Boys & Bacon

From all the blogs I'm reading, the biggest take away is the need to build skills BEFORE I have to depend on the skills for sufficiency on the Homestead. So here's my first major new skill I've learned! So far this week, I've done Chicken Fajitas, Shredded Pork, BBQ Chicken, Mac N cheese, Creme Brulee, Pot Roast, and have had leftovers each night, half to freeze for later, half for future work meals for hubs. Today! Today I'm making mixed berry jam and applesauce. Sorry for the mess and bad photos... trying to get ANYTHING done with kids underfoot makes perfect photos difficult... For our jam, I took some blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries (don't know how much, just went with what I had, it came to about 3 cups of mashed berries), and mixed them together in the mixer with sugar and pectin. I chopped the strawberries in half after removing the crown and leaves. Poured the whole mix into the instant pot. I set it to

A few months ago (okay, longer than that...) I wrote about the brown-ness of where I grew up. Now I need to be clear, I grew up on and around farmland, but very little GREEN grew there. It was brown (potatoes), brown (wheat), brown-sage (mint), and brown-yellow (alfalfa). You can't find berry bushes or more than a few handfuls of tomato plants in my home desert. (Photos courtesy of DD Ranch [My dad's neighbors] Terrebonne, OR) When I moved a couple years ago (renewing our 3rd lease) I realized how much GREEN we could have. I love the hustle and bustle of the city. I loved the fast-paced, everything within a few min drive...but as time has worn on, I miss dirt therapy. (Buckman Community Garden) I miss the animals, and the smell of rich compost (because you can't plant straight to soil in the desert) I miss the idea of the country, if not the actual country I grew up in. Images Courtesy of Croakers Crossing Farm I've felt an intense pull to

Thankful for my health. It's not always in the best shape, but I'm able to work enough to support and raise my family, which is more than a lot of people have. Thankful for great deals, sales and coupons make my life, and lives of my family. Thankful for good rain, and quiet fog. The weather that most people dread ease the chaos in my mind, and put my heart at peace.

Thankful for Tough days as a mom, they remind me how wonderful the good days are. Thankful for Omara's (or Baileys) when added to hot cocoa. It helps me unwind after one of the previously mentioned tough days. Thankful for friends and family supporting my passions in crafting and writing .

Thankful for Great opportunity Thankful for simplicity Thankful for Coffee

Thankful for bad puns. "...because Seven Ate Nine....." Thankful for local entertainment resources that offer annual memberships, like the Oregon Museum of Science . Thankful for great friends who can help me unwind over dinner and crafting, even in the middle of their own hustle and bustle.