How to make easy and delicious recipes on your homestead, out of basic ingredients. These are obviously much healthier than what you can buy from the store, even healthier than what you would order in most restaurants.
They can be really fun, too, not to mention cheap compared to eating out.
There are many stories and accounts of how Chili was developed. One of the more plausible versions I have heard is that in the 19th century, a cook on a wagon train traveling out west was preparing the evening meal. He was making beef stew, but found he had nothing but onions to throw in … Read more
Porridge is filling, nourishing, and warm and comforting on a cold winter morning. Or a cold winter evening for that matter. Who says it can’t be served for dinner. Porridge has been eaten in one form or another for millennia. Almost every culture on earth has a version of porridge. It is a basic, fundamental … Read more
Let’s face it – nothing beats a delicious loaf of bread. And wheat is a staple crop throughout much of the world. However, famine and other crises happen, and in a pinch, you need emergency food that will last a long time – and can be produced even when grain production has come to a … Read more
We’ve been drinking lemonade in America since at least the 1600’s as a simple blend of lemons, water, and sugar. Lemonade is a summer tradition, and along with apple pie, chocolate chip cookies, Chili, and Barbecue is an important symbol of our nation. Learn to make these traditional foods from scratch, and teach your children … Read more
Apples are part of American history. Apples originated in Asia, and were brought to Europe by the Roman Empire and to America by colonists. Desserts made with apples have been around for centuries. English colonists brought apples with them the New World, as only crab apples were native to North America. In 1759, a Swedish … Read more
Tree nuts are the edible meat contained within an inedible shell, which obviously grow on trees. Peanuts are a legume rather than a tree nut, and grow underground. Seeds are unrelated to nuts, and are the part of a fruit, flower or vegetable which germinates and produces another plant. The nutritional value of nuts and … Read more
Golden Milk has been used as a medicinal drink in India since ancient times. Although the natural and powerfully healing turmeric tea has been wildly popular elsewhere for decades, it is only now coming into common use in the United States outside of herbalist circles. Turmeric is my favorite healing herb of all time; I … Read more
Is homemade applesauce a lot more work than just buying it in the store? Of course, but it tastes so much better, that once you and your loved ones take a single bite you will forget how sore your hands are from all that peeling! If you have a fruit grove, apple trees, or simply … Read more
This whole roasted chicken is absolutely delicious! Although I typically roast the whole chicken in the oven, I also make in either our charcoal grill or wood smoker. Yes, as with pretty much everything, this recipe will taste even more delicious coming straight from the grill or smoker. Whole chicken made using this recipe literally … Read more
If you’re a homesteader, you probably have a few rows of garlic planted in your garden bed. Garlic is easy to grow and to harvest, and it is an extremely useful herb. Fresh garlic has been cherished for its medicinal properties for decades. People also use garlic as a surface cleaner, or even to repair … Read more
Deer jerky is both delicious and incredibly simple to make. Yes, that’s right, I said simple. Far too many folks think that making beef, deer or any other type of wild game jerky is a complicated and time-consuming process. Nothing could be further from the truth. I actually think it takes me longer to pick … Read more
It’s time to make some delicious apple butter! If you’re lucky, you’ll be picking a few bushels right on your homestead; however, even if you don’t have your own apple trees (yet!), fresh apples are abundant at farmers markets and pick-your-own orchards this time of year. So how can you take advantage of a good … Read more
Ground beef is truly the pinch hitter for your weekday dinners. It is inexpensive, easy to prepare, and it is extremely versatile. A pound or so of ground beef in your freezer opens up a world of possibilities; you can prepare almost anything for dinner this evening! Whether you sauté it on your stove with … Read more
The weather was cold, there was frost on the windowpane, and the sounds of sneezing and coughing could be heard through the house. We were in the throes of a blustery Michigan winter. Now, for anyone who lives in the Midwest you probably know how frigid and wild the winter weather can be. On top … Read more
If you’re a homesteader, you pride yourself on a full pantry. Every homesteader wants to keep a wide variety of preserved foods on hand, and enjoy the bounty of their garden and the farmer’s market all year long. But if you’re not careful, your pantry shelves will be lined with nothing but pickles and jams. … Read more
If you’re a homesteader and preserve foods, sooner or later you’re going to make pickles. When starting out with preserving foods, pickled cucumbers are often one of the first vegetables that people decide to can. Cucumbers are easy to grow en masse, and are inexpensive to purchase at grocery stores and farmers markets. And crunchy … Read more