Tomato Sauce Recipe!

Sorry - No tutorial today - Camera needs fresh batteries (fingers crossed that's all it is!)  Ill make a tutorial soon - We are JUST starting to get tomatoes so I am sure Ill have plenty of time.

Easy Tomato Sauce

yeld: 5 quarts

(feel free to divide in half (5 pints))

13 pounds Roma tomatoes (any kind will do in my opinion)

1 cup olive oil

1 1/2  cups chopped onion

15 cloves of crushed garlic

basil to taste (I start with 1/8 cup dried)

salt to taste

 

Bring a big pot of water to boil and add the tomatoes just for a couple of minutes until you notice the skins breaking.  I suggest doing a couple batches to make it easier.

cooking just a few minutes just until the skin breaks.

Drain and remove skins, core, and run the "meat" thru a food mill or food processor.

In a large sauce/soup pot, heat oil to medium, then add the garlic, onion & basil and cook 4-5 minutes.  You want them sweated to a light golden color!

Add in tomato sauce and simmer 30 minutes or until it reaches desired thickness stirring frequently!

Easy Peasy!


Fill your sterilized jars and leave 1/2 inch headspace.

wipe rim clean and put on your lid and screw down tight.

Can per your method/canners instructions or head over to Ball Canning Jars site.  Tons of recipes and info!

"official" 1st day of school for the year

We homeschool year round but we say June is our official start month.  One year down another creeps up!

Kids always say their official start date is in August when public school starts because thats when we start going back to the parks, library... so its not so busy!

Fall Planting

I've been looking for a simple guideline for planting date for out fall garden.  This one looks good.  AND you can print it off.

I'm waist deep in zucchini and am thinking that I would be glad to have a break from gardening but in the same moment know winter is just a breath a away and will have a break then!

What are you planting in your fall gardens???

Being thankful for what you have

 

 

 

~Looking out my back door~

Its hard to be thankful every day.  Its just how (most) of us are - Always wanting a better job, bigger house, more money, more farm land or what have you.

Taking time to sit back and realize most of us have what we need - Roof over our heads, food, clothes our health-

Some days we eat veggie pizza or rice or beans and a lot of homemade bread - It gets old but we have it.  We have deer when its in season and chicken when I go butcher some.  I cannot tell you the last time we bought meat at the store or had beef.

  99% of our clothes are hand me downs, thrift store finds or something of that nature. 

We have 7 kids in 2 bedrooms.  They are still little so it works - but I don't seeing us getting anything bigger ever so it will always work.  

Why shouldn't this all be enough?  Back in the day a woman could raise 10 children in a 2 room shanty with out air conditioning.  There was no stores or restaurants to grab something quick.


I am thankful I choose to be a stay at home mom.  I know it isn't something everyone can do or wants to do but its what I wanted and it took some talking into with my husband before the birth  first daughter. 

It has taken me 10 years to be at peace and thankful for what we have - Sure it would be nice to have cars that are not 26 and 15 years old - But you know what, they both run like a dream, are nice and clean and do what we need them to - get us from point A to point B safely.

Point is there are some things beyond our control but make the most of it and live each day to the fullest :)

Where am I going?

Sorry Im been MIA the last couple (4) months.  Ive been overwhelmed.  Planning homeschool, working on the garden, decided to sell our milk cow, farmers market,  Mr Homesteads car kicked the bucket and had to get a new one, trying to make a real go of my soap business, about to break out my sewing stuff, potty training, teething, blah, blah, blah....

And Ive been wondering what direction to take the blog - recipes & cooking -  off grid - prepping -- DIY- Craft tutorials-

Truth is Im all over the place.  I do a little of this and a little of that. 

I am making the commitment to post at LEAST 3 times a week. Don't know which 3 days but it will happen. 

So here is where I am at - We are raising rabbits again for food.  We have breeding quality Californians. 4 does and a buck and 3 Californian cross does.   Still have a couple of our dairy goats but they are dry.  Have several Buff laying hens and white Brahmas for replacements. 

Have about half my stuff together for the kids school this year.  Hoping this year will be hugely productive.  I only have 2 in diapers so YAY me!  I have figured it up.  In the last 9 years I have changed APPROXIMATLY 35,000 diapers.  I know it sounds like a lot but I have 7 kids and they have all but one been in diapers for 2.5 years.... That's the conservative #  I think its closer to 45,000.

