Category: Around the Homestead

The State Fair is just something we have always done as a family. We just love going and seeing all the animals, art, rides, and of course, the food!

We had an impromptu breakfast outside before we carved pumpkins. We had pancakes and hot apple cider on an open fire. It was so much fun!

I think everyone would agree the day was a success and a great way to begin our fall celebrations.

With all the cultivated fields and pastures being grazed by cattle, there isn’t always an over abundance of foraging where we live. However, every few years the sand plums make their appearance and it’s important we take advantage of the opportunity because it may not happen again for a few years.

We tried to come up with creative ways to use the sand plums rather than just jelly. Our girls are really adventurous when it comes to food and drink which is so nice. We ended up juicing some of them, which tasted similar to apple juice.

I made a half gallon of Bounce. Here’s what I did:

Sandplum Bounce

11/4 lb. sandplums with seed

1 lb. organic sugar

1 lb. non-GMO vodka (ex:  Absolut, Kettle One, etc.)

Pour into glass jar with lid.  Place in dark cool place for at least 6 weeks or longer. 

We tried running them through a cherry pitter and dehydrating them to replace cranberries in our baked oatmeal, but the fruit didn’t separate from the pit well enough and we were left with mainly skins and juice.

So for now, Bounce and jelly is all we have. We may try making fruit leather with the sand plums in the freezer.

We spent the summer enjoying the farm and animals. We have enough going on here, we don’t travel or busy ourselves away from the farm very much.

That is our summer in photos. It’s was a beautiful summer and everyone made it through the heat with plenty of baby pools and shade.

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Lizzie, Scottish Highland-Hereford cross, and Joshua

Our farm has changed a lot over the past few months. We have sold lambs, acquired calves, a billy goat, and a rooster. We hope to continue to grow and diversify our farm and resources allow.

We are just enjoying the slower season of life we are in right now. On the cold days we nestle up with books and warm drinks. On the warmer days we play outside and enjoy the beautiful weather. These are just a few pictures from our lives taken this past week.

I love every season. I think living a lifestyle that adjusts with the seasons adds an appreciation for each one I never had before. Our mornings are slower and later, are school days longer. Our days are dictated by the weather. On the nice days we head outdoors to play and work. On the cold days we snuggle up with a stack of books and something warm to drink. It’s a time to recover from the work of summer and prepare for the coming spring. It’s a time of creating art and learning new skills. Winter is what we make of it and for us we seldom grumble about the cold, but use it as a time to rest. A nice day is sure to come along eventually and the work will still be there waiting.

Dad set a round straw bale in our sheep shed that we rolled out and used in our chicken coop for everyone to nestle down in when the snow came.

We have had more snow this year than usual which has been really nice.

We used this experience to learn and read all about moles. There was actually an entire nonfiction book about moles out our local library. Who knew!

And that concludes fall at our homestead. I still have some carrots in a raised bed waiting to be pulled. Other than that everything is pretty much ready for winter. Soon I will have to start filling the raised beds with manure and compost to breakdown over the winter and be ready again come spring.

Now, it’s time to curl up with a cup of hot chocolate and a good book (First We Have Coffee is my favorite). When work follows the seasons you gain a new appreciation for winter and the downtime that accompanies it.

We love to cut firewood and try to make it a fun experience for the girls also. We grilled out and had a makeshift campsite before cutting and loading up a tree the guys had taken down by the pond.

Then all three of the little ones took a swim in the pond to cool off. It was a fun relaxing day with a little work and the reward of a truckload of firewood.

We try to go to the pond at least one day during the weekend to hang out if not more.

Laila loves it too. She likes to run and wade in the water. She’s not much of a swimmer, but still loves the freedom she has there.

It’s just such a fun place where we can get away, get dirty, and enjoy nature. There are no cars, no cell phone reception, and no demands. Just us and about 10, 000 frogs!

We are in the process of having a pond dug, so we thought even though it isn’t finished, we could take the girls out on the kayaks they got for Christmas.

The girls had a great time. The frogs were all over the pond, so they got to see them up close. We had a little picnic lunch when we were finished kayaking before heading home.

We still have a long way to go, but hopefully by next spring it will be complete.