This quick homemade mayo recipe is incredibly easy to make and so much better for you than store bought. It’s delicious and creamy, perfect for sandwiches, chicken salad and anything else you can dream up!

Why make this quick homemade mayo?

When making this quick homemade mayo, you can control the ingredients that go in to it. Instead of seed oils which are in most commercial mayonnaise, I use cold pressed avocado oil. I know where my eggs came from (our chickens!) and I can adjust the lemon juice, vinegar and salt to my taste. While I grew up on Blue Plate mayo, and yes, it was delicious, this mayo is equally tasty and so much better for you!

What about the raw egg?

We raise our own chickens which we get our eggs from. We have them in chicken tractors on fresh grass in a clean environment. Because of this, I don’t think twice about eating raw egg. But even if you don’t have your own chickens, keeping your eggs cold as well as your mayo decreases your chances of any bad bacteria growing. The acidity from the lemon juice also helps to keep your mayo safe.

But, to each his own discretion. If you are uncomfortable eating raw egg, simply don’t eat homemade mayo. We have been eating homemade mayo now for almost two years and have had no problems. I trust what food we grow here on our homestead and I have complete confidence that it is better for me than the food at the store. Everyone should use their own judgement and do their own research. However, there are other options when it comes to making homemade mayo, such as these:

• Using pasteurized eggs. These eggs are heated just up to a temperature to kill any bacteria. It doesn’t actually cook the egg. I have never tried one of these recipes nor have I ever searched for pasteurized eggs in a grocery store. But this is an option if you’re not completely comfortable with raw eggs.
• You can also pasteurize your mayo in the microwave by heating it until it gets to 165 degrees. I have never done this, but there are recipes out there.

How long does this homemade mayo last?

While many people will leave homemade mayo in the fridge for up to two weeks, I discard any leftover after one week. We usually eat it all within three or four days though. You should know if your homemade mayo has gone bad. If it smells, tastes or looks weird, you probably shouldn’t chance it.

The lemon juice helps to not only emulsify the mixture, but it also helps to preserve it for longer. There are recipes for lacto-fermented mayo as well that can make your mayo last much much longer with the benefit of good for your gut bacteria.

What is in homemade mayo?

• 1 egg
• 1 cup avocado oil
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper (optional)
• 2 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. dijon mustard

You will also need:

• Wide mouth pint jar
• Immersion blender

How do I make quick homemade mayo?

1. Carefully crack the egg into your jar. The mayo will emmulsify better if the yolk is intact.
2. Add salt, pepper, lemon juice, vinegar and dijon mustard.
3. Slowly pour the oil on top and let sit for a few seconds to settle.
4. Place your immersion blender carefully over the egg yolk and begin mixing, slowly moving the immersion blender up and down, but keeping it under the liquid.
5. You will start to see the mixture thicken. Once it is thick, remove the immersion blender and enjoy your delicious homemade mayo!

Storing your homemade mayo

Keep your mayo in the fridge for up to one week. Again, many recipes say it is safe up to two weeks, but use your own discretion. Ours is usually gone very quickly! This recipe makes slightly over one cup of mayo. It’s the perfect amount for a week’s worth of sandwiches or a couple of recipes.

How can I use my homemade mayo?

You can use homemade mayo the same way you would store bought. It’s fantastic on sandwiches, but you can try making your own homemade ranch, chicken salad, deviled eggs and so much more!

Also try your homemade mayo in place of butter when making grilled cheese sandwiches. Slather both outside sides of your grilled cheese with mayo for cooking. There are tons of dressing and sauce recipes that you can use your homemade mayo in place of store bought to make them healthier too!

I hope that you enjoy this recipe! Let me know in the comments if you have any creative ways that you use your homemade mayo. If you want another from scratch recipe, check out my recipe for Easy Basil Pesto.

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Ingredients

• 1 egg

• 1 cup avocado oil

• 2 tsp. lemon juice

• 1 tsp. salt

• 1/4 tsp. black pepper

• 1 tsp. dijon mustard

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Directions

• Carefully crack egg into jar, making sure not to break the yolk.
• Pour oil and remaining ingredients on top. Let settle for about 1 minute.
• Place immersion blender over egg yolk and begin blending. Move the immersion blender up and down slowly, starting at the bottom and slowly moving it up. Once thickened and emulsified, enjoy!

The post Quick Homemade Mayo appeared first on Dark Family Homestead.

Why learn how to cook from scratch?

Cooking from scratch is better for your health and your wallet. Anyone can learn the skills it takes to get delicious, from scratch meals on the dinner table.

When I began having health issues a few years ago, I started to look into what could be causing them. That led me down the path to real food. I started reading labels and researching what the long list of ingredients meant. After being horrified at what is allowed into processed foods, I decided I wanted to learn how to cook things from scratch.

At first it was just dinner recipes. I couldn’t have gluten so all of the gravy and seasoning packs were out anyways. Learning how to mix your own seasoning blends was easy. Then I moved on to baking. From there I have learned the skills to even make our snack foods from scratch. As long as I stick to from scratch foods, leaving out gluten and eating real food, my health has greatly improved.

I am able to keep up with three little ones all while growing and preserving a lot of our food. This wouldn’t have been possible without a huge diet change. Cooking from scratch is a stepping stone towards better health and more self-sufficiency.

What does “from scratch” really mean?

Cooking from scratch is simply taking single ingredient food items and putting them together to make a meal or dish. Such as ground beef, veggies, broth and herbs to make a soup.

However, I still consider cooking a meal with store bought cheese or coconut aminos for example, as still being a from scratch meal. While I would love to make my own cheese, we don’t yet have a dairy animal on our homestead. And I would love to be able to even make something like coconut aminos myself (as if I have any clue how to do that!). But, I still use those ingredients in my from scratch cooking. Why? Because it’s less processed than the junk food and pre-made meals at the store.

