One more when each of our kids were born we planted 1 apple 1 peach trees 1 grape vine and 1 blueberry bush..By the time my oldest was 7 they could go in the backyard for lunch 😅❤

@OurHilltopHomestead

5 ай бұрын

Great idea!!!

@cherylpresleigh6403

5 ай бұрын

What a great idea!

@cbass2755

5 ай бұрын

My parents did that too. I’m 70 years old and one of 5 children. We each had a tree planted in our names. I was a sweet Cherry Tree. We had fresh fruit all the time. It’s a great idea! And Mom was a Prepper too. I learned much from them….Happy New Year to you and family! 🥂

@lovalin4139

5 ай бұрын

Wow, I respect that a lot. Wise, hardworking people 🌸🌼🌺

@johannefeldman1840

5 ай бұрын

Just did that when my grand-son was born, apple, pear, plums and cherry so lets hope by the time he's 7 he can do the same.

Regarding the soapnuts, I boil some in water and let them cool down. The soapy water makes a fantastic natural face cleanser and it doesn't dry out our sensitive skin. We also use the soapy water to spray our fruit trees so they don't get fungus. We were astonished when it actually worked and improved the health of the leaves. It worked for our squashes, too, so they didn't get that powdery mildew.

@theleefamily6446

4 ай бұрын

That's interesting about the fruit tree spray. I'll have to try that. I tried the soap nuts years ago and it smelled so bad as I boiled the water, I hated it. My solution also grew mold, so maybe I did something wrong?

@earthzeroapothecary

4 ай бұрын

@@theleefamily6446 I make lactic acid bacteria from a rice water rinse, ferment it, then add it to milk. The bacteria feed off the milk and make a wonderful probiotic, which is also a natural preservative. I pour some into my soapnut water and it keeps for a year or more. I feed the curds to my chickens and it makes their shells even stronger. I also make rose water spray from distilled water and rose petals then add some lactic acid bacteria and it makes the BEST face spray. I feed it honey to ensure it doesn't get hungry. I've given some to my mom and sister and they request more regularly. It helps replenish our skin's microbiome after showers and baths. Who needs artificial preservatives when you can use natural probiotics?!

A little hint if you turn your sour cream and yogurt upside down on its lid it can last 6 months plus. All looks yummy. Been living this lifestyle 40 yrs. Having a 1 year stock pile makes life alot less stressful. Have fun

@TheSeasonalHomestead

5 ай бұрын

Thank you for sharing!

@corinne7126

5 ай бұрын

I give this a try, thank you

@SJ-fj5jz

5 ай бұрын

Love that tip

@aprilbarton2157

5 ай бұрын

While it is in the fridge or freezer?

@mrsupchurch2987

5 ай бұрын

I did not know this! Thanks for sharing this tip!

So glad you are joining us this year! Can't wait to see your videos.

@TheSeasonalHomestead

5 ай бұрын

Thanks Jessica! I will be getting ideas from you too. You're inspiring!

Your husband has a great sense of humor. I love watching your videos.

Hi from Australia, I just wanted to let you know how inspiring you and your family are!! I am now growing and planting food, setting small goals hoping to eventually be mostly self sufficient. I look forward to your videos , they are so relaxing to watch as well as very educating. I often am saying to my partner “this is how the seasonal homestead do it” i have been following along silent for a while now but I hope you know how amazing what your doing is. Living a more intentional and sustainable life 😊

@TheSeasonalHomestead

5 ай бұрын

You are so nice! Best of success with your growing garden and homestead down under!!! 🙏🏼

We just paid off our home about four weeks ago after 18 years of scrimping and saving like crazy! I can’t even begin to express the relief. Our goal is to gradually get to the point where we only go grocery shopping once or twice a month. Ideally once…. With the exception of our milk. Our Case lot sales will be starting up here I. About two months. A good reminder to go through the pantry and get everything reorganized and take stock. For us we can’t/won’t do a challenge…. But it is a good reminder to get the pantry in order non the less! Already planning a simple greenhouse for the spring and garden plans and ideas! I’m ready for a new year and a new growing season! With renewed focus on all we can grow and produce without the stress of paying off a home, as we had this last summer when we were laser focused on paying it off!

