Attitude

I may suck at being a faithful blogger as of lately, but some day life may simmer down and I’ll do better. Right now it’s all about prioritizing.  Regardless this is good little saying I came across today.  I found it while cleaning out my friend’s house a couple years back.  I also wanted to share a few pictures from a recent trip to Florida.

Attitude….The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.  Attitude, to me, is more important than facts.  It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company, church, or home.
The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past.  We cannot change that people will act a certain way.  We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude.

I am convinced that life is our attitude.  I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.  And so it is with you, we are in charge of our attitudes.

—Charles Swindoll

 

Making Broth

 

 

On a regular basis I make soup broth. Currently I have a pot simmering on my 1960′s countertop with a couple quarts in the fridge from last weekend waiting to be made of. We are a soup family regardless of the time of day or season.  I wrote a post about making broth back in 2010 but since then the topic has been brought up time and time again with friends. I am often surprised at how many people have never considered making this simple concoction.  With that said along with my passion for home cooking I felt the need to write about it once again.

 

 

 

 

I make chicken broth more often then any other type of broth.  Beef & vegetable broth I make occasionally. There is no need to follow a recipe.  I usually cook it in a crock pot  anywhere from 7 to 24 hours on low depending on my mood needs.

 

Anytime we eat meat with a bone, mostly chicken I throw the carcass in a bag into the freezer.  Same goes for any extra veggies you may have. You can even go as far as saving carrot peelings, celery ends, and potato peels.

This will take like 5 minutes to whip up and then the crock will do the rest of the work….

• Place chicken carcass in crock pot
• Fill with water leaving a little space for veggies/herbs
• Splash (1/4 – 1/2 cup) of vinegar, I have also heard white wine, lemon or anything acidic.  It helps to sap the nutrients and minerals out of the bones.
• Add an onion, couple carrots, couple celery stalks, garlic if your feeling adventurous
• Couple bay leaves, several peppercorns, sprinkle of kosher salt, and if desired whatever herbs are handy (basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary).  I usually throw in 1 or two herbs, whatever is in season or dried.
• Cook, cool, strain, use for soups, gravies, whatever your heart desires or store for future use.  It also freezes well.

*Modifications…for beef broth use beef bone, for vegetable broth I don’t use vinegar and I use a wider variety of vegetables, whatever left overs I have  fresh or frozen including but not limited to potatoes, zucchini, and tomatoes.

It’s a fairly simple process.  I encourage everyone to try it at least once and compare it side by to store- bought stock.  Pretty sure you’ll be done with buying broth other then for back up stash in your cupboards.  That’s all it took to covert me a few years back.
 

Basic Wine Making ~ So fine Homeade Wine by MM

A couple years ago Kim and I attended a basic wine making class at the Common Ground Fair.  A large, bearded gentleman in a jean jacket stood before the crowd with a five gallon bucket in hand and said, “I’m going to keep this real simple!”  Since then we have had a great deal of fun with the skills learned that day.  We give wine for gifts, bring it to holiday gatherings, bbqs, and parties.

We’ve also utilized wine for bartering as well.  Exchanging for goods as well as pay back for good deeds done.  Plus it’s just plain old satisfying to sit down and enjoy an ice cold glass of relaxation that you created yourself.

To get started you’ll need an air tight container with an air lock.   We use a multitude of different containers including 5 gallon buckets, jugs, jars, and carbouy’s.  The air lock is just a water chamber that keeps air from entering the wine and lets the gasses out.  Clean all containers including bottles with bleach and water.  Rinse well!!




We have made a great deal of apple, strawberry, and blueberry wine as well as a multitude of other fruity flavors, too many to mention.  I start by soaking roughly 1.5 gals of fruit in roughly 3 to 4 gals of water, mash it a bit and let it set in a cool place a couple of days to absorb the flavor. A refrigerator is the best bet or set it outside if it’s cool enough.  Basically your making a fruit infused water.   Next I strain off the fruit and add 10lbs of sugar and 1  tablespoon of yeast to the juice or fruit water.  Sometimes I use bread yeast and sometimes I use  a packet of wine yeast.  Both work fine however the wine yeast is a bit more user friendly.  It forms a hard layer when it drops out of suspension.   If you start with a fruit juice make sure it does not contain preservatives, which could stop the yeast from working.  This recipe will not work with grapes so don’t try it, just trust me on that!!


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We’ve also fermented tea and lemonade adding a bit of ginger which was a big hit with the ladies.  I’ll do a post on that at another time.

70 degrees is the preferred temperature for fermentation to occur so find an area in your home that is closest to that if possible.  It is not an exact science so don’t overthink it, we don’t and we are able to pull it off.  We live in an old farmhouse and the temperatures can vary room to room by 20 degrees in the winter.  The beauty and curse of wood heat.

