Backyard Farmers: You Make a Difference!

Backyard Farmers: You Make a Difference!

This is for my fellow backyard farmers. Whether you have an apartment balcony, 1/2 an acre, or a handful of land to call your own. For those who do it yourself. Make it yourself. Grow it yourself. Anything…everything…something. No matter how little or how much you’re currently growing, raising, or making- you make a difference! […]

How to Make Dry Cured Bacon

How to Make Dry Cured Bacon

Bacon. Few words get as much of a reaction as bacon. It’s a universal language that we all speak. And it’ll cure what ails you. Having a rough day? Forget the wine. Here, have some bacon. Don’t know what to make for supper? Who needs supper? Let’s just have bacon. Pondering what makes the world […]

Hearty Homestead Breakfast Casserole

Hearty Homestead Breakfast Casserole

I’m a casserole-type of gal. What can I say? I’m from Minnesota. We love our casseroles…probably because we spend 9 months out of the year trying to stay warm and what better way to warm up than a nice, hot, deep dish casserole? And we like them not only for supper, but breakfast and lunch […]

Perfect Roast Turkey

Perfect Roast Turkey

There are few animals over whose skin I will fight for at a meal. Turkey is one of them. In fact, I’m pretty sure it’s the only one. Crispy, heavenly, basted to perfection. Are you nodding your head right now? You know what I’m talking about. If not, you haven’t had a good turkey. One […]

How to Make & Freeze Homemade Hash Browns

How to Make & Freeze Homemade Hash Browns

You say po-tay-to…I say po-tah-to… {Wait, does anyone actually say po-tah-to?} What I actually say is: potatoes are awesome. I’ve probably mentioned it more than once, but in my garden, there are two vital crops that play a prominent role in feeding my family year-round: tomatoes and potatoes. Hundreds of pounds of each are harvested […]

10 Things I’ve Learned About Raising Pigs

10 Things I’ve Learned About Raising Pigs

What is it about this time of year that has me all screwed up? Undoubtedly, it’s the weather. One day it’s a beautiful 70 degrees, the next it’s 30 and I have an all-out panic attack. It’s winter! Oh my gosh- it’s gonna be snowing ANY. MINUTE.! Just LOOK at what needs to be done! […]

Homemade Ketchup

Homemade Ketchup

It’s no wonder tomatoes are the most popular thing (I say thing because it PAINS me to call it a fruit rather than a vegetable and yet I hate to be incorrect at the same time) to grow among gardeners. You can make SO so so many things with them. SO. MANY. THINGS. Its versatility […]

How to {Safely} Can Pumpkin & Squash

How to {Safely} Can Pumpkin & Squash

This time of year, no matter how you try to hide from it, you can’t escape the pumpkin madness. It’s as if the calendar turns over and suddenly your life is overtaken by pumpkin- flavored this and pumpkin- spiced that. Pumpkin donuts, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin beer. Want a better coffee? Get a pumpkin flavored one! […]

Fall Preparation for Hugelkultur Gardening (Lake Time Magazine Article) + Start-to-Finish Hugelkultur Garden Photos 2015

Fall Preparation for Hugelkultur Gardening (Lake Time Magazine Article) + Start-to-Finish Hugelkultur Garden Photos 2015

As someone who has had a life long love of both writing and gardening, I was so honored to be invited to submit a fall gardening article for the inaugural issue of Lake Time Magazine, a publication that celebrates the countless reasons why Minnesota is such an incredible state to live in. I could not […]

Growing Garlic: How and Why You Should Soak Before Planting

Growing Garlic: How and Why You Should Soak Before Planting

It’s that time of year again…when you start seeing garlic planting How-Tos popping up all over Pinterest and in your news feed. That, and pumpkin…everything. Seriously, everything. But what a great time of year it is! For many, the gardening season is winding down and you’re left feeling one of two ways: “That was fun! […]