I always feel sorry for her she never seems to get away from the kitchen even when she finished for the day she surrounded by tomatoes or cherries etc that have to be done tomorrow , the poor critter really needs a prep kitchen outside the home , so her home can be a place to chill
Watching today's episode and as Meg and Bug were making zucchini cake, my husband says she sure is putting in a lot of Goodness into that😊 and everything that happens in their kitchen 😊... We both enjoy watching your family work together making life beautiful, bountiful and blessef.❤
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure! It’s great to pick up kitchenware that has a bit of history and give it new purpose. Same with Ben’s metal pile - better than it going into landfill. I love watching Ben create new stuff from scratch. 😊
Meg, I can't imagine I ever had as much energy as you have. You do a great job putting up so many good foods for your family for the winter and beyond. They are so lucky to have you as their wife/mom. The jars of cherry jam look like jewels on your counter. Thank you for sharing. For all those watching this channel, please remember to tune into the podcast on Fridays to hear the news from Ben, Jason & Al. Lets get the numbers up on their channel. Y'all have a Blessed day.
Meg, you are such an awesome mother and a wonderful, wonderful woman. I can just feel it I can tell you just never quit. I love watching the videos when you’re cooking and talking. God bless you Meg and your family you’re all awesome❤
Call the store! It will save you the side eye, and they will grab one for you to pick up at customer service. The zucchini bread looks lovely. What a deal to get all that metal! I'm sure you can use it. Tomatoes always take so long to process. I almost can't do it anymore. My hubby has to help me. Those pumpkins are beautiful! You are raising some great farmers.
Ben you might call Lowe's and explain the situation to them and they may let you come in and get your last piece of lumber. It's always worth a try. As often as you're in there they should know you by now.
Yes, they should have an honor system. The cashier is supposed to count it. Pray and go. We'll hear about it on the FRIDAY SHOPTALK 🍒🍒. I love hearing/learning from the three Best guy's plus KEN'S KREW. Top 4 plus 2. GREAT job. My favorite one was COMMUNITY. Thank you.🛐✝️🀄🍉🍉🍒🍒⛏️☕☕☕🛐🀄 FROM SE MICHIGAN GREAT LAKE'S STATE 🐠🐟🐠🐟✝️🀄
I love that you guys are truthful and always share your mistakes, miss counted boards. Your transparency is refreshing in this day and age of everything having to look or be perfect and flawless. I always look forward to your videos!
You guys are my total favourite homesteaders to watch here from Rushworth Australia… Meg you are a wizard in the kitchen your stamina amazes me and Ben your energy on the farm is also inspiring…. Even for this 62 yo 😊👌 love your family life journeys 🥰
😮❤ I got nada. Squirrels are every piece of fruit from my trees, nothing grew. But chickens ! From 7 to 5 to 20, to 17. Lol and 6 of the 17 are roosters
Two minds think alike 👍. Absolutely love watching this beautiful family. The children are an absolute credit . I can’t get enough of Meg in the kitchen 👏👏
Ben and Meg: is there anything you can't do??? You guys blow me away with your creativity and hard work. Ben, I have only watched a few of your videos thus far, but have wondered how you learned to work so well with your hands - carpentry, metal work, including welding, farming, animal husbandry - and the good Lord knows what else. Meg, did you teach yourself about food preservation or did you grow up with your mom teaching you as you grew up? Your meals look so delicious and nutritious. Its obvious you put a lot thought into what you feed your family because all of you look so healthy. Once again, I will say you are amazing and I'm learning a lot from young folks about half my age! That proves one is never to old to learn if one is willing to be taught. I pray for blessings for all of you. Our country needs a lot more people like you all.
Meg, I love how when you are covered up in preserving tomatoes, cherries, zucchini cake and muffins, you still are able to make a delicious supper for your family! Your family is so blessed having a mom and dad like you and Ben!!!! You both instill excellent examples for the kids to follow!
Last time you boiled your cherry pits it gave me an idea, so I did the same but used the juice to make cherry lemonade. OMG it was good! So thank you.😊
My husband always says...Ma...if we do it all today what will we do tomorrow!? Just one step is still moving forward! Love my Hollar friends! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Yay 😅🎉😊. Bret’s garden!! Well done sir! Meg, you do so much! You inspire me to do more! Well done sis! You all are great and I look forward to every video.
