My husband and I had pretty different upbringings. He grew up in a fairly high population setting surrounded by a lot of money. Not local politician or Bill Gates money, but that kind of strong middle class, disposable income, that you don't see anymore. On the other hand, I grew up in pretty rural middle America. We didn't have to scrape by and we never went without, in fact we were able to go on vacations every once in awhile, but a disposable income was not even really on my parents radar when my brother and I were growing up. We just didn't live in almost luxury like my husband did.
These different backgrounds make homesteading hard because his ideas require a capital investment that we don't have the money for. In fact, many of the ideas I have require an investment that just cannot happen without months of planning and saving. As Zack puts it, he funds the homestead, I keep it together.
For the past few weeks we have been discussing what I will do next semester while I finish up my degree. I could go back to a part-time minimum wage job, or I could stay home, while I'm not in class, and produce what I can. This has not been a easy decision and it has not been made without judgement and others strong opinions.
Zack and I have both agreed from the get go, that if and when we have a kid that I will be staying home for it's infancy, if not longer. This seems to boggle peoples' mind because the idea of a parent not working for a few years is just out of this world nowadays. But many of these types of people, were raising kids during a time when child care was not outrageous and work was easier to find. Not to mention many were also blessed to have their parents nearby to watch their children while they worked, because a stay-at-home-mom was pretty dang normal. We likely will not have these things, Zack's parents work, and my mom lives 7 hours away.
I'm not sure that one of us quitting a job all together will happen (because we like trips too much) but one of us working a job less, is definitely something that we value and will implement. Cutting out the dependency is something we want. Making money is not always the answer. I don't really know where I'm going with this, other than saying; you live on what you make. Work with your hands, consume less, and produce more. Figure out what you can do without and what you are not willing to give up. Come up with a happy median of making money and cultivating your family or dirt. Do what you think is best for your family and don't give a damn what others think because you know what is best for your situation.
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."
"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody."
Monday, July 28, 2014
Friday, May 30, 2014
It's probably the kraut in me...
I love all things cabbage. Sauteed, roasted, raw, fermented... This love must be passed down from my Oma (my German grandma). We have been getting beautiful heads of cabbage in our weekly CSA share and since I love putting away and preserving foods, I figured some sauerkraut was in order.
Packed full of probioticts and vitamin C, sauerkraut can easily provide some nutrients and vitamins that many of us need. Sure, you can buy high quality kraut in the store, but making it yourself is simple and the result tastes much better.
First, you will need one head of cabbage, one or two clean jars (depending on how much cabbage you have), a sharp knife, and salt (you can also add caraway seeds if you have some). I use my Oma's kraut cutter that's probably like a thousand years old or something, but a knife will work just fine.
I guess if you are using a knife you don't really have to slice it into fourths, but if using a mandolin or fancy kraut cutter it does make it easier to handle. Slice the cabbage into fairly thin strips and add to a large bowl.
Once everything is sliced add about 2 tablespoons of salt.
Next, the cabbage gets a nice massage. Start squishing the cabbage and salt in your hands. It will start to wilt and get watery. This takes awhile around 5 minutes or so. Keep working it.
Once you start to get all this foamy liquid stuff it's ready.
You want to make sure the cabbage is fully submersed into the liquid. If it's not, the kraut won't successfully ferment and mold could start to grow. Start adding handfuls of the cabbage into a jar. Mash it down very tightly. I found a muddler for making cocktails works really well.
Pour any excess liquid into the jar. You should have this foamy fizzy stuff at the top.
Cover the jar with a cloth or paper towel. Secure with a rubber band or jar band. It is important that it is covered with something that allows air flow.
Let it hang out in a dark corner for a little as 3 days or as long as you'd like really. Check on it every day or so to make sure everything is submerged. The longer it sits, the stronger the flavor. Enjoy it on some brats, hot dog, as a side dish, or just eat spoonfuls of it!
