Homegrown & Homemade
If you like the feeling of digging up buried treasure, potatoes are the crop for you! We’re going on almost 10 years of growing our entire year’s supply of potatoes every year (or as Karl’s grandpa calls them: spuds!). In my 4-part video series on growing potatoes, I’ll walk you through how to prepare seed potatoes (including how many to get, trusted sources, and how …
Stuffing my face with big, juicy, homegrown raspberries is one of my favorite summer pastimes! Learning how to prune raspberries can be the difference between a successful harvest and a disappointing one. Pruning is necessary no matter which type you have, and doing it properly will give you the biggest, sweetest berries, and the most berries possible. It really does make a difference! Are your …
I love being able to grow shiitake mushrooms! It has been one of our most rewarding homestead endeavors. AND THIS VIDEO TUTORIAL WILL TEACH YOU EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW!Thorough and detailed instructions! Shiitake logs are actually pretty easy to make and the tools and mushrooms spawn are not that expensive. And shiitake mushrooms are a fantastic crop to grow in the shady parts of …
I see you out there… you with your thick walls of ice who haven’t defrosted your freezers in 3 years. This is for you. :) Defrosting your chest freezer regularly will help it have a longer lifespan, and your food will keep better. I’ll show you how to defrost properly, as well as what not to do. You’ll find both written and video instructions here! …
If there’s anything that homesteading has taught me, it’s that food is precious. The amount of work and love and care that goes into growing every calorie, whether plant or animal, is significant… so best not to waste any of it. Especially the organs: the most nutrient-rich part of the animal! This chicken liver pate recipe is mild and is perfect for anyone who doesn’t …
If you’ve never had a homemade marshmallow, you are in for a real treat— the texture, the bounce! They are nothing like store bought (which is a good thing!). And because these are made with only maple syrup (there’s no corn syrup and no cane sugar), the flavor is wonderfully maple-y and so delicious. The maple flavor really comes through in a lovely way, and …
Currently at the top of my “favorite things I’ve ever preserved” list! Freezing Chicken Tortilla Soup Starter is a fantastic way to take what is in abundance during the summer, and tuck it away as something incredibly useful and delicious for the winter months. I love stuffing the freezer full of high value items like this! And if you have tomatoes and peppers to preserve, …
A buttery rich homemade from scratch salted caramel sauce! Made with just a handful of simple ingredients including real cream and butter, and nothing from a can! Caramel isn’t hard to make, but there are a few tips that will ensure your salted caramel sauce turns out just lovely. WATCH THE VIDEO TUTORIAL FOR HOW TO MAKE OLD-FASHIONED SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE! CARAMEL MAKING TIPS #1 …
This fruit crisp topping recipe has been a looong time in the making! I’ve been tweaking it for years every time I make it, and it’s finally ready to share. Here’s what I love about it– it’s browned and buttery, wonderfully sweet, and not crumbly like plain granola. I want a fruit crisp topping that holds together and eats more like a cookie than just …
All about how to grow popcorn: one the absolute funnest things I grow in my garden every year! Homegrown popcorn is not only colorful and delicious, but unwrapping each ear feels like opening presents on Christmas morning. I didn’t start out as a great popcorn grower though. My first couple years I only got spotty, ugly ears… now I grow a ton of incredibly beautiful …
