As the temperatures fall, I start to crave warm beverages and soups, stews, chilis ... you get the idea. So I thought it would be fun to pull together some of my favorite soup recipes. I quit buying canned soups many years ago because they have virtually no nutrition (check the nutrition facts on the label) and are filled with too much sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats. They are … [Read more...]
Can you tell the difference between edible and poisonous berries?
I recently met Helen Yoest who is an expert edible and waterwise gardener, garden stylist, and particularly an advocate for creating pollinator-friendly backyards. Lucky for me, I live in the same city as Helen so have been able to join her garden club! But even from afar you can benefit from her expertise by checking out her blog Gardening with Confidence and pollinator … [Read more...]
Celebrating summertime with the best varieties of tomatoes
Reading Epic Tomatoes by Craig LeHoullier took me back to my childhood and enjoying tomato sandwiches with my grandfather during the summertime. Though I've reviewed many books this year, this is one of the most delightful perhaps because of the many delicious-looking photos, descriptions, and the author's personal stories about different tomato varieties. LeHoullier even … [Read more...]
Homegrown Pork: Learn to raise ‘the Einsteins of the farm animal world’
As I'm getting started with pigs, I was happy to discover Homegrown Pork: Humane, Healthful Techniques for Raising a Pig for Food by Sue Weaver, and I can't imagine a more comprehensive guide to raising pigs. Not only is the book very well-organized and thorough, but it will certainly endear you to these intelligent and entertaining animals if you're not already. In fact, … [Read more...]
Making kombucha
When I wrote the second edition of Homegrown and Handmade, I just could not let the book get reprinted again without adding all of the things that I wished I had put in the first one -- like making maple syrup and raising pigs and starting a homegrown business. But I'm glad I didn't put those things in the first book because I've got six more years of experience on all of those … [Read more...]
Make caramel coffee creamer
Until I was in my 30s, I was never a coffee drinker, but it started with coffee ice cream. Then I moved up to those super sugary, flavored coffee drinks. Then I started making coffee at home and buying the flavored creamers at the grocery store. Once we moved to the homestead, and I started looking to make everything from scratch, I figured out this recipe pretty quickly. If … [Read more...]
Make cream soup from scratch
Baby, it's cold outside, and one of the best things for warming up on a cold day is a bowl of hot soup. For many people this means grabbing a can from the pantry, but there are plenty of good reasons to make your own soup from scratch. I promise it's not hard! All of my children knew how to make cream soups from scratch by their early teens. And it's not time consuming. … [Read more...]
Making turkey bone broth
Have you ever made turkey bone broth? Like many Americans, after cutting all the meat off our Thanksgiving turkey, we used to throw the bones in the trash. It breaks my heart now thinking of all the lost cups of bone broth that we didn't have through the years. However, as the saying goes, you're smart if you learn from your mistakes, but you're wise if you learn from someone … [Read more...]
Recipe: Ranch salad dressing
What do you do if you are concerned about food additives in prepared foods, but you don't have a ton of time to spend making things from scratch? Making your own salad dressing is actually one of the easiest ways to eliminate artificial ingredients from your diet. It takes less than 10 minutes to whip up a batch of ranch salad dressing, regardless of whether you're making it … [Read more...]
3 amazing green bean recipes
It's green bean season! And I'm sharing my three favorite green bean recipes. Cook in a small amount of water, and when they're crisp-tender, drain off the water, and add a couple tablespoons of butter. If you're a garlic fan, crush a couple cloves or garlic and add to the pan. Salt to taste, and add a healthy dose of freshly ground black pepper. For an Asian side dish, … [Read more...]