HOMESTEADING 

WHAT'S NEW ON THE HOMESTEAD?

Angel, our adopted BLM Mustang, (July Issue) has become a celebrity at the Buck 'n' Mule Farm.  Around us, there are not a lot of wild horse adoptions.  One of our neighbors, a retired steer wrestling cowboy, declared when we got our first Mustangs..."You're NOT going to ride them?! Mustangs are crazy!"  Well, a mutual friend was tending to the farm while we were away for a couple days and he stopped over to see our new wild horse.  Not only was he smitten with her, after leaving he thought maybe Mustangs weren't a bad choice for a horse after all.  
Angel, winning hearts, one person at a time.
When life gives you lemons...make lemonade.  
​When chickens give you eggs...make quiche, egg salad, omelets, hard boiled eggs, bread pudding, ....
That is an important part of what Wild Heart Mustangs™ is all about. Educating people and promoting awareness about Mustangs, burros, mules and donkeys.  Most times it is just one person at a time.  Angel has unknowingly become an ambassador for her breed.  We are pretty proud of that.
← Our chickens are busy laying lots of eggs.  We are getting, on average, 15 eggs a day.  That's alot of eggs! They  have become a commodity for trade for us, here at the farm.  I love country living.
Buck with Angel, having a moment together.  

REAL MEN DO EAT QUICHE!
...and they like it
by Mary A. Lainhart

We have eggs coming out of our .... hens!  So I decided to make quiche. With this hot summer and things to do that are more fun than standing in a hot kitchen, I make a couple and then freeze some for later.  It is no more work to make two and have meals all done for future dates.  Buck likes it so much, a lot of times it never makes it to the freezer!
INGREDIENTS
1 (9 inch) deep dish frozen pie crust                                    
4 eggs                  
1 ½ cups heavy cream (or half and half)             
Salt and ground black pepper to taste 
1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
1/4 pound Parmesan/Romano shredded cheese (or your choice of cheese)
 ½ pound bacon, cooked and crumbled    (optional)
     
 
These are the base ingredients for making any type of quiche you like.  Bacon is optional if you prefer to do just vegetables.  
EASY BASIC QUICHE RECIPE
This is a basic quiche recipe that you can customize to whatever you like, or whatever you are harvesting at the time.  I have made two different versions to show you the versatility - Shrimp and Spinach Quiche (shown at top) and Seafood Quiche (bottom).
In addition to the above ingredients you will need:
 
SEAFOOD QUICHE       (Version 1)                                                               SHRIMP AND SPINACH QUICHE     (Version 2)
1 6 oz. can shredded real crabmeat                                                          8 oz. frozen cooked shrimp, thawed, peeled and chopped
4 oz. frozen cooked shrimp, thawed, peeled and chopped             1 cup fresh chopped spinach                                       
1   cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese                                                  ½ cup shredded Swiss cheese              
½ cup fresh sliced mushrooms                                                                      ½ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
                                                                                                                                    2 green onion chopped (or equivalent of fresh sweet onions or shallots)
                                                                            
QUICHE DIRECTIONS
  1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Place the ready made pie crust into deep dish pie plate and prick the bottom of the crust several times with a fork.  Bake the pie crust for about 10 minutes, until just starting to brown.  Remove from oven, and allow to cool.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper.
  3. Sprinkle the crumbled bacon in the bottom of the pie plate.  Sprinkle the Parmesan/Romano shredded cheese over the bacon.
 
Version 1.  Next layer the crabmeat then the shrimp on top of the bacon and Parmesan/Romano cheese.  Pour the egg mixture over everything and arrange fresh sliced mushrooms over the egg mixture.
 
Version 2.  Next layer the chopped spinach then the shrimp on top of the bacon and Parmesan/Romano cheese.  Stir in shredded Swiss and Monterey Jack cheeses into the egg mixture along with the green onion.  Pour egg mixture over everything.
 
