One reason your videos are superior is because you do not do a lot of scrolling and copying of others content. You are original and real. People are able to gain practical skills for healthy living.
Anyone who has watched any of your videos knows how much you value cleanliness. Scuffed doors are not dirty doors. Your little boys are not so little anymore. I've loved watching them grow. You ate such an inspiration. Thank you.
Very enjoyable and informative video. Thank you Ruth Ann! I don’t know why we enjoy seeing food buying and stock up so much-it’s encouraging and satisfying, even relaxing to me😊. I love the way you point out what others might consider flaws but don’t apologize for them😂 I do order from azure-still in the monthly stage even though it’s been over a year. I also live in southwest Tx so storeroom/basement not a thing here with our temps and humidity.
Ruthann, I’m not a huge fan of grocery haul videos honestly, but I found yours so fascinating. I love watching your boys help. I wanted a big family but was only able to have two children (both grown now) because I almost died with each pregnancy. So I just really enjoy your boys and watching you interact with them. I am looking to replace my old bread pans (long story not worth going into) and would love a link to the ones you use. Thanks so much for your message at the end about what is eternal and what is not. I just love your attitude and it is a good reminder for my day.
That’s awesome! Congratulations to you! My husband and I turned 72 this year and we are a year into our homestead journey. It is such a blessing to have help like our dear Ruthann!
Hey Ruthann, the fact that you don’t buy much at the grocery store is what makes your grocery haul interesting. I too buy mainly ingredients, as I’m a from scratch cook/baker, so my grocery hauls don’t look like others. Please don’t feel you have to excuse the wear and tear on your kitchen cabinets, it’s a hard working well used kitchen for a large family.
I know just what you mean. I always helped around the house. Shopping, cooking esp. I was around seven when I was putting away groceries and said to my mom "gee mom, who would believe youre such a good cook. All you bought today are ingredients". 😂 She stood there and just stared at me 😳 then she cracked up. Its true. Ingredients are the raw materials for a banquet.
RuthAnn you don’t need to apologize for the way your cabinets look. A pristine kitchen is one that is not often used. A kitchen showing some scuff and scrapes shows that you are using it multiple times a day to provide nutritious meals for your family. Thanks for sharing your grocery haul and the reasoning behind the way you shop for your large family. I am a single person household who still continues to shop in bulk for ingredients. I now can get a year or more from my bulk purchases vs when I had more people at home. Once you start shopping for ingredients instead of prepared meals you don’t really go back to shopping for prepackaged meals even as your family size decreases.
I have been preparing from scratch for 25 years now and lost 125 lbs in the process. First, I believe that all of the preservatives were adding to the weight proble. Second, the time it takes to prepare from scratch made me more mindful of how much I was eating. And finally, it is now a taste thing. Prepackaged does NOT compare to fresh from scratch.
Exactly. My family home freestanding kitchen cupboards, marble pantry shelves, papered over cow dung walls and flag stones haven’t been “modernised” for 400 years. The bread oven has been boarded over though and the Georgian wood stoked range that replaced the original open fire place was removed early last century at the same time as water pipes were plumbed into the sinks in the scullery bypassing the hand pump well outside the back door. We all learnt to walk fairly early. Those flagstones floors are mighty cold in the winter and “sweat” when the cellars beneath (with stalactite ceilings) flood. It’s currently on the market. Probably get modernised by a footballer’s wife and the process filmed for UA-cam. 😂
We are in our late 70’s and are making the transition to “making our own”. I know that seems late, but, better late than never, right? And, it might help us to make it into our 90’s and beyond (unless the Lord comes soon. 🙏🏻 ). We’ve just started shopping at Azure and I’m buying the smaller sizes of things until we figure out what we like and since it’s just the two of us. I look forward to your videos and have learned so much from you! We garden on a much smaller scale, using raised beds because of back issues. Thank you for the inspiration and for sharing your life with us. PS: I think you’re just as cute as a button! 🥰
Your comments at the end were so true, as a society we need to remember the importance of those connections and the lasting impact they will have on children/grandchildren/friends. Thanks for the important reminder!
Oh how I Iove the energy & mindset of little boys. I have 2 sons, now 33 & 31. I affectionately chuckled at seeing your one son trying to pat down the flour in that bucket using his hands. Then I got a real kick out of seeing his brother sit in the middle of that spilled flour, while he was quasi sweeping it up. But you know, your little boys are learning as they go, & they seem to be willing participants. That can be 90% of the process when training them. As you have older children too I realize you are well aware Ruthann, that in the not too distant future, & very likely before you’re ready to kiss these years goodbye, their energy will become more focused, & their work will less, & less resemble play. But, that’s why it works now, because for children their work IS play & you & your husband understand that. I’m sure you plan to enjoy this stage for as long as you can. I recall my sons cutting the grass with our push mower & how when younger, they seemed to struggle with not making, what my husband called, “crop circles” as they turned the mower at the end of each row. I can’t say my husband loved that at the time but we can affectionately laugh about it now. Oh sure, they loved riding bikes & scooters, action figures, building Lego’s, Scouting, going camping, marching band & all the other fun “work” too. But it was equally important to me that my boys learned how to properly clean a bathroom, to clear up after a meal, vacuum, & do their laundry. While I don’t think they necessarily “loved” doing those things, they did cooperate & I can say with confidence now my sons are quite capable when it comes to keeping a house clean enough so that’s it’s tidy & not overtaken by germs & how to stay on top of their laundry. All that mattered to me as I wanted them to be capable husbands inside their home as well as capable outside.
Never apologize for a hard-working kitchen. As for video length, I wait all week for your new videos! Your young boys are growing so fast! Much respect for your family values, we need more of that. Thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge. ❤❤❤
The interesting thing about grocery purchases (I dislike the word “haul”) is that it really shows what cannot be grown on the homestead. It is also nice to see different places where one can buy natural ingredients.
I love you, Ruthann!! You have become like my sister. I have no family close by so it is such a blessing to see your videos each week. Live in the city but we also do overhauls and a garden to feed our family.
Watching your boys help is more entertaining than any media produced 'reality' t.v. show! Harrison creating a cloud of cacao powder by smacking the empty bag then spinning around in its cloud! Precious. Then watching him push the flour down in the bucket to make more room while you so patiently instruct him to 'blutz' it! Haha..tap it, bang it, blutz it! Maxwell taking a few chocolate chips as he empties the bag into the bucket, Kendrick comparing the walnut bag to the feed bags in they way they open, then scooting around on the floured floor with his black pants while he tries to sweep up the flour with a broom. You're so busy you don't get to see it all like we do. Love watching you raise your family. Thank you for sharing.
