Holz Hausen - Fast & Efficient Firewood Stacking

I'm somewhat new to stacking firewood and have found that over the past 4 years not only is it hard work but its also like doing a challenging Jenga puzzle, making sure everything lines up perfectly so it doesn't tip over.  My husband and I recently invested a substantial amount of time stacking unseasoned wood along our property only to find the next morning raccoons had knocked over our prized wooden towers creating a big mess.  After all the hard work gone to waste, we gave up and let the wood piles sit while we formulated a new plan.

Recently my husband had read about building "Holz Hausen" (meaning wood house) for firewood in Backwoods Home magazine.  When he told me about it, I had check it out online to see if this was an option for us.  Once I saw a picture of this neatly stacked circular structure, I was sold.  In Germany this method is used to create solid circular structures which not only look neat and tidy (my favorite feature) but are designed to season and dry firewood faster.

We decided to give it a try...

First we took a rope which we knotted at 4ft and attached the rope at the center of the circle with a stake (you can also have someone hold it in place) and measured out an 8ft diameter circle.  We then used the rope to as a guide to create a border with medium pieces of firewood (it works nicely if they're all about the same size).  This border, as seen in the photo below, creates a ledge for the first layer of wood to rest at an inward angle.  

  

Then the stacking began.  Whats great about this method is that there is no balancing needed, you just stack layer upon layer and from the ground up the structure is very strong.  Within 15 minutes two of us had already stacked 2ft of wood into the 8ft diameter circle.

While stacking its important to make sure the firewood is placed at an inward angle.  There were times when the angle seemed to disappear and this was easily fixed by placing a slender piece of wood along the outer edge. 

There's even a place for all those funky wood pieces that are hard to stack.  They can be easily thrown into the center where they will also season and dry.

At 3ft we placed a medium size branch over the top for added stability and continued our stacking.

 Once again at 4ft we added another branch across creating an "X" and continued stacking.

We could have kept going but we completed our firewood pile that needed stacking.  Apparently these Holz Hausen structures can be built up to 8ft.

All this in only 45 minutes!

More information about building Holz Hausen here.

Homemade Artisan Bread

Fresh artisan bread is one of my all time weaknesses.  Whenever I would shop for groceries, I gladly handed the cashier $6+ a loaf.  If I bought a loaf each week, along with my sandwich bread loaves, I wonder how much I actually spent on bread in one year?  Ah!  I better leave that one alone.

Good thing for divine intervention...

This is one of my homemade loaves...

One of the greatest gifts I ever received from a good friend is a book called "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day" by Jeff Hertzberg, MD & Zoe Francois.  From my very first loaf, I was truly empowered to create my own bread at home quickly and easily, no kneading required.  I haven't bought a store bought loaf of bread in 6 months and my family and I enjoy fresh artisan breads every day.

"Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day" offers a simple master dough recipe that I use over and over again.  Flour, Yeast, Salt & Water are quickly mixed together in a bowl and the rest is history.  Actually theres a bit more to that but the overall process is pretty effortless.  My favorite part once again, no kneading!

After I have pre-made my dough recipe (which makes 4 - 1 lb loaves of bread), I cut off what I need and quickly shape it into a loaf setting it onto a silicone baking sheet to rest.  After it rises, its only 30 minutes in the oven until the bread is complete.

This loaf has risen and is ready for baking

Only 30 minutes of baking until my bread is complete.

Finished Artisan Loaf

As soon as I become more familiar with the bread making process (which didn't take long at all with their easy method), I experimented with adding whole grains, cornmeal, spent grains (from our beer brewing) to create different tastes and textures.  Long story short,  it all tastes great and I'm sure my bread expenses have dropped to a third of what it cost me before.

For those of you who are on gluten free diets, the authors have another wonderful book with simple bread recipes called "Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day"

Wild Strawberries!

Wild they were!  I used to pull these out of my garden like mad the first year I moved into our home and every time they grew back with a vengeance.  My pulling them out just stimulated their growth and within weeks they were taking over again.  I thought they were a nuisance because they were "too small to eat".  Then one day, it dawned on me, free food!  So they may be small and take some time to pick but they're free!  

What can I do with these tiny strawberries?  I can make the best strawberry jam ever with way less sugar than store bought jams.  So on a sunny day with a bowl in hand, I sat with my strawberries and filled my bowl.  It took close to 30 minutes to fill my bowl halfway but it was a peaceful mediation in the garden with songbirds flying low overhead like I was just another plant.  

Once my bowl was filled, I went inside and gave the berries a quick rinse before mashing them down with a spoon.  I had about 2 cups worth which I mixed with 1/4 cup of sugar & 2 tablespoons of instant pectin.  In just a few minutes of mixing, I had made a few small jars of freezer jam.

Freezer jam is great because there is no preserving involved and can be done quickly which is perfect for small batches, like these strawberries that ripen in spurts.  

Welcome to The Homesteading Experiment

Sustainability and self sufficiency has been a long term goal in our household.  We've recycled, eaten organic and tried to make healthy choices as often as possible.  Then we moved to Washington where we bought our home with a bit of land and the doors opened even further.

We started by planting a small organic veggie garden and composting. As time passed, we learned more about homesteading and the possibility of being self reliant on our land.  We then began brewing our own beer (for half the cost of store bought), baking our own artisan breads (bye-bye $6.50 a loaf!), canning our own jam (with free wild berries from our yard), and adopted some organic egg laying hens (whose eggs taste way better than store bought organic free range eggs).

Now that we have started this way of life, I don't think we'll ever go back to our old ways.

Here you'll find stories about our homesteading experiment, along with tips, recipes and other helpful information to help you with your own homesteading adventures.  Enjoy!