Great bargains to be had at estate auctions. Lovely pumpkins Brett. You all pack a lot into your days. Thank you for sharing your days. Pleased to note in the comments that all is well with your Californian relatives. 💕💕🌻🌻
I love that you are making the chicken tractors that Jason has. They always made the most sense to me (of all the designs you homesteaders have). You can hang the food and even the water, and it seems like it would be so easy to move and get inside of. Can't wait to see it built!
I furnished nearly every home I lived in with auction and estate furniture and appliances. My husband built our kitchen table with parts from an old executive desk. $25 . When I married the first time we bought an estate for $7200. It had furniture in it and a full set of cast iron skillets with lids and 2 different sizes of Dutch ovens. I still have those skillets because he hated them. ANother reason he's my ex. My current hubs loves using our cast iron. I've had those skillets since 1971. One of the skillets is a 3-4 inch chicken fryer.
Wow! Like Meg said, always keep working toward the goal and it’ll get done! That spaghetti sauce will be delicious! That jam looks delicious! Those pumpkins are beautiful! That chicken tractor will be bigger and better and built in no time! Great finds at that estate auction! Only been to estate sales and have gotten some good deals. Have not ever been to an auction! We love thrifting too and finding a good deal that’s something we can use! It’s a lot of fun too, like you said!
Love listening to my "3 homestead amigos'!!! And you sure scored big with your estate shopping too. Always good to teach the kids frugality in finding hidden gems and using/ creating something useful or fun for your family. And Brett what beautiful pumpkins you grew! Amazing!💖
The majority of my canning jars have come from Estate Auctions. We have the smoker you have that we did buy new, I cook on the grill on it as well. Love cooking with wood. We bought it a long time ago from Home Depot. Beautiful family!
Ben-I would call the place you got the wood from and have them credit your account for the missing wood, it isn't cheap, you know this and certainly they trust you! MEG-Praise the boys are there to help you Mama! And of course Buggie! And that they are old enough to be of awesome help. God is good, ALL the time.
Confession I took am an addict for Storage lockers, estate sales, and auctions. Not so much for the storage units now they go to high back in the day they went cheap. I have a neighbor friend who just opened up an auction house, so far I've bought a box full of brand new kitchen gadgets for $5.00 for the whole box, patio set w/ 4 chairs, table and umbrella for $20.00 Meg will love this 10 stainless steel bowls various sizes, (which I've always wanted but expensive). Ben & Meg, you know what they say about best laid plans 😂 Ben, always enjoy the Podcast. Blessings to you and the family. 😊🇺🇲
I love estate sales because they are thrifty, great for the environment & give vintage & antique items new life! I sometimes wonder what memories the items I find would share if they could talk. Imagine the wisdom they might impart! Thank you for sharing your day with us! God bless y'all 🙏🏼🥰
Brett did a great job growing the pumpkins. I have wondered how his garden was doing. Meg, you are a wonder woman in that kitchen. Loved the dino peeking at the tomatoes. You both get so much done even when life pulls you in another direction.
We just got 2 bushels of peaches today at the local Amish store and will start canning tomorrow morning! I so love summer. I was told that the apples would be ripe in a week or 2 so we will be canning about 3 or 4 bushels of them again this year.
Well if I can’t have your son make me laugh peeking around the camera then I’ll take the T Rex waiting to snatch one of your tomato slices. Thanks for sharing your beautiful life and family.
This is going to take me all week, what I think I can accomplish in 1 day, your right just keep moving towards your goal and go with the flow! Your food is amazing, do you realize how special Megs cooking is! I'm a senior, plant based, grow green, small, in city. My grandmother, mother and me cook from scratch, Meg still blows me away! Beautiful family!
Homestead Triage. Love it! You are not alone in this. More times than not I have to do the same thing…last week I tore down my 10x19 deck and then this week I was blessed with a bushel of tomatoes, a bushel of peaches and a bushel of corn so the deck project has been on hold until the harvest is preserved. It pays to be able to switch projects easily because weekly plans are not set in stone
I grew up on a farm. An estate auction was a community event, where you could visit with all of your neighbors. Back in the day, they were always on Saturday, and the whole family would go, even if nobody needed to buy anything. Of course, it was not unusual to have to go home and get the hay wagon to haul something home! Most of our farm machinery, tools, furniture, and kitchen items came from estate auctions. So much fun!
