Thompson Acres

  If you are looking for an easy to do recipe, that will still surely impress your friends and family, look no further! These will certainly make a delightful treat to almost anyone.  I like to make goodies that use foods of the season. During the end of fall and beginning of winter, pecans will literally be falling from trees. Think of a holiday meal that didn't feature pecans in some way or fashion. Honey roasted candied pecans are one of those treats that are so easy to devour in such a short amount of time. They are wholesome and can be enjoyed watching a movie with your family or outside by the fire on a cold wintry night. They are super addicting so do not be surprised if you eat the entire bag in one sitting, especially if you are sharing. You probably won't want to share these ;) You can even use this recipe and play around a bit with your ingredients, or toppings. You can make these savory or keep them sweet, just dressed up more. You can roast these with butter and/o...

  Tis' the season y'all: Cold and Flu season that is! Every year, it comes around like clockwork. Out of nowhere you are hit with a sinus pressure headache. Your nose won't stop running or maybe it is completely stuffed up. No matter what your symptoms are, you are miserable. Now, maybe, you are like my husband, and enjoy swimming in vaporub. I, personally, cannot stand the feeling of it on my chest. It makes your shirt stick to you and well, the smell never goes away for the rest of your day. When I first came across the idea of shower melts, I knew, I had to try them. I have tried several different ways to make these, however, this is by far the best. Here's how they work. They are basically held together by simple, yet fragile ingredients of baking soda, citric acid, cornstarch, eucalyptus and peppermint essential oils. The baking soda and citric acid create the fizzing affect that helps them to melt and dissolve in the shower, releasing those essential oils and thei...

  I have two goats now, but is that enough? There is still so much space in the yard and we are allowed to have chickens! Now, after the rough goat start, you would like to think that I did my research moving on to my next animal, right? Well, I'd like to tell you I did, but no! I didn't tell my husband that I just wanted goats, now did I? One trip to Atwoods, and the sound of baby chicks chirping was all it took! I did my research right there on the spot, in the store. They had so many breeds! Which breeds did I even want?  Naturally, for any beginner, I googled the most docile breed. I would not enjoy having chickens, after all, if they were going to try to end me. Out of those breeds that popped up, I then asked myself, which one lays the most eggs in a year? Ok now, what kind of eggs do I want? Well, the most colorful ones, of course. After my short 10-minute research journey, standing in the store, with the employee waiting on me to make my decision, I chose my first (The...

  Let's begin with the bucks that started it all. Meet Oreo and Snickers (Yes, my children named them). Two years ago, Valentine's Day was approaching, and my husband was acting very suspicious. Many times, we would stand outside, and I would mention how SOMEDAY I wanted goats and chickens. Not particularly at the time, as we were renting a house in a close-knit small town. It didn't exactly have an HOA, but there were still ordinances in place prohibiting livestock housed within 150 feet from other residents. We wouldn't exactly be following those ordinances, and my husband, let's just say, doesn't always do things in order or follow the rules ;) Anyways, as the holiday crept up, he kept mentioning baby goats, asking "have you ever thought about what kind of goats you'd like to raise?" I had not. I knew nothing about goats! Well, as destiny would have it, we had a lady nearby that was selling Nigerian Dwarf goats (probably the best to start with a...

  Let's Make Christmas Jam  There has been a universal push, in recent years, to slow down and return to when things were simpler, just to enjoy life again. Life has found a way, throughout time, to continue to "push harder", "go faster", and "work harder", so it's no wonder we have all hit a burn out. Our souls are craving that older atmosphere of creativity, doing things by hand, and that satisfaction of "I made that". These days, all it takes is a click of a button to order this or download that. I challenge you to ditch the everyday hustle and bustle!  One of the ways I "go back" during the holidays is to make homemade gifts for my friends and family, because who needs to go into debt just to get a smile out of someone? I like to plan out pretty and delicious gifts that they can continue to enjoy past the holidays (if it makes it that long). This made from scratch jam will surely impress everyone, as well as delight those ta...

Hi! My name is Taryn. I am a wife, mother of three, and currently a hobby farmist. Yes! That is a made-up word, however, it is the best way to describe what I do. Let's dive in! About two years ago, I was just a dreamer watching videos and listening to podcasts about today's modern homesteaders. I was doing little things, that some might consider, taking steps in that direction. I have always been kind of "crunchy" as my kids call it. I enjoy crafting, homemaking, learning new skills, using and making natural cleaners and making things from scratch. Every new skill I learned gave me such joy in my soul, it felt like it was what I was meant to do.  It all got a push when my husband surprised me with two baby goats for Valentine's Day. He is pretty great, I know. Then in March, we bought our first chicks and the rest is history, the farm was started. However, I didn't, and still don't consider us a functioning farm (or ranch as some would say) as we do not p...