Spring is here!! almost....

This weekend was filled with warmth and dreams of the future months. There is nothing better than waking early and the sun is shining. How can one not want to go out and get hands dirty?

I was finally able to start my garden. After discussing with our landlords, we got the ok to plant a small garden as long as we fill it with seed or sod upon moving out. So I started with 10 x 10 as a starter.

I'm going to purchase the bulk of my seeds and starter plants from my farmstand store to insure heirloom. I also have a few planter pots that will hold other plants. Since I'm a full time Homesteader and SAHM, I know I'll have the time to tend to these responsibilities like never before. I've kept a small garden and plants over the past few years but nothing this big. And last year really only consisted of a few potted plants. So I'm excited to really start my gardening going for the summer.

This is my perfect time to practice my skills so that we can (hopefully) live off our land in the future. I know that there will be a lot of mistakes and mishaps and that is ok. What better way than to learn from experience.

This years garden will consist of my typical squash, zucchini, peppers and tomatoes. But I will also be trying my hand at corn since we go through so much. And also want to try some peas. Broccoli will also be making an appearance albeit small as Beanie and I are really the only fans. And then some spinach, carrots and butter crunch lettuce (Greg's Favorite). I also plan on purchasing another blue berry plant to hopefully produce berries for my sweet Papa. They are his favorite!!

Big plans for sure!

While today is snow covered again, I know that is only for today and tomorrow will be warmer. I cannot WAIT for only warm days and to be able to spend the majority of our days in the garden and outside.

The smell of Fresh Clean Clothes....

YAY for LAUNDRY!!! Ok not really but its a necessary evil that must be had. And in our house...it must be had A LOT. Oh the days when laundry was just a couple of loads on the weekend. HA! Then two little bundles later and we've got a load every couple days and with a potty training toddler??? Forget about it! And that stuff adds up after awhile! So to combat, at least part of the necessary evil, I make my own laundry detergent and fabric softener sheets.

I will, in the future, do a post on laundry detergent, I promise. I just have a ton left BUT I did run out of softener sheets the other day so that means another batch! Now I used to do the whole "downy ball filled with vinegar" for a while. But I really missed the smell of fresh clean clothes. I love opening up the dryer and getting that warm burst of freshly cleaned clothes hit me in the soul. Such a greatness. So I was on the hunt. And low and behold......I found it!

Homemade Reusable Fabric Softener Sheets

You will need:

• Purified Water
• Fabric Softener of your liking (I REALLY love the Mrs. Meyers Lavender)
• Strips of cloth (I use old cloth baby wipes I had previously made)
• Measuring spoons

Preparation

 

1.) You are going to want to use a plastic container to store them in. I used and old yogurt container for mine. Measure out 4 Tbsp of fabric softener to every 10 Tbsp of water. I usually double the batch. Mix it up really well.

2.) Add your pieces of cloth. I usually put on the lid and give it a few good shakes. Now that is it! Super easy right?!?

Just add one of these to your load in the dryer as you would a regular disposable one. After the laundry is done drying, you can technically use it for another load. Then just add to your wash again! Clothes smelling Lovely again!!

The Great "Health or Taste" Debate

 

If there's one thing you know about me its that I love good food! I've always liked the way my "Papa" always said it: "I like the taste of food". Its true. Is there anything better than sitting down after a really great meal and feeling completely blown over and satisfied? no I don't think so. And I don't think that the taste of food should diminish because you want to be more conscious of food. I think if anything....it gets better.

People have this big misconception that more conscious means flax burger and soy milk. Green seaweed drinks and quinoa loafs. I'm sure those things are all nice and tasty but not something that I'm willing to subject my family too. At least not yet. ;-). It also doesn't mean you have to pay an arm and a leg for it either. We are a one income household. Penny pinching is the name of the game here. And I'm not going to let my families health decline to do so. It just takes a little bit more work. But since I'm now a SAHM...I feel that this is part of my job now.

So these are things I do to achieve both:

1.) Become a "Locavore":  No this isn't a crazy dinosaur....though my two year old would be ok with that. This means try to purchase local. Go to farmers markets. Support your local businesses. Support your local economy. I've learned that just doing a little research on the internet can go a long way. I've found great little family farm stands and shops. And a great thing about this is not only are you going to the source for your food but these farmers talk! So if you can't seem to find something just ask and a lot of times they can point you in the right direction. Multitasking!!

