I hear the term I have a brown thumb from people all the time. I would hear it a lot when people would stop to admire my gardens, and ask me how I did it. I never really knew what to say to them, and when people would comment on what a green thumb I had, I would wonder what makes me different than everyone else. I suspect that growing plants is a lot like art, the secret is that anyone can do it, if they take the time to learn how. This series is dedicated to all of the things that ... [ Read More ]
Facts About Using Pectin in Jam
Most people just add pectin to their jams without giving it much thought. While we all know that this powder or liquid thickens our jams how many know why or what happens when things go wrong? While it is ok to take this important little package for granted, knowing a bit more about pectin will ensure more consistent results when it is time to make jam and will also offer you some options you might not know you have. What is Pectin? The answer to that question can either be very ... [ Read More ]
7 Must Have Bread Baking Secrets For Perfect Bread Every Time
If you thought that yeast bread recipes were forever beyond you, then this post is for you. Like anything else you try in the kitchen making successful bread is a blend of the right knowledge and a little bit of practice. I learned to bake bread in a bakery of a restaurant, it was very intimidating but with the right tricks and someone to guide me, I picked it up right away. There are a number of bread secrets you should use as you bake bread that will give you consistent results time ... [ Read More ]
Demystifying Water Bath Canning
You would not believe the number of people I encounter over a year that still do not understand the difference between water bath canning and pressure canning. There is an equal number of people who still do not know what is safe to can in a water bath canner and what is not. Here are a few facts about water bath canning that should hopefully clear up the confusion. What IS the Difference Between Water Bath Canning and Pressure Canning? To put it simply a water bath canner cans at ... [ Read More ]
45 Unique Ways to Decorate Eggs
Note: If there is one thing I have discovered while preparing for this article, there are as many ways to decorate eggs for Easter as there are pictures to draw on paper. I have tried to stick to simple ideas that let your creativity flow. Most of these ideas are based on a concept rather than a project with a specific goal. I hope you enjoy these ideas. If you color your eggs year after year, it is easy to get tired of the same old thing. Fortunately there are dozens of different ways to ... [ Read More ]
Recovering and Passing on Lost Skills
As a culture we tend to live in the moment. While in one sense this is not a bad thing, when living in the moment means not thinking about potential outcomes in our future, we are at risk of leaving our children ill-prepared to meet their future. History shows that disasters do happen, and when they do, will future generations have the skills they need to weather those disasters? I have heard so many people say, that will never happen…. Perhaps not in our lifetime, but eventually? ... [ Read More ]
How Long is Long Enough for Emergency Preparedness?
February is emergency preparedness month here at Old Fashioned Families, I will be sharing a post at least once a week about being prepared, and we will be talking about preparedness on the forums which you can visit here. Disasters come in all sizes and shapes and can happen anytime or anywhere. This is a topic that we should all pay attention to no matter where we live, but there is plenty of debate as to how much preparedness we should engage in. At one extreme there are those ... [ Read More ]
Under $20 – The Ultimate Hand Picked List of Last Minute Gifts for Your Favorite Homesteader or Homemaker
I was asked by a reader to come up with another gift list for the blog, based on gifts that were low budget. My original post is here. While many of these items are under $20 there are plenty of other items I would love to have for my kitchen and garden under that price point. Here are just a few that I either have or made it onto my wish list. *IMPORTANT NOTE* If you have not done so already grab your free 30 day trial to Amazon Prime . You can use it to have your gifts ... [ Read More ]
5 Tips For Organizing and Keeping Track of your Garden Tools
Late winter and early spring is the perfect time to think about all of the important tasks that need to be done before the gardening season gets started. I usually start thinking about my gardens right around Christmas, and start planning in earnest right after the first of the year. While it is too early to even consider planting anything, it is not too early to get all of your tools organized and do any maintenance on them they might need. There is a post here ... [ Read More ]
Super Easy, One Bowl, Peanut Butter Chocolate Kiss Cookies
These cookies are a breeze to make, you can mix them all in one bowl, the hardest thing about making them is unwrapping the Hershey's kisses! I like to make these every year at Christmas and they are one of the first things to go. This year I am going to make sure there are plenty by making two full double batches. (There are six of us in this house so they will go fast). These are easiest if you have a stand mixer, if you don't then you can still make them but you ... [ Read More ]