Gardening – Little Lilac Life

Gardening

Homemade Apple Cider Vinegar

This text provides a six-step process on how to make homemade apple cider vinegar using apple scraps, sugar, and filtered water. Key steps involve an initial fermentation with daily stirring for two weeks, followed by straining and a further one month of fermentation. Finished vinegar is bottled and ideally consumed within two years. Notably, sugar is crucial for the fermentation process with a recommended ratio of 1:1 sugar to water.

October 30, 2023 No Comments

Family and Faith

Nanna’s Garden

My mind turned to the strong women in my family, and echoing in my heart were some of the sayings that my Kentucky Nanna would say to me.

October 28, 2023 No Comments

Gardening

Cinnamon Apple Sauce

Makes approximately 8 pints Ingredients • 25-30 apples, peeled, cored, and chopped• 5 ¼ cups water• 1 ¾ cups white sugar• 4 tablespoons lemon juice• 2 teaspoons ground ginger • 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg• 3 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamonInstructions1. In a large saucepan, combine apples, water, sugar, ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Cover, and cook over

March 7, 2023 No Comments

Gardening

Crock Pot Apple Butter

Makes about 6 pints Ingredients35 apples – peeled, cored, and sliced½ cup apple cider vinegar3 cups white sugar1 cup brown sugar1 tablespoon ground cinnamon¼ teaspoon ground cloves½ teaspoon ground nutmegInstructions1. Place apples and vinegar in a large slow cooker, and place lid on top.2. Set on High, and cook for 4 hours, then turn to

March 1, 2023 No Comments

Family and Faith

New Life

I did something crazy and bought tractors. Yes, that is plural, not singular tractor. I hadn’t laid eyes on them until they rolled into my driveway on the back of a truck. The tires were dry rotted, they hadn’t been started for years, covered in rust. I only knew they ran when they were parked.

September 14, 2022 No Comments

Family and Faith

His Best

Standing at the kitchen sink and looking out the window at our backyard, all the property beyond the fence, as far as I can see, is ours. At first, I was thinking about cleaning out the weeds and fence row. But a deer and her baby walked out in the clearing. Then my eyes and mind

March 27, 2022 No Comments

Family and Faith

What I Would Tell Myself (and you)

I have been asked several times for advice that I would give new homesteaders. I thought back to what I wish someone would have said to me. In fact, a couple of friends may have told me this and I didn’t listen? So, if you are new to, or planning to be a homesteader… If

March 10, 2022 No Comments

Family and Faith

Future cutting garden. All pollinators welcome!

I have had a pollinator garden project in my mind from the moment we moved in August 2020. While cleaning kitchen cabinets, I stood at our sink looking at the corner of our fenced-in backyard out the window and knew exactly what it would become. It was scraggly then. Invasive honeysuckle was bowing the fence

September 23, 2021 2 Comments

Pluots, where have you been all my life? Not in my belly, at least until this weekend. I had no idea what to expect when biting into this tiny fruit and I will say they don’t disappoint. So, what is a pluot? They are a hybrid fruit developed in the late 80s that are 75% plum and 25% apricot. They have a similar shape and texture as a plum. They will typically be sweeter than a plum and less apt to have a bitter taste that you can sometimes find with plums. I researched them right away on our trip home from the orchard and I know we will be adding a pluot tree to our property. I need more of this juicy goodness in my life! There are several varieties of pluot, but this particular one is Flavor Grenade and it lives up to the name. We ate these so quickly that I didn’t have a chance to bake with them. I bet there are some amazing pluot recipes out there though.

Gardening

Flavor Grenade

Pluots, where have you been all my life? Not in my belly, at least until this weekend. I had no idea what to expect when biting into this tiny fruit and I will say they don’t disappoint. So, what is a pluot? They are a hybrid fruit developed in the late 80s that are 75% plum

September 23, 2021 No Comments

Gardening

Falling in Love With Basil

Don’t mind me, I’m just over here dehydrating basil and helping people fall in love. Ok, what I’m actually doing is drying for a feed additive. But did you know that in Italy, at least in the days when they had balconies over which young ladies leaned, basil was a sign of love? A pot

September 23, 2021 2 Comments

Chickens

Herbs for the Nesting Box

One of the ways I help raise our free-range chickens (and family) naturally is by growing and dehydrating our own herbs. It’s a quick process to prep and then the drier will run as I go about my day. I give them a quick rinse and lay them out to absorb excess water and to

September 23, 2021 2 Comments