Around the AFG Homestead & Barn Hop!

This week we we're back from Hawaii!  While we were away, our jr. high minister who is staying with us for the summer, was left with the homestead responsibilities.  We left him a list and he did quite well!  Upon coming home, we were back at it . . .

*Our weeds had grown .  . . ALOT . . . it's amazing what happens when you give them a week!  Wow!  So I picked some weeds, and we had mowing to do!

 

*This past week we also lost three of our meat chickens . . . it has just been too HOT!  The weather men said today is the 22nd day in a row we have had 100 plus degree temperatures!  Apparently the typical number for three digit temperatures around here is about three over the course of a summer! The other thirty birdies are doing great!  Wow!  They are getting so BIG! Just a few more weeks until it's time to butcher 'em!

*Skyler decided to paint the tractor.  It's just an old tractor he uses to brush hog, but he wanted to prevent it from rusting . . . and I think there is just something guys like about dressing up their vehicles!  He painted the wheels and even added a racing stripe down the middle! :) (NOTE:  He just painted the grill gray tonight!  We both agree it looks nice that way!  More pics to come of the paint update! :))

* Skyler spent alot of time at working at the school (he switched schools this year, so he is getting his lessons all ready), and I spent some time giving baton lessons and teaching Zumba.  I set up a facebook page for my Zumba ladies, and anyone else interested in getting healthy (read food) recipes, and fitness tips!  If you are interested check out "ShAke it off!  Fitness 'N ZuMbA w/Megan" on facebook! In addition, I cleaned up around the house, and tried to get all caught up on the laundry.  I made pizza dough for the first time (you can find the recipe a few posts back), and I tried to make my wheat bread recipe in the bread maker, but it didn't work out!  I was afraid that might happen, but decided to give it a try anyway! 

* We visited our friends Kenda and Houston over at Giles Ranch, and picked up seven more laying hens!  Skyler made a sign for me to paint that will tell passer-bys when we have eggs and when we don't (hopefully more to come on that this week)!

* Thursday we went to a Springfield Cardinals game (minor league)!  Woo Hoo, so fun!  We rode the motorcycle though, and WOW!  I think there comes a point when it is just TOO hot to ride the motorcycle!  We had a good time though, and our team won!

* Last and probably my very least favorite thing of the week . . . Skyler came across another big black snake (this is number 3)!  I suppose that is really not too bad, but yuck, yuck, yuck!  The funniest part is, we had just been talking about how we hadn't seen any for awhile!

Well, that's what's been going on around our homestead!  How about your homestead? 

Link up to the Homestead Barn Hop today, and share your homestead adventures with all of us!

Hosted By:

Jill @ The Prairie Homestead

Amy @ Homestead Revival

Kendra @ New Life on A Homestead

and me!

. . .one thousand gifts . . .

I love reading!  We have books shelves overflowing onto dressers, nooks, and bed-sides that have moved me to grow spiritually, mentally, and emotionally.  It seems there is always another book on my list!  These are the last five books I've read in their entirety (sometimes I get started on one I've already read just to get some inspiration, and put it down before I'm completely finished).

#5 Heaven is For Real by Todd Burpo
#4 Discerning the Voice of God by Pricilla Shirer
#3Gospel For Asia by K.P. Yohannan (lifechanging!)
#2 Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis (second time reading)
#1 One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp


These were all great books, and I would recommend reading every one of them!  . . . And then there is that last one . . . one thousand gifts . . . Ann Voskamp, you have moved me to blog!  :)

Honestly, you have moved me to so much more!  To my beloved readers, this book is something very special!  And why I am just now picking it up? . . . well it's God's perfect timing I suppose!  This book and it's dare have inspired me in a way no other book has!  When I first started reading,  I thought it was very beautiful and poetic just like Ann's blog, but by the end it had become so much more!  Reading this book was not just life changing, but soul changing!

Now I have another list, but not a list of "to do" or "to read".  Instead, a list of gratitude!  A list of gifts given to me by the true Lover of my soul!  These gifts come in the simplest of ways, and sometimes at the oddest times.  When I embrace them I even find them in the rough/dirty parts of life!  I am living the "dare to fully live" . . .

#190 An uncertain future.  One that brings about hope and trust in You right here in the present!
#191 Waking up early to the sunrise.
#192 Being with Family
#193 Baby birds in a nest made by momma
#194 The cool breeze of the morning blowing in my face while running!
#195 Smoothies for breakfast! 