I make sourdough, I can potatoes, beans, soup, jam, meat, and other things. I grow some veggies. I try to buy local and organic. I make crackers, granola and such. It's scary all the ingredients they put in the processed food at the store. You are very inspiring. I love your grocery haul. You should keep doing them. ❤❤❤ I also love the life skills you install in your children. It's so important
I've never seen any other grocery haul videos. I am a mom of 3 boys and although they are now grown and on their own I still cook everything from scratch. I feel like I always do pretty well at the grocery store and many times the cashiers have commented on how much I've gotten for my dollar. Thanks for sharing your recipes and ideas
I have been watching your videos for a year now and this one was just wonderful. My family is all grown and married now so it’s just my husband and me and our 19 year old cat ( and she doesn’t eat our food) so are life style has changed and buying and eating habits have changed,also manage to make all homemade meals and sit down every night with our family and have our bonding time when the were home. Still that’s special when the kids come home and we sit around the table to talk. I love what you said and the end of your video. Keep up the good work. Thank for your wonderful,honest videos.
Thank you for sharing your lives with us! Things you do may seem boring to you but I learn so much from your videos and you inspire me to try new things! I consider you a friend even though I’ve never met you in person!
Here I am watching your grocery haul, when I could care less what people buying at the store. Only because I know you produce your own food vs regular family not producing. I watched your cleaning kitchen video. You never need to apologize for your cabinets. I’m still processing peppers and tomatoes. My kitchen is a wreck today as our my feet! Love your channel.
I appreciate that you don’t try to make anyone feel bad for the choices they need to make to feed their family and themselves. Like you said, food has no eternal value. Some people don’t have the resources or health or help to make everything from scratch, and that’s ok. Do what you can with what you have. It’s not a competition. Start where you are and try to make the best choices your budget and time and health allow. It’s about balance. As I get older my energy and health are not as good as when I was younger. I still try to do my best and make the healthiest choices I can. If I’m having a particular bad week because of my health and I am not able to make bread, I buy the best quality bread I can within my budget. It may mean cutting back on other expenses to purchase the organic bread, but I would rather choose something else other than bread, then to buy commercially made bread laden with so many chemicals. Once I eliminated even the commercial bread I can really taste the difference. I can actually taste the chemicals now. It’s not good. There are very few organic breads that taste good to me either. It’s been a journey. Growing up in the 1960’s food was just food. There were no “organic” choices at the grocery. I came from a family that always canned and had gardens so it was normal to me. Getting out on my own was eye opening. I didn’t realize that not everyone did. I feel blessed that I did. It continues to bless me even though all those before me in my family are gone. What we are taught as children we carry with us. What we pass on to our children is what they will carry on after you are gone. Choose wisely what you teach. ❤️. Thank you for sharing another video. I know it will bless so many. 🙏💝
You have through your various videos shown me just how much you can and should make from scratch. I wish I had farm animals so I could source my own meat. Honestly, though, I wish I still had more kids around my table. Four of my six have left. Family dinners are precious. I love your channel and you. You are precious.
Good morning RuthAnn. Always enjoy my Saturday morning coffee with you. We also started growing our own dried beans. It has taken a few years to increase the quantities but, we felt good growing one more item we no longer have to purchase from the store. Each year we try to add 1 or 2 new foods to our garden, this expands our pantry options😊. Thank you for all you do, you are inspiring!
Good morning sweet RuthAnn. You were not boring at all. Loved the whole video. Kendrick was really enjoying himself cleaning up the flour! So cute. I like seeing Azure hauls because I get ideas from them of what I want to try. Have a great week.
I agree with you. Some of the people that are buying in bulk are buying a lot of junk. You are like me and the way I was brought up. You plant your own garden. You take care of it, you can your own food you hunt. You harvest your own livestock and find ways to. Put it up so that if you lose your electricity. Your food's not gonna spoil. 😮 I really appreciate all of your. Shows and and it always makes me laugh when I watch you. Not because you're funny but because you and I have are doing the same things every year. I was brought up that way. And I'm 80 years old and I don't consider myself a Homesteader I'm just a farmer's wife. God bless you and your amazing family..
Thank you for what you said at the end of the video. Keep the main thing the main thing. So many are single moms or working moms doing the best they can. Blessings.
This was GREAT! I struggle over whether i am over spending on groceries. Not every family does things the same way but its always helpful to get an idea or two that can get you going in the right direction. I loved watching your helpers put away the bulk foods. My goodness how they are growing! You did really well on this video Ruthann...thank your daughters for the inspiration. Have a blessed week.
Thank you for taking the time in your very busy family life RuthAnn. You have been a blessing to me. I now can for my family and friends. My children are all married and I have 10 grandchildren. Now they are 45-53 (4). I am 74 and my husband went to be with the Lord at 68. We met at 15 and 16 and married at 19. I was raised in the suburbs of Md. but we retired in WV 11 years ago and we both have always loved the country life. I am the caregiver of my family and extended family, very active in my "born again" church so I am always cooking, canning, quilting, sewing, crocheting and knitting for everyone. I miss the love of my life so much, but God has always filled my life with love from all people listed above, beginning with a wonderful man to take care of me and my family and our children. I have learned so much from you and enjoy meeting you and your family through your videos. God Bless you for your sharing and love to help and encourage others. Love in Christ, Linda Miller from West by God Virginia. 🥰
I love love love your video's. You have a lovely family. I enjoy how the boys are so eager to help. Don't apologize for anything, your house is lived in. I so wish I could live the way you do. You are an inspiration. Thank you for your video's. 😍😍😊😊
You have taught me so much over the last few years, learning to grow and can our own food since moving from the city back to my hometown. You’re such a blessing to myself and my family. Thank you
My town does not have much available when it comes to organic foods or ingredients. So whatever organics I can't get locally (or don't grow), I buy from Azure Standard, or drive 45 min. to Safeway, or 1.5 hrs. to Costco. I buy bulk products for my prepper pantry for just myself and my dog after trying the smaller sizes, too. However, I can not afford to buy their meat, so I buy it on sale at Safeway or Costco. I watch some of the Azure Standard hauls because I learn about other products and get new ideas.
I love grocery hauls and cooking videos. I learn a lot from grocery hauls. You get new ideas and learn about things you didn't know existed. Ty for sharing this ruthanne. Great video.