    4.   Bake for 25-30 minutes in preheated oven until set.  If baking more than one quiche, check every 10 after that until both are set.  If crust starts to get too brown, cover edges of crust with a strip of aluminum foil.  Quiche is set when a knife inserted in center comes out clean. 
​      5.  Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.  
FRESH ROASTED BEETS
INGREDIENTS
Up to 4 lbs beets, any color – preferable with greens on

DIRECTIONS

​1.  Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat oven to 450 degrees F.  Line a 9x13 baking dish with foil.  An alternative is to wrap each beet in foil individually, like baking potatoes.  If you are baking something else in the oven, just throw the beets in with it and adjust cooking time per temperature setting and beet size.
2.  As the oven is heating up, prep your beets for roasting.  Trim leaves and upper stems of beets, leaving about 2 inches of the stems intact at the top of each beet.  DO NOT trim the tail of the beets;  if you do, you will lose precious juicy flavor that will drizzle out of the trimmed tails during roasting. 
3.  Gently scrub the beets clean and pat dry.  You want to get the dirt off them, but you don’t want to scrub the skin off – it will help to hold the juices in while the beets roast.
4.  Place the beets in a single layer in the bottom of the foil lined baking dish
5.  Cover the baking dish tightly with foil.
6.  Roast the beets in the oven for 45 mins to 2 hours (very large beets may take even longer).  Use a pair of tongs to flip the beets every 30 minutes to make sure they roast evenly on all sides.  Roasting time will depend on the size of your beets.  Start checking your beets for doneness at 45 minutes by piercing the largest beet in the bunch with a fork (like checking a baking potato).  If the fork comes out easy, the beets are done.  If not, continue to  roast another 10 minutes and test again.  Continue to test until they are ready.
7.  After cooking, uncover the beets and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes until you can handle them.  Cut off the beet stems and tails.  BE AWARE THAT BEET JUICE WILL STAIN PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING IT TOUCHES.  THAT MEANS YOUR HANDS, YOUR CUTTING BOARD, YOUR CLOTHES. 
8.  Peel the skin from the beets while they are still warm.  I prefer to remove the skin with my bare fingers under cold running water;  the skin comes off easily this way and the red beet juice comes off my hands with a few soap and water washings.

Once roasted, they can be added to salads, eaten plain or as a side dish.  The sweetness of the roasted beets is a treat with any dish.  
Click on the Roasted Beets Recipe card for a printable version of the recipe
Click on the Quiche Recipe card for a printable version of the recipe
DON'T LIKE VEGETABLES?  YOU MAY BE SURPRISED!
by Mary A. Lainhart
I was a very picky eater growing up.  Even as an adult, I am very picky about what I eat.  Personally, I do not like beans – kidney beans, lima beans, garbanzo beans, navy beans, red beans, white beans, whatever beans there are.  I love chili, but will pick every last bean out of it before I eat it.  If there is a smidgen of a bean in the bowl, I can taste it.  I do not like coconut.  I detest the smell of coconut, the taste of coconut, anything coconut.  If there is a shred of coconut in anything, I can taste it. 

​As a child, and into adulthood, there were a lot of things I wouldn’t eat.  Tomatoes, unless they were on a sandwich (and that was even debatable), string beans, beets, peas, Brussel sprouts.  I always thought I never liked them.  I don’t care for anything pickled except for pickles.  My mom loved red baby pickled beets.  Buck loves them too.  I would never eat beets because this is predominately how I knew everyone ate them.  Then I was introduced to vegetables in a new way. 
I had my first heirloom tomato when I was in my 40’s.  I was hooked on them.  I would eat Brandywine tomatoes sliced with a sprinkling of sea salt on them for lunch.  I couldn’t get enough of them.  I had fresh peas from my own garden, and now they barely make it back to the house because I eat them as soon as I pick them.  I had fresh roasted beets in a salad and they were so delicious I had to make my own.  I grow French green beans in my garden and love them sautéed with a little butter and olive oil.  Buck makes a chilled Brussel sprout salad with balsamic vinaigrette and fried pancetta crumbles or sautees the Brussel sprouts the same as the French green beans.  It wasn’t that I really didn’t like the vegetables, I never had them fresh and prepared in a certain way that appealed to me.  I am still very finicky about what I eat, even though my food repertoire has grown over the decades.  But now I am more particular about the freshness and quality rather than what it is in particular.  I barely purchase fruits and vegetables at the mainstay grocery store, unless I really have to.  The quality of store bought fruits and vegetables cannot compare with what you can grow at home.  I will not eat store bought frozen corn, peas, Brussel sprouts or beans. I will eat canned corn or baby potatoes, but I will not eat any other vegetable from a can. So before you turn your nose up at vegetables, try some fresh, locally grown ones and you might be surprised at what you’ve been missing!
BLUEBERRY BALSAMIC VINEGAR
Recipe courtesy of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council 
Blueberry Balsamic Vinegar Ingredients 
4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 quart white balsamic vinegar
¼ cup sugar
Zest from 1 lime, green part only, in strips
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick (optional)
6.  Pour into a large bowl (or if you have canning jars you can use those with plastic wrap over the top secured with a rubber band)
7.  Cover and refrigerate for 2 days to allow flavors to blend
Directions

