And the winner is ...

Congrats to Mallory! So what's it to be?
Golly and Gee (jee) ~Rendiru 5 points

Zora (gander) and Cora (goose).~Merry 6 points

Rupert and Alice ~ Mallory 10 point WINNER! +10

Tommy Lee and Nikki Sixx ~GR 7 points

20 points to Buffra for the Donald story

Ricky & Lucy :-) ~polli 7 points

Maggie and Moe ~mysterylady36 5 points

Robert & Francesca
Rocky and Bullwinkle
Boris and Natasha
Yogi and BooBoo
The Skipper and Gilligan
Tom and Jerry
Popeye and Olive Oil
Featherstone and Tattertale
Mr. McFly and Lady Bird
Honkers and Bonkers
Chili and Pepper ~bobarama 10 points for thinking about it so hard ;)

Shane/Shannon
Tierney/Tess
Declan/Devin
Finn/Fiona
Irial/Anya
Angus/Abbey
Keiran/Kelly
Gavin/Grace
Sam/Sophie ~ Rubyreader 10 points for knowing me so well.

Proud of that chicken blogathon entry # 30

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of? ~ Polli

The fact that I can now dress a chicken in 30 minutes.

10 points to polli for cracking me up!

Pride and Teasing blogathon entry # 29

Does your extended family support your homesteading efforts? ~ Polli



My father is very proud, and extremely supportive. He told me stories about his father who use to own a 4,000 acre cattle ranch, and that my grandpa {who I have never met} was looking down on me, smiling. I am now the favorite grandchild.

My mother and her husband help out with experience. They own 120 acres. {this was acquired after I had grown} She has some experience in things. Now they live in the city due to my mother's illness. {She has lupus}

My husbands family like to tease, but I think his parents are very proud of all that we have done. My husband's brother has even bought some land, and trying his hand at cattle. But we only see him when he wants something.

6 points for polli!

You still have one hour left to name my geese and win your choice of tomato product! Go here.

Slow moving poop. blogathon entry #28

Okay, here come the questions from the city girl. I've got two greyhounds: not donkey-sized, by any means, but still capable of leaving behind a mess. So... If your donkey poops in the street, do you have to stop and clean it up? And where will you park the cart while you shop? Will the donkeys be safe? Will you be safe, with the cart on the local roads and battling the local traffic? (How far is it into town, anyway?)~Kf-in-Georgia

I have no idea if you have to pick it up or not. We'll put a diaper on it to be safe. Do you not have Amish in your community? Horse and cart or in my case, donkey and cart, have the right away. You must also place a slow moving vehicle sign on the back of your cart, while riding close to the edge of the road a possible.

Into the closest town we are only 4 miles {4 long miles} and into the city we are 24 miles.

12 points for kf!

That's a big mold hill! Blogathon entry # 27

I like the idea of your house being built into a hill -- of some sort. But won't it get wet and moldy smelling during rainy season? Or don't you have a rainy season in kansas? ~ greedyreader

We do have a rainy season in Kansas, it's called spring, and things like to flood.
There are different measures that we will need to take to ensure that are walls do not end up like this. Different types of liners to keep ground moisture out, and good ventilation. The dry heat source will help dry out the air. As well as paint.

Do you remember when? Blogathon entry #26

Do you remember why I am doing this? Well I do! We are raising money for Farm Aid.

Take a moment a read this interview by another blogathon member.

As of this post, we have raised $365USD for Farm AID! WOOHOO! You guys rock!

There is still time to Sponsor Me!

None of your donations will go through me, instead when we are all done here, You will get an e-mail with the URL for Farm Aid's donation center. Or go directly to their site and donate.

Thank you guys. You are helping to ensure that families keep their land, and that we always have the best foods on our table.

What for the donky O' blogathon entry # 25

sheep and llamas give you wool, but what does one use a donkey for? ~ one4worldpeace

Donkeys are wonderful pack animals. I really want one so I can hook them {I need a pair} to a cart and ride into town to do my shopping.
3 points for one4worldpeace!

A Hobbit with a sponsor blogathon entery #24

Why do I get visions of hobbit holes when you talk about underground houses?

My home is built into a hill, so the back half is halfway underground. We have never had to use the heater or fan in that area, as it stays almost the same temp all the time. It's just the other half of the house that gets cold. The downside is, no natural light comes into that back area. ~one4worldpeace

Because that's what it is, only larger and with taller entry ways.

We thought of that problem and have looked into various ways of solving this. We are going with skylights in the roof, through the sod, as well as strips on the side. To hide, as well as protect our widows, we will be planting low flowers around it and then adding a decorative, but sturdy wrought iron fence. It will look as though the small hill has gated gardens. The upstairs loft will have a bay window.

Another aspect to the house that I neglected to mention. We will have a sunken patio. The sunken house has a sunken yard! Yes it does. We will have a small green house as well. The entire south side of our house will be open. Hope I am explaining this correctly. {I wish my scanner worked} Imagine a bowl shaped hole, place a two story house in the hole and push it up against the north wall, leaving an open are in the hole on the south side. Now cover the top of the house with dirt, but do not fill the hole. Makes sense {Oh I hope it does}

as for flooding {what I beat you to the question?} We will be installing french drains.

