Thursday Thoughts

The rain blew out and was replaced by deep blue skies today, lanced with white clouds and a bright sun. The wind blew cold from the mountains but the air smelled faintly of wood smoke and the rosemary warming in the morning light. I walked out my door this morning to check the mail and was floored by what a beautiful world we live in. Even when the rain falls for five days straight and the creeks flood over their banks, I can find so many reasons to want to protect this world we live in. Giving back to the land so that it is rich and fertile for future generations, treating animals with love and skill and reusing materials so we can limit waste. Those are just a few things we can do to ensure that our great grand children's children can look up and see a bright blue sky, to see the sun glowing gold in the east, to know the sound of chicken clucking, honeybees buzzing while they tend their comb and lambs baaing to their dams.

If tomorrow is cold and dry, I will go out and gather wood. The high winds have brought down a lot of fallen limbs in the front yard. Good fodder for the smoker. I also think I will walk the neighborhood, looking for any trash on the side of the road. I will take a bag and a pair of gloves with me. It is a small thing to pick up litter but every little bit helps.

Harvest and celebration

Last night, Colin and I went out to Turning Point Farm and purchased two, white Californian buck rabbits. These gentle boys were easy to handle and home slaughter went as expected: quickly and with care.  With sharp knives Rhi and I, with Colin on standby for consultation, steady skinned our bucks. I laid the skins fur skin down and liberally salted them with pickling salt, rolled them flesh to flesh to keep the salt off the fur and set them in a container in the fridge. These two "green hides" will keep for 3-5 months with proper salting and a cool climate. It is likely tomorrow I will pin them to a wooden board and start the fleshing process, then set them to soak in borax. Tanning has been a favorite hobby of mine since 2011, the year when I had bought a meat goat for home slaughter. It was the first time ever I had killed an animal and it was one of the most moving actions I had ever experienced. To thank a creature for his or her sacrifice, to hold them gentle as you take time to skillfully deliver their death so they can feed your family is as powerful a thing to feel as losing one's virginity. It alerts you and the way you view the world you know. You have the knowledge of the act within you and it brands you.

This was my first time with rabbit but I have home slaughtered one goat and one sheep before. As with my tanning, it is vital that I keep my knives sharp, oiled and my skills smart. The final thrust should always been given with skill, speed, grace and mercy.

With the hides salted, we turned to removing the organs. These are rinsed and saved for our dog and cat, both who get a steady diet of fresh meat in addition to a lamb/salmon first ingredient pet food. It is important to all the Clan that our animals eat well. The humans always have and so we extend the same consideration to our pets.

With rabbits cleaned, salted and tucked away to age a while in the fridge, I took to my bed. I was exhausted by the sheer emotion of the night. That said, it was a good night and well done at that. The white rabbit furs will go to my three year old daughter when they are ready, to be stitched together by me to make a wrap she can wear against the cold wind. Air turned chilly again for the first time in five days and I finally saw the sun, though it's warmth did little to penetrate the mostly gray sky.

This afternoon, I went with my daughter and nieces to Soma in Knoxville. Colin was kind enough to purchase a new bra for me and I am very grateful for the support, in my heart and on my back. It is not often that I purchase something for full price that has never been worn before; most of my clothing comes from Karm thrift store here in Maryville. It is nice to have such a beautiful garment; satin gray with a bow and rhinestone charm in the center. I was able to find out my current size, which is a relief. I had not been sized for a proper bra since I was pregnant with Briar Rose. Now I can donate all the gently used bras that did not fit my well to Karm. I am very pleased with the gift.

I have joined the Clan for supper over the course of this post. Rhiannon's 19th birthday was today and we held a small feast for her. I made a lovely cheesecake with fresh lemon curd for topping. Everything came out perfectly. With a full belly and a contented heart, my body longs for sleep.

May all of you be having a beautiful night.

Thank you for reading. Good night.

Giving Thanks

Summer Greens of 2015

Upon waking up this morning, I noticed that the views for Heart of Home had increased dramatically, seemingly overnight. After finding the source of the influx of readers, I just want to take the time to show a little gratitude. Thank you for accepting and understanding my censure. I am humbled by the comments I read.

There is always a risk in speaking one's truthful feelings in this world today. I am glad to be among those who know where I am and where I am coming from.

Again, thank you. I hope you continue to enjoy the Heart of Home.

With Care and Respect,
A.N King

Rain, Rabbits and Responsibility

After a morning out in the rain, cleaning and rinsing out my cat carriers for rabbit transport, it is nice to be in warm, dry socks while I wait for the laundry to dry. A rainy Monday means a lot of chores are going to get done today in the clanhold. Trash has been taken out, laundry is in the works, dishes are washing and the garden has been checked. The rosemary is up to my knee cap and is a bright, healthy green. I will have pictures up on the blog soon.

I have been doing some soul searching concerning the Heart of Home: Finding my Homestead and what this blog must be. It has become clear to me that a blog I had been following is not all that it appears.  I have seen a lot of discrepancies and more fabrications that I am comfortable with. I love fiction but if you are blogging and writing about what is suppose to be the life you are living, actually do the work and  live it. Farming is hard work and not a women-child's play thing.

Henceforth, I have stopped following the blog and heavily considering what I should do with the four books I own written by said blogger. They have no business in my homesteading library, as they are mostly fiction. Elaborate to the point of being cloyingly sweet fiction.

It is my responsibility, to both the clan and my audience that the telling of finding my homestead is true. It might be easy to paint either a story disproportionately sweet or sad to tug at the heart strings of one's fans but that is not the way of my story. My story is of truth.

I am hoping to replace those four books with ones written by Joel Salatin. That man is a model of integrity and his practices are the true future of sustainable agriculture. It is my hope that next spring or summer I might make a visit up to Polyface farms, to see in the flesh the good work Mr. Salatin is doing for the world.

You can find out more about Joel Salatin by visiting his website, Polyface Farms.

Silent Sunday: The Heart of Family

(from left to right) Addy, Kim, Mom, Brayden, Megan, and Briar Rose

Heart of Home Recipe: Bourbon Chocolate Chunk Pecan Pie

Hmm Good!

To make this beauty you will need the following...

Preheat oven to 350F
 
 1 3/4 cup of all purpose flour (chilled)
1/2 cup butter or shortening (chilled)
1 pinch of salt
1 pinch of sugar

Using a large glass bowl, add flour. Cutting the butter into fine pieces, rub into flour until small crumbs form. Add salt and sugar, combine. Using iced water, add water until pie dough pulls away from the side of the bowl. Turn out on a floured surface and with liberally floured hands, roll into a ball. Coat your rolling pin in flour and roll out dough. Prick the bottom of the dough with a fork across the surface.

Set pie crust in fridge and make filling.
6oz of pecans (halved)
2oz of almond (sliced)
2oz of Benchmark brown sugar bourbon
2 TBSP of brown sugar

1/2 cup of dark corn syrup
1 cup brown sugar
2 TBSP melted butter
3 eggs
1 tsp of vanilla extract

1 cup dark chocolate chips

*Combine nuts, bourbon and brown sugar. Set aside, covered and in a warm place. 

* Combine corn syrup, sugar, vanilla and butter until creamy. Add eggs in one at a time, incorporating fully before adding the next. Pour into pie crust.

*Add dark chocolate chips to bourbon mixed and fold in.

*Using a slotted spoon, add nut mixture gently until you have covered the entire surface of the pie.

* Bake for 55-65 minutes or until set.

*Cool for two hours in fridge.

*Bring to room temperature before serving. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

Blessed in Heart, Hearth and Home

Thanksgiving day saw me way too busy with food preparation and house cleaning to write but I am hoping all reading tonight had a wonderful day with their families. The house was so warm yesterday with everyone bustling about that my bread dough rose beautifully. A gift of chives and rosemary from someone in our SCA group, the Barony of Thor's Mountain, made a beautiful topping for the honey heath loaves.

Hearth bread with herbs about to go in the oven :D

In addition to fresh chives and rosemary, poppy seeds and salt went toward topping the loaves, then they were brushed in melted butter. I was in charge of all the baking this year, in addition to hearth bread I also make a bourbon chocolate chunk pecan pie. All day the kitchen and living room was filled with the scent of roasting turkey with stuffing, honey hearth bread, pecan pie, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and baked squash. Colin made a delicious batch of gravy, flecked with pepper and enriched with turkey giblets. Just to remember it makes my mouth water and my heart brighten.

Baking done!

With all this love and thanks to be had, it also turns my mind toward those who are less fortunate. Winter is hard on all living things and humans are no different.  On December 11 I will be making a donation to my local charity, the Blount County Food Bank and I will be giving blood soon to the Red Cross. I have jackets I will be donating to Give a Coat, for people who are in need of proper winter clothing. Every little bit helps, so while we busy ourselves toward our Holiday plans do keep in mind those who have less this year and give the gift of just a little more.

I know I am blessed in hearth and home. Not all are so lucky and so I do my best to share the wealth I have. It costs me little to give of myself.

Just around the corner is my niece Rhiannon's 19th birthday and I am happy to tell you that I am done with her birthday present! Even as I write, Rhi sits across the room for me, flipping through Desserts by the Yard (Sherry Yard)  and Naked Cakes (Hannah Miles). With two of my favorite cook books in her procession, I am sure she can find something fabulous for me to bake on her birthday. She smiles as she makes her selection; a zesty cheesecake. I know exactly what I am going to do for her. It is another blessing to be able to make a cake from scratch for someone I love as dearly as I love this girl, for her quick wit, bountiful work ethic and skill. It fills my heart with joy to imagine her beaming face.

