Living Free in Tennessee - Nicole Sauce

Today's show is the last one until next year! In this episode, we will take a look at 2017. The good, the bad, the sad. We will also cover holidays, navigating them, being with your family who you may love, may find frustrating, or may even find abusive. I'll share what this time means to all of us here in the Holler Homestead. Share some recipes we will try this year. Marvel at the bounty that surrounds us, talk about bitcoin and two-factor authentication, share some cool thoughts from listeners. Today, the show is about you, about us, and about the learning from the past, letting it go, and making our future.

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What mother nature is providing

• Kale, Carrots, Radishes
• Stinging Nettles abound
• I saw mint in the creek - unbelievable
• Sprouts in the house: http://www.simplebites.net/how-to-grow-sprouts-at-home/

Tales from the prepper pantry

• The Turkey
• The potatoes are fished - we got a bushel in October and polished them off yesterday
• Facing our usual squash struggle
• Meatloaf recipe
• Dry stores: Flour, rice and oatmeal
• Put up lots of meat
• Thoughts on buying equipment for processing and preserving food

Operation Independence

• Tomorrow we are doing a webinar called Crypto in Plain English. Sign up: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_W7kB5iXuR7St0UBBW2umLw
• Roasted coffee like a mad woman - it has been great!
• Making hiking trails on the land with the goats
• Started journaling once a week

Frugal Feasting - the turkey tale:

• Yesterday we served an $11 turkey with about $2 in potatoes and sweet potatoes, $1 in carrots, $.25 in onions, and $.10 in flour. Total meal cost is: $14.35. We fed four people. Fed them to beyond stuffed. ($3.60 a person)
• Today, I have the bones in a stock pot making stock, Plenty of leftover turkey for soup and other side dishes. I wonder how much we will spend on meals the rest of the week?
• Example: If I do turkey rissoto, it is $2 in specialty rice, $1 in wine, $.50 in ancillary veggies. I don't have to charge ourselves for garlic since we grow it... Everything else was covered in yesterday's fees. Total meal to feed 3-4 people: $3.50.
• Brunch for Mark and me ran us $.50

Ok, time to talk about 2017. Remember what I was talking about this time last year?

• Grandma
• A coming job change
• Gleaning value from our land

How much change a year makes!

• She died, my job changed, and in nine short months, Holler Roast Coffee has gone from a hobby to a business that has operated in the black for the past two months!

Steps along the way:

• Evaluated and reevaluated our strategic objectives for the family
• Evaluated and reevaluated what we love to do
• Worked really hard
• Underestimated how much money and time HRC would take
  • Shipping
  • Bean sourcing
  • Bags, labels, etc
  • Building a roasting room for the roaster
  • Five billion failed roasts because the roaster was not working right
• Grew the podcast community to 1000 - and invited people into our peaceful retreat
• Took risks when we didn't really have the money to lost in order to forge new relationships
• Made great new friends - I mean really really great new friends
• Learned that selling ads in a very well targeted print publication that brings our advertisers better results than most other channels is still very hard.
• Went on some epic hikes with Mark
• Found new mushrooms and enjoyed them
• We lost an old cat
• We bought a few goats
• We found a stray pig - !!

Holiday Recipes

• Roast Beast in the Roemertopf
• Gingerbread cookies
• Spiced Apple Cider
• Homemade Hot chocolate
• Bread pudding

IF YOU HAVE COINBASE - turn on two factor authentication

Looking forward to 2018

• Grow Holler Roast
• Spring Workshop - sign up in January, cost will be $400, but we will just ask for a deposit at registration.
  • Build a cold smoker in an hour for $80 or less
  • Basics of lacto-fermentation
  • Beyond Organic Hydroponics
  • Charcuterie
  • Project Accelerators
  • More…
• Expand the Airbnb on site with agrotourism experiences
• Taking a very close look at the Center Hill Sun
• Growing the podcast, adding video and more.
• Expanding marketing facilitation and websites

Thought for 2018 from a fried:

I'm walking into 2018 with a clear heart and mind...If you owe me, don't worry about it - you're welcome...If you wronged me, it's all good - lesson learned...If you're angry with me, you've won...If we aren't speaking, its cool (I love you and I wish you well)...If you feel I wronged you, I apologize...Life is too short for all the penned up anger, holding grudges and extra pain!...Here's to 2018!!!...Spread the positive forgiveness! Love to all.

Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Make it a great week!

Song: Grandpas Song, Sauce

Today, we have a special episode with Kurt Dugger to discuss bitcoin and crypto currency basics. In Simple terms. This is a beginner's intro to bitcoin starting with "What it bitcoin anyway?"

Resources

• Webinar Sigh Up: Bitcoin in Plain English - Dec 19, 5:30pm (FREE!!) https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_W7kB5iXuR7St0UBBW2umLw
• Coinbase Affiliate Link: https://www.coinbase.com/join/55c39991371c072c7000016a
• Jaxx Wallet: https://jaxx.io/

Make it a great week!

Song: Learning What Leaving Is by Sauce

Today, we have a fun one cued up. We will review the pig processing workshop over at Cider Hollow Farm and I will describe for you some of the things that David Oswalt built that made the whole day go a bit easier, we will dive a bit further in the the independence fund assessment for the year and what that has meant for all of us here at the Holler Homestead, and I will walk give you a much-needed goat update!

What mother nature is providing

• Kale - more kale plants are popping up
• Carrots that I planted last spring
• Radishes
• Oyster Mushrooms finally showed up: Chowder Recipe (the egg yoke thickening method)
• Stinging Nettles are still around
• Mullein: https://www.motherearthliving.com/plant-profile/herb-to-know-mullein-verbascum-thapsus

Tales from the prepper pantry

• THE PIGGGGG - makin' Bacon this week
• Baked collards
• Homemade Dressing This Week: grated horseradish root (or powder), mayo, balsamic infused with fig, honey, salt, olive oil
• Acorn Squash Recipe we plan to try: Roasted with olive oil and garlic, topped with venison/pork sausage
• Venison pork sausage: S, P, garlic powder, sage, oregano, a touch of cumin, dill

Operation Independence

• Crypto in English - a special episode on Thursday, followed by a webinar as Kurt's schedule lines up with mine.
• Installed my own light fixture at our rental unit, followed by a new one at home - no electrician required

YTD Independence fund update:

• Winter electrical wiring
• Firewood
• Frequent flier miles for hardware, christmas gifts, household goods, and more
• Painted the duplex on our own instead of hiring it out
• We also hired some things out - the coffee business needed to go faster than I could
• Vacation rental trade
• Smoked meat trade
• Piggie trade

Pig Processing Workshop Walkthrough

Infrastructure that David installed over at Cider Hollow Farm

• Scalding tank with pulley
• Hanging pulley by the "shooting" pen
• Lots of tables for processing (wood vs temporary tables)
• The cold smoker

Upshot: Hope the charcuterie workshop is scheduled soon. Goat Update

• No longer escaping - I think because they are kind of fat and can't climb the fence as well
• Mark's new project
• Tethering on the bramble
• Upshot: things are starting to look much different around here

Find coffee at LivingFreeInTennessee.com Make it a great week! Song: Burned by Sauce

Today, I want to go back to our core mission with this podcast and talk about building independence into your life. It all started with an article I read aimed at this new tax bill that congress is considering. It left me wondering when we all became so spineless and unable to take care of ourselves, quite frankly! We will examine the totally missed point of the author of the article, and learn from that for use in our own lives. Also today, I am bringing back an old segment while we can: What mother nature is providing for us.

