A chosen, solitary life

I honestly don't know if I chose this life or if it chose me.  It makes no difference I suppose as the things that matter deeply to me, aside from my family of course, is the clucking of chickens and the smell of fresh earth ready for planting.  My days have a rhythm to them that is old...a rhythm that also belonged to generations before me.  The sun comes up, there is feeding to do.  It sets and I make certain all are garnered in safely.  And in between - well, one never knows.  It could be an injured child or rabbit, teaching my kids algebra and the baby chicks where "home" is...and is not, lol.  It is gathering eggs, skimming cream off of fresh milk, and attending to seedlings as though they are babes. 

I say this is a solitary life because the largest percentage of folks I know simply do not understand.  Do not understand why I would want this when it is so different from the life that they so enjoy full of things that are supposed to make their life better.  But from where I'm standing it looks like a whole lot of smoke and mirrors.  Perhaps it's a beautiful house that somehow makes them feel important or like they have overcome something back in the recesses of their memory.  But to me it looks like a monthly mortgage payment that is so big I could pay all my monthly bills with and still have money left over.  I'm sure they would turn their nose up at my little clapboard house and say it's fine for someone else but they just couldn't live there.  But to me, it's such a beautiful thing because it is mine - 100% lock, stock, and barrel paid for in cash.  Truth be told, they don't own their mansion.  Much the other way around.  They are owned by it - and by the bank.  I guess I don't understand them any better than they understand me.  I would much rather be free.

So yes, whether I chose this life or if chose me...I don't really know.  What I do know is that I am grateful and at peace with the choice. 

Be it ever so humble...

I have had to make a trek away from home the past couple of days and while it was for a good and noble thing I find that I simply cannot wait to get back home. I have missed everything from the chickens to the dogs always about my feet to the seedlings.  As a matter of fact, as everyone else in our party is staying yet another night, I already have my pickup packed up and me and my clan will be heading home within the hour. 

I have spent my time since Thursday night with a crowd that gets aflutter at the thought of high heels and new handbags.  (Sigh.)  This afternoon my son and I escaped for a while and took off to a hunting/camping/wildlife supply store and when I walked through the door I had to laugh a bit, take a deep breath, and say, "Ahhh, now this is more like it."  And it was - but twas still not home.

So now I am at the ready and will soon be leaving to go home.  My tiny, humble, plain, and busy home. Tis where I belong.  

Hamburger helper, homemade style

I like to have a few quick fix meals up my sleeve for busy nights or nights when I'm extra tired. But I don't like paying for the boxed meals and quite honestly, it would take two or three of them to feed my family supper. Even buying the Save A Lot brands, that' s not really cheap. So I looked on the boxes to find what spices were used in the different flavors and now I can make them myself.

Last night we made lasagna flavored homemade hamburger helper. Here's all you have to do to make it at home, from scratch ~ however, most ingredients are "eyeballed." I can't give you exact measurements of the spices but if you're used to cooking from scratch you shouldn't have any problems.

I make enough to equal at least two boxes worth. I started out by browning my meat in my skillet. I only used about 1/2 pound of meat though.  I was able to stretch it by adding leftover rice from the night before - there was probably about 2 cups worth. Once that was cooked up I added about 2 3/4 cups of hot water and about 2 cups of egg noodles. Then come the spices and thickening agents. For lasagna hamburger helper, they are as follows:

* flour
* corn starch
* dried tomato (put through food processor)
* dried onion
* dried garlic
* cheese powder

Mix it all in, let it come to a boil and then simmer covered for about 15 minutes. Add in some shredded cheese, however much you like. That's all there is to it.  We like to top it at the table with parmesan cheese.

If you don't know where to purchase cheese powder, I think you can order it from Honeyville Grains. If not, check out some of the other online bulk grocery stores. I know I've seen it on them before. I can get my cheese powder from the local Mennonite market.

My huge skillet was completely full but by the time they all ate and went back for seconds, it was completely empty. That's the appetites for growing kids and a grown man for you.  But the end result was one well fed family and one backwoods momma who didn’t have to stand in the kitchen all evening.  Well worth it in my book.

