Apple Cider

This year we’re making an extra effort to put up as much local food as possible while it’s at its peak ripeness. In most parts of the country, apples are in big demand. Orchards are packed and picked and farm stands are offering their very best. While my intention for apples was primarily to freeze, I [...]

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Financial…peace…in the stock market?

Earlier this week, the inadvertent farmer described her dabbling in real estate as a vehicle of financial independence.  In a similar way of thinking, I thought I would describe how we deal with investing.  Like she said, this may seem a little off topic but I suggest that the “norm” in stock market investing has little to [...]

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Fun on Winter Nights!

There is so very little that I enjoy about Winter but one of my favorite things to do is to star gaze during Winter. A few Christmases ago, my family got a telescope. The kids’ name was on it but everyone knew it was really for me (is that wrong of me? Wait…don’t answer). I [...]

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Scheduled Maintenance

After giving it quite a workout this season, it’s time to store my pressure canner for the winter. This canner was an investment for me–one that I want to last me for a long, long time. So at the end of each canning season, I need to take the time to be sure it’s cleaned [...]

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Homemade Cider!

When I was still living at home, we had a family friend that had a big farm with a great barn, a perfect orchard and an old fashioned cider press. We’d wander back into the orchard, fight our way past the yellow jackets and the post-digestion horse food to gather buckets full of apples to [...]

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The Basics

I spend a lot of time in the kitchen this time of year.  I’m freezing, dehydrating, and canning to stock my pantry for winter in addition to preparing all of our daily meals. It’s time consuming but well worth the effort.  I’ve never been a big believer in the idea that you have to have [...]

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Dump the Gadgets, Get a Knife

Recently, I suffered a small bout of insomnia and tried watching some late night TV in the hopes it would put me to sleep.  It did eventually, but I was astounded by the amount of kitchen gadgets advertised to make life easier.  Most of those gadgets are replacements of some sort for a good kitchen [...]

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take a load off fannie

one of the most versatile, useful ‘tools’ i have around the homestead is a garden cart. we have three, two i bought cheaply at a discount store several years ago and one greg bought at lowe’s, not so cheaply by mistake (he thought it was cheaper than it actually was). i have more than gotten [...]

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