Fuzzy Brown Things Everywhere! – Leaf Galls
Yesterday, my 5 year old and I found the largest leaf gall I’ve ever seen. We’re never sure exactly what insect they’re from when we find one, but it’s always fun examining them. Galls appear as the...
View ArticleSeed Saving – Zinnias
I LOVE Zinnias. My love affair with them goes back much further than just planting them here on our land. We always had Zinnias. My parents had Zinnias, my grandparents had Zinnias and as far as I...
View ArticleFood At Your Feet – Make A Wild Edibles Salad!
One of my favorite times of the year is when the wild spring edibles start to poke their heads out of the ground. A simple, extremely tasty, salad can be made from things found right in your backyard....
View ArticleThe Many Uses of Dandelion – Taraxacum officinale
The uses and benefits of Dandelion are truly mindboggling. AND it grows everywhere. For FREE! The leaves are very nutritious, being high in vitamins B-1,2,5,6 & 12. Like other leafy greens, they...
View ArticleThe Difference Between Teas, Infusions & Decoctions
Three of the most common herbal preparations are Teas, Infusions and Decoctions. An infusion is really just a very strongly brewed tea. A decoction is when you reduce the infusion by approximately...
View ArticleHomemade Cough Syrup – Herb Infused Honey
It’s cold and flu season! One of our favorite homemade medicines is infused honey for coughs and congestion. It’s ridiculously easy to make and tastes so much better than bought cough syrup....
View ArticlePopsicles for Sore Throats and Troubled Tummies
These really yummy popsicles are full of soothing Hibiscus and Chamomile with the added benefits of local raw honey for a boost to the immune system. You’ll also be getting valuable probiotics from...
View ArticleRendering Animal Fat
When I was growing up, my parents and grandparents didn’t let anything go to waste. I remember my mother and paternal grandmother in the kitchen rendering fat, using it to make suet blocks for the...
View ArticleJar Candles From Deer Fat
A couple of days ago, I posted about rendering animal fat and used deer fat as my example. There are many, many uses for rendered fat, and although I know the birds are hungry for some suet and we...
View ArticleFirestarter Disks
These portable fire starters are an easy way to make use of things that would otherwise be discarded. They are simple to make and can be used in an emergency or as a campfire quickstart that can be...
View ArticleMaking Lye From Wood Ashes
Turning hardwood ashes into homemade lye for soap or stripping animal hides is really easy and is just as effective as the commercially produced product. There is a difference in the two; homemade lye...
View ArticleHomemade Bouillon “Cubes”
As I’ve mentioned before, all parts of our Deer get used, and we use the bones to make broth. We then either can it or freeze it to be used in soups and stews later on. Another way to preserve it,...
View ArticleHomemade Birdfeeder Suet Blocks
I know I’ve done a ton of posts lately about all the things you can do with rendered deer fat, and I promise I’ll be finished soon, but I’ve got just one or two more. We try to use all parts of the...
View Article4 “Weeds” To Have On Hand for Cold & Flu Season
Technically, not all of these are weeds, but of the five home remedies listed below, four are considered just that by most people. One of my all time favorite quotes is by A.A. Milne: “Weeds are...
View Article3 “Yuck” Things You Might Not Think About Re-purposing!
To use the words of my 5 year old, these are “Yuck” so you’ll notice there aren’t any pictures included in this post. 🙂 1. Hair February is the time to place new birdhouses so feathered friends will...
View ArticleLeaf Printing on a T Shirt
Yesterday, my little one and I had some fun revisiting a craft that we first tried about 3 years ago; making leaf prints on a T-Shirt. It’s super easy and fun for everyone because what kid doesn’t...
View ArticleFirst Aid – Yarrow Styptic Powder
Beautiful Yarrow – Achillea millefolium – is good for so many things and one of them is as a styptic powder to stop bleeding. Yarrow styptic powder is safe for both humans and animals and can be used...
View ArticleA Revelation – Tapping Southern Red Maples for Syrup!
Making maple syrup from one of our Southern Red (Swamp) Maples is probably the most interesting and enlightening thing I’ve done in a while. Interesting to the point of being an epiphany. That sounds...
View ArticleDelicious Daylilies
This time of year is filled with spring buds, sprouting tree leaves and the reemergence of bountiful wild edibles. One of my favorites that isn’t necessarily “wild” is Daylily greens. I tend to...
View ArticleLamb’s Quarters – Foraging for Spring Greens
It’s pretty much guaranteed that if you have a garden or flower bed, you’ve seen Chenopodium album, also known as Lamb’ s Quarters. It’s usually considered a weed, but it’s also very tasty, as...
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