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Living Free in Tennessee - Nicole Sauce

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Living Free in Tennessee - Nicole Sauce
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Now displaying: Page 1
Apr 20, 2025

 

Today, I am joined by the Tactical Redneck to talk about lamb births, getting ready for the Spring Workshop and more.

LFTN Spring Workshop - 1 open ticket - deposit paid: https://www.livingfreeintennessee.com/product/2025-lftn-spring-workshop/

Sponsor 1: TheWealthSteadingPodcast - InvestableWealth.com

Sponsor 2: EMPShield.com, Coupon Code LFTN

Grafting the baby to its Mom

Update on the pulled baby

Infection?

Rabbits due next week

Workshop Set Up

Transplanting tomatoes

Assessing dead plants

Morrels

Wild Mustard

Watercress Update

Yarrow

Ducks are in jail

All the people are stopping by to help us get set up this weekend, despite Easter being in the offing

Wood boring bees

Make it a great week!

GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. It makes a great Christmas Gift!

Community

Advisory Board

Resources

Apr 14, 2025

Last night, my bottle-fed Ewe went into labor. She never got as big as the naturally raised ewes and this ended up being a problem. We will talk about the long night in the pasture, as well as tales from the prepper pantry, a shopping report, operation independence, and more.

Featured Event: Exit ad Build Land Summit at Polyface, May 23 & 24: https://courses.livefree.academy/land-summit-5-polyface-farms

Sponsor 1: AgoristTaxAdvice.com/LFTN

Sponsor 2: DiscountMylarBags.com

Tales from the Prepper Pantry

Weekly Shopping Report from Joe

Dollar Tree was first.  They’re finally out of the big non-carbonated Monsters I was getting, but there were plenty of other choices.  Stock levels throughout the store looked good.  Sonia has been able to find some craft items in there lately.

We also went to Hobby Lobby for some acrylic paint.  We didn’t walk around the whole store looking at other stock, but I didn’t see empty sections or anything else odd.  Things may change with the tariffs on Dragon Country, but not yet.  They were “normal-busy” with a short wait to check out.

The online price of a 2x4x8 stud at Home Depot is still $3.85.

Aldi was last.  We found everything we wanted.  Staple prices were: bread (20 oz. white): $1.39; eggs: $4.97; whole milk: $2.92; heavy cream: $5.29; OJ: $4.09; butter: $3.49 (-); bacon: $3.99; potatoes: $4.39; sugar: $2.99; flour: $2.35; and 80% ground beef: $4.59.

Untainted regular gasoline at Weigels is still $3.59/gallon.

Operation Independence

2 lambs born, so $800 goes into the independence fund

Main topic of the Show: A Wonderful, Horrible Livestock Experience

Make it a great week!

GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. 

 

Community

Resources

 

Apr 2, 2025

 

Join me for a group discussion with John Willis of Special Operations Equipment and Jack Spirko of The Survival Podcast.

Featured Event: The Self Reliance Festival, SelfRelianceFestival.com

Sponsors:

Show Resources

Special Operations Equipment

TheSurvivalPodcast.com

Living Free in Tennessee

NicoleSauce.com

HollerRoast.com 

Main content of the show

Make it a great week!

GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. 

Community

Resources

 

Mar 31, 2025

Today we’re talking about busting through analysis paralysis and, of course, all our usual Monday segments.

Featured Event

Member Webinar – Homeopathy for Urgent and Emergent Situations

Don’t miss this week’s member webinar! Learn practical ways to approach health challenges using homeopathy.

Details & Sign-Up: https://www.livingfreeintennessee.com/event/homeopathy-for-urgent-and-emergent-situations/

Sponsor 1: The Wealthsteading Podcast

Insightful discussions on wealth-building and independent living.

🔗 https://investablewealth.com/

Sponsor 2: AbovePhone

Secure, freedom-minded communications.

Get $50 off your device with coupon code LiveFreeTN

🔗 https://abovephone.com/?above=104

Tales from the Prepper Pantry

  • Cooking for people from the pantry
  • Chaos of storing things everywhere – Nicole needs a wife
  • Moving back into the prepper pantry
  • About to unload a bunch of stored grain—we don’t eat grain anymore
  • The “oh shit” story

Weekly Shopping Report

This one will be short and boring; no major changes (I don’t need a Wahhmbulance for my chocolate price, at least not yet). Dollar Tree was the usual first stop. The drink product mix is shifting, but stock levels remain excellent.

The online price of a 2x4x8 stud at Home Depot is still $3.85.