15 points for that question one4worldpeace!

You can ask any question that pops into your mind on any of my posts. I am answering them in the order they show up in my e-mail.

You can still Sponsor Me! All sponsors will be eligible for a wonderful photography book! It's about the farmers!

A Cash Crop with a challenge blogathon entry # 23

Do you plan on growing wheat, or other cereal grains? Do you plan on having any cash crops? What have you planted in the way of an orchard? ~ one4worldpeace


That's what I forgot to mention, we have some wheat and alfalfa. Right now we are not planning on a cash crop, at least not any time soon. If it gets to the point were I have mastered the organic garden, I might just do that. As for my orchard, several apples, peach, apricot, pear and nectarines. We also have pecan, walnut {both the black and English kinds} hazel nut, I can't think of another one, our dogs just killed a rooster.

we have blueberries, raspberries, black berries, and grapes..

4 points for that one, one4worldpeace.

Challenge # 3

Name my geese. No really! We call them goose and gander. But I think they need real names. Everyone that replies gets points on how great I think the names are. All entries will be placed in a hat and the winner that is drawn will receive;The tomato product of their choosing. Be in chili sauce, ketchup or just stewed. So start thinking about what you would call a goose! Challenge closes in 4 hours of this post.

And the winner is ...

Please contact Greedyreader with your address. CONGRATS!

oneforeworldpeace 10 points, you know I like blueberries! + 10 for winning.

Rubyreader 10 points for sucking up ;)

Greedyreader 10 points because your picked on + 10 for the donation

Rendiru 15 points, because my cousins teased me about the snakes too

Buffra 20 points for the sweet memories

livestock R us blogathon entry # 22

Perhaps some thoughts on what kinds of livestock you might add to the homestead in the future? ~alrescate

Besides getting more and more chicks....
my frizzle chick

We were talking about a milking cow, sheep and llamas. We have also thought about adopting a donkey. Once we get more land, we thought about a couple of Draft horses to go even more old school.
Cattle that we babysat for my brother-in-law

30 points for driving into town just to post this question! Right on alrescate!

Blowing sun blogathon entry #21

You mention that you are choosing solar over wind. Is it possible under the rightconditions to use both so you have a constant supply of energy? how many turbines would you need for your area? how big are they/how much room do they take up? ~Rubyreader

Solar stores in a central battery unit, so the supply is constant, and it is possible to use both. For more turbine info click here.

You can buy smaller turbines.

Our problem with room, is the height. Prop planes fly too low for them to be here. Of course, if we decide to look further into this, I will get you more info.5 points rubyreader!

Only an hour left to tell me your farm story {real or not} to be put into the drawing for a hand made scarf!

trying to get that 100 points

Marina!!

one4worldpeace wants to know if this is the book you are looking for.

Could this be the book? Laura's Scrapbook?

A meatless change of subject? blogathon entry #20

I bought some corn. Any good corn chowder or soup recipes. (Especially meatless varieties?)

~ hungry and greedy reader

Sweetcorn/Potato Chowder

This will serve 4

1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 medium potaot, chopped
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 small green pepper, seede, halved and sliced
2 tsb sunflower oil
2 tsp butter
2 1/2 cups stock
salt and ground black pepper
1 1/4 cups milk
7oz lima beans
11 oz of corn
pinch of dried sage


put all the veggies, except corn and beans, in a large sauce pan with butter and oil

heat until sizzeling, turn heat down to low. Cover for 10 minutes shake pan once in a while

pour in stock, season to taste and turn heat back up, bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes

add milk, beans corn and sage. Simmer 5 minutes. season to taste, serve

7 points for changing the subject, Greedyreader!

Was it your fault that other families don't trade 4H? Blogathon entry #19

So whose idea was the homesteading thing, and how much convincing had to be done?

Are you a 4H family at all? Maybe that might get the boys inspired and your 9 year old would not be so bored in the summer.
Do you have other families in your area that you trade crops with?

-Rubyreader

I'm not sure whose idea it truly was. It started off as us having a garden and I wanted to can. I asked my mother if I could borrow one of her books, and it was on homesteading. I started trying some things out here and there. We decided we wanted fresh eggs, then meat, and then things just kept going, and seems to continue to go.

We are not a 4H family. To of my boys are too young, and my oldest has no interest in it. We do not trade crops with any one. Though we do have a row for the poor. We are looking for other families to trade seeds with though.

5 more points for taking the time to ask so many questions.

Challenge #2 is still on, click here

Build a home while eating lunch blogathon entry # 18

will building your own house be a part of this homesteading experience?

-Rubyreader

That's a yes and no. Yes, because it is our homestead. No because you don't have to build your own home to homestead.

