"I don't work, I am stay at home mom" - The silliest saying ever!!! Just imagine how much value is in Meg's work: from planting food, schooling children, keeping the house to baking and cooking all the wonderful meals, bravissima:))) And the effort of entire family to preserve food, that's a lesson to the world:))))
With my affinity for alliteration, I think your title is wonderful!!! Permaculture people patiently performing perfect pepper preparation prodigiously pleasing particular patrons. thanx
You both will be so thrilled that you videoed your children and see them grow up in front of your eyes. Buggy and Dad what wonderful memories you are laying down listening to Buggy talking about peppers …..priceless.
Meg should really write a cookbook…I know she doesn’t have the time now. However, if she wrote down her favorite recipes as she makes things by the time the boys leave the nest, then she will have time to organize them for a cookbook. She makes the best looking food! Ben your peppers look amazing! What a huge crop! Love how your boys and buggy just jump right in to help. Great family y’all have!
I love that your entire family jumped in to help pick the peppers and process them. Alao...those kids have got to be very healthy the way they all gobble all the amazing, homegrown, healthy veggies! Even little one gobbles her food! Kudos to Mom And Dad for instilling core values, morals and exceptional work ethics for you children. Beautiful family!
After my husband passed. I forgot how to cook. So I taught myself Chinese. Indian. Mexican. Hawaiian Barbecue. Who needs to eat out. Super easy for the most part and my yard smells great while it slow cooks. I nailed Sweet and Sour soup and I make fried rice better than the take out because I don’t use a lot of salt. And I have a killer hot sauce I found at Trader Joe’s to add hot. Only thing I buy.. Great helpers. Sister knows her peppers too. ❤❤❤
Every time I see you harvesting the cachuchas I feel so happy that we gave it to you at the conference 3 years ago. Those are special peppers that most people don’t know about. We Cubans love them. ❤
Home cooking is the best! Meg is an awesome cook. My mouth waters as she is cooking along. I hope the children learn to take up the banner and give her a break once in a while. Glad to see Ben helping out and enjoying supporting in the kitchen.
Beautiful video guys! Nice choice of music too Meg. Dearest Meg😂 Please please publish a cookbook this winter since you will be having all that time on ur hands (snicker). Teach us how to cook like you do, basics on up:)
Ben, you are so. SO BLESSED to have a wife like Meg. she is truly a gift from God. Meg, may God richly bless you and give you the desires of your heart.
Just a thought for Meg. A lady who lives near me makes organic soap and she sells some of her packs with a luffa included. She also does single luffa's that have been literally put into the soap bars. Like I said just a thought. Maybe a way to use your luffa's
Great work Ben If you prune the chilli plant by half and transplant to the poly tunnel they should survive the winter,,, cause they are perreniial not annual and then move in the spring,,as long as you keep a good root ball on the plant
When you do close up's of Meg's hands making food a thought flashed through my mind - those hard working hands are motivated by love for family ... (wonderful family)
“Is that a bell pepper Daddy?” Such a sweet and smart little girl! ❤ I love to see you all working together in the garden, what great memories and lessons. Thank you Hollar’s! 😊
One day your kids will realise what a phenomenal upbringing they had, especially the “made from scratch” food they are given. Processed food will be uncovered as one of the major causes of unhealthiness in the future.
What a fantastic pepper harvest! Buggy was so cute with her little chatter and you all are a wonderful family and it’s so nice to see you all pitch in and get work done! Meg, you make the most fantastic food! That Chinese food looked so amazing!
Homemade always tastes better and Meg makes anything look and taste fantastic. Love when we get to see the whole family helping with the harvesting. These times will be cherished later.
Not officially, but I spent my childhood watching food network (particularly Good Eats with Alton Brown), and I read cookbooks for fun. I really love food!
@@TheHollarHomestead My mother has over 3K cookbooks, she did butchery and cordon blue cookery before having children. She reads cookbooks for fun too. My older brother is a chef and has an Italian restaurant, he learnt from an Italian grandmother.
Hi guys, I love that all the family gets involved in not only the harvest but the prep of everything too! Thanks so much Meg for teaching me how to make egg rolls. So easy, but just delicious!! So many memories made with all the children.❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
They are very easy to make. It's the filling that goes inside is where the work is. You can put just about anything inside. When my kids were young, many moons ago, I made them for my family. They can be frozen.
If it's the end of the season, one management approach to harvest can be to cut the plants at ground level, take the plants to a table and everybody can sit and pull peppers or tomatoes off the plants to harvest. We; used to do that with beans, limas, peas. 💖
Meg & Ben, I've been watching some of your old videos again and it's amazing how in just a short 6 years how you'll have changed. I mean the two oldest are what 16/17 going to be driving soon yikes. Time seems to be flying by so fast. Also how far you all come with your homestead in a few short years. You all should be so proud and can't wait to see what you plan for the new land you just purchased. Blessings to you and the family. 😊🇺🇲.
