The Deadwood Stove

I am very excited about this new addition to our suburban homestead!  Drumroll please…..Introducing our new Deadwood Stove.  This little beauty actually has given me great peace of mind since she has walked into our life.  If you read my post earlier this week, Not in my backyard, you know that we live in Colorado, where timber is very hard to come by.  Mr. G and I have always worried how we would efficiently cook food or boil water if our stove or oven no longer worked.  If you have been blessed with a wood fireplace, then I am jealous, but if you live in suburbia like me, more then likely you have a gas fireplace insert.  You can’t do anything with those things except stare at them.

Now what else do most suburbanites have…a big, shiny gas grill.  Yes, that would cook your food for awhile….until you ran out of propane.  If you want to stockpile massive propane tanks and have the room for that, then go for it. That is not in the cards for me.  Even stockpiling little camp stove tanks for a camper stove is an inefficient use of space, expensive, and not even safe.  Mr. G and I sat down and came up with a “must have” list for our cook stove:
1. must be compact
2. must be portable
3. must be able to run on what God gave us in Colorado….sticks, brush, and small pieces of wood
4. must be economical
5. must be durable

After much research, we decided on the Deadwood Stove.  It hit all of our “must haves” and more.  It is American made!  Made with American tools and supplies when possible.  This is a lot harder then you think and Mr. G and I love to support our nations small business owners.  Deadwood Stoves is based out of Texas and is run by two brothers, David and Dan Warren.  This company is engrained with family values which is apparent in their amazing customer service and quality product.

I know some people are thinking…..why did you not just build your own rocket stove?  I researched multiple plans and designs for rocket stoves, and also watched endless YouTube videos on how to build them.  After much consideration, the Deadwood was a much smarter investment for us.  By the time I bought all of my materials and equipment to make one, the cost was much more then the Deadwood.  Plus, Mr.G and myself are not very versed in metal fabrication. I would rather leave that to the experts.  One last thing…the Deadwood out performs any rocket stove that I could ever create.  Ok, did I make my case?

Here are some specs on this little beauty:
1. First she is small….don’t let this fool you…good things come in small packages
2. Comes with 4 adjustable extension legs that give you added height and well as the ability to adjust to all types of terrain
3.There is a grill attached to the top that you can cook meat directly on or use as a platform for your pan.
4. It produces temperatures above 1000 degrees at the cooking surface (grill)
5. The main fuel is STICKS!  We used small kindling, scrap Christmas tree, and old wooden yard stakes to cook our hamburgers.  We were amazed at how little we needed to use!
6. The stove is designed for the use of all sorts of cookware, but I believe that cast iron is the way to go.  Our skillet was sizzling in a matter of minutes of being placed on the grill top.
7. Unless you decide to throw wet wood into this beauty the smoke output was minimal…much less then a fire pit or outdoor fireplace

Included with the stove is a great picture manual on how to set up your stove.  It also walks you through the initial lighting process.  The one thing we learned is less is more.  You don’t need as much wood as you think to keep the fire hot.  The less we put in, the hotter the fire was….talk about efficient! 


There are many YouTube videos on cooking over the Deadwood Stove, as well as some great information on their website.  All in all, I truly believe that anyone who lives in the suburbs and is worried about sustainability, anyone who loves to camp, homesteaders, preppers…alright, everyone should have one of these stoves.  I was not paid to say that and I have not received any kick backs from the Deadwood Stove company.  I paid for mine with cold, hard cash and I am just voicing my enthusiastic opinion.

This stove has given my family the ability to being one step closer to self reliance.  No, I am not going to cook dinner on it every night, but if I had to, life would be just fine.  It gives me peace knowing that my backyard can easily provide the fuel for this stove and I don’t have to worry about depending on propane or charcoal.  Plus, it is just a fun activity to do with your kids!  Collect some sticks, fry up some burgers in the driveway, sounds like a great time to me!  Now, who is ready for some lunch?

For more information about the Deadwood Stove click on the link http://www.deadwoodstove.com/.  Also like them on Facebook…here is their Facebook Page Link.  Great company, great product, and great burgers!

Cast Iron Breakfast Hash

Cold, snowy mornings call for Cast Iron Breakfast Hash.  It is one of our favorites around Throwback Road and I hope you enjoy it as much as we do. 

