SurvivalBlogs.org | Preparedness News & Information

Canning Granny

  • Most Requested... French Onion Soup
    "Award Winning French Onion Soup"Kim Foster SchonefeldThis recipe makes a pot of soup that serves 6. I triple it if I am going to can it that way I get 7 quarts with enough left over for lunch or dinner. Ingredients: 6 large yellow onions (sliced…
    - 27 Oct 17, 11:48am -
  • Broth & Stock... Bone Stock and Bone Meal
    Bone Stock and Bone MealBy Kelly Kindle CheneyBe the master of the bird and don't waste a thing.Get your money's worth out of any meat bones. The difference between stock and broth is stock is made with bones, broth is made with meat only. St…
    - 18 Oct 17, 2:07pm -
  • Broth & Stock... Brodo
    BrodoFound on pinterestMakes 3 quarts NOTE: Brodo is Italian for ‘broth’ - and it’s a thinner, less concentrated stock than the traditional chicken or beef stocks. Brodo is typically made from a mixture from beef and poultry.3 pounds chopped,…
    - 15 Oct 17, 5:27pm -
  • Broth & Stock... Asian Chicken Stock
    Asian Chicken Stock Found on pinterestMakes 4 quarts 3 pounds of chicken bones5 pound chicken fryer6 chicken feet, or 6 chicken necks, or one turkey wing6 chicken wingsEnough hot tap water to cover2 ½ ounce peeled and sliced ginger1 full bunch of…
    - 14 Oct 17, 1:22pm -
  • Good Fillings... Zucchini Mincemeat
    Zucchini MincemeatFound on allrecipesOriginal recipe makes 4 pintsIngredients· 6 cups peeled, chopped zucchini· 6 cups apples - peeled, cored and chopped· 2 cups raisins· 1 cup dried currants· 1 cup distilled white vinegar· 1 orange, juiced and…
    - 12 Oct 17, 10:14am -
  • Good Fillings... Tropical Topper/Pie/Tart Filling
    Tropical Topper/Pie/Tart FillingFound on SBCanningYield 1 quart or 2 pints3 cups chunked fresh pineapple3/4 cups shredded coconut1 cup sugar1/4 cup + 1 tbsp Clear Jel2 cups Orange JuicePreparation: Cut, core, and cube a fresh pineapple. Make sure to…
    - 29 Aug 17, 8:28pm -
  • Good Fillings... Strawberry Pie Filling
    Strawberry Pie FillingFound on sbcanningFor 1 quart3-1/2 cups Strawberries Fresh or Frozen (thawed)3/4 cup + 2 Tbsps Sugar1/4 cups + 1 Tbsp Clear Jel1 cup Cold Water3-1/2 tsps Bottled Lemon JuiceFor 7 quarts 6 quarts Strawberries Fresh or Frozen (th…
    - 27 Aug 17, 10:27am -
  • Good Fillings... Rhubarb Triple Berry Pie Filling
    Rhubarb Triple Berry Pie FillingFound on Canning Only RecipesMakes 4 quarts with some left over. -8 cups water-4-1/2 cups sugar-1 cup Clear Jel-7 quarts fruit- You can use 5 quarts of chopped rhubarb and a 3 lb. bag of frozen triple berry blend with…
    - 23 Aug 17, 11:09am -
  • Good Fillings... Rhubarb Blueberry Pie Filling
    Rhubarb Blueberry Pie FillingFound on Canning Only RecipesINGREDIENTS 2 and 1/2 lbs rhubarb, rinsed, trimmed and sliced into 1/2-inch pieces1 and 1/2 lbs (about 4 cups) blueberries, rinsed and picked throughZest and juice of 1 large lemon or use 1 t…
    - 15 Aug 17, 5:48pm -
  • Good Fillings... Raspberry Pie Filling
    Raspberry Pie FillingFound on Canning Only RecipesTo make 1 quart jar of filling3-1/2 cups raspberries1 cup sugar1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp Clear Jel1-1/3 cups cold water1 Tbsp + 1 tsp of bottled lemon juiceTo make 7 quarts of filling6 quarts of raspberries7 c…
    - 13 Aug 17, 11:54pm -

Are We Crazy, Or What?

