quit the journey, chalk it up as a good try, and return their children to the mass education system?

1. Some well meaning parents  “ idealize the process”

The problem with this is that they then cannot live up to the ideal nirvana that they have created in their minds.  Homeschooling is messy friends; it is not always going to go well.  There will be days that you do not accomplish nearly what you had hoped, and others where you are left in awe of what you are able to teach in a very short time.  There will be moments you want to quit, moments you feel like a failure, and moments when you realize that the curriculum you chose is NOT a good fit.  It is all part of the beautiful, messy process.  It is not an ideal that you are living up to, there is no perfect homeschool, the sooner that one can realize that the sooner one is able to let go of the idea and recognize that it is the reality of homeschooling that will take you to the end, good, bad and beautifully messy.

2. They have an inability to accept delayed gratification. 

Our society is terrible at this; we cannot accept that gratification is not instantaneous.  We purchase things we cannot afford, we are impulsive, and we have a difficult time waiting and being patient.  Homeschooling your children is no different.  Many homeschooling parents fail because they expect to see results YESTERDAY, and they aren't prepared for delaying the gratification of seeing results.  Sometimes it will be weeks, months or even years before you start to reap the fruits of your labor.  The hours spent with the struggling reader may not yield immediate results, but if you wait, if you are patient, the fruit will yield, and when it does, it is so worth every moment of the wait.

3. They have a need to be praised and feel thanked

This is another no-no.  If you are expecting to be praised for your efforts either by your non-teaching spouse, your children, or other friends and family, you will likely be disappointed.  Your children may not fully realize what you have done for them until they are grown and many years have passed (back to that delayed gratification section).  Your spouse, unless they step into your shoes for a week, will have no idea just how difficult it can be.  Your friends and family, though they may offer the occasional "you are amazing, I could never do that," comments, they too will not understand.  Your motivation will need to come internally, or from an external calling, but if you are expecting this to be a thankful job, you will likely be disappointed.

4.  They compare themselves to others

This cardinal rule, if broken, will lead to dissatisfaction, frustration, and feelings of inadequacy.  There is always going to be someone who looks like they are doing a better job than you are.  Just know that some people are better at hiding their inadequacies than others.  Some other parent may seem more organized, more spiritual, more educated, more, more, more than you… Don't look there.  Don't compare yourself to other homeschooling parents.  Once each of us is able to realize that our children are gifts and they were each given to the family they ended up in for a very unique and special reason, it is easier to understand that the best teacher they can have is their own unique parent.
​
                Now that you are aware of the traps that lead to the failure of the homeschooling parent, you are better equipped to not only avoid these traps but realize where you may be inclined to stumble.  You are doing a great and amazing thing on this journey, keep up the daily work and you will see results, just maybe not this week.

This is an older post, back from when my now 2 y/o was a little babe, but since we are headed into this land again with baby #6 on the way I thought a re-post of this was worth it as I know I will be using this again!

I admit to being a bit sleepy as I sit down this morning to write my blog post...we have a teething baby at our house.  It has been over a week now of up and down in the night, extra snotty-ness and a desire to constantly be held, all signs that here we go... (I have learned the signs well with the experience of 4 other children).  But this time around I have something else in my arsenal, homemade teething gel.  I never did like using over the counter teething gel, I usually just opt for cold wet rags, ice teethers, and occasionally Motrin, but this little one's bottom tooth is so stubborn that I tried another route.  I had read quite a bit about Clove essential oil and its numbing properties so I tried it, and I am sold! (even if my baby now smells like a holiday ham)

  I always try oils on myself first so I put a drop on my gums and incidentally got  A bit on my tounge...whoa...totally numb!!!  But, at full strength Clove oil burns when put on your gums so I knew I needed to dilute it for baby.  I first tried a ratio of 1 drop of oil to 1 T of coconut oil but that was not strong enough so I settled with 2 drops of Clove oil to 1 T of coconut oil.  I keep this mixture in an old makeup container that I washed and re-purposed.  I take it with me everywhere at this point as I know that I can use it multiple times as needed and it is all natural so no found side effects!

I was not raised on a farm, I am learning as I go but learning is one of those things that you are never too old to do.  

I have always heard really good things about 4H so this past year I decided that my children should give it a try and join up with some animals.  It has definitely been a good experience and my children have learned so much.

I always thought that 4H was for farm kids, not so, there are so many projects that a suburban kid could do and they are all so well organized and educational.  However, for the farm kids, there are some really neat things that they learn about animal husbandry.  My children have learned that you can actually wash a chicken (yes, people do this to make the chickens look their best before judging...and you can blow dry them, most of them even like it!)

We have learned all about rabbit breeding (see this post). And the educational factor alone has been well worth the effort.  So on to the 5 things...

1. The Projects are VERY educational...
(your kids will learn more than you thought possible!)

When you are interested in a subject, there is probably a project book about that subject, if not, there are plenty of self determined projects available.  Children can take a project on everything from baking, sewing, acting, gardening, robotics, and veterinary care to bicycling, bully prevention, first aid and STEM projects. The project books, however, are meticulously laid out and have so many specifics and different areas to explore that if there is a topic your child is interested in, they will learn ALOT!

There is a certain camaraderie that is born when children are working on a project and being challenged by other children.  I have found through this year that some of the older children who have already taken projects that my children are now taking have been exceptionally helpful in guiding them.  In addition, many of the project books require kids to present their projects to the club they belong to, a great experience as you learn from others.

When taking projects the goal is for the child to be able to present what they have learned to a judge at your county fair.  They are interviewed and have to learn to think on their feet, answer questions respectfully, and articulate themselves.  Often times they are also presenting to more than one judge so there is the public speaking platform that comes into play as well.

When your child joins a 4H club and chooses a project (or many projects) they can earn prizes, accolades and sometimes even cash for their hard work.  The project does not have to be a livestock one and the feeling of having "won" something for working hard is something that is invaluable to the self esteem of a child.

Yes, it is that detailed.  Your child could work on the first aid project and they will learn enough to qualify as an actual school subject, and the bonus?  It is mostly hands on as they are to prepare a poster and presentation about what they have learned.  If you don't have a 4H group that is a good fit in your area, you can always order the books and just use them as curriculum, even without being a member.  I am telling you, this is GOOD stuff and it is very reasonably priced. (here is a link to their educational store)

Are you interested yet?  If you need to know where to start HERE is how to find your local 4H groups.  I suggest stopping in at a few different meetings that groups hold to find the chapter that is a good fit for you and your child.  Our first meeting was with a group that was not fantastic, but when we went to another group, we fit in perfectly!

