Monthly Homesteading & Prepping Themes: Seasonal Self-Sufficiency & Preparedness

My friend, Karen McBride, has been hard at work on a Christmas Themed Fairy Garden. Once again, she has graciously allowed me to share another one of her fairy garden ideas with all of you.

Many people get an artificial Christmas tree because they have allergies, or otherwise find that real Christmas trees are not acceptable in their households, but did you know there are many artificial Christmas tree health concerns?  

Making your own handmade creative greeting cards is fun for people of all ages, especially children.

These Nutter Butter Snowman Cookies are super easy to make because all you are doing is decorating them with some icing and pre-made candy decorations.  

This cast iron apple crisp recipe is delicious. So much so that there was just one slice left at the end of the night and there are only two people in our household! Rarely do I see desserts disappear this quickly!

This quick and easy cinnamon roll apple pie casserole tastes great - and if you can, it is a great way to use up some of those apples you put up.

Disclaimer: The reviewer has received the product/service at a reduced price or for free. This post for the McCormick® Blogger Program. You can view the original recipe Peppermint White Chocolate On A Stick Recipe on the McCormick® website. All opinions are my own and are my honest opinions based on my own experience with the product. …

When it comes down to figuring out which cupcakes to make for Christmas, cute always wins out in our house.

This easy pomegranate lemonade drink recipe is delicious and refreshing regardless of the time of year. A Seasonal Drink Recipe Idea To create a party pleasing recipe that is ideal for the holidays - especially if you are looking for something that is non-alcoholic - add fruit that is in season, ice, rimming salt and …

  Disclaimer: I received the items mentioned in this gift guide for free or at a reduced price in exchange for my honest, unbiased review. All opinions are my own.  The holidays are for young and old alike, so my intent with the toys and games gift guide is to provide you with some of …

Decorating store bought holiday cookies is so easy because all you are doing is the decorating.

Sometimes a chocolate dessert recipe is a little different than what one might expect. This particular chocolate dessert recipe isn't a cake or cookie, but rather a candy cane white chocolate dipped cherry with silver stars. Different is good - and these were certainly delicious! Not to mention how perfect a candy cane flavored dessert …

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. I did receive three hams from Frick's Quality Meats in order to compete in the Frick's Blogger Recipe Challenge. All opinions are my own. This honey marinade ham recipe goes one step further than just marinading the ham. It also calls for a spiced honey sauce to glaze the ham giving …

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. I did receive three hams from Frick's Quality Meats in order to compete in the Frick's Blogger Recipe Challenge. All opinions are my own. The best part of making this easy brunch appetizer honey ham recipe is that no cooking is involved because the Frick's Quality Meats Applewood Smoked Sliced Ham …

Disclaimer: This article was written by Steve Cook. I felt it was good information that my readers could use. There are also links below to products I recommend from companies I have a referral relationship with. I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. Check out these tips for prepping …

This strawberry basil infused water recipe is absolutely delicious! While it is ideal to make when both strawberries and basil is in season, both of these items are readily available year-round at most grocery stores.

Save time by pre-preparing freeze-ahead sauces and meals for tonight - or any night when you need something delicious and nutritious but simply don't have time to cook.

I absolutely love these two ideas for Easter theme decorations that my friends Nanette Jett Marden and Carol Spierdowis Dupre made and shared on Facebook. I requested permission to share their stories and their Easter tree ideas with all of you and it was granted, so here is hoping you feel inspired by these gorgeous …

Everyone eats different foods and different amounts of various foods which is why understanding home food storage guidelines is so important before your family starts to stock up. Knowing how much to store depends on many things including the amount of space you have for food storage, what food storage method you intend to use …

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post brought to you by US Family Guide and Groupon Coupons. All opinions are my own. I truly love Groupon Coupons and feel they are a great way to save money so I wanted to share that with my readers.  Groupon coupons has something for everyone, even those who wonder …

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. I received a free 72-Hour Kit from Patriot Pantry in exchange for my honest opinion several months ago and was also paid for this post.  All opinions are my own. There are also links below to products I recommend from companies I have a referral relationship with. I will be compensated …

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. I received a free 72-Hour Kit from My Patriot Pantry in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions are my own. There are also links below to products I recommend from companies I have a referral relationship with. I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on …

I often wondered how to dehydrate garlic scapes - which are the stems that come up from garlic plants and flower.    

