Our honey bees have been out of the hive every warm day so far this year.  We’ve added to our colonies by one with a total of three hives.  Two of our hives are of the Top Bar or Kenyan Top Bar style, and the new third hive is a more traditional Langstroth  style.  The photo here shows son #2 inspecting one of the top bars this spring.  I don’t recommend checking bees without gloves, but he thinks the added dexterity is to his advantage.  His desire is not to accidently crush bees, a bad situation that releases a warning scent that puts the hive on defensive mode.   He was not stung on this inspection but he was on the day I was with him.     Perhaps I need to be more relaxed and save my instructional time away from the hives?

While the nectar flow is developing the hives are fed sugar water with special feeders.  Our beekeeping books tell us that the queen will lay more eggs if they have plenty of food which means more workers will be hatched and ready to go when the nectar is more abundant.   If food is scarce, they will eat what is available sharing with the entire hive down to the end at which they will die off all together.  Not a good thing.  We’re so pleased they made it through the winter of their first year and anticipating our first honey harvest this fall, while trying not to count any chickens before they’re hatched.

Speaking of chickens, number one son is making me a trade.  By covering for him at the Farmer’s Market he’s buying me some 2nd year laying hens from some friends who live a couple of hours east.  My real adventure kicked in when it became apparent that I needed to make the necessary poultry pen to house said hens.  My farmer man is busy with spring chores and planting so he can’t help beyond quick brainstorming sessions and passing observations as he hurries off to his projects. Number 2 son and I spent several days reworking some calf hutches and adding chicken-wire to bent-into-a-hoop hog panels.  The hens arrived during lunch time one day last week and we did our best to make them at home (and make them stay at home–one was a determined escape artist from the get go).  Amazingly we had eggs right away, no transfer trauma on that count.

Some innovations we found on-line were how to make a feeder and a self watering system from 5 gallon buckets.  We’re also using them for nesting boxes and four days into the project they’re using them as we intended.   The waterer and feeder ideas can be viewed on YouTube posted by Ric Steel

“How to make CHEAP Chicken waterers at home”

I will say that the oil pans he uses for bases are great, but to buy one locally I had to pay $12 for a metal one from the local NAPA Autoparts store.  Later I found a slightly smaller but still workable plastic version at the Dollar Tree for $1.00 each.  Much more to my liking

The information on making nesting boxes can be viewed here:

How to build chicken nest boxes out of recycle 20 litre pail

Note:  this film is very home made, but don’t let that deter you from viewing all this woman has to share.  It’s very practical and it’s what I used to build ours.  We bought 5 gallon buckets & lids from Home Depot, but if you can get them second hand (restaurants, etc.), you might get them cheaper or even free.  I simply didn’t have time to search out another source.

The best part about spring is coming full circle to see that being thankful is something I need to keep focused on by practicing.  It’s so easy to see all the things that aren’t working right and spend too much time tallying up disappointments.  The Lord has been so good to remind me again that I am created to depend on Him and that His power is made perfect in my weakness.  The transformation in my attitude has been like night and day, or more frankly deep, dark depression, excessive misery vs. getting my sparkle back, having inspiration to attempt new projects, seeing God’s blessings in technicolor (for the first time in what seems like ages!) and joy in heartfelt worship again.  God is good.

May you enjoy or taste again the blessings of the Lord this spring!

Cordially,

The Reluctant Farm Wife

Back when we’d all barely hung up our 2012 calendars for January, our household experienced the unfortunate disaster of a trucking accident.  As I reported at the time, there were no – Thankfully –  physical injuries to my hubby, but our truck was rendered un-drive-able because of the damage to the front end.

I’m pleased to say that after a lot of ‘on-farm’ repairs by my farmer man and some outsourced radiator work, our truck is back on the road.   We’re not trying to take it so far from home these days though.

I’m thankful for the extra caution hubby has taken on since the first week of January  Now he chooses a closer buyer, pulls off for the night when the weather gets iffy on road trips, and takes a more reserved attitude in general about driving.  I’d rather have it this way than not — simply because a bit of caution never hurt anyone.

So, there you have it.  All’s quiet on our western front.  I can like it that way.

Cordially,

The Reluctant Farm Wife

Some confessions here.  This far into the new year I OUGHT to have my greenhouse well underway.

I don’t.

