Skill Building Archives - Page 2 of 5

18JulJuly 18, 2019

Homemade Roasted Tomato Spaghetti Sauce

There's nothing that I look forward to more in the summer than tomato season! Yes! That's because I can make (and can!) this amazing Homemade Roasted Tomato Spaghetti Sauce! I can't wait to show you how it's done! First, you're going to need some amazing and fresh tomatoes! Meaty tomatoes, like Roma, work best. I happened to have some very meaty canning tomatoes, they will make an awesome roasted tomato spaghetti sauce! I got a great deal on these tomatoes from my friend who runs a farm stand nearby, straight from the Amish produce market....woot!! The tomatoes in my garden aren't...

By KellyAccomplished, Canning, Newbie, Preserving Food, Scratch Recipes, Skill Building, Veteran0 Comments

12JulJuly 12, 2019

Canning Tomatoes For Beginners

Summer is tomato season! Oh tomatoes, how many ways do I love thee?? Now is the time to capture that fresh flavor in jars for the winter months! Today, I'm going to show you how with "Canning Tomatoes for Beginners"! First, you're going to need fresh-picked, fleshy tomatoes for canning! Often times, I'll pick up a couple of cases to can, long before my own garden tomatoes are ready. I don't want to miss a single opportunity to enjoy tomatoes on sandwiches, omelettes, pasta or in fresh marinara! How to Overwinter Your BEST Tomato Plants Here's what you're going to need: Beautiful fresh...

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

04JulJuly 4, 2019

How to Prepare Your Family for a Food Shortage

Would you know how to prepare your family for a food crisis, should one happen? Or, do you think that because you live in the US that such a thing would never happen? Unless you've been in a cave for the last few months, you've watched the world become an entirely different place due to a virus called the "coronavirus". Not since the Y2K crisis have I seen such wide-spread, worldwide panic. But it seems that every year brings it's challenges. Last year, we dealt with certain food shortages due to #noplant19, brought on by catastrophic rains that kept farmers from planting their spring...

By KellyAccomplished, Canning, Chickens and Eggs, Financial Resilience, Foraging, Growing Food, Homesteading, Livestock, Newbie, Preserving Food, Skill Building, Sustainable Home, The Garden, Veteran4 Comments

10JunJune 10, 2019

Easy Strawberry Preserves Recipe

This "Easy Strawberry Preserves Recipe" is one of our family's favorite things to eat! When made with homegrown berries, it's even MORE of a treat! Let me show you how to make perfect strawberry preserves every time! Making fruit preserves is one of the first canning skills I learned because it's so simple. Preserves are simply a proportionate combination of fruit, juice, sugar and pectin. Different fruit require different amounts of sugar, depending on it's sweetness and juice content. Some fruit can be made into preserves without pectin, but strawberry preserves is best made with it. Here's everything you're going to...

By KellyAccomplished, Canning, Homesteading, Newbie, Preserving Food, Scratch Recipes, Veteran0 Comments

23AprApril 23, 2019

How to Make Easy Pineapple Jam at Home

Pineapple doesn't grow here in Ohio, so I LOVE it when I can find it on sale for .99 during the summer months! When you see fresh pineapple on sale in your area, grab an armload and let me show you How to Make Easy Pineapple Jam at Home! Here's what you'll need: 1 quart finely chopped pineapple (chopped, cored and peeled) 2 1/2 cups of sugar 1 cup water 1/2 lemon, thinly sliced and seeded 1 box pectin Several clean, sterilized jars, lids and rings (Get these ready before you start) Water bath canner Give all produce a good washing...

By KellyAccomplished, Canning, Homesteading, Preserving Food, Scratch Recipes, Sustainable HomePreserving food0 Comments

13AprApril 13, 2019

How to Make Homemade Laundry Detergent and Pre-Treat Recipe

I can't even begin to quantify how much money you'll save over the years by learning to make your own homemade laundry detergent and pre-treat! With our big family and with using cloth diapers with my babies, I've saved thousands, yes I said thousands of dollars using our homemade laundry soap and pre-treat. This is money that can go to your bottom line and help pay off debt and put more in savings! Frankly, it's just crazy how much the stores want for laundry products, when it costs just a few dollars to make your own! Plus, you can skip out...

By KellyAccomplished, DIY Personal Products, Homemaking, Homesteading, Newbie, Scratch Recipes, Skill Building, Sustainable Homelaundry detergent, pre-treat spray4 Comments

12MarMarch 12, 2019

5 Ways to Avoid Garden Burnout

As the seed catalogs flood our mailboxes, glorious thoughts of beautifully colored fruits and vegetables surround our minds. We picture ourselves strolling through weedless gardens, as the birds sing, plucking the fruit of our labor, with just a glow of perspiration on our face! Psht. The reality of the garden is much different that the fantasy described above. The truth is that manure must be spread, seedlings die, bugs come, equipment breaks and tools get lost, and the WEEDS. Can anyone relate?? Let's get real and discuss "5 Ways to Avoid Garden Burnout"! How to Have a Weed-Free Vegetable Garden Over...

By KellyCanning, Dehydrating, Growing Food, The Gardengarden burnout, Garden planning, gardening3 Comments

03MarMarch 3, 2019

How to Start Boxed Plants Inside

You've just begun to see them...those boxed plants are showing up everywhere they sell gardening supplies! But, what exactly are you supposed to do with these boxed plants when it's far too cold to plant outside? By learning "How to Start Boxed Plants Inside", you get a jump on the gardening season and be ready to plant healthy, beautiful plants come Spring! Many times, people purchase boxed plants and put them in the ground immediately. My experience has been that the plant usually dies. Keep in mind, those roots have been in stagnant conditions for months, without any new nutrients. ...

By KellyAccomplished, Growing Food, Homesteading, Newbie, Skill Building, The GardenBoxed plants6 Comments

20FebFebruary 20, 2019

37 Balanced Homemade Dog Food Recipes

Our dogs are not only livestock guard dogs, but they are also a part of our family! Further, they are an investment in the framework of our homestead, and we strive to keep them healthy! That's why I make and use balanced homemade dog food recipes. It wasn't until the 1940's or so that there were commercial pet foods on the market. Prior to that, dogs ate what the humans didn't finish....food scraps. Later, by the 1980's or so, the pet food market picked up steam and became the mega-business it is today. In 2011, it was a $61 BILLION market,...

By KellyHomesteading, Livestock, Scratch Recipes, Skill Building, Sustainable Homehomemade dog food0 Comments