Planting a Homestead Orchard

 

 

I'm so excited to finally be planting our fruit trees. I recently set up a stand of homemade products at a local event and decided that I would save all of my profits to be able to buy trees for an orchard. Luckily I had a decent day and the next week we could head to the nursery to pick out our trees.

 

We chose:

 

2 Apple Trees (Needs pollinator)

 

2 Sweet Cherry trees (Needs Pollinator)

 

2 Pear Trees (Needs Pollinator)

 

1 Peach tree (Does NOT need pollinator)

 

1 Nectarine Tree (Does NOT need pollinator)

 

After choosing what fruit you'd like to grow and picking out your trees the next step is mapping out where you'd like to plant them. You don't want them too close or they will crowd and shade each other but they can't be too far apart or they have a lower chance of being pollinated.

After searching online we measured about 25 feet between each tree and 30 feet between the rows. Some of our trees are semi-dwarf. (Because the lady at the nursery told Justin that's what "we" wanted....but I totally wanted full size...These will be easier to manage though)

 

Put some stakes where you'd like to dig your holes....

 

 

 

 

Next...Find a big strong Man to dig your holes for you. Trust me, It's much easier that way!

 

 See my sweet husband out there digging??

 

 

 

You want your holes to be just as deep and twice as wide as your pots. This allows for the roots to take off quickly and get strong.

 

 

 

Another really important part is to make sure you water them at least twice a week the first year. I've read that it is the most detrimental part of growing fruit trees. 

 

 

Now....When they start to grow, I'll have to learn how to prune them the right way. For now, I'm just enjoying knowing that they are planted and blossoming!!

 

How pretty!!

 

 

 

Do you have fruit trees? Is there any thing I need to know to get loads of fruit from them? I'm just learning as I go so any advice is welcomed!!!

 

Do you want to know the next project I'm saving up for?????     

 

 BEES! To Help pollinate the fruit of course!

 

Fermenting Kimchi

Kimchi is a staple side dish in Korea.

 It is simple to make and it offers your gut a ton of healthy, live bacteria known as lactobacilli.( Trust me...your digestive tract will thank you for getting more of this special bacteria in it)  It also has tons of vitamins A, B and C. I've even  read one study that shows that fermented cabbage can help prevent cancer. Along with all of the fermented benefits of this dish also comes all of the benefits of the red pepper, ginger and garlic which all have healing properties of their own.

I'm so thankful that a friend of mine brought me a plateful of this when she visited the other month. (Not to mention that she even drove back to her house to get me a second serving) This recipe comes from her mother, who is an incredibly special woman to me and I love every food she has ever made. I'm so happy that she shared her recipe with me. (And that she gave me permisiion to share it with all of you!)

We have not been without a jar of this since the day I got the recipe. As soon as it's done fermenting I start a new batch so it's ready to go.I highly recommend making this but be aware that it is spicy. Spicy and delicious!!!

Here's how It's done:

1) Cut up two Napa cabbages in 1-2 inch squares ( I was not using Napa's when I took this picture)



2)  Soak the cabbage in 10 cups of water and one cup of salt for 5-6 hours.



3)  Drain, Rinse and squeeze off excess liquid from cabbage



4) Mix in 1/2 cup red pepper flakes,

5 scallions cut into 1 inch pieces

1 Tbls. sugar

1 Tbls, chopped ginger root

 1 Tbls. chopped garlic.

5) Pack mixture tightly into a CLEAN large glass jar with a lid and let it ferment on your counter top for 3-6 days.



6) When it's done fermenting I put it in smaller quart jars and put it in the fridge.

Enjoy It with everything you ever eat. I love it with eggs...and meat...and grilled cheese sandwiches..... and well you get the point!!!

I've read that it has a shelf life of a few months in the refrigerator since it is fermented , however I would challenge you to have it last more than 2 weeks without being eaten. It is just too delicious!!

Thanks Jane and Nadia for your sharing this with me!

