Homesteading Posts by the Numbers for 2019

I know we are late doing the end of the year review of most favorite and least favorite posts for 2019, but at least it's finally done. There have been other more exciting topics to talk about like the start of a new homestead based income stream...Mel's chicken farm.

I'm happy to say this little homesteading blog has significantly grown in visits and comments over the past year. I honestly began wondering if I was reaching anyone besides a few of our YouTube subscribers the last three years. Originally, this blog was set up to provide watchers of our channel a behind the scene view of homesteading and other items that did not make it into videos. That all changed at the end of summer 2017. Computer crashes, video editing software problems, replacing cameras, and 4 sets of audio equipment died all put a damper on us continuing with YouTube. So, the blog became our website as we cut out nonessential expenses from our tightening budget.

You see, we will never to be able to earn a cent from YouTube just made matters worse. Mel was banned from Adsense. You may have noticed that we don't run ads on our channel. That's why. We can't monetize it. Me, monetizing this blog was the only way we could make any money from our efforts. But in the 20+ years with Blogger and Adsense, I've never earn one red cent. My other blog has grown to over 1 million hits...think about it. I don't do any of this for money. We video upload and write for the love of the subject matter and to share with others.

I just keep seeing videos about what homesteading YouTube content creators are making from YouTube and just wanted to set the record straight regarding our Cockeyed Homestead channel. I'll get off my soap box now and get on with my post.

If  you read Wednesday's post on this subject do not be surprised by the difference in the numbers. This is just on the Sunday homesteading posts which are considerably lower, but growing. I can remember a time when I got no visits to this blog so these numbers are exciting to me.

The blog with the highest number of 47 unique visitors was ...drum roll, please.

Demolishing the Store Building ...Sort Of

 This surprised me. I didn't think tearing apart a rat infested food storage out building was such an earth shattering post.

The biggest loser for 2019  with only 7 views was...

It's Definitely Springtime!

This was certainly one of my more shorter posts. But still, only 7 souls even stopped by to notice.

But all that being said since starting this blog in May 31, 2016, my little old homesteading blog has received 27.4K (with a high March 31, 2019 biggie of 2,483 visitors to this site) of unique visits. That's not too shoddy looking at how far we've come in three short years since I started writing this.

Thank y'all for visiting me.

Y'all have a blessed day!

Cockeyed Jo

Cooking with Chef Jo Posts- Some Numbers for 2019

With this, it's the 56th posting of this Wednesday Cooking with Chef Jo. Everyone is doing the year in review and this series has run a little over a year now. Yes, I'm finally getting around to mine for this segment of the Cockeyed Homestead blog.

The recipe with the most views (266) is (drum roll, please) 

Cooking with Chef Jo: Not "Lipton" Dry Onion Soup Mix Revisited

266 may not seem like a lot to y'all, but for this post it's major. I can only attribute it to another homesteading blog "5 Acres and a Dream" posting a link to the recipe in Leigh's blog. Thank you, Leigh. Clapping and doing the Snoopy dance of happiness!

The second runner up with 85 views is...

Cooking with Chef Jo: My Infamous Chicken Salad Recipe 

For a long time, this recipe was #1 until Leigh's blog came out. It was one of my most requested recipes when I was a working chef. Still doing the Snoopy dance of happiness! But a big difference in the numbers of visits and just goes to show you what a simple link can do.

The biggest loser was... 

 With only 4 views 

 Cooking with Chef Jo: Cockeyed Devilished Ham 

To be honest, this recipe is from December 2018 and the Cooking with Chef Jo was in it's infancy. Nobody wants to scroll back a year to find it. It's actually a good recipe. Much better than the canned mush you get in the store. Or, maybe nobody eats deviled ham anymore like us old timers. I dunno.

There you have it the biggest winners and loser of 2019 Cooking with Chef Jo.  Thank y'all for visiting.

Y'all have a blessed day!