So in essence I have taken about 61 days of my life changing dirty diapers...

I have taken 2 months off from working out.  Plan to start back Monday.  I think I had posted about it before but I lost 106 pounds in 10 months last year after having my last baby.  She just turned 1 year in June. 

I have a horribly wonderful addiction to making soap, hair bows and clothes. I rarely sleep more than 3 hours and my brain dosent shut off till I am so tired that I  cant hardly function.  As soon as the alarm goes off  (if I stay asleep that long) I jump up immediately and get to breakfast & chores.

The garden is doing ok - we are getting monsoon like rains here in mid Mo so you sink 3" every time you step off the porch. 

Ok now that you have a little window as to what is going on,  I need to get new batteries for my camera and get my next blog posts ready!

Possiable Newsletter -

I have always LOVED getting newsletters in the mail.  Something other than a bill just puts a smile on my face.

Yes I know its wonderful to have all the new devices with kindle, nook and so on.  I don't  have any of those.  I have bought e books but there is something about holding a book in your hands that just feels good to me.

I would rather have 1000 books than a mini computer that houses them all.  Call me old fashioned. 

We used to get a dairy news newsletter years ago.  We usually got one every other month.  It was a highlight for me.  To be able to sit down when I felt like it and read up on recipes, tips, different ways of doing things, toss it on the table and pick it back up again when I wanted. Or keep it on the shelf and be able to reference something later on.

We are wanting to take a step back and get away from the hustle and bustle (more so than we already are, if that's possible) I am still going to write on my blog and facebook page!  This will just be more in depth, be a place to help each other connect and have a more personal feel.

What I am thinking is either a monthly or simi-monthly publication.  We are still looking into pricing but it would be very reasonable.  All articles would pertain to the season or time of year.  We would have a small classifieds section and a Q&A section for your questions.  Recipes and a DIY....Articles on various farm and homestead subjects....

Whats your thoughts or ideas?  I really want to know!

Homestead Sunday Dinner Rolls

I cannot tell you where I found the base to this recipe.  I wish I could remember.  I have tweaked it some over this year or so and LOVE the way this turns out! This is my Sunday bread recipe.

 MAKE SURE you let it rise the full 2 hours the first time around. 

2 cups super warm tap water

1/3 cup honey (1/2 cup if you like it a lil' sweeter)

2 tablespoons yeast

2 large eggs

1/3 cup oil

1 tsp salt

7 (+/-) cups bread flour

 

 

Add in water, yeast & honey.  Mix till blended and let stand 5-7 minutes till foamed

Add in eggs, oil and salt - again beat till well blended

Add in flour a cup at a time.  Each till well blended.  Stop adding flour when the dough is still a tad sticky and just starts coming off the sides of the bowl.

I use my Kitchen Aid mixer with a dough hook but I have totally done this by hand also.  If you are using your KA or other stand mixer turn it on low/med for 7-8 minutes or if you are kneeding  by hand about 12-15 minutes.  Should be soft and stretchy.

Put dough in greased bowl and cover with wax paper or plastic wrap.  LET RISE 2 FULL HOURS! (trust me its worth it!)

Punch down and let rest about 5 minutes

Divide out into 24 pieces and form into rolls.  This will fill 2- 9x13 greased pans (12 in each pan)

Cover again and allow to rise 30-40 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Pop in rolls and immediately reduce oven to 350 degrees

Cook for 13-15 minutes or until golden brown.

ENJOY!! 

White Bread Recipe!

I wrote this a week or so ago but was having issues with Blogger vs my laptop!!


So I had some time today.  Hubster is off pushing snow (again) and Im here holding down the fort.  I actually have 5 minutes to myself and in my goal to post more, here I am.

House Wife Homesteads Simple White bread~

2 Cups very warm water
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup oil ( Canola, or Olive Oil)
5-6 cups flour

In large bowl pour in water, yeast, & sugar and let proof for 5 minutes.
Add in salt, & oil into the yeast along with 1 cup of flour at a time until no longer sticky.
Kneed dough by hand till smooth and has slight stretch about 12-15 minutes.  (I use my Kitchen Aid mixer for 7-10 minutes)
Oil a bowl and roll dough in it to cover all side with oil.  Cover bowl and let rise 1 hour or till doubled.
Punch down and let rest 5 minutes.
Divide in half and shape into loaves.
Place in well greased loaf pans and let rise again 30-45 minutes till around 1" or so above pan.
Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Use this for a base for just about anything.....pizza, rolls, calzones, cinnamon rolls, garlic bread.....

