Thinking about the New Year

    I know it isn't even Christmas yet, but I am already making my homesteading goal list for 2014! I am excited to try some of the things on my list. Have any of you started a list yet? I am not going to share mine till the New Year though.


     On another note the seed catalogs are starting to flow in and so are the chick magazines! No we aren't allowed to have chickens where we live right now, but hey a girl can dream!  I was looking through one of my chick magazines and saw that Kyle had circled some chicks that he wants and wrote " Kyle and Tyler's chicks". Melt my heart! I promised him some days when we get our farm, we can order those chicks for him and his brother.  Those moments make my heart yearn for the life out in the country we dream of  so often. And putting my trust in God that he knows our desires of our hearts and He has a plan.


     Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas! Time to get the sponge ready for my first sourdough bread tomorrow! I will let you know how it goes!


~ Katie

Great blog giving away a great book!

Go and check out 5 Acres & A Dream's blog and while you are there enter her amazing book giveaway!


Go here to enter! 5 Acres & A Dream

Good luck!

~Katie

A quick meal

Here is another quick meal to make if you just run out of time. I was deep cleaning the house yesterday and when I looked up at the clock it was already 4:30pm ( we eat at 5-5:15ish). So I was scrambling to think of what to make!

On Sunday we had gone to Tom's parent's house to have dinner and she was nice enough to give us leftovers. So with the leftover Chicken strips she gave us I did this:


6 breaded chicken strips( these where homemade)
1 bag of egg noodles
Frozen Broccoli ( the last bits in the bag), you could use fresh

Sauce:
salt and pepper ( to taste)
Milk ( about a half to a cup) * I just poured really didn't measure*
flour ( a tablespoon and half)
1-2 tablespoons butter
couple handfuls of Parmesan cheese
A tablespoon of Italian seasoning ( more or less to your taste) I used home made from a friend.


Okay so I put the noodles on to boil away. While the noodles were boiling I put a skillet pan on medium heat and melted some butter, about a tablespoon, and added the broccoli stirred around a little. Then I put a lid on it to steam them for about a minute, I like mine to still have a little crunch, if you don't then steam longer. I then added the chicken and let them warm through. Set aside covered.

Drain egg noodles or what ever kind of noodles you are using.


To make the sauce I melted the butter in a sauce pan when completely melted I added the flour to make a roux. Whisk them together till it forms somewhat of a paste. Then add the milk slowly and whisking in between adding the milk. When that begins to simmer I added some of the Italian herb mix and the Parmesan cheese. Let simmer till desired thickness. Remember to keep stirring while it cooks!

Then to serve you can either add everything into the sauce skillet, or you can put the noodles topped with the chicken and broccoli and then the sauce. I do it this way since I have one child who doesn't like sauce.
Served with fresh bread or rolls and you have a quick meal! Enjoy!

~ Katie

A Lot to think about

As I am sitting writing this, watching the snow fall and the fire in the fire place ( well electric fire, still makes you feel cozy). It makes me think of how much we have and can be thankful for.  I do love this time of year because of being able to spend it with my family celebrating the real meaning of Christmas.

The downside to this time of year is all the commercialism that goes on around us.  We have never bought a lot of presents for our kids or ourselves. Honestly our boys have more fun with the boxes and the stuffing in the boxes  then the actual toys! haha    I know I am not alone in this!

  But also because it is teaching them that Christmas is not all about presents, the ads that are in the paper, or a man dressed up with a white beard, who comes down the chimney with presents. ( which our boys don't believe in).

We want to make sure they know that the really meaning is the wonderful and beautiful birth of our Savior, and nothing else matters! Yes everyone loves getting presents I included!. We just don't want toys and commercialism to be the focus.


Hey I am not saying I don't like watching Christmas movies, I love too! I am a Hallmark Christmas movie kind of gal.( well at least those that I can watch online, since we don't have cable), and like buying gifts for our families, and decorating our house and tree. I just don't want to lose the meaning of Christmas.


I am working on my next post for goals  I have for next year! Stay tuned!

~ Katie

River Cottage

      

          I am L- O- V- I -N- G this show!! If you have not checked out this series you need to do it soon! It is a chef in England who gets tired of living in the city and wants a better life in the country, growing his own food, etc.  This is what Tom and I want to do with our farm! Grow our own veg., fruit, meat, etc. and to share our passion with others to get them excited and involved in maybe not starting their own farm, but supporting local farms/ businesses.

       This show gets you excited about cooking with fresh foods from local farms and knowing where your food is coming from, instead of just buying the packaged foods from the store.

So check out River Cottage and see if you get hooked or not!  I know I am!

Let me know what your favorite part of River Cottage is and any recipes you might like to try!

*** Don't forget to check out all the River Cottage shows too ( Return to River cottage,  River Cottage Spring, River Cottage Winter, River Cottage Summer, River Cottage, Everyday, etc.) *** There are plenty there to watch!

I also wanted to say  HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! I hope you all have a wonderful time with your family!

~ Katie 

Fall craziness

Hi All!,

      I know I have been neglecting this blog for a while, but things have gotten to be crazy around here. Doing a lot of house projects to get ready to put our house on the market this spring. Outdoor work, cutting wood, chipping, getting the garden beds covered for winter. Also work and just finding time to have family time. 

     I hope you all are doing wonderfully at your homesteads. I will have another recipe for you guys, that I will be testing out this week. It is a sweet bbq sauce that says it taste better then sweet baby rays. We shall see my family really enjoys sweet baby rays but not all the sugar and additives. So this would be a great alternative. 

