By RancherMan
We’ve already talked about saving electricity in the home. Here we discuss some of the lesser energy supplies: Propane and Natural Gas.
Both are used in the same way, mainly heating in some form or another.
by Texas Homesteader ~
When my children were babies I of course used baby wipes by the thousands! But now my children are grown and I have grandbabies to enjoy.
I’m in a different place in my life and thankfully the flurry and time-crunched period of my child-rearing days have slowed down.
But recently I found myself in need of a small supply of baby wipes. In my more time-crunched days I would have simply driven to the store and purchased what I needed. But now I hate to buy something I can easily make myself.
So onto the internet I went looking for solutions. There are several different ways to make wipes but I only needed a few for temporary needs.
So I sweet-talked RancherMan into surrendering some of his heavy paper shop towels – PERFECT!
by Texas Homesteader ~
Wild hogs are well-known in these parts for the extreme damage caused on on farmers or ranchers property.
These animals are highly destructive as they root and dig. They can completely tear up a pasture in no time flat. And they not only damage to the pasture or crops, but also to the equipment used to work that land whether it be crop harvester or tractor.
The good news is – it’s just PORK and it’s delicious! Feral hogs are simply domesticated hogs that have escaped into the wild.
Having a hunter husband means there’s opportunity to not only remove these damaging creatures from our property but feed ourselves as well.
One of my favorite ways to use this pork is with shredded pork BBQ sandwiches.
by Texas Homesteader ~
When we first purchased our property neither one of us had ever lived or worked on a ranch and we had no idea where to start. Thankfully one of our first local acquaintances was a veteran cattleman who purchased our first calves for us at a livestock auction.
Not only were we holding down full-time jobs in Dallas without flexibility to attend these auctions ourselves but we’d never been to an auction before and were very intimidated by the entire process. This wonderful gentleman purchased those calves and brought them to his corrals to work them for us, then delivered them to our own fledgling ranch. He is a valued friend and mentor even today.
Guest post by Ashley
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I have always lived in the city. My parents bought a beautiful stretch of country when I was just a young girl, but we still lived in the city. They didn’t sustain themselves on the wealth of the land until I was grown and already moved across the United States, so this is all still relatively new to me.
Since I moved to North Carolina I only get to come out and visit about once a year and even then my time is stretched across Texas to try and visit all of my old friends and family. However this trip I was able to sit back and relax a little more, smell the country air, look at the little details and actually appreciate the things that my parents see every day. Things that are new, wondrous, and amazing to me is nothing but an old piece of equipment to them. So allow me to take you on a tour of the Homestead with what wondrous things these city eyes see.
by Texas Homesteader ~
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RancherMan saw me on my hands & knees in the garden, struggling with digging out yet more bermuda strands. (grrrrrr…) He commented “Looks like YOU’RE not having any fun today! Why don’t you do something different this year instead of raised-bed gardening?”
I looked up at him as I brushed my wind-blown hair from my face with a dirty glove, smiled and replied “I don’t know how to explain it to you, and I’m not sure I understand it myself, but I *HAVE* to do this, it’s in my blood!”
Several years ago we built three 20′ raised beds in my fenced vegetable garden area. Now you have to remember that my veggie garden was initially planted in what was previously just a cattle pasture – I needed to amend the soil to be able to produce a bountiful garden. The raised beds were built with regular 2×4 boards but they have lasted three years so far and will probably last another 3-4 years before they have to be replaced.
by Texas Homesteader ~
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Our youngest daughter came home to Texas for a visit all the way from the east coast. One of her fond childhood memories is of my footed cake plate being forever filled.
Sometimes it would have cookies, sometimes biscuits. But there was always something in it. I wasn’t about to have her walk into the house without something under that dome. But what to make?
I decided to use up some over-ripe bananas and some of my own hand-picked pecans to make banana nut bread. I made it healthier for her by eliminating the shortening called for in the recipe and replacing it with applesauce I made from apples given to me from my aunt’s tree last fall.
The bread turned out delicious! I’ll describe my procedures, but the actual recipe will be at the bottom.
by Texas Homesteader~
Our ranch has many beautiful trees, but none that are also as functional as the Bois D’Arc tree. The wood from this tree is highly valued for it’s rot-resistant qualities. And many ranchers use logs cut from this tree in their fence lines and barn beams.
My favorite thing about it though is the beauty in the wood itself as it ages. Many people have asked me to share a post about these beautiful trees so I’m obliging today.
The tree itself makes a beautiful shade tree, with gently arching branches. I’m showing a picture of it below, just to the right of the too-cute-for-words Hereford calf. 😉
