Homestead and Chill Homestead and Chill

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  • Garden
    • All Things Garden
    • Beginner Basics
    • Cannabis
    • Compost
    • Flowers
    • “How to Grow”
    • Indoor Gardening
    • Pests
    • Wildlife
      • Monarchs
  • Food & Ferment
    • Fermented Foods
    • Kombucha
    • Preserve Your Harvest
    • Recipes
    • Sourdough
  • Chickens
  • Natural Health
  • Music
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    • Welcome
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  • rainbow carrots on a cutting board with sprigs of fresh dill around them
    Fermented Foods,  Preserve Your Harvest,  Recipes

    Simple Fermented Carrot Pickle Recipe

    May 31, 2019 / 19 Comments

    Follow along to learn how to make quick-and-easy fermented carrot "pickles". They're tasty, tangy, and crunchy - perfect for snacking, on top of salads, and more! Rather than preserving them with vinegar, the process of lacto-fermenting carrots provides a similar end…

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    DeannaCat
  • Fermented Foods,  Preserve Your Harvest,  Recipes

    Super Simple Sauerkraut Recipe

    April 10, 2019 / 11 Comments

    Sauerkraut: the quintessential fermented food. And oh, what an easy one to make at home! Let me show you the most simple sauerkraut recipe ever. It's literally just cabbage and salt. Step-by-step photos will guide your way!

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    DeannaCat
  • Preserve Your Harvest,  Recipes

    Fava Bean Greens Pesto Recipe

    April 2, 2019 / 1 Comment

    While favas are most commonly grown for their edible beans, or as cover crop to enrich soil, why not make good use of the edible foliage too? Fava bean leaves taste very similar to the bean: sweet, buttery, and earthy! Come…

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    DeannaCat
  • A photo of all the ingredients to make madras curry lentils. Two white bowls are full of red adzuki beans and green lentils, with onions, chillis, garlic, turmeric, ginger, and spices laying around the sides of the bowls
    Food & Ferment,  Recipes

    Madras Curry Lentils Recipe

    March 7, 2019 / 16 Comments

    The perfect healthy, delicious, protein and flavor-packed meal: homemade curry madras lentils! This is one of our absolute favorite go-to meals. We have it several times a month. This lentil recipe is vegan, but you can always add a little cheese…

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    DeannaCat
  • Natural Health,  Recipes

    Homemade Elderberry Syrup Recipe

    February 14, 2019 / 30 Comments

    Do you need a little extra help fighting off cold and flu bugs? You’re in luck! I have a natural and delicious solution for you to try: Elderberry Syrup! Elderberries are known to boost immunity to prevent illness, and also promote…

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    DeannaCat
  • A spoon full of pink fermented homegrown radish slices
    Fermented Foods,  Preserve Your Harvest,  Recipes

    Fermented Dilly Radish Recipe

    February 9, 2019 / 29 Comments

    To get you started on making fermented foods at home, here is one of the most simple ferment recipes out there! Fermented dilly radishes. Not only is this super easy to do, but this recipe also happens to be one of…

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    DeannaCat
  • Natural Health,  Recipes

    How (& Why) to Make Fire Cider for Immune Health

    January 1, 2019 / 43 Comments

    There is something wickedly beautiful and wicked healthy brewing up in the kitchen: Fire Cider! Herbalists and those who embrace natural medicine call upon this spicy, spunky, tangy tonic to stay healthy during the winter and cold season. With a kick-ass…

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    DeannaCat
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DeannaCat, the creator of Homestead and Chill

CREATOR & PLANT LADY

Hey! My name is Deanna, also known as DeannaCat. I am all about simple living, real food, and everything plants. My hope is to inspire a love for a similar lifestyle and hobbies in others ~ by sharing real-life tips and tools to make “modern homesteading” and related activities easy, understandable, and enjoyable ~ so you can learn and dive in with me! Read more…