My farm guys are busy.  One son with a side business that takes him away from the farm for days at a time, & my main farmer man just finishing off the harvest of our corn from last year.   Now he’s working on a manufacturing project so he can add some value to a crop we haven’t been able to sell yet.  Roasted soybeans anyone?  [Feed grade only]

We, as a family have been juggling bookkeeping work and school work with some trade shows and another long bout of illness that seemed to run through nearly each family member.

So I keep thinking about getting out to the greenhouse…and what it’s going to take to get things up and running.

My mental list:

1. Inventory seed on hand (separate into groups according to planting season)
2. List crops I want to grow this year (check notes from last year)
3. Determine the “bee friendly” spaces for flowers
4. Write out a “to purchase” list for seed
5. Determine crop rotation for this year –and–
6. Sketch out a 2012 garden plan for Spring, Summer & Fall growing seasons.
7. Calendar out planting dates for both greenhouse starts and Spring outdoor plantings.
8. Inventory potting mix components & equipment and list items to purchase.
9. Clean out greenhouse…
10. Locate garden tools & replace as needed
11. Clean off garden areas to be planted first
12. Check irrigation system

I can see from this list I’ve left off a rather important point that ought to come right at the top:  prayer for wisdom and direction as I approach the challenge.  Anything worthy of effort is worthy to bring before the Maker of All Things.

Considerations:

• How much to plant for ourselves?
• How much to plant to sell at the Market?  (ie.  how much to plant in excess so that I can sort out enough good stuff that *might* sell at the Market)
• Should I try for enough tomatoes to make sauce, ketchup and/or salsa?
• Will I try cucumbers this year (after last 2 years’ major failures)?
• Are potatoes necessary (since I don’t seem to really get them harvested and end up fighting them the following year)?
• Will I try doing any CSA type selling with friends who’ve expressed interest?
• Exactly how much is my farmer man going to be planting in his plot out on the farm?

Goodies I’ve found to help:

A downloadable spread sheet template for planning your 2012 garden:

Better Hens and Gardens

And this on-line vegetable planting calendar that you can set according to your own local frost date:

Skippy’s Vegetable Garden

So that’s where I’m at, how about you?  What are you doing with your plot of ground?  Do you have plans to try anything ambitious?  Have you begun planting for this year, if so what and how is it doing so far?  Please leave me a message in the comment section.

Cordially,

The Reluctant Farm Wife

Sarai

Let fretfulness get the best of her

She jumped the gun regarding waiting on God for the fulfillment of His promise to Abram.

= Child of the promise vs. Ishmael to this day.

Lesson:  We as women can use our influence to take action when we ought to wait on God.  It can have LONG LASTING results that are devastating to not only our own family, but to millions of lives down the road.  

Did she have regrets?  Absolutely.  Did she handle them well?  Not really, particularly if you count the ‘blame your husband for listening to your stupid idea’  reaction.  Did she live to regret it?  For a time, but she died before Isaac became a man and got his own wife.

I have my own list of failures.  As have you.  We are unwitting daughters of our paternal heritage, blundering through our lives without much hope, on our own.  Certainly, if we consider ourselves “strong women” we might plunge forth and carve out a life as we think it ought to be, but always with mixed results.

 Philippians 4:6, 7  

Be anxious for nothing,

but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving

let your requests be made known to God.  

And the peace of God,

which surpasses all comprehension,

shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

The Bible gives good direction.  It was meant to be applied to our daily lives.  This is what I am working on today.

God help us walk carefully in this life.  What we do influences others for good or for bad.

Cordially,

The Reluctant Farm Wife

Jack knife, pocket knife.  Same thing, until you put it in the same sentence with a semi-truck.

It began with a phone call.  It was dinner time.  I was making biscuits and daughter #1 was finishing up some spaghetti.   School was DONE for the day and my loving hubby was out delivering a load of corn to a location two hours east.   It was dark.   He had unloaded (delivered) and was on his way back.  Good feeling. (My farmer man had spent several days at our farm shop re-working his trailer tires)  Dad Instructions:  #1 son is to be waiting when he arrives so they can re-load the truck before coming in for the night.  The plan: to get back on the road early the next morning and be at the delivery location when they opened.  That way he could make two loads per day for the next few days.  We have product to sell and we’re out of money.  This is our livelihood.

