Getting Food Creative: Buying Locally Raised Pork

As the costs of healthy foods continues to go up many of us who are dedicated to healthy organic look to find more creative ways to feed ourselves. That is the subject of this post.

I have been a serious vegetarian in years past and I have many vegetarian as well as meat-eating friends as well. Many of my yoga friends are vegetarians due to ethical reasons. Some hunt deer for food, a process that provides their main source of protein. I always feel to each their own. No judging on my part.

Bob’s of South Haven, MI

My philosophy is that we all eat to live and most of us eat something that once lived in order to stay alive. This process for me is more about doing this in a safe, honest and ethical way than about anything else for me.

Eating safe meat is a huge issue today as the science is in and it has shown that factory farmed meat carries unhealthy chemicals, medicines and bacteria on top of the often deplorable way many of these animals are kept. This is where I draw the line as I cannot morally or financially support inhumanely raised animal practices.

Loading the boxes of processed meat into the vehicle.

I made a huge decision this winter. In the future I will only buy organic humanely raised meat. I know that this means a 42 % increase in food costs but the recent changes in my health requires this. So this means I have to get more and more creative to buy the highest quality foods that I need.

In years past I dealt with the issue of increased grocery costs by eating less meat (keep my intake to about 3 oz. every third day) and making more soups, stews and stir fry’s to stretch a small piece of meat. Since I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s’ I have been buying small amounts of organic meat at the Health Food store but the $13.50 a lb. has made this more and more difficult. I considered raising my own animals but roadblocks are there including not having enough land to pasture them, suitable barns and corrals to keep them in. And to tell the truth I do not have the emotional distance necessary to raise and slaughter my own animals.

Looking at the sales receipt as we pick up the meat.

I grow much of our own seasonal vegetables and raise chicken for our eggs. But I was having trouble dealing with the high costs of organic meat.

I finally found another more affordable way working with local farmers and growers who feed organic feed and believe in taking very good care of their stock without growth hormones and antibiotics. They do their best for a humane and ethical slaughter and safe meat processing too. It’s called farm-to-consumer…

Bobs Processing Inc., of South Haven, MI  a USDA approved meat processor.

I had been buying organic meat at the health food store and by the time the farmers raised the animal and made their profit, then the store marked it up to make their profit, I was paying $13.00 and $14.00 a lb. for this meat. Something had to change.

This winter I ordered and bought ¼ of a hog that was raised in the highest of standards. I know and trust the farmer who raised these hogs and believe this is the highest quality of meat possible. I ‘sold’ the other 3/4 of the hog to friends and neighbors to make this happen for us.

Check out time.

Our hog was raised by a neighbor, Anthony Winfrey of Forgotten Forty Farms and processed by Bobs Processing Inc., of South Haven, MI  a USDA approved meat processor.

This past weekend we cleaned out our chest freezer, thoroughly washed it out and made it ready for the organic raised pork that I picked up on Friday.

Buying directly from the farmer and making arrangement to have it processed cost me $685 a lb. total. Both parties made their profits and I now have a freezer of clean meat. Now that’s better.

Many of you who follow me, know how I feel about eating organic and whole nourishing food, so I am probably as they say ‘preaching to the choir’ but if you have been on the fence about spending for organic foods, this may interest you.

See more at: http://www.phoenixhelix.com/2015/05/30/sophies-story/#sthash.f60jKMHh.dpuf Eating organic is important for us all and especially for those of us who are fighting immune system diseases.

As you now I have Hashimoto’s Thyorditis. Hasimoto’s is an autoimmune disease that affects over 10 million people in the US alone. Damaging the thyroid gland, it creates symptoms so wide-ranging and confusing that it can be hard to diagnose. My Hasimotos’ is why I must eat organic.

Another podcast if great interest to the subject of eating organic is “Why Eat Organic” by André Leu: GFS Podcast 071, found on one of my all-time favorites podcasts, Gluten Free School (GFS)  by Jennifer Fugo. If you have been on the fence about the value of organic, your mind is about to be opened.

Gluten Free School is a dedicated teaching tools about being gluten-sensitive. This savvy woman gives us many empowering steps to get healthy. In fact, this is the number one spot for those living a gluten-free life who are seeking community, as well as simple & clear information about their condition, and looking for ways to become empowered and to finally feel better.

Based on her personal journey, Jennifer Fugo, founder of Gluten Free School, is more than just about chat about a diet… it’s a healing revolution!

If you want to know more about the how’s and why’s of eating gluten-free, check out Fugo’s podcasts at http://www.glutenfreeschool.com/listen/

For the podcast dedicated to the importance of eating organic go here: http://www.glutenfreeschool.com/2015/07/28/why-eating-organic-is-important/

Yes, it was a lot of work to find, sell and make the arrangements for this meat and yes the farm raised meat can be more expensive than meat in the grocery store but I believe it is worth it. I paid about $3.00 a lb. for the meat and with the processing it cameo out to about $5.00 a lb. Not cheap certainly, but not $13.00 a pound that I was paying in the health food store either.

The end result will be cleaner, healthier organic meat to help to me heal my leaky gut and shut down the inflammation of the Hashimotos’. When one is on a restricted diet like I am, meat is the number one component of the Auto Immune Protocol (AIP.)

Its time to celebrate because my freezer is now full and I know I am on my way to better health.

Small House homesteader, Donna

Coconut Yogurt – Three Ingredients – Cook Free

My finished yogurt.

Now that I am eating dairy-free due to my recently diagnosed Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, I’m experimenting this week with making various kinds of coconut non-dairy yogurt.

A close up of my newly made non-dairy yogurt.

I began my first test by using a 13.5 oz. can of classic, unsweetened coconut milk. This is a USDA organic, certified Non-GMO and gluten-free type that is also certified as kosher.

This is my purchased can of coconut milk.

I used the Native Forest brand that I bought at my grocery store (or health food store.)  I was advised in my research to avoid the type with guar gum but for this experiment I used the brand that had the guar gum in it. The total ingredients included; organic coconut, purified water, organic guar gum.

I bought this gelatin from Amaxon.com

I followed the recipe below.

(Recipe by Renee at Raising Generation Nourished at http://www.raisinggenerationnourished.com/2015/02/coconutyogurt

NOTE: If you are like most Americans and have been on a low-fat diet for years and have never eaten coconut milk before, I suggest that you start slowly with small amounts to work your way up to larger amounts of full fat in your system. Some report nausea when going directly from a low-fat diet to a cup of full fat yogurt but this can be avoided by increasing the coconut milk slowly to adjust your system.

As well as this probiotic power supplement.

You can begin by adding 1/4 teaspoon of coconut to your smoothie or hot cereal and work your way up from there. That is what I did.

INGREDIENTS:

1. 1 1/2 cups full fat coconut milk
2. ½ tsp. quality probiotic powder
3. 1 tsp.grassfed gelatin (If you want your yogurt more “kefir” consistency (thinner) then you can use half the amount. You could also make the consistency thicker/pudding/custard like consistency with more gelatin. Do not use the cold soluble gelatin as it will not work for this project.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Stir the probiotic power and gelatin into the coconut milk and put a lid on the container. (I used a wide mouth a quart mason jar as that is what I had on hand and clean. The original directions say to use a pint jar which fit this amount perfectly.
2. Place the jar under the light in your oven (WITHOUT the stove light on) overnight or for 8-12 hours. You can taste for “tang” and if you want more you can leave it in the over for up to 24 hours under the light.
3. Shake up the jar and place it in the fridge for 2 hours to finish culturing and thickening the yogurt.

This batch ended up being a thin type of yogurt a lot like kefir, but I liked how this tasted. I added a bit of sugar-free jelly to one of the batches for a sugar-free taste of sweetness but I also like it plain as well. This is so easy to make, I will definitely make this again.

Next I’ll be trying my hands at non-dairy DYI yogurt made using homemade coconut milk. Stay tuned!

Small House homesteader, Donna

Testing Gluten-Free Flours

I have been experimenting with various gluten-free flours this week to find something that works for us.

