The Prairie Homestead

Homesteading | Self Sufficient Living | Living off the Land

Jill Winger

44 Comments | |    Last Updated: April 10, 2019

Bacon Wrapped Vension (or Beef) Tenderloin

There are so many things that I love about cooking with wild game.... It's truly 100% organic It's grass-fed, making it very nutritious It's frugal (if you process the meat yourself) I really enjoy the thrill of the hunt when I go antelope hunting with my hubby. It really is something special to go all the way from harvesting the animal in it's natural habitat, to cutting up the meat, to then serving it in delicious ...Continue Reading

35 Comments | |    Last Updated: April 10, 2019

Homestead Decor: DIY Chicken Wire Frame

Life is too short to live in an uncomfortable space. You definitely don't need your house to look like it came out of the pages of a magazine, but I think it's vitally important to surround yourself with things that make you relaxed and happy. And guess what else? You DON'T have to shell out the big bucks to create a warm and welcoming home. Over the last year or so, I have redecorated a large portion of my house, and I've spent very ...Continue Reading

26 Comments | |    Last Updated: November 3, 2016

My Homestead Goals: Old and New

Yesterday, I shared my 3 best tips for setting successful goals in your own homestead situation. Today, I wanted to do a quick re-cap of last year's goals. As you can see, not everything always happens quite like we expect, and that's ok!  There were several of my 2011 goals that got de-prioritized simply because unexpected projects popped up. You'll find my brand new list of 2012 goals at the bottom of this post. My Old 2011 ...Continue Reading

26 Comments | |    Last Updated: June 13, 2023

Gingerbread Waffles

Raise your hand if cold weather gives you an inexplicable urge to spend a ridiculous amount of time in the kitchen making bread products. Me me me! I was trying to cut down on the amount of grains we consumed, and we were doing pretty good. Until recently................... Last week it was extremely cold, and I only spent *just* enough time outside to get the water tanks chopped and the hay fed. I didn't bake much this ...Continue Reading

86 Comments | |    Last Updated: April 16, 2021

How to Dehydrate Eggs (or not)

  Lest you think that everything I attempt always turns out perfectly (not that you had any reason to actually think that...), allow me to share my adventure into the world of egg dehydration. Since my post on freezing eggs got so much positive feedback, I thought I'd look into some other ways to preserve extra eggs for later. You can pickle them, cover 'em in lard or grease, and even "water glass" them by immersing them ...Continue Reading

8 Comments | |    Last Updated: April 26, 2016

A Creative Way to Organize Herbs and Spices

(If you are looking for this week's Barn Hop, it's directly below this post!) In case you missed it, I was thrilled to be featured on Cheeseslave's Real Food Kitchen Tours last week. Many of you commented on the photo of my spice drawer where I keep my herbs and spices in half pint mason jars for better organization. Well, today I'm over at The Better Mom giving you some tips and how-tos to make your own colorful spice drawer. It's a ...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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