@TheSeasonalHomestead

5 ай бұрын

Congratulations! That is amazing!

@ChristineSpringerElaine

5 ай бұрын

That's awesome! Congrats :)

@juliecloer8926

5 ай бұрын

Awesome on paying your house off 🎉🎉🎉

@user-sh4eo4pe8t

5 ай бұрын

Hallelujah!!!!!

What a fun challenge. I bet it will teach you a lot about your needs and don't need as much in food terms. Our Bishop once called up 5 of us families and told us to pretend there is a disaster and you can not go to the store for the next week. I had just gotten back from the store. So it wasn't too much of a challenge. He had us report on our week on a 5th Sunday. It was interesting to see how some families couldn't make it one week! Other families went as far as telling their kids their was no electricity. In the end, we all learned a lot about what we needed to buy or do more of. Good luck with your challenge. I wish i could go months.

A butter supply is important to me and I always have 4-5 lbs in the freezer. I also make a year's supply of ghee every year. It's shelf stable for two years and real easy to make.

@bridgetwilkins312

5 ай бұрын

I should do this too! Thank you!

Freeze dried guacamole is amazing 🙌. Once reconstituted you can not tell the difference from fresh. By far this is the best way to preserve avocados 🥑 👌

@krisirolfe4332

5 ай бұрын

Do you add onions and tomatoes then freeze dry the guacamole?

Please don't get overwhelmed doing videos. We appreciate anything you share.❤ I can't wait for garden season. I'm sure your enjoying the new giant high tunnel. Have a great weekend.

You are such full of knowledge! I’ve told you before you are definitely my hero! I wish I had a homestead I would follow your example for sure!! Happy new year!!

Looking forward to the nuggets you will be sharing. So excited you are doing this and sharing it with all of us ❤

2:40 This might not be for everyone, but for anyone who likes to bake and cook with brown sugar, I have found that coconut sugar is an incredible substitute. It can occasionally be used in recipes that call for white sugar - chocolate cake and banana bread are my top 2 favorite recipes that you cannot tell it’s made without regular sugar.

I look forward to anything you have to show us 😁 I can ot wait to see the high runnel and whats growing in it! I sure do wish we got to enjoy your videos more often ❤️

I love your videos. Very wholesome, informative and instructional. Happy New Year! 🎆

I’m so excited for the upcoming videos!! I also love watching acre homestead and pantry challenge videos are some of my favorites!

Absolutely love your azure hauls. Gives me good ideas of new products to try

Looking forward to all and any videos you share as they are always great 👍👍👍👍 As always a pleasure to watch 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 Love from the UK x

Thank you for sharing!!! I’m excited to see what you cook!!! I love watching your videos!!!

One thing you might look into if your family likes dairy products is culturing your own. Yogurt is a super simple process with an instant pot. You can cut your cost substantially and it's very hands off. I turn one gallon of milk into 3 quarts yogurt and 1 quart whey, and the whey goes right into my sourdough bread.

A big fat hello to Julia Child. She’s kinda like Elvis. She just keeps popping up all over the place. Have a very happy new year and a fantastic 2024. Peace and love ☮️💕

For the guacamole, I can' red onions. They're actually pickled, they are delicious in anything. They're just absolutely delicious and it would make it more instant I originally can them in small jars, thinking that we wouldn't go through that many of them. And when I do them again, I'm going to be making half heights or larger because they're so good. We put them in almost everything

@squashit339

5 ай бұрын

Did you water bath them? I haven't really thought about canning them, good idea! I make some every now and then for the refrigerator but to just be able to grab a jar would be super convenient!

@TheSeasonalHomestead

5 ай бұрын

Love that idea!

If you have horse chestnuts on your property, try cutting them in half and drying those when in season and use them instead of soap nuts when doing laundry :) you can also make liquid detergent using the dried chestnuts.

Excited to see your videos!

Loved the cranberries in the freezer and Cam cooking humor moments 😊

always a pleasure to watch thank you for sharing

Jessica is a blessing. She is someone to learn a lot from 🙏🏻🌷

Oh awesome, I'm going to get my first azure order next month, so this is really valuable. I'm mostly planning on wheat berries since I have a good quality wheat grinder

What a fantastic idea with the avocado!