I. Love. It!!!!!



 

Gas stations, Pregnancy Tests and Bathing Suits!

You know that feeling? The one where you plan your day to go one way and it goes in a whole other direction??

Well that was my day yesterday.

It started out just like any other day....thinking about all the papers I had to fill out to get the house finalized, hoping to pressure can some chicken, mommy-ing 3 little girls, knowing that I had to clean out the fridge, and wanting to start some seeds.

And I went to bed feeling.....kind of....well.......pregnant!

WHAT?! how did that happen? We weren't even PLANNING  a baby! We always plan our babies!

Actually for the first time in my adult life...I didn't even want to be pregnant right now-seeing that our 1 year old toddler is a crazy mess most days!

I was just going about my evening, when- BOOM! It dawns on me at around 9pm  that my "friend" hadn't been around for almost 40 days!!

After a call to my sister and a confirmation that it had been waaaay too long since I had my....you know what... We headed up the road. To a gas station. To buy a pregnancy test.

You guessed it! It was positive. and now I get to be pregnant again!

 We are shocked and excited! It didn't all sink in yet but how could I not be happy that I'm going to be able to hold a precious little baby that my husband and I created with love...

 Anndddd......that It's totally cool for me to look fat in a bathing suit this year....Sweet!

Backyard Casserole

 

 I love cooking with the things that we have produced ourselves over the past year. I made this casserole all with food from my back yard, exciting right? I just pulled some garden stuff out of the the freezer and got some eggs out of the coop to make this. You could do this with anything really. It's hardly worth blogging a "recipe" but just in case you need an easy idea- here's what I did:

 

I chose to use sausage, spinach, onions, bacon, green peppers and garlic.

I also put a little cayenne, salt and pepper into the whisked eggs with some milk.

 

Here's the method:

 

-Pre-cook whatever meat you're using and put it in your baking pan.

 

-Then layer whatever veggies you like, one at a time.

 

 

 

-Next, whisk 10 eggs and 2 cups of milk in a large bowl. Add whatever spices you like and some salt and pepper.

 



 

-Pour egg mixture over meat and veggies and sprinkle with any cheese.

 

-Bake at 350 for about 35 minutes or until eggs look puffy and cooked.

 

 

 

I made this as a supper but then ate the leftovers for breakfast. It was just as good the next day.

 

Here is a picture of it cut. I'm a little addicted to kimchi right now so that's what I ate it with for breakfast when I took this picture. I also melted a little extra cheese over the top..mmm!

 

 

Next time you don't know what to make (for breakfast, lunch OR supper) give this casserole a try and tell me what ingredients you used.



Amazing Cheese Crackers

 

 

Cheese Crackers....

 

I have been hearing so much about homemade cheese crackers lately. I've seen a lot of recipes on Pinterest and today decided to try making them. With three little girls in the house, we are always in need of new healthy snack ideas.

 

I found this recipe here http://laurassweetspot.com/2012/07/27/homemade-goldfish-crackers/

and only did a few things differently.

 

I used her measurements with great success but I did add a little sea salt sprinkled over the top instead of regular salt in the dough.

 

Ingredients

• 8 ounces (2 cups)  Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Shredded
• 4 Tablespoons Butter, Cut Into Cubes
• 1 cup Flour
• 2 Tablespoons Cold Water
•  a sprinkling of sea salt

Instructions

Pulse everything (except water) together in the food processor

 

 

Until the dough resembles coarse sand.

 

 

 

Pulse in water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

 

 

 

Remove dough from the processor, wrap in plastic (I used a glass bowl with lid) and chill for 20 minutes.

 

Roll out the dough

 

 

Now cut into the shapes that you want. I cut a used pie plate into a strip and shaped a little fish for my kids.

 

 

 

 Place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. I used the end of a skewer to poke an eye in the fish.

 

 

And then I got sick of cutting them out so I just cut the rest into squares and put a hole in the center.