Packed full of probioticts and vitamin C, sauerkraut can easily provide some nutrients and vitamins that many of us need. Sure, you can buy high quality kraut in the store, but making it yourself is simple and the result tastes much better.
First, you will need one head of cabbage, one or two clean jars (depending on how much cabbage you have), a sharp knife, and salt (you can also add caraway seeds if you have some). I use my Oma's kraut cutter that's probably like a thousand years old or something, but a knife will work just fine.
Remove the outer leaves, but save one for later. Cut the head into fourths.
I guess if you are using a knife you don't really have to slice it into fourths, but if using a mandolin or fancy kraut cutter it does make it easier to handle. Slice the cabbage into fairly thin strips and add to a large bowl.
Once everything is sliced add about 2 tablespoons of salt.
Next, the cabbage gets a nice massage. Start squishing the cabbage and salt in your hands. It will start to wilt and get watery. This takes awhile around 5 minutes or so. Keep working it.
Once you start to get all this foamy liquid stuff it's ready.
You want to make sure the cabbage is fully submersed into the liquid. If it's not, the kraut won't successfully ferment and mold could start to grow. Start adding handfuls of the cabbage into a jar. Mash it down very tightly. I found a muddler for making cocktails works really well.
Pour any excess liquid into the jar. You should have this foamy fizzy stuff at the top.
Take one of the outside leaves and put it over the liquid and cabbage. This will help to weigh everything down so you get proper fermentation.
Cover the jar with a cloth or paper towel. Secure with a rubber band or jar band. It is important that it is covered with something that allows air flow.
Let it hang out in a dark corner for a little as 3 days or as long as you'd like really. Check on it every day or so to make sure everything is submerged. The longer it sits, the stronger the flavor. Enjoy it on some brats, hot dog, as a side dish, or just eat spoonfuls of it!
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Dimes and Dollars
This is a very touchy subject... money. It is the root of all evil, but seems to make the world go round. In 2012 a Gallup pole reported that the average American spent an average of $151 on food per week. Food, is a subject that Zack and I have decided not to skimp on because it is the core of health and well being (not to mention good food tastes darn good). Someone said something to the two of us that really got me thinking about the amount of money that the two of us spend on food each month. They said, "I don't have the money to be a food snob like ya'll." This was said in a jokingly manner but the wheels started turning in my head. How much do we really spend on food each month? Are we below average or above?
Produce:
For most of the year we are members of a CSA. Each weekly distribution of local organic produce comes out to be about $20 per week. On top of what I grow and put away we really don't buy much produce in the store.
$20x4weeks= $80 per month
Dairy:
I buy Daisy sour cream in store. There usually isn't an organic option so I go with Daisy because it is just cream and cultures, here it costs about $2 for a pound. I also buy cream cheese because it's a weakness of mine for $3.50. I normally go with Kerrygold butter with is about $4 a 1/2 pound, which usually lasts us close to a month. We don't drink a lot of milk, but when we do, it comes from the farm for $3 a gallon. Sometimes I will get cream from the farm to make butter, but I started doing the math and because this farm's cows do not produce a lot of butter fat, like a jersey would, the yield of butter from a gallon of cream is very low. It really come out to be more economical to purchase high quality butter from grass fed cows.
$4+$3.50+$3= $10.50 per month
Meat:
We bought a whole grass fed/no antibiotic cow about 2 years ago. If my brain serves me right, the whole thing with butchering a packaging end up being about $1200. We got close to 600 pound of meat (I think... I don't really remember but that sounds right). We got half and Zack's parents bought the other half. Zack and I eat beef probably close to 5 days a week and the half of a cow lasted almost 2 years. Zack's parents on the other hand, did not like the taste of the meat, so we ended up buying what they had left back from them. So we should have enough beef to last close to another year.
This one is tricky but I think it comes out to be: $1200/36months=$33 per month (roughly)
Ok. So that's a run down of what we purchase typically. Lets run some numbers:
$80 for produce
$10.50 for produce
$33 for meat
Total: $123.50 per month.
