It is June 10, 2021, and it is time to break ground on our shade sail project! We will revisit some of the work we overlapped with our roof replacement so you don’t have to go back and filter through that entire project. Our rough draft sketched out, we plan to use three 24′ triangular… Continue reading Day 1160: Shade Sails in Backyard
Author: Eric
Our John Deere 400 Tractor
One of the many recurring themes of 2021: hunting for deals on anything used with life left. Our Green Egg was a major win, and after two years of searching in earnest for a yard tractor, we found one for sale minutes from our home. Here is a short tour of our score, and some… Continue reading Our John Deere 400 Tractor
Chicken Coop and Run
Officially Day 1099, we broke ground three years and three days after closing 🙂 We though we would have chickens sooner, but we made it nonetheless! For 2021 we brought home six hens, but we wanted our project to be able to house twelve comfortably both in the coop, and in the run. Total dimensions… Continue reading Chicken Coop and Run
Repairing Cracked XL Green Egg Ceramic Firebox
2024 Update: Original Post: Eric found a killer deal on an XL Green Egg locally, and made the purchase after drooling over one for years. She was lightly used, and in very good shape. Pictured here after reassembly and clean up. The purpose of the post was likely caused by the moving process. The Egg… Continue reading Repairing Cracked XL Green Egg Ceramic Firebox
Refilling 1lb Camping Propane Tanks at Home
First and foremost, like many things around the shop/homestead, there are dangers with certain activities, and this is no exception. Do your research, and never do anything you don’t feel comfortable doing. We only refill tanks bought new, and have a known history of storage. Refilling random empties adds a margin of risk that outweighs… Continue reading Refilling 1lb Camping Propane Tanks at Home
Perfect Artichokes Using Instant Pot
Artichokes, many folks have a love/hate relationship with this flower. It is spiky, tough, and delicious at the same time. The last time we tried steaming artichokes this size on the stove top took over 90 minutes, and they never made a showing at dinner. So, how do you hack this for the perfect ‘choke… Continue reading Perfect Artichokes Using Instant Pot
How to: Sous Vide Lobster Tails with Shell
When it comes to food portioning and prep, we are lazy efficient with our time. One great protein to sous vide is lobster, but nearly every online recipe says you have to par boil or shell the meat prior to immersion cooking. So what’s the deal, and what is the solution? We have these wonderfully… Continue reading How to: Sous Vide Lobster Tails with Shell
Day 866: Relocate Whole House Water Filter
We had changes we wanted to make, like plumbing this with 3/4 inch copper from our original installation, and changes that we needed to make, such as relocating the filter due to a changed fence line. We did not want to see the filter heads through the window, and there was not enough room to… Continue reading Day 866: Relocate Whole House Water Filter
Day 843: Backyard Expansion
Our backyard… Where to even begin? We didn’t buy this house for a lot of what it had, but what it could become. This was a massive compromise that we knew would be a project one day, and we chipped at it for a few years before attacking the patio expansion. Follow us on this… Continue reading Day 843: Backyard Expansion
Day 926: Garden Shed
Also known as Project Reclaim The Garage… One of the biggest compromises we made with this home purchase was the 2 car standard size garage. This was a massive downsize from our oversized 3 car tandem. While we inherited a small shed, it is just enough for yard equipment. After months of price shopping, we… Continue reading Day 926: Garden Shed