Category: homesteading

WELCOME to the March 2020 “You’re the Star” Blog Hop! Before we continue onto the Linky party I wanted to share from my blog:Homeschooling Resources  __________________________________________________________________________ WELCOME to EXTRA feature week of the March “You’re the STAR” blog hop! (Sometimes we will have 5 Mondays in a month – these 5th special Mondays are called “EXTRA feature” days) Meet all of your STAR Hosts  Swing by the STAR Hosts blogs:…

A quick and easy alternative to store-bought “clorox” disinfectant wipes – especially while there is a shortage.

A quick and easy alternative to store-bought baby wipes – especially while there is a shortage. I have been making these for over 20 years!!

Here is the first of our preparedness online FREE classes! Remember to Like, Share and Subscribe on YouTube so that I can keep these free. Download all of the files from this online class for your reference HERE!

Everywhere I turn around this week, the talk is about the CoronaVirus – And in our area, we have a shortage of toilet paper. Since I was a little girl, it has been instilled into me that we should always be prepared for a “just in case.” Today our “just in case” is going into effect. I have some toilet…

On our little homestead, we have many different egg-laying animals. I would love to get an ostrich or an emu… but Larry (you know, the guy from KrisandLarry.com) put his foot down! LOL He has been doing that for years…. but really doesn’t know how many goats or pigs we have. I don’t think that I could swing adding a…

Download the 2019 Yavapai County Planting Schedule Over the last 20 years, I have been able to streamline how we store and use our seeds for our gardens. Check out the quick video below!

Raising Coturnix Quail For centuries people all over the world have been raising Coturnix quail for their eggs and for their meat. In 1983, Coturnix quail were recognized as their own breed rather than being referred to as a common quail any more. They are very popular in both Asian and Middle Eastern cultures. And now are becoming more and…

I love the taste of chestnuts, but since they are not common where I live, they are hard to come across. We were lucky enough to find some fresh ones at one of our local grocery stores at the end of December. So here we are. Roasting them on top of our woodstove. Most of my children do not like…

I look outside this morning and see snow on the ground. Yet, it is time to plant my tomatoes and peppers inside. Are you ready to start thinking about your garden yet? Every year we start our seedlings early. We could purchase plants in the spring as well, which we do if we don’t have seedling success. Although we have…

Making life simpler We have added all of the items that we listed below on our Amazon Shopping cart as well. https://www.amazon.com/shop/krismazy Kitchen tips and tricks Can you imagine living in a world with no or limited power? I can see a future with no power or a limited time/amount of power that each family can use. What are some of…

I love soups! I have always loved soups. Especially with a larger family… Want to make it bigger for more people, just add a few more things into the pot! We double and even triple this recipe – You will need a HUGE cooking pot to do this with. We are going to be freeze-drying a batch of this as…

I have searched high and low online for a copy of the freeze-dry cheat sheet. And I couldn’t find a print copy. So here is one that our family will add to as we gather and research more. Come back often to see if it has been updated! – (Last updated 10/29/2019)

Did you have any idea that you could make healthy dog treats and food in your freeze dryer? I am here to tell you! Yes, you can!! We like to make our dogs healthy and “raw” treats and food when we can. Over the last few years, I have been collecting offals (hearts, livers, etc) from many of the animals…

Welcome to another video using freeze-dried foods from our Harvest Right Freeze Dryer. Here is a summary of what we thought of this batch: Frozen Peas – rehydrated in boiling water – taste just like frozen peas. Mangoes – eaten dried – kids gave 2 thumbs up as a fruit snack. Caramel Apples – Caramel was bubbly from the sugar….

Every week, we have new items in our freeze dryer for storage and for snacks for the kids. I love having freeze-dried fruit on hand for the kids so that they can have fruit available even if it is days away from grocery day or even the wrong season. Today’s video is all about Freeze-dried apples and peaches.

Saving Food by Freeze Drying 2-1/2 years ago, our family took the plunge and purchased a Harvest Right Freeze Dryer. I wasn’t certain if the price = what we would save. Well, I can honestly save that after 2-1/2 years I LOVE my machine and I think that I have had enough time to test it. I did blow out…

Kunekunes are an AMAZING breed of pigs that we have had on our homestead for over 5 years now. We use them often when people request us to come and share our animals as part of a “petting zoo program.” Mama Pumpkin is one of our most requested animals to share.  Our family jokes that they are called “War Pigs”…

The obvious answers are that I love the lifestyle. I love the fresh veggies. I love the fresh meat and knowing where my food comes from. I love the sweat and tears. I love the animals. I love the time that I spend with my family while we are working on different projects. But one answer that I give more…

Throughout our lives as homesteaders, I wanted to make sure that my family were able to know all about the animals that we have, both large and small stock. Last night, we were honored to be a part of a local jackpot show. We are proud members of the Chino Valley FFA Pals group for all of my younger kids….

It is that time of the year. The summer for public school kids in our area is coming to a close. I love that we have a bit of freedom in our homeschooling. We have a handful of projects to still get worked on our homestead for this summer season Our aquaponics system is being put back up. In this…