I always prefer methods of homeopathy when caring for my family, cold and flu season is no different.  Now that it is coming round the corner I wanted to be sure I had a fresh stash of this fantastic old-timer remedy on hands.  It also just so happened that I had a little one with a crunky cough which made it that much more important to get on the task at hand.

 Last year a dear friend had given me some of her homemade Elderberry Syrup and I liked it even better than the store bought versions that I was used to by this point.  I began searching my property and the adjacent properties for some Elderberry, but to no avail.  I found lots of poisonous berries (pokeberry, water hemlock and Silky dogwood, but none of the desired Elderberry).

 Like any determined farmgirl I went ahead and ordered an Elderberry plant so that at least in the future I could be sure about plant identification and hopefully have my own stash of berries to make this fantastic herbal remedy.

However, in the meantime I decided to go ahead and run to the local health food store to purchase my own dried Elderberry to make this fantastic herbal remedy.

Why Elderberry you ask?  For starters Elderberries are known to be very rich in antioxidants they contain 87 percent of the daily value in vitamin C, and high amounts of vitamin A, potassium, iron, vitamin B6, fiber, and betacarotene. This medicinal plant has a long history with native Americans who used it to treat conjunctivitis, cold and flu symptoms, congestion, arthritis pain, upset stomachs, gas, and for detoxification.  Modern day herbalists and natural homeopathic doctors tout its boost to the immune system, and use to battle coughs, colds, flu, bacterial and viral infections and tonsillitis. Elderberry juice was even used to treat a flu epidemic in Panama in 1995.

Being that Elderberries are all natural, easy to procure, and have known health fighting benefits as well as immune boosting effects I use this as the main ingredient in my battle for wellness.  

Other ingredients are Slippery Elm (a substance that has been known to reduce sore throats, coughs and contains mucilage to soothe). Echinacea (a known immunity booster that works great for colds, coughs and acts as an anti inflammatory agent) Ginger (another anti inflammatory agent that also aids in battling bacterial infections as well as respiratory issues and another great all natural immune booster) Cinnamon (another antioxidant as well as bacterial infection fighter) and then some good old fashioned Honey, what our grandparents used to soothe a sore throat and a cough.

You simply take all of the "dry" ingredients (not the honey) and add to a small saucepan with 3 cups of water.  Bring to a simmer (not a boil) and simmer until your water is reduced by almost half.  At this time use a sieve to strain all the bits and pieces so you get the beautiful medicinal liquid.  

While still warm add in your honey and stir, stir, stir.  You can then store your liquid gold in amber bottles in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.  Note: This recipe makes 16 ounces of medicinal Elderberry syrup that works wonders at the beginning of a cold or flu like symptoms, to treat sore throats or coughs, or after exposure to someone ill.  Typical dose is 1 tsp daily until symptoms cease or for a few days if using as  preventative.

Do you make your own Elderberry Syrup?  If so is your recipe similar?  Give this one a try as the "extra" ingredients really do make a huge difference!

I love to read about what other homesteaders are up to...check out this homestead blog hop to read what others blog about too.

I love to garden, if you have read much on my blog you know that this is a passion of mine, I have even joked about the "gardener's manicure" that I often sport as a result.  I was recently contacted by a company who had a product I found intriguing, the Honey Badger Garden Glove.  Just look at these things, I mean I was instantly curious.  I spoke at length with the owner of the company regarding their marketing strategy of having a select few gardening bloggers try out the product and offer an honest review.  I was game.  

​The owner was very knowledgeable about gardening, the challenges a gardener faces and just how easily most common garden gloves wear out.  (Yes, I have a number of pairs with holes in the fingers that I have sadly had to toss over the years.)  He was happy to chat with me at length about his product and his desire to offer a solution to gardeners such as myself.  

There, it was a product that intrigued me, the owner was kind and knowledgeable, I'm all in for a trial.

I will also admit that the fact it was named after a crazy elusive mammal digging fiend with a likeness to the comic book character Wolverine did not hurt one bit.

I received my trial pair of gloves in the mail as promised and I couldn't wait to get them on.  They were femininely pink for making me feel so primal, I loved it.  The gloves fit very nicely, snug even without being uncomfortable.  I was worried that they would make my hands hot and sweaty because of the slick coating but even after an hour in the hot sun, they did not.  

So, lets head outside and put these beauties to the test...

It was a hot and sunny day but the gloves did not make my hands sweaty or uncomfortable despite their snug fit.

First up, digging for potatoes.  I have to say that this was infinately easier with the assistance of a mammal like pair of claws.  The dirt easily yielded at my fingertips (I mean claws) and I was able to dig up the tubers with no problem.

The gloves come with claw tips on the right hand, the left hand or both depending on your personal preference.  I am right hand dominant so these were great for digging, however when it came to weed pulling I found that it wasn't as easy to get used to pulling with the clawed glove, it may be that this would just take practice or I would need a left hand dominant claw for digging and that would free up my right hand for the weed pulling.

The gloves kept my hands clean, pricker free when pulling up thistle, and aided me in being able to nix the usual hand tools for light gardening and weeding.  I love that my lengthier nails were not at all strained because when digging with the claws there is a bit of comfort room allowed for us ladies.

My 13 year old daughter was just as curious and she had to accompany me to the garden for a trial as well.  Her assessment?  "Mom, these things are COOL!"  I actually had a willing participatory weed assistant at my side.  She reveled in the digging capability of her claw-like finger tips (as did I when it was my turn) and we aptly concluded that primally speaking, these gloves definitely made a mundane task such as garden maintenance much more fun!

So for overall rating:

* * * * * Five Stars for the sheer coolness factor of the gloves
* * * * * Five Stars for comfort and ease of use
* * * * * Five Stars for protection of hands

I cannot yet rate the durability as I haven't washed these gloves yet nor have I had an entire gardening season to put them to the test but they appear very promising on all other fronts so I would give these an Incidental Farmgirl Thumbs Up!

Want to order your first pair?  

This blog post may contain affiliate links that cost you nothing but help me maintain this site for your sheer enjoyment.

I love my OB, she happens to be a friend as well as a care provider.  I have seen her for 17 years and she has walked along side me during difficult seasons (miscarriages) as well as joyous occasions (the births of 4 of my children).  We have had lunch together, she has come to one of my children’s birthday parties and I have her personal as well as home phone numbers, yes we have a great relationship. 

I want you to know that this post is in no way a slam on most OB/GYN care providers.

I recognize the limitations that medical professionals have in our modern Western Culture.

I realize that most of them are not trained to expect that women want to be more in control of their medical care, in fact, most women are not even aware that they can refuse certain tests/procedures/protocols.

I understand that they serve a purpose for some women who are in need of a higher level of care for their births.