I think you’re a fine cook and I would enjoy seeing your pantry meals

love watching your vids, keep up the great work

Great ideas in the video and comments!

I love this annual challenge - to learn from so many different people and also to find new things for our family. It is exciting! So glad you will be part this year, also.

So happy for you ❤

Thank you for sharing! I love getting to check out other people’s pantries, menus, and grocery hauls. Y’all matching shirts was so cute!

@TheSeasonalHomestead

5 ай бұрын

Definitely not planned, but it works out quite well, lol

Hi, Becky! Not sure if it’s on your radar, or if you’ve done it and it hasn’t worked out well, but I just started making our peanut butter and cashew butter in our food processor and will never go back! It’s much cheaper than buying jars and really quick and easy. And only one ingredient: nuts! Thanks for all you do!

Respect and best wishes! Thank you for sharing

I usually challenge myself in august September and October as my garden is still producing, I have gone 7 weeks between shopping trips! It’s a fun thing to challenge yourself with. I find it difficult to do the challenge in the winter as I am zone 5 so my garden doesn’t produce in the winter. Someday soon I hope to get a cold frame so that I can get greens in the winter. Good luck! On a side note we have given up dairy and wheat recently 😔due to a newly discovered food intolerance. Switching our normal recipes to dairy free and wheat free has been a real learning curve so some of our pantry storage will need to be revamped.

How would I love to have enough storage room for that kind of challenge. ❤ Living in an apartment makes seasonal living more complex. But each jar counts! 😊 Happy 2024!

Yes please make videos of the recipes that use your garden bounty and what your kids eat! I'm in desperate need of help in that area!

Neat stuff! 😀

Thank you for sharing your haul AND what you intend to use things for! We love Azure and do the Bentonville drop (technically in Bella Vista). It seems we got a lot of the same things! For pricing (I always price check before ordering)- Azure is sometimes more expensive than our local stores but the quality is better. It is ALWAYS cheaper than Akin's in Rogers though!

I’d love to see the guacamole re-hydrated and your opinions on how it tastes. I just planted an avocado tree last year and hope to harvest a few avocados in a few years. Thanks!

We just did a huge haul in December too. It’s really the best.

Looking forward to following you during the pantry challenge, wishing you and your family a Healthy 2024. Oh yeah loved Cam’ s humor when he was in kitchen with apron on.

I freeze dry guacamole. It is so handy and is one of my favorites.

Great video

I cant wait to see what your doing in the garden and the pantry challenge.

Thankful for azure. standard🌹🌹🌹🌹

You can freeze avocadoes as well. Freeze in halves and put into a zip lock bag or something like that. Defrost and it si just the same!.

Did you know you can put fresh avocados in a tall tupperware full of water, put a lid on it (not sure that matters) and cover with cold water and I had them last for 3 months in the refridgerator. I know that won't work for all of them, but just to have some onhand fresh you might want to try it. They were perfect when I went to use mine after 2 months, at three there was just a small amount of waste. Just an FYI. I love Azure too! Awesome order!

@rebeccagraf2962

5 ай бұрын

Was gonna recommend the same thing for your next haul. I just cut into my first one from a batch I bought December 1st. It was perfect! I was so excited.

@sparrowsknow8491

4 ай бұрын

Maybe a dumb question but is that only for whole avocados? Like once you cut into one, this doesn’t work right? Thanks for the tip!

@rebeccagraf2962

4 ай бұрын

@@sparrowsknow8491 I would think so. I assume them being cut off from any air is what is keeping them fresh. If I am only using half I spray the other half with cooking spray and it keeps it pretty fresh for another day (especially in the fridge)

I find it interesting that people prepare. We do 2 months a year, non consecutively. We eat only what we have on hand. This helps us to use it up, all the things that we have stored.

We will have to try freeze drying the guacamole for long term storage it looks to turn out just like mashed butternut squash or eggs when done 👍

I freeze dried sour cream and it's perfectly fine when reconstituted, I did however find that the immersion blender made it truer to the fresh from the store consistency.