This post is linked to: Barn Hop #9

Not just for the critters

These are a couple of products we simply could not be without.  You see that all purpose pet balm up there?  It's the very same stuff as Bag Balm (yes, the stuff they use on cows, among other things.)  There is another product marketed as a cracked heel cream that comes in a container much smaller than this one and it's more expensive.  Very same stuff.  And no, I didn't get it for our pets.  Although if needed I would certainly use it on them!  But for the most part, these products are for the humans in the house to use.  When they say all purpose, they really do mean it.  This stuff is great for minor cuts, burns, scrapes, rashes - you name it.  Granted, it doesn't smell all that great - but it's not nasty either. It simply smells like...medicine.  And if your cut up or burned, that's not so very bad a thing is it?

The other made-for-animals-but-used-by-people product I love is Mane'n'Tail shampoo.  I've been using this stuff since I was a little girl.  I guess you could say I grew up using it.  It seems to work on all hair types and it does a really good job.  I even know of one lady who I go to church with who has been having some issues with hair loss.  She got started on the Mane'n'Tail and her hair is actually starting to thicken up!

Honestly, if you haven't tried these products, you really should give them a go.  Don't be afraid to shop in the pet aisle or the feed store for products for yourself and your family!

*Linked to Farmgirl Friday at Verde Farm.

Day's End

It is day's end and I am ready to be abed.  At this time of year I feel like I'm a runner just taking the first paces of a race that is long but knowing that the reward at the end is so great.  So much to do - and yet a few months down the road the workload of this month will seem like child's play. 

I have a spot where I let all of the rabbit hay collect all winter long and now it is full of dark rich compost ready for the garden.  We started layering it in today.  I'm going tomorrow to fill the back end of my pickup truck with dirt that will be mixed in with aged chicken poop and rabbit hay and it will simply be lovely.  I also have the first sunburn of the season.  Today I have put raised beds together, garnered a new egg customer, taken care of chickens, chicks, rabbits, and teenagers. We finished the day off with homemade potato salad and bbq chicken.  Spring is here - tis a very good thing.

Volunteer seedlings

I split open pie pumkins a few times during the cold months and give them to my chickens.  They love them.  And keeping some variety in their diet during the dark and gray days helps keep pecking to a minimum.  I noticed today that I have a few volunteer pie pumkins coming up.  The chickens must have missed a few seeds.  I gently dug them up and placed them egg shells until I find them a garden spot to move into.

Random snipets of my day

Today has been a pretty good day.  No major hiccups over anything.  Just a slow, steady rhythm carrying us along.  I made a pork roast that turned out wonderful.  Cooked slow with oranges and orange juice, garlic, salt, and pepper.  I had the oranges laying on top of it during cooking.

 Here it is after I pulled it...

I wanted to take some pictures of the chicks now that they are growing and going through their awkward stage.  It was quite funny as the flash on the camera totally freaked them out.  The picture took at just the right instant to show this little guy in mid-startle.

How funny is that?  But with the next picture, they were wise to the ways of the camera.

My favorite lil easter egger...

Love those puffy cheeks!  But now tis tired of posing and decided to protest.

All are safely gathered in now for day's end.  Goodnight all ~~

*Linking to: Homestead Revival Blog Hop #8

Mission Accomplished

I am tired.  I have been running around since yesterday working on stocking up, getting supplies, and finding my son the clothing he needs for his speech later this month.  He and I went to the city yesterday and headed to the mall (ick) first to try (hope, pray) that I could find him a suit coat at a reasonable price.  He really doesn't have any need for such things here where we live.  Going to church requires neat and clean.  Dressing up for him usually consists of a pair of khakis and a polo.  But he has to have a sport coat to go with his khakis for participating in the speech convention.
And I would just like to say, the prices they charge for those things are absolutely obscene.  Obscene.  I knew it was a long shot, but I wanted to spend no more than $50 or $60.  And that's it.   So, we get to our first store.  I started at what I thought would be the most reasonably priced store in the mall.  Hah.  We found the suit/sport coats and they wanted $175!  Do you know what I could do with $175?  Certainly not buying one piece of clothing that will probably only be worn once by a boy who is growing fast and won't fit in it next year at convention time.  At this point, I wasn't sure what I was going to do.   I was wondering if perhaps we could just borrow one from someone we know.  But I told my son that we should keep looking and go to another store.  We went into store #2 and........BINGO!!  $150 sport coats on sale for $60!  Perfect.  Total score.

