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How to Make Your Own Laundry Detergent
Both my husband and I (and now unfortunately our son) suffer from excessively sensitive skin. For decades we had no other choice than to use expensive hypo-allergenic detergents that shroud their ingredients in a veil of (somewhat suspicious) secrecy. But after I saw a multitude of recipes on Pinterest I decided to give my own…
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10-Pepper Hot Honey Fermented Garlic
This super-healing concoction is not for the faint of heart! Whether you’re a die-hard “sweat it out” kind of healer, or just a seeker of spicy deliciousness, this recipe is packed full of antibacterial, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties as well as smoking-hot flavor. You’ll love this hot honey fermented garlic!
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Homestead Diary: Secrets for Cinnamon Roll Success
Despite the easy access we have to commercially produced cinnamon buns there is just something incomparable about homemade sweet rolls. Like any other baked good, scratch-made is always just better. Sometimes you can’t put your finger on exactly why it’s better, but especially in this age of curbside pickup and hot ‘n ready, the taste…
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Secrets For The BEST Cinnamon Rolls – Recipes
You can combine any part of this recipe with another for your desired results. For instance, if you have a family recipe you really love but the frosting isn’t quite right, give mine a try! You won’t be disappointed. It’s like Build-A-Bear Workshop, but for pastry. What’s not to like? To read my entire dissertation…
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Campfire Chili – Recipe
If you’re looking for a recipe to warm your belly and your heart, try simmering a pot of this Campfire Chili over an open fire for a truly unforgettable outdoor experience. While I tend to make this on the mild side it is easily spiced up with a few shots of your favorite hot sauce!
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Cats In The Garden Podcast – Episode 2: USDA Growing Zones
If you’re a home vegetable gardener you’ve probably heard of USDA Hardiness Zone or Growing Zones. Even if you haven’t we’re going to discuss all on today’s episode.
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Homemade Chai Tea Concentrate
When I found the idea to create a homemade chai tea simply syrup online I was beside myself! We could have delicious, flavorful chai tea concentrate, made with our own ingredients, non-GMO sugars, and other fun flavors and sweeteners ready to go in the fridge anytime? Sign me up! This concentrate can be combined with…
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A Rainbow of Gardens: Orange
My son’s favorite color is orange and he chose to plant only orange cultivars of each item in his garden bed for the 2024 season. This was a fun and easy homeschool project for us but it gave me the idea to share a resource of garden plants that fit within a specific color scheme!…
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Using Rabbit Manure in Seedling Mix
And because rabbit manure is so innocuous (as far as manures go) it’s safe to put directly on your plants AND your seeds. It doesn’t pose any risk to the gardener to handle, it doesn’t have any kind of off-putting odor, and it completely disintegrates into the seedling mix almost like it was never there…
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Sissy’s Famous Sweet Cream Biscuits – Recipe
These gigantic drop biscuits come together quick and always wow a breakfast crowd! Enjoy with butter and jam or smother in a delicious sausage gravy.
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Tomatoes: The Complete Gardening Guide
Tomatoes are quite arguably the most popular garden-variety vegetable of all time. They are the quintessential home garden fruit and are quite often the “gateway” plant into growing vegetables not just because they’re relatively easy to grow, but because the quality and flavor of home-grown tomatoes is so superior to supermarket standards you’re likely to…
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Cats In The Garden Podcast – Episode 1: Introduction
In this first introductory episode of Cats In The Garden, I ramble on about what’s been going on here at the homestead and what to expect from the podcast.
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Sourdough Belgian Waffles – Recipe
You can use your starter in any stage to make these absolutely scrumptious Belgian-style waffles, since they’re really leavened with baking soda and baking powder as a traditional recipe is. However, sourdough waffles and pancakes are a great way to use up discard if you do have to get rid of some during feeding and…
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Determinate vs Indeterminate Tomatoes
What is the difference between a determinate tomato and an indeterminate tomato, and does it even matter to home gardeners? The answers may surprise you! We will explore all in this post on tomato types and varieties. If you stick around I’ll even share some of my favorite seed sources!
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The Importance of Day Length When Selecting Onions
Day length is the term for different durations of photoperiod response for daylight-sensitive plants. That sounds really scary and complicated but the point is this: an onion, in particular, will wait until the hours of sunlight in a day have reached a certain point before it starts to form a big, delicious bulb like we…
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Soil Blocking: Everything You Need to Know About Plastic-Free Seed Starting
While it’s gaining relative momentum in the online community, soil blocking is still mysterious and even misunderstood by the average home gardener. I discovered it while scrolling through Instagram and when I saw the tidy little squares with their beautifully formed seedlings, my mouth dropped open. What is this sorcery and how do I master…
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Rice Krispie Treats – Recipe
Who doesn’t love a homemade rice krispie treat? I doubled the classic recipe for a large-batch option, always a necessity in our home, and a fun sprinkle assortment pressed into the top makes for a festive touch. They come together in a flash for delicious weeknight treat or a last-minute party favor!
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All About Seed Starting Mix + Recipes
While you can easily buy prepackaged seed starting mix anywhere that gardening supplies are sold it can be very beneficial (and cost-effective) to make your own seed starting medium. There are dozens of recipes to be found online, but I’ve narrowed them down in this post as well as providing an in-depth explanation of each…
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Spiced Christmas Jam – Recipe
I really wanted to up my game this year with homemade Christmas gifts. I love to make candy, put together bread mixes, or crochet cute little presents for my friends and family each year. I was reading a vintage cookbook and found an astonishingly simple yet delicious-sounding recipe for Christmas Jam, a festive fruit preserve…
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New York-Style Turtle Cheesecake – Recipe
It has been a few years since I made a cheesecake so I decided for this Thanksgiving I would whip up the classic dessert for our family dinner in Oregon. I’ve made many a cheesecake in my day and I was really looking forward to creating the perfect, creamy concoction for the dessert table. I…
