Old Fashioned On Purpose

Look, I get it.  Sauerkraut isn’t exactly the first thing that comes to mind when dreaming of your ideal homestead kitchen.  In fact, I went years swearing off sauerkraut.  It wasn’t until I made it myself that I actually enjoyed eating it.  In today’s episode, I explain why the change happened, how to make your own sauerkraut, and dive into the incredible benefits of kraut and other fermented foo...

No matter what I was told, I wanted to grow fruit on the homestead.  Over-and-over again my attempts at growing fruit fell flat.  I soon realized I wasn’t a failure at growing fruit.  I was failing to embrace my surroundings.  On today’s episode, I go over what I’m growing in my garden, how to determine what will thrive in yours, and why you might need to change your expectations when it comes to...

Outside of pressure canning, fermentation might be the most intimidating process to tackle in the kitchen.  For most of you it’s probably difficult to even name any fermented foods you enjoy eating.  Believe it or not, fermenting foods is much easier than you might expect, and this process creates some amazing foods like pickles, sauerkraut, and yogurt.  On today’s episode, I cover everything you...

While gardening season is coming to a close for most of us, there are a few important things to do as we head into cooler weather.  First of all, congratulate yourself!  Whether you’re a first-time gardener or a seasoned professional, it’s great to take time and look back at the things that went well.  Reflecting on your wins will only serve as greater motivation moving forward.  However, as much...

While bringing in a giant basket of your favorite vegetable might be every homesteaders dream, for most of us it’s never the reality.  Instead, our harvests tend to look more like a smorgasbord of a small number of various vegetables.  Rather than let them go bad waiting for the rest of the harvest, today I’m going to explain several methods of utilizing and preserving your micro-harvests.  From p...

What can I say?  It’s no secret that my favorite thing about the homestead is without question the animals.  Whether you already have animals on your homestead or not, introducing something new can sometimes be intimidating.  Today we’re once again joined by my sister Jenna as she embarks on a chicken journey of her own.  We cover all of the basics including how many chickens you should buy, what...

While I’d like to tell you that I have a special schedule I follow every day, it’s simply not the case.  In what might come as a surprise to some of you, there are even some days when I’m not doing anything that most would constitute traditional homestead activities.  In today’s episode, I’m going to explain how I go through planning on a weekly and daily basis to ensure everything gets done.  I d...

No matter what type of shape your garden is in or what type of soil you have, there is one thing that is guaranteed to help:  compost.  Sometimes referred to as black gold, compost can remedy nearly any issue in your garden.  In today’s episode, I detail some of the best options for creating your own compost.  This includes the four elements needed for compost, hot and cold composting, and what co...

With the uncertainty that currently exists in school systems across the country, more-and-more people are looking at the possibility of homeschooling for the first time.  Though it can be quite confusing at first, I’m here to help make the transition as easy as possible.   Today I’ll explain how our curriculum has evolved from years past.  I’ll also go over all the books and tools we’re using for...

County fairs across the country have been canceled.  Thankfully here in Wyoming, we were still able to participate in this great tradition.  If you’ve never been to a county fair, it’s effectively a lot of sitting around mixed with moments of controlled chaos.  Why do we do it?  That’s the question we get asked most frequently by friends and neighbors.  With the significant amount of time and effo...

A fall garden can be an incredible way to extend your growing season and add extra food reserves for the long winter.  However, for quite some time I held the belief that a fall garden was something you started in the fall.  While I’d like to say I learned my lesson after missing it the first time, this definitely wasn’t the case.  In today’s episode I explain how to determine when you start plant...

With the unprecedented nature of pretty much everything in the world right now, homeschooling is the one topic that has been coming up more frequently than anything else.  With the uncertainty of what’s going to happen in public schools, more-and-more parents are looking into the possibility of taking their children’s education into their own hands.  While I will be the first to admit that it’s no...

While my garden is in a bit of a lull at the moment, I know in the back of my mind that harvest time is just around the corner.  Perhaps this year more than ever, I’m focused on preserving everything I possibly can.  In today’s episode, I cover the four primary methods that I use to make sure our family takes full advantage of our harvest:  canning, freezing, dehydrating, and fermenting.  Discover...

While I do my best to be thorough in my podcast topics, it’s inevitable some things fall through the cracks.  Most of the time these questions get raised in my Facebook groups, on Instagram, or Youtube, and I’m simply unable to address each and every one of them.  On today’s show, I’m thrilled to be doing my first ever ‘Ask Me Anything’ episode.  I’m fielding all of your questions from my Instagra...

Garlic is by far one of my favorite crops to grow.  It's easy to plant, easy to grow, requires almost no maintenance, and adds flavor to every dish.  In today's episode, I walk you through my garlic growing process.  I explain the difference between softneck and hardneck, what to look for when buying garlic seeds, how to harvest it, and some simple uses in the kitchen.  Listen today to f...

For any new homesteader, the mountain of tasks and to-do's can seem overwhelming.  Even a more experienced homesteader such as myself tend to have several projects in motion at once and about a hundred others waiting to be started.  While it'd be great to snap our fingers and have everything done at once, that's simply not realistic.  On today's episode, I'm joined by my s...

Hail is easily one of the biggest enemies that exist on our homestead.  As some of you might know, last year a hail storm destroyed one of my gardens (and our trampoline).  While there are many different solutions to this problem, we had to be mindful of not only the hail but also the extremely high winds that occur in this part of the country.  Because of this, we knew we needed a heavy-duty, per...

For anyone that’s followed me for some time, I don’t have to explain my long-time love for canning.  It's perhaps my favorite kitchen activity on the homestead.  However, there’s a lot of potential for error in the canning process, and for some, it can be intimidating to get started.  On this special episode that was recorded live on Facebook, I answer all of your questions and concerns when...

Dreams. Everyone has them, but not everyone achieves them. Why is that true? Believe it or not, a large number of people never even voice their dreams let alone create an actual plan to accomplish them. On today's episode, I'm once again joined by my sister Jenna. As she continues on her homesteading journey, we begin discussing Jenna's big goal for what's left of 2020 and the...

While kefir might be the newest addition to the long list of things growing in my kitchen, it most definitely isn't new to my life. After taking a round of anti-biotics, I took to kefir to help repair the baceria in my gut. Upon discovering some of the incredible benefits of this tasty beverage, I started digging a little deeper. Incredibly I found out that keifer can be used to make cheese c...

Yes, you read that correctly. We bought a house. Rest assured, we haven't decided to abandon the homestead and head into the suburbs. On the contrary, we're making an investment in our future and and the future of our community. Join me today as I explain our plans to (hopefully) generate more income and jump start the growth of an old town. Follow along with our thought process of inves...

Raising beef can seem like a difficult and daunting task on the surface, but suprisingly it's one of the easiest methods of producing food on the homestead.  While we've had issues in the past with other food sources, that's never been the case with beef.  In today's episode I cover the essentials you'll need to begin growing beef of your own.  Learn about the different fe...

Starting a homestead can be a daunting task.  It can be even more overwhelming when you compare yourself to a seasoned homesteader such as myself.  While "how do I start a homestead?" is one of the most common questions I receive, after living the homestead life for almost 12 years I'm a little disconnected from the startup portion of the journey.  Today I'm happy to announce t...

No matter the time of the year, there's one topic that always remains in high demand. Whether you're on the homestead or in the city,  every single one of us has to eat.  While I'm definitely not a meal planner by any stretch of the imagination, over the years I've learned several great tricks to save countless hours in the kitchen.  In today's episode, I fill you in on wh...

If you've come to know anything about me over the years, you've likely recognized that the phrase "slow down" simply doesn't exist in my vocabulary. As summer began and nearly all of our planned events and obligations were cancelled due to Covid-19, I started to seriously investigate my life and how I'm spending my time on a regular basis. On today's episode I di...