My menu plan for this week is:

Herb chicken w/ gravy, noodles, vegetable

Pizza (homemade crust), salad

Bbq porkloin , veg., mash pot.

Thanksgiving meal with family

Pancakes, bacon, fruit

Tomato soup, crackers and cheese, cut up veggies

Spaghetti w/italian sausage, whole wheat rolls, veg.

Homemade Lasagna ( homemade noodles), veg. 

I hope you all have a wonderful thanksgiving!! What is your favorite thing to make for Thanksgiving meals?

~ Katie

I asked and you answered

      I asked my follower who follow me on facebook what are some topics you would like to see on my blog. I had a couple tell me cheap and easy recipes. So I will be glad to do this! I will start you off with a really easy recipe. I know I know alot of people say that about recipes but this recipe has 3 ingredients! Yes 3 and only 3!  

 This is Sweet Baby Rays meatloaf.  Enough said! haha

Okay Ingredients for this you will need:

1 lb. ground beef 
Bread crumbs (store bought or homemade)
Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce 

** side note you can get Sweet Baby Rays really cheap with coupons and a great sale during the summer months, so stock up! **

        I combine the bread crumbs , bbq sauce and ground beef together in a bowl. Put in a loaf pan and shape like a loaf . Top with a little more Sweet Baby Rays and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or done through.  Before taking out of the oven top with shredded cheddar cheese and allow the cheese to melt. Let the meat set for a few min. Then serve with your sides of choice.  At our house it is egg noodles and peas.

    I hope you all enjoy this recipe as much as my family does! Fast and easy to make and not a lot of money has to go into it. 

I will be posting more recipes as soon as I get a chance. 

Have a wonderful day!

~Katie

So excited about this review of Purex Ultra packs with Oxi!

Yay!! I am so excited to share this with you guys!:


   So I was given another chance to try out a product for Purex  and once again I wasn't disappointed! They

had me try the Purex Ultra Packs Plus Oxi. These packs did an amazing job on my laundry and helped get

the dug in stains that a 6 year old and a 3 year old can get on their clothes! LOL

Also as a mother of two children , I loved how easy it was to put my laundry in the machine and just pop a

Purex Ultra Pack in and turn the machine on. I didn't have to stop and measure out the right amount of liquid

like I did with the liquid stuff. These definitely made the day easier with doing the laundry.

     I would encourage you guys to go to Purex's website and check out all the other cool products they have

available for you to try. They really do have great products that I use all of the time.


Okay , now it is your turn to try out Purex Ultra Packs  Plus Oxi. I am giving away two coupons for a free

bag of the Purex Ultra Packs Plus Oxi!!!! Yay!!! Clean laundry for everyone!!!  ( Insert happy laundry

dance)!  Alright, now back to business . To be entered to win you need to do the following:


1) Tell me what your worst and favorite things are about doing your  laundry. Along with your first  name

and last name initial , so I can let you know if you won or not!

2) Share my blog on Facebook. (leave a comment telling me you did)

3) Become a follower of my blog! (leave a comment telling me you did)


 The coupons giveaway will end on Sept. 29th @ 12pm. Good luck everyone.

~ Katie

***Disclaimer: The Purex brand provided me with a sample of the Purex UltraPacks plus Oxi exchange for a product review. However, all the opinions expressed here are my own. ***

Back to Eden gardening

Tom and I are working on our garden for next year. We had raised beds this year, but when I saw the Back to Eden film. It got me excited about gardening again.  To see the results that he got using things from nature to build his garden and just needing to add a little wood chips and manure each year was great! If you haven't seen the video I totally recommend it.

So yesterday I worked on digging up all of our raised beds, putting newspaper down, adding the compost and manure. I am looking for a wood chips right now, so hopefully I will find a source so we can put that layer down next. Then see how it goes! They say it could take up to two years to see results like  Paul Gautschi, but every year you will see your garden getting better because your soil is rebuilding.


Have any of you tried this method before? Has it worked for you?  Do you have any recommendations on what we should tweak?

Hope you are all doing wonderfully! Happy Homesteading!


~Katie

Update on the homestead

Well things have been busy around here with my oldest son starting first grade last week, cleaning up the gardens for fall. We still have some tomatoes and peppers that are still producing but everything else has slowed down.

I'm hoping to can some apples this coming week . I am looking forward to making apple pie filling, applesauce, apple butter, apple crisp and pies. When apple season gets here I get really excited that fall is coming just around the corner. My favorite time of year!

We have been still looking for a homestead but the Lord has been closing doors on ones we thought would be perfect. But He knows better then we do what is perfect for us!  So we will continue to pray and wait.

Tom and I just finished making a farm house table and bench for our dining area. I have fallen in love with it. :( Sorry for the messy background :) )

I have always wanted a table like this and it is something we made together. Something we could pass down to our boys to have when we are gone.  I am so blessed to have a husband who has the skills to build things like this.  We spent around $200.00 on this project. 

So what is going on at your homesteads? Are your gardens finishing up for the year? Did you plant any fall crops? I would love to hear about it! :)

~ Katie

122 years of Borax sweepstakes!!!!!

Oh man I am so excited to share this with you guys!  You are a few of the first to know about this! So I would definitely enter to win! I mean really who couldn't use an extra $1,981!? Here are the details:

From August 13 - September 17, Our friends at Borax are teaming up to provide one lucky winner with a $1,981!

