The Prairie Homestead

Homesteading | Self Sufficient Living | Living off the Land

Jill Winger

81 Comments | |    Last Updated: June 30, 2023

Canning Peaches with Honey and Cinnamon

There are two things I don't like about canning. #1- I don't like how hot it makes my kitchen. But since building a summer kitchen isn't on our current to-do list, I can't do too much about that problem for the time being. #2- Many canning recipes call for boatloads of sugar... For some recipes, like my honey-sweetened Chokecherry Jelly or my Strawberry Freezer Jam, I've learned how to use alternate sweetener or ...Continue Reading

112 Comments | |    Last Updated: May 20, 2026

How to Make Non-Stick Eggs in a Cast Iron Skillet

Think you need a coated "non-stick" pan to make scrambled eggs? Not so! It's totally possible to make a perfect, non-sticking batch of scrambled eggs in your trusty cast iron skillet. And today I'm going to show you how. Cooking with Cast Iron I used to have a bunch of cheapo, non-stick pans that I used on a regular basis. But when I became aware of the health hazards connected the chemicals in the coating, I promptly ditched my ...Continue Reading

79 Comments | |    Last Updated: January 30, 2024

How to Make Peanut Butter From Scratch

Guess what I'm doing at 9:00 on a Sunday night?  If you guessed making homemade peanut butter, then you'd be right. (That's what we do for a good time out here on the prairie. We're wild like that...) Peanut butter can actually be a very healthy food. That is, when it's made with healthy fats and no refined sugars. Unfortunately, your typical-everyday-choosy-moms-choose-it brand of peanut butter is seriously lacking in ...Continue Reading

18 Comments | |    Last Updated: July 30, 2015

How to Grow Broccoli in Your Fall Garden

I'm pleased to have Susan of Itzy Bitzy Farm sharing today! She is a wealth of gardening info, and will give you everything you need to know about planting cold weather crops. (This is something I really need to work on!) When the heat of Summer is at its highest, that is when I know it is time to think about planting cold weather crops for Fall and early Winter harvest. Many gardeners do not realize that from zones 5-8 one can grow ...Continue Reading

47 Comments | |    Last Updated: October 6, 2016

How to Put Together an Essential Oil Toolkit

Essential oils can be kinda overwhelming at first, huh? Not only are there a million-and-one different oils to choose from, but then comes the question of accessories... Oh, the accessories. Two of the top questions I get are, "What oils should I start with?" and "What else do I need to go along with them?" Today I'm going to introduce you to my most-used oils, along with the tools that you'll want to have as you dive into the ...Continue Reading

107 Comments | |    Last Updated: March 17, 2018

Baking Soda… for Goats?

We homesteaders sure do love our baking soda, don't we? I think it's really only second to vinegar when it comes to being one of my favorite all-purpose ingredients. From carpet cleaning and deodorizing, to de-skunking dogs, to scouring and cooking, you won't be sorry if you keep a big ol' bag in your pantry. And I've found another use for it: feeding it to my goats! I've actually found that many goat breeders offer free-choice ...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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