That Homesteading Mama

This has been on my mind lately…

I’ve always felt out of place.

Didn’t fit in. I don’t do what other folks do.

I do my own thing.

Now I’m starting to see why..

Homesteading is old fashioned living in a modern world.

Modern life has advanced to the point where we don’t have to toil in dirt for our food.

We can walk in the store and pickup what we want off the shelf.

The grocery store removed the need for toiling in dirt.

But along with that convenience, came forgetting our ways of life.

Traditions passed down through generations of families were forgotten.

So now, we have to work extra hard to get back to those.

As modern society advances, it becomes increasingly difficult to keep the old ways.

But, we must not forget where we came from or what it took to get here.

Our ancestors farmed, they raised animals, they toiled in the dirt and heat for food, they lived off the land, made their own medicine, clothing, and took care of each other.

Imagine if we all got back to that, instead of trying to one up each other. 😊

They wanted better opportunities for us. They worked to achieve them.

These old traditions aren’t just old school ways of living. They are traditions that have helped people survive for generations.

In an ever-changing society, why would we lay them to the side?

We need to continue passing down knowledge to future generations.

❤️💛🖤🤍🪶👊🏻

The list of ingredients I used for making chow chow last year.

The amount of ingredients may change based on what’s available in the garden at the time.

In the past I’ve used red cabbage. It gave it a purple color.

I’ve also used tomatillos. They give it a spicy flavor.

There are many variations and everyone has their own recipe.

Some like spicy. 🌶️

Some like it sweet.

But what remains the same, is the connection to the Lumbee heritage. 🪶🖤🤍❤️💛

The only thing that I’ve found to be similar to the Lumbee style chow chow, is Dixie relish.

We eat ours on collards with a piece of fried cornbread. 😋

I’ll be posting a more detailed video than the ASMR version from last night. 🎥

Let’s talk about reusing store bought lids & jars 🫙 for canning.

Where do you stand?

I use them. I am of the idea that I buy them, might as well use them.

I check the seals on the bottom of the lid to make sure they are in tact.

Might not be recommended but it’s what I do.

It’s not recommended because the seal compound on the lid is intended for one time use. BUT, if it’s still intact..Ima use it.

Same with canning lids. If the seal is in tact and it’s not rusted, ima use it.

If you don’t want to use them for canning, you can still them for other things.

They work really well for storing dry goods and herbs.