Tomato-Based Beef & Barley Soup...Homestead Style

Last night was Parent/Teacher conferences at Mary's school.

Our girl is doing great academically, but what warmed our hearts more than hearing that she is "on-grade level" or "excelling" in certain academic subjects is that her area of excellence is...

FAITH

To quote her teacher, 

"Mary sometimes startles me with her deep reverence for the liturgy and understanding of the meaning behind the words of daily prayers such as the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Grace.  It is evident that you take seriously the job of passing on the Faith to your children."

I cried...

...it was just the bit of affirmation I needed to justify the miles we are putting on our car...the gas we are using to drive both kiddos to parochial school...the tuition payments we are making which is making it harder and harder to make ends meet...

 And speaking of making ends meet...

My sister and I have become totally hooked on the movement known as "Modern Homesteading".

I've recently added a new linking bar on the side of my blog for "Homesteaders".  And while I've been bemoaning the fact that we don't live on 5 or 10 acres...

Jill at The Prairie Homestead 
has begun to write a wonderful series of articles about homesteading right where you are!

Many of us that long to homestead don't live on 20 acres out in the middle of nowhere...and yet desire a "back to your roots" sort of lifestyle for our families.  Jill is confident that "homesteading" can be done whether you live in a urban high rise or a suburban subdivision with annoying HOA rules..ahem...

If you are smitten with country living...but dwell in suburbia...please check out Jill's blog to learn more!

 And while I was blog hopping "homesteading sites", I also discovered Homestead Revival. I made Amy's tomato-based Beef & Barley soup for the teacher's dinner on Thursday night.  

It was a huge hit...as in totally empty crock pot.

The highest compliment to any cook!

For Amy's Beef & Barley Soup
 click on the link!

I transferred the soup from stockpot to crock pot since there is no stove in the teacher's lounge.  I did have to add a couple more cups of water as it thickened during cooking and I needed to serve about 10 teachers/staff members.

Goes to show you...homestead cooking is the best!

Today, my kiddos are enjoying a day off from school for P/T conferences and I am enjoying the pleasure of their company!  

Wishing you a pleasure-filled weekend with the ones you love,