Firewood

  2010, our first year of cutting wood by hand.  I year I will never forget. I broke the sledge hammer once, and only once back then.

Rain, (Rain's Garden Blogspot) asked me to share how we keep our firewood supply.  Back in 2010, the first year of collecting and cutting and splitting wood, we did not have a wood splitter.  

I basically split the wood with an sledge hammer and wedge.  We had large rounds, so I rolled them out and worked them that way, every afternoon, just before the kids got home from school. 

Monday Madness

We are already going through a second batch of homemade hot chocolate.  The chill was in the air.

Bailey's too?  Don't mind if I do, ha ha! (that was Sunday morning).  Today, there is very little chill.  I won't even need to fire up the wood stove today. It's a good day for hanging my laundry outside.

Einkorn Flour Tortillas

In the past, I have made homemade tortillas using white organic flour.  

First, I made flour tortillas with organic/non-gmo canola oil.  You can read about it here.

Downside of making them with the canola?  You use a lot more oil than in the einkorn tortillas I'm about to tell you about, and the smell of the oil stinks up the kitchen.

Second, I made them with real lard.  You can read that post here.  

A huge bonus in making these?  You make them on a griddle, and they use no oil on the griddle itself.  Just the lard in the tortilla.  Very easy to make and less mess (and no smell).

Simple Living

When we moved to this homestead, I had no idea that I would be changing in many ways.  I went from city girl, to farmstead girl.  

I've come to find new ways to simplify our lives, live healthier, and in a much more self-sufficient manner.

Dust Bunnies ~ Peanut Butter Cookies

My 17 year-old laughed as I sat at the computer and whined - nothing to blog about today.  Who wants to hear about my day of painting (which continues today)?

Ha!

I also spent yesterday with the dust bunnies.  Lots of them.  If you don't think you have too many books, just move a bookshelf.  Well, the bookshelf is not moved just yet, but the books are all off and dusted.  

I found more books to donate to the "donation station" in my progress.  I was so happy to get that job done, but now boxes and a laundry basket fill my living room floor with dog temptations (books).  I must move quickly and move the shelf and re-shelf the books I am keeping.  Either way, I was thrilled to get this far, on this job.

Random Tidbits

If you are wondering how my "to-do" list is going....slow.  I can't seem to get a job completely done.  I need more patience when it comes to painting.  The taping part is so much work.  I need to talk myself through it, and not roll my eyes so much.  Even the kids are avoiding it like a plague. 

If you are wondering if I've been able to take a tea break at 2pm, I have.  If you are wondering if I have been stealing away at 4pm for an hour to myself?  Ha, yeah.  That's not happening.  I think the change of weather, and longer, brighter nights are keeping me from curling up with crochet.  The 4 o'clock hidey hole, was mainly to stock up for the Farmer's market, but that's been difficult to do.

We just went from warm/rainy weather back to snow and cold.  It's nothing but a few flurries.

I whipped up a bowl of slaw.  Organic cabbages went on sale.  This tasted so good since we haven't had cabbage for a while.

Einkorn Flour ~ Baking and English Muffins

Upon learning from a few blogger friends about einkorn flour, and the health benefits (and less gluten), I had to try some.

I first checked the library system for the recipe book, but could only borrow this one:

I wasn't able to borrow the other cookbook einkorn has.  In fact, there was only one copy of this particular book to borrow from our inter-loan system (from other area libraries).