Even if there is an ingredient that is store bought, that you didn’t make yourself, it can still be okay. It really comes down to how and how much something has been processed.

Doesn’t cooking from scratch take up a lot of time?

Maybe at first it will. But there are so many recipes for “dump and go” or slow cooker from scratch recipes that are easy and quick. It may take you time to build skills and find the right recipes at first, but after awhile, it becomes second nature.

You will learn what it is you need to do to get meals and snacks on the table. Don’t let that “maybe at first” scare you though. With planning and prep, you will learn how to be very efficient in the kitchen.

For example, if you’ve only got one day to meal prep for the whole month, you could bake four loaves of bread, make several dump and go freezer meals and make a meal plan. The rest of the month is just throwing things together very quickly.

From scratch cooking saves you money!

Another bonus to from scratch cooking that I quickly discovered was how much money it saved us on our grocery budget. I was so used to buying convenience meals or eating out before we had kids, that the difference was huge.

While I do understand that grocery prices have greatly increased, you can still eat well on a budget if you are cooking from scratch. For us, and I do believe for most people, buying pre-made and super processed foods isn’t sustainable. What if the grocery stores run out of food and the supply chain breaks? Will you know how to take simple ingredients from your pantry to make meals? Or how to cook only the food you can grow yourself? That’s another reason that from scratch cooking is better!

Here are a few tips to save money when stocking your pantry:

• Make the swap from processed to whole food when shopping. Slowly take away a couple of processed foods each week and use those savings to swap to a whole food you can add to your pantry. Buying things like rice and beans is still very affordable and can last a long time before going bad. Swap out buying that bag of potato chips or instant meal for rice and beans. You will get a lot more out of them!
• Shop in bulk. Big box stores like Sam’s Club and Costco have great deals. You can also check out Azure Standard for more organic and naturally grown options. They also carry canned goods, baking ingredients and herbs all with the options to buy in bulk.
• Use up what you have. Before grocery shopping again, make sure you have used up all of your fresh fruits and veggies. Also check expiration dates in your pantry and make sure nothing is about to expire. Wasting less food also wastes less money.
• Get creative. Pinterest is absolutely full of frugal recipes and depression era recipes. Sometimes a simple soup or stew makes a delicious and filling meal that is going to be way better for your health and your wallet.
• Learn what from scratch ingredients you can swap when you’re out of something. While there will be slight measurement variations, things such as oils & fats can easily be swapped around in recipes. This goes for sweeteners too.

So how do I get started cooking from scratch?

1. The first thing you need to do is find a handful of things you want to swap out the processed version for homemade. Maybe it’s a loaf of bread, granola bars or meatballs. Make your list and find recipes you want to try. Don’t try them all at once. Take it one at a time until you get good at making that one thing. Before you know it, you will have a rhythm down for making that particular food.
2. Look at your pantry and start reading labels. If you can’t pronounce the ingredients in the item, think about how you can swap it out for it’s less processed counterpart.
3. Stock your pantry with the right ingredients. For us, it’s always keeping staples like flour, sugar, rice, beans, oils, fats, salt and vinegars on hand at all times. Our list is much longer, but those are the absolute must have items. Everyone’s stocked pantry will look different.
4. Learn to meal plan. The weeks that I have skipped this usually ends in me scrambling to get something on the table which is no fun for anyone. While I know not everyone is wired this way, try it out. Start by meal planning just a couple of days at a time until you get the hang of it. Then move on to a full week of planned meals.
5. Meal prep! If you have a busy life, meal prepping a couple days a month will save you lots of stress and money. Make up soups, casseroles, loaves of bread and snacks for the freezer. If you want to get really into it, make big batches of things like cream of mushroom soup to freeze or marinades.

Cooking from scratch for beginners doesn’t have to be complicated or overwhelming. Take it one step at a time. You don’t have to swap everything all at once. To conclude, here are a few ideas for from scratch recipes to try first.

• Taco Seasoning
• Pancakes or waffles
• Granola bars
• Brownies
• Cookies
• Gravy
• Salad dressing
• Ranch
• Vanilla extract

Feeling a little more adventurous? Here are some intermediate ideas to try for from scratch cooking:

• Sandwich bread
• Dinner rolls
• Cream of … soup
• Pasta
• Pickles
• Banana bread
• Mayonnaise
• Mustard
• Cakes

Don’t forget to have fun learning a new skill

The great thing about learning to cook from scratch is that you can tailor it to you and your family’s tastes. It will allow you to be creative and maybe you will make a few new recipes of your own. If you would like some ideas on how to stock you pantry, check out this post here.

I hope this has encouraged you to get started cooking from scratch. Don’t let it overwhelm you, but take it one recipe at a time.

Before you know it, you’ll be creating delicious from scratch meals everyday and getting healthier too! Let me know of any recipes that got you started cooking from scratch in the comments below.

The post Cooking From Scratch for Beginners appeared first on Dark Family Homestead.

After all of your hard work in the garden, don’t let those pretty pumpkins go to waste. Whether you grew them for fall decorations or food, learning how to roast a pumpkin is an easy way to preserve them!

Why roast your pumpkins?

For the pumpkin puree of course! If you decided to grow pumpkins in your garden this year, don’t let them go to waste. They are nutritious for you and your animals.

By roasting pumpkins, you spoon out the delicious meat of the pumpkins for cooking. It’s a very easy process, and especially fun to do with your kids. Not only that, but your animals can eat all of the pumpkin seeds left over.

Pumpkin seeds make an excellent natural dewormer for your livestock. This is because they contain cucurbitacin. This is an anti-parasitic compound that has been found to expel tapeworm and roundworm. My chickens love them and my goats will actually eat a whole pumpkin if it’s broken open for them.

