I’m not a fan of Ree Drummond, “The Pioneer Woman.” Just because she lives on a ranch and cooks, does not make her a pioneer woman. That’s the full extent of my reason for not being a fan.

OK, that’s enough of that. I’m really not the type to stir up stuff about celebrities. Live and let live.

Not that I think of myself as “a real pioneer woman,” but I have thought that, in some ways, I come closer than some others who shall remain nameless. I have a long way to go, but I’m trying to learn. Because we know it’s healthier, my husband and I are, in small ways, trying to “live off the land.” We have a garden, we eat our own beef, get eggs from Scott’s sister who raises layers, cut our own wood for the furnace, and, of course, get most of our dairy needs from Sienna.

I’m under no delusions that I want to actually be one of the early pioneers. That way of life is super hard, and I’m perfectly happy with my modern conveniences (like a washer and dryer) that make life easier. I also understand, however, that easier isn’t always better.

Yes, it’s a heck of a lot easier to buy a gallon of milk from the store. However, I like knowing that my two sons are drinking raw milk with all the health benefits and none of the hormones, antibiotics, and other additives.   

We’ve been blessed to have family-owned beef for many years, but it always bothered me that I had to buy chicken from the store. Even though it is very easy to pull a bag out of the freezer section of the grocery store, I wanted to try raising some broilers. I know that I can buy organic, free-range chicken meat from a health food store, but, yikes, it’s so expensive! So, again, easier isn’t always better or less expensive.

Next time, I’ll write a post about our broiler experience. But to make a long story short, it went fairly well, and we plan to raise another batch of chickens in April.

So… Does butchering chickens; gardening; drying herbs; raising cows; riding a horse; milking a cow; cutting firewood; and making my own chicken broth, butter, yogurt, buttermilk, and cheese make me a pioneer woman?

Not exactly, but it’s a start.