Butchering day on our homestead. I chose to include my toddler in the process, not to expose her to harshness, but to ground her in reality. Food doesn’t magically appear wrapped in plastic. Life feeds life. And when we honor that truth early, we raise children who are grateful, not entitled. Before anything else, she said her goodbyes. This was the hardest part for my Mama heart as she once held these hens as babies, but this is how we build a foundation of understanding. Here’s how we utilized the entire bird: ~The whole hen → simmered low and slow into rich, mineral dense broth ~The meat → nourishing meals for our family ~The livers → cooked for a simple, protein rich breakfast (my personal favorite!) ~The feet → given to the dogs (excellent for joints and teeth) ~The feathers → saved for a future crafts and learning projects This is about stewardship. Homestead skills are best passed down through observation and hands on experience.When children see this from the beginning, they learn that provision comes with responsibility. This is what it looks like to raise children with the land instead of apart from it. To teach them where nourishment comes from. To let them see the full circle of life. This is slow living. This is intentional parenthood on a homestead.

Turning $5 finds into food storage freedom. Don’t overlook your local Marketplace, it’s one of the easiest ways to build a homestead tool stockpile on a budget! What’s the best deal you’ve ever scored? One thing I love about vintage mason jars is that they were built for real, hardworking homes. The older glass is often thicker and holds up beautifully for canning, pantry storage, and fermenting, as long as the rim is smooth and you’re using a proper canning lid. After a good wash, vinegar rinse, and rim check, these jars get a second life in our home. That’s sovereignty in the small things: stewarding what we have, stretching every dollar, and honoring the homemakers who used these jars long before we did.

Even when the beds look quiet, the soil is still alive and working. A little mulch now saves you from a lot of headaches in spring. Garlic, onions, perennials, they’ll all thank you later. 🌱🧡 Do you mulch your beds before the deep freeze? Leaves, straw, chips, compost, what’s your go-to?

When the garden hands you green tomatoes, make salsa verde! Easy, spicy, and perfect for canning or freezing, because nothing beats knowing exactly what’s in your food 🌶️🫙 This is just as good as using actual tomatillos! What are ways you like to use up your green tomatoes?? Watch me make it here👇https://www.tiktok.com/@the_sovereign_mama/video/7569282402573356319

Deer season is upon us! 🦌 Looking for new ways to use your venison? Try one of my absolute favorites, Venison Birria Tacos! Perfect for those extra-gamey cuts. There are tons of birria recipes out there, but this is my tried-and-true version, and I’m excited to share it with you. If you try this, tell me how gamey your deer was and whether the birria helped mellow it out! And if you’ve got a favorite venison recipe of your own, drop it below, I’m always hunting for new ways to use ours this time of year.