The Prairie Homestead

Homesteading | Self Sufficient Living | Living off the Land

Jill Winger

12 Comments | |    Last Updated: April 20, 2023

How to Cook Short Ribs

"What's for dinner?" Oh that dreaded question, am I right? Well today I surprised the kids with my answer (okay, in reality, they had no idea what I was talking about). My answer? Short ribs. Yep, I have some amazing-smelling braised short ribs cooking in the dutch oven as we speak. Not a typical meal, for sure, but there's just nothing like a from-scratch meal that's made with meat raised on your own homestead. And this meal doesn’t ...Continue Reading

51 Comments | |    Last Updated: March 4, 2026

How to Cook Round Steak

I was pleasantly surprised... ...to realize I'm definitely not the only one who struggles with using up those random packages of beef that are left in the freezer after the burger and steaks are gone. The first installment in the Cooking Through the Cow series, where we talked 'bout the finer points of beef shank was extremely well-received, which makes me even more excited to continue with the rest of the cuts. Did I ever think ...Continue Reading

45 Comments | |    Last Updated: March 11, 2019

How to Make Soy Candles in a Slow Cooker

Everyone assumes we must hate our brutal Wyoming winters. But I don't. (Well, not most of the time at least.)  Starting in October, I implement our winter evening ritual, which makes me ridiculously happy and makes these long, dark winters much more tolerable--especially on the evenings when the wind howls and the snow hits the windows like gravel. After putting the kitchen to bed for the evening with an empty sink and ...Continue Reading

23 Comments | |    Last Updated: November 20, 2018

How to Butcher a Turkey

**WARNING: This post contains graphic photos of the turkey butchering process. If learning how to butcher a turkey isn't your thing, feel free to skip this post. If you don’t eat meat, I respect that decision, and you won’t hurt my feelings if you click over here to learn how to make amazing mashed potatoes instead. However, my family and I have made the conscious choice to raise and eat meat, and I ask you to respect our choices as ...Continue Reading

38 Comments | |    Last Updated: February 20, 2020

The Ultimate Guide to Broody Hens

If I have a choice, I'll almost always pick letting a broody hen hatch eggs over ordering eggs from the hatchery every single time. However... that requires one important component-- something I don't always have. A broody hen.  The topic of broody hens isn't a horribly complicated one, but there are definitely some things to consider, so I decided to create this great big, giant, Ultimate Guide to Broody Hens resource to keep ...Continue Reading

10 Comments | |    Last Updated: November 6, 2018

Caring for a Cow and Her Calf After Delivery

Walking out to the barnyard to discover a fresh, wet newborn calf... It never gets old. As I documented our most recent after delivery experience for our YouTube channel (you can watch the video below) I realized we have our developed own sort of post-calving aftercare routine over the years. Would you be interested in hearing about it? (I'm picturing you nodding your head yes right now) M'kay. Awesome. Here we go. Now a brief ...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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