First I bought a Bob’s Red Mill all-purpose flour to use for biscuits. It could have been the recipes, or me, but they these turned out just so so.  They needed a lot of honey on them in order to get them down. Back to the drawing board on this one.

Then I bought Bob’s Red Mill Coconut flour and Bon’s Red Mill Almond Meal and made blueberry pancakes. Gene and I both liked these and I was rate them very tasty and will definitely make them again.

The texture of these pancakes was finer than my favorite whole wheat pancakes that I used to make but not so much that I could not eat it. Gene and I both enjoyed the mild, slightly sweet coconut flavor of these blueberry coconut pancakes. I will make these again and again.

Coconut Flour Almond Meal Pancakes²

Makes about 16 small pancakes

Ingredients

• ½ cup coconut flour
• 1/3 cup almond meal
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 4 organic, pastured eggs
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
• 1/3 cup milk (raw cow’s or coconut)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• a pinch of sea salt
• 1-2 tablespoons organic, raw grass-fed butter + more for serving
• pure maple syrup to drizzle (optional)

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients: the coconut flour, almond meal, baking powder, and salt.
2. Slowly whisk in the wet ingredients: the eggs, coconut oil, milk, and vanilla. Mix until the batter is smooth. (If it feels a little dry, add more milk until it reaches the consistency you’re after).
3. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the butter and allow it to melt, then add scoops of batter (about a ¼ cup each) for silver dollar pancakes. Cook for about a minute on each side until golden brown. Slather with butter and drizzle maple syrup as desired.

More experiment to come!

Small House homesteader, Donna

 

New Year’s Day on the Homestead

We tend to favor low-key holiday celebrations these days. Our life is quiet, simple we are older and we are tired!

A hearty sweet potato, sausage and kale soup to begin the new year.

This year we will enjoy the simple pleasure of walking Sassy, a bit of the NY day parade, watch a good DVD and a great healthy meal. We will likely talk to some of out-of-town relatives as well which is always a bright spot in our day.

I cooked one of my all-time favorite homemade soups this year; Sweet Potato, Sausage and Kale Soup that I adapted many years ago from This Organic Life written by Joan Gussow. This is a great book for any beginning gardener and is about Joan and her husband’s life as college professors and urban gardeners in upstate New York. This is my “go to” potluck soup that everyone raves over. This soup is so good it is almost sinful. I do recommend it!

I’m still trying to find away to make tasty gluten-free biscuits. Not there yet.

Experimenting with gluten-free biscuits today.

Sweet Potato, Sausage and Kale Soup

(Adapted from This Organic Life: Confessions of a Suburban Homesteader, Joan Dye Gussow. This soup was originally a Portuguese tradition.

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 cups chopped onion (about 2 large)

1 teaspoon sea salt (I use just a small pinch)

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

½ teaspoon fennel seeds

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

Rosemary to taste (try ½ to 1 Tablespoon to start)

1 pound sweet turkey Italian sausage (or whatever sausage you like)

8 cups coarsely chopped peeled sweet potato (about 2 1/4 pounds or 6 lg. potatoes)

2 cups of cabbage

5 cups water

4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

I also add 5 or 6 chicken bouillon cubes

1 (16-ounce) package prewashed torn kale

Parsley to taste (I used about two heaping tablespoons)

1 (16-ounce) can cannelloni beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained

1 (16 oz. canned tomato) or homegrown/frozen

(I also like to add chunks of cooked/boiled Butternut squash to my soup. (It’s filled with fiber and I love it in my soups.)

PREPERATION:

1. Boil sweet potatoes and drain.
2. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
3. Add onion; sauté 10-15 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, pepper, rosemary and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Remove casings from sausage; add sausage to pan. Cook 5 minutes or until sausage is lightly browned, stirring to crumble.
4. Add sweet potatoes, 5 cups water, and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes. Gradually add kale; cook 10 minutes or until tender.
5. Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and beans (squash and any other ingredients above)
6. Transfer to a crock pot and finish cooking and blending all flavors

For our dessert I made my rice pudding. Now that I am on a restricted diet I was looking for a low sugar, gluten-free dessert option.

