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Cinnamon Bread

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Cinnamon Bread

I love to wake my kids up in the mornings with the smell of something yummy coming from the kitchen. Its way more effective than me telling them it’s time to start the day. They hurry to their feet and rush to the kitchen to find out, what’s for breakfast?

This morning it was Cinnamon Bread! A Quick and Easy recipe that’s delicious!

Ingredients:

Dry:

2 ½ cups of flour

1 cup sugar

1 ½ tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

Wet:

3 eggs

½ cup olive oil

1 cup of sour cream

¼ cup of milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

Cinnamon Swirl:

4 tbsp butter, melted

2 tbsp cinnamon

¾ cup of sugar

 

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Oil two loaf pans.

3. In the first bowl, combine the dry ingredients.

4. In a separate bowl, mix together the wet ingredients.

5. Make a whole in the middle of the dry ingredients and start adding in the wet.

6. Combine ingredients for the Cinnamon Swirl, set aside.

7. Pour half the batter into the loaf pans.

8. Spoon out a couple spoonfuls of cinnamon swirl on top of batter.

9. Add the other half of the batter.

10. Spoon out the rest of the cinnamon swirl on top.

11. Next take a butter knife and run through the batter to swirl the cinnamon swirl into the batter.

12. Bake for 35-40 minutes.

13. Serve warm and enjoy!

Flat Bread

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4 cups of flour

1 packet of yeast

¼ cup of sugar

2 tsp salt

3 tbsp butter

1 ½ cup warm water

 

1.In a small bowl mix together yeast, 1 tsp sugar, warm water and let stand for 5 minutes until foamy.

2.Meanwhile in the bowl of the stand mixer add dry ingredients, starting with 3 cups of flour.

3.Next add the butter.

4.Then add yeast mixture.

5.Mix until well combined adding a little flour at a time until dough pulls away from the sides.

6.Knead on low for 5 minutes.

7.Slightly oil. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes.

8.Punch down dough and form into balls, then roll flat.

9.Let rise for another 20 minutes.

10.Preheat oiled skillet. Fry each flatbread until browned on both sides. 1 – 2 minutes per side.

11.Store in covered dish to keep warm while frying the others.

Serve warm with butter. Enjoy!

 

 

Popovers

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Popovers are a wonderful alternative to biscuits for breakfast, they also can replace rolls for dinner.

 

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons of chilled butter

4 eggs

1 ¼ cups milk

2 tablespoons of melted butter

1 ¼ cups flour

¼ tsp salt

*Recipes makes 12 popovers

 

  1. Preheat oven to 375. Butter 2 Popover pans, 6 cups each.
  2. Divide evenly the chilled butter into the bottom of each cup and put the pan in the oven until the butter melts.
  3. Beat the eggs until foamy using an electric mixer. Next beat in the milk and melted butter. With mixer on low add the flour and salt. Beat until smooth, approx. 3 minutes.
  4. Fill the prepared popover pan cups ¾ of the way with batter. Bake 30-40 minutes, until puffed up and browned.

Timothy’s Birth Story

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Timothy

Up until now all of my children had been born two years apart. I’ve had five beautiful children. Three were born in a hospital, then we had the last two at home, unassisted.

I’m the worst at keeping track of my cycles. Which in my defense, I’m not regular.  For the past twelve years I have either been pregnant or breastfeeding.

So needless to say, it’s hard to keep up with, or maybe I’m just lazy. Either way I don’t track it.

So here I am in the middle of August feeling a bit different knowing I had a cycle in June, sometime around my daughter’s birthday and was pretty sure I hadn’t had one since then.

So I took the test.

Yep, we were pregnant and here we go again!

I was happy, my family was happy and that’s all that mattered.

I estimated my due date to be March 26th. I have never had a baby to come early or on time, so that date didn’t mean much to me.

I handle my own prenatal care. I monitor my diet, my weight, baby’s heartrate, and our overall wellbeing.

I take my prenatal vitamins, maintain daily physical activity, along with regular Chiropractic visits.

Although I had done this before I reeducated myself on natural childbirth and how to handle different situations that could arise.

In January we decided to have an ultrasound to get the measurements of the baby along with the sex.

It’s a boy!