Chef Jo

The Cockeyed Chicken Farm Begins! We Got Babies!!!

Awaiting chicks

The brooder box Mel built out of scrap lumber now sits behind the sofa. Made from 2x4s and sheeting boards, this thing is heavy! Mel had to dismantle it and carry it in pieces, and put it back together in place. When I asked her why she didn't split the 2x4s on the table saw, she said, "I dunno. I didn't think of it."

Instead of a heat lamp, we're using our heating pad once again. This time it's draped over an arched wire frame work. The chicks can go under it for warmth. We put a layer of pine shaving on the bottom of the box. It's easy enough to clean out with a whisk broom and bucket for the waste...it will all go into the compost pile.

 Mel ordered fifteen All Female Rainbow Chick Layers from Meyer's Hatchery last week and the variety assortment arrived on Tuesday. The ad said at least 5 different breeds of chickens and from the looks of the identifying leg tags, we've got 7-10 distinctly different breeds.

From Meyer's catalog

From the picture in the ad, they should be a colorful assortment. We decided not to free range these because some of them are considered rare breeds. We want to protect them. These are strictly egg layers. With so many varying breeds of chickens in one coop/run, it will be interesting to see what kind what kind of personalities and pecking order they establish. Up until now, we've only raised Rhode Island and New Hampshire Reds, and Buff Orpingtons. We'll raise all of them to be friendly to humans. Not necessarily children friendly 'cause we ain't got any rug rats around this homestead. Or, at least not at any given time.

Every day, these chicks are handled by Mel and I. We just can't help it. They are such cute, little puff balls right now. We'll talk to them and cuddle them. We are certainly imprinted in their little minds already. I expect they'll try and follow us all over the place if we let them. I can see it now, all of them squawking to be picked up and loved on every time we enter the chicken run just like Broody and Black Butt does now. Lord knows, the the decibel level of peeps of these chicks dropped once I put them under the heated section of the brooder or we snuggle them inside our flannel shirts.

From Meyer's catalog

I'm personally looking forward to spring and having our own, fresh eggs again. Broody and Black Butt have stopped laying eggs. For Broody, I think it's age. She is in her 4th year. Black Butt stopped laying in the nest box with the Kassity killing Baby Girl. It could be a winter thing too.  I may put a nesting tote in the bunny/chicken barn. So we've actually had to start buying eggs from the store for homestead use!  I can surely tell the difference between our eggs and store bought ones. The yolks are yellow instead of orange and the whites are runny in comparison. There's a difference in taste and cooking/baking results too. Our homestead eggs were superior. Hopefully these new chicks will start laying by June for abundance of eggs to have and sell. Plus eggs from the other birds.


The quail pens are built and awaiting quail. Next livestock auction, I'll be buying some full grown quail and buying some fertile quail eggs to incubate. So our poultry farm begins. I'll have to revamp this design to add some quail and change it to "poultry farm." I still need to clean up the design some. Or, maybe I'll leave it alone for now.

Y'all have a blessed day!

Cockeyed Jo

Cooking with Chef Jo: "I'll Take Some TOE, Please"

Welcome back to another episode of Cooking with Chef Jo. I'm happy you stopped by! Grab a cup of your favorite herbal tea, don your cozy slippers, and grab a pillow for the back of your chair. Be sure and grab paper and something to write with. Ah, there. All cozy now?

Today's recipe is not about foot fetishes or cannibalism, but an honest to goodness meatless main dish.  My family ask me to make over and over again. I had to give it a name so I called it "toe" because they couldn't pronounce the Indian name for it and the cut vegetables look like toes. It's a curry and one of my favorites. It's made with the old southern goodies: tomatoes, okra, and eggplant or TOE.

My kids got a kick out of it. They would gross out their friends by saying they ate toe for dinner. I've also made preserves made of the same vegetables to farther gross their friends out. I was either the coolest mom around or the craziest. I never knew for sure.