A long time ago, in a valley far far away, the Pacific Coast Borax Company was born. The year was 1891, and no one could have known that 122 years later, Twenty Mule Team Borax would still be helping people clean all around the home.

So if you are interested go Here to enter!
 I am so excited for all of you! As an extra, I would love to hear any cool ways you use Borax around your house!
I use my borax and love it to make homemade laundry soap.


Good luck Everyone! Don't forget to go here to enter before it's to late!

~Katie

Couple's Devotional

    Tom and I are looking for a couples devotional for us to do this year. We have found a few we like but are wondering if any of you may have any recommendations for us. We would love to here the positives and negatives of books you have done. 

Thank you so much!

~Katie

Sam's Club Open House!

 Hey All,
 Just wanted to let everyone know, if you don't have a membership to Sam's club. They have an open house for everyone to buy there!Go Here and find out how it all works! This Open house is Friday August 2- Sunday, August 4.  So go check it out!

Thank you Forthemommas for the heads up!

~ Katie

We are free!

       I am so excited to announce our family is finally Debt Free!!! After a very long journey we have finally made it to financial freedom! We started our journey after having Kyle our oldest son in 2007. Where I was introduced to Dave Ramsey and his baby steps!  And from there we dove in head first! I got his book from our local library ( so it would be free!). Then I researched his website and Tom and I sat down and made a budget we were determined to stick to no matter what! I listened to his show live from his website everyday ( still do!) to get encourage from others who were doing their debt free screams,  and listening to others calling in with questions about their journey. We also downloaded his free budget forms, which we still use today.

      So fast forward through  two layoffs and the birth of our 2nd son! We are finally debt free except for our house which is on the list to pay off early! I wanted to take a moment to thank God for helping us through this journey. He is the only reason we made it to where we are today. I would also like to thank our families and friends for your encouragement and listening ears while we were going through this journey. And for the praise and excitement for us as we finally made it!

We love you all and are excited to see what is next for us on our journey!

      I encourage everyone to read Dave Ramsey's book or even check out his website to start your journey to becoming debt free!

     Those who are already on this journey it may seem like you will never get there, but never give up just keep going and before you know it you will have reached your goal of freedom!


God bless you all!

~Katie

It's that time of year again!

I am so grateful it has finally cooled down this week, from that horrible heat we were having. The rain was a blessing too. Now all the plants are happy and not so brown anymore!

On other news.. its that time of year again! Back to school shopping ! Now some of you might be the type that hate this time of year. I am one of those people that love this time of year! Since my son Kyle starts 1st grade this year, yes I am still trying to wrap my head around that! I am  getting ready to do some back to school shopping for him.

I was always one of those kids that loved getting new school supplies! I still do! ( I know there are some of you out there that love it just as much, if not more then your kids do! hahah).  So I am getting ready to get some of the good sales on supplies and clothing that I am seeing. Do any of you have a favorite place to do your back to school shopping? I would love to hear about them!

I am looking into things I can do for my youngest Tyler who is 3. Some types of "school/learning" things for him and I to do since his brother will be at school. Any recommendations?

I know during this time of year moms mostly get very stressed because their schedules are being packed full with sports, music, church activities,etc. I like to remember a verse that really brings me comfort through the stressful times. Phillipians 4:13, " I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." .

Also during these hectic times remember first and foremost to spend sometime with God, Asking him to be with you through this day and to help you to not get stressed over these things in life. Secondly, remember to take time for yourself whether that be reading a book, taking a walk, listening to music , taking a bubble bath or just sitting in a chair and enjoying the quiet. Your no help to anyone if you are tired, stressed, frazzled and haven't had anytime for yourself.

So even though this time of year can be stressful , remember to have time with God and to take time for yourself!

Have a wonderful day!

~ Katie

Are any of you couponers?

     I am just curious how many of you are couponers out there? I am one and even have the binder to prove it! LOL I know my husband just smiles and shakes his head. (It's okay if you want to do that too) :) Have you couponers notice that it is getting harder to get good deals with your coupons, then it was before? I feel the store prices are going up and the coupons are going down in savings. Plus a lot of the stores coupon policies have gotten a lot stricter!  What have you done to still save with coupons or have you just given up?


       On top of using coupons I go to my discount grocers. Around my area that is Sharp Shopper. Have you heard of it? A lot of people ask me does it really save you that much money? Oh yeah! Now yes you have to watch expiration dates. But you can find some really great deals!
       Others have said you can't find healthy stuff there it is all junk food. That is not true! I have found a lot of organic things there, also a lot of low sodium, etc. I find that instead of paying almost four dollars on a box of cereal at the store ( yeah I almost fell on the floor when I saw that the other day). I can find a box of cereal that may have two weeks till it expires but like cereal ever lasts that long in my house! haha


     So I encourage all of you, those who are on a tight budget, just wanting to save a little, or even those that are just curious about what in the world I am talking about , go check out one of your discount grocers. You will be amazed at what you can get for a small amount of money and it gives me a day off from my coupon binder!


Happy Shopping!

~Katie

It's Hot!!!

For the past couple days here it has been SO HOT!  We reached a heat index of 104 today! YIKES!

My poor garden is feeling it too. I water in the mornings and even in the evenings, ( along with the bunnies) to help them along with all this heat. How are your gardens/ animals doing with the heat?