My husband is a jack of all trades master of most. Building our own home will save us money, I believe it is estimated that it will save us 50% of the cost. And then you can go back to the self reliance thing.

4 points for curiosity Rubyreader!
* * *
So, what did you have for lunch? I had 2 Cheerios and a big glass of lemonade ~Marina

Egg salad

2 points Marina!

Invasion of the mole people blogathon entry #17

Could you explain more about the underground shelter? I knew you wanted to do this, but I am not sure exactly what the plan is.

-Rubyreader

{ alrescate asked something similar early this week}

I know some will ask, here is the book my husband told me to buy him. {Yes, told. And when I saw it I cried "I don't want to live in a fifty dollar house!"}

What will happen is that we will dig a 2,000 square foot basement, with a 1,300 square foot wrap around loft. Then put sod over the roof, and all you will see is a door set into a 4 foot tall hill. {Imagine sinking a house, and there you go} The link above might help more. My husband is napping, and this is more his project. I will try to update this entry more when he wakes up.

5 points for the both of you!

We now have $341USD for Farm Aid! Not too late to Sponsor Me!

Feel free to keep asking your questions.

Mary, Mary quite young to cook Blogathon entry # 16

You had a childhood dream to be a homesteader? How cool that you are living your dream now.
You cooked a full meal at age 8?!
Who taught you how to cook? I don't know many 8 year olds that have cooking skills beyond making sandwiches or toast.
I am trying to catch up on this blog, and you may have already discussed this, but what kinds of things are you growing? Do you homestead the whole year or only during certain times of the year?
I really know nothing about growing anything. I can't even keep my houseplants properly fed and watered, this is fascinating!

-Rubyreader

Not so much a dream, but a fantasy. I grew up in the suburbs, wanting to be the little girl that lived in a house in a hill. I had a tire swing that I would pretend was a bucking bronco. I was still getting muddy past the age of 12. And it is very cool that I get to live out my fantasy. {how many girls get to say that line?}

I did cook my first full meal at 8 years of age. My father taught me how to cook. He is magnificent in the kitchen. My son cooked his first dinner for us at the same age, it's just a matter of getting them involved, and making it fun. My 4 year old is learning now.

What is in my garden? Lot's of things. My garden is around 4,00o sq ft {no, not a typo four thousand square feet} We have several varieties of tomatoes, and peppers, cucumber, peanuts, corn, butternut squash, spaghetti squash, 2 different watermelon, potatoes, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, zucchini, carrots, onions, cabbage, 2 different pumpkins, sunflowers {edible} I think that is everything, if not I will tell you later.

We homestead throughout the year, no breaks if you want to live free!

3 points for you Rubyreader!

And the winner is ...

Polli! WOOHOO! Congrats. You just one yourself some homegrown completely legal herbs! 10 points to you my dear!


Challenge #2

For this challenge, I would like for you to tell me a story. It can be true or make believe. But tell me a story about your visit to a farm or homestead. Every one that posts here in the next 4 hours will be eligible for a prize. Extra points will be given as I see fit, for the grand prize.

oh, what do you win for this one?








The fabulous, most creative, lovely, beautiful, warm sexy woman on the face of the plant will crochet you your very own scarf. {No not me} She goes by the moniker of Greedyreader.

The picture above is a shawl she made for me, you may not request it.

blogathon game 7

If you want, feel free to reply here with your answers.

Post about your earliest memory.

My earliest memory is ballet class. I don't remember how old I was, but I remember that my mother wouldn't allow me to take my toy horse in with me. I was not happy. She took it from me, and I sulked off into the classroom, only to re-emerge within seconds, screaming and crying as if my life had been threatened with bodily harm. Strange, because the second memory I have is of my first day of kindergarten, I slammed my finger into the car door {which happened to be locked} and my mother began to drive off . And then I was learning to ride a bike. First time without training wheels. I fell over, and my mother, who was riding her bike behind me, ran over my head. {Does anyone else see a pattern here?}

My edumacation blogathon post #15

how did you ever learn how to do all of this? oh and when I do I get to sample some of this soup you have been canning? :)

-Rubyreader

I read, a lot. I have purchased numerous books, BookCrossers have sent me some. My only problem with the books are that they are written from personal experience and those experiences differ greatly. I love reading about things, but when they start disagreeing with each other, it's time to find your own way. My mother kind of taught me to can. Kind of meaning via the phone.

You want soup? you get soup!

5 points to Rubyreader for being so darn flattering!

30 minutes left until the scavenger hunt ends!

Dited for oneforeworldpeace. Look here for some of the books I use

My children loath the country blogathon entry #14

Maybe the farm "clubs" up there might help?~marina

My oldest isn't interested in 4H, but has joined Boy Scouts. Future Farmers of America is offered in high school. Until then I am on my own.

2 points Marina!

You will never guess what has just been donated as a prize for our next game. Stay tuned to find out the winner of the scavenger hunt and what the next game is.

You want me to eat what? blogathon entry #13

What have you grown in your garden that as a child you would have never eaten? And what did you make with it? ~mysterylady36

Radishes yucky radishes.

