Line-dried laundry is one of life’s simple pleasures. Clothes smell fresh without artificial fragrance. Gravity pulls out most wrinkles without the need of an iron. And one of my favorite reasons… enjoying the sounds of nature while sheets dry on the line… no hmm of a dryer interrupting song birds. But one other item goes […]
Homestead How-Tos
10 Steps to Prevent Food Waste
Modern refrigerators are a wonderful thing. They have many more features compared to models used by our grandparents: automatic ice makers, water dispensers, water filters, slide-out drawers, and side-by-side refrigerator/freezer convenience. One other feature that may not be immediately noticeable is the size. Refrigerators are so much larger compared to those made 50 years ago. […]
5 Easy Steps to Using a Percolator
In this modern age of espresso machines, single pack coffee makers, and French presses, there is one device that I reach for over and over again. It doesn’t rely on steam pressure, special coffee packets or even a particular roast of coffee. In fact, I don’t think that this device will ever wear out since […]
Fireplace Ash: A Great Glass Cleaner
We have a wood burning fireplace. Now while that isn’t news, we do use it to help heat our house. And if you have any experience with wood fires, having one means that cleaning it is part of your regular house maintenance. Besides providing warmth, wood fires generate ash. A lot of ash. Our fireplace […]
How to Cook in a Bean Pot
It was the original crock pot (slow cooker). Imagine, preparing something savory that took hours to cook down into a luscious, creamy texture? What device could perform this task? Folks, it is the bean pot! As the name implies, bean pots were created to cook beans. In case you are not familiar with one; it […]
New Life for Old-Fashioned Cooking Measurements
Cookbooks. I love them. Each book tells its own story between the covers. Will I unlock the secrets to a smooth gravy? Figure how to make biscuits that are feather-light? Or perhaps read how to make a mayonnaise without it separating in the process? I collect them and read them like novels. In my opinion, […]