Not ten minutes later the second phone call came.  Each son picked up different phones so I was able to hear a little bit of the conversation in the kitchen where I was working and sampling the biscuit dough.  Something about Jack, a location, … jack-knife…?!!  Not a term I want to hear.  I went dashing to the other room to catch the evaluation from son #1:  the semi was jack-knifed?  (this means the tractor / cab of the semi truck was turned sharply back toward the trailer it was pulling, like a huge V, not something you want to do at highway speeds.)    Is DADDY OKAY???!!  Yes.  Relief.  Okay, next action…we must call 911 (!??)  hubby’s phone was not making that call go through.   Hwy. blocked, tow truck needed.  Yeow!  Not good.  #1 son called county dispatch and relayed the information.  Not enough answers to cover my own questions but I knew where I wanted to be.

As I gathered up coats & necessities, I instructed the other children to pray for Daddy’s safety until the deputy & other personnel could get there to secure the area from traffic.   Additional instructions for how the children could spend the evening and when to go to bed were laid out–I did not expect to be home for a few hours at least.  They would be well looked after with #1 daughter managing the home front.  Thank You Lord that base is covered.

We found the keys,  grabbed water bottles ready & waiting by the door (a new habit I’d been working on –bless the inspiration!) and headed up the road.  It was going to take an hour to get there.   It’s dark & cold.  I’m watching for deer, seeing the ‘open range’ signs and silently praying for the safety of my husband and any other vehicles that might be out in that lonesome area of Hwy.

What did he hit?  A cow.  Not good.  He was driving our Freightliner semi.  [My SIL's horses were hit by a semi and there wasn't much left.  I wonder?]  Husband was okay, not injured.  That’s good.   On the other hand, … he think’s he’s okay, …we’ll see.  Did the truck roll?  Don’t know.  Great.  Truck was empty.  Good, we won’t have the expense of clean up or the financial loss of grain.    Jack-knife, don’t like the sound of that.  All the scenarios I can remember of news reports of trucks doing the ‘jack-knife’ thing were all pretty bad.  But mostly in icy conditions.  There was no ice tonight.  This is good.  More prayers.  Watching for deer, watch your speed son, …what was THAT??!?  A deer.  We missed it, thank the Lord!  Please be CAREFUL!  (#1 son is a good driver, but he was driving like he was going to a fire).

Finally we saw the emergency lights, right about where we expected them from the phone description.  But it was just the re-routing road block.  The volunteer was extremely kind when we rolled down the window and identified ourselves.  We had permission to go on through to the scene. Very thankful for his kindness.  I really didn’t want to have to shoulder our way in.

Now I’m having to get a grip, not going to cry.  Since my family home burned as a child emergency vehicles and sirens sometimes tip me into an emotional reaction.  Nope, tonight I  need to be strong.  It would be a burden to my hubby & son if I fell apart.  We were there to help, maybe #1 son more than I but I came to support my Farmer Man.  I had a job.  Buck up.

Our beautiful (to us) used truck and trailer, was so desperately needed to haul things for the farm.  What was it going to look like???  It was paid for, but what was this going to cost us to repair, or worse yet replace??  Lord give me strength.  I really don’t want to see pieces of dead cow either, but I need to be strong because I probably don’t have a choice.

Finally we see the second set of lights.  Sheriff truck.  Door left wide open.  Wow, is that normal?  Then we see our truck.  We stop the car.  There’s our semi.  Cab in the ditch, trailer on the Hwy. and blocking 2/3 of it — basically both lanes.  As we walk toward it I smell cow.  I watch my footing, but see nothing yet.  There’s the tow truck, the deputy and THERE’S my husband.  Looks a bit dazed but otherwise okay.  Thank you Lord!  He needs a hug, I’m sure of it, but instead I step behind him and put my arm through his.  I want him to know I’m there and I love him.

We looked over what we could see in the headlights.  The truck looked pretty good but there were a few problems and it could not be run.  A tow would be needed.  The details were settled and we got out of the way while everything was pulled back on the asphalt.  Still can’t see any cow.

Hubby and son removed the drive line from the truck so the towing man wouldn’t have to (saved us a bit of $$) then hubby sent me to get his truck driver reflective triangles from each side of the scene.  Nice bit of workmanship, those triangles, but I had no idea how to fold them down.  By the third one, I saw that #1 son had figured it out and we got them all returned to their handy box.  Thank you Lord for trucker regulations that required us to carry them.  Sigh.