Of course I shredded them up and topped a salad with them, but I also made;

Hoisin Chicken and Radish Stir Fry

1 ½ tsp. corn starch
2 tbl vegetable oil
4 oz. fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into ½ inch pieces
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into ½ inch strips
1 tbl grated fresh ginger
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 ½ cups trimmed, quartered radishes
4 cups romaine lettuce cut into ½ inch strips
2 cups steamed rice

Combine cornstarch with 3/4 cup water and set aside.

In a large skillet heat oil until hot, add green beans, stirring to coat with oil. Add a tablespoons of water, cover and cook until nearly crisp-tender, 3 minutes, stirring once. Add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is nearly cooked, 3 minutes. Add ginger, cook, stirring occasionally , 1 minute. Add hoisin sauce, bouillon cube and reserved corn starch mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture boils, 1 minute. Add radishes and return to a boil. Stir constantly until mixture thickens, 1 minute. Place lettuce in a large serving bowl. Spoon chicken mixture over lettuce and toss to coat. Serve over rice.

2 points mysterylady36

E=MC Circle? Blogathon entry # 12

A Laura freak, huh? I take it you've read the compilation of articles she'd written about her and Manly's Missouri place?
I had a copy of it stashed away at my parent's place in CA, but it became water-damaged, and I've been looking for another since then. I'll give you 100 points if you can get this woman a copy!

Yay for independence!

So, when are you going to start homeschooling the boys?

[good thing I'm out of reach] ~ marina

It is a good thing you are out of reach. Homeschooling? I have yet to come to a point in my life where I trust myself enough to do such a thing. I fear I would cause more damage than I should. I do not allow only the public school system to educate my sons. We study many other things that I feel that they should know, and explore the things they ask about. Maybe some day I will. I know some of the homesteaders on my webring do homeschool.

3 points marina!

We are up to $336USD for Farm Aid! You guys are great! The scavenger hunt is still open, and will be until 4 pm central time. Go get me some stuff! No cheating and copying off the others!

Still time to Sponsor Me! remember that none of your donations will go through me, after the blogathon, you will directly donate to Farm Aid.

Solar, wind or company blogathon entery #11

In a recent long drawn out conversation with someone else, we discussed solar energy vs wind, and other forms of energy. We did come to the agreement that at least for my area (western Washington state) you could not generate enough with solar alone. So my questions are, do you know anyone in your area that uses solar as their sole power source and can you generate enough to keep you warm and happy?
My next question is about the cost of solar, do you have a plan to buy the set up panels on a farmers budget? ~ oneforworldpeace

First off, I am sorry about your long drawn out conversation. Kansas has more than enough sun and wind. We discussed wind, but we don't have the room for turbines. Our home will be under earth, it stays a relative 53f {11c}the need for cooling will be a matter of opening windows and a system of pipes that run water out from the house and back into the home a fan will be used to push the now water cooled air through the rooms.

For the winter, we have a fireplace, a cooking hearth and wood burning stoves.

Many electric companies do give incentives, and help you purchase solar panels. What do they get out of it, they get your extra electricity. After your "loan" is paid back to them, they start paying you for the use of your surplus, that is if you choose to continue with them.

5 points for oneforworldpeace {not for the question, for being able to sit and disscuss this with others}

Oh! Go Sit And Spin blogathon entry # 10

I'm curious about the wool thing. Do you plan to sell the wool or actually spin it (or whatever it is called) and create your own clothing? With all that you do so far, I am having a hard time figuring out where the time for that would come from! ~mysterylady36

Spinning looks like it would be a cool thing to learn. Maybe someday after I have learned how not to mess everything else up, I might just learn to spin. Until then though, I think we will just be selling it, or trading. With everything else I have to do, spinning doesn't seem feasible.

3 points to mysterylady36

It's all about the Farmers blogathon entry #9

WOOHOOO!

So far we have raised $321USD for Farm Aid! It's not too late to sponser.
Sponsor Me!

Farm aid:

"The fight to save family farms isn’t just about farmers. It’s about making sure that there is a safe and healthy food supply for all of us. It’s about jobs, from Main Street to Wall Street. It’s about a better America." - Willie Nelson, President, Farm Aid

The mission of Farm Aid is to keep family farmers on their land. Family farmers are our only guarantee for fresh, local food. Our goal is to bring together family farmers and citizens to restore family farm-centered agriculture. Family farmers ensure safe, healthful food, protect natural resources, and strengthen local economies. Read more here

And check out their blog Around the Kitchen table

It's all about the food {Game 1}

It's lunch time in the great state of Kansas. Good time for me to get you guys into the mood. Your first challenge, if you choose to except it, is a scavenger hunt. Internet style. The first 3 to return with links to everything I ask for, will have there names placed into a hat, and drawn. Why 3 and not just the first person you ask. Because some of us are dial-up users and I want to give them chance.

