The Prairie Homestead

Homesteading | Self Sufficient Living | Living off the Land

Jill Winger

68 Comments | |    Last Updated: December 27, 2023

Is Homesteading Really the “Simple Life”?

I found this quote on Pinterest the other day. "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." ~Leonardo da Vinci After I initially read it, I gave myself a smug pat on the back, since as a homesteader, I'm all about simplicity, of course. I have quotes about simple living plastered all over my house, and I am constantly using the word "simplify" in my conversations. But as I pondered it, I began to wonder if maybe I don't know as ...Continue Reading

32 Comments | |    Last Updated: March 17, 2018

10 Homestead Chores You Can Accomplish in 10 minutes or Less

When life gets busy, I tend to take a "triage" approach to homesteading... As much as I'd like to be able to linger for hours in the barn every day piddling around and making sure that everything is done properly, it just doesn't happen all of the time... So, on the crazy days, I usually find myself running (literally...) down to the barn to make sure the animals have some sort of hay in front of them and that no one is dead or ...Continue Reading

74 Comments | |    Last Updated: March 17, 2018

Can You Ever Be Too Frugal?

(Photo Source) If you've read this blog for any amount of time, then you know I am a lover of all things frugal. I am also a very detail-oriented person with perfectionist tendencies... What do you get when you combine those traits? The potential for an annoyingly-ultra-frugal-crazy-person. (Just ask my hubby) ;) When I first started my journey as full-time homemaker and stay-at-home-mom, I was obsessed with frugality. It ...Continue Reading

63 Comments | |    Last Updated: June 13, 2023

How to Make Cabbage Buns (aka Bierocks or Runzas)

When March rolls around, I start religiously checking the local grocery stores for cabbage sales. Cabbage usually isn't an expensive veggie anyway, but they practically give it away around St. Patrick's Day. While we aren't big fans of corned beef and cabbage at our house, I have found other ways to prepare this frugal food in ways that my family will enjoy. These cabbage buns are our absolute favorite! They are officially known ...Continue Reading

148 Comments | |    Last Updated: March 5, 2025

Goat 101: How to Tell When Your Goat is in Labor (Or Getting Close!)

So. We all know that a goat usually kids about 150 days after being bred. That's the easy part. The hard part is knowing WHEN you need to start staying close to the barn, and when it's ok to head to town for a leisurely afternoon of running errands. I am not a goat expert. However, this being my third year kidding, I feel like am I finally getting a wee bit more comfortable at being a goat midwife. Our very first kidding season ...Continue Reading

293 Comments | |    Last Updated: June 5, 2020

How to Render Tallow

Need an entertaining conversation starter with your non-homesteading friends? Try mentioning that you rendered beef tallow last week....The reactions will likely range from shock, to disgust, to confusion, to blank stares because they have no idea what the heck you are talking about. What is Beef Tallow? Tallow is simply beef fat that has been rendered (cooked down) to remove impurities. Rendered beef or sheep fat is called ...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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