Lisa MatthewsApr 21, 2015Uncategorized
After hog butchering this year, we cured and smoked our own bacon. We chose not to do hams for several reasons. We love roasts, and pulled pork both of which come from the same area of meat as the hams. An additional reason is the requirements of the...
Lisa MatthewsApr 9, 2015Uncategorized
I just realized that I never finished this post about our March 2015 Gathering. Sorry about that! On March 8th several joined us for an informal Gathering at the Matthews Farm near Miller, Missouri. We used the afternoon to visit, mingle and share...
Lisa MatthewsApr 2, 2015Uncategorized
At our house we go through A LOT of peanut butter. We eat peanut butter sandwiches, peanut butter and crackers, on toast, on pancakes…..we like several candies made with peanut butter. Papa and I even put peanut butter on our ice cream. We’ve...
Lisa MatthewsMar 26, 2015Uncategorized
I’ve been putting together several homemade mixes. I love the convenience of pre-packaged foods when the days are busy, I’m not so in love with the price tag or the additives that I can’t even pronounce. So far I’ve come up with several...
Lisa MatthewsMar 25, 2015Uncategorized
Last year we bought two young piglets for the sole purpose of having them fill our freezer. In the past, butchering was done in the fall, and today many people still butcher in the fall. We had planned to, but let the time get away from us. There were...
Lisa MatthewsFeb 26, 2015Uncategorized
When the winter weather is blasting, there is nothing more satisfying, than a home-cooked meal. In the mood for chili during a recent cold spell, Papa was disappointed that we were out of saltine crackers. I had seen recipes for saltines and they sounded very...
Lisa MatthewsFeb 23, 2015Uncategorized
One of the myths of Modern Pioneering and Homesteading is that there is little work to do in the winter. For the original Homesteaders, the winter was a test that was often not passed, with failure costing the ultimate price. Many died during the winter months,...
Lisa MatthewsFeb 21, 2015Uncategorized
The temperatures have been frigid the past few days and the ground is covered in snow with a forcast for freezing rain and ice tonight. So far in the month of February we have had record high temperatures AND record low temperatures. One thing is true about Missouri...
Lisa MatthewsJan 30, 2015Uncategorized
We’ve had a very unpleasant reminder that having animals, raising your own food and being self-sufficient is sometimes not easy. This choice comes with an extensive set of responsibilities that if neglected can cost more than the few dollars we might have paid...
Lisa MatthewsJan 23, 2015Uncategorized
On the top of a hill in the rolling hills of Lawrence County, Missouri sits our home. It is located on 110 acres that is partly wooded and provides with the opportunity to hunt deer, turkey and squirrel as well forage for wild edibles such as Morel mushrooms. This is...