 

sprinkle with sea salt if desired and Bake at 350°F for about 10 minutes, or until crispy.

 

Here are some of them finished. They are honestly the best cheese cracker I have ever had in my life. The flavor is exactly like a good quality store bought Cheddar cracker but the texture is absolutely amazing! They are crispy but puffy. It surprisingly made a good amount. I'm storing them in a glass bowl with a lid but they will most likely not need stored very long since my family loves them so much!

 

 

 

 

Now, I'm going to go...And eat a handful of these Little gems!

 

Let me know how they turn out if you try this recipe.

 

 

 

 

Homemade Peanut Butter

 

I know that my blog post aren't as elaborate as many others. I haven't really learned how to get the action pictures while I'm making stuff. Partly because my hands are too full doing something that I can't use my camera and also because every recipe I post is so ridiculously easy I feel like it would complicate things to try make it look like a bigger deal than it really is. (If I ever skimp too much on the directions I figure people can ask me in the comments).  I like the simplicity of the things I make and therefor my post seem a little boring sometimes.

 

With that being said, here is my homemade peanut butter recipe. Are you ready for it?

 

Step 1: Food process peanuts until they are smooth and creamy. About 5 minutes.

 

Step 2: Put in Jar

 

Step 3: Eat by spoonfuls!

 

 

 

 

Simple, right? You can even use honey roasted peanuts or add any other flavors you like. Maybe cinnamon or vanilla? I love it with the honey roasted peanuts I get at a discount grocery store near me although I'd rather be able to make it with fresher nuts. 

 

If it comes out a bit thin you can store it in the fridge. I keep mine in the cupboard and it has a perfect consistency. I thought the oil was going to raise to the top and that I'd have to stir it every time but for some reason mine stays creamy, yay!

 

My family loves this so much that we are adding a peanuts to our homestead garden this year!

How to make Bath Salts

 

 

 

Soak your stress away with this easy to make Salt Soak.

 

Simply put your favorite essential oil with some sea salt and wam-bam....You're done!!

Sea Salt is very very affordable, It's usually priced somewhere around a dollar. You could also do it with Epsom salt.

 

I chose to make Lavender-Almond and Citrus-Almond this time. In case you can't tell-I pretty much think almond goes with everything!  It's working for me though because everything I make smells wonderful!!

 

 

To mix the essential oil and/or optional food coloring (a natural or organic dye is preferred) Just cut a piece of a paper towel and drop your oil and coloring on it. I used 2 separate paper towel pieces. Don't make them crazy wet or they will dissolve the salt. And mix it up with a butter knife. I also put the lid on and shook it a little.

 

Next, Put it in a pretty jar and you are done!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spiced Apple Pear Butter- Crock Pot Recipe



 

There seems to be a common sentence at the beginning of all of my post. So here goes, You will not believe how easy this is to make! It is literally done in just a few steps and makes the house smell wonderful while it's cooking. This is a great recipe to make in the fall when pears and apples are in season. Since I'm trying to fill you in on everything I've learned over the past year I'm posting this a bit out of season but don't worry,it tastes good anytime of year!

 

Here is a picture of my finished product....

 

 

And here is what happened a split second after I snapped that close up.....

 

She's never far away from the camera!

 

 

Back to the apple pear butter recipe.

 

Here's what you need:

 

Apples and Pears

spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves

a pinch of salt

and sweetener of your choice (I use brown sugar)

 

Here's what you have to do:

 

1- Peel and dice fruit into large chunks, discarding the cores.

 

2-Put them in your crock pot and sprinkle in your chosen spices, salt and sweetener of choice. (the amount of sugar will vary depending on how sweet your apples are to start with.

 

3-Put lid on and cook on high for about an hour

 

4- Reduce heat to low and cook for 9-12 hours, stirring occasionally  (I smash it with a hand held potato masher) And cook it until  it reaches a desired consistency.

 

5- Can it or freeze it in bags until ready to eat.