Awfully dark out here.  Awfully cold too.  Final paperwork, contact card from the deputy, friendly farewells and caution for another section that might have cows in the road between there and home.  Hazards of rural life.

There had been some 15+ cows on the Hwy. when hubby rounded the corner going 60 mph, the speed limit was 65.  Still, he had no time to react or even break.  The good side, he only hit one.   #1 son saw the hapless creature yards beyond in the other ditch, it was all in one piece.     The deputy said they had been on the Hwy. the night before too.  Griefies!   His recommendations?  65 mph.  Shrug.  It’s open range.   [How do men just blow this stuff off?  Oh well.]   Good thing it a truck this time and not a car.  Too true.

Much to be thankful for.  No Emergency Room run.  Lost a tank of fuel maybe, but still –no E.R.!!!  Thank You LORD!!

All the way home son#1 had optimism on the necessary repairs to get the truck running again in a few days.  (He is so like his Dad, immediately focusing on the ‘can-do’s’ )  Traumatic event for us, but not nearly as bad as might have been.

God is good.

Relying on His strength,

The Reluctant Farm Wife

A few words about “open range.”  This a law in several western states that means if an area is designated “open range” then animals might occasionally be out on the highway.  It’s a hazard, but it’s part of rural living.  We know that the ranchers and farmers do their best to be diligent to keep their stock out of harms way, but stuff happens.  Animals are animals.  They get out sometimes.  If you collide with livestock in an “open range” area, you are required to reimburse the owner if you damage or kill one of their animals.  It calls for personal responsibility and due diligence. 

A couple of days ago we had some good friends over for dinner.  There were 11 of us altogether which required some attentive planning & prayer.  I did remember the “harvest gold”  table cloth, fresh, white napkins from the dollar store and knives at each place setting.  The clear (various styled) drinking glasses came down  from the top shelf & I brought out the blue willow dishes from my “seldom used” cupboard.  It’s just not company on the everyday, plastic, dollar store plates!  There was no centerpiece on the table, but I was really pleased with the way dinner came together.  I’ll try table decor another day!

This is how the meal worked:

Cross Rib Roast – This is similar to a chuck roast but I really like using it.  Home raised and dry aged for as long as we could (14-21 days) this is a really nice cut for the money.  All I did was sear it and transfer it to my counter top roaster oven @400 degrees F for about 3 hrs.  I completely forgot the seasonings but it was tender and savory just the same, the seasonings were not missed.  I made sure the S&P were on the table, but didn’t see anyone using them.  I sliced this up into small serving pieces and sent it to the table on a platter, but covered it with foil and a towel to keep warm until meal time.

Roasted Veggies  I went with this because mashed potatoes didn’t seem festive enough.   Peeled and chopped:   carrots, potatoes, onion and yams (might go with sweet potatoes next time).   Toss with vegetable or olive oil, kosher salt, basil, oregano, & thyme — be generous enough so you can see some seasonings on the pieces after fully mixed together.  Mix thoroughly.   Spread on parchment paper covered cookie sheets & oven bake @ 400 degrees F until easily pierced with a fork, abt. 35-40 min.  I did this on two sheets, the first one ready to begin the meal & kept warm in my crock pot until serving, the second one after the biscuits were done to be ready mid-meal. [HINT:  The parchment paper is a good investment and this time of year (November / December) you can get it more easily so stock up while you can.  Parchment prevents the oiled veggies from adhering to the pan like cement.  Also good for cookies & cakes.] To serve I transferred the warm veggies to a lead crystal bowl (might have gone w/something less elaborate, but it was a wedding gift and I never seem to use it.  It was time

Seasoned Green Beans  [This is my fail-safe green bean recipe.]   Our garden green beans from my freezer (most of a gallon sized bag) poured into simmering water pre-seasoned with chicken bullion.  Add generous sprinkling of garlic powder or minced garlic.  (I might cook longer next time since blanching for the freezer doesn’t really cook the beans through.)  This is really yummy!

Hot Biscuits   For our crew we always triple the batch anyway, no need to change since I had a good variety of items for this meal in place.   9 c. whole wheat flour, 2 T. baking powder, 2 t. salt, 2 c. milk, 1 c. cooking oil, 1/3 c. sugar.  Mix all together and form into flattened rounds.  If it doesn’t seem to be holding together knead it a bit until smoothed out.  Place on un-greased cookie sheet, bake at 400 degrees F until lightly browned on the bottom and firm to the touch, about 12 minutes.  I prepared this and had it ready to pop into the oven when the first veggie sheet came out.  Table presentation:  fresh dish towel in a bowl, folded over if not being served piping hot.

