Lisa MatthewsJan 2, 2021advice, balance, blessing, blessings, butchering, chicks, DIY, education, family, garden, garlic, growing food, homesteading, lifestyle, make-it-Monday, meat source
Our ancestors, some of which were the original pioneers who pushed westward into unknown lands, recognized the benefit of community and working together. Even though the original pioneers were self sufficient and independent, they understood that together more could...
Lisa MatthewsMay 31, 2018cooking, dehydrating, garden, garlic, growing food, herbs, pantry staples, plants, preservation, seasoning
Wow! I don’t know about the rest of the country, but here in Southwest Missouri, we have totally skipped Spring! We went from cold, snow and ice to 80-90 degree temps in about 2 weeks, literally! While I’m still trying to get all the garden planted,...
Lisa MatthewsAug 4, 2017canning, education, fruit, garden, health, homesteading, juice, lifestyle, preservation
For years, the process of making juice, jams and jellies in my modern pioneer home, consisted of adding water to the fruits or berries of choice, boiling for a time, cooling, straining, and squeezing the fruit in flour sack tea towels. While this process...
Lisa MatthewsSep 18, 2016canning, carrots, garden, homesteading, lifestyle, pantry staples, preservation, pressure canning
I love growing my own food in the garden to can, but let’s be realistic for a few minutes. There are times when there is a “crop failure” and you simply do not get enough of one item to can up for your family. There are also those that...
Lisa MatthewsJun 16, 2016dehydrating, garden, gardening, garlic, growing food, herbs, pantry staples, preservation, seasoning
We have grown many of the things we eat over the years, and have attempted to grow garlic in the past, but was never very successful. With the help of Shannon, from Elderberry Edge Farm, we have a great crop this year! I was a little surprised at the time...
Lisa MatthewsJun 10, 2016canning, cooking, DIY, garden, homesteading, jelly, pantry staples, preservation
Due to its simplicity, only three ingredients needed, this my favorite jelly recipe. When making jelly, only the juice of the fruit is used. This makes a beautiful translucent jelly with no bits of fruit or seeds. It requires the extra step of juicing, but is soooo...