 

To can it - fill hot canning jars leaving 1/4 inch head space. Process in a water bath for 10 minutes.

 

 

See I told you it was simple!!

 

 

 

 

 

 



 



 

Making sauerkraut

I loved learning how to make sauerkraut this past year and  I was surprised by how easy (and inexpensive) it was to make. I was especially proud of our New Years' pork and sauerkraut meal this year. Our roast was from our own backyard pig and it was perfeclyt paired with our home fermented kraut. If you're looking for a simple and rewarding project, I would recommend you try this recipe. 

Here's how I did it.

 

You will need:

 

cabbages

kosher or pickling salt

a large container

a plate

and a weight (I used a gallon jar filled with water, but many people use a big Rock) 

 

 

*Two important things to remember when making this are to never use aluminum utensils, and that using very clean utensils is necessary for a healthy brew...so clean your container and utensils before beginning.

 

To make it:

 

1. Wash cabbages and remove the outer leaves. Shred finely and discard the cores.(You can use a food processor or shred it by hand, like I did)

 

(I cannot figure out how to rotate this picture...grrr!)



 

2. Mix 4 Tbls. salt with 5 pounds of shredded cabbage and put in your clean crock. Stir and smash this down with clean hands until juices (the salt pulls it from the cabbage) covers the layer of cabbage.

 



 

3. Repeat until all of your cabbage is gone, using the same salt to cabbage ratio, and keep layering it and smashing it in your crock. Smash until brine covers the cabbage. If you cannot seem to smash it until the liquid covers the cabbage you can make some extra brine to pour in. To do this, just put 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons of kosher salt into 1 quart of boiling water. Dissolve the salt in the water and cool brine to room temperature. Add brine to cover cabbage.

 

4. Put the plate in the crock, on top of cabbage, and place your weight on the plate to keep the cabbage under the brine.

 

5. Cover the crock with plastic wrap and then place a heavy towel over the top. (You want to keep any bugs out)

 

6. Place the crock in an area where the temperature will not go above 75 degrees or below 60. Allow it to ferment for 4-6 weeks until it tastes the way you like it. The longer you let it sit the more "sour" it will get. (The higher the temp. the faster it will ferment.)

I let mine go for 6 weeks at about 70 degrees and it was delicious.

Also- It can get some mold on the top of the brine. As long as it's not green or black- this is okay. Just remove it before taking out the kraut. I have talked to many people who have been making it for years and a lot of them say that they scrape the mold off once a week for 6 weeks. Some say they just remove it when it's done fermenting. I was worried about mine the first time I made it. But then I ate it and didn't die...so now I trust what everyone had told me.

 

7. Next-taste it. If it's good then remove it from the crock. Eat it raw for all the fermented benefits or Can it to enjoy it later in the year. (If you want to keep it raw I've read that it will keep in the fridge for about two months.)

 

I don't love it raw because I feel like it has a musty taste but I try to eat some anyway...since it's good for me and all. I canned the majority of mine.

 

If you want to can it use this timetable:

 

Hot Pack: Pint Jars-10 minutes, Quart jars-15 minutes
Raw Pack: Pint jars-20 minutes, Quart jars-25 minutes

 

 

 



 

And if you want to see another sweet little thing that was brewing in my crock....

 

Here's my little one playing peek-a-boo.

 

Where's Baby Josie?? Where could she be??

 

Peek-a-boo!!!  There she is!!

 

 I don't know what I enjoyed more about this antique crock...Fermenting the kraut or entertaining my  toddler for an entire afternoon?! Both uses were wonderful!!

 

If you make your sauerkraut a different way, I'd love to hear about it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Surprise! It's a Grain Mill!!

I'm so excited to share this news with the world....

I officially grind my own grains!! I mill my own Flour!! I make by bread from "scratch"!! I can finally say that I know what fresh flour smells like!!! And I could not be more enthusiastic about this new venture!!

 Okay, I'll try to keep my giddiness under control so I can write this post.

