We have been getting quince from our quince tree. It is that time of year. The Havran is completely empty, but the Van Deman still has a good number of (much smaller) fruit. The quince are sharp and astringent, and quite hard to chew, when raw. Not pleasant at all. However... If you grate or… Continue reading Quince and Walnut Crumble
Category: Our Food
Squash and Buttered Roots
It is that time of year! Winter Squash season! Ellie is well known for the deliciousness of her steamed squash. This is probably related to the fact that she does not believe in skimping on the butter or the brown sugar. First step is to cut the squashes in half and scoop out the seeds… Continue reading Squash and Buttered Roots
Sauerkraut fail and new batch
The last time we made sauerkraut, we kept some of it in the kimchi fridge after it had fermented, because I didn't want to have two jars of sauerkraut in the regular fridge, where space is at a premium. Unfortunately, since it has been in the fridge for several weeks now, when we took it… Continue reading Sauerkraut fail and new batch
Elderberry Elixir
Monday was a bit of an off day. Mommy and Daddy both had to work, but Auntie Mate was here to shepherd the kids through school. They did a great job being good for her. On Tuesday, we tried to get the house back into the normal swing of things, and to push ahead on… Continue reading Elderberry Elixir
Bumping Along
Exciting times this week! We sold our old much used Chevy Colorado, and bought a newer more gently used Chevy Silverado. The kids were wild with excitement, and have named the truck "Bluey". Because it's blue. It makes an excellent boat, cave, vermin lair, or castle as the need requires. They are currently slaves, plotting… Continue reading Bumping Along
The Rest of Sunday
You might be wondering, what is our favorite day of the week? My favorite day of the week is Sunday. Sunday begins with prayer, and then with getting the kids out of bed and into their "Jesus' house clothes" and then hustled into the car in time to go to Mass. After Mass, maybe we… Continue reading The Rest of Sunday
Green Sauerkraut Taste Test
Tuesday, 9/30/2025 We pulled the sauerkraut that has been fermenting in the basement for the last 19 days. The temperature in the basement is cooling down as the weather outside cools. It is now about 64 degrees ambient temperature. The jar on the right is a special case. This was a jar of red cabbage… Continue reading Green Sauerkraut Taste Test
Food: Pork Chops, Baby ‘Tatoes, Green Beans and Blackberry Rhubarb Crumble.
People have lots of different reasons for homesteading and homeschooling. For us, homeschooling was thrust upon us by COVID whether we would or no, it just turned out to be a serendipitous event. We continue it now because we see the results, compared to other non-homeschooled kids; but even more so, for moments like this.… Continue reading Food: Pork Chops, Baby ‘Tatoes, Green Beans and Blackberry Rhubarb Crumble.
Happy Birthday, Winnie!
And other shenanigans. By Ellie Belle. (Translated and with editorial notes by Daddy.) evie is bring home eggs and cabbage ewwww!! the cabbage is foll of afedes (The cabbage is full of aphids. Dusty little gray bits that infest the spaces between leaves). the cabbageis roten (The cabbage is not actually rotten, just infested). we… Continue reading Happy Birthday, Winnie!
Farm Food. Bread, Mama Mac, Elderberry Cordial
Sometimes people may wonder why so much of our time is spent in making food. Don't we know that we can just go to the store and buy the same stuff, cheaper and faster? No mess, no prep, just pop it in the oven. Or the microwave. Then you don't even have to wash dishes.… Continue reading Farm Food. Bread, Mama Mac, Elderberry Cordial