I am on my way to one thousand, and this is just a glimpse!  I hope you will read this book (if you haven't already, and I know many of you have!), and create your own list of grace from God!

"I’d no idea that that this making a list of blessings it’s actually guaranteed to change your life. I mean — if I told you that that doing this one thing increases your happiness, improves your physical health, and is exactly what God made you for – would you do it?"  ~ Ann Voskamp

So won't you join with me (if I'm not the one joining you, because you've already read the book and started your list!)!? A Love Dare:   Read the book, and start your own list of gratitude!  Giving thanks in the moment!


**NOTE** I wanted to put a picture of her book here with the link, but it isn't workin' out for me . . . so just make sure you stop by her blogs:

 A Holy Experience & One Thousand Gifts

Everyone's Favorite Food!

I bet if I asked most of you, pizza would be in your top ten favorite foods!  I heart <3 pizza!  The only kicker is it isn't very healthy!  Well, I decided to give this recipe a go, and although it isn't quite as sinful as the large pepperoni pizza and italian cheesy bread we get at Little Ceasers!  It is a very nice healthy alternative!  I could definitely get used to eating this new and improved pizza!

 I must give props to Modern Alternative Mamma for this recipe!  It as well as many others can be found in her ebook:  In the Kitchen; Real Food Basics

Pizza Dough

Ingredients:

2 tsp. yeast

3/4 cup warm water

1/4 tsp. basic (optional)

1 clove garlic minced (optional)

2 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. olive oil

3-4 cups whole wheat flour (if you got the berries try sprouting them first!)

Directions:

Mix yeast and water in a large bowl (not warmer than 120 degrees).  Allow to sit about 5 minutes or so until it becomes foamy.  Add optional spices, salt, and olive oil.  Next, begin to add the flour about 1/2-1 cup at a time, stirring to incorporate thoroughly.  When the dough becomes thick, difficult to stir, and pulls away from the bowl, add more flour but use your hands to knead the dough.  When it is smooth, stretchy, and only slightly sticky (too much flour will make it become heavy, it won't rise, and the texture won't be as nice for the finished pizza).

Allow the dough to rise until doubled, about one hour.  Then punch it down.  Spread it into pizza pan (1 large pan will do, but you can modify it however you would like based on preferred thickness).  Pre-bake at 425 for 5 minutes (this is to make sure your pizza doesn't get soggy!), then remove and top as desired. 

We topped ours with a few summer veggies (figured since we were going healthy, we might as well go all out!), but you can add whatever you like!  That is the fun part after all! At this point, the pizzas can be wrapped tightly and frozen for later if you like.  When you're ready to eat them, bake at 425 for 15-25 minutes, until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted!  Enjoy the yumminess!

Yum!

Little Stinkers

I'm a sucker for any kind of baby animal . . . even if it is a skunk!  A few weeks ago we saw these little critters scurry across our front yard!  Soooo Cute!  One of our neighbors said he saw them too!  In fact, he picked one up by the nape of it's neck like a cat!  Now, I know what you must be asking!  I asked him the same thing!  Weren't you afraid of getting sprayed!?  Confidently he assured me that baby skunks can't use their sprayer yet!  . . . Ummm How does one find that out?!  I decided to maintain my distance just in case that little guy went through puberty and I didn't realize it!  Anyway . . . these little skunkees hung around our house for awhile.  Each night we would see them come out to the field.  But each night they kept getting closer and closer to our garden, and then our chickens.  Something had to be done, not only were they a potential predator, but once they got a little older they would want to begin developing that sprayer!  So relunctantly I went to help Skyler, the man with the 22, flashlight in hand.  My plan was to shine the light, and turn away when he shot . . . Oh how I hate to see something so cute go from being alive to dead!  FYI . . . it is difficult to keep the flashlight on the skunk while you are turned away saying, "Ohhhhhh, it's so cute!"  Skyler finally told me to go in the house, and somehow he managed!  The skunks were no more!  Or so we thought!  Until last night . . . we saw one of the brother skunks!  Perhaps now that it is a little older I might actually be able to hold the flashlight . . .   . . . .  . . . maybe?!