The winner will receive and nice assortment of home grown dried herbs {in nice fancy containers}. If you wish to keep this prize, wonderful. Or you can always choose what's behind curtain number 3.

Go find me;

an article on filling in a lagoon

a picture of a blonde child at a state fair

A recipe using Kansas wheat

A recipe that I wrote about for a grilled chicken marinade {hint look in the side bar}

A picture of a dancing chicken

a link to the worlds largest ball of twine

on your marks



get set


go!

Big Brother is watching blogathon entry #8

I don't even know what 'the grid' is?
~ stumped in NJ

The grid would be the power lines and private owned electric companies. To become self-sufficient we want to not have to rely on them for power, hence going solar.


Map of "the grid"

Project runway blogathon entry # 7

Greedyreader asks~ Is making your own clothing something you are going to eventually tackle?

Maybe some day. Right now I can't sew. I learned how to make pillows in 5th grade home ec. But after my sewing partner put the sewing machine needle throw his thumb, I was done. I hope I can find someone to barter my wool for clothing from. I know there are some, just have to get the sheep first.

Funny, I can make chainmaille no problem, but when it comes to fabrics, I am clumsy. Metal is so much easier to work with.

games at blogathon You are welcome to play along!

GAME 3

What's your favorite place in the whole world? It could be favorite park, or Paris, or your room, or anywhere! Post about it on your blog, and send the permalink to games@blogathon.org with the subject line GAME 3. You have 30 minutes to post for a $5 sponsorship

My favorite Place in the whole world would have to be my garden. I get to watch my seeds grow and become adults that will sustain us. It's wonderful to be able to sink your hands into the cool earth when it's too hot to be outside. In my garden I am in another world, where there is no one to bother me, and no one to bother. I love watching my children run through the rows of corn playing tag or chasing butterflies. Besides, what better excuse is there to get muddy?

Children on the homestead Blogathon entry #6

Florafloraflora asks~ How active are your kids in your homesteading efforts, or if they're not old enough to help out, how active do you plan for them to be? What do they like/dislike about homesteading?

I have 3 boys. 9, 4, and 2.

The 2 year old is the most helpful. He is still at the age were he wants to make mom and dad happy. He tries to help with the egg gathering, but the rooster and the geese loath him, and after the first attack, he has to wait on the other side of the fence and I hand eggs over to him. {my gander still tries to get him through the fence}

The 4 year old has decided that he wants to be the laziest child ever to have been birthed. And refuses to do anything, except help me cook. That's fine, it teaches him science and math as well as creativity. and he is more likely to eat his veggies this way.

My 9 year old hates it out here. He is lonely in the summer time. But when it comes to helping, as long as I have the patience to wait out his fit throwing, he will grudgingly help.

A little bit about me; I have a total of 4 boys. When I was 18 years old I gave birth to my first son. I was alone, on my bathroom floor. He was 3 ½ months pre-term, and was only able to be with me for a month. He would have been 10 this year. I thought about having March for Dimes as my charity, but Farm aid was on my mind now. If ever you happen to buy a shoe for March of Dimes, please remember either my Child, Getty, or one of the many other children that could/can be saved with March of Dimes help.

4 points to florafloraflora!

blogathon game trying to earn me some more money

From the Blogathon home site:

GAME 2

1. Play the I AM game! Google your name followed by "is", and post the first several results to your blog.
   
2. Send a permalink (or your URL if you don't have perms) to games@blogathon.org with the subject line GAME 2.
   
3. You have 30 minutes to post and send!

The winner gets a $5 sponsorship.


Phelan is an elegant St-Estèphe in a commune with few

Phelan is Professor Emeritus

Dr. Phelan is one of only 250 dentists worldwide to have received Accredited

Professor Phelan is also Professor of Museum Science

Phelan is hoping to take advantage of a new rule implemented

Phelan is less interested in conjuring present objects

Phelan is one of the reasons that college coaching is the great

Phelan is an inspiration to so many people and he represented all that


How come mine are never that funny?

THE END IS NIGH! blogathon entry #5

Pardon me while I throw things at oneforworldpeace.

No we are not doomsayers. We just don't want to have to rely on others. Things that others take for granted. {I love the program dirty Jobs} We are not hippies {nothing wrong with hippies, my mother was one} We just love working the ground. There is so much pride that comes along with growing your own {food that is}.

My husband says; it's the pride that comes with being independent. {he's a work horse, not a literal horse} We have more time than money.

Thanks for making me laugh oneforworldpeace, 4 more points to you.

I really like this gal, here's some oneforworldpeace trivia. She raises her own bees.

KF-in-Georgia; lj is on a time delay, they will show up shortly.

Call me Laura Ingalls Wilder Blogathon entry #4

Seems that Buffra is a littled peeved that oneforworldpeace took her question. {not really, but we need some good morning drama}

buffra asked~HOW self-sufficient are you/do you want to be?