I then went to the bulk food store and did some stocking up.  I went back out today and did some more.  I added everything from shoelaces to canned goods to supplies for building chicken coops to my preps. Got 16 more heirloom tomato seedlings to add to the garden. And now I rest.  Tis time to stay home.  Much better.

A Necessary Evil

Tomorrow I have to take my boy child to the city.  Tis a two hour treck.  He is participating in an activity in a couple of weeks where he will be competing in speech, he will be judged, there are trophies to be had.  So he has to get some duds worthy of the occasion.

Now see, if it were just me, I would go up on my mountain and quite frankly just never come back down again.  I could be quite content in a one room shanty equipped with a wood stove and a clothes line.  But, I am a mother.  So I cannot fall into my backwoods tendencies 110% with wild abandon.  My children's needs are placed appropriately ahead of mine and thus...to the city I go in the morn. 

But I will be killing two birds with one stone.  After spending my morning in clothes shops surrounded by women of the fluffy sort I'm going to be ready to get back into my element.  So I will be stopping at one of the bulk stores on the way home and making some purchases to increase my larder.  It truly makes me happy to go on a stock up trip for the larder.  Pantry goods are to me what diamonds must be to ladies of a different sort. 

They can keep their bling.  I've got dry goods.

Filling the cold larder

Things are gearing up around my homestead for the busy season.  And once it starts, it just doesn't stop until the frost hits the ground again.  Some of my "busy" has already started, but I'm still in preparation mode for most of it.  Right now I've got 30 baby chicks in the brooder.  Six easter eggers, one dominique, and all the rest are white rocks.  All of them are straight run.  I'm fairly certain the dominique is a roo and I'm planning on keeping him ~ regardless of what it's sex turns out to truly be.  I've got my fingers crossed and double crossed that all six of the easter eggers are pullets. I really want to add all of them to my laying flock.  If they are not all female, I may consider keeping one more roo from them.  A few of the white rocks will also be added to my laying flock. 

My ten rir chickens are awesome layers.  They out did themselves this winter, never missing a beat no matter how cold and dark it was.  They definitely earned their keep.  But I need more egg layers.  I'm selling, on average, 86-98 eggs per week.  And with only ten egg layers...well, you do the math.  I'm starting to get a bit behind on eggs.  And that simply cannot be.  So I'm pleased to be adding new blood to my flock.  I can't wait until late July when I should start getting eggs from my new ladies.

As for the other white rocks ~ well, they are destined for the freezer.  Once they are all dispatched and safely tucked away into my cold larder, I will place one more order of chicks this summer.  I will raise another 25-30 chicks - most likely all roos - and they will all go into the cold larder as well and  we will be stocked up on chicken for the year.  Tis a fine thing.

Introductions

I am a common sense, down to earth, plain and simple person.  I am early mornings, full pantries, roosters crowing, and the smell of turned earth in spring.  I have no use for make up, high heels, painted nails, or shopping sprees.  Such things make me tilt my head in confusion while making me shake it in aggravation at the same time.  I don't have time for such things nor the inclination to put value on them.

I like to know where my food comes from.  For fresh vegetables & meats if I don't grow, raise & dispatch it myself I prefer to get it from local sources who I know grew it, raised it & dispatched it in a humane manner.  Around here, meat animals know what it's like to feel the sun on their faces.

I know that I am different from most but I make no apologies for that.  I am who I am through the experiences & trials of my life and the blood of generations of backwood folk running through my veins.

I am a backwoods woman.