Megs dinner looks delicious. 🥰 Love to see the entire family in the garden. All of the work making organic compost and prepping the garden beds has really paid off. Your garden was very abundant this year. Great job‼️
Your boys are growing up so fast! Little Buggie is also, and such a great helper! I know myself, once I started eating more of my own grown food, and watching labels, I also get sick after eating fast food. I love watching your journey, wish this was available back when I was trying to grow and raise food for my 5 kids.. everybody thought I was crazy 20-30 years ago. :)
A couple things you all had a bumper crop of this year are peppers and tomatoes! I loved it when Buggie said, "bumblebees are so noisy!" Meg, your chinese dinner looked delicious!!! And those egg rolls...ummm, fantastic!!!!!
Nice that you got volunteer luffas this year and they dried on the vine for you. That's a lot of peppers! I'm glad you enlisted your whole family to pick peppers. Buggy is so cute helping. That was a Perfect Pepper Prepping Party! I can understand why Meg is pretty tired of canning! Cut and freeze the bell peppers. Wow, egg rolls! Lomein mushrooms? That looks incredible! That is great that you are cooking Chinese food in a healthy way now Meg! I would love that in a cook book! The In-N-Out burgers and the pizza too! That is cool that your recipes are better than the fast food. I'm sure they are so much healthier for you. Thanks for this video Hollar family!
Just to note for next year's. The easiest way to preserve hot peppers is to pull them up by the roots and hang in a dry not sunny place until dry. Strip from plant to store and compost the rest. This is how it's done traditionally. When semi dry you can smoke them the rest of the way (chipotle if the pepper is a red ripe jalapeno) and pickle them (adobo). A Mexican Gran taught me to stuff this years smoked peppers into last year's dregs of fermented ones in the fall topping off with a 2%brine if needed and wait until spring to bottle them for the summer. In Calabria the semi dried hot peppers are smothered in oil and left to sit. Most of the peppers will dry on the stocks if treated above, but I live in the maritime Pac NW (north we't) and we go from dry and small my to cool wet and moldy in a week, so we dont have the conditions to truly dry everything. Given you are in a temperate rain forest too, you may end up with more semi dry, than truly dry. Unless you want to commit war crimes, do not throw them in your dehydrator inside.
Such a very sweet family. I LOVE to see all the yummy meals you make Meg. Your family is so fortunate to have such a great cook and baker..... The BEST food ever!!!
I love watching you all work together in the garden. This was not the year for peppers for me for some reason, but thankfully, I still have some in the freezer from last year as well as some dehydrated. When you were cutting up the cabbage and shredding the carrots, I'm thinking...what is she going to make? Oh, those eggrolls looked amazing!! I haven't had one in so long and you made it look so easy!! I know what you mean about eating out. I don't have a homestead with animals, but I do garden and do try to cook most of our meals at home. I always like eating here better. I don't like store-bought tortillas anymore now that I've learned how to make them myself. Megan, you amaze me at how easy it seems for you to just put things together to make a delicious meal. I'm working on getting more creative.
I try a sweet and sour dish at every Chinese restaurant I go to, and I have yet to find one that makes a sauce better then the one I can easily make at home. A can of diced pineapples with the juice, almost that much of Distilled White Vinegar, and about a cup of sugar. Sometimes I'll add some hot sauce. A corn starch slurry thickens it all up once it's boiling.
Holy moly that’s A-LOT of peppers‼️🔥. I’m glad you all do the pick n prep as a family thing. Love watching this family grow… & the garden also 🌶🫑🧅🍠🧄. 👵🏻👩🌾❣️
I love that you thank your children. To me, that shows them that they are partners and not forced labor. You are raising decent and strong minded people.
You know the dinner is going to be good when all the kids are at the table waiting for it to get done. I have said it before and I will say it again....those boys are going to have high expectations for their future wives when it comes to cooking. Momma is going to be a hard one to measure up to. Nice video!
I love how sister is her daddy's shadow. It is the sweetest thing. You are her idol. Good daddy. And you are always so gentle, patient and educational. Like I said, good daddy.
LOL .This the time of year when you look at your garden and say " Die ..just die!" You have been blessed, but now is the time to look forward to resting and getting ready for next years garden. Having created your favorite eat out recipes is not only healthy, but cost effective. You are raising healthy well adjusted children. Even though they may eat fast food when they get out on their own they will come back to healthy eating because you showed them it is delicious and affordable. You are doing a great job as parents!!Best wishes from San Antonio, Tx.