But, over the years I have come to a place where I overwhelmingly prefer the care of a midwife for childbirth.  Let me tell you why.

1. Midwives take time

                Even the best traditional OB does not have the kind of time that a midwife can devote to her client.  Especially in the case of a homebirth midwife it is not at all uncommon for our prenatal appointments to easily last an hour with no waiting in line.  Doesn’t that sound fabulous?  My homebirth midwife comes to my house so I don’t have to worry about childcare, getting to the office, parking or even waiting for long periods of time to see my care provider, she comes to me. 

2. My children can be part of the process

                Most midwifes view birth as a family event.  A reason for celebration of life that all family members can partake in.  My children are able to participate in most of my prenatal appointments and often my midwife will just allow them to listen to their new sibling’s heart beat.  A midwife is able to take the time to encourage the questions of my curious crew which in turn allows them to feel important and included.  This cannot happen in a traditional exam room where there is little space and little time to accommodate.

3. Midwifes don't see pregnancy & childbirth as an abnormal event

                 Let me clarify this a bit.  When seeing a traditional OB the focus is more on things that may be going awry.  Your weight is checked, urine screened, BP taken, tests offered and sometimes required, and there is a list that is essentially "checked off" as you go through the 15 minutes or less that your provider has for you.  The OB is there to check for problems and abnormalities and address those issues.  On the other hand though a midwife does some of the same monitoring it is not the overarching point of the prenatal appointment.  Yes, your urine is screened, your BP taken but nothing intrusive and nothing you don't want.  Many midwifes (mine included) have opted for a more "hands off" approach when it comes to exams that aren't directly on the abdomen.  (in other words for sake of not being graphic, there is no exam below the belly) as many studies have shown that there really is no reason for such exams.

4.  Midwifes are afforded the time to employ a holistic health model
              
                  I think my OB friend that I mentioned would love to get to know her patients better, to see what makes them tick, but the reality of it is that she has a short period of time with which to do a specific task.  She is not afforded the luxury and has even said as such.  The holistic health model is one that looks at the BIG picture not just the parts thereof.  It is a model that recognizes that we are bigger than the sum of our parts and that each system in the body can directly effect the others.  If you have a mother suffering with anxiety and depression, it will directly impact her pregnancy, if you have a mother who is easygoing and content, her outcomes will also be effected but in a different way.  Our emotions and our day to day living (exercise, diet, emotional well-being, etc) affect our health.  Midwives embrace this model and therefore are just as concerned with the welfare of the mother's emotional state as they are with her physical state.  They are not psychologists but sometimes a mother having a rough day can feel loads better by being heard and chatting with a midwife friend.

5. Midwifes are more passive and encourage clients to be more active

            A midwife will usually encourage the client (not patient because this is not an illness) to take the lead.  I know when I first began down this path I expected my midwife to "tell me what to do" like my traditional doctors had always done.  However, midwives typically prefer to encourage and empower their clients to take the lead in their choices, explore options, and research.  If you want to take an herbal birth prep, she may encourage you to research specific ones to see what is right for you, if you want to birth in a certain position, you will likely be encouraged to figure out what your body feels is best.  You are in control and rather than your birth plan being treated as a "wish list" at a hospital setting,  you are setting the game plan that will be followed and respected.


​

Related Posts:  A natural mom's love/hate relationship with modern medicine, Our homebirth Story & Choices in Childbirth

I have a yearly battle with a specific pest (well more than one but for this post we will chat about my nemesis).  This thing has tortured me since I quit using any form of synthetic pest control about 12 years ago. (back when I became more educated about what I was doing to my food by using Sevin dust and the like).  I’m here to say, there are some days I miss that perfect produce. My neighbor has perfect zucchini in abundance, when I asked him how he gets so much and why my pests don’t plague him (I was waiting for a sage answer that I could really dig my teeth into) he said, I just sprinkle Sevin on the plants…UGGGHHH!

Okay, so what is the pest?  It took me a few years to identify, I thought it was more an environmental problem I was dealing with when one day my Zucchini would be bountifully producing and vigorously growing and then seemingly overnight it would yellow, droop and fall over dead.  Have you ever had that happen? It is quite disheartening because I for one, LOVE my zucchini!  After a few years of this happening (I think I must be slow to catch on) I realized it was not some kind of soil borne problem causing the plants to die but rather, a nasty little creature that liked Zucchini and Yellow squash (as well as all gourd plants, pumpkins and squash) even more than I did.  THE SQUASH VINE BORER.  This is a nasty pest that is the larvae of a flying insect.  Some say that you can get rid of the problem by picking off the flying creature at daylight or dusk, I have never had much luck with this.

​I hate this nasty little creature.  I always find him a bit too late.The tell tale signs are when you look at the base of your zucchini or squash plant and it has a yellow sawdusty kind of look to it.  Those little granules are actually worm castings…eww, not the good kind.  This little worm burrows up inside the base of your plant and hollows it out eating until it is full and very fat.  I have on countless occasions slit the stem of a plant with an exacto knife in an effort to remove said nasty worm and decimate him, sometimes the plants live, sometimes they don’t but it is always a gratifying experience to squish that little bugger.

This year is no different, I only got to enjoy about 2-3 large Zucchini before the nasty worms invaded, I split the stem and killed them but the plants are still struggling.  I usually just use some succession planting so I already have my new up and coming Zucchini plants growing but it is still a battle.  Many people will tell you to use a "floating row cover" however what you may not know is that this method is pretty effective.  The problem is that you cannot use the floating row cover when your plant is flowering or the bees cannot pollinate your plant, that is a whole 'nother problem!

So what do the eggs look like and where can you find them?  Ideally I should have been in the garden daily checking the undersides of the leaves, this is where you will find colonies of the little worm eggs.  I just rip off the small sections of the leaves where I find the eggs, if you have lots of Squash and Zucchini plants you have A LOT of work on your hands.  The sad part is that the little eggs are kinda pretty and look like little gems on the underside of the leaves, but oh the damage they do!

So if you see any of these telltale signs and you, like me are an organically minded gardener, better get busy, that Squash Vine Borer is NOT your friend!  

If you have any tried and true methods that have helped you, please do share.  I have not had luck with Diatomaceous earth, crop rotation, or even soap shields but if there is something else out there, please do let me know!

I have never had pigs before, in fact I have wanted them for years, however hubby said “No way”.  Funny thing though sometimes when something becomes my hubby’s idea it suddenly sounds like a new idea and a good one.  So, this year we got feeder pigs.  We had been hoping to get them from our neighbor, that story didn’t end so well (read here) though I am happy to update that their remaining piglet is doing well (story here).

