• Gardening Favorites

    It is almost garden season! I have a shelf of seed starts going in my kitchen, and will soon have even more. I thought that I would share my favorite gardening tools while the season is getting going!

    Bootstrap Farmer seed pots— These are pricey, but will last you forever. No more flimsy seed starting pots that fall apart after a season! These are SO well made, we’re going into our third season using them. We have had the 2.5 inch pots for years and just invested in the 3.3 inch pots this year.

    Grow Lights— Once we implemented grow lights in our seed starting, everything changed. Our seedlings have been so much stronger and grown so much better. You CAN get by without them, but it does make a big difference if you can afford it!

    Plant Markers— These are really good quality and the perfect size for tucking into your seed pots. They work well outdoors, too. If you’re a fan of color coordination, like I am, the colors are a bonus.

    Watering Can— We don’t have any irrigation setup in our huge garden. We lug the hose all over and water everything by hand. I really like this watering can and have had it for several years.

    Greenstalk— I purchased our greenstalk last year during an amazing sale. It is the best for vertical growing. We are filling ours with everbearing strawberry plants, and it works so well. We did put a six foot long rebar into the ground through the center so that our winds didn’t blow the greenstalk down. A lot of people do not have to go to that lenght the keep it upright. I’d really like to add another to our garden this year for lettuces. They are going to have a new basketweave greenstalk coming out in a few weeks. Keep your eyes peeled! They always do some kind of sale near Mother’s Day.

    Plant Ruler— This makes planting so much simpler if you care about proper spacing. You will have happier and healthier plants if you space them well.

    Plant Shears— I love these barebones shears. They’re sharp and clean up really easily, plus they’re pretty. I find that having pretty things makes the work more enjoyable.

    Seed Trays— Again, these are pricey, but well worth the investment. You can carry your seed starts back and forth without fear of your tray cracking and spilling all of your hard work.

    Kneeling pad— Listen, these knees aren’t what they used to be. A cushion under them when pulling weeds for hours has become necessary.

    Hori Hori Knife— Full disclosure, this is at the top of my wish list. I don’t own it yet. You can use it to dig holes for planting, cutting fruit off the vine, and so much more. I love the quality and beauty of Barebones items.

    Roo Garden Apron— Scott got this for my birthday last year, and I love it so much. Not only am I keeping my clothes clean, but I can fill up the pouch with my harvest when I inevitably forget to grab a basket. Then, I can go inside and pour it all out onto the counter, or onto our outdoor washing table. There are pockets to hold my shears, phone, etc. also.

    I want to say that you do not NEED fancy equipment to garden. You need seeds, dirt, and water. Having the extras does make it more enjoyable and often easier. I ask for a lot of these things for my birthday, and I save up gift cards from the “cash back” apps that I use. It does not have to be an expensive undertaking.

    Are you gardening this year? What are you most excited to grow?

  • Garden Dreaming

    Happy February, friends! We survived January. I really was starting to wonder if I would make it through. We had nothing but fog and clouds for the entire month. But, the sun rose today and we could see it. It is currently shining into my windows and it will be unseasonably warm today. Goodness, how I needed this!

    February is the month that we start our very first seeds. Onions! Broccoli! Cabbage! Oh, my! I am itching to get into the garden. We expanded quite a bit. I’m not great with measurements, but I think it’s somewhere around another 20X40 foot garden bed. But, don’t quote me on that. We have some really fun plans to make it even more whimsical and inviting. It will also be a little more private and not so exposed to the road, which will be nice.

    We went to the farm store and bought some soil for starting our seeds and, of course, some more seeds. I have plans to add a lot of flowers to the garden this year. They add so much beauty and attract the pollinators, which is very needed in an area with such heavy pesticide use. My big dream is to be able to put flowers out on our farm stand this year also. But, we will see what happens.

