30 Day Homesteading Challenge - October 2021

[tortoise]

Try to give up your modern conveniences, smart phones , electricity, vehicles, fast or processed food and all the creature comforts we have now , go back to walking or riding a horse or mule , keep a journal then after 30 days tell us about it , would be a neat project if it was feasible, who knows one day we might try it

I was contemplating something like this today. I popped leftovers into the fridge and it got me wondering about food/meal prep habits pre-refrigeration, and then about food safety.

I despise the sound of a refrigerator running. If I am ever single I may decide to skip the fridge. Then again, I use the fridge to compensate for fatigue when I'm preparing food.

I would love to use a horse and buggy, at least spring through fall. I live in Amish country so the town 6 miles away has hitching posts around town. DH says no. I can bring just about anything home except a horse. If I acquire a horse, the horse and I will suddenly be homeless.

 

[tortoise]

To nixtamilize corn use pickling lime in water let it sit overnight then rinse , heat the water up add the lime let it cook for a while them take it off the heat and rinse in the morning, that is how I start my corn nuts process

Wow, that doesn't sound too difficult! So many things I've been afraid to try!

 

[tortoise]

Day 1 - One SS meal

I feel like I need a whole week to prep one meal.

• I have home-grown, home-butchered lamb roast.
• A jar of homemade BBQ sauce didnt seal, so I need to use it up. I didnt grow any of the ingredients in the BBQ sauce, but I started from fresh tomatoes.
• I can bake bread. I can convert my recipe to use honey or maple syrup (which I can buy local) instead of granulated sugar from the grocery store.
• I have spring mix that needs to get eaten. I didnt grow it. I can start a tray of baby greens today though!

We didn't have a proper supper. DH had started a soup pot with a leftover lamb roast. I gave kids broth with celery and meat floaters for supper and they both declared it good. I strained out the meat (destined for BBQ sauce for sandwiches for lunch tomorrow), added veggies and a little ACV and am making a batch of bone broth. My family tends toward weak connective tissue so bone broth is essential for us.

I baked the bread and used maple syrup instead of sugar. It didn't have an "off" flavor, but it was slow to rise. Maybe more maple syrup next time?

I got seeds and soil out, but haven't gotten greens planted yet.

It was a fun day. I learned some new things, am inspired for some new SS projects.

 

[Britesea]

To nixtamilize corn use pickling lime in water let it sit overnight then rinse , heat the water up add the lime let it cook for a while them take it off the heat and rinse in the morning, that is how I start my corn nuts process

A couple of years ago I read about an experiment some people tried at Nordic Labs where they tried nixtamalizing other grains, and even legumes, to increase the bioavailability. Here's a list, along with suggestions for use.

 

[Mini Horses]

Try to give up your modern conveniences, smart phones , electricity, vehicles, fast or processed food and all the creature comforts we have now , go back to walking or riding a horse or mule , keep a journal then after 30 days tell us about it , would be a neat project if it was feasible, who knows one day we might try it

I would be back at my grandparents house then! I could actually do what you suggest but, miss a couple things of convenience. I have lived without the electric, running water, appliances....yep. Well water with bucket and rope, wood stove, washboard and tubs, plus the famous outhouse. I'd love a horse to be my transportation.

was contemplating something like this today. I popped leftovers into the fridge and it got me wondering about food/meal prep habits pre-refrigeration, and then about food safety.

They used a cold spring for cooling, ice in winter. You think pickling and fermenting is new? No, it was a method to preserve food....and salting, dehydrating, winter clamps for vegetable storage, cellars just dug into a hillside...or deep holes. Some foods were just kept heated until consumed. Cheeses were a way to use, preserve dairy. A bird or rabbit was butchered just before cooking time. Veggies picked for each meal. Dried bean types were grown for storage ability as much as nutrition. Winter temps allowed meats to be smoked, butchered, stored. Seasonal eating was always the norm, storage (and no groc stores) made it so. Canning was a way of life! Water-bath at that. Many things can be WB safely with longer processing time. Seed was saved or traded, no fertilizer bought. Everyone had to hoe, weed, harvest. Sears catalogue was valued TP, along with dried corn husks....nothing wasted.

What we eat now is very different from what was grown and used then. Most root veg were left in ground as long as possible. Some even mulched to prevent freeze.

It can be done. Some countries still exist in these ways. We are spoiled.

 

[flowerbug]

...
I despise the sound of a refrigerator running. If I am ever single I may decide to skip the fridge. Then again, I use the fridge to compensate for fatigue when I'm preparing food.

when we replaced our old refridgerator one of the things we were really happy about was that the new refridgerator is pretty quiet when it runs. it has a smaller compressor motor in it that runs more often, but it is so quiet we don't really notice it at all.

i really hate about any noise in the morning until i wake up, then i have more tolerance.

 

[tortoise]

when we replaced our old refridgerator one of the things we were really happy about was that the new refridgerator is pretty quiet when it runs. it has a smaller compressor motor in it that runs more often, but it is so quiet we don't really notice it at all.

i really hate about any noise in the morning until i wake up, then i have more tolerance.

I just went through my house, turned off the fridge, unplugged basement dehumidifier, unplugged outlet timer, and Instant Pot. Too much noise, I cannot cope.

Now I can hear the radon mitigation system fan running. Can't turn that off, so I'll relocate to the opposite side of the house.

I am struggling with being interrupted frequently while writing a textbook. I'm way behind on this chapter and deadline is in 2 weeks. I was not homeschooling when I signed the contract, but I'm homeschooling DS6 and DS14 is home from school for discipline. Between kids and dogs, I'm interrupted every few seconds, which means I cannot get anything done. And that's when I lose my patience with distracting appliance noises. I cannot.

I would like to figure out ways to be less reliant on electricity just to get relief from the noises.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I would love to use a horse and buggy, at least spring through fall. I live in Amish country so the town 6 miles away has hitching posts around town. DH says no. I can bring just about anything home except a horse. If I acquire a horse, the horse and I will suddenly be homeless

How about a team of mini-oxen? Wouldn't that be cool!

 

[tortoise]

How about a team of mini-oxen? Wouldn't that be cool!

Good point!

 

[tortoise]

Day 2 - Fix a hole

This isn't a new skill for me. I love mending and darning. I will have to skip this one today because I'm pressed for time.