Tag Archives: make-It-yourself

Our favorite MIY – Make-it-yourself articles posted on TexasHomesteader.com

Homemade Dehydrated Veggie Granules

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by Texas Homesteader ~ 

Last season I was trying to preserve as much garden excess as I could. I hated for any of it to go to waste. So we ate fresh from the garden every day, then I shared with family, friends & community. Then I preserved as much as I could either by freezing, canning or dehydrating.

You could say I was bitten by the dehydrating bug because the more I dehydrated those veggies the more enamored I became with the whole process. I was amazed at the small amount of space my dehydrated shredded potatoes took up in the pantry. I loved my dehydrated jujubes sprinkled in my homemade granola. I really enjoyed tossing dehydrated garden veggies into my never-ending soup. But now I’m experimenting with yet another way to use them. Salt-free veggie granules. OH YEAH!

Dehydrated Vegetable Granules made into bouillon utilize garden produce & provide a delicious, nutritious product for my family. #TexasHomesteader

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How Homemade Is It?

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by  Texas Homesteader 

I like to cook from scratch whenever possible, and sometimes I have a little game I play that I’ll call “How Homemade IS It??” Is it homemade in that I assembled the ingredients myself? That I grew the ingredients myself? That I even made the condiments myself?

Now let me make myself perfectly clear here lest some of you get the very mistaken idea that I’m a Kitchen Wonder Woman who only uses her own home-churned butter & homemade bread. Although I enjoy growing or making from scratch as much of our food as I can, it’s not like I always prepare a completely from-scratch meal. And there are certainly convenience foods that play a part in my kitchen because for me it’s all about moderation. But every now & then it’s fun to play this game.

So pull up a chair & let’s play the latest edition of the Texas Homesteader game: HOW HOMEMADE IS IT??

Join me in this fun game I play in my kitchen to lower my grocery budget: 'Homemade Cooking: How Homemade *IS* It??' #TexasHomesteader
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MYO Nutritious Turkey Broth Inexpensively

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by Texas Homesteader ~ 

After the turkey has been roasted and enjoyed, there’s still lots of food waiting to be enjoyed just by using the bones. I’ll make cheap, delicious and healthy broth with them. A money saver for sure. 

My method takes the leftovers after you enjoy your meal (the bones) and turns them into inexpensive nutritious turkey broth. Win/Win! #TexasHomesteader

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2013: Top 10 Posts Of The Year From Our Homestead

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by Tammy Taylor

I’ve only been blogging regularly since the first of the year but I’ve enjoyed making new friends here – y’all have been awesome!  Now that we’re approaching the end of the year I thought it would be fun to list the top ten most popular posts of our little ole Blog.  These are the posts that are the highest searched and the highest read by you, my much-valued followers.  So without further adieu, I offer you:

2013 Top 10 - Come see the top 10 homesteading posts of the year! #TexasHomesteader

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How To Reduce or Eliminate Gift-Wrap Waste This Christmas

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by Texas Homesteader ~ 

Years ago I started exploring a more eco-friendly way wrap gifts. You know, one where we could still enjoy the festivity and fun colors but could also be easier on the environment (and our budget!)

Every household is different but here’s what we do. It works beautifully for us.

Less Waste Wrapping. There are easy ways to reduce the landfill-bound trash after Christmas is over. See what works for us! #TexasHomesteader
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Good Eats From Crappy Bread

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by Texas Homesteader ~
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I don’t know why I have such a drive against food waste. Of course no one likes to WASTE food, but it’s almost an obsession for me to make sure no food goes to waste. I never ever remember going hungry a day in my life so I don’t think it’s an emotional scar of any kind.

I know it’s good for the budget to use all the food you’ve already purchased, And I know that not buying more food to replace what you’ve had to throw away is good from an environmental standpoint too. So maybe there’s where the secret to my obsession lies.

In any case, my wheels were turning on what to do with this stale, rock-hard yet expensive artisan french bread.  I KNOW – I’ll make crostini crackers!

CROSTINI CRACKERS MADE FROM STALE BREAD - Fast & Easy with no waste! Good with hummus, dip, chili - almost anything! #TexasHomesteader Continue reading →

Western Soapberry Tree – Clean Clothes Naturally?

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by Texas Homesteader ~ 

You’ll remember a few weeks ago I was delighted to find a very beneficial tree at an old abandoned homestead sight on property we had recently obtained.

It was identified as a Jujube Tree. I picked much of the fruit from those trees and dehydrated Jujube fruit for use in my homemade Pumpkin Granola. They are absolutely delicious.

But recently RancherMan & I were checking on the cows in that remote pasture & I happened to look up and see what looked like the golden berries of a Soapberry Tree. I’d read about them before, but could it be??

Soap That Grows On Trees? I've discovered Western Soapberry Trees on our property. How exciting to think these trees provide us more natural cleaning! #TexasHomesteader
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