Homestead Baked Apple Slices

With the recent change to cooler temperatures, I am definitely feeling the fall vibe here on the homestead.  With that in mind, I was in the mood for something warm and sweet with apples after editing my video this evening.  I remembered my aunt Momo telling me how she made her baked apples, but I put my own spin on them.  I chose to slice the apples rather than leave them whole.  They turned out absolutely delicious.  Take a look at how I made them below, and maybe you will want some for yourself and your family on one of the upcoming cool fall evenings :)

Jonagold Apples | Photo by LBFH

I chose to do two apples this go around, as I wanted to have enough left over in case I wanted them again one night this week (okay, I knew I would want them again LOL!).  I chose to use the only apples I had in the house, the Jonagold variety.  Some people use a more tart apple, like a Granny Smith, but I feel the Jonagold was a great choice.

Jonagold Apple Peeled, Cored and Sliced | Photo by LBFH

I peeled and sliced my apples, using my handy dandy combo slicer/corer.  This beauty does quick work when it comes to apples, and if you feel the apple slicers are thicker than you like, you can always cut them in half.  I left them as they were, and they turned out just fine :)

Ingredients for Baked Apples | Photo by LBFH

Next, I gathered the ingredients that would turn these plain apples into something oh-so-delicious.  I used brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, salt, and butter.  I chose to use a plastic container with a lid to aid in coating the slices, but you can also use a plastic storage bag such as a Ziploc bag. 

I then measured 1/4 cup of brown sugar, 1/4 cup of white sugar, 1 tsp of cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp of salt.  I will say that, in hindsight, I could have probably cut the amount of brown sugar and white sugar in half, and I will most probably try that the next time around.

Container of Spices | Photo by LBFH

After measuring my dry ingredients, I threw them all in the plastic container and added my apple slices.  I placed the lid on the container and proceeded to shake, shake, shake, and stop every so often to ensure that each of the slices was getting sufficiently coated with the dry mixture.

Baking dish with apple slices | Photo by LBFH

Once I was satisfied with how well the apple slices were coated, I sprayed my glass dish with cooking spray and placed the slices in it.  After the slices were placed in the dish, making sure to only place them in one layer, I put a few small pats of the butter here and there.  A good estimate is two tablespoons, but to be honest, I just kinda eyeballed it, trying the place the pats to ensure all the slices would have some butter on them as they melted.

Baking dish of apple slices with butter | Photo LBFH

I then placed the dish of apple slices in a 350-degree oven for 25 minutes.  I used a toaster oven, so I didn't need to preheat.  If you are going to use a conventional oven, make sure to preheat it first.

Baking dish of delicious baked apple slices | Photo by LBFH

And there you have it!  A warm, comforting apple treat for a cool fall evening.  I am so glad I took the plunge and made these; I can see more batches of them in my future.

If you decide to make them, make sure to message me below and let me know what you think.  As always, know that you are much appreciated, and blessings on you and yours :)

Fowl Language

Image:  Tracy Few/Living By Faith Homestead

When I first started researching the possibility of having my own homestead over two years ago, the first animal I knew I wanted was that of chickens.  I was born and raised a city girl, and throughout my entire life chickens have been the most exciting farm animal my grandparents had.   I have spent many a night over these past two years, reading anything and everything I can about being a chicken owner.  What I found out from the beginning is that if I were going to have chickens, and learn all I needed to know about them, I would first need to get a better grasp on the terminology used when referencing them.

           

Image:  Tracy Few/Living By Faith Homestead

Not knowing many of the more popular terms, although I had heard them all my life without actually knowing the specific reason, made me think that there may be others out there that were just as in the dark as I was.  That led me to the idea of putting the more specific and well-used terms into one place, for easy reference for both myself and anyone else who may see the need to know.  With that said, a few common terms that I have found that I, myself, as a chicken owner, really need to know:

Bantam—a miniature version of a larger chicken breed 

Biddy—a term used for chicks or baby chickens

Broiler—a young chicken, usually processed between the age of 7-12 weeks.

Brooder Box—some type of heated enclosure used in the raising of baby chicks or other poultry.

Broody Hen—a hen that is determined to sit on and hat her clutch of eggs

Brooding Period—the timeframe between when a chick is hatched and when it is fully-feathered.

Chick—a young bird, especially one newly hatched.

Clutch—a group of eggs laid by a hen over several days.

Cock—a male bird, usually a rooster, generally more than one-year-old.

Cockerel—a young rooster, usually less than one-year-old.

Coop—a cage or pen used to confine poultry.

Dusting/Dust Bath—usually consisting of dirt or sand; used by fowl to roll around in for dusting and cleaning their feathers.

Hen—a mature female chicken at least one year of age.

Layers—mature female chickens that are of egg production age.

Molt—the season when old feathers are shed, and new feathers take their place.