What can I do with pumpkin puree?

All the things! Just like the canned pumpkin you would find at the store, you can use pumpkin puree for baking pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin soup. You can add it to oatmeal or a smoothie and SO MUCH MORE!

On top of it’s versatility in cooking and baking, pumpkin is very nutritious. It is chock full of vitamin A, but also high in vitamins K and E. It also contains potassium, magnesium and iron.

So what type of pumpkin should you be roasting? All pumpkin varieties are edible, but some are better than others for cooking. Pie pumpkin varieties are your best bet to get the most meat. They are usually sweeter than other varieties too.

However, there are some pumpkins that are good for both carving and baking. Giant pumpkin varieties are probably the least palatable since they have been bred for size, not meat or flavor.

Below is a photo of three different varieties of small pie pumpkins I grew this year. I had Sugar Pie pumpkins, Winter Luxury pumpkins and Creole pumpkins (my new favorite!) I also grew Long Island Cheese pumpkins, but they aren’t in the photo.

How to grow pumpkins

Growing pumpkins isn’t difficult, but they do require a good amount of space. Pie pumpkin varieties such as Sugar Pie don’t take up as much room, but you will still need around 3′- 4′ feet between each plant.

Another option to grow pumpkins that doesn’t take up much space is to grow them vertically. Again, this works best with smaller varieties. While I haven’t tried this myself, I would imagine that it’s very similar to growing melons or rampicante squash up a trellis.

Plant pumpkin seeds in mounds with 2-3 seeds in each mound. Water well and mulch well. Pumpkins like warm weather so it’s best to plant after danger of frost is long gone. Pumpkins like a lot of water and fertile rich soil as well.

Another consideration is the long growing time it takes for pumpkins to mature. Some varieties can take up to 120 days before they are ready. If you have a short growing season, you may need to start varieties like this inside and then transplant out.

How to roast a pumpkin

Roasting a pumpkin is a simple and fun process. It’s easier than carving one!

1. First wash off your pumpkins. You don’t have to be meticulous, just get any dirt off.
2. Remove the stem if you can, and slice the pumpkin in half. This is easy with small pumpkins, but may take more elbow grease with larger pumpkins.
3. Remove the “guts” or the seeds and fibrous parts that surround them.
4. Coat the bottom with coconut oil or avocado oil. Place bottom down on a pan.
5. Pierce the skin with a fork a few times and roast at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
6. Remove and let cool. Once your pumpkin pieces are cool, scoop out all of the meat and discard the skin.
7. Run the meat through a food processor or a blender to get a smooth texture.

That’s it! Now you can either freeze your puree or put it straight into a pie or pumpkin bread, you name it! If you wan’t to learn more ways of using up your harvest, read my articles on cooking with sweet potato leaves here or using lemongrass here. Thanks so much for stopping by!

The post How to Roast a Pumpkin appeared first on Dark Family Homestead.

Lemongrass is an easy to grow herb that you may have never heard of. Harvesting and using lemongrass is so easy and has tons of health benefits. Whether you decide to use it in tea, or cook with it, this is a plant you will want in your garden from now on!

The first time I had ever heard of lemongrass was on the back of an herbal tea ingredient list. I then found the seeds while scrolling through MIGardener and knew I had to try and grow some for myself. I am so glad I did!

What is lemongrass?

Lemongrass is a tropical grass that grows as a perennial in zones 8 and higher. It has a lemony scent when crushed that is oh so heavenly if you ask me. Lemongrass thrives in warmer, more humid climates, but can be grown as an annual in cooler climates. It can grow up to 5′ feet tall!

While lemongrass makes a great ornamental plant, it’s also used in many other ways. Lemongrass is used as a medicinal herb and also for flavor in many Asian dishes, especially Thai recipes. The oils also work as an antisceptic.

Health benefits of lemongrass

Lemongrass has antioxidant properties as well as antimicrobial properties. On top of that, it’s also very anti-inflammatory. It is also found to help maintain cholesterol levels and works well as a diuretic.

Historically, lemongrass has been used to fight fevers, stomach issues and insomnia. It has also been used to keep mosquitos at bay. It’s actually closely related to citronella. I have to say though, it has not worked as a mosquito repellant in my garden, but maybe I need to grow more of it.

Lemongrass is also nutritious, containing vitamins A, B vitamins, C and folate. On top of all that, lemongrass’s citrusy scent makes it great for calming anxiety and fighting fatigue.

How to grow lemongrass

This was my first year growing lemongrass, and for me it was very hands off. I started my lemongrass from seed inside and transplanted when it was around 8″ inches tall. The only maintenance I had to do was make sure it was watered regularly.

Lemongrass does like moist soil and warm temperatures. I also found that it does not like heavy clay soil. I planted three plants, one in my flower bed which is heavily clay and it did poorly. The two I planted in my raised bed thrived! Like most plants, it prefers rich soil. It also needs to be in full sun.

Lemongrass can be bought in pots from nurseries. You can transplant it into a larger pot, or into the ground. You can also propagate lemongrass from a stalk. To do this, you can either propagate with water or soil. Once it forms roots, transplant.

If you know someone who already has a clump of lemongrass, you can divide that in the spring and plant. This would probably be the most hands off way of getting lemongrass started in your garden.

Harvesting and using lemongrass in your garden

You can harvest lemongrass as you need it throughout the summer. However, you will want to harvest the rest before your first frost and preserve it. You will want to leave leaves on your lemongrass if you plan to overwinter it. You can then trim it down in the spring after danger of frost has passed. If your climate is warm enough, it should start producing stalks again.

Harvesting lemongrass is easy, but you will want to wear gloves, or be very careful because the blades are sharp and can leave little cuts (I learned this the hard way after ignoring advice). If I don’t have gloves within reach, I carefully harvest the stalks and leave the leaves attached until I can carefully cut them off inside.