Cast Iron Breakfast Hash
4 cups of cubed Fingerling Potatoes ( red skinned potatoes work also)
1 onion chopped fine
5-6 slices of bacon cut into small pieces
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of oregano
1 teaspoon of thyme
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees
-In a 12 inch cast iron skillet combine olive oil, onion, garlic, and bacon
-Cook until onion is translucent
-Add potatoes and saute until the bacon starts to really sizzle and the potatoes are beginning to brown ( about 10 minutes)
-Add oregano, thyme, salt and pepper
-Pop the whole skillet into the 400 degree oven and cook until the potatoes are soft and golden brown
(about 20 minutes)
-During the cooking process, give the potatoes a couple of stirs to ensure that all sides are getting the beautiful color.   Don’t be afraid to add a little more salt and pepper at the end to finish off the dish.

This dish is very simple to make and you can change it up to suit you own taste.  Red pepper flakes add a little kick…sage and rosemary make it nice and savory.  I love to top a bowl of breakfast hash with a fried egg, where Mr. G just likes his plain with a cup of coffee.  This is also great with goat cheese sprinkled on top. It melts all over the hash and is purely divine! Hope you enjoy!

Do you have a favorite breakfast recipe?

Not in My Backyard

Not in my backyard…….no, this is not a political post or about someone building a mega store behind my neighborhood.  It is much simpler then that.  Literally, what is not in my backyard…..firewood!

Recently, my family added a Deadwood Stove to our suburban homestead.  I will be doing a post about how she works later on this week.  We love this little outdoor cook stove because:
1. it uses sticks, brush, pine cones to heat the stove
2. we don’t have to rely on propane or large logs to cook
2. great reviews from many of our contacts
3. made in America from a small family business in Texas
4. affordable

When people think of Colorado they think of thick mountain forests, high snow capped peaks, and of course skiing.  Little do people realize, that the majority of our state is actually mountain prairie.  Mountain prairie means sage grass, shrub oak, and the lack of lush forest.  Don’t get me wrong it is beautiful, but when you are trying to figure out a way to be more self reliant, the idea of firewood becomes an issue.

This past Sunday we played a game with Big C.  We went for a hike behind our house pretending that we were pioneers.  We were a pioneer family on the hunt for any type of natural material we could use to fuel our Deadwood Stove.  Big C jumped at this idea.  What boy does not love to hike through snow and mud with the ability to keep anything he could find.  He brought the biggest bag he could carry in hopes of many treasures.

The valley behind our house is beautiful, but as you can see there is quite a lack of timber.


Big C felt like he hit the jackpot when he found a mass amount of golf balls in the field.  Although he realized these were not a good firewood option, I let him keep as many as he could fit in his sweatshirt pockets.  He assured me that in the pioneer times these could be used as a weapon….got to love boys.


Little C along for the ride…


Mr. G found some great sticks and plenty of sage grass to use as kindling.  Big C ran out of room in his sweatshirt pockets and moved onto his pants.

This was a great family outing and also a great experiment for us.  It was good as a family to explore our neighborhood as if we really had to live off of the land.  In suburbia, neighborhoods are set up to look pretty and increase your homes value, but when you step back and look through the eyes of a pioneer it really changes your perspective on things.  Once it gets a little warmer we will definitely be doing this activity again!  Big C is still talking about his pioneer adventure and loved the end results of hamburgers over the Deadwood Stove.

What kind of family adventure have you been on lately?

Aunt Ethel's Banana Bread

Happy National Banana Bread Day.  We have a running joke in my family about the amount of bananas my father eats.  We compare him to a large monkey with his monthly total intake close to 100 bananas.  That is approximately 1200 bananas per year!  With that being said, I have grown up with all things banana.  Banana bread, banana cream pie…if there is a recipe with a banana in it my mother has probably made it.  How else could she have satisfied her husbands extreme love of this fruit.

Banana Bread was a staple in my home growing up and I now make it frequently for my boys.  My Great Aunt Ethel’s recipe is so easy I think you can throw the batter together in under 5 minutes.  Thank goodness my mother included the recipe in my Family Cookbook she made me.  I am sure I will be making this bread for many years to come.  Enjoy!