Now on to what I have learned as a novice pig farmer.

We purchased our feeder pigs around 50lbs with the plan to help them stuff their little piggy faces and pack on the pounds for a November/December date with the packaging process.  When we got them they did not like us or much of anything else but they soon came to realize that our little redneck hodge podge pig pen was like the Hilton compared to where they had been on a concrete floor.  They had grass (for a short time) and lots of good slop as well as quite a bit more space.  I have learned a lot in just the last few weeks, I think I kinda like being a pig farmer.

1. Pigs have personality
                They really do and don’t let anyone tell you different.  I have been trying not to get at all attached to the piggies but they are kinda fun.  They have warmed up to us (considering we provide all things they like) and they are genuinely happy to see us.

2. Pigs bark
                I was quite surprised by this one when I first heard it but they sound much like a dog.  When I happen to accidentally startle the pigs by walking to the pen too quietly they will jump up and bark at me.  Or, they also bark when they get excited that I am bringing something yummy.

3. Pigs like bananas as much as kids like candy
                This was an accidental find.  We have begun keeping anything that we would normally toss to the compost pile and giving it to the pigs.  This happened to include 2 rotten bananas that were well beyond bread making capacity.  I think bananas might be like candy to the pigs, they slurped the insides, began throwing the peel up in the air in a game of catch and fighting over the last bits of greasy black peel and stem.  It was quite entertaining to watch.

4. Pigs like showers
                It has been relentlessly hot around here (90 degrees plus) and though the first time they ran in circles and barked at me, the pigs have come to love their afternoon shower.  We check on the pig’s water usually twice a day and in the heat of the day we usually take the hose out and spray the pigs down, they get so excited and then try to drink the water up like a drinking fountain.  It is quite comical to watch, they will turn side to side and then offer their rumps to be sprayed off too, and they LOVE the showers.

5. Pigs uncurl their tails when they are happy
                This is a phenomenon I had never heard of before; I just assumed pig’s tails were always curly.  I had no idea that not only will they straighten the tail out but they also wag them in a sign of appreciation or delight when given something pleasing.  Again with the bananas, or tomatoes too.  Many a slop items to this and I love to watch the little curl go into a straight line and wag like a dog.

6. Pigs turn green to brown
                Pigs seem to love anything green.  Weeds, thistles, leaves, my green bean plants I pulled up, anything.  But they quickly turn anything green to brown.  By that I mean to tell you that their pen, when they arrived, was full of waist high green grass and weeds, it took them 24 hours flat to turn it all brown and mow down EVERY last bit of green that was visible.  I put in the pickings from a 40 foot long row of bush beans I had planted earlier this year so that I could replant; the green was gone in about 24 hours, all of it!

7. Pigs don’t have to make your whole farm stink
                I was concerned about this really.  I had heard all sorts of horror stories and there is a well known pig farm a few miles away that can knock you over with the smell from a ways down the road.  But, when properly placed and given enough space, pigs don’t ruin the aesthetics of the whole farm.  I have noticed that I have to be within 15 feet of the pen to smell that lovely pig smell.  We smartly placed the pigs about 50 feet behind the barn we have to go to daily and with the wind blowing mostly East to West our home sits to the south of the pigs, therefore our neighbors and our home seem to have escaped any smell, no one even realizes we have pigs until we tell them.
 
So far I am loving this adventure.  The pigs love our scraps and it is more gratifying to feed a pig than a compost pile.  We are planning on butchering ourselves (well hubby is I will be waaaay to pregnant by that point to safely wield a butchering tool) alongside our homesteading neighbors who purchased 3 feeder pigs as well.
​
  I will have to keep you updated on how that all works.  So far we purchased the pigs on July 14 and have already cruised through 250 lbs of feed at a cost of $70 and the pigs initially cost us $1 a lb so $100 total, our current price in these pigs is $170 for both so I am really hoping to find some supplement today at the feed store that doesn’t cost as much as the hog feed does.  I was told to look for shelled corn to mix in with our feed, and the garden should keep producing some cast offs through the season as well, if we keep this up I may have to plant a garden just for the pigs!

We have some friends who, oddly enough like us, have a LOT of children (six to be exact).  We have five children (#6 is still in the incubator) so with all the adults and children that is a whopping 15 people.  Our friends were in town for a wedding and decided that our little homestead would be a great place to power up their camper and hang out.  We had fun, we snapped beans, we swam, we had a campfire, and we attended a wedding of a friend's daughter (wow am I getting old!)  But, trying to be a gracious hostess can be challenging with so many people, not to mention staying on budget.  

Don't get me wrong, my friends had no expectations that I cook for them, but when you come to my house, I'm gonna feed you.  That's just how I was raised and its a little bit of southern hospitality transplanted from the roots of my mother and grandmother.

For this post I am simply focusing on 2 awesome big family breakfasts that I did, these would work well for anyone feeding a crew at breakfast and they ended up being pretty cost effective, so read on and let me share some wisdom with you.

1. PLANNING IS KEY
   You have to have a plan.  You can't wing feeding that many people so plan ahead.  My planning included baking 3 loaves of Zucchini bread and 24 banana muffins the day before my guests arrived.  Luckily both the Zucchini and the fruit were things I already had on hand as well as the ingredients for making the bread and muffins so it was easy, it just required planning.  The grocery list and menu for the meals I prepared were also key to plan for and shop ahead, you can't just feed 15 people on a whim without a plan.

2. ORGANIZATION IS IMPORTANT
    I not only planned a menu but organized when I would be making the meals up.  For the breakfast casserole, that was easy, it is made the night before and just popped in the oven the morning of.  The fruit needed a creative flair so I just arranged it on a plate and made it look pretty but I did wash it ahead of time as all those little tasks.

3. PAPER PRODUCTS MAKE LIFE SIMPLER
  I know it can be seen as wasteful but with many guests I am not going to put out my best dishes, or even my breakable dishes, or even dishes I have to wash for that matter!  It was paper and plastic all the way.

4.  EVERY FARMGIRL SHOULD BE A GOOD HOSTESS
    I learned years ago that being a good hostess is not about showing off your immaculate and magazine ready home for entertainment purposes (I would so fail in this area!) it is about making your guests feel comfortable and at home.

This was the easiest breakfast because I had made the banana muffins and zucchini bread  (recipes linked) the day before so when my guests were here I had little more to do than scramble 2 dozen eggs, arrange some fruit and pull the muffins out of the ziplock bag.  This breakfast was on the breakfast bar in about 25 minutes flat because of that prep work.  Interesting fact, when you make your scrambled eggs up simply put your crockpot on low while you are making them so it is warming up, after you add all the eggs add 1 tsp warm water to keep the eggs from drying out and you can keep the eggs with the lid on for 2-3 hours this way. I usually do turn the crockpot off after about 1 hour so as not to dry out the eggs.

