Posts by Marie Hawthorne
It’s Time To Ditch Your Dryer! Why You Should Be Line-Drying
I’ve been line-drying clothes for years. When I had babies and toddlers, I dried their cloth diapers outside whenever the weather permitted. Sunshine kills all kinds of germs, and when cloth diapering, germ-killing without irritating chemicals like bleach is really important. When my oldest child was a toddler, we took a trip to northern Europe…
Read MorePrepping for Industrial Disasters
Industrial disasters have been in the news lately. I don’t think they’ve been given the attention they deserve, but those of us paying attention know about the accidents in Texas, Arizona, and of course, Ohio. I’m not going to speculate on whether or not these incidents are connected, but as someone living near train tracks,…
Read MoreMeat Storage for When There Is No Freezer
Between grocery store inflation and a big media push for regular people to eat less meat, many concerned citizens are looking to shore up their food supplies, particularly natural sources of protein. More people than ever are starting their own backyard flocks of meat birds, but this isn’t practical for everyone. Neither is moving out…
Read More5 Reasons Gardening is Good For You
My house is covered in almost a foot of snow, but in a few more weeks, I’ll be starting my first seeds for this year’s garden. Yes, it is that time already. And if you’re looking for ways to improve your life in 2023, here are five reasons to think about starting to grow some…
Read MoreMindset: Post-Holiday Positivity
As the glimmer and fun of the holiday season come to an end, the nights are still long and dark for us in the Northern Hemisphere. If you find yourself feeling down this time of year, it’s important to take time to reflect. Long nights lend themselves to introspection for many of us, and if…
Read MoreHow to Shop for Non-Preppers
Christmas is sneaking up on us, and while we’ve already talked gifts for preppers, what about those non-preppers in your life? How can you nudge them into preparedness? This is the year to think about functionality. Many of us need to be frugal right now, and we are likely surrounded by others that need to…
Read MoreMason Jars: 20 Budget Friendly Uses for Your Mason Jars
Not all preppers are food production enthusiasts, but for those of us that are, few items are more ubiquitous than the popular Mason jar. Mason jars are so popular, in fact, that November 30 has been named National Mason Jar Day. History Mason jars were invented in 1858 by John Landis Mason. These jars were…
Read MoreWhat To Do With Your Excess Harvest
As the days darken, many of us are harvesting the last of our garden produce and putting the beds to sleep for the winter. You might be wondering what to do with the produce you can’t fit in your fridge; I know many people simply let things rot when they can’t get to storing them…
Read MoreFood Preservation: Fermentation
Fall is a season of abundance for many people. If you’ve got an abundance of food from your garden or farmer’s market, you may be wondering how to preserve it. Modern methods of preservation, such as canning or dehydrating, are great, but it’s also worthwhile learning about a far older method of preservation—fermentation. What Is…
Read MoreWorld Mushroom Day Is October 15 – Are You Ready to Celebrate?
The oldest evidence of human mushroom consumption comes from the Red Lady, a 19,000-year-old skeleton found in a Spanish cave with mushroom spores in her teeth. Humans around the world, myself included, continue to enjoy them. Countless Uses for Mushrooms There are countless ways to use mushrooms in the kitchen. At my house, we mix…
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