cottage critters Over the years we have had our share of animals here! Many of them have been pure joy. Others, not so much. But they all bring something that will provide brush control, compost, friendship, wool, eggs, and meat.  I must say my favorite are the chickens! They are sweet, beautiful, provide us eggs,

Start at the soil When I get to heaven, I do have a few questions—mainly about ticks, mosquitoes, and the whole Cain versus Abel thing. But if you give me a day with a herd of sheep versus a day in the garden, I’ll take the garden every time! Sheep are cheap, peculiar critters, and

Welcome to the canning kitchen   Canning is one of those procedures that becomes an instant memory if you get to do it with another family member or friend. There’s something very endearing about it! Over the years, I’ve canned a whole lot of different foods, but my favorite has always been fruit. This is

Preserving the Harvest: A Simple Guide to Drying Food Drying your food is hands-down the most efficient way I’ve found to preserve delicacies for the future—and it’s a lifesaver when you’re working with limited space in a small cottage! Living here in the high desert, I’ve learned that drying food can be wonderfully simple during

You’ll always have laundry I absolutely love doing laundry by hand — yes, really! We’ve tried every off-grid laundry system under the sun: Two WonderWash hand-crank washers (amazing until the handle snaps — still worth it) A regular top-loader on the generator (graywater fed a row of cottonwoods) And then the queen: our Staber top-load/high-spin

Welcome to our real-life Fairytale homestead! No filters, just woodsmoke, wildflowers, and zero grid. This is your growing guide to slow living—I’ll update with new routines, recipes, how to’s and dreams as the seasons change. Save & bookmark!  Laundry Day  Hand-washing in spinners, tub tubs, and our fabulous Staber washing machine! Greywater feeds the flower

Pause and consider…  Plastic, born of distant oils and factories, presses against our food in the fridge, the cupboards, or a sun-warmed lunch pail left in the car. Heat stirs it awake, releasing ghostly vapors—chemicals and microplastics seeping straight into the berries, breads, and greens we hold dear. Over time, these silent invaders wander into

Walk into the woods on a cool, misty morning. The air smells of damp earth and pine. Through the haze, a small table appears—laden with steaming bowls of soup, a crackling fire nearby, and a place setting that feels like an invitation to linger. Evergreen branches arch overhead; tiny bells on the boughs catch the

Legendary Fireside Awakening Remember Helms Deep? That legendary stand where one spark—tiny, defiant—turned the tide against impossible darkness? This fall, your brew ignites that same fire. **Billowing steam rises like a hero’s breath.** **Colors of  sunrise dance in your cup**—crimson hibiscus bleeding into golden turmeric, earthy beet blushing against fiery ginger. **Spice whispers ancient recovery