Gluten-Free Low Sugar Brown Rice Pudding (my adaptation)

• 3/4 cup uncooked brown rice
• I cook the brown rice ahead of time and then assemble. I cook my rice for about 30 minutes and then let it sit in the pan on the same burner another 15-20 while it continues to slowly cook until soft. Just watch that the water does not fully evaporate and the rice burns. Usually this is not a problem, but just be aware.
• 2 cups milk, divided (I use 1 to 2 cups of organic Almond milk.)
• 1/3 cup white sugar (I use brown sugar.) I can get by with less sugar because the Craisins are very sweet.
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (I leave out the salt)
• This year I added 3/4 cup of fresh pomegranate seed
• I egg beaten

• 2/3 cup golden raisins (I use Craisins (dried cranberries) since my husband cannot eat raisins.)
• 1 tablespoon butter (I generally don’t use butter but I bet it would taste wonderful!)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract When the dish is assembled, I shake on nutmeg on the top.
• I add a small package of slivered almonds.

1. I cook the brown rice up ahead of time.
2. In a separate bowl assemble all the ingredients except the nutmeg. Mix well.
3. Spoon into the bowl with lid I am cooking it in.
4. Sprinkle on the nutmeg
5. Cook at 325-350 for 20 minutes or until slightly browned and looks cooked around the sides
6. Serve warm (or you can also eat it cooled.)
7. Will keep for about 4-6 days.

You can make this simple dessert from start to finish in about 90 minutes.

Enjoy the fruits of your labor too and have an amazing new year!

Small House homesteader, Donna

Small House Christmas Dinner

Even though we have kept it pretty simple this year, the past week has been a whirlwind of Christmas activities. Our Christmas cards have been signed and sent, and this past Sunday we enjoyed our families Christmas dinner. We hosted this event in our home so much of my week was spent on planning, shopping, table setting and cooking for the big day. I like to cook as much ahead as I can and set the table the night before.

Gene cooked the chicken and I made the side dishes. I find that healthy home cooked food is one way I can show support to my son and make a small difference in his life. I also like to model healthy food for my grand daughter too.

I feel blessed to live in the land of abundance where we have the food easily available to create a special and tasty meal but I never forget to remember those who do not. While it has been challenging to switch over to gluten, dairy and sugar-free, I have not forgotten that I am indeed fortunate to have the ability to find and purchase the ingredients I now need. Having computer access to gluten-free recipes and a working stove, refrigerator, electricity and the ability to make these nutritious meals makes us very fortunate indeed.

Our Christmas Menu This Year Included;

• Susan Lamberti’s Fried & Baked Chicken
• Twice Baked Acorn Squash Quinoa & Kale with Pomegranate
• Gluten-free Stuffing
• Quinoa, Cranberry, Apple, Kale, Pumpkin Seed Pilaf
• Grandma’s Orange and Cranberry Gelatin Salad
• Tossed Lettuce Salad
• Cider (hot or cold) and Water

The highlight of the meal was definitely the Susan Lamberti family chicken recipe we call, Mom’s Fried Chicken. Mom was Gene mother, Susan Lamberti who emigrated from Italy and was a true and traditional Italian cook.

She fed her family of six every day, making many traditional Italian recipes and cooked everything but the bread they ate from scratch and kept her family fed, full and satisfied. Gene’s childhood holiday meals always included a fully baked turkey with all the seasonal trimming as well as homemade lasagna using her handmade lasagna noodles. Gene says his mother was “a piece of work,” but I think she must have been a saint!

In an Italian family it’s all about family and the food!

I enjoyed this chicken for the first time in the fall of 20145 when we visited Gene’s brother and sister-in-law at their home in Upstate New York. Gene’s brother Pat saved this recipe from oblivion. This chicken is lightly breaded, lightly fried and then baked and is incredibly moist and delicious. We watched the making of this chicken then but needed a quick tutorial to answer a few questions so Gene called his brother for the recipe which I have included here.

