I’m reading this quick little book on geopolitics and trends in political economy called “The Retreat of Western Liberalism.” Highly recommended, if you’re into that kind of thing and want a clearer view of how a world that seems a little topsy-turvy right now got that way. There’s a discussion in the book about job and income growth…
DIY
Top 5 Cleaning Products To Hoard For The Zombie Apocalypse
Want to make sure your home cleaning preps are on point? Check out what 5 cleaning products are most important to stock for a long-term emergency situation.
DIY Talc-Free Baby Powder
My book publisher forwarded some interview questions to me from a British magazine a while back. One of the questions was, “Why would people want to make their own body care products instead of buying them in the shop?” Three days after I returned my answer, Johnson & Johnson, the company behind some of the most recognizable…
How To Make DIY Liquid Castile Soap
I made 6 gallons of liquid soap so you don’t have to. You know about Dr. Bronner’s Liquid Castile Soap. It’s been an all-in-one, all-natural cleaning solution for generations of hippies, greenies and all manner of natural living advocates. Dr. Bronner’s is great, but it’s not the cheapest cleaner out there. So, these were my…
Muscle-Soothing Eucalyptus Bath Soak
On Monday a super nice lady from Seattle Magazine came over to photograph me in my garden. This is all part of La Grande Promotion for my new book. So, I did what any gardener faced with the prospect of a professional photographer in their yard would do – I spent all weekend trying to hide…
How To Make All Natural Beeswax Lip Balm
Give me 90 seconds and I’ll teach you how to make your own all-natural lip balm. This recipe comes from my new book, The Hands-On Home. and is great for chapped lips, holiday gifts and more. If you need a cost-effective stocking stuffer or appreciation gift for the upcoming holiday season, I highly recommend getting a bunch of empty…
Homestead Kitchen Projects – A Happy Jumble of DIY
I haven’t been posting much lately. I have all kinds of things I want to share with you, but with summer in full swing I’m prioritizing kid-time and project-doing. Speaking of projects…as I was walking around my kitchen a few days ago, I had to laugh. It was such a perfect snapshot of the total…
Easy DIY Tonic Water For The Best Gin and Tonic
There’s only one cocktail I make deliberately light on the booze, and that’s the Gin and Tonic. Is there a more perfect summertime drink? Refreshing, charmingly straightforward and with the added bonus of warding off both malaria and scurvy – the G&T is a classic for a reason. A Gin and Tonic has four ingredients: gin,…
Can You Make Liquid Castile Soap from Bar Soap?
When I was recipe testing for the book I ended up making nine or ten batches of cold process bar soap. That is a lot of soap for a family of four. Normally, I use Dr. Bronner’s liquid Castile soap in many of my personal and home care products, but faced with a glut of all natural, homemade bar soap, I thought perhaps…
Turn A Mason Jar Into A Twine Holder With This Easy Kitchen Hack
I’ve been tying a lot of stuff up lately. Must be that 50 Shades of Grey cultural zeitgeist thing working on me. If you want to make all your kitchen bondage tasks (everything from trussing a beef tenderloin to draining your homemade ricotta) far easier, make yourself a DIY twine holder from a mason jar. This is the simplest kitchen hack…
DIY Lacto-Fermentation Weight for Mason Jars
There are three things to manage if you want the most successful lacto-fermented vegetables: Salt levels Fermentation temperature Oxygen exposure When it comes to that third thing – oxygen exposure – the goal is none. The Lactic Acid Bacteria that ferment veggies into tangy deliciousness are anaerobic. They do their best work far away from…
DIY Herbal Teas (The Giant Tutorial)
I’m a Seattle-girl to the core, so I’m not giving up my coffee any time soon. But I also have a big, soft place in my heart for a steaming mug of herbal tea, especially when I can grow and dry the herbs myself. The Basics Herbal tea isn’t technically tea, since it doesn’t contain…