"Eat it up,
Wear it out,
Make it do,
Or go without."
~A Pioneer Sampler, by Barbara Greenwood~

Pioneer Woman at Heart

One Flourishing, Frugal and Fun Family!

One family learning to live off the land, cut back on expenses, and to live a simpler and a more self-sufficient lifestyle.

Saturday, October 26, 2013

Knitting Needles in My Cupboards ~ Self Defense


Have you heard of the "ALICE" program yet?  If you have kids in public school, chances are, you may have.

A.L.I.C.E. is an acronym for,  Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Escape - Active Shooter Response Team.

For weeks now, two of our girls have been chatting about it, day after day.  It's beginning to become ingrained in our brains here at Rooster's Crow Farm. 

It's a program that teaches "young people" to fight back and not sit and "take it" if a shooter would come into the school.  They have been, as a class (and most of the school from what I am listening too), discussing what they could use as weapons, or do to fight back.  Quite honestly,  I can't wonder if this was created to keep school's from putting guns in our teachers hands.  Anyway....

You know it has been ingrained into your brain, when you go to bed in your camper, and prior to that, you look around and say to yourself "what can I use for a weapon if needed?"  Why lots of stuff, of course.

I can rip out the metal rod that holds the fold-out bed roofs up, and use that as a weapon.  

The same goes for my home.  What can I creatively use in a shooter attack situation?  In my bedroom I can use my knitting needles.

However, my 11 year-old asked me, "but are your knitting needles in a place where you can get them in an emergency?"

Ugh...probably not.  So, I asked her, "do I have to hide some in my kitchen cupboards now?"

....I'd rather stash a shotgun or two in my cupboards. This day and age anyway. 

Either way, I am glad they are teaching the kids to fight back, and fight for their life (I think), if it were to ever happen. In fact, this is one of the reasons I want Hubby to train me to box again.  I want to be in very good shape, in case there was a reason to quickly defend myself, or my family, in any situation.  

Have you been taught self defense?

Friday, October 25, 2013

Maple-Walnut Butter


A few months ago, Hubby and I were gifted with a few bags of homegrown, local, English Walnuts.  We cracked them all, and froze them.  I decided to make a butter spread with them.

Although I still have a bit of congestion and cough, I got up early and made the family French Toast for breakfast.  The butter is now "kid" tested, and approved.  I'm looking for more ways to sneak the nutrition of walnuts into our diet.  

A few years ago, I gifted my family Cinnamon Honey Butter, and it won over well.  This butter is another healthy, homemade gift idea. Here is the recipe: