i have moved blog

lovely ladies i have moved bloggys as silly me didnt realise i didnt have the right name [oh yes Miss Observant me... took hubby to point it out lol]

Find and follow me here <3 [click on the picture below xo]

life's twists and turns

Ok so you have started down a new path in life looking for greater personal happiness.... 

You have found what makes you happy inside and you are going for it all guns blazing, but then what?
How do u juggle working your way along that newly discovered Path and still living with atleast a foot in your old life??
I have a foot in my old life but i am not sure for how much longer??
My joy is elsewhere and so it is increasingly that much harder to keep putting that foot down on what seems like a path that doesnt work so much for me anymore.... i feel like it is working me instead of the other way around.
 I have truly loved every part of it & it isnt that i dont still have a passion for it just that i yearn to be home and working and planning my Farmy life so it seems to be a pull that i dont yearn for as much as i always used to.
Maybe i am just getting older and realising there is only so much time in the day and things that drain me mentally are perhaps not so good for me.

Much to-ing and fro-ing is going on in my head as i try to weigh up what i will be losing with what i will be gaining, not to mention that i have loved ones that are relying on me and then there is also the income i would be giving up with no way of knowing if i will make an income again!
How simply can a family live?, is it enough to be truly happy and at peace with a sweetly small simple life that is uncluttered with the chaotic thoughts that usually run my world.
How do you let go when u arent sure if u should or not?

Up until recently i let the loud, noisy, busy world crowd out the unsettling voice in my head that was increasingly whispering to me that i wasnt reaching my potential, that i wasnt doing what i was here for & in fact i  wouldnt even admit it to myself that i was feeling very unfulfilled cause i had it all right?
well no children for me to love [deep pain there for sure] but apart from that i have a wonderful hubby & a family that i adore beyond belief and beautiful friends - how could i ask for more when so many would wish for what i have? How could i not be happy with that?
I have found, this is true only for me as i cant speak for anyone else, that a simple decision to listen to that whisper and decide to follow it no matter where it leads has been a saving grace for me and shown me a inner peace & strength that i never thought i could reach.

I have such a long way to go on this amazing journey and i expect to make huge and small mistakes along the way but follow it i must, and follow it i will.

I dont know what my decision will be about other matters as they have to be discussed in depth with loved ones first and their opinions on the matter will not be taken lightly as their personal happiness is also a goal of mine <3

love trace xo

my new stock purchases

oh i am just asking for trouble with hubby now as not only have i ordered a Dexter Bull and 3 cows to be delivered next month BUT i am also picking up 4 piglets!!

I better get used to being in the dog house as i suspect i will not be the most popular gal by the end of the month!
Oddly Frank did not even batt an eye at the 2 extra chicks i fobbed off as 'freebies' from the kind lady who sold them to us & i even caught him having a chat to two of the Ladies [Gertie & Ethel] this morning .... altho he said he was telling them off for mumble mumble something or other - but strangely he was telling them in in such a sweet caring voice!! ... i got u sussed frank, you softy :P

Frank is bemoaning to all that will listen that his odd wife has bought him a friggn goat for his Birthday.... i also think his being grumpy about it is all just for show.

Altho I am worried that the cattle or maybe the pigs will be the last straw but as i am saving for them all myself he really is kinda stuck between a rock and a hard place as he did agree that i could do anything i wanted with my acre aslong as i didnt bug him about it or ask him for money :P
He may regret saying those words to me but my thinking is that once he starts eating the fruits of my labour he will be so over joyed with his odd Farmer wife that he may even help me set up for the bees, line the dam for the trout & hand over many more acres to me to turn my gleeful sights on :P

love trace xo

my girls first egg ♥

happy happy happy dance..... one of my girls has laid her first egg!!! 

i am a proud chooky mumma :)

trace ♥

how to use Soapnuts for the Laundry

General info and also How to use your Soapnuts.....

Soapnuts ( Sapindus mukorossi ) are an environmentally friendly, sustainably produced, bio-degradable and compostable alternative to commercial laundry detergents. Grown wild in India, for centuries these nuts have been used for many purposes, from laundry to cleaning jewellery and treating contaminated soil. They are most widely recognised as being an effective and environmentally friendly natural detergent, but can be used for a wide variety of other uses.

A 500 gm bag should wash 200 loads, or 7-10 loads per week for around 6 months before it runs out.

How do soapnuts work?

Soapnut shells contain a high proportion of natural saponin. When the shells come in contact with water the saponin is released and suds are produced - just like adding normal detergents.