Resources:

• The new merch page: http://livingfreeintennessee.com/merchandise/
• Food saving process podcast from TSP: http://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/1613-food-storage

What mother nature is providing

• Kale
• Radishes
• I am sure there are persimmons, but…
• Mushrooms are NOT flowering this year very much yet
• AND OMG IT MIGHT SNOW

Tales from the prepper pantry

• The New Cow that we share with families. (Which means there is cow available)
• Baked Home Fries
• The New York Strip Steak
• Homemade Dressing This Week: mustard, mayo, balsamic infused with fig, honey, salt, olive oil
• Time to get serious about eating squash

Operation Independence

• Pig processing workshop - ciderhollow.com
• Crypto in English for God's Sake
• Winter is Coming
• Biltong Update
• Announcement: spring workshop in the HOLLER!! (April 27 & 28)

$100,000 income stories by NPR https://www.npr.org/2017/12/03/567602293/what-living-on-100-000-a-year-looks-like

Two consistent things I saw that the author did not:

• Couples already Established debt
• Couples had To high of a tax burden

Took time to look at my 2017 and how much I actually earned. And the number is a little sad.

• 15k (will be 20 by Dec 31)
• How did I make it? (Budgeting (spreadsheets don't lie), food stores and other stores, Savings, bartering, some help, and persistence with an end goal in mind.

So why do I go on about this? Because the NPR article made it seem like it was not in the control of the people who earn 100k to change their lives - that it was something that needed to be fixed from outside. To which I call bullshit. Bull. Shit. Yes. Sometimes you are in a position where you need to earn more. And you need to find ways to do it. And yes, earning more helps you become more financially independent. But that can be done at 40k, 50k and 60k if you look for opportunities, keep control of your wild spending - and realize that you ARE in control.

So do me a favor? If you haven't looked in a long time, take a little extra time this month to write it all out. Track where your money goes. Look at your tax burden, your cost of living where you are. And take control. Shed the things that are less important to your lifestyle. Do you really need that new car each year? Can you push down on the cell bill a bit? Is there a better health coverage plan for you? Did you ask the doctor to go down in price. Can you make room for a side hustle without spending more on the side hustle than you earn back from it? Look at your life and ask: How can I take control?

And if the answer is that you need a new job, well, go get it! If it is that you need to get the hell out of Seattle - figure out a way to do it with a soft landing. If you just need to stop the instant gratification for a bit - go for it - start practicing now. In December. When other people spend beyond their means to keep up with the joneses. Because when you find the end of your life, will you really care what kind of car you have?

With that my friends, I want to remind you that you can support the show while enjoying a luxurious, but not too pricey, cup of coffee. Just go to livingfreeintennessee.com and click on "Coffee."

Make it a great week!

Song: Anonymous by Sauce

Today, I address a number of questions about turkey, stock, try a new coffee from Australia, talk about freedom, and much more as we head into a rural American winter. Holler Roast is growing and we are finding new pathways to standing on our own, without steady employer oversight. There is still a pig here who wandered onto the land. And, while the goats do not make an appearance in the podcast, I do say the word goat at least one time.

Also, I didn't burn the house down on Sunday, so ...

It's Thanksgiving week and you all know what that means. We are in full holiday season mode. It's time to buy the children of all your friends some cheap plastic toys, go into debt buying that heirloom ham, and run frantically around attending all the parties and gatherings, including a thing called "Friendsgiving" so that by January 3rd you are broke, sick, and surrounded by clutter. This is one of my favorite times of year because if you get it under control, there is so much fun to be had.

We will talk about that and all of the fun recipes we will be trying, along with a ridiculous list of things that have been going on since we last spoke in today's show. Because, what is a Thanksgiving show without hunger pains in your stomach, as well as a bit of recipe inspiration.

References:

CiderHollow.com

Today we replay an important episode, "Why Build Resilience in Your Life," from the past, but there are a few new announcements.

Cider Hollow Pig Processing Event

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Why Build Resilience in Your Life

Part of our lifestyle here on the homestead is about building resilience into our day to day activities. Because no matter what happens, we only know one thing: change is coming. This idea that you work one job your whole life and retire to play golf – and that this is the norm – was a nice dream, but it is really a fiction.