    Food preservation is obviously a big pull of ours this year. Maybe more-so than in the past. There is a large group of people that feel the need to “get their house in order”. We are some of them. But, we also really want to get more adventurous in how we eat the food from the garden. I love root veggies, and often eat them raw. But, there are so many other ways that you can cook up these delicious veggies.

    Jessica Sowards from Roots & Refuge said to create pinterest boards over the winter of vegetable recipes. That way, when you are swimming in turnips, you can go right to your turnip board and have loads of inspiration for ways to cook them instead of having them go to waste. On our farm, nothing goes to waste because it’s fed to the chickens or feeds the compost pile, but we still want to eat as much as we can. I love this idea and really need to put it into practice while we are still waiting. It’s not too late.

    Are you wanting to start a garden this year? My biggest resource for learning about the garden has been Jess, whom I mentioned above. She LOVES the garden and shares information is a way that I can understand. She also wrote a book that I HIGHLY recommend called The First Time Gardener. It’s SO well written and full of really good information. I think that everyone should grow something, even if it’s a pot of basil on your windowsill. There’s something so magical about putting a seed in the dirt and watching it sprout and eventually feed your people. Or, if you love flowers, seeing the beauty of it burst forth.

    I love the garden. I really cannot wait to get my hands in the dirt. Although, we are still pulling carrots out of the garden to eat fresh. Can you even believe it?! Scott just dug up more yesterday.

    All of that being said, I know that in July I will be longing for some rest. So, I will try my best to soak up these last couple of months of slow. We’ll play lots of board games and read lots of books. Then, it will be go time and the world will be bursting with color again.

    Hold on, friends. It’s coming!

  • Delight

    Happy New Year! It is so hard to believe that 2024 is officially here. Where have the last four years gone?

    I have stopped creating resolutions in the new year. I’m learning to lean into the seasons that God has given us. A season where we pull inward and rest seems like a really terrible time to set huge, lofty goals. Perhaps if we set goals in the Spring, we would have much more success!

    I also haven’t picked a “word” for my year in quite some time. However, some time before Christmas, the Lord put the word delight in front of me. I knew instantly that it needed to be my focus, but not one that I wanted until January 1 for. I needed to start immediately.

    You see, I have been holding onto a lot of frustration and bitterness. I’ve been so discontent. Almost 7 years ago, when the door to ministry was slammed shut in our face, we moved back to Illinois because we didn’t have much other choice. No job opportunities were opening up where we lived in Oklahoma, and our finances wouldn’t allow us to stay and pay bills indefinitely with no income. So, back “home” with our tails between our legs we came. We thought it would be temporary, and here we still are. I do not like Illinois and never wanted to live in this state again once I got out after high school. There was also a lot of hurt over the lies and deception that had taken place. I’ve still been hanging on to a lot of that anger. Pair that with the people that have been judgmental and assuming that WE walked away from ministry and that we aren’t actively living what the Lord’s will for our lives is… it’s a recipe for bitterness.

    “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 34:7

    My delight needs to come from the LORD. My delight does not com from what other people think of me. It doesn’t come from living in the perfect place. It won’t come from family or friends. It needs to come from HIM and him alone.

    This will be the year that my eyes stay focused on Him. He will guide our path, as He always has. God wants my good. He is for me and loves me beyond what my mind can comprehend. I can rest in that knowledge and know that if we are here for the rest of our lives, it is because He willed it.

    I can see the blessings of what has transpired over the last 10 or so years. Time allows you the gift of hindsight. I can see how much the Lord has given us. Imagine how much more would have come from it if I had let go of the weight of the chains I’ve hung on to. How much more would come from your life if you let them go?