Full instructions for various methods of use are provided, in both top-loaders and front-loaders, cold or hot wash, but the basic method is to simply pop 4-8 shells into a small cotton bag (provided), put the bag in a cup of hot water for a few minutes (if using cold wash), and then place it in your washing machine instead of detergent. They are excellent for cleaning laundry, leaving it beautifully soft and fresh. There is no need to include softeners and they are especially good for colours because they don't contain any whiteners or brighteners, so your colours will stay coloured for longer.

Extremely cost-effective, the 500 gm bag should wash 200 loads, or 7-10 loads per week for around 6 months before it runs out. The nuts can be used for 4-6 consecutive loads and then disposed of in the compost bin or spread around garden plants as mulch. And since the laundry water contains only natural ingredients, it can much more usefully be reused as grey water to reduce water consumption.

After you have done your washing simply hang the washing bag [still with the soapnuts in them] on the line with your clothes & once dry store the bag/nuts in your laundry cupboard until u wash again!

I have other products for sale including my Hand crochet 100% cotton Scrubbies [a great alternative to chux/paper towels] once they are dirty you simply throw in the wash and you can use these for a long time :)

I also have hand crochet blankets and cushions, perfect for keeping you snuggly and warm this Winter :)

Coming soon are Peg bags and also great Farmers tote bags :)

Other items coming soon are Goats Milk products [like soap] made by One Girl and her Farm.

Thankyou for supporting One girl and her Farm and all items purchased from me go directly to setting up my Farm Project [you can read about it here on my blog or on FaceBook] ...  i hope to see you back again soon xo

love trace ♥ 

hhttp://www.facebook.com/OneGirlAndHerFarm

Cornmeal Pancakes [gluten free]

Awesome gluten FREE Cornmeal Pancakes ... serve as a sweet dish or even as a savory with soup or stew!

• 1 cup stoneground yellow cornmeal, medium grain
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar or honey
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup rice flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 medium egg
• oil for frying

In a good sized mixing bowl combine the cornmeal, sugar or honey, and salt. 

Add the boiling water. It will start out like a lumpy mess but stir it vigorously with a whisk or fork until it is a thick batter. 

Let it cool down a little bit & then add the rice flour, baking powder, milk and egg.

 Keep stirring the batter until it is nice and smooth. 

Drop the mixture by 1/3 cupfuls onto a hot, greased skillet & fry the pancakes as you normally would.

Serve with whatever takes your fancy but try it with lemonButter..... YUUUMO!!

love, trace xo

What makes a Farmer a FARMER?

Question: what makes a Farmer?? when can you call yourself a Farmer without it sounding silly & at what point does it become true that you are indeed a FARMER??

I have spent a few hours this morning mulling this quandry over while clipping my new chicks wings & then again while working in the vegie garden beds picking off the green caterpillars that have invaded the cauliflowers also while i sat with my coffee & read up on how to make a Milking Stand for my goat [once she drops her kids & can be milked that is].

Is there some task i need to do to class myself a Farmer?  Is there some amount of animals i must have to call myself a Farmer, is it when i own lots of my own Farm machinery instead of asking the neighbour if he can use his tractor etc to plow the fields,  is it only when i can employ staff,  is it only when i have 1000 acres ..... or maybe it is only when i have sown & cropped the first field, OR only once i sell enough of my homegrown goods to pay my way in the world???? 

Maybe it is all of the above put together??? 

When can i officially say "I am a Farmer"?

I have decided that it is a personal decision that each one must make for themselves and after much soul searching i have decided to indeed class myself as a FARMER! 

and here is why.........

Deep down i have always longed to be a Farmer & i was brought up on a Goat Stud so i do know what Farming involves and it is a way of life that i love BUT that ofcourse doesnt make me a Farmer today. 

What, i believe, makes me a Farmer TODAY is the combination of my passion, my BIG plans, my intention, my philosophy, my working steadily away at my PLAN as my funds make it possible, my dreams, that i wake up in the morning thinking about my Farm, that i go to bed at night thinking & dreaming about my Farm and all it entails both what i am currently setting in place & also all i wish my Farm to be in the future, that i wont give up eventho i have no real idea what i am doing & lastly i am not afraid to put it all on the line to try even if i fail miserably.

 This is what i believe makes me a Farmer TODAY eventho i recognise that i have such a long way to go and so i am truly proud & comfortable to go ahead from this point on and say out loud to one and all that i, trace mussger, am indeed a FARMER :)

love trace xo