My goal is to have 90 - 95% food grown we eat and have very very little that I have to buy. I am just getting started so it might be awhile before I can reach it. Thanks for this video to keep me grounded and not in an illusion.

I bought the large tub of that brand of peanut butter - we like unsweetened and crunchy. I make hubby peanut butter mini chocolate chip protein balls for snaking. I'm not a peanut fan, but that is the best peanut butter I've ever tasted.

@TheSeasonalHomestead

5 ай бұрын

Yes, we have tried it now and it is so good!

I really should buy the 40# cranberries too. I tend to buy the 10# bags, which I just add to quart jars with a little bit of sugar and boiling water. I leave the berries in there, so I can use it both as juice, but also to add to muffins, pancakes and other breakfast stuff. But, I have actually bought that 3 times this year, so I should probably switch to buy the 40# bags.

This is very inspiring. Any chance you'll be showing us how you used the food (i.e. reconstituting guac)? Thank you!

I love your channel! I've been going through your old videos to see what you do first in the garden and then each month. I'm nearby in 7a and I'm going to follow along with your timing. You clearly know what you're doing. I'm doing the pantry challenge, too, but everything is store bought. I'm using it up in the hopes that I can fill it with food from the garden next year. Thank you for sharing with us! Blessings to you and your family in 2024.

Sounds like you are ready.

I could definitely do pantry challenge for yr but dont want to go through preps and replace whatever we use on regular basis. We fortunately are financially able to save lot of money every month and live on farm which supplies many needs like eggs and planing large garden on top of already orchards and garden. Also looking to do Azur haul and do 2 large sams hauls a month and order lot online and make aldi runs. Just did inventory of everything and happy have our family's needs for over yr. Along with medical and other items. Paying down house and thats last of what we owe on anything and will be paid off by next yr. God bless and everyone 🙏 take care and prepare and plan.

Im pretty sure you can freeze your dairy products! We cut and vaccum seal our 5lb blocks of cheese and I freeze my homemade yogurt with no issues as well. Just a thought 😊

Muchas gracias por enseñarme muchas cosas sobre ala alimentación de mi familia te agradezco y q Dios siga bendiciendo su bella familia q tienen felicidades espero hacer mi granja sustentable pronto primero Dios para q sigan disfrutando de todos esos videos juntos de su granja . feliz navidad 🎄 y próspero año nuevo 🎉feliz fiestas hermosa familia desde Chihuahua México

I love my soap nuts!

Your kids crack me up! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

So glad to see you joining the #threeriverschallenge. I love watching this every year. Can't wait to see what you do with it. Love you guys and your channel.

@TheSeasonalHomestead

5 ай бұрын

Aww thank you!! 💛

Really would like to see what the avocado looks like when you prepare it.

I had no idea they sell these here in the US now. We used to wash our hair with soapnuts as children in India. You soak them in warm water for a 1/2 hour, squeeze out the juice, and scrub on your hair. It was such an event because the dang juice burns if any falls in your eye. Soap nuts are the best soap to use for washing silks.

@TheSeasonalHomestead

5 ай бұрын

This awesome to hear a story of how they were originally used. Validates that they WORK!!! 👍🏼👍🏼

I'm so jealous of Azure Standard. Our nearest drop off is over 3 hours away and since they don't always drop on the specified day it's not something we can do. 😢

I've seen a few people freeze the avocado halves. I'm waiting for them to go on sale and try a big patch.

@sherry2836

5 ай бұрын

If I were you I would experiment with one first. I tried freezing avocado and it thaws disgusting.

Hi from snowy, icy Mississippi.

Hi from Wisconsin! Where did you buy your apron? I love it! And another question I have is regarding sourdough baking. I’ve tried making my own starter but haven’t had success, would you consider sharing or even selling some of your starter? My kids and I love your channel!

