Been thinking....

OK,so Tomorrow is my 40th birthday....and as much as I dislike that number,at the same time I welcome it too.

I've accomplished a lot,especially in the past few years,that I can be proud of.

Not all that long ago we were living in an old leaky mobile home in a run down trailer park,hoping the next storm didn't tear the place down.We were over 40k in debt,and it was nearly all credit card debt.We had been struggling to keep up with people we thought were our friends,and trying to live a lifestyle like they did.Then one day it all came tumbling down.

As happens to most people in our situation,there came a day when the bill collectors wouldn't stop calling,they were even calling me at work.We couldn't pay our bills,we couldn't even pay our utility bills.We were contemplating moving in with my parents until we got things sorted out.Our marriage was in trouble,money stresses are one of the largest reasons couples get divorced.

THEN...we took a step back,realized what we were doing to ourselves and our future,and took a drastically different path....

We could have thrown up our hands,filed for bankruptcy like most people in our situation would have,and walked away from everything to start over somewhere.

What we did instead was,pay down all that debt,every single penny of it..yep,we paid it all back,slowly,and with the help of a credit counseling agency,but it got paid back,we didn't trash our credit and kept that leaky roof over our heads for a few more years until the day we finally bought a house.

We've purchased our home,we have a really good start on being very self sufficient here with all the gardens and fruits trees,berry bushes,and the rabbits.

I have had some of my ramblings published in the past.Maybe now is a good time to finish some of those fiction stories I started and never got around to trying to get published?

I can see where my attempts here are progressing,and hopefully by next year I will be hosting teaching classes here at home to help local area residents learn to be more self sufficient and self reliant.I'd like to be able to teach people one on one how to do a lot of the things that I do here.

I've made some new goals this year that I want to reach,one of those is being able to work less hours at my full time job so that I can spend more time at home working around here.I'm not sure how I'll do it,but I'll find a way.

So I'm not sitting around feeling sorry for myself,pondering where all the time has gone,wishing this day had never come.Instead,I'm reaching out,grabbing it by the horns and going for the next ride....

On the subject of cheapskates...

I just finished watching a show about the biggest cheapskates in America...umm....what can I say....

There are things I won't do....like making TP out of cut up cloth....but I will buy cheap TP,which I just stocked up on the other day....using my coupons and a sale at work,I got two 12 packs of the store brand version of Scott for $0.82..but I also got a couple of other items,and that total was the sales tax...

I'm not against dumpster diving,but diving for your wedding anniversary gifts...come on now....

There was a guy who rinsed and reused paper towels,going so far as to hang them on a little clothes line to dry....dude....get real...use a dish cloth and skip the paper towels completely...while you're at it,skip the foam and plastic plates too..if you're going to wash and reuse something,make it something worthwhile and with real cost savings.

OK,so I'm not cheapest cheapskate in America,but I do quite a lot of things that save us a lot of money.

First I shop on sale,I refuse to pay full retail for something if I can avoid it.If I can find what I need cheaper,that's what I do.

Such as today,I needed supplies to paint the shed and the new rabbitry....rather than going to Home Depot and getting everything,I stopped at the nearby Habitat for Humanity ReStore and got everything but the paint(they didn't have any) and spent about 1/2 of what I would have at Home Depot,and all the supplies are new,right down to the extension poles for the paint rollers.Had they been used items it would have been even cheaper I'm sure.

My Mom gives me coupons all the time for Kohl's because she doesn't shop there..so I got myself a new shirt for work today for $2.99...on sale from the original $26.00...combined with the coupon,I get a new shirt dirt cheap.

I have been contemplating going back to the church that does the free clothing and household goods give away every week,but to me that's just asking for trouble since I do have pack rat tendencies.LOL.

I grow a lot of our own food right here at home,including the rabbits for meat.Don't be squeemish now...all those who choose to eat meat,no matter where you get it from doesn't change the fact that in order for you to eat,an animal must give it's life.By raising your own,you at least know what went into it,how it was treated and more importantly,what did not go into it....

I also make all of our own sauces,salsa and jams and jellies,pickles,relish,things like that..no need to buy them...there's saving some money...

