THE BEST OF 2019
I love looking at the most popular posts at the end of an era. It is always interesting to me to see the most trafficked spots on the blog.
There are really 2 ways to look at the “TOP POSTS.”
When one views the top posts from a calendar year it includes EVERY post ever written.
So, many of the top posts visited in 2019 were not written in the year 2019.
Let’s start with those.
So, without any further ado, let me introduce you to the
Most visited posts in 2019
ONE
Can You Eat a Potbelly Pig?
Good Heavens Sakes Alive. This is the most viewed post on my site. The most commented post on my site. And one of the most controversial posts on my site.
I have deleted the majority of the comments by necessity in order to keep this site rated PG. Let me tell you, if you want to get the world upset, suggest they eat a potbelly pig.
I have been called curse words that I have never even heard before. People are creative when they are angry.
The bottom line: It’s pork. You can eat it.
TWO
Homemade Blackberry Jelly – Easy Step-by-step Instructions
I had this (on these homemade biscuits) for breakfast today. It is still my family’s favorite jelly. We forage for the blackberries on our farm and make fresh jelly every summer.
Simply the best.
Another fantastic nugget included in this recipe is how to be certain your jelly will ‘gel.’ There is nothing worse than runny or syrupy jelly.
THREE
Make and Can Spaghetti Sauce!
This may be the most popular spaghetti sauce recipe on my site, but it is not the BEST.
If you want to transport humans to another domain with the power of tomato sauce – MAKE THIS (Basil Tomato Sauce). Completely untouched in flavor by any sauce on the planet. I have been told time and time again that I should patent it and sell it.
It is actually a pizza sauce, but it is superior on noodles and to die for served over chicken (topped with fresh mozzarella).
When I give jars of this away as gifts the recipient always requests more.
As in, “Candi, I’m gonna need 10 more jars of that pasta sauce… as soon as possible.”
Beyond amazing.
FOUR
Venison Back Strap with Mushrooms & Red Wine Pan Sauce
If you have a hunter in your realm – make this.
OH, but the venison backstraps must make a cycle through the freezer for best results. This means that you need to process the meat, freeze it, thaw it, and then cook it.
No one enjoys eating rigor mortis.
FIVE
Ice Cream with Raw Milk – BEST EVER
This recipe has been on the blog forever. I still get letters from folks with and without milk cows raving about this recipe. There is no way to improve this ice cream.
So rich and creamy.
It is the only ice cream I will eat.
SIX
How To Cook A Deer Leg
Yup. Here we are, cooking an entire deer limb, whole.
It is an amazing recipe. It cooks forever at a very low temperature, but the result is worth the time.
All the silver seam melts away and the meat is tender and delicious. When we cook a deer leg we eat on it all week. I use the leftover meat to make venison sliders, venison vegetable soup, and hash.
SEVEN
Baked Ham Steak
I didn’t even know what ‘baked ham steak’ was until a few years ago. When you have your animals butchered (or do it yourself) you end up with interesting cuts of meat.
One of the glorious results of raising pigs was giant thick ham steaks. Thank goodness for old cookbooks and adventures in eating.
This recipe is so weird – the ham is coated in milk (what the heck?), rubbed with dry mustard (huh?), and topped with brown sugar.
The results are mouth-watering. And I have received feedback from many folks older than I am telling me that this was a dish they ate when they were young.
Bringing back the originals.
So dang cool.
EIGHT
Best Venison Burgers You’ll Ever Eat & How to Grind Your Own Meat
We harvest anywhere between 4 and 7 deer in a season. I have a houseful of hunting enthusiasts.
Ground venison has many purposes. We use it for chili, soups, sausage, meatballs, AND BURGERS.
Venison burgers have a reputation for being dry, gamey and flat tasting.
Not these. Thanks to the pork fat, added with the venison into the grinder, these burgers melt in your mouth.
NINE
12 Uses for Old Hay
If you have old, moldy, or ruined hay laying around – repurpose it!
I love excess hay.
TOP POSTS WRITTEN IN 2019
Now that we’ve seen the top posts visited in 2019, let’s look at the posts written in 2019 that received the most traffic.
Here are the most viewed posts written in the past year.
ONE
Is My Yeast Dead? How to tell if your yeast is dying
Dead yeast is the number one reason for homemade bread failures.
This post teaches you how to test your yeast and make sure it is viable before you ruin 6 loaves of bread.
TWO
Hungry for Vegetable Gardening?
I spent the better part of last year holding a selfie stick so I could show you how I grow my groceries.
This gardening class is legit. It begins with the spring garden and how to get your soil ready for your most successful garden ever. The class takes you step by step through sowing, weeding, staking, managing problems and harvesting. There is no way to describe what this course entails, it is truly a one of a kind endeavor. The Organic Gardening Class takes the participant throughout spring, summer, and fall. It teaches you how to grow over 50 different varieties in a home garden. It walks you through the process from sowing to storage.
If you are interested in beginning a garden, expanding a garden, or just having your best garden ever, I highly recommend this class. The entire Gardening Course is available when you join the blog (here).
THREE
It’s not that hard. No Sugar. No Flour (from stores). Eat like a farmer!
A perfect introduction to the way I live and eat. It really isn’t hard.
Eat like a farmer.
This simple approach to food effortlessly removed over 10 pounds from my frame and has kept it off for years.
I am not deprived. I eat what I want (as long as it’s real food).
If you are tired of dieting and want a fresh way to eat and live that you can maintain for a lifetime, this could be it.
It works for me. I feel great, have tons of energy and real food makes me so happy.
FOUR
Pigs Can’t Live on Grass Alone
I have been raising pigs for a long time. I have no idea how many hogs have come and gone from our little homestead. I love having them and love the meat.
A hot topic among pig keepers is the idea of grass-fed pork.
There are many animals who can eat and thrive on grass. They have rumens and several stomachs and are made to turn grass into meat. Like cows, sheep, and goats.
Pigs do not have several stomachs. They were not built to live on grass alone. This article discusses the dangers (and lies) of grass-fed pork.
FIVE
How to Eat More Bread & Be Healthier
Let’s face it, there is a fashion in the food industry.
Fad diets come and go just like skinny jeans and stone-washed.
Right now it is very ‘fashionable’ to avoid gluten.
I believe that God made food healthy for us, and in its natural form, gluten is not the enemy.
Read this and see how (and why) I eat the healthiest bread on the planet.
SIX
Meet Daisy!!! (Video)
We got a new family milk cow last spring and she is the sweetest thing.
Here is the video of our travels to fetch Daisy and bring her home.
SEVEN
The Dinner Solution You Have Been Looking For!
A main and a side is the way I approach dinner.
It is so simple and stress-free. This makes it easy to stick to real food and get dinner done without the overwhelm.
EIGHT
A Christian Perspective on Grains
I approach life and food from a Christian perspective. If you are interested in knowing why I eat the things I do, this should explain. Grain is not the devil. It was created to nourish us and bring us joy.
I love homemade baked goods. It thrills me that there is a way I can eat my sticky buns guilt-free.
