Wanna know how you can instantly feel like a homesteading rockstar? Learn how to whitewash something. I say this because: (a) It'll make all your friends give you a weird look (I always enjoy that) (b) It's delightfully old-fashioned (c) It actually does provide some benefits to your barn/coops (besides just making you feel cool) Whenever I think of whitewashing, my mind instantly goes to Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. But before we ...Continue Reading
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What I’ve Been Reading Lately…
Last week the ground was covered in a blanket of white. This week, it’s 70+ degrees and my kids are “swimming” in the buffalo wallow. A tinge of green is appearing across the prairie that’s been brown for an eternity. It’s coming. I'm looking forward to sun, soil, and long evenings spent outside. Although... a part of me will miss the peaceful nights curled next to the fire with a good book. But I know that time will come ...Continue Reading
When Modernity Leaves Us Wanting
Last month I spent time taking photos at a few old homesteads. There’s something about these abandoned places that feels sacred to me. A sort of magic lingers in the air. The veil feels thinner. There's an energy of lives lived, time past, and love shared. I can't explain it, but I can feel it. Yet my rushes of excitement often swirl with twinges of sadness. Especially as I witness the growing decay from year to year. At ...Continue Reading
Water Glassing Eggs: How to Preserve Your Fresh Eggs for Long-Term Storage
During the spring and summer, our coop is overflowing with freshly laid eggs…so many eggs! As an experienced chicken keeper, I know that our wealth of eggs won’t last forever, and by late-fall, all of our hens' efforts tend to take a hiatus, and it’s like they go into an egg-laying hibernation. Once you have owned chickens for a time, you will become aware of your chickens' laying habits. Not all chickens stop laying in the winter ...Continue Reading
Homemade Strawberry Rhubarb Jam Recipe
I couldn't grow a fruit tree if my life depended on it. But I CAN grow a mean crop of rhubarb... so at least I have that going for me. Ok, fine.... rhubarb isn't technically a fruit (yes, it's a vegetable...), but we basically treat it like a fruit when we smother it in sugar and bake it into pies and tarts. Or make strawberry rhubarb jam. While I’m a big fan of freezing fruits and other foods to use later on in ...Continue Reading