By Holly Giles | Homesteading
Garden Goals Have you ever thought about setting garden goals? If you are like me, you are motivated by simply getting outside and connecting with nature. I love to get outside in beautiful weather and that makes me want to grow something. Gardening is a way to squeeze in some physical activity into a busy […]
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By Holly Giles | Homesteading
Victory Garden The victory garden of the 1940s has made a comeback with full force. Families are looking to food sources they had not thought of before which is exciting news for gardening. During world war II the government was reverting large manufacturing to war efforts and supplies. In turn, the government asked citizens to […]
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By Holly Giles | Kitchen
Cooking with Blueberries Blueberries bring back memories of going wild blueberry picking with my grandparents in the backwoods of Alabama. Every summer I would go stay with them on their property and live the country life. I learned how to forage for different foods and visit neighbors who were growing big gardens. Those are some […]
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By Holly Giles | Homesteading , Simple Living
Our Backyard Chicken Story Our chicken story began twenty years ago. My husband, Curtis, and I have gone back and forth about having backyard chickens. He would want to get started and I didn’t want the responsibility. Then, I would get excited about it and he would not. We never got serious about it until […]
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By Holly Giles | Homesteading , Kitchen
Easy Strawberry Jam A beginner can make easy strawberry jam with great results. It was the first jam that I ever tried to make with my boys at home. Grayson and Grant can get overzealous when it comes to picking strawberries. I have been known to pay thirty dollars for the buckets full of juicy […]
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By Holly Giles | Homesteading , Simple Living
Living Simply from a Pioneer Perspective The idea of living simply from the pioneer culture and Laura Ingalls Wilder has a lot to teach us modern-day folk. Pioneer times may be pushing 200 years old, but the lessons we can learn for living today still apply. Laura Ingalls Wilder was fascinating in that she lived […]
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By Holly Giles | Homesteading , Kitchen
Venison Jerky Harvesting and preserving meat was a big part of generations past. Making venison jerky at home has become popular with homesteaders across America. Harvesting your own meat for the family is a big responsibility and a way to be in control of your food supply. Bringing home meat and curing it in several […]
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By Holly Giles | Homesteading , Simple Living
7 Simple Tips to Start Seeds Indoors Starting vegetable seeds indoors is a great way to extend your gardening budget and your growing season. However, starting vegetables from seed can be a bit tricky for many novice gardeners. Fortunately, the seven simple steps outlined below simplifies this process and make it much more fun and […]
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By Holly Giles | Homesteading , Simple Living
Baker Creek Seed Company is nestled in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains in Missouri. My fellow Roadschool Mom, Mary Beth and I along with three of our children visited here on a road trip. Baker Creek is an heirloom company preserving and selling heritage seeds from generations ago. This family-owned farm is taking big […]
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By Holly Giles | Kitchen
Our Go-To Snack Granola is one of those snacks that makes you feel like you are outdoors even if your not. I remember making granola in grade school on a campout and we called it GORP. I am not sure what the O stands for but it had granola, raisins peanuts and m&m’s in it. […]
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