Crispy Baked Kale Chips Recipe

crispy baked kale chips on wood

There are several tricks for making kale chips that are crispy and not soggy or scorched. Let’s explore those tricks so you can make all kinds of tasty kale chip variations. How to make crispy kale chips 1. Start with clean, fresh kale. For kale chips, it’s best to use kale that is fresh and … Read more

The Easiest and Best Way to Freeze Fresh Basil

fresh basil in ziplock bag for freezing

What is the best way to freeze fresh basil to retain the flavor and color? We put all the the popular and not-so-popular methods to the test and came up the easiest and best way of freezing basil. Personally, my very favorite way to freeze basil is in the form of basil pesto. We go … Read more

3 Simple Ways of Drying Basil at Home

basil leaves drying on square dehydrator trays

At the end of the summer when the garden is overflowing with basil, it’s the perfect time to start drying basil to stock your pantry. Fortunately, you don’t need any special equipment to dry basil. Let’s explore how to dry basil by hanging it, using an oven, and using a dehydrator. Basil is an annual … Read more

Having Food Security in Our Modern World

baskets of fresh garden harvest of cucumbers, squash, and herbs

I’ve been thinking a lot about food security lately and what that truly means in our modern world. Up until very recently, people HAD to think ahead and make a plan for eating year round regardless of their climate. Now we can just pop into the grocery store and buy anything we want, in or … Read more

How to Preserve Figs – can, freeze, dehydrate, pickle, and ferment

cut and whole figs on wooden cutting board

Fig season is short, although it does come twice a year, so be sure to preserve figs while you can. Figs can be canned, frozen, pickled, dehydrated and even fermented! Fig season is season is something to celebrate. Like mulberries, figs don’t ship well which makes it hard to find fresh figs for sale. In … Read more

Easy Grape Jam Recipe – using grape mash or whole grapes

image of 5 small jars of homemade grape jam

During the summer Mustang grapes grow all over our area. Mustang grapes are similar to muscadine grapes. We use these tart grapes to make grape jelly and juice, of course, but we also use them to make grape jam. Grape jam is usually made with whole grapes that have been seeded but I prefer to … Read more

Safely Canning Soup at Home for Preparedness and Convenience

home canned soups in mason jars

When you make home canned soups you end up with a meal in a jar instead of ingredients to make a meal. Canning soup at home helps you be better prepared for emergencies and for busy weeknight dinners. A friend recently told me that someone told her, “You can only can soups at home using … Read more

Home Canned Sausage, Potato and Kale Soup Recipe

bowl of creamy potato and sausage soup

This sausage, potato and kale soup is an adaptation of Olive Garden’s “Zuppa Toscana” soup. I love making soups but when I can adapt them for canning it’s even better. Keeping hearty, home canned soups on hand as saved more weeknight meals than I’d like to admit. The Ultimate Guide to Preserving Vegetables has step … Read more

Probiotic Rich Fermented Dill Pickles – aka Sour Pickles

canning jars with cucumbers in them for fermenting

Traditionally fermented pickles are easy to make and full of probiotic goodness for your gut. These pickles are usually known as sour pickles. They aren’t canned and there’s no vinegar. Every summer we make jar after jar of these naturally pickled cucumbers to preserve for the year. We make whole dill pickles, spears and pickle … Read more

Quick Start Guide to Growing Food

A collection of baskets filled with fresh produce, including growing okra, tomatoes, and various peppers, displayed outdoors. The vibrant colors of red, orange, and green create a bountiful and inviting scene.

It is possible to grow enough food to feed your family even if you live on a small piece of property. Maybe not 100% of your fruit and vegetable needs but, honestly, I don’t know anyone who grows 100% of their food. This is a really long article, so you might want to grab a … Read more

What to do with mulberries? 10 Easy Mulberry Recipes

Image of mulberry fruit crisp in a white and teal bowl with a white napkin and spoon on the right side. There's an 8x8 glass pan of mulberry crisp in the back ground and a small cup of milk on the left.

Mulberries grow in many climates and are often considered a nuisance. Put these tasty berries to use and treat your family to something they cannot get at the grocery store! These tasty mulberry recipes will help you get started. What are Mulberries? Mulberries are small, usually dark but sometimes white, berries that grow on a … Read more

Easy Homemade Cake Recipes That Even a Child Can Make

image of cake ingredients; chocolate bar, butter, eggs, flour, and sugar

Homemade cakes are easy to make and they’re all make pretty much the same way. You need some kind of flour, sweetener, fat, liquid, leavening agent, and maybe an egg or two – that’s it. Here is a list of super easy homemade cake recipes that use staples from your pantry. Some of these recipes … Read more

Simple Grapefruit Shortbread Cookie Recipe

A plate of grapefruit shortbread cookies

Shortbread cookies are a super versatile and easy to make cookie using just a few pantry staples. These grapefruit shortbread cookies are a fun twist on the classic buttery cookie. I’ve been making the same shortbread recipe for most of my adult life (a long time) and I love it. It’s buttery and not very … Read more

Simple Hibiscus Syrup – not just for cocktails and drinks

A close up of a bottle of hibiscus syrup

Simple syrups are a great way to add flavor to drinks, yogurt, pancakes, ice cream, or as a grenadine substitute, really anything that needs a little something. My current favorite simple syrup is hibiscus syrup, made with the calyx of hibiscus sabdariffa, also known as Roselle and Jamaican sorrel. To make hibiscus syrup you just … Read more

How to Meal Plan on a Budget

image of bowl of vegetable soup

I think most people instinctively know how to plan meals, but we’ve got so many apps and systems available to us that we assume it can’t really be as easy as writing down what meals we want to eat for the week or month and then making sure we have the food to cook those … Read more

Recipes for Hibiscus Tea and Other Tasty Treats

A large basket of Hibiscus calyxes with text overlay

I’ve become quite obsessed with trying recipes for hibiscus tea, hibiscus curd, hibiscus jelly, and many more hibiscus treats since our hibiscus bushes are bursting with calyx (pods). We’ve grown edible hibiscus for several years and I’m truly amazed by the many traditional hibiscus recipes there and by people’s unique twists to those recipes. Are … Read more

Fresh Mango Lime Pie Recipe

A piece of mango lime pie on a plate with text overlay

Tired of overly sweet fruit pies? Then try this sweet and tangy mango lime pie! I discovered mango pie when I over bought mangoes and had several mangoes getting very ripe on my kitchen counter. I love it when I make delicious mistakes like that. Everyone in my family loves mangoes…except me. So when I … Read more

Canning Grape Pie Filling and a Grape Pie Recipe

A slice of grape pie on a plate with text overlay

Every year our family picks wild mustang grapes to make grape jelly and grape juice. Mustang grapes are similar to muscadine grapes but more sour, however, they make a lovely sweet/tart jelly and juice. Every year we have quite a bit of leftover mash or waste from extracting the juice, this year I decided to … Read more

Fresh Grapefruit Cake – a simple recipe for citrus season

A piece of grapefruit cake on a plate, with Cream cheese frosting

Every winter we have an abundance of citrus. It’s so wonderful, but it can be overwhelming at times. At the beginning of citrus season we’re excited and eating tons of it. But towards then end of the season you’ll find me juicing and freezing citrus juice almost daily as we make sure to not waste … Read more