The magic begins in 2 days.  The yeast grow and consume the sugar creating a byproduct of alcohol and CO2.  Place the container out of direct sunlight and it will make a wonderful bubbling noise until the sugar is gone or the alcohol content is too high for the yeast to survive.  They die and fall to the bottom in roughly 8 weeks give or take a few weeks.
Lastly, siphon it into sterilized wine bottles or mason jars.  Pour over ice & enjoy!

 

No Can Pickles, Margaritas, Guns...heck ya!

 

Like most people I love pickles! I have canned them many times before. However, last year my pickles were an epic failure! I overcooked them or something because they came out way too soggy…..beyond edible.  Anyone that cans knows how bad that sucks.  Lots of work was put into growing those babies from seed, tending the endless amounts of weeds and insects trying to steal your precious goods, picking, cleaning, canning.  Damn!  Well this year my cucumbers did not do well and regardless I was stuck in Florida in the prime of Maine’s canning season.  Thankfully I was home in time to put up my favorite crop, tomatoes.  I was fortunate enough to make up lots of spaghetti sauce, canning some and freezing the last of it as that is the  lazy easy way out.

 
I like canning but honestly I’m all about making life easier!  Making this type of pickles is a tangible goal for anyone especially if someone gifts you the cucumbers. 10 minutes top to delicious pickles the whole family will enjoy…I promise!
This will make a half gallon

• 4 1/2 cups of water
• 3/4 cup of vinegar
• 1/8 cup & 1 tablespoon of sea salt or kosher salt
• 1/4 cup of sugar
• 3-4 dill sprigs (or whatever you want I tend to use more)
• couple cloves of garlic
• several pickling cucumbers washed and sliced lengthwise

Mix first 4 ingredients, bring to boil, cool til warm and place in jar with remaining ingredients.  Cover with something breathable like cheese cloth or a tea towel for 3 days then refrigerate.

The first 2 batches I made NEVER made it to the fridge, we devoured them starting the day after I made them.  Batch 3 that Maine Man made has been in the fridge a couple weeks and are still very tasty.  Not sure what the shelf life is on these but I will definitely figure that out next garden season!




My kids are fortunate to have a good Papa that takes time out to teach them real life skills.

Practicing up so she can beat the boys!

 This is her third year she is able to go out hunting with her Dad.

On a final note I want to share with you a tried and true margarita recipe

This only makes a small amount but if you need, there are lots of conversion charts.

• salt for rimming the glass
• 1 1/2ounces tequila (blanco, 100% agave)
• 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/2 ounce Cointreau (not Triple Sec)

Catching Up....

 

In the past I used to like to blog late in the evening when all was quite on the homestead.  Now it seems I can barely stay awake much past 9 pm.  Even though I have not put a lot of time in this space I do give it a lot of thought on a fairly regular basis.  I find I especially think about what I could write about or what I would love to share when I am in the midst of doing mindless jobs around the farm…. mowing, weeding, stacking wood. Then nightfall comes and the only thing I care to do after cleaning up is spending time with my family or curling up to good book. Days….well they are jammed packed between the kids and the other family commitments I currently have.  Any hoo…here I am.

The most recent book that I completed and thoroughly enjoyed is A Homesteader’s Year on Deer Isle by Anneli Carter-Sundqvist.  It was a quick, easy, inspiring read.  It can be purchased on the website I have attached to the title.  I was fortunate enough to buy the book directly from the author at the Common Ground fair where I listened to her speak.  I admire what she and her husband do yet it the same breath I do not envy their lifestyle as I have a pretty good idea of the work and sacrifices it entails. I am pretty content just doing the semi-homesteading thing we do right here.  Never the less she has made me realize I too could write a book (has been a long-time goal of mine) and she has perked my interest in learning more about fermenting food.  I initially had planned to share a no-canning pickle recipe I recently concocted not once but twice but due to internet glitches that will have to wait to a later date.

 

 

Annabelle is the first calf to be born to our farm.  Being the novice farmers we are we estimated her birth date way before she actually made an appearance into the world.  Did you know a Momma cow is pregnant for 9 months just like humans?  Poor ole girl!  Annabelle was delivered by Maine Man, Country Boy, and a neighbor.  She was a biggin’ weighing an estimated 100+ lbs requiring a little assistant to make her debut.  It meant a lot to us that we had a female as she was born to Lily May our big Hereford that was gifted to us by our farmer friend.  Now we know his legacy will live on!
 

Finding Inspiration....