    Patriot Rising

    • The two types of preppers and what each one can teach you about survival
      To an outsider, the prepping lifestyle may seem paranoid and unnecessary. But if you’re curious about the world of preppers, keep an open mind so you can learn crucial skills from two common types: the homesteaders and the survivalists. (h/t to AY…
      - 15 Feb 19, 10:35pm -
    • Chickens Are The Most Valuable Animal On The Homestead

      Chickens Are The Most Valuable Animal On The Homestead

      When I was a child, I used to read and re-read the chick section in our Sears and Roebuck catalog. Imagine! For only two cents you could buy a perfectly good baby chick. Of course back then I didn’t understand that one had to buy a minimum of 25 ch…
      - 25 Aug 18, 6:52am -
    • 7 Reasons You Need to Start a Home Garden Today
      I, for one, never really cared about gardening. The whole “start a home garden” trend seemed like another part of the organic eating phase. If you’re still on the fence about starting your own garden because you don’t buy into the organic tre…
      - 18 Jul 18, 1:04am -

    Rural Revolution

    • newThe novel frugality
      Over the last few weeks, I've been collecting stories about something that's being termed the "Novel Frugality." Apparently – no surprise – the concept of thriftiness is being abruptly introduced to a whole lot of people who previously paid it no…
      - 16 hours ago 30 May 20, 9:15pm -
    • Birds everywhere
      Needless to say, this is the time of year we're dripping with birds. Here are a few we've seen.Western bluebird.Robin. Still one of my favorite birds.Black-chinned hummingbird.Barn swallow.Tree swallow (down at the lake).Osprey (down at the lake).Loo…
      - 4 days ago 27 May 20, 4:58pm -
    • 30th anniversary!
      Today is our 30th anniversary!! Can you believe it?Where do the years go?I'm so grateful for my wonderful husband.
      - 5 days ago 26 May 20, 12:17pm -
    • Memorial Day
      As I often do on Memorial Day, I like to draw your attention to a set of remarkable photos taken a few years ago by a reader (Katie) and her husband, who were formerly stationed in Germany. Katie learned that Don's uncle, Donald Sowers, who was kille…
      - 6 days ago 25 May 20, 5:55pm -
    • Trade school commencement speech
      Well, here's something pretty cool.Mike Rowe, the blue-collar advocate from the television shows "Dirty Jobs" and "Somebody's Gotta Do It" just posted his version of a commencement speech ... for trade school graduates.He opens with the stellar words…
      - 8 days ago 23 May 20, 12:28pm -
    • KaBOOM
      If I've been quiet on the blog lately, it's because we very very busy with projects around the homestead. And that, in turn, is because we have prospective viewers coming out our ears.Our homestead is for sale, as everyone knows. We took it off the m…
      - 10 days ago 21 May 20, 7:37pm -
    • The road less traveled
      Here's a piece I wrote for the Lehman's blog entitle "The Road Less Traveled."
      - 14 days ago 17 May 20, 2:11pm -
    • Making money from home
      Want to earn money from home? Below are a few suggestions (some of which are based on reader responses to an earlier post):• Telecommute. This is obviously the easiest solution. The recent coronavirus lockdowns has demonstrate that a surprising num…
      - 17 days ago 14 May 20, 1:35pm -
    • Green living
      It's 7 a.m. on a Tuesday morning. It's pouring rain, absolutely pouring buckets. This is the view from the back window.Everything is green green green. As we like to say, this time of year it's like living in Ireland.
      - 19 days ago 12 May 20, 2:07pm -
    • A trip to the city
      On Thursday, I did something I haven't done for weeks: I went into the city. I haven't been to Coeur d'Alene for quite a long time, but there were some things I wanted to pick up. Besides, I was curious about what I might see.My first stop was Costco…
      - 20 days ago 11 May 20, 11:02pm -