My love of freshly baked bread all started when we bought our little corner of the world to begin our homesteading. The first thing I knew that I needed to learn, to be a true producer instead of consumer, was making our own bread. I had never before even considered making this part of my routine. I didn't even know what exactly yeast was or how it worked...But I wanted to learn.

I started out learning how to make bread without a bread machine. I figured that this would give me a better understanding of the whole process, and it did. It was so rewarding to send a warm loaf of freshly baked bread over to the neighbors house for the first time. Especially with a batch of freshly made butter, which is what I did. It was amazing-Learning how to make bread and wanting to do it so often that we had more than enough to share!

After doing it that way for a few weeks, my sister offered me a bread maker and I figured I'd give it a go. The bread however was not up to my expectations. It made a tall square loaf with a hole up the middle! What?! That's not what homemade bread is supposed to look like at all! So I took the advice of a friend and starting doing it half in the machine and half in the oven. It works beautifully and makes it more practical for me to keep a fresh loaf on hand. I'll give you guys my recipes for that in one of my upcoming posts. For now I have to get back to the topic at hand...My new grain mill!!!

I was totally surprised by my husband this Christmas when he let me know that he was buying me a present this time whether I approved it in the budget or not...it was happening and I wasn't aloud to complain. This is especially sweet since my husband usually doesn't do gifts. Back rubs are kind of his thing on my special days and I have never found reason to complain about that..I love them! But this Christmas he just wasn't sticking to the usual arrangement and he told me very matter of fact-ly that there was nothing I could do about it. I was excited and a little bit puzzled at what it could be. I don't ask for much and certainly never anything too expensive. After he ordered it (at my sisters house, on her account and paid her by check...sneaky, eh?) I'd told him I needed the amount so that I could balance the checkbook. When he told me the amount, I almost died!  What in the world could he be getting me that costs so much??

Well you guessed it. It was a grain mill!!!!! But not just any grain mill- It was a Kitchenaid Mixer with a grain mill attachment. 

Oh.My.Gosh.

A Kitchenaid and a grain mill...I know, I know- It's a little bit more exciting than a back rub, I'll give him that credit, but already knows that. Actually, this is how the rest of our week played out:

Me: "Justin, you forgot to take out the trash again!!"
Justin: "Hun...I got you a grain mill!"

See? he's a pretty smart guy. It worked for like a week...and then I remembered that I had carried, delivered and nursed all 3 of his babies so clearly I win the "who did what for whom" game! Not that the mill gift isn't high up on the awesome list. It just takes second place to the miracle of birth.

Bet you didn't think you'd find that in a flour post...hah!

Getting back to the point here-
I couldn't believe that this wonderful man had not only gotten me this gift, but that he had remembered me commenting on a blog post over a year ago about grinding flour. I had NEVER said to him that I wanted a Kitchenaid...but man, did I ever!!

 

 Here are some pictures I snapped in action last evening as I was grinding my wheat berries.

 

 

My beautiful wheat.

My grain mill

 

My grain mill-in action

 

And my fresh wheat flour.

 

I would recommend anyone who already makes homemade bread to seriously look into a mill. The flour is really a lot cheaper for me to grind myself than to buy it packaged, so I figure eventually the cost will even out.(but that's just my way of making the cost "feel" better) Plus the health benefits are priceless.

 

 I had read a lot recently about the benefits of eating fresh flour and that even the healthiest grocery store flours need to have preservatives added as flour does go rancid. To read more about that and wheat in general, read this: http://thewholetruth.org/Health_Wheat_FAQ.asp

 

I buy my wheat berries at a local Mennonite store and keep them in a food grade bucket so I'm not having to run a few times a week to get more, However I don't buy so much that I can't use it within a short period of time. You'll have to see what works best for you.

 

Do any of you mill your own flour? What kind of grains do you use? I'm just learning myself so I'd be interested in hearing any combinations of grains that work well for you. I love learning from those who are experienced!!

