Maslov Hierarchy of Needs: Esteem and Homesteading

Esteem is the last tier Ill cover of Maslov's Hierarchy of Needs pyramid. Self Actualization is normally a personal state of being and is open to interpretation.

Esteem is about how you feel about your homestead  accomplishments. Is there any homesteader who actually feels that they have achieved it all and there is no room for improvement? It seems there is always another project to accomplish, and once that is finished, another and another. Most of us just settle. We are satisfied with the steps we've taken and just live out our lives, don't we? We are better than Joe Schmoe trapped in his urban life. We've taken steps to "simplify" our lives. We've taken responsibility for our carbon footprint, we know how and where our food comes from. We know how our meat and vegetables was grown. We've gave it a more humane life and death away from commercial production lots.<Insert the reason you began homesteading in the first place.> We've made huge strides or little steps to accomplishing goals. But everyone wants a pat on the back. It's that warm fuzzy, feeling of of someone else recognizing what we've done, the sacrifices we've made, etc to get where we are. Doesn't that in itself, wrap up why we do all that we do?

Not quite. Seeing our children grow up with better values and goals. I know  is, that in part, why I dedicated myself to a more sustainable  and self-sufficient lifestyle. It wasn't necessarily cheaper although this was part of it. And, all of the above too. It was the responsible thing to do. Now, I look back at how my children and grandchildren have grow and it's with a sense of pride that I know that if they had to supply their own needs they can, and if they needed to they are well prepared whether I'm there to hold their hands or not, they'll not forget how to take care of themselves, they can. Now, that's saying something. And, throw me and what I taught them, there is hope for tomorrow. There is a living family heritage, and family tradition that won't be lost as long as they live and breathe. It continues.  They will be creative, free thinkers, value the choices they make. My descendants will be leaders instead of sheep. Can there be a better legacy to pass on? This is my self-esteem points.

Y'all have a blessed day!

Cockeyed Jo

Cooking with Chef Jo: More Cooking While Recovering Part 2

 I'm still trying to rebuild my stamina after my surgery. It seems the older I get, the more time it takes to get back into my regular routine. It's so much dun hitting the golden years! All I've wanted to eat is eggs and soup. So this week I'm making French onion soup again. We still do not have propane for the stove. I'll be roasting my stash of beef bones in the air fryer this morning. I'll not be caramelizing my onion though. I'll just be adding them to the pot with the beef bones. It should prove an interesting endeavor though. I can't use my mandolin to slice my onions thin this time. The movement in using it is a no-no. I'll be putting the pot on the wood stove for the majority of the cooking time too. I just can't stand and do all the fru-fru activities I usually do while making it as I usually do. But I'll season it like I usually do in the beginning and let it go all day. I usually simmer my beef bones for a minimum of two days, but not this time. I want to eat it tonight. .I do have a block of mozzarella cheese I made last week to slice on top and some mushrooms that have to be used to make it yummy. This will be a down and dirty version of my French onion soup that's for sure, but hopefully it will still be good. I'll have to let you know.

Y'all have a blessed day!

Chef Jo

It didn't turn out as wonderful, but it was waaarm and nourishing.

Knowledge is Power to Succeed- Maslov's Hierarchy of Needs

The third tier of the Maslov's Pyramid of Needs is devoted to love and the sense of belonging. Many decry the importance of this level mistakenly. Having a sense of belonging and importance within a group or community goes without saying a sense of status. Take me for instance in our small group of two homesteaders, working side by side with a fully abled body of the other member of our group. What can I a disabled member be able to bring or contribute to our group that will better able help the group as a whole to succeed? Knowledge and experience.

Last evening Mel and I were discussing the current occurring events. She said she didn't understand. I told her did. I'd lived it before in a country in southeast Asia whose ruling government was switching from a democratic ruling power to a socialist one. I had real world life experiences of what was happening. In fact, I'd even written and published the novel of events years earlier. Escape from Second Eden was the title.   It so foreign an idea to her she had no knowledge to compare it to in her reality so it couldn't make sense to her, but for me it was reliving history. It was my memories going through that period of my life that now helps us prepare for the changes that are about to take place in our day-to-day reality Knowledge and experience in this case gives us power. When others scramble around searching for answers. When it comes to homesteading, I have twenty plus years of urban homesteading under my belt while she has read several books on the subject. On food preserving, I have almost thirty years of hands on experience. Nothing beats feet on the ground or hands doing it. That's my value to our group. Knowledge is power to succeed. You want to have folks around you with the knowledge and experience to help you along the way. It's an invaluable resource. What do I get in return for my knowledge and experience. I get companionship, help to overcome my short comings, a stable home, and security. It's an equitable trade.

