Homegrown & Homemade
Eventually everything comes back into style, doesn’t it? I’m happy to see lard back in a positive light, and even happier to see old-fashioned skills, like learning how to render lard making a resurgence! While you can buy rendered lard that’s ready to cook with, making your own is often more affordable, plus it’s a great skill to have. Before we get into the details …
These are really really good brussels sprouts… about as good as you can hope for a brussels sprout to be. They’re crispy, salty, full of flavor, golden brown, and delicious. We love all things Brassica (that’s the cabbage-broccoli-kale-brussels family) in this household, so it’s no surprise we’re a couple of brussels sprouts fans. And if you’re not, might I gently suggest it’s because you aren’t …
Wassailing- you did what?! This is something I think is so cool. And something that also makes me feel like a huge dork, if I’m being perfectly honest. At least the Maple Bourbon Wassail recipe turned out AWESOME! There are two parts to this: the act of Wassailing, and the drink Wassail. Wassailing is a medieval Christmastide ritual that used to be (and actually still …
First aid on the homestead- are you prepared? If there’s anything I’ve learned from homesteading, it’s that nothing ever goes exactly how you want it to. And it comes with inherent danger- being out in the elements, long days, using dangerous equipment, and working with farm animals. Like the time we brought home our first ducks, put them in a pen we cobbled together, from …
Need a gift for the beekeeper in your life? Looking for the perfect gift for a honey bee lover? Here are some of my favorite honey bee gift ideas. Mostly… it’s my own personal wish list! Joules Wellyprint Black Bee Rubber Boots Sooo cute! They make a shorter, ankle-height version in this print too that I think I might just have to have. S’ip by …
I love learning new skills in the kitchen, especially ones that are “old-fashioned” … as in, something people really don’t do anymore that used to be part of everyday life, like rendering lard, cooking dried beans, or making homemade candy. (If you love to learn new skills too, make things from scratch, and give homemade gifts… read to the bottom of this post for 6 …
I love pumpkin pie– people have been baking forms of pumpkin custard for centuries. Its roots go deep, and I love that. Somehow “Squash Pie” doesn’t sound quite as appetizing… though I can tell you that I don’t think I’ve ever even made a pumpkin pie with an actual pumpkin. Botanically, all pumpkins are a type of squash. And there are many different types of …
I’m a dip person. I want to dip stuff into other stuff, all the time. And this Homemade French Onion & Herb Dip is one of my favorite dips- so that’s saying a lot! I think I love it so much because it combines two classics- it’s a little bit of a cross between a creamy ranch dip and a french onion dip. And it …
We’ll call this one a “learning experience.” (I generally hate those, by the way) If you’re wondering how to sell the wood from an old barn, if your old barn wood is worth any money, and how to handle the process… I hope you can learn from our experience. That is to say, selling our old 1800s barn turned out to be a pretty terrible …
This has been the year of the fruit leather, and my favorite so far is this plum and crabapple fruit leather… it’s sweet and tart, with a gorgeous color, plus it is very pliable and tender (a great quality for fruit leather, as some can end up as tough as… well, leather). I’m on my third batch already and it seems I haven’t even made a …
