The Prairie Homestead

Homesteading | Self Sufficient Living | Living off the Land

Jill Winger

44 Comments | |    Last Updated: July 19, 2022

Raising Pigs: Pros and Cons

By Heather Jackson, contributing writer I blame Craigslist. A year ago we added a new adventure to our lives when we responded to an ad on Craigslist and went to pick up three cute, squealing, pink pigs from a nearby farm to add to our homestead.  While we have thoroughly enjoyed having pigs on our little farm and having the pork in the freezer, owning pigs isn't for everyone.  Here are some pros and cons to ...Continue Reading

69 Comments | |    Last Updated: June 13, 2023

Eggnog Recipe

As a kid, I was absolutely certain... I was taking my own life into my hands every time I would eat raw cookie dough. My mom did a very thorough job of scaring us silly about the life-threatening dangers of raw eggs. Sad to say, it didn't stop my sister and I from pinching off bits of dough when she wasn't looking... Without fail, I'd get a stomachache an hour or two later (Not from the raw eggs, but rather the raw sugar and ...Continue Reading

7 Comments | |    Last Updated: April 10, 2019

Hot Chocolate Recipe with Whipped Cream Cutouts

By Renee Kohley, contributing writer It's a fact: December = hot chocolate. We make it a tradition the weekend after Thanksgiving to decorate the house for Christmas and enjoy the first night of Christmas lights with mugs of hot chocolate with whipped cream. A few years ago when my oldest was getting at that age where she wanted to try *everything* that we were having, I decided I really needed to figure out a way for all of us to ...Continue Reading

233 Comments | |    Last Updated: June 15, 2020

Whipped Body Butter Recipe

Don't eat this... I just wanted to get that out in the open right now because it's very, verrrry tempting. OK, well technically you *could* eat this whipped body butter recipe, because the ingredients are perfectly safe, but it'll taste kinda gross. The Prairie Kids were circling me like sharks when I made this last week, and were utterly confused when I told them to rub it on their hands instead of licking the beaters... It's ...Continue Reading

7 Comments | |    Last Updated: August 31, 2018

The 2014 Homesteader’s Gift Guide!

Say goodbye to the fruitcakes and ugly sweaters... The 2014 Homestead Gift Guide is here and ready to roll! You know,personally, I think us homestead-types are pretty darn easy to buy for. I mean, we're pretty much interested in everything, and easily amused too, for the most part. (Canning jars? YAY! A new egg basket? YAY! Knitting needles? YAY! New muckboots? YAY!) BUT if you need a jumpstart to your gift-buying efforts, I know ...Continue Reading

111 Comments | |    Last Updated: May 3, 2020

Lemongrass – How to Grow It and Use It

By Anni Winings, contributing writer I first came across lemongrass while visiting a farmer's market in Florida while we were traveling. The little old man handed me a bunch of lemongrass stalks and said, "You put those in water and they grow again." He picked up another stalk and showed me how to chop it and use the inner part of the lemongrass. It smelled amazing when he chopped it up, and I bought a couple of bunches of ...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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