Homemade Vanilla Extract is very simple to make. It only requires 2 ingredients and about 10 minutes of your time. You can speed up the extract process in an instant pot and cut your wait time to about 2 weeks or let it slowly extract over 6 weeks to 3 months. Allow me to break down all the steps and options for you and you can decide which method serves your family best. FUN FACT: Did you know vanilla doesn’t…
Store bought ranch mix is a classic, but is full of unnecessary and unhealthy chemicals. Why not make it yourself! This recipe is so simple, you will wonder why you didn’t try it sooner. Homemade Ranch Mix is the way to go! The base ingredient you will need is dry buttermilk. I searched around for the best prices and settled on Azure Standard. I purchased mine in a 5lb bag. If you are interested in learning more about Azure Standard…
I’m sure you’ve seen the videos floating around social media about starting this wonderful home remedy this time of year. It is time! Honey Fermented Garlic is a beautiful immune-boosting tool to add to your medicine cabinet this winter. I’m going to walk you through why you should add this to your medicinal arsenal and how to make your very own Honey Fermented Garlic to combat winter illnesses, among other things. First, I will break down each of the components…
Did you know homemade cranberry juice is incredibly easy to make and doesn’t required any special equipment? That’s right. It is as simple as filling a jar halfway with cranberries and adding some sugar and pouring boiling water into a jar. Process using the water bath canning method (you just need a tall pot, not an official water bath canner) and presto, you have a beautiful homemade, shelf stable cranberry juice to enjoy throughout the year. Our family moved into…
Nothing says Fall like a warm pot of apple butter! This year we stepped up and made a delicious Spiced Apple Butter to add to our pantry and to offer at the market. Apple butter is a more concentrated version of applesauce and this recipe offers an extra flare with the addition of cinnamon and cardamom. I’m excited to show you how easy it is to make this delicious pantry item. Let’s go! What do you need? Apples!!! Take your…
Lemonade is the perfect summer drink. It’s sweet, tart, and refreshing. Homemade Lemonade is even better! Not only is it so simple to make, it only takes 3 ingredients! I know Labor Day marks the end of Summer for most, but we will still enjoy this drink as long as the weather is warm. Now before you ask me, why can’t I just use the mix I can get at the store, it’s faster! Remember, we’ve talked about this before,…
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been reading Karen Morris’s book A Year Without a Grocery Store: A Step by Step Guide to Acquiring, Organizing, and Cooking Food Storage. It is a short book packed with a ton of information and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in taking charge of how they provide food for their family. After reading the introduction, I was ready to jump in headfirst because I loved the concept of not shopping at the…
Have you ever gone to make cookies, a cake, or a sauce and reached for your brown sugar only to find you are out? There is nothing more frustrating than not having an ingredient you need. I’m here to offer you an easy fix for when you run out of brown sugar. All it takes is a little bit of preparedness on your part and then you will never run out again. I’m going to teach you how to make…
Is it sweet or is it spicy? Both! What is Cowboy Candy you ask? Why only the most delicious home-preserved topping you will ever experience! It is the perfect combination of sweet and spicy and pairs with tacos, hot dogs, burgers, tuna salad, pizza, and more! It is extremely simple to preserve and can be made from homegrown or store-bought peppers. We first discovered this condiment a few years ago and I’ve made sure we have at least one jar…