For the last several years we have attended the Common Ground Fair.  This year being the second year the kids sold their homemade goods in the youth tent. It is an awesome event that we enjoy on many levels.  In addition to marveling at all of the creations local artisans display Maine Man and I always try and take the time to listen to some of the speakers.  We always leave feeling inspired to do and be more!

Above is the boys display.  They are too cool for pictures.

This year we were inspired by folks who spoke of raw foods, homesteading in the 21st century, egg production, and wine making.  MM has been successfully making wine for a couple years now using a fairly basic recipe he learned from the Common Ground Fair.  He actually has a half written post started to share his method but he has yet to finish it so it can be published.  I suspect as the weather cools and he spends more time inside he will do just that.

 

 

Lots of greens captured by Grace

A week ago today I climbed up into the loft of the barn thinking it would be great to capture a few pictures of our gardens.  I had no idea what would follow this picture taking escapade.  The above garden was mostly planted by Maine Man And Country Boy, we call it our vine garden. (squash, pumpkins, and cukes)

The garden above and below are the two I planted and tended so far. Behind the garden is portable shelter MM made for the meat birds.


MM did most of the gardening until last year when his cup runneth over .  So this is only my second year growing gardens  independently and I’ve been damn proud of my thriving beds of greens.  We have harvested so far this season: dill, cilantro, spinach, kale, bok choy, beet greens, radish,  lettuce, garlic, and zucchini.





For pest control I’ve been fairly lucky so far covering my affected crops with row crop covers temporarily.  I swear by that method!

This is the last picture I took of the boys out back haying before the ladder kicked out on me as I was coming down from the loft.  Tried to catch myself on a beam, hung for a bit shredding the labrum and whatever else in my right shoulder.  So needless to say I have not applied make-up in a week, can’t wear anything that doesn’t have an elastic waist, have mastered doing dishes with my left hand, can’t put my hair up, and Tuesday cannot come quick enough as I have an appointment with a surgeon….my how life changes in an instant!

 

 

Wicked Simple Hearty Honey Oat Bread Recipe

 

  

So I confess….I sucked out on the 30 day post.  I made it 13 days somewhat consecutively.  Don’t judge!  I truly had good intentions.   Any hoo…I made this bread the other day and it was delicious and Maine Man really liked it too.  I will be so kind and share it with you because it is easy and it is a must to save in my archives.  Basically you mix up the ingredients, put it in a bread pan, let it rise for 1 hour and bake.  That’s it!  NO Kneading….SWEET!!
2 cups hot water
1/3 cup honey
2 teaspoons salt
2 ½ teaspoons yeast
¾ cup oats
2 cups white flour
2-2 ½ cups wheat flour
1. Place the oats in a large bowl and pour half of the water over them. Let stand about 5 minutes to soften the oats. Meanwhile, combine the rest of the water, honey, and salt, and yeast together in a small bowl, and let stand until the yeast is dissolved and beginning to bubble, 5 – 10 minutes.
2. Add the yeast mixture to the oats, then add the white flour, and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon for 2 to 3 minutes. Continue beating as you gradually add the whole-wheat flour. Add just enough whole wheat flour to make a stiff, heavy, sticky batter – it should not be thick enough to hold its shape outside the bowl.
3. Pour batter into a greased loaf pan and smooth the top with wet fingers. Cover and let rise to the top of the pan, about 1 hour.
4. While the loaf is rising, preheat the oven to 400°F. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until browned on top and pulling away from the sides of the pan. Turn out of the pan and cool on a rack. Let cool 2 to 3 hours before slicing; cool completely before bagging.

This recipe comes from Maine Huts & Trails blog…..Enjoy!


 

Never a dull moment....day 13 of 30

Short & Sweet.....day 12 o 30

 

 

A message to a dear friend of mine.  Despite great distance we manage to stay in touch with one another. I often tear up when I write to her as we reminisce over a great man, her uncle, whom we both loved deeply. Blessed that we’ve maintained contact over the last couple years since his passing.  He still continues to work his magic, shining down from above!

 

 

Though miles lay between us, we are never far apart.  For friendship doesn’t count miles. It is measured by the heart.

 

 

 

 

  

Utilizing leftovers....day 11 of 30

 

 

Sorry I skipped a post again yesterday.  Maybe I should have agreed to do 30 consecutive posts not necessarily daily.  My bad!  Possibly I’ll post two today, or not.
As I sit in my bed typing this post this morning I pause to reflect on how fortunate and grateful I am.  Listening to the hens hackle and the rooster crow while sipping my coffee fixed just the way I like it….a splash of raw milk and couple teaspoons of maple syrup.  Not only did Maine Man prepare and deliver coffee to my bed but he also brought my laptop & camera up and he even made me an omelet.  Every woman should be so lucky!   Have I mentioned lately how much I love and appreciate that man?