I do use a lot of coupons,but I will never be one of those Extreme Coupon people..sorry,I do have a life outside coupon clipping...in reality the people featured on that show were simply hoarders using coupons shopping as a means to feed their retail therapy addiction.


So how about you? Do you qualify as a cheapskate? OR can you do even better than those people featured on that show?

The trouble with grocery shopping

I sat here this morning and looked through the local grocery ads,contemplating what we need versus what's on sale...

I'm having an increasingly difficult time making a shopping list this year so far.

It seems as though the stores are geared toward having boxed,powdered,or frozen ready made foods on sale cheap....highly processed,overly sugared stuff...even the cereals they have on sale are high in sugar...

I'm looking for things we need....and not finding any of it...

I used to buy a lot of that stuff,until I got smart.You get what you pay for in most cheap food.It's all either highly processed and full of salt and sugar,or full of ingredients that read like a chemistry test.

I want food...real...plain and simple food...

One of our goals this year is to reduce our dependence on the grocery store by growing a lot of our own,buying it locally and putting it up,or if need be,eliminating it altogether...

We can purchase beef and pork direct from the local meat processor,we're replacing chicken with rabbit meat,and well,fish will be a challenge....we like a varied diet when it comes to meats,and tend not to have the same thing more than once a week.

Ideally I'd like to find a local fish farm,but the nearest one is still a good hour away...we've been there a few times,it's really fun to catch your own.We do go fishing during the warmer months when we have time too,but locally it's pretty darned hard to catch enough for regular meals unless you want fried pan fish...

If we can grow and put up most of our own vegetables,we'll be set there.We're also working with a volunteer program this year that "pays" you with part of the harvest you bring in..so that will help too.

We'll still need to buy things like flour and sugar for cooking and baking,but for the most part,I'm finding less and less need for a grocery store.

How about you? Since switching to more,real foods,are you having a harder time shopping and filling your pantry with foods you're actually willing to eat?

Triumph and Tragedy....

I know I posted about our first litter being born,and they are doing good,mama rabbit has made a good deep,fluffy nest for them,and seems to be a good mother,considering this is her first litter.

A while back I brought home two Silver Fox cross bucks(supposed to be bucks anyway)..

I never bothered putting them in separate cages since they were both supposed to be bucks...and seemed to get along ok...and they were siblings as well.

Well,I went out to feed and water yesterday morning to find an entire litter of dead kits in the cage with them...guess what,one of the "bucks" is not a buck....

There was nothing I could do for the kits,they were all already dead,killed by the buck.So we quickly disposed of them and put the doe in her own cage to rest and recover.

Chances are the litter would have died anyway,but it still saddens me to know that this might have been prevented had I taken the time to double check that both were indeed bucks..lesson learned,even pro rabbit breeders can give you wrong information from time to time..

We have babies!!

Finally!

I went out this morning to feed and water,and all the normal stuff...and found we had a nest full of bunnies born during the night.

Does she look pregnant to you? LOL

I don't know yet how many there are,she was very nervous this morning,so I didn't want to disturb her too much,so we'll wait a few days before we count them.

What's going on?

I really wish this weather would make up it's mind,one week it's 85,the next it's in the 30's again...makes it hard to plan what I'm going to get done on my days off work.

Well,anyway,things are hopping around here.I've got a friend working on building the new rabbitry,once it's done it will be INSIDE the privacy fence in the backyard.Hidden a little more from passers by,and safer from night time prowling critters(we've got a healthy population of fox,coyote,and raccoons along with weasels and stray dogs...).

It's not much to look at right now,but when it's done it will be sided white,with two windows along the side and a wider door on the back side(think large wheel barrow size opening)...

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v239/leera/newrabbitry.jpg[/IMG]

We bred this doe to the buck,but so far,nothing...today is 30 days from the breeding,so IF she is,she's due any minute...
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v239/leera/OM1doe.jpg[/IMG]

I've also added a small 6x8 pop up greenhouse this year,and the plants are doing their thing,waiting for it to be warm enough day and night to set them out in the garden beds.

I will be taking on a few clients/customers this year for produce sales as well,so I'm working on setting up a small plan to keep everything organized.I've had people coming to me already asking if they can purchase produce from us this year.Very cool!

