Homemaking on the Homestead

  Freezer Cooking with Me al Starters: Take the Stress Out of a Busy Day by being Prepared!   You can take added steps out of dinner preparations by having some foods ready to go in your freezer.   This is not making whole dinners for the freezer; this is easier and more flexible!   You use basic mixes of meat, beans and/or rice and turn these into quick and delicious meals for your family.        In this 40+ page eBook you fill find recipes for the basic meal starters plus lots of recipes for the meals that use them. Everything from tacos to spaghetti to beef stew, to delicious chicken recipes and more.     And a printable freezer inventory chart is included…   The cost of this eBook is $9.00 For more information click HERE   Or          

  Well my tomatoes just keep coming!   Every time I go out I end up with another 8 or 10 pounds of them.   I am thinking about now that the first freeze we get will come as a relief and I can put the garden to bed! LOL..   but in the meantime I am taking advantage of the abundance.    I recently have been making salsa.   I normally only make lacto fermented salsa, but there are only so many gallons I can make and keep of that so I decided to make some for canning.   My friend Leah Hillman shared her recipe with me and I tried it.   I have to say we all just loved it!   I have tried a few salsa recipes for canning in the past and to me they either taste of vinegar to much or are to watery..   but that was not the case for this salsa.       Here is the recipe she shared with me…   Salsa for Canning…      10 lbs tomatoes, chopped 6 medium onions, chopped 3 cups bell peppers (any ki...

  Life on my homestead has been busy as always. On Thursday Tobin and I put our son Jacob on a airplane to head to Washington DC .   He will be staying with family while he waits for our son Richard to get out of the Army.   Next week Richard will officially be done with his service in the Army.   He will be picking up Jacob and the two of them will begin a fun little cross country trip from D.C to home..   a lot of miles to cover, but they are really looking forward to the trip and the time together.      I spent a good amount of time in the kitchen yesterday.   I made some cabbage soup for our dinner and then made 3 loaves of Challah bread and zucchini spice cake for dessert (I also got a lot of extra zucchini grated and in the freezer).   It was a perfect meal for a cloudy, cool and rainy day.   I was going to can up some of my cabbage soup but discovered my pressure gauge was loose on the top of the canner.   I will see if...

  My tomatoes are finally coming in full force!   So I have been making lacto fermented salsa and spaghetti sauce.   I thought I would share my recipe and how I can up the sauce.   I don’t peel the tomatoes … just thought I would mention this..      In order to can this sauce you will need a pressure canner.   If you don’t have one you can always freeze the sauce in quart size freezer bags.      Spaghetti Sauce from Fresh Tomatoes ¼ cup olive oil 3 large onions, chopped 2 green peppers, chopped 8oz mushrooms, sliced (about 4 cups sliced) 2 cups chopped celery 1T minced garlic 8 to 10lbs fresh tomatoes 26oz tomato paste 3 to 4 cups tomato juice 4T Italian seasonings 1T salt 1 or 2t red chili peppers, optional (adds a little zest)   OK.. here we go…   You will need a very big pot for all of this.   The one I am using is 14 quarts.   Sautee in olive oil the onions, green peppers, mus...

Today was the first day of homeschool for my kids.   Jacob started 4 weeks ago, but today Sierra and Isaac began so I look at today as the first official day.   This is my 21st - first day of school.   I am starting my 21st year of homeschooling and what a journey it has been.   Some years have been great, some have been difficult, some have been discouraging, some have been absolutely wonderful and some have just been so-so.   The one reason I continue on, even after difficult or discouraging years is conviction.   Homeschooling is not a must for everyone, but it is where the Lord has called our family.     When my husband and I started homeschooling we were convicted that this is what the Lord was calling us to do.   And as the years have gone by I can say I am tired and weary at times but because I know that this is where the Lord wants me, I know He will give me the strength to continue on.   He has done that year after year and I kn...

  Sunday: Chicken Noodle Soup Salad Whole wheat crackers   Monday: Leftovers   Tuesday: Bbq Beef Sandwiches Coleslaw   Wednesday: Burgers on the grill on homemade hamburger buns (I use the linked recipe to make my hamburger buns) Potato salad Coleslaw   Thursday: Pot roast & potatoes in the crockpot Salad Sautéed zucchini and onions Dinner rolls   Friday: Laurie’s Mac & Cheese w/ham Salad   Saturday: Enchiladas Tortillas & homemade salsa Salad

  Yesterday Sierra made these delicious zucchini brownies.   The family enjoyed them last night for dessert. They were wonderfully moist and no one would know they had zucchini in them .. unless you told them!   Zucchini Brownies 1/2 cup olive oil 1 1/2 cups cane juice crystals 2t vanilla 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour 1/2 cup cocoa powder 1 1/2 t baking soda 1t salt 2 cups shredded zucchini In a large mixer combine olive oil, cane juice crystals and vanilla.   Add the flour and cocoa powder and mix well.   Add zucchini.   Spread into a 9x13 pan and bake at 350 for about 25 to 30 minutes.   Spread with iceing when cooled.   Chocolate Icing 2 cups powdered sucanat or powdered sugar 6T cocoa powder 1/4 cup butter, softened 1/2 t vanilla 2 – 4T milk In a mixer bowl combine powdered sucanat and cocoa powder.   Add butter until mixture is combined.   Add vanilla and first 2T of milk.   Mix.   Add as much of the remaining mil...

    Yesterday Leanne, my 4th daughter and 5th child celebrated her 18th birthday!!   It was a wonderful afternoon.   Sierra decorated her cake and we had homemade ice cream (I made chocolate ice cream and chopped up Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and added them.. yum!) .   Leanne is such a sweet daughter.   She is quiet, loving, caring and helpful.   She has a real servant’s heart and is always ready to help out anyone who needs help if she is able.      She is currently working on her college degree.   She thinks she would like to be a teacher.   She says it would be something she could use in the mission field or she would like to be able to be a help to the homeschooling community where she may live as an adult.      She is my right arm.   She is incredibly helpful at home.   For the last couple of years she has been in charge of teaching my youngest two math and has done a fantastic job. ...

    Life has been rather full lately.   Lots of activities happening with everyone it seems.   Emily and Sierra flew to Maryland and spent a week there… got some great nephew hugging in .   I guess that is one nice thing about online colleges you can keep up with your school work even if you are in another state.   Leanne has been house sitting and working on her college work as well.   Jacob is into his 3rd week of school and things are going smoothly.    The most fun update is Sierra’s bedroom.   Tobin finished all the drywall and other prep work and the painting finally started.   Sierra and I bought a quart of both green and blue paint and she painted a scrap piece of drywall so she could see the colors together and make sure this is what she wanted.   Yep.. she loved her choices.   So yesterday we went and picked up a gallon of each and last night she started painting.   Wow..   It woul...