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Instagram post 17903610220392047 Do you like cranberries? 🙋🏼‍♀️ I have to admit: I wasn't a cranberry fan until a few years ago. I don't like cranberry juice, and definitely don't enjoy canned cranberry sauce... no offense to those who do! But this stuff? Game-changer. If you're a skeptic, I urge you to keep reading - and try it! 👌🏼
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Our Homemade Fresh Cranberry Sauce recipe is now on Homestead and Chill ❤ Follow the link in my profile to the blog.
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If you are looking for a stellar homemade fresh cranberry sauce recipe, then you’ve come to the right place! This bright and flavorful cranberry sauce strikes the perfect balance between tart and sweet, is SUPER quick and easy to make, and goes incredibly well with a variety of meals. Guess what? It contains zero refined white sugar.
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BTW -Cranberry isn't just for the holidays, or turkey! We love to make this whenever fresh crans are in season, and use it in more ways than you'd imagine! In plain yogurt with granola, on sourdough toast, with a grilled cheese sandwich, in place of chutney on a cheese board, or with garlic and herb smashed potatoes (recipe posted on Monday). Cranberries are considered a superfood due to their crazy high antioxidant levels and nutrient profile, so the more the merrier!
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The other cranberry dish we really enjoy is our sweet potato, apple & fresh cran bake. We usually make that every Thanksgiving but skipped it this year, only because we made it a couple weeks prior to document for the blog. 😹 But it is definitely back on the menu for Winter Solstice or New Years! We absolutely must have it again before cranberry season comes to an end.
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Enjoy! 😘
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#homesteadandchill #eatrealfood
Instagram post 18041885134222221 🌿 Welcoming our very first homegrown Fuyu persimmons! 🎉 This is a particularly sentimental harvest, because our love story began with a persimmon. Really, it's true! 🥰
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Aaron and I met working together in a natural foods store back in early college, nearly 15 years ago now. We'd hung out in groups and at parties, but for our very first "date" alone, he suggested we cook a homemade meal for dinner together at my place (it looks like our joy of cooking together runs deep, eh?). He offered to bring all the supplies.
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Mind you, at this time I was already very "into" eating well, lots of fruits and veggies, taking care of myself, etc. All of the boys I'd met thus far in college were more about drinking beer, eating crap food, and were generally not a shining picture of health. Along comes Aaron, and I was thoroughly intrigued. He liked to run every day - and I don't think I'd ever met anyone who drank so much damn water! To this day, I swear he is part camel. And don't get me wrong, Aaron and I still loved our fair share of beer! But he had already figured out at a young age that it was about quality over quantity.
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Anyways, back to this first-date dinner... He arrived and started to unload a massive bag of all sorts of fresh foods. Truth be told, I don't recall the meal itself (I think it was a chicken dish of some sort) but I do distinctly remember the moment that he pulled out the persimmons. I looked at them inquisitively. After all, I was little-miss-healthy-know-it-all, right? 😉 I thought I knew all my fruits and veggies, but I had never seen a Fuyu persimmon. "You've never tried a persimmon?!" He exclaims, half-teasing, and proceeds to proficiently cut up this perfectly ripe specimen of a persimmon and hand me a slice. It was nothing short of amazing. A light bulb went off, and I was hooked! Not just on persimmons - but on Aaron. This unique dude, in tune with his health, teaching me about new fresh foods. Not to mention, that smile 😁 Where the hell did HE come from?!
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🧡 So the joke is "You had me at persimmon". Little did I know back then that we'd be here now, living this life, about to slice into our very first organic homegrown persimmons.
Instagram post 17850343735738622 🎉 Attention party people! I'd like you to meet your new go-to holiday party appetizer. Roasted Two-Bite Garlic & Herb Smashed Potatoes Recipe ~ now on Homestead and Chill 🤤 Follow the link in my profile to the blog, and tag a spuddy buddy!
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Roasted potato goodness smothered in fresh herb garlic butter and soft melty cheese? Let's be real... you don't need a holiday (or a party) as an excuse to make these bad boys! We make a platter at least once or twice every time we harvest homegrown spuds, which is what we used here. Yet due to the fact that these smashed potatoes somehow taste even better as they cool to room temperature, they are the perfect make-ahead app for any get-together. 🥔🌿👌🏼
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Cheese not necessary - but definitely welcome for most. Vegan variations included in the recipe. Also, our homemade fresh cranberry sauce will be coming in a couple days! Stay tuned. ❤
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#homesteadandchill #gardentotable
Instagram post 17845227865835547 When you're trying to capture a chill vibe and your black squirrel-fox has the morning zoomies... 💁🏼‍♀️😹
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🌲So guys? I have to admit something. I am not a huge fan of Christmas music 🙈 I mean sure, a song here and there can be fun and festive, but it's definitely not on repeat over here. So to "set the mood" this time of year we turn to a lot of blues, jazz, classical, and instrumental music - perfect for cooking, playing cards indoors by candlelight, crafting, and whatnot.
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🎼  New playlist now on the blog! 71 of our fave blues, jazz and classical tunes, plus a few fun modern instrumental covers. If you haven't checked them out already, we also have 2 mixed-genre playlists and a reggae/dub one too 🎶
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👉🏼 Follow the link in my profile or go to  https://homesteadandchill.com/category/music/
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Enjoy, and Happy Sunday! ❤ #homesteadandchill #sundayfunday