These numbers are not exact by any stretch, but it's a rough estimate of the bulk of what we buy and eat each month. Flour, sugar, and other staples were not really factored in because I buy those in bulk and that last me awhile. Also, the amount tends to fluctuate depending on the amount of produce we get each week and how much I grow. Since we also have the chickens we have not purchased eggs in the store for over 2 years. I'm pretty proud of this number considering that Zack and I have become "food snobs" and are really particular about what we purchase and consume. As my hero Joel Salatin put it, "“If you think organic food is expensive, have you priced cancer lately?” Nourishing foods don't have to break the bank. Small steps make all the difference. Joining a CSA can help to cut the cost of organic, buying in bulk, or having a small herb garden or a few vegetable plants in you flower bed are steps in the right direction in driving down your food bill each month and steps towards self reliance.
Produce:
For most of the year we are members of a CSA. Each weekly distribution of local organic produce comes out to be about $20 per week. On top of what I grow and put away we really don't buy much produce in the store.
$20x4weeks= $80 per month
Weekly CSA share
Dairy:
I buy Daisy sour cream in store. There usually isn't an organic option so I go with Daisy because it is just cream and cultures, here it costs about $2 for a pound. I also buy cream cheese because it's a weakness of mine for $3.50. I normally go with Kerrygold butter with is about $4 a 1/2 pound, which usually lasts us close to a month. We don't drink a lot of milk, but when we do, it comes from the farm for $3 a gallon. Sometimes I will get cream from the farm to make butter, but I started doing the math and because this farm's cows do not produce a lot of butter fat, like a jersey would, the yield of butter from a gallon of cream is very low. It really come out to be more economical to purchase high quality butter from grass fed cows.
$4+$3.50+$3= $10.50 per month
Meat:
We bought a whole grass fed/no antibiotic cow about 2 years ago. If my brain serves me right, the whole thing with butchering a packaging end up being about $1200. We got close to 600 pound of meat (I think... I don't really remember but that sounds right). We got half and Zack's parents bought the other half. Zack and I eat beef probably close to 5 days a week and the half of a cow lasted almost 2 years. Zack's parents on the other hand, did not like the taste of the meat, so we ended up buying what they had left back from them. So we should have enough beef to last close to another year.
This one is tricky but I think it comes out to be: $1200/36months=$33 per month (roughly)
Our whole cow
Ok. So that's a run down of what we purchase typically. Lets run some numbers:
$80 for produce
$10.50 for produce
$33 for meat
Total: $123.50 per month.
These numbers are not exact by any stretch, but it's a rough estimate of the bulk of what we buy and eat each month. Flour, sugar, and other staples were not really factored in because I buy those in bulk and that last me awhile. Also, the amount tends to fluctuate depending on the amount of produce we get each week and how much I grow. Since we also have the chickens we have not purchased eggs in the store for over 2 years. I'm pretty proud of this number considering that Zack and I have become "food snobs" and are really particular about what we purchase and consume. As my hero Joel Salatin put it, "“If you think organic food is expensive, have you priced cancer lately?” Nourishing foods don't have to break the bank. Small steps make all the difference. Joining a CSA can help to cut the cost of organic, buying in bulk, or having a small herb garden or a few vegetable plants in you flower bed are steps in the right direction in driving down your food bill each month and steps towards self reliance.
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Cha cha cha changgeeesss.....
As you probably see, the name of this blog has changed. This was done to mark a new chapter in my life... I got married!
Zack and I got hitched in March. It was a beautiful 15 minute ceremony with a home cooked reception after. We wouldn't have done it any differently. And so begins the Heard Homestead.
In the homestead news this week: chickens, gardening, and and various other projects like my outdoor kitchen.