For tea, you will harvest the leaves. You can also use the stalks, but these are better (more flavorful) for cooking. Simply cut the leaves, just above the stalk and dry inside like you would any other herb. You can then cut it up and store in a glass jar with an airtight lid.

To harvest the stalks, you will cut the stalk just above the ground. Then peel off the outer leaves. If you want, you can freeze your stalks like this. Mincing before freezing is also an option. Another option is to dehydrate your lemongrass at 115 degrees. However, lemongrass stalks do stay good in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Lemongrass for tea

When harvesting the leaves for tea, wash them and hang them up to dry. You can also dehydrate them, but you do lose some of it’s properties if the heat is too high. I prefer hanging them, partly because I think it retains it’s flavor better, but also because I think it looks pretty in my kitchen!

To make lemongrass tea, cut the leaves into 2″ sections, place in a tea bag and steep for 5-8 minutes. Remove the bag and enjoy!

Lemongrass for cooking

We add lemongrass to our Thai curry for a more authentic taste. It can also be used in place of ginger if you are out. The leaves and stalks are both excellent for flavoring soups and broths. Although the flavor is mild, it does give soups a lemony flavor. If using the leaves to flavor a soup or broth, just remove the leaves before eating. The stalks minced also taste great on salads!

I hope this has convinced you to grow lemongrass in your own garden. Let me know if you have any delicious ways that you use lemongrass. If you want another recipe using garden herbs, check out my basil iced tea here or DIY garlic powder here!

The post Harvesting and Using Lemongrass appeared first on Dark Family Homestead.

This easy basil pesto recipe can be whipped up in less than five minutes! It tastes like summer and is a great way to use up any extra basil from the garden. Throw out those store bought jars of pesto and make your family this delicious from scratch version!

What is pesto?

Classic pesto is made with basil, pine nuts, garlic, parmesan cheese and olive oil. Traditionally it was crushed in a mortar and pestle. Here I used a food processor to make it extra quick and easy! Thank goodness for electricity. Lemon juice is also added for brightness.

What’s in this easy basil pesto recipe?

• fresh basil
• extra virgin olive oil OR avocado oil
• pine nuts
• salt
• black pepper
• lemon juice
• garlic
• grated parmesan

This recipe is made with whole food ingredients, making it a healthy sauce to add to your dishes for you and your family! Basil is a fantastic herb to add into your diet because of all of it’s health benefits. It’s full of antioxidants and is also anti-inflammatory. Eating it fresh and raw as it is in this recipe is even better!

What tools do I need to make this recipe?

• A skillet to toast the pine nuts
• Food processor

You will need to toast your pine nuts, unless using one of the alternatives like walnuts. A blender can also be used instead of a food processor, but it may not make as smooth of a sauce. You can also do it the old fashioned way and use a mortar and pestle. Although that does take a lot more time and energy.

Recipe varitations:

Here’s the deal, pine nuts are expensive! While I did use them for this recipe, an easy swap would be walnuts. If you wanted it to be nut free, you could use pepitas.

While I haven’t tried it yet, I have seen that some people swap the basil out for a different herb or green such as parsley, cilantro or spinach. I have also seen a recipe where someone used stinging nettle!

You can change the amount of lemon juice, salt and garlic in this recipe to your taste. I added extra garlic in mine because we love garlic. It was also an opportunity to give my family raw garlic which has more benefits than cooked garlic.

How do I make this recipe?

1. Start by washing and drying your basil leaves.
2. Next you are going to toast your pine nuts in a skillet on low. This only takes a couple of minutes.
3. Combine all of your ingredients and blend in the food processor. Adjust amount of garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.

That’s it! It is a very easy recipe, perfect for your summertime harvest of basil!

What can I make with this easy basil pesto?

So many things! You can always toss it into your favorite cooked pasta, add it to pizza, make chicken salad with it, spread on a panini sandwich. It’s also delicious spread on a slice of crusty bread for a quick snack. The possibilities are endless!

How long will my pesto last?

This easy basil pesto can last up to a week in the fridge if it’s put in an airtight container. Freezing this recipe also works! If frozen it can last up to six months, but personally we’ve used frozen pesto up to a year after freezing it.

Tips for making this recipe:

• Use fresh basil. I haven’t tried this with dried or freeze dried basil, but I think it would change the texture and flavor.
• I throw the basil in with small stems and all. No need to strip them beforehand.
• While you can add whole garlic cloves to the food processor, minced or crushed garlic will incorporate better.
• Don’t skip toasting the pine nuts! They add more flavor to the pesto that you don’t want to miss.

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Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh basil

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 1/4 cup pine nuts

• 1/4 tsp. salt

• 1/4 tsp. black pepper

• 3 tbsp. lemon juice

• 3 garlic cloves

• 1/3 cup grated parmesan

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Directions

• Wash and dry fresh basil.
• Toast pine nuts in a cast iron skillet on medium-low until they are lightly browned.
• Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend until a smooth sauce forms. Now you’re ready to add your pesto to whatever dish you like!

This easy basil pesto sauce recipe makes a perfect quick dinner or lunch in the summer. If you enjoy this recipe, also check out my recipe for Basil Iced Tea here! Thanks for stopping by!

The post Easy Basil Pesto appeared first on Dark Family Homestead.

Cooking from scratch can be overwhelming if you are new to the idea. It helps to have pantry staples for from scratch cooking that will help you to whip up a nutritious meal in no time.

When I first started cooking from scratch, I realized that half of the food I had in my pantry needed to go. I had lot’s of processed foods. They were no good for cooking from scratch. It’s taken several years, but I have learned what I need to have in my pantry on hand at all times to create delicious and healthy food for my family.