There are so many goat milk soap recipes out there and so many ways you can use goat milk soap.   Some of the more popular ways to use goat milk soap is as a liquid soap, a bar soap, or a dish detergent or a laundry detergent. Just click on the link to go straight …

Making your own goat milk laundry soap is really very simple and it only requires three ingredients - goat milk soap, borax and washing soda!

Here is a basic goat milk soap recipe. This is my favorite go-to from scratch goat milk soap recipe.

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. I was given photos of the goat meat from Horner's Butcher Block and Cafe in Marion, Indiana. There was no monetary compensation. All opinions are my own. Freezing goats meat is an easy - and quite common way to preserve it until you are ready to eat it, especially …

Every year right before Easter pet stores, farm stores and other places that sell live animals stock their shelves with cute small animals. People buy them because they are "so cute and small." Yes, chicks, baby ducks and other small poultry are cute. So are baby rabbits, goats and lambs. They give these "pets" to their …

This orange-cranberry vinegar and marinade recipe is easy to make, easy to can and tastes great! Perfect For The Holidays Two of the main fruits one thinks of around the holidays are oranges and cranberries. These flavors - alone or combined - seem to compliment other foods that are generally on the holiday menu. Combined …

Learning how to dehydrate cherries was essential the first year I had a large enough harvest off my pie cherry tree to do more than just snack on them.  

This strawberry freezer jam is super easy to make and the addition of the pineapple gives it a unique, unexpected taste. Making it while strawberries are in season makes good sense but if you froze strawberries or even canned them you could use those in place of the fresh strawberries. Another option is to buy …

This Cinnamon Chocolate Mint Fruit Cocktail recipe is ideal to use up some of your extra summer fruit or to combine some of the fruit you have already preserved to come up with something a little different.   If you are like most cooks, you will find that after making your recipe there is extra produce left especially …

Most dessert recipes for apples contain large amounts of sugar, butter, shortening or white flour. Some apple recipes contain all four of these!   It's really too bad, since naturally-sweet apples make excellent, healthy desserts without all of the added ingredients that so many people try to avoid these days. The key to solving the problem …

Canning blueberries - or any fresh seasonal produce - is a great way to save money on groceries - and while you will spend a good amount of time washing and preserving, all that work will pay off in the end especially when you are eating or baking with your own home canned blueberries in the …

It is so easy to learn how to make raisins in a dehydrator.   Let's face it, raisins taste good and when you have an abundance of grapes, turning some of those grapes into raisins by dehydrating them just makes sense. You can eat raisins by the handful or put them into other foods such as oatmeal cookies. …

When it comes to healthy Valentine snacks, almonds are a natural choice becuase they contain a number of key nutrients our bodies need.   In fact, almonds are a healthy snack anytime, not just on Valentine's Day. To make them extra special for your loved one however be sure to check out the recipes below. There …

The holidays are here - and if you are looking for gifts for friends or family in the USA or the UK, be sure to check out these best selling holiday gift baskets from GiftBasketsOverseas. The links go to products I recommend from companies I have a referral relationship with. I will be compensated if …

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. I was not paid anything to post this recipe nor to promote their links. I did receive a bottle of Nielsen-Massey Pure Orange Extract and Pure Chocolate Extract to try. This is a recipe I thought my readers would enjoy because I enjoyed it. All photos are property of …

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. I was not paid anything to post this recipe nor to promote their links. I did not receive any product for review. This is simply a recipe I thought my readers would enjoy. All photos are property of Explore Cuisine and I was given permission to use them. …

Disclaimer: I received one or more items mentioned in this video for free or at a reduced price in exchange for my honest, unbiased review. All opinions are my own. There are also links to products I recommend from companies I have a referral relationship with. I will be compensated if you make a purchase after …