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Hearty, Midwest Chili

If you’re from the Midwest, you won’t be surprised to hear that the temperature here has been going up and down like a bouncy ball. The week before Christmas we had six inches of snow and on Christmas day, we were outside in jeans and a t-shirt enjoying nearly 70* weather. Now the week after Christmas, the temps are dropping and the wind is howling, and it’s finally starting to feel like bitter cold winter is settling in. Which means less time to play and work outside, and more time spent in the kitchen. Continue reading “Hearty, Midwest Chili” →

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How did we get here?

If you’d asked me six years ago if I was interested in homesteading, my answer would have most likely been no. I knew next to nothing about agriculture or farming. My parents occasionally had a small garden growing up and we had a few family members that lived on acreage, but that was the extent of my interaction with farm life.

I went to college in a small town in Northeast Missouri, where the locals either worked for the university or farmed. I made friends that went to our college specifically to study agriculture science, which (to be honest) I didn’t even know was a thing. Continue reading “How did we get here?” →

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Our A-frame Mobile Chicken Coop

Our chickens (who still aren’t named, sorry y’all – we’re slacking) are almost six weeks old! Most of them have all of their real feathers and are almost ready to pack their things, move out of the garage, and out into the wide world. And by the wide world, I mean the chicken coop and tractor we’re building to keep them safe and secure.

When we brought our ladies home, all we had was the brooder box and the basics for keeping chicks, knowing that we’d have a few weeks to figure out a plan for a chicken coop and to build it. Every time we’d drive into town, we’d slow down as we passed farms with chickens, trying to get a glimpse of that family’s coop, to see if it was something we liked. Continue reading “Our A-frame Mobile Chicken Coop” →

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Blackberry Basil Lemonade

Ah, the sweet joys of summer. Temps in the high 90s, humidity that makes your hair stand on end, vicious little mosquitoes.

Alright, maybe those aren’t the highlights of summer. But if the humidity has got your hair in a tizzy or the heat has worn you down, I’m here to save the day by offering a refreshing way to cope.

Blackberry Basil lemonade

Y’all. This is a game changer. Lemonade is a must for the dreaded hot days of summer, but adding blackberries and basil? Lemons never had it so good. Continue reading “Blackberry Basil Lemonade” →

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Bringing Home Chicks

Last night brought an exciting, new adventure to our homestead – baby chicks! Phill and I have talked about raising backyard chickens for years, but prior to our recent move to our homestead, we previously lived in one of the few counties that prohibited chickens. Thankfully, we now live in a place where we can raise chickens, or any other animals we’d like. Pretty sure our neighbor said something about getting rid of a goat … But for now, we’re starting one step at a time, with seven fuzzy little pullets. Continue reading “Bringing Home Chicks” →

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Trellising Tomatoes

Did y’all enjoy your holiday weekend?

We had our first “farm warming” party, which lit the fire under us to get our house and property in tip-top shape. Or, at least, in decent enough shape to welcome our extended family and friends. We spent the 4th doing what most Midwesterners do – enjoy barbecue burgers, potato salad, and sit around outside talking about how hot it was. Continue reading “Trellising Tomatoes” →

Jen @ fullhearthomestead2 Comments