A well stocked pantry can save you money

A well stocked pantry is also a frugal pantry. When cooking from scratch, you are taking whole food ingredients to make up a recipe or meal. While grocery prices are rising, you can still lower your grocery budget by stocking up on staple ingredients and forgetting about all the convenient processed foods.

If you decide you want pizza, it’s way cheaper to make your own dough and marinara than going to a fast food chain and ordering. Or if you’re in a pinch, without much time, whipping up spaghetti instead of going to a restaurant.

Buying in bulk

If you have a small family, this won’t always work. But, there are many ingredients that can last a long time on the shelf, such as dried beans. Buying these ingredients in bulk can save a ton of money!

For example a 1 pound bag of pinto beans at Walmart costs $1.24., but an 8 pound bag is $6.88. That’s 0.86 cents a pound! While that may not seem like a huge difference, over time, those savings add up. Especially when you’re sticking to staple ingredients for the bulk of your groceries. Buying from places like Azure Standard can save you money because they carry much larger sizes of bulk foods. As the weight goes up, the price per ounce drops with most dry goods.

A well stocked pantry also gives security

We all remember 2020 when the food supply was disrupted and many grocery stores ran low on food. Today, many people shop for just enough food to get them through the next few days. This is a very new idea. In the past, before grocery stores, people stored food to get them through winter and hard times. In other words, people had enough food to last weeks and sometimes months.

I know that no matter what is happening in the world, our pantry is stocked with enough food to feed us for at least a couple of months. While I don’t consider myself a prepper, I do believe in being prepared. If something were to happen, would you have enough food to feed your family? God has blessed up with an abundance and we want to be good stewards of what we have been given. Being frugal by buying in bulk and cooking from our pantry is a part of that.

How to stock up on pantry staples

Not everyone’s budget allows for stocking their pantry all at once. However, you can begin by making a few swaps. Start by adding one or two items at a time. Maybe you grocery shop every week and instead of a box of cereal, you buy two bags of oats. Instead of a cup of coffee from Starbucks, buy a big bag of beans (and make coffee at home!).

Slowly making swaps and finding that wiggle room in your budget will keep you from getting overwhelmed. The same goes for learning to cook from scratch. Start small. If you’ve never made your own pancakes, give it a go! Maybe you have baking down, then roast a whole chicken and veggies for dinner one night.

It took me around three years before I got into a good routine of only buying whole food ingredients, keeping the pantry stocked, and knowing what I needed to do to get the next meal on the table.

Use your pantry staples

If you are going to stock your pantry with food, find recipes to use it up. If you have lots of flour, start making bread! Maybe you have a lot of rice that needs to be used, try fried rice or chicken soup. Going through the food you have will keep you from wasting anything.

Below, are a few of the basic pantry staples for from scratch cooking that I keep on hand. This is by no means a complete list, but it is a good start.

Dry Goods

Dry goods are things such as flour, rice and beans. They are generally shelf stable for several months, if not years.

• All purpose flour
• Oats
• Cornmeal
• Salt
• Sugar
• Basmati Rice
• Pinto Beans
• Navy Beans
• Pasta

Oils & Vinegars

Shelf stable fats are a must.

• Avocado oil
• Olive oil
• Coconut oil
• White vinegar
• Apple cider vinegar
• Balsamic vinegar

Baking Ingredients

• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Cocoa powder
• Vanilla Extract
• Cornstarch or Arrowroot powder

Spices

• Garlic Powder
• Onion powder
• Mustard Powder
• Chili Powder
• Italian Seasoning
• Paprika
• Cinnamon

Condiments

• Ketchup
• Mustard
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Soy sauce OR Coconut aminos

Canned Food

• Tomato sauce
• Diced tomatoes
• Tomato paste
• Green beans
• Corn
• Carrots
• Peas
• Canned chicken
• Canned salmon

Something to note is that I didn’t include fresh fruits and veggies or dairy on this list. Mostly because they aren’t shelf stable and prices can vary so much with those items. While I keep plenty of butter, cheese, and fresh produce from our garden on hand at all times, the fresh items you keep stocked will be up to you and your family.

The ingredients you stock in your pantry may look a little different than ours because every family is unique and so are their tastes. The size of your family is also a big factor in what your stocked pantry will look like. Do you have the space to store things in bulk? If not, that’s okay because you are still going to be saving money and eating healthier by cooking from scratch, regardless of the amount of food you have stocked up.

The important thing is to keep the ingredients you use most often on hand. The recipes you learn and use will greatly determine what items you keep stocked in your pantry.

If you want a recipe for a from scratch healthy snack, check out these no bake granola bars here!

The post Pantry Staples for From Scratch Cooking appeared first on Dark Family Homestead.

Canning has been around for a very long time. But it’s a little more rare today to see someone’s pantry stocked full of home canned foods though. Canned food from the grocery store, despite inflation, is still very affordable. Canning at home takes time, effort and equipment. It’s incredibly easy to run to the grocery store and get all the food you need for the week.

In the past, people canned food at home because grocery stores didn’t exist as they do today. Even if someone didn’t have a garden, they knew a farmer who did. People went to the butcher for meat, not Walmart. Or they butchered animals at home. Only in the last 100 years has the concept of getting all the food you need from one store existed.

Today, food is so mass produced in the U.S. that most of us don’t think about where our food comes from or what we would do if there were no grocery stores. This is where canning your food at home comes in. So does canning save you money today?

Canning your food at home is a big step into being self sufficiency. Learning to can at home allows us to fill our larder with healthy food for our families. But the question of whether or not it’s worth it does come into play when you can still get cheap food from the grocery store.

So does canning save you money in today’s world? I believe it can! But let’s start with the basics.

What is canning?

Home canning is a way to preserve food in glass jars by creating a vacuum seal allowing the food to last for up to two years. There are safe rules to follow, but home canning is something almost anyone can do.