Goat kids are not ment to live in the house.

We had 4 beautiful kids born 2 weeks ago come Wednesday. 

(4 of my 7 - pay no attention to the mismatched chore clothes...or the ugly carpet tiles we still haven't changed out since moving 8 months ago!)

 

 

We bottle feed our kids.  I know some of you might not agree with that, doing it voluntarily and all but that's how we manage our milk and to keep them tame and easygoing around us.  I have had goat kids we've left on the Mommas and even though we are out there everyday and they are used to us, breaking in a year and a half+ old doe to milk and stand on a stanchion and not lose their ever lovin' minds is a pain.

 

SO Mr. Hubster decided he didn't want to fashion a kid pen for me till this next weekend.  Ok... So having 5 goat kids in the house for 3 weeks...

 

And yes I can do math.  I bought a new buckling four our new sire since I'm keeping my doelings this year! :)

 

They were HUGE when they were born and started jumping out of their pen in the living room within 2 days.  Usually it takes them a week at least! 

 

Do you have ANY idea what its like to wake up with goat kids jumping on the side of your bed...or seeing them jumping up and down repeatedly on your poor bulldog whose just trying to get some sleep...or slipping in pee on the kitchen floor while you are trying to fill bottles???? (thank GOODNESS I have tile floors!)

 

Of course Hubster is like a big kid and loves sitting with them after dinner.  And the kids have been in hog heaven playing with them all the time. While I get to put them back in the pen.  Over & Over.  And over.  While cleaning up their mess and mopping constantly.  Like I have nothing else to do.  All I can say its a good thing they are cute. They all didn't see a problem leaving them in the house for another week.  They don't have a rag in one hand, mop in the other and a bottle in your back pocket 24/7!

 

(Hubster with the baby and Puddin - Yes I know I need to vacuum my floor.  Can you see my Mother Earth News peaking up from next to the play yard/ playpen or whatever you call it??)

 

What takes the cake though is waking up at 3am to feed the puppy and seeing them all out playing in the kitchen.  Except 1.  Hampton is missing. Hes the biggest one of the bunch.  I looked everywhere then I saw him... PEEING on my husbands recliner.  That did it.  So I went out to the barn at 4AM to make a kid pen. Easter Morning.  Did I mention it was at 4am!?

 

Needless to say they are happy as clams in the barn now and I somewhat have it easier in the house.  Still had breakfast done by 6am which is a little late for me but no one starved to death. 

 

Over the years we have pretty much had just about every farm animal in the house at one point or another.  Usually it only last a few days to a week.  I have found that 2 weeks is my limit with goat kids.

 

After 2 weeks its either them or me.

 

 

Dinner Rolls that are AWESOME

I bake bread - a lot.     Usually 3-4+ times a week.  Yes, I love it & Yes its a stress relief for me!  

I made a 4- 9x13 pans tonight... This was all that was left to take a picture!

By far the BEST rolls I have EVER made!!  So light and fluffy!  So, so , SO good!!! 

These took a little longer to rise but are SO WORTH IT!!!


Check back in tomorrow for the recipe!!

Babies, Babies Everywhere

     I sit here looking at my laptop.  Poor old thing.  Its totally on its last leg and SLOW.  I swore this year I would make my blog great.  ...   ... .......  Herm,  ugh,  Well I haven't taken the time to hone my photoshop skills either to make everything look nice and pretty, but on the other hand I kind of like the real snap shots. I just need to make myself write more!

We are small potatoes, but over the last x amount of years have dabbled in just about anything and everything.  I used to call is flailing now I call it dabbling.  I want to be able to say we have done it all on a small scale and on pennies.  And we are!
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I do better under pressure and when I am super busy.  Its odd but true. 

Well I am busy.


 On Wednesday I took on taking care of a tiny puppy for a friend,

 my prize Nubain gave me quads and shes giving me over 90 ounces a milking!!!! 