Ben...If ANYONE could come up with a chicken tractor that would never wear out it's YOU DUDE!!!!!! I'm thinking, light weight?? PVC pipe, the siding from the other tractors that you have used for shade...ANYWAYS....I know you can come up with something that would last longer than 3 or 4 years & then cut down on your having to re-build them. Back in the day we just flat out didn't have the options that are available now!!!!! Love the video's & watching you all Grow & Thrive on the Homestead!!! As Always, Many many Blessings to you & yours...Till Next Time!!!! 🐣🐤🐥🐔🐓
💚 Keep on pluggin away, indeed. Glad you're building the stand-up style chicken tractor! Wiw, I'm so impressed with Brett's pumpkins..already in August..he musta started them way earlier than I remember! 💚
I too had Zucchini failure this year. Luckily the cucumbers have made up for it. Brett's pumpkins are BEEautiful. 🎃 PS.. Love the Guy's Shop Talk night...Inspiration Everywhere! 😊
Meg - I dehydrate tomatoes, eggplants, zucchini, mushrooms and red onions. I store the mixture in jars. As a quick side dish, I take a jar, add a jar of homemade tomato sauce, and cook it up. I can them add some chopped meat or spaghetti, and a delicious, nutritious dish!
Hey Ben… build a jig that stands the 2x4 on end , clamp them to the jig, raise the blade and cut to desired depth. Then lower the blade and make the second cut on the side of the board. I hope that I explained that ok. Love you guys… thanks for the inspiration that yall are!
When you are done using the chicken 🐔 tractor ... paint them with linseed oil and the wood will last... you can even put it on pressure treated wood... may have to do that next year.. love your family posts...❤
Meg your cake it's going to be scrumptious, I'm still waiting on my tomatoes, watermelon, cukes, and green beans. Skip ahead, 10 seconds to see Megs country kitchen. 😉 🎉 Life every day and the goodness of wholesome homesteading. ✌️ From Virginia 💞🙏
Can you imagine the WORK farmers and their wives and kids did before food processors, instapots, even a modern stove & oven. These kids (I’m 72) work SO hard with the the “conveniences”.
i do have questions for Meg regarding her stainless steel steam canner. Are you confident using your water bath steam canner? I am not sure if I trust this type of a canner yet. Have you had any spoilage of food using this method? Please advise regarding your experience using this type of canner. If you could do a quick video using it, while explaining the pros and cons of this method of water bath canning including it's limitations. I know many of us who would like to try this method, would be grateful for your advice and input. I have only used the traditional water bath canner. You make this process look so much easier using the steam method. Also can you sterilize your jars with a steam canner? I am a senior and I find the canner is heavy when full of water these days. Love your videos. You are one hard working lady in the home. God Bless You!
I loved hearing about your finds; my fav part is that older stuff is always better quality! I particularly love old wooden furniture in good condition! Great progress, even when we don’t get it done as soon as we want! Blessings to everyone 🤗💗🇨🇦
We bought used metal dog kennels (like the ones Tractor Supply and Rural King has) for our chickens. We can stand in them and they are easy to wrap in hardware cloth. They have worked so well. My 17 year old daughter can move them without issue herself. We've found them for $150-$250 on local sale groups.
I LOVE auctions! My late husband and I would go, hopefully find some things we couldn't live without, have a hot dog, maybe a piece of pie, coffee and loved the day. Sometimes they were in an auction building, sometimes on a farm but always a great day!
Meg, I’ve dehydrated sliced tomatoes a few times and it works well enough for some recipes BUT for dishes like tomato pie where that fresh texture is key my family didn’t care for. I’m planning to invest in a freeze dryer as soon as I can afford..several friends have done freeze dry with many different fruits and vegetables including tomatoes and it’s amazing. Most things once reconstituted you can’t tell they have been preserved..its amazing! So much better taste and texture than dehydrating. You can even do eggs! The appliance is expensive but well worth the cost..you guys should def budget for one in the future. Blessings Hollar family from your biggest Western NC fan I love you guys! ❤🙏
Meg, you're in the same boat as I am. NO cabinet space when you're canning etc. :( I don't have an island and there is no space in the floor for one because my kitchen is not wide enough. I was given a piece of cabinet top that has Formica on it that I got my husband to help me fix for some temp extended cabinets. I can open a drawer and lay it on the drawer and we put 2 foldable legs on it so it stands up. Then when done I can slide it behind my sideboard out of the way. We do what we have to do though and i guess it's working. :) I bet that cherry jelly is awesome! LOVE cherries! I also LOVE thrifting and estate sales and garage sales!