Keep in mind if you have arthritis, vegetables in the nightshade family like tomatoes, okra, and eggplant may cause a worsening of pain and condition. So daughter #2 never ate this.

 Jo's TOE Curry*
Serves 6

What you'll need

5 Japanese or baby eggplants, sliced lengthwise and quartered
2 cups of  very young okra,  about 2" long
2  cups of coconut milk, add more if needed
2 cups of vegetable stock, add more if needed
2 TBS butter
2 TBS olive oil
1 onion, chopped
                                                             1 red pepper, chopped
                                                             1/2 green and red bell pepper, chopped
                                                             1 clove of garlic, minced (large clove)
                                                             1 jalapeno, remove seeds and core, finely chopped
                                                             2 tomatoes, chopped
                                                             2  tsp of fresh ginger, grated
                                                             1/4 cup of desiccated coconut, unsweetened
                                                             2 TBS of Madras curry powder
                                                             1 1/2 tsp of black mustard seeds
                                                             1 tsp of coriander, ground
                                                             1/2 tsp of cinnamon
                                                             2 tsp of turmeric
                                                             salt and pepper to taste
                                                             fresh cilantro, chopped for garnish
                                                             lemon juice to taste*

*Notes-*This is a very mild curry. To add more heat add the core and seeds of the jalapeno or add you favorite hot chilies.
* I usually just cut lemon wedges in a bowl so everyone can add their own.
*To add heat- leave the seeds and core in the jalapeno and increase the number to 3 jalapenos.

Putting it all together

• Saute eggplant in olive oil and butter until browned on both sides. Set aside. 
• Do the same for the okra, but don’t brown.
• Cook the onion, red and green peppers in a large pan. Sweat them a bit with a shake of salt, and then add the curry, turmeric, cinnamon and coriander. Cook for about 10 minutes. Onions will be translucent.
•  Add the garlic, ginger, tomatoes, and jalapeno. Stir and cook for approximately 5 minutes. The aroma of these additions will fragrance the kitchen.
• Add the mustard seeds, stir and cook for about 1 minute.
• Add the vegetable stock and reduce heat. 
• Add the coconut milk, and desiccated coconut. Let cook for about 10 minutes at a simmer.
• Add the cooked baby eggplant and okra and simmer for about 20 minutes or until it begins to thicken.
• Add cilantro right before serving and stir well.

For Service- Serve over your grain of choice. I use quinoa and the nutty flavor or to keep it authentic brown rice. Sprinkle with more cilantro to garnish. Enjoy!

Y'all have a blessed day!

Chef Jo

Homesteading Economics-Purchasing Land

So you want to live on a homestead.

You've dreamed about being self sufficient and saying goodbye to the powers that be. Be it your 40-80 hour job, your boss, the utility companies, grocery stores, etc. You've studied and practiced your homesteading skills for years. You grew a small, postage stamp garden. You raised small animals (chickens, rabbits, quail), bred them, and butchered them for your dinner. You've paid off all your debts. You've squeezed every penny into quarters to save enough money to buy your homestead property, house, and equipment outright for cash. You've even saved up enough cash to keep you going for the first year or so.

You're ready to take the plunge.You think you've found the perfect piece of land.

WAIT!

Before you buy that parcel of land, do some research before you buy. Some things to consider...

What are the property taxes like on your parcel of land?

This is important. So many properties go to auction because of unpaid taxes. You need to have a plan for this escalating item. In one year, the property taxes on my old homestead doubled! I'm talking about an increase of thousands of dollars. Have a plan in place if this happens to you.

Are there any exemptions that work for you and against you?

The standard is the Homestead Exemption (US). If you own a property and live on this property you qualify for this. But there may be more advantages and disadvantages to live on a homestead. For my husband and I, in the county we lived in there was an exemption from paying school tax (a large part of your property tax) if you were childless or empty nesters. For us, it lowered our property taxes several hundred dollars a year.

