1. Cookbook-everyone should have at least one. I know it’s fast and easy to look up recipes on the Internet, but outages happen. 2. Flour-As the pandemic started this simple essential ingredient was hard to find. Flour makes bread with just a few other ingredients, it also makes pancakes, biscuits…

What to do once you are bitten. — I’ve been bitten so many times this spring and summer that I am now allergic to them, and each bite swells and itches for a long time. I done a deep dive into researching ticks. Here is the information I’ve collected so far. 5 Methods that help to avoid tick bites. 1. Use permethrin on clothing and or…

Symptoms and when to get medical help. I spend a lot of time outdoors working in vegetable and flower gardens. I put my hair up and wear a hat, and they still manage to get on me. Here on the homestead, the place is crawling with ticks during the spring months. As the weather heats up, ticks…

Don’t let the ugliness and chaotic world get between you and those you love. The night before mom died, my sister, my youngest daughter, myself, and my sister’s son stayed with mom in the hospice room just a few blocks from where she made a home with dad and raised…

Hi, I'm not a herbalist but I am interested in learning how to help myself and those near and dear to me. I've been gardening and growing plants/herbs for years and have used them in the most basic ways on myself. Do you have one piece of advice or recommendation of a book for someone learning? Thank you for your article!

Multi-Dimensional Do you see me? Do you know me? I am not just a mother, a daughter, a wife or a grandmother. I am not just a dad, a son, a husband or a grandfather. I am neither female nor male. I am. My mind is vast-always expanding. My thoughts…

Exploring the Joy of Harvesting and Cooking Tomatoes — I’ve had a sinus and ear infection, so I haven’t written much. I’ve been resting and napping in between my gardening chores. I’ve canned many pickles, dehydrated zucchini shreds, chips, picked and dried onions, and processed garlic. Today the real work begins. I’m about to be inundated with tomatoes. I…

The Basics of Water Bath Canning — Water bath canning is a home preservation technique suitable for high-acid foods such as fruits, tomatoes, pickles, and jams. The process involves submerging filled and sealed glass jars in a large pot of boiling water for a specified period. …

Peaches, peppers, tomato, onion, garlic — Peaches No writing tomorrow. Tomorrow is a day of necessary chores. I have a bushel of peaches to process that I have been procrastinating. Sigh. The peaches are basic, nothing fancy this time. I tend to add more work by creating more challenging recipes. Not this time. No matter what I…