Great video. Because I am allergic to tomatoes, my mad cap canning is winding down now. I have frozen fruits by batch sizes (mashed and measured) for jam to make in cooler weather. I'm feeling a little lost, haha. We are expanding our garden for next year. Learned a lot what we will do differently. Canning meats in the next 2 weeks. So satisfying.
Have y’all ever watched Just a few Acres Farm on UA-cam? He has a trailer he built to move birds. It has a slide with a two by four on either side. He just pulls that forward with the two by four handles and is makes the birds come to the opening. Easy peasy!
I too set very aggressive goals that are almost impossible to achieve,but I learned to give myself grace as i acknowledge all the things that did get done! You are amazing, give yourself grace 🙏🏾
Excellent buy on the steel, and grill. We go to estate sales as well. We've found 3 point tractor attachments, some garden stuff, and a black powder rifle all at a decent auction price. We love watching people get into bidding wars. They're times when the bidding is outrageous. I can't believe some people will actual pay lot's of money on a used item....sometimes more than what the item costs new. I guess they get to involved in bidding.
Last night I finally saw your hour-long video of that fantastic US tour looking for your new home. What an amazing opportunity for your family. And it would seem that on your travels you drove through my back yard. Well, I'm guessing within 3-4 miles, anyway. Thanks for sharing the stories and pictures. So sorry to hear about your zucchini drought this year.☹️
😊 Next time you need to remove wood try a router. Set the depth to what ever is needed. Layout the piece on the wood use square to draw lines measure distance on router. Cutter bit to router collar. Mine is 3 inches. Hope this helps you in future.
Agree just keep going. And when you complete a task take a moment to celebrate and apreshiate what you have acheaved, however long it took. You did it. Well done you. 👍
You need a Weston Roma tomato strainer or mill! It processes tomatoes ,just wash then run thru the mill, it deseeds, peels! Makes, juice, or sauce! I also bought accessories that I can use to make apple sauce or apple butter, pumpkin butter or pumpkin purée! Grape juice, etc!
Meg needs an outdoor kitchen!
That is great idea
A outdoor kitchen attached to the back side of your trailer !
I 2nd that
Agreed!
Wouldn't that just be more work? Just asking.....it seems like it would just be more to keep up with but I don't can so what do I know?
Meg is always so cheerful no matter how busy she is. You live by your mantra “just keep working keep plugging away”. Bless you Meg!
I always feel sorry for her she never seems to get away from the kitchen even when she finished for the day she surrounded by tomatoes or cherries etc that have to be done tomorrow , the poor critter really needs a prep kitchen outside the home , so her home can be a place to chill
Watching today's episode and as Meg and Bug were making zucchini cake, my husband says she sure is putting in a lot of Goodness into that😊 and everything that happens in their kitchen 😊... We both enjoy watching your family work together making life beautiful, bountiful and blessef.❤
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure! It’s great to pick up kitchenware that has a bit of history and give it new purpose. Same with Ben’s metal pile - better than it going into landfill. I love watching Ben create new stuff from scratch. 😊
Agreed!
Meg, I can't imagine I ever had as much energy as you have. You do a great job putting up so many good foods for your family for the winter and beyond. They are so lucky to have you as their wife/mom. The jars of cherry jam look like jewels on your counter. Thank you for sharing. For all those watching this channel, please remember to tune into the podcast on Fridays to hear the news from Ben, Jason & Al. Lets get the numbers up on their channel. Y'all have a Blessed day.
Beautiful pumpkins, congrats Brett !
You guys are, Hands Down, the A Team!!
God bless this woman. She is a cooking machine. Bravo, Meg!
She is truly amazing!
Always working!
Meg, you are such an awesome mother and a wonderful, wonderful woman. I can just feel it I can tell you just never quit. I love watching the videos when you’re cooking and talking. God bless you Meg and your family you’re all awesome❤
Wow, look at those beautiful Pumpkins !! Great job!!! Love all you guys do !! what a lovely family !!
Call the store! It will save you the side eye, and they will grab one for you to pick up at customer service. The zucchini bread looks lovely. What a deal to get all that metal! I'm sure you can use it. Tomatoes always take so long to process. I almost can't do it anymore. My hubby has to help me. Those pumpkins are beautiful! You are raising some great farmers.