We served family style but kept the serving dishes off the table until seconds were needed.  When everyone seemed satisfied we started water for tea and began assembling the dessert plates.

Dessert:  Apple Crisp w/ vanilla ice cream topped with home made caramel sauce

Caramel Sauce:

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk (NOT EVAPORATED MILK)

OVEN METHOD: Pour 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk into 9″ pie plate. Cover with aluminum foil; place in larger shallow pan. Fill larger pan with hot water. Bake at 425°F for 1 hour or until thick and caramel-colored. Beat until smooth.

Daughter #1 made this up so I can’t share her recipe, but she did a lovely job drizzling the caramel sauce over the top–very impressive presentation.

Beverages?  Well, we just went with water for the main meal.   I set out cups & saucers (matching with the blue willow set) for dessert time and a pretty crystal dish to carry our tea collection.  We set out a mug holding spoons, along with a full honey server and a restaurant style sugar server.   A regular bowl was available for used tea bags.

What I might have done differently:

Seasoning the roast.  Though it really didn’t need it, I generally add soy sauce, garlic, onion and some kosher salt to the cooking water in the roaster oven.

Table Centerpiece.  Though I felt accomplished having napkins and the table places set with plates, forks, knives and filled water glasses when guests arrived, it really would have been nice to have something pretty in the center of the table.  On the other hand, we don’t have a really large table and with that many guests (piano bench included) we didn’t have much room for anything else anyway.

Decaf Coffee.  We’re not much on coffee unless we can add copious amounts of flavored creamers, sugar and chocolate mocha (if available) so we don’t buy it for daily use at home.  So I guess, … if you need it you might want to bring it in your pocket or purse

If I were really exceptionally hostessy, (and had a double oven) I might have warmed the dinner plates and served the entree’s from a wheeled cart with serving dishes nestled in hot water or hovering in chaffing dishes — gilded of course .

Cost of the meal for 11?  I think close to $4.50 each, but that’s more value than my actual cost.  We raise and grind all my flour, the beef is ours, the green beans were garden raised, the apples were from a super discounted U-pick, the veggies were store bought but I prepared them myself.  The seasonings I keep on the shelf.  Our guests brought an awesome cabbage salad with almond slivers too so that made things go even further.  My actual cost was probably closer to $2 each.  Frugal wins.

Have a great day and a wonderful Holiday season.

Cordially,

The Reluctant Farm Wife

It seems like it was this time last year that I was in my favorite grocery store picking up some last minute items when I observed another shopper trying to find a *small* turkey that could be defrosted and cooked in less than 24 hrs.  Wow!  It takes 2-3 days to properly defrost a turkey so I was really feeling sorry for this person.  If you find yourself in a similar position, here is one thought that might help.  Yes, make a diligent search for the smallest turkey you can find.  When you do take it to the meat counter (please don’t wait until they’re closed up for the day!) and ask them to cut it for you.  Cut it in half, or better yet go for 1/4 cuts.  This will give you a better chance of getting your bird defrosted in time.   Plus if you don’t need all the meat in one sitting, you can have a back-up in the freezer for a different meal later on (Christmas?).

Don’t over look the idea of switching meats to a beef or pork roast, or even chicken.  The bottom line is not that you achieved the magazine spread worthy table, but that you are able to joyously serve your family a nice meal for a holiday that’s all about being Thankful.  Besides, you can always try again for a Christmas turkey  in a few weeks!

While I’m here, I’ll throw in two of my favorite turkey cooking methods, roasting bags and the 24 hour turkey.

Keeping in mind I’m speaking to a fully defrosted turkey ready for the oven, a roasting bag is one of the best means of achieving a tender, moist product that your family will be sure to enjoy (don’t I sound like an ad with that?)  A friend gave me one to try years back and I’m stuck on them now.  Just follow the directions and you’ll be pleased with the results.

