GraceandGravy with a side of life! » chickens http://graceandgravy.com Sat, 31 Oct 2015 20:12:14 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.3.1 Wait…..I’m a Homesteader? http://graceandgravy.com/2015/04/wait-im-a-homesteader/ http://graceandgravy.com/2015/04/wait-im-a-homesteader/#comments Wed, 08 Apr 2015 08:00:36 +0000 http://graceandgravy.com/?p=1442   If you would have asked me a few years ago if I would ever consider myself a homesteader, my answer would have been, “What’s a Homesteader”! HaHa Isn’t it amazing how our perspective for our lives change! But even … Continue reading →

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If you would have asked me a few years ago if I would ever consider myself a homesteader, my answer would have been, “What’s a Homesteader”! HaHa

Isn’t it amazing how our perspective for our lives change!

But even though I am living the life as a homesteader, I guess most of the time I just don’t think about it that way.

Now when people ask me how I feel about homesteading, my reaction is, “Wait……I’m a Homesteader?”!

I think there is so many mis-conceptions about homesteading.

People think if you are a homesteader you must live in a shack in the boonies, with no running water, no electricity and bare-foot and pregnant all your life!

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When in reality, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

My family lives in a ranch style house, and even though we live in a rural area, we actually live right in town!

We have a  store 3 blocks down the road, and a post office 4 blocks away.

Our local Police and Fire Dept is a 10 minute walk from my house.

So we have clarified that I do not live in the boonies, I do have running water and electricity, and even though I do run around barefooted, I haven’t been pregnant in fourteen years!

And even though I don’t like fixing my hair and putting on make-up everyday (hey my chickens don’t care what I look like!), I do enjoy getting dressed up and going out.  I don’t sew my own clothes, even though I would if I could, my husband can’t live without his Hollister Clothes and hairspray, but we try to always buy them second hand!

We define Homesteading as this:  Living a self-sufficient life (meaning not relying on others to provide our needs).

Be satisfied with what we have, and taking value in learning to grow, raise and make our own food, and other necessities.  It’s so important that our children realize that our food doesn’t just appear at the grocery store.

It's so important that our children

And most important for me is, not being wasteful.  Trying to preserve what you have.

Some ways I define myself as a homesteader is, I enjoy raising chickens.  I love going out in the morning and gathering eggs.  It brings me such a sense of simplicity.

We also raise meat rabbits and turkeys.  You might say, don’t you feel bad?  Yes sometimes I do, but my son is the one who raises the rabbits and if he didn’t he would just take his gun up the road and come home with a couple he shot anyway.

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I make my own laundry and bar soap.  I do enjoy girly smells, but my skin is very sensitive and it cannot always handle what is added to soaps.  Making it myself guarantees I know exactly what I is added.

I love the smell of line-dried laundry.  It makes me think of my momma and growing up!  Sometimes it’s the little things that make you a homesteader.

We try to buy most of our clothing, decor and furniture second-hand or at least on clearance.  I’m not one for wasting money on things that I can get at a discounted price!  That money can buy more chickens!

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I also like growing our own fruits and vegetables when I can.  And I love to can my own jellies, syrups, pickles and more.

Being a homesteader doesn’t make me different, it just makes me more aware of how I live!

And of course everyone has to have a Homestead Hound, Right?

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I believe the definition for a homesteader is different for everybody.

Don’t think your a homesteader?

Take a look around your life and home.  You might be surprised!

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]]> http://graceandgravy.com/2015/04/wait-im-a-homesteader/feed/ 2 Whats Cookin with GraceandGravy:Meal Planning Week #2 http://graceandgravy.com/2014/07/whats-cookin-with-graceandgravymeal-planning-week-2/ http://graceandgravy.com/2014/07/whats-cookin-with-graceandgravymeal-planning-week-2/#comments Mon, 28 Jul 2014 04:27:44 +0000 http://graceandgravy.com/?p=504  WELCOME Back Y’all  to “What’s Cookin with GraceandGravy: Meal Plans” Week #2! I hope everyone enjoyed some of the meals from last week.  I know some of my families favorites this week were the Chicken n Dumplins and the Mexican … Continue reading →

