Homestead Acres

Archive for the ‘homestead series’ Category

Its that time of year again!  The gardens starting to produce and I’m dehydrating and canning for the winter.  Dehydrating zucchini is so easy to do and saves a lot of freezer space!

Wash and slice your zucchini into 1/4 inch slices, or shred.  Place on your dehydrator rack and dehydrate at 115F until done.  Mine took about 24 hours in the high humidity weather we have been having.

We will show you how to plant potatoes start to finish and some of our time saving tricks.

Row maker

Last years planting

Last year harvest

Potato hiller

In my last cooking video I showed how to make your own baking mix.  This you can substitute for any recipe calling for Bisquick.

Today I’ll show you my favorite way to make biscuits!  I have another recipe, my Grandmothers biscuit recipe.  I love it also, but dh thinks these are better.

Biscuits

• 6 cups baking mix
• 2 cups water
  

In a medium size bowl combine 6 cups baking mix and 2 cups water.  Stir until the dough starts to come together.  Turn out onto a floured surface and kneed about 10 times.  Don’t over kneed or your biscuits will be tough.  Roll out 1/2 inch thick and cut out using your biscuit cutter or a drinking glass.

Place on an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake at 425F for 10 – 15 minutes.  Tops should be just turning light brown when done.

This makes about 20 biscuits.  If your family is smaller then ours, simply cut the recipe in half or freeze the extras.

Making your own premade mixes are healthy and convenient.  They also save a lot of money from buying them ready made.  I like knowing what is IN my food and how it was made.  Making my own mixes helps to make meals quickly, conveniently and healthy!

Baking Mix

• 8 cups flour
• 1/4 cup baking powder
• 1 1/2 cups powdered milk (optional)
  
• 1 Tbs salt
• 1 1/2 cups lard (or shortening, butter)

Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Using a pastry blender cut in lard until it’s well mixed.

If you prefer to leave out the powdered milk, you can substitute the water in your recipe for milk, rice milk or other alternative.  Use in any biskwick recipe.

Our next video in the Learn To Knit series, The purl stitch!

Purling is the exact opposite of the knit stitch.  I hope this video helps you, if you have any questions please feel free to ask.

Learn how to knit using the continental method.  Need to learn how to cast on?  Check out our video the long tail cast on.

Knitting is a wonderful relaxing hobby.  We have had such a wonderful response to our other homesteading videos, I’ve decided to start a knitting series.

Our first video is the long tail cast on method.  It is my favorite cast on.  Very easy to do and knit from, makes a nice looking and stretchy cast on edge.

If you heat your home with oil, or perhaps have an oil hot water heater.  What happens if you run out of oil? If you run out in the middle of the night or in a storm and the truck can’t get in to service you right away, you can use diesel fuel as a replacement.  After adding fuel to your tank you will need to bleed out your fuel line.  This video shows you how we do this.

Note Disclaimer: We are sharing what works for us for informational purposes.  And please NEVER use gas in your furnace!