Merry & Bright?

Hi!

I've been pondering what to write about for this week since I turned over my new blogging leaf last week. I thought I'd keep the new leaf turned over for at least two weeks :)

As you likely know (from last week's entry), I've been baking like crazy over here! Finished up some mini muffins of the Friendship Bread I posted about and these delish Peanut Butter / Oatmeal / Chocolate Chip cookies, too!

Every year between Thanksgiving and Christmas, we host our Annual Holiday Dinner. 50+ people come and go for an open house style party with loads of buffet style food. It is one of my FAVORITE days of the year. I love having our house company ready and decorated for Christmas. I LOVE making LOADS of food - a big turkey, homemade noodles, mashed potatoes, "baked corn", gravy, stuffing, oh my! Clearly, this is 2020, so we are not hosting our Annual Holiday Dinner this year as we know it. This is the 20th year for it! So basically, I've been hosting these longer than I've had Homestead Phil around :) (This picture is from last year as our tree is not yet up! haha)

We considered two options for our 20th Annual Holiday Dinner. 1. Zoom - I think most people are zoomed out though, right? 2. Ask which friends within reasonable driving distance are interested in a social distance outdoor visit at their home where we can drop off some of these delicious cookies that I've been baking and Homestead Phil has been tasting! We snap a selfie, enjoy a quick visit, and move on to the next stop! If you know anything about us, we're kinda of "Go Big or Stay Home" kind of people. So we opted for option #2! Sounds more Merry & Bright! (Homestead Phil hasn't said it but I'm sure he would have preferred option #1!)

In addition to this revamped Annual Holiday Dinner, I've tried to brain storm as to how I/we can be an extra blessing to others to help bring them joy or provide some extra "Merry & Bright" in the midst of this bizarre season of life. I put up outside Christmas lights this year. Some years, I do it. Some years, Homestead Phil does it. Some years, we don't put up outside lights. Not many people see them but I wanted to see them and bring a smile to who ever may see them. I've also decided to wear my Christmas shirts around the house even if I'm not going anywhere. Usually I save them to wear them out for parties or shopping, etc. So when I wear them, I'm going to post to my FB wall so I can share my joy with others :)

At the same time, our state just mandated another shut down but they didn't outright say that it's a stay at home order. This announcement just came out yesterday to be in effect as of today. Even more reason to spread some holiday cheer, right?! Some friends are all in to participate in our Holiday Dinner - Revamped! Many, whether they are in or not have expressed out thoughtful, sweet, and generous this is of us. This is about bringing joy to our friends and family but golly... I just LOVE feeding people even if it's just a small box of cookies! Since the announcement by the state yesterday, at least two of my Facebook friends have posted offering help to provide Christmas to a local family to help lessen their burdens this year. Not just some copy and paste post but true heartfelt offer to help especially knowing that restaurants are no longer operating with dine in service which means less or no hours, barely any tips if any, and right at the time when restaurants are usually the busiest.

I don't share this for credit but to remember how this year has been very different and how we can each make some slight changes in our paths to bring some extra joy to others - help it be more Merry & Bright! I'm still brain storming on what else I/we can do and I still have a few things up my sleeve not just for the holidays but beyond! How about you?

An Update from The Homestead

Me oh my oh me! I really LOVE writing here but it has certainly taken a back burner in the last almost year. I could make an empty promise that I'm going to get back to it but... I won't! If you're reading this, I hope you are well and in a good place no matter your circumstances.

I won't try to bring you up to speed of the last year in one blog post. Don't worry! Let's start with my holiday baking plans and tasks since this blog is about Family. FOOD. and Fun!