To help the rabbits out I have been filling bottle with water and freezing them. This way they have something to lick but they also like to lay against the bottles to help them stay cool. Along with ice water in there waterers and cold carrots from the fridge! :)

Anyone getting lots to can yet from their gardens? I have gotten some pickles done but got most of the cucumbers from a friend. We are getting tomatoes here and there but nothing that I can really can up.

I hope you all are staying cool!

Happy Homesteading!

~Katie

Purex Fabric Softener Sheets Giveaway!!!

Hey Everyone!,

I know it has been a long time but had to post about a product I got to try out for a company!  I just got a box of the Purex Fabric Softener Sheets and let me say they are great! I tried the mountain breeze scent. And it sure smells amazing! It made my clothes so soft as well.  This is a great product and I would totally recommend you try it. And for 2 lucky followers you can for free! I have THREE  coupons for a FREE box of the Purex Fabric Softener Sheets for you to try for yourself!

All you need to do is be the first three people to comment on this giveaway! I will then contact you for your name and address.

Good luck!

~Katie

It's the little things!

It's the little things I get excited about, like seeing a seed pop through the newly rained on soil,  the Lancaster farming arriving on a Saturday morning, a free sample in the mail, a moment of silence when both boys are enthralled in a good book.

One of those little things that will be coming up for me is June Dairy month!! I know you go well what is so exciting about that?! It is not only because I am a lover of cheese and all things dairy Haha, but the Lancaster farming comes out with their issue of recipes and family photos in their June issues. I love not only reading the little blurbs about the families , but getting some amazing recipes  for us to try! It really makes you so appreciative of dairy farmers and farmers as a whole. I think it is so important for us to remember to thank them all for what they do! If we didn't have them we wouldn't have food.



So don't forget to thank a farmer and especially a dairy farmer next month! Have a wonderful Day!!!


Katie

Ps. How is everyone's homesteads? How are your gardens doing?

Have you ever had one of those days?

When you wake up so motivated to get things done and then by 12pm , that moment has past.
I am having one of those days today. Instead of doing what is on my to do list, like the pile of dishes or the overflowing laundry,  I am sitting at our table  writing on my blog, while the boys are snuggled on the couch with their blankets and stuffed doggie and Kitty enjoying a movie. And you know what? I am totally okay with that.Because those things will get done. But it is a necessity to have time for yourself.  Sometimes you just need to take a break from your hectic life and just sit down and do something you truly enjoy. So I wanted to encourage you all Mom's or not, take sometime to do something you enjoy today! Those things like the dishes, laundry, ect will get done. But right now just enjoy sometime to hang out and snuggle with your kids, blog, knit, paint, whatever brings you joy!

Have a wonderful day!!


Katie

the kitchen demo/remodel

has begun!  We ordered some of our countertop and bought some of the cabinets for the remodel. We are only doing chunks of the kitchen, many have asked us why. Well number 1 we are budgeting for this, number 2 we have two children 6 and under and it is always an adventure trying to do projects with them! haha

We are working on getting alot of this done not only because it will look nice and be better for daily storage,ect. But also because it will help with the selling of our house. I will post pics shortly once I get a chance to get on here without having to run out the door!



Hope you all are doing well! Anything new going on at your homesteads?



Katie

A weekend away

Do you every have that feeling when you just need a weekend away? You know no kids, unplug and go do something fun kind of feeling?

Well, Hubby and I are starting to plan a weekend or a little longer away for this summer. I really want to go to Lehman's in Ohio, but also want to look into  a Bed and Breakfast on a farm. Even one that wouldn't mind some help feeding the chickens, milking the cows or just some good homesteading talk while making breakfast .  A place where I can sit on a front porch, sip some coffee while over looking green pastures with cows enjoying the sunrise with me.  Just the sounds of birds, chickens and farm animals. No cars, trucks, or town life. Just the quiet of the country.  Oh how I would love that!  I will keep you all updated on the end result ! :)


Do any of you have any favorite places like this? Where do you all go when you just want a weekend away?

Would love to hear any recommendations on Bed and Breakfast places like this!

Hope you all have an amazing day or night depending where you are reading this.

God Bless,

Katie

Lessons

Well the Lord is really teaching us the lesson  of patience.  Tom and I were going to look at a homestead that was perfect for what we wanted, well God had other plans! The day we were going to go to the showing our realitor called and said the house was under agreement! ( it was only on the market for about a week). If that   wasn't God shutting the door I don't know what! LOL So he obviously didn't want us to move there.

So we will keep looking but just wait for God to point out the perfect place for us! Its out there somewhere! :)


Other news, we are beginning to make a list of places we would like to go this year for summer vacation. We like to stick around the area and do day trips. We are definitely planning a day trip to the beach since Kyle hasn't been there since he was around 1 yr. old and Tyler has never been. Even if the kids don't want to go in the water, we will have a fun day in the sand! Other vacation ideas are the zoo and aquariums around. The boys love animals and fish so I think that will be a big hit for them!


And one of my favorite highlights will be when I have a summer break from work and get to go to our local farmers market!! I haven't been there in so long and truly miss it! Tom and I are also going to be going to the animal auction that the farmers market has in the evenings there. To see how much rabbits go for so we have an idea of how much we will be getting for Happy's babies.

News about Happy, still looking for a male to breed her . It is seeming to be quite a trick to get the breed we are looking for in this area. All breeders of this breed seem to be down south. But we will keep looking!