    Seek the Lord this year. I pray His blessings over your life in 2024.
    ‘“The Lord bless you
        and keep you;
    the Lord make his face shine on you
        and be gracious to you;
     the Lord turn his face toward you
        and give you peace.”’
    Numbers 6:24-26

  • Sourdough Einkorn Bagels

    Back in January, I started waking up in extreme pain. It was terrible. Getting out of bed was so painful, and it would get worse as the day went on. I was fighting tears when I’d go to bed at night. I have some sort of undiagnosed autoimmune disease– suspected that I have hashimoto’s. But, that is a whole other long, frustrating story. I decided that I was going to cut gluten out of my diet to see if that helped at least reduce the inflammation in my body. Within a month of going gluten free, the pain was gone. I started getting regular chiropractic adjustments, which has also helped. I did NOT want to give up gluten. I love baking bread. I love eating bread. You have to understand the amount of pain that I was in to reach this point.

    It has been nine and a half months. If I have accidentally consumed any wheat, I have regretted it. I recently decided that I wanted to make an einkorn flour sourdough starter, and give that bread a try. Einkorn is a very low gluten flour. Sourdough breaks the gluten down and makes it even easier to digest. My starter was ready, and I whipped up a batch of sourdough bagels. I ate a fresh bagel, and so far everything has been ok. This will be a game changer for me! Einkorn also has a great protein content. It is so nutritious and has this amazing buttery flavor. I hate gluten free flours because it is all starches and fillers.

    I wanted to share my recipe for einkorn bagels with you.

    Ingredients:
    dough:
    1/2 cup active einkorn sourdough starter
    1 cup filtered water
    2 Tablespoons maple syrup (honey or sugar would be ok)
    2 teaspoons of salt
    4 cups of all-purpose einkorn flour

    *For boiling- water, 1 Tablespoon brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon baking soda

    Makes- 8 bagels

    You will want to start with active einkorn sourdough starter that has risen and is nice and bubbly. If it floats on the water, you are all set. Honestly, I’ve used starter that didn’t quite float and it turned out ok.

    Put all of your dough ingredients into your mixer, and mix it until it’s combined. This dough is thick and stiff. If you mix by hand, you’ll probably need to get it out of the bowl and knead it to get the flour incorporated all the way. Place your dough in a bowl and cover it with a towel. Leave it to ferment overnight in a warm place. I like to turn my oven light on and put the dough inside overnight. Just make sure to leave a note on the oven to NOT turn it on. (Ask me how I know.) If you need more time before baking, you can put it into the fridge to deal with whenever you get a chance. You do not have to bring the dough to room temperature after refrigerating before moving to the next steps.

    When you’re ready to make your bagels, lightly flour your counter and place the dough on it. I like to use a bench scraper to cut the dough into eight equal pieces. You can use a knife or your hands to tear the dough into pieces. There are two ways to shape your bagels, and either one is just fine. You can roll your dough piece into a snake, just like playing with play-doh and twist the ends together to create your circle. If you prefer, you can roll your dough piece into a ball and pierce a hole with your thumb. Gently stretch the hole until it’s about two inches wide. Place your shaped bagel onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. I like to put a tiny bit of oil on the parchment, because the bagels do stick to it. Continue doing this until you’ve shaped all of your bagels. Cover your baking sheet with a towel to let the bagels rest for a little bit while you get the oven preheating and water boiling.

    Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Fill a large pot with water and put your baking soda and brown sugar into the water. Once the water is boiling, drop 2-3 of your bagels into the water. They will sink to the bottom of your pot at first, and then float to the top. Once they’ve floated to the top, remove the bagels with a slotted spoon and place them back onto your baking sheet. Continue doing this with all of your bagels. Do not skip this step. This is what gives bagels that delicious flavor and chewy texture. If you want to top your bagels with anything– cheddar cheese, everything but the bagel seasoning, etc.– do this after taking them out of the water. My kids love when I sprinkle shredded cheese on top.

    Once the oven has finished preheating, and your bagels have all taken their baking soda baths, put them in the oven. Cook for 20 minutes, or until they are a nice, golden color.

    These bagels are so delicious fresh from the oven, or toasted up at a later time. We also love to eat them as sandwiches. They freeze wonderfully, too!

