Moving forward: fall focus points
Melissa and I had a meeting last night. We call it a "meeting" when we sit down to talk about something specific. Really it's just things a good married couple does. Working together and trying to stay on the same page.
She has expressed that she's been feeling out of the loop on the homestead stuff. It's not really her thing. Being outside aggrivates her eczema, so I do the outside stuff, which is everything we've worked on so far.
So here's what we're focusing on this fall.
- Kitchen appliances
- Emergency savings
- Getting the shop running
I like the model of having three main focus points per season. It has worked well this summer with our soil, water, and chickens. I thought it would be a system of 3 focus points per year, but I think switching focus every season may be better. Not that the other areas get dropped after their three months, but the focus period is to pay these areas extra attention.
We are focusing on these three to help Melissa feel more involved in the homestead side of things and to help us out financially.
This is a big undertaking, but it will help develop our foundation a little more. We're wanting to venture into bread making and canning, so that will help guide us in the first point. Plus, I'd really like for Melissa to have her kitchen how she wants it.
As far as emergency savings, we've never been good at that. We started again just in time for our plumbing emergency, and we took that as a sign of Providence. We need to develop our liquid savings.
Like I've said before, the shop is going to have to fuel our progress for a while. This recent rash of progress was funded out of my regular check. That's going to savings and debt busting now, so it's time to increase our income. Glad the vast majority of that investment was made and paid itself off years ago. All it really needs now is some elbow grease and a few consumables.
Should be a fun fall. I'm gonna need to find a marketing avenue other than Facebook...
Anyone need welding done? Lol
Stay relevant
Nate
I used to make heavy type German Sourdough bread and sold it. Now, my son is really into bread making. I am sure he will share tips. Step one: get your sourdough starter going...
Sourdough is the reason we want to make bread. Nobody around makes good sourdough like mom used to.
Do you know how to start one? My breads were rye based and I had a rye starter. I also milled the grains right before using them (stone mill) and the taste was so much better than storebought flour. My son likes to do the white sourdough bread - so, white flour starter for him...
We watched a short video on it. Lots of adding and skimming and making pancakes. The big ticket item Melissa wants is a KitchenAid mixer, and they make a small grain mill attachment for it that I want to get so we can make our own flour.
the kitchen aide is great - but not necessary for sourdough bread. And when I did my starters, I wasn't overly concerned about measuring and weighing everything (the bread, yes, the starter, no) and they turned out just fine...
Awesome! When we start working all the plans out, we'll start our starter asap. Homemade bread brings back a lot of childhood memories. Mom was always kneeding and baking. Need to get some of her recipes. She's already said we can have all her old canning stuff :D
Great!!
Speaking of kitchen appliances, I bought a handheld pasta maker. It comes tomorrow. I was tired of rolling out dough and cutting it out.
Hoping for the best that Melissa can get the hang of bread making. I had to quick because I wasted too much flour trying to figure it out..
Ooh, cool! Pasta sounds fun to make. One of the big things she wants is a KitchenAid mixer. Have you seen the attachments they make for those things? Tons of em!
My husband tells me with all the cooking I do, it’d be worth the money to buy one of those. I think he just wants the ice cream attachment lol!
I want the meat grinder attachment. There's a grain mill too, and an apple peeler/core/slicer that Melissa wants. Such a universal machine!
They have a grain mill one too? We have a Country Living grain mill with a motor attachment. We love it. My husband grows wheat, so it’s convenient. Oh the apple one would be awesome! Save so much time.
Yep! They seem like quality machines too, which takes away my hesitation. I don't like spending a lot of money on things, but if they're awesome quality, I'm down.
Idk if you remember salad master (my mom used to have one), but there's an attachment that does that stuff too. For chopping and shredding veggies and stuff.
Glad to hear that you guys are working together and love your 3 focus approach
Hope the shop does well for you!Is it strictly welding, or is it blacksmithing too? If you make some things you can sell them on Ebay or Etsy, might boost your income some that way too. I have a welder friend that makes garden tractor attachments, and does well. I know a Man that makes Boat trailers, you just need to find your niche.Be Blessed!
:)Just welding right now. I'd like to get into smithing one day, but that's another up front cost that I can't afford at the moment.
A long time ago, I had picked up a 235# piece of 6" square stock that I intended to use as an anvil, but ended up selling it.
My first good anvil was a piece of railroad iron that I band sawed a nose up front on one end. That worked very well, think I still have it.
I braze, silver solder, steel weld with Oxy / Acet; and use MIG for most. Have stick, but I am out of practice on that working on an RF start for it ( to make up for my lack of practice, ROFLOL). It is a good add to my shop.
I have often thought that tubing or angle iron framed trailers would be easy to saw out, and light enough, for one Man to build. should be good money in it.
Be Blessed, and keep posting!
:)