Glad you asked. Within the year we will no longer be on the grid. Instead of getting our electricity from the company, we will be solar powered. I have 2 wood burning stoves that will go into our new home, along with a cooking hearth. Hopefully we will no longer have to go to the grocery store, as the new house will have a green house attached. We want to grow our own tropical fruits. As I said in the last post, we plan on raising more of our own meat and keep at least one milking cow. My husband read the book 1984 at a too young of age, so I blame all this on him. Once the new house is up, the only bills will be the morgage, internet, phone and propane. We plan on keeping the propane for awhile, I don't like electric stoves.


4 points to Buffra! {she is also blogging for a cause. Go say hi


Oh, the points, well I give them out willy-nilly like. The winner of the contests do get 10 points. Points will add up, and at the end of the blogathon, the top 5 point earners names will be placed into a hat. The winner gets the grand prize of CENSORED

In the Grand Scheme of things Blogathon entry #3

Alrescate asked ~What's your grand plan for the farm? (One year plan? Five year plan? Ten year plan?)

Our farm should take many turns during this time frame. In one year I hope to have our underground green shelter built. In five years our orchard should be producing, and we will be off the grid. {going solar} We do hope that we will no longer depend on others for much of anything. We are getting sheep and llamas for meat and wool, we have plans of a milk cow for dairy, and my husband is trying to convience me to milk a goat {hey, they make good cheese} The ten year plan would being selling and buying more land.

Sorry Alrescate only 2 points for this {She asked a week ago, but I give her credit because she can not be online today}

My first cooking disaster/ why homestead Blogathon entry #2

I began my culinary training around the age of 4. My first full family sized dinner that I went solo at was when I was 8 years old. That would have been my first disaster. I made fried chicken, mash potatoes and gravy, cream corn and a mousse for dessert. I managed to get the fried chicken down, but opening and heating up a can of cream corn proved to be a challenge. I burnt the cream corn. My family, being as loving as they are, ate it anyway.

Why homesteading. It started off as a childhood fantasy. I am a Little House freak! When my husband and I bought our home with the land, I thought it would be a good idea to start growing and raising our own food. It saves us money, though not time. It's a lot of hard work, but we do have fun at it and we are reliant on ourselves.

4 points to Greedyreader and oneforworldpeace

Blogathon 2006

Welcome to my blog. If this is your first time here, I will give you a quick run down. I am a homesteader, at least I am trying to be one. I am a writer and mother of 3 boys. I have a yard full of chickens, goats, geese...pets.

Now that's that out of the way, what will be happening over the next 24 hours? I am blogging for Farm Aid. So far we have raised $297USD! WOOHOO! If you haven't sponsored yet, It's not too late. Sponsor Me!

I will be having a sponsor prize at the end of the 24 hours. The sponsors names are going into a hat and the winner gets a wonderful photography book. Also we will be playing games and quizes to win prizes. Everything is country related. I will also be giving out points for various reasons, so comment if you want in on the grand prize.

Now I will allow you to ask questions. Is there something you want to know about me? Something you have always wanted to know about living in Kansas? Homesteading? Ask away.

Pressure canning: No Frills Winter Cucumber Soup

What to do with all those cucumbers, and you don't need any more pickles? But how can you ever have enough pickles!?! I had to do something so I went the way of cucumber soup. It was difficult to find a winter recipe, most are chilled or mint, things for the summer. Yet I did manage to stumble upon one recipe that was suited for winter.

Peel 2 medium sized cucumbers and sliced. {Those are the things that look like banana slices in the picture} 1 Medium onion, halved and then sliced. {I have plenty of onion}

4 tablespoons of freshly chopped parsley {mine was frozen} or you can use 2 tablespoons of the dried stuff. This recipe calls for 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, but I am canning, so I use canning salt. 1/2 teaspoon fresh dill {mine was frozen} or 1/4 of the dried stuff. 2 tablespoons corn oil, 2
tablespoons cornstarch, 2 cups milk and pepper to taste. Saute the first six ingredients until the vegetables are translucent. {I think my cucumber slices might have been too thick, as they started to brown before becoming see through} In a small bowl, whisk together the water and cornstarch, then stir over a medium heat until thickened. {here is where your soup will not look too appetizing. Ignore it} Slowly add the milk and stir until creamy. The soup is bland so feel free to salt and pepper until it suits your taste. Ladle into canning jars, and process at 10lbs for 20 minutes {for pints, it make 3 pints} or serve hot.














Here's what it looks like before processing.





























I had gone to the Farmers Market last weekend and bought a pound of ground short horn beef from the Meng Family Farm. {They do not have a website, but the link will take you to the vendor page for the farm market} I have never had their beef before. I paired it up with some of my garden veggies {cherry tomatoes and peppers} and made some tacos.
















I also made some carrot muffins, but I will tell you about that later.