Now on to other stinky discussions . . . this morning Skyler and I got up and ran!  I do love running in the morning!  The cool air (comparatively speaking), rising sun, and Oh yes! the wiff of wet cow manure!  . . . Well that last one is not my favorite . . . but this was my discussion with Skyler this morning as we passed the stinky:

Me:  You know, this is going to sound really disgusting . . .

Skyler:  Oh yea?  What's that?

Me:  I used to gag when I had to pass by a field of cows or clean out the chicken coops . . .

Skyler:  Yea . . .

Me:  Yesterday when we closed the chicken's up . . . you know I mentioned that they kinda stink.

Skyler:  Yea . . .

Me:  Well, they weren't really that bad. . .

Skyler:  :)

Me:  I mean don't get me wrong the smell is most definitely NOT a pleasant one, but there is something about it!  And just now when we passed by the cows . . . maybe I am just feeling incredibly joyful, but I was actually enjoying the smell of cow manure in the early morning dew with the wind blowing in my face as we run!

Skyler:  Yea, there is something about living on a farm.  You get used to it, and it's not so bad!

Me:  Yea . . . it must be an aquired smell! :)

This post is dedicated to all the sweaty, stinky, guys and gals out there working in this heat! :) 

Way to represent! :)





Hallelujah! It's Raining . . .

. . . nope it's not raining men!  Sorry all you single ladies!  But Hallelujah it's raining some H2O!  Much of the midwest has had a seriously HoT SuMmEr!  My favorite season has already worn out its welcome!  Boo!  That's why we went to Hawaii you know . . .we had to escape this heat!  Haha just kidding!  But seriously droughts have been causing a lot of folks trouble!  Especially farmers!  Crops dying, animals dying . . . It's amazing the perspective you gain when you do a little farming yourself.  I used to think . . . . rain? yuck! Why would you want it to rain, and ruin a perfectly good outdoor adventure!  Well . . . .this year I've found myself praying for rain!  Lord, please let it rain so our crops grow . . . and so we won't have to spend the hour and a half watering them! :)

Yea!  After almost two weeks of HOT 100 degree plus weather . . . it RAINED!  Woo Hoo!!  So I got the camera out to capture the beauty of it all, and we did a little celebrating by running and playing in the puddles!

Ah!  Refreshing! 

Homestead Barn Hop

So my husband and I are back from vacation!  It was a wonderful get-a-way!  More to come on that tomorrow!  For now . . . enjoy some homesteading inspiration!

Hosted By:

Jill @ The Prairie Homestead

Amy @ Homestead Revival

Kendra @ New Life on a Homestead

and me!

The Homestead Barn Hop

Welcome to the Barn Hop!

Hosted By:

Jill @ The Prairie Homestead

Amy @ Homestead Revival

Kendra @ New Life on a Homestead

and me! :)



Around the AFG Homestead: Building Fence

When we first bought our house one of the projects we wanted to embark on was pulling out all the hedge bushes from the front of our house, and replacing them with a nice country fence.  Skyler got the hedge bushes out last year, and this year we were able to build the fence.  We bought the lumber while it was on sale, and Skyler used 2x4s instead of 2x6s.  Then he used a table saw to turn the 2x4s into 1x4s!  He rented a post hole digger and got all the holes dug, and posts set with quickcrete.  The next day him and I put the fence up, and went to painting!  We now have a beautiful white fence in our front yard!  The purpose of the fence:  primarily to look pretty, but eventually it will be a nice boundary to establish with our kiddos since cars zoom by so fast!  Maybe it's not what you were expecting when I titled this post "Building Fence" . . .  perhaps you were thinking we would build fence for some kind of farm animal.  Well, we were fortunate, and all the fencing for animals was already up when we moved in!  Right now we only have meat chickens, laying hens, and a rooster, but eventually we would have space and fencing for a few cows, ducks, and potentially more . . . if we get goats we might need some new animal fence, otherwise I think we should be good! :)

So anyway . . . here are some pictures:

Posts are set . . .

Measuring . . .

TA DA!!!

Happy 4th of July!

This weekend has been packed full of family and friends!  I hope you are enjoying your 4th of July weekend as well!  Here is a sneak peak of a cake I made for the get-together we had at our house on Saturday! We had so much food and desert!  It truly was a celebration! 

Happy Independence Day!  Remember our true freedom is found in Christ! :)