Aldi was last. We found everything we wanted, but my preferred chocolate has gone up again to $2.69. Staple prices were:

  • Bread (20 oz. white): $1.39
  • Eggs: $4.97 (limit 2)
  • Whole milk: $2.84 (-)
  • Heavy cream: $5.29
  • OJ: $4.09
  • Butter: $3.75
  • Bacon: $3.99
  • Potatoes: $4.39
  • Sugar: $2.99
  • Flour: $2.35
  • 80% ground beef: $4.59

Untainted regular gasoline at Weigels is still $3.59/gallon.

Frugality Tip

No listener tips this week—send yours to nicole@livingfreeintennessee.com!

Nicole’s Tip: Audit your insurances annually. I’m doing that right now and it’s one of those boring-but-worth-it money wins.

Operation Independence

Update on the GSD weekend! Huge thanks to Valerie, Lynne, Tracy, Steve, Bryan, Tactical, and Knighthawk—and of course Bob, who we tried to kill. It was a solid weekend of getting things done and building community.

Main Topic of the Day: Busting Through Analysis Paralysis

I Why We Get Stuck in Analysis Paralysis

  • Fear of making the wrong move or wasting resources
  • Drowning in too much information and too many choices
  • Perfectionism in disguise—waiting until it’s “just right”
  • Pressure from external voices: what you should do versus what you want to do

II How to Align Your Efforts for Real Progress

  • Start by documenting where you spend your time
  • Revisit your vision and purpose
  • Know your own wiring—planner, doer, thinker?
  • Identify leverage points that’ll ease other areas

III Tips & Tricks to Break Free (My3Things Method + More)

  • Use the My3Things Method—3 high-impact tasks per day
  • Do the worksheet—focus and prioritize
  • Join our communities—get support and ideas
  • Call a friend who can help you think clearly
  • Pay for help if it moves you forward
  • Break things down to minimum viable steps (An American Homestead story)
  • Ask if you’re delaying because you don’t actually want it
  • Try body doubling—just work alongside someone
  • Just do one thing now—progress over perfection
  • Reset your brain—take a walk, listen to music, work out
  • And above all: Commit and don’t look back. Nothing replaces just deciding to move.

Sign up for the weekly mail – Stay updated on events, products, and local opportunities.

This week’s tip: Peter Hutchings from Terre Power in Sparta, TN reached out with a deal on used solar panels—around $0.15/kWh or less.

If you're interested, email him at phutchings@terrepower.com

Make it a great week.

GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. 

Community

Resources

 

Mar 29, 2025

 

Today, I am joined by the Tactical Redneck to talk about spring, stupid funny things we cannot remember, new spring wild edibles and more!

Featured event: SelfRelianceFestival.com

Sponsor 1: InvestableWealth.com

Sponsor 2: DiscountMylarBags.com

Fiberglass fencing posts

Still need to move rams

GSD Weekend coming up - with spicy weather

Prepper Pantry update

Wild Mustard flower is here

The dumpster story

4 wheeler useable - bent frame Honda 300, 1995

Meat pizza

Update on sprouted sunflowers

Stupid funny things we cant remember!

Feta cheese made for the workshop and thoughts on working in a homesteader’s kitchen

Garden feels really small this year

Subaru passed her maiden voyage to SOE

Stormy’s harness

No morels found yet but they are starting to pop in nearby counties

Basecamp deck

Duck egg hunt in the pond

I want a roadside stand!

Make it a great week!

GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. It makes a great Christmas Gift!

 

Community

Advisory Board

Resources

 

Mar 26, 2025

Syndicated from The Living Free Podcast, a project of Nicole Sauce.

Today, we begin to explore a bigger picture question about AI: Will it make us more or less free?

Featured Event: Member Webinar on Homeopathy

Sponsor 1: HollerRoast.com

Sponsor 2: AbovePhone.com, Coupon code LivefreeTN

Will AI Make Us More Or Less Free?

First, how do we define freedom?

The counter tension is those who wish to control and build power bases.

So this question is a pretty big question: Will AI make us more or less free?

AI’s Inherent Bias
AI as a Search Engine Replacement
Technocracy vs. Liberty
AI as a Creation Tool vs. Scam Weapon

Recommended Steps to Stay Free

  1. USE AI but with a critical
  2. Learn to protect your privacy, Use tools like Above Phone
  3. Be wary of too-good-to-be-true offers—even from people you know
  4. Set up a family/friend safe word
  5. Don’t blindly trust outputs—verify and think - especially the smaller details
  6. Avoid emotional or functional dependency
  7. Stay capable without the tool; don’t let it run your life

AI can help you build the life you want—or quietly undermine it - and if we just ignore it, it will move toward the status quo: empowering the oligarchs not the individual. Freedom means staying awake and staying critical without burying your head in the sand.