Instagram post 18083872480190977 💦 Curious to learn more about rainwater harvesting? With awesome input for frequently asked questions to address from you folks, "Rainwater Collection Systems 101 + FAQs" was just published on Homestead and Chill 👍🏼 Follow the link in my profile to the blog 💙
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💡 Did you know that it is possible to capture up to 623 gallons of water from a 1000 square-foot roof in just a single 1-inch rainstorm!? 🤯 We realized this pretty quickly in the first rain event with our modest 140 gallon tank so we added a 530 gallon slimline tank, and then another... 😂 We now have about 1300 gallons of rainwater storage capacity here. But folks with more frequent rainfall (or smaller gardens) may not need such large tanks. See, it ONLY rains here from late Nov-March, and is totally dry the rest of the year. Meaning, we have to capture as much as possible at once since there won't be any refills on the way for a long time. In addition to offsetting some of our water use, our plants and compost teas LOVE the chlorine free water! 🌿
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🌧 Anywho, come read long to learn the basics of rainwater harvesting, including tips for setting up and using a basic rainwater collection system at home. This article covers rainwater tank options, supplies, and info to help to choose what type of system will best suit your climate or needs. We’ll go over frequently asked questions – such as rainwater collection laws, water contamination and bacteria concerns, mosquito breeding, how to keep rainwater tanks clean, prevent algae growth, options for hand-watering vs pumps, and more. 👌🏼
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Enjoy the old video of our garden from early 2018... when the pollinator island plants were just babies, we had a short front yard fence, and before we added the second 530 gal tank!
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🏡 Keep in mind there is a similiar 101 article all about setting up and using a hobby greenhouse on the blog too ✅
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#homesteadandchill #rainwatercollection
Instagram post 17892523327434871 🌿 Who is ready for the weekend? 🙋🏼‍♀️ We are going to be busy play-working - getting your rainwater harvesting article finished, whipping up some fresh cranberry sauce, sourdough cornbread, and garlic & herb smashed potatoes for the blog (recipe posts are becoming our favorite... because, food 🤤) harvest a bunch of radishes and probably start a ferment, and finalize your jazz/blues/classical playlist for next week. Plus some yoga, wine, and kitty cuddle time of course. 🦁❤🍷🌙 Good thing this is my Friday off 😂 What are you looking forward to this weekend?
Instagram post 17862892960592635 🌿 Tips on cooking greens 🌱Whenever I share photos of our greens, I inevitably questions about our favorite ways to prepare & eat them! Leafy greens like kale, bok choy, swiss chard, tat soi, and mustards are ALWAYS a welcome addition to soup, green smoothies, homemade sauerkraut, and salads. However, the way we eat the majority of our greens is quite simple: sauteed! But avoid overcooking your veggies into mush. I think that's where some people go wrong.
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💡Nearly every night for dinner we fill our favorite cast iron wok with seasonal veggies. This time of year, that means mostly leafy greens. To prepare them, we like to rip or cut off the lower half of the leaves (mostly the stems, with maybe a little leafy green bits attached), roughly chop those stems, and toss em into the wok to begin cooking first. Since they're more firm than the frilly parts, they need a just a couple minutes longer to cook - and doing this separately prevents overcooking the crap out of the frilly parts into mush. Or, we add our other firm veggies like broccoli, radishes, green beans, etc in first with the stems. When those are almost done (we prefer our veggies still slightly crisp!) then we toss in the chopped upper portions of the greens to cook until just wilted.
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We start off with either a little olive oil or coconut oil in the wok, often onions and garlic too. Let that heat up, then add the stalks. Once all the greens are in there, we change up the seasonings each night to keep things interesting. Sometimes it's just salt and pepper. Sometimes a combo of our homegrown seasonings like onion, garlic, turmeric, and/or lemon powders. Other nights we add chili powder, curry, soy sauce, fresh ginger, or pesto.
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🥙 Then, the veggies-of-the-night are served w/ whatever else we're having - lentils, sweet potatoes, beans and brown rice, quinoa, a veggie patty, pumpkin chili, eggs, sourdough, occasionally some tempeh, and sometimes topped with cheese, nuts and/or seeds. What you aren't seeing in my "pretty" blog photos of our chili or lentils is the massive pile of sauteed greens that goes in on top of them. Veggies make up the bulk of our plate! Or more often, bowls... ✌🏼
Instagram post 18079854796178690 👀 I think it's safe to say the garden is stoked on all this rain! 🌿💦🌱 Yukina savoy up front, Joi Choi in the back. 💚 #eatyourgreens #homesteadandchill
Instagram post 18105361408072163 🍊 Can you smell it?! 🤤 No? Bummer... You better go whip up a batch of your own heavenly-holiday-scented simmering spices to huff and enjoy then! Curious to learn more? Check out the newest article on Homestead and Chill 👉🏼 "Simmering Spices: Make Your House Smell Amazing, Naturally!" Follow the link in my profile ❤
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👃🏼 We got rid of all our old scented candles because... well, I hate to break it to you, but most of them are full of nasty toxins, just waiting for you to inhale. Artificial fragrances give me a gnarly headache anyways! So we've been replacing them with natural beeswax candles - but those don't provide a whole lot of aroma. Enter: simmering spices! Aka, stovetop potpourri.
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💡Come read the list of over a dozen natural ingredients we like to simmer on the stove, plus our top 5 "recipe" combinations.
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Simmering spices make the house smell good, and also make you FEEL good. Did you know that our sense of smell (over all other senses) has the strongest influence over emotions and memories? It's literally in the way our brains are wired 🤓🧠
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Do you use simmering spices at home? What are some of your favorite combos?
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#homesteadandchill #naturalhealth #holidayspirit #holidayvibes #sugarandspice
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