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.

The Homestead Everyday

Mornings begin with Mabel, her big brown eyes pushing us out of slumber and into the barn to fill her feed box. I heat up water, take a few sips of coffee, grab Joshie, and hand Stewart the milking supplies as he heads out the door. We fill her feed box and give Stan some…

Curtido (fresh or fermented)

Cortido – or curtido, depending on who you ask – has always been a ferment to me. Adding some Mexican oregano, garlic, and carrot transforms basic kraut into a Latin American-inspired tangy condiment great on just about anything. So I am not really sure if in some cultures it was fermented while in other it…

Milking Mabel: Beginnings

In preparation for milking Mabel, Stewart divided the barn into two sides. One side holds Mabel’s stall and the stanchion Stewart built for her along with a corner for feed and tools. The “other” side contains three goat stalls and a goat milking stand. A couple of weeks ago we coaxed Stanley, Mabel’s calf, into…