I've shied away from posting a canned tomato sauce recipe forever. Not because it's hard... Not because I don't make tomato sauce... Not because I don't have tomatoes... Mostly just because I've just been too lazy to write down my ingredients any time I make a batch. So there you have it. Now that's off my chest, I feel better. Anyway. Of all the things I can (like peaches with honey and cinnamon, canned apple ...Continue Reading
Easy Homemade Dill Relish Recipe
I did it again. I PROMISED myself I wouldn't let my pickling cucumbers turn into monsters this year. And then I did. In my defense, I was checking the plants regularly... one day the cucumbers were the size of my pinky finger, and the next day, they suddenly resembled a baseball bat. How does that even happen? Regardless, foot-long pickling cucumbers aren't super desirable for making homemade pickles... mostly because they ...Continue Reading
Honey Currant Jam Recipe
Homegrown fruit and I do not have a good relationship. The apple trees I planted? Dead within 10 months. The blueberry plant? It didn't stand a chance. The raspberry patch? I get about a cup per summer if I'm lucky. The strawberries? Maybe a bowlful on a good year. It's not entirely my fault... Wyoming's growing season isn't exactly conducive to fruit orchards. I gave up for a while, until I started doing a ...Continue Reading
Will My Kids Fall Behind? (And Other Homeschooling Questions)
I've never been this excited to get back to homeschooling... I'm in year five of this homeschool gig, so it's not exactly a novelty anymore. Yet I've found myself literally counting down the days until we're back to the books next week. What a weirdo. Is it because I redid our school room and I can't wait to sit on the new rug and drink my coffee in there? Maybe. Is it because we're doing a deep dive into American history ...Continue Reading
My Favorite Ways to Preserve Food at Home
Here it comes... The cucumbers, beets, and tomatoes are rolling in, with the potatoes, onions, corn, and squash not far behind. I have a love/hate relationship with this time of year. I love it because it's the pinnacle of what we've been working towards since early spring (HARVEST!), but holy moly... it can be overwhelming sometimes. More than ever before, I feel like now is the time to have full pantries, cupboards, and ...Continue Reading
