Harvest and Cook a Homestead Dinner with Me (Spatchcock chicken) | VLOG

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[@maggievw1166]

I'll never forget my first spatchcocked bird...an 18 lb turkey. Cut the back -check. Flipped it over in the sink and attempted to crack the breastbone. After several minutes of trying Hubby came over, laid a hand on my arm and said, "Honey, she's gone. CPR won't help her now. Let's call it." I laughed so hard tears ran down my legs.

[@reneebeason7471]

When you’re watching a Roots and Refuge video and UPS shows up with your 3rd and 4th GreenStalks...today is a good day 😊😊😊

[@theresatyree3090]

What’s in your green stalks, I want to get! Do you like better than the garden tower.

[@reneebeason7471]

I’ve never had a garden tower but the GreenStalk has done very well for me so far. I have mostly brassicas and strawberries in them now. They are doing incredible! I’m going to put peppers and a few other things in the new ones. They really add to my limited growing space.

[@ardenpeters4386]

oh envy i wish I'd bought two!!

[@mylittlemisspompom8300]

😂 I'm still waiting for them to deliver my first one!

[@gelwood99]

@@theresatyree3090 Not having ever grown in a garden tower I would say you would LOVE the Greenstalk better, it cost half as much and the sections are larger allowing more root growth. I love my 2 and plan on getting more and I live on 3 acres so I do have room for flat gardening but it is so easy to grow on my deck and in my raised bed gardens and they give a beautiful look and feel to see them full of veggies.

[@Anna-tw1he]

Jess please don't feel nervous about making cooking videos! This was amazing and really helps us new gardeners (myself included) figure out how to use our harvests!

[@SerenaPeacock]

I love that she has a cooking channel now!

[@threewillowsfarm7779]

I love the reality that Jess brings to cooking food. This was delightful.

[@bygraceonly182]

I’m soooo glad I’m not the only one feeding my family so late at night because I’ve been outside with the animals and plants and dirt! 😅

[@woods-haven-half-acre]

yep, in the summer, but the rest if the year i’m just late because i’m homeschooling three kids...

[@aliciarains6245]

Lol. Same here!!!

[@RaisingRoosters123]

I’d love to see what a grocery store run looks like for you, since you grow so much of your food.

[@melissasullivan1658]

Lol, probably just toilet paper and ice cream.

[@homesteadingpastor]

Self sufficient is the way to go! 👍🏻🙌🏻😊

[@nicoleelizabeth9497]

@@melissasullivan1658 I’m assuming they buy things like oats and flour, pasta, sugar, cereal etc just pantry staples

[@LowcountryGardener]

I just got done watching Jill from Whispering Willow Farm newest video where she was planting in your garden and I had a thought. When you do your last garden tour on this farm, it would be cool if you had Jill come along for it. It would be like passing the key to the garden on to Jill. Just a thought. 🤔

[@indecisivegardener]

Looooove this idea.

[@RootsandRefugeFarm]

haha, we've discussed doing this!

[@LowcountryGardener]

@@RootsandRefugeFarm Nice 👍

[@steveegbert7429]

Oh yes, please do this! It will be such a keepsake video for both of you. But also maybe do a last solo video for you and a first solo video for Jill. The R&R WW Trilogy!

[@dreyno64]

I will be an ugly crying mess.

[@livingintoday1073]

Awe! Wow, I posted this request. I feel honored. So special....fyi, I met a woman that has been buying my chicken eggs. We walk the garden each time she comes over. I told her about Roots and Refuge and how Jess really makes gardening fun instead of stressful. I told her about Jess's book and that she should get it. I had only heard wonderful things about it. She asked if I had the book and I said no. Well she is coming over on Thursday because she not only bought herself a book but 1 for me too. I was so shocked and completely shocked that she would do that. A big part of my confidence in gardening even through my fails comes from Jess letting me know that fails are okay. And that is what I passed on to the lady that buys my eggs. Thank you Jess.