Aunt Ethel’s Banana Bread
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine ( I use organic unsalted butter)
1 1/2 cup flour  ( I use whole wheat flour which gives it a nice nutty taste)
3 tablespoons of milk ( I use whole milk, but whatever you have on hand is fine)
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 cup of mashed, ripe bananas ( about 3 bananas should do the trick)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder

Mix ingredients together in a large bowl

Pour into a greased loaf pan and cook at 350 degrees for 30 minutes

It is seriously that easy….I serve it with butter or cream cheese on top.



Do you have a favorite recipe that uses bananas?

Mamas' Little Baby Loves Shortnin' Bread

 
I am an avid collector of cookbooks.  Funny enough, Mr. G is my biggest advocate for my cookbook obsession.  He loves my cooking and I often receive presents of cookbooks from his business travels.  I have gorgeous cookbooks from New Mexico, Minnesota, antique books from New England…the list could go on and on.  While on vacation in Ohio, Mr. G picked me up a small cookbook called Old Pioneer Recipes.  I love this cookbook because it is a compilation of authentic pioneer recipes used on the homestead.  The table of contents lists chapters on Black Kettle Meals, “Varmints”-wild game and meats, Breads ‘n Biscuits etc.  It also has wonderful historical notes regarding pioneer cookery and life in those times.  The first recipe that I chose to cook was Shortnin’ Bread.  It is simple, delicious, and worth the try.

Shortnin’ Bread
4 cups flour, sifted
1 cup light brown sugar
2 cups of butter, softened

Combine flour and sugar

Work the butter in gradually until well mixed

Place dough on a floured surface and pat out (do not roll) to a half-inch thickness

Cut into shapes with a glass or cookie cutter.

Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes

***I found that a 3/4 inch thickness worked better for this recipe


This Shortnin’ Bread reminded me of a less sweet version my grandmothers Scottish shortbread that I grew up eating.  Mr. G and I enjoyed it with our afternoon coffee and Little C loved it as a finger food.  I liked mine plain and Mr. G liked his with some homemade preserves slathered on top.  Yummy!  They are buttery, flaky, and not overly sweet.  A perfect mix if you ask me.  Enjoy!



Do you have a favorite cookbook?

If You Build It…..They Will Grow

 
Seed starting season is almost upon us at Throwback Road.  I live at 6500 ft so our last frost date is not until May 30th.  I have been watching as pretty much everyone in the country has started seeds, but I am trying to contain myself.  It is hard, but I realize that if I start to early I will not be happy with the end results.  Patience is a virtue….just not one that I am skilled at.

Mr. G and I spent the holiday season planning out how and where we were going to start seeds this year.  We looked at set ups like this from Gardeners Supply Company as well as seed starting stations from Johnny's Selected Seeds.  While these options are both amazing, they were also way more then we wanted to spend.  Plus the shipping to Colorado alone would have put it over the top!  I searched and searched the internet, asked questions on my favorite gardening blogs, and finally settled on using the plans from You Grow Girl and tweaking it to suit us.  While it is not totally finished, I am really happy with the results!  I am still waiting for one more light fixture to come it at my local Home Depot, and I need to get 4 boot trays, and a light timer.  Here are the products that we bought:

Wire Shelving Rack
4 of these Shop Lights
1 package of S Hooks
3 sets of these T-8 Light Bulbs
4 of these Heat Mats

Things I still need to get:
4 Boot Trays….something like this, but I am going to try Home Depot or the Dollar Store
1 Grow Light Timer




We hung the lights from S Hooks which allows us to lower and raise the lights as the seedlings grow.


This is my little potting area.  I purchased this metal table 10 years ago, and have been trying to find a new use for her in this house.  The chair was $14 from Ikea and surprisingly sturdy and comfortable.  The rug was a garage sale purchase from many years ago taking up space in my basement.  I repurposed her and think she makes a nice addition.




I will post more pictures when everything is finally put into place, but for the time being, I am really enjoying my new garden area.  Like most urban/suburban gardeners space is always an issue.  I love that my grow area is vertical because I can start a lot of plants, but not take up a lot of space in my basement.  The wire shelving has useful guards on the back so things won’t slip out, and the top is enclosed on both sides for more storage opportunities.  We are well aware that we may need to add two more lights on the second tier, but we will see once the growing season starts. 