    If you try them, let me know what you think!

  • Preserving the Harvest

    Hello, my friends. Our family has been so busy with the homestead and life that I haven’t taken the time to write.

    The garden is slowing down and we are nearing our first hard frost. Having labored through the past 8+ months, I am so ready for the slower months. I love the garden, but I’m never too sad to see it go at the end of the season. Then, February rolls around and I am itching to get my hands in the dirt again. It’s a beautiful cycle.

    The last several weeks have been full of preservation. Through the summer, we decided to freeze our tomatoes so that I wasn’t canning on 90 degree days and heating up the house even more. Now that it has cooled off, we’ve been pulling them out and processing them. I only make tomato sauce with our tomatoes. Tomato sauce can be used to make pasta sauce, ketchup, etc. We don’t really enjoy stewed tomatoes. Preserve what YOUR family eats, not what you think you should preserve. It takes far too much time and work for you to end up dumping your food years from now.

    Every year, we get a buschel of seconds apples from the local orchard to turn into applesauce. We got 15 1/2 quarts of sauce this year! I’m really considering trying to pick up another to make some more to make it through a year without having to buy any from the store.

    In the years past, I have missed out on so much preservation because I felt like I didn’t have enough to make it worth the work. This year, I have truly embraced “every bit counts”. My dehydrator has been running quite often. I’ve actually taken to preserving clearance grocery store produce. I have 24 pints of grape jelly (that cost me $10!) , tons of dehydrated mushrooms, potatoes, etc. all snagged from the markdown section at the grocery store. Bargain bin preservation is nothing to sneeze at. I reach for things that I cannot or do not currently grow on my own farm. This is a great option for those of you who want to preserve food, but don’t have the space or ability to garden.

    Our preservation game has changed completely since we added a pressure canner to our toolbox. This was a huge priority for us to get since pressure canning is the only safe way to preserve low-acid foods. I’ve been able to can green beans, bone broth, meat, etc. Filling up the shelves with shelf-stable, nourishing food for my family has been such a gift.

    We are working on expanding the garden again next year. Each year, we evaluate and expand or stay as is. We’ve been filling the garden up each year, and have expanded again and again. We also have been given permission to do some pretty exciting things. But, we are prayerfully considering what is best to do. Will you pray with us? I know how vague that is, but God knows.

    We have worked like dogs this year. We have loved it. We will eat like kings this winter. Homesteading is such an incredible way of life. Digging in the dirt and seeing tiny seeds turn into huge plants that bear so much fruit shows me how incredible God is. He designed all of these things. I also understand even more what the Bible means when it discusses pruning. (John 15:2-6 for example) I know that it will never make sense to those outside, but the gardening and homesteading have brought me so much closer to the Lord. Remind me of this during our first ice storm when I’m layering up and going out to break up the ice for the animals to have water. 😉


    **Note– I remove the rings on my jars after they have cooled; before putting them on the shelf. This allows for me to know right away if we have a false seal.

  • Harper is NINE

    I can’t believe that my Harper girl is nine years old already. Time has flown by. She is pure sunshine and joy. Harper is the silliest and sweetest little girl you’ll meet. I’m so blessed to be her mama! She giggled at every question asked and there was a lot of shrugging. I love her so much.

    1. What is your favorite color?  blue

    2. What is your favorite toy?  uh. *lots of giggles* I don’t know.

    3. What is your favorite fruit? blueberries and strawberries

    4. What is your favorite tv show or movie? *shrugs* I don’t know.

    5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch?  macaroni, chicken nuggets, pizza lunchables (we make our own.)

    6. What is your favorite game? I don’t know.

    7. What is your favorite snack? I think sourdough crackers.

    8. What is your favorite animal? All of them.

    9. What is your favorite song?   *shrugs*

    10. What is your favorite book?  I think “The King of the Birds” series.

    11. Who is your best friend?   *shrugs*

    12. What is your favorite cereal?  cookie crisp

    13. What is your favorite thing to do outside? hold chickens

    14. What is your favorite drink? water

    15. What is your favorite holiday?  I think my birthday.

    16. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Sometimes nothing. Usually I bring a playaway upstairs.