December 1st sees me driving out to Turning Point Farm to pick up two Californian white bucks. Rabbit will be on the menu and white fur to be tanned for the coming Solstice season. I have eaten rabbit rarely in my life and am looking toward to it with much excitement. Home processing of stock is something we did on several occasions in Georgia and it will be good to get back into it. I have never tanned rabbit fur, just goat and sheep. Hair off for the goat and fleece on the sheep. I have a knack for it, I think. At least, I never had a hide go rancid on me and I am skilled with a sharp knife. The rabbit pelts will go toward making someone very happy this year, I think.

Blessings of Heart, Hearth and Home. They are around us everyday, half hiding in the eyes of our pets and made flesh in our fresh baked bread, pies and cakes. Blessings abound in a family coming together to sing a lullaby to a young child, woken from sleep by a nightmare. They are a little off tune and one head a head cold but love shines in their eyes brighter than the sun. They are a Clan, stronger together than they are apart. They are the thread that stitches together this Heart of Home.

The sweet chill of fall

The cold wind coming down from the Smokey Mountains give one the taste of winter on the tongue. No snow came to the Valley but in other states light powder dusted the land. The crisp smell of fall in everywhere, coming in ghostly wisps of wood smoke. Everywhere, people make ready to roast turkeys and bake pies.

This will be a different holiday for the Clan, as we will be missing one of our dear members. Angela would make her pumpkin pies and bring out her fine china. This year, we won't have those things or her, which changes the lay of the land in more than one way. One the other side of the Wheel, I hope she whom I called Moonstone is feasting with friends long since passed away. It is the chief most serenity I can hope for.

So here is a Happy Thanksgiving from the Heart of Home. May it be full of family, feasting and the sweet chill of fall.

Blessings

This morning finds me very grateful for the resource rich world we live in. For two weeks, we have washed, rinsed and dried our dishes by hand. It became needful to do the entire process manually when our dishwasher died. While waiting for a replacement, everyday I would go and fill up the sink with hot water, soap and with my hands wash everything. During this time, I never failed to think of how lucky we are. To have hot water at our finger tips whenever we so desire it. To have clean water of any temperature, that we know is safe to give to our families, humans and animals alike. Thankful to have dishes to eat on and thankful for having food to eat at all. It is all the little blessings of our everyday lives that make our existence so exquisite an experience.

I pour a glass of milk for Briar Rose and dust it with a little cinnamon. My heart swells with gratitude that my daughter with only ever know the pain of hunger as a momentary discomfort, eased the moment she turns to one of the Clan and asks for an apple, a cup of mint tea or a box of raisins.  Thankful for the life that makes Rose's naked ramblings around the house her choice and not her fate. Within easy distance, I can produce a clean and sweet smelling dress or tunic. We are blessed to have all that we do, blessed to have so many in the Clan who work toward a better life.

We count our blessings, every one.
With joyful hearts, when day is done.
We know of love, were 'er we roam.
For here is our very Heart of Home.
                   

Autumn Rain; Winter Roses

Winter Rose by Patricia A. McKillip

 Four days of steady rain hasn't made for many ventures outside the clan hold this week. Most of the week has seen me roasting a ham, making a cheesecake, organizing books in the home library and working on my novel for Nanowrimo. I've made more progress on the laundry than the literature but tomorrow night we are leaving for Orlando to visit Briar Rose's Grandmothers in Florida. We will be gone for three days before flying back. I must admit, I am concerned about bringing my three year old on her first flight. Never mind it has been seventeen years since I last traveled by plane.

Just put your head down into the wind, love. The things we tell ourselves to get by.


Stormy days are great for finding reading time once the chores are done. Once such beautiful novel is Winter Rose by Patricia A. McKillip. If you are dying to lose yourself in the shadows of the winding wood, wells full of roses and gemstones, voices calling in the wind and the heady scent of chamomile and wood smoke. This is a tale of a young woman who by chance spies a beautiful young man stepping out between light and shadowed oak. His family is rumored to be cursed and curiosity drives her to discover the truth of it. Truth, however, turns to be more shadowed than even winter's night and as Rois gets closer, the more she seems to lose herself in the eyes of the man called Corbet Lynn. Rois may never find the truth but when the curse of Lynn Hall reaches out to ensnare her sister, Rois must brave the shadowed wood of rose thorns and owl feathers to find the eyes that watch and free those she loves.

It is a magical tale and I could hardly put it down.