VDL Acres

10/06/2026

Hello Everyone!

Last week I worked on cutting, splitting, and stacking of extra firewood. I focused on a large oak that had fallen a few years ago as well as a few smaller ones. The log splitter has been down and I currently don’t have the time to work on it so everything split so far has been by hand and it has sure been a workout! I still have a few more trees I’d like to clean up and stack yet this year so I’ve been fitting it in between the other projects we have going on but I’ll be sure to update on my progress as I move forward!

Just a quick update for you all! Stay safe everyone and we’ll see you all soon!

-Joe

10/05/2026

For a long time the instincts of wild animals were used as a way to tell us what nature had in store next.

In the early months of the year the appearance of migratory birds is often seen as the first signs of spring.

Nesting birds, new born fawns, and bunnies often suggest summer is near. Mid summer the sudden disappearance of birds and squirrels as they seek cover is common just before a storm.

As birds start to flock in the beginning stages of their migration they bring one of the first signs of fall.

In fall deer and turkeys graze fresh cut fields, squirrels forage and stash their finds, and migratory birds start their journey south. In simple terms the move.

As they start to move so do we. Fall is here and with is fallows winter. The last of our summer projects are done and it’s time to focus on securing ourselves so what comes next and plan for a successful winter!

Stay safe everyone and we’ll see you all soon!

-Joe

09/21/2026

The recent weather has had us move indoors for the latest project and it sure was it the perfect timing!

Over the last month we’ve been working on remodeling our smallest bedroom into a laundry room. It’s been one of our biggest inside projects and is on track to be the first room completed remodeled start to finish! There’s still a bit to go yet with the trim and new ceiling light but as of now it is a fully functional room!

Next up is to get the second floor bedroom started so Amy and I can make the move up there soon and we can move our youngest into our current bedroom since his has been taken over by a washer and dryer.

It’s been fun working through this project and I’d like to thank everyone who’s made it possible! There’s more to come! Until then stay safe everyone and we’ll see you all soon!

09/21/2026

Hey everyone! It’s been a busy few weeks with a lot of projects going on at once so I’ve had little time to post and wanted to wait till some of the projects came to an end before posting them.

With the changing of the seasons and our fall nights here bring colder temperatures it was finally time to switch gear and start working towards our final outdoor projects and starting our first preparations for winter!

There’s still a lot to do before then so stay tuned for updates as projects finish up for the season and we start the tasks that’ll take us towards that first snow fall of the year! I’ll have another post going up today along with this in of our most recent project with many more yet to come!

Until then stay safe everyone and we’ll see you all soon!!

-Joe

08/30/2026

Hi, Amy here!
Excited for new recipes coming soon!

We go out sourdough started! So excited to start making new sourdough recipes this year!

07/31/2026

Hey Everyone!

Thing have started settling down for us this week and we can finally start to focus on some of our other side projects along with some of the other projects around the property! Nothing really exiting right now as we start to get the ball rolling one of these projects. We will be updating everyone on this project in the near future so please stay tuned for more information. Until then stay safe everyone and we will see you all very soon!

-Joe

07/25/2026

🏡 Homestead One-Skillet Taco Mac 🧀 Streamlined Comfort Food

When the workday is long and the whole table is starving, there’s no shame in leaning on a few pantry shortcuts to pull off a cozy, stick-to-your-ribs meal in under 20 minutes!

This One-Skillet Taco Mac combines rich liquid gold Velveeta with a kick of taco spice and juicy Ro-Tel tomatoes. It's warm, hearty, and guaranteed to clear the table with zero leftover arguments.

🛒 Ingredients

* 1 lb Ground Meat (Beef, venison, pork, or whatever ground meat you have on hand in the freezer!)

* 1 packet Taco Seasoning (or homemade taco seasoning works as well)

* 1/4 cup Water

* 1 can (10 oz) Ro-Tel Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies (undrained)

* 2 boxes Velveeta Shells & Cheese

🍳 How to Make It

1. Boil the Pasta

~8-10 min

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook the shell pasta from both Velveeta boxes according to package directions. Drain well and set aside.

2. Brown & Season the Meat

~7 min

In a large heavy skillet (a trusty cast iron works best here!), brown your 1 lb of ground meat over medium-high heat until fully cooked. Drain excess grease if needed. Reduce heat to medium, stir in the taco seasoning packet and 1/4 cup water, and simmer for 1–2 minutes until thickened and fragrant.

3. Add the Kick

~2 min

Pour in the entire can of Ro-Tel tomatoes with green chilies (juice included!). Stir well to lift any flavorful browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let it simmer for 2 minutes to meld the flavors.

4. Bring It All Together

~2 min

Turn heat to low. Stir in the drained pasta, followed by both pouches of Velveeta cheese sauce. Fold everything together gently until every shell is completely coated in silky, spiced cheese goodness.

💡 Homestead Tips & Variations

> Make it Your Own: Top with a dollop of fresh sour cream, chopped green onions, pickled jalapeños, or crushed tortilla chips for extra crunch! If you're feeding extra-hungry farmhands, toss in a can of drained black beans or sweet corn to stretch the skillet even further.

Save this post for your next busy weeknight, and let me know in the comments: Do you prefer yours mild or spicy? 👇

07/24/2026

Had a few visitors while doing a bit of yard work yesterday! Very cool to see so many of these gentle slithering creatures all in one place and couldn’t resist capturing a few photos of there gathering! I got some very great videos too and those will be released soon. Until then stay safe everyone and we’ll see you all really soon!

-Joe

07/22/2026

The first of six new garden plots went in the other evening and just in time to get some fall harvest vegetables growing! While I plan on having all of them in place within the next week or so I don’t necessarily expect to fill all of them with plants yet this year.

That being said the ones I don’t plant in will be getting an additional layer of organic material (leaves/lawn clippings) on top of the compost layer then I’ll tarp it to allow everything to start breaking down ready for next year!

We are very excited for this new addition to our garden and will keep you all updated as this project progresses!

Stay save everyone and we will see you all very soon!!

-Joe

07/21/2026

Raspberries have started to ripen!!

A few weeks ago I posted about how the blackberries were blossoming but completely forgot about the raspberries! These delicious red raspberries are just starting to ripen with many more being ready to harvest really soon! This was a small batch but with how much these plants have spread over the years we will be picking, storing, freezing and making all sorts of delicious things out of them very soon!

Update on the blackberries coming soon! Until then stay safe everyone and we’ll see you all soon!

-Joe