8 remaining
Pulled Pork Mac & Cheese
Tender smoked pulled pork served over creamy homemade mac and cheese.
$8.00This Week’s Meal Drop
Smoked. Homemade.
Ready for pickup.
Pulled Pork Mac & Cheese is back! Place your preorder before this week’s meals sell out.
- Order by
- Thu, Sep 10, 3:24 AM
- Pickup
- Thu, Sep 10 · 7am-7pm
- Where
- Find Jess
Learning by doing.
The projects are different, but I tend to work through them the same way. I figure out the problem, make a plan, try it, and keep notes on what worked and what needs another pass.
3Projects completed
1Projects active
3Videos published
A few builds
Featured projects
A few things I’ve built, fixed, cooked, or worked through. I’m still adding the missing notes and photos.
PlanningCurrently DocumentingDIY & Builds · Planning · Date not set
Turtle Pond V2 / Turtle Mansion
PondTurtle EnclosureLandscaping
The current stock-tank pond worked as a temporary setup, but roughly 40–50 gallons is far too small for three adult turtles. Turtle Pond V2, the Turtle Mansion, will replace it with an approximately 4 × 7 ft raised wooden pond with roughly 350–400 gallons of finished capacity. The goal is a much larger, permanent habitat with more swimming space, better filtration, and a clean built-in look that fits the existing enclosure.
Read the project →
CompletedCurrently DocumentingDIY & Builds · Mar. 7–11, 2026
Building the First Outdoor Turtle Enclosure
Turtle EnclosureCarpentryLandscaping
I built this enclosure to give my three turtles more room to swim, bask, explore, and spend time outside. Version 1 started with a stock-tank pond, a homemade basking box, fencing, rocks, and a dirt area for moving around on land. I adjusted the ramp, fencing, and landscaping as I saw how the turtles used it.
Read the project →
OngoingCurrently DocumentingWeb & Digital · Aug. 2026
Building the Creative Lex Website
WebsiteReactTypeScriptAI-Assisted Development
I built the Creative Lex site into a working custom-order system, then kept changing it as the branding, order details, and owner workflow became clearer.
Read the project →
OngoingWeb & Digital · Aug. 2026
Building the Dark Bloom Farmstead Website & Business System
WebsiteBusiness SystemFarmsteadAdmin Tools
I started by building Dark Bloom Farmstead a real home online. As I worked through what the business would need when ordering returns, the site grew into a lightweight system for handling orders, customers, availability, waitlists, expenses, and the other details that are easy to lose across messages and notes.
Read the project →
CompletedCooking & Content · Mar. 3, 2026
Smoking Pulled Pork for a Crowd
BBQSmokingLarge-Group Cook
I made pulled pork for roughly 30 people at a work potluck. I kept the pork savory, built the flavor around smoke, bark, and seasoning, and served sauce on the side for anyone who wanted it sweeter.
Read the project →Need a website?
Have a business? Let’s build something for it.
I build custom websites and simple online tools for small businesses, from product pages and portfolios to preorders, Admin tools, and custom ordering systems.
Right now
What I’m working on
These are the things still on the bench, in the yard, or waiting for the next step.
Planning
Turtle Pond V2 / Turtle Mansion
The current stock-tank pond worked as a temporary setup, but roughly 40–50 gallons is far too small for three adult turtles. Turtle Pond V2, the Turtle Mansion, will replace it with an approximately 4 × 7 ft raised wooden pond with roughly 350–400 gallons of finished capacity. The goal is a much larger, permanent habitat with more swimming space, better filtration, and a clean built-in look that fits the existing enclosure.
Next: Finalize the remaining structural details and material quantities, then begin clearing and preparing the pond footprint while protecting the existing turtle nesting area.Read the notes →OngoingBuilding the Creative Lex Website
I built the Creative Lex site into a working custom-order system, then kept changing it as the branding, order details, and owner workflow became clearer.
Next: Add fresh screenshots of the current siteRead the notes →OngoingBuilding the Dark Bloom Farmstead Website & Business System
I started by building Dark Bloom Farmstead a real home online. As I worked through what the business would need when ordering returns, the site grew into a lightweight system for handling orders, customers, availability, waitlists, expenses, and the other details that are easy to lose across messages and notes.
Read the notes →Videos
Watch the work
Some projects get recorded along the way. Those videos live here too.
▶Build Video · Mar 2026
We Got Turtles… So I Built This for Them
My original video from the first outdoor turtle enclosure build.
▶Build Video · Mar 2026
I Smoked Pulled Pork for 30 People… Was It Enough?
My video from the pulled pork cook.
▶Build Video · Apr 2026
I Turned a Whole Brisket Into Smoked Pastrami
My video from the pastrami brisket cook.
Recent notes
Latest journey entries
Quick notes on what changed, what broke, what worked, and what I learned.
Started the Dark Bloom Farmstead website
OngoingBuilt the first Dark Bloom Farmstead website
OngoingExpanded Dark Bloom into a business system
OngoingExpanded mixed and bulk ordering
Ongoing
About the journal
I like figuring out how things work.
I document the plan, the work, the problems, and what I would change next time. I do not always start with the answer.
About Hands in the Smoke →