Make it a great week!

GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. It makes a great Christmas Gift!

Community
Mewe Group: https://mewe.com/join/lftn
Telegram Group: https://t.me/LFTNGroup
Odysee: https://odysee.com/$/invite/@livingfree:b
Advisory Board
The Booze Whisperer
The Tactical Redneck
Chef Brett
Samantha the Savings Ninja
Resources
Membership Sign Up
Holler Roast Coffee
Harvest Right Affiliate Link

 

Mar 24, 2025

Today, we talk about the word of the year and more specifically MY word of the year: Enrich. Big lessons so far in 2025 for me. Also, we will cover our usual monday segments: Tales from the prepper pantry, a frugality tip and operation independence.

Featured Event: The LFTN GSD Weekend is Upon Us! livingfreeintennessee.com/event/lftn-gsd-weekend/

Sponsor 1: EMPShield.com, coupon code LFTN

Sponsor 2: AgoristTaxAdvice.com/LFTN

Tales from the Prepper Pantry

  • Launching a new video short series this week: Can You Do That with Mayonnaise?
  • Freezers go in their permanent spot this week, and one becomes the "workshop food" freezer! This is how I stay organized so we can find everything for the workshop.
  • Taco Soup Idea From Janna Gillard
  • The Salsa Jar Hijink

Frugality Tip from Margo

  • Do you frequently cut the sleeves off of T-shirts? I do, because someone I live with only wears sleeves to work. I use the sleeves for rags and plant ties, but the other day I cut a sleeve off and for some reason I was like let me see if this fits on my head....guess what the sleeve of his XXL T-shirt makes a great headband for me. So yet another use for something you would normally throw away.
  • I know I always am looking for a crappy headband when I am going to do a facemask, now I will keep a sleeve or two around.
  • Happy Saving y'all

Operation Independence

  • Tomato Seedlings look GREAT - not buying any plants this year.
  • Scored $150 on a left behind part of my car - Purging is also enriching my supplies budget!
  • Mayo thoughts

Main Topic of the Day: Word of the Year Update: Enrich

  • A reminder: Choosing a word of the year is about setting an intention to guide your decisions and energy throughout the year. "Enrich" was chosen to focus on sharpening, refining, and deepening—not just doing more, but doing better.

Lesson 1: Enrich the People It Serves

Lesson 2: Purge What Doesn’t Serve

Lesson 3: Slowing My Roll

Conclusion

The key to enriching our world here at the Holler Homestead is not about how many memberships or Spring Workshop tickets can I sell today and much more about asking two key questions:

    1. How is this going to enrich the buyer or participants?
    2.  How does this enrich my life?

Make it a great week!

GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. 

Community

Resources

 

Mar 21, 2025

 

First day of spring and it is 26 degrees out there. Find out how the plants weathers this latest yucky frost, progress on the prepper pantry, a garden update, and more today on our weekly homestead update show.

Featured Event: Solstice Gathering at Haven Earth Trade School in Old Fort, tn (nearish Chattanooga). Use the contact form on the website to RSVP and get additional information.

Sponsor 1: AbovePhone.com: https://abovephone.com/?above=104
Use coupon code for $50 off: LiveFreeTN

Sponsor 2: EMPShield.com

Fallen Ewe, Hoof Trimming and Selenium
The Great Vehicle Scam of 2025
Frosty First Day of Spring
Flood Damage Report
Garden Bed 3 is up - stupid dog
Duck egg production update with supplementation - it was pretty instant
Prepper Pantry Update
Holler Comms in the storm
The Round Roast that became Rouladen
What happens to a spring with 6-8 inches of rain in 1 day and what we did about it
Erosion Remediation Projects Update Post Flood
Tomato seedlings are up and looking good
Gifting 6 chards to a friend this week and hopefully planting the last 8 in bed 4
Lighting and the fence charger - community
Watercress patch is not coming back yet which is slower than usual
Tempting to dig up the old garden and seed with gourds and runner beans
Holler Game Night tonight

Make it a great week!

 

GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. It makes a great Christmas Gift!

 

Community

Advisory Board

Resources

 

Mar 19, 2025

 

Today I am joined by Ken Griffith of R-3 Contingencies to discuss what to do if you get arrested, especially if it is for something you did not do.

