Homekeeping

  • Farms,  Homekeeping,  Stewardship

    The Pros and Cons of Tiny Houses

    photo credit  Over the last several months, I have been searching local sale sites for an RV for our family–not to live in full time, but for regular camping trips and an easy “head out of town” for the weekend option (and to reduce our hotel costs, as we now have a family of 7, and vacationing is pretty expensive for us). As I’ve been searching for RVs, I’ve come across several “Tiny Homes,” and the whole subject has sparked my interest. My first question was, why would people buy or build a tiny home rather than purchasing an RV? After all, isn’t tiny-house living and full-time RVing pretty much the same…

  • Homekeeping

    Getting Ready for Canning & Preserving

    photo credit I recently shared the Tools You Need for Canning & Preserving. Now I’m going to share with you how you should get ready for the job! Purchase Your Tools There are some basic tools that you will need for canning and preserving, and you don’t want to hold off on purchasing them. Get them ahead of time, wash them, and have them ready for the harvest! Gather Your Recipes  You can find several recipes online. Be sure to check out my Pinterest Board for Preserving Food. You might want a basic canning cookbook like Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving, until you really get the hang of it. Decide…

  • Homekeeping

    Tools for Canning and Preserving

      Photo Credit It’s TIME! If you want food in your pantry and freezer for the fall, winter, and spring, you’ve got to be thinking about it NOW! I want to share with you some of the tools that I have for canning and preserving. You’ll want to have the appropriate tools on hand. You don’t want to wait until the day you get fresh berries to figure out what tools you need. Berries only have a short window of freshness, and you will need to make something out of them quickly. You don’t have time to go shopping and search for the perfect tools while the berries wait on your…

  • GAPS Diet & Nutrition,  Homekeeping,  Real Food

    Love Your Kitchen &#9829

      This is our kitchen on a day when we must have been having people over good day. I LOVE my kitchen. Sure, there are things I don’t like about it: the 1 drawer that is unfinished. The water that really needs a water softener hooked up to it so that my dishes won’t be spotty. The drawer faces that keep needing to be screwed back on. The island that accumulates junk (how dare it?!). 😉 The flies. I hate the flies (I said the “d” word, according to my 4 year old–hate!). Stainless steel appliances (and a counter to boot) are pretty to look at when they’re nice and…

  • Homekeeping

    3 Months, No Shopping!

    I promised I'd share another New Year's resolution today, so here it is: I'm on my 4th day of NO SHOPPING for 3 months! Yes, that's right, THREE MONTHS! I mean no shopping whatsoever. No: grocery shopping online shopping clothes shopping misc. shopping none. nada. zilch!

  • Homekeeping

    Before and Almost After: Our Kitchen

    WARNING: This is going to be a long post with lots of photos!! I went through these before-after pics and couldn’t believe how much change has happened around here. I totally forgot! So, this kitchen doesn’t look so bad, right? It’s got an island, 2 sinks, and stainless steel appliances and the  really cool brick. So why did we need to remodel? Florescent, recessed lighting above the kitchen sink. No room for a dishwasher next to the main kitchen sink. Disgusting cabinet shelves that looked like they were once in an automotive shop. Mouse droppings in the insulation under those yucky cabinet shelves. Gross. Mismatched cabinet doors, some missing. Painted wallpaper…