Are you a disabled vet, will/can you get your power (off grid) from solar, or any other thing you can think of for added exemptions.

This needs to be part of your decision making process whether you live in a particular county or not. It pays to do your research. It can save you hundreds or cost you thousands.

Could there ever be a right of way or can your property be taken over in the future?

Don't laugh and say no. Even the most out-in-the-middle-of-nowhere properties have been bought by the governments (county, state, federal) for development of bases, roadways, government facilities (to name a few) whether the present owner wanted to sell or not. Liens for the common good.

There's no way short of a fortune teller to know for certain, but there are indicators.  When looking at my previous homestead, the county proposed to make our road a major thoroughfare between two major highways. All of our sleepy suburban community would be no more if this happened. One landowner  decided to build a five-acre fish pond on his property successfully taking our road out of the suitable choices category. He even had this pond stocked for free by the DNR (Department of Natural Resources). He allowed several homeowners to fish his pond. A bit underhanded... yes, definitely, but this land owner did it while it was his land (paid for in full). There are ways to fight city hall.When looking at our property, it would cost too much to develop into something else. So the chances of a lien for the common good being placed on it is highly unlikely.

Are there any restrictions to farming or meat production?

Yes, different counties have very strict zoning and zoning can change.  Just because today you have 10, 25, 50, or 100 acres that can be used any way you see fit, the powers that be may have different ideas.One county in GA changed the zoning of a 40-acre tract of land from farming to build a federal penitentiary on it. Wouldn't we all want to homestead next to that?! As a result, the surrounding area's property value dropped. So if you were looking for an expansion loan on your property, you might not be able to.

Counting on composting your own waste, and the use and harvesting rain water?

You'd think there wouldn't be a problem. What you do with your own and natural resource shouldn't matter to anyone else, right? Wrong. Some counties have laws against this. You have to have a regulation septic system (the kind they want you to have) or tie into their sewage lines. The same goes for water. You may not be able to dig your own well, harvest rain water for other uses, nor put in a biofilter for urine/grey water to water your trees.

Do you have enough land to raise large animals?

There are local regulations. Just because you've seen them doesn't mean your property can have them on yours.Zoning laws may have changed. The county my father lives in did that. The previous owner of his home had horses on his acre and a half lot. At the time it was legal. The regulation changed to needing over 2 acres for large livestock. He ended up selling his property and moving his horses to a 5-acre plot. Governments can do this.

Is your homestead in a hurricane/tornado/avalanche/flood zone?

The reason for this is self explanatory. Forewarned is forearmed. Take a look at average rain/snow fall for the past couple decades at least. What's the topography like? How much does land clearing and manipulations will you have to do and what will it cost in the future as you grow?

The first five-year plan will mostly be infrastructure? How everything will be placed on your homestead. Establishing paddocks and shelters for livestock. Keep aging in place in mind. Unless you've got tons of money to throw into the property, or you have to prioritize your needs.  With a ten-year, it includes growth, expansion, and income. Expansion is necessary because stagnant growth fails to reach your goal. Each year, once your main infrastructure is accomplished should be one more item towards being more self sufficient and self sustainable. It may be as simple as adding one more vegetable or fruit tree, or raising one more animal on your homestead. Like we are adding a chicken and quail farm to our homestead in 2020 as an extra income stream. We never thought of doing this in the first five-year plan, but we are.

For example on this homestead, we had fiber rabbits and chickens, the beginnings of an organic garden, and a barn/workshop. In the future, we'd add milk goats to our homestead. My first two years here, I focused on infrastructure items like house maintenance (electrical & plumbing), expanding the garden for food production, put in an 1/4 acre orchard, and regraveled the 1/4 mile driveway. The goal was to produce 75% of our vegetables and fruit by the 3rd year. The 4th year goal was 90% of our fruits and vegetables and 50% of the hay and straw needs for the homestead.  We met the 4th year goal in the 2nd year. It happens like that sometimes. In our 4th year plan, we also wanted to two tiny houses on the property and add goats. To be honest, that's not going to happen. Those items have been pushed back to year 6 or7.

