Homestead Life
Whether you are brand new to homesteading, a seasoned pro, or just dreaming of owning your own homestead one day we are here to help you where you are. We will meet you at the homestead with tips for gardening and preserving your harvest, caring for animals, being a better steward to our world and navigating parenting conundrums on the farm. All the advice your momma could give and more.
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How to Make Vanilla Extract at Home
The cost of everything seems to keep going up and up and up now a days which means we have to learn how to be frugal with the items we purchase from the grocery store and ensure we are getting the most bang for our buck. Today at the grocery store vanilla extract costs about $9 for a 2 oz bottle. That seems excessive to me, so instead of purchasing the bottle from the store, we are going to learn how to make vanilla extract at home for less than $2.50 an ounce! What is Vanilla Extract? Vanilla extract is simply a mixture of alcohol and vanilla beans that is…
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Epic Garden Planning for 2023, A Look Back
It is that time of year again! Garden planning season! This is perhaps one of my favorite times of year. As the winter slows us all down a bit, it is a time for me to reflect on the things that worked and the things that didn’t. I have learned in gardening, some years there are more things that didn’t work than did. Learn from them and do better next time! Gardening Season 2022 was definitely one of those seasons to learn from. As I reflect on this past season and look towards the next, I hope sharing some of my wins and learnings from this year may help you…
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How to Can Apple Pie Filling
Grandma’s apple pies and fried apples are always the best, and she has a secret to making both of these dishes quick and easy! Today we are learning how to can apple pie filling ya’ll! Shew! What a few months this has been. Holy moly! We are finally living in the farmhouse after two whole years of renovations, blood, sweat, tears, pandemic and everything else you could think of in between. This started out as a project that I thought would only take 8 months and boy was I wrong! With that being said, make sure to check in on our Instagram to keep up with all the decorating that…
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How to Can Peaches Step By Step
Summertime is peach time here in Virginia. We love to buy local peaches from Mrs. Bonnie down the road and spend the next few days creating delicious recipes. One of our favorite things to do is can peaches. Canning peaches is an easy way to enjoy a taste of summertime all year round. Peaches also do well in the freezer! Freezer peaches make great cobblers and pies, while canned peaches are great for snacking anytime! Gathering what you need to can peaches As with any canning adventure it is best to gather all the necessary items prior to starting. There is nothing more stressful than trying to find something when…
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How to Clean and Store Sour Cherries
Sour Cherries are an early summertime treat at the farm. Not only do the birds love them, but so do the kids. Tangy, tart, and a little sweet, these little red jewels are a favorite that can be a little trick to process. Learn our tricks on how to clean and store your sour cherries. On the Farm One of the deciding factors for me when we purchased the farm was the 200 plus year old cherry tree that graces the hill. This monstrosity of a beauty is the quintessential tree that all farms should have. It is big and casts wonderful shade making it a perfect reading spot. Its…
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9 Ways to Save Money During Inflation (Homesteader Edition)
We have all been feeling that crunch with rising costs of gas and groceries, but what if you didn’t have to? What if you could be more self reliant? That is what homesteading is all about! Today we are going to share 9 ways to save money during inflation on your homestead. There are so many ways to save money that are often overlooked and under utilized. When prices start going up at the market people start to go into panic mode. But what if you didn’t have to panic or stress about rising costs? What if you could still feed and support your family during rough times through your…
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Spring’s Best Pollinators And How To Support Them
Spring brings a lot of my favorite things. My favorite things of all are the pollinators that begin to visit our homestead! Pollinators are the heartbeat of any homestead. They keep the garden growing, the flowers blooming, and the homesteader happy. Today we are going to talk about Spring’s best pollinators and how to support them! What is a pollinator? First let’s clarify what a pollinator is. A pollinator is any animal or insect that aids in the movement of pollen from the male part of the flower to female part of the flower. That is they aid in the reproduction cycle of the plant. Movement of pollen must occur…
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Save Money with This Seed Starting Hack- Seedling Containers
Seed starting season is here and if you aren’t careful you could find your wallet a lot slimmer come planting season. Today we are going to show you how to help the environment and save money with our favorite seed starting hack. Have you ever started a new hobby and fell victim to all the gadgets and gizmos that come with it? I have! Boy oh boy have I ever. I get lured in by all the pretty things, and sometimes I end up just finding them in my Amazon cart without even realizing it. But over the years I have learned that your hobbies don’t have to break the…
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Easy Strawberry Jam without Pectin Recipe
Strawberries scream summer decked out in their bright ruby red flesh and bright green hats. Picked straight from the vine is always a special summertime treat. This simple recipe for strawberry jam without pectin brings back the taste of summer no matter what time of year it is. A few weeks back my husband and I purchased two flats of strawberries to support our local cheerleading team. Our kids love strawberries and we couldn’t pass up the chance to help out. We were all so excited when we got the call that they were in. Knowing that although my kids can crush a two pound container of strawberries in just…
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How to Freeze Carrots
Freezing carrots is one of the best ways to preserve the carrots natural flavor, color, and nutrients. We will show you how easy it is to freeze carrots for future use in those weeknight meals! Carrots are one of those veggies that seem to multiple in my fridge. I am not really sure how it happens, but it happens, but it inevitable does. When this happens, there is only one thing to do, freeze carrots. Why Freeze Carrots Freezing carrots is an easy way to preserve this sweet root veggie. It takes only a few minutes and minimal equipment to save carrots for future use. I love to can, but…
