Give Away: Thy Hand Hath Provided COOKBOOK!

As I type this post, I've just finished a wonderful dish of Coconut Curry Lentils over rice (p. 53). Thanks to Jane at Thy Hand Hath Provided, I now have a recipe that totally satisfies my curry craving whenever I want! My husband said at least twice tonight "It's a keeper", meaning he really likes the dish and definitely wants it again - a high compliment as he is quite the foodie!

I've admired cookbook author Jane Bryan and her culinary skills for some time now. She grows most of her own food and is an avid canner. What makes her stand out is the fact that she actually uses all the food she puts up (in either the pantry or the freezer) in recipes all year long. It doesn't just sit on the shelf looking pretty. Wasting it would not fit her philosophy of food nor giving (read more about her family's journey to Eating Simply In Order to Give).

While many like the idea of the farm to table fad, this is truly how Jane's family lives... it sustains them; nourishing while warming the soul with most meals having traveled only as far as the garden to the table, only a few yards away. 

Another thing I learned from Jane is how to think in multiples. For example, she has a very nice pie crust recipe (p. 86) which she makes in large batches and freezes. By doing this, she is able to make a quick meal or dessert without having to stop and make the crust. I like that the recipe incorporates whole wheat flour along with the white and it's actually written out in the cookbook to make 9-11 pie crusts for both sweet and savory dishes. 

Pie Crusts (p. 86)

Table of Contents

Preface
Breakfast & Brunch
breads, Muffins, & Rolls
Salads & Dressings
Soups, Stew, Chowder, & Chili
Vegetarian Main Dishes
Main Dishes
All Kinds of Sides
Pies
Cakes & the Like
Bars & Cookies
More Sweets
Drinks & Sauces
Preserving: Canning Help
Preserving: Canning Recipes
Preserving: Freezing
Resources
Index
Equivalents & Substitutions

What You Won't Find

These recipes are almost entirely "from scratch", so you won't see a bunch of "can of _______" or "cream of ________ soup" unless it's a canning jar holding something from the garden or a slightly more exotic ingredient such as coconut milk. Occasionally there is a box of Jello or a prepackaged cornbread mix, but these can easily be substituted for those who wish to avoid using anything from a box. There are a few recipes that occasionally call for shortening (something I personally do not use much, but again, substitutions may be made). 

Summer & Fall Pesto Pasta Salad (p. 44)

You also won't find ultra difficult recipes that require the home chef to have a culinary arts degree. For example, the Coconut Curry Lentils was an easy dish that required only two pots with an additional pot for the rice. Cleanup was very modest. On the other hand, the flavor was 5 STAR! I felt like I got a LOT of bang for my buck with this dish (so to speak).

There are plenty of basic dishes as well, but mostly in the canning section, where you WANT basics in order to use them in other recipes later on. But make no mistake about it, there are plenty of twists on old favorites such as Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies (p. 126). WOW! Sounds good, doesn't it!

Please note this book is chock full of recipes, not photos. However, Jane does have an extensive list of recipes on her blog with many great pictures. The advantage to having the cookbook is:

a) so many recipes in one location
b) something to carry around the kitchen while you're cooking (computers aren't so handy at that)
c) a resource for making notes in the margins
d) her canning & preserving notes
e) great material for curling up in bed and planning future meals!

Blueberry Crumb Bars

(please note, this recipe is on her blog, not the cookbook)

What You Will Find

If you've followed Jane's blog, you know she is a rare jewel. This gal walks the talk. And these recipes reflect how her family eats every day. Based on this cookbook, I'd say they're eating well and enjoying some great meals and lovely treats!

Because Jane consistently puts food up in jars or the freezer, she has included a section for each with foods her family preserves. For those getting started or wanting to know her particular methods, these pages will be an welcome addition.

Basic Tomato Sauce (p. 160)

Update 2/23/13: For clarification, please note that some recipes contain refined sugar and white flour. In most cases, easy substitutions may be made such as sucanat for sugar, soft white wheat (for pastries) or hard white wheat for other recipes.

I confess, my favorite thing about Jane's cookbook... her pasta and pizza recipes. Spring is right around the corner and as soon as asparagus is in season, I'm making this dish...

Pasta with Asparagus, White Beans, & Mint (p. 43)

Meet Jane...

Jane Bryan is a Christian (Mennonite) stay at home and homeschooling mom of three and wife to "pharmer" Jamey (gardener/pharmacist).  As a family, their goal is to bring glory to God by living simply in order to give while striving to eat food in it's purer forms - without pesticides, chemicals, and the necessity of miles and miles of transportation.

"The bounty of all good food available to us is overwhelming in a world where so many are hungry." ~ Jane Bryan

If you'd like to know more about Jane of Thy Hand Hath Provided, please visit her blog to find out "Why We Do What We Do" or read her interview with me on the Homestead Tour from August 2010.