Another BOY!! We were happy. Four boys.

March came and went. We waited.

I kept reminding myself that no one had ever stayed pregnant forever, so I just continued to pray for a fast, and healthy delivery; healthy momma and healthy baby.

Finally, April 11th, 9pm. I had a contraction. Just one, but it was real. I knew time was close. I went to bed to rest while I still could.

April 12th, 6am. Another contraction. I was still in bed but quickly got up. Went to the bathroom. There was blood, just a small amount but it was a start.

9am. Another one. It was a bit stronger than the others. It was at that moment when we finalized his name. Timothy Adam Davis “God Honoring Man”. 1 Timothy Chapter 2.

11:15am. Another contraction, then they all came;

12:05pm

1:25pm

2:30pm

3:05pm

3:10pm

3:15pm

3:25pm

I was on the birthing ball between contractions and would stand during them.

I went to the bathroom to get more comfortable and wanted to get there while there was still time.

Once there my husband prepared our things. My music, birth ball, birth stool, essentials oils, towels, plastics, absorbent pads, and cord clamp.

I seemed to be more vocal and more relaxed with this birth. I was confident already having had two unassisted births, I knew getting scared was the worst thing I could do and would cause me more pain.

So I swayed and danced. I squatted, I reclined on the toilet, I was on all fours.

I do believe the pain was more intense than I had experienced with the first two, but I moaned and prayed through it.

At some time after 4pm I felt it was time to push, so I did. I pushed more this time compared to the others. But I felt it was needed.

6:40pm Timothy Adam was born. He was healthy and beautiful. I was healthy, tired, but healthy!

My husband and I waited a few moments before calling in the children. We just looked at him and praised God! We thanked the Lord for watching over us, for leading and guiding us!

My sweet baby nursed, while I delivered the placenta which took another two hours. We cut and clamped the cord an hour later. My husband took Timothy to clean and clothe.

Thinking back on this birth, I still praise God for His hand being on us.

My recovery, again was amazing! The birth was perfect!

 

Homemade Fly Spray

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Homesteading in the summer is great!

The animals have full forage, chickens and guineas are feasting on the abundance of bugs…… and the flies are feasting on our goats and US!

Here at The Pilgrim Homestead we strive to do everything as natural as possible, so when the flies started taking over our lives we began searching to find the perfect fly spray.

At first nothing seemed to work. We felt completely helpless. We tried several recipes, altering the ingredients until we finally found the perfect combination.

The Recipe:

4 cups of Raw apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp dish soap

2 tbsp olive oil

10 drops of Citronella essential oil

10 drops of Basil essential oil

20 drops of Peppermint essential oil

20 drops of Rosemary essential oil

Combine in a plastic spray bottle, shake well, then spray animals. I usually spray in the morning then respray if needed in the evening.

There you have it, a homemade fly spray that is safe for everyone.

 Peace at last!

 

7 Signs Your Goat is Getting Ready to Kid

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We’re well into spring and for us on the homestead that means new kids.

Goat kids!

Last year our goats kidded at the end of March but this year it’s been the first week of May with one momma yet to deliver.

So, I thought I would share some of the signs we look for to let us know their time is getting close.

  1. Full udder. Which means the new momma is making milk to nourish her babies. However, some mommas won’t fill up until twenty-four hours before kidding.
  2. Softening. The ligaments above her tailbone will soften and feel squishy.
  3. Dropping. Which means the babies have dropped and are getting into delivery position. Momma goat will look like her sides are sunken in.
  4. Puffy. Her vulva will become puffy and relaxed.
  5. Restlessness. Momma goat just seems unable to get comfortable.
  6. Pawing. Some mommas will paw at the ground like their digging a hole.
  7. Discharge. This can occur days or even weeks before the time of delivery.

There you have it, a few signs to look for as you’re awaiting the arrival of your new kids. Just remember every goat is different, what happens with one may not be the same with another. Just be patient.

By the way, be sure to keep a Homesteading Journal to document your experiences during your journey.

Happy Homesteading!

Spicy Meatballs

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Okay, so here I am, past my due date and feeling absolutely no signs of labor.

However, every day I can literally see myself getting fatter and fatter.

I keep telling myself that no one has ever stayed pregnant forever and this baby must come soon.