 & our barn cat decided my house was a good place to have her kittens...

 I have about 1700 seedlings in my living room, Milk cow needing milking 2x a day, Milk goats, chickens, babies, babies, & babies.  All while Homeschooling and dealing with a teething baby, and my 6 other kids.... chicks in the incubator (review and posts coming soon!)

 Which is all fine and well but Mr Homestead (Hubster) has been gone several nights pushing snow...and is again tonight. It goes from busy to shear madness when hes not here.  But its always fun and interesting.

Oh and did I mention we are about to start feeding sprouts and fodder!!  Have all the supplies and will be blogging our set up and progress!!

One last thing - I also have a STACK of recipes I have been making and need to start posting four you all so check back in often!

Have a recipe you don't want to try- to complicated, to many ingredients, just odd?  More than likely Ill try it- just send it my way and Ill post about it :)

Back In the Saddle again!

I'm Baaaaack!  Can you hear the music....Aerosmith.....

Ok anyway....

Now that we've gotten thru the first of the year I can refocus on my kitchen, garden, and blogging!
Yea! 

Oh and did I happen to mention that I have lost 85 pounds since my last blog post.......  All on my own thank you very much.

Well I had planned this whole baking bread posts but the heating element went out on the oven-- SO
I'll just give you a run down.

We are putting a fairly large garden this year.  I wanted my herb bed to be ridiculously huge but decided to scale back since I'll be doing my soaps this year and have a couple festivals planned.

I have a membership to a seed savers club and get sent 5 packs of random seeds mailed each month.  I also had a $200 order in to Bakers Creek again this year.  They may be a tad higher on the packs but they are in my state and you cannot beat their shipping.

We have always been very happy with Bakerscreek and they are all open pollinated and GMO free.

We got the garden plowed a few times before our snow hit-  between 11 & 12 inches last week. Hubster works for MoDOT so we hardly saw him for nearly a week.  One of the nights he was gone I caught 2 guys seeking around the old farm house on the place - SCARED me to death.  grabbed my gun and hit the back door on a vengeance - scared the pee out of them I think.

 To put it pleasantly I had a very no nonsense approach with an extremely stern tone.......

 

Hubster headed out to get some wood

 

Big things planned - Milk cow calved today!  One of my Nubians should be kidding ANYtime - garden all planned out and seeds sprouting as we speak, Got a new camera and forked out the bucks for Photoshop 11 and 2 books to try and explain it all (we will see how that goes) If I could get my oven fixed this week it may actually be organized around here.

HAHAHA - who am I kidding I SCRUBBBBBED the house down Saturday and you cannot hardly tell today. Between home school, cooking, cleaning, and other everyday tasks its a mad house.  But its my mad house and I run the asylum - wouldn't have it any other way.


Oh and remember Seed giveaway is right around the corner!  Make sure you keep an eye out on our facebook page!

Eggs are coming out of our ears!

  Year before last we bought Turkins (aka necked necks)   We've have had one or two over the years and the kids think that they look funny but have loved them.  So we bought about 40 , straight run, and ended up with about a 50/50 split.  We have eaten several of the roosters- "the meaners" as they are called by my little ones.

We only feed scraps untill dead  of winter then I'll kick out some feed here and there when theres snow on the ground.  I find no point in feeding something is its going to end up costing me $$$$ for a dozen eggs.  They have all gotten along fine but never really laid that well maybe 2-3 eggs a week at best.

Well, just as we started to talk about butchering the hens off and buy replacement chicks this year - BOY HOWDY did they ever start to lay!  Im getting on average 5 eggs a week from these girls!  I've still got my Buff Orphingtons that are 3 years old and am getting 4-5 eggs a week out of them.

My kids are overjoyed that everytime they go outside there is more eggs to get:) 

Hubster isnt thrilled with eggs  but we eat them everyday and I try to cook with them almost every meal.  If I dont use eggs for a day or 2... or 3 then this is what you see when you open the fridge.

Yes these are all ours & yes its about a weeks worth.  I have to say I would so rather be sick of eating eggs than to not have enough!

Im just ready for some homemade butter & cheese!  Feels like forever since weve had a fresh cow or dairy goat! 

I can taste it now...