Cleanup was simple too, I had a skillet and spatula from scrambling the eggs but since I used paper ware I only had the three items you see in the picture to take care of, no big deal.

I almost forgot, there was orange juice for both days, it didn't break the bank either as I used frozen concentrate and made it up right before serving, no one was the wiser!

This one pleased the adults (eggs, sausage & cheese) but left sweetened baked oatmeal mostly for the kids.  The prep time for the baked oatmeal was about 15 minutes in the morning but with having made the breakfast casserole the night before, and only having 2 casserole dishes to wash, this was another win.  It fed all 15 people too!  

These are some staple recipes around here: Overnight breakfast casserole (though I use 12 eggs instead of 4 and only 1-1/2 cups milk) and Baked Oatmeal.

With both of the breakfasts I was still able to keep the budget down.  I essentially only had to purchase a few things that I didn't already have in my farmgirl stocked pantry:
extra eggs
extra fresh fruit
sausage
cheese
frozen OJ concentrate

and the budget could remain fully intact.

What are some of your favorite recipes to feed a large group?

I have developed a serious love/hate relationship with our western medicine culture over the last 10 or so years. 

Though I am so very thankful that we have treatments for ailments that cannot be treated with simple backyard medicine, I find that sometimes the benefits don’t outweigh the losses.  We have at our fingertips some of the most amazing technology that allows us to have doctors perform surgery by camera to repair problems.  We have medicines to prevent and often cure ailments that 100 years ago would have meant a death sentence.  But, with all of that amazing progress, we still have a one size fits all approach to health care and often the individual person gets lost in.

We are expecting our 6th baby.  I have been pregnant on and off for the last 16 years and therefore I think that qualifies me as a bit of an expert on my own body and the process my body goes through during a pregnancy. I began really questioning how prenatal care works with its one-sized fits all approach while I was expecting my 4th child.  My husband was a new RN at the time and was not at all open to a dramatic leave from the norm but I did begin to question things that were being “done to me” and I stood up for the types of tests I wanted, didn’t want and what I was willing to accept in my healthcare.  I began to understand that I was the one who should rightly be in control as I was hiring my care team not the other way around and that my feelings, desires, wishes need be considered rather than blindly going along with what the norm was.  That meant I declined an induction to begin labor at 39 weeks though my doctor told me my baby would be very large.  I declined an amniocentesis because of the risks involved outweighing the information I would receive (information that wouldn’t change the outcome for our family anyway).  I declined an IV in the hospital which was “standard protocol” with all patients.  To say I am a difficult patient may be accurate, but I am not in any way malicious when I speak to care providers, I simply let them know that I do not desire certain things that they feel are the norm.

I began seeing a midwife with my 5th child and had the most amazing experience as well as home birth with that pregnancy (read story). That experience left me empowered and fulfilled that my body was more than capable of doing everything that God designed it to do without the assistance of Pitocin, epidurals and pain management meds, etc.  That single experience empowered my ability to research options, learn what the norm was and why certain procedures were performed for the masses of expectant women, and to know what I felt was necessary for me and my baby and what was not.

Enter in the most recent experience I have had.  I am a bit older now, and with this 6th pregnancy I fall into the “high risk” category due to age only.  I have no other risk factors, no high blood pressure, no diabetes, no other boxes to check… other than my age.  I am aware that maternal age increases the risk of special circumstances with an infant so I dutifully saw my OB for several visits with the intention of having that 20 week ultrasound to ensure that all looked well before proceeding with my planned homebirth and midwife care.  I knew that there were certain things that could prevent my all natural homebirth, for the good of baby, and I was okay with that. I am thankful we have technology.  I am thankful I have those options.  I am thankful that I have the choice to “peek” into my womb and learn if there is more than one baby stowaway (no worries, just one in there). But with all that comes a price.  I am not talking dollars and cents here.

I went in for my ultrasound and the technician, who has been scanning my pregnancies for a number of years, found a problem.  My world sank.  Her words began to kind of hang in the air above me as she was very general and kind of vague but recommending that I see a high risk maternal fetal medicine physician for a closer look at some of the “abnormalities” she was seeing.  My eyes welled with tears and as I spoke with my very sweet OB (who happens to also be a friend) she tried to reassure me that it could be more minor than major issues that I was dealing with.  The joy of the new life I was carrying was kind of sucked right out of me as I began to wonder what I was dealing with exactly, would I have to endure the valley of a stillborn baby, would I have to be the primary caregiver for a severely disabled child, could I handle all of this?  As luck would have it the next appointment I could secure with that high risk OB was 5 days into the future.  5 long days away.  5 agonizing days of questions.  I have never been good at following directions so I did not listen when my OB told me not to begin researching the concerns.
 I didn’t listen. 

My research lasted only about 5-7 minutes.

 I couldn’t go any further once I began to read.
               
At this point I kind of began to feel as though I was drowning.  I reached out to God and began talking to him, praying to him, begging him for help in this time of need.  I needed a peace.  My loving husband reached out to our church family and asked for prayers, something I was incapable of even doing because I couldn’t talk without becoming inconsolable and unintelligible.  God is good though, I could feel the prayers, and I began to calm down within a day or so.  God let me know, through his peace, that whatever we were dealing with, he would not leave my side.  That was very hard.  I honestly don’t know how people who don’t believe in God get through the rough times, the prayers surrounding me and this little life were almost tangible.

The day came for the subsequent ultrasound.  There were a number of pregnant women in the waiting room and I couldn’t help but wonder what each of their stories was.  I wondered if they prayed.  I wondered if they had been coming here for medical news since the beginning of their pregnancies (that was recommended to me each time I became pregnant over the age of 35) I wondered if they were as anxious as I was.  My husband and I were guided back to the ultrasound room where we spent the next hour looking at our baby from every angle possible. 

The technician found no concerns.

 The doctor found no concerns. 

The tears began streaming from my eyes once again, this time tears of joy and not of fear.
               
As we were wrapping up the doctor suggested a few more tests, among them the option of an amniocentesis should I desire one (I did not) and a blood test or more ultrasounds, because after all I am of “advanced maternal age.”
 No thank you.
 I realize that there are some women whose pregnancies have to be monitored very closely, I am glad I am not one of them.
I had no desire to walk this path for even one more minute.  Even the doctor advised that there are false positives that can be associated with each of the tests he subsequently had offered.  The rates are reported to be low (the false positives) but anything that was going to cause this level of anxiety and stress was not worth it to me.

So continues my love/hate relationship.
 