The really scary thought is we've only chipped the surface of my knowledge base. My brain is like a super computer waiting to be queried. Maybe to someone else that may not be scary, but it is to me. It's too much knowledge to not share it. And I do so at any opportunity. Not to prove how superior I am to everyone else, but in an offer the educate others. If we can't help each other, what's the point??!?

Y'all have a blessed day!

Cockeyed Jo

Cooking with Chef Jo: Craving the Sweet But Not the Sugar

I spent a lot of years as a diabetic so sugar was a big FAT NO-NO. So were yummy things like bananas, pineapples, and apple products which are high on the glycemic table. Most items on the low or no added sugar shelves are loaded with fat to compensate. There was one dessert my father-in-law craved, banana pudding, but he had a heart condition which meant he was on a low salt and no fat diet.so I developed a tasty no added sugar (for me) and low fat and cholesterol version of his favorite dessert. With some forethought I came up with a low carb vanilla cookie recipe (below), a keto-friendly sweetened condensed milk recipe, and using a few store bought ingredients, I found a dessert substitute that satisfied his sweet tooth and still stayed true to our dietary restrictions.

Sweetened Condensed Milk

Makes 14 oz Can be made ahead and stored in an air tight container in the refrigerator for 1 week or frozen for 4 months.

What you'll need

1 pint Heavy fat free cream

3/4 c sugar substitute of your choice, I use Splenda

1/4 c butter, I use Country Crock vegan butter

1/2 tsp vanilla

Putting it all together

• Place all ingredients in a heavy bottomed saucepan or a double boiler.
• Stir constantly to prevent milk from scorching on the bottom of the pan and bring to a boil over medium heat.
• Turn heat to low and continue cooking and stirring for 45 minutes or volume is reduced by half.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool. Place in a jar with a lid and place into refrigerator to chill completely (about 4 hours). The mixture will be as thick as any store bought sweetened condensed milk at this point.

Sugar-Free Vanilla Wafers

What you'll need

1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour (or carbalose)

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 c Country Crock vegan butter, softened to room temperature.

1 cup sugar substitute

1 egg

1 TBS vanilla

Putting it all together

• Cream butter and sugar.
• Sift together flour and baking powder.
• Mix vanilla with the egg.
• Alternately add flour and egg mixtures until both are combined in the butter mixture.
• Using small scoop. scoop dough onto parchment lined baking sheet. 
• Bake 350℉ for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned.

With cookies baked and condensed milk made, you are halfway there. Now let's go shopping for the final ingredients.

What we'll need is 

2 fully ripe bananas

1 box Jello instant sugar-free banana cream pudding mix (8 servings)

1 pint skim milk

1- 16 oz container of No Added Sugar Cool Whip

Now rush on home so we can finish this dessert. Your keys are back in your purse? Yes. No speeding ticket, right? Nope. Okay. Whew1 Wipes my forehead. I was worried about that one!

The pudding

Place the pudding mix in your mixing bowl.

Pour in the pint of skim milk

Mic until combined.

Add 2 cups of Cool Whip into the bowl and combined.

ASSEMBLY

Put a layer of cookies on the bottom and sides of a 8x13 baking dish. To help them stick to the sides a little dab of pudding will help.

Slice the bananas into 1/8" slices (remember they are high on the glycemic index-)

Add 1/3 of pudding mix.

Add a layer of banana slices.

Add another layer of cookies.

Add a layer of: pudding and bananas.

As a final touches crush 10 cookies into crumbs.

Putt remaining Cool Whip into a piping bag fitted with a star. Pipe around the border and sprinkle the crumbs on top. Refrigerate two hours before service.

My Pastry chef daughter borrowed this recipe from me because her husband's unit was approaching their yearly physical, but she needed a dessert for a cookout. All the guys groaned when they saw what she had brought thinking there would be no way they could eat it. When they found out they could eat a full cup and only had to give up only 1 beer, they cheered and lifted her up in the air. I do know Jenn has called me a few times to pick my brain over the years, but this recipe was the one most requested.

Y'all have a blessed day!

Chef Jo

Maslov's Hierarchy of Needs: Added Security on the Homestead

Last year, I mentioned Maslov's Hierarchy of Needs. I thought to kick off the year covering this as it pertains to homesteading. The second level is Safety/Security Needs. Last year was rough for a lot of folks and this year may be rougher for a time.