I've also got a waiting list for rabbits,should this doe every decide to kindle...

That's about it for now,nothing overly exciting.LOL...

I should have more updates,and more interesting things to talk about soon though.So hang in there,I haven't forgotten about you,or this blog.

My husband just quit

Ok,a few years ago,through all the planning,talking,deciding what we wanted to do,we had agreed we wanted to be more self sufficient,more self reliant,and do more things for ourselves,including growing our own food and raising a few animals.

Here comes 2012...and there goes any and all help from my husband who no longer wants anything to do with gardening or animal raising.....or any type of work for that matter.

From simple requests like "Hey honey will you water the rabbits for me?"

Or asking him to get a fire going in the fire pit so we can burn off last year's plant and weed remains....he's done....he's quit....

So as of now,anything that must be done,either has to be taken care of by me alone,or I need to find someone who can do it for me.I can no longer count on the man I married to help me reach my dreams.

I'm already paying someone to build the new rabbitry,which will provide food and fertilizer.

I'm having one of those days where I wanna throw my hands up and walk away,start over somewhere new....BUT I am tougher than that,and if anyone leaves,it ain't gonna be me....

This is and always will be the lifestyle I want,and this year I've got people asking me if they can BUY produce from us this year...I've got the start of something really good here,and with or without his help,I will get it done.

I'm starting to see where I am actually helping people learn,helping people see that good,healthy food can be grown at home,and nearly ready to have onsite classes teaching people how to do this(next year for sure)...

It doesn't matter if it's through this blog,through my facebook page,or in person,my goals are to teach others to do what I am doing,to be more self reliant,and self sufficient,and depend less on the grocery store and commercially grown food...

On the subject of meat....

Have you ever asked an inner city kid where hamburger comes from? Or milk?
More likely than not,the kid's answer is going to be the grocery store.

Have you ever seen the newspaper ad a person wrote about hunters,and how they should leave animals alone,and buy their meat from the grocery store so no animals get hurt? Yep,that was a real ad...by a real person....

Well,just in case you're from Mars or some place similar,meat,in any form,comes from an animal.It doesn't matter if it's bacon(mmm...my beloved bacon...)or steak,or chicken...in order for you to have meat to consume as part of your diet,an animal must gives it's life for you to be able to eat meat.

I know there are TONS of animal rights activists out there,who will try to convince you that tofu is better than meat..um....no...I don't think so...pass the steak please...

Now I am not going to post gory photos of sick cows,or dirty slaughter houses,but I am going to tell you,if you have not yet been introduced to the facts of life,that meat does,and always will come from an animal...and fish..fish have to be caught and die in order for you to eat them,so let's not forget about fish.

At one point in my life,I was very much against hunting,against eating meat,against a lot of things related to animals and them being killed...then reality struck me...I'm not sure at what point this happened,but it did....

Hunters NEED to hunt...not just to kill a deer,or put some venison on the table,or a big rack on the wall,but hunters need to hunt,because we humans were STUPID and killed off almost all the natural predators that deer had....if there is not something to control the population,we'd have deer in amounts like rats in a New York sewer system....

Whitetail deer,given free reign will quickly overpopulate an area,often causing themselves to starve,or contract diseases because of overcrowding.Would you rather have a few hunters out in the woods during deer season,or woods,and parks,and farm fields,and your backyard filled with sickly deer that have eaten themselves out of food,inbred due to local overcrowding,and possibly carrying diseases that could be spread to livestock and possibly to yourself....yeah,me either...hunters,have at it..

Let me make one thing clear though,as much as I do love a good steak,and my morning bacon,I am very much against large feed lots where pigs and cattle are forced to live in unnaturally crowded conditions,fed things that are not part of an animal's natural diet,and trucked by the hundreds to their doom...that I am against....

I do believe that if we are going to eat them,then they at the very least deserve to be treated well,raised as humanely as possible in conditions as comfortable as we can make them.There is no excuse in the world for starving an animal,allowing it to suffer in illness or with an injury in pain needlessly....take good care of them.

Yes,we are raising rabbits to eat,and we take very good care of them,we keep them safe from the local wildlife,fed,watered,in clean cages,and they get plenty of fresh air and natural daylight.If one is ill,we treat it as needed,even if that means a vet bill costing much more than you could buy another rabbit for.
We owe it to them not to let them suffer.