Every year, we plan a HUGE Annual Holiday Dinner where we invite everyone that we know for an open house / buffet style meal. I use nearly all of my crock pots and roasters. We often raise the turkey ourselves that I cook for our party. Sometimes, I have to use a bungie strap to hold the lid down on the roaster because the turkey is so large! I also bake up a storm to have desserts both for our party, to take with us when we visit family, and to provide as gifts. Unfortunately, we won't be hosting our big party this year BUT I am still baking up a storm! (Whatever that saying even means haha!) I usually bake 10 or so different cookies / desserts. I even put a new one into the rotation. A friend of a friend posted her list of Christmas baking and WOW... 29 cookie types (2-6 batches of each), four candies, and five muffins (2-6 batches of each). Puts my little list of 10 to shame! haha Made me want to expand my list though! I'll dig around for some family favorites that don't always make the cut!

I always start with these ones to ease myself the marathon of holiday baking... Buckeyes! Some people just call them Peanut Butter Balls. I think that's a regional thing though. My step-mom said she likes them best with rice krispies in them! Maybe that can be one of my new options for 2020! Mine aren't always pretty but they are delish! Far too easy to eat :)

Next up like clock work I bust out my recipe for No Bakes short for No Bake Cookies haha! Homestead Phil every time says "Why are they called "No bakes" when you still have to cook them?". Oh Homestead Phil. They aren't called "No Cook Cookies". They are called "No Bakes". :) Every. Time.

Snickerdoodles! This year's Snickerdoodles weren't as good as years past likely because the dough is to chill in the fridge and not camp in there for a week until I found time to bake them! :)

Gobs - it's a Western Pennsylvania thing! Other regions call them Whoopie Pies while other areas call them Moon Pies. Gobs are a soft chocolate cookie sandwich with lovely fluffy filling. It's one of my top fave cookies!

Sugar Cookies! These cookies are so soft! I used to slather the frosting across each but now I use less and think they look a bit nicer. Although, you may notice, I'm no cookie decorator despite my previous Jenn The Baker status :)

This lovely Friendship Bread recipe was gifted to me likely in 2013. I've only made it maybe once or twice before but I took the plunge on smaller bread pans for cute loaves of Friendship Bread and Pumpkin Bread. Homestead Phil devored a little one of these Friendship Breads in the last 24 hours!

Last cookie so far this season is Homestead Phil's FAVORITE - Peanut Butter Cookies! I probably make these cookies more each year than any other cookies. Someone may be spoiled here at the Homestead!

I have country ribs thawing to pop into the instant pot for dinner tonight so I have to scoot. Maybe I'll share that recipe one day!

What's on your holiday baking list for 2020?

-Homestead Jenn

My business heart hurts.

Is that a thing? "business heart"? Let's say it's a thing. Mine is hurt.

Homestead Phil, each of our Affiliate Partners, and I work really hard to provide these fantastic products of Rent The Chicken and Hatch The Chicken. We strive to have ethical standards of business practices as well as farming / homesteading practices. Certainly our service isn't for everyone! That's OK.

Now and again, potential renters ask "what happens to the chicks / chickens at the end of the rental?". I chuckle and make light saying "We don't have a big barbecue that's for sure!" They chuckle then I provide a more in depth response.

Sometimes, potential renters state "Someone said you kill all of the baby chicks after the rental.". Wait. What? Someone said *WE* do what? Who said that? This week, some one said they read it on a website. Certainly not our website! Those babies are worth more to us and our Affiliate partners as live baby chicks than dead baby chicks. :(

Here are a number of scenarios as to what happens to the baby chicks after our Hatch The Chicken program is complete:

The girls are raised to be hens for Rent The Chicken

The girls are raised as breeding stock for Hatch The Chicken

The boys are raised to be roosters to fertilize eggs for Hatch The Chicken

The girls are raised to lay eggs for our families

The boys are raised to protect our flocks to help keep them safe

The chicks are sold to families looking to expand their flocks

The roosters are sold to families looking to protect their flock

I can't confirm what other organizations do with their baby chicks after a hatching program but I know with my whole heart that all of the chicks hatched with our Hatch The Chicken program provide a purpose following the rental. We value their lives and value what they bring to our business and those who participate in our programs.