I canned some bone broth today! Which is mostly just exciting because I've never done it before, and terrifying because I've never done it before and a pressure canner is capable of literally exploding all over everything. I have wanted a pressure canner since I tasted a friend's home made fig jam three years ago. … Continue reading Adventures in Canning
A Winter “Weekend” on the Homestead
Because of my husband's work schedule, we have our "weekends" on Monday and Tuesday. Weekends on the homestead are busy busy times for us. There are the usual tasks like animal care and taking care of the kids (which I hate to include in the tasks because it's not a "job" as much as a … Continue reading A Winter “Weekend” on the Homestead
How I Clean Cast Iron
Everyone I've ever spoken to says, "NEVER CLEAN YOUR CAST IRON SKILLET!!" What they actually mean is don't wash your cast iron with soap and water, coarse brushes, or abrasive cleaners. The truth is, cast iron occasionally gets a bit dirty. Some may say that a cast iron skillet that is appropriately seasoned will never … Continue reading How I Clean Cast Iron
Family Roles on the Homestead
The first draft of this post quickly turned in to me complaining, so it was discarded. What I actually intended to write was a break-down of the roles each family member plays in running the homestead. We'll start with Mom's tasks, in no particular order: Child rearing- keep kids healthy and safe, educate them, and … Continue reading Family Roles on the Homestead
Assembling the Hive
Our hive arrived! Almost a month ago. The awesome thing about homesteading family members is their experience and help. My father in law has had bees for several years and he and my husband assembled the hive together! It was a nice father/son moment to witness. Initially we were concerned that the various components of … Continue reading Assembling the Hive
Seed Stratification
I've never done this before, but as I was doing my seed inventory (finally!) I discovered that it was necessary to stratefy Angelica seed. It's really easy, though you can make it more complex if you choose. I went with simple. These are the steps I followed: Make sure all seeds have good contact with … Continue reading Seed Stratification
Homestead Project #2
Bees!!!! We ordered our first bee hive today. We did a ton of research before hand and decided to go with Draper's Super Bee Apiaries, Inc. over Kelley Beekeeping. Really, it came down to need and budget. Kelley has excellent quality products with endless customization options for your hive build. But, Draper's beginners kit included … Continue reading Homestead Project #2
Organization, Shmorganization
I like to consider myself educated with high minded ideals. One of those ideals is organization in my home. Unfortunately, at this point it's only an ideal and not my reality. I have bits of organizational success here and there, but as a general rule (in the last 3 months anyway) my life has been … Continue reading Organization, Shmorganization
Still Back to Eden Gardening!!
It's December and I'm still puttering in the garden... Ugh. I finally sat down last week and did the math for the space per veggie we need. Since this spring will be mostly a trial year, we're only growing the basics (tomatoes, cucumbers, greens, peas, beans, radishes, squash/zucchini, carrots, cruciferous veggies, sunchokes) and then judging … Continue reading Still Back to Eden Gardening!!
My Early Bird/ Happy Thanksgiving
It's been an interesting week. Our daughter decided to make her debut 3 weeks early. Or rather, our doctor decided to induce for her and my health and safety. Long story short, I was totally unprepared for her early arrival, save for my hospital bag and her carseat already in the car. It's been an … Continue reading My Early Bird/ Happy Thanksgiving
Wholly Holy Living 
You must be logged in to post a comment.