That looked amazing! I need the recipe for the egg roles and pad Thai. 😊 I lived in a small town that never had fast food. People are wondering why cancer and other health issues have risen, I’d say it’s fast food.
Wow, what an amazing pepper harvest! Looking forward to see how the final products turn out. Megs meals always look amazing. I personally, would love watch more detailed cooking content and recipes. Especially those egg rolls! 🤩 looked amazing! Thank you guys for all that you put out there for us, all the way from Modesto, Ca, love you guys!
Buggy will grow up thinking her name is sister 😅. Good pepper harvest and Meg makes another great meal you couldn't buy without all the chemicals they put in foods. I like knowing what is in my food and that's why I garden.
I’m so encouraged to hear you talk about your perspective of food. It’s very hard to find liked minded people. I’ve really been disappointed with homesteaders that are feeding their families processed foods loaded with chemicals & harmful poison which cancel out all their homegrown food. I just quit watching instead of suggesting they are suffering from inflammation, illness & obesity due to their lack of knowledge or willingness to change❤️
Wow, those cachuchas look like works of art! Nice pepper haul! I loved seeing the entire family involved in the harvest. Homemade is the best way to eat for sure.
My mouth was watering watching Meg make dinner. Those peppers look amazing. The kids helping in the garden is priceless. I would bet you can sell those loofas at the market
I was so confuzzled. I was like ooo cole slaw what’s Ben smokin? Then I was like wait what in the Southern California is this boiled cole slaw! Then I about keeled over when you put eggs in your cole slaw. Then you egg rolled it I was like oh thank you know who. Good lookin egg rolls.
We almost never eat out anymore. Home made tastes so much better and restaurants are cheaping out... you pay more for less quality. You've inspired me to try making Chinese food at home! We can't find decent Chinese restaurants around here, but I bet we won't care anymore once we learn to make our own! ❤
It is so cool you acknowledge your boys and the hard work they help with. Plus they enjoy it. You have raised a wonderful family. It shows in the smiles😊
Just think another 2 or 3 months and you can start all over again. No seriously, enjoy what you have got done and keep on enjoying your life. And yes I am jealous, but would NEVER think for one moment that every day that you do what you do isn't hard work. Wish l had that kind of life at when I was younger.
It is a ton of work and sometimes we do get tired of it. But it makes us thankful for the seasons, having a period of crazy followed by rest. Then by the time we are done resting we are ready to hit the grown running again. It’s a good cycle.
It's interesting to see the variety of discussions in this thread, from luffa gardening to sous vide burgers and canning experiences. Everyone has their unique interests and experiences, making this conversation quite diverse!
I hear what you are saying about eating out and clean food. In my mind retirement was going to be traveling and eating out. I put dinner on the table for my family almost everyday for 30 years. Raised 3 kids, 52 foster kids on wholesome home cooking. I just wanted to retire, eat out. Let someone else cook and clean up. But alas you can't find clean food and if you can, it is pricey and you have to trust the source. In the end, instead of a cabin and an RV we doubled the size of the homestead to feed us 100% grass fed animal protein and organic fruits and veggies
I raised my children in the kitchen, playing alongside me, or leaning over my shoulder in anticipation of what was being cooked. In their teen years they really started going into the kitchen on their own to concoct things they were hungry for that weren't available at the market, or weren't as good as homemade. Now they are in their thirties, and I have to say my son cooks (very well) a broader range of cuisines than I do, though I still have more years experience with basics like stock, sauces, custards, preserving, and things that take days to put together. My daughter likes written recipes, but she is good at pulling them off, and all of us prefer our homemade meals over restaurant fare. You are surely investing in your children's lives with the lifestyle you have chosen, and you never know where it will pay off. My daughter, who struggled with children's craft projects, is currently building a deck off the back of her home, hating every minute of it, but looking forward to the end result as an affordable improvement to her living space.
I looked at those beautiful red peppers, 🌶️🌶️🌶️ as I watched your show today and was reminded of Ecclesiastes chapter 3. “ A time to be born, a time to die, a time to plant, and a time to uproot….Time for all things under heaven. 🍁🍂🍁😊
You should ask the neighbors to come pick what you don’t want. I had a friend who had rows of asparagus. She only used a small portion and the rest went to waste. I always wished she would invite me to pick what she couldn’t use. 😊 We had people from church who brought their bounty for those who wanted garden veggies. That’s another idea.
Your family is so wonderful. You give me hope for humanity. Thanks for making my day! Every video you share makes a big impact. ❤ keep doing what you're doing.
We're the same. Going out to eat is typically a disappointment anymore. I have a couple of great Asian food cookbooks I've collected over the years I'd be thrilled to share your way!
