Last summer, I thought I was being efficient. The basil was coming in faster than I could keep up with, and instead of letting it go to waste, I made a large batch of basil salt. It felt like a good solution in the moment, something quick and practical that would carry that harvest into the coming y...

Just when it seems like the garden is beginning to wind down, goldenrod steals the show. Its bright golden plumes stretch across fields, fence lines, and roadsides, bringing color to a landscape that is slowly getting ready for autumn. While many summer flowers are dwindling, goldenrod is just getti...

When I gave up coffee, I thought finding something else to drink would be the easy part.

It wasn't.

What I missed most wasn't simply having something hot in my hand. I missed the flavor of coffee and that rich, creamy cup. I wanted something dark and roasted that I could brew in the morning, add c...

When autumn finally arrives, much of the work of stocking my herbal apothecary is already underway. Elderflowers were gathered in early summer, mullein leaves were dried before the summer heat faded them, and elderberries have been making their way through the dehydrator as they ripen.

Autumn is wh...

Making fruit syrup isn’t anything new in our farmhouse kitchen. We make it frequently, whether it’s elderberry syrup as part of our traditional herbal routine, blueberry syrup sweetened with maple syrup, or batches of marionberry and cherry syrup that find their way onto breakfast foods and into hom...

Just when it seems the garden has finished flowering for the year, bright yellow witch hazel blossoms begin appearing among the autumn landscape. As leaves turn shades of red and gold and many plants prepare for winter dormancy, witch hazel provides one of the last floral displays of the season.

I ...

I still remember those bright little boxes of gelatin tucked into the refrigerator growing up. They always seemed to show up at potlucks and holidays, sitting alongside everything else on the table. It was familiar, colorful, and usually the first thing the kids reached for without a second thought....

It’s not every day a marshmallow has a backstory, but this one starts with Lent, seaweed, and learning to cook from scratch.

Years ago, we went vegan for health reasons, and thought Lent was a great time to do that. What started as a Lenten fast turned into four years of plant-based living. During ...

I will be the first to admit it. I used to have a love-hate relationship with baking soda scrubs. On one hand, I appreciate a non-toxic home. On the other hand, I grew tired of chasing the chalky film that often followed my cleaning. Once I understood the simple chemistry at play and the fallacy beh...

Last summer, while driving across the country, we stopped at Lehman's Hardware. If you’ve ever been there, you know exactly what it does to you. As a homesteader, you feel right at home. And then there’s the soda wall. Hundreds of bottles in all shapes, colors, and labels. It pulled at something ...