[@Alexis_9339]

Aren’t those random blessings wonderful? The book is fantastic.

[@jamjar5716]

Passing it forward reaps rewards. You are a wonderful person!

[@PromisedJubilee]

Aw! 😍😭😍😭😍😭

[@homesteadingpastor]

There’s still good people in the world in-spite of the evilness 🙏🏻😇👍🏻🙌🏻😊

[@ivanakusevic1492]

Hey Jess, dinner looks awesome, especially since you used your fingers to remove those lemon seeds 😁 I do that all the time so makes me happy to see you do it too. What I wanted to mention is that after making chicken broth I dry the bones (mostly the bigger ones) in the oven and then powder them with mortar and pestle into my own bone meal for the garden. I call this spreading the joy and goodness.

[@shodson314]

What a lovely idea! I need to try that.

[@charlenekociuba7396]

NICE conversion. I wonder what kind of bone is crushed for commercially developed garden additive. I think I'll copy you and make my own. I already make egg shell slurpy and have grown the most large taprooted kale that over wintered! It's as tall as I am now with flowers. It has taken over my raised bed! Now i have to give it a home of it's own if this is going to happen again next year.

[@ivanakusevic1492]

@@charlenekociuba7396 this is the first year I am using home made bone meal and ground up eggshells on my peppers and to tomatoes and cannot wait to see how they do. Good luck in your gardening adventure and I hope your harvests are abundant and delicious 😀

[@shodson314]

@@charlenekociuba7396 egg shell slurpy? Is that something better than crushing them and adding to the soil?

[@ivanakusevic1492]

@@shodson314 as far as I know slurry (mixing ground up and dried eggshells with little bit of apple cider vinegar and letting it sit for 20 min before putting it in water) releases Calcium faster then jus ground up shells.

[@jacqibelle]

Sweet lil Benjamin "You have already done that much cooking?" :)

[@tunneleddiscovery5]

Green beans and onions in a deeper voice. Lol I love this kid

[@Roehrtribe]

We need a “Hello little darlin’” 🌻 shirt!❤️

[@lindastrandquist2429]

Love how Ben wants to be where you are Jess and helping you. I hope he never loses that connection

[@buckbeaksgarden761]

The chicken turned out crispy and looks delicious. My boys love the skin crispy...thanks for the frying it before baking tip! I love the idea of the lemon garlic oil sauce.

[@SageandStoneHomestead]

"My boys that I birthed and breast fed for a year.... they don't care." 🤣🤣❤❤

[@brooklynbrooks6480]

I never comment, but I've been watching your videos a long time. I've never been this early and I just wanted to say thank you for always inspiring my day (and My family's day) with your quality content ❤ I hope you are as blessed as you bless us!!

[@mariegerwarth4406]

You weren’t invited to it lol You go girl ! That’s how real cooking is done

[@lilygirl5099]

So I've had my cat for 11 years now, and when I moved in with my boyfriend at the end of 2019 she attached herself to him. I've known that cat since she was a week old, but my goodness is she infatuated with him. So I get what you mean about the cats ditching you for the boys lol

[@tracylea2003]

When you all Bless us at the end of your video it always puts a huge smile on my face!!! Thank you for sharing your life with us!!

[@angiem107]

Me too! Makes me big smile! 😁

[@stephaniehanuman-dale6279]

Yummy 🤤 Sometimes I zest the lemon before juicing it and put the zest on the green beans at the very end of cooking them. The cooking heat releases the lemon oil and is tasty on beans🍋

[@bunnbunnrunn2548]

I have a lot of great memories as a kid snapping green beans for dinner. You are giving your kids (and us!) a great gift in cooking together!

[@littleblackdogsb706]

I love the idea about leaving the back bone in for roasting. I have always cut it out as instructed. Thanks, lady!

[@growingaHome]

Everyone should be blessed to have a Ben in their life! What a gem!

