It is my personal observation that nothing lasts as long as it did in our grandparents’ day. Clothing, cars, tools, kitchenware—pretty much everything seems to be made for our throwaway culture. It’s hard to know which came first, the chicken or ...
Read More »Articles Written By Kathy Bernier
Our Great-Grandparents Were Less Stressed. Here’s 10 Reasons Why.
Life in the 21st century can get pretty hectic. Most people fill their days to the overflowing with jobs, commuting, kids’ activities, fitness goals, food preparation, home and garden maintenance, house chores, and more. Sometimes it almost feels like there ...
Read More »No, Canning Is Not Always The Best Answer
Remember the last time you heard someone ask for another serving of that delicious home-canned eggplant or Brussels sprouts? Not likely. There are some foods which are better off being preserved by a method other than canning, and a few ...
Read More »Pay Your Farmer Or Pay Your Doctor. It’s Your Choice.
We overplanted our gardens again this year. My husband and I often roll into harvest season with more food than we can ever possibly eat. We eat fresh from the garden all season, try to preserve as much as possible, ...
Read More »4 Food Preservation Tricks You Won’t Learn In The Ball Book
I’m all for the idea of learning from books and online articles. Canning how-to’s are great, especially when published or sanctioned by trusted sources. In fact, when in conversation with someone about a food preservation question, my first response to ...
Read More »Garlic Scapes: Should You Cut Them … Or Leave Them?
One of the first things people notice about garlic is that it marches to its own tune. During autumn when the rest of the garden is being put to bed, garlic is ready for planting. And while other crops ...
Read More »12 Common Canning Mistakes That Even Experts Make
It’s the time of year when gardeners and homesteaders are scrambling to preserve our harvest in order to enjoy the literal fruits of our labors as close to year-round as possible. For a lot of us, that means canning. Most ...
Read More »10 Often-Forgotten Items You Better Stockpile For Winter
The sun is beating down, it’s somewhere around 80 degrees in the shade, there are hot dogs and fresh corn-on-the-cob corn on the grill, and the kids are splashing around in the pool. What time is it? It’s time to ...
Read More »Apples 101: Which Varieties Store The Longest And Bake The Best
Apples are perhaps the most well-known and quintessential American tree fruit in existence today. They can be found on produce shelves from coast to coast—not to mention around the world—and are available year ‘round in most places, are widely enjoyed, ...
Read More »7 Garden Must-Do’s You Shouldn’t Put Off Until Spring (No. 5 Might Be Most Important)
After a full season of intense gardening and homesteading activities, many of us are ready to pull up the last of our vegetable plants and sit back on our heels as cooler weather moves in. Don’t do it. As tempting ...
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