By piecing this together ourselves we were able to cut the overall cost in half.  I am not saying that this was inexpensive.  Total cost was close to $400, but the return on investment is well worth it in our eyes.  I am proud of us because we planned for this purchase, researched various options, and came up with a cost effective, quality product.  I look forward to starting my seeds from now on and not depend on my local nursery for seed starts.  Hopefully,  I will have some good success this year.  My fingers are crossed!


My gardening buddy, Lucy.  She is my 10 yr. old sweet girl who is quite interested in the new basement addition.  If only she could weed…..

Do you start your own seeds or buy them from your local nursery?

Presidents Day Prepping

It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark. -- Howard Ruff

Happy Presidents Day from Throwback Road!  I love three day weekends with the family because it gives us a chance to have some fun, but also extra time to do chores.  There has been close to 300 pounds of food sitting on my kitchen table for the past two weeks and today we finally got the chance to pack it up for our emergency food store. Here at Throwback Road, we believe that every family should have a food insurance plan. I did a post awhile back called Food Insurance which will explain more of my views on this subject.  Today we packed up Hard Red Wheat, Wheat berries, White Rice, Yellow Corn, and Pinto Beans.


We pack all of our bulk food in Mylar Bags and then store the bags either in 5 gallon buckets or large Tupperware bins.  Today we are out of the 5 gallon buckets so these bags are going in some bins in the basement.  Here is how we do it:

1. Pour food into Mylar bag.  Leave a decent amount of room at the top so you can heat seal the bag.
2. Throw in a oxygen absorber on top of the food.
3. Seal bag by folding extra Mylar over a piece of wood and iron closed.
4. Label bag with sharpie marker.
***If you were using a 5 gallon bucket you would put the Mylar bag into the bucket before filling it with food.



There are fancier ways of doing this process, but this is what works for us.  Here is the product list that we use:
5 Gallon Mylar Bags
Oxygen Absorbers
2 Gallon Mylar Bags
Mylar Bag Heat Sealer…we use our iron instead of this product, but some people swear by them

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and I look forward to the week ahead.  Thanks for stopping by!

Have you started your Emergency Food Storage plan yet?

DIY Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover

This is my first attempt at making my own beauty product, and I have been pleasantly surprised with the results.  My goal when making my life simpler, was if I ran out of something, I would try to make it myself before running to the store.  I have been watching my eye makeup remover slowly dwindle down over the last month and realized that I better start researching a way to replace it.  I searched the web, read some of my natural health books, scoured Pinterest, and finally found a blog post over at Frugally Sustainable that I liked the most.  I tweaked it a bit and love the final product!

DIY Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover
1 cup distilled water ( I take water from my Big Berkey, but bottled water would work also)
1 teaspoon Organic Sweet Almond Oil
1/4 teaspoon  Dr. Brommer's Unscented Baby Mild Castile Soap

Mix ingredients together in a glass jar or container of your choice

Give it a shake and you are done!

I was really surprised at how well it removed my mascara.  I chose Sweet Almond Oil because it also has been recommended for relief of under eye dark circles.  I thought that  I might as well kill two birds with one stone on this one.  Obviously, if you are allergic to nuts, please don’t use sweet almond oil.  Other great options are Olive Oil or Jojoba Oil.

I know that some people use Jojoba Oil or Sweet Almond oil directly on their eyes to remove makeup.  This works, but leaves a really oily residue that I am not to keen on.  This recipe removes the makeup and you are left with moisture around your eyes, but no oily finish.  Make sure to shake the jar with each application so that the ingredients are fully mixed.

I was buying eye makeup remover at the store for $3.99/ 2.4 fluid ounces.  This homemade product costs me approximately $.25/ 8 ounces.  It is a HUGE cost savings!  Plus, it is organic and works as well, if not better then the mass produced product.  Give it a try and let me know what you think.  I am now anxiously awaiting my body lotion to run out, so I can experiment with making my own.  Have a great weekend!

Have you ever tried making your own beauty products?

Chicken Paprika

Chicken Paprika is one of Mr. G’s all time favorite meals.  He grew up on it as a child and we now serve it to our children.  I made it for him this past Valentines Day before he took off for business in San Francisco.  Shall we say, we had a Valentines lunch date versus a dinner date.  I have been told that this recipe has Hungarian roots, but don’t quote me on that.  Regardless, it is an easy recipe for chicken and downright delicious.