Agreed! Recreating foods we used to eat with healthier ingredients we can pronounce is my absolute favorite thing. And often we find that it is more amazing than the old take out ever was and you feel great the next day! 😂
Business idea for Meg. Slice a piece of luffa into some of the soaps you sell. Built in wash cloth! 😉 Love listening sweet Buggy just chatting away with you guys!!
My perfect husband is always teasing about all this cooking and all these dishes. Well, that’s what you get when you open the freezer for grass fed beef,chicken,or pork. We don’t grow them, but support those that do. I’m more than ready to put the canner away. I ate what might be the last French filet green bean post garlic tonight! 💙
If you want to perfect Asian cooking I highly highly recommend Charmaine Solomon’s Complete Asian Cookbook. The original not the new condensed version. We grew up on Asian food and it is by far the most authentic and delicious! There’s recipes from all over Asian from China to Vietnam, Sri Lanka, India etc. I even used it for school projects when I was a kid, it’s full of info about each country and their cuisines. Seriously Beef Smoore and Chicken and walnuts with Broccoli are our absolute family favourites and if I had to choose, one of them would be my last meal lol.
Perfect pepper harvest. You must have a half dozen freezers to hold all your garden products and meats. I love Chinese food too. I make a lot of stir fry now and has taken about a year to get seasoning right. The egg rolls looked so yummy, but so tedious to make. All your children are wonderful helpers. 💞
Hey Meg, I do feel inspired to try homemade egg rolls! We too now have burgers and pizza down! Everything looked delicious! Great family pepper picking party! 🎉🎉
Just love hearing I'm not the only one tired of preservation 😅 This is my first year giving it my all. Now I'm wondering how it will be years ahead 😮😁 Love from 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇸🇪
This has been mine and my husband's mission... we have got it down now where I can cook anything almost we want or that we would have ate out... We have not been out to eat at all in over three years. No fast food no restaurant nothing.. when we go places we place a picnic lunch and bring our water or coffee etc.. the funny thing is even with us growing or bartering for the food we need. We have found that in all truth we have saved money by not eating out...
You can pick all the pepper let them dry up for seasonings and give the extras as gifts for Christmas and birthdays and such. The luffas can either be a gift or for Megs soap business. You can always actually sell some of the luffas. Making my own chilli powders has been very nice and pretty special. I also discovered I use a lot more chilli than I knew about that. Also try and make fermented pepper pickles those are tasty
"I don't work, I am stay at home mom" - The silliest saying ever!!! Just imagine how much value is in Meg's work: from planting food, schooling children, keeping the house to baking and cooking all the wonderful meals, bravissima:))) And the effort of entire family to preserve food, that's a lesson to the world:))))
Gives it even more importance to those of us who work full time AND are mums too. We have 2 full time jobs.
SO absolutely agree!
With my affinity for alliteration, I think your title is wonderful!!! Permaculture people patiently performing perfect pepper preparation prodigiously pleasing particular patrons. thanx
Amen 🙏
Phenomenal
Say that 10 time fast.😊😅 ❤❤❤
WOW. I'm stunned. :)
Show off, lol.😅
You both will be so thrilled that you videoed your children and see them grow up in front of your eyes. Buggy and Dad what wonderful memories you are laying down listening to Buggy talking about peppers …..priceless.
⁸8⁸⁸provides p kph ppp up p ò
I agree! these are such precious memories!!
I agree 🥲 so precious
Have you thought about inviting neighbors and friends to pick what you don’t need or want? Or donating to food banks?
I bet they already do that as best as possible!@@miephoex
It's so nice how you always compliment your wife on her cooking.
Having homegrown, fresh produce and Meg being such an artist in the kitchen, makes you realize you aren't missing anything from those restaurants.
Meg should really write a cookbook…I know she doesn’t have the time now. However, if she wrote down her favorite recipes as she makes things by the time the boys leave the nest, then she will have time to organize them for a cookbook. She makes the best looking food! Ben your peppers look amazing! What a huge crop! Love how your boys and buggy just jump right in to help. Great family y’all have!
Old Luffa makes great fire starters in your fire pit! The egg rolls looked fantastic! 🤤
I love that your entire family jumped in to help pick the peppers and process them. Alao...those kids have got to be very healthy the way they all gobble all the amazing, homegrown, healthy veggies! Even little one gobbles her food! Kudos to Mom And Dad for instilling core values, morals and exceptional work ethics for you children. Beautiful family!
Buggy is such a little character. She makes me smile with pure joy.
After my husband passed. I forgot how to cook. So I taught myself Chinese. Indian. Mexican. Hawaiian Barbecue. Who needs to eat out. Super easy for the most part and my yard smells great while it slow cooks.