    17. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast?  I think donuts.

    18. What do you want for dinner on your birthday?  pizza!

    19. What do you want to be when you grow up?  I don’t really know.

    20. What makes you feel happy?  *shrugs*

    21. What do you like about yourself? that I’m good at catching chickens.

  • Prime Day Deals in the Kitchen

    I wanted to share some of the deals happening on items that we use and LOVE in our home.

    LODGE enameled dutch ovens are 55% off. (Mine is only the 5 Qt.) I use this non stop in the cooler months, and still often in the warmer months. Whether it is for sourdough bread or delicious soup, I love mine. Now is a great time to snag one. I love this navy blue and honestly wish it were in my budget to get this one in this size. haha! There’s many color options.

    Pyrex glass food storage— my fridge is full of leftovers nestled in these containers. Love them! Microwaving your food in plastic containers leaches so many chemicals into your food.

    This spiral egg rack sits on our counter and stores our eggs. It’s so cute, and looks so pretty with all of our colorful eggs on it. 🙂 Note– you can only store fresh eggs at room temp. Eggs from the store have been washed, which removes the bloom and allows bacteria to enter the egg.

    This banneton set comes with everything you need for making sourdough… and some things that you don’t NEED, but are super nice to have.

    This tea pot is so pretty and hasn’t rusted in all of the time I’ve used it. We drink hot tea almost every evening.

    These are my absolute favorite wash cloths.

    This little waffle maker is a workhorse in my kitchen.

    This pullman loaf pan is the size of a storebought loaf. It’s great for making our week’s worth of bread.

    I recently upgraded to this instant pot, and really love it.

    Honorable mentions that I don’t have but are on my wish list–

    I’ve drooled over this dehydrator for so long. It’s over half off today! What a deal!!!

  • Give Thanks for All HE Has Done

    Oh, this garden. There has been so much love, blood, sweat, and tears put into this space. We’ve been in a drought for months. Last week, we were finally forecasted rain. But, not just rain. A massive storm with 80+ MPH winds and huge hail is what was barreling towards us. I went outside and took a video of my garden. I just knew it was all going to be destroyed. I walked through the garden and prayed over it. I begged God to spare it.

    The storm came in like a freight train. Limbs were immediately ripped off of healthy trees. I sat inside feeling sick to my stomach. We are so close to the abundance that will be coming from the garden. I went outside when the worst had passed, and I couldn’t believe what I saw. It was completely untouched. We had a huge mess to clean up everywhere else, but the garden looked as though nothing had happened. I wept. Thank you, Jesus. We also kept our power when most of the closest town was without for DAYS. We were so blessed.

    Every animal was also safe, which was a huge blessing. We just had to make some minor repairs to one of the runs. Most importantly, all of the people were safe.

    This storm hit just a few days before we hosted all of our friends for a Fourth of July party. The kids helped us clean up all of the limbs and branches that were thrown everywhere. We had such a huge turnout for our party. It’s amazing to me that just a few years ago I was feeling so lonely. I longed for deep friendships for myself and my children. God heard those prayers and answered them in the mightiest way. We ended up with a group of over 70 people. Our friends and the friends of my children. Isn’t God just SO good?!

    I have so much to be thankful for. I will sing of His goodness forever.

  • The Garden

    Oh, the garden.

    Do you ever stop and think how incredible it must have been before the fall; before we ended up in a Genesis 3 world? Genesis 2:15 says “The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” We aren’t told that Adam is taken out of the garden when Eve was created. I take that to mean that God caused the deep sleep to fall on Adam IN garden and Eve was created there. How beautiful. How incredible to walk with God in the garden.