The undue stress. 

The extreme emotional rollercoaster. 

All of it…I was ready to get off the ride.

I will never know if God worked a miracle in our lives and healed the baby in my womb, or if one ultrasound tecnichian (and a good one at that) simply made a mistake that caused an extreme level of duress to two expectant parents.  Either way I know that God walked this path with us and helped us, as did all the prayer we received. 
I know that I prefer to take the natural approach as I now switch back to my midwifery model of care and my planning for a subsequent home birth.  I know that as I approach the 40 week mark (I always do with my babies) there will be no cause for alarm, even if I am “overdue” as many OB’s would say.  I will not be subject to any invasive procedures, no physical exams, no further undue stress.  My midwife will be concerned, as she always is, with my whole well being, not just the baby I am carrying and how my pregnancy is measuring.  She will sit down with me over a hot cup of tea and we will discuss this chapter in my pregnancy, I will likely shed a few tears in retelling the entire experience to her but she will quietly listen.  She will not push for more and more tests to “be sure” all is well.  She will ask me what I want and how I feel.  She will gently monitor signs for any concerns, she will test urine for proteins, she will measure baby and feel my growing belly to determine babe’s location and be sure he heads to the correct positioning before delivery. She will encourage me, as my OB did, but without the added clinical stressors that come from being a “patient”

That is the way I believe it should be.

I love the empowerment that comes with knowing what is available to me and deciding what is right for our family and our newest babe.

By the way...it's a boy!

I am always amazed at just how pretty and neat my garden starts out being but that by July, August and often on into September, its a jungle out there!  

I am pleased beyond measure about the bounty that I am getting, I am up to 75 pounds of green beans freshly picked, cucumbers, peppers, peas, potatoes and so much more, but it is a bit less than asthetically pleasing now.  It is however producing in abundance...come a long for a quick visit and tour.

Though you cannot tell in the picture, this is actually 2 long rows of bush beans.  I use Early Contender Heirloom bush beans and LOVE the abundance they always produce.  As I mentioned I have pulled 75 lbs of green beans from these two 40 foot long rows and that filled 5 of my 5 gallon buckets, snapping and canning have been my mainstays for the last 2 weeks.  We are nearing the end though, I will pull these rows up next week, toss whats left for the pigs and replant the exact same beans to harvest again in late September.  It is then that I will let some of the lastling beans dry on the plants to save for planting again next year.

I have to confess that this is my first year with onions.  I have always been offered an abundance from my neighbor who grows more than he can ever use, but I was curious and I wanted them to grow REALLY big, my neighbor picks them small.  I am not sure why they are starting to push up out of the ground yet but at this time they are still only golf ball sized (I know this thanks to an avid gardening 2 year old who likes to "help")

My banana peppers and jalapeno peppers always produce so much more than I ever expect, and I always overplant them because they are the easiest to grow from seed, and they produce in abundance.  I will be doing some hot pepper pickling for hubby very soon!

Every year I grow a few unique varieties of tomatoes for no other reason than just because.  I have my staples, Amish paste being the one I use yearly for my spaghetti sauce and Roma for salsa, but honestly I love the variety and colors that I can get in heirloom and some hybrid seeds (though I prefer to grow heirloom so I can seed save).  The above left is my Tigerella tomatoes, they are yellow and green striped and the one on the bottom is almost ripe though not yet tender enough to pick.  Above right are the largest Amish paste I think I have ever grown, there must be some extra good worm castings in my soil this year!

These are new to me this year, blueberry and black cherry tomatoes, I love the little star on top from when the stem is pulled away.  They have the deepest rich purple hue mixed in with the red, these are REALLY cool.  They are a bit tangier than most sweet cherry tomato varieties, but very tasty!

If you missed my post on how to grow purple potatoes, take a peek here...I was checking to see if they are done, nope not yet.  They typically get to be the size of a tennis ball so a little longer...

Check out my simple trellis design from repurposed metal rods we found in our old barn (the one we tore down)

I prefer to grow all of my cucumbers trellised like this and really any 3 long poles or sticks will do, I have even used just dead wood sticks in a pinch.  This seems to help with air circulation so as to avoid powdery mildew problems and also makes finding and picking those cucumbers much easier.

This is my zucchini that I plant successively throughout the season.  I do this because I have a never-ending battle with squash vine boarers.  My neighbor grows big beautiful zucchini EVERY year, when I asked him his secret...he said Sevin dust.  Nope not for me, so instead I deal with the organic method of handpicking aphid eggs and covering with a floating row cover when I remember to.

There it is, the garden in July, thanks for visiting with me this morning, I will update again next month, it is sure to be even more home like for Tarzan himself then.

Want to know what to do with all those beans?  Read my post here.

It began by my daily walkabout in the garden, just checking things out but not planning on doing any heavy duty work, best laid plans.  I bent down to check on what I thought was a beautiful and large green bean, I was right, and next to that another, and another, and another.  This is usually glorious news, except that I was hosting 8 out of town guests that included 6 children in addition to my own 5 children and the guests were here for an extended stay, who has time for canning with all that going on?

I do know enough about gardening to know that I would waste  a lot of food if I didn't do something though, so I began picking, and picking, and picking.  When it was all said and done I had filled 2 of these 5 gallon buckets of fresh picked and beautiful green beans, that was almost 30 lbs worth when I weighed it all out.

What's a girl to do?  I put the kids to work snapping and snapping. (child labor at its finest!)

Once the beans were all snapped I certainly did not have room in the fridge for them, I mean like I said, 8 out of town guests added to our brood of 7 is 15 people and cooking for that many leaves little to no refrigerator space!  I decided that the fastest and easiest way to proceed was to blanch the beans (kills any bacteria) and freeze them in quart bags (pints are just too small for us!).

So how does one do this feat?  It is literally so simple.  I prefer my canned beans, but when in a pinch I don't want to loose fresh produce so freezing will work and will usually last without incident in a deep freeze (not your regular freezer) for 6-9 months without a problem.

When snapping beans you simply snap off the end where the bean grew to the plant, you can snap the tail off too but it is not necessary.  Then snap the bean into bite sized pieces, usually 3-4 per bean.

Once all of your beans are snapped you need to blanch them.  This is a process that kills bacteria and stops the food enzymes from further deteriorating food.  Blanching is a simple process where you boil the beans for 3 minutes an then plunge them into a sink full of ice water to stop the cooking process.  The beans will turn the most brilliant shade of jade green you have ever seen and they are VERY tasty at this point.  You now have beans ready to be safely and tastily stored in your deep freeze.

Be sure to use freezer bags, yes they are more expensive but they are thicker and well worth using to avoid freezer burn on your well preserved harvest!  