 

Back in high school I was a waitress at my grandparents restaurant.  One of our cooks was named Flo.  She was a wild and crazy gray-haired older lady SO full of life! I loved her!  I often wonder if she is still alive.  That was over 20 years ago so I am doubtful.
Every Sunday we served boiled ham dinner.  On Mondays she would make the best dang hash from the leftovers.  For years I have thought about how she made it.  About a year ago I attempted to cut up the leftovers really small and cook it…..epic fail.  Then a while back it came to me.  Take the leftovers and run it through a processor until it reaches the consistency of small chunks, not baby food!   Season with a bit of salt and pepper.  Add a slab of butter in a pan, I prefer cast iron because it lasts for ever, isn’t toxic, and I’m an old-fashioned girl at heart.  Cook until crispy and in this case I fried an egg to top it off with.  This can really be made up with any leftovers that includes meat, veggies, and potatoes.

Flo would be so proud even though it took me 20+ years to recreate her fantabulous hash!

 

A day late, thoughts on diet.....day 10 of 30

 

This post I am about to share is my thoughts exactly about diet.  It is titled “Why I stopped being Dogmatic about my diet” by Prairie Homestead.  Click on the link to read a GREAT post.  I could not have wrote this post any better then she!

Not one, not two, but three.....day 9 of 30

“Tell your kids I have a gift for them.”  is never a good thing in my neighborhood.

So I have this cat named Sparky.  He thinks he lives at my neighbors, Biker Stacy’s house.  So apparently while visiting BS he decided to kill a mother chipmunk and injure 2 out of 3 of her babies.  Her biological cat then saved the baby chipmunks bringing them back to the house.

Can you guess who’s house they are at now?  Can you guess who will become their caretaker after the newness wears off?  Contemplating payback….

 

BBQ at my in-laws....day 8 of 30

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quirky & Best homemade all-purpose cleaner recipe...day 7 of 30

Kinda weird but I can’t even start typing a post until I upload pictures to my post.  Even like in this case where the pictures don’t match the topic I’m covering.
I’m tired don’t feel much like posting, I’ll be honest.  Thinking I’d rather and will be in a moment watching some brainless, feel good show on Netflix.  I’ve had a productive eventful day trail running to kayaking, preparing food, even cleaned up one kids room a bit sorting through what is trash, pig food, and even discovering food that had already been composted. Yes still in her room!   Closed the other kid’s bedroom door and opened his window widely because of the raunchy stench coming from his incubator.  He had 3 geese hatch and never cleaned out the bottom and he has eggs in there due at a later date.  He is away for the weekend, how convenient.  Love my kids…have I mentioned that lately…REALITY, lol!

Speaking of cleaning, my intent was to make a brief post about my absolute favorite homemade all-purpose cleaner.  I’ve tried several recipes but this is my current favorite.  I like it for a couple reasons #1 it does a good job cleaning #2 it’s cheap and you probably have all the ingredients under your kitchen sink!

2 parts water
1 part vinegar
dash of dish soap ( I use dawn)
10-20 drops of essential oil (I use lemon)
You can buy a spray bottle for a couple bucks or repurpose one.

WTH was I thinking.....day 6 of 30

 

 
24  more posts to go….WTH was I thinking? Clearly I was not!  lol
I started everything I needed from seed this year but I still have a burning desire to go  shopping at the greenhouse.  I don’t really need anything, maybe I’ll pick up a few flowers. 2 of the 3 gardens are mostly planted as of today.  MM says he doesn’t garden any more but he kindly tilled up the gardens and he put up some fencing, he also is not shy about telling me what I am doing incorrectly…..whatever!  He says I don’t take direction well.  He has a good point but I am who I am.  MM and my boy will plant the vine (cukes, squash, pumpkins and such) garden this week.  What I don’t grow I will pick up at the farmer’s market.  I will start going regularly as of this week.  I would much rather put $20 or more in to local farmers pockets then the grocery stores.  Not to mention the taste and I am sure the nutrition is far superior.  It’s a good goal for all, we are the peeps that need to create change!

 

The bread recipe everyone requests....day 5 of 30

 

Every time I cook this “no knead” bread for others I get asked for this recipe.  I’ve posted it a few times in the past but I have since had requests.  I added some Italian seasonings to the above loaf.  You can add just about whatever you want in addition to the 4 simple ingredients it is made of ….flour, salt, yeast, and water.  THAT’S it!!  A loaf like this costs about $5 at the farmer’s market….cost cents to make at home.  Click on this link to go to the recipe.  I promise you, it’s wicked easy to make!    Here is the first post I wrote about it in 2010.