The 24 hr. turkey is an outside the box kind of method I found in a cookbook By Adelle Davis called “Let’s Cook It Right.”  She calls it “slow roasting” in her chapter on “No Meat Cooking Failures.”  This method will not burn, needs no watching and uses very little fuel.  For the first hour the meat is cooked at 300 degrees F to kill bacteria on the surface.  After that you drop the heat down to the final internal temperature you want (I generally go with 200 degrees F) and leave it alone.  The longer it cooks the more tender it gets.  I’ve used it numerous times for turkey and it really works.  Think how refreshed you’ll feel getting to sleep in on Thanksgiving morning because your turkey is already in the oven and will be ready whenever your guests arrive.

Best Wishes my readers for a Wonderful Thanksgiving observance.  Do take time to tell your loved ones something you are thankful for about them.

Cordially,

The Reluctant Farm Wife

First of all I must say that one of my favorite ‘sports’ is people watching.  Every week at the Farmer’s Market by virtue of being in a 10′ x 10′ tent for several hours I have a front row seat.   It’s interesting, educational and free (but for the fees we pay to be there!).  However, it can also be dangerous for the mind.  How?  When you live on a tight budget, you often notice a level of apparent financial freedom in others around you.   In my sphere of mere grocery store research, the Market provides a glimpse of city and suburban living I would not otherwise encounter .  My observations are not filtered by sit-com productions (we don’t use a television) but are live action, first hand, visual encounters with individuals.  Granted, I also see pan handlers on the other end of the scale, their tactics, and what they do ‘on-the-sly’ with their money.  There is a corner near my booth that seems to be a hot spot for that sort of thing.  All in all though, I come home pondering and I’ve come to some conclusions.

Firstly, there are a lot of people out there in need of prayer.  I’ve seen the lonely & the unhappy, the self centered and the unconcerned.   Some are involved in deep struggles, and others have thrown caution to the wind.  The needs grieve my soul.  I can and do pray but I admit I ought to pray even more.

There are also people who spend a lot of money on things I don’t, all across the board.  Clothing & accessories, cars, probably homes and lots of other things — some of which I myself was once able to spend money on.  Herein lies my struggle.  How to be content with the frugality we must engage in.  Falling prey to measuring my life with those I observe.

If we were to freely discuss this topic I’m sure a few questions would come up.  Questions of comparison, to examine why I am where I am.  My education level,  what I do with my time, and in this present culture of society why I don’t hold a job outside the home.  Ah, there is a peculiar line of demarcation.  The decision point that separates me further from my urban counter parts:  I am not only a Farm Wife, I am a “stay at home Mom.”  It’s a choice.  A choice that necessitates a certain level of sacrifice not particularly popular in today’s culture.  So consider with me single income living, focusing on the mental stamina aspect of things.

I am an empathizer by nature, wanting to understand the individuals I come into contact with and have compassion on their concerns and needs.  Being a Christian gives me more reason to look at people from this angle because Christ calls us to love others from the heart and to reach out to them with Biblical virtues and whatever physical help as we are able, while praying for the needs we cannot personally fulfill.

In doing this I sometimes develop an inward struggle regarding the whys of our own family / farmly culture.  That single income financial challenge gets pretty ominous when I see the dichotomy of scale.   What measures others don’t seem to have to engage in becomes a telescoping view of the sometimes vast difference between us and them.

So, shaking myself free of the ‘deer in the headlights’ mental state I return to the “Why’s” of our decisions.  We choose to operate without a second income to allow me to stay home and develop our family culture in ways the two income household can’t.  I am a household engineer on a different level, I do ‘more with what we have’ rather than benefiting from (to our framework) costly conveniences.  Those additional efforts preclude a LOT of outside activities.   I don’t have my children in music lessons, sports, drive a suburban and take family vacations.  We don’t have Blue Cross medical coverage or buy organic at Whole Foods.  I don’t take shopping trips to the mall, and I don’t eat out at nice restaurants unless  Jack-in-the Box qualifies.  But there are things we do….

We cook and eat from scratch  (see my earlier posts for details).  We buy used clothing.  We garden, can and freeze (our food that is!  LOL)  We gather and heat with firewood.  We involve our children in our business endeavors.  We train them to work, not to abuse them, but to prepare them toward mature emancipated living when they leave our ‘nest,’ lest they be shocked by the hardness of real life ‘out there.’  We network with like minded people both to encourage ourselves and to learn new things.  We find free learning opportunities to entertain ourselves and grow.  We take the ‘Life as a Field Trip” perspective so that we can drink deeply of the wealth of whatever experiences come our way.