No worries about your well loved/used kitchen. I've watched your video where you do a HUGE spring cleaning/washing. I'd eat anything from your kitchen, Thank you Ruth Anne!
Love your videos! You are an inspiration with everything you do for us and your sweet family. Your farm is beautiful as well as yourself. Thank you for sharing God’s goodness.
Love that you did this. Great explanation on how having ingredients to cook with saves a family so much money. Convenience food is so expensive, especially when you are purchasing items long term.
Absolutely great video!!!! This is my favorite of all ! We are 71 and73 with 3 grown children and 14 grandchildren who live all over the country. We still farm and preserve and educate whom ever is interested. But you reach so many! Thank you for what you do ! Please show your jar pantry in a companion video when you have time. Praise God for you Ruth Anne and your skills! Jean Colorado USA
I have been watching your channel for over a year now and it's been such an inspiration. I make bread from scratch, granola bars, your homemade hot pockets, i made my first from scratch pumpkin pie with a sugar pumpkin last year with your recipe for the filling and crust. I've made jam, am canning my veggies and fruits and veggies from friends and family. Have doubled our gardening space. We traded hay (we're hay farmers that lease hay fields) for local beef that eats our hay and filled our freezer this year. We help friends with a farm and get free eggs and veggies that we don't grow from them all year. I fill our truck with bulk ingredients from Amish and Mennonite stores in PA when we visit a few times a year. We rarely eat out anymore and i have stopped buying most snacks. We currently live in the suburbs but will be inheriting land one day and i look forward to learning to be even more self sufficient. One day at a time but i have learned so much from your channel. Thank you for helping to make my family healthier and more self sufficient.
No excuses needed for “dirty” cabinets! Your kitchen is well loved! I so enjoy watching for real kitchens in a farm house with real people. Only thing I’d say about groceries is we switched from all the dyes and seed oils in Doritos to Siete chips. Took a little getting used to - but so much better for the body! We try real hard to avoid any seed oils. It’s tough!!
You are always such an inspiration and I always learn something from your videos. We switched to your granola months ago for cereal and it is absolutely delicious and the process of making it is very streamlined. Thankfully I am slowly realizing just how much easier it is to cook from scratch than I ever thought it would be.
There certainly is a big difference between a regular UA-cam grocery haul and a Ruthann grocery haul! Right? Thanks for always sharing your wisdom with us.
Great video. You are so kind Ruthann you go out of your way to make us all feel good about what we are doing. You and your family are inspiring to me. Thank you so much and God bless you and keep you. 🙏🏻❤️🙏🏻
That New York family has one of the healthiest grocery hauls on UA-cam for a family that isn't growing or preserving their own stocks. Unlike so many of the hauls that are based on junk/processes items.
Personally, I think grocery hauls are weird, but I did like the way you presented it. 800 is a lot to shell out all at once, but you also have a large family. We just shop for two, all the kids are on their own now. I really enjoyed watching your boys help out. Harrison just couldn't help himself sticking his hands in the flour, lol. And smashing the bag of cocoa on the counter....😅😂😂😂 (I might have to go back and watch that again😂)
I'm editing and adding as I go..feels like I'm having a conversation with you...crazy granny giving a running commentary. Love that you put organ meat in your ground beef. Your advice about establishing preferences and products is down to earth and practical. You guys are the best!
Yes, good morning Ruth Ann. Your subscribers wait for your Saturday morning video. Really dry here in Southwest Louisiana also. Hopefully we'll get a bit of rain next week. God bless you and your family.
I love how you end videos, I'm one of those people you are talking to. I will never be perfect, but I strive to be and sometimes I take it overboard so it's very overwhelming to say the least. Thank you so very much for your reminders I know that I appreciate them so very much. Thank you for sharing everything that you share. May God bless you and your family, and whatever you put out, I'll be watching 💙💙
Good Saturday Morning Dear Ruth Ann. Please, don't concern yourself with trying to bring new content to your videos. Although this video was interesting, all your videos are. Your home always looks clean, it just wear and tear on your cabinets, happens to us all....I cannot believe how much the boys are growing. They are so strong! Kendrick is getting so tall. Love to you all. Patsy
Love your channel. I raised my children just as you have. Faith family, hard work and lots of love. My mother was Cherokee and your channel reminds me of my grandmothers, god mothers and mothers always making food from scratch. The less prepackaged stuff your children eat the less problems. There is a proven medical link to preservatives and food dyes with Autism, adhd, and other disorders. Also there is a link between Tylenol and other NSAIDS during pregnancy with birth defects. Kudos to you for prioritizing your children’s health above convenience.
Every week I learn something new from you as well as enjoy the time watching you and your children interact with daily chores. Kendrick is growing like a weed and looks so much older with his haircut. See you next week. 😊
You grocery shop much the way I do, I usually only buy junk food if I go to the store. I also have my working pantry and my back up pantry and my canning pantry and my root cellar pantry. Don't ever feel your kitchen dirty. The kitchen is the heart of the home, it is well used and well loved.
I’m a fella sister in Christ and I am always encouraged and inspired with your videos. I normally don’t watch a lot of UA-cam, but I’ve been battling ovarian cancer since the spring of 2023. So I found your channel one day while I was too weak to get out of bed. I’m not able to garden or can as much. But your videos help to encourage me to do what I can when I have good days. Keep up the good work! And yes it’s so true…food has no eternal value. Investing time in your family is the most valuable thing!
This is coming from a breast cancer survivor it’s going on 11 years now. God is good, sending prayers to him to ease your illness and heal your body, in his holy name, amen.
I learned most of my pantry and scratch cooking on UA-cam because my parents didn't really teach me any of this. They were big into frozen food and microwave cookware. I know you might think this is boring, but really, I can't be the only one originally from the city that is learning as an adult on UA-cam. Thanks so much for sharing ❤
U never need to apologize for anything. I think ur amazing. U have taught me n made me realize so much n I'm 69. Ty for being such a wonderful person n mom!!!
I absolutely do not like grocery haul videos BUT to support you, I will let this one play. Plus, I know you are not showing a haul with the "wrong" heart and you are showing what you buy to feed your family. Many Blessings to you all!
We love your videos! They are so informative and honest❤ I love your well loved kitchen and the memories you make in it. And, you are indeed on point that it is our relationships that truly matter. My God continue to bless you all abundantly!