These are just a few items to check out before you buy that gorgeous piece of homesteading property you have your eye on. The difference is reaching your goal of a self sufficient lifestyle or being stopped before you even get started. As carefully as you've researched homesteading and learned the skills involved, shouldn't you do the same for your property? Some food for thought.

Y'all have a blessed day!

Cockeyed Jo

Cooking with Chef Jo: Cheese Cookies

Happy New Years 2020!

Now all the ooey, gooey sweet stuff of Christmas is past, let's do something super savory to munch on. When I was younger, my mother used to make these savory cheese cookies for us to enjoy. 

So I broke out my mother's old recipe box to find this recipe for me and y'all. This battered, rusted, old metal 3x5 recipe box has been around the world a couple of times with Mom and me. It's one of my prized mementos. I have no idea where she got this recipe from, but it was written in her handwriting on the back of a 1971 bank deposit slip. I was feeling a bit homesick having not seeing any of my family for a year. It's my mother's birthday is January first.  She went to heaven 31 years ago and I miss her. She would have been 87 today. So Mom here's to you.

Mom's Cheese Cookies
Makes about 3 1/2 dozen 4"cookies

What you'll need

12 oz good quality, extra sharp cheddar cheese from a block, grated and warmed to room temperature*

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 TBS black pepper, coarsely ground black pepper

3 TBS celery seed, whole not ground*

1/4 tsp salt

2 1/2 cups plain flour, or GF flour

 

*Notes- For the first time, I used my own, homestead made sharp cheddar cheese (even without the annato) and it turned out fabulous!

Yes, I let some celery bolt and go to seed last year: to save the seeds and for culinary uses.

Putting it all together

• Shred the cheddar cheese using a grater (large grater holes are ideal).
• Place the butter, shredded cheese, black pepper, salt and half the celery seed in a bowl and mix with a hand-held beater on medium speed.
• Mix for a few minutes until the butter is creamy and the cheese gets mixed in with the butter. Add the flour, and mix on low speed until the flour forms wet clumps. There are no dry spots in the dough.
•  Bring the dough together to form a dough ball. Knead it a little if needed. But don't knead too much.(It mixes so easily I didn't use my bad boy Kitchen Aid)
• Form an evenly shaped dough log that's about 6-7 inches long about 3 1/2" around.  Wrap it in plastic wrap. Knot the two ends to form a tightly wrapped dough sausage. 
• Refrigerate until the dough has chilled - about 30 min to 1 hour. You can also let it chill for up to 5 days in the fridge, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
• When you're ready to bake - remove the log from the fridge (or freezer). If the dough is too hard to cut through, let it thaw a little (so that it's still chilled, but easier to cut). Unwrap the dough when you’re ready to slice it.
• With a sharp knife, cut 1/8th inch thick discs from the dough log. Use your fingers to shape the cookies into nice round shapes, if they lose their shape a bit. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking pan with parchment paper.
•  Place the cheese cookies on the parchment paper-lined baking pan, with about an inch of space between each cookie. They will spread some and puff up into flaky layers.
• Sprinkle a bit of celery seed over the top. 
• Bake for 15 - 20 minutes for a crispy cheese cookie - remove from the oven when the cookies start turning golden in color on top.
• Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes. 
• When slightly warm to the touch, transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let them cool completely. Repeat with the remaining sliced cookies
• Make sure the baking pan is at room temperature for this second batch of cookies - so either use a new pan, or cool down the previous one to room temp first so they don't start melting before you place them in the oven.
• Place the cooled cookies in an air-tight container for up to 4 days.

Serve at room temperature.

