If you want an update on semi homesteading life for November 2024 here in the Midwest, then this article is for you! I’ll show you what is going on with the garden, the chickens, in the kitchen, and with life in general.
With these updates, I hope to do more of a “journal” type of post at least once a month to keep you updated on life here. Hopefully, it will allow you to get to know the person behind these articles (me!) and how we run our semi homestead a bit more.
This will allow me to share the loads of photos I take on my phone instead of having them collect dust in my camera gallery. (You can also look for updates on Instagram if you want to follow along with me there, too.) I’ll also try to link to posts that might be relevant to what happened during that timeframe.
Hopefully, you enjoy getting to know a bit more about our life here in Illinois and how the homestead is going – Both the good and the bad!
Our November 2024 Update For The Semi Homesteading Life
In October, the garden was cleared out of all the dying plants and vegetables. We do this chore in the fall as opposed to waiting for spring for several reasons. Mainly though, we want to prevent unwanted pests and bugs from overwintering there in the dying and decaying plant materials.
However, there is still life to be seen in the garden. This is because we use a cover crop of annual rye to protect the growing rows.
All November long, it continues to grow and stay green until the ground freezes. It’s a welcoming site when the rest of the homestead is turning brown and dull.
In addition to the cover crop, there are a few rows that still need to be protected as well as our raised beds. While I have used cover crops in the raised beds (and I have it in the far back bed if you can tell from the 2nd photo), I find that mulch works just as well.
Also, the rows that we planted our fall garlic needed covering, but we didn’t want to use a cover crop. Instead, we used shredded leaves as well as pine needles as mulch. Both materials are definitely readily available this time of year so they make the perfect cover crop for those rows.
Pumpkin Puree
One of the last things we did harvest from the garden was pumpkins. We don’t have the space dedicated for larger carving pumpkins (we go to my parent’s farm for those!), but I always try to plant a few mini pumpkins as well as pie pumpkins.
From those pie pumpkins, we like to make pumpkin puree. It’s really easy to do and allows me to have pumpkin on hand for our Thanksgiving meal.
I also like to freeze it so we can pull out a bag of puree any time we are in the mood for something pumpkin flavored! It’s a nice treat when you are in the middle of a cold and snowy winter.
Even if you don’t grow your own pie pumpkins, you can usually find them in plenty this time of year at almost any grocery store. They are sometimes called “sugar” pumpkins. As long as you have an oven and a food processor, you can make pumpkin puree and use it anywhere a recipe calls for canned pumpkin.
Chicken Update – November 2024 Homesteading Update
The chickens are doing well and still enjoy hanging out both inside and outside of the chicken run. Once the snow hits, I guarantee those ladies will be indoors 24/7!
The main thing we are dealing with right now is molting. Molting is where the adult chickens lose some or all of their feathers each year and new ones grow in. Some of my birds molt during the fall and some wait until the middle of the winter to do this task.
However, almost ALL of the young ones are molting right now, so it is making a huge mess in the chicken run and coop. I typically go out there and rake up the feathers every couple of days just to stay on top of things and keep the place a bit tidier.
Woolly Bears
Have you ever heard the old wive’s tale of the Woolly Bear Caterpillar? Some people call them “Woolly Worms” in other locations, but we call them “Wolly Bears” here in the Midwest.
According to legend, the wider the rust-colored band on the caterpillar is, the milder your winter will be. However, if there is a lot of black on either end of the caterpillar, then you better watch out!
The Woolly Bear is the larvae of the Isabella Tiger Moth. The caterpillars look for places to overwinter like underneath a piece of bark or between rocks and logs, so you can often find them climbing over sidewalks and on roads.
The caterpillar has black bands around both the head and the rear with the middle being this dark rust orange color. Supposedly, the wider the black parts are, the worse your winter will be. If the head end is longer, then the beginning of winter will be rough. If the butt end is longer, then the end of winter will be harsh.
You can believe what you want to, but Woolly Bears are a fun way to “predict” the upcoming winter each year. It’s something the kid and I both look forward to seeing in the fall!
Some Recipes I’ve Made – November 2024 Homesteading Update
With there being less work needed in the garden and outside, I spent a lot more time in the kitchen. That’s one of the advantages of life slowing down a little bit in late fall and winter.
One of my favorite things I made this month is a homemade pie crust. I used it for my apple pie for Thanksgiving and was so happy with the results. I was able to combine recipes from both of my late grandmas into one that turned out flakey, delicious, and oh so good! (And that’s coming from someone who isn’t a pie crust person!) It’s a definite keeper and one I hope to write an article on at one point.
I’m also on a mission to not buy any bread, hamburger buns, hot dog buns, or biscuits all fall and winter long. That also means I’m on a mission to get the best recipe for these items with lots of trial and error in the process!
One of the ones I’m working on is a sourdough discard sandwich loaf that my grandma wrote. It isn’t quite where I’d like it to be. I think a little tweaking will make it perfect! In the meantime, I have a perfect yeast sandwich bread recipe which is perfect for slicing. (It’s a good thing I am a huge fan of carbs because of all the bread we’ve had around here lately!)
Recipe Links
If you would like to try some of the recipes that are in the above photos, I have a few of them on the website already. Others, I’m either still working on or just haven’t posted yet. You can find the ones I do have here:
- Angel Chicken Pasta
- Shortcut Carrot Bars
- Sourdough Discard Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Old Fashioned Pancakes
Miscellaneous Pictures – November 2024 Homesteading Update
As usual, I’ll leave you with some miscellaneous homesteading pictures. I take so many different pictures throughout the month that it’s hard to get them all on just one post so I like to do a photo dump at the end of my updates.
Deadheading our mum to extend it’s blooming period. 
The “little” girls are full grown now! 
Our fern got moved to the back of the house to keep it out of the direct sunlight. 
Love this view from our backyard. 
The SHL windmill 
Shelling popcorn grown on my parent’s farm. 
My son hauling away our Christmas tree for this year. We always get one the day after Thanksgiving.
You can tell that winter is just around the corner. Between the chill in the air and all the leaves changing colors and falling off, I know I can’t escape the coming of the new season (probably my least favorite of them all).
however, I am looking forward to a bit of slowdown and the darker nights forcing us inside a bit more. It’s a time to reflect and think about what goals I have for the 2025 garden – because I definitely have plenty!
Until next time, thanks for stopping by!
– Chelsea
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