Living Free in Tennessee - Nicole Sauce

Today, we are going to talk about something that several of you have brought up recently: How to navigate a big move. I have moved across the country several times, as well as overseas for a year and learned a thing or two along the way. As it turns out, some of you see your path toward standing on your own in another place from where you are. Places with lower property taxes, or no income tax, or less zoning restriction. Places where you are more free to just get a business started without filling out a million forms. And moving can be so costly! I will share with you some lessons learned in the trenches on this one.

5 NEW SPOTS OPEN: Spring Workshop

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What mother nature is providing

• Trying out some shag bark tea this week (Hickory)
• Sprouts
• Wild garlic
• Sunchokes

Getting the Gardens Ready

• Have seeds in hand and about ready to start the peppers
• Aquaponics changes everything

Tales from the prepper pantry

• Lot's of sweet potatoes and here is a recipe shared by a listener
• Ryan from Homespun Magazine out of Oregon: http://homespunmagazine.com/articles/recipes/jamaican-grilled-sweet-potatoes/

Stretching Meals

• Sweet potato chili: $8, 14 meals - less than $1 a meal.

Operation Independence

• Invested time at Liberty Forum in expanding the podcast reach - we will see how that goes. I developed a new speech that I can give anywhere now.
• Kept up on the weekly finance
• Really need to just do my taxes.

7 thinks to think about before making a big move.

Make it a great week!

Song: Learning What Leaving Is, by Sauce

Today, I am going to talk with you about opportunity and simplification. Simplification is the top of people's minds for so many right now as they declutter their closets, re-examine their priorities and see opportunities come to fruition.

And opportunity is the name of the game.

Here at the Holler Homestead, we have been on 18 months of growing side hustles as I transitioned to a different way of life, and, well, the opportunities just keep coming in.

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What mother nature is providing

• Wild garlic is here - well it was always here, but it has made itself known.
• My favorite herb of the 2017/18 winter: Mullein
• Chicken eggs are back!

Getting the Gardens Ready

• Setting my growing plans bit late this year - second tier priority

Tales from the prepper pantry

• Elderberry syrup
• Hunting the rotting potato
• Almost through the salsa we canned
• I haven't bought Garlic in 10 years

Stretching Meals

• Meatballs in stroganoff: $9+$2+$2=$13 (6 meals),
• Meatballs in lasagna: $1+$2=$3 (6 meals),
• Meatballs with rice and greens: $2+$1=$3 (4 meals).
• Total:$1.18 per meal.

Operation Independence

• Caught up on the finance review, but not the declutter goal.
• Had to prepare to be gone for a week and precooked some things to make it easier on Mark and save money
• Cover over the camper *might* be done - no one can find my drill battery charger.

5 Ways to simplify your life

1. Just Say NO. Every time you say yes, you a trading a bit of yourself. Is it worth it?
2. Journal, meditate or pray each day - find your time - focus on whatever is in your way then let it go.
3. Implement systems thinking: Declutter and organize and maintain
4. Schedule time with your humans (Prioritize relationships)
5. Schedule in time to grow your skills - books, new skills, expand your capability

Of course there are many ways to simplify your life, but it is not simple to do them all. And when you make space for serenity, you also make space for opportunity. Next week, I am doing an episode on lessons learned from moving across the country. Do you have specific things you want to know about? Send your questions to me. Make it a great week! Song: Thanks Dave, Sauce

Today, I am going to talk with you about how to cure ham. This topic is robust enough that we could do several shows on it in fact. I even reached out to my buddy, Chef Brett, to get his take on the dry curing method alongside my brining approach to this conundrum. He and I will have a curing interview later this week.

Today, I've got a whole bunch of stull lined up for you, some of which I meant to tell you last week, but ran out of time. We are going to go through some lessons learned on budgeting for the homestead - Ive collected them from various sources, most of whom are not natural budgeters and we will talk about something I learned this week: How to square a pole barn with a measuring tape, stakes and string.

SPRING WORKSHOP INFO

Today I am joined by Brian Norton of Food Forest Farms as he talks about his trials and tribulations along the road toward starting a micro roasting business, breaking out of corporate America, and more! References:

Food Forest Farms

Brian's Kickstarter

Today, we talk about what we did to deal with the unusually long cold spell in Tennessee this year. This includes strategies for dealing with cold when your housing isn't built for it. We also announce the Spring workshop registration process and go over the membership portal.

It is amazing to me how adding music to a great poem can bring more life to it. This is the final in a series of four versions of the Night Before Christmas with a special song, performed live on Dec 3, 2017 in Cookeville, TN, by the Cookeville Mastersingers and the music wsa arranged by Simone.

Merry Christmas all!

Today may be the night before the night before Christmas for us here in the US, but our friends in Australia are already there. For them, it IS the night before Christmas. A friend from down under recorded this version of the poem for us with a few adjustments made for her local environment. Thank you AussieRo.

Join us for the second in a series for 2017 of poems read from throughout the world. This version of The Night Before Christmas comes from me, recording from Tennessee. It is followed by a performance of Jingle Bells, recorded live on December 3, 2017 in the Wanntenbarger Auditorium by the Cookeville Mastersingers and arranged by Don Large.

Join us in the series in the first in a series for 2017 of poems read from throughout the world. This version of The Night Before Christmas comes from our friend "Jaggy Little Thistle" who listens from Scotland. Thanks for the recording Jaggy!