I nailed Sweet and Sour soup and I make fried rice better than the take out because I don’t use a lot of salt. And I have a killer hot sauce I found at Trader Joe’s to add hot. Only thing I buy..
Great helpers. Sister knows her peppers too. ❤❤❤
Every time I see you harvesting the cachuchas I feel so happy that we gave it to you at the conference 3 years ago. Those are special peppers that most people don’t know about. We Cubans love them. ❤
Home cooking is the best! Meg is an awesome cook. My mouth waters as she is cooking along. I hope the children learn to take up the banner and give her a break once in a while. Glad to see Ben helping out and enjoying supporting in the kitchen.
Meg doing a cook book would be amazing 🙏👏.
Every time she cooks my mouth is watering
Loved seeing the boys eyes like saucers looking at the egg rolls whilst waiting at the table for the rest of the food.
Beautiful video guys! Nice choice of music too Meg.
Dearest Meg😂 Please please publish a cookbook this winter since you will be having all that time on ur hands (snicker). Teach us how to cook like you do, basics on up:)
A positively productive pepper prepping party!
Ben, you are so. SO BLESSED to have a wife like Meg. she is truly a gift from God. Meg, may God richly bless you and give you the desires of your heart.
What y'all do that Homestead is absolutely amazing. Between growing the food and Meg cooking y'all are really something.
We could watch Meg cook all day long. Just livestream with ads in it. LOL Thanks for the great video!
Ben youre family is so lucky to have a mama who cooks her heart out for her family. Nothing intimidates her. She makes complicated foods!!
Just a thought for Meg. A lady who lives near me makes organic soap and she sells some of her packs with a luffa included. She also does single luffa's that have been literally put into the soap bars. Like I said just a thought. Maybe a way to use your luffa's
Kudos to Meg for the great 👍 job of mother and wife 👏 👍 🙌 😀.
Great work Ben
If you prune the chilli plant by half and transplant to the poly tunnel they should survive the winter,,, cause they are perreniial not annual and then move in the spring,,as long as you keep a good root ball on the plant
When you do close up's of Meg's hands making food a thought flashed through my mind - those hard working hands are motivated by love for family ... (wonderful family)
“Is that a bell pepper Daddy?” Such a sweet and smart little girl! ❤ I love to see you all working together in the garden, what great memories and lessons. Thank you Hollar’s! 😊
So proud of all of you. If I could go back and do it all over, I would love to raise my kids the way ya'll are doing it.
One day your kids will realise what a phenomenal upbringing they had, especially the “made from scratch” food they are given. Processed food will be uncovered as one of the major causes of unhealthiness in the future.
What a fantastic pepper harvest! Buggy was so cute with her little chatter and you all are a wonderful family and it’s so nice to see you all pitch in and get work done! Meg, you make the most fantastic food! That Chinese food looked so amazing!
Maybe y’all should start a small farm stand. You have such an amazing garden!
Homemade always tastes better and Meg makes anything look and taste fantastic. Love when we get to see the whole family helping with the harvesting. These times will be cherished later.
Many of the things Meg cooks has made me wonder if she studied the culinary arts
Not officially, but I spent my childhood watching food network (particularly Good Eats with Alton Brown), and I read cookbooks for fun. I really love food!
@@TheHollarHomestead My mother has over 3K cookbooks, she did butchery and cordon blue cookery before having children. She reads cookbooks for fun too. My older brother is a chef and has an Italian restaurant, he learnt from an Italian grandmother.
Hi guys, I love that all the family gets involved in not only the harvest but the prep of everything too! Thanks so much Meg for teaching me how to make egg rolls. So easy, but just delicious!! So many memories made with all the children.❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Meg's egg rolls looked amazing, something i have never made from scratch
They are very easy to make. It's the filling that goes inside is where the work is. You can put just about anything inside.
When my kids were young, many moons ago, I made them for my family. They can be frozen.
If it's the end of the season, one management approach to harvest can be to cut the plants at ground level, take the plants to a table and everybody can sit and pull peppers or tomatoes off the plants to harvest. We; used to do that with beans, limas, peas. 💖
Meg & Ben, I've been watching some of your old videos again and it's amazing how in just a short 6 years how you'll have changed. I mean the two oldest are what 16/17 going to be driving soon yikes. Time seems to be flying by so fast.
Also how far you all come with your homestead in a few short years. You all should be so proud and can't wait to see what you plan for the new land you just purchased.
Blessings to you and the family. 😊🇺🇲.