Chicken Paprika
1 Whole Chicken
1 Onion, chopped
1 lb. sliced mushrooms
1 clove minced garlic
16 oz. sour cream or plain yogurt
3 tablespoons paprika ( I use Smoked Paprika)
2 cups organic chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste

-In a large pot boil chicken, paprika, and chicken stock until the meat starts to fall off of the bone and the stock is cooked down (approximately 1 1/2 hrs)

-Saute onions, garlic, and mushrooms until translucent

-Add vegetables to chicken.  Make sure there is just enough liquid left to make a nice gravy

-Add sour cream or yogurt to chicken and stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  I usually add a little more paprika just for fun.

-Serve over a bed of organic brown rice and enjoy!

Boiling the Chicken….


Saute the onions, garlic, and mushrooms…..


The finished product…  This dish also saves well and is just as good the next day.  Enjoy!


Do you have a favorite chicken recipe?

Don't Forget to Love Yourself

“To love oneself is the beginning of a life-long romance.”
- Oscar Wilde

The dishes are all put away from our pink chocolate chip pancakes and heart shaped watermelon breakfast.  The cards have been opened and are displayed on the family room mantle.  Valentines have been created for all of Big C’s school friends and are stored in his Star Wars themed Valentines box.  When all of the hustle and bustle had finally died down, I was able to have a moment and really think about today's holiday.

I know we have all heard it before….put yourself first…make time for yourself.  I always just smile when people tell me that and nod my head.  I know that it is true, but lets be honest; more often then not the day gets ahead of us with kids, cooking, cleaning, work etc.  Sometimes by the end of the day, I count time for myself as going to sleep.  My hat goes off to all of the full-time working mothers out there.  I lived your life for such a long time. Trying to balance between being a good employee and also the best wife and mother everyday is comparable to constantly being on a hamster wheel.  You feel like you never really get ahead, but one slip up and you fall way behind.

I used to think that loving yourself meant taking a big spa vacation with your friends, or getting away from it all with your spouse.  Don’t get me wrong, those are all great ideas, but I don’t have the opportunities to do that very often.  And was that truly loving myself?  Since going down this path of Throwback Road I have come to learn that it is so much simpler.

For me, loving myself means to make sure that I am constantly cultivating my spirit, mind, and body.  Taking quiet moments during the day for prayer and reflection help to refresh my spirit.  My continuous path of learning to homestead and become more self-sufficient has really engaged my mind.  Learning to cook “real” food, sourcing local organic meat and produce, and making myself sweat has strengthened my body. 

One of the best things that Mr. G and I did a couple years back was build a garage gym.  We are not really the types of people that subscribe to the whole big box gym movement.  Why pay someone else to work our bodies, when we can throw around some weights, push each other, and create a fun activity for our whole family.  This past year has been tough for us between Little C and new jobs, but things have slowed down and we have enjoyed getting back into our routine. 

We love having our gym in the garage because we keep the door open and enjoy the fresh Colorado air.  You would be surprised how cool it stays in the summer and, with a little heater, it stay fairly warm in the winter.  I love having easy access to the street for a quick sprint!

As you can see there is not any fancy equipment here.  A rower, kettle bells, weights, pull-up bars, and some medicine balls.  Our goal is for strength and overall health.  Strength helps us with chores around the house, playing with our boys, gardening, and hopefully one day to help us build our dream home.  Plus, we like our boys to see their parents using their bodies in a positive way.


Mr. G and I are not workout fanatics, but we realize if we want to be the best possible people we can be, we have to continue to challenge our spirit, mind, and body.  I also love strapping Little C in my baby backpack and going for long hikes.  Of course, come spring most of my exercise will be creating my new garden!  I usually try to fit in exercising right after I drop Big C off at school.  Little C always falls asleep in the car and I let him nap with the window down while I do my thing in the back of the garage….don’t worry I turn the car off and the garage door is open.  On the weekends, we do family workouts ( which are more like big games) to get Big C involved.

So on this day, where we all are expressing love for one another, make sure to also love yourself.  If that means going for a walk, having a cup of tea, or turn on some great music and dance while cooking, do whatever makes you happy.  Enjoy your day and also remember that calories do not count on Valentines day.

What have you done lately to love yourself?