To those looking into or thinking of getting a small hobby farm, I would tell you that it’s been such a wonderful asset to our family! There’s just so many things about our little farm that I love. For one thing, it’s a “hobby” farm, so it’s not like we have a ton of work or maintenance to do here. The biggest maintenance is cutting the grass, weed eating and replacing a fence post here and there.
A plus is that we get to raise our cattle which are primarily grass fed, here at the farm. When we butcher the meat it lasts us close to a year, and we get to decide the type of grain they eat. We also can choose to keep them free of antibiotics and growth hormones which most meats have very unhealthy levels of these.
I also like the fact that our farm is smaller compared to most working farms. There’s enough to play on, dirt bike ride, snowmobile, garden, snow sled, and hunt on…but not too much that it’s overwhelming which is a plus since my husband already has a full-time job.
It also gives the kids a great place to play and be around. They feel responsible when we have them help with sweeping or shoveling (no we’ve never asked our kids to help with that but our 6 year old takes it upon himself to help us shovel.)😂
Really the only con to having a small hobby farm would be you have to either cut the grass and or have livestock to eat it.
The views are unbelievable, the sunrises and sunsets bring so much joy. The simples pleasures and memories our farm brings to us is incredible. Being able to share the farm life with our friends and family is also such a gift.
A house is just a house. The people inside make up the home. A little thought and decorating can go a long way! And by the way…I’m no expert! Being completely honest our home isn’t decorated 100% just yet, but it’s a process! It’s a lot of fun decorating each room, little by little.
So here we go! I’m sharing with you a couple super simple tips that hopefully are helpful while you decorate your home. I hope these ideas give you inspiration for your own space, as you make your house more like a home.
#1–a space just for the kids. We don’t have a play room per say. But this is a fun space a little nook for them to play in. We don’t have a bookshelf up yet, so I just stacked up books on both sides of the window. I added a little bench and a couple cute toys. Like I said simple! But inviting for the kids. You could do this in a corner in the living room or the kids bedroom. Making a little play space just for them.
#2–add a wreath! Do you have a hallway, or door that when you go to that space it just isn’t welcoming? Try adding a wreath to brighten up your space. Easy. Simple. Welcoming, and makes you actually enjoy walking through. Makes a huge difference when you’re looking at things you truly love.
#3–add a focal point to each room. For the kids room it’s fun to add a focal point. A small table and chairs that were a sweet gift from a family friend is perfect. He can create on this table, play LEGO, draw, pretty much anything. A child size table is really inviting for the kids! See if you can find one from Ikea, an antique store or your favorite furniture store and see if it makes the kids room more homey.
#4– kitchen tips! Add a plate of nuts, or a little snack on the table or counter. It’s always welcoming to come in the door and see a snack waiting for hungry bellies. I also love stacking wooden cutting boards by the stove top. I love the element of wood to each room.
That’s it! Was that helpful??
I encourage you to try some of those tips! Post a pic on social of what YOU did and tag me! (instagram- “hannahyerk”.)
We “bake/put together” a lot of whole food snack treats. Raw honey, flax, almond meal, chocolate chips that kind of thing. So when we bake a fun recipe like this it’s worth documenting! Here’s my version of the Ina classic.
Our version of Ina’s Coffee Cake Muffins.
ingredients:
12 TBSP butter, unsalted room-temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 tsp. Pure vanilla extract
8 oz. (about 1 cup) sour cream
1/4 cup milk
2 1/2 cups bread flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 package of strawberries, washed, steamed and chopped
instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Pl. 16 paper liners in muffin tins.
In an electric mixer bowl, cream the butter and sugar about five minutes till light and fluffy. With a mixer on low add eggs one at a time, then vanilla, sour cream, and milk.
Then add the flour, baking powder baking soda and salt. Mix minimally, and slowly. Fold in the strawberries with a rubber spatula. Do not over mix.
Skip the batter out into the muffin tins, they will be pretty full, almost a rounded top. Bake in oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until tester comes out clean. ENJOY!!!
Changes in our America due to the virus aren’t allowing us to celebrate Easter, or Ressurection Sunday like we normally would.
Here are 5 great ways to make Easter feel a little bit more “normal” this year!