Buggy is already speaking full sentences! She’s growing up so quickly❤
Megs dinner looks delicious. 🥰 Love to see the entire family in the garden. All of the work making organic compost and prepping the garden beds has really paid off. Your garden was very abundant this year. Great job‼️
Love the garden plants , nothing like fresh. Eat fresh. Home cooking. Everybody gonna cook like mom.good memories luv yall
That's the best way to raise your kids and incorporate your favorites and learning to make them is fantastic.
Your boys are growing up so fast! Little Buggie is also, and such a great helper! I know myself, once I started eating more of my own grown food, and watching labels, I also get sick after eating fast food. I love watching your journey, wish this was available back when I was trying to grow and raise food for my 5 kids.. everybody thought I was crazy 20-30 years ago. :)
Loved watching you harvest your peppers was a enjoyable experience.
That dinner looked amazing. No need to go out when you have someone like Meg cooking!
Good evening lovely people 😊
A couple things you all had a bumper crop of this year are peppers and tomatoes! I loved it when Buggie said, "bumblebees are so noisy!" Meg, your chinese dinner looked delicious!!! And those egg rolls...ummm, fantastic!!!!!
Nice that you got volunteer luffas this year and they dried on the vine for you. That's a lot of peppers! I'm glad you enlisted your whole family to pick peppers. Buggy is so cute helping. That was a Perfect Pepper Prepping Party! I can understand why Meg is pretty tired of canning! Cut and freeze the bell peppers. Wow, egg rolls! Lomein mushrooms? That looks incredible! That is great that you are cooking Chinese food in a healthy way now Meg! I would love that in a cook book! The In-N-Out burgers and the pizza too! That is cool that your recipes are better than the fast food. I'm sure they are so much healthier for you. Thanks for this video Hollar family!
Are there no limits to Meg's talents? I'm amazed with every video.she edits, meal she cooks, lesson she teaches Sister, soap business each fall. Wow.
Just to note for next year's. The easiest way to preserve hot peppers is to pull them up by the roots and hang in a dry not sunny place until dry. Strip from plant to store and compost the rest.
This is how it's done traditionally. When semi dry you can smoke them the rest of the way (chipotle if the pepper is a red ripe jalapeno) and pickle them (adobo). A Mexican Gran taught me to stuff this years smoked peppers into last year's dregs of fermented ones in the fall topping off with a 2%brine if needed and wait until spring to bottle them for the summer. In Calabria the semi dried hot peppers are smothered in oil and left to sit. Most of the peppers will dry on the stocks if treated above, but I live in the maritime Pac NW (north we't) and we go from dry and small my to cool wet and moldy in a week, so we dont have the conditions to truly dry everything. Given you are in a temperate rain forest too, you may end up with more semi dry, than truly dry. Unless you want to commit war crimes, do not throw them in your dehydrator inside.
Such a very sweet family. I LOVE to see all the yummy meals you make Meg. Your family is so fortunate to have such a great cook and baker..... The BEST food ever!!!
I love watching you cook, I can imagine the wonderful aroma coming out of your kitchen. Yummy, I bet it's amazing !
🇦🇺If your finished with picking the peppers or loofers you could open it up for someone in the community or family that wants to pick them.
Your egg rolls look delicious! I love to make egg rolls! I usually add browned pork sausage to mine! Yum!
I love watching you all work together in the garden. This was not the year for peppers for me for some reason, but thankfully, I still have some in the freezer from last year as well as some dehydrated. When you were cutting up the cabbage and shredding the carrots, I'm thinking...what is she going to make? Oh, those eggrolls looked amazing!! I haven't had one in so long and you made it look so easy!! I know what you mean about eating out. I don't have a homestead with animals, but I do garden and do try to cook most of our meals at home. I always like eating here better. I don't like store-bought tortillas anymore now that I've learned how to make them myself. Megan, you amaze me at how easy it seems for you to just put things together to make a delicious meal. I'm working on getting more creative.
I try a sweet and sour dish at every Chinese restaurant I go to, and I have yet to find one that makes a sauce better then the one I can easily make at home. A can of diced pineapples with the juice, almost that much of Distilled White Vinegar, and about a cup of sugar. Sometimes I'll add some hot sauce. A corn starch slurry thickens it all up once it's boiling.
That sounds great, thank you for sharing that! I’ve been trying to find a good sweet & sour sauce and that sounds perfect.
Love you guys. So glad you decided to record regularly. You are reminding us all what family is all about.
Holy moly that’s A-LOT of peppers‼️🔥. I’m glad you all do the pick n prep as a family thing.
Love watching this family grow… & the garden also 🌶🫑🧅🍠🧄. 👵🏻👩🌾❣️
I love that you thank your children. To me, that shows them that they are partners and not forced labor. You are raising decent and strong minded people.
My husband and I totally agree with you about how home cooked food is the best!