Aren't they beautiful?  That's 18 quarts of green beans to have this winter, yum!

Related posts... How to order Chicks, Cost of Raising Meat Chickens

This is our 3rd round of raising our own meat chickens and butchering them.  We have learned a lot along the way about what works, what doesn't, and the easiest way to do this.  Read on...learn from my mistakes, and if you are so inclined, watch a video of the most recent batch of chickens we butchered.

We started out on May 1, 2016 with 25 Cornish Rock Cross Chickens.  This is the breed we choose to raise for meat because they reach butcher weight in just 9 weeks...its incredible really.  After 9 weeks it is time to butcher, and believe me, as much as I like chickens (I love watching my laying hens and do have a harder time when one of them dies) I don't mind when the 9 weeks is up with the Cornish Rock Cross birds.  

They are not cute.

They do not have personality.

They remind me of a severely obese Jabba the Hut with Prader Willi Syndrome.

They are kinda gross.

When it is time to butcher, I am more than ready!

We have done this the hard way and the easy way.  The hard way takes a LOOONG time.  We have butchered with no fancy equipment using just baling twine to hang the chicken upside down, slit the throat, and a pot of scalding water (150-160 degrees) to dunk the chicken in.  When we pluck by hand it takes 10-15 minutes per bird and that is before you even begin the process of evisceration (gutting).  Usually by the time we get 3/4 of the way through the 25 birds we end up skinning the birds as the plucking takes so very long.  But, with nothing but a pot for scalding water and a sharp knife, it can be done.

However, we hit the jackpot this year.  We have some friends who we ordered our chickens with which meant that all of our birds (their 200 and our 25) were ready for butcher at the same time.  They have a fantastic setup complete with stations for all of the steps and when all the stations were manned we had it down to 3 minutes per bird from start to finish.  

Our old school, redneck, by hand method is more like 25 minutes per bird but let's face it, not everyone has the luxury of a whiz bang chicken plucker!

I just have to say that our homesteading friends helped us tremendously this year, our 25 birds were done in less than 1 hour.  Hubby got lucky he had to work that day so 2 of my children and I headed to the neighboring homestead to butcher our chickens and to help with some of theirs as they were so kind to let us butcher on their equipment.  

I had the process slowed down with explanation so I could share with my readers, thank you so much to My Shire Farm for the help making this video and for the use of equipment!

Every year that we have raised our own chickens for meat I have said I was going to keep diligent records so that I would have an exact cost breakdown, but every year something gets in the way.  

This year is an exception.  This is our third year of raising our own meat chickens and I was DILIGENT to keep track of EVERYTHING so that you can benefit from knowing the exact cost breakdown of raising your own meat chickens too.  Whether you are living off the grid or just beginning into the realm of homesteading this is invaluable information to have.

Lets start with some quick starting points first.  

We are a family of 7 people who really like to eat chicken.  We eat chicken at least twice a week so when we have run the numbers we have figured that to produce enough chicken for our family to enjoy and to make the amount of work involved worthwhile, we buy 25 meat chickens at a time.  

Less than that and it is too time consuming, more than that and we are taxing our freezer space as well as our resources.  25 meat chickens for a family eating chicken 2 times a week equals roughly 12 weeks of chicken dinners or 3 months worth.  That means we should actually be raising chickens 4 times a year but we typically do it 2-3 times over the summer months as it is easier that way.

We choose to raise Cornish Rock Cross chickens as these reach butcher weight faster than any other chicken around.  It only takes 9 weeks to raise a bird from chick to a 5-7 lb monster of deliciousness.

We order our chicks from a Hatchery called Mt. Healthy out of Cincinnati, Ohio.  They ship nationwide and have been great to work with.  Our chicks cost us $1.68 a piece this year so the package of peeps set me back $42.00.

Without a brooder in place (we have one since we do this regularly) you need a place for your chickens.  We did have to purchase new heat lamps this year and at our local feed store those ran us $5.50 a piece.

Suggestions for brooders:

A large metal or rubber feed or wash tub
A makeshift pallet construction
A chicken tractor with access to electricity for heat

It need not be fancy and don't be intimidated by the heat instructions for your birds.  I use the redneck way of measuring temperature satisfaction in chicks...no thermometer required.  IF THE CHICKS ARE ALL HUDDLED UNDER THE LAMP THEY ARE TOO COLD, IF THE CHICKS ARE AT THE FAR CORNERS OF THE BROODER AND AWAY FROM THE HEAT SOURCE THEY ARE TOO HOT.  Very scientific right?

NOTE: As soon as the outdoor temps are warm consistently during the day and not dipping below 70 at night we try to transition 4-5 week old chicks outside to the chicken tractor.  This helps with the copious amounts of poo as well as providing fresh air, fresh forage and insects for the chickens to eat.

The only thing left now is feed.  I purchase our feed from a local feed store for $12.99 per 50lb bag.  I spend a little more because I order all natural medication free feed.  (why it costs more to get your chicken feed without medication I will never understand!)

350# of feed set me back a total of $77.94 for 6 bags (50# per bag)

We butcher our own chickens so I also added the cost of vacuum pack bags for our food saver. ($20.00)

If you are keeping track here is the cost thus far...

But what did I end up with for that $145.93?  After all the birds were butchered and weighed I wound up with exactly 145 pounds of fresh, free range, antibiotic free chicken.  That is $1.06 a lb!!!

The cheapest I have EVER seen chicken that is free range (raised on forage and insects as well as feed such as in a moveable chicken tractor) and antibiotic free is $5.99 lb.  I'd say for all of the effort we did VERY well!

Don't get me wrong, it is A LOT of work but to know what my family is eating and to have a freezer stocked with delicious meat is worth it!

Related Posts:
How to order chicks
How to care for new chicks
​
Want to learn to butcher your own chicken?
 Read my post here complete with a video!

It was a good idea in theory, I have read about many successful homesteaders keeping ducks and chickens together in the coop with no problems.  I was prepared for the pooping, I mean ducks poop ALOT.  What I was not prepared for was the water fights.  How three small ducks manage to decimate 5 gallons of water from a poultry waterer in just hours flat is still beyond me!

I thought I had done my homework.  I picked the smallest breed of duck that I thought would be a good fit, I mean look at these little guys, so cute!

The first problem was when the chickens (albeit much smaller birds as they are all just under 2 months old) started trying to pick the ducks apart, feather by feather.  That began the separation.  I had to, for a time, put the ducks in a completely different location in the witness protection program for their own good.

After a little R & R in the program, I reintroduced the ducks, I mean they were now almost 3 times the size of the chickens.  Surely they can protect themselves.

