If you are new to the idea of keeping chickens, then you may be wondering what purpose a rooster serves--other than waking you up at 5 am by crowing underneath your window in the mornings. *ahem* The question I most often hear from those who are yet to be initiated into the chicken-keeping lifestyle is, "Do I need a rooster in order to get eggs?" The short answer? Nope, you don't have to have a rooster to enjoy those lovely ...Continue Reading
Archives for 2013
DIY Flock Block Substitute
Today's post is by Colleen of Five Little Homesteaders. Her blog is a treasure-trove of homesteading info, so be sure to click over there when you are done reading this post! Colleen also generously allowed me to include this recipe in my Natural Homestead ebook as well. Raising chickens is one of my favorite parts of homesteading. I never could have imagined the different personalities that each of my "ladies" would have and how ...Continue Reading
It’s Here!! My NEW eBook– Natural Homestead!
It's done. Finished. Completed. Wrapped up. Buttoned up. Concluded. Published. And I can hardly believe it. This might just be the biggest project I have ever embarked on in my entire life. Yes, even bigger than building a half mile of fence or pulling those 1.2 million staples from the tumble-down pens on our property. But oh my goodness, what a learning experience it has been! I know many of you have been just as excited as I am ...Continue Reading
DIY Mint Extract Recipe
I get such a kick out of figuring out how to make commonly purchased items from scratch. Whether it be homemade tortillas, refried beans, or breadcrumbs, I feel like I've won every time I can put one more thing on my "never-buy-again" list. Homemade vanilla extract is super-duper easy to make, and there are tutorials all over the place. But did you know you can make other extracts too? This homemade stevia extract and today's mint ...Continue Reading
Honey Maple Pumpkin Bread Recipe
Some days you just gotta bake. And with our unusually blustery and chilly fall this year, I'm in the mood even earlier than normal. Unfortunately, most pumpkin bread recipes are more like cake. Not that there is anything wrong with cake, per say, but it's not the greatest thing to eat for breakfast. (And I like to eat my pumpkin bread--and my pumpkin pie--for breakfast, thankyouverymuch.) I pulled out all of the pumpkin ...Continue Reading