Featured Event: SelfRelianceFestival.com

Sponsor 1: HollerRoast.com

Sponsor 2: InvestableWealth.com

Show Resources

Main content of the show

Make it a great week

GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. 

Community

Advisory Board

Resources

 

Mar 17, 2025

Episode 1017: The Power Of Starting Strong: Make Your Own Mesophilic Culture

Today, we talk about how to make your own mesophilic culture at home so you can reduce save money and develop your own cheese flavors over time. Really having a strong start in cheese is as important as doing so in life, isn't it? And nurturing your starts in life is as important as hitting things hard ever day. We will also cover our usual Monday segments.

Member Webinar: Building Small Scale Events On Your Homestead, Sunday, March 23 at 3pm Central: https://www.livingfreeintennessee.com/courses/creating-small-scale-events-on-your-homestead (Members you know what to do!)

Do me a favor? Drop a review at iTunes and share this podcast out to your friends.

LFTN on Facebook and Telegram

Tales From The Prepper Pantry

  • No progress on floor
  • Spring Cleaning - Processing meat: Bacon, scotch eggs, grinding lamb, scotch eggs
  • Tomato seedlings planted and germinated
  • Looking to purge the grains from storage
  • The tunnel

Weekly Shopping Report from Joe

Dollar Tree was the usual first stop.  I noted again that the Health aisle was stuffed.  In particular.

We didn’t go in, but the price of a 2x4x8 stud at Home Depot still shows $3.85 online.

Aldi was next.  We found everything we wanted, but there were only a few bars of my preferred chocolate (70% cacao) left.  Staple prices were: bread (20 oz. white): $1.39; eggs: $5.97 (limit 2); whole milk: $2.92 (+); heavy cream: $5.29; OJ: $4.09 (+, and very little); butter: $3.75; bacon: $3.99; potatoes: $4.39; sugar: $2.99; flour: $2.35; and 80% ground beef: $4.59.

Food City for a 22 lb. Bag of Meow Mix (that our cats ask for by name).  Pet foods were well-stocked.

Untainted regular gasoline at Weigels is still $3.59/gallon.

Frugality Tip From Jordon

St. Patrick’s Day is upon us, it’s a fairly big day up in Maine since there is a large Irish population here, so cabbages are on sale for the boiled dinner feast! Tonight we snagged 3 juicy cabbages at the grocery store for 39¢ a lb.  Made 3 half gallons of sauerkraut for $5!

Hope you have a lucky 🍀 Monday!

Jordan 

Operation Independence

  • GSD Weekend March 29 & 30 in the Holler - Staining, building a composting outhouse deck, hauling off construction debris, building a new humanure barrel, setting up the classroom, hanging the presentation tv, etc.

Main Topic of Today's Show.

What is a Mesophilic Culture and Why Should You Care?

  • Mesophilic culture is a bacterial starter used for cheesemaking, cultured dairy, and fermentation. 70-85 for fermentation.
  • Used as the base for feta, cultured cream cheese, chevre, farmer’s cheese, mozzarella, etc.
  • Why: Saves money, adapted to your environment, adds resilience, it’s fun

How to Make It Making a Mesophilic Starter

  1. Find Culture
  2. Prepare the milk
  3. Inoculate & Ferment:
  4. Store & Maintain:

What If I Cant Get Culture or Cultured Buttermilk?

  • Quality Raw Milk
  • Leave at room temperature
  • Smell/taste
  • Treat like a cultured buttermilk starter

Thought Of The Walk On Cheese Culture

  • This process is a perfect analogy for life.
  • You get out what you put in—a weak start leads to weak results.
  • Just like a good mesophilic culture ensures better cheese, a good mindset, strong habits, and the right influences ensure better outcomes in life.
  • Sometimes we forget to nurture ourselves and those things that are most important to is, resulting in weak starts – and what do you do with a weak start?
  •  

Make it a great week!

GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. 

Community

Resources

 

Mar 14, 2025

Today, I am joined by the Tactical Redneck as we discuss illness in the Holler, early spring sprinting, and more.

Featured Event: SelfRelianceFestival.com

Sponsor 1: AgoristTaxAdvice.com/lftn

Sponsor 2: InvestableWealth.com

Stinging Nettle Harvest Week

Morels should begin to pop soon

Early spring green salad: baby plantain, dead nettle leaves, baby dock, wild garlic (I like to add to a salad)

Illness in the Holler

Second garden bed is up and planted

Food forest lower swale is 25% mulched, then I will toss lots of seeds out

4 Wheeler

Subaru Saga

Ram Weaning

Stormy and preventing a prolapse

Breed rabbits this week

Livestock

Duck egg update

Yard herbs are coming back - the ones that made it through the winter

All the compost tea is being sprayed

Time to make garlic/pepper/LABS spray for the orchard

Holler Neighbor Dinner on Sunday

Finances: Upped my seedling game so have only spent $60 on gardens

 

Make it a great week!