Wow! I am so impressed!!! I admire the fact that you are so skilled as to produce almost everything on your homestead and provide your family with the best quality food anybody can only dream of! ❤❤❤Great video and thanks for sharing ❤❤❤
I loved seeing your version of the grocery haul! Like you, I have learned what ingredients I need for homemade and buy in bulk from Azure. We've also learned to do without when we run out of something instead of just running to the store all the time. I appreciate your ending where you are careful to acknowledge homesteading is a journey, not a destination. We all get there in stages at our own pace. Good on you, RuthAnn!
In my youth l used to shop and cook much like you do but not on such a grand scale.But now that we are retired and our children are long gone we shop much differently. We shop on an as needed basis. My husband likes to shop and l need him to get out of the house! Thank you for a great show and a wonderful way to start my Saturday.
Your videos make me remember how life was for me in my youth. We worked hard but the togetherness made the work lighter. I am the oldest of 9 kids. I was mom to 6 and 34:32 am now a grandma of 9 and soon to be great-grandma. I am so happy, about this.
Ozark Family Homestead is one of my favorites to watch grocery hauls because they garden, mostly make from scratch, but still use the grocery stores, Sam’s, and Azure standard.
I'll be honest, I personally don't love the grocery haul videos. But I did find yours to be lovely and informative. I loved seeing the difference between a "city" family and your homesteading family. Keep up the great content! Loved the bit at the end about eternal value
i appreciate how your doing things for your family, im not able to do this all natural way, i'm elderly living in a 1 bedroom apartment alone. i just get what i need to get by. but i love how you do
I must urge you to look into what you are actually saying when you refer to children as the L word. Hint: disgusting "adult" stuff (in. Sessst, childgrape, etc) YES, *REALLY!!!*
I now have a well stocked pantry and cook from scratch eventho it’s just The three of us. I’m 76 and still trying to garden dispute opposition! Our own grown son is here with us to help and he helps eat left overs. I will cook a meal then divide it up and freeze part of it for when I don’t have time to cook and put some of it in a container for my son’s lunch for work or our lunch for the next day. I saw your video on dry canning potatoes and did that as French fries for my guys!! So awesome to have them on the shelf when I can buy potatoes in bulk on sale!! Thanks for your great videos!! Always wanted to make my own pasta I’ll have to watch that video of yours!!!❤
Just use Kendrick to get the flour off the floor then take him outside & use the air compressor to get the flour off of him. Oh watching him scooping up the flour from the floor gave me such a good laugh at 5:53 in the morning. Don't worry about the length of your videos. The more you talk the more coffee I get 😉 & I believe we all get something out of your videos. Also, never apologize for anything you do in your house. Anyone who has had kids knows that things get wear & tear (we have 3 boys). Besides, we are here to see, hear & learn from you, not your house. About a year after my dad sold our old farmhouse my mom found some old pictures of the house from when they first bought it in 1962. When she took them out to the people who bought the old place, the lady wanted to show her through the house to show what they had done. On several occasions mom would comment that, "yeah we had wanted to do that also." When the lady asked why they had not done any of it, mom just said "because we were too busy living here."
I really find the comparison interesting and I will say as someone who lives in the city and I’m a renter. I’m not able to put any kind of garden out on my property. In fact I can’t even put a planters or anything on my deck or even put out 5 gallon buckets because of my neighborhood if you put anything outside your house it’s gonna get stolen! So there are some limitations for those of us who either cannot garden due to community reasons or don’t have the space to garden, but in the future, I definitely plan to have some fruit trees and a garden so that I can be more self sustainable. Absolutely love your channel and thank you for all the great recipes that you share teaching me a lot.
We are renting a small house in the rural South and while we can and do have a garden, there are a lot of stray/neighborhood cats that like to use it as a litter box, which makes me hesitant to eat from it. A greenhouse isn't worth it because we're moving again in less than two years. And we can't grow much inside because there's only one good window (this place is a bleeping cave, for Pete's sake) and there's not a whole lot of room for a grow light setup. So I totally hear you. We all just have to do the best we can with what we've got.
You absolutely always inspire me! I loved your closing comments about "eternal value"...truth! Relationships with the Lord and with one another are the supreme top priority! And I did chuckle when I saw the "Knob Hill" bottle...Blessings, Marie
One reason your videos are superior is because you do not do a lot of scrolling and copying of others content. You are original and real. People are able to gain practical skills for healthy living.
👍💯‼️
Anyone who has watched any of your videos knows how much you value cleanliness. Scuffed doors are not dirty doors.
Your little boys are not so little anymore. I've loved watching them grow. You ate such an inspiration. Thank you.
That’s one of the things that I like about your channel. It’s so real. Your cabinets look like paint wearing off not dirty.
Thank you!!!!
I totally agree!
Very enjoyable and informative video. Thank you Ruth Ann! I don’t know why we enjoy seeing food buying and stock up so much-it’s encouraging and satisfying, even relaxing to me😊. I love the way you point out what others might consider flaws but don’t apologize for them😂 I do order from azure-still in the monthly stage even though it’s been over a year. I also live in southwest Tx so storeroom/basement not a thing here with our temps and humidity.
Ruthann, I’m not a huge fan of grocery haul videos honestly, but I found yours so fascinating. I love watching your boys help. I wanted a big family but was only able to have two children (both grown now) because I almost died with each pregnancy. So I just really enjoy your boys and watching you interact with them. I am looking to replace my old bread pans (long story not worth going into) and would love a link to the ones you use. Thanks so much for your message at the end about what is eternal and what is not. I just love your attitude and it is a good reminder for my day.
Ruth Ann please never worry about the length of your videos we totally love learning from you. Thank you
You are such an inspiration. I'm 62 and starting my homesteading journey and I get so many good tips from you. Thank you
Awesome video Ruth Ann, please don’t worry about your videos being too long. I always am sad to
See them end. I could watch much longer ones
That’s awesome! Congratulations to you! My husband and I turned 72 this year and we are a year into our homestead journey. It is such a blessing to have help like our dear Ruthann!
❤ Thanks for sharing your journey.❤
Hey Ruthann, the fact that you don’t buy much at the grocery store is what makes your grocery haul interesting. I too buy mainly ingredients, as I’m a from scratch cook/baker, so my grocery hauls don’t look like others. Please don’t feel you have to excuse the wear and tear on your kitchen cabinets, it’s a hard working well used kitchen for a large family.
I know just what you mean. I always helped around the house. Shopping, cooking esp. I was around seven when I was putting away groceries and said to my mom "gee mom, who would believe youre such a good cook. All you bought today are ingredients". 😂 She stood there and just stared at me 😳 then she cracked up. Its true. Ingredients are the raw materials for a banquet.