#1. Decorate!
Even if it’s just a few plastic eggs in a basket, or whatever decorating you normally do for Easter. Having the kids help with decorating, and putting out some eggs always makes it feel more festive! The kids “Gigi” bought them this adorable garland for the mantle, such a sweet addition! And the lavender flowers cake from my mom. I picked up the bunnies a few years ago at a craft store, all together it makes a cozy, sweet space the kids love.
#2. Fun Hairstyles.
Us girls played around with braiding and did two inside-out braids.
#3 Family pictures.
I already bought the kids Easter outfits, so we took photos in front of the fireplace. You could take pics outside, on a bench, around the table. We made it fun…well, more like I bribed the kids into taking pics by giving them Nerds and gummy bears. (Ugh)
#4 Paint Eggs.
Theres nothing more fun than paint, right?! The kids love painting eggs, and I especially love it when their hard faux eggs from the craft store. Easy, no breaking, making memories…done!
#5 Tell them the Easter story.
Why do we have ressurection Sunday? We love opening the Bible and sharing with them the very FIRST Easter Sunday, when Jesus rose from the dead. You can find the story in the Bible book of Matthew 27 and 28. (If you don’t have a Bible there are plenty of free Bible websites you can read it off of, I like this one http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org ).
What’s everyone doing this Easter!? We are celebrating with family at a later date…as long as there’s an egg hunt the kids won’t know a difference. 🙂 Happy Easter everyone!
This was adopted from a Pinterest recipe I found, And I can’t even remember where I found it because I memorized it because it was just so easy. I use steam cauliflower which I steam the day before for dinner. I make about 2 cups extra, and that is what I use for this recipe. It’s in the fridge from the night before ready to use. So easy!
RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
2 cups steamed cauliflower ( mine is pre-buttered, and salt and peppered from the night before. I use it cold. Also have used it warm though and it doesn’t seem to make a difference )
1 cup grated parmesean cheese (I use shelf stable cheese, but fresh would be amazing I’m sure!)
2 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
Oregano (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Blend of the cauliflower in the food processor until pulverized.
Please remaining ingredients, along with cauliflower in a mixing bowl, and mix until mixture forms a ball.
Toss onto lightly greased pizza stone (or baking sheet-as long as it’s greased). Using The back of a metal spoon press the “crust” to form a pizza shell. (The dough will not seem as though it wants to stick together that is normal.) Sprinkle with a little dried oregano if desired.
That’s it! Pop it in the oven and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from oven. Pour pizza sauce on, mozzarella cheese and toppings of choice! Yum!!
Go veggies! Don’t tell anyone it’s made out of cauliflower and see if anyone can guess! This is so good you would have no idea it’s made from a vegetable!
Six years of packing lunches for a diabetic, you learn some things along the way. What to do and what not to do. My Chad is a diabetic, so we’re constantly looking for healthy foods that will support good blood sugars for him. Here’s I’m sharing super fast, and easy tips for packing a good blood-sugar stabling lunch! I hope these inspire you to recreate your own brown-bagged lunch that helps to support healthy blood sugar levels. Let me know if you’d like to see more of these lunch ideas in the comments. Of course never replacing your doctors specific guidelines and recommendations…I hope these ideas inspire you! And these tips aren’t just limited to diabetics, I like to implement some of these (somewhat lower carb strategies for myself too!)
NUMBER 1: (although not pictured) I like to start off strong. I like to set my body up for success by eating first thing in the am to boost my metabolism. Focusing around protein, some quick and easy favorites are…a (clean) protein powder smoothie: low on fruit, high in protein for an awesome stable blood sugar start to the day! (Check out my “Mango/Banana/Vegan/Protein breakfast smoothie” for a good breakfast standby (feel free to only use 1/2 frozen banana and 1/4 c mango for less sugar).
NUMBER 2:Fuel your body with keeping blood sugars stable with frequent small snacks. (pictured above) a small handful of almonds, with a little carbohydrate (if needed). So my husband will normally have (if his blood sugar is somewhat on the low side) a protein snack with some added carb. So either the apple OR the 3 dates. Soo good.