As a people in general homesteaders think long and hard about security. For us, on our little homestead, we live 1/4 of a mile from our closest neighbor. Down in this hollar, our cell phones only work in the winter without a wifi connection. We are two sexagenarian widows living by ourselves on our homestead, but we are far from helpless.

We have dogs as a first line of defense. If nothing else, they are an early warning system. Not much can run faster than a dog on a mission. I wish we had game cameras set up around the property and some sort fencing, but the dogs, ours and the neighbors' dogs, do a pretty good job of covering the area. We live at the end of the road. We can hear someone hitting the top of our driveway...some 500 feet from our front door. At night if you approach and are not announced prior, you are met with a shotgun. We don't take chances.

If you ain't invited, you ain't welcomed. Some of this post is common sense, but most of us homesteaders are prepared security-wise. We have rifles for shooting game, hand guns, BB guns, and heck. even sling shots to ward off predators that threaten us or our livestock. Our property is posted with "No Trespassing" signage. There are a few cutesy signs like "My dog can make it to the fence in...," Forget the Dogs. Beware the Owner," and "This property is protected by Smith and Wesson." We have no qualms about maiming or killing ANY predator be it no legged, four legged, or two legged. I was a former police officer and Mel has lived on her own for quite a while. We have firearms and know how to maintain and use them most effectively.

Being a small homestead, everything has at least a dual purpose. Knives. A machete can clear brush down to a pocket knife to cut a multitude of small things are a necessity on homesteads, but they can also be used for self defense. Even kitchen knives work for in close combat and do the job they are meant for. Don't discount gardening tools also. Even a blunt edge tool will ring someone's bell if swung hard enough. Go on and ask me how I know this, or been accidentally smacked in the face by a shovel or hoe handle while working. 

Now, I've got you looking around you looking at things differently and thinking, I'm going to change tracks. I'm going to cover other security issues like financial. Most of us homesteaders are debt-free or as debt-free as we can be. Last year, we faced lock downs where businesses were closed or access was limited. Some even experienced curfews. Now, while recovering from months of this, things are getting back to a new normal of limits and/or conditions. Financial security issues have us holding onto cash as much as possible within reach and in our homes possibly making us easy targets for unsavory characters. Most of these are opportunist criminals or snatch and grabbers. They'll swipe a wallet or purse and run. How would you protect it?   

My mother had a neat idea of wrapping stacks of cash like meat in the freezer. I knew she did this, but no one else did. She also had a secret way of marking the packages with cash in it. Being an urban homesteader, her freezers were mostly full all the time. (She did rotational purchases of bulk meats also like I do. Wonder where I learned that trick) 😉 When she died, I told my father about it. We searched her two freezers and found nearly $20,000 disguised as meat. No thief would take the time to go through and open every package of meat. He might get lucky and find a couple worth about $200, but that's it. Bet if you think about it you could think of several ways to stash cash safely.

Your important papers. Things you want to keep safe like birth certificates, marriage licenses, deeds, ownership papers, etc. Do you keep these things in a water tight, fire-proof lock box like most folks do? I don't. I keep all important papers in a ziplock bag in my household freezer. It's a quick grab as I head out the door. But I go one step further. I scan all of it to a thumb drive. I keep it on my key chain and every point of egress from my home. All my thumb drives are a 13-keystroke password protected. It would only take 5-7 years for a super computer to break it. What I scan...

• Birth certificates (including parents)
• Passports
• Deeds and proof of purchases
• Mortgage and outstanding debt.
• Utility accounts
• Documentation and pictures of anything of value
• Stocks, bonds, certificates of deposits
• Banking information
• Social Security cards
• Immunization records
• Health/Medical information
• Marriage licenses (including parents)
• Divorce papers
• Death certificates (including parents)
• Insurance papers
• Registrations
• Picture IDs
• etc. Anything you deem important.

Having to evacuate in a hurry many times over the years from natural and manmade disasters over the years, I've learned that having proof of these things is very important to establish who you are, where you are from, and ownership. While scans may not be viewed as certified copies, you at least have documentation and a reference point to search for certified copies to replace them. My drives even include my children's and grandchildren's information too just in case. I update these every two years. Sound like overkill? Try losing everything to a house fire, tornado, or flood. You'll be thankful to have it. Been there, done that.