Enter To Win a Cookbook!

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of the Thy Hand Hath Provided Recipes & Preserving Cookbook, all you have to do is click on the options below. Jane is hosting 2 copies so at the end of next week, Punch Tab will randomly select 2 different winners!

UPDATE 2/25/13: Jane has graciously offered to give away a THIRD cookbook! Why not order one for yourself and if you win, give one as a gift to a fellow homesteader, a new bride, or someone struggling to cook from scratch? Spread the blessings...

Must We Have Politics Served As a Side Dish to Homesteading?

When I post something political on the HomesteadRevival Facebook page, I always receive at least one comment asking me to keep politics out of homesteading. Must we include political discussions in our endeavors to homestead? 

Unfortunately, yes.

Look... I don't want to stir up emotions or hard feelings here. I don't want to be a conspiracy theorist. Nor do I want to see evil lurking behind every tree. But freedom of choice in our country is rapidly disappearing and I never dreamed it would be food related. It's becoming harder and harder to pretend we don't have a food issue. (Perhaps I'm preaching to the choir here... please bear with me.)

Wherever there is money, there is the potential for priorities to become skewed. Now you may not THINK agricultural endeavors are big business (because seriously, none of us are getting rich at this, right?), but on a national level, Big Ag IS making serious money. We don't see it because it's only a handful of corporations that ARE Big Ag (Monsanto, Cargill, DuPont, etc.)

Besides the money issue, there are only a few things that are REALLY necessary for life, and food is at the top of the list along with water and air. If you look back over history, you’ll realize wars have been fought over food resources and for centuries, the trading of food has been considered a form of monetary exchange. Those with available food (and land, because land equals more food potential) were considered the wealthy and often had “noble” status. Read Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky to get an idea of how just one food commodity changed nations.

So... why do we bury our head in the sand and say that food is not political? Sure, I’d MUCH rather hang out with my goats and chickens, munch sugar snaps straight off the vine, sing kum-ba-ya, and ignore the political roar in the background. But as in most generations since Adam and Eve, our food supply is at risk and we need to be alert, attentive, and active. The only difference since the dawn of time is the players and venue have changed, but the fight is as old as the hills. 

ALERT

Be aware that someone wants your food supply under their control… Big Ag. The UN. Honestly, it’s so big; it’s kind of hard to identify all the players. The point is to know that this is happening and acknowledge the fact you can’t ignore it.

ATTENTIVE

Set aside some time each week to do some research… thirty minutes, an hour, whatever you can carve out.  Watch for laws and regulations that will limit your freedom to purchase or grow food of your choice. Find some good news sources that gives reliable information and read them weekly. Farm to Consumer is a good example.

ACTIVE

Reposting news and information on Facebook, Twitter, and blogs is excellent. The more people that can be educated about current food and farming restrictions, the better. But don’t stop there. Write a letter. Financially support a group that lobbies for a cause you believe in, such as raw milk sales. Take part in a rally. Join a CSA and support a small farmer. Refuse to buy Big Ag products (in as much as it is humanly possible). Grow and raise your own groceries and share the bounty when possible and tell the recipient why you do it (they're bound to ask)!

Current News You Should Be Aware Of

As of January 1, 2013, the fight against small farmers and food freedom seems to have hit a new high. Perhaps Monsanto feels energized from their recent victory in California over the defeat of food labeling laws on GMO products. Here's a few examples...

Politicol News: Farm Bill Gives Monsanto Unbelievable Powers over US Food Supply

Natural News: Big Ag group trying to ban raw milk sales in South Carolina - your help needed to stop this tyranny

Fram-To-Consumer Legal Defense Fund: Morningland Cheese to Be Destroyed 

A Word For Readers Who Farm for Big Ag

If you’re still reading at this point, I commend you! I realize that you’re probably very angry. Angry at me, angry at those who would seek to take away your income, and probably even angry at Big Ag who tends to make life difficult, squeezing out every bit of profit they can (which often means you and your family make the sacrifices directly, not the corporate heads). I recognize the hard work you do and your desire to provide others with food. It’s a noble calling indeed and many don’t acknowledge or appreciate what you do.

Let me throw out a few thoughts for you to ponder…

• Is the current method of conventional farming really seem sustainable? In other words, do you feel that current farming methods are realistic on an on going basis?

• Does it seem logical that every year the rules/requirements change; often dramatically?

• Are you having to work two or three jobs just to make ends meet?

• Is this how your grandparents farmed? great-grandparents? What would they say about the methods we're using today?

• Are you feeling peace about your stewardship calling (based on Genesis 1:28-30 AND Proverbs 12:10a)?

Final Thoughts

In case you’re not sure where I stand politically, let me lay it out clearly:

• I am an ultra conservative on moral issues such as abortion, religion, etc.