Susan Lamberti’s Fried & Baked Chicken (Prep 60 minutes, cook time 60 minutes. Ready in 2 hours.)

INGREDIENTS:

Chicken pieces with skin removed

Salt & pepper to taste

Eggs

Flour

Italian bread crumbs

Olive oil

1. Remove skin, cut up chicken and dry the pieces well
2. Roll chicken pieces in the flour
3. Roll chicken in the egg mixture
4. Roll the chicken in the Italian bread crumbs
5. Fry lightly in olive oil, turning often
6. Drain chicken on paper towels to take out any excess oil
7. Put the chicken back into the pan and add water, approx. ½ to ¾ cup of water depending on the amount of chicken pieces and the size of the pan. The water will soften the breading and allows you to make gravy in the pan.
8. Remove chicken from flying pan and put into a baking dish
9. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 60 minutes depending on the size of the chicken breasts.

Grandma’s Orange and Cranberry Gelatin Salad (Prep 20 minutes. Ready in 8 hours)

INGREDIENTS:

1 (oz.) package raspberry flavored Jell-O mix

2 cups boiling water

1 (16 oz.) can whole berry cranberry sauce

1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple, un-drained

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup pecans

1 teaspoon orange zest

TOPPING:

1, 4 oz. package cream cheese softened (I used non-dairy)

½ cup whipped topping (I used non-dairy)

DIRECTIONS:

1) Place the gelatin in a bowl and pour in the boiling water, and stir until the gelatin dissolves. Mix in the cranberry sauce, pineapple, celery, pecans, and orange zest until evenly blended. Pour the gelatin mixture into a mold or serving dish.

2) Chill gelatin in the refrigerator overnight or up to 8 hours.

3) To make the topping beat the cream cheese with half of the whip topping. Fold in the remaining whipped topping until well blended. Unmold the gelatin and spread with the topping mixture.

Twice Baked Acorn Squash Quinoa & Kale with Pomegranate: (Prep 15 minutes, initial cook 40 minutes-Mix together and bake another 20 minutes)

INGREDIENTS:

2 acorn squash

Quinoa, red or white

Kale, torn into pieces (amount is as much as you like) I use one whole large bunch for three squashes.)

Garlic, fresh or power (I used a large spoon full of prepared ground garlic)

1 teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon allspice

½ cup pecans

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cut acorn squash in half. Scoop out the seeds and coat the inner yellow portion with butter, coconut oil or olive oil. Place in the oven, right side up, and bake at 400 degrees for 30-45 minutes or until the inner portion is soft. For a more seasoned bowl, dust the squash with garlic powder, cinnamon and allspice. When the squash is done, peel out the inner portion and leave enough squash remaining in the bowl to maintain its structure.
2. Sauté’ the shredded squash, quinoa, kale, spices and /2 teaspoon garlic powder (or 1 teaspoon fresh minced garlic.) and butter in a pan just enough to melt the butter and wilt the kale.
3. Transfer the mixture into the squash bowls and bake in the oven for 15-30 minutes. Add the pecans and the pomegranates to the top.
4. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds (toasted or not) Serve warm or at room temperature.

Cool slightly and can be made a day ahead.

Enjoy your holidays all!

Small House homesteader, Donna

I Begin the Long Journey to Better Health

Yesterday’s journal entry….

“It’s been a bad day in River City….I’ve been fighting a bad bacterial infection on my abdomen for more than a week. Today I broke down and went to see my new Grandville doctor today. I ended up having unexpected office surgery to remove two of the three sebaceous cyst she found there. The third one is too deep to take out in the office so we are hoping that the 10 day round antibiotics will take care of that.

Not to bore you with details, but my body parts were not cooperating and it took over 12 shots to numb the area so she could do the surgery. I won’t be moving around much for the next week or so.  I try so hard to avoid meds but here again I am taking antibiotics and pain killers…I HATE THAT. To me this represents just more toxins to detox from my body.