[@AnnMarieConwaySC]

So I was watching the live for you can't eat the grass ...Monday night...n guess who they mentioned as a great positive u tube influencer....yes you..... U go girl...all the way from Canada!

[@user-hz7kv6js6l]

I have learned to cook my dinner around 3:00 PM so I can be in my garden later in the evening.

[@coreydavidson3501]

I ordered that cookbook from your recommendations SO many years ago. :) One of the favorite things I have learned over the last year during covid is the joy of a spatchcocked roasted chicken with baby potatoes!

[@garynorcal4269]

I really like that you enjoy the "new/first" sunflower blossom. My wife and I ( urban Sacramento) converted our front yard into a rustic attractor garden and we get various blossoms 12 months of the year. 🙂🙃🙂😉

[@SimplyStacyL]

There was something so satisfying about the sound of the elephant garlic coming up

[@janeschmidt9611]

Ben is one blessed boy to have his mama help him learn gardening, cooking and working with animals. He asks the best questions! 🥰

[@TimosGarden]

you hit the season of the bean and im here with beans not even sprouting because its still too freaking cold... I envy you for your weather xD

[@RootsandRefugeFarm]

Our NEW SHIRTS are available for Pre-Order: www.b-unlimited.com/collections/roots-and-refuge The Harvesting Apron featured in this video: Roo Apron: rooapron.com/ref/rootsandrefuge/ The Cookbook that taught me how to cook: amzn.to/2SpzXr4

[@petyshaw3643]

Waiting for shirts to arrive, ordered 2 ❤❤❤🌷

[@skylinefarmstead1952]

I just bought the harvesting apron.

[@NunyaBitnas2119]

Squeeeeee I love the jersey!! I almost have the whole collection! LOL

[@stangehomestead8580]

Tell us about the GE ice maker?!?!?!

[@missp5714]

I gotta say Jess,you look amazing today!!! Loved watching this just like Everytime !! Your videos never get old😊👍😘

[@vitaR86]

Benjamin is so cute. He really is the best helper.

[@sydneybrooks7419]

Love Love your cooking videos!!! Your Sweet Potato Hash and Fried Cabbage have become super family favorites at my house!!❤️❤️❤️

[@diannemiller4754]

My childhood memories of green bush beans is snapping grocery paper bags full for a family of ten. We canned so many beans that I often got tired of the smell of them canning. I love them cooked in bacon. My mom made the best, I still try to get mine to taste like hers. Hi Ben, you are such a great helper while learning to cook with mom. "Ok let's do this"

[@MidwestGirl]

I really enjoyed this video. And, it's always a nice little bonus when Benjamin is your helper! Such a sweetheart.

[@katherinemikkola8316]

I can't help but to 💘 that kitchen of yours. Jill is one lucky lady. But you'll get one you will love more. You'll just need to be patient, it'll be worth the wait. 💘 ,prayers, and peace for you all.

[@TheBourneHomestead]

Ordered my new gardening shirt last week (haven't bought a store tomato in well over a year)! Now I feel like I need that apron. 💚

[@DayNaInBlackWhite]

I love Jess with her hair back and curly like this. She's totally hair goals. 😍

[@tamararoberts9307]

You're such a smart lady in gardening, cooking, raising kids and animals, and making videos helping folks like me. And I'm confident you're pretty intelligent all around. But what I love about you the most is your personality ,passion and heart ❤

[@NLDAadmin]

My mom, who grew up on a farm, graciously told me once that you don't need to trim off the pointy ends of beans, as they are the most tender part. Just trim off the stem end a small amount, and that maximizes the amount of bean that is available to fill tummies! She was right!

[@michaelatiller7570]

Jess, you are SO REAL! I freaking love it. You are like the Hollywood Star that girls like me needed growing up! You not only teach me about living in such gratitude with the Earth, but you encourage me to be who I am all the time!

[@kathysheesley463]

I agree with canned green beans! Part of my childhood, never new they can be anything but a little mushy!