More financial matters. Last year taught us to be prepared for layoffs, business failures, unemployment, and a few more really nasty downfalls. Maybe you were lucky and had an essential job, many were not. I try to keep at least 1 to 3 months of expenditures in reserve for this eventuality. It's no fun getting caught with your pants down around your ankles, is it? The better solution is 3-6 months worth, or the best is 12 months. I don't always make it. Two years ago, I was hit on all sides and was stuck. It happens like that sometimes unfortunately. The virus caught everyone off guard as do most things that happen like this. What was supposed to be a two-week stay at home stretched months and still not over yet for 10 months so far as we adjust to a new way of being. 

The fact is you can prepare you and yours' security now. The good news is human beings are adaptable. We've proved it time and time again. We survive and fight our we fight our way back up the Maslov's Hierarchy of Needs until we are secure again, or as secure as we can be.

Y'all have a blessed day!

Cockeyed Jo

Cooking with Chef Jo: Cooking While Recovering

 I recently got some bad news or maybe good news depending on how you look at it. My right carotid artery was clogged so it had to have the similar procedure on my right paralyze/spastic side as I did with my left last year. I thought I was done with this but I'm not. It means cutting my throat cut again. If it's not one thing, it's another.

Canned soup and sandwiches will only get you so far. But rolling out doughs will be a no-no with surgery. What does rolling out doughs (think breads, pastries, dumplings, noodles, pizza crusts, cookies... to name a few) have to do with neck surgeries? Well, you lean forward and stretch with you shoulders that in turns pulls your neck muscles. The same thing goes for a lot of movements you do while cooking. I'll have a weight lifting restriction of ten pounds for the first two weeks, and then twenty for the next six weeks. Anything that involve bending forward and backwards, shaking seasoning on meats or in a bag (anything that jars the neck and may put tension on the internal stitches) is prohibited. I must admit it was harder to do when my left carotid was done. I mean, I wouldn't want to bust a major artery open in my neck or leg and bleed to death in minutes. I don't push these doctor's orders.

So what's on the menu when you take canned beef stew, canned chili, and soups off the menu for easy to fix dinners? That usually makes up about half of our wintertime cuisine. I could throw lightly seasoned meat into the air fryer instead of man handling the cast iron skillets. The skillets hang behind the stove (stretching-not allowed) lifting the weight of the skillet (5-7 lbs) above my head (weight lifting and stretching- not allowed). But, I've got four pans of lasagna in the freezer from batch cooking it. The same goes for spaghetti, and a few other dishes I make in bulk, but that will only carry me so far before my palate fatigue sets in. I decided on a simple meat and two vegetables for dinners. It suits Mel just fine because that's how she always used to eat. But the chef in me wants to do better than that, but in a pinch it will nourish the body without any fuss. 

It's not forever, I keep telling myself. It's only until I heal. The idea of buying bread and all the rest just rubs me raw. Once a scratch cook, always a scratch cook. Nothing else satisfies you or as good as you can make it. I do know going back into commercially prepared products will make my allergies worse again. Sigh! But at least the quail and vegies are mine, and most of the meats are farm raised.

One dish comes to mind,.. Shepherd's Pie.  Of course mine is not the Shepherd's pie you usually get. I don't use wine, I use dark Guiness and I don't top mine with white mashed potato either, I use sweet potato for a nutritional punch. These ain't yo' momma's mashed sweet potatoes neither. I'll make these up in 3x5 foil tins (2 servings) and put them in the freezer as well. Don't y'all love cooking once and eating many times. Did you know shepherd's pie is made with ground lamb or mutton? When it's made with ground beef it's called "Cottage Pie."

Jo's Shepherd Pie

Serves 4

What you'll need

1 lb ground lamb or mutton

2 medium carrots, scrubbed and diced small

1 small onion, diced small

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 ribs of celery, diced small

1 lb mushrooms, chopped crimini or portabellas work best

1/2 cup peas

1/4 tsp cayenne powder, more to taste

1 tsp fresh rosemary, if using dried decrease amount to 1/2 tsp

1 tsp fresh thyme, if using dried decrease amount to 1/2 tsp

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

                                                  1 bay leaf

                                                  3 oz tomato paste

                                                  1 TBS Worcestershire sauce                                                                                                                  12 oz bottle of Guiness Draught