“Food has no eternal value.” I loved your explanation. What a wonderful thought. Thank you for all you share.
I saw a large container of black pepper behind the mustard!! You might make it 3 months! 😅
RuthAnn you don’t need to apologize for the way your cabinets look.
A pristine kitchen is one that is not often used.
A kitchen showing some scuff and scrapes shows that you are using it multiple times a day to provide nutritious meals for your family.
Thanks for sharing your grocery haul and the reasoning behind the way you shop for your large family.
I am a single person household who still continues to shop in bulk for ingredients. I now can get a year or more from my bulk purchases vs when I had more people at home.
Once you start shopping for ingredients instead of prepared meals you don’t really go back to shopping for prepackaged meals even as your family size decreases.
Yes!!!
I have been preparing from scratch for 25 years now and lost 125 lbs in the process. First, I believe that all of the preservatives were adding to the weight proble. Second, the time it takes to prepare from scratch made me more mindful of how much I was eating. And finally, it is now a taste thing. Prepackaged does NOT compare to fresh from scratch.
Exactly. My family home freestanding kitchen cupboards, marble pantry shelves, papered over cow dung walls and flag stones haven’t been “modernised” for 400 years. The bread oven has been boarded over though and the Georgian wood stoked range that replaced the original open fire place was removed early last century at the same time as water pipes were plumbed into the sinks in the scullery bypassing the hand pump well outside the back door.
We all learnt to walk fairly early. Those flagstones floors are mighty cold in the winter and “sweat” when the cellars beneath (with stalactite ceilings) flood. It’s currently on the market. Probably get modernised by a footballer’s wife and the process filmed for UA-cam. 😂
As mom of 6 I understand scuffs and scrapes in a kitchen. A well used kitchen shines as the heart of the home for the family.
I agree with other viewers as I love having coffee with you on Saturday morning. Love your shows and love seeing you each week.
Loved the statement, "Food has no eternal value." Wow! You are an inspiration!
Thank you!!!!
Amen!
Correct! Foods value is INTERNAL.
I look forward to your video on Saturday mornings with my cup of tea. Thank you.😊❤
I am so glad you enjoy them!
Ruthann your family is an inspiration to so many. I began canning now.
We are in our late 70’s and are making the transition to “making our own”. I know that seems late, but, better late than never, right? And, it might help us to make it into our 90’s and beyond (unless the Lord comes soon. 🙏🏻 ). We’ve just started shopping at Azure and I’m buying the smaller sizes of things until we figure out what we like and since it’s just the two of us. I look forward to your videos and have learned so much from you! We garden on a much smaller scale, using raised beds because of back issues. Thank you for the inspiration and for sharing your life with us. PS: I think you’re just as cute as a button! 🥰
Your comments at the end were so true, as a society we need to remember the importance of those connections and the lasting impact they will have on children/grandchildren/friends. Thanks for the important reminder!
Oh how I Iove the energy & mindset of little boys. I have 2 sons, now 33 & 31. I affectionately chuckled at seeing your one son trying to pat down the flour in that bucket using his hands. Then I got a real kick out of seeing his brother sit in the middle of that spilled flour, while he was quasi sweeping it up. But you know, your little boys are learning as they go, & they seem to be willing participants. That can be 90% of the process when training them. As you have older children too I realize you are well aware Ruthann, that in the not too distant future, & very likely before you’re ready to kiss these years goodbye, their energy will become more focused, & their work will less, & less resemble play. But, that’s why it works now, because for children their work IS play & you & your husband understand that. I’m sure you plan to enjoy this stage for as long as you can. I recall my sons cutting the grass with our push mower & how when younger, they seemed to struggle with not making, what my husband called, “crop circles” as they turned the mower at the end of each row. I can’t say my husband loved that at the time but we can affectionately laugh about it now. Oh sure, they loved riding bikes & scooters, action figures, building Lego’s, Scouting, going camping, marching band & all the other fun “work” too. But it was equally important to me that my boys learned how to properly clean a bathroom, to clear up after a meal, vacuum, & do their laundry. While I don’t think they necessarily “loved” doing those things, they did cooperate & I can say with confidence now my sons are quite capable when it comes to keeping a house clean enough so that’s it’s tidy & not overtaken by germs & how to stay on top of their laundry. All that mattered to me as I wanted them to be capable husbands inside their home as well as capable outside.
Thank you for this!!! Love when an older mom comes in a refreshes my perspective!!!!
@@Ruthannzimm ❤️ As my girlfriend reminded me once, “the days are long but the years so short.”
Never apologize for a hard-working kitchen. As for video length, I wait all week for your new videos! Your young boys are growing so fast! Much respect for your family values, we need more of that. Thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge. ❤❤❤
The interesting thing about grocery purchases (I dislike the word “haul”) is that it really shows what cannot be grown on the homestead. It is also nice to see different places where one can buy natural ingredients.
I love you, Ruthann!! You have become like my sister. I have no family close by so it is such a blessing to see your videos each week. Live in the city but we also do overhauls and a garden to feed our family.
That's so sweet. I'm glad you enjoy the videos!
Watching your boys help is more entertaining than any media produced 'reality' t.v. show! Harrison creating a cloud of cacao powder by smacking the empty bag then spinning around in its cloud! Precious. Then watching him push the flour down in the bucket to make more room while you so patiently instruct him to 'blutz' it! Haha..tap it, bang it, blutz it! Maxwell taking a few chocolate chips as he empties the bag into the bucket, Kendrick comparing the walnut bag to the feed bags in they way they open, then scooting around on the floured floor with his black pants while he tries to sweep up the flour with a broom. You're so busy you don't get to see it all like we do. Love watching you raise your family. Thank you for sharing.
I make sourdough, I can potatoes, beans, soup, jam, meat, and other things. I grow some veggies. I try to buy local and organic. I make crackers, granola and such. It's scary all the ingredients they put in the processed food at the store. You are very inspiring. I love your grocery haul. You should keep doing them. ❤❤❤ I also love the life skills you install in your children. It's so important
I've never seen any other grocery haul videos. I am a mom of 3 boys and although they are now grown and on their own I still cook everything from scratch. I feel like I always do pretty well at the grocery store and many times the cashiers have commented on how much I've gotten for my dollar. Thanks for sharing your recipes and ideas
I have been watching your videos for a year now and this one was just wonderful. My family is all grown and married now so it’s just my husband and me and our 19 year old cat ( and she doesn’t eat our food) so are life style has changed and buying and eating habits have changed,also manage to make all homemade meals and sit down every night with our family and have our bonding time when the were home. Still that’s special when the kids come home and we sit around the table to talk. I love what you said and the end of your video. Keep up the good work. Thank for your wonderful,honest videos.