It was in the 70'sf {21c}yesterday, and rainy. Felt much better than the 105f {40c} we had the day before. I picked some ready veggies and weeded a bit. Other than that, we hung out a enjoyed the weather. {I might regret that later}

"Wait 5 minutes, It will change"

Due to my recent heat exposure incident, I decided against going outside very often yesterday. By six o'clock that evening it had cooled down to a chilly 103f {39c}. Instead I stayed inside where it was cooler and thought about canning French onion soups. Too hot outside and too warm in the house to do such a thing. So I did housework and pretended to enjoy it. Strange that I complain about working outside, yet when forced play hermit I miss the garden.

My teenagers {heavy chickens} have found a way out of the enclosure and have been wondering over to the neighbors. I guess I don't have enough room for them nor the right type of insects. It's 3 of the 5, that are wandering. I find them in the garden and in the orchard. 1 rooster and 2 hens, I guess he decided that he can't compete with our adult rooster and wants to start his own harem somewhere else. I think they are getting out through one of the non usable gates. I will have to fix that today. {I took a picture of them yesterday, or thought I did. I can't seem to locate it}Around eight in the evening lightening filled the sky. You have never seen a happier bunch of people. There has been no rain in 2 weeks. Drought can be fierce here in central Kansas. We have watered and watered, but still we have lost most of our berry bushes and one grape vine. We will replant next year, try again with more established plants.



At this point I wish to thank my sponsors, antof9, jenny72, alrescate, Rendiru, KF-in-Georgia, mojosmom, MarinaWolf, mysterylady36, and my 3 Anonymous Sponsor. We have raised $249US for Farm Aid! You guys are wonderful! There is still time to sponsor me. If Farm Aid isn't your style, check my links on the side bar. Hold your cursor over the links to see who they are blogging for, so many bloggers with so many good causes.

Remember that none of your donations go through me. Go here; Sponsor Me! and pledge the amount of money you wish to donate. On July 29th at 8am central time I will begin my 24 hours of blooging, updating with a new post every 30 minutes. {It should get intestesting} After the 30th, go to Farm Aids donation site and give your donation straight to them. Remember we are trying to keep Families on their own farms. If you are unable to sponsor me now, that's ok, but please stop by to chear me on. And this weekend don't forget to go to your local Farmers market and buy local, it will help.

Or find your local Wild Oats Natural Market Place.
From the Farm Aid website; "Throughout the month of July, you can make a donation to Farm Aid at any Wild Oats or Henry’s store. Wild Oats will match your contribution, up to $20,000! "

Chocolate layer

This is Chocolate, my favorite layer. She loved playing hide and seek with her eggs. Choosing to cross over the storage area of the barn and laying on the other side. Recently she discovered how to get out of the enclosure all together.
She was the queen of the barnyard. Nothing caused her to fear. Except for the ducks. One would hold her down while the other tried to mate with her. It was horrible, and I was glad to be rid of the ducks.

Yesterday my oldest son ran into the house to inform me that Ya-Ya {our puppy} had been chasing Chocolate. He said he scolded her and moved on. I went outside to move the garden hose and check to see if she was too traumatize. I found her at the side of the garden. The puppy had killed her. It wasn't vicious death, it was a puppy death. She played with the hen until she died, no visible injuries. I was devastated, and ran to find my husband. He didn't even glance from the tree he was water and said "Dress her." Are you serious? I sulked back to where my Chocolate laid and picked her up. She was still warm and pliable, so death had visited only a short time before. I carried her back to my husband and told him he needed to bleed her out then so I could get the water boiling.

Maybe it was my mood, but I was in no hurry to do this. But the water began to boil and I moved outside to the tree where Chocolate now hung. I hard scalded her for a count of 30 and began to dress her. Oddly enough, the job only took thirty minutes. I must be getting better at this. She is now cut up and in the freezer. I will miss that hen.

I might be the only one here that finds this fascinating. But the picture below is of the developmental process of an egg. The fully formed egg is not one of Chocolates. We had that for dinner, before all this happened. But she does have at least one more egg out there that I will find this morning.
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It's Wednesday. That means I am once again pushing for sponsors. On JULY 29th I will be blogging for 24 hours to raise money for Farm aid. Please think about sponsoring me. There is only 3 days left! Family farms around America are disappearing because of big companies and financial woes. Do me a favor, look in your pantry and grab a can of veggies. Then go to your local Farm Market or produce stand and buy the same veggie from them. Could you feel the price difference, can you taste it? What happens when the farmer you just bought from can no longer afford to pay back their loans.? How would you feel if a home that has been in your family for 100 years is suddenly bought out from under you by a corporation? Farm Aid helps those farmers stay on their land. Not only do family farms need your patronage, but Organizations like Farm Aid to help them when things get too dark for them to handle alone. Please Sponsor Me!
And if you are unable to sponsor me, please stop by on the 29th to cheer me on.

Blogathon 2006

I heard back from my charity today :Farm Aid. They are thrilled about me blogging for them, and will be reading the entries. So everyone on their best behavior.

And not only will there be a raffle for the sponsors, but I will also be having some games and a quiz {better study} We have a few goodies to give away. {of course these things will happen in the middle of the night, just so I can have some company}

Don't forget to Sponsor Me!

And thanks, I do feel better.