 

Have a good day everyone and Happy Baking!!

 

 

Simple "Non-Petroleum Jelly"

You are about to see what I mean by the "simple" things in life.

 I'm not sure what to officially call this recipe because "Vaseline" is just a brand name of  "petroleum jelly". This is neither Vaseline nor petroleum so I like to call it "Non-Petroleum Jelly".... Genius, right?!


Okay, you better go get your pen and paper, just in case you can't remember this all.

Here goes:

Put about 1/2 cup of organic olive oil in a small pot
Add about a teaspoon of beeswax

Warm on low until beeswax is melted. Pour into a small glass jar. (A baby food jar works well)

Let it cool and there you have it...Healthy non petroleum jelly!

*Note -If you'd like it to be more solid add more beeswax. If you want it to be more oily add more olive oil.

Did you catch all of that? I know, I know. It's really tricky but don't worry you'll figure it out eventually!

Seriously, you cannot mess this up. It's perfectly simple and you can use it for everything. I put it on myself, my kids and my animals as a moisturizer.  Also, to all you new moms out there, don't forget the sometimes necessary rectal thermometer. This non-petroleum jelly could really come in handy since I'm sure you don't want to be putting anything related to gasoline into their....you know. I'm much happier to use this more natural product.

Moving on....

Go ahead and give this a try and let me know what you think. Also if you figure out an exact measurement of how you like it best, please do share!

Easy Crockpot Yogurt Recipe

I was going to write this post yesterday but it ended up turning into a raw milk post. So.....

Here's how I make my yogurt. It really makes a lot of yogurt for less than half the price of store bought and it's twice as healthy! Plus... it's ridiculously easy!!

You will need:

-A crock pot

-1/2 Gallon of milk (Raw or pasteurized)

-1/2-1 cup of some plain, store bought, organic, pro biotic yogurt. (or if you have a friend that makes yogurt ask them for a 1/2 cup to get you started)

*note- you only need the store bought "starter" the first time you make it. After that just keep a scoop from your previous batch aside for next time!

The method:

-Put the milk in your crock and turn it on low for 2 hours.

-After 2 hours unplug the crock pot for another 2 hours.

-After that, add in your yogurt starter and replace the lid (keeping the crock unplugged). wrap a bath towel around the crock pot and let it sit for 8-9 hours.

-Open the lid and be amazed that your milk just turned into yogurt!!

I only have a picture of ours nearly gone...

If you want really thick yogurt-strain off the whey by pouring it through a cheesecloth. (Use your whey in place of water next time you bake bread!)

 If you want really thick Greek yogurt then let it strain for a few hours until all the whey has dripped from it.

Finish the yogurt with your favorite toppings and enjoy!!

I love mine with honey and granola, or any fresh fruit that I have. I also love it mixed with a dollop of my favorite homemade jam. The possibilities are endless!

 

My kids' favorite way to eat it is blended with a half of a banana....But they only like it If I hang a piece of banana on the side of the glass...Go figure!

 

Now go ahead, get out your crock pot and fill 'er up with some milk. You know you want to have fresh yogurt for breakfast tomorrow!!

 

 

The Road Less Traveled...To the Raw Milk Farm!

(The funny thing is this started out as a crock pot yogurt post. It evolved to a milk post. Yogurt recipe coming soon)


One of the skills you just have to have as a homesteader is to be able to make your own dairy products out of milk. If you're really lucky, like I am you will be able to make things out of local raw milk. (This is where the post veered off the yogurt topic..just sayin')

I'm so fortunate to be in a state where raw milk is legal and in a community where it's easy to find. For cheap! I read so many other blogs that have talked about raw milk and all of the troubles they go through to find or to be able to "purchase" it. I've met some women online that travel 2 to 3 hours a week and pay $10 or $12 for a gallon!  It really made me think about how I buy my milk. Again, I say I'm fortunate.. Just to make some of you extremely jealous, I'll tell you my milk acquiring story!

