Using sound judgment to be more self-reliant.
My husband, August, did a ton of research to find the best rechargeable battery and the best battery charger for emergencies and every day use, so I asked him to help put together this post to share what he found out. We identify the best value and absolute best AA, AAA and 18650 rechargeable battery in this post. We also review a 21 watt solar panel that provides 5 volt USB power and emergency radios with built in solar and hand crank chargers to charge USB devices. [Read more…]
We buy maple syrup in bulk from a local maple syrup producer, so I enjoy trying out new maple syrup recipes. These maple leaf cookies are a maple twist on traditional sugar cookies. They start with making a butter and sugar blend that reminds me of the caramel sauce from my mom's favorite cinnamon roll recipe, and add a dash of spice and light maple glaze for a simple but tasty cookie.
‘Tis the season for all things pumpkin – but sometimes our pumpkin treats are more than a little messy. Enter pumpkin fruit leather! It has all the flavor of pumpkin pie in a grab and go snack. It's gluten free and free of refined sugars, too. (Confession – while I was writing this I went and grabbed some to munch on – it's addictive.)
This recipe is adapted from Mary Bell's Dehydrator cookbook, which is my “go to” book for all things dehydrated. I prefer to use organic spices whenever possible, as they are not irradiated or sporting excess chemicals. The flavor and aroma generally knocks the socks off the average grocery store spices, too. Using homegrown pumpkin and you-pick or homegrown apples for applesauce, bulk dried coconut and honey helps make this treat budget friendly. [Read more…]
These easy to make pumpkin oatmeal cookies are chewy, nutty and delicious. Works well with a variety of flour types, including gluten free flour blends. The biggest problem with these cookies is that I want to eat the entire batch! These cookies were even a hit with the boys, who normally aren't big on oatmeal cookies. They definitely go on the “keeper” list.
I made up a batch of these pickled green tomatoes to use up some of the unripe tomatoes knocked off the vines during our recent hail storm. We picked all the storm damaged fruit, and trimmed off the spoiled bits, saving the undamaged parts for preserving. I found a number of green tomato recipes, but pickled green tomatoes seemed most likely to appeal to my family. (The crew groaned out loud at the green tomato mincemeat recipe.) We like dill pickles, so why not dilly green tomato pickles?