NUMBER 3: Lunch time! Keeping things simple with sprouted toast, sliced hard-boiled eggs, a little pr-made hummus, cherry tomatoes, fresh parsley, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze for a little sweetness and added flavor. Protein source: eggs + hummus. Carbs: bread.
NUMBER 4: We find our bodies are so much healthier the more RAW food we add into our diet. So incorporating something raw into our lunch everyday is essential. Today is fresh cut veggies, with light ranch, and some more hard-boiled eggs for extra protein to snack on. (There’s also a 1/2 of a turkey wrap in this box, for another small snack for him!)
NUMBER 5: Natural energy juice! Antioxidant rich, blood supporting berry juice, full of blueberries, pomegranates, Ningxia wolfberry (highest antioxidant berry out there)…all which are a natural way to get an energy BOOST midday (or anytime of day!). This just makes your whole body FEEL better, and drank cold while eating a cheese stick (or other protein source) is a great healthful snack! Feel energized all.day.long.
NUMBER 6: Statistically most Americans don’t consume enough natural IODINE-rich foods. Which help with Thyroid function (very important for diabetics), PH levels, increasing bone density, (some say) preventing cancer, supports weight loss, and rich in vitamins and minerals that are essential to our bodies. An easy way to get iodine in?? Seaweed chips! Other foods high in iodine are: collard greens, shallots, spinach, swiss chard, onions, turnip greens, nori, wheat grasses, cherries, beet greens, tahini, kelp, nettles, parsley, blackberries, and prune juice. Have you tried any of these SUPER nutritious foods before?? Any favorite ways you prepare them? I’d love to hear below if you have any tips!!
So those are some of our favorite healthful, easy, nutritious, and blood-stabling lunch ideas!! If you enjoyed this post and would like to see more lunch ideas, let me know below!
Chad and I started a yearly family tradition of camping. Every trip we’ve taken has been such a sweet, fun experience (actually…except for one when I was 8 months pregnant with Ryley, another story for another time.) This trip was filled with camp fires, S’mores, fishing, bike rides, boat trips, and just being together with nothing else to do.
Such a fun time with family. A couple of my sisters were able to join us for a few days too. So many smiles, laughs, and bike trips to get ice-cream.
That was such a fun trip, don’t you love just getting away and relaxing? With building our home, the new pregnancy, and just busy daily life…this trip was much needed. So grateful to make memories with my family in the mountains.
First off, I cannot take credit for this recipe. I got this from a cookbook I bought, attending a “10 Steps to Better Health” class hosted by our Chiropractor and his wife. Both super educational, and have been in the health world for decades. This popcorn is a healthy/iron-rich way to enjoy “caramel popcorn” but I don’t resemble this with regular caramel popcorn, this treat has its own delicious flavor and taste. I think you’ll love it! If you at all like molasses, even just a little bit you have to try this you’ll be surprised at how tasty it is!
RECIPE:
4-5 quarts popped popcorn
1 1/2 cup blackstrap molasses
1 1/2 cup peanut butter (natural creamy if my preference, or regular Jiff is fine too)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 TBSP butter
HOW TO: Pop the popcorn, set aside in a LARGE bowl. In a medium saucepan melt butter, molasses and peanut butter. Heat until only combined and smooth. Then add the vanilla, stir. Pour over the popcorn and toss together. Place popcorn evenly into 2 baking sheets, bake at 180 for 1 1/2-2 hours, stirring once. Cool and store in a glass container. ENJOY!
I had a little 4 year old assistant. 🙂 He needed to test the popcorn.
I thought it’s be fun to “walk through” our soon to be forever home and show you what almost every room looks like. To start here’s the garage! Up to the right is the doorway to the mudroom.
Although I do hop ewe avoid as much “mud” as possible.
Once you walk through the mud room, you end up in the kitchen! The tapped areas on the floor outline the island and counter tops.
Turn to the left anddddd living room!
Left again, and here’s the dining room, and entry hall.
Ryleys room.
Our master room, and some kids!
That’s all for now. We’re excited the plaster is done. And the painting will be started soon! For now, I’m working on thinking about furniture placement, wall colors, light fixtures (just to name a few.) It’ll be great looking back one day at these early home pics.
Hannah Marie - food, family & wellness 