Brett is one heck of a gardener! Will he do a larger garden next year?
I was just wondering about his garden....how fun. Bet he feels good
Those pumpkins look so perfect.
Beautiful 🎃.
As a pumpkin aficionado I found those to be some pretty impressive specimens! 👍Well done Brett! Also, the zucchini cake looks yummy as well!
Ben you might call Lowe's and explain the situation to them and they may let you come in and get your last piece of lumber. It's always worth a try. As often as you're in there they should know you by now.
Agree
Yes, they should have an honor system. The cashier is supposed to count it. Pray and go. We'll hear about it on the FRIDAY SHOPTALK 🍒🍒.
I love hearing/learning from the three Best guy's plus KEN'S KREW. Top 4 plus 2. GREAT job.
My favorite one was COMMUNITY. Thank you.🛐✝️🀄🍉🍉🍒🍒⛏️☕☕☕🛐🀄 FROM SE MICHIGAN GREAT LAKE'S STATE 🐠🐟🐠🐟✝️🀄
I love that you guys are truthful and always share your mistakes, miss counted boards. Your transparency is refreshing in this day and age of everything having to look or be perfect and flawless. I always look forward to your videos!
Looking forward to seeing your new chicken tractors. Meg is a hero cooking her way to victory.
You guys are my total favourite homesteaders to watch here from Rushworth Australia… Meg you are a wizard in the kitchen your stamina amazes me and Ben your energy on the farm is also inspiring…. Even for this 62 yo 😊👌 love your family life journeys 🥰
This was my best ever garden! Zucchini, yello squash, tomatoes, green beans. jaiepenos, sweet peppers. etc. A great season!
😮❤ I got nada. Squirrels are every piece of fruit from my trees, nothing grew. But chickens ! From 7 to 5 to 20, to 17. Lol and 6 of the 17 are roosters
It's 10pm here in uk but I wouldn't miss The Hollas for anything!
Two minds think alike 👍.
Absolutely love watching this beautiful family.
The children are an absolute credit .
I can’t get enough of Meg in the kitchen 👏👏
Ben and Meg: is there anything you can't do??? You guys blow me away with your creativity and hard work. Ben, I have only watched a few of your videos thus far, but have wondered how you learned to work so well with your hands - carpentry, metal work, including welding, farming, animal husbandry - and the good Lord knows what else. Meg, did you teach yourself about food preservation or did you grow up with your mom teaching you as you grew up? Your meals look so delicious and nutritious. Its obvious you put a lot thought into what you feed your family because all of you look so healthy. Once again, I will say you are amazing and I'm learning a lot from young folks about half my age! That proves one is never to old to learn if one is willing to be taught. I pray for blessings for all of you. Our country needs a lot more people like you all.
Loved seeing the dinosaur peeking into the footage!
Hey Meg, Becky over at Acre Homestead made your tomato pie this week! They loved it! She gave you all the props, too! ❤
Those are mighty pretty pumpkins, Bret!!!
You might think about using Trex deck boards for the bottom as they are polymer type material and they won’t rot.
Good idea ,we used them to build our pool deck they’re great it never rots❤
Meg, I love how when you are covered up in preserving tomatoes, cherries, zucchini cake and muffins, you still are able to make a delicious supper for your family! Your family is so blessed having a mom and dad like you and Ben!!!! You both instill excellent examples for the kids to follow!
When you grease your cake pan instead of flour, use sugar to coat the pan, it makes a slightly sweet crust that is really good.
So glad you took time with family just know you were missed 😊
Meg ... you are amazing ! !
Last time you boiled your cherry pits it gave me an idea, so I did the same but used the juice to make cherry lemonade. OMG it was good! So thank you.😊
My husband always says...Ma...if we do it all today what will we do tomorrow!? Just one step is still moving forward! Love my Hollar friends! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Would be cool if there was a area with a roof where you can put your barbecue, smoker and one of those steel counters. An all season cook area. 😊
Glad to see T-Rex was supervising the tomato dehydrating 😅
I used to freeze my cherries for sore throat relief 😊 kids loved them
Yay 😅🎉😊. Bret’s garden!! Well done sir! Meg, you do so much! You inspire me to do more! Well done sis! You all are great and I look forward to every video.
Great video, guys! You did accomplish a lot. The pumpkins look great, Brett.
