The Self-Sufficient Home By Nancy Hoffman Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book to review. All opinions shared are my own. This book provides an overview of the many aspects of living a more self-sufficient lifestyle. The author gives her readers the basics of a broad spectrum of…
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Conserving Energy at Home – Part 2
Conserving energy in the home with your heating and cooling methods save a lot of money and reduces your carbon footprint!
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Energy Conservation at Home – Part 1
Energy conservation in your home is a great way to reduce expenses and live more sustainably. Tips on electronics, appliances, and lighting.
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Instafire Product Review
Trying Out Instafire for Fire-Starting by Tom Lombardo I’ve been building fires since I was a college student living in a cabin in the Adirondacks and heating with a wood stove. I’m also fond of backyard bonfires and I’m the designated fire builder when our family goes camping. Tinder (such…
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Renewable Energy for Self-Sufficiency
by Dr. Tom Lombardo Renewable Energy for Self-Sufficiency Ask a few homeowners about renewable energy and they’ll probably talk about solar panels and rooftop wind turbines. They might even use the term “off-grid.” In reality, there are many more possibilities, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Let’s start with…
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Incubator Review Update
Read my Hova Bator 1602N Review. Incubator Review I recently received a Hova Bator 1602N to review for Incubator Warehouse. I loaded the incubator with 26 chicken eggs gathered during a very cold February. The incubator worked perfectly and kept the temperature even for the eggs at the sides. The…
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The Green Homestead
Are You a Green Homesteader? By their very nature, most homesteaders believe in living a fairly ‘green,’ or earth friendly, lifestyle. We wish to become more self reliant for many reasons. The benefits include: reducing our expenses, providing healthier foods for our family, preventing cruelty to the animals we rely…
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Hova Bator 1602N Incubator Review
Hova Bator 1602N Incubator I recently received a Hova Bator 1602N Incubator to review for Incubator Warehouse, a hatching supply company based in Idaho. This model comes with a Gentle Flow fan kit for even heating, and a wafer snap thermostat. A guide to using the incubator is included, with…
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Getting Ready for Spring!
Winter’s on the Way Out! Well, for some folks spring weather is already warming your faces and gardens. Spring bulbs are blooming and you’re out working in the garden. For northern Illinois, where I live, these are all daydreams and wishful thinking! But today is March 1st and we only…
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Resources for Small Farmers and Homesteaders
Helping Hands for Small Farmers In 2013 I shared an article designed to help my readers decide if a small farm business might work for them. Can You Make a Living on a Small Farm? has had quite a few readers. I wanted to expand on that post to…
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How to Make Jack Wax and Hard Maple Candy
Sweet Maple Treats – Jack Wax and Hard Maple Candy Jack Wax (also known as Maple Taffy, Sugar on Snow, or Syrup on Snow) and Hard Maple Candy are easy treats to make any time of year. The method for making each confection is similar. Read Sweet Maple by Michelle…
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Butchering in Subzero Temperatures
Check out my posts ‘How to Cull Your Old Laying Hens’ and ‘Butchering An Injured Hen’ for more of my thoughts on butchering. Extreme Butchering Butchering animals in subzero temperatures is not an ideal situation. However, life doesn’t always work out the way we plan. Sometimes an animal is injured in the…
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A Handmade Christmas Tree Skirt
Christmas Tree Skirt – Handmade by My Mom Last year, for Christmas, my Mother gave me a wonderful homemade gift…the Christmas tree skirt pictured here. This is the first year we’ve had the pleasure of decorating our tree with this beautiful handmade, quilted skirt. I’m so happy to have one…
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How to Deal with Cold Weather on the Homestead
How to Deal with Cold Weather on the Homestead When the weather outside is frightful and the fire inside is delightful, it’s tempting to stay warm rather than attend to your outdoor chores. Although some outside work can wait for warmer days or can be done before the snow flies,…
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The New Settlement Cookbook & Christmas Memories
A Classic American Cookbook My parents gave me this copy of The New Settlement Cookbook a few years ago after a trip to one of our local antique shops. Buried deep in the book section we came across this 1997 reprint of an American classic. This edition has some…
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Thankful for a Step Back in Time
Autumn Pioneer Festival Every fall I like to visit the Autumn Pioneer Festival because it reminds me of how self sufficient people had to be during the westward expansion of our country. It makes me feel a little bit wistful that I was born into an age of modern convenience.…