1.  In a large non-reactive saucepan with a potato masher or the back of a large spoon, crush blueberries
2.  Add vinegar, sugar, lime zest and cinnamon
3.  Bring to a boil
4.  Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 20 minutes
5.  Cool slightly
8.  Place a strainer over a large bowl
9.  In batches, ladle blueberry mixture into strainer
10.  With a large spoon, press out as much liquid as possible
11.  Discard solids
Click on the Blueberry Vinaigrette Recipe card for a printable version of both the Blueberry Balsamic Vinegar and the Blueberry Vinaigrette recipes
Use in a favorite salad dressing recipe, can be used with meats or on salads
​
12.  Pour vinegar into clean glass bottles or jars.  Make sure lids are non-reactive (metal tops such as canning jar lids, will not work).  I had an empty wine bottle with the cork.  I cleaned the wine bottle with hot water and then used the empty wine bottle with cork to store my vinegar in.  It fit perfectly in the refrigerator without taking up a lot of space.
13.  Refrigerate, tightly covered, until ready to use.  ​
BLUEBERRY BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE
Blueberry Vinaigrette Ingredients 
 
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons Blueberry Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
  
In a cup, combine olive oil, Blueberry Balsamic Vinegar, salt and pepper

​Serve on salad greens tossed with fresh or dried blueberries
FRESH GREENS AND ROASTED BEETS WITH BLUEBERRY BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE DRESSING
Before the heat caused all my lettuce to bolt or wilt, I was fortunate to make this refreshing salad with fresh greens, tomatoes, roasted beets, blueberries, sunflower seeds, gorgonzola cheese crumbles and a homemade blueberry balsamic vinaigrette dressing.  

The recipes for Roasted Beets and Blueberry Vinegar and Blueberry Balsamic Vinaigrette are all found on this page with printable versions, if you click on the recipe cards for each.


SUMMER GARDEN SALADS

​by Mary A. Lainhart

Core ingredients for this salad are fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, roasted beets, and Good Seasons Dressing.  Add whatever you like, or whatever is harvested at the time to make a quick and refreshing lunch or dinner.
Honestly, with the heat, chores, running a business, going to work…I don’t spend a lot of time or energy figuring out what to have for lunch or dinner.  If Buck isn’t cooking, my answer is usually a salad of some sort.  Whatever is harvested that day or in the refrigerator is what I use.  No lettuce, no problem.  I made a delicious salad with fresh cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, roasted red beets and sweet onion as the base.  Use your imagination from there.  I have topped it with a dollop of cottage cheese and sprinkled with roasted sunflowers.  Other options are gorgonzola cheese, parmesan cheese, feta cheese.  You can add your choice of a meat to make it heartier.  Instead of sweet onion slices, you can try green onions.  Top it all of with Good Seasons Italian dressing made per their directions.  Try some fresh blueberries, blackberries, raspberries or strawberries…whatever is in season and whatever you like, those are the key ingredients.  
​
Last month the featured recipe was "Chicken" salad.  If you read about it, you are right!  It was for the birds, literally!  This month I'm all about humans and all the delicious stuff coming out of my garden on a daily basis.  