I started another garden plot this year to hopefully grow more food to put away. It's shaping up quite nicely. I decided to trellis my cucumbers this year, but because of lack of money and Zack working long hours I had to make one the the materials that I had laying around; some sticks, twine, and some lashing skills. This is what I came up with:
It's at a slant so I am able to grow some lettuces and greens under the shade of the vines if I so desire. I hope it holds up. I also built a totally vertical one for my sugar baby watermelons to grow on.
This is what is planted in the summer garden this year:
Blue jade sweet corn
Empress bush green beans
Burgundy red okra
Cucumbers
23 tomato plants of various varieties
Lots of jalapenos
Sugar baby watermelons
Sunflowers
Yellow crookneck squash
Zucchini
Eggplant
Sweet peppers
I'm really excited to see how the blue jade sweet corn turns out. It's a small heirloom variety that only gets to be about 3' tall. I hope it is as pretty as it is on the seed packet. I'm anticipating doing A LOT (more like hoping) canning and preserving this summer. We have been in the process of making an outdoor kitchen for some time now but with wedding stuff and work have not got it completed. Yesterday, I went and bought a 2 burner propane gas range and put it in place. Now all we need is to plumb the water hose into the sink. The counter and sink were given to us!!!
Not the greatest of pictures, but you get the idea.
We also have theses little babies and some teenagers down in the coop. We should have more eggs than we know what to do with come fall...
Those are some of the happening on the homestead... Things are shaping up!
In the homestead news this week: chickens, gardening, and and various other projects like my outdoor kitchen.
I started another garden plot this year to hopefully grow more food to put away. It's shaping up quite nicely. I decided to trellis my cucumbers this year, but because of lack of money and Zack working long hours I had to make one the the materials that I had laying around; some sticks, twine, and some lashing skills. This is what I came up with:
This is what is planted in the summer garden this year:
Blue jade sweet corn
Empress bush green beans
Burgundy red okra
Cucumbers
23 tomato plants of various varieties
Lots of jalapenos
Sugar baby watermelons
Sunflowers
Yellow crookneck squash
Zucchini
Eggplant
Sweet peppers
I'm really excited to see how the blue jade sweet corn turns out. It's a small heirloom variety that only gets to be about 3' tall. I hope it is as pretty as it is on the seed packet. I'm anticipating doing A LOT (more like hoping) canning and preserving this summer. We have been in the process of making an outdoor kitchen for some time now but with wedding stuff and work have not got it completed. Yesterday, I went and bought a 2 burner propane gas range and put it in place. Now all we need is to plumb the water hose into the sink. The counter and sink were given to us!!!
Not the greatest of pictures, but you get the idea.
We also have theses little babies and some teenagers down in the coop. We should have more eggs than we know what to do with come fall...
Those are some of the happening on the homestead... Things are shaping up!
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
The essentials
This Christmas season if you or someone you know is interested preparing real nourishing foods there are a few items that I have deemed incredibly important for a working kitchen. Get them. They will make your life easier! These are all items that I use almost daily/weekly in my kitchen.
1) Kitchen Aid Mixer
This bad boy was a dream of mine from a young age. My mom always told me she would get me one when I got married. But low and behold she got me one last year for Christmas. It's seriously the power drill of the kitchen. I also have the meat grinder attachment which has been a life saver!2) Mason jars
I use mason jars for many different tasks. Not only do I preserve fruits, beans, sauces, you name it in it in the pressure canner, but I also freeze in them which is awesome for stocks and soups. They save money on plastic freezer bags and are much more sturdy than plastic tupperware containers. They are also live savers when you purchase stuff in bulk and just want to keep a smaller amount in your cabinets. I typically get mine from the dollar store.
3) Crock pot
I don't know what I would do without one. As a working college student, planed ahead and fix it and leave it dishes are a God send. So being able so stick a roast in there or some soup fixin's in the morning, and coming home to dinner ready really makes my days go smoother. I have Hamilton Beach Stow and Go crock which locks the lid down for traveling. It's great for just that, but this one is on my wedding registry because I'm in need of a larger one.