I love to see the Azure videos. I learn about new things all the time and I get ideas of new ways to use the bulk items I may already be purchasing. I just purchased olives at the grocery store and wondered what my options were for quality and a better buying source. Then, here you are sharing you bought olives at Azure! I did the challenge last year in a very modified way. This year my plan is a small budget for dairy and fresh fruit. I don’t like to shop so having a challenge that gives me permission not to shop is wonderful! We don’t have hard water but my folks do and she is always commenting about it. I’m going to see if she knows about adding a little salt to the laundry to help with that aspect. Thank you for the tip. I’m ready to say goodbye to 2023 and to begin putting into place our goals for our garden etc. in 2024. You are an inspiration and are appreciated. God Bless you and your family. Happy New Year!

Wow i wish we had azure standard here. This truly is a great company for all aspiring homesteaders. Tha ks for sharing this video. What microphone do you use for your videos?

We would love to add a freeze dryer to our home. How’d y’all like the guacamole? I’m looking forward to see how the challenge goes.

@TheSeasonalHomestead

5 ай бұрын

It's really good! I ended up adding extra lime juice and salt and pepper after rehydrating though... I guess we didn't add enough initially.

I am so curious about the value of this challenge. Essentially it just makes you overstock things from the grocery store - so more money out of your account now vs. later. It also puts pressure (planned/unplanned?) on your pantry store - and likely has you have way less fresh produce for months. What is the purpose of this challenge - is it to drive you to expand what you produce. I don't get this challenge - as what I see so far is homesteaders just stocking up a bunch more to prepare for it.

@TheSeasonalHomestead

5 ай бұрын

I’ll explain the value for me personally. When I run out of something during a pantry challenge, I don’t run to the store to get it. This forces me to either go without, make my own, or get creative and come up with new recipes. The stocking up piece of the challenge is not necessary. As I mention in the later portion of the video, what I am buying is mostly things that are luxuries like dairy that my family likes. This is so it doesn’t feel like a sacrifice and is fun. We are pretty well versed in using what we have put up for the year but for those that aren’t, a pantry challenge helps to train your mind to use that first. Not only does it save money, but food preserved from a backyard garden is nutritionally far superior than a supermarket. We still eat plenty of fresh produce during a pantry challenge, I haven’t bought a vegetable in any form from the grocery store in 4 years. It wasn’t necessarily through a pantry challenge that we did that, but my own personal goal. Even fresh vegetables from a grocery store are incredibly nutrient poor. Depending on the method of preservation, I can confidently say most vegetables preserved from a backyard garden have more nutrition than a “fresh” vegetable mass produced on a farm, sprayed with all kinds of chemicals, then shipped 1000’s of miles from a different country (especially in winter), and then sits for weeks on the shelf losing even more vitamins each day. A pantry challenge where backyard garden produce is utilized encourages less food waste, good stewardship of the earth (less food travel), and more appreciation and gratitude for the blessings we have.

Im excited for the challenge and gardening in 2024. You fo a wonderful job of "shopping your garden for tonights dinner". Its a practice I'm going to do this year. Happy New Year🎉😊

Just watched Little Mountain Ranch and she talked about stocking up prior to the pantry challenge.

@bubbysplace91

5 ай бұрын

Kind of defeats the whole purpose of the challenge IMO.

@lindakrieger6667

5 ай бұрын

Agreed. Just shopping prior to challenge. Not like all of a sudden trying to survive without going to the store like when Covid hit. That was a true pantry challenge.

I have a large can of sesame oil that I have trouble using up - it's such a strong/distinctly flavored oil that it's hard to use for every 'oil' use

Looking forward to your plan on up coming videos - good topics. I don’t have a high tunnel and it’s a bit colder where I am - but fresh lettuces for salad is my pantry challenge - challenge - so next year I’m looking forward to a cold frame area against my house. How did you like the freeze dried avocado?

@TheSeasonalHomestead

5 ай бұрын

The guacamole was good but a little to light on the seasonings. I rehydrated a small amount with lime juice and added more salt and pepper. Since the avocado was already smashed it the texture was surprisingly similar to the original!

@tamararobinson2069

5 ай бұрын

Lime juice to rehydrate some🤗 brilliant!!👍🏼@@TheSeasonalHomestead

New Subscriber from Tennessee.

@TheSeasonalHomestead

5 ай бұрын

Welcome!!

Would you be willing to share your menus for a month? I am trying to go to the grouse once a month. Thank you for sharing!