                                                 3 TBS flour or corn starch

                                                2 large sweet potatoes

                                                1 TBS butter

                                                1/4 tsp cayenne powder

                                                1/4 tsp salt

                                                1 TBS heavy cream

Putting it all together

• Bake sweet potatoes in 350℉ oven until until soft and fork tender. 
• In a skillet, add meat, onion, celery, carrots, rosemary, cayenne, thyme, bay leaf and garlic, and cook over medium heat.
• When onions are translucent and the meat is no longer pink, add tomato paste, salt and pepper, and flour/corn starch. Stir well to coat everything.
• Add Guiness. Stir well and reduce heat to low. Stir occasionally.
• It will thicken into a thick gravy and coat the lamb/mutton.
• Making the topping- the sweet potatoes should be cool enough to touch. Peel them and chop them up in a bowl.
• Add butter, cream and salt.
• Mash sweet potatoes until smooth.
• Spread the meat mixture evenly into a buttered casserole dish, soufflé cups or ramekins for serving size you desire.* 
• Top with dollops of mashed sweet potato.
• Spread sweet potato mash so the meat mixture is covered.
• Sprinkle cayenne pepper and sea salt on top of the mash.*
• Bake 375℉ for 10 minutes.

*For just us, I divide it in half at this point.

* For the pan going to the freezer, I'll cover it and mark what it is, and baking instructions before I put this into the freezer.

Now, when I make this I'll double the recipe so I end up with three meals going into the freezer and have one for dinner. It's a yummy break from the ordinary. Next time I want this dish, it's just a thaw and bake meal ready super quick. Enjoy!

Y'all have a blessed day!

Chef Jo 

Maslov's Hierarchy of Needs: Personal Well Being

 Last year, I mentioned Maslov's Hierarchy of Needs. I thought to kick off the year covering this as it pertains to homesteading and life in general. The bottom level is Psychological Needs. Last year was rough for a lot of folks and this year may be rougher for a time. Notice how each level gets smaller as it climbs up? The greater the size, the more larger the need. No matter what level folks were on or thought they were on before last year they were knocked back a rung or two. Many falling back to this first tier.

So what is meant by your psychological needs?  These are basic needs that man needs to survive like food, water, air, shelter, sleep, and to lesser degrees (in my humble opinion) clothing and reproduction. 

Having a homestead, we will never go hungry. We grow our own poultry and rabbits. We also have the luxury of having neighbors within ten miles to obtain lamb, mutton, goats, pork, and beef without having to grow it ourselves. There are plenty of lakes and streams to obtain fish and crawfish, and deer abound in these hills. Vegetables and fruits are just a stone's throw from our front door or bartered for from surrounding farms. It might not be everything we want but we do fairly well. As for shelter, most homesteaders have a home or shelter. Being from a survivalist background, I know how to build a shelter from resources around me if needed. It might not be a mansion, but it will keep the rain and snow off. Yes, sleep is important. But having food and shelter takes some of the worry that causes some sleepless nights. You can't put in a full day's work if you start the day exhausted.  Now, the air up here is fresh and clean with very little pollution causing industries within 30+ miles. We've got our own deep well and a spring fed creek on our property so water is not a concern.

As far as clothing and reproduction goes, clothing we can make our own. We grow flax for linen and have an abundance of wool to make into clothing. Yes, we know how to spin, weave, and do needlework. As for reproduction, we as Mel puts it, "We've already done our part for God and country, and we're done with all of that. Thank God!"  So as homesteaders, even on a small homestead, our psychological needs are met. Lord knows we have enough to keep us busy.

That's another thing that homesteaders do not have to worry about. During the lockdowns with the virus, folks were going stir-crazy and suffered from isolation. There's always something to do on the homestead. Most times it's too much to be done. We have to-do lists upon to-do lists. It's only January and the outside temperatures hover just above freezing here, but we are frantically buying seeds and planning our spring garden. Somethings need to be started next month. Already, we are sorting through potatoes to chit for planting in March. We have the advantage of being able to talk to each other and the

animals so socialize isn't a problem. Just because we don't speak rabbit, quail, chicken, or dog and cat doesn't stop me from talking to them. Mel on the other hand is an animal whisperer. She speaks all languages with full comprehension. People, she not so great at, but animals...fuhgeddabouit, she's Dr. Dolittle. So there's plenty for us to do without taking on any new projects...like that will ever happen.

So there are advantages to homesteading. Even suburbanites are jumping on the bandwagon now. They are planting their lush, green lawns to grow vegetables, and raising quails, hens, and rabbits. So much so that seed and gardening equipment were sold out through many distributors last year. I ordered seed the first week in January this year and still I was having to order from several sources because seed was selling out so fast for 2021! I'll be saving more of my own heritage seeds this year so next year won't be a problem. I was saving some but not near enough for the garden I'm planting this year. I'm even buying seeds for things I want to grow in the future.

Y'all have a blessed day!

Cockeyed Jo