Boost Your Immune System With A Drink, Recipe

Maple Syrup Making: How To Video, Another Self Sufficient Skill Accomplished

This year, with the unseasonal warm temperatures, maple syrup making time is cut short. I am not complaining at all, and grateful to see brown/green ground and feel the warmer air around me. Even some of the 600 plus bulbs I planted last fall are coming up, at least the ones the moles haven't eaten. However I am quick to remind myself that flowers bloom at different times and kept the rule in my mind while planting to ensure a beautiful spring.

I had spent a few days over the last couple weeks with Tom Sr. while he was syrup making. He seems to be less stressful when he's not around certain people or has had some rest. Either way, I was so happy to spend some time with an elder learning the self sufficient skills by passing it down. I felt like I was spending time with my own Grandpa learning the skills. It brought me to a different place.

A place that I created in my mind, a place where I am learning the life skills of being self sufficient from the elders of my own family. Its a sad reminder of the loss of people in my life, but life is what it is, and it made me feel good inside to be there doing it with Tom. If I took other peoples lives for granted while they were alive, I am sure I would feel guilty. Karma taught me many years ago to live/love for today, not hoping for tomorrow. The feelings of spending time together brought me some really good, much needed kinship. I suppose we humans, the ones searching to live self sufficient, search/look to elders for knowledge. I can see this idea in many Indian tribes and history that I have read about them.

So gathering sap, boiling it, adding more sap while boiling it, until you run out of sap and end up with a syrup in your pan. Filtering is a small issue to consider when taking this on, but common sense goes a long ways. The more sap you can boil, or larger batch you can do, the less filtering you have to do. I did a quart jar of fines, what is fines? Fines is a term Tom uses to describe the final end product of syrup that contains all the really fine particles that he isn't willing to figure out how to remove, and they are super fine.

So, if you have ten minutes to spend with me and watch my video, it won't be ten minutes wasted. I hope that you learn something about syrup making and enjoy the video.

If you remember it was just a few years ago when I attended a how to class sponsored by the state on making maple syrup. Now I have 7 pints of of syrup to last me till next year.

Everyone, Everything Has A Beginning, My Start On Video, Encouragement

Stashed somewhere in pixel form are some photos of when I bought the place and what it looked like. But those are where ever they are, and if I had time, I'd post them.

I want start out by saying, if your taking the plunge and starting a garden, a self sufficient project, started hunting, fishing, gathering, or decided you just want the best for you and your family. Feel not alone my friend, I have been there. In the beginning, I started with basics, clearing land, removing stumps, boulders, removing brush and a lot of cleaning up.

Soon it became an addiction, reading one thing and how to do it, so many opinions and ways to approach it. It wasn't long before I became confused, and then the frustration started... What I needed to do is take on one perspective, one project, understand what I was doing and needed to do.

So let me assist you a little further than just my blog. This is the first tool you need to understand a whole bunch of stuff. This book was kept with me in a trash bag outside, everywhere in the house, I read it or the information that I needed at the time over and over.

This was my self sufficient bible, and still is as a reference. I have not been hired to promote this book at all, and speak of it only as the best tool/investment I made to help me understand the life style I wanted to live and how to do it.

This book covers from medical herbs, plant identification, sewing, arts and crafts, how to garden, soil prep, root cellar, and the list just keeps going on and on. Though mine has seen better days, its still together and one of my favorite reads.

It also has soap making, and other neat ways to make things to sell and make money. With so many on-line selling sites, or your own website, like mine, you can have financial independence if you want to.

I decided to share with you the second year of my adventure caught on video tape. Keep in mind, you have tons of work ahead of you, but don't let that define you, you take it by the horns and define it yourself. Trust me when I say that, soon a time will come in your life change that you will be so proud of all the hard work your doing. I still remember that day when I looked into the freezer and everything in it was grown, gathered, hunted, and put up by me. It was a milestone I will never forget....

Canned Deer Meat Video Part 2 Completed

I finished editing the second, last video in my two part series on cooking canned deer meat. the recipe shared, is a recipe that has been in my family for a long time, I don't know how long. Its good and it will make you satisfied and happy. Be sure to cook with a little one and friends and pass the recipe on.

Currently, I am working on the maple syrup video, which has proven to be a lot of work. I also will be re-working my cold frame, which has been a on going learning lesson for me.

Canned Deer Meat Video Completed

I hope you enjoy both parts of this video on deer meat.... Just a self sufficient reward!! I really enjoy canning food, and its rewards. I have a sense of pride when I set a meal out that I have grown, gathered, hunted or harvested. I know the food I am setting on the table is good, wholesome, minimally processed, healthy food.

If you think I am kidding about how food is factory processed, please purchase Food Inc. and see how the food your eating is made.

If your a chicken lover, I found a funny sticker that you might like... I purchased it for my truck... and one for my coop door..
My utube channel

The Bloopers On Making Syrup!!! No Liquid In Your Mouth Warning

Well, there is nothing funnier then getting together with friends and have a couple drinks and do a self sufficient video on making maple syrup. I also am going to release, " Sugar Shanty Trash Talking" what a whoot!! 

I am going to set this video up for you... You know how we all say things like " WELL WHEN I WAS A KID, THE BUS DIDN'T PULL IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE, I HAD TO WALK 1.9 MILES IN STORMS JUST TO GET A RIDE TO GET AN EDUCATION"

No really, I did have to walk that far to the bus stop... Ask the wife we measured it..

Anyway we were talking, telling stories about these types of things, and Tommy Jr. after trying Toms Yolk carrying idea.....

So anyway, he thought he would cheer Tom up by saying something about all the years they had done this together. Raw and uncut, I present to you his presentation/skit

 

Hedge Rows Grapes/Brambles How To Video

So What Is My Self Sufficient Fund?

Well years ago when I started my to live self sufficient (SS) I decided to start out with a fund of 1500.00 and see where that could get me and I would figure the rest out. Buying the 1954 harvester super C and 48 inch box tiller put a huge hit in that amount, and after purchase of more jars for canning, I have since stayed below the 1K mark but with sales of goods from canning, bartering and trading have kept that going.

The funds are to improve my garden and level of planting and producing food to consume or sale/barter with. The eggs are still being sold to friends and that money goes back into their food fund as well as my SS fund. I have raised my prices to just below what the super market are selling their organic eggs locally here. Their selling theirs for 3.69 a carton, so I am selling mine for 3.00 a carton.

Each improvement I make to my property/garden comes from my SS fund, and its doing okay, not as much as I expected. I didn't tap any trees as I was going too, I need to design a cooker to cook the sap down.

Last year's potato baskets - video

How to grow above ground potatoes in baskets for 2010 growing season!