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  • Garden
    • All Things Garden
    • Beginner Basics
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    • Compost
    • Flowers
    • “How to Grow”
    • Indoor Gardening
    • Pests
    • Wildlife
      • Monarchs
  • Food & Ferment
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    • Preserve Your Harvest
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    • Sourdough
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πŸŽ‰ Guess what? It is International Real Bread we πŸŽ‰ Guess what? It is International Real Bread week! It is the annual celebration of additive-free loaves and the people who make them ~ be it your local independent bakery, or your own homemade creations! 🍞 . Flour. Water. Yeast. Salt. (Yeast being your active sourdough starter) That's all you need! Unless you count nuts, seeds, herbs, tomatoes, olives, turmeric, carrots, zucchini & more as "additives" πŸ˜‰ . I never considered myself a baker, and still don't bake much - except sourdough! But I have fallen in love with this process, deeply. As a reminder for anyone who is not familiar, homemade sourdough isn't inherently (and doesn't need to be at all) SOUR tasting. It is nothing like store bought "sourdough". It is simply called that because of the way it is made, with wild yeast and slow natural fermentation rather than commercial yeast additives. πŸ‘ŒπŸΌ . Making homemade sourdough is NOT as difficult as you may think. And no, not all of our loaves are as pretty as our choice beauties shown here. But they all taste damn good, are easier to digest (the only bread my gut can handle!), healthy, and homemade with love ❀ . Do you bake sourdough at home? . If so, what are you going to make to celebrate? I think we are overdue for some focaccia 🀀 . πŸ’‘ If not, everything you need to get going can be found here, including how to make your own sourdough starter from scratch πŸ‘‰πŸΌ https://homesteadandchill.com/category/food-ferment/sourdough/ . Or simply follow the link in my profile to the "Top Homestead & Chill Articles" . #homesteadandchill #eatrealfood #realbreadweek
β€Ό Hey folks! We have something rather important β€Ό Hey folks! We have something rather important to discuss today: sustainable and healthy menstrual products. Go dig in to the newest article on Homestead and Chill: "Menstrual Cups: Reduce Waste βœ” Save Money βœ” Avoid Toxins βœ” Lessen Cramps βœ”". Follow the link inΒ my profile, and tag your friends to spread the love for zero waste and natural health! πŸ’• . πŸ’‘ If you aren't yet privy to this issue, I think you'll quickly see that the reasons to ditch single-use period products and switch to reusable, organic and sustainable menstrual solutions instead are pretty dang compelling. Traditional products like tamponsΒ or pads create an enormous amount of waste, cost you a ton of unnecessary money, and contain toxic chemicals that put your health at risk. No joke. ☠ . I've been a happy cup user for over 12 years now. Don't be nervous to try! The article goes over the basics of how cups work, and a few tips in choosing a style that is right for your body. Of course, there are other awesome options out there including reusableΒ cloth pads and period panties too. ♻️ . An added benefit is that many women report less painful cramps when using a menstrual cup over tampons, and I personally find this to be true. The cherry on top if you will πŸ˜‰πŸ’ I share some of my other natural cramp-reducing remedies in the article as well - includingΒ sipping on turmeric golden milk, and using a homemade rice heating pad made from a recycled pillow case and organic rice (tutorials for both of those on H&C too) πŸ‘ŒπŸΌ . . Are you using sustainable period products yet? . . Later edit: Can I just say how much I love you all and this amazing conversation going on below? ❀ . #homesteadandchill #naturalhealth
