Our Individual Responsibility To Buy Local

If you couldn't tell I am inspired to get cannin', jammin' & picklin'. So I purched two books today off of Amazon(here & here). I am ready to learn the basics, tips, and tricks. I am also interested in the recipes. I plan to have a small canning party (consisting of 3 people total-haha). Wayne's mom is on the hunt for a good pressure cooker. She has all the knowledge I crave. So as I learn, I want to teach you! I am hoping to get all of you to start thinking more about what you eat, and starting a significant food storage to last you a while. Healthy things that you always eat. Think of your body as an engine. You want to keep it working consistently a long time, but as you may figure- that will take regular maintenance. You have to keep things clean, and flowing-No build up. You want the cleanest and most high quality products for your special engine. Just think if you didn't maintain the engine, you would pay whatever it takes to fix it if it broke. You only get one! But why wasn't it worth it to you to have preventative maintenance? Let's protect our engines, and the environment around it. Do you get what I am saying? The message here is support local farmers, grow food yourself if you can, and eat organic. If there is a 'right' way or 'natural' way to do things. Do it. Your engine needs it! So does your family, and local economy when you buy local. The famous American trend forcaster Gerald Celente says to break the chains! Meaning break the chains from corporate store chains and we will have our economy back and booming. Support the people around you!

Photo Sources: Adorable Canning Label Jars, Lemons

The inspiration for my life and goals has been found.

It is funny because I have only been "blogging" since May and I can already see the evolution of my blog. Instead of just posting about something I am slightly interested in- just to have a regular post.. I am losing interest in hunting for things. That explains why I am posting less frequently. I am naturally turning my blog into a hunt for things I want in the future. Examples are: crafts, DIY projects, road trips, photography, family festivities, gardening, canning, long term food storage, eating seasonally and healthy, juicing, raising a few animals, building a cozy cabin, living for the most part off the grid, and saving enough money for all of these things to be possible.

My life feels like it has a focus. I am driven. I can't wait to see where my blog has gone another year from now.

Follow me on me journey.  Also follow my Pinterest- That is where I found all of these photos! Individual links are posted below each photo. To my followers- Thanks for following! To my family- I can't wait for the movie nights in the yard, Juicing parties, Canning parties, Freshly harvested dinners. We are going to have a fun retreat for all of us to gather. Kristy- If you keep holding off the wedding- I'll have a place for that too : )

 Black Cabin- here, Open Kitchen Shelving- here

 Perfect Fireplace- here, Tiny Cozy Cabin- here

 Built-in Desk and Lots of Book Shelves- here, Tiny Cozy Cabin- here

 Wood Shelf on Wheels- here, Hallway Pantry- here

 Relaxed Bedroom with Vintage Textiles- here, Cute Tiny Cabin- here

Perfect Wood Burning Fireplace- here, The Perfect Rocking Chair- here

Potting Shed and Garden- here, Apple Picking- here, Raising Chickens- here

Holding Rabbits- here, Raising Chickens- here, Raising a Pig- here

Self Reliance & Fun Canning Label Downloads from Frolic

Some day when we get our mini cabins up, and a garden in the ground we are going to can our food! My mom bought Wayne a couple of amazing books for Christmas. One is called Back To Basics, the other is Homesteading. Homesteading has tons of information about canning, and lots of recipes. The books arrived at our door a few days ago and they have been on our laps since we opened the box. There are 2 more books in the Self Sufficiency Series(Self-Sufficiency & Simpler Living-2 books now on my wish list). I see the price of food rising every day, and it seems harder and harder for Americans to become self reliant. The definition(yes I looked it up) is Independence. There is money in every single one of us being dependent, and also a form of control. According to the EPA, 3,000 acres of productive U.S. farmland are lost to development every day. Between 2005 and 2006, the US lost 8,900 farms (a little more than 1 farm per hour). With my eyes opening up more every day I realize how many benefits there are to getting off the grid. Not only would we be creating our own electricity, eating seasonally, have long term food storage, saving LOTS of money and big muscles ; ) but we would be living mostly in our own footprint. I am quite fed up with mountain top removal, nuclear disasters, fracking, oil spills, poverty, smog, traffic, monsanto, chemtrails and blackouts(I could go on). There is a trend I have seen on Pinterest, which I figure is going on throughout the world. More and more people are wanting a more relaxed lifestyle and to live within their means. Going back to wood burning stoves, small cabins, salvaging old items, pallet furniture, outdoorsy things like hiking, canoeing and fishing. I love healthy trends! Let them continue, and let us all become independent in our future.

I have here some canning inspiration for you from Frolic. She had a guest post from Banquet which created a free download for canning labels, with a recipe for preserved lemons. Check it out here!

Read more about the sustainability and the importance of family farms here- Also a reference for my statistics written above.