Tag Archives: homesteading

Canning With My New Carey Smart Canner, Our Growing Season Ends and More! Week 43

After our big freeze the other day we decided it was time to get the rabbits’ water set up for winter. Brooke found some heated water bottles and decided to try them out and see how well they work.

We had a heavy frost come and… just like that… our growing season was over.

So… I’m trying out my new canner and showing you how it works. Do I like it? Well… you’ll just have to watch…

I’ve been wanting to try out the Carey Smart Canner and Cooker by Chard for a while now. So I was super excited when I got the opportunity to get one at a discounted price in exchange for a product review. My canner arrived and here’s the unboxing….

Want to learn more about or purchase a Carey Smart Canner? Check out this link: https://goo.gl/UimgGj (affiliate link)

Why We Don’t Keep Many Animals In the Winter, How To Make Fermented Green Beans & More! Week 42

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We had so many things we needed done but kept putting off… but today is the day we’re getting them DONE.

One of you asked me to do a video on why we don’t like to keep a lot of animals during the winter. Since we were taking some of our goats to the sale, I thought it would be a good opportunity to answer your question.

We tried our fermented mix of vegetables that we made a while back. Oh my goodness, they were so good! The green beans, especially, were awesome. Dylan wanted to learn how to ferment and make some for himself so we went out and picked more beans to make more!

How To Give Goats Copper Bolus, An Afternoon of Painting and More! Week 41

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An unexpected storm almost hindered our plans to get our pool put away but we managed to get it done anyway, even though we really would have loved to put it off for another day.

Giving my goats copper bolus was so easy… until I decided to make a video of it to show you how easy it was… then the struggle was real. Once I put them on the milk stand and made sure to get the pill far enough back past the tongue, it went smoothly.

Brooke and I took an evening painting class, so we spent the next afternoon practicing what we learned.

Making Fermented Vegetables, Breeding Goats, Breeding Rabbits and More! Week 40

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We’re questioning whether the rabbits got bred the other day when we put them with the buck. So we’re breeding them again to see how it goes.

We’re making banana chips, breeding the rabbits, draining the pool and making sauerkraut… it’s a busy day on the homestead!

Went out to do chores and found our buck almost tearing down the fence. Blossom was acting like she was in heat so we fixed the fence and put her in with him

We picked some vegetables from the garden and made a couple of jars of fermented vegetable pickles. They look so delicious, the hard part is waiting for them to be done.

Finally, We Got Rain! We’re Harvesting Beans and More! Week 38

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The hard work of planting our fall beans has paid off and we have lots of beans to pick!

Finally! We have rain headed our way, which is awesome because we really need it. Our mission is to get chores done and get back to the house before it rains….will we make it?

Got a late on the day so the kids started chores while I got lunch going. In the afternoon the kids detail Dylan’s car and Brooke gives some tips on getting rid of tough dirt spots on vinyl.

Getting Bunnies Settled, A Debt Free Car, Last Day with Our Pigs, and More! Week 37

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It was a busy day! We did our chores and then spent a good part of the day doing a much needed deep cleaning on the house. Everyone worked together so well and we got it done in record time so we went to the lake to relax and fish.

He bought a car with a blown motor cheaply, found a decent priced engine, then used his skills and knowledge to fix it up and now has a car with out debt that he can either keep or sell and make a little extra cash.

It’s a tough day on the homestead… the time has come for our pigs to go to the processor. We spend some time with them and them get them loaded up.

We took another trip to the Kansas State Fair and did some things we didn’t get a chance to do on our last visit.

The kids are busy deciding which cage each rabbit will live in and I give you an update on our fall garden.

We Go to the State Fair, Get New Rabbits, Can Dry Beans and More! Week 36

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Brooke chooses the rabbits she wants and we spend the rest of the day walking around the Kansas state fair.

We quickly get our chores done and update you on a few things. Next we head to the Kansas State Fair!

It’s a little bit of this and a little bit of that… the kids craft funky flowers, I make tomato sauce and chicken broth and the kids finish up the rabbit coop.

In this video I show you how I can dry beans, plus I also show how to can pork and beans.

Saving Our Pasture From Stickers, Weekend Fun and More! Week 35

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Our pasture is being invaded by sticker plants, so we decided it was time to get rid of them. What’s the best way to get rid of them and prevent them from spreading? Clip them out one by one…

We woke up from a nice, restful sleep out in the tents. Quickly got chores done and ended the day playing another game of beanboozled.

We’re pitching tents and having another camp out on the homestead. It’s an adventurous weekend full of rain, thunder and lightening, swimming, camp fires, hot dog roasts, and lots of refreshing fresh air which is like a beauty spa to your lungs.

The last several weeks have been busy… but it’s been the type of busy where there’s a lot going on but seems like there’s not much getting accomplished… you know… it’s just been crazy.

Chickens React To the Eclipse, How To Can Potatoes, Make Cheese and More! Week 33

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Ever wonder what a chicken does during an eclipse? Here’s what ours did…

How to can potatoes…

See how our turkey poults, Lucky and Chance, liked being moved outside to the chicken tractor…

In this video I show you how easy it is to make cheese.

A Calf That Misses His Milk, A Long Day of Cooking, It Was a Week Full of Silliness! Week 32

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Just a morning filled with chores and animal silliness!

We like to take time to make quick and easy things to grab and go, like hot pockets and burritos. That way during busy times we have things to eat when we don’t have time to cook. We spent 12 hours straight cooking… by the end of the day we were pretty delirious.

So…I’ve been pondering if I should plant okra, more green beans and some yellow summer squash. It might be too late… but yet there might still be plenty of time for it to grow….