We woke up yesterday morning to find everything covered in white. So when a break in the snow fall came, I went outside with my camera for a quick walk in the snow.
Some people may not know what off-the-grid or off-grid means, so here it is --- The term off-the-grid or off-grid refers to living in a self-sufficient manner without reliance on one or more public utilities. Off-grid living is no longer a one room log cabin in the woods. It's energy independency. You don't have to rely on utility companies, you create your own power. Today, there are more than 180,000 off-grid homes in the US.
Sunday, November 30, 2014
A Walk In The Snow...
6:04 pm - 18 degrees - clear skies, 56+ mph winds...
We woke up yesterday morning to find everything covered in white. So when a break in the snow fall came, I went outside with my camera for a quick walk in the snow.
We woke up yesterday morning to find everything covered in white. So when a break in the snow fall came, I went outside with my camera for a quick walk in the snow.
Saturday, November 15, 2014
Saturday Evening Post…
7:08 pm - 23 degrees - clear night sky, 52+ mph wind gusts...
A small glimpse into our lives
as we live off-grid… sort of like eves dropping. It may be a thought, quote or a conversation;
funny, sweet or sad; but it will always be true. We will see if it resonates with you…
{Messaging back and forth}
Me: “Stuck on the mountain due to downed
trees. Someone needs to teach me how to
use a chainsaw!!”
Friend #1: “Get a rope and drag it out of the way.”
Friend #1: “Get a rope and drag it out of the way.”
Friend #2: “Move it out of the way.”
Me: “There’s a total of 4 downed trees, too big to just drag out of the way. Tony's on his way and is using a chainsaw and tow rope to move them out of the way.”
Me: “There’s a total of 4 downed trees, too big to just drag out of the way. Tony's on his way and is using a chainsaw and tow rope to move them out of the way.”
Brother: “Don’t you have to carry a chain saw, tire
jack and 4 sets of spares already? Never
dull up on the hill.”
Hubby: “Cutting a tree, hung up on an embankment,
under load plus inexperience equals disaster.”
Friday, November 14, 2014
'Tis The Season For Baking...
10:08 am - 29 degrees - blue sky with 35+ mph wind gusts...
Looking for some tasty
holiday appetizers or desserts, or maybe you're wanting to start planning your Christmas
Cookie baking list... here are a few of my favorite recipes for this joyous holiday season. Hope you enjoy them as much as
we do!
Fresh Basil-Wrapped Cheese
Balls... Combining the creamy richness of gorgonzola and mascarpone, the salty
bite of Parmesan, and the fresh green flavor of basil, these cheese balls are a
new twist on an old favorite. {Click Here}
BLT Bites... These are always a
big hit, pretty easy to make and are oh so delicious, with lots of flavor
packed into a little bite. {Click Here}
Pumpkin Cheesecake...This is a
delicious twist on the traditional pumpkin pie and it’s always a favorite! {Click Here}
Caramel Apple Cupcakes with
Maple Cream Cheese Frosting... The name says it all, and screams rich, yummy, deliciousness! {Click Here}
Date Nut Cookies... These are a
new favorite. They are simple and full
of delicious flavor! {Click Here}
Oreo Truffles... These are
rich, delicious, very easy to make and perfect for holiday parties! {Click Here}
Orange Juice Cookies... These are light and refreshing with a nice burst
of orange flavor and are a nice option from the regular holiday goodies. {Click Here}
Molasses Cookies... This is the
perfect holiday cookie! There’s
something about ginger, cloves and cinnamon that makes me think it’s
Christmas! Just the aroma of these
baking in the oven brings back lots of happy holiday memories! {Click Here}
Winter Storm Update...
9:22 am - 26 degrees - blue sky with 32+ mph wind gusts...
Our early-season winter storm has
come to an end and left us with a frozen water pipe, several downed trees, lots
of broken limbs and other debris scattered around. It also left behind anywhere from 4-8 inches
of snow. Due to the extreme winds, it’s
hard to get an accurate snow depth reading.
Snow angels and sledding. Bitter cold temps and high winds would not keep these two inside... however they didn't stay out very long either. |
Although the storm warning has officially
been lifted, we’re still in for below freezing temperatures and wind gusts up
around 40+ mph for the weekend and beginning of next week. Winter is here.
The view this morning. |
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
First Blast Of Winter...
3:51 pm - 28 degrees - a few scattered clouds, 53+ mph wind gusts...
We’re getting our first blast
of winter with sharply cooler temperatures, a result of frigid air pushed in by
a powerful storm that hit Alaska with hurricane-force winds. The big chill is now spreading into the
Pacific Northwest.
Many people started feeling the
arrival of the bone-chilling cold yesterday along with high winds that caused a
lot of power outages. Just one more
reason to love living off-grid – we don’t have to worry about the power going
out.
Today it took us an hour and a
half to get off the mountain due to numerous downed trees.
Tony cleared four downed trees off the road, so we could get off the mountain. |
Tony thinks it a good practice
run before winter really hits. We spent the day doing some last minute vehicle repairs, making sure the house is
stocked with lots of firewood, hooking up the snowplow (snow is supposed to be
on its way), dug out all our snow gear out of our storage unit and the kids dug out their sleds.
Fixing my 4-wheel drive. |
It's very windy out with 54+ mph wind gusts. |
Last nights 70+ mph wind gusts knocked all our chairs and table over. |
Getting the snow plow put onto the Dodge. |
According to the weather
report, this arctic storm is just beginning.
The kids are hoping to wake up to a blanket of white, while Tony thinks
we’ll have our first snow day of the season.
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Veterans Day...
12:30 pm - 37 degrees - scattered clouds, 56+ mph winds...
Thank you to all our family, friends and those we've never met - the past, present and future veterans. We humbly thank you for your sacrifices for our freedom.
Thank you to all our family, friends and those we've never met - the past, present and future veterans. We humbly thank you for your sacrifices for our freedom.
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Loaded Baked Potato Dip...
2:14 pm - 43 degrees - raining...
I love
a good Irish Sunday aka loaded baked potato.
So when a friend brought this to a barbecue, I just had to get the
recipe. It is only 4 ingredients, super quick to make and it
is so good! All of the classic loaded
baked potato flavors in dip form just waiting to be scooped up by some crispy
potato chips!
~
Loaded Baked Potato Dip ~
24 oz
tub Sour Cream
3-4 Green
Onions, chopped
2-3
cups Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1
package Bacon, cooked and crumbled
In a
medium bowl, mix together the sour cream, cheese and green onions.
Crumble
the cooked bacon and stir into the sour cream mix.
Refrigerate
at least one hour before serving.
Serve
at room temperature with Ruffles chips or waffle fries.
---
Enjoy!
Windstorms...
1:06 pm - 44 degrees - raining...
The
nights are getting colder, the mornings are getting darker, the constant rain has returned, and the wind has been howling.
Over
the past few weeks we have had several windstorms with winds reaching 70+ mph that
have resulted in a lot of debris and several downed trees.
We did
have one afternoon last week where it stopped raining long enough for us to get some of the storm debris cleaned up.
Tony
limbed and cut the downed trees...
...so I
could burn them.
{P.S. –
Sorry for the lack of posts lately, we have been experiencing technical
difficulties with the internet. It’s
frustrating but it happens.}
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