Personal stories and reflections from my home and heart.
Cooking oil is a pantry staple that has far more uses than just frying up some delicious fried chicken. Both the versatility and long-shelf life of cooking oil make it a fantastic multi-use item for preppers and frugal homesteading folks alike. Pouring cooking oil down the drain can cause clogging either quickly or over time. … Read more
Although the homestead lifestyle as a whole tends to embrace a more self-reliant, simpler existence, it does not automatically require you to remove all the fantastic technology that can make your life easier. Nor should it. Using modern appliances is not a crime. I am sure that very few people want to return to a … Read more
It’s been snowing for three days straight, and it is impossible to keep my solar panels clear. Without my solar panels, I have no electricity. As you might expect, that’s a huge problem! For those living in houses connected to the grid, power is rarely an issue. However, there are countless people living off-grid and, … Read more
Solar panels are an almost free way to generate electricity, but in some cases, you don’t want to keep your panels outdoors. This could obviously lead to efficiency issues, which is what I want to investigate and test out in what follows. The question I’m trying to find and answer to today is: Do solar … Read more
The other day, I was looking at some old pictures of my grandfather. He was one of the early pioneers who started a homestead on the Canadian prairies. Wow, it was a hard life for those early pioneers! Things were certainly different in those days. It is difficult to see how they managed to survive. … Read more
Is it legal to live off-grid in the United States? In most cases, yes – but this isn’t a dream that will work for everyone. It’s a dream that many people have, though. In fact, if you mention to anyone that you live off-grid, most people will gasp and tell you how lucky you are. … Read more
Deciding I wanted a lifestyle change late in life, I caught the off-grid living bug. Did I want to be self-sufficient? Well, I do not think I asked myself that question at the time. However, it sounded like a good idea then – and still does. Exactly how much land do you need to be … Read more
Well, it’s winter here in South Africa now and the temperatures are dropping to between 6 and 10 degrees Celsius on some days. You know what that means? It means warm clothes, tons of hot chocolate, and heaters are on – a lot! Now, last year we used halogen heaters; they’re relatively cheap and they … Read more
When I first got started homesteading, I had no idea how challenging it would be – or how rapidly our backyard garden and “just a few chickens” would explode into something that became a lifestyle and later, for us, a full-fledged business. Today, on my farm, we have several large gardens, a 30” x 96” … Read more
Vinegar is one of those staples that I always keep in stock around my house and homestead. I rely heavily on it, using it as an alternative to harsh chemicals and other abrasive agents. Not only can it be used for a large variety of recipes in the kitchen, but it’s also a super miracle … Read more
Buff Orpington ducks have an extensive history of being both high quality meat, and egg birds. These hardy beauties cannot fly away and can thrive both on large homesteads and in small town backyards. Ducks of this breed are affable, docile, and bond well with their keepers. In addition to being used just for their … Read more
Starting a homestead is an exciting process. Learning to be more self-reliant and produce your food and energy on the land you live on is rewarding. Everyone from the city to the country can start a homestead, whether it is fully self-sufficient or not, however some people don’t have the luxury of a large plot, … Read more
You’re baking cookies or wrapping up homemade caramels, and what do you reach for? Chances are, it’s wax paper. I always keep a few rolls of wax paper in my kitchen, just because I never know when, exactly, I will need it. It’s a versatile material that can be used for all sorts of things … Read more
The Amish lifestyle in real life is a lot different than what most folks watch on television reality shows. Amish communities are present in most regions of the United States, but the largest congregations are located in Pennsylvania and Ohio. The culture in Amish communities varies in many cases. Amish and Minnonite communities may share … Read more
If you have a farm, you might be wondering about the best ways to winterize your barn… Truth be told, there’s no single right way to winterize a barn, chicken coop, or any other kind of livestock housing facility. The steps that you need to take to do so will depend largely on where you … Read more
This year marked our very first garlic harvest! We were excited to try our hand at growing garlic for the first time, and we were pleased to be able to harvest several dozen cloves. Even more exciting was the prospect of bringing it into the kitchen, and using it in our cooking. What wasn’t so … Read more