❤❤❤
Goals!! I love how organized and am in awe of your planning skills!
Awe thank you!! I don’t feel very organized.
New to your channel 💙💥😍 greatly appreciate your content!! I'm a Pastor's wife so I try to grow what I can and cook from scratch. Love ya in NC!!!
Welcome!!!
Ruthann you are amazing! I love to watch the kids in action and I could sit and listen to you for hours!❤😊
Thank you for sharing your lives with us! Things you do may seem boring to you but I learn so much from your videos and you inspire me to try new things! I consider you a friend even though I’ve never met you in person!
Yes! She feels like the aunt, older cousin, or even big sister I never had ❤
Here I am watching your grocery haul, when I could care less what people buying at the store. Only because I know you produce your own food vs regular family not producing.
I watched your cleaning kitchen video. You never need to apologize for your cabinets. I’m still processing peppers and tomatoes. My kitchen is a wreck today as our my feet! Love your channel.
I appreciate that you don’t try to make anyone feel bad for the choices they need to make to feed their family and themselves. Like you said, food has no eternal value. Some people don’t have the resources or health or help to make everything from scratch, and that’s ok. Do what you can with what you have. It’s not a competition. Start where you are and try to make the best choices your budget and time and health allow. It’s about balance. As I get older my energy and health are not as good as when I was younger. I still try to do my best and make the healthiest choices I can. If I’m having a particular bad week because of my health and I am not able to make bread, I buy the best quality bread I can within my budget. It may mean cutting back on other expenses to purchase the organic bread, but I would rather choose something else other than bread, then to buy commercially made bread laden with so many chemicals. Once I eliminated even the commercial bread I can really taste the difference. I can actually taste the chemicals now. It’s not good. There are very few organic breads that taste good to me either. It’s been a journey. Growing up in the 1960’s food was just food. There were no “organic” choices at the grocery. I came from a family that always canned and had gardens so it was normal to me. Getting out on my own was eye opening. I didn’t realize that not everyone did. I feel blessed that I did. It continues to bless me even though all those before me in my family are gone. What we are taught as children we carry with us. What we pass on to our children is what they will carry on after you are gone. Choose wisely what you teach. ❤️. Thank you for sharing another video. I know it will bless so many. 🙏💝
You have through your various videos shown me just how much you can and should make from scratch. I wish I had farm animals so I could source my own meat. Honestly, though, I wish I still had more kids around my table. Four of my six have left. Family dinners are precious. I love your channel and you. You are precious.
I think the shopping videos helps give us ideas for good things to purchase
Good morning RuthAnn. Always enjoy my Saturday morning coffee with you. We also started growing our own dried beans. It has taken a few years to increase the quantities but, we felt good growing one more item we no longer have to purchase from the store. Each year we try to add 1 or 2 new foods to our garden, this expands our pantry options😊. Thank you for all you do, you are inspiring!
It is so rewarding to grow your own food!
Good morning sweet RuthAnn. You were not boring at all. Loved the whole video. Kendrick was really enjoying himself cleaning up the flour! So cute. I like seeing Azure hauls because I get ideas from them of what I want to try. Have a great week.
I agree with you. Some of the people that are buying in bulk are buying a lot of junk. You are like me and the way I was brought up. You plant your own garden. You take care of it, you can your own food you hunt. You harvest your own livestock and find ways to. Put it up so that if you lose your electricity. Your food's not gonna spoil. 😮 I really appreciate all of your.
Shows and and it always makes me laugh when I watch you. Not because you're funny but because you and I have are doing the same things every year. I was brought up that way. And I'm 80 years old and I don't consider myself a Homesteader I'm just a farmer's wife.
God bless you and your amazing family..
Thank you for what you said at the end of the video. Keep the main thing the main thing. So many are single moms or working moms doing the best they can. Blessings.
This was GREAT! I struggle over whether i am over spending on groceries. Not every family does things the same way but its always helpful to get an idea or two that can get you going in the right direction. I loved watching your helpers put away the bulk foods. My goodness how they are growing! You did really well on this video Ruthann...thank your daughters for the inspiration. Have a blessed week.
Thank you for taking the time in your very busy family life RuthAnn. You have been a blessing to me. I now can for my family and friends. My children are all married and I have 10 grandchildren. Now they are 45-53 (4). I am 74 and my husband went to be with the Lord at 68. We met at 15 and 16 and married at 19. I was raised in the suburbs of Md. but we retired in WV 11 years ago and we both have always loved the country life. I am the caregiver of my family and extended family, very active in my "born again" church so I am always cooking, canning, quilting, sewing, crocheting and knitting for everyone. I miss the love of my life so much, but God has always filled my life with love from all people listed above, beginning with a wonderful man to take care of me and my family and our children. I have learned so much from you and enjoy meeting you and your family through your videos. God Bless you for your sharing and love to help and encourage others. Love in Christ, Linda Miller from West by God Virginia. 🥰
I love love love your video's. You have a lovely family. I enjoy how the boys are so eager to help. Don't apologize for anything, your house is lived in. I so wish I could live the way you do. You are an inspiration. Thank you for your video's. 😍😍😊😊
Thank you for the reminder that food is not eternal, but rather relationships of love are. ❤
You have taught me so much over the last few years, learning to grow and can our own food since moving from the city back to my hometown. You’re such a blessing to myself and my family. Thank you
Your little boy are growing up so fast. Sweet helpers working together. Thank you for sharing your day.
It’s fun having them help out!
You do not have to apologize, I never noticed anything until you pointed it out.... thanks for making videos, I love to watch!
My town does not have much available when it comes to organic foods or ingredients. So whatever organics I can't get locally (or don't grow), I buy from Azure Standard, or drive 45 min. to Safeway, or 1.5 hrs. to Costco. I buy bulk products for my prepper pantry for just myself and my dog after trying the smaller sizes, too. However, I can not afford to buy their meat, so I buy it on sale at Safeway or Costco. I watch some of the Azure Standard hauls because I learn about other products and get new ideas.
Some Ruth Ann and family video time…thank you
You’re welcome 😊!