Husband Gene offered to come with me but he had an appointment at the dealer for new tires for his truck so I said “I can handle it.” BIG mistake! I needed his support and to drive me home as well as shop  at the health food store and pick up my prescription on the way home….six hours on the road…..It was a long hard and exhausting day.

Taking Keflex and 800 Motrin now…..and going to bed.  All plans for this week have been cancelled.”

I haven’t written a lot on this blog about my on-going health challenges. I don’t know if readers want to hear about these things. It’s all part of aging I guess and getting old is a job that is definitely not for sissies!

I have long been searching for a new physician one who is interested in and capable of an integrative approach; one who treats the whole body not just the particular system that is having problems at the moment.

The Positive Attributes of Alternative Medicine:

• Focus on proactive measures
• Treats the cause of illness and disease, not just the symptoms
• Is more cost-effective than Western Medicine
• Methods target whole body, as an interrelated system
• Generally safe with minimal side effects when used according to directions
• Best option for chronic diseases
• Requires more personal education and self-direction because it is not taught to most doctors and most patients never hear about it
• Can take longer to see results because addressing the root cause is more involved than simply masking symptoms

The roadblock for an alternative physician and treatment has been due to a lack of coverage by our standard health insurance and lack of free to spend money.

At long last think I may have found an empathetic heart at last, a DO who is an osteopathic physician that is fully licensed able to treat my skin issues and thyroid issues and practices an hour’s drive from my home. She is also voiced in the language of thyroid.

I get really frustrated because I feel like all I do is focus on preventative methods like choosing healthy food choices. I grow it, I source it. I cook it. We choose only organic, GM free foods. I thought I make healthy lifestyle choices; I never smoked, I rarely drank. I’ve always exercised. And yet I seem to suffer from  chronic and major health issues. Often I feel like no matter what I do it is not enough…and many days I get discouraged and feel like throwing in the towel.

I believe the core problem is a lifetime of exposure to environmental toxins, overactive and raging hormones and too many antibiotics I am learning that the skin.

I am learning that the skin, which according to the medical field has been called “the third kidney” because it is able to release toxins such as pesticide, solvents, heavy metals, urea & lactic acid from the body.

I also know first-hand that bacteria leave behind toxins and harmful by-products in the body long after the infection has ended. Fighting off an infection is exhausting, stressful and takes a lot of energy. All that lost energy can hinder our ability to get well.

The Literature Notes That Chronic Infections Are Due to:

• Hormonal imbalance
• Food allergens
• Internal inflammation:

As I begin this new journey I do have some concerns.

• I am not a pill person and working with this practice will mean I will be taking more supplements. That will be hard to swallow for me (no pun intended.)
• Historically adding supplements has meant an increase in my bacterial infections and cyst eruptions and that is not something I am fond of. Detoxing is a hard thing physically and emotionally to deal with.
• Much of the costs of this work will not be covered by Medicare or Blue Cross Blue Shield and will mean that our precious cash reserves will be drained.
• I will need to eliminate sugar, wheat and dairy and I will have to learn and all new way to plan meals, shop and cook. Because food represents one of the most time-consuming tasks of my week and I have taken responsibility for food in our house, this will also be a challenge.

But Gene and I agree that our health is our wealth and we are going to invest in ourselves. It’s now or never.

Wish me luck on my journey.

Small House homesteader, Donna

Soil Is the Great Connector of Lives

 A nation that destroys its soil destroys itself. Franklin D. Roosevelt

Our garden cart and 5-gallon buckets are an essential part of my garden labor.

A granddaughter of a dairy farmer I never realize the real importance of the soil until I came to the Small House Homestead. I have learned that a high quality, healthy and organic soil makes the difference between being able to grow and not grow. Healthy organic soil is the foundation of food security.

Gene is shoveling bark chips from the truck to the buckets.

Our most important job as vegetable gardeners is to feed and sustain soil life, often called the soil food web, beginning with the microbes. If we do this, our plants will thrive, we’ll grow nutritious, healthy food, and our soil conditions will get better each year. This is what is meant by the adage ”Feed the soil not the plants.