    New Life on a Homestead

    • 10 Clever Ways to Preserve Your Onion Harvest
      Preserving onions is not usually high on the top of a homesteading garden “to do” list simply because they keep so long with extra effort and processing. When bushel after bushel of tomatoes, peppers, green [...]10 Clever Ways to Preserve Your O…
      - 2 days ago 29 May 20, 12:46pm -
    • Goat Fencing – Everything You Need to Know
      Goat fencing is the only downside to keeping goats – and it can be a huge one, fellow homesteaders. I thought I armed myself with enough knowledge to prepare myself for the escape artist antics [...]Goat Fencing – Everything You Need to Know can…
      - 4 days ago 27 May 20, 9:19pm -
    • Top 30 Plants to Grow in Your Garden This Year
      Summer is just around the corner, and many homesteaders are trying to decide what to plant on the homestead. As homesteaders, we tend to spend a lot of time outdoors, but in the summertime, we [...]Top 30 Plants to Grow in Your Garden This Year can…
      - 7 days ago 24 May 20, 5:56pm -
    • What Is Mica Powder and 15 Ways to Use It
      Mica powders are so fun to use when making homemade soaps and a plethora of other DIY natural home goods and gifts. The powders come in a vast array of colors, offering nearly endless options [...]What Is Mica Powder and 15 Ways to Use It can be rea…
      - 13 days ago 19 May 20, 12:26am -
    • How to Set Up a Large, High-Tunnel Greenhouse
      Owning your own greenhouse is a great way to extend the growing season so you can have fresh, delicious vegetables all year long. It’s also a wonderful way to improve your yields so you can [...]How to Set Up a Large, High-Tunnel Greenhouse can be…
      - 14 days ago 17 May 20, 1:39am -
    • How and Why to Grow Dogwood Trees
      Homesteaders do not often focus the planting plan on any trees that do not produce food or firewood. Space if maximized to its best potential on homesteads both large and small. At first glance, planting [...]How and Why to Grow Dogwood Trees can be…
      - 19 days ago 12 May 20, 8:37am -
    • 20 Ways to Water Your Houseplants
      Water is amazing – we know that. Without it, life on earth would not exist, at least not as we know it! That’s a simple fact that pretty much everybody accepts, but something people tend [...]20 Ways to Water Your Houseplants can be read in full…
      - 22 days ago 9 May 20, 7:52pm -
    • 14 DIY Natural Air Freshener Recipes
      DIY natural air fresheners, both sprays and other varieties, will keep your house smelling sweet and fresh without introducing and potentially dangerous chemicals into your home. I used to love the smell of my home [...]14 DIY Natural Air Freshener…
      - 24 days ago 7 May 20, 7:18pm -

