Author: Shannon

I am wife to Stewart, mama of six, homeschooler, messy cook, and avid fermenter. This is where I tell our story... of building a sustainable off-grid homestead... of raising this growing family of ours... of the beauty and the hard and the joy in all of it.

Kefir-Soured Biscuits

My sourdough starter kicked the bucket about a month ago… or, more accurately, I brought about its demise through sheer neglect. Still, not one member of the bread-eating family was prepared to say good-bye to fermented bread and just about that same time, with plenty of milk between Mabel and the goats, milk kefir was back…

September Postcards

There is no denying the passing of time when one is a Mama. Days turn to years and years into a childhood and suddenly our firstborn is up to my chin. The girls used to love helping me carry slop out to the hogs. I say used to because the hogs have been gone for…

Canned Gumbo Vegetables

For some time we were eating gumbo several times a week, that spicy meaty stew served in seven rice-filled bowls. The bowls of okra were swiftly making meals and all was in balance… up until about three weeks ago. That’s when the children collectively decided they were completely done with okra. It seems as though they…