The Prairie Homestead

Homesteading | Self Sufficient Living | Living off the Land

Jill Winger

31 Comments | |    Last Updated: June 13, 2023

Butternut Alfredo Sauce Recipe

I felt slightly like a squash-hoarder yesterday... Growing my own squash wasn't in the cards for me this year, but that doesn't mean we're skipping the squash altogether... No way. So I paid a visit to our local farm store yesterday and loaded up on butternut, spaghetti squash, and beautiful pie pumpkins. My cart was full as I pushed it to the check-out, and you can bet I'll be going back for more. Does anyone else get slightly ...Continue Reading

138 Comments | |    Last Updated: December 27, 2023

The World’s Worst Homesteader

Yup. That'd be me. I found myself deep in thought last week as I was walked back to the house from doing barn chores. I had just assessed our garden, barn, and chicken coop, and was struck with a rather profound thought, which went something along the lines of, "I really suck at this." Ya'll. If there was a prize for the World's Worst Homesteader, it'd be MINE. As I surveyed our operation that night, my findings were ...Continue Reading

33 Comments | |    Last Updated: May 28, 2025

Easy Pan Fried Pork Chops

Preparing homegrown food is either extremely complicated or insanely easy... Depending on how you look at it. Such is the case with homegrown meat. If you take into consideration the time and effort required in buying or breeding the animal, keeping it alive to butchering age, making sure you feed it properly and efficiently as possible, and then processing it into neatly wrapped packages, you'll find yourself staring at ...Continue Reading

15 Comments | |    Last Updated: August 6, 2018

How to Braid Garlic

The way I see it, there are two very important reasons to braid garlic: Braiding helps garlic to last longer in storage, and is a more aesthetically pleasing option than throwing your bulbs in a mesh bag. You'll feel super-cool and extra-homesteaderish when you have garlic and onions hanging in your kitchen. Amen? I might have had a dismal garden harvest overall this year, but my garlic harvest rocked, thankyouverymuch. ...Continue Reading

54 Comments | |    Last Updated: January 24, 2018

Homestead Homeschooling: Year 2

And so it begins... We are officially in our second year of homeschooling, although I have to admit it almost feels like our first 'real' year. Last year was Kindergarten in the midst of a massive home remodel, so we had to keep things fairly flexible for sanity's sake. This year we have our books and learning aids organized in a special cabinet (instead of cardboard storage boxes) and unlike last year, there's actually a real table ...Continue Reading

46 Comments | |    Last Updated: September 27, 2016

Homemade Mouthwash Recipe

I'm pleased to welcome Dr. Eric Zielinski to the blog today-- you might recognize him from the Essential Oil Revolution Summit, as well as many of the amazing articles he writes and shares on his blog. He's an expert when it comes to natural remedies (and especially essential oils!) and is sharing his recipe for homemade mouthwash today.  When I met my wife 10 years ago, I fell head-over-heals in love with her almost instantly. We ...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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