[@debbieshride2169]

I absolutely love to see a child in the kitchen with their Momma!

[@ellenford4738]

Jess you are such a great mom. Your teaching skills are off the chart. Let me not forget to mention that Ben is such a awesome student.

[@joannesherwood3562]

Young Benjamin will make someone a wonderful husband. What with the self sufficient gardening nous, sense of humour, willingness to pitch in, and cooking skills! ❤

[@suehinson1629]

Ben you truly are a great blessing to my soul! You are such a beautiful helper, when I say "beautiful" I mean you are a well rounded helper, you are willing to help by doing what you already know and you don't mind learning something new as you give such a big hand to mom so the family can enjoy. (Just in case you were wondering. 😉) You make everyone around you so proud, even the multitudes of "strangers" that know you! We love you and your family and you have blessed us all!😇❤

[@PromisedJubilee]

This made me giggle a lil bit because I have a whole chicken defrosting to make spatchcock chicken too! It's a family favorite!

[@masontribehomestead]

I didn’t realize how inspiring this video would be! I am continually inspired by your gardening videos, but watching you prepare food for your family that you grew and harvested? A whole ‘nother level of inspiration 😭! I’d also like to say thank you for adding little tid bits of information, like how many feet of beans you typically plant for your sized family to eat regularly. We are a family of 10 and aim to grow as much of our food as possible, so little things like that are gems!

[@gillianmuspic2337]

I just smiled when Ben said 'first things first ' and brought the chair over before getting the fork

[@dianatennant4346]

That's why I love to see you do meals Jess. Never once thought about leaving the one side of the backbone attached on a spatchcock chicken so it was already roasted for the broth. Love the idea of foraging in the garden for dinner

[@nancyd.2881]

What I love about your videos Jess, is that you talk to us like we are right next to you. I love garden talk. I can talk all day everyday!

[@loriwatts4449]

I had to laugh when you say that you birthed your babies and breast fed them for a year. They don't mind your hands in their food. That is the same way I feel. My oldest told me one time that I just squirted him out and I'll let him know right quick that I had 31 hours of hard labor with him and he wouldn't let Ian until his dad went to the store and bought formula and bottles and while he was gone to the store my milk came in and my son started nursing! LOL I can't wait to see what you do with the place in South Carolina. I live in North Carolina and it is so beautiful here you will love it. I promise you will not miss the Heat or humidity because we have plenty of that here as well! I love it when Ben comes in and does a photobomb on your videos LOL. He is just the cutest little fella!

[@KeeKeeSoto]

I didn't know there was a name for that lol. I cook chicken this way all the time 🤷🏾‍♀️ Thank you for allowing us to harvest & cook with you & Ben 🌿💚

[@tabithawarren8249]

(Cont.)did that much cooking was priceless!! 🤪

[@theallenshire268]

This cooking video was way cooler than cooking TV because it included harvest and garden appreciation as part of the process. Thank you for sharing this recipe!! Can’t wait to give it a try.

[@holly_kay5570]

I don't know what it is about watching someone cook, but I loved it!

[@kristicrump9983]

Thank you for sharing a cooking video with us even though it's not your favorite kind of video to make. :)

[@jeremiahthelion]

As a curly-haired southern girl who's always fighting the humidity (east NC... basically a swamp), I take so much joy in your hair growing out! I'm trying to grow mine back out right now but now that it's in the 90's again I'm having second thoughts....😂

[@valleyhomestead]

*big boy voice* Green beans and onions. I love watching Ben grow up

[@joytotheworld2100]

Brings back memories of my kids as they grew up. They are all grown now & occasionally cook them dinner & use my garden bounty. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

[@carolmcmillan1108]

Ooh I get excited when I see you have a cooking video….besides gardening it’s my next favourite thing to do 👌🥰

[@abigailstaab5103]

I LOVED this episode. So fun getting to harvest and cook with you. I have 4 boys, ages 11, 13, 15, and 17, so I will DEFINITELY be checking out that cookbook you mentioned. Thank you for taking us along for this video! God bless!