Homemade, homegrown, home cooked is such a rewarding adventure. Burgers= Swiss cheese and cowboy candy sooo good. Thank you guys for inspiring.
You know the dinner is going to be good when all the kids are at the table waiting for it to get done. I have said it before and I will say it again....those boys are going to have high expectations for their future wives when it comes to cooking. Momma is going to be a hard one to measure up to. Nice video!
I love how sister is her daddy's shadow. It is the sweetest thing. You are her idol. Good daddy. And you are always so gentle, patient and educational. Like I said, good daddy.
LOL .This the time of year when you look at your garden and say " Die ..just die!" You have been blessed, but now is the time to look forward to resting and getting ready for next years garden. Having created your favorite eat out recipes is not only healthy, but cost effective. You are raising healthy well adjusted children. Even though they may eat fast food when they get out on their own they will come back to healthy eating because you showed them it is delicious and affordable. You are doing a great job as parents!!Best wishes from San Antonio, Tx.
💚 You are all SO amazing! All those peppers! The Egg Rolls look amazing! You have really made the changes over these past 4+ years. You Rock!💚
That looked amazing! I need the recipe for the egg roles and pad Thai. 😊
I lived in a small town that never had fast food. People are wondering why cancer and other health issues have risen, I’d say it’s fast food.
Meg is a mega food machine ... It all looks delicious .. always!
Thank you I enjoy watching your family grow look how big your daughter is now the time is flying by
Wow, what an amazing pepper harvest! Looking forward to see how the final products turn out. Megs meals always look amazing. I personally, would love watch more detailed cooking content and recipes. Especially those egg rolls! 🤩 looked amazing! Thank you guys for all that you put out there for us, all the way from Modesto, Ca, love you guys!
Buggy will grow up thinking her name is sister 😅. Good pepper harvest and Meg makes another great meal you couldn't buy without all the chemicals they put in foods. I like knowing what is in my food and that's why I garden.
You can give them away as gifts to people during the holidays.
Again, Meg makes BEAUTIFUL food! Your family is really so blessed by her talents! 🌟
I’m so encouraged to hear you talk about your perspective of food. It’s very hard to find liked minded people. I’ve really been disappointed with homesteaders that are feeding their families processed foods loaded with chemicals & harmful poison which cancel out all their homegrown food. I just quit watching instead of suggesting they are suffering from inflammation, illness & obesity due to their lack of knowledge or willingness to change❤️
Buggy loves to be with her daddy, so sweet, daddys little girl. So Precious!
Wow, those cachuchas look like works of art! Nice pepper haul! I loved seeing the entire family involved in the harvest. Homemade is the best way to eat for sure.
My mouth was watering watching Meg make dinner. Those peppers look amazing. The kids helping in the garden is priceless. I would bet you can sell those loofas at the market
I was so confuzzled. I was like ooo cole slaw what’s Ben smokin? Then I was like wait what in the Southern California is this boiled cole slaw! Then I about keeled over when you put eggs in your cole slaw. Then you egg rolled it I was like oh thank you know who. Good lookin egg rolls.
We almost never eat out anymore. Home made tastes so much better and restaurants are cheaping out... you pay more for less quality. You've inspired me to try making Chinese food at home! We can't find decent Chinese restaurants around here, but I bet we won't care anymore once we learn to make our own! ❤
What a cute little pepper picker
It is so cool you acknowledge your boys and the hard work they help with. Plus they enjoy it. You have raised a wonderful family. It shows in the smiles😊
I love homemade egg rolls but it is a labor of love
Just think another 2 or 3 months and you can start all over again. No seriously, enjoy what you have got done and keep on enjoying your life. And yes I am jealous, but would NEVER think for one moment that every day that you do what you do isn't hard work. Wish l had that kind of life at when I was younger.
It is a ton of work and sometimes we do get tired of it. But it makes us thankful for the seasons, having a period of crazy followed by rest. Then by the time we are done resting we are ready to hit the grown running again. It’s a good cycle.
It's interesting to see the variety of discussions in this thread, from luffa gardening to sous vide burgers and canning experiences. Everyone has their unique interests and experiences, making this conversation quite diverse!
I hear what you are saying about eating out and clean food.
In my mind retirement was going to be traveling and eating out.
I put dinner on the table for my family almost everyday for 30 years. Raised 3 kids, 52 foster kids on wholesome home cooking. I just wanted to retire, eat out. Let someone else cook and clean up.
But alas you can't find clean food and if you can, it is pricey and you have to trust the source.