Pullets—this is a young hen, not of laying age, and most usually less than one year old. 

Sexing--when baby chicks are separated according to their gender.   

Image:  Tracy Few/Living By Faith Homestead

This list is in no way all the terminology out there that references chickens, but it is a good start for learning the lingo.  Like with any new endeavor, the more you know, the more you are prepared.  There is an old saying that states "happy chicks lay more eggs."  Well, I am working to make sure my girls are indeed happy little chicks.

Is Homesteading For Me?

If you ask my family this question, they will not come out and say NO, but they will dance around it in such a way that you know that is what they are thinking.  Which, to be honest, kinda takes the wind outta one's sails when they find themselves sitting and thinking...is homesteading for me?

First off, I am not one to just jump in and do something.  That is my mommy in me more than anything else.  I ponder on it a while, and when I think it is something I really want to do I will research it.  I mean OCD research it.  I am now into my seventh month of just researching chickens and the fifth month I have been researching goats.  So, to say I want my own homestead is not something that is a whim, or a fanciful thought.  I am researching it--the best indication that I can say, when it comes to me, that I am very, very,--did I say very?--serious about this.

Am I scared?  No, not really.  At times I think of what if this happens or that happens, but I decided I couldn't let that keep me from trying.  Will me having my own land, and homestead, come to pass?  Who knows.  But, I can not, in my heart, let that keep me from trying.  The original reason I wanted a homestead, the original dream, has died.  I had a plan, and that plan involved multiple items if you will.  So, that plan is dead.  But, I am trying, with all my might, to come up with another plan.  One that will give me the drive to keep to my original dream, with a few sad modifications.

I know when I talk about wanting a homestead, my family probably think that I want their help.  That is just it, I don't want any help.  I want it to be something that is achieved by me, from my dream, and that I owe no one else for.  Some of my family doesn't seem to understand that, and that is okay.  I get that.  But, it is how I am approaching the concept, and if I can't do it on my own, then I have told myself it won't get done.  It will take a while, which as I have mentioned in earlier posts, patience is not a very strong concept for me.  However, I will just deal with that as I have to, in the whole process of what I am doing. 

Getting the land is the first step.  That I had originally thought "might" be doable by mid to late spring 2019.  However, there was a recent life event that took the wind out of me, causing me to seriously doubt the idea of land being an option for me.  After the last few days, with a lot of praying and soul searching, I feel that having my own homestead and working towards that homestead is what I really need in my life.  Whether others understand that or not, they just need to accept that I feel this way and move on.  I know that sounds kinda mean, but this is my decision, and for others to think that if they don't want to do it, then I shouldn't, doesn't help my dream along 

Back to the land.  I am planning on working towards getting the land first.  I hope to not have to move onto it right away, so that I may save for a trailer or a building to put on it to live in.  That will, going by a very roughly planned out timeline, be at least another two years minimum to achieve.  However, if for some reason that is not possible, to wait the two years, then I will cross that bridge when I come to it.  I have several possible backup plans for if this happens.

I currently raised bed garden on the property I rent and have four 4x4 beds.  I really like the raised bed gardening, but am finding I need more beds if I am going to be more self-sufficient like I hope to become.  That is why I plan on building two to three more 4x8 beds for this coming years gardening  The great thing about the raised beds is that I can always move them when I go, and with a little time and effort move the dirt within them as well.  So, I am still investing in future use, if not here on my own land.

So, that is what I have as an idea at the moment.  I am going to have to sit down and crunch the numbers.  See what I have, what I figure I will have to save up over the next four to six months, and where I would like to be in that time frame.  I also am realistic to know that nothing goes as planned, or as smoothly as one would like, but until I really get a plan in place--nothing will go anywhere.

My Journey - Week One

The Current Homestead 2018
 Image:  Tracy Few

As I begin in earnest upon my journey towards my own homestead and a more self-reliant and simplistic life, I felt the need to chronicle this major event in my life.  I hope to share with you, the readers, my ups and downs—my success and failures—my progress and my setbacks—just about anything and everything that happens as I learn a new way to live. 

My Aunt Monica asked me a few weeks ago why I was wanting to take this journey and I simply answered—I have been living this life I live for over fifty years now, and it has not made me happy.  It would seem that I need a change and felt that a more self-sufficient, simpler, non-materialistic lifestyle would give me the peace and happiness that my current lifestyle does not seem to provide. 

I have been pondering on whether or not I really wanted to make an attempt at this journey.  It is one that I will be taking on my own, along with my furry baby Miss Rooh, so I am sure there will be days that I will want to just throw in the towel.  However, I am going to stand steadfast and true to see it through.  I have a vision, I feel given to me by the Good Lord, of how my life will be and what my homestead will look like when I finish my journey.  This is what keeps me on the straight and narrow, even at those times that I begin to second guess myself.