 

GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. It makes a great Christmas Gift!

 

Community

Advisory Board

Resources



Mar 14, 2025

Join me for a group discussion with John Willis of Special Operations Equipment and Jack Spirko of The Survival Podcast.

Featured Event: The Self Reliance Festival, SelfRelianceFestival.com

Sponsors:

Show Resources

Special Operations Equipment

TheSurvivalPodcast.com

Living Free in Tennessee

NicoleSauce.com

HollerRoast.com 

Main content of the show

Make it a great week!

GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. 

Community

Resources

 

Mar 10, 2025

Today, we explore five things homesteaders get wrong—and how to avoid them. Every homestead decision is a preference, but some choices lead to costly, time-consuming headaches.

Resources
Crunchy Mama Beef Processing Class (March 21-24 in Texas) – Crunchy Mama Farms
Sponsors:

LFTN Spring Workshop

National Center For Home Food Preservation

Weekly Segments:
Tales from the Prepper Pantry – Freezers, Scotch eggs, and pantry upgrades
Frugality Tip – How to save $3,000+ on international travel
Shopping Report from Joe – Prices on food, lumber, and gas
Operation Independence – Expanding aquaponics and biochar progress

Main Topic: 5 Things Homesteaders Just Get Wrong
1. Keeping weak animals with genetic problems such as throwing prolapses in sheep, scissor beak, etc
2. Using That Untested Recipe For Canning From Your Grandma, Rebel Canners, Or A Random AI Generated Blog Post
3. You Got Chickens (Or Other Livestock) And Did Not Have Infrastructure (Housing, Water, Fencing, Etc.)
4. Why Did You Grow Food You Hate?
5. You Cultivated Plants Not Soil

Make it a great week!

GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. 

 

Community

Resources

 

Mar 8, 2025

Today, I am joined by Tactical as we discuss a semi-crazy, off-site week, the coming spring, and more.

Featured Event: SUNDAY - Bioremediation Workday in Marshall, NC: https://www.facebook.com/events/1157636552497302 

Shout out: Canary Cry Radio! https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=XK4bqtxb1PA 

Sponsor 1: TheWealthsteadingPodcast.com

Sponsor 2: DiscountMylarBags.com

Roof issues and the wind

The mama ewe left the pasture

Duck feed/Egg issue. Protein content is lower so adding sprouts sunflower seeds, take 2

1st round seedlings placed in raised bed

Finishing last 2 raised beds

AP update

LFTN Email Updates

Fencing repairs 

Pasture easter egg hunt after the storm

Last round of seeding happening this weekend

Indoor AP is up and running

New 4 wheeler rebuild progress report

Prepper Pantry Next Phase

So Much Bacon

Scotch Egg Experiment update

Lettuce from the vet

Assessing what is alive after the most brutal winter ive seen in the holler

Holler Neighbors/Community Update

Finances: Making sure we can source chickens before we announce the processing class

Make it a great week!

GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. It makes a great Christmas Gift!

Community

Advisory Board

Resources

 

 

Mar 3, 2025

Join me for a discussion all about kefir, its origins, its benefits, how to make it and HOW TO USE IT!Sponsor 1: Permies.com FUNDLE $45: https://permies.com/wiki/223017f495/Fundle-fungi-bundle

Sponsor 2: AgoristTaxAdvice.com

Shout out: Canary Cry Radio! https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=XK4bqtxb1PA 

Tales from the Prepper Pantry

  • Bacon Week
  • Slicing Like a Mad Woman
  • Ground Lamb
  • The Carnivore Scotch Egg Test

Operation Independence

  • No more TAHOE

1. Why Kefir Matters

  • More than just a probiotic – Kefir is a living ecosystem of bacteria and yeast, offering benefits beyond typical fermented foods.
  • Gut health & digestion – Restores microbiome balance and may help with IBS.
  • Immune system support – Contains natural antibacterial and antifungal compounds.
  • Bone health & longevity – High in calcium, magnesium, and vitamin K2, supporting bone density.
  • Why it beats store-bought probiotic drinks – No added sugars, no preservatives, and a wider range of beneficial microbes.
  1. The Mysterious Origins of Kefir
  • No one knows!
  • Ancient legends – Believed to have originated in the Caucasus Mountains, with stories linking it to nomadic herders or religious figures.
    • Some claim kefir grains were a gift from the Prophet Muhammad to Orthodox Christians.
    • Others suggest they evolved naturally in animal skins used for storing milk.
  • Why scientists can’t recreate it – Unlike yogurt cultures, kefir grains cannot be artificially synthesized, making them a true biological mystery.
    • Kefir grains are a complex symbiotic community (SCOBY) that must be propagated from existing grains.
    • Attempts to isolate and recreate them in labs have failed, suggesting a unique co-evolution with traditional dairy farming.