Every season I work to make our soil healthier through making my own homemade compost. Kitchen scraps, chicken poop, spent flowers and leaves; everything that is not meat or bones goes into our compost pile.

Our 6-bin compost station built of pallets and T stakes is not fancy but it gets the job done.

Today I spread our homemade compost on the fruit trees, shrubs and some of our perennials. I was able to make about 12 5-gallon buckets this year. Every year I make more compost and every year I do not have enough to go around.

I have to decide which plants most deserve the composted soils and then top dress them with well composted horse manure for the rest. We are fortunate to have as much horse manure available as we can haul home.

5-gallon buckets of compost and manure lined up waiting to be spread.

This is a big deal for us because our Oak Savannah forest soil is lean, sandy and pretty much nutrient free.

I let the chicken do the work of turning the composted soil.

Our soil building formula is simple; homemade compost, horse manure and bark chips as mulch. Without this I don’t think I would be able to garden or grow at all.

Making soil and growing food and flowers is my calling.

Small House homesteader, Donna

Can’t Grow Your Own? Buy Local!

We aren’t as sustainable as some homesteads here at the Small House. But what we can’t grow or produce we can buy from local growers. I’m a softie when it comes to eating my own chickens so this year I ordered them from a local farm.

Cornish hens ready to take home for Sunday dinner!

Today we picked up our 18 organic pastured chickens that we ordered last August from a nearby chicken farm owned by friends, Blackberry Pine Farms.

The greeting sign at Blackberry Pines Farm

We took a tour of the farm today when we picked up our birds and I was pleased at how clean and orderly it is. Blackberry Pine Farms raises and sells chickens, turkeys and peafowl.

White Pines line the driveway to the farm.

My friend Ann and I went in together on our order and I pre-ordered 18 Cornish hens between us. I made the arrangements, placed the order, picked up the processed chickens and we met today for lunch and a handled the pick-up. She drove down from Newaygo with her husband Terry and we sat on our three season’s porch with lemonade and hot tea and caught up.

Gene and I spent the day with my high school friend and her husband Terry.

I wanted organic meat chickens in the freezer for the year and decided to test out Farm raised Cornish hens. My plan is to roast one chicken per month over the winter and to cook up a 9 lb. hen for the holidays.

A cooler full of processed chickens on their way home to my freezer.

We had a nice visit on our sun porch and then drove into Fennville for lunch and to enjoy a bit of the annual Fennville Goose Festival.

The chicken tractor ah la Joe Saladin.

We ate lunch as a great restaurant owned by another friend, Roots, and watched the small town parade go by our window. The Festival is the typical mix of food booths, bands, fire trucks, muscle cars, hay wagons carrying the local football team, the Goose Queen and King and so on. Our lunch that was made from locally sourced foods, was well prepared and tasty. And it was especially fun for the four of us to sit and chat and catch up what is for us, a very unusual day off.

The fall weather cooperated beautifully too; with blue skies and sunshine, warm breezes and lots of autumn color coming on in the trees and shrubs.

This day off was a rare country pleasure and a fine way to enjoy the autumn before the heavy snowfall arrives and prevents company visiting for another winter.

Small House homesteader, Donna

Gooey Peanut Butter Chocolate Crockpot Cake

I love to use my crock pot for cooking. I can put in my ingredients and walk away to continue my work in other project and places. I know we are all trying to reduce our sugar consumption but once in a when a special occasions happens and we want to treat ourselves and our families. Making this cake was one of those rare times.

Today I experimented with anew recipe, Gooey Peanut Butter Chocolate Crock Pot Cake. This was a hit with Gene and would be an easy to make dish to take to a potluck as well.

