Category: Homesteading

Frugal Living, Homesteading

I Know How To Can

Heather Bartlett

I decided that it was time to check another thing off of my 2020 goals list and taught myself how to can last weekend.  I learned that it is not nearly as hard as I thought it would be and not nearly as scary.  It happens to be very easy and the final result was tasty jam and jelly.

I decided to start with a free product.  So, I picked the dandelions in my front yard and made the number one thing that I see pop up this time of year on the facebook homesteading blogs I follow, dandelion jelly.  The final product was a delicious jelly that tastes a lot like honey.  I will probably never make it again.  It’s very labor intensive because the dandelions have to be picked and then the petals pulled off.  It took a very long time.   It did give me a valuable learning experience though.  I was able to teach myself, without the fear of ruining perfectly good food, like strawberries.

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Dandelion jelly.  I know that the rings are rusty, I bought new ones.

Yesterday, I went to a coworkers house and picked rhubarb that she was giving away.  I decided that would provide another valuable learning experience without much of a financial investment.  This was very easy jam to make, as it took a fraction of the time the dandelion took.  That includes that commute time halfway across Milwaukee and back for the rhubarb.   The result is delicious.  I hear it tastes great with cheese, I can’t wait to find out.

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With strawberry season coming up, I plan on making a big batch of strawberry jam.  At that point, I should be ready to preserve that garden bounty.  Fingers crossed that we have a better garden season this year than we did last year.  Have you acquired new skills or hobbies during your time at home?

Homesteading

Seedlings

Heather Bartlett

Eric has started to plant the seeds we will be growing this summer.  He painstakingly spends hours with these little guys, knowing that 30 sprouted seeds might yield 3-4 plants.   I am already going through cookbooks, anticipating the bountiful produce that we will have in a few short months.  It’s been a long, hard winter.  Personally, I have started to buy frozen vegetable from the grocery store because the fresh that is offered, tastes off to me.

I have not forgotten about this little side project.  Sadly, I was without a desktop computer for a little while.  I could have continued on my phone, but my eyes are too weak and my fingers too fat to accomplish that task.  I have a computer again, an Apple!  So I should be up and running again.  I have been experimenting in the kitchen and have a wonderful Chicken and Wild Rice soup recipe that I am anxious to share.  Happy Tuesday friends.

 

Seedlings

Homesteading, Recipes

White Bread Recipe For Bread Machine

Heather Bartlett

We make our own bread in a bread machine that we have had for 22 years.  No plastic bags, no additives and it saves us money.  Plus, it just tastes better.  The recipe below is our recipe for basic white sandwich bread.

 

Basic White Bread Recipe

1 cup plus 3 tablespoons of water

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 tablespoons sugar

3 1/4 cup all purpose flour

2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

How to make bread in a bread machine:

  1. Add water and oil into the bread pan. Add salt, sugar. Add flour.

  2. Make a small well on top of flour and make sure it does not reach wet ingredients. Add the gluten and  yeast to the well.

  3. Use Basic bread, 1.5 lb loaf, medium crust cycle (3 hrs 10 minutes)

    bread

Homesteading

So Many Eggs

Heather Bartlett

eggs

Our chickens are having a very prolific first winter.  We are getting several eggs every week, which we are so grateful for. It has been several weeks since I needed to purchase additional eggs from the grocery store.   For years, I purchased brown eggs because I liked the color.  Our chickens are laying every color of the rainbow it seems.  It is hard to believe the shades of blues and tans that they are laying.  So beautiful.

This morning I hard boiled 6 eggs and made deviled eggs out of them.  I don’t know if they actually taste better than what I can get at the store, or if it is my imagination.  Either way, they are a true gift.

It is at least 40 degrees in Wisconsin today, so the chickens are wandering around the yard looking for scraps to eat.  I am confident that they appreciate the exercise and sunshine as much as any of us would.  Honestly, they are more trustworthy than dogs.  If I let my dogs out to wander, I would never see them again.  But those 4 girls are reliable and stay in our yard.

Eric also checked out the hives today, since the weather is cooperating.  He said all 4 hives remain active and he is optimistic that they will survive the winter.  Only a couple more months and we can venture back into the yard and enjoy the warm weather.