Homesteading | Self Sufficient Living | Living off the Land
There are few things better than homemade jam... Especially when you've made it yourself! As much as I love to preserve and can, I always have a small moral crisis when deciding how to preserve fresh fruit. Most jam recipes are super easy and great for a beginner, but they also require you to cook the fruit to oblivion (therefore eliminating a lot of the good stuff in it) and then add cup after cup of white sugar... Not to say ...Continue Reading
So. We all know that a goat usually kids about 150 days after being bred. That's the easy part. The hard part is knowing WHEN you need to start staying close to the barn, and when it's ok to head to town for a leisurely afternoon of running errands. I am not a goat expert. However, this being my third year kidding, I feel like am I finally getting a wee bit more comfortable at being a goat midwife. Our very first kidding season ...Continue Reading
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
The Great Dilemma: You are asked to bring a dessert to a potluck, BBQ, or dinner party. Do you stick to your real food convictions and bring something "healthy", or cave in and bring a standard dessert loaded with white sugar...? I will confess that I've done both. Depending on the crowd, sometimes it's not worth it to use all my expensive, healthy sweeteners when they won't eat it anyway. Thankfully, fruit pies are a great ...Continue Reading
(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