Great bargains to be had at estate auctions. Lovely pumpkins Brett. You all pack a lot into your days. Thank you for sharing your days. Pleased to note in the comments that all is well with your Californian relatives. 💕💕🌻🌻
I remember when you made the first chicken tractor!! 🤍
Just love watching you all. You're like a modern-day Little House on the Prairie but your real life. Peace!
Everything is looking good inside and out!! ❣❣❣❣❣❣❣
I SO love you guy's ❤ Ty for taking us on your journey ❤
Great seeing you wow so much goin' on lots of blessings😊
I love that you are making the chicken tractors that Jason has. They always made the most sense to me (of all the designs you homesteaders have). You can hang the food and even the water, and it seems like it would be so easy to move and get inside of. Can't wait to see it built!
I furnished nearly every home I lived in with auction and estate furniture and appliances. My husband built our kitchen table with parts from an old executive desk. $25 . When I married the first time we bought an estate for $7200. It had furniture in it and a full set of cast iron skillets with lids and 2 different sizes of Dutch ovens. I still have those skillets because he hated them. ANother reason he's my ex. My current hubs loves using our cast iron. I've had those skillets since 1971. One of the skillets is a 3-4 inch chicken fryer.
Great finds at the auction. Hope you don’t have too much trouble making the new chicken buildings.
The John suscovitch style, walk In chicken tractors cost $800 in materials In Ontario .So that makes the birds very expensive!
Wow! Like Meg said, always keep working toward the goal and it’ll get done! That spaghetti sauce will be delicious! That jam looks delicious! Those pumpkins are beautiful! That chicken tractor will be bigger and better and built in no time! Great finds at that estate auction! Only been to estate sales and have gotten some good deals. Have not ever been to an auction! We love thrifting too and finding a good deal that’s something we can use! It’s a lot of fun too, like you said!
Love the video both of you guys indulged in your art.
Love listening to my "3 homestead amigos'!!! And you sure scored big with your estate shopping too. Always good to teach the kids frugality in finding hidden gems and using/ creating something useful or fun for your family. And Brett what beautiful pumpkins you grew! Amazing!💖
The majority of my canning jars have come from Estate Auctions. We have the smoker you have that we did buy new, I cook on the grill on it as well. Love cooking with wood. We bought it a long time ago from Home Depot. Beautiful family!
Ben-I would call the place you got the wood from and have them credit your account for the missing wood, it isn't cheap, you know this and certainly they trust you! MEG-Praise the boys are there to help you Mama! And of course Buggie! And that they are old enough to be of awesome help. God is good, ALL the time.
All the time God is good.
It’s so good to have materials on hand. I hope the outdoor kitchen pops to the top of the list soon.🇦🇺🎸⚡️🤘🏼🤘🏿💋❤️
Confession I took am an addict for Storage lockers, estate sales, and auctions. Not so much for the storage units now they go to high back in the day they went cheap.
I have a neighbor friend who just opened up an auction house, so far I've bought a box full of brand new kitchen gadgets for $5.00 for the whole box, patio set w/ 4 chairs, table and umbrella for $20.00 Meg will love this 10 stainless steel bowls various sizes, (which I've always wanted but expensive). Ben & Meg, you know what they say about best laid plans 😂
Ben, always enjoy the Podcast.
Blessings to you and the family. 😊🇺🇲
When my kids were youngsters, we had that same addiction. It was fun! Lumber was always a major score…built lots of stuff around the homestead.
I love estate sales because they are thrifty, great for the environment & give vintage & antique items new life! I sometimes wonder what memories the items I find would share if they could talk. Imagine the wisdom they might impart! Thank you for sharing your day with us! God bless y'all 🙏🏼🥰
Brett did a great job growing the pumpkins. I have wondered how his garden was doing. Meg, you are a wonder woman in that kitchen. Loved the dino peeking at the tomatoes. You both get so much done even when life pulls you in another direction.
Thanks for the video! The cherry jam looked so good!
Gooood afternoon from central Florida! Hope everyone has a great afternoon!
Thanks for letting us visit
The podcast is fun. A nice leisurely chat between friends who share stories and the progress on their homesteads.
Oh yes, call them, tell them, take a pic, next day, show pic and receipt...go get that board!! It now becomes a mission, lol💕
We just got 2 bushels of peaches today at the local Amish store and will start canning tomorrow morning! I so love summer. I was told that the apples would be ripe in a week or 2 so we will be canning about 3 or 4 bushels of them again this year.