The garden is doing really well. We are enjoying some lettuce from it already! I didn't get my tomato seeds started soon enough for my tomatoes or peppers ( hectic life and cold), so I will be going to get those at a local greenhouse. Hopefully next year I will be on top of the seed starting a little better.


I have been reminding myself to pray throughout the day for all the blessings that my family and I have, even the ones that I think are small! I encourage you to be thankful and pray to Thank God for every little blessing He has and will give you! Without Him none of this ( our little homestead, vegetable garden, my children, loving husband, our little house, food on the table, coffee (haha had to stick that in there)  Would not be possible!

God bless you all and your little blessings God has given you!,


~ Katie

Hello everyone!

Yes I am still here! Things got very hectic with getting the gardens started and doing some projects around the homestead. Also I came down with a cold that I am still fighting off and so has Little Farmer T.  So as we are fighting this and hoping no one else gets it . Things are kind of calm here for now.

We are still on the hunt for a male meat rabbit to add to the homestead to start breeding Happy . But so far no luck. If any know of a good breeder of meat rabbits would love info.!

The Farmer and I are looking around more seriously for bigger homestead to move too. We are fixing this homestead up and are hoping to get ready to move hopefully by next year. ( Unless the Lord has other plans).


How are your homesteads doing? Any new projects? Would love to hear about them.  I am hoping to do more of  a garden update soon with pictures! Should have it up by the end of the week. Hope you all are staying healthy!!



~ Katie

another canning day

      Well I had gotten the canning itch again! :) So yesterday I canned some baked beans for the first time! They are soooo good! Totally recommend trying it!  I also canned a few jars of mixed veggies for soup. And last but not least canned some chicken stock because I always run out!

        I am excited to be reading the book Country Skills by Alison Candlin. This is now my all time favorite book! I know you all will love this book as well!

 Here are the chapters:

Starting Out
Calendar of Seasonal Tasks
Growing Vegetables
Growing Fruit
Directory of Pests and Diseases
Keeping Animals
Food from Nature
Preserving your produce
Water and Energy Conservation

      Now can you see why I am in love with this book!  I would totally recommend getting this book! There are so many ideas and it gets me so excited to get more land and the ability to get animals!  But for now I will be doing the things in the book that I can do!  So if you want a great read with lots of wonderful information! Check this book out!


     Do you have any books you just love about homesteading or self-sufficency you would recommend? I would  love some new ones to read!

Have a wonderful day!


~Katie

update

Since it has been a little since I have posted last , I thought I would update you on what is going on at our little homestead. Last Saturday/ Sunday we prepared our raised beds for planting. Kyle and I planted carrots, two kinds of lettuce, our sugar snap peas and some potatoes. We also put in two new blueberry bushes (since our dog ate the last two!).

We also finished up splitting Happy's rabbit cage into two cages so we could fit smokey outside with her. It looks great and we used things we had laying around the house and shed to make it so didn't cost us a thing! Love when that happens! :)

We have also gotten the opportunity to bottle feed some baby boar goats for a lady who works with my husband. The boys love it! I will share pics soon ! We are so excited about this opportunity to work with the same kind of goats we are wanting to raise! So blessed! Kyle really wants to show one now at our fair! haha


I am planning on doing some canning this week/weekend. Also getting some canning ham recipes since Easter is just around the corner and I'm sure there are going to be some awesome sales!  I am hoping to get some baked beans canned, chicken broth, dried beans, and a sausage soup.

Any canning recipes you think I should try? I would love some new ones to try!


I hope everything is going great on your homesteads!


God Bless,

Katie

Great giveaway!!

Head on over to Kendra at New Life on a homestead blog. She is giving away this book! So head on over for a chance to win. Also stick around and check out her awesome blog! Here is her link:

Newlifeonahomestead.com

Good luck!!

~ Katie

Love for animals

Today we went and picked up another member for our family.  The new member is a mini lop ear bunny. We have named it Smokey. We are so thrilled to have it here. Will be nice company for our rabbit Happy.

As I sit here and watch Kyle play, pet and talk to Smokey. It makes me so thrilled that he has such a love for animals. I was/ still very much am ( just ask my husband!) an animal lover. All kinds but mostly farm animals. It reminds me of when I was younger how you couldn't drag me away from the neighbors cows, horses, emu, ect. I wanted to be around animals all the time! My mom will tell you stories! haha


He is excited to maybe show Smokey at our local fair this year and that we maybe breeding our other rabbit Happy this year. He really wants to have baby bunnies around here to take care of!


I am just thrilled God has given Kyle such a love and passion for taking care of His Creators.  He will be such a good helper when we get our farm and have more animals to take care of.


Okay just a proud mommy post :) Hope you are all  getting ready for spring! I have been  in cabin fever mood lately.  As my hubby would say " you were having cabin fever when it got 33 degrees out!  hahaha


So true I am ready to get into the dirt and having my windows open ,watching the warm breeze moving the curtains in such a elegant and peaceful way. Watching the boys play in their dirt pile ( every boy needs a dirt pile! ), and watching our seeds start sprouting through the dirt.  Okay , I am a little excited about spring coming. haha

I hope you are all doing well! What is new on your homesteads ? Any new projects or maybe new members of your homesteads? I would love to hear about it!


~Katie\

P.S ~  Pictures will be coming soon of  Smokey!

Distractions

     I don't know about you, but life sure throws a lot of distractions  my way. Busy schedules that we just keep adding too, school things for the kids,( Oh no it's your snack day! haha) , adding more and more on your plate sometimes, media (facebook( I am a frequent person on there! :) , tv, ect. I forget to slow down and live the simply life that I love so much and want for my family .