It has been extremely hot and humid around our place this summer.  Needless to say, my lettuce bolted a couple weeks ago, and it will be some time before I get fresh growing in my garden again.  I absolutely love fresh veggies out of my garden or grown locally.  We are fortunate where we live that anything I don’t grow in my garden, I can find at farm stands along the roads anywhere near where we live to get anything else I desire for fresh fruit and vegetables. 
In the bottom photo it is topped with sopressata,
​gorgonzola and fresh blueberries.

ESSENTIAL OILS

Each month we will share ways on how to safely use essential oils on your equines and your other pets. These are recommendations and not all inclusive uses of essential oils for your animal.  Remember, all animals are individuals - so observe their behavior as you use essential oils (or anything) to see how they react to them.

WAYS TO USE ESSENTIAL OILS:
For antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral wellness


​Thieves for your equine and other animals

​Thieves is an incredible mainstay in animal therapies.  With antiviral, antifungal, antiseptic, antibacterial and immune boosting properties, there are many indications for its use.  Thieves is considered to be a “hot” oil (see February Issue)for topical use, so care must be considered when using this route for animals (especially in dogs, cats and smaller animals).  Thieves is commonly used orally for many needs, primarily as an antibiotic.  Thieves is the top recommendation for any human suffering from a cat bite, and the topical and oral use has greatly reduced or eliminated the severe infection that is typical of this injury.  Both prevention and treatment of other severe infections, such as MRSA, also benefit from the use of Thieves.  Thieves is also a very “purging” oil, and is very indicated in abscesses that need to be “pushed out” and for splinters and other types of foreign objects that need to be ejected from the body. 

For your pets, Thieves is the ideal solution for treating minor injuries with contamination.  Can be used for dental issues.  Thieves is the best oil for immune system support.  Safe to use topically or internally.  Also great for ticks.  After removing tick with Palo Santo, apply a drop of Thieves to prevent infection. 

The general diffusion of Thieves is also found to reduce allergy symptoms both in humans and animals.  Clove seems to have a wonderful benefit of reducing human responses to airborne allergens, and many people who experience severe symptoms when they enter a household with animals do not notice the same reaction in households diffusing clove or Thieves regularly.  Thieves diffusion also reduces the desire of insects and external parasites to stay in the vicinity of the diffusion. 

Due to the Clove and Cinnamon content of Thieves, caution should be used for animals who are bleeding, have a tendency to bleed, or are on any sort of anti-coagulant therapy.  The over use of essential oil(s) that have anti-coagulant actions, especially in oral administration, can produce a temporary and dose dependent, increase in bleeding and reduction of clotting. 

For your equine, Thieves is highly effective when used at the onset of candida, thrush, and flu symptoms.  It is used for abscesses, hoof rot, thrush, skin fungus, infections, ringworm, and laminitis.  Weber State University studies have shown that when diffused, Thieves kills 99.96% of microbes in as little as 12 minutes.  Thieves Toothpaste, with added Thieves essential oil, makes a wonderful poultice for scratches, rain rot, and thrush.

Information contained in this article is from the Animal Desk Reference  - Essential Oils for Animals by Melissa Shelton, DVM.

What is the difference between Young Living Essential Oils and their Vitality™ Line?

The Vitality ™ oils aren’t really new. The labels are, yes, but in reality, these are oils that Young Living was already selling. What’s setting them apart is that these ones are labeled for internal usage whereas the regular essential oils are labeled for aromatic and topical usage. If you’re wondering, that means that, yes, they are the exact same oils. For example, Lemon Vitality™ essential oil is exactly the same as regular Lemon essential oil. But, because of FDA’s regulations on essential oils, they must be marked separately.
Young Living USB Diffuser. Use in any USB plug, on your laptop, in your car, anywhere! Over the years I have tried just about every type of diffuser out there. Clay, Cotton, Felt Pads, Ceramic, Cotton Balls to name a few. None of them gave me the lasting results I was looking for or the ease of use. Clay and Ceramic are inconsistent at best. Cotton, Felt Pads, Cotton Balls were not only not what I was hoping for results of fresh, clear aromas, they needed to be replaced frequently.  This YL USB diffuser is the best diffuser I've ever purchased that was not water based.  It comes in Black, Pink and Purple and all can be purchased from the Wild Heart Mustangs™ Shop.
Visit the Wild Heart Mustangs™ SHOP to purchase and read detailed descriptions of each Young Living oil and blend.