The farm that I buy from is about 8 minutes away. It's the most beautiful drive in the world and I always find myself especially aware and filled with gratitude while I travel the back roads to get there.

Let me take you there with me for a minute:

 I start by passing through my little small town and crossing onto a winding back road. This road takes me through a vineyard...a beautiful vineyard that hosts beautiful concerts every Saturday night all summer long. A vineyard that has rows of grapes that seem never ending with the backdrop  of  rolling hills and far off tree lines. After the vineyard, I make a left. This road takes me directly along a beautiful stream that reminds me of all of the times I would go fishing there with my dad as a little girl. On a warm day with the windows down, you can hear the sound of the water babbling along as you drive by. After coming to a stop at the end of that road I make a right and proceed to pass nothing but farms and distant trees. This is the part I especially love in fall before they harvest the corn from the fields. It's just wide open pastures and crops that no matter what the weather may be it always make the sky seem to burst with colors. After a sharp wind in the road I turn into the farm and park by a humble little yellow shed with an open sign on the door and an "honor box" and notepad inside. The system is..You drop of your empty gallon jars and pick up your filled ones. Then you put your money in the box, writing what you've purchased so the farmer can keep track of the sales. If you don't have the exact change? Well that's okay just pay next time! This is a Farmer that still trusts his patrons. AMAZING! This is truly the way I want to do my business. This is who I want to give my money to!! I love everything about this dairy farm and I love the 8 minute drive there to reflect on the beautiful simplicities of nature that are abundant all around me. And most of all.....I love the milk!

I wish I had pictures of this beautiful path less traveled to share with you. Unfortunately it's dark outside as I type this or I would be taking that spirit lifting drive right now, camera in hand.

I will add some photos to this post the next time I fill my jars, in the meantime here is a photo of my  milk jar....which in my opinion is pretty all by itself!

 

 

And the real kicker is it's only $2.50 a gallon!!

 

Where do you all get your raw milk? How much do you pay?

(If you say from your own cow then I will be the jealous one!)

Milling lumber and my husbands love of wood

My husband LOVES wood!

I mean he really, really loves it, or anything at all that has to do with a tree really. He carries tree books in his jacket pocket and constantly stops to ask our girls if they can "name that tree."

His favorite hobby is splitting wood....by hand! Even though our family has a wood splitter, he likes the rugged workout of swinging the ax. But that's okay because I kinda like watching him swing the ax! Since this is his favorite thing to do, it's only natural that he would eventually get in to the craft of woodworking. He's just learning the basics and has made some pretty cool things so far. Mostly he's making decorative items for me to display around the house. His eventual dream is to turn one of our sheds into a woodworking shop so he can be a pro carpenter. (The same way I dream of having a dairy pasture and living off grid) but we realize that these things we must learn one step at a time.

Right now he's learning how to mill and dry lumber.

He has been collecting tree trunks from my grandfathers' farm and stashing them away for the day when a friend would bring over his portable saw mill....

And finally the day had come, my husband was ready to learn how to mill his own lumber. 
Here's a picture of the lumberjacks at work...

 

It was amazing to watch this machine saw so perfectly through such big, heavy logs!

 

 

If you look closely at the last picture you can see that it's been cut every 2". Justin's planning on making us a table out of this English Walnut tree.

 

 

That's  Casey, the awesome guy who owns the mill.

 

 

This is a picture of the whole setup from a distance.

 

 

That's my husband Justin!

 

 

 

 

And this is just some of the wood we had milled that day! The cost for all of this wood was less than $200- Far less than what even a portion of this lumber would have costs at the store. And it only costs us that because we wanted to give the guys a little something for the time.

 

Now that you understand my husbands love of wood, you can look forward to many more posts about anything "trees".. and even some pictures of his milled wood projects. He makes beautiful cutting boards from some of the English Walnut, But that's a whole other post entirely!

 

What's your favorite homesteading hobby?  I'd love to hear about it!