By Diana, Contributing Writer I can’t believe it’s been a week since Thanksgiving. I had a wonderful time planning and preparing a real food feast for my family and friends. I spent two days in preparation that included a slow roasted pastured turkey; sourdough crackers and rolls; labneh (yogurt) cheese; roasted brussels sprouts with onions and bacon;…
By Kate, Contributing Writer Thanksgiving’s coming–really, really soon! And after Thanksgiving we have an onslaught of holiday festivities that will last until we begin 2013. What we find at these festivities, in whatever form they take is…food. Lots and lots of food. I imagine the average person who eats a Standard American Diet can expect…
Just like clockwork, late summer comes knocking with an explosion of fresh vegetables. This is a typical late summer harvest at my urban homestead. I do my best to use as much as I can in dishes and the rest I try to put up for the winter. Jars of salsa, enchilada sauce, peppers, and…
Written by Anne S, Guest Writer In the “old days”, canning was just part of the household routine, a useful way to preserve the bounty of the growing season for the cold dark days of winter. Mothers passed down the skills of canning to their daughters in the same way they passed down all the…
Would you like to join me in saving literally hundreds of dollars on your grocery bill over the next month? It’s time to eat from our freezers and pantries! The impetus for this challenge was the fact that each summer I save up extra cash for purchasing fresh, seasonal fruit and vegetables for preserving. And…
I have a bit of a love affair with mason jars. They are sturdy, they come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, they can often be found inexpensively, and best of all? They are a completely non-toxic way to store things in my kitchen! We all know by now that plastics usually include…
Written by Erin Odom, Contributing Writer When I first started cooking from scratch, it didn’t seem too hard. I gathered my ingredients and followed the recipes. But then one day it hit me: I wasn’t buying processed, pre-packaged meals anymore, but I was using processed, pre-packed ingredients to make my “from-scratch” meals. And these ingredients were…
As the year comes to an end, we’re sharing helpful lists to help you save money, stay healthy, get organized, creatively repurpose, frugally gift-give, intentionally celebrate and more in our seasonal updates throughout these holiday months. We are excited to share our favorite herbs and spices for the holidays. Written by Stacy K, Contributing Writer…
I can hardly believe that fall is upon us already, but the beautiful crimson leaves outside my window attest to the fact that it’s true. I am always sad to see the summer go, especially since we had such a short season of truly warm summer weather here in the Pacific Northwest, and yet I…
; Although I’ve been canning for 4-5 years now, it was only about 2 years ago that I learned this simple trick for peeling peaches that has made canning an easier task. I was missing out! My 6 year old and I made this short video the other night, while peeling 40 lbs of peaches. She’s…
Yesterday I began by sharing about where I buy our meat, fish, eggs, dairy and fats. Today I’ll continue on, sharing the particulars of what I buy where. The goal isn’t to tell you that you should buy your foods just as I do, but rather to give you a detailed, inside look at how…
The original cabbage patch kid… For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved sauerkraut. As a small child, my mom served it on a regular basis with roast and mashed potatoes. I would scoop out a hole in my mashed potatoes, fill it in with sauerkraut and then dish on some gravy. Oh, what heaven for my taste…
This week I’m pleased to be a part of a fantastic group of bloggers and authors, including my books in the Simplify Family Life collection ebook sale. Corey from Simple Marriage and Mandi from Life…Your Way have brought together some of the top authors in the family life space with 30 ebooks covering a variety of…
With spring just around the corner, that means it’s time for outside activities! Gardening is a big one we’ve been talking about in the last couple of weeks. But maybe, for some reason, you aren’t planning a garden. Maybe you don’t have the space, or the time. I understand that! I’m having a baby in…
Shelves stuffed full of beautiful envelopes that seem about to burst with potential. Page after glossy page of glorious looking, boldly colored vegetables. No wonder it’s so hard to choose seeds for your garden with all the options out there! Beyond the sheer variety, what about the practical issues like will these tomatoes get blight like…
Written by Emily McClements, Contributing Writer Growing your own organic vegetables is a great way to provide your family with nourishing and frugal food. Last summer was my first real attempt at growing our own food in a garden. Although it did not go nearly the way that I envisioned, I learned some important lessons…
This week I breathed a sigh of thankfulness that I have read the Little House on the Prairie series. That Caroline Ingalls was a wonder, as were so many of the inspiringly creative and brilliant pioneering women who came before us! Due to poor supports (a lack of foresight on my part), a heavy load…
I’m definitely back in the saddle, doing a ton of preserving after a nice little mid-summer break. I went to my local produce market on Thursday afternoon and decided it was high time that I stock up on some of the wonderful, seasonal deals that were available and get my little tush back into the…
Welcome to my newest monthly feature, the Real Food Recipe Roundup! Back when I did my readers survey, I learned that finding nourishing, whole food recipes is right up there among your favorite topics on this blog. I thought that it might serve you all if I shared some great recipes from around the web…
I’ve always been a list maker. I make lists of what needs to be done in the day, what food is in the fridge that needs to be used up, what meals I’m going to make, what to pack for a trip, what gifts to buy, what errands to run and what order to do…
It’s time to share all of our favorite, tried-and-true recipes! You know, the ones that you can’t really imagine not having at your holiday table and that just taste like Christmas to you. Traditions are such an important part of how we celebrate holidays, and traditions involve all of the senses- including our smell and…
I love Christmas food! Turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, sweet or mashed potatoes (or both), hot spiced apple cider, “sugar” cookies…There is something about holiday food that is incredibly festive and celebratory, and so very familar and comforting as well. Unfortunately, holidays often tend to be a time when many of us fall off of the…