Today  we have a great interview with Chef Brett Corrieri, the instructor from Cider Hollow Farm's pork processing class. Brett walks us through the process to dry cure a ham, and describes why you would want to eat it a little too well. Also today, we have a roundup of sweet potato recipes from you, the listener. 

Goat Video

Sweet Potato Recipes

Oven baked sweet potato fries (or cubes) Peel and cut 2-3 lbs sweet potatoes Coat with olive oil, toss with 1 tsp paprika (sweet Hungarian paprika if you've got it) 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp salt. Bake 425F for about 30 minutes, stirring and turning after 15. Should be slightly crisp on the edges, soft in the middle. Yum!

Josh's Roundup Sweet potato chili  Sweet potato flatbread NC Sweet Potato Tortillas Squash Sweet Potato Chili Interesting recipe Sweet potato fritters Ginger Sweet Potato Cheesecake SP Garlic Mac N Cheese SP Hummus Soul SP

From Tamlyn TWICE-BAKED SWEET POTATOES Bake sweet potatoes like usual, cool, halve, and scoop out flesh (be gentle, the shells tear easily). Mix with minced garlic or shallot, beaten egg(s), salt, pepper (be generous), Brie (rind removed and diced small), fresh thyme and a little rosemary. Bake @400 on greased, foil-lined pan for ~25 minutes. Remove when tops are beginning to brown and allow to cool before serving. (Adapted from Barefoot Contessa’s https://barefootcontessa.com/recipes/twice-baked-sweet-potatoes)

Make it a great week everyone! Song: Strange Child by Sauce

Today, we’ve got a good one with an exploration of how well goats work for weed control, as well as some tactics we have learned about over the past “almost year” of having these playful little devils -- and they are devils -- on our land.

What mother nature is providing

• Shagbark Hickory Update
• Deadnettle is starting to spring up
• Bees legs are full of pollen
• Watercress may be big enough this week to harvest a round
• Bad mushroom year - all my best logs are gone
• Sprouts 
• Eggapalooza -

Getting the Gardens Ready

• Seedling trays - maybe - big trip to houston coming up and not sure if things will be in place
• Special replay this week: Growing your Own Seedlings.
• Mud farming - facial idea

Tales from the prepper pantry

• Marty the pig will graduate in a few weeks - a confession
• Laying plans to eat more green beans - for some reason this year we’ve been finding lots of collard greens and not hitting the canned stores
• Still swimming in sweet potatoes - anyone got some fun recipes?
• Onions from last fall will be done in about two weeks, just as the wild garlic is coming on 

Operation Independence

• Duplex taxes are done - so much more to do on taxes
• Arranged for Marty to be processed

Make it a great week!

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