A jam-packed rainy day...

For such a rainy day, it was a great day for homesteading!

I finally fulfilled my summer urge to start making more of my own wearables....and in a little bit of time, I will have a colorful & warm shawl to welcome the fall with. 

And the start of this adventure was made even more fun with the company of a good friend, who seems to have a bit of a homesteading soul in her....Soon, we shall be having our own crocketing gatherings, as our spouses gather together to drink and watch football, and our children race through our respective houses. 

And, to make it even better, my daughter is currently hard at work, crocheting a blanket for her American Girl dolls.

The evening was brought to a near close with the accomplishment of my summer goal - to finally CAN something!  There are now four pint jars of sweet pickle relish cooling on the kitchen counter.  'Course, I don't like pickles, or relish...but I am sure I can find someone who does! 

Next up will be Apple Butter...which oddly, doesn't have any butter in it...but is crazy good!  For that, I just can't wait :)

It was a good day...a jam-packed day...and a great day for homesteading!

The backyard as my own personal grocery store....

So, yesterday, the daughter and I had to travel to the dreaded Costco for some bulk buying.  The ultimate goal is to someday create a full service grocery store (minus junk food, processed garbage...you know, all of the food my children know and LOVE), from the back yard, but we are just not there yet.  So, in the meantime, we buy in bulk (eliminating some packaging), try to make from scratch (eliminating ingredients that our bodies neither need nor want - unless you are one of my children, who definitely WANT).

However, after getting home yesterday, there was so much to do in caring for our now 20 furry/feathered friends (guinea pigs are high maintenance!), that nothing was done to get food ready for today!

So, there is much to do this morning in the next hour of time (I know, I know, why am I typing if I have some much to do...working towards inspiration to get my tush out of this chair, I guess...).  And everything must be done before the kids wake!  They have a bit of distrust for homemade goods (in our house, when I am cooking, the fire alarm signals that dinner is ready more often than not...), so this is a covert operation.

Goals between now and 6:15...

• Separate bulk packages of cheese to be frozen separately
• Making yogurt smoothies from milk, greek yogurt, berries, and some maple syrup for sweetening
• Making pancakes for breakfast, and to be frozen for the rest of the week
• Let the chickens out and feed & water them (confirming that no Mystery Predators visited over night)
• Deal with the ever growing pile of dirty laudry (I swear it breeds over night - and never into cool new stylish clothes...)
• Convince my children that it IS time to get up, and that they DO need to go to school/camp.

Whew!  OK, I am tired all ready....  Coffee?  Yes please!