4. The Science Behind Kefir Fermentation

  • Bacteria vs. Yeast – A Perfect Partnership
    • Bacteria (Lactic Acid Bacteria - LAB) – Convert lactose into lactic acid, lowering the pH and thickening the milk.
    • Yeasts – Break down sugars into ethanol and carbon dioxide, adding mild effervescence and contributing to flavor complexity.
    • Acetobacter species – Convert ethanol into acetic acid, giving kefir its subtle tang.
  • How fermentation transforms milk
    • Lactose breakdown – Kefir becomes more digestible for lactose-intolerant individuals.
    • Nutrient enhancement – Increases B vitamins, calcium, and K2, making nutrients more bioavailable.
    • Probiotic boost – Contains up to 50+ strains of beneficial bacteria and yeast, making it superior to yogurt in microbial diversity.
  1. How to Make Kefir at Home
  • Basic Steps:
    • Add kefir grains to whole milk (raw or pasteurized, but avoid ultra-pasteurized).
    • Cover loosely and let ferment 12-24 hours at room temperature.
    • Strain the grains, store finished kefir in the fridge, and repeat the process.
  • Troubleshooting Common Issues:
    • Too sour? Shorten fermentation time or use cooler temperatures.
    • Too thin? Use higher-fat milk or ferment longer.
    • Off flavors? Check milk quality and ensure grains are healthy.

6. Ways to Use Kefir Beyond Drinking It

  • Culinary Uses:
    • Smoothies & flavored kefir – Blend with fruit, honey, or spices.
    • Salad dressings & dips – Use as a tangy base for ranch or tzatziki.
    • Kefir cheese & butter – Strain whey to make a spreadable cheese.
  • Second Fermentation for More Flavor & Fizz:
    • How to do it – Store strained kefir in an airtight bottle with fruit or honey for another 12-24 hours.
    • Why it works – Yeasts consume remaining sugars, boosting carbonation.
    • Best add-ins: Citrus peel, ginger, berries, vanilla bean.

Make it a great week!

GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. 

Community

Resources

 

Feb 28, 2025

 

Tactical Redneck Hijacked my show while I was out of town - Enjoy his update.

Sponsor 1: AgoristTaxAdvice.com
Sponsor 2: DiscountMylarBags.com

Join me for sad news from the pasture, making progress in spring, a review of a cool event happening in about a week, a NEW recipe, and more!

 

Featured Event: Refuge Ruckus, March 7-9 in Fort Smith, AR: https://www.refugeruckus.com/

 

Sponsor 1: AgoristTaxAdvice.com

Sponsor 2: DiscountMylarBags.com

Permies Fundle - and why it is so cool, but dont buy it until Saturday: Heads up on the Permies Fundle

Listener Feedback

From a listener -  I remembered that you decided to sell your AGHs, and I'm in a similar (but bigger) situation, and hoped you might be able to offer some suggestions or possibly send my way  anyone you know who's in the market, and feel free to share my email for contact. I'm local (Cookeville) and the pigs are in the Monterey/Muddy Pond area. Hope everything's going well in the Holler, and hope to hear back from you soon. 

Sad News From The Pasture

Ram separation day - with help from a visitor

Community: Dog care

Weather was fantastic this week: Nicole at a big, thorny frog

New inhabitant at basecamp

Community development idea

Scotch egg recipe

Biochar project update

Topping the garden beds

Stuck trailer day

Shepherd’s pie

Outhouse spring set up

Ducks laying in the yard

Livestock

Early spring garden planting is going well this year so far

Make it a great week!

GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. It makes a great Christmas Gift!

Community

Advisory Board

Resources

 

Feb 27, 2025

Join me for a discussion of how the heavy rains created minor flooding in the barn one day before we needed to give the sheep access and what we did to dry it out. We will also cover all our usual Monday Segments.

