Homemade Mouthwatering Salsa - Making & Canning
We've been up to our elbows (literally) in salsa lately. Our family really likes homemade salsa, maybe we have some Mexican roots somewhere in our genealogy. Except one problem - we can't take the heat. So no hot peppers. Forget the Mexican roots - I guess it's probably not there.
Simple Natural Remedy - Rocket Fuel
When anyone in our family gets a head cold, flu, sore throat, or similar ailments, we throw a number of weapons at it. One of our first lines of defense is herbal essential oils like the On-Guard blend. They are SO easy to use and effective as well.
But we find it's often a good idea to use a number of remedies simultaneously. Very often we'll also use hydrotherapy treatments as well, with excellent results.
But I'll have to say that one of our favorite (and tastiest) remedies is what we call "rocket fuel". This is NOT a nasty concoction like you may have tried in the past (does "Russian Penicillin" come to mind?). You actually make this drink taste good. If it doesn't taste good then you either added too much cayenne/ginger/garlic or you didn't add enough honey (the more likely problem). Raw honey is good for you and will soothe your throat, so don't be too stingy with it.
So here is what goes in this awesome drink... Continue reading
Food Storage
This last week I decided to tackle the large question about my food storage. Since Nick and I were married we keep visiting this question each year and stocking our pantry with the necessary items. Oats, Beans, Wheat, Rice, Salt, Honey, Dried fruit, Canned fruit, Canned veggies, Potatoes, Nuts, etc. But I started asking myself the question: Do I have enough food in my pantry to last me a year, till the next harvest? That's my end goal!
Newspaper Planter Pots
Commercial planter pots are very nice to have, but when you are starting a LOT of new plants and your budget is tight, it could be difficult to come up with enough of them. You can use empty plastic containers like yogurt cups, or I've even used Styrofoam cups before.
Wild Edibles & Huckleberry Recipes...
In any country setting you will have opportunities for taking advantage of the wild edibles in your area. If you are unsure of what is available to you, get a good book that will teach you what wild edibles are in your area.
Can A 'Real' Woman Live Off the Grid?
Woman-hood and Off Grid living... Most people I meet think those two words don't belong in the same sentence. As a woman living off the grid I'm often asked what its like 'roughing' this kind of living (with two little ones, no less!). Well, let me tell you...
Baking With a Wood Cook Stove
A wood cook stove is one of those indispensable tools on a homestead. Operating it is fairly straightforward, but many people seem to have difficulty with baking. I'll have to say though, after using one myself, I'd prefer cooking and baking on one! Seriously, you can taste the difference.
Old Fashioned Postpartum Remedy
A couple of months ago, we had our first child! The joy of finally meeting the bright little face that had been in obscurity for so long fails of finding words to describe. Still months later, we are enjoying every blessed minute of this precious little life. But this has got me to thinking that we have lost so much of the 'hand-me-down' knowledge from our Grandma's. So I decided to share with you an old fashioned postpartum remedy that I've been using.
Solar Dehydrated Granola
Want a melt-in-your-mouth granola? Try dehydrated granola - in the sun! There is nothing quite like it. My husband threw together a make-shift solar dehydrator for me.
Wheat Storage & Grain Mills
Storing wheat and dry bulk food items is an important part of homesteading. Just think what happened 100 years ago when the farmers harvested their crops of grain. You would have likely gone and purchased what you needed to get you through till the next wheat harvest. Then you'd carefully store it so that it would spoil or get infested with bugs. So here are a few tips that you'll find helpful in storing your grains.