Butler Homestead

07/10/2026

🌱 We're growing soil before we're growing food.

After a lot of trial and error, I've learned that the best gardens start with healthy soil.

Over the years, I've tried w**d barrier fabric, plastic, grow bags, and several other methods. While they all have their place, I found they didn't actually improve my soil. More often than not, everything underneath stayed dry, and I ended up losing plants because the soil just couldn't hold enough moisture.

This week, I'm working on sheet mulching parts of our front yard and garden. Instead of covering the ground with plastic, we're layering cardboard, rabbit manure, chicken bedding, grass clippings, compost, leaves, and mulch to create a giant compost bed right where we want to plant.

As those layers break down, they feed worms and beneficial fungi, suppress w**ds, retain moisture, and slowly build rich, living soil. Every season, the garden gets a little healthier instead of becoming depleted.

Our goal at Butler Homestead isn't just to grow vegetables it's to regenerate the land, one layer at a time. I'm excited to watch this space transform over the coming months, and I can't wait to share the progress with all of you.

If you've tried sheet mulching or no-till gardening, I'd love to hear what has worked for you! 🌿❤️

07/07/2026

🦋🌱✨️Lately, I've been asked how I cook our rabbit. I want to start sharing how we use it and any failures along the way. Hopefully, someone will use this or even feel inspired to start their own journey with raising and growing the food they consume.

Tonight’s dinner had a little piece of the homestead right on the plate… rabbit Alfredo. 🐇🍝🌿

Before anyone feels the need to question eating rabbit or raising our own food, I simply encourage you to learn more about where your food comes from and the journey it takes before it reaches the shelves at the grocery store. There is a lot that happens between the farm and the package sitting in the aisle and understanding that process can change the way we think about food.

For generations, rabbits have been a practical, sustainable source of protein for families. Raising and preparing our own food isn’t about taking life lightly it’s about respecting the animal, using what we have, and being intentional about what we put on our family’s table.

Tonight’s meal wasn’t completely from our land, and I don’t claim that it was. But the rabbit, garlic, and seasoning came from the work we’ve been putting into learning these skills and providing for our family. The rest came together from simple ingredients to create a meal we could be proud to serve.

That’s the beauty of homesteading it’s a journey. It’s not about being perfectly self-sufficient overnight. It’s about learning, growing, and slowly building the skills that allow us to become more connected to our food. It's definitely been a process, but it's been a very rewarding one knowing that we will have food security. Also, that we have control over our food sources.

Rabbit is a wonderful protein source: lean, mild, and incredibly versatile. Tonight I seared ours, finished it in the oven to keep it tender, and turned it into a creamy garlic Cajun Alfredo with Cajun seasoning, lemon, mozzarella, and itialian seasoning. A meal that was full of flavor and even more full of meaning.

There is something meaningful about knowing the story behind your meal. Knowing the care that went into raising it. Knowing that nothing was wasted.

Homesteading isn’t about going backward. It’s about moving forward with knowledge. It’s about learning the skills our grandparents knew, preserving traditions, and becoming connected again to the food that sustains us. It gives us the ability to step away from some of the unnecessary additives, over-processing, and convenience driven choices that have become so common, and instead choose simple, intentional ingredients whenever we can.

One meal at a time, one skill at a time. 🌱❤️

07/06/2026

The last 11 days have been exactly what my heart needed. 💜❤️

After a quick trip to Texas, I came home and embraced a true staycation. No rushing. No endless patient charts. Just home.

The garden has kept me busy in the best way. I've spent time harvesting, watering, and filling the house with fresh cut zinnias from the garden. There's just something about fresh flowers that makes a house feel even more like home.

I've been cooking from scratch, doing a little canning, preserving herbs for the months ahead, giving Milo's room a much needed update, celebrating the Fourth with friends, and soaking up every bit of time with my family.

It wasn't an extravagant vacation, but it was exactly what I needed. Slow. Productive. Peaceful.

These are the days that remind me why we're building this life at Butler Homestead. Not because it's always easy, but because it's worth it.

Today it's back to primary care. I'm heading in with a full heart, grateful for the rest, the memories, and the reminder that home really is my favorite place to be. 🌿❤️

07/03/2026

✨️Tonight's little experiment✨️

Salted Caramel Apple Crumble Buns... soft, fluffy, piled high with cinnamon apples, buttery crumble, and finished with homemade salted caramel. They turned out even better than I imagined.✨️🤤

06/30/2026

Lately I've been thinking about how much the homestead mirrors life.

Some things are blooming beyond what I imagined. Some things don't survive, no matter how much I hoped they would. This week it was one of my favorite tomato plants. I hated losing it...but tomorrow I'll plant something else.

In between all the gardening, we took a little trip to Texas and were blessed with time spent with Ethan's daughter. Watching relationships grow feels a lot like tending a garden small moments, consistency, grace, and patience.

Back home, Marlie spent the week at cheer camp, and I couldn't be more proud of her and her team for earning 3rd place! Watching our kids grow in confidence, work hard, and celebrate together is a harvest all its own.

This week I'm getting ready for the next chapter in the garden too: another planting of peppers and tomatoes, and pumpkins that I hope will be decorating our porch this fall.

God keeps reminding me that growth rarely happens all at once. It's found in the ordinary, faithful days.

"So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who gives the growth." 1 Corinthians 3:7

Here's to blooming flowers, second chances, growing families, and trusting God with every seed we plant.

06/24/2026

💐

06/18/2026

My zinnias have finally started showing out. 🤩💜

06/16/2026

💜💜💜

06/10/2026