When I was a child, grilled cheese was one of my favorite foods. There's just something comforting about that delicious gooey cheese oozing from between two slices of golden and crispy bread. It warms your heart and sometimes burns your mouth and just tastes like heaven. And, even better, grilled cheese is one of this ridiculously simple dishes that is always a hit with kids. Most adults won't turn one down either, and anyone can make one. You really can't go wrong. However, if you're a ... [ Read More ]
Is Homesteading Right For You?
If you're here, then there's a good chance that you've been thinking about homesteading for a while now or you've got your own budding homestead already. The benefits of homesteading are many, and it's not hard to find a homesteading blog that will show you all the wonderful things about it, from cuddly-looking chicks to yummy homemade bread and sunny fields. It's easy to look at it and think that homesteading is the perfect life. But there's way more to the story than you realize. In fact, ... [ Read More ]
13 Herbs Every Herb Garden Needs
There's nothing that quite beats being able to harvest fresh herbs from your very own garden, be it a formal garden outside or an indoor herb garden on a windowsill. Every chef should have their own herb garden, but with that comes the question of what are the best herbs to grow. While you should really be sure to only grow herbs that you'll actually use, there are a few staples that should be in most gardens. Keep in mind that if you're going to grow these herbs all in one giant container ... [ Read More ]
Common Homesteading Mistakes to Avoid
There is something exciting and amazing about owning your own homestead. There's a lot of freedom that comes from being able to grow your own food and have your own land and basically just do things your own way. Of course, there's a lot of work too and a lot of things that can go wrong, especially if you don't go about it the right way. Homesteading is definitely a little trial and error, but the more you know to start, the better off you'll be. So, before you start your own adventure into ... [ Read More ]
8 Useful Herbs That Also Repel Bugs
While I absolutely love the great outdoors, I could definitely do without having to deal with all of the bugs. I know that they're necessary for the ecosystem, but that doesn't mean that I like them or want them in my garden and my house. Mosquitoes are the worst culprits, although there are plenty of other bugs that I'd be all too happy to keep away. However, being an old-fashioned gal, I prefer not to just drench myself, my house, and my yard in chemicals, so instead I look for more natural ... [ Read More ]
How to Prep for a Power Outage
When you're living out in the country, far away from the city, it's important to be prepared for anything. When I was a child, we used to lose power to the house basically every time it stormed too hard. Sometimes it would flicker then come back on, and sometimes it would be out for a couple hours and we would just go to bed early or pick up a book or a board game instead of watching a movie. As a result, there were certain precautions that we took every time it rained. And that's just how life ... [ Read More ]
Easy Garlic Basil Fries
No matter how you cook them, I think potatoes are some of my favorite foods. However, by far my favorite way to eat potatoes has to be in the form of fries. It's faster than making a baked potato, but much healthier than pan frying or deep frying. Also, it's delicious!! This recipe I made after realizing that I had far too many red potatoes and they needed to be used before they started going bad. The store had a sale on them, so I purchased a ten pound bag a while back. Fortunately, these ... [ Read More ]
6 Uses for Coca-Cola on the Homestead
From the time I was a teenager all the way into my early 20s, I drank an insane amount of soda. My personal favorite was Vanilla Coke, but I'd happily drink Pepsi or Coca-Cola whenever I had the chance. It's absolutely terrible for you, though, and I've pretty much given up the habit. In fact, I can't even drink soda now—it's so acidic and gross and it hurts my teeth. However, there is way more to soda than simply drinking it. In fact, there are literally dozens of ways that Coca-cola can be ... [ Read More ]
Homemade Pita Bread
Pita bread is delicious and ridiculously versatile. It is great for leftovers as you can stuff pita bread with just about anything you can imagine. And, much like any other homemade bread, store bought pita bread doesn't even compare to making it at home. Without a doubt, my favorite thing about pita bread is how ridiculously versatile it is. You can take it with you, you can stuff it with just about anything you can imagine. The bread can also be made ahead of time and either refrigerated ... [ Read More ]
Homemade Vanilla Bean Extract
If given the choice between vanilla and chocolate flavoring in something, most of the time I go with vanilla. Not to say I don't love chocolate, but vanilla is just so much more complimentary and useful. It's also less overpowering. However, a bottle of vanilla extract can be pretty expensive, especially if you get the pure stuff (since the imitation is mostly sugar and not that great for you). But I simply love using vanilla. So, being the old-fashioned girl I am, I decided to make my own ... [ Read More ]