• First and foremost: flexibility
• Secondly: responsibility – no excuses
• Finally: more control of the things you can control

Four ways to get started:

1. Simplify and frugalify
2. Grow some of your own food
3. Find ways to build ongoing income from your local area that you control
4. Develop a real community around yourself

Holler Homestead Business Progress

Center Hill Sun Update

And with that, remember, if like the show you can support us while drinking a marvelous cup of hand-roasted coffee – order here. Youtube channel – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-PX-bHfC3AEOUPWgJ5d40g/playlists

Well my friends, next week it is a 50-50 chance that the podcast will be skipped – sorry about that. I will be down at Jack Spirko's not getting enough sleep for five days, giving a presentation and learning a TON from other homesteaders. And in two weeks, we may have a very special interview lines up with one of our listeners who is this very moment one her brand new pice of land. That should be fun. Anyway – go out and make it a great week!

Song: Sauce, Tripped Out.

Today I want to talk with you about stress and more importantly letting it go because life is too precious to waste on worry and fussing. And this year has been a doozy of a year for stress in my personal life, as well as professionally. So many ups and downs, so many reasons to lose confidence, so many reasons to thank friends and family, and so much potential for new things to come.

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Tales from the prepper pantry Sweet potatoes really should come out of the ground and be set aside to cure in the mud room. All squashes are dead and we just have radishes left in the the gardens The first venison infusion has arrived and we still have some from last year that we want to eat up We got a banana tree! It has to go in the tunnel I am starting to assess winter stores of animal food to ensure we have a month's worth extra at a time Oysters are coming on and the watercress looks about ready to harvest There is still wild mint!

What we are preserving this week Loofah Preservation

Support me on Patreon

HollerRoast.com

Song: Calling Your Name by Sauce

Today, I will give you a big goaty update - loosely organized around five things that the goats have taught me about fencing. I also have an update on the caramel recipe I covered last week, and someone asked me a question about vanilla extract.

Remember folks, if you want to drop a comment or question to me, you can do so my emailing me at [email protected], or leave a comment over at livingfreeintennessee.com

Tales from the prepper pantry

• We got all the pantry things moved into the pantry, the insulating done for winter!
• The first frost landed this week, so we have the last of the tomatoes from the garden, the peppers, and the squash.
• Looks like the radishes and peas made it so we will hopefully get some things
• Kale time is near
• Starting to eat through the last of last year's canned goods
• This week's Holler Stew

What we are preserving this week

• Apples if the opportunity arises
• Fingers crossed for venison

Caramel Recipe: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/24952/caramel-popcorn/

Vanilla Extract Ratio: 13 oz to 1 gallon booze

Today, we talk now about some homemade holiday gift ideas that you can start now so that they are fantastic by December! Also today, we have a coffee business update, and a special announcement!

Tales from the prepper pantry

• The fall garden provided a yellow squash! (Remember the risk I took?)
• Pea shoots
• Radishes
• Tomatoes
• Chicken of the woods
• From a pantry perspective, we are still regrouping for winter storage.

What we are preserving this week

• Apples if the opportunity arises
• Transitioning from canning to drying
• Venison could happen at any moment
• Drying Oyster mushrooms

Stories from the Holler

• 7,000 ways you can improperly install electrical fencing
• Vocal performance with percussion
• Ducks thought it was daylight last night and would not go to bed

Four Holiday Gift Ideas

Kahlua 1 liter vodka, everclear or other 100 proof clear liquor 2 vanilla beans (where to get them) 4 cups strongly brewed coffee - i mean really strong man 8 cups brown sugar

Homemade salve Comfrey, mint Coconut oil (where to get) Crockpot for 5 days Mix in beeswax (where to get) Pour into small jelly jars and make pretty labels

Tea Mixes Roobius Mint Beebalm Teaball

Knitted or crocheted washcloths a la Mamma Sauce: Pattern

Homemade Caramels

Holler Roast Coffee Update

We have a new brew!

Holiday gift packaging

New website launches tomorrow: HollerRoast.com

Patreon Link: patreon.com/livingfreeinTN

Make it a Great Week!

Song: Strange Child by Sauce Word