Homestead Blessings Recipe Review: Part 2

Have I said that this is one of my favorite cook books? It is! And it's not even because of how the recipes turn out. It's because everything is made from scratch. Do you know how hard it is to find a recipe book like that now a days? Every time I see a picture of food, with a recipe following it and think, "Ooh, that looks good" I'm only disappointed to read the recipe and find that it calls for something like 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup, or 1 package Crescent Rolls, or 1 box cake mix, or 1 box vanilla pudding mix, etc. The list could go on and on.
It makes me want to scream, "DOES NO ONE COOK FROM SCRATCH ANYMORE???" Food isn't about what's the fastest to prepare! It's about the ingredients that go into it. And since we're a no MSG, GMO, BHT, Red #40 (and all the other colors too) eating family that pretty much eliminates all pre-packaged foods (with the exception of some organic ones.)

Here's what we've tried recently from the cookbook:

Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookies: WOW. And WOW again. I don't think that my family will ever ask me to just make regular chocolate chip cookies again. They all LOVED this. I have to admit, it is pretty good and much easier to make since you just put all of the dough into 1 skillet! Certainly a time saver.
Georgia Peach Pie: I really liked this and have made it 3 times already in the past couple of weeks. After all, I did need to start using up all those quarts of canned peaches lining my shelves! It has a different look because of the use of eggs in it, but we all enjoyed it.
Best Pie Crust Ever: Another winner. I have used the recipe for pie crust from Nourishing Traditions for years but this one has it beat. It will be my go-to pie crust.
Jasmine's Miracle Mayonnaise: I have been making this for about 2-3 years (since watching The Art of Cooking video from the West Ladies where this recipe is included) but I wanted to share the review because it is the most wonderful mayo recipe I have ever used. It works every time and tastes great! As a note, I use sunflower oil instead of olive oil.
Easy Healthy Ranch Dressing: This recipe has the same explanation as the one above. Except the recipe on their video is just slightly different. Instead of using the sour cream, I make the mayo above and use it with the buttermilk. I also add herbs like parsley and basil. It is my go to ranch dressing recipe. YUM!
Old Fashioned Banana Pudding: Finally! A banana pudding recipe from scratch- totally! Except, I didn't make it that way. ;) I was in a time crunch on Thursday night to get to Bible Study and so instead of making the graham crackers to go with it, I used some of Back To Nature's Vanilla cookies instead. Everyone loved it and I'll surely make it again.

Scalloped Potatoes: This was another "time crunch" recipe so I left out the bacon. The potatoes were delicious even without and bacon would only have made them better. It was certainly less time consuming to leave the bacon out but if I had extra left over from a breakfast, I'd gladly add it in.

Graham Crackers: It would have been helpful if I had made these before the Banana Pudding. I made them the day after. My kids love graham crackers but I buy them sparingly because, 1. organic ones are super expensive and 2. they're made of wheat. We're not gluten free by any means, I just try for us to not be eating wheat constantly. And my kids would eat graham crackers constantly if allowed. The recipe didn't give any directions on how thick to roll them out so I guessed and rolled the dough about 1/4" thick. That was too thick. I'd say somewhere between paper thin and 1/4" is good. These were a little bland but were o.k. and would be perfect in the banana pudding as suggested.

I'll have a Recipe Review -Part 3 to share with you in a couple more weeks!

"Lessons From The Hen House" - A Review

This ebook review is so timely and appropriate with all we have going on in our own hen house lately!
When Carol Alexander asked me to review her new ebook, Lessons From The Hen House, I knew nothing about it. From the title I gathered that it was a book about lessons on what to do or not do with chickens. I was wrong. And, once I read the ebook I was so glad that I was wrong!

Carol has done a wonderful job putting together a homeschool book that uses your backyard flock to complete activities in math, art, science, language arts and literature.

After reading it, I feel that this book would be best geared towards children in say, 2nd-7th grades although there are things for your preschooler and highschooler to do as well! If you're looking for a fun little curriculum that can encompass all the children in your home, this is it!

My favorite thing about the ebook is simply that it takes real life and turns it into education. Which is what true education is about anyway! Instead of being stuck in a stuffy text book, you're using a wonderful homestead animal to learn some basic and creative subjects. Your children will enjoy learning when it's taught this way. They'll feel engaged instead of bored.

A little about the author: Homeschooling since 1993, Carol J. Alexander lives with her family in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. She and her husband have graduated three of their six children from homeschooling.
You can visit Carol's blog Everything Home With Carol and see other lessons that Carol has put together at her Lessons From the Homestead website.

Thank you Carol for asking me to review this ebook. I can't wait to use it here on our homestead with our chickens and children!

This post is linked to the Barn Hop.

IndoctriNation: A Review

My husband and I watched the documentary "IndoctriNation" by Colin Gunn the other night. We were blown away. And we're already homeschoolers!

Here's a quick synopsis of the film- Mr. Gunn and his family load up onto a used school bus they found on Craigslist and take off traveling around America to learn about the origin and history of compulsory schooling, as well as talk to pastors, educators, authors, students and parents about public schooling.

I loved the array of people that are interviewed in this documentary. People like Ken Ham, Doug Phillips, Erwin Lutzer, and John Taylor Gatto (who as far as I know isn't even a professed Christian.)
This documentary shares verse after verse, far beyond Deuteronomy 6:4-7, to give Biblical reasoning for educating your children at home.
It also has some surprising twists (well, surprising to me at least.)