@TheSeasonalHomestead

5 ай бұрын

Yes, I will share the menu on my blog!

I just want to note, organic or not brown rice usually has higher toxic levels of chemicals naturally. They are a heavy leeching plant. For rice, unlike wheats the best option would be a white, hulled rice. Because most of the absorbed toxins like lead and arsenic are found in the husk.

I look forward to following all the channels including Jessica on the challenge. I was exposed to the Big C last week thankfully I did not get it but have been self isolating so no grocery shopping this week for those last minute things I will be out of isolation on Monday so will be joining a little late. This week I have been Canning Pinto Beans 14 quarts from beans I already had in storage. Pulled out a ham yesterday and cooked it in the crockpot and will be cutting it up and putting in to freezer containers to use during the challenge. I may not be able to do 100% but these videos show how to go longer lengths without going to the store which for me is the optimum goal. I love Azure Standard. Anna In Ohio

We have the month of July. It is a crazy month of tourists and heavy fishing. I challenge myself to not go to the grocery store the whole month just because it is crazy in town. I am going to do January and July this year.

@TheSeasonalHomestead

5 ай бұрын

That's awesome!

Can you please go over the seeds you’re planning for This Spring garden and when you’ll start them?

@TheSeasonalHomestead

5 ай бұрын

Yes, I will definitely do some sort of seed starting or garden planning type video! For the time being, I do have a list of everything I plan to grow this year here www.theseasonalhomestead.com/2024-seed-picks-for-the-garden/

What olive oil do you recommend?

You mentioned you are freeze drying some of the food, I am looking into purchasing a freeze dryer and wanted your opinion on a large purchase?

Used saran wrap to seal out the air anytime you do guacamole, put the wrap directly into the top of the guacamole. Then freeze and freeze dry.

@TheSeasonalHomestead

5 ай бұрын

Love that idea!!

@TheSeasonalHomestead

5 ай бұрын

Love that idea!!

How did the rehydrated avocados taste?

Pleased you gave Jessica a mention she's amazing at pantry stretch. I'm sure it's really hard with so many children and their expectations..Maybe you can go into that. I'm in the Uk where they will expect chocolates and crap. Do you find it easier because they are home schooled? Uk schools offer a really shitty menu. 😢

We have 0 land or vegetables but I challange my parents to a "no shopping" every week. Lets USE what we have at home first!!! THEN when the fridge is empty you can go shoppi g😂

I suggest dairy goats (This animal doesn't contract TB ) Sheep also require a lot more land/grazing than goats. Maybe you want sheep for wool or ..... Thank you for this video. Most people don't pay much attention to pure ,wholesome foods ❤

9:31 LMBO 😄

If you put the avocado in bucket and cover it with water, lasts 3-4 weeks.

Husband with the avocados 😂😂😂😂😂

Do you use coupons while shopping for food?

In these days of very high food prices, I have always been curious how people can afford organic food items. I can not believe the difference in price for organic. I would love to go organic but I would be broke in two months!

@suesmyrealtor

19 күн бұрын

I'm on a tight budget, too. So, I purchase organic about every 2 wks, but only things that fit my budget. Like: peanut butter, butter, milk, whole cream, strawberries, celery & carrots. I live in a senior apt bldg. No garden to speak of. I dehydrate some fruit in my iven!!! Make preserves and jelly in very small batches. It's just me, 1 person. What a challenge. So, choose a few things that you can squeeze out of your budget and go organic with those. Regulary. I'll be 76 in June. If I can start/ do this new habit, maybe you can, too. God bless you and keep you until the coming day!

What pot was that in the video you were using when you mentioned making cranberry juice? My daughter and I make cranberry juice in small batches, want something that will make big batches. We boil the cranberries, then blend it and then strain it. Looking for a faster method, any suggestions? We love your house.

@TheSeasonalHomestead

5 ай бұрын

We use is this steamer/juicer from rootsandharvest.com: www.theseasonalhomestead.com/how-to-make-and-can-grape-juice-with-a-steam-juicer/ I've also linked a similar one that is more inexpensive in the video description.

@Grace-love79

5 ай бұрын

@@TheSeasonalHomestead Thank you for sharing. It’s on my list for next year.