Serving suggestions- My mother used to use her cookie press to form each cookie into a twisted, rounded star for a more festive look. It made considerately more cookies. Place in a bowl and serve it as you would any cheesy type snack cracker. Try it with my Horseradish Ranch dip. To me they are too thin and flaky for cheese and meat toppers or make them thicker if that is your desire (cut 1/4" thick). Or, be strange like my ex-husband and dip it into Neopolitan ice cream.

Y'all have a blessed day!

Cockeyed Jo

Mel Surprised Me. Eek!

Mel surprised me this week when she bought groceries! She bought half a smoked ham. Geez, now I've got to come up with a menu for Christmas dinner. I thought to take it easy and just grill some steaks, but this changed what I had in mind. Eek!

How could I fix this mammoth sized piece of meat with no standard oven. We still haven't bought propane for the big stove. I only have three electric stove top eyes to work my magic on.  It's way too big for either the microwave or toaster oven. I know. I'll use the big crockpot. If the lids doesn't close, I'll wrap it with aluminum foil. Bet Mel didn't think that through when she saw the price of the ham.

Now the glaze. Normally, I'd stud it with some pineapple and cloves with a brown sugar and honey glaze, but Mel complained that the ham is too sweet for her tastes. I already made that mistake in the time I've been cooking for her. Yes, she can be a picky eater. I know, I'll do a honey-mustard glaze. After a quick double check of resources, yes, it would work in a crockpot too. That issue was solved. Now, onto the next issues- sides and dessert.

Hmm, what to fix...rummaging around in the freezer I found a bag of spinach. I can work with that. We have no other greens in the freezer. I really wanted my step mother's collards. But I still can't drive yet. The neurologist told me it would be at least six months without a seizure (Feb or Mar) before he'd clear me to drive again. I can make Sauteed Spinach with Mushrooms Garlic and Lemon Zest.

I'm twiddling my thumb and wracking my brain for inspiration to strike on the second vegetable. For someone who requires two vegetables a meal, Mel doesn't really like a wide range of vegetables. Something different. Something special. Something we
hadn't had in a while. I went into the food storage building and scanned the hundred odd jars of produce I'd canned. That's all I have left of the 800+ jars of fruits, vegetables, and meats I canned in 2017. Now, they all fit nicely on the top shelf of each rack. I'm getting worried about our grocery situation. I'm beginning to feel like Old Mother Hubbard when I walk into the stores building. Then, in the back corner, I spy the last jar of canned sweet potatoes. That would work. I can make whipped sweet potatoes with horseradish for a nice zing.

So now, I've got a meat and two vegetables Mel's idea of a diet. Issue solved.

A bread...I could do a skillet cornbread. Nah, I just made that on Sunday. I know... I'll make my Hokkaido milk bread dough and make some Parkerhouse rolls. I can even freeze some before baking for later use. Issue solved.

Now, something sweet for dessert besides the cookies, fudge, chocolate covered cherries, and divinity I made earlier in the week to give to our three closest neighbors. Something sweet, but not too sweet. I found a bag of raw cranberries in our little freezer. We always keep these on hand plus the dried ones up in the cabinet. I can do a cranberry bar with cream cheese frosting. We've got other really sweet things to eat if the desire strikes.  Issue solved.

So the Christmas Dinner Menu at the Cockeyed Homestead 2019 is...

Honey-Mustard Glaze Smoked Ham

Sautéed Spinach with Mushrooms Garlic and Lemon Zest

Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Horseradish

Parkerhouse Rolls with Fresh Butter

Cream Cheese Frosted Cranberry Bars

Okay, now I feel better. That really sounds festive, doesn't it? Thanks for reading and sticking with me as I puzzled out a menu for Christmas dinner. I might even break out Mel's fine china and silver to boot. If Mel can surprise me with a ham for Christmas dinner two days before Christmas, she can at least polish the silver, can't she? No recipes today folks, I apologize. After all, it's not a regular  cooking/recipe sharing day. Y'all have a Merry Christmas!

Y'all have a blessed day!

Cockeyed Jo & Mel