[@harmonyfarm9232]

I have three little boys 5 and under. They love watching Ben. They goof around with him on the videos 😆

[@danielle-theeatonhomestead3516]

“No baby talking” Ben gave me such a good laugh! I say the same thing to my kids, his reaction was the best 😂

[@SerenaPeacock]

Okay two things. The meat around the spine of the chicken is my favorite part!! That green paint on your old cabinets is fantastic!

[@dreyno64]

Jess making a snarky face and laughing about the OCD folks griping about lemon seed picking....🤣🤣 - I would SO eat anything Jess cooked.

[@littlemonkey4021]

Maybe at your next place, consider building an outdoor kitchen like Doug & Stacy did 😉

[@karenlawson4888]

OMGosh, your little helper is so adorable! Thank you for sharing your meal prep! I am always looking for new ways and new meals - after 37 yrs of marriage it’s easy to get stuck in a menu rut!

[@latishakea2492]

Dinner looks so good. I just bought a meyer lemon 🍋 tree here in Virginia and can't wait to grow them. I never grew green beans but a lot of other foods and flowers from your videos over the years. This video not only encouraged me to want to grow some noodle beans but watching BEN in the kitchen is exactly how my helpful 7 year old C.j. is , which made me want to be even MORE PATIENT with my son! Thanks Jess and I may let him draw you a picture! GOD'S SPEED.

[@janellehansen4340]

It's so good to see how Jess goes from the garden to the stove... I've learned that it's one thing to learn how to grow it and a whole other thing to learn how to eat it!

[@herezdeb]

Looks like an awesome supper. So nice to see Ben help, too. Thanks for cooking! Bless You and Yours.

[@plentifulprairie]

LoL I love bens response to baby talking. My son is 20 now but he would do the same thing when I'd say that.

[@vivianramirez9367]

I love your attitude! I’ve been watching for two years now and I apply so much of your knowledge into my garden and have had great success. You remind me so much of my aunt who I love so much! She is a wise woman who cooks the greatest meals and loves to be out in the garden teaching and feeding her 4 boys. Stay safe and bless your family 🙏🏼

[@heatherj3030]

What a sweet video cooking dinner with your precious son. Also, having worked in a restaurants for several years, the cooks have their hands all over the food they are cooking too!😁 They wash their hands often, and after touching something that could cross contaminate, just like you did. Your food looks amazing, and anyone would be blessed to eat your food. May God bless your family during this time of transition, and congratulations on the new property.

[@ColRubyDimplesManacha]

Awww, sweet Benjamin is such a good helper! That chicken and dip look great!

That meal looked delicious! I had tuna salad sandwich + devilled eggs tonight. 😁

[@cindyburst]

Y’all are my heroes! I’m a native South Carolinian so I m interested in your future pursuits even though I’m now in Georgia. I feel like your proud grandma and humble student. So glad i found your channel. 💕💕💕

[@ADZAA.Adventures]

I love how ben watches/helps you so much!!!

[@staceyneal6713]

This is the kind of video I’ve been wanting to see from someone! Harvest, cook, serve! So wonderful! Thank you! I am inspired 💗💗💗

[@alicerodrigues8361]

This boy is so sweet, love you all!!!

[@hallierasbury65]

please tell your family " thank you" for sharingring you with me.

[@christinesimmons3313]

Love that you can turn on your camera and teach a cooking lesson with a raw chicken and a sink with dirty dishes. Real life. 👍👍

[@annedmonson4486]

Little Ben is just so sweet and what a cutie!! Love you’re video’s. Have a blessed day.

[@Meghannblair]

Loved this video. I have a 2 year old and a 2 month old. I’m 23 and am a former vegan so I have little experience cooking “normal” food. And I REALLY struggle cooking dinner and finding recipes that everyone will eat. But This year is the biggest my garden has been so I need all of the encouragement and ideas for cooking that I can get! I would probably make this with chicken breasts because I can’t quite stomach bone in meat but I really appreciate this video!!