I worked really hard for ten years to get, and remain, debt free.  I am debt free at this writing, and my vehicle is paid off.  The only incoming bills I have are utilities and such.  I had thought of maybe trying the off-grid way of life, and further reduce my living costs, but I work on the computer, out of my current homestead, and to keep this employment I have to have high-speed internet and a land phone  So, because of my work, I figure I will opt out of the off-grid lifestyle, at least for now.

I want to spend all my free time researching animals, housing for animals, gardening for both the warm months and cooler months, as well as such things a composting bins and chicken runs.  I want to absorb as much information as I can so that I will be better prepared when I acquire my piece of land.   I know what type of home I want—basically, a storage building that will be finished out as I can afford it—as well as how much land I think I will need so that I can adequately achieve my goals and still be able to maintain.  I am currently in the phase of saving for the land because that is the first crucial piece in the overall puzzle, so I am pretty much constantly working.  I take all the hours I can, as well as take on any clients that will offer me a job, so that I may put as much back as I can.

My goal is by September 2019 is to have either enough money to buy my land outright or enough to pay down on it to afford me a better chance of getting a loan for the rest.  I prefer paying for it outright because with a loan I would not be debt free.   And I do not want to start my homestead being in debt.  After I acquire my land, I can then set my sights on a home to place on that land.  But that is for another blog post 😊

Planning Out Tomorrows Day Off

Image:  Living By Faith Homestead/Tracy Few

Me and Miss Rooh woke up to cooler, fall-like temperatures this morning.  The sky was overcast, with the coming of rain being predicted for the afternoon.  Last night, when Miss Rooh went on her final walk before turning in the night sounds were very reminiscent of fall.  The little bugs were heralding the coming of the change of seasons, and boy were they exuberant about it.

Tomorrow is a day off from the phone job here on the homestead.  I will still have writing deadlines to meet, but those can be done in between other chores and such so they are not really time-consuming.  I will probably take some time to look for additional work, and put in some more applications.  Now that me and Miss Rooh are working towards a goal, I am going to try to get as much work as I can, while I can. 

According to the weather report, we are supposed to have some rain today and tomorrow.  I am hoping there is a little bit of a lull when I log out this evening, so me and Miss Rooh can get some bean picking done.  I want to can up some more beans, and get some tomato juicing done tomorrow morning.  I prefer to get my canning done in small batches, and in the morning hours.  That way I am not tied up all day with it and can move on to the next thing needing to be done.  And believe me, there is always something needing done on the homestead.

I started last Wednesday to rearrange the living room and do a deep cleaning as I went.  With winter coming, and my failure to do a sound cleaning this past spring lets just say it is more than overdue for a good cleaning.  I also have plans to do the same to the bedroom.  With everything moved around, it will give me a fresh feel heading into the winter months.

I am also going to work on doing a very deep purge of items.  I have way too much for one person, so I am going to work on remedying that.  It will also help if me and Miss Rooh find another place, or piece of land to put a trailer on, that I won't have so much to move, because it will most probably be just me moving it all.  So the less the better.

Tomorrow is my target day to get my fall planting of my second crop of mustard.  Momo said I should have had it in by now, but she doesn't think it is too late.  My first crop did not yield much and only ended up being around three quarts.  Only one of five rows came up.  Not sure why, but I am hoping all five rows come up this second time around. 

I am also waiting for the rest of my tomatoes to come in,  I have enough now to warrant a juicing session, but I would prefer to have many many more.  I use a lot of juice in the winter for chilis and soups, and only buy store bought when I have to.  It is just too salty for my taste and works havoc on my blood pressure.

I also have it on my list to move a few things around in the kitchen.  When the new flooring was put down last spring, I took the chance to set it up as a galley style kitchen.  I love it this way and find it so much more appealing.  However, the area between my fridge and my stove currently holds my microwave and stand.  I really do not like it there.  I am wanting to move it all to another wall, and get a cabinet on wheels with a butcher block type top to store there instead.  That way when I am cooking or canning I can wheel it out and use it.  Then put is back out of the way when not in use.  I can also store my flatware in the drawers and my cookers in the bottom.  I can see this being so much more efficient than my current method.

I will try to take some pics of me and Miss Rooh's adventures tomorrow.  I have been neglectful of that lately, and I do apologize.  I may even get some videoing done if the lighting isn't too overcast. 

That should pretty much fill our day.  I do have to take a short break in the afternoon to head over to my cousins to do a little job for her, but otherwise, I am hoping to get a quite a few things ticked off my list tomorrow.

Learning To Live With What I Can And Can't Control

Since my parents passing, this is the one subject that I just can't seem to get a hold on.