So, in the meantime since I’m still pregnant and not really worried about my weight, yet.

I’m eating😊

My latest craving has been spicy meatballs covered in sour cream. YUM!

I have a batch baking in the oven right now and my mouth is watering. So instead of watching them bake I thought I would share the recipe with you.

 

Spicy Meatballs

1 lb ground

1 egg

1 cup parmesan cheese

1 cup breadcrumbs

1 tbsp chives

1 tsp parsley flakes

2 tsp salt

2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp onion flakes

 

Mix together.

Form into balls.

Bake on 425 for 25 minutes.

Simple yet delicious!

 

 

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What is Passover?

Passover is a Biblical festival celebrating the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt and their freedom from slavery.

You can read the story of Passover in the book of Exodus.

However here is a brief summary.

God made a promise to redeem His people from their bondage in Egypt, So He sent Moses to Pharaoh with the command to “let my people go”.

Pharaoh refused.

God then brought ten plagues upon the Egyptians. The tenth being the worst of all. Death of all the first born in Egypt.

On the night of the tenth plague, God told the Israelites to sacrifice a spotless lamb and to mark the doorposts of their homes with its blood. He also commanded a special meal to be eaten.

The Lord would then “pass over” those homes that were marked.

In every home of the Egyptians there was death.

It was this final plague that changed the Pharaoh’s heart. He let the Israelites go.

Passover and the story of the exodus is also important for Christians as well as Jews. It looked forward to the cross, where Jesus became our Passover lamb, and we celebrate it in memorial.

Jesus Christ fulfilled the Law.

Jesus is our Passover lamb. We are covered by His blood.

He was killed at the time of Passover.

The Last Supper was the Passover meal.

By accepting His blood and applying it to our lives, we are trusting Him to save us.

Happy Passover!

Where Do I Start When Changing My Diet? Part 2

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Now that you’ve made up our mind to make a change in your diet, it’s time to decide what to eat.

Make a list of all the ingredients that you are not allowing in your new lifestyle and then go shopping.

Keep it simple and stick to the basics!

Over the years we have learned that fresh is best, followed by frozen and then canned.

Organic is the best choice, or at least try to buy chemical free foods. Also look for the Non-GMO stamp.

Try to stay away from processed foods. If it comes in a box you shouldn’t eat it very often.

Remember don’t be too strict or you’ll set yourself up to fail. Just know what ingredients not to eat.

Try to find a local farmer for a supply of raw milk. If you’ve never had then it you are definitely missing out. There are so many health benefits in drinking this stuff.

Now let’s talk meat. We eat a lot of venison and tend to stock up during hunting season for the upcoming year.

If you’re not a hunter then you probably know someone who is. Lots of folks these days hunt just for the sport of it.

So, we always let our friends and neighbors know that we’re willing to take any deer or turkey they aren’t going to keep.

Organic or grass-fed beef from the store is fine but can be a bit pricey. This also goes for organic chicken.

This past year we raised a bull calf and had him slaughtered. We also raise chickens and guineas; however, we prefer the guinea meat.

Then there’s fish. We go fishing at a nearby lake in the spring and summer but we usually just catch enough for one meal at a time.

It’s hard for us to catch enough fish to store away, but we’re getting there. However canned fish is something that is also good, (wild caught of course, not farm raised).

We eat a lot of eggs, just not in the winter. Our hens take their ‘time off’ during the winter months.

Now for flour we use Wheat Montana Whole Wheat Berries and grind them at home.

You can also purchase already ground organic flours, chemical free flours, and sprouted flours at most grocery stores if you don’t have a grinder.

Baking your bread from scratch is always the best option.

If that’s not your thang, then there are organic loaf breads available. Just like with meat it too can be pricey.

For cooking oil, we use olive oil for pretty much everything.

Also be sure to eat lots and lots of fruits and veggies.

Ok so it that it?? Wait I almost forgot the most important staple in our diet, BUTTER. Real Butter.

I disagree with the idea that butter is bad. There have been a lot of recent studies done showing that real butter is not bad for you at all but is actually beneficial.

Okay, there you have it.

We eat real, every day, normal food just made with real ingredients.

It’s simple, you just have to want it!!