    I feel closest to the Lord in my garden. I spend a lot of time in it– tending to it all. I praise God for the gift of being able to put my hand to something that will feed my family and friends. I ask him to bless it. Some days I beg him to make it fruitful because I know how quickly things can go sideways. It is an exercise in faith.

    I tend to romanticize the garden a lot. If I’m honest, I romanticize the whole homestead. It’s this beautiful, picturesque thing in my mind. But, it is sweaty work. It’s hard and backbreaking. Plants die. Animals die. It’s a lot. It’s not all romance. But, it is mine. It’s ours. I’m so thankful for the chance to be entrusted with this work.

    I encourage you to plant a garden, even if it’s just a plant in a pot. Put your hands to something.

  • I am a Homesteader

    I don’t know when homesteading became such a dream of ours. I’m not sure when it happened. But, it’s here. It’s tugging on us more than anything ever has. The unlikely homesteaders. Two flawed people who grew up in suburbia surrounded by mono-crop farming; sprawling fields of gmo corn and soybeans all around our little town. My mom has always gardened and used to can applesauce from our trees in the yard. I had no interest in learning any of it back then. Sorry, Mom. Thank you for letting me eat half of your apple slices while you worked on applesauce.

    Over the past couple of years, when seeking the Lord’s will for my life, I have felt the Lord telling me that homesteading has become my ministry. But, how? Why? What does that even mean, Lord?! It didn’t make sense to me. It doesn’t make sense to me. But, I know that THIS is what He has called me into; what he has called Scott into. We have had a gentle pull towards this for over 10 years. But, it has become almost an urgency to learn. We talk about it a lot. We pray about it a lot. We wonder why and have a lot of questions. What we do have is complete peace.

    I am sure that some people in our lives believe that we have completely abandoned obedience to the Lord because we are not in full-time vocational ministry anymore. If you think that of us, then you truly don’t know us at all. We have held everything with open hands. Palms up. Allowing the Lord to take and place anything in our hands that He has for us. I’d have scoffed at you five years ago if you told me this is how it would go. Again, if you really KNOW us you will know. God is good and faithful, and this is right where he wants us.

    In spite of all of that, here I am. Mentoring friends and strangers on the internet on how to raise up chickens to provide eggs and/or meat for their families. I am teaching them how to plant tiny seeds to grow food for their families. Encouraging them to care for the soil and the ecosystem that lives beneath– which makes everything healthier and stronger. Educating and encouraging people to take their food into their own hands. I’m showing up in the mistakes and messes. There’s a lot of imperfection. You may not learn too much from me right now, but I’m going to be in your corner cheering you on as you learn to take care of your family and yourself in this way. If you visit my home in the summer, you’ll likely leave with an armload of something from the garden. Probably squash. Sometimes garlic.

    I often feel like a homesteading imposter. Imposter syndrome is weird. I am a homesteader. I have the livestock– small livestock, but livestock nonetheless. I preserve my food through canning, fermenting, and dehydration. My basement is still loaded with winter squash from last year’s garden. I cook from scratch. I am reclaiming skills that have been lost through generations. I’ve learned SO much over the last few years. I live a natural lifestyle. I steward what the Lord has given me, and I hope that I steward it well. Sometimes I need to remind myself of the things that I have accomplished. It helps in the moments of discouragement.

    You don’t have to do or have all of the above to be a homesteader. It’s almost become a rat race of its own kind on the interwebs. Do I have enough animals to be called a homesteader? I’m still learning how to make sourdough, am I really a homesteader? I only water bath can, does that count? I don’t have a dairy cow, so I must not be a true homesteader. It’s all silly. If you are making any effort to become less reliant on the system, YOU ARE A HOMESTEADER. You are doing the thing.

    Joel Salatin said “A homesteader is a person whose heart and whose focus is in the home. It’s a person whose life focus is toward living, staying, loving home.”

    Are you a homesteader?