• I am very conservative on constitutional issues such as gun rights, free speech, etc.

• I’m in a class not covered by liberals or conservatives when it comes to environmental issues – following Genesis, I believe we are to take dominion over the earth and subdue it, but I do not believe that means destroying massive parts of it and then ask God to fix it. We are to be good stewards of the earth without worshipping creation itself. So often it may APPEAR I’m an environmental liberal, but I'm not. Neither am I a traditional conservative in this area. (I highly recommend Noah Sander's book Born-Again Dirt for a better explanation).

That said, I often find that those I’m debating on the issues of GMO labeling, raw milk, and other small farming rights are the very people I side with in other political areas. Often I have voted for these people because MORALLY they are conservative, but in terms of food and agriculture, we are at opposite ends of the spectrum. This creates strange bedfellows indeed, making the daily battle even more difficult.

I live in one of the most conservative counties in CA, where agriculture is king. While third in ag for the state, I’m sure it’s one of the top farming counties in the nation as well. It’s the “Bible Belt” of CA, but at the same time, Monsanto and it’s subsidiaries, rule. The representative that I support is in line with all my own beliefs EXCEPT when it comes to food. It's so disappointing and can be disheartening. Perhaps you are in a similar situation as well. What should we do?

Never underestimate the power of the local government. You have a much greater chance working with a local leader than you’ll ever have influencing a national one. Form a local lobby group and select a handful of members to meet with your local representatives. Be respectful, but firm. Know your stuff and have a prepared written statement of your group’s concerns.

I confess, perhaps I am not as active as I could or should be. But I'm doing more today than I was 5 years ago. Today I'm alert. I'm as attentive as time allows. And I am making small steps to be active. I have to... The future of our food is at stake. 

Please note: Thank you for practicing kindness and civility. While debate can be a healthy intellectual engagement, comments not in keeping with Eph. 4:29 will be removed. 

To Each of You, My Friends...

Peanut Butter Balls

I can not believe I haven't posted on this yet! Peanut Butter Balls are the BEST! Well, my daughter thinks so, anyway. But I bet your kids will, too, if mom and dad don't eat them after their bedtime first!

PBB make a great afternoon snack or they can be just right for a light lunch served with apple or banana slices and maple yogurt dip. And because you make them from scratch, you can control the ingredients and keep these as healthy or decadent as you please.

This recipe has lots of latitude for you to adjust ingredients, so just use your imagination and go for it! I'm posting the original recipe and then my modified version that I typically make, but it could change on any given day.

Original Peanut Butter Balls

1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ
1 cup Kashi puffed cereal


Walker Family Version of Peanut Butter Balls

1 cup organic peanut butter (no sugar variety)
1/2 cup raw honey
1 - 1 1/2 cups homemade granola

Using one of the recipes above, combine ingredients and mix well by hand. Roll into 2" balls and cover with toppings.

Toppings:
shredded coconut (raw or toasted)
granola
finely chopped nuts
finely chopped carob chips or chocolate chips
melted chocolate
* Toppings are easily chopped in a small coffee grinder.

 

Place on a cookie sheet that has been lined with wax paper. Chill in freezer just until hardened. Transfer to an airtight container and store in refrigerator. Monitor closely as these have a way of suddenly disappearing when your back is turned...

Ah, well... much healthier than a lot of things the kids could be eating!

What will you coat your peanut butter balls with?

Winter Garden Inspections

A garden may SEEM to sleep during the winter, but something is always happening out there. Even if a blanket of snow has covered it. Growing slows down tremendously, but life does remain as it quietly observes shorter days and longer nights.

A warm fire seems much more inviting than trudging around in the snow with below freezing temps, but if one will bundle up and brave the elements, it's actually quite invigorating. And if you live someplace where daylight hours are exceptionally short, you need every bit of Vitamin D from the sun you can possible absorb!

Believe me... I know. With the sun only beginning to rise over the eastern mountain at Sweetwater Farm around 8:45 in the morning in the deepest part of winter, and then setting behind the western mountain around 2:45, by February I've been known to have a substantial case of cabin fever if I don't get outside enough.

But back to the garden... doing daily inspection is a REALLY wise habit to develop. I confess, I don't do it every day, but I try to get out there often because stuff happens.

Wind whips through and pulls off covers that I thought were secure or snow causes a collapse...

Wild animals attempt to break and enter...

The snow is great for discovering who your unwanted visitors might be! Certainly a good reason to keep a lock on coop doors.

My hive nearly met it's demise, but thankfully, a garden inspection saved it. Before this snow, the ground had become so soft from the rain that the pipe footings were sinking into the soil on one side. It had nearly toppled over! I didn't even take time to get a photo... I just rushed in, got my husband to quickly construct a platform (that I had put off getting done), and four of us went out to the yard and strapped the hive well before slipping it up on the new stand. You can barely see it underneath the snow poking through. A couple of bricks were added for stability and since this photo, I've surrounded the hive with hay bales on 3 sides up to the top.

