Embarking on a homesteading journey is an exciting and fulfilling endeavor that connects you with nature, promotes a sustainable lifestyle, and provides a sense of accomplishment. Whether you’re dreaming of a rural escape or a self-sufficient backyard in the city, here are the essential steps to start your homestead. Define Your Homesteading Goals Plan Your…
Harvesting Happiness – Your Guide to Homemade, Hearty, and Healthy Living Breakfast Dinner Healthy From Scratch Start Here Chicken Beef Quick & Easy Fruits Canning Homemade Healthy Bread Learn how to fund your Homestead in my Free EBook About Harper Mom. Wife. Teacher. Chef. Homesteader. Hello and welcome! I’m Harper, the heart and hands behind…
A standard-sized tomato takes 20-30 days from blossom set to reach full size, usually called “mature green”. After that, it takes 20-30 days to ripen. Depending on the cultivar, tomatoes can be picked when they turn red, pink, yellow, or orange. Temperatures between 68°F and 77°F (20-25°C) are optimal for tomato ripening; tomatoes ripen slower…
Healthy eating starts at home, but most people don’t have hours to spend in the kitchen every day. With all of your responsibilities, time is of the essence. These are my favorite tips for maximizing your efficiency in the kitchen; they help minimize mess and time while putting healthy meals on the table. These five…
It’s starting to get cold here in Texas and that signals soup-making season. Actually, I could eat soup year-round but my husband prefers it to be cold out when he eats soup. This vegetable bouillon powder recipe is your soup mix solution! It’s healthy, fat-free, and ready in minutes. Vegetable Bouillon Powder Vs Vegetable Stock…
This is the best potato and leek Soup Recipe. It was created from my loaded baked potato soup recipe. It is a much healthier version and I think it’s just as delicious. One of the great things about this recipe is it utilizes so many fresh vegetables that are easy to grow in most climates…
This enchilada sauce is sweet with caramelized onions and just spicy enough to be a versatile pantry staple. The amount of New Mexican chiles may seem daunting, but they are easy to work with and make the flavorful base of the recipe. How to Make and Preserve Red Enchilada Sauce Ingredients How to Make Red…
Beans are a pantry staple for us. They are inexpensive, versatile, and very healthy. The one drawback is how long dried beans take to cook. One way I found to combat this was to cook large batches of beans at a time and can them in a pressure cooker. If you are looking for our…
This year has been one of the best seasons we’ve had in a long time. I don’t think we’ve ever gotten so many cucumbers. We finally had enough ready at once to make a large batch of dill pickles. Of course, I couldn’t resist getting out the camera and making a quick video to show…
How to Pickle and Can Any Peppers. In the video, I’ll be using the Ball FreshTech Automatic Home Canning System. The recipe is the same for water bath canning in a traditional water bath canner. PREPARE YOUR PEPPERS PRE-HEAT YOUR EMPTY JARS PRESERVE YOUR PEPPERS If you’re new to water bath canning, be sure to…