So,now that we've cleared that up.What can you do to make sure the animal you are eating didn't suffer a life of misery and pain? Well for starters,if you can,raise your own.If you can't raise your own,buy only from local sources.There are a lot of good farms out there raising beef cattle so that you can purchase it from them,look up a few,they're good people.If that's still not an option for you(which I find unlikely)you can buy direct from a local small meat packer.There's one near here,that when you place an order,he will contact local farmers and buy the animal from them...remember,the key word is LOCAL...

In the long run,our plan is to let the current supply in the freezer run down while we save up enough money to refill the freezer with locally raised beef and pork.The rabbits we raise will replacing chicken,so for now chicken is off the menu.

Foraging for wild edibles

As much as I was going to do a post about meat and where it comes from,I've been slightly distracted by a new topic.

Foraging....

Now,I've always harvested a few wild edibles here and there,as is common for my family.I've made grape jelly from wild Fox Grapes,harvested wild asparagus,wild strawberries,etc,etc....all things I am very familiar with.

I came across a book last week that got my attention so much that I had to order it.It's titled The Forager's Harvest by Samuel Thayer.If you're even slightly curious about what wild edibles might lurking around your home,I would highly suggest this book as a place to start.You can also find books with more information based on what part of the country you live in.

Flipping through it,I've already seen information for plants that I would normally pass right by.Plants such as Common Milkweed,Thistle,and Burdock...

With spring just around the corner,and up until late last night,it appeared almost spring like around here(we are in the midst of a winter storm as I write this),I get the urge to get outside more and explore.I've found some interesting things right here on our 1 1/2 acre plot of land,such as Elderberry,Gooseberry,Wild Grape and Wild Raspberry,and of course one must not forget the ever present Dandelion.

I've been wanting to learn more and more about the wild foods around me,how I can make better use of them,and possibly even save some money at the grocery store.

I've never been one to desire a spotless green lawn,or a totally weed free garden,I don't much care what the neighbors think if we don't use weed and feed to kill the dandelions....so wild foraging just goes along with that.It is possible that some of those naturally occurring weeds could be put to use as food rather than pulled up,chopped up,or worse,treated with chemicals....

Luckily for us,our immediate neighbors do not use chemicals on their lawns either,which is a rarity these days,but we've landed in a neighborhood where the neighbors aren't stuffy or snobby,which is a good thing.

So,tell me,do you forage for any wild edibles around where you live,and what are some of your favorites?

From Coupon Queen to Homesteader,a conversion

Last night I posted about another woman who was boasting about her cheap shopping trip to a local box store,having gotten over $75.00 worth of stuff for less than $3.00....

Not too long in the past I was what some would consider a coupon queen,meaning I lived for coupons and deals,stocking up on things whenever I could get them for cheap or free.

Then,I started reading labels....that can be a very dangerous thing for some one like me.Have you ever read the ingredient list on a loaf of store bought bread?
It can be scary....I started learning about what was going into all these things I was buying at bargain prices.After realizing that most of what's in them has nothing to do with food or nutrition,I quit buying them...bye bye Betty Crocker....so long Wonder Bread....

When we purchased our house,one of the first things we did was decide where the garden was going.We now have four raised garden beds,and last season grew well over 400 pounds of food,nutritious,all natural,chemical free food....

I learned to can and preserve foods while we were living in the mobile home,and learned to container garden.If you like tomatoes,there is no taste in the world better than that first vine ripened tomato from your own tomato plants....

I know that when i open a jar of strawberry jam,that the only ingredients in it are strawberries and sweetener if I added any.This week I made several batches of jelly from berries that I grew myself or picked locally,we now have blackberry,raspberry and blueberry jellies to put on our morning toast.

I know that when I make a loaf of home mead bread,be it plain or cinnamon swirl,I know that all that's in there,is what I put in it....there are no preservatives,no flavor enhancers,etc,etc,etc....no fake colors either....

I know when I get a package of frozen carrots out of the freezer,that all that's in there is carrots...no salt,no sugar,no anything...just carrots...