What's your favorite thing about growing food? I l What's your favorite thing about growing food? I love pretty much everything about it... sowing seeds, watching them sprout, fussing over seedlings indoors until they're mature enough to "move out" 😭, watching them flourish and change, unearthing or harvesting the goods, and of course eventually eating it all. A common thread through all of those steps? Playing, admiring, and photographing it all along the way πŸ’• . Even the long days of "putting up" the harvest in the kitchen are enjoyable (for the most part... Must. Have. Music.) Sure, it can get time consuming, but I am grateful for any time we get to spend doing something healthy and productive together, inside or out. I Iove that it keeps me busy, active, thinking, but also relaxed at once. Then of course, there is one of the key drivers behind it all: knowing exactly where a good portion of our food comes from and how it was treated. Beyond rewarding. . Least favorite part? Dealing with pests and disease. I'm sure most of you feel the same on that one! πŸ˜‚ I'm relatively annoyed that the unstoppable garlic rust is currently hitting our crop again this year, but I'm choosing for focus on the good. 😬 . If you aren't growing food yet, do you plan to start a little garden this spring? I may be bias, but I think you'd love it. πŸ’š
Okay fava, we get it. You're gorgeous. πŸŒΏπŸŒžπŸ–€
πŸŽ‰ Let's talk COMPOST πŸ™ŒπŸΌπŸŒΏπŸ’•πŸ’© Now o πŸŽ‰ Let's talk COMPOST πŸ™ŒπŸΌπŸŒΏπŸ’•πŸ’© Now on Homestead and Chill ~ "Composting 101: What, Why & How to Compost at Home". Follow the link in my profile, and tag a friend! . πŸ’‘Come learn about 6 different ways to compost at home, including passive compost, hot compost, worm bins, and more. We'll also go over what materials can and can't be composted, best practices to maintain a healthy, happy, and stink-free compost pile, and ways to use finished compost in the garden ~ such as making aerated compost tea! This is one of my absolute favorite subjects and activities, and was a total joy to put this together for you all πŸ€“ . Composting is the perfect way to sustainably dispose of food waste. Did you know that 30 to 40% of all food produced goes to waste in the US each year? That's insane. 😳 The act of composting diverts food waste otherwise destined for the landill, which in turn helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution. Not to mention you get absolutely unbeatable rich free organic fertilizer from the process πŸ‘ŒπŸΌ . Even if you don't have the "need" for finished compost at home, I highly encourage everyone to practice composting at some level regardless! We have successfully maintained a worm bin while living in an apartment, and in a workplace setting too! . I hope you enjoy the article and feel empowered to start composting at home, because #compostistheshit πŸ’― . Do you compost at home? What is your favorite method? . #homesteadandchill #compost
Happy FriYay! πŸ‘πŸŒΈβœ¨πŸŒ΅πŸŒ™ Photobomb by my Happy FriYay! πŸ‘πŸŒΈβœ¨πŸŒ΅πŸŒ™ Photobomb by my BFF πŸ§šπŸΌβ€β™€οΈ . #frontyardgarden #tgif #homesteadandchill
(SOUND ON) πŸ’• It is National Love Your Pet Day! (SOUND ON) πŸ’• It is National Love Your Pet Day! You know who make some of the sweetest pets? Chicken babes! πŸ₯° Barred Rock hens like Miss Dottie here (RIP) hold an extra special place in my heart. They're one of the most friendly breeds of chicken, and also almost always have the softest sweetest little voices - markedly different from other hens. Dottie was more like a small lap dog than "just a chicken" - the first to come running, always begging for cuddles and attention. . Who is thinking about getting chickens this spring? βœ‹πŸΌ (I wish!) If so, be sure to check out our article "The Top 18 Breeds of Chickens for Your Backyard Flock" to help you choose your spring chicks! While every bird is unique, I did my best to summarize their common demeanor and characteristics like egg color & size, plumage appearance, comb type, cold or hot hardiness, and more πŸ” . πŸ‘‰πŸΌ homesteadandchill.com/backyard-chickens-top-18-breeds/ . PS. Happy #throwbackthursday ⏳ How do ya like the fresh beds and teeny passionfruit vines on the arch in the background? Oh, and grass πŸ™ƒ Sorry so blurry, but too sweet not to share. . #homesteadandchill #lapchickenforlife
🌿 Currently in the front yard garden: the garli 🌿 Currently in the front yard garden: the garlic is coming on strong while the bok choy is going out with a bang 🌼🌠
πŸ¦‹ The first monarch in months graced our garden πŸ¦‹ The first monarch in months graced our garden yesterday (that I've seen at least) and it got me very, very excited for monarch season 2020! Even though they overwinter in clusters just a mile from our house at the Pismo State Beach Monatch Preserve, we don't see them much after we cut back the milkweed in late fall. I also saw an article reporting that the numbers were over double from last year at the local Pismo preserve. While that is a joy to hear, their population is still in peril nationwide... πŸ’”
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