The past couple of years, round about April, I’ve thrown romaine lettuce seeds into a couple of containers on the back porch. With just a couple of bags of potting soil and a little regular watering, those containers yielded dozens of tasty salads. This year I kicked it up a notch and ...

I haven’t had rhubarb jam in years, but I remember loving it as a child. I always asked for rhubarb jam on my sandwich. Our rhubarb is so plentiful this year I decided to can up a batch of rhubarb jam for myself. I’ve made a lot of different jellies and jam but had never tried making ...

A flat bed truck is a very useful item on a ranch or small farm. It’s a lot easier to load and unload when you have to haul hay or straw, grain or feed sacks. If you have a regular bed truck, you can convert it into a flat bed with a little bit of effort. And you’ll save a LOT of money! If ...

My grandmother made her own soap, using rendered fats. I don’t remember much about it other than it didn’t smell all that good and it was cut into odd shapes. I’m not sure what prompted me to make my first batch of soap, but I don’t think it was the memory of those yellow bricks!That ...

Handmade crafts lend character and personality. Homemade (Skyhorse Publishing, 2010) by Ros Badger and Elspeth Thompson is packed full of practical, thoughtful handmade ideas from seasoned crafters. With over one hundred projects using everyday objects from around the house, they craft ...

Handmade crafts lend character and personality. Homemade (Skyhorse Publishing, 2010) by Ros Badger and Elspeth Thompson is packed full of practical, thoughtful handmade ideas from seasoned crafters. With over one hundred projects using everyday objects from around the house, they craft ...

Handmade crafts lend character and personality. Homemade (Skyhorse Publishing, 2010) by Ros Badger and Elspeth Thompson is packed full of practical, thoughtful handmade ideas from seasoned crafters. With over one hundred projects using everyday objects from around the house, they craft ...

Store-bought granola is pricey and you can’t control what’s in it. When you make your own you can make it to suit your own tastes and budget. Ingredients like pumpkin seeds and pecans are pretty pricey, but I have found sunflower seeds (far cheaper) taste almost as good. Next year maybe ...

I’m pretty sure Grandma and Grandpa never heard the word “repurpose” but the idea behind repurposing was certainly central to their way of life. Having lived through the Great Depression, the phrase, “Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without,” was a household aphorism.I ...

Do you have a door in your home that you never close? Is it just one more dust magnet taking up space? Or perhaps you are remodeling your home and can’t figure out how to make a door fit in an awkward space. Why bother hanging that expensive slab of wood if you’re never going to use it ...

I have been attempting simple projects lately to try to improve my sewing skills. Our old dish towels that hang on the fridge have been looking pretty beat so I decided to try a sewn towel topper.Many patterns online use a button as a fastener, but I wanted to try something easier than sewing ...

Plowing with Pigs (New Society Publishers, 2013) is for the farmer who has a passionate desire to return to simpler times. Authors Oscar H. Will III and Karen K. Will — a husband and wife team — are part of a new wave of homesteaders, ones who seek a good life, and the kind of satisfaction ...

Taking the DIY approach to lawn and garden care has many advantages, such as saving money and offering some fresh air and exercise, but sometimes it can turn into a timely endeavor. By the time you round up tools and supplies, figure out a plan of action and get working, you could easily lose ...

As part of the joyous celebration of the birth of Christ, many people send well wishes to family and friends by way of Christmas cards. Many people also take part in another tradition of the Christmas holiday: the exchanging of gifts – a tradition believed to have begun in the United States ...