While I still use coupons for a few things,I find that less and less are there any for items that I will buy.Once I learn to make things like shampoo and toothpaste,those will be off the shopping list as well.

So,to all the coupon queens out there who spend countless hours and days clipping,sorting,making lists, and running from one store to another....GET REAL..come spend a day with me in the summer,watering,weeding,feeding,harvesting,preserving,and see what real food is,where it comes from and what it's supposed to taste like.

My next post will probably be about meat....where it comes from and what goes into that package of store bought hamburger....so be warned,it may be graphic.

Are you into the Extreme Couponing craze?

Excuse this brake from my regular posts about homesteading,to take a minute to voice my opinion on a matter close to me.....COUPONS....

I frequent several money saving blogs,and today someone posted happily about how a coupon was taking $3.99 off a $1.99 item.....do you think it's ethical to knowingly use a coupon that will ring up incorrectly?

In my opinion(and it may only be mine) this would be considered coupon fraud.IF you KNOWINGLY used a coupon to get more money off of an item than what the item costs,you are COMMITTING fraud,plain and simple....

This woman boasted about how her daughter told how to do it,and how she got $75.00 worth of merchandise for less than $3.00 because of the $3.99 coupons...

I know there are a lot of people who watch TLC's Extreme Couponing,and wonder how they do that,or is it legal....well part yes and part no....In reality you can not(and should not) go into a store and get $3.99 taken off a $1.99 item..period....you also can not clear a shelf of all of the sale items,taking a shopping cart full of deodorant for example....stores will not let you....they even have written policies against such activity.

There are stores where you can save a bundle by combining a store coupon with a manufacture's coupon,and some stores still double manufacturer's coupons...and it helps save you money by using your coupons wisely...

BUT here is where I pose a question....is it worth giving up your morals,your personal ethics,and worth breaking the law to save a couple of bucks?

For me,that answer is always going to be NO.....how about you?

Getting ready to get busy......

It appears as if spring in trying to spring early around here....

This has been a very odd winter indeed.I've got Lilac bushes that never lost their leaves.Today when I stopped at my Mom's to drop something off,I noticed that one of her rose bushes has newly opened leaves on it...

OK,This is FEBRUARY....in MICHIGAN......this stuff should not be happening,but it is.

Normally this is the time of year when we have the most snow on the ground,people are happily ice fishing or skiing,and we are only dreaming of being able to be outside working in the yard and garden....

Here we are,plotting and planning,starting plants,etc,etc....as mild as this winter have been would could have gardened all winter with the aid of some hoop houses...

We just finished the first of three racks that will hold our rabbit cages,it looks huge right now,but we measured everything,and did a test fit,and each will be perfect to hold two cages,with a nest box for mother rabbits and babies...

I have everything drawn out,at least in my mind,where things will go,since we need to keep our little project from sticking out like a sore thumb...but we should be able to easily house 3-4 does and a buck or two,and still have plenty of space for a larger grow out type pen for the litters once they are weaned.

We are really liking the Silver Fox rabbits that we got,and I see in the not too distant future switching over to them entirely.Had I done more research before we got into this,I most likely would not have gotten the New Zealands at all.

While it's been a challenge day to day to keep my husband willing to help,he does help.The racks are large and heavy,and really require two people to build and will take two people to move in place once we get the area behind the garage enclosed.
He might whine and complain about it being too much work,but then again,he does that every day...I listened to it all the way through building the raised beds last year,through planting the fruit and nut trees,so I pretty much just blow it off and keep on working....

I have something I want to try,to both help save a few dollars in cage building,but also to make good use of the cages that we do have...but I need someone else's input,as my hubby today is of the mood that he's not seeing why we're doing all of this....ugh....

The big day is here

No,not a wedding,not that kind of big day...

The day finally arrived to take our ten little furry critters to the meat processor....while I am somewhat sad at this event,at the same time,this little project has given us a renewed sense of respect for where at least some of our food comes from.

I've bought beef and pork direct from farmers,and honestly,you can't get a better cut of meat than that from farm direct animals....well,except maybe venison....

I have not,until now,raised my own meat animals,so this is an entirely new adventure for us on our little somewhat urban homestead.

