Recently a local store had potatoes on sale: 10 pounds was several dollars off. So I bought two bags. And what would I do with 20 pounds of potatoes? There are only two of us after all. I bought them specifically to preserve, by dry canning in a pressure canner. Potatoes should not be processed … Continue reading How to Preserve Potatoes By Dry Canning Potatoes
Have you heard of Rakuten? It's a refund service on things you are buying anyway. Rakuten collects fees from sellers and passes savings on to you. I get a check quarterly. Sometimes only a few dollars, sometimes $50-60 if I have larger items to buy. Use Rakuten in either of 2 ways. Go directly to … Continue reading Want a Refund? Use Rakuten! Get $50 now!
Here in the North Country, our first frost is imminent; some local areas have already experienced frost. And since soup is essential in our household, I made Pasta e Fagioli this week. Pasta e Fagioli, meaning "pasta and beans," is a hearty and tasty soup that is easy to prepare. It can be ready in … Continue reading How to Make a classic Italian Soup to Welcome Fall Weather
I love snakes around the homestead. I don't like snakes in my face. I sort of have a love-hate relationship with these slithering reptiles. I don't care that they are here. Snakes are a good thing to have around. I don't want them scaring me and I am certainly not handling any. Snakes are good … Continue reading Those Sneaky Snakes are Slithering Around Now!
Sometimes old logic works just as well as new gadgets. My mom was not a fancy cook, just good-filling food to feed a farm family. Lots of it came from a large garden, preserved with love. Other things were just simple - pancakes for dinner, for instance, a meatless meal but one we kids thought … Continue reading 3 Old-Fashioned Kitchen Hacks for Easy Cooking From Mom
I feed wild birds in winter. A lot. I am a bird watcher. We have a lot of snow this winter. It's like a winter of my youth when we had huge piles of snow, tall snowbanks, and really cold weather. While birds seem to survive somehow under these conditions, I like to help them … Continue reading How to Make Winter Wild Bird Feeding Simple
Here's an easy put together dinner that makes enough for the whole family - a simple Ravioli Lasagna made in the slow cooker. It's easy to put together in advance, and forget about it until a few hours later. Just add garlic bread and a salad for a complete meal! I used up a few … Continue reading The Amazing Slow Cooker Lasagna to Make For Family
Roasted garlic has a nice mellow garlic flavor, not the sharp bitter flavor of fresh garlic. Roasted garlic cloves turn into soft spreadable garlic that is easily pushed out of the garlic head. I use it multiple ways – in mashed potatoes, mixed with mayo for a bread spread, into pasta dishes or rubbed onto … Continue reading The Best Easy Way to Make Roasted Garlic At Home
Seasonal Changes Colorful leaves – Whether you prefer the red and orange maples in the northeast or golden aspens in the Rockies, autumn brings dazzling displays. Cooler weather – and no bugs! Sweatshirt hoodies and cozy sweaters – pull them out of storage, or buy a few new ones, it’s time for long sleeves again! … Continue reading The Best 25 Things (or more!) I Love About Autumn
There are few things that equal the sudden loss of a four-footed family member. This recently happened to our household. One night when I couldn’t sleep, I was up reading at about 2.30 AM. With a blanket on my lap, both Tommy and Squeeze, two of our house cats were on my lap. For an … Continue reading When a Pet Suddenly Dies – How to Cope with the Loss