Welcome to one of our favorite parts of family life on the homestead – holidays and traditions! Homesteading is hard work and takes a lot of time and effort but it’s so important that we leave time for celebrations. Some family times are simple days of rest or quiet moments like bath and bedtimes. Other celebrations are loud and messy and full of crafts and foods! Both kinds, and everything in between, are worthwhile.
We feel so strongly about this topic that we’ve written a whole book on it. Look for our publication, Homestead Holidays, in our shop. You don’t have to buy the book to access the free content here on the blog. Pick a holiday, craft or recipe and try it this week. Be sure to do it together and to have some fun – those are the only two rules when it comes to celebrations on the homestead.
Here’s a recipe for a no yeast, sweet, Sourdough Maple Bread loaf. We show you how to make this no knead bread that’s so soft and tangy it makes the perfect toast or sandwich bread. Make artisan sourdough bread at home! Continue reading “Sourdough Maple Bread”
Host a Day of the Dead party with all the traditions of the celebration but with a healthy twist! Make these no-sugar calavaras de azucar, or low carb sugar skulls. They have no table sugar but use instead a low-carb sweetener. We even show you how to paint your skulls with naturally dyed sugar glaze!
Would you like to help your children detox from a long day of school and homestead work with a nice, hot bath? We show you simple, herbal bedtime bath teas to use daily or give as gifts. (Tip: these bath teas are great for the grown ups, too!) Here are three combinations for the best bedtime bath teas from herbs you can purchase or even grow!
Don’t forget the FREE printable gift tags at the bottom of the article – they may just have a special coupon inside.
Also below are 23 more Quick Homemade Gift Ideas!
Make your own gourmet marshmallows using organic gelatin, local honey and purchased or homegrown pumpkin. Gourmet marshmallows are an easy dessert to whip up, though they look as if you labored over them for hours. In ten simple steps you’ll have this pumpkin spiced treat for the holidays! Continue reading “Pumpkin Spice Gourmet Marshmallows”
Using healthy sugars, organic beef gelatin and the sweet-tart flavor of apple cider, you can whip up a batch of these wassail apple cider marshmallows for a holiday treat. Bonus, there’s no corn syrup in this recipe!
Do you can your own apple slices? If you do, here’s how to use the leftover liquid from that process to make up small batches of canned apple cider concentrate. This canning recipe doesn’t require anything you don’t already have on hand – you don’t even need to buy or make apple cider! Here’s how easy it is in five simple steps.
To compliment your farm wedding or homestead chic reception, here are some easy peasy DIY wedding flowers you can create in half and hour. These wedding flowers are simple, natural and comprised of blooms you already have growing in the garden. You can even PLANT flowers for your wedding, if you have the time! With two video tutorials and step-by-step instructions this article will help you create your own beautiful displays for your beautiful day.
Looking for ideas on how to host a farm wedding on the homestead? Here are some practical ideas for us practical homesteaders – with a lot of whimsy and beauty thrown in!
Get ahead of the holidays with a little planning for your handmade gifts! Here’s a 5-step plan for scheduling handmade gift creation – plus a FREE downloadable planning sheet. You can do things last minute, but you don’t have to with this detailed plan!
If you love fresh linens but are tired of buying single use herbal sachets, here’s a DIY tutorial for making your own re-usable lavender sachet. There are two sets of instructions; one for a quick lavender sachet that requires minimal sewing, and another that’s slightly fancier so that you can use it in place of single-use wrapping paper. Make these re-usable lavender sachets for your own linens or as a gift for someone special. 