There are two main types of canning. Pressure canning and water bath canning. Pressure canning is reserved for low acid foods. Water bath canning is for high acid food. You can find out more about this here at the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

What foods can you can? Most fruits and vegetables are safe to can either through pressure canning or water bath canning according to the specific food. Meat and fish can also be safely canned.

What shouldn’t you can? Dairy, eggs, starch, pasta, rice and flour are not safe to can at home.

What equipment is needed for home canning?

Pressure canning:

• A pressure canner with gauge and weight

Water bath canning:

• A tall, heavy bottomed stock pot or water bath canner

For both:

• Jars: pint, quart, and half pint, are all safe to can with. Half gallon jars are not.
• Lids
• Bands
• Bubble popper, this could be a butter knife, chopstick or one sold in stores specifically for this purpose
• Jar lifter (not technically necessary, but definitely recommend)
• Canning funnel (also not necessary but very helpful!)

Costs of equipment:

Pressure Canner: To get started, you don’t need the biggest and most expensive pressure canner. A Presto pressure canner runs around $130. This can also be used as a water bath canner, so that’s two in one. I have found pressure canners in thrift stores, but they would need new gauges and rink gaskets to make them safe. Those run about $35 together, which isn’t a bad deal!

Jars: Jars are expensive. The prices have finally seemed to become somewhat stable. I’ve watched them rise over the last four years at what I think is an insane rate! At Walmart, a dozen quart jars in the Ball brand are almost $17! The golden harvest brand is always a dollar or two cheaper and has worked just as well for me. Azure Standard also sells canning jars now and they are slightly cheaper than Walmart, but without the lids and bands.

Lids & Bands: Canning lids typically cost around $4 a dozen according to the brand. The bands cost around $5 a dozen. Luckily, the bands can be reused over and over, the lids however, cannot. I have found buying my lids from ForJars in bulk during one of their sales is the most budget friendly way to purchase them. Also, my ForJars canning lids are the best I have ever used!

Jar lifter/Funnel: You can buy these as a set with a magnetic lid lifter from Walmart for $7.

Cost of Ingredients:

The cost of the ingredients is where you can either spend a lot of money or save a lot of money. Growing your own produce to can is so much cheaper than purchasing in most cases. Keeping your gardening costs low by using frugal practices will keep your produce costs to almost nothing. Read more about frugal gardening here!

There are good deals to be had at the farmer’s market when someone is selling a bumper crop of produce they need to get rid of. If you can find the deals, this will save you a lot on your price to can.

However, going to the grocery store and buying full price produce to can is not worth it! One, you don’t know where the food came from. Two, for the cost of full price produce at the store, a can of the same produce is probably much cheaper.

Herbs & spices are called for in a lot of recipes. You can buy these in bulk from Azure Standard at a better price and they are often not irradiated. Pectin is also something you can buy in bulk from Azure Standard.

Upfront costs

Now that we have figured out how much the equipment costs, let’s say you purchase everything you need to can all at once.

• Pressure canner $130
• 6 dozen quart jars (with lids & bands) $108
• Funnel & jar lifter $7

TOTAL OF $245

The great thing is that there is no need to buy another pressure canner, jars, bands, funnel or jar lifter for many years! If all of that lasts 10 years, it only costs $24.50 a year for all of that. There is the costs of the lids and produce though. If you are only canning 6 dozen jars a year, lids will cost around $24 every year without taking inflation into account. Produce prices will go up and down, but growing it all yourself will make it more affordable.

Here’s the deal with home canning though, it’s a lot like chicken math. Once you start discovering new and exciting recipes you don’t want to stop. My first year of canning, I did green beans, corn and a few jars of jam. The next year I did all of that and a whole lot more! Now, we try and preserve everything we can from the garden and most of that is through canning.

So maybe those 6 dozen quart jars eventually aren’t enough. The good news is, that after purchasing those jars, they can be used over and over as long as they don’t chip or break.

Tips on saving money while canning:

Borrowing equipment is a blessing if you are able to do it! We still borrow my mom’s presto pressure canner every summer since they don’t can nearly as much as we do. We do own three small pressure canners, but only pints can be used for them. If you have someone that is willing to lend you a pressure canner and accessories, do it!

Finding canning equipment used is another way to save. I have rarely walked into a thrift store that didn’t have a shelf of mason jars. Often these are sold cheaper than buying a new pack at the grocery store. Just be sure that there are no chips on the rim of the jar. This makes them no good for canning, because the lid won’t seal. Pressure canners can be harder to find, but they are out there.

People give jars and pressure canners away. The vast majority of jars that we own were given to us free by family and friends who weren’t interest in canning anymore or they weren’t able. We own three small pressure canners that were given to use as well.

Being frugal while looking for canning equipment can help answer the question, does canning save you money?

Canning food at home is worth it!

If you are diligent about taking care of your equipment, growing your own food frugally and putting in the hard work, canning can definitely save you money.

On top of the savings, canning food at home gives you security in knowing that you can provide nutritious food for your family without relying on the grocery store.

After the work of processing the food, home canned food is incredibly convenient. We discovered canning meals last summer and now do it regularly. No need to thaw anything out. We open a jar of home canned chili, heat it on the stove and enjoy!

So, does canning save you money? Yes! And it is gives you self sufficiency and convenience. If you have any tips on saving money while canning, let me know in the comments!

The post Does Canning Save You Money? appeared first on Dark Family Homestead.

These no bake granola bars are so easy to make and there’s no need to heat up your house with the oven! Granola bars from the store are full of processed ingredients that are not so good for you. These granola bars are made with all real ingredients and are equally delicious!