Well if I can’t have your son make me laugh peeking around the camera then I’ll take the T Rex waiting to snatch one of your tomato slices. Thanks for sharing your beautiful life and family.
That cherry jam looked wonderful!!
This is going to take me all week, what I think I can accomplish in 1 day, your right just keep moving towards your goal and go with the flow! Your food is amazing, do you realize how special Megs cooking is! I'm a senior, plant based, grow green, small, in city. My grandmother, mother and me cook from scratch, Meg still blows me away! Beautiful family!
Homestead Triage. Love it! You are not alone in this. More times than not I have to do the same thing…last week I tore down my 10x19 deck and then this week I was blessed with a bushel of tomatoes, a bushel of peaches and a bushel of corn so the deck project has been on hold until the harvest is preserved. It pays to be able to switch projects easily because weekly plans are not set in stone
I grew up on a farm. An estate auction was a community event, where you could visit with all of your neighbors. Back in the day, they were always on Saturday, and the whole family would go, even if nobody needed to buy anything. Of course, it was not unusual to have to go home and get the hay wagon to haul something home! Most of our farm machinery, tools, furniture, and kitchen items came from estate auctions. So much fun!
Ben...If ANYONE could come up with a chicken tractor that would never wear out it's YOU DUDE!!!!!! I'm thinking, light weight?? PVC pipe, the siding from the other tractors that you have used for shade...ANYWAYS....I know you can come up with something that would last longer than 3 or 4 years & then cut down on your having to re-build them. Back in the day we just flat out didn't have the options that are available now!!!!! Love the video's & watching you all Grow & Thrive on the Homestead!!!
As Always, Many many Blessings to you & yours...Till Next Time!!!! 🐣🐤🐥🐔🐓
💚 Keep on pluggin away, indeed. Glad you're building the stand-up style chicken tractor! Wiw, I'm so impressed with Brett's pumpkins..already in August..he musta started them way earlier than I remember! 💚
I too had Zucchini failure this year. Luckily the cucumbers have made up for it. Brett's pumpkins are BEEautiful. 🎃
PS.. Love the Guy's Shop Talk night...Inspiration Everywhere! 😊
I love auctions. Used to go to them every weekend! We used to get things for $1. My friend got an entire bedroom set for $1. So much fun.
I can't wait to see your new chicken tractors!
I love that woman.Does she ever stop ? Quite the Mother , Wife , Friend. Such a Beautiful Family. ❤
Meg - I dehydrate tomatoes, eggplants, zucchini, mushrooms and red onions. I store the mixture in jars. As a quick side dish, I take a jar, add a jar of homemade tomato sauce, and cook it up. I can them add some chopped meat or spaghetti, and a delicious, nutritious dish!
If I said it once I've said it a hundred times, this is an amazing family! I love your earrings Meg!
Hey Ben… build a jig that stands the 2x4 on end , clamp them to the jig, raise the blade and cut to desired depth. Then lower the blade and make the second cut on the side of the board.
I hope that I explained that ok.
Love you guys… thanks for the inspiration that yall are!
When you are done using the chicken 🐔 tractor ... paint them with linseed oil and the wood will last... you can even put it on pressure treated wood... may have to do that next year.. love your family posts...❤
Meg your cake it's going to be scrumptious, I'm still waiting on my tomatoes, watermelon, cukes, and green beans. Skip ahead, 10 seconds to see Megs country kitchen. 😉 🎉 Life every day and the goodness of wholesome homesteading. ✌️ From Virginia 💞🙏
Hugs and prayers ya'll
Can you imagine the WORK farmers and their wives and kids did before food processors, instapots, even a modern stove & oven. These kids (I’m 72) work SO hard with the the “conveniences”.
i do have questions for Meg regarding her stainless steel steam canner. Are you confident using your water bath steam canner? I am not sure if I trust this type of a canner yet. Have you had any spoilage of food using this method? Please advise regarding your experience using this type of canner. If you could do a quick video using it, while explaining the pros and cons of this method of water bath canning including it's limitations. I know many of us who would like to try this method, would be grateful for your advice and input. I have only used the traditional water bath canner. You make this process look so much easier using the steam method. Also can you sterilize your jars with a steam canner? I am a senior and I find the canner is heavy when full of water these days. Love your videos. You are one hard working lady in the home. God Bless You!
