Hey ya’ll, I’m Jess from Roots & Refuge Farm
Welcome to a place that feels like home. A small farm with a big family. We hope you’ll pull up a chair, grab some coffee and visit awhile.
There was a time that all I wanted in the world was a little farm where I could raise my family and grow our food. Now, that is exactly what exists outside my door. In watching it unfold, a new dream was formed in my heart – to share this beautiful life with others and teach them the lessons we’ve learned along the way. Welcome to our journey, friend. I am so glad you’re here.
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WHERE TO FIND US (Some of the links here are affiliate links. If you purchase through our links we’ll receive a small commission but the price remains the same – OR BETTER – for you! Be sure to check for any mentioned discount codes.)
– Our Website: https://rootsandrefuge.com
– Sign up for our newsletter: https://rootsandrefuge.com/yt-signup
– Join our Patreon to get early access to podcasts and other information, plus monthly LIVES with me and Miah: https://patreon.com/rootsandrefuge
– Abundance+ (Grab a FREE 7-day trial): https://rootsandrefuge.com/yt-wilder-still
– Shop our Stickers & Shirts: https://rootsandrefuge.com/yt-shop
– Order my first book, “First Time Gardener”: https://rootsandrefuge.com/yt-ftgbook
– Order my second book, “First Time Homesteader”: https://rootsandrefuge.com/first-time-homesteader-yt
– Instagram: www.instagram.com/roots_and_refuge
– Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rootsandrefugefarm
– Email Us: rootsandrefuge@yahoo.com
– To drop us a line:
PO Box 4239
Leesville SC 29070
– To have a gift sent to our house from our Amazon wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/SFA0IZHZRCOZ?ref_=wl_share
– To support us through PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/jessicasowards
-The music in this video is by our friend Daniel Smith
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PRODUCTS WE LOVE – You’ve probably heard me talk about these things a million times, so here’s where you can order them (and get a discount with my code!):
– Greenstalk Vertical Gardens (Use code “ROOTS10” for $10 off your order): https://rootsandrefuge.com/yt-greenstalk
– Squizito Tasting Room (Use code “ROOTS” for 10% off your order): https://rootsandrefuge.com/yt-squizito
– ButcherBox: https://rootsandrefuge.com/butcherbox
– Growers Solution: https://rootsandrefuge.com/growers-solution
– Neptune’s Harvest Fertilizer: https://rootsandrefuge.com/neptunes-harvest-fertilizer
#rootsandrefuge
47 Comments
Ben has such a sweet spirit! He’s so clever too! That line about the apron was pure gold! His reading ability is astonishing!
And i wanted to mention how absolutely adorable you look today!much love to you all 🥰❤😍💞😘
This made me so happy in so many ways ❤ I have a 12 and 7 yr old and they have slowly started appreciate the little things I do…. I unfortunately got switched to a 2nd shift position so as a single mom I'm not home in the evening…. but the weekends all of a sudden they want moms cooking they want to help me with the tasks think they miss their momma but his reactions are like my kids reactions now every Saturday and Sunday. Instead of me feeling like I'm pulling their teeth for help
Good job, Ben! I have 2 grown sons who help cook for their family and they started just like you. I bet that was a delicious early Thanksgiving dinner with extra special stuffing.
Here’s a cornbread recipe you might try which can be gluten free without special flour. It’s my father’s recipe from south Louisiana. 2 cups cornmeal, 2 tablespoons flour (but you don’t have to use that), 2 tablespoons sugar (don’t use this when making stuffing), 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 large eggs, 2 cups buttermilk (kefir can be substituted). Preheat oven with 10” cast iron skillet inside to 425 degrees. Mix dry ingredients then add slightly beaten eggs and buttermilk. When skillet is very, very hot, grease skillet (I use bacon grease) and pour in batter. It should sizzle when it hits the pan. Bake about 25 minutes until done and immediately turn out upside down to have crispy bottom. This is moist on inside and crispy on outside.
By the way, my mother, who was the generation where she did everything all the house work, all the cooking all the grocery shopping and worked physical hard labor, low-paying jobs, full-time at the same time. But trust me, my dad was working incredibly hard jobs too, but at that point, he didn’t know how to do any of the household stuff. So I learned very very young and I loved it, not the cleaning so much lol. But my mom had the patience to teach me to cook along beside her. Plus sewing, embroidering, knitting, and crocheting. My mother was a great cook and she could make something out of nothing and stretch food really well. None of my four older siblings never ever wanted to learn any of it!!! My sister never ever cooked. Her two husbands had to do all the cooking lol. But I loved it. I was in the kitchen since I was six by age 8 I could cook from scratch without any help. But I loved it and I loved the time with my mother and I’m 61 now and those are my best memories. And I my entire life have been known for my cooking. I paid for my children’s dental care and braces by selling my tamales. It had to be some thing I could do in the home. And with having five kids in seven years and not being allowed to work outside the home, which all I wanted to be ever was a mother and a wife. But because of my circumstances with one very moderate income, I had to be a very, very, very careful and precise, grocery shopper. Which I always went grocery shopping with my mama and knew very well how to pinch pennies. And I knew how to make something out of nothing. When other people would walk in to the kitchen and say I have nothing to make us to eat. I could walk in there and create a great meal. Thanks to my mom. And I just had an instinct for it all that she nurtured. In fact, my family said I did some of my best cooking when we were out of groceries and I had to improvise and be really creative. So I love what you do with your kids. I know that in past videos we seen your oldest two boys in the kitchen. And I love watching this video with you and Ben cooking together. You gave me a beautiful gift this morning. Thank you❣️😘🥰🌻.