     Today was such a relaxing day! I went out to breakfast with my mom and my sister. We then went to a fabric store ( I am not good at sewing at all, I can do buttons!!! ha) , but I got fabric to make a table runner and some place mats . I am really wanting to learn to sew. I see it as something relaxing that I can do to have time to think, pray and just listen to God.  Something to take me away for a little from all the distractions life throws my way.  Do any of you sew? What are your favorite things to make?? Any tips for a newbie?

Here is a picture of the fabric I got at the store:

This is what my mom bought for the boys room. They love it! ( Okay I admit it , I am a weebit jealous):

         I am going to work on not having so many distractions in my life  ( and learning to say NO to things, really hard for me!)  . Spending more time with my kids, my husband and just living that quiet ( as much as it can be with two boys running down the hallway making train whistle noises!) , and enjoy all the blessings God has given my family and I. Thanking Him for this wonderful life we have and for the future plans He has for us!

So I just want to encourage all of you to slow down. Put those distractions away for an hour or two, and do something you love or try something new! Have that time for you and your family as well!

Remember to enjoy the simple things in life! Don't forget to stop by the 100th Barn Hop over at New Life On a Homestead!

~Katie

the end of our 1st week

Well in a couple day we will be ending our first week eating naturally. I know I have missed days of telling you meals and photos. I apologize but life became a little hectic! haha So I will try better to do this next week. I am pretty happy with how the week has been going. We have had a fruit and veggie everynight , like I said before we have always done this, but I have tried doing them in different ways.

Week #2  I think will once again be pretty easy since all we drink at home is water, hot tea, coffee and rarely  juice.  ( week 2 is only water , coffee, tea and 1 glass of juice for the week, coffee and tea can only be sweetened with natural sweeteners such as maple syrup and honey)


I have been already starting to ween myself off of the sugar in my coffee so it won't be so hard!  ( I love me some coffee with sugar and milk!) The hubby is on a business trip this coming week so I am reminding him of the rules! haha We shall see when he gets back how he did.


I am trying to work researching recipes that have no sugars in them, but substitutes like applesauce, ect. Does anyone have any really good recipes like this, breads, muffins, cookies? Anything would be great!


Last but not least! (sorry for all the rambling! I have a lot on my mind! haha)

I am working on a post of a movie I just saw: Farmageddon. Have any of you seen it? I will be writing about my thoughts on this movie ! That will be coming Saturday I am hoping! Can't wait to hear other's views on this movie!

Hope you all have an amazing day!!

~Katie

canning up a storm

Yesterday I canned the apples, which I made into applesauce. I also can't white potatoes, and last I canned a pineapple :) Here are some pics of my adventures :


These are the clementines and tangelos that I canned lastnight: Can't wait to try them!

The finished products!

Has anyone else canned anything this week or month? I would love to hear about it!  Have a great day!


~ Katie

Fun day with a friend!

Today my friend (Shannon) and I went to our local farmer's market for the produce auction. This was my first time! And I had a blast! Once you start , you get the hang of it pretty quickly! Such great produce for such a cheap amount!  

Here is what I got :
30 lbs. of red and white potatoes
3 lbs. of Tangelos
a box of 46 apples ( making into applesauce and  pie filling)

I will be canning all of this, this week and weekend. I will use some for our meals as well. I will defiantly be going to this auction again!  I want to say thank you so much Shannon for taking and teaching me the ropes!!  

Do any of you have a produce auction like this you have been too?  If you haven't I would look into doing so! You do get a lot of food for your money!  Hope you all are having a wonderful day!!



~ Katie

Day 1 of food journey

Today was our first day on our real food challenge. It was great! We all really didn't see that much of a difference that what we normally eat.

  For Breakfast : We had homemade granola with dried fruit in it.
  For lunch: The boys had PB&J ( natural peanut butter and home canned strawberry jam), apple slices, almonds and raisin mix. Tom had what the boys had , but had small portion leftover salad from dinner lastnight. I had a grilled chicken, mixed salad greens , dried cranberries and pecan salad. (almonds and raisin mix on the side).

Snack: We each had a banana with some whole wheat pretzels.

Dinner :  Was whole grain pasta with homemade alfredo sauce, broccoli ( which I ended up adding into the pasta and sauce), and Pineapple. The hubby and I had our pineapple with Cottage cheese.

Dessert: Tom and Kyle had a whole wheat choc.chip cookie.

So far so good! Wasn't too bad.

Hope you all are having a wonderful day! Don't forget to link up to the Barn Hop! http://newlifeonahomestead.com/2013/02/mondays-homestead-barn-hop-99/

~Katie

Starting the Journey

Well tomorrow we officially start our journey on the 14 weeks mini pledge. I am excited but also a little nervous mostly with how the boys are going to take it. But we will find out.

Week one is : Eat two fruits and / or vegetables per meal.
This won't be hard since almost all of our meals we usually have a banana with breakfast,  a fruit and vegetable with lunch and supper. So this week shouldnt be to hard . So we added something to this week. We are not going to buy anything that has more than 5 ingredients in it. Yes this will definitely be a challenge! But I am excited to see how much we can get at the store with this rule. Should be interesting!