[@sunmoonrise]

Trying to plant tomatoes and never have any harvest till now..still trying my best.

[@heidimobley4897]

My tomatoes last year were very dead by July. Blight. But, I learned about pruning and trellising and determinate and indeterminate. THIS year, I would succeed!!! A late frost after our last frost date killed my first set of Cherokee purples, my Brandywines weren’t big enough to put out yet. Undaunted I went to the nursery and got another set of Cherokees... planted with love... and the deer... Bambi ATE my tomato plants!!! 3 rd time is a charm i hope. I got a set of Black Princes(Siberian variety similar to Cherokee Purples) and put them in the ground along with my Brandywines and Sweet 100’s... we shall see what happens next 🤣. I sure have learned a bunch and I’m hopeful that come July I will be having tomato sandwiches!! If not, well, I’ll just keep trying my best 😁.

[@sunmoonrise]

@@heidimobley4897 me too...my tomatoes get flowers but then wilted maybe somekind of disease. But i will try more this year and beyond

[@growingupinthegarden8998]

Hey hey 45 minute roast chicken.... YEP thats gotta happen! Thank you jess, Have a lovely supper.

[@Candylandavenue1]

I know exactly what you mean about being out in the garden when you should be getting dinner ready. That’s why I start cooking at 2:30pm in the summer 😂😂😂

[@mellissabailey2592]

That is such a great idea.

[@jonipitcher8095]

Thank you SO MUCH for this video. It's hard to break out of the meal planning around the store. The teaching old dogs new tricks is hard. This is very helpful to see garden shopping.

[@sparetimegardener]

Hi! I'm a home gardener from Sweden that loves your channel. The rust on the hollyhocks comes every year because you have Malva moschata in your garden. At least that is how it works in Sweden. The rust needs to grow on the Malva the first year before it transitions to the hollyhock the second year. The only way to not have rust is to sow hollyhock so early in the season so that it flowers the first year.

[@kellymoody8726]

THANK YOU!!! I know it is outside of your comfort zone but it is so great to see how you use your farm harvest!!! ❤️❤️❤️

[@aprilcarmen2492]

I love that your little boy joined you in the kitchen. Boys need to learn to cook from scratch too!

[@carolinalazcano21]

Thank you for sharing your cooking. It felt very relatable that rush feeling from start to finish. We usually see you so Mello and relaxed in the garden. This was a different and more real view of a Momma at work. You're a hard worker.

[@MsJay0913]

Lol. I absolutely get that... I leave home too early to do much in the garden in the mornings, but then I wait until it cools down to go out when I get home.. So I end up not eating until 8 or later.. Lol.. It does help that I do most of my eating before I get in for the day, so I'm usually just eating something light for dinner.

[@georgiakristine4224]

Oh my sweet Ben is the Best helper !! Love from Georgia!! 🌻🍑🌞

[@kimberleylager854]

Harvesting/garden tour videos aside... one of my favorite videos. Thank you for sharing

[@petyshaw3643]

Green beans & onions....lol he is so adorable ❤❤❤🌷

[@DeborahBrown-tj7wx]

Ahhhh the perfect home worn cookbook! Love it! My first cookbook was the 1964 edition of the Betty Crocker cookbook. I still use it to this day and, yes, it has the lovely water and grease stains you refer to. Can definitely tell what my favorite recipes are just by looking at the "lovingly used" pages. God bless. Oh...and sweet little Benjamin is definitely your protege! He is so interested in everything garden and even cooking....good for him!

[@shervin6711]

Yay! Need ideas how to use our garden too! More than grow! Thank you!

[@Barbwheel]

I am pescatarian but I cooked my dinner along side yours for company. 🙂

[@charlottesesco8795]

Me too