A very quick inspection on a warm day revealed the hive was still alive with plenty of sugar on the candy board. I'm really hoping these girls make it!

One other thing I often check are tree branches. When we get a wet snow, the load can be so heavy that branches on evergreens can break, so I take a stick and walk around the property knocking the snow off.

If you have a drip system or some kind of plumbing and you haven't drained the pipes (because you have animals that need water or something like that), be sure to check for signs of broken lines. Extra soggy ground, pooling or running water, or large amounts of ice that indicate a leak where water has frozen is a good indication that something's amiss.

Just think... only 67 more days until Spring is officially here (March 20, 2013), so hang in there... we can do this!

Catching Up

First... I'm still here! It may look like I've abandoned ship, but I'm just below deck getting things in order. Seriously, it's just that I'm trying to get caught up on a few things from Christmas while getting the kids launched back into school this week. Add to that a few changes we've made for one of the girls, another one taking off to care for her grandmother for a couple of months, constant snow to contend with enjoy, completing the annual household purging... I'm sure you can imagine how busy things have been!

I know that all of you are just as busy. You're mostly moms, grandmas, college students, wives, sisters, employees, domestic engineers... Can I just say "HOORAY FOR THE GIRLS!". Guys are pretty awesome, too, but I just wanted to give a shout out on behalf of the women today for the hard work they do day after day, and all because of L.O.V.E.

Second... I want to thank all of you who took the time to leave a comment of encouragement as I make this change. You have made it so much easier for me to transition... THANK YOU! I'll admit, once I really made the decision in my mind, I knew it was the right choice and I had a great peace about it, but it could have gone the other way if it weren't for such an awesome community of friends cheering me on.

I hope those of you who are new will take a few minutes to read some archived posts... there should be a few. {*smile*} And for all of you, I'd love to hear what God has put on your heart for 2013...

What is your number one goal for the new year on your homestead?

For me... I want to finish my Family Herbalist course from Vintage Remedies. Lord willing, this is going to be the year of Herbs and Healing! Despite living fairly close to the land, we've had some health issues that need a little more care and attention. I'm sure the problems would have been worse if we didn't eat as well as we do, but some additional TLC is needed and I'm excited to explore the world of herbs that God has given us for our benefit.

So... now it's your turn. Type away... I'm all ears!

2013 Priorities for Homestead Revival

"There is an appointed time for everything. 
And there is a time for every event under the heaven..."
Ecclesiastes 3:1

Every year as the calendar changes, I take time to pray and evaluate my life and how I spend my time walking this earth. Let me restate that... I re-evaluate how I believe GOD wants me to spend my time walking this earth.

Sometimes I hear Him loud and clear while at other times, I must be really still and quiet... listening so close... waiting....

I've found the latter to be the case at this point in time. I'm having trouble hearing. Not because I'm not in His Word... but because my life has become a bit too cluttered. Unbalanced. I'm too busy to hear well.

It's time to make some changes.

A few things that you may notice...

1) Homestead Revival WILL CONTINUE but at a slower pace. I'll only be posting as time and commitments allow. I'm removing any obligations that would force me to write on a time schedule, so you'll see some changes, but as the Lord allows, I'll continue to write and post. (I hope that this includes more opportunity for heart felt, spirit lead content, too.)

2) I will no longer be advertising, maintain affiliate links, host the Barn Hop or host the Preparedness Challenge. Please know this is not for any reason other than time constraints! The Barn Hop hostesses are graciously holding my place for me, should time allow me to rejoin them. Thank you, dear Jill and Kendra! You're the best!

3) I will continue to do product reviews and an occasional give-away, but I will be VERY selective in which items to promote since these take a LOT of time to research, write, and host. As a result, these will be products I have personally selected (not items where vendors approach me first).

4) I will not be accepting any guests posts here, nor will I be writing guest posts for other blogs at this time (however I will continue to write for our local magazine). Blogging will happen when it happens. But the good news is... I tend to write better that way anyhow!

5) I will keep my email open and respond only as I'm able. (If it gets to be too much, then that will go as well.)

There will be other changes at home, but those things are of importance to my family more than anyone else. If it seems appropriate, I'll write about it. But one thing I can share... lest I disqualify myself in the message I seek to promote (see "The Homestead Revival Mission" on the sidebar), then I must be diligent about living it first. By cutting back on the blog, I can continue to do that best.

While some of my encouragement comes from writing the blog, reading the posts/comments of others, and the "cyber relationships" that have been forged as a result of blogging, it is highly important that I keep building and nurturing the relationships in my own family, neighborhood, and community.

I hope you'll do the same.

May your 2013 year be full of sweet memories and few regrets!