You can whip these up in less than ten minutes and have them ready for your kids the next morning. They make great school snacks or a quick breakfast for you. With filling, wholesome ingredients, these no bake granola bars will give you energy while also satisfying those salty/sweet cravings!

What is in a no bake granola bar?

• Rolled oats
• Peanut butter
• Butter
• Honey
• Raisins
• Salt

That’s it! These no bake granola bars are lightly sweetened with honey instead of white sugar. The raisins also give them a little bit more sweetness.

All of these ingredients are inexpensive pantry staples, making this a great frugal and healthy snack for your kids, or you! We eat these as a quick snack in the morning before I fix breakfast. They also make a great after nap time snack.

Why so much butter? Butter, unlike seed oils, isn’t inflammatory for most people. It’s also chock full of vitamin A. Bonus points if you can use grass fed butter! Coconut oil can be swapped for the butter and is also an excellent healthy, anti-inflammatory option.

Try to avoid margarine for this recipe if possible. Margarine is made by combining a few different vegetable and seed oils. Most also contain coloring. While there is a lot of butter in this recipe, I don’t mind because I know it’s better for us than more processed options. Also, butter is delicious!

Ingredient Swaps:

This recipe is fairly versatile. Many of the ingredients can be swapped. Except for the oats of course! The butter can be swapped for coconut oil if you would rather a dairy free version. You do want a fat that is solid at room temp though.

The honey can be replaced with maple syrup, although it will change the flavor just a bit. But, if you like maple, go for it! You can add chocolate chips to this recipe, but it has to be after the mixture has cooled, otherwise they will melt and make a big mess. Melted chocolate over the top of these granola bars would be a delicious addition!

Peanut butter could be swapped for almond butter or sunflower butter if you prefer! You can make this recipe what you want, just make sure to keep the oats and the fat in the recipe.

What do I need to make this recipe?

• A medium to large, heavy bottomed cooking pot such as an enamel dutch oven
• Spoon for mixing
• Parchment paper
• 2 glass 8×8 baking dishes or an 8×11 baking dish

How do I make no bake granola bars?

These no bake granola bars are made by melting the butter, honey and peanut butter together. After they simmer for about two minutes, you remove your pot from the stove and let cool slightly. Then you add in the oats and raisins until most of the liquid is soaked up in the oats.

You then pour the mixture into a parchment paper lined dish, pressing the mixture evenly into the dish until firm. The last step is to place the granola bars into your fridge for two hours to set. Then it’s time to cut and eat them!

Print

Ingredients

• 2 sticks of butter

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter

• 1/2 cup honey

• 1 tsp. fine salt (mineral or sea salt)

• 3/4 cup raisins

• 4. 5 cups rolled oats

Print

Directions

• Start by melting your butter in a stock pot. Once melted, add in the honey and peanut butter.
• Once all is incorporated, add the salt and let simmer for about two minutes. You want it to almost caramelize.
• Remove pot from the stove and let cool slightly. Add in the oats, one cup at a time. Once the oats have soaked up most of the liquid, fold in the raisins.
• Press the mixture into a parchment lined dish, either two 8×8’s or an 8×11. Press down firmly with a spoon or spatula.
• Place in the fridge to set for two hours before cutting into bars. Enjoy!

How long will these last?

You can keep these granola bars in the fridge for about a week. They do need to stay cool, or they will crumble.

Can I freeze these granola bars? I haven’t before, but I don’t see why not!

I hope you enjoy these easy no bake granola bars for yourself! My kids ask for them almost weekly. I never mind whipping them up if it means they aren’t asking for junk food! If you want another quick and delicious recipe, check out these double chocolate zucchini muffins here!

The post No Bake Granola Bars appeared first on Dark Family Homestead.

In the middle of August in the deep south, there isn’t much thriving in the garden other than okra, black eyed peas and sweet potatoes. You can forget growing any kale, spinach or lettuce this time of year. This is the time of year though when we start missing our fresh greens from the garden.

This is the time of year when we begin cooking with sweet potato leaves! While this may sound strange to some, they make a great replacement for sauteed mustard and turnip greens. They are also excellent in soups that would otherwise have kale or spinach in it.

What are sweet potato leaves?

Sweet potato leaves are the part of the sweet potato plant that is growing above ground. In the hottest part of the summer, these leaves flourish, giving you an abundance of greens. They have a taste similar to turnip greens.

Sweet potato leaves are nutritious

Sweet potato leaves are found to have vitamins A, E, C, and K. They also contain folate, beta carotene, manganese, selenium, zinc, magnesium, calcium and potassium.

On top of all that, sweet potato leaves are know to be full of antioxidants and to have anti-carcinogenic properties. That alone makes it worth it to give them a try!

How do I grow sweet potatoes?

There are a few different ways that you can grow a sweet potato plant. I grow mine from sweet potato slips. These are the sprouts from older sweet potatoes that are then cut off and put in a jar of water or in soil to grow roots.

Some people plant the whole sweet potato when it has begun growing roots. Others place a sweet potato long ways into a jar of water. The sweet potato is held just above the water by sticking toothpicks into the sweet potato so. that the toothpicks sit on top of the jar top. The jar is then sat in a sunny place. Eventually the sweet potato will begin growing slips on the top of the potato.

You can also order sweet potato slips from seed companies such as Southern Exposure Seed Exchange (where I ordered mine from this year) or Johhny’s Select Seeds.

So, once you have your sprouted sweet potato, or it’s slips, you can then plant them.

