Skill Building Archives - Gently Sustainable

24MarMarch 24, 2021

How to Prepare for Difficult Times in Life

Life doesn't come with any guarantees of security. While we shouldn't allow fear to dictate our lives, we should also know how to prepare for difficult times in life, should they arise. If history is any indicator (and it is), difficult times will visit our lifetimes at some point and it pays big dividends to be prepared. It's naive to think that you'll never lose your job, have a sick child, experience a fire or natural disaster, go through a divorce, experience a long bout with depression or even the death of a loved one. Chances are good that you'll experience many...

By KellyFinancial Resilience, Non-electric living, Skill Building0 Comments

17JulJuly 17, 2020

Easy Fall Cookie Recipes

As the colors of the leaves start to change and the days begin to get shorter, I get the urge to bake! I'll bet you do as well! Check out these "Easy Fall Cookie Recipes" and start baking! Don't you just LOVE the colors of fall? You'll see the best of autumn's colors in these easy fall cookie recipes! Make them with your children, use in lunchboxes and for after-school snacks! Look at these "Maple Brown Sugar Cookies" with icing from Sally's Baking Addiction! These fall cookies are chewy and soft in the center, but crisp around the edges. I love...

By kmorrisNewbie, Scratch Recipes0 Comments

26AprApril 26, 2020

How to Bake from Scratch: Quick Breads

Learning how to bake from scratch will be one of the most valuable skills you'll ever learn! Making your own quick breads is not only economical, more nutritious and a lot of fun! Let's do this! I'm going to teach you, step-by-step, how to make Banana Bread, Cranberry Bread and Pumpkin Bread. All of these quick breads taste great and will likely be eaten up before you know it! At least, that's the case in my home. Quick breads are wonderful for breakfast, lunch boxes, afternoon snacks, new mom gifts and dinner additions! Raising a large family, I've used quick breads to...

By kmorrisBaking Bread, Newbie, Scratch Recipes, Skill Buildingbanana bread, cranberry bread, pumpkin bread, quick breads0 Comments

15AprApril 15, 2020

How to Can Hamburger for Quick Meals

Ever get tired of expensive, mediocre, canned meat at the store? Want to take control the quality of the canned meat you eat? Can your own! It's simple to do and it's a great way to boost your pantry! Let's take a look at my tutorial "How to Can Hamburger for Quick Meals". Typically, I can meat in the late fall/winter. That's because our beef is usually ready, from the farmer, at that time of year. This year, we're raising our own beef! Yay! However, it's April, my beef freezer is getting low and our beef won't be ready to process until...

By KellyCanning, Preserving Food, Veterancanning meat, how to can meat0 Comments

09AprApril 9, 2020

Frugal Canning: Does Home Canning Really Save Money?

Frugal Canning: Does Canning Food Really Save You Money?

Canning and preserving food are skills that have been around for ages. But does canning food really save you money? The answer is yes...and no. Confused? Let's dig into this with "Frugal Canning: Does Canning Food Really Save You Money?" Long before what we know as "grocery stores" existed (Piggly Wiggly opened the first grocery store in 1916!), families were responsible for their own food supply. Folks grew large gardens every year, not as a hobby, but as a matter of survival! Every member of the family helped to maintain the garden, to insure the best harvest possible. Livestock such as chickens,...

By kmorrisAccomplished, Canning, Financial Resilience, Growing Food, Preserving Food, The Gardencanning, Food preservation0 Comments

17OctOctober 17, 2019

How to Preserve Carrots

Pressure canning can be very intimidating for new canners, I know it was for me! But truth told, once you pressure can a couple of times, you'll see how simple it really is! I want to take you through the process, step-by-step, as we learn "How to Can Carrots in a Pressure Canner for Beginners"! I prefer to can carrots by the "raw pack" method, meaning that the carrots will not be cooked, but rather packed raw. I feel that more nutrients are preserved this way. First, we're going to need some fresh carrots to can! I picked up these carrots...

By kmorrisAccomplished, Canning, Homesteading, Preserving Food, Veteran0 Comments

04OctOctober 4, 2019

How to Make Ghee at Home

What is ghee, also known as clarified butter? How is it made and what are it's uses? Why would a homesteader be interested in ghee? Well, I've got some answers for you today with "Easy Clarified Butter Recipe"! Ghee originated in the Indian culture and has been a staple in Indian households for thousands of years. It is simply made by removing the milk fat from butter, thus leaving just the butter oil. Ghee is a premium cooking oil celebrated for its taste, nutritional benefits, and medicinal qualities. Ayurveda, the ancient medical science of India, recognizes ghee as an essential part...

By KellyAccomplished, Canning, Homesteading, Preserving Food, Scratch Recipes, Sustainable Home, Veteran0 Comments

18SepSeptember 18, 2019

24 Easy Christmas Cookie Recipes to Bake & Share

It's that time of year again! Time to bake cookies! I've got exactly what you need this year, "24 Easy Christmas Cookie Recipes to Bake & Share" with pictures! These are some of the very best, crowd-pleasing Christmas cookie recipes out there! Not only that, these are some of the most popular Christmas cookie recipes, all in one place! After all, we all crave a little variety in our cookie baking! These recipes are simple to make and look fabulous on your holiday table or cookie plates! Perfect cookie recipes for a cookie exchange! Make all 24! Let's start this list...

By KellyAccomplished, Holidays, Newbie, Scratch Recipes, Veteran0 Comments

18SepSeptember 18, 2019

Peppermint Meringue Cookie Recipe

This Peppermint Meringue Cookie recipe, also known as "Christmas Meringue Cookies" is one that I received years ago from our Danish neighbors, who brought us a plate of these every year. They are so wonderful and inexpensive to make! With just a few ingredients, you have a really special little Christmas meringue cookie to share! Hilarious Christmas Party Games Just put the egg whites in your mixer and whip until foamy. Then add the salt and cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form, it's starting to look like meringue, isn't it??? Gradually add the sugar, and then whip for about 7 minutes...

By KellyAccomplished, Holidays, Newbie, Scratch Recipes, VeteranChristmas cookies0 Comments