Do Those Hard Things

 If y'all will remember a post I made a while back about "doing those hard things", well, I wasn't just preaching to the choir. I had to gird my loins and do the same thing. 

This is one of those hard things. I have never made a quilt before in my life. I sew alot of things, but this was new to me. I had no idea what I was doing but I wanted to learn and I taught myself. Mind you, I also did this in a hotel room while out of town. These are two quilts I made for my granddaughters and they absolutely love them. They will be there's and they can use them at our house. When they get older,  they will go in their hopechests I am also getting started. 

A lot of love and hard work goes into things homemade but it is all worth it.

Y'all remember that "doing that hard thing" I've been talking about? Well, here is another. For 12 years I have wanted to learn sourdough. But for the life of me, I just could not get my head wrapped around the science or concept. I just did not get it. Last year in September, something just kept nagging at me to just try. While on a work trip, I dove in. Some kind of lightbulb just went off inside my head and I practiced everything. I have made pumpkin, sunflower bread, banana oatmeal bread, biscuits, pie crusts for beef pot pie and apple pie, mini bread loaves, pancakes, waffles, and even pasta noodles to turn into chicken and spinach Alfredo. 😋 

Let me just say, nothing disappointed me and to say I wanted to cry because I finally learned is an understatement. 

When I want to learn something, I dive in because thats how passionate I am. I also wanted to learn because my little momma loves sourdough bread and it is healthier for her and my dear hubby. So here we go.

I am still trying new things and learning. It has been so rewarding and satisfying.  

What ever "hard thing" you are facing, do not be defeated and give it a go. I don't think you will be sorry. 

 This post contains affiliate links to which 4D Farms LLC. participates and earns a small commission on purchases you make when visiting our links at no extra cost to you. 

If you enjoy our blog and content, be sure to sign up to receive emails when a new post is published so you don't miss a thing. We would love it if you would join us. Enjoy your reading. 

If you are curious about any products you see in our images or that we use in our home or on the farm, please feel free to visit our Amazon Store where everything is organized into lists for each category. 

Visit our Amazon 4D Farms Storefront here 

4D Farms LLC. is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. Our storefront link is an affiliate link that earns our farm a commission at no additional cost if you click through and make a purchase. You can trust that we recommend products that we use in our own home and love and maybe some we wish to have. Our storefront is designed to help you locate items easily by specific, organized, and titled lists. 

Thank you for your support. 

If you like video versions of our content here on our blog, you can visit our YouTube Channel here 

We hope you find something that you enjoy. We also have our channel designed by playlists so you can find your favorite topic to search for certain videos easily. We hope to see you there also. Subscribe to our channel so you can be notified when new videos are uploaded. Be sure to turn your notification bell on too or you will miss them. 

We also have a Novelty Merch Store for 4D Farms where you can find apparel, housewares, and novelty gifts for yourself, friends, and loved ones. We hope you like our custom-made designs by me and one of my daughters-in-law. They are our own and copywritten. 

You can visit our store here 

Other affiliate links for your shopping experience:

Dollar Tree:

I love Dollar Tree and in case you didn't know, you can order from their website online. This is a great feature for anyone who might need to order multiple quantities of something. Perfect for Schools, Daycares, Churches, Nursing Homes, etc. You can find all you need in one place and have it delivered right to your door and you can shop in the comforts of your own home. You can get to their website by clicking here

Nutri Mill:

Nutri-Mill: Stand Mixers and Grain Mills: ( use Code: 4DFARMS20 at check out) If you are interested in grinding your own grain into flour to turn into the most nutrient-dense bread ever, then you need a grain mill. I love my Nutri Mill Classic Mill. They also have the best stand mixers. You can also purchase grains from them or you can find some on Amazon too. I have a few companies in my Amazon Storefront , who carry Non-GMO grains. You can order any size pounds you like and have them delivered to your home. Look for them on my Kitchen Essentials List along with all of my bread-making utensils, pans etc., that I personally use in my own kitchen to make delicious bread with. Link to my Amazon Storefront is above. 

Smokers and Grills for the guys:

PIT BOSS Outdoor Smokers and Grills: are the smokers and grills my guy uses to smoke and grill all of our meats. He even has some videos on our YouTube channel of how he smokes and makes a lot of our meats. He has even smoked eggs before. Yes, EGGS. They were so delicious. One of these bad boys is the perfect gift for anyone who loves to grill or smoke meats. Check them out. 

Bentgo:

If you are into lunch-making and meal-prepping for you or your kiddos, you have to check out Bentgo for all your lunch making needs. Lunch boxes, water bottles, backpacks, utensils and other lunch making accessories: They are not just for kids, They have a line of adult items as well and you can have then personalized now. This is awesome. I have a playlist of Lunch Making Videos on our YouTube Channel. Link is above. 

