The Prairie Homestead

Homesteading | Self Sufficient Living | Living off the Land

Jill Winger

209 Comments | |    Last Updated: May 6, 2026

The Best Beginner Sourdough Bread Recipe

Learn how to make a simple homemade sourdough bread recipe in your very own kitchen. This is a homestead-version of sourdough bread, which is a non-fussy technique that will not require complicated measurements or instructions. This recipe is perfect for people (like me) who like a simple, hearty loaf that doesn't require tons of effort and time. Sourdough bread feels like the ultimate in homestead baking. But it gave me FITS for ...Continue Reading

111 Comments | |    Last Updated: December 22, 2021

How to Make Your Own Sourdough Starter

Flour and water. That's all you need to make your own yeast in the form of a homemade sourdough starter. With just a little bit of patience and this simple recipe, you'll have a starter that will decrease your dependence on the grocery store and help you make the most amazing sourdough breads, pancakes, crackers, brownies, and more. Sourdough captured my imagination way back at the beginning of my homestead journey. I actually ...Continue Reading

7 Comments | |    Last Updated: March 20, 2020

The Ultimate Guide to Growing Sprouts

Knowing how to grow sprouts at home is a simple skill that everyone should have in their arsenal. Gardening is therapy for me. But I get it that many folks can't have a big garden. Heck, I know Jill has a love/hate relationship with gardening in the wacky Wyoming weather, and I get it if gardening isn't your "thing" at all. But today we're talking about how you can do some very easy, unbelievably productive "gardening" right on ...Continue Reading

214 Comments | |    Last Updated: June 13, 2023

Easy Dough Recipe (for Bread, Rolls, Pizza, & More!)

There's a time and place for artisan loaves and fancy brick-oven pizza crusts... And then there's a time when you are staring at the flour and yeast in your cupboard and just wanna make a basic loaf of bread because there isn't any at the store... This recipe is exactly for those latter situations. Never made bread before? This is the recipe for you! Have minimal ingredients in your pantry? No problem. Don't have a ...Continue Reading

30 Comments | |    Last Updated: December 27, 2023

The Great Big List of Toilet Paper Alternatives

Here I am... 34-years old, mother of three, successful business owner... writing a post about toilet paper alternatives. Life is weird. The empty store shelves and non-stop Facebook posts about paper products have shown me that Americans put a higher priority on toilet paper than I ever thought possible. I'm hopeful that in a week or two, this post will be completely unnecessary, as the store shelves will be overflowing with ...Continue Reading

11 Comments | |    Last Updated: June 18, 2020

Beginner’s Guide to Raising Laying Hens

This guide to raising laying hens will help you learn everything you need to know for raising healthy and happy chickens and it will help you get the tastiest eggs possible from your laying hens. Learn about what you need to consider before getting your first chickens, get a quick look at some of the best laying hen breeds, how to get different colored eggs, and how to keep your hens healthy all year long. I have no self ...Continue Reading

Nice to Meet You

I’m Jill. I’ve never been very good at following prescribed paths.

For the last 15 years, that instinct has led me through homesteading, entrepreneurship, and creating a life my younger self could have only dreamed of.

These days, I’m less interested in living the perfect "old-fashioned life" and more interested in knowing which ideas are worth carrying forward. The first half of this story was about building a homestead. The next part is about building a life that actually fits.
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