If you enjoy homemade soap making, you’ll no doubt be interested in experimenting with your soap—from the oils to the molds to the colors and probably much more. Soaps will naturally turn out different colors based on different oils or additives, even the type of lye that is used. For example, whenever I’ve added honey to soap, the soap has turned a golden honey color. Other things, such as beet juice, will not affect the final color at all. Soap Colorants If you want to have a broader range and more control over the color
continue reading…

You’ve likely got most things taken care of in the garden and most of your garden tools put away for the winter.  If you haven’t done so already, now is the time to begin thinking about what you want to grow next year! Here are some tips to help you decide what you should grow. On Your Mark: Records For Remembering It’s always a good idea to keep some sort of record as to what did well in your garden from year to year, as well as what didn’t do well. Here are some things
continue reading…

Previously we looked at ways to dry and store seeds. This time, we’ll be exploring the specifics involved in harvesting and saving seeds from your favorite fruits and vegetables. Tomatoes I have personally had good luck with leaving tomato plants with tomatoes in the garden at the end of the season and through the winter and having little tomatoes come up the following year (sometimes to my chagrin).  I wouldn’t, however, rely on this completely from year to year without having access to alternative plants if for some reason the “volunteer” tomatoes didn’t come up.
continue reading…

As you become more self-sufficient in your prepping journey, you will probably find yourself dabbling a bit in the art of growing your own food.  You may also find yourself wanting to rely more on yourself than on seed catalogs for your gardening needs, in case these commercial seeds are somehow no longer available, too expensive, or are tainted with GMO genes you might not want to be feeding your family. Whatever the reason, it is a good idea to learn how to save your own seeds. Following are a few guidelines to follow to
continue reading…

Caraway seed is the chief spice used in savory dishes in traditional European cooking. A strong aromatic, it is a member of the parsley family, which includes dill, anise, fennel, and cumin. It is native to northern and central Europe and west Asia, and it grows widely throughout the European continent.  It has also been found growing wild in India and throughout the Himalayan region. On the plains it is cultivated as a winter crop, whereas in the Kashmir, Kumaon, Garhwal and Chamba regions, it is harvested in summer. Caraway’s properties were known and appreciated
continue reading…

Growing your own food in your backyard garden is one of the most rewarding things you can do. The satisfaction that comes from feeding your family and giving them nutritious, organic produce is well worth the effort you put into your garden. If you haven’t done so yet, it’s time to start saving seeds from your plants for the following years. There are many reasons to save your seeds. Since you will not have to purchase new seeds or plants each year, you can save a lot of money. Also, when you save and use
continue reading…

Starting Seeds Indoors If you’re like most people who live in a place that has winter, you are probably itching to get outside. Cabin fever tends to set in by January, although for the tougher amongst us, maybe not until February. While you can certainly spend time outdoors in the winter, the cold temperatures, gray skies, and lack of green can leave you feeling glum and even depressed. One way to beat the winter blues is by working on your garden. If you are living the off-the-grid lifestyle, you undoubtedly keep a vegetable garden. Growing
continue reading…

If you’re like most people who live in a place that has winter, you are probably itching to get outside.

Cabin fever tends to set in by January, although for the tougher amongst us, maybe not until February. While you can certainly spend time outdoors in the winter, the cold temperatures, gray skies, and lack of green can leave you feeling glum and even depressed. One way to beat the winter blues is by working on your garden.

Roses are beautiful additions to any garden, and the hips and petals can be eaten for their vitamin C content and flavor. My grandmother and great-grandmother’s roses have always intrigued me, as they were always very beautiful. Now that I have my own home, I want to propagate some of my grandmother’s roses in my own garden. We will learn how together!

Maybe you are too young to remember, but there was once a time when packaged seed was rare. In those days, next year’s harvest depended on successfully harvesting seed from this year’s vegetables. Saving seed may not be as necessary today, but it does allow you to continue growing heirloom vegetables that seed companies no longer carry. While the process for saving seed is easy, you do need to start earlier than you think. So let’s start with the basics: Gather seed only from open-pollinated plants, not hybrids. Hybrids are genetically engineered, not the way
continue reading…