In My Homestead Kitchen October, looking back on September 2026

Welcome to In My Kitchen October, looking back on September 2026. But in all honesty the kitchen was the least busy room in the whole place. I did not share any new recipes, but did update some old favorites, because....we took a vacation! So come along as I join Sherry for In My Kitchen!

We got back from vacation yesterday, 

and I had prepared a few posts and had them in queue ready to go. I think I was ready (really ready!) for some time away as my creativity had dried up...and with the trip coming at us full speed, I had chickens to think about, our rescue cats to plan for, and a garden to not lose along the way. 

We made the decision after the last predator attack to suspend our chicken adventures until we can beef up the chicken yard and coop. Plus we have decided to focus on heritage birds that are raised for eggs as well as meat. As the butchering process is not something we shy away from. So the first job to get completed was arranging for the chickens to be rehomed. I placed an ad on our local community FB page offering the ladies and one rooster for sale. We kept the price low, the goal was to get them moved, safe and cared for properly. They are now a part of a larger chicken keeper's home and doing well! 

The garden needed soil added to the beds, several good watering episodes and mulch to keep the moisture right where I wanted it to be! But we had another job to get done, the roses that have survived (notice I did not say thrived) in gardening pots were needing to be transplanted to a garden bed. So we did. 

The photo on the left is after our return from vacation. They look great! The center photo is transplanted into the bed, but before being pruned way back. And of course the nursery pots speak for themselves, except it is easy to see how scrawny they roses are. The look like new rose stock, but they are three years old...plus, I think we were lucky and got a rain shower once or twice during our week away. 

My husband made arrangements with a friend from his Wednesday night church group to stop by and refill the cat's food and water. They are essentially outdoor cats and really only need us to do the same! However it was very clear when we came home, they missed us a great deal. 

And we had the task of eating down the fresh food that would not keep for a week. Dinners were anything but creative, and followed a boring but effective pattern of main dish, side dish and something else through the last meal before taking off the next morning for Galveston TX. (so nothing new food wise to share...) Where we boarded the MSC Seascape for a cruise to Costa Maya, Island of Roatan Honduras, and Cozumel. 

The food aboard the Seascape is fresh, delicious and presented beautifully. I had forgotten how lovely it is to have someone cook for you! I might have eaten more than I usually do, but I did keep my daily steps going strong! Having one day with over 12,000 steps on my pedometer! Time with family including my grandson was just what I needed! 

I did manage to offer the following new posts:

Surprising Uses for Steel Wool, for Homestead Sunday #17

The NEW Carry Out Cuisine for What Did You Read This Month? Book Review

Hello Dear Reader.  Offering some of my favorite recipes to take a look at in my absence. 

And I updated and reposted/shared 12 additional recipes. Like I said the kitchen was the most under used room in the house!

And that brings us up to date, I will probably need a couple more days to get back into the groove of life in East Texas, where I cook my own food, make my own bed and have to find my own entertainment, LOL!

#wholefoodingredients

#scratchmadefoodforyourfamily

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