When you first plant blueberry bushes you have to give them a couple of years to start growing before you focus on the berries. We hit that this year, and my anger at the birds got loud by mid-summer. I have worked hard to have a healthy homestead for pollinators, birds and wild animals...but could… Continue reading Building Bird Netting Towers For Blueberry Bushes
Category: Homesteading
October Garden Tasks
Garden Tasks for Zones 7-8 In The PNW October is a pivotal month in the gardens for me. In zones 7 and 8 in the Pacific Northwest, we still get warm days in October, but the nights are cool. So while it might hit into the mid 60's on some days, it's only that warm… Continue reading October Garden Tasks
Freeze-Drying The Sweet Side Of Cakes And Bread
This was a fun adventure with our Harvest Right freeze-dryer. I made up 2 chocolate cakes, 2 gluten-free pumpkin breads, and 1 of my favorite sugar-free cheesecake to freeze-dry. We run on a Large size unit, with 5 trays. With the cake and bread I replaced all the oil with unsweetened applesauce, to keep the… Continue reading Freeze-Drying The Sweet Side Of Cakes And Bread
Oatmeal Bread
This Fall I am back to making bread, but I have also decided I need to use our bread machine less, and work on my handmade bread skills. The bread machine I can always use on the really busy days when we need a loaf of bread, but I am busy. The other days, it's… Continue reading Oatmeal Bread
Garlic Growing Revisited: Tips from a Lazy Homesteader
I have mentioned before how bad this year (2023) was for growing garlic. It was a couple things for us I feel. The long, cold spring into early summer didn't help. So lets get to the backstory first. Garlic is always a 2 year project for nearly everyone growing it. You plant the "seed" in… Continue reading Garlic Growing Revisited: Tips from a Lazy Homesteader