Episode 61: Frugal Feasting, 2017 in Review and a Time to Grow

Today's show is the last one until next year! In this episode, we will take a look at 2017. The good, the bad, the sad. We will also cover holidays, navigating them, being with your family who you may love, may find frustrating, or may even find abusive. I'll share what this time means to all of us here in the Holler Homestead. Share some recipes we will try this year. Marvel at the bounty that surrounds us, talk about bitcoin and two-factor authentication, share some cool thoughts from listeners. Today, the show is about you, about us, and about the learning from the past, letting it go, and making our future.

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What mother nature is providing

• Kale, Carrots, Radishes
• Stinging Nettles abound
• I saw mint in the creek - unbelievable
• Sprouts in the house: http://www.simplebites.net/how-to-grow-sprouts-at-home/

Tales from the prepper pantry

• The Turkey
• The potatoes are fished - we got a bushel in October and polished them off yesterday
• Facing our usual squash struggle
• Meatloaf recipe
• Dry stores: Flour, rice and oatmeal
• Put up lots of meat
• Thoughts on buying equipment for processing and preserving food

Operation Independence

• Tomorrow we are doing a webinar called Crypto in Plain English. Sign up: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_W7kB5iXuR7St0UBBW2umLw
• Roasted coffee like a mad woman - it has been great!
• Making hiking trails on the land with the goats
• Started journaling once a week

Frugal Feasting - the turkey tale:

• Yesterday we served an $11 turkey with about $2 in potatoes and sweet potatoes, $1 in carrots, $.25 in onions, and $.10 in flour. Total meal cost is: $14.35. We fed four people. Fed them to beyond stuffed. ($3.60 a person)
• Today, I have the bones in a stock pot making stock, Plenty of leftover turkey for soup and other side dishes. I wonder how much we will spend on meals the rest of the week?
• Example: If I do turkey rissoto, it is $2 in specialty rice, $1 in wine, $.50 in ancillary veggies. I don't have to charge ourselves for garlic since we grow it... Everything else was covered in yesterday's fees. Total meal to feed 3-4 people: $3.50.
• Brunch for Mark and me ran us $.50

Ok, time to talk about 2017. Remember what I was talking about this time last year?

• Grandma
• A coming job change
• Gleaning value from our land

How much change a year makes!

• She died, my job changed, and in nine short months, Holler Roast Coffee has gone from a hobby to a business that has operated in the black for the past two months!

Steps along the way:

• Evaluated and reevaluated our strategic objectives for the family
• Evaluated and reevaluated what we love to do
• Worked really hard
• Underestimated how much money and time HRC would take
  • Shipping
  • Bean sourcing
  • Bags, labels, etc
  • Building a roasting room for the roaster
  • Five billion failed roasts because the roaster was not working right
• Grew the podcast community to 1000 - and invited people into our peaceful retreat
• Took risks when we didn't really have the money to lost in order to forge new relationships
• Made great new friends - I mean really really great new friends
• Learned that selling ads in a very well targeted print publication that brings our advertisers better results than most other channels is still very hard.
• Went on some epic hikes with Mark
• Found new mushrooms and enjoyed them
• We lost an old cat
• We bought a few goats
• We found a stray pig - !!

Holiday Recipes

• Roast Beast in the Roemertopf
• Gingerbread cookies
• Spiced Apple Cider
• Homemade Hot chocolate
• Bread pudding

IF YOU HAVE COINBASE - turn on two factor authentication

Looking forward to 2018

• Grow Holler Roast
• Spring Workshop - sign up in January, cost will be $400, but we will just ask for a deposit at registration.
  • Build a cold smoker in an hour for $80 or less
  • Basics of lacto-fermentation
  • Beyond Organic Hydroponics
  • Charcuterie
  • Project Accelerators
  • More…
• Expand the Airbnb on site with agrotourism experiences
• Taking a very close look at the Center Hill Sun
• Growing the podcast, adding video and more.
• Expanding marketing facilitation and websites

Thought for 2018 from a fried:

I'm walking into 2018 with a clear heart and mind...If you owe me, don't worry about it - you're welcome...If you wronged me, it's all good - lesson learned...If you're angry with me, you've won...If we aren't speaking, its cool (I love you and I wish you well)...If you feel I wronged you, I apologize...Life is too short for all the penned up anger, holding grudges and extra pain!...Here's to 2018!!!...Spread the positive forgiveness! Love to all.

Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Make it a great week!

Song: Grandpas Song, Sauce