Gooey Peanut Butter Chocolate Crock Pot Cake

(Adapted from Taste of Home Slow Cooker)

1 ¾ cup sugar divided (I use coconut sugar)

1 cup 2$ milk (I used almond milk)

¾ cup creamy peanut butter (I used almost butter)

3 Tbsp. canola oil (I use olive oil)

2 cups all-purpose flour

¾ cup baking cocoa, divided

3 tsp. baking powder

2 cup boiling water

Salted peanuts, optional (I use walnuts)

1. In a large bowl, beat one cup sugar, milk, peanut butter and oil until well blended. (I used a blender.)
2. In another bowl whisk flour., 1/2 cup cocoa and baking powder; gradually beat into peanut butter mix (batter will be thick.)
3. Transfer to a greased 5 qt. slow cooker (I greased with olive oil)
4. In a small bowl, mix the remaining sugar and cocoa. Stir in water. Pour over batter (do not stir.)
5. Cook covered on high 2 to 2 ½ hours or until toothpick comes out clean.
6. If desired sprinkle with peanut or walnuts.
7. Serve also with French vanilla ice cream or yogurt.
8. Small House homesteader, Donna

Once a Mom Always a Mom!

I woke up early today at 5 a.m. My adult son Chris was coming for a short visit on his way back to the Chicago airport and I wanted to get breakfast started for him.

I started the turkey sausage simmering while I prepared the whole wheat pancake batter. While I know that many folks today are now eating gluten free, we made the decision to continue to eat wheat. We were trained by the CHIPS program (Coronary Heath Improvement Program out of Loma Linda Heath Center in Loma Linda, California). And until there becomes a specific reason for us to eliminate wheat from our diet, we will continue as I believe we need the fiber and the nutrition in our diet. I just make sure we are eating the highest quality wheat we can buy and that is the Bob’s Red Mill brand. This wheat is organic and certified GMO free.

After trying many pancake recipes over the years, I think these are the best whole wheat pancakes I have ever eaten. This recipe uses Apple Cider Vinegar (with the mother) and I believe that makes all the difference in the overall taste. I use almond milk because Gene is lactose intolerant. I think this recipe is simply delicious, hearty and healthy enough to stick to the ribs, one of our highest requirements for fuel for the day’s work.

Sweet bell peppers what a riot of color!

Our afternoon was spent bringing tender house plants into the house, chopping up and freezing a large bowl of colorful sweet peppers I purchased from our local farm market @3 for $1.00. In the winter months peppers here sell for $2.99  each for green and $3.99 for colored peppers. Every year I freeze many of them and by mid-winter I always run out. I love having them chopped and ready to grab from the freezer to add to soups, omelettes, casseroles and stews.

I finished up the preparations for the potato and ham soup and popped that into the crock pot for our lunch. We ate the soup with my favorite herbal flatbread. This tasty flatbread recipe can be found here: https://smallhousebigskyhomestead.wordpress.com/2015/09/24/cooking-by-the…at-of-my-pants/

The hard floors got a good sweeping this morning as well.

This time I year I often work in the house in the cool of the morning and then work outside int e garden and the yard during the sunny and warmer part of the day.

Whole Wheat Pancakes (that actually taste good) Yield: Serves 2-3 Ingredients:

• 1 cup milk
• 1 tbsp. vinegar* (white wine or apple cider)
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp. melted butter
• Butter for greasing the griddle
• Directions:

1. Combine the milk and vinegar and let the mixture curdle while you mix together the other ingredients.
2. In a big bowl, whisk to combine the whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the egg, melted butter, and the curdled milk, until it looks fairly homogenous and smooth. Whisk this wet mixture into the dry ingredients, and stir the two together until just barely mixed. You want any visible loose flour to be stirred in, but there should still be plenty of lumps. If you stir out the lumps, the pancakes will likely be tough.
4. Preheat a nonstick griddle to 375 degrees F and grease the surface with butter. Add small scoops of pancake batter and use the cookie scooper to gently smooth the scoop into a flatter circle. Cook for a few minutes, until you start to see little bubbles forming on the surface. Flip the pancakes with a turner and cook for a few minutes on the other side, until you peek underneath and see that the bottom is golden brown. Serve with butter and real maple syrup. Enjoy!

Notes*You can substitute lemon juice for the vinegar, or you can sub buttermilk for the milk + vinegar if that’s what you have. Recipe adapted from Who Wants

Small House homesteader, Donna