TideWe:

If you are the hunter or huntress in your family, check out TideWe for all your hunting gear for guys and gals: Most of our hunting seasons are in the fall and winter and their line of insulated hunting gear is one of my favorites. We also love their hunting blinds for ultimate concealment. Be sure to visit them. We have a Hunting Playlist on our channel as well. 

Optics Planet, Inc.:

Since we are avid hunters, we rely on ammo, gun parts and scopes to be accurate and on point. You can visit their website here and find all your essentials 

Garden Tower Project:

If you are a gardener and love those flowers, herbs or veggies, but you don't have the garden space, then consider going vertical on your porch or balcony to save space. You can check out Garden Towers here I know you will find something there you like. 

Herb Affair:

If you want to save money on supplements and want to make your own like I do, you can find all you need here at Herb Affair Here, you will find an array of powdered herbs and spices for medicinal use, Capsule It Machine to make your own capsules and an assortment of different size capsules to fill with your herbs. This machine is so easy to use and has clear and easy instructions to follow. 

Have a Blessed Day

Tracy 

Keeper of the Home 

Canning In January?

 

Hello Friends 🧡 Here we are going into January. How is your New Year going so far?

Ours is going great. School is back in session, and dear hubby is letting me have a break from traveling with his work. He is close enough that he is coming home on weekends, so I have some time to do some projects that have needed to be done for a while. 

One of those is canning some things that we don't grow in the garden, like potatoes and carrots. For the life of me, I can not grow carrots. I've tried all different kinds of containers,  raised beds, and my garden. Ive tried different soils also. Maybe I just don't vibe with carrots. Oh well, it doesn't bother me to buy them. We can grow potatoes, but for the space it takes in the garden, the cost of seed potatoes, fertilizer, maintenance, and work, it does not benefit me to only get a few pounds back. So, it doesn't bother me to buy those either. This allows us to use that space for other things that I have great success in. 

So when my local grocery store runs potatoes on sale for $3.99 for a 15-pound bag, yes, I'm going to buy around 100 pounds. Actually, it was 120 lbs. because I bought 8 bags. $32 for 120 lbs of potatoes is GREAT. 

Here is how I preserved them. If you want to see a full walk-through tutorial, check out my Canning and Preserving Page here on my blog 

 Stay tuned for a price breakdown per meal at the end. 

You may just see a bunch of potatoes, but to me, I see:

 

Potato Skins for copycat TGI Fridays Potato Skins. Yes, save those peels. 

You can also take the potato skins, dehydrate them, and grind them up into powder for Potato powder. 

Then I see a whole baked potato. Yes, you can freeze them whole. This makes them softer when defrosted, and your baking time is cut in half. 

Next, I see French Fries and Steak Wedges

Hashbrowns:

Rounds for Chips and Scalloped Potatoes 

Cubed Potatoes for:

Soups, stews, roasts, loaded potato soup, roasted for sheet pan dinners, boiled or stewed potatoes,  mashed potatoes, potato salad, fried potatoes, add with other vegetables for pot pie filings, or just pair with another vegetable, and you have two sides. The possibilities are endless with potatoes, and you can use them to make so many dishes for nutritious meals. 

I have canned green beans and potatoes together and only had to open one jar for meal time paired with a meat. Delicious 😋 

This is why I tell everyone to shop the sales and buy in bulk. Bring them home and preserve them. I can switch between freezing and canning them. Just depends on where I have the space. 

Then I bought carrots while they were on sale. The same recipe ideas go for carrots as they do for potatoes. I can use them in any recipe. Aren't they pretty?

As promised, a price breakdown per jar or bag for a meal. 

8-15 lbs bags of potatoes for $32 (120 lbs)

Jars: 43

Bags of Potato Skins: 8

Baked Potatoes (2 per bag): 11

Bags of French Fries: 19

Bags of Scalloped Potatoes: 10 

$32.00 divided by 91 meals= $.35 a meal. You can not beat that price. Now do you see why I love to buy things in bulk when they go on sale? 

I hope I have given you some inspiration to stock your pantries and freezers. Remember to check out my Canning and Preserving Page here on the blog to read and obtain more information on how to can and preserve wonderful food for your family.

Any kitchen accessories you see in my kitchen are all listed in my Amazon Store on my Kitchen Essentials List (link below). 

 This post contains affiliate links to which 4D Farms LLC. participates and earns a small commission on purchases you make when visiting our links at no extra cost to you. 

If you enjoy our blog and content, be sure to sign up to receive emails when a new post is published so you don't miss a thing. We would love it if you would join us. Enjoy your reading. 

If you are curious about any products you see in our images or that we use in our home or on the farm, please feel free to visit our Amazon Store where everything is organized into lists for each category. 