Featured Event: Blueberry Hill Sunday Meetup in Knoxville: https://www.livingfreeintennessee.com/event/bluebird-hill-open-house-gathering/

Sponsor 1: TheWealthSteadingPodcast.com

Sponsor 2: EMPShield.com

Coupon Code: LFTN

Tales from the Prepper Pantry

  • Processing 2 Ewes with Prolapses, lots of ground meat
  • Homemade Roast Beef Sandwich Meat
  • Prepper Pantry Update

Frugality Tip From Margo

Stopping in the middle of a project when you run out of something and having to go get more can be annoying. What's more annoying to me is wasting time to go save a dollar or two. While I am probably one of the most frugal people I know with money, I value my time a lot as well. So save some time and run to the closest store and spend an extra $2 and finish the task. 

Happy Savings y'all 

~Margo

Operation Independence

$10 Ultrasound

Seedlings

Main topic of the Show: Small Changes, Big Results - Tales From A Barn Underwater

  • Biggest local flood since 2010
  • Back Story
  • What We found
  • How we divided work
  • What T did
  • End Result

In the end, a small change every day makes the biggest difference in your world.

Just ask Angry Prepper about walking for 15 minutes after each meal.

Make it a great week!

GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. 

Community

Resources

 

Feb 25, 2025

 

Today, Joshua Hale shares his journey from a programmed life in the matrix to moving to a homestead, then building value by tapping into the opportunities surrounding AI.

Sponsor 1: HollerRoast.com

Sponsor 2: AbovePhone.com: https://abovephone.com/?above=104
Use coupon code for $50 off: LiveFreeTN

Show Resources

>>Use coupon code Sauce for 15% off Joshua's courses

Main content of the show

Make it a great week

GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. 

Community

Advisory Board

Resources

 

Feb 24, 2025

Tactical Redneck Hijacked my show while I was out of town - Enjoy his update.

Sponsor 1: AgoristTaxAdvice.com
Sponsor 2: DiscountMylarBagsd.com

Home Alone Update from tactical

1) Frozen pipes
2) Keeping 2 fires going
3) The stuck truck
4) Impressions of premade meals
5) Keeping up with bacon curing

Seed Roullette Update - it dropped to 8 so Nicole seeded the peas and will check in on the radishes when she gets home. Garden bed is covered

Incoming nomad hands this coming week so we will focus on the garden spaces.

Sheep dont care that it is cold

Bottl;e Baby update

Rabbits can get it done through the cage mesh

Make it a great week!

 

GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. It makes a great Christmas Gift!

 

Community

Advisory Board

Resources

 

Feb 21, 2025

 

Today is an interview show with Sue Zoldak from The Zoldak Agency all about creating your life to be the way you want it to be.

Featured Event: SelfRelianceFestival.com

Sponsor 1: HollerRoast.com

Sponsor 2: AbovePhone.com: https://abovephone.com/?above=104
Use coupon code for $50 off: LiveFreeTN

Show Resources

Main content of the show

Make it a great week

GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. 

Community

Advisory Board

Resources

 

Feb 17, 2025

Today I had a surprise visit from Dawn Gorham, here to pick up her half lamb, so we decided to replace the Monday show with a fin interview show.

Spponsors:
InvestableWealth.com
EMPShield.com - Coupon Code: LFTN

More notes detail coming soon!

Feb 17, 2025

Join me for our weekly homestead update solo this week because Tactical is picking up feed from BooneTop Farm in Centerville!

Featured Event: Seed Exchange and Potluck Saturday 12-3pm

Sponsor 1: DiscountMylarBags.com

Sponsor 2: The Wealthsteading Podcast

Listener Feedback

 I've been telling my wife about you swim spa. We think it might be a good thing for her to get. She has a couple of questions:

  1. “Having been used to lap pool swimming, in 25-yard pools, is it difficult to get used to a swim spa?”
  2. “How do you track distance?” (I’m used to counting laps to know how far I’ve gone)

Boone Top Farm Feed Source

Bracing for another single digit time

Duck Egg Feed Update - tucker milling

Tiny house community concept

Seed Roulette Next Week

Seedling update

Prepper pantry Just In Time

Stinging Nettle, chickweed and deadnettle

Operation Email Zero

More rabbit breeding

Better rabbit rotation needed

Eversoles Departing

Tomatoes are finally all canned

 

Make it a great week!

 

GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. It makes a great Christmas Gift!

 

Community

Advisory Board

Resources

 

Feb 13, 2025

 

How does entrepreneurship empower free living - or does it? Today, I am joined by Isaac Morehouse to discuss his journey from founding Praxis, through taking on a project that was NOT his passion (but not NOT his passion) and landing in Florida. He openly shares his struggles and successes.