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 WELCOME Back Y’all  to “What’s Cookin with GraceandGravy: Meal Plans” Week #2!
I hope everyone enjoyed some of the meals from last week.  I know some of my families favorites this week were the Chicken n Dumplins and the Mexican Chicken served with Mashed Potatoes. Yum!  In fact when I make Mexican Chicken I always make a large casserole dish because it is so well loved.  I invited over a friend and her two boys to share with us because I know its one of her favorites as well.
If this is your first time here, every Sunday I will share my families Meal Plan for the week to help everyone stay organized and have some ideas on what meals to fix.  No one likes coming home after work or being gone running errands all day, to realize you have no meat thawed for dinner, or you forgot to pick up noodles for your casserole.
So come aboard and share your meal planning for the week as well.
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 Meal Plan week 2
 This week I wanted to keep it simple.  This week I still have a lot of canning to do, a new Bible Study starting on Monday and lots of yard clean up from a storm last week.  I knew it was best to have easy meals with at least one good, hearty meal to last a few days.
I had intended to make toasted subs tonight, until we decided to have dinner with our pastors, which I cooked.  They hosted at their house, but I brought the food.  They are not only our pastors, but great, close friends.  Our families have been so busy with vacations and church events lately that we haven’t had much down time just to relax and visit with one another.
I decided to bring my Homemade Chicken Alfredo because I know its a family favorite and my easy Strawberry Summertime Pie.
After dinner the kiddos walked next door to swim and then everyone came back for pie.
It was a great night, and a great first night of Meal Plans Week 2!
Would love to hear your meal plans for the week.   And I hope you enjoy a few of my meals!

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]]> http://graceandgravy.com/2014/07/whats-cookin-with-graceandgravymeal-planning-week-2/feed/ 6 Whats Cookin with GraceandGravy:Meal Planning http://graceandgravy.com/2014/07/whats-cookin-with-graceandgravymeal-plans-grab-box/ http://graceandgravy.com/2014/07/whats-cookin-with-graceandgravymeal-plans-grab-box/#comments Mon, 21 Jul 2014 03:24:13 +0000 http://graceandgravy.com/?p=467 It’s a Tuesday afternoon, I’ve been running errands most of day and trying to catch up on laundry for the few moments I have been home.  Then I look at the clock and a uggggg sound comes out of my … Continue reading →

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It’s a Tuesday afternoon, I’ve been running errands most of day and trying to catch up on laundry for the few moments I have been home.  Then I look at the clock and a uggggg sound comes out of my mouth.  It’s already time for the husby to get home for work and I haven’t even thought about dinner.  I run to the pantry to skim the contents, then head to the fridge only to remember I don’t have any meat thawing.  Now what am I going to do?  Supper is going to be late, and I can’t think of anything to throw together.
Does this sound like you?  Do you ever have those days when you cannot think of another single meal to cook?
Well, your not alone, I think as wives and mothers we all have those days more often than we would like to admit.  That is when I started Meal Planning.  I used to just write a menu and tape it to the fridge, but then I decided why not share it with you guys.
So WELCOME to “What’s Cookin with GraceandGravy:Meal Plans”!
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Each Sunday I will share with you what my meals for the week will be.  Maybe we can help to spark creativity in each other for our nightly dinners.
My dad raises chickens for eggs.  He recently had a few “heavies’ as they are called.  I really felt sorry for these chickens.  They were so heavy they could barely move,  it was really, really sad and worse of all they weren’t laying.  He made the decision to butcher them and  asked if we would like the  meat and of course I said yes.  Free chicken for the family.  They are so large they take up to much freezer room so I have been boiling them, and picking off the meat to put in freezer bags.  I also have saved the broth.  One chicken was large enough to make 4 meals.  Ummm YES!
So needless to say, my family will be having a lot of chicken this week.
Meals
Would love to hear your meal plans for the week.   And I hope you enjoy a few of my meals!

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