In the end, instead of a cabin and an RV we doubled the size of the homestead to feed us 100% grass fed animal protein and organic fruits and veggies
I raised my children in the kitchen, playing alongside me, or leaning over my shoulder in anticipation of what was being cooked. In their teen years they really started going into the kitchen on their own to concoct things they were hungry for that weren't available at the market, or weren't as good as homemade. Now they are in their thirties, and I have to say my son cooks (very well) a broader range of cuisines than I do, though I still have more years experience with basics like stock, sauces, custards, preserving, and things that take days to put together. My daughter likes written recipes, but she is good at pulling them off, and all of us prefer our homemade meals over restaurant fare. You are surely investing in your children's lives with the lifestyle you have chosen, and you never know where it will pay off. My daughter, who struggled with children's craft projects, is currently building a deck off the back of her home, hating every minute of it, but looking forward to the end result as an affordable improvement to her living space.
I looked at those beautiful red peppers, 🌶️🌶️🌶️ as I watched your show today and was reminded of Ecclesiastes chapter 3. “ A time to be born, a time to die, a time to plant, and a time to uproot….Time for all things under heaven. 🍁🍂🍁😊
How wonderful to have the ability to take school out to the garden.
You should ask the neighbors to come pick what you don’t want. I had a friend who had rows of asparagus. She only used a small portion and the rest went to waste. I always wished she would invite me to pick what she couldn’t use. 😊
We had people from church who brought their bounty for those who wanted garden veggies. That’s another idea.
Meag, you cooked a fabulous dinner. So nice how everyone piches in to help. You have a great family ❤
I am sooo jealous! Who needs to eat out when you have a Meg who can make ALL the things! Mmmmmm....
Presupposing perfectly picked peppers provides possibly plumptious peppers, pickled precisely, presents pleasantly palatable portions.
Your family is so wonderful. You give me hope for humanity. Thanks for making my day!
Every video you share makes a big impact.
❤ keep doing what you're doing.
We're the same. Going out to eat is typically a disappointment anymore. I have a couple of great Asian food cookbooks I've collected over the years I'd be thrilled to share your way!
OK, somebody needs to get married under that loofah arch. 😂
Agreed! Recreating foods we used to eat with healthier ingredients we can pronounce is my absolute favorite thing. And often we find that it is more amazing than the old take out ever was and you feel great the next day! 😂
Business idea for Meg. Slice a piece of luffa into some of the soaps you sell. Built in wash cloth! 😉 Love listening sweet Buggy just chatting away with you guys!!
My perfect husband is always teasing about all this cooking and all these dishes. Well, that’s what you get when you open the freezer for grass fed beef,chicken,or pork. We don’t grow them, but support those that do. I’m more than ready to put the canner away. I ate what might be the last French filet green bean post garlic tonight! 💙
👀..👀...French filet green bean post garlic?🤔..😵💫🤣🙂😆🙃
You guys need a Harvest Right Freeze Dryer. It would solve a lot of Meg canning and storage.
If you want to perfect Asian cooking I highly highly recommend Charmaine Solomon’s Complete Asian Cookbook. The original not the new condensed version.
We grew up on Asian food and it is by far the most authentic and delicious! There’s recipes from all over Asian from China to Vietnam, Sri Lanka, India etc. I even used it for school projects when I was a kid, it’s full of info about each country and their cuisines. Seriously Beef Smoore and Chicken and walnuts with Broccoli are our absolute family favourites and if I had to choose, one of them would be my last meal lol.
Perfect pepper harvest. You must have a half dozen freezers to hold all your garden products and meats. I love Chinese food too. I make a lot of stir fry now and has taken about a year to get seasoning right. The egg rolls looked so yummy, but so tedious to make. All your children are wonderful helpers. 💞
You can buy the cool gadgets to help you prep.
Hey Meg, I do feel inspired to try homemade egg rolls! We too now have burgers and pizza down! Everything looked delicious! Great family pepper picking party! 🎉🎉
For years l was so proud of my garden and home cooking from scratch...and then there was Meg!!!...😂
Just love hearing I'm not the only one tired of preservation 😅 This is my first year giving it my all. Now I'm wondering how it will be years ahead 😮😁
Love from 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇸🇪
This has been mine and my husband's mission... we have got it down now where I can cook anything almost we want or that we would have ate out... We have not been out to eat at all in over three years. No fast food no restaurant nothing.. when we go places we place a picnic lunch and bring our water or coffee etc.. the funny thing is even with us growing or bartering for the food we need. We have found that in all truth we have saved money by not eating out...
A family that picks together sticks together! 🤣🤣
You can pick all the pepper let them dry up for seasonings and give the extras as gifts for Christmas and birthdays and such. The luffas can either be a gift or for Megs soap business. You can always actually sell some of the luffas.
Making my own chilli powders has been very nice and pretty special. I also discovered I use a lot more chilli than I knew about that.
Also try and make fermented pepper pickles those are tasty