Visit our Amazon 4D Farms Storefront here 

4D Farms LLC. is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. Our storefront link is an affiliate link that earns our farm a commission at no additional cost if you click through and make a purchase. You can trust that we recommend products that we use in our own home and love and maybe some we wish to have. Our storefront is designed to help you locate items easily by specific, organized, and titled lists. 

Thank you for your support. 

If you like video versions of our content here on our blog, you can visit our YouTube Channel here 

We hope you find something that you enjoy. We also have our channel designed by playlists so you can find your favorite topic to search for certain videos easily. We hope to see you there also. Subscribe to our channel so you can be notified when new videos are uploaded. Be sure to turn your notification bell on too or you will miss them. 

We also have a Novelty Merch Store for 4D Farms where you can find apparel, housewares, and novelty gifts for yourself, friends, and loved ones. We hope you like our custom-made designs by me and one of my daughters-in-law. They are our own and copywritten. 

You can visit our store here 

Other affiliate links for your shopping experience:

Dollar Tree:

I love Dollar Tree and in case you didn't know, you can order from their website online. This is a great feature for anyone who might need to order multiple quantities of something. Perfect for Schools, Daycares, Churches, Nursing Homes, etc. You can find all you need in one place and have it delivered right to your door and you can shop in the comforts of your own home. You can get to their website by clicking here

Nutri Mill:

Nutri-Mill: Stand Mixers and Grain Mills: ( use Code: 4DFARMS20 at check out) If you are interested in grinding your own grain into flour to turn into the most nutrient-dense bread ever, then you need a grain mill. I love my Nutri Mill Classic Mill. They also have the best stand mixers. You can also purchase grains from them or you can find some on Amazon too. I have a few companies in my Amazon Storefront , who carry Non-GMO grains. You can order any size pounds you like and have them delivered to your home. Look for them on my Kitchen Essentials List along with all of my bread-making utensils, pans etc., that I personally use in my own kitchen to make delicious bread with. Link to my Amazon Storefront is above. 

Smokers and Grills for the guys:

PIT BOSS Outdoor Smokers and Grills: are the smokers and grills my guy uses to smoke and grill all of our meats. He even has some videos on our YouTube channel of how he smokes and makes a lot of our meats. He has even smoked eggs before. Yes, EGGS. They were so delicious. One of these bad boys is the perfect gift for anyone who loves to grill or smoke meats. Check them out. 

Bentgo:

If you are into lunch-making and meal-prepping for you or your kiddos, you have to check out Bentgo for all your lunch making needs. Lunch boxes, water bottles, backpacks, utensils and other lunch making accessories: They are not just for kids, They have a line of adult items as well and you can have then personalized now. This is awesome. I have a playlist of Lunch Making Videos on our YouTube Channel. Link is above. 

TideWe:

If you are the hunter or huntress in your family, check out TideWe for all your hunting gear for guys and gals: Most of our hunting seasons are in the fall and winter and their line of insulated hunting gear is one of my favorites. We also love their hunting blinds for ultimate concealment. Be sure to visit them. We have a Hunting Playlist on our channel as well. 

Optics Planet, Inc.:

Since we are avid hunters, we rely on ammo, gun parts and scopes to be accurate and on point. You can visit their website here and find all your essentials 

Garden Tower Project:

If you are a gardener and love those flowers, herbs or veggies, but you don't have the garden space, then consider going vertical on your porch or balcony to save space. You can check out Garden Towers here I know you will find something there you like. 

Herb Affair:

If you want to save money on supplements and want to make your own like I do, you can find all you need here at Herb Affair Here, you will find an array of powdered herbs and spices for medicinal use, Capsule It Machine to make your own capsules and an assortment of different size capsules to fill with your herbs. This machine is so easy to use and has clear and easy instructions to follow. 

Have a Blessed Day

Tracy 

Keeper of the Home 

Ready For A New Year

Hello Friends.  Welcome to 2026. A New Year to see new things and find out what this year has in store for us. 

I rang in my new year with a shiner. We went to see my Momma and Daddy and I helped them hang a new bird feeder with camera that we gifted her for Christmas.  Drill-1 Me-0. 

 Thank goodness for makeup on Sunday morning when you have a little shiner. This is why dear hubby does not buy me any tools or want me working with them. I am an accident waiting to happen. But my Mommy needed me so there's that. 😌 🫡

It's getting better if only I can remember to quit rubbing or scratching it. 

On the last few days of Christmas break, me and the grandkids wanted to bring in the New Year with God's Promise and we made rainbow 🌈 pancakes 🥞 They were so delicious 😋 

They spent one last night with me and we made Copy cat McDonald's.  I made some chicken strips  and French fries 🍟 in the airfryer along with some green beans. We made Crush sodas using my Soda Stream (link below to my Amazon Store on my Kitchen Essentials List). 