    Granny Miller

      Down to Earth

      • Weekend Reading
        Another week has gone by in lockdown, although the tough restrictions are slowly starting to lift here. The days are beautifully slow but the weeks seem to fly by. I'm not really sure how that works, but that's what it feels like.  We've been doing…
        - 3 days ago 28 May 20, 11:18pm -
      • Weekend Reading
        This is the farmhouse hard cheese I used to make.I've been going through my old photos and there are several I'll share with you in the coming weeks. I used to make cheese fairly frequently, I loved making it and it was delicious.  I haven't mad…
        - 10 days ago 21 May 20, 11:39pm -
      • Slow and safe havens
        I live in the slowest of slow lanes and there is a lot to love about slowing down. I get the full measure of what each day brings, I have time to enjoy what I'm doing, I sit and reflect and don't feel guilty and every day there is a growing appreciat…
        - 13 days ago 18 May 20, 11:39pm -
      • Weekend Reading
        It's soup time!  I would live on soup if I could. Most soups are nourishing, the flavour improves each day and they're so easy to make. With each passing day, you can add something different like croutons, hot bread, dumpings or fresh herbs so inste…
        - 17 days ago 14 May 20, 11:01pm -
      • A cruise through the past week
        I have a collection of photos for you today with not much writing. The garden photos were taken yesterday and the others over the course of the past week.  I hope you enjoy them. I'll have more garden photos for you when I tidy the place up a bit an…
        - 19 days ago 12 May 20, 6:42pm -
      • Weekend reading
        Imagine my surprise and delight when this little beauty glided down our driveway a couple of days ago. It's our "new" courier vehicle. It's a customised US delivery van, the same van that used to deliver parcels and mail between Gympie and the Sunsh…
        - 24 days ago 7 May 20, 10:35pm -
      • Autumn and winter rituals
        Late afternoon in the chook run - a tree full of lemons and leaves falling from the pecan tree.Shorter days, cool nights and cardigans are all sure signs we are in my favourite season - autumn. There's not much I don't like about this time of yea…
        - 27 days ago 4 May 20, 10:29pm -
      • Weekend Reading
        Our ginger is growing well. I planted this up about eight weeks ago and recently moved it out of the greenhouse to get more sun. Now it's getting cooler, I'll move it to sit in full sun all day.  I planted some of the crop I harvested last y…
        - 31 days ago 30 Apr 20, 10:22pm -
      • Weekend reading
        I've been made aware over the past couple of weeks that quite a few of you like my recipes (thank you), so here's another one.  It's a zucchini slice, which we had for lunch yesterday and will finish off today.  It's very tasty, thrifty and easy an…
        - 38 days ago 23 Apr 20, 9:55pm -
      • Making plans for a better future
        One day we'll be able to look back on today and remember a strange and dangerous time when we were told to stay at home as much as possible. Once busy streets and highways were empty, schools, universities, shops, cafes, restaurants and hotels were c…
        - 42 days ago 20 Apr 20, 1:03am -

      Common Sense Homesteading

      • newTypes of Tomatoes (Best Uses, Flavors, and Plant Sizes)
        What's the best way to determine the right types of tomatoes for your garden and kitchen? There are thousands of tomato varieties in cultivation, but we can help narrow down your choices. First, we'll talk about plant sizes and growth habits. Then, w…
        - 12 hours ago 31 May 20, 1:40am -
      • Apple Blossom Jelly – A Fun Way to Use Crab Apples
        I decided to give apple blossom jelly a try to make use of the local crab apple trees, and ended up with a unique treat. There are many wild apple trees in our area with small, bitter fruit. Since no one eats the fruit, blossom harvest doesn't cause…
        - 3 days ago 29 May 20, 12:34am -
      • Common Mallow – Nutrient Dense and Pain Relieving
        If I told you that a wild edible plant was used as a substitute for both egg whites and okra, you'd probably think, “That's crazy!”, but common mallow can indeed do both. We'll share how to identify this common weed and put it to use for food and…
        - 8 days ago 23 May 20, 5:11pm -
      • Growing Tomatoes (Organically) – 11 Tips for Success
        We have a love affair with growing tomatoes. That first taste of a perfectly ripe, fresh off the vine, sun-warmed tomato is pure awesomeness! We'll take you through growing tomatoes from planting to harvest without chemicals, plus companion plants an…
        - 15 days ago 16 May 20, 5:30pm -
      • Grow Tomatoes from Seed – Save Money, Get More Varieties
        When you grow tomatoes from seed, you grow many plants for the same amount of money you'd spend on just a few plants from the garden center. You also have access to HUNDREDS of different tomato varieties – cherry tomatoes, paste tomatoes, slicers,…
        - 15 days ago 16 May 20, 1:01pm -
      • Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris) – Identification and Use
        Marsh Marigold, Caltha palustris – Weekly Weeder #45 – range and identification, role as a wildlife habitat, uses for food and medicine. Marsh marigold (Caltha palustris) is also known as yellow marsh marigold and cowslip. It is a member of the F…
        - 22 days ago 9 May 20, 11:00pm -
      • The 5 Easiest Vegetables to Store (Perfect for Home Gardens)
        In this post I'll discuss the easiest vegetables to store and how to store them. These veggies are on my “must plant” list, because they  require little or no processing and last reliably for months. They should be a staple in every vegetable ga…
        - 22 days ago 9 May 20, 5:47am -
      • “Back in Control – A Surgeon’s Roadmap Out of Chronic Pain” Review
        I read “Back in Control – A Surgeon's Roadmap Out of Chronic Pain” because chronic pain is a challenge for many of my readers. I've also personally dealt with a skin condition that made even simple things like breathing and smiling painful. Chr…
        - 28 days ago 3 May 20, 10:10am -
      • Psoriasis Healing – From Curse to Blessing
        In “Psoriasis Healing”, Laurie Neverman shares the mind-body-spirit approach that helped her heal psoriasis plaques covering nearly half of her body. Instead of giving in to the “family curse”, she worked through diet, supplements, topical tr…
        - 29 days ago 2 May 20, 7:55pm -
      • Wild Cucumber – (Echinocystis lobata) – Good or Bad?
        Wild Cucumber (Echinocystis lobata) festoons the landscape with fragrant flowers from midsummer into fall. We’ll share photos and tips for identification, and answer some common questions about this rowdy wild neighbor. Wild cucumber is also known…
        - 29 days ago 2 May 20, 5:08pm -

      Homestead Basics

      The Wannabe Homesteader

      Homestead Revival

      • Hello, Homestead Revival Friends!
        It's been a while, I know. Too long in fact. Thank you to everyone who still reads and references Homestead Revival's archives.The nearly 3+ year absence has been needed to re-establish our homestead in a new location. I took a full time job (and I d…
        - 19 Jan 19, 3:00pm -
      • Pie Safe Love!
        On my last post I showed you MOST of the dining area... but not all of it. There was one wall that was in progress. Since moving in 3 months ago, I moved several different pieces of furniture from around the house into that spot trying to find just t…
        - 16 Aug 15, 2:04am -
      • No Pantry? No Problem.
        So I created one...BTW... as you scroll through the photos you need to know that editing them takes a ton of time. So in keeping with simplifying my life, I'm using my iPhone, making only a few minor adjustments so you can see what is in the photo (l…
        - 27 Jul 15, 1:41am -
      • A New Homestead Journey
        I did not expect to find myself on this path.Just a little over a year ago, I was a SAHM living in a big farmhouse and homeschooling. My husband had full time employment and we were planning a wedding for our oldest daughter.  On the negative side,…
        - 11 Jul 15, 4:21pm -
      • Understanding Companion Planting
        From bacteria in yogurt making to the Amazon anywhere something grows there is an ecosystem. As homesteaders our goal is to cultivate the perfect ecosystem for plants and repelling the pests that would destroy it. Companion planting is more than not…
        - 5 Dec 14, 8:00am -
      • Pinterest, Twitter, and Facebook!
        There are so many wonderful ways to communicate and we want to start giving you more opportunities to connect with us! Connect with us on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter! Homestead Revival is more than a blog, it is a community of like minded people…
        - 3 Dec 14, 8:00am -
      • Square Foot Gardening vs. French Intensive
        While there are many alternative methods we will discuss in future posts like straw bale gardening, today we are focusing on the main ones, Square Foot Gardening and the French Intensive Method. Each system is a tool that gives something to your gard…
        - 1 Dec 14, 8:00am -
      • Plan To Eat... Black Friday SALE!
        Now is the time to renew your Plan To Eat subscription or take advantage of their annual half price sale and kick the tires so-to-speak. If you tried it before and haven't seen the new lights and bells that make it even better, be sure to check it ou…
        - 28 Nov 14, 9:00am -
      • It's Thursday....
        Happy Thanksgiving!
        - 27 Nov 14, 8:00am -
      • A Couple Things I'm Thankful For
        This year has been a year of firsts, so I wanted to take the time for the small things I'm thankful for. 
        - 24 Nov 14, 7:28pm -