Image:  BPlans

My mother always said that I was too impatient and that I tried to control everything too much.  I knew she was right, so I never argued the subject.  However, since I have been on the homestead, I have found an overwhelming need to control everything I can. 

I am the only source of income, the only one providing for me and Miss Rooh.  I am in a constant state of, for lack of a better way of describing it, feeling tense all the time.  I am constantly thinking about that next bill, the next trip to the grocery store, the next unexpected event that might come along. 

Image:  BrainPrick

I really believe my current anxiety, which I have mentioned in previous entries, stems at least ninety percent from this feeling of needing to control everything around me  When I say around me, I mean within the confines of the homestead and not other places or people--just life as it pertains to me and Miss Rooh.  I think it has, lately, been the reason for my non-stop days of headaches.  Some are just barely noticeable, and others make me want to run back to bed and pull the covers over my head.

Now, keep in mind, when I say homestead there are those that take issue with it.  They say I do not have a homestead, and should not call it that.  I do not have animals, and I do not own the land or the house I am living in.  I do have a small raised garden that I fashioned two years ago, and hope to add onto one day.  I do not think that I will ever have animals, although I do like the idea of it.  Maybe some chickens, a small pig, a goat, and maybe a donkey.  I know they would end up being more like pets, but that is okay.  I would never keep any of them with the thoughts of them ever being food. 

Since my ten years here on the homestead, I have found that some things I can control and some things I never will.  Like I said, I do not own the land nor the house I live in.  So that is controlled by my landlord.  Yes, there are things I would like to do inside and outside the house, but I do not because it is not mine to say or not say what is done.  So, I accept that as out of my control.

Image:  ezTalks

As far as income, my homestead is not a profiting homestead--for the reasons listed above.  My current income and the only income coming in is provided by jobs that I work as a freelancer.  This employment comes with the benefit of being about to work out of my home--which let me tell you if you can get and keep enough work is the ideal way to go.  I have been freelancing for going on three years in February as a phone rep, and recently added a few writing jobs as well.  I am praying to keep all my current positions and add more, for as long as possible.  However, the job of a freelancer is one area that I have no control over.  I work as hard as I can, and as often as I can, doing the best I can, but like everything else in this world nothing is guaranteed--my type of work is day to day, week to week, and month to month.  You are totally at the mercy of your clients.

In the meantime, I am trying desperately to get my savings built back up.  I loaned what little I had put back for Miss Rooh and emergencies, and have not been able to get anything built back up since.  Today I am going to work on a rough plan for our homestead finances for the remainder of the year after I get off work.  I am hoping by having a little idea of what we have now and what I predict will be coming in, that I can see where we need to cut and how much we can put back.

I am one of those types that need control over and in their life.  I was raised that way by my precious mother.  When I run up against something, or someone, that makes me feel like that control is either in danger of or being taken away, I do not react well.  I am trying to change this little by little, but I feel I will always be this way to a certain extent.  Now the step is to try and learn to live with what I can and can't control.

At the end of the day, what I can't control I put in the hands of the Good Lord.  He has seen me through and would never lead me wrong.  What a great feeling that is :)

Enjoying The Good Lord's Word

Image:  Kelli Hager

I ended up not working a full day on Saturday, so me and Miss Rooh loaded up and went to spend the night with Janice and Jebbie.  Janice laughed at me when I got there, cause I just decided to travel in my work clothes (aka jammies).  I told her it was not a good day to get out of the house, and that I figured why change since I planned on parking my but in her recliner until I left the next afternoon.  She just shook her head, laughed, and gave me a big ol hug.

Image:  Kelli Hager

We left Janice and Jebbies a couple hours earlier than we usually do because my Aunt Mary was having a church service at her home at 6pm.  I left Janice's at a little after 3pm to make sure I could make it back in time.  We rolled in just shy of 5pm which gave me plenty of time to get what I needed to done, change, and head to the service. 

Image:  Kelli Hagern

Rain clouds followed me all the way home, and at one point about ten minutes from the house the rain poured like all get out.  However, it had not rained at the homestead when I had gotten there.  The boys had the tents up with the chairs under them when I got there.  It was such a nice sight to see when I pulled in.  I didn't get to take any pics beforehand, but my cousin Kelli did so I borrowed hers.  I have sprinkled them throughout this post.

Image:  Kelli Hager

About halfway through the service, the rain did start--not really a hard rain but one that was steady for a few minutes.  At the time the rain started someone was singing God Put A Rainbow In The Clouds.  When the song ended, the rain stopped and a few short seconds later there was a rainbow over the holler.  I could feel the Good Lord was with us at our little service, and the rainbow was such a joyous sight.

Image:  Kelli Hager

It ended up being one of the best days I have had in I can not tell you how long.  I spent time with Miss Rooh, my good friend Janice, and shared fellowship with my fellow Christians.  I really don't know what could have made the day any better :)