Category: Homestead

MY NEW BOOK! Freeze Fresh: The Ultimate Guide to Preserving 55 Fruits and Vegetables for Maximum Flavor and Versatility

Buy The Book Here! Take a Peak Inside! Here’s what people are saying about Freeze Fresh… Deanna Talerico, Creator of Homestead and Chill:“Who knew frozen food could be so beautiful?! As an avid gardener and busy homesteader, I’m always on the lookout for quick and creative ways to preserve food and reduce waste. Freeze Fresh has taught me invaluable information about the art of freezing! Providing recipes for …

How to Freeze Dry: Butternut Squash Soup, Hash Browns, and Strawberry Bananas

Since getting my freeze dryer a few months ago, I’ve been able to freeze dry all sorts of things. While I enjoy doing “fun foods” like cheesecake bites and ice cream, the reason I got my freeze dryer was for the practical purposes of preserving food and creating healthy convenience and emergency foods. Disclaimer: I am an affiliate with Harvest Right. If you find this …

Is Buying a Freeze Dryer Worth It? + List of Things to Freeze Dry!

I love preserving. My cup is filled with every jar of tomatoes, every canister of fruit leather, and every bag of frozen green beans I put up. As another valuable tool for squirreling away the precious food we grow and harvest, having a freeze dryer has been a dream of mine for years. A bucket list homesteading item for sure! Disclaimer: I am an affiliate …

Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix Recipe (with Pasture-Raised Organic A2/A2 Milk Powder)

Living in the cold North means we’re no strangers to a steaming cup of hot cocoa! Shoveling snow, tending the animals in frigid weather, chipping ice off the sidewalks… all deserves hot chocolate! What do you call it– hot chocolate or hot cocoa? There’s probably a technical difference, but I use the terms interchangeably! I love hot cocoa, but I don’t like most packaged mixes …

Preserving Tools & Supplies to Stock Up On Now

Preserving season is upon us! So many people have jumped on the “raise your own food” bandwagon recently, and I think that’s fantastic! Come on in folks, the water is mighty fine! I am glad that so many people are taking an interest in providing for themselves. I know that once we got a taste of homegrown food, we were forever spoiled and don’t want …

Strawberry “SUN” Jam – The BEST Jam Ever! No Pectin, No Canning, Lower Sugar

I don’t want to sound too dramatic when I say this, but Strawberry Sun Jam is life-changing jam! Once you try this, you will never want to have any other jam again. Strawberry Sun Jam is going to ruin all other jams for you! If you’re okay with that, than feel free to read on… And not only is it the best jam ever, Strawberry …

Cranberry Raspberry Baked Apples (Sweetened with Maple Syrup!)

This may seem like a simple dish to make, and don’t get me wrong it is… but I’ve actually been perfecting these fruity baked apples for OVER TWO YEARS! I’ve finally nailed it, which is why I’m finally sharing it! Sorry for the wait, and for teasing you all these years over on Instagram saying I was going to share the recipe soon! :) This …

Fluffernutter Chocolate Peanut Clusters with Homemade Maple Marshmallows

Imagine salty peanuts and bouncy homemade vanilla-maple marshmallows tossed with just enough chocolate to hold them together! These chocolate peanut clusters are hands down my favorite holiday treat. Karl’s too! “Fluffernutter” chocolate peanut clusters are named after the childhood favorite peanut butter and marshmallow fluff sandwich. I’ve actually never had one of those, but I do love the name! And peanuts and marshmallows make a …

Homemade Bone Broth & Stock Hybrid Recipe

Nothing compares to homemade bone broth! And I feel like I’ve unlocked the secret to making the BEST chicken bone broth of my life. I’ve been using this particular method for a couple years now, and I won’t go back to using any other because it so good! So if you find that your homemade bone broth is lacking in flavor, or if your bone …

Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread Recipe: Double Chocolate and Lemon Poppyseed!

When I made these loaves of gluten-free zucchini bread, (actually one is zucchini bread and one is yellow squash bread!) I didn’t intend to post the recipes here… but they were just too phenomenal not to share! I planted seven summer squash plants in the garden this year, and there are only two of us… plus one of us “hates squash.” I won’t say who. …