An interlude of feelings

Some days I feel like I should announce my defeat and set aside this homesteading fantasy. I went into this full of hopes, instead it seems like disaster stalks me. My days are filled with heat and injuries. I have yet to be able to reap any long term rewards, not even the satisfaction of a day’s hard work, for I am too sore and tired to enjoy it. Maybe if I didn’t have children, maybe if I didn’t have deadlines, I could enjoy things more.

It’s tough when you have no one to show you the ropes. When the experts enjoy seeing you struggle more than succeeding. It’s like you have to pass a very hard test, that not only takes years to complete, but the questions have been covered in white out, and it isn’t multiple choice. All I have is books, books and the occasional person trying to help after the fact. Of course I appreciate that help, I truly do. But the books, they are written by others, people that have grown up on a homestead, or spent years perfecting their ways. No one seems to be able to agree on things. Each book, every story is written from experience, from trial and error, and once they have discovered the secret for their own success, they put it down on paper and forget that they too had once been a neophyte, even if that time was when they were a toddler.

I write my blog with humor and a sense of the over dramatic. The humor is my way of dealing with the overwhelming stress of the daily chores. So many things to do. Maybe I have taken on too much. Possibly I belong in the convenient world of fast food and insincere people. I have dropped down too deep into this, drowning in mud and weeds, goat pee and goose manure. The over dramatic come from the way I feel. A way to vent.

Yet when I go outside after a very short nights sleep, and my teenagers, my adults and my bantams {chickens}, and lets not forget my turkey, come running as if they are happy to see me {not starving to death} I smile. I giggle as my stiff fingers type out the mistakes I made earlier in the day. I can feel the pride that comes along with growing your own food as I look down on my dinner plate and realize that nothing on it came from the store. But those feeling are fleeting, and I am back to being grumpy, over worked, and lonely.

If I was the reader, and not the writer, by now I would be rolling my eyes and thinking that this girl needs to get over herself. What was she expecting it to be like? Its hard work little girl, deal with it or go back to the city. As the writer, I would have sucked it up by now, and wrote about how I messed up something else, laughing about it. Yet, unfortunately, I am not the only newbie out there that feels this way.

I’ve seen the old timers {the experts} in their environment. They have made it work, they seem happy and not overly stressed. This is where I would like to be at some point. But until then, I have to fumble along with different opinions and try to make the best of what I have. I never thought that any of this would be easy, I knew it would be hard work, so I am not complaining. {ok, maybe a little, but I do suck it up and move on}

I have decided that I will make this homestead work. I will get over my feeling of isolation. Until then, I will not whine about it, nor sulk. I will keep my head up and not allow others to cause me to feel the defeat that looms over my shoulder. I will keep it at bay. I will be strong, and happy.


Sponsor Me!

Corn Harvest & a Visit to the Famers Market

This weekend my youngest son and I harvested some of the ready corn. We have 9 rows, of twenty feet a piece. We have never done well with corn, so this year we decided that just by planting in shear numbers would guarantee us something. {that's a decision made from desperation} The stalks pictured are Sweet Hickory. They are the ones you turn into corn nuts and Hominy. {I will attempt hominy this year, prepare yourselves for that one}



We did manage to get a few. {this was just the overflow, as you can see there are other veggies in the basket} I filled up a grocery sack with the 2 types of sweet corn and baby corn, the popcorn isn't ready quite yet.











Because of our organic gardening skills {or lack there of} almost every ear had these caterpillars in them. Not one of the ears was a good whole cob. And once again, I lack the proper gear, and had to go old school on the corn. Taking a knife, I removed the kernels for a good 2 hours.











Here's what I ended up with. {As if you couldn't have guessed that one} I big ole bowl of corn. I pressure canned 5 pints. Does any one know why corn takes 55 minutes, while other veggies only take 25? Or had I done it again, and misread something, somewhere at any given point? Ah, well...we have corn for the winter.










On a more interesting note. While the children and I were at the Farmers Market {Where I bought short horn beef and Bison patties, it's meat people, meat!} We wondered into the Extension office. I had some questions on building a Green Shelter, and laws regarding them. Inside there was a library sale {got 4 more cookbooks, WOOHOO!} and two of my three boys made tomato critters at the children’s booth. I am immensely impressed with the culinary skills my boys have shown here.

What to wear while picking beans

Actually this is to help out another blogathon member. But it you are in the mood to get a crow to whistle, or your husband to crash the tractor while trying to get a peek at you, check out Yandy Lingerie

Good luck Bug!

And don't forget, there is a week left before the blogathon. Sponsor Me!

Start thinking about what you would like to ask me. Was there a topic I had glanced over that you would like revisted? Is there a link on my sidebar or footer you were wondering about? Do you want to see what outfits I dress my chickens in? Or do I wear Yandy Lingerie while cleaning the coop? Think it over and start asking your questions on July 29th at 8 am central {USA} time.Sheep really don't care to look this trashy.

If you know who should be credited for the picture above, please let me know. Thank You!