So here is the menu plan for week one of the pledge:

Breakfasts- ( this will be for all week)
                        - eggs and cinnamon raisin toast with orange slices or banana
                        -  Oatmeal with fruit
                        - whole wheat french toast, yogurt with berries
                        -  Berry smoothie, toast

Lunches-(choices for the week)
                       - grilled cheese and tomato soup, grapes/apple
                       - Apple sandwiches, cucumber slices,  granola
                       - Peanut butter sandwich( on whole wheat bread), applesauce, peaches
                       - Pancake sandwich ( cream cheese and homemade strawberry jam), applesauce, carrots
                       - Whole wheat pizzas, peas, apple slices
                       - Leftovers

Dinners-
            - Egg casserole, thawed berries and yogurt ( veggies in the egg casserole)
            - Whole wheat mac and cheese, salad, pineapple
            - Whole wheat banana pancakes, oranges/grapes, real maple syrup
            - Baked chicken, whole wheat noodles, corn and peas
            - Whole grain fettuccine ( going to try to make it homemade if I have time), Homemade Alfredo sauce, broccoli, mixed fruit
            - Quesadillas ( veggies inside), kids just have cheese with raw veggies, strawberries
            -  Homemade chicken nuggets, corn, leftover fruit

So we shall see how this goes :) If your are joining us on this adventure I would love to see what your menu looks like!  The more the merrier! Please invite your friends to follow and join us on this journey!

Hope you all are having a wonderful weekend!
Don't forget to link up to the Barn Hop! Barn Hop #99!

~Katie





               

A Challenge/ Adventure

We have always been somewhat healthy eaters. But we are taking it to another level to cut out more procesed foods from our life so.........., we are going to be doing the  14 week pledge from http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/100-days-of-mini-pledges/. I am excited but also nervous to see how Tom and the boys will like it.  But we shall see, every week I am going to try and post about the experiences we are having doing this pledge. 

I would love others to join us on this pledge or just enjoy hearing I am sure fustration and histerical things from ours! Haha   Invite your friends or family to follow my blog so they can enjoy as well!


Just a short post today it is getting late and I have a few more things to get done before bed. Hope you are all doing well! 

Don't forget to link up to the Barn Hop!Barn Hop #99

~Katie

Dodge Commercial

    I am sure many of you have seen the commercial by Dodge that was shown during the Superbowl. If you haven't I would highly recommend taking a minute and watching it : http://www.ramtrucks.com/en/keepplowing/.

    Now even though my husband and I aren't farmers ( YET!) We Loved this commercial and we think it really showed the heart of America. God and farmers!

    If you also think this is a great commercial and are proud that, not only did they allow God and Creation to be mentioned throughout their commercial but also let America now that without Farmers there would be no food. Then I Ask that you join me, in writing Dodge a letter thanking them for putting out this awesome commercial!

You can email them here: http://www.dodge.com/wccsapp/universal/D/index.jsp


Thank you and I hope you all Have a Wonderful Day! Don't forget to thank a farmer today!

~Katie

Granola!!!!

Hey Everyone!,

      I know a lot of you have Facebooked and emailed me asking for the granola recipe I make for my family. So here is the post! I have hunted forever for a REALLY GOOD granola recipe, but a lot of them were just not doing it for my family and then I stumbled on a recipe at http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2010/04/04/recipe-granola-bars-cereal/ and let me tell you we are sticking with it!!! It is the best and all natural! YUM!!!

So here are the ingredients and how to make it!

 Homemade Granola - makes 3 lbs.
3 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup raw sliced almonds
 1 cup raw cashew pieces
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground or grated nutmeg
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 cup honey
2 tsp. vanilla extract
parchment paper
1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Cover rectangular baking sheet with parchment paper.

 2. Mix the dry oats, almonds, cashews, seeds and spices together in a large bowl.

 3. Heat the butter and honey together in a small saucepan over low heat. Once butter melts stir in vanilla.

 4. Pour the hot liquids over dry ingredients and stir together with rubber spatula ( I use wooden spoon) until evenly coated.

 5. Spread mixture onto prepared pan in one even layer. Bake for 75 mins.

 6. Then granola will become crisp as it cools at which point you can break into pieces for bars or break into small chunks for granola.

 Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

 So I hope you try this recipe. I am sure you and your family will love it as much as my family and I do.

Also go check out Lisa Leake's blog at : http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/. She has an amazing blog if you are thinking about taking processed foods out of your families diets! Great blog!

 Enjoy! Come back and let me know what you think!
 ~ Katie

Garden layout

This year we are trying to grow most, if you not all the vegetables for the winter. So on the amount of land we have (like 0.06 acres) we need to use every space available! The problem we have is only one side of our house gets full sun. So we have to use the sace on this side of the house as best we can to get the maximum yeild. We will be doing alot of vertical growing with things like the cantaloupe, cucumbers, ect. To leave enough space as possible for other things. We will also be using wooden crates we salvaged and filling them with dirt to make extra bedding. Those are placed on the other side of the yard near our young apple trees. We will also be trying a new technique with growing our potatoes. In an older post we tryed planting them in trash cans, which worked but not very well, so we will be planting them in laundry baskets filled with burlap and dirt. We are excited to see if this works because it will save space! Here is a picture of the layout. Sorry for the bad lighting.