For use instructions and cautions, please refer to each individual product label.​
THIEVES® ESSENTIAL OIL BLEND
Thieves® essential oil is a powerful combination of Clove, Lemon, Cinnamon, Eucalyptus Radiata, and Rosemary essential oils for an aromatic blend that fills any space with a rich, spicy aroma. Inspired by the legend of four 15th-century French thieves who formulated a special aromatic combination composed of clove, rosemary, and other botanicals used to protect themselves while robbing the dead and dying during the plagues of Europe, Thieves is one of Young Living’s most popular products.

Diffuse Thieves oil throughout the house for an aroma that makes every room smell more like fall baking than harsh cleaning formulas.

With Thieves® Vitality™ you’ll have a quick and easy way to balance your busy life and your wellness. With Young Living’s Thieves Vitality essential oil you can support overall wellness and a healthy immune system* with just a few drops.  Additionally, Eucalyptus Radiata Vitality may also help support a healthy respiratory system when taken internally*.

Use the sweet, spicy flavor of Thieves Vitality as an addition to your daily wellness regimen. Its constituent oils such as Clove Vitality, Lemon Vitality, and Cinnamon Vitality give a comforting seasoning to warm food and drinks. Add Tangerine Vitality or Orange Vitality essential oil to Thieves Vitality to further brighten the flavors of your favorite foods.

​*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Thieves for You
​Thieves aids in a healthy immune system.  Use for sore throat, teething or toothaches, insect bites and warts. Thieves kills airborne bacteria.  Use to support healthy gums and mouth.  Use for cleaning surfaces.  

Thieves essential oil uses:
  • Refresh musty carpets by adding 5 drops of Thieves to a cup of baking soda; combine well and let sit overnight until the oil is absorbed. Sprinkle over carpets and vacuum thoroughly.
  • Diffuse 6–8 drops of Thieves to help create an environment of peace and security. Customize your Thieves experience by adding a few drops of Orange, Tangerine, or Nutmeg essential oil.
How to Use
Topical: Dilute 1 drop with 4 drops of V-6™ or olive oil. Test on small area of skin on underside of arm. Apply to desired area as needed.
Aromatic: Diffuse up to 10 minutes 3 times daily. 


Product Tips
  - Put a few drops of Thieves Vitality essential oil blend in a capsule and swallow with water to support your immune system.

  - Put in a few drops of Thieves essential oil blend in your dishwater or dishwasher to thoroughly clean dishes and eliminate odor
Dietary Essential Oils
Perfect for adding flavor to your favorite foods or using as dietary supplements, the Vitality™ line of dietary essential oils gives you the freedom to share and explore some of our best-loved essential oils in a variety of nutritious and delicious ways. We invite you to discover Vitality™—for food, for family, for life!

YOUNG LIVING OILS
Mary Lainhart is a Young Living OIls independent distributor because after years of her own successful use of them, she's confident of the purity and quality of Young LIving products.​ The Everyday Oils™ collection is the perfect beginner's kit, containing ten of Young Living's most popular and versatile essential oils. This kit will become a useful part of your day, everyday.

RESOURCES FOR HOMESTEADERS

​Young Living Essential Oils - www.youngliving.com 

DISCLAIMER

The information contained on this website is not meant to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The information on this website represents what I have chosen to do to take charge of my own personal health and that of my family. Statements on this website have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your physician before using these products.

Information found on this website is meant for educational and informational purposes only, and to motivate you to make your own health care and dietary decisions based upon your own further research and in partnership with your health care provider.