The answer was yes, there does not seem to be any further feather picking, but that was only the start of my problems.

It is the incessant water wars.

​I have never seen anything like it.  The ducks must make water bombs that they lob from one side of the coop to the next  when I'm not looking.  I am not even exaggerating here, they are going to rot the floor right out of the coop with these antics!  I fear that whatever water party they are throwing will eventually drown the chickens in a wave of surf (okay, not really but it is pretty ridiculous looking out there!)

I called a friend, a wonderful neighbor with all kinds of fowl, I may have even begged.  She is a dear and said that we can relocate the ducks to her place, she has a large pond and not so many bird dogs as we do so the ducks stand a much better chance of free-range happiness over there.

So much for the duck eggs I was planning on baking with.  

So much for the  cute little ducks that would wander around our place as adorable lawn ornaments.

So much for the advice of all the other homesteaders who have successfully had ducks in the coop.

My assessment, it just doesn't work.  Nope, no ducks in the coop here.  They gotta go.

If you are anything like me, you strive to limit the amount of digital influence your children have in their lives.  I also try, and sometimes in vain, to find digital influences that are at least educational in nature so that when I do allow screen time, I can at least feel better about it. Whether you are heading out on a long car trip for vacation or running your homeschool through the summer, you will find great information here. This roundup is super helpful, and let's face it, as much as I don't want to admit it, the school year will be sneaking up on us soon!

This blog post contains affiliate links that cost you nothing but may help me with the cost of running this blog.  Thanks so much for your support!

When I was younger I remember enjoying the rare occasion when I would get to slather my toast with either blackberry or raspberry jam. Those accompaniments to biscuits seemed downright exotic to me as a child. We never lived in the country then so my wisps of country knowledge came from visits to down home cooking restaurants or relative's homes. As I hit my teen years and would go to the local Cracker Barrel with my parents I always salivated over the candy-colored jars lining the shelves and filled with preserves and jams to caress my biscuits with. Fast forward to my adult years and we purchased a small farm, one of the first things I wanted to grow was berries, and LOTS of them.
​
The first year was scant for raspberries but plentiful for blackberries, the second year was the opposite; this year, I have hit the berry lottery. I am in a race however, not only with the birds and critters who also want my berries, but also with the grubby, chubby little fingers that race to the patch ahead of me to devour like locusts and come to Mommy with purple and red stained hands and cheeks.

On the occasion when I can beat all the other entities to the patch, I love to recreate that delectable jam. I often don't have pectin on hand, and it can get pricey, especially if you are putting up loads of berries like I hope to be doing a bit later in the season. I discovered a solution though, and the pectin is not even missed. It is so simple really I ponder why all jam is not made this way.I have canned with this recipe, frozen jam with this recipe, and also made the occasional refrigerator jar. All the techniques work very well.

On to my secret ... simply gather 3 cups of berries. Raspberries are bubbling up all around her so that is my berry of choice but blackberries work just as well. (NOTE: This recipe does not work well with strawberries). Once your raspberries are cleaned and rinsed this will take only 10 minutes, seriously, 10 minutes. It takes longer to pick the berries than to make this jam. Pull out your saucepan and toss in the berries, then use either a fork or pastry cutter to smash away and squish those little baubles.
​

​Once you have a finely smashed saucepan of berry remnants simply add your sugar. For 3 cups of berries use 1-1/2 cups sugar. Stir over medium heat for 3-4 minutes to completely dissolve the sugar and then bring to a bubbling boil over medium-high heat. It is VERY important to stir constantly during this step or you will burn the sugar and your precious hard-won berries. Stirring constantly, boil for another 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for refrigerator or freezer jam, or pour into hot waiting mason jars if you intend to can.

NOTE: Depending on the water content of your berries you may want to cool a small amount and make sure that it is jelled to your desired consistency, if not, no worries, you simply add a bit more sugar (start with 1/4 cup) and return to a boil.
​
At our house it is a rare day when this jam makes it to the canning stage, I usually have to hide some berries away to pull that off as we can devour an entire jelly jar in one sitting with our family of 7. This recipe has worked every time for me and even a few jars of blackberry jam that I canned from 2 years back still have the perfect consistency.

It really is that simple.

I woke up the other day with the idea that it would be a great day to wear the boys out on a hike.  Not to miss an opportunity to visit with a friend, I invited my neighbor and her 5 kids along too, yep, that made 8 kids heading out for a hike in the woods, it was sure to be an adventure.  (by the way, if you have been around here long you know I have 5 children also, 2 of mine were away at camp so that will help you solve the math problem).

We are blessed to not only live in a mostly rural area but to also have at our disposal an array of metroparks and nature centers with amazing hiking trails.  I figured we would head out on a simple 1 mile hike and that as we meandered along and checked out nature it would be perfect to wear out my 2 year old and 4 year old before naptime.  Best laid plans...

We started off and the children were all so excited that they quickly ran down the well marked trail.  Amidst hoots and hollars it was all we could do to catch streaks of our children as they raced to and fro.  Before you know it they took off down the yellow trail, not the blue.  That meant an almost 2 mile hike instead of the planned 1 mile trail.  But they were all having so much fun and racing each other that even the 2 year old seemed on fire for the finish.  I should have known better.

Our first stop was wading at the creek, a favorite spot of my children.  Of course my oldest son had to find the crawdad that inevitably pinched his finger, despite mom's warnings of such fiascos.
​

We stayed for awhile, probably our first mistake.  For some reason after the wading adventures the kids racing pace slowed to a crawl, well, at least my 2 y/o's pace did.  We then began happening on lots and lots of mud on the trail, several slips and slides later and we were all going to have to strip before getting into the car again.

The adventure continued with the kids finding snails, little known fact we learned...snails like to perch on stinging nettles, ever get ahold of one of those?  Yep, each of kids did to.  OUCH.

We moms were still trying to enjoy our time to chat, despite my 2 year olds whining protests now about hurting feet.  This of course led to piggy back rides because of course since we were taking a short 1 mile walk, mom didn't bring a stroller.  While trying to make the best of it we rounded the corner only to be confronted with the older crew of kids putting the bottoms of their shoes up towards the brush on the side of the path.  Weird occurance?  Apparently not when there is a coiled black rat snake just hanging out on the path waiting to strike. I so wish I was kidding.

Luckily no one was bitten, despite a few Nike strikes we were all unscathed.  Finally, to the last stop, the pond to feed the fish.  What's that?  The crackers mom brought were all consumed by the whining toddler?  Well at least there were a few crumbs.

We made it, all 2 miles of the hike.  Yes, the little boys did sleep VERY well when we got home.  All in a days hike, never a dull moment around here!