2.) Buy in bulk.  Most of the money you shell out when purchasing a certain product is gone towards packaging and handling. For example: Meat. Today was meat day in the homestead. Now normally we purchase 1/4 side of beef and 1/2 hog a year but being we are still pretty new to the area, we haven't gotten to really picking out a new farm. Sooooo I found a butcher shop in the mean time. Yes THEY STILL DO EXIST. And I promise you 9 times out of 10 the cuts are better and better price. So on Friday, Beanie and I went to the butcher to purchase our meat supply for the next couple months. I purchase 3 whole chickens (learn to break down a chicken. I will have a post about how this is done in the future. But really I promise its not that intimidating and you save a ton of money in the long run. Plus there is less waste), 1 GINORMOUS pork loin, and 4 steaks. And yes this means a little work involved. I roasted one of the chickens on Friday and we had leftover meat for Saturday night nachos PLUS carcass to make chicken stock. Today I broke down the other two chickens and got 2 packages of boneless breasts and 2 packages of legs and wings. That's 6 meals of chicken plus more bones for stock. The steaks were packaged into 2 packages of 2. And the Loin was made into 4 packages of chops, 1 whole pork roast which will probably last us at least 3 meals, and I ground some to make 2 packages of sausage. A little work but the meat will last us a while and I'm still supporting local economy.

3.) READ YOUR INGREDIENTS  I can't stress this enough. My rule of thumb is....If I can't pronounce it, I'm not eating it. I also follow the "5 ingredients or less rule." Chances are those two things save your money and your health.

4.) Produce what you can from home. Plant a garden for vegetables and produce. Build a chicken coop for eggs. Learn to make bread. Did you know you can make bread from just a few simple ingredients and NO KNEADING?!!? I'll do a post on this recipe soon. But YEAH! Its possible. And it tastes SOOOOO much better and costs just pennies. The more things you can produce from home, the better. They taste better and usually costs way less.

5.) Purchase whole foods. I'm not saying shop at Whole Foods (though if you can afford it or swing it than great!) but we don't have one close or the pocket book. This means vegetables, meat, nuts, grains, etc. I read somewhere that if you stick to the outer part of the grocery store than you are golden. ITS TRUE!! This is where most of the real foods are. Produce, Meat, Dairy...these are all around the edges of the store.

Obviously there are exceptions to every rule. You have to do what is best for you and your family. And I'm not saying I am all knowing. These are just some guidelines that we follow and has helped us in the end. I have been able to slowly widdle out most of our processed items in our pantry and fridge and didn't break the bank doing so. Plus I still make tasty treats for my family.

 

 

Introductions

When I had found I was pregnant with my first baby I was convinced that the "Working Mom" was the life style for me. Living in Seattle, "progressive working mothers" was the way of life.  Then that little bundle of blue eyed energy came into my life bringing a whole world of new feelings and emotions. Now I have always been a health conscience person of moderate affair and was blessed with the ability to go to culinary school to explore that……I’m getting off track. Let me start from the beginning. My name is Nikki and these are my crazy adventures of stay at home mom/homestead beginnings/complete transition for our family to local and homemade sustainable foods.

I have always been a self-described hippy at heart. Always in tune with nature and the healthy ways of sustainable lifestyle. Culinary school really solidified that for me in that I was able to taste and see the difference when incorporating local and natural ingredients. But when my two beautiful bouncing girls came into my life, first Sophia in the spring 2009 and then our early Little Bean or Lilith in the fall 2011, these principles really took on a new meaning for me. I began noticing I was reading labels more closely and asking where items came from. Now I’m not saying that I haven’t stepped foot in a grocery store since then. Times have been hard and to be honest: my babies gotta eat and I had to work. But over time and much contemplation, our family has found it best for me to be at home which affords me the time to really hone in on my skills of honest cooking and care.

I gave notice at my job and November 15 of 2013 was my last day of paperwork master. I can’t tell you how excited I am to be able to practice these principles I have grown to love. Teaching my children where our food comes from is so very important to me. We started our adventure, way back when, in Seattle, spent a short jaunt in Utah, and now live in Kentucky with amazing people and opportunity surrounding us. I truly think its a good fit. While we don’t have quite the food “selection”, per se, as we did in Seattle, we definitely have a different variety. And I’ve never been one to shy away from a good cooking challenge! And I hope to be able to share some these with you from time to time.