Hope you all are having fun planning your gardens! I would love to hear if any of you have fun/ unique ways of planting things! Thanks for stopping by our little homestead! Katie

Garden '13

I know I know it is only January 11th but I can't help it! I am so not a winter girl! Now the little farmer and baby farmer feel very different about winter! They love it! Anyway back on topic haha! I put my seed order in at Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, great company and love the idea of being able to keep the seeds and reuse them agian the following years! Another step closer to our self sufficiency! I am drawin up what I have in mind for our garden this year. We will be growing some same old same old things and trying some new things we have never tryed growing before. So I am excited to see how it all grows this summer! Okay we are growing: Big Boston lettuce Red romaine Lettuce Snowball self- blanching cauliflower Boston Pickling cucumbers Little finger Carrots Golden Jenny Melons- first time growing these. Didn't have much luck last year with watermelon so I thought I would try cantaloupe. Fingers crossed. Stuttgarter Onions Money Maker Tomatoes Cherokee Purple tomatoes - Love these! Early Golden Summer cookneck squash Purple Beauty Peppers California Wonder peppers Little Marvel Peas Leeks Green beans Mustard lettuce yellow Pear tomatoes Zuchinni Herbs: Basil Dill thyme oregano- will be coming up from last year chives parsley I am really excited and also nervous about this years garden. Last year we had our small garden at home and a BIG garden at a friends house. This year we just have our garden at home and lots of containers. So we will see what we can grown on our 0.06 acre lot! I am up for the challenge! So what are you growing this year? Anything new or any favorites that you have as a must have in your garden every year? I would love to hear about it and any tips you may have for anything I am growing! ( any help/ tips are always appreciated!) Leave a comment and feel free to share my blog with friends and family! ~ Katie

Bread Review

As I told many on facebook I was trying out a new wheat bread recipe. This recipe is still a honey wheat bread , but it doesn't use any sugar and has far less ingredients then the one I was using before. One more perk it makes two loaves instead of just the one loaf my other recipe made. I am really liking this recipe alot! The family gives it great reviews as well! ( that is always a plus!) I got this recipe out of the Treausred Amish and Mennonite Recipes cook book. by the Mennonite Central Commitee. I would highly suggest making this really delicious bread. The only thing I changed about this bread is that it calls for white and wheat flour. I did all wheat flour and it came out fine but the choice is yours. So here is the recipe: Honey Wheat Bread 2 packages active dry yeast 1/2 cup warm water ( 105 degrees- 115 degrees) 1/3 cup honey 1/4 cup shortening 1 tablespoon salt 1 3/4 cups warm water 3 cups whole wheat flour 3-4 cups white flour Dissolve yeast in the 1/2 cup warm water in a large mixing bowl. Stir in honey, shortening, salt, the 1 3/4 cup warm water, and the whole wheat flour. Beat until smooth. mix in enough flour to make a dough that's easy to handle. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Kenead about 10 minutes. Place in greased bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size ( about 1 hour) Punch down and divide dough in half. Form into 2 loaves and place in a greased baking pans. Let rise until doubled ( about 1 hour) Bake at 375 degrees F. for 40-45 mins or until loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped. Remove from pans and cool. Makes 2 loaves. Judy Buller (Mennonite Central Committee cookbook 2011) Enjoy! ~ Katie

Dehydrating

I know this is a short post but had some questions and wanted to see if any of you had any answers! I have become intrigued with dehydrating foods. I have been watching youtube videos and love the idea of not using the electricity of a freezer and dehydrating fruits, veggies, ect! I also like the idea of my kids having healthier snacks like those fruits and veggies that I have dehydrated. Do any of you dehydrate?? What are your experiences with it? What kind of dehydrator do you have? Any certain one you would recommend?? On other news we are looking for a boyfriend for Happy our rabbit. :) We are going to breed her and start a meat rabbit operation. We are excited but also nervous! We are trying to do what we can with where we live and this is one thing we can do. Do any of you have rabbit operations? Any advice? Well I hope you all have a great day! ~ Katie

2013 Goals

Wow is it really already Jan. 2013! I don't know about you but 2012 really flew by for us. The little farmer turned 5 and started kindergarten, Baby farmer turned 2 and is talking more then ever. We introduced Happy to our family. This end of the year has been very hectic. The Farmer started a new position at his job, which he is excited to be doing! Little Farmer has become very intellectual and wanted to read a lot this year and being able to read a few books on his own. (still talks a lot about wanting show sheep and now a lot about beef, can't wait till he can!!!) Baby Farmer was having digestive issues and we found out there was a bad bacteria in his stomach/ intestinal track. Then on top of that he had a double ear infection. Ugh. But everyone is healthy for the new year!( lets hope it stays that way! Haha okay now on the the main reason for this post. I have a lot of goals that I would like to do this coming year with Homesteading. I accomplished some of the tasks I wanted last year, but I wanted to do some different things this year. * Learn to Pressure can- just got my pressure canner today!!!!! * Get another blueberry bush to go in patch- Last one the dog ate it! * Save all my seeds for next years planting- put my seed order in at Baker seeds . If you haven't ordered your yet I would definitely say to order from this company. They sell GMO free heirloom seeds. Also recommend reading his book The Heirloom Gardner. * Build a cold frame * Grow enough/ preserve enough to feed us through the winter. ( this may be one goal I won't be able to reach but still will be motivation) * learn to crochet dish clothes * Learn to make soap *Learn to cook with different grains * Sell produce/ baked goods at local farmers market * Have lower water usage * continue to line dry clothes *Write on blog at least once a week Well there you have it! I would love to hear any homesteading goals you have or if any of you have any tips for any of my goals. Hope you all had a Very Merry Christmas ( and remembered the true meaning) and a Very Happy New Year! ~ Katie