Oh tomatoes... You and I really have a love/hate relationship sometimes. I love you for your flavor and versatility... But I hate how finicky you can be to deal with in the garden sometimes... Don't get me wrong-- I've had some bumper tomato crops resulting in jars and jars of savory homemade sauce. However, there are plenty of years where I end up dancing around my tomatoes inability to ripen on time, or end up staring at boxes ...Continue Reading
Archives for September 2015
How to Plant Garlic
Planting garlic is easy... Unless you're 34 weeks pregnant, and then I would equate it to running a marathon. In the past, I often took time off from growing a fall garden due to having kids. BUT those pregnancy/early years are behind me now and I've been planting fall gardens more often than in the past. Don't get me wrong, sometimes, life on the homestead gets pretty darn busy and I still don't do much in the garden in ...Continue Reading
Cheap Milking Equipment for Home Dairy
Cheap isn't always better. I've learned over the course of my homesteading journey that sometimes being willing to pay a little more for a higher quality item is completely and totally worth it in the end. I've applied that philosophy to essential oils, cookware, and canning equipment, and it has served me well. Going for the cheapest option, while tempting at first, can often bite you in the rear later down the road.(Says the ...Continue Reading
Pico de Gallo Salsa Recipe
The most magical thing about cooking from scratch... ...is how the simplest foods suddenly take on whole new life when combined in just the right way. Tomatoes, onions, jalapeños, garlic. Basic ingredients most folks can easily grow in their garden or nab at the farmer's market, right? But when you toss them in a bowl with a splash of lime juice and a smidge of cilantro, they become something magical. Pico de gallo (aka salsa ...Continue Reading