The Self-Sufficient Skills thread (new name, old thread!)

[TanksHill]

I have not started an actual list of things I have learned THIS year but let me think...

My first goal... The pressure canner...

New laundry soap recipe... That works and smells good..

Mainly I have been working on the "squirrel challenge" by canning and filling the coffers. I guess I should get busy.


Oh, welcome to all the new members!!!

 

[freemotion]

Tanks, you need to start that list.....

My updated list:

1. I learned to milk!!
2. Made yogurt
3. Made ricotta cheese
4. Made mozzarella cheese
5. Made "Fabulous All Natural Face Cream"
6. Made laundry soap
7. Made goat's milk soap
8. Made the best ever deodorant
9. Dried nettles and raspberry shoots for tea
10. Made cheddar, cheddar, and more cheddar and waxed it, and built a mouse-proof crate to age it in, in the cellar
11. Made hydrosol (distilled flower water....lilacs don't work, but I know how to do it now, the process worked great)
12. Made a cheese press
13. Made jam and waterbath canned it
14. Peening a scythe with a hammer and jig
15. Trimming a goat's hooves
16. Got a broody off a golf ball and onto eggs and they hatched!
17. Plucked a turkey.....almost two! In spite of the smell....

By the way, BBH, there is not room here for my list of failures that took place before most of the above items could be posted. I keep in mind the fact that successful people fail MUCH MORE OFTEN that unsuccessful people.....because they keep trying, they don't quit, so they succeed! It is great to have the support and encouragement that is the predominant feeling here on this forum. And lots of great ideas!

 

[big brown horse]

Thanks freemotion...I had to go back to reread what I wrote to prompt encouragement like that. I did. Boy, have I come a long way since then!! The encouragement from this forum is so positive and helpful. I guess that is what encouragement is supposed to be.

I built a small contained fire for my daughter and a friend this evening outside. I promised them smores forever. I used one of my new toilet paper rolled lint "bomb" aka fire starters. It had a broken candle in it too. I seriously was skeptical about it working since we spent a fortune on real firestarters this winter...pre ss. Oh my God! It worked so well, I couldn't believe it! I am happy that I have about 10 of them saved up for this winter so far. I wouldn't have known that if it weren't for this site. I am so thankful to you all out there!

 

[OkieAnnie]

BBH . .I believe it was Thomas Edison that said he did not fail at inventing the light bulb . . he discovered 100 ways not to make a light bulb before he found the actual way. . . . lol

I don't think there is such a thing as failure, just many opportunities to learn. That is just what I did the past 2 years trying to garden in Oklahoma. I had two summers of learning.

You just keep learning and I promise I will stick with it and keep learning, too!

 

[OkieAnnie]

My list of what I have learned thus far this year . .

*Make laundry soap (love it)
*learned to enjoy line dried towels (this is a skill, isn't it??)
*built a chicken coop
*raised day old chicks
*raised day old turkeys (RIP - due to neighbors dog and not me, thankfully)
*grew peas and enjoyed eating them
*started many garden plants from seeds
*turned a wheel-barrel into a planter
*made my own yogart


I am feeling like I am missing something. I will add it later. Loads more that I want to learn. I will update the list as I go.

 

[freemotion]

If you copy/paste your list each time you post a new skill, you will get to see your list grow....that alone is so encouraging!

And yes, laundry on the line is a skill! Every little thing counts. The purpose of this thread is to encourage ourselves.....and inspire others in the process! You go, girl!

Make your list, BBH!

 

[big brown horse]

My list of what I have learned thus far this year . .

*Make laundry soap (love it)
*learned to enjoy line dried towels (this is a skill, isn't it??)
*built a chicken coop
*raised day old chicks
*raised day old turkeys (RIP - due to neighbors dog and not me, thankfully)
*grew peas and enjoyed eating them
*started many garden plants from seeds
*turned a wheel-barrel into a planter
*made my own yogart


I am feeling like I am missing something. I will add it later. Loads more that I want to learn. I will update the list as I go.

Aren't fresh peas the bomb! Had the kids (one is mine, one is her bff) out eating them this afternoon. They couldn't believe how wonderful fresh peas are!

 

[big brown horse]

Freemotion, I've been post crazy since I started on this forum, I thought I had, but let me check again!! <---that's me...happy here!!

 

[big brown horse]

Achievements:

1. Made cat food!
2. I built a great big garden!
3. Growing for the first time: carrots, raddishes, lettuce, peas, fingerling potatoes, raspberries, blueberries, gooseberries, boysenberries, kiwi, rhubarb and figs. I inherited a nice big orchard full of apples (10 varieties!) peaches, crab apples, cherries, and pears (two types). I believe there are 15 fruit trees in all.
4. Growing tomatos and tons of herbs, something I already experienced...always kept a tomato (and okra) and herb garden back in TX.
5. Set up 2 rain barrels.
6. Recycle everything and reuse as much as possible.
7. Jelly/jam and sun dried tomato canning is now under my belt.
8. I can pickle anything, I'm from the South y'all!
9. I have a mason bee condo filled to capasity.
10. I have 3 beautiful chickens a Rhode Island red named Ruby, an Ameraucauna named Olive, and a black Astralorp named Betty, three eggs a day.
11. We don't turn on the light or heat during the day and we don't own any AC devices to turn on in the summer. (Right now we work in our coats and scarves!)
12. We have a wood burning stove that is sufficient to warm the whole house up.
13. I fenced and cross fenced 5 acres by myself and a manuel post hole digger.

Goals:
1. Make a contraption to make horse manure "bricks" to burn in out door pit. Then I will add the ashes to my garden. edit: or maybe not, I need to research this further!!
2. Own some milking goats so I can do all that stuff freemotion does.
3. Buy a Buff Orphington and then a Barred Rock.
4. Install a windmill to generate electricity.
5. Dig and build a root celler.

Hey here it is!! Freemotion read #2!! You inspried me.

I didn't end up with goats though. I have a sheep instead.

Nix the buff o and the barred rock, I have 10 Ameraucana chicklets and I'm getting ducks next. The French ones.

 

[freemotion]

Hey here it is!! Freemotion read #2!! You inspried me.

I didn't end up with goats though. I have a sheep instead.

So glad I inspried you! And so glad I'm not the only one who types too fast! When, oh when, will these forums include spellcheck???

You still need goats... or to milk that sheep.....