Thank you so incredibly extremely much for this video today Jess❣️❣️❣️🥰😘🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🌷
I’ve missed Ben! P.S. “Baby Chips” is a constant laugh maker in our home, I love that you tell that story over the years so newbies can laugh also.
I am not usually one to complain, but I wanted to see your beautiful roasted turkey, ya lead me up the mountain, and did not show me the top,LOL. I do mini Thanksgiving as well a couple of times a year. It buys me a lazy day, because there are usually leftovers. Rainy days are such a good day for it too.
Just a couple weeks too early to be considered a Thanksgiving celebration along with us Canadians.
🇨🇦🍁🦃😊
Love how Ben is having fun in the kitchen! You have such a big family, maybe a walk in freezer would make your life easier, a used one from marketplace ;o)
Ben is great. Never too early to learn. A budding chef. 😊😊😊
I put my apron on when I need to stay on task in the kitchen. Dress for the occasion! I wear an apron most days. Plus…i have pockets for my phone and glasses and dog bags and dogs treats etc….everything I need.
I loved this blog! How much fun!! Ben is adorable and I loved watching you two working together. ❤
I love aprons too! I have separate indoor and outdoor aprons. I am a messy gardener and my outdoor heavy denim aprons have deep pockets so it is a win/win – keeping me less dirty and carrying my garden tools. No surprise that I am a messy cook/baker too so aprons are a must!
The face he made when he flipped the salt. Priceless. 😀
Ben may be a budding chef! My son and I used to flip through cookbooks together. Y’all giving me some beautiful memories ❤ 🥲
I love this video. As we grow our homestead it’s super helpful to see how kids are included in yours. That may seem extremely obvious but I think it’s cool to see how your kids homestead.
The look on his face when he tossed that spoonful was priceless! This was such fun!
I think Ben is going to take over your channel one day. 🙂
💐Precious moments in the kitchen with your child is priceless❗️🥰👍🏾
Gluten free cornbread🧐🧐🧐 realizing not everyone uses only cornmeal for theirs 😂
❤😀
I got my first apron last year for Christmas. I love it so much. I need to wear it more!
Sweet Jess, Turkey Dinner, now that sounds like a great meal. Ben is adorable, and very intelligent. He loves helping his mama out. He needs his own apron with his name on it.
I required my 4 kids to be able to cook Thanksgiving dinner by the time they moved out. That way I knew they could cook for themselves. So seeing you and Ben cooking Thanksgiving dinner made me smile. I told my youngest daughter that she needed to give me a Ben some day. Love your boy!
every thanksgiving I buy a lot of turkeys while they are on sale and my fiance and I have a mini thanksgiving about every other month and we love it.
ya’ll liking that Knob whiskey? I’m a big fan of scotch myself.
Omgosh, Jess! Best Vlog ever!!! Hoping Cooking with Ben becomes a regular feature!
Love seeing Ben cooking in the kitchen with you!
My 10 yr old daughter Kendra has really enjoyed making and decorating cakes for a while. For the last one I was completely hands off while she baked the cake! 🙂
I’d love bandana info and Tutorial. Mine always slide off
The last move on my "let's paint art work" is putting on my apron, it gets me right into the zone and I'm putting brush into color before I can think about it.
It be your own kids 😂😂
So nice to see Ben! He is soooo precious!
12:42 Ben’s little✨”Chef’s Kiss” here is adorable. (I know he got that from you too because you’ve done that in a few videos.)
Ben is the star of the show, just adorable, he is going to be a great chef.
Ben is so funny. Mini Thanksgiving is always good
Those elephant ears are amazing! I love Thanksgiving dinner anytime of year!
My mil used the washing machine to help her get on task. Her washing machine was in her kitchen and she always said she liked it there because when it was working she got working too!🙂
Good job Ben 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
I came home from work one day years ago to find my daughter had made cookies, she misread the measurements on the baking soda and used a cup instead of tsp.
Ben makes me laugh
Nooo!!!! You can’t just end the video without showing the dinner!!! And Ben has to do a taste test of his stuffing. Come on, don’t leave us hanging.
Awe Ben is so cute and really funny!! Turkey dinner is one of my favorites!!! I wanted to see the end results of the dinner😂
Having kids cook is mostly a math class! Good work mama!
I feel that way when I put my scrubs on as an RN…flip the switch,lol
Ben is going to be making thanksgiving dinner for everyone by himself before long and you won't have to do anything.
Ben is absolutely adorable!