4) Good Quality Knives
This is actually on my wish list. When preparing real nourishing foods, you will find yourself chopping and dicing a lot of different ingredients. Sharp, high quality knives are vital to a working kitchen. I have a few that actually came from Sam's Club that have held a decent blade and are a nice weight, but these are some that I have been eyeballing!
5) Cast Iron
When I think of cast iron, I get all warm and fuzzy. I seriously cherish my collection and if you even mention putting them in the dishwasher, or get near them with soap, I will probably come at you and knock you across the head with one of my skillets......Harsh, I know, but I love them dearly. Heat retention is amazing in cast iron as well as the transferability to the stove top to oven. To me, food prepared in it tastes better. You also don't have to worry about nasty chemicals leaching into your food unlike when you cook with teflon. Also, iron. Traces of iron is added into the food which is a very important mineral, especially for women. Most people do not get enough iron. Cleaning is easy, just scrub them out and let them dry. Occasionally grease and salt them and you will have cookware that will out live you. Check out garage sales or your grandparents. Many people discard cast iron that is "rusted," but this can be fixed.
I recommend having at least a 14in skillet and a 5-7 quart dutch oven which is perfect for soups.
So there it is. I've made Christmas shopping easier on ya'll!
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Back on Track
Over the last few months, things have been slow here on the homestead. We have lost all but 3 of our chickens (none which are really laying) to a coyote. All of the chicks and even our rooster met the coyote. He will make a nice rug someday... The morning that we found the carcasses the coyote was still feast. As Zack and I were running into the house to get the gun, Zack landed funny on his foot and broke it. Never take mobility for granted. NEVER! Things have been put on hold for awhile because Zack is the main muscle of this operation. Now, almost 5 weeks later, we are getting back on track.
We have a new addition to the homestead... Forrest our 22 week old Great Pyrenees puppy. He will be our Livestock Guardian Dog to protect the chickens and the property from predators, someday that is. Right now he is just a snowball of energy.
The white one is Forrest... at 18 weeks when we got him he was already almost the same size as snick.
Also in the works is a 300 square foot fenced in area for both Forrest and the new batch of chickens that I get. Not only will this help give me peace of mind from the predators, but I will keep the chickens from digging up my flower bed and the grass seed that we are trying to sprout!
Lets hope and pray for some better luck over the next few months!
We have a new addition to the homestead... Forrest our 22 week old Great Pyrenees puppy. He will be our Livestock Guardian Dog to protect the chickens and the property from predators, someday that is. Right now he is just a snowball of energy.
Also in the works is a 300 square foot fenced in area for both Forrest and the new batch of chickens that I get. Not only will this help give me peace of mind from the predators, but I will keep the chickens from digging up my flower bed and the grass seed that we are trying to sprout!
Lets hope and pray for some better luck over the next few months!
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
The chicken snatching of 2013....
Zack and I went to my mom's house this past weekend. When we got home we noticed that the rooster, 2 hens, and all 7 chicks were gone... We shook the food cup hoping they would come up, but none did. After searching the yard, I found one dead baby chick. No other feathers, no other evidence.... Mystery! I'll be honest, I cried and cursed a lot... Zack drank. If anything was going to eat those birds it was going to be us. In fact, that was the plan. But instead, they have mysteriously disappeared. In ways, I feel like a failure, but really, loss is part of it. Now, I just have to be thankful for the few eggs that I still have fertilized and hope and pray for a successful hatching (more on that later).
Also, a new coop is now quickly in the works. Something cheap, easy, and somewhat attractive. This one is made from pallets!
Also, a new coop is now quickly in the works. Something cheap, easy, and somewhat attractive. This one is made from pallets!
With school starting back up, oh, and a wedding to plan, we need to go ahead and tackle this stuff soon... Like yesterday! But hopefully all will work out and we will not fret over our failures and mishaps, but be thankful for the learning experiences and bounty that we are receiving.
Now... I'm going to purchase some seeds!
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