The Prairie Homestead

Homesteading | Self Sufficient Living | Living off the Land

Jill Winger

17 Comments | |    Last Updated: May 1, 2020

Easy Orange Chocolate Mousse Recipe

Our Valentines Days' usually look a little different than most folks... Town is 35+ miles away, and finding a babysitter that day is all but impossible. Not to mention, I just don't get excited about heading to a crowded restaurant on a specific day because that's what we're "supposed to do". (I get really rebellious when it comes to holiday expectations sometimes... anyone relate?) And so, we usually stay home and eat homegrown ...Continue Reading

83 Comments | |    Last Updated: August 17, 2026

Homemade Spoon Butter Recipe

Teflon, silicone, and random plastic-y kitchen gadgets... They do nothing for me... Nothin'. Give me a good cast iron skillet and a wooden spoon and I'll be one happy gal. Lately, I've been hunting antique stores when I'm in need of new kitchen tools. Potato mashers with worn wooden handles, tarnished silver serving spoons, vintage carbon steel knives with lots of patina, and bowls with chippy edges bring a bit of extra warmth to ...Continue Reading

90 Comments | |    Last Updated: December 29, 2021

Where to Buy Heirloom Seeds

"Anyone who thinks gardening begins in the spring and ends in the fall is missing the best part of the whole year; for gardening begins in January with the dream." --Josephine Nuese As I type this, we are in the midst of a good old-fashioned Wyoming ground blizzard, complete with road closures, snow sand-blasting your face when you step out the door, and drifts higher than my knees. We knew it was coming when it dumped nearly ...Continue Reading

87 Comments | |    Last Updated: June 13, 2023

Homemade Hamburger Buns Recipe

It's 2ºF outside and here I am making homemade hamburger buns... By the time some of you find this recipe, we'll be deep into summer and you'll have stumbled upon this post after searching for a homemade bun option for your upcoming BBQ. But we're not BBQing here at the moment. The grill is buried under snow and everything outside is frozen. The pick-up truck door was frozen shut the other day. And the poo is frozen to the ground. ...Continue Reading

19 Comments | |    Last Updated: June 13, 2023

The Best Mashed Potatoes Recipe

"Does the world need another mashed potato recipe?" That was the question I asked myself as I pondered writing this post. My conclusion? Why yes, it certainly does.  I've eaten enough tasteless, pureed spuds at restaurants and potlucks to think a recipe with some handy tips is definitely warranted, not to mention I'm in the throes of recipe development anyway with my cookbook project, so what's one more thing to do in the ...Continue Reading

47 Comments | |    Last Updated: August 13, 2025

Canning Peppers: A Tutorial

Anyone feeling slightly exhausted as we near the end of harvest season? *raises hand* Oh good. I'm glad I'm not the only one. Our raised bed garden has proven to be a considerable success this year, despite my fears I'd mess up the soil mix and kill everything like I did last year.  However, I somehow forgot a side effect of the {sometimes elusive} successful garden is food. Lots and lots of food. Food that is my ...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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