Monthly Archives: January 2021

Chicken broth with backs, feet, and wing tips

After butchering 25 birds last week, I wanted to put up a bunch of broth… but I also wanted to end up with plenty of stewing hens in the freezer for soup. Being the thrifty sort, I managed to have … Continue reading

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Par for the course

There are just some things that happen here in the farm that never seem to happen anywhere else. We have friends staying for a couple days. He cut his hand open on a grinding wheel yesterday while working on his … Continue reading

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Dry vacuum sealer

I have a new toy! I’ve been eyeing various systems that will create a vacuum in a Mason jar without involving heat, mainly for using for my lacto-ferments and dry ingredient storage. Most require special lids, and since I’d be … Continue reading

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A good day’s work

25 chickens butchered and in the fridge. (The husband of a sister of a friend got transfer orders to a base back east, and they sold us most of their flock, both pullets and old hens.) Complete flock changeover, including … Continue reading

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Homesteader Taco Soup

I got a hankering for taco soup, inspired by the Honey Aleppo Pepper Sauce from Trader Joe’s. Have you tried that sauce? I’m currently working my way through an instant addiction. I got inspired by the label, ordered seeds for … Continue reading

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Family Snow Pics

Another blessing this year is a good friend of the family who is polishing up her photography chops, and took some fun pictures for us in the snow. We haven’t had a lot of snow this year, so we had … Continue reading

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Delivery girl

Sometimes it’s just fun to deliver the goods and see people smile. I took some homemade kefir across the mountains and introduced some friends to the joys of the homemade version. I brought back goodies that they sent to a … Continue reading

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Return of the fizz

I’ve been struggling with getting my kombucha to carbonate; the flavor has been good, but the texture flat. I tried inoculating it with raw storebought brews; it would help for a week or so, then peter out. I tried adding … Continue reading

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Dreary days call for desperate measures

It is dismal, dark, dreary and dripping outside today. Time for hot chocolate with whip cream and sprinkles!

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New Year’s Eve Clam Chowder

Our family “tradition” – now in its third year or so – is to make clam chowder on New Year’s Eve. This helps at least provide some protein and other nutrition to counteract the sugar rush provided by our other … Continue reading

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