We got them 6 weeks ago,at 6 weeks of age,we didn't raise these litters,but that's our next step in the whole process,as soon as we get a tad bit more organized.

How am I going to feel when we sit down to a meal in which one of these is the main course?I'm not really sure yet.I mean,I've had rabbit meat before,and it's quite enjoyable.However,taking the live animals in to meet their doom is a first for me.

I'm going to quote what our vet said a while back... "You have to have a certain amount of respect for the fact that the animal is going to give it's life to feed you." I think he was spot on when he said that.It doesn't matter if it's a rabbit,or a beef cow...we owe it to them to treat them with respect.

I think that is where we are right now.We've taken good care of them,kept them fed,watered,given them treats,kept them clean....that's about the best you can do for an animal that is destined for your dinner plate.

As I am writing this,we're waiting for the phone call to come pick up the freezer ready rabbit meat.....

So what do you think about raising your own?Could you do it? Would you be able to do the deed yourself,or would you take them in and let someone else do it?(Did I mention my husband chickened out on that part,hence why we took them in to a pro?)

Ready to quit modern technology

Ok,so last week,our microwave bit the dust...I'm not overly heartbroken by this loss,and it's not like we bought it new or anything.My husband on the other hand seems somewhat lost without it.Complaining about it whenever he wants to heat up a quick can of soup or a cup of coffee...

Currently we are trying,and I quote,trying,to build a rack system for the rabbit cages to sit on,and battery,after battery,after failed battery....we are no where near done....

My husband claims to love his cordless power tools,I on the other hand,cringe at the thought of spending a huge some of money,year after year on batteries for these tools....

While he claims they are better,more powerful,easier to use,etc,etc...if we had just a plain old power drill that plugged in,we'd still be working away,and most likely be done with what should have been a simple 1-2 hour project....

So here I am typing away on my computer,which I am mostly thankful for.I can't finish my project because apparently the now dead batteries are either not taking a charge,which means they need replaced,or still charging....

I've got to get three of these racks built in the coming weeks,I've got at least six cages to build,I'd also like to construct what's called a grow out pen,
basically it's just a much larger cage so that rabbits destined for the freezer
have room to romp and grow once they've been weaned away from the mother rabbit.

Inside the house,I've got the lumber to build a tv stand and a book case that can't seem to get completed due to the lack of battery power....so my husband claims..

So,in the next week or two,when our taxes show up,I may just go out and rather than buying batteries,just get myself a plain old plug in drill....

Yep,they have cords that you have to plug in,and work around,but when I've got a fairly involved project to do,with a lot of holes to drill,I could just keep working until it's done or I run out of energy....

The microwave,I'm not really in any hurry to replace,and I suspect once he gets used to not having one,he'll adjust perfectly fine to life without it....

More rabbits on the way

Yes,you read that right....we're getting two more rabbits to add to our collection here.These being Silver Fox rabbits.
You can read more about the breed here:
http://www.albc-usa.org/cpl/silverfox.html

I like everything I've read about them,and so far have talked to three rabbit breeders who prefer these little guys over any other meat breed of rabbit.

We've still got the New Zealands,which we are planning on a few litters from soon,but let's just say their personalities and temperaments leave a bit to be desired...and after having them for a while,I will feel no regrets when it comes time to send them of to be butchered.

Since getting them,I've got several new scars added to the collection on my hands,so much so that I bought myself a pair of heavy work gloves....I don't normally wear gloves,not even for playing in the gardens,but my hands look just horrible after yesterday's freaked out doe....and I do need to be able to take care of my customers at work without getting a strange look,and tons of questions about what happened to my hands.

Now,don't get me wrong,they are not scratching me out of meanness,but because,well they just get freaked out easy,especially when you have a need to move them from one cage to another.None of them have bitten me yet,so until that happens,which I'm sure it will at some point,I would not consider them mean.

So we are going to try crossing them with the Silver Fox to see if we can get a good meaty type rabbit with a personality that's easier to deal with.

However,we are getting a buck and a doe,both pedigreed and unrelated to each so that we can also breed some good quality purebreds to help bring this amazing breed back from the brinks.

I'll post some photos once we get them home,but until then,follow the link above and read up on them.