Featured Event: Cast Iron Webinar, Feb 23 at 6pm

Sponsor 1: https://abovephone.com/?above=104

COUPON CODE FOR $50 off: LiveFreeTN

Sponsor 2: HollerRoast.com

Connect with Isaac Morehouse:

Community

Resources

 

Feb 10, 2025

Join me for a discussion about opting out of fear. You are easier to control when you make your decisions from a fear-based place and that is why it is so profitable too keep our population divided and frantic. But you don’t have to participate. You can mindfully move yourself to a place of awareness without the constant fear and build a better place for yourself and your family - and that it what homesteading is all about! We will also cover our usual Monday Segments.

Featured Event: Cast Iron Webinar, Feb 23 at 6pm

Sponsor 1: AgoristTaxAdvice.com/LFTN

Sponsor 2: EMPShield.com, coupon code lftn

Tales from the Prepper Pantry

  • Concrete Pour on Wednesday do clearing the freezers out and needing to turn them off at night when it is cold
  • Holler Stew, Carnivore style - lamb and chicken
  • Idea for using up chicken breasts
  • Excellent roast leg of lamb recipe

Frugality Tip

  • Making left overs sexy - frugality tip - - pair it with eating before you leave and Bone broth packets

Operation Independence

  • New car this weekend

Main topic of the Show: How to Opt Out Of Fear

Watching my more left friends freak out about DT

  • Constant barrage of fear communications
  • Homesteaders should market to leftys
  • Reminds me of when Obama got elected and the response from the right

Making decisions from a fear based place is almost never good for you in the long run - WHY

>>Michelle’s Car Story

Mistake - fast decision under pressure and while still impacted by fear of the accident

This is no different than the fear caused by terminal diagnosis, the news cycle, a tight budget, and more.

So what do you do?

>>Nicole’s Car Story

  1. Slow your roll
  2. Cut off access to you of anything causing fear – people, news, even obsessing about your bank account. Go on a fear diet! 1-5 days, weeks if necessary. 
  3. Focus on success stories from people in a similar situation. 
  4. Collect the facts, not the opinions
    1. Elon Musk has access to your SSN!!!! We are all gonna DIE
    2. The reality of the situation is that you are no more at risk now than you were 2 weeks ago when some unnamed person with very little oversight had access to your information
    3. Look at what has historically happened in a similar fear cycle. Who did well and how/why. Who did poorly and how/why.  
  5. Fitness and Food 
  6. Think LONG TERM SUCCESS not short term fix – unless you need a tourniquet

Back to your bank account fear: Poverty mindset IS making decisions out of fear. But the reality. Long term value over short term happiness is one thing.

>>Selling the tahoe for parts story - its time has passed, time to scrap it for long term payoff of my time

And when the sky is falling in the news? The same approach applies. If you are a more right leaning person, you are probably noting that articles are better reported all of the sudden by major news organizations. Or are they?

What if you are just an anxious person? (Get help)

Opting out of the fear cycle means going on a fear diet – AND a fake news diet – so that you can develop perspective for what truly matters and can make the best decisions for you in the long run rather than constantly control for the next thing.

Make it a great week!

GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. 

Community

Resources

 

Feb 9, 2025

Today we give you an update on the homestead after we have spring into FIRST SPRING in Tennessee, operation eyesore, keeping up with meals on the homestead, egg issues and more.

Featured Event: Rabbits and Roses, Huntsville, AB, https://www.facebook.com/events/1010824777095474/?ti=ls 

>>This may change your perspective on your rabbit meatery 😀

Sponsor 1: InvestableWealth.com

Sponsor 2: DiscountMylarBags.com

Vevor Raised Bed Link: https://s.vevor.com/bfQ6sp 

Transitioning to Feeding twice a day in the pasture

Duck Egg Response to Different Feed - the lights

Radish germination and second round of seeding this weekend

How do you track your seedings, seedlings and progress?

Rolling Leftovers: Roundroast and Lamb goulash

Not Dry Round Roast

Prepper Pantry Update - Getting Excited for the finish!

Water descaler and Culligan water softener for sale: $300

Move the Ram

Housekeeping Test

Deadnettle, chickweed, wild garlic

First Spring - and First Tornado

Operation Eyesore

Truck Repairs

Duplex Fix

More raised beds incoming

Tomato wall completion

Holler Neighbors/Community

Finances Idea - ways to grow a homestead into your primary income

 

Make it a great week!

 

GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. It makes a great Christmas Gift!

 

Community

Advisory Board

Resources

 

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