ONE SKILL AT A TIME

Well, here goes nothin’! I have to confess, I am not a writer. I remember in school (believe me that was a long time ago!) I dreaded the writing assignments the most. I never know what to say and I feel like I don’t have anything really to say but Meagan said I have to write some posts so please bear with me. As I said in the introduction, self sufficiency and homesteading spoke to my soul. I don’t know how to describe it, it’s a feeling of deep desire, a craving, a yearning to be a homesteader. I know that there are all degrees of homesteading from a full fledged farm to growing a tomato plant in a pot so I would say I am somewhere in between.

I want those beautiful chickens clucking in my yard, bees (for Honey) buzzing around the flowers in my garden and rabbits (yes, rabbits, I don’t know why!). These are what I envision for MY homestead. But as I look out my kitchen window all I can see is my garden. Because of my HOA I can’t have the chickens, bees or rabbits, so I just plan where they would be in my yard if I had them. One day! So for now, I focus on the things that I can do that are going to lead me to a more self sufficient and sustainable lifestyle. I think being self sufficient in the sense of being able to support our needs is something that we all want. So, no matter where you are on the homesteading spectrum, there is always something that you can do, make, and learn to help further yourself along that path.

My homestead vision: rabbits, chickens and honey bees, someday.

As I think about homesteading, all the different aspects seem overwhelming. My goodness, let’s see: of course, chickens (the acclaimed Gateway Farm Animal!), goats, cows, rabbits, bees, sheep, pigs and whatever other animal you can fit on your farm. But there is also so much more that goes into raising and caring for animals like building sheds and shelters, feed, animal grooming and medicine, and ways to use and preserve the eggs, meat, honey, and wool, feathers or fur from our animals. Then there is gardening: how to take care of fruit trees and fruit vines, picking the best vegetable varieties for my climate, watering systems, herbs and uses, and composting. And let’s not forget laundry stuff and soap making, sewing, mending, knitting, cooking skills and canning, just to name a few and the list could go on and on. If I thought that I had to know how to do all of this at once, I’d probably give it up! But, if we can focus on one skill at a time until we become proficient and then move on to the next, it will be a manageable and enjoyable process.

One thing I started doing was meal planning. When my children were young (and even now), I found it very stressful to get to 3:00 in the afternoon and not know what to fix for dinner. I decided to sit down on a Sunday afternoon and list out the meals for the next month, that way I wouldn’t have to worry about what to fix at the last minute. I found this also allowed me to take advantage of sales, stock up and create a home pantry, use items from the garden and reduce impulse buys.

A monthly meal plan can eliminate stress, save money and help our family eat healthier.  

Another way to meal plan is to involve the whole family. My husband’s family growing up had five kids plus parents, so they each got one day a week to pick what the meal would be. Mel said he would always pick spaghetti! Not that that is a bad thing but I would like a bit more variety. So to get around that, find different ways to use certain ingredients. Hot dogs, for example, could be hot dogs in a bun, beanie weenies, chili dogs, pigs in a blanket or corn dogs.

At first it was difficult to come up with 30 different meals at one time but it did get easier. I could use the same basic plan for another month making minor changes depending on what was in the garden, on sale at the store or adding kid favorites to the menu.

You don’t have to meal plan but just pick one thing to get going on your way to homesteading bliss. Here is a list of some ideas to get you started: