Hey friend, By August, not every harvest needs to turn into a full canning project. Sometimes the smarter move is freezing a small batch, drying what you can, or dealing with the tomatoes before they take over the counter. Here are three practical ways to preserve food without making the whole kitchen your project for the day. Ways to Preserve Tomatoes Start here if tomatoes are piling up and you need practical ways to save them for winter meals. Read article How to Freeze Fresh Vegetables...
about 20 hours ago • 1 min read
Hey friend, Late July is a good time to look at the pantry before August gets away from you. Not a huge overhaul. Just a quick check of what you have, what you use, and where the gaps are. Here are three food-security reads for a practical pantry reset. The herbal bundle closes today The Herbalism Collective closes today at midnight PST. The price is now $79, but two final resources have been added: the Live Long & Thrive Summit and a live Herbal Confidence class from Herbal Academy. Everyone...
3 days ago • 1 min read
Hey friend, The funny thing about off-grid systems is that they usually work right up until they don’t. The generator won’t start. The solar system feels tired. The insurance paperwork asks questions you should have written down months ago. This is the kind of thing I’d rather check before fall storms, not after the lights go out. Here are three practical reads to keep handy. But before I forget... Last day to get the $67 price Today is the final day to get the Herbalism Collective for $67....
4 days ago • 1 min read
Hi there, I’ve been interested in useful plants and home remedies for years. Living in the North gave our family plenty of chances to learn from the plants growing around us. I’ve foraged for chamomile, Labrador tea, fireweed, chickweed, and more. I’ve also made herbal salves and shared many of those projects with you through my blog posts and newsletters over the years. That’s why I’ve been looking closely at the new Herbalism Collective Bundle. It includes more than 50 herbal courses,...
6 days ago • 1 min read
Two useful extras for herbal learners The Herbalism Collective also comes with two physical gifts while supplies last: An Urban Moonshine Digestive Bitters Spray and Herbal Academy’s Botanical Mixed Drinks Recipe Book, which includes 82 herbal cocktail and alcohol-free drink recipes. Now, you will need to pay shipping for the gifts, but they’re a nice extra if you were already considering the collection. The bundle itself includes more than 50 herbal learning resources and costs $67 through...
8 days ago • 1 min read
Hey friend, Despite what you may have heard, you really don’t need a big garden to grow a little food. A jar, a lid, and a handful of lentils can give you something fresh right on the kitchen counter. That's what I started doing over thirty years ago when I was living in university housing with my two eldest kids. It kept me going until I was able to have a garden again. So even if you're in an apartment or townhouse, you can still start growing it yourself, making it yourself, and cooking...
9 days ago • 1 min read
This newsletter contains affiliate links. Hey friend, When my kids were young, I remember that by this point in July, summer started feeling less like a postcard and more like a running list. Mosquitoes. Weeds. Sticky counters. Leftovers. Food wrappers. Kids in and out. Shoes by the door. That’s when I would reach for the simple, practical things. Not the Instagram-worthy meals and handcrafted baskets. Just small fixes that make the day work a little better. A homemade bug spray. A better way...
11 days ago • 2 min read
This newsletter contains affiliate links Brought to you by The Free Press Get full, members-only access to The Free Press Tired of media that tells you what to think? Join 2M+ readers who get honest, fearless journalism from The Free Press. Think for yourself. And get your first month on us. Hey friend, It's been my experience that by the middle of July, someone in my household always has a bug bite, a scrape, dry hands, or skin irritated by the sun, dirt, weeds, or garden work. This is where...
15 days ago • 2 min read
This newsletter contains affiliate links. Hey friend, Mid-July is a good time to do a quick chicken check. Heat, flies, dry ground, muddy corners, and busy summer days can all make it easy to miss small flock problems. Here are three chicken-care reads to keep handy this week. Chicken First-Aid Kit A simple chicken first-aid kit helps you handle small injuries, sore feet, and surprise coop problems faster. Read the article Calendula Salve I made it for our chickens, but it works on humans...
16 days ago • 1 min read
This newsletter contains affiliate links. Hey friend, This is the part of summer where your garden starts making decisions for you. A handful of berries turns into a mushy mess. A few vegetables turn into a counter full of “I should really deal with that today.” And your "quick prep" stir-fry or salad turns into you sweating away an extra 15 minutes, cutting out all the "bad bits" from your not-so-fresh garden produce. Over the years, I’ve learned that preserving food doesn’t always mean a...
18 days ago • 1 min read