Back to Basics
"Far down in the meadow the wheat
grows green,
And the reapers are whetting their
sickles so keen;
And this is the song that I hear them
sing,
While cheery and loud their voices
ring;
'Tis the Finest wheat that ever did
grow!
And it is for Alice's supper, ho!
ho!'"
~Laura E. Richards
One thing I've learned from
living on a ranch that is 45 miles from anywhere, is
to be self-sufficient. I learned it partly out of
necessity and partly because I really wanted to be
able to provide good wholesome foods and crafts with
my own two hands...like Grandma used to do. Some ask
why, when there is every convenience available? First
off...I enjoy it, second is because it's useful!
Bread... I
was determined when I married my husband, that I
would learn how to bake a GOOD loaf of bread, and now
after 20 years, I can say, "I'm darn good at
it!" I've gone from basic white bread to
half-and-half white and wheat bread, to whole wheat
bread and Russian Black Bread. I'll try anything,
although my family likes the standard white or wheat.
Eggs...We
raise our own hens for eggs, both for our own use and
for sale to our neighbors. I learned most of what I
know about chickens from my mother-in-law and from
experience. I just love my chickens. We raise mostly
the white leghorn, but I've ventured out into other
breeds as well...Barred Rock, Rhode Island Red, Buff
Orpington and Wyandotts. There's just nothing like
home-grown chicken and country-fresh eggs. For
information on how to raise chickens go to my Chickens
Page.
Home-grown Meats...Most
of the meat we eat is from our own Hereford cattle
which we raise. Beef is usually "what's for
supper", however we do raise a few Cornish x
Rock chickens for meat and enjoy our own lamb as
well. We butcher the chickens and lamb, but send the
beefs to the lockerplant for packaging. Check out the
Kitchen
section of my website for recipes!
Canning...When
the garden really produces, I like to can as many
veggies as possible. I love to can home-made salsa
and tomatoes for our chili's and sauces. I also like
canned beans and pickles of all kinds. I even tried
canning pumpkin this fall. My dear friend and I
usually try to can up as much applesauce and apple
butter as possible every fall. Together we canned 92
quarts last fall!
Dried Herbs...I
like to grow a few herbs in my garden and so when
fall comes and I can no longer use "fresh",
I begin to dry them for storage for winter
seasonings. Sometimes I just hang herbs and air dry
them, and I've also tried the microwave for speedy
drying. I lay the herbs on a paper towel and begin to
microwave them on high for 1 minute at a time until
they seems fairly dry. They can then completely dry
for a few hours before putting them in jars. When
microwaving herbs, they can easily burn and it sure
does stink!
Home-Cookin'...Since
living so far from the grocery store, I've learned to
cook up everything we eat...three square meals a day!
With a family of seven and our guests, that means
convenience foods are out of the question. I prefer
hearty, family-style meals that "stick to your
ribs"...stew and biscuits, chicken pot pie,
roast beef with potatoes and gravy, lamb tenderloin
on the grill, home-made soups, breads,and loads of
hot dishes! Check out The
Kitchen section of my web
site for recipes we actually make and eat at our
house!
Candles and
Lanterns...I just love these for the warmth
they bring to the home, but we also have them out of
necessity. Oftentimes the electricity goes out at our
ranch and sometimes for a few days! We are prepared
with lanterns ,oil, wick and always some candles too.
Last year we even tried our hand at home-made,
hand-dipped candles and jar candles. The kids love to
listen to stories by lantern light and even cook on
the wood-burning stove!
Books
Back to Basics...is
a favorite book of mine that has been very helpful to
me while learning to ranch and become
self-sufficient. It is by the folks at Reader's
Digest and you just can't beat it for the wide range
of topics it contains. Here are the chapter headings
...1. Land: Buying it--Building on It 2.Energy from
Wood, Water, Wind, and Sun 3.Raising Your Own
Vegetables, Fruit, and Livestock 4. Enjoying Your
Harvest the Year Round 5. Skills and Crafts for House
and Homestead 6. Recreation at Home and in the Wild.
Under these 6 headings, there are many sub-chapters.
If you could only get one book on self-sufficiency,
this is it!
Leaning Into the
Wind...is a collection of stories, poems,
and essays about "women of the high
plains"...what they did, how they did it, how
they got by. It really is a facinating book that we
"women of the plains" can relate to very
well...and then again, some of the stories make me so
glad for my modern conveniences! This book was a gift
given to me by another "plains woman" who
lives nearby...Teri!
Eyewitness Handbook to
Mushrooms...This book was given to me by my
parents after they found out I was mushrooming
without any type of guide! Well, my husband's cousin
told me that nearly every mushroom on the plains is
edible, except maybe the ones growing on trees. So I
picked them and ate them and never did get sick! To
make my parents feel better about feeding my family
mushrooms, I have looked up each mushroom picked. And
you know, the mushrooms I was picking were SAFE after
all! This is a fun book with great illustrations.
Good Web Sites
Frugal,
Simple Life...
is an excellent site where you will find
many resources for freezer meals, simple recipes,
household tips and ways to live more simply and cost
effectively. Debi Taylor-Hough also has a nice
monthly email newsletter which you may like to
subscribe to...I do!
Countryside
& Small Stock Journal... This
is the site of a very good homesteading type
magazine. Lots of tips on raising small livestock
like chickens, goats, calves, sheep and lots of ideas
on canning and such. The forum is lots of fun too.
Questions or ideas?
Write me a note!
Jody
Home
- Email Me
Home
School - A
Charlotte Mason Education in Our Home
- Kindergarten
CM Style - High
School - Language
Arts - History
- Art
- Music
in the Home - Classical
Music Curriculum - Little
Bush Backers Election Study
- Nature.
- The
Library-
Organizational
Tips - Archived
Recipes - Back
to Basics. - Chickens
- Garden
- St.
Francis on Lawn Care
- Homework
- Quilt
Links - Fall
Ideas - Christmas
Home - Courtney
Herefords. - Books
and Boots. - What
Does Pro-Life Really Mean
|