I love grocery hauls and cooking videos. I learn a lot from grocery hauls. You get new ideas and learn about things you didn't know existed. Ty for sharing this ruthanne. Great video.
I enjoyed tour video. Your children will thank you someday for all the lessons you and your husband are teaching them. God bless you.
No worries about your well loved/used kitchen. I've watched your video where you do a HUGE spring cleaning/washing. I'd eat anything from your kitchen, Thank you Ruth Anne!
Blessings on your family and your growing homestead Kiddo! 🌻🐛🌿💚🙏💕👵
Love your videos! You are an inspiration with everything you do for us and your sweet family. Your farm is beautiful as well as yourself. Thank you for sharing God’s goodness.
Love that you did this. Great explanation on how having ingredients to cook with saves a family so much money. Convenience food is so expensive, especially when you are purchasing items long term.
Yes! It irks me when people insist that stuff is cheaper because it absolutely is not!
I love how organized you are. Inspiring thankyou.😊
Absolutely great video!!!! This is my favorite of all ! We are 71 and73 with 3 grown children and 14 grandchildren who live all over the country. We still farm and preserve and educate whom ever is interested. But you reach so many! Thank you for what you do ! Please show your jar pantry in a companion video when you have time. Praise God for you Ruth Anne and your skills! Jean Colorado USA
I have been watching your channel for over a year now and it's been such an inspiration. I make bread from scratch, granola bars, your homemade hot pockets, i made my first from scratch pumpkin pie with a sugar pumpkin last year with your recipe for the filling and crust. I've made jam, am canning my veggies and fruits and veggies from friends and family. Have doubled our gardening space. We traded hay (we're hay farmers that lease hay fields) for local beef that eats our hay and filled our freezer this year. We help friends with a farm and get free eggs and veggies that we don't grow from them all year.
I fill our truck with bulk ingredients from Amish and Mennonite stores in PA when we visit a few times a year. We rarely eat out anymore and i have stopped buying most snacks.
We currently live in the suburbs but will be inheriting land one day and i look forward to learning to be even more self sufficient.
One day at a time but i have learned so much from your channel. Thank you for helping to make my family healthier and more self sufficient.
No excuses needed for “dirty” cabinets! Your kitchen is well loved! I so enjoy watching for real kitchens in a farm house with real people. Only thing I’d say about groceries is we switched from all the dyes and seed oils in Doritos to Siete chips. Took a little getting used to - but so much better for the body! We try real hard to avoid any seed oils. It’s tough!!
You are always such an inspiration and I always learn something from your videos. We switched to your granola months ago for cereal and it is absolutely delicious and the process of making it is very streamlined. Thankfully I am slowly realizing just how much easier it is to cook from scratch than I ever thought it would be.
There certainly is a big difference between a regular UA-cam grocery haul and a Ruthann grocery haul! Right? Thanks for always sharing your wisdom with us.
Great video. You are so kind Ruthann you go out of your way to make us all feel good about what we are doing. You and your family are inspiring to me. Thank you so much and God bless you and keep you. 🙏🏻❤️🙏🏻
That New York family has one of the healthiest grocery hauls on UA-cam for a family that isn't growing or preserving their own stocks. Unlike so many of the hauls that are based on junk/processes items.
Yes. When I found them I thought, ahhhh. This works for me!!!
Personally, I think grocery hauls are weird, but I did like the way you presented it. 800 is a lot to shell out all at once, but you also have a large family. We just shop for two, all the kids are on their own now. I really enjoyed watching your boys help out. Harrison just couldn't help himself sticking his hands in the flour, lol. And smashing the bag of cocoa on the counter....😅😂😂😂 (I might have to go back and watch that again😂)
You are such a blessing to me & I am very inspired by how you take care of your family.
Thank you, Ruth Ann, you always have such a thoughtful and kind message, in addition to being a great teacher!🌻🌞
Your always an inspiration. Love how you ended this with what’s most important in the eternal ❤️
I'm editing and adding as I go..feels like I'm having a conversation with you...crazy granny giving a running commentary. Love that you put organ meat in your ground beef. Your advice about establishing preferences and products is down to earth and practical. You guys are the best!
Yes, good morning Ruth Ann. Your subscribers wait for your Saturday morning video. Really dry here in Southwest Louisiana also. Hopefully we'll get a bit of rain next week. God bless you and your family.
Watering my carrots and sweet potatoes so I can dig them out.
I live in Canada and I watch all your videos
I enjoy your videos! I love that your children help in the kitchen. Thank you for sharing all your receipes and ideas!
I love how you end videos, I'm one of those people you are talking to. I will never be perfect, but I strive to be and sometimes I take it overboard so it's very overwhelming to say the least. Thank you so very much for your reminders I know that I appreciate them so very much. Thank you for sharing everything that you share. May God bless you and your family, and whatever you put out, I'll be watching 💙💙
Good Saturday Morning Dear Ruth Ann. Please, don't concern yourself with trying to bring new content to your videos. Although this video was interesting, all your videos are. Your home always looks clean, it just wear and tear on your cabinets, happens to us all....I cannot believe how much the boys are growing. They are so strong! Kendrick is getting so tall. Love to you all. Patsy
Love your channel. I raised my children just as you have. Faith family, hard work and lots of love. My mother was Cherokee and your channel reminds me of my grandmothers, god mothers and mothers always making food from scratch. The less prepackaged stuff your children eat the less problems. There is a proven medical link to preservatives and food dyes with Autism, adhd, and other disorders. Also there is a link between Tylenol and other NSAIDS during pregnancy with birth defects. Kudos to you for prioritizing your children’s health above convenience.
Your speech and your humor reflects that you are very intelligent. I never miss a stream. You have taught me so much, you have no idea
Every week I learn something new from you as well as enjoy the time watching you and your children interact with daily chores. Kendrick is growing like a weed and looks so much older with his haircut. See you next week. 😊
You grocery shop much the way I do, I usually only buy junk food if I go to the store. I also have my working pantry and my back up pantry and my canning pantry and my root cellar pantry. Don't ever feel your kitchen dirty. The kitchen is the heart of the home, it is well used and well loved.
I enjoy and look forward to your channel weekly. I can watch for hours so don’t worry about limiting yourself to 40 minutes.
You never cease to amaze me! What a wonder you are!❤❤ Love your perspective on family life.
I’m a fella sister in Christ and I am always encouraged and inspired with your videos. I normally don’t watch a lot of UA-cam, but I’ve been battling ovarian cancer since the spring of 2023. So I found your channel one day while I was too weak to get out of bed. I’m not able to garden or can as much. But your videos help to encourage me to do what I can when I have good days.