What we enjoyed the most from this film was not that it convinced us to homeschool, since we've already been convicted to do so, but that it made me rethink the way I homeschool in general. Why am I comparing my children to the children in schools? Who's standards am I trying to measure up to?

This film is also highly encouraging. It reaffirms your entire reasoning for homeschooling. I am so thankful that I purchased it as we can now watch it as often as we'd please.
I would encourage all Christian families to watch this film and then pray about what the Lord would have you to do with your children.

Here is the movie trailer:

Beekeeping- Review and Giveaway** CLOSED**

This month I read the book "Beekeeping" to review. Boy, did I enjoy this read! The book isn't too thick- only 128 pages, but I loved every page! I think I read through it in just a couple of days. Each day I was excited to read what else Joanna Ryde had to say. Being new to beekeeping myself I found this book to be super helpful with lots and lots of information. Topics are made simple for the novice to grasp and the book is actually entertaining too.
The only few "cons" I would give this book are the fact that there are no real photos. All the pictures are drawings. There also isn't much detailed information about mite control. I've heard a lot about mites destroying entire colonies. I haven't noticed any in our hive as of yet. For better information about diseases and bugs that may infest your hives, try looking for a book that specifically has to do with raising bees in your area. If you're on the California Coast, this book is great.
Overall though, Beekeeping is certainly a book I would add to my collection. It would make a great quick reference. It offers a fantastic general knowledge that is perfect for the beginner, like me. If you know someone who wants to start a colony or that has just begun their adventure in beekeeping, this book would make an excellent gift!

If you'd like the chance to win a coy of the book here's how you can:
1. Leave a comment here letting me know if you already keep bees or are hoping to in the future.
2. FB or Tweet about this giveaway and leave a separate comment letting me know that you did
3. Blog about this giveaway (a simple post will do just fine) and leave a separate comment letting me know that you did

The giveaway will be open until August 26th and a winner will be chosen the following week.

This post is linked to the Barn Hop!

The Homesteading Handbook- Review and Giveaway*CLOSED*

When I got these books from Skyhorse Publishing, I chose to read The Homesteading Handbook first because it intrigued me the most. Now that I have read through it I have to say that I am both impressed and not impressed at the same time. Is that possible? Here are my pros and cons of the book....The Pros: (isn't it better to start off with the good news?)
- This book covers nearly everything. Seriously. I was AMAZED at how many topics it covered. We're talking, gardening, canning, drying, freezing, edible wild plants, all types of poultry, beekeeping, goats, sheep, llamas, building doghouses, birdhouses, poultry houses, fences, bridges, workshops, smokehouses, root cellars, small barns, using alternate forms of energy in the form of hydro power, solar power, wind energy, making things like candles and soap, knitting, pottery, herbal medicine and first aid. PHEW!! Did you get through all that? Really there is a lot covered in this book.
- The photos in the book are great. Nice shots with great color!
- The section on "Edible Wild Plants and Mushrooms" was a fantastic addition. I haven't seen a homesteading book yet that included it. Along with pictures, descriptions, locations and "edible parts and preparing" notes.
- I was also impressed with the canning section. Lots of great information. It's like a canning book inside of a homesteading book.

-Llamas. Most books don't even mention them. If you're an avid knitter, how great would it be to spin your own yarn?
- Cheesmaking! While there are only a couple recipes in the book, they are all that I would need to start off...mozzarella, cheddar, the book even has instructions on making a simple cheese press.

The Cons:
- Because the book covers so many topics in only 268 pages, each topic is covered very briefly. If you're looking into raising honeybees then this book is not going to be sufficient, even though it has a section on them. The section on turkeys talks about having a male and female to have offspring but fails to mention that only certain breeds of turkeys can reproduce without "help." If you're looking for a book on a certain topic like raising goats, building barns or even gardening, a specialized book would better suit your needs.
- There is not one thing in this book on cows!?? Whether for milk or meat.
- There is nothing in this book on wild game or hunting. Elk, deer, jackrabbits, etc. Really going "back to basics" would certainly include obtaining meat from other sources than the grocery store.
- There is nothing on rabbits. My new love of rabbit meat, their ease of butchering and raising has got me wishing that this book covered them.

All in all, the book is far from perfect....but most homesteading books are. They may cover one topic very well (in the case of this book, I'd say it's canning) and leave much to be desired on others. If you're into canning, building smokehouses and would like a general knowledge on most farm things, then this book would certainly work for you!

I'll be giving away one copy of this book to one reader. If you'd like to enter the giveaway here's what you need to do for one or more entries:
1. Leave a comment telling me what homesteading skill you'd most like to learn
2. Post this giveaway on your Facebook page and then leave another comment letting me know that you did
3. Blog about this giveaway (it can be as simple as, "Look! Here's a giveaway!" with a link) and then leave another comment letting me know that you did

The giveaway will close on July 31st at 7pm (PST) The winner will be announced during the first week of August. Please make sure that you leave a way for me to contact you, or make sure that you are checking back during that first week to see if you've won! I'll also announce the winner on my FB page.
Happy entering!

book reviews + giveaways

I am super excited to share this post with you! The nice folks over at Skyhorse Publishing have asked me to review and giveaway a few of their publications, which I gladly accepted. Look what came in the mail today...
I'll be reviewing The Homesteading Handbook this month and giving away a copy. In August I'll review Beekeeping and giving away a copy. Then in September I'll review The Joy of Keeping a Root Cellar and give away a copy of it too. Which of the books is the most or least appealing to you?
I am really looking forward to 3 months of great reading, sharing my thoughts with you and sending these 3 books to 3 lucky winners. I hope you'll stick around!