Baking and Cooking tips for the home cook. We know that the best meals are often made at home. We’re here to share the simple tips and tricks that can make a big difference in your kitchen adventures. This section is filled with easy-to-follow advice. Designed to help you save time, avoid common mistakes, and get the most out of your ingredients.
Tips to store green bell peppers. If you’ve ever brought home fresh produce home from the grocery store only to find them soft and wrinkled a few days later, you’re not alone. They are part of the fresh produce food group that can go bad quickly without proper storage. Luckily, a few simple tips can […]
How to Store Green Bell Peppers: Tips That Really Work Read Post »
Make beautiful colors with natural and easy ways to dye Easter eggs. One of my favorite parts of the Easter tradition is gathering around the kitchen table with the whole family to dye Easter eggs. While the store-bought kits are convenient, there’s something extra special (and fun!) about using natural ingredients right from your pantry,
Natural and Easy Ways to Dye Easter Eggs Read Post »
Our printable seasonal produce guide for fruits and vegetables helps you track what’s growing month by month. So you can plan your meals, pantry storage, and garden efforts around what nature is already doing. When you’re living closer to the land—whether through gardening, preserving, or supporting your local farm stand—knowing what’s in season can be
Printable Seasonal Produce Guide for Fruits and Vegetables Read Post »
Let’s talk about sourdough discard 101 and how to add it to your favorite recipes. If you’ve started your sourdough journey, you’ve probably run into the same question we all have. What do you do with all that sourdough discard? On a homestead, where nothing goes to waste, tossing it just doesn’t sit right. The
Sourdough Discard 101: Add It to Your Favorite Recipes Read Post »
Why Are My Cucumbers Bitter? There’s nothing more disappointing than harvesting what should be a crisp, refreshing cucumber—only to discover it has a bitter flavor. Bitter cucumbers are a common issue among gardeners, leaving many wondering what went wrong. Cucumbers are one of the most popular vegetables to grow in a home garden, second only
Why Are My Cucumbers Bitter? Causes and Solutions Read Post »
Learning how to clean a cast-iron skillet or cookware for that matter is crucial for maintaining its non-stick coating and preventing rust. If you have any cast-iron cookware, you know that proper care is essential for keeping it in good shape. These durable cast-iron pans require seasoning to maintain their nonstick surface and prevent rust.
How to Clean a Cast-Iron Skillet: Expert Tips Read Post »
A healthy sourdough starter smell is the foundation of delicious homemade sourdough bread. However, beginners often struggle with identifying whether their starter is thriving or failing based on its scent. My daughter and niece have both become quite good at growing their own fermented dough and coming up with lots of recipes for the discard.
Understanding Sourdough Starter Smell and Troubleshooting Read Post »
Is there such a thing as effortless cleanup for bread making? If you’ve ever baked sourdough bread, you know that sticky bread dough has a way of clinging to every surface it touches. From bits of dough stuck in your large mixing bowl to stubborn residue in your starter jar, cleaning up can feel like
Effortless Cleanup: Tips for Taming Sticky Sourdough Dough Read Post »
Find out how I peel hard boiled eggs virtually every single time. Peeling hard-boiled eggs can be tricky, especially if you’ve encountered egg whites that stick or shells that refuse to come off in larger pieces. But don’t worry. With the right cooking methods and peeling techniques, you can achieve perfect hard-boiled eggs every single
How to Peel Hard Boiled Eggs Easily Every Single Time Read Post »
Store fresh eggs safely and maintain their quality and flavor. Knowing the best practices for fresh egg storage can help extend their shelf life and ensure you’re getting the most out of every single one. Whether you have your own backyard chickens, shop at the local farmers market, or buy eggs from the grocery store,
How to Store Fresh Eggs: Keep Them Safe and Fresh Read Post »
How to get rid of fruit flies when you can’t figure out why they showed up in the first place? These little pests seem to quickly show up at the first signs of something rotting. What are they? Fruit flies, or Drosophila melanogaster, are tiny pests that seem to multiply overnight, especially around food sources
How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies: Tested Methods that Work Read Post »
Good crisp salad greens are key and knowing the best way to store lettuce and keep it fresh and crisp for weeks is a must. If you’ve ever brought home lettuce from the grocery store or harvested it fresh from your own garden, you know how fast those vibrant leaves can lose their crispness. Whether
The Best Way to Store Lettuce to Keep it Fresh for Weeks Read Post »
Render pure lard from pork fat and create a liquid gold. It’s a rewarding process that connects homesteaders to traditional cooking practices. When I was first married years ago, my mother-in-law taught me how to render lard. She just used a roasting pan to melt the fat at a very low temperature. On the farm,
Simple Steps to Render Pure Lard for Cooking and Baking Read Post »
Did you know that there are things you should not cook in a cast-iron Skillet. Cooking in this pan can be a fantastic way to achieve crispy, golden-brown edges and a hard sear on savory foods like fried chicken or thicker cuts of steak. However, as versatile as cast iron pans are, there are certain
What Things Not to Cook in a Cast-Iron Skillet Read Post »
We make large batches of this homemade chicken stock regularly and store it in freezer-safe containers for future use. It’s a staple in our kitchen, ready to be added to soups, stews, and grains or simply enjoyed on its own. Not only does this stock add depth and flavor to our meals, but it’s also
Nourishing Homemade Chicken Stock (Bone Broth) Recipe Read Post »
Let’s delve into 17 types of mushrooms, exploring their flavors, textures, and culinary uses across various cuisines. Exploring the vast array of mushrooms available is like uncovering nature’s hidden treasures. From the robust meatiness of shiitake mushrooms to the delicate earthiness of porcini, each variety brings its own unique charm to the table. Navigating the
17 Types of Mushrooms: How to Choose and Cook Read Post »
Your Guide to 9 Different Onion Varieties and Their Uses.They are a staple in kitchens around the world, known for their versatility and ability to enhance flavors in a wide range of dishes. From the everyday yellow onion to the delicate shallot, each type of onion brings its own unique taste and texture to the
Your Guide to 9 Different Onion Varieties and Their Uses Read Post »
Here are 18 genius ways to use eggshells that might make you think twice before tossing them in the trash. Eggshells are often discarded without a second thought, but they are incredibly versatile and can be used in various clever ways. Eggshells are far more useful than most people realize. From gardening and pest control
18 Genius Ways to Use Eggshells: Garden to Home Uses Read Post »
If you love cheese as much as my family does, knowing the best cheese storage methods is key. Living in Wisconsin, cheese is a staple at nearly every event, whether it’s featured in a recipe or served as an appetizer. A well-crafted cheese board can easily become the star of the table. Effortless to assemble,
Cheese Storage 101: Soft, Hard, and Shredded Read Post »
Whether you’re a seasoned cook or a home cook just starting to experiment, understanding how to render and cook with bacon grease can open up a whole new world of flavor. I first learned as a child how good things taste when this delicious flavor is added to so many dishes. It’s one of those
How to Render and Cook with Bacon Grease Read Post »
