for self-reliant living
DIY skills, equipment, tools and ideas to use around your homestead – wherever it may be.
Also known as backyard farming, small-scale homesteading, suburban homesteading, modern homesteading or city farming – urban homesteading is all about living a more sustainable lifestyle that practices going back to the basics of less consumption, less buying, less dependency on the supply chain, and more making – and sometimes, just making do. Urban homesteading means … Read more
Dehydrating fresh tomatoes and basil is a great way to preserve the harvest for use throughout the year. I like to do both at once, since my dehydrator has enough room, and the house smells amazing! Dehydrating fresh tomatoes and basil Tomatoes were companion planted with green basil, and they done producing for the season. … Read more
This zucchini bread recipe is so good! The zucchini bread is moist, and full of yummy spices – perfect on its own or slathered with cream cheese – and it it really easy to make. Make this two-loaf recipe now, and pop one loaf in the freezer to enjoy later. Zucchini Bread Recipe Ingredients for … Read more
If you are looking for a quick, raw vegetable summertime lunch, you have got to try this zesty zoodles recipe. If you are not familiar with them, zoodles are “noodles” made from fresh zucchini – made with a special gadget called a spiralizer. Every summer, the garden produces tons (and tons) of zucchini. What I … Read more
The clumps of chives in the herb garden are just beginning to blossom, and I’ll be using them to make chive blossom vinegar. This gorgeous pale pink herbal vinegar is so easy to make, and gives salad a subtle hint of onion flavour. What you will need to make Chive Blossom Vinegar: a glass jar – large … Read more
Hands down, one of the best ways to save money and have guaranteed availability, is to grow as much of your own food as you can. And yes, you can do it! Starting a small vegetable garden is easy! If you have kids, they will love to help and it’s such a great learning experience for … Read more
Thinking about starting a vegetable garden, but not quite convinced yet? Let me give you a nudge with my top 12 reasons why you need to start a vegetable garden this year. Once you start having your own garden, you’ll be hooked! In no particular order: Convenience It’s a produce stand right in your back yard … Read more
The deli across the street from where I used to work charged $8.00 for HALF a sandwich. And that was for one of the least expensive sandwiches on the menu. Just for the sandwich. Getting a small bottle of iced tea was another $2.00. Ugh. It killed me every time I had to run over there if … Read more
Have you ever found a container at the back of the fridge that looked like a science project? Or that condiment that you couldn’t remember when it was opened? Easy steps to end food waste right in your own home Spoiled food and questionable stuff that gets tossed out is a real waste of money, isn’t … Read more
Buying food is a necessity, but we might as well save a ton of money while we shop, right? When I shop, my goal is to get out of there as fast as possible while spending as little as possible. Since I have been doing this for years and <ahem> years, let me share with … Read more