My thought struggles seem to settle with the application of perspective.  Keeping in mind our highest ambitions and life goals reveals the great value of what we do and stops feeding those things that can overwhelm me and swamp me with feelings of inadequacy, disappointment and self-pity in general.

My Farmer Man is a good, hardworking, innovative kind of guy.  He’s sharp, self-motivated and enjoys the challenge of thinking outside the box–even when others say the box is fine the way it is.  This Thanksgiving, I’m giving thanks to God for blessing me with the wonderful, kindhearted, long suffering man I married.   May God help you to see all the things you can be thankful for in your life too.

Blessings,

The Reluctant Farm Wife

We eat a lot of ‘one pot’ meals in our home.  Stews, soups, and sometimes casseroles are real money & time savers.  Working from basics you can build a meal quite easily.

Beans Buying them in quantity usually saves money.  Store them in sealed containers –5 gallon buckets if you have them–keeps them clean, safe and usable.  Beans can be cooked ahead, bagged and frozen for convenience.  Make use of slow days  to stock up your pantry supply by cooking beans in your crock pot or dutch oven.  I add them to soups, run them through my food processor with some taco seasoning and make my own refried beans.  I’ve also been known to take cooked beans, add a can of spaghetti sauce and serve it with hot biscuits.  It’s not as cheesy as using ketchup, but that too works in a pinch.

Wheat berries work like rice and just require a little more water and cooking time.  It’s similar to barley in soups, can be used in salads, seasoned up for snacks, added to breads, and give more volume to your soups.

Rice we prefer in the brown form, so much so that I am disappointed by plain white rice unless it’s in a Chinese dish.  Again, it takes a bit more cooking time but the extra flavor and nutrients are worth it to your family.  We’ve always been healthier and slimmer when brown rice and whole grains are an integral part of our diet.

Meat:  If you know our business at the Farmer’s Market you know we sell our farm grown beef, but eating up your merchandise isn’t good business practice.  When using meat I like to see how little I can get by with, then flavor the balance with bullion and herbs.  I stretch the bulk with beans, rice and or wheat berries.  Add color and more bulk with vegetables.    It’s possible to use just two or even one chicken breast –skillet cooked and chopped up– for a full meal if you do it right.  Again, bullion helps make up for what isn’t there in flavor.

Vegetables:  We put up lots of things from our garden and I know that takes work and planning.   Something to think about for next year if it’s not your habit lately.    If you don’t have garden produce to work with, watch your sales and check seasonal lists for the best options and prices.  Study what’s in season and educate yourself with recipe sites, cooking shows and whatever cookbooks you have access to.  Step beyond your ‘norm’ and try some new things.  Just because some raw item is available in the store does not mean it’s the best choice.

Flavorings:  On the side column of this blog is a link for an herb list I would recommend you print out and keep this on your fridge or the inside of your spice cupboard door.   [Copy and paste into the word processor program and convert the document to two columns --it saves a great deal of hard copy space.]   If, when you are about ready to serve, your concoction doesn’t meet your hopes and expectations, you might be able to repair it with the addition of a few extra flavors.  Caution:  you can always add a little more, but you can’t remove over seasoning.  Taste as you go and stop when you’re okay with it.  Sometimes you can lessen over flavoring by adding more bulk (pasta, cooked rice, barley, wheat berries or potatoes), other times you’re going to have to live with it.  (Or if you can afford, order out for pizza or something–not an option here, no one delivers out this far!)

Cordially,

The Reluctant Farm Wife

My Farmer Man & sons are going to be bachelors for a few weeks and we girls are busily making up the next batch of laundry soap for them to use while we’re away.  I’m hearing from friends that the dry version works great so that’s what we’re making up.

Since  DIY Natural  has all the pictures and detailed instructions so nicely done I’m going to direct you to their site for all the “How To’s.”  Homemade Laundry Detergent

Even if you have the fancy front loaders (I have a Neptune my Hubby bought to be the ‘end all’ of our washing machine expenditures over 10 years ago…) this recipe will work.

So look it over, and add the right stuff to your shopping list

You can use a variety of bar soap options, I’m just partial to Fels-Naptha

COUPON NOTES:

There are some coupons available for other products at these websites so click on the company links above for details.

Enjoy your frugal self!

Cordially,

The Reluctant Farm Wife