Then we watched a movie and ate popcorn. I love these caddies for movie night. It keeps every thing in one place and keeps them from spilling anything 

Before we knew it, it was time to go back to school and all the chaos and busyness again. It's hard to get back into a routine after that. 

We are surviving and thriving. We have had pretty wonky weather. Welcome to the South, where we can have all 4 seasons in one week. Some days we are in shorts,  others we are in hoodies and then there are the days of running the fireplace and busting water in the troughs for the cows to drink. 

All in all its going to be fine. 

How is your New Year going so far?

 This post contains affiliate links to which 4D Farms LLC. participates and earns a small commission on purchases you make when visiting our links at no extra cost to you. 

If you enjoy our blog and content, be sure to sign up to receive emails when a new post is published so you don't miss a thing. We would love it if you would join us. Enjoy your reading. 

If you are curious about any products you see in our images or that we use in our home or on the farm, please feel free to visit our Amazon Store where everything is organized into lists for each category. 

Visit our Amazon 4D Farms Storefront here 

4D Farms LLC. is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. Our storefront link is an affiliate link that earns our farm a commission at no additional cost if you click through and make a purchase. You can trust that we recommend products that we use in our own home and love and maybe some we wish to have. Our storefront is designed to help you locate items easily by specific, organized, and titled lists. 

Thank you for your support. 

If you like video versions of our content here on our blog, you can visit our YouTube Channel here 

We hope you find something that you enjoy. We also have our channel designed by playlists so you can find your favorite topic to search for certain videos easily. We hope to see you there also. Subscribe to our channel so you can be notified when new videos are uploaded. Be sure to turn your notification bell on too or you will miss them. 

We also have a Novelty Merch Store for 4D Farms where you can find apparel, housewares, and novelty gifts for yourself, friends, and loved ones. We hope you like our custom-made designs by me and one of my daughters-in-law. They are our own and copywritten. 

You can visit our store here 

Other affiliate links for your shopping experience:

Dollar Tree:

I love Dollar Tree and in case you didn't know, you can order from their website online. This is a great feature for anyone who might need to order multiple quantities of something. Perfect for Schools, Daycares, Churches, Nursing Homes, etc. You can find all you need in one place and have it delivered right to your door and you can shop in the comforts of your own home. You can get to their website by clicking here

Nutri Mill:

Nutri-Mill: Stand Mixers and Grain Mills: ( use Code: 4DFARMS20 at check out) If you are interested in grinding your own grain into flour to turn into the most nutrient-dense bread ever, then you need a grain mill. I love my Nutri Mill Classic Mill. They also have the best stand mixers. You can also purchase grains from them or you can find some on Amazon too. I have a few companies in my Amazon Storefront , who carry Non-GMO grains. You can order any size pounds you like and have them delivered to your home. Look for them on my Kitchen Essentials List along with all of my bread-making utensils, pans etc., that I personally use in my own kitchen to make delicious bread with. Link to my Amazon Storefront is above. 

Smokers and Grills for the guys:

PIT BOSS Outdoor Smokers and Grills: are the smokers and grills my guy uses to smoke and grill all of our meats. He even has some videos on our YouTube channel of how he smokes and makes a lot of our meats. He has even smoked eggs before. Yes, EGGS. They were so delicious. One of these bad boys is the perfect gift for anyone who loves to grill or smoke meats. Check them out. 

Bentgo:

If you are into lunch-making and meal-prepping for you or your kiddos, you have to check out Bentgo for all your lunch making needs. Lunch boxes, water bottles, backpacks, utensils and other lunch making accessories: They are not just for kids, They have a line of adult items as well and you can have then personalized now. This is awesome. I have a playlist of Lunch Making Videos on our YouTube Channel. Link is above. 

TideWe:

If you are the hunter or huntress in your family, check out TideWe for all your hunting gear for guys and gals: Most of our hunting seasons are in the fall and winter and their line of insulated hunting gear is one of my favorites. We also love their hunting blinds for ultimate concealment. Be sure to visit them. We have a Hunting Playlist on our channel as well. 

Optics Planet, Inc.:

Since we are avid hunters, we rely on ammo, gun parts and scopes to be accurate and on point. You can visit their website here and find all your essentials 

Garden Tower Project:

If you are a gardener and love those flowers, herbs or veggies, but you don't have the garden space, then consider going vertical on your porch or balcony to save space. You can check out Garden Towers here I know you will find something there you like. 

Herb Affair:

If you want to save money on supplements and want to make your own like I do, you can find all you need here at Herb Affair Here, you will find an array of powdered herbs and spices for medicinal use, Capsule It Machine to make your own capsules and an assortment of different size capsules to fill with your herbs. This machine is so easy to use and has clear and easy instructions to follow. 

Have a Blessed Day

Tracy 

Keeper of the Home