Have you ever thought about how people baked bread before the convenience of modern electric ovens? You might think they used a brick oven or maybe even a bake kettle. But actually, most American farmers of the 17th century didn't even have those luxuries. Instead, they used a … [Read more...]
Pioneer Recipes That Still Taste Great Today
Can you imagine what it was like to live on the Oregan trail, cooking pioneer recipes every day? Some have a romantic fantasy about cooking over an open fire, but those times were also scary. You usually cooked over an open fire with wildlife all around. Families had to cook … [Read more...]
How to Make Beef Jerky in an Air Fryer
Beef jerky happens to be one of my husband’s favorite snacks, and I sure love some homemade beef jerky as well. When our dehydrator died over a year ago, I realized that we wouldn’t have jerky for some time. At Christmastime, I researched new choices for an air fryer for my … [Read more...]
Cast Iron Cookware: How to Restore It, Season It, and Cook With It
Cast iron pots and pans have been around for centuries. They were first used in China in the 6th century and their use and appeal spread across Europe and to the pioneers of early America. At one point, more than a dozen cast iron manufacturers supplied the growing demand for … [Read more...]
Poor Man’s Steak Recipe (Cabbage, Garlic & Butter)
Over the past few years, my husband and I have been trying to cut costs and save for retirement. When you get to be middle-aged and realize how fast time goes by, you start developing a sense of urgency about things like that. Anyway, one of the main ways we've managed to … [Read more...]
8 Foods You Can Grind Into Flour + Instructions & Recipes
Grinding Your Own Flour Can Save You Money, Enhance Your Nutrition, and Teach You a Valuable Survival Skill. In many ways, bread is what made civilization happen. The ability to cultivate crops, especially grains, gave humanity the chance to find the time to invent things like … [Read more...]
How To Cook A Squirrel
Have you ever eaten a squirrel before? The taste is hard to describe. Some people say it tastes like chicken, only darker and tastier. Others say it tastes a like rabbit, or even pork, but not quite. I'd say it's a blend of chicken and rabbit. But the fact is, squirrel has its … [Read more...]
How To Render Lard The Easy Way
Our Pioneer Ancestors Rendered Lard on a Regular Basis. Did They Know Something We Don’t? A lot of people are quick to say “no” to lard as a cooking ingredient. That’s unfortunate. They certainly have their reasons, and some are well-founded, but lard isn’t the bad guy that many … [Read more...]
50 Staple Foods That Should Be In Every Cook’s Kitchen
A well-stocked pantry offers peace of mind. When you have all the basic cooking supplies on hand, you can be ready to prepare a meal on short notice and without the time and expense of running to the store for ingredients. Every family is a little bit different in terms of … [Read more...]
How to Cook on a Wood Stove + 9 Cooking Tips
Cooking on a wood stove requires a bit of patience at first, but the delicious rewards make the learning process well worth it. Having a wood cook stove or a wood burning stove will allow you to heat your home and cook food during a disaster where the power grid fails. You can … [Read more...]
Off Grid Coffee Roasting and Brewing
If you're prepper or homesteader who also loves coffee, then at some point you probably asked yourself, "How can I drink coffee while living off the grid?" If going to the grocery store or a coffee shop isn't an option, you'll need another way to feed your addiction. Of … [Read more...]
DIY Cinder Block Grill
Have you ever thought about building your own grill? Most people wouldn't even consider doing this. They're afraid they don't have enough knowledge or that it would be way too much work. But after watching this video from Dr. Stewart Productions, you'll realize that building a … [Read more...]
7 Ways to Bake Bread Without Electricity
For anyone trying to increase their self-reliance, learning to bake bread is often one of the first goals. Bread making isn’t difficult and it’s a great way to save money. It’s also a great survival skill. It doesn’t have to stop there though. If you want to take this skill a … [Read more...]
5 Off Grid Kitchen Gadgets You Need
Setting up an off-grid kitchen is easier said than done. Most rely on electricity and electronics more than they realize (ovens, blenders, mixers, timers, and so forth). But with the right tools, you can do you everything you would do with an "on-grid" kitchen. In this video, … [Read more...]
7 Ways to Bake Without an Oven
Play with your food! It’s time to start experimenting with different baking methods that don’t require a traditional oven! That means getting your hands messy, buying some new toys, and deep diving into some YouTube videos... for science. Remember, bread making and primitive … [Read more...]
27 Essential Spices That Should Be In Every Kitchen
Whether you're stockpiling food or just organizing your first kitchen, be sure to include lots of spices on your list of necessities. By having the following essentials on hand, you'll already have all the spices you need for almost any meal. And in addition to being able to … [Read more...]
10 Genius Kitchen Tricks to Make Your Life Easier
If you spend a lot of time in your home, you need to follow Household Hacker on Youtube. They make videos about the coolest kitchen and household tricks anyone has ever come up with. No matter how many of their videos I watch, I learn something new every time they upload a video. … [Read more...]