• Sweet potatoes like warm weather. They grow best in late spring or early summer. They cannot handle cold weather.
• Loosen soil and fertilize before planting. Fertilize like you would any other root crop.
• Slips should be planted in the soil about 2″ deep and 12″ apart. Rows should be about 3′ feet apart.
• Water your slips in well and continue to water well for the first couple of weeks. After that, they will need about 1″ of water a week.
• About two months after planting, you should be able to start harvesting greens. Never take more than 1/4 of the leaves, or you may risk stunting the roots growing beneath.
• You can harvest the tubers around 120 days after planting. However, if you dig them up and they aren’t big enough, try leaving them in a little longer. You have to dig them up before the first frost though.
• In order for your sweet potatoes to actually be sweet, you will have to cure them. They need around 90% humidity at 85 degrees. For some this is best done somewhere like a green house. For us, it means digging them up and laying them on a tarp for about a week on our front porch. Curing also lengthens their storage ability.

How can I use my sweet potato leaves in cooking?

Cooking with sweet potato leaves is just like cooking with most any other green. You can saute them in a fat and season well. You can add them to soups like zupa when you don’t have any kale or spinach. Sweet potato leaves do taste best cooked though.

In the south, I grew up eating turnip, mustard and collard greens. I try to cook seasonally, and those greens are long gone by the middle of summer. Sweet potato leaves are an excellent replacement.

Here is a recipe for our favorite way to eat them!

Ingredients:

• Sweet potato leaves (enough to fill a large mixing bowl, they will wilt down)
• Bacon fat or lard, 2 tbsp.
• Salt
• Pepper
• Half an onion
• Two cloves of garlic

Recipe:

1. Wash your sweet potato leaves well.
2. Chop your onion and mince your garlic.
3. Heat a large cast iron skillet to medium-high heat. Add bacon grease and let melt.
4. Saute onion until soft. Add garlic and saute about one more minute, being careful not to burn the garlic.
5. Add in sweet potato leaves. Add a little at a time and add more as they wilt.
6. Cook until wilted. Season with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

I hope you enjoy eating this seasonal gem from the garden as much as we do! Let me know if you know of any unique ways to cook this green.

If you want more recipes on using up the food from your garden, read here or here!

The post Cooking with sweet potato leaves appeared first on Dark Family Homestead.

If you are overwhelmed with your garlic harvest, then this is the recipe for you. Here I’ll share how to make garlic powder to preserve all your hard work in the garden.

Why make garlic powder with your garlic?

By dehydrating your homegrown garlic, you are preserving it. You then get more use out of it. Where we live in the deep south, our garlic does not store well. We live in a hot and humid climate that can cause issues when trying to store alliums and root vegetables.

DIY garlic powder is one way to preserve our garlic harvest that is the most versatile. While I could also ferment it in honey, or pickle it, by making it into garlic powder, I can use it in a lot more recipes.

Garlic powder bought from the store typically has additives in it to keep it from caking. Maltodextrin being the main one. Most herbs and spices bought in stores are also irradiated. This is to “sterilize” the product. However, if you are making your own garlic powder at home, you know exactly what is in it. Garlic! You will get so much more nutrition and flavor from your homemade garlic powder.

Garlic eventually begins to soften. While for some, this is close to a year after harvest, for us, it’s around the three month mark. At this point, I separate out the garlic between what needs to immediately be preserved, and what can last awhile longer. I immediately process the garlic by peeling, slicing and placing the food processor.

What are the benefits of consuming garlic?

1. Garlic has been know for thousands of years to boost the immune system.
2. Garlic contains manganese and selenium.
3. It also is thought to have antiviral properties. It may even be able to shorten a cold!
4. New research is showing that garlic may help lower blood pressure and cholesterol.

How do you grow garlic?

Garlic is almost a plant it and forget it crop. It takes little care and upkeep to grow. However, there are a few things you can do to ensure success.

1. Prepare your soil by adding compost or a well balanced fertilizer. Garlic doesn’t like hard, compact soil, so loosen before planting.
2. Plant in a sunny location.
3. Plant individual cloves about 2 inches deep and 3-4 inches apart.
4. Mulch well.
5. Garlic only needs about 1 inch of water a week.
6. Keep weeded and you will be harvesting beautiful, pungent cloves of garlic in just a few months!
7. Harvest when leaves are turning brown. You can dig down a little and check the size of your cloves. I always wait until the leaves are brown and falling over. At this point, I usually have full head of garlic in the ground.
8. Dry and cure your garlic and it’s ready for you to use in any way you like.

Depending on your planting zone and variety, garlic can take anywhere from 6-9 months to grow to maturity. If you’re growing in the south, you’ll probably have better luck with a softneck variety. In my experience, this has grown the largest bulbs for me. Hardneck varieties are better for colder climates.

However, I have bought organic garlic from the grocery store and planted it with a lot of success. I usually plant my garlic at the first of November and harvest around Mother’s day in the beginning of May.

How to dehydrate your garlic:

• Start by peeling your garlic cloves and then rinse well.
• Slice the cloves into about 1/4″ inch thick slices.
• Place on your dehydrator or in your oven at around 125 degrees fahrenheit. This can take anywhere from 6-12 hours.
• Once garlic is completely dry and brittle, it’s ready for the food processor. However, if you can’t immediately put in the food processor, you can place it in a jar for a few days.
• Pulse in the food processor until a powder forms and there are no more chunks.
• Bottle your garlic powder and store in a cool, dry place for up to one year. It may last longer if stored in the fridge.

Tips for making your own garlic powder:

• Make sure your dehydrated garlic slices are fully dry. They should be brittle before processing.
• Using a small food processor or even a coffee grinder works best. All I had was my large food processor and it didn’t get my powder as fine as I would have liked. You definitely want a lid on while processing. The powder can make a big mess otherwise.
• Save old spice jars to store your garlic powder in.
• This diy garlic powder is free from preservatives so it will cake up. You can just take a butter knife or chop stick to break it up before using.

How to use your garlic powder:

Use this diy garlic powder like you would any other herb or seasoning. It’s great for seasoning meat and veggies.

If you want to know how to use up your homegrown basil, check out this article here!

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