Rustic, Buttered-Onion Deviled Eggs

(gluten-free, paleo, grain-free, vegetarian) I think deviled eggs should always be described as rustic. Is there a food that is more homespun, wholesome, and natural than the egg? I think it would go against my morals to create fancy swirled deviled egg filling with a piping bag. Plus, that just takes too much time. Deviled eggs are already a labor of love, especially when you have to peel farm …

Bacon, Sausage & Ham Omelette Rollup with Kale

(gluten-free, grain-free, paleo) Yes, all three meats! Because, why not? This is something you’d like to make on a Sunday afternoon for brunch. When you have highfalutin company coming over. For dinner, served with a fresh, crisp and slightly sweet salad. Or even just to keep in the fridge for easy re-heatable breakfasts for a few days. I sent this to work with Karl for lunch …

10 Creative Protein Sources for Chickens to Help You Save Money on Chicken Feed

Don’t be fooled, “creative” is just a code word for weird. We’re about to dive into some really odd stuff here. It might make your stomach crawl, but your chickens will love it! Plus, these ideas really can help you save money on chicken feed. We wanted our meat birds and egg-layers to be of the highest quality, raised in the best conditions, living healthy and …

Unique, Fun, & Naturally-Minded Gift Ideas

When I give a gift, I love it to be thoughtful and from the heart. And homemade when where I can! I also am a sucker for other people’s artisan handiwork, or just plain-old good ideas for things to improve, simplify, or beautify our lives. And I think these things make great gifts. I like to seek out the unique, the different, the handmade, or the-something-you-don’t-see-everyday. And …

The Single, Most Important Thing You Can Do to Prepare for Chicken Emergencies!

This isn’t a post about what to keep in your chicken first aid box or how to treat bumble foot, gape worm or mean roosters. But it is about one powerful tool, the one thing that has the most potential to help you in a chicken-crisis or poultry-emergency. It is something I was reminded of just last week when we lost one of our hens; one …

Homestead Gifts: Handmade Holiday Evergreen Kissing Ball

I love a gift straight from the heart- and this Kissing Ball is just that. I grew up on a Christmas tree farm; the trees were planted when I was about four years old, and for many years- from middle school to college, every holiday season I stood out in the cold Wisconsin weather and sold Christmas trees to happy families. They’d bring their dogs, they’d have …

Dehydrated Vanilla Bean Pear Slices

One thing at the top of our homestead to-do list was to plant fruit trees, especially pears. They grow well in our hardiness zone, they have amazing flavor, are quite versatile, and with the right variety they even store well. My favorite way to preserve pears is to dehydrate them. In mass quantity I slice them into wedges for dehydrating, but sometimes I like to class …

A Chicken Story: Transitioning from House to Coop

I posted last month, my confession that we had two chickens living in our house. I really enjoyed having them around, but with fall approaching (which means winter is soon to follow) I knew they had to transition to sleeping outside with the rest of the flock. They slept in a sturdy, but slowly deteriorating cardboard box in our foyer. During the daytime they would …

The Complete Guide to Preserving and Using Preserved Zucchini

You’ve made all your favorite zucchini recipes three times over. The kids, and even the chickens don’t want to look at another zucchini. And jokes about leaving bags of zucchini in unlocked cars at the local grocery store are no longer funny. Wondering what to do with all that zucchini? Do you want to know the best ways to preserve zucchini- and better yet… What …

Honey & Vanilla Bean Roasted Melon Seeds

Yup, melon seeds. The gloppy, stringy mess that you scoop out with a spoon and throw away. We’re gunna eat it! Part of our journey into homesteading has been to increase our respect for where our food comes from. To utilize every part of the plant or animal and practice a no-waste lifestyle. Well, as little waste as possible anyways… This recipe is a prime …