I loved hearing about your finds; my fav part is that older stuff is always better quality! I particularly love old wooden furniture in good condition! Great progress, even when we don’t get it done as soon as we want! Blessings to everyone 🤗💗🇨🇦
We bought used metal dog kennels (like the ones Tractor Supply and Rural King has) for our chickens. We can stand in them and they are easy to wrap in hardware cloth. They have worked so well. My 17 year old daughter can move them without issue herself. We've found them for $150-$250 on local sale groups.
Love you guys and your channel and I love the shop talk channel! ❤🙏
Love auctions too and good yard sells
Good job beautiful people. 🕊
When I pull out my Turkey Roaster and it's not Thanksgiving, my husband knows I am making sauce or some kind of broth!👍👍
Sending Blessings!
I LOVE auctions! My late husband and I would go, hopefully find some things we couldn't live without, have a hot dog, maybe a piece of pie, coffee and loved the day. Sometimes they were in an auction building, sometimes on a farm but always a great day!
Love you all. God bless and keep you beautiful people. It's just a joy to follow you all.
Meg, I’ve dehydrated sliced tomatoes a few times and it works well enough for some recipes BUT for dishes like tomato pie where that fresh texture is key my family didn’t care for. I’m planning to invest in a freeze dryer as soon as I can afford..several friends have done freeze dry with many different fruits and vegetables including tomatoes and it’s amazing. Most things once reconstituted you can’t tell they have been preserved..its amazing! So much better taste and texture than dehydrating. You can even do eggs! The appliance is expensive but well worth the cost..you guys should def budget for one in the future. Blessings Hollar family from your biggest Western NC fan I love you guys! ❤🙏
Your family is just awesome! May God keep blessing you all
Meg, you're in the same boat as I am. NO cabinet space when you're canning etc. :( I don't have an island and there is no space in the floor for one because my kitchen is not wide enough. I was given a piece of cabinet top that has Formica on it that I got my husband to help me fix for some temp extended cabinets. I can open a drawer and lay it on the drawer and we put 2 foldable legs on it so it stands up. Then when done I can slide it behind my sideboard out of the way. We do what we have to do though and i guess it's working. :)
I bet that cherry jelly is awesome! LOVE cherries!
I also LOVE thrifting and estate sales and garage sales!
Great video. Because I am allergic to tomatoes, my mad cap canning is winding down now. I have frozen fruits by batch sizes (mashed and measured) for jam to make in cooler weather. I'm feeling a little lost, haha. We are expanding our garden for next year. Learned a lot what we will do differently. Canning meats in the next 2 weeks. So satisfying.
Have y’all ever watched Just a few Acres Farm on UA-cam? He has a trailer he built to move birds. It has a slide with a two by four on either side. He just pulls that forward with the two by four handles and is makes the birds come to the opening. Easy peasy!
I too set very aggressive goals that are almost impossible to achieve,but I learned to give myself grace as i acknowledge all the things that did get done! You are amazing, give yourself grace 🙏🏾
Excellent buy on the steel, and grill. We go to estate sales as well. We've found 3 point tractor attachments, some garden stuff, and a black powder rifle all at a decent auction price. We love watching people get into bidding wars. They're times when the bidding is outrageous. I can't believe some people will actual pay lot's of money on a used item....sometimes more than what the item costs new. I guess they get to involved in bidding.
Pumpkins look great. Congratulations Bret!
Last night I finally saw your hour-long video of that fantastic US tour looking for your new home. What an amazing opportunity for your family. And it would seem that on your travels you drove through my back yard. Well, I'm guessing within 3-4 miles, anyway. Thanks for sharing the stories and pictures. So sorry to hear about your zucchini drought this year.☹️
😊 Next time you need to remove wood try a router. Set the depth to what ever is needed. Layout the piece on the wood use square to draw lines measure distance on router. Cutter bit to router collar. Mine is 3 inches. Hope this helps you in future.
Agree just keep going. And when you complete a task take a moment to celebrate and apreshiate what you have acheaved, however long it took. You did it. Well done you. 👍
Sometimes you have to go with the flow. There is always tomorrow.
You need a Weston Roma tomato strainer or mill! It processes tomatoes ,just wash then run thru the mill, it deseeds, peels! Makes, juice, or sauce! I also bought accessories that I can use to make apple sauce or apple butter, pumpkin butter or pumpkin purée! Grape juice, etc!