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
The Crazy Hail Protection We Built for Our Garden
I finally had enough. The shredded vegetables. The waves of anxiety every time I'd see a storm cloud on the horizon. The months of work gone in a second. I just couldn't do it anymore. So we built a circus tent over the garden. A logical response, obviously. Ok, so maybe it's not actually a circus tent, but it definitely resembles one from the road. (And it's definitely caused more than one neighbor to do a double-take ...Continue Reading
The Best Resources for Safe Canning Information
I seem to have a knack for making online people upset with me in the most innocent ways. Call it a special gift, I guess. ;) Whether it's talking about meat chicken breeds, discussing diatomaceous earth, or jokingly saying that I have banned salt shakers from my kitchen table (some folks got REALLY UPSET over that one...), it's fascinating to me how the most benign topics can turn into spirited Internet debates. And the topic of ...Continue Reading
How to Make Milk Kefir
I never thought I'd have to set up "territories" on my kitchen counters. The crock of continuous brew kombucha occupies the east end of the kitchen island, the sourdough starter lives in between the sink and stove, and the occasional fermented veggies (like sauerkraut) reside near the overflowing egg bowl. And now, there's a new member joining the club: KEFIR. I've been aware of kefir for a long time, but always figured I had ...Continue Reading