by Texas Homesteader ~
RancherMan & I love our coffee. We enjoy that hot cup-o-joe each morning. Although I hate plastic, our favorite coffee comes in a plastic canister. Of course when they’re empty I offer those handy containers to others around me who I feel could use them.
But when I could no longer give them away I started looking for ways to repurpose them myself. If you’re looking for inspiration too, come see what I’ve been able to make with them.
by Texas Homesteader ~
Back in ‘the day’ I had lots of scented candles and I burned them often. I loved the gentle flicker of the flame and the scent of the candle itself. But then I heard of the nasties that can be released by burning traditional paraffin wax candles. So as time went on I burned them less & less. When they were gone I just did without.
But now we have our own apiary and I have access to that precious all-natural beeswax. So today I think I’ll make beeswax candles with it!
by Texas Homesteader ~
*contains affiliate link
I’ve experimented with sandwich bread recipes for several years. I prefer whole-wheat bread for the health aspect as well as the heartier feel of it. But I’ve not been pleased with bread made completely with whole wheat flour. It’s just too dry for our tastes. So I started mixing different ratios of all purpose and whole wheat flour for RancherMan’s Sandwich Bread to get the best of both worlds.
But whole wheat flour is expensive in our area. And I figured oatmeal’s healthy, right?? So I decided to offset a portion of whole wheat flour with whole oats ground into flour when I make my Oatmeal Sandwich Bread. We loved it. It still had the hearty feel that whole wheat offers, but cheaper! You’re not gonna believe how easy this is.
by Texas Homesteader ~
I have a super-smart friend from whom I always learn oh-so-much. Recently we were at a luncheon together & she mentioned that she uses soapberries for shampoo – no conditioner required.
She puts dried soapberries in water and lets them sit for about 6 weeks before she removes the berries. Then she adds a bit of baking soda and uses it to clean her hair.
Well color me intrigued! I found a Soapberry Tree on our property several years ago. So I decided to give it a try.
by Texas Homesteader ~
When it’s summertime in NE Texas, it’s hot, hot, HOT! RancherMan used to drink way too many colas as his beverage of choice. But it was so unhealthy. And expensive. And produced lots of trash.
So I started brewing him Sun Tea. It was a good change! RancherMan got to enjoy a much lower-cost beverage that was healthier for him. And the only waste was the tea bag which I placed in my compost.
But recently I was looking at my chocolate mint bed which is doing VERY well #thankyouverymuch. A little too well actually. It’s spreading in places I’d rather it not grow. So I was thinning the runners and it smelled so dang good. I wondered if I can use it for a refreshingly-cold minty drink?
by Texas Homesteader ~
Every year RancherMan & I host a fun family gathering we’ve always called ‘RanchFest‘. It’s actually celebrated on the anniversary of the date we purchased this little piece of paradise. But we consider it a mini-family reunion.
Back when the kids were young (but before we actually lived here) we’d bring our kids and my siblings would bring theirs. We’d have a big celebration & bonfire. Oh how much fun it was to get together, and the kids loved hanging out with their cousins.
But they’re all grown and most have children of their own now. So every year at RanchFest we get together to relive those fun times. This year we’ll be serving pulled-pork sandwiches using meat from the wild hogs RancherMan’s harvested. He’ll smoke the meat, but we needed a BBQ Rub & Mop Sauce. And he certainly found a good one!
by Texas Homesteader ~
Spring is an exciting time in beekeeping. The bees are finally able to get out of the hive & forage from the blooming plants. The hives grow by leaps and bounds this time of year too. It’s a good time to split the hives to keep them from becoming too crowded.
But spring is also a time when some hives will swarm. Sometimes when we capture a swarm we put the bees into an empty deep hive box with frames and let them get busy. But sometimes so many swarms are caught that we don’t have a deep hive box available. Let’s make some 5-frame nuc boxes for temporary housing for them. They’re super quick to put together & you can build four nuc boxes with a single sheet of plywood!
by Texas Homesteader~
The other day I decided to try a gardening hack I’d read about. I wanted to paint some small rocks red to look like strawberries. The idea is to Trick Birds Away From Your Garden Strawberries. The birds see the bright-red faux berries and decide to swoop in for a little snack. A few pecks of that rock hard ‘strawberry‘ and they decide you’re an awful gardener and move on, leaving future strawberries for your own harvest.
I already had the paint, I already had the rocks, but I didn’t have a small paintbrush. So I decided to make one on the fly. All I needed was a tiny scrap piece of absorbent material & an ordinary clothespin.
by Texas Homesteader ~
*contains affiliate link
I’m pretty eco-conscious, shunning excessive or unnecessary trash wherever possible. Even when RancherMan & I go out to eat, I bring a small lidded glass dish into the restaurant with me to hold my leftovers. That keeps me from having to accept their Styrofoam packaging.
But one of my self-imposed rules about my crunchiness is that I want to make it ‘un-weird‘ in public to keep RancherMan from feeling uncomfortable. He assures me my eco ways don’t make him uncomfortable, but I still want to be considerate. And let’s face it, carrying a small casserole dish through a restaurant does not blend in with the atmosphere. So I decided I needed a carrier that looked almost purse-like.
by Texas Homesteader ~
RancherMan loves his iced tea. I love that it’s a healthier drink option for him than many other choices. And brewing our own tea means no trash. Plus it’s super cheap.
All. Good. Stuff.
But did you know it doesn’t necessarily have to be hot outside to brew tea? All you really need is sunshine. There are a couple of ways I’m able to provide RancherMan with that delicious beverage he loves. Brewed in winter or summer: No purchased energy necessary!
