The Prairie Homestead

Homesteading | Self Sufficient Living | Living off the Land

Jill Winger

33 Comments | |    Last Updated: March 17, 2018

If a Butter Mold Could Talk…

Now that we are milking our cow, instead of the goats, we have something I've been earnestly waiting for ever since we started our home dairy journey: CREAM. It's beautiful stuff, folks. And the fact that you can agitate it and make it turn into butter? Well, that's just magical. The first time I watched the thick cream turn into bits of yellow butter in my food processor, I may or may not have started doing an impromptu ...Continue Reading

48 Comments | |    Last Updated: June 13, 2023

The BEST Homemade Burgers

You know what makes me sad?  Unseasoned burgers. There is SO much you can do to make a hamburger patty special, there is no reason to leave the poor little things plain. NO reason at all. Hubby has dubbed these "the best burgers ever" and I often serve them for company with rave reviews. Oftentimes, I just go through my spice cabinet and dump in whatever sounds good. So, feel free to substitute or add in any other ...Continue Reading

63 Comments | |    Last Updated: June 30, 2023

Six Tips for No-Stress Canning

(No, this isn't my pantry-- but I sure wish that it was! ;)) Canning is no longer just for your grandmother! What was once a practice that was considered only for "old-timers," is now gaining popularity with the younger crowd. And I love it! More and more people of all generations are starting to have the desire to learn how to can and improve their food security. Growing a garden and fresh food preservation go hand-in-hand, but ...Continue Reading

36 Comments | |    Last Updated: June 6, 2017

Don’t Take it for Granted: Raising Rural Kids

Life is all about routine, and it seems that the more often you do something, the more you (unintentionally) take it for granted. Right now, my routine consists of making a home and the endless amount of chores that come with running a homestead. As a result, Prairie Baby spends a LOT of time outside with me. Sure, I could wait to do all my chores until naptime, but I usually can't fit them all into those precious few hours. And, ...Continue Reading

22 Comments | |    Last Updated: March 17, 2018

Improvised Milking Equipment: An Update

I'm always trying to come up with better systems and ways to do things here on the homestead. Anything that can save a little time and make everyday tasks a little more streamlined is always at the top of my list! A while back I wrote a post on improvising your own goat milking equipment. Like I stated in that post, you don't have to shell out wads of cash to have safe, functional equipment for your home dairy. Since starting to ...Continue Reading

40 Comments | |    Last Updated: May 1, 2020

Chocolate Coconut No-Bake Cookies (Dairy-Free)

Back before our real food conversion, I use to make a form of the classic no-bake cookie on a regular basis. You know, the kind you whip up in a saucepan and then plop on waxed paper to cool and harden? Well, last week I was in need of some quick cookies for a picnic, so I went to grab my trusty recipe. And I stopped dead in my tracks. TWO whole cups of sugar to make one small batch of cookies. Now, don't misunderstand, I am ...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.
Read My Story