Keep up the good work! And yes it’s so true…food has no eternal value. Investing time in your family is the most valuable thing!
This is coming from a breast cancer survivor it’s going on 11 years now. God is good, sending prayers to him to ease your illness and heal your body, in his holy name, amen.
I learned most of my pantry and scratch cooking on UA-cam because my parents didn't really teach me any of this. They were big into frozen food and microwave cookware.
I know you might think this is boring, but really, I can't be the only one originally from the city that is learning as an adult on UA-cam.
Thanks so much for sharing ❤
Same here. Stouffer's, Hamburger Helper, etc.
U never need to apologize for anything. I think ur amazing. U have taught me n made me realize so much n I'm 69. Ty for being such a wonderful person n mom!!!
Thanks for another great video. Love hearing the details of how you provide for your family. 😊
I absolutely do not like grocery haul videos BUT to support you, I will let this one play. Plus, I know you are not showing a haul with the "wrong" heart and you are showing what you buy to feed your family.
Many Blessings to you all!
The highlight of my week is watching your videos. I live that your kitchen is lived in.. not fake.. you are such a sweet soul
You are so sweet!
We love your videos! They are so informative and honest❤ I love your well loved kitchen and the memories you make in it. And, you are indeed on point that it is our relationships that truly matter. My God continue to bless you all abundantly!
Wow! I am so impressed!!! I admire the fact that you are so skilled as to produce almost everything on your homestead and provide your family with the best quality food anybody can only dream of! ❤❤❤Great video and thanks for sharing ❤❤❤
I loved seeing your version of the grocery haul! Like you, I have learned what ingredients I need for homemade and buy in bulk from Azure. We've also learned to do without when we run out of something instead of just running to the store all the time. I appreciate your ending where you are careful to acknowledge homesteading is a journey, not a destination. We all get there in stages at our own pace. Good on you, RuthAnn!
Such wisdom you share, so thankful for all you share with us! Bless you!
The grocery hauls i like are the ingredient hauls...because that's what I buy...it gives me ideas for trying new things.
Hello from 🇨🇦. The boys did a great job at helping put the foods in the containers.
How very true spending time and eating with family is priceless doesn’t matter what’s on the plate
I love your wisdom as a mom of 3 boys thank you ! God bless your family. ❤
You're such a great mommie of boys! ❤
Your video is very encouraging for us starting Homesteaders. One day we hope to have a grocery haul like yours!
You can do it!
Loved the way you approached this.
In my youth l used to shop and cook much like you do but not on such a grand scale.But now that we are retired and our children are long gone we shop much differently. We shop on an as needed basis. My husband likes to shop and l need him to get out of the house! Thank you for a great show and a wonderful way to start my Saturday.
You have become a blessing in my life. ❤️❤️❤️
Your videos make me remember how life was for me in my youth. We worked hard but the togetherness made the work lighter. I am the oldest of 9 kids. I was mom to 6 and 34:32 am now a grandma of 9 and soon to be great-grandma. I am so happy, about this.
Ozark Family Homestead is one of my favorites to watch grocery hauls because they garden, mostly make from scratch, but still use the grocery stores, Sam’s, and Azure standard.
I'll be honest, I personally don't love the grocery haul videos. But I did find yours to be lovely and informative. I loved seeing the difference between a "city" family and your homesteading family. Keep up the great content! Loved the bit at the end about eternal value
i appreciate how your doing things for your family, im not able to do this all natural way, i'm elderly living in a 1 bedroom apartment alone. i just get what i need to get by. but i love how you do
Thank you for watching!!!
Watching Kendrick move that flour all over the floor, and all over the floor again was too funny. He had more on his pants than on the floor.
So fun to watch the littles help! Such joy for me!
I must urge you to look into what you are actually saying when you refer to children as the L word.
Hint: disgusting "adult" stuff (in. Sessst, childgrape, etc) YES, *REALLY!!!*
I now have a well stocked pantry and cook from scratch eventho it’s just
The three of us. I’m 76 and still trying to garden dispute opposition! Our own grown son is here with us to help and he helps eat left overs. I will cook a meal then divide it up and freeze part of it for when I don’t have time to cook and put some of it in a container for my son’s lunch for work or our lunch for the next day. I saw your video on dry canning potatoes and did that as French fries for my guys!! So awesome to have them on the shelf when I can buy potatoes in bulk on sale!! Thanks for your great videos!! Always wanted to make my own pasta I’ll have to watch that video of yours!!!❤
Just use Kendrick to get the flour off the floor then take him outside & use the air compressor to get the flour off of him. Oh watching him scooping up the flour from the floor gave me such a good laugh at 5:53 in the morning.
Don't worry about the length of your videos. The more you talk the more coffee I get 😉 & I believe we all get something out of your videos. Also, never apologize for anything you do in your house. Anyone who has had kids knows that things get wear & tear (we have 3 boys). Besides, we are here to see, hear & learn from you, not your house. About a year after my dad sold our old farmhouse my mom found some old pictures of the house from when they first bought it in 1962. When she took them out to the people who bought the old place, the lady wanted to show her through the house to show what they had done. On several occasions mom would comment that, "yeah we had wanted to do that also." When the lady asked why they had not done any of it, mom just said "because we were too busy living here."
I really find the comparison interesting and I will say as someone who lives in the city and I’m a renter. I’m not able to put any kind of garden out on my property. In fact I can’t even put a planters or anything on my deck or even put out 5 gallon buckets because of my neighborhood if you put anything outside your house it’s gonna get stolen! So there are some limitations for those of us who either cannot garden due to community reasons or don’t have the space to garden, but in the future, I definitely plan to have some fruit trees and a garden so that I can be more self sustainable. Absolutely love your channel and thank you for all the great recipes that you share teaching me a lot.
We are renting a small house in the rural South and while we can and do have a garden, there are a lot of stray/neighborhood cats that like to use it as a litter box, which makes me hesitant to eat from it. A greenhouse isn't worth it because we're moving again in less than two years. And we can't grow much inside because there's only one good window (this place is a bleeping cave, for Pete's sake) and there's not a whole lot of room for a grow light setup. So I totally hear you. We all just have to do the best we can with what we've got.
You absolutely always inspire me! I loved your closing comments about "eternal value"...truth! Relationships with the Lord and with one another are the supreme top priority! And I did chuckle when I saw the "Knob Hill" bottle...Blessings, Marie