Homemaking on the Homestead

I posted this several years ago on The Family Homestead. I will be sharing more recipes soon using brown rice.  My basic brown rice cooking instructions below are stove top instructions. I now prefer to cook my brown rice in my Instant Pot. I'll be updating that info as well!  Brown Rice: A Healthy Way to Stretch the Grocery Budget Are you looking for a way to stretch out the food you have and feed your family on less money? Then you need to look at the foods that are inexpensive in quantity, filling, easy to work with but most of all they have to be healthy alternatives your body can use. They must help to provide vitamins, minerals, protein, fiber and other valuable nutrients. One excellent food is rice. But not just any rice.. it has to be brown rice if you are concerned about health. Rice is easy to cook, mild in flavor and adds greatly to nutritional value. Brown rice is loaded with B vitamins, manganese, phosphorus, iron, copper, selenium, fiber, essential fatty acids an...

 Here's an easy dinner to put together and it's healthy too! :) This recipe and photos are from The Family Homestead (A large website that I no longer have online but I am posting many articles and recipes here on my blog). I hope you enjoy this meal!  ******************** Healthy and Quick Lasagna I am a big advocate of cooking from scratch and keeping it frugal and healthy..  but every now and again I need something quick to put together that does not sacrifice health. I know I will spend a bit more to make it healthy but I also know I am spending much less than if I was to buy take out food for my family and with that added expense there would be no health advantages.   This is one meal I make that is quick to put together and I have used the healthiest ingredients I could find.  Here are the basic ingredients: Healthy & Quick Lasagna 1 lb hamburger 1 onion, chopped 1jar (25oz approx) organic pasta sauce such as the brand Muir Glen 1 contai...

This article originally  appeared in my newsletter (which I no longer have) and it was on my website (The Family Homestead). It was written by a very dear friend of mine, Debi. I was sent a request to reprint it on my blog. I hope you all find it helpful. I'm a big fan of Grapefruit Seed Extract. I've used it for years.  Grapefruit Seed Extract and It's Many Uses by Debi Hopkins   Grapefruit Seed Extract is a product my family has been using for about 20 years now.  I wouldn't be without it in my home because it is so versatile and easy to use, and has been a real blessing to my family's overall health and well-being.   Here are some of the things GSE is helpful for:   Skin fungi or bacterial diseases of the skin: Mix 30 to 50 drops of GSE liquid extract in a quart of water, and spray on the infected area at least 2 times a day.   This same dilution can be used as a general antiseptic for cages, stalls, or any other contact areas where a comm...

There can be a lot to be discontent about in life. The Scriptures say that we are to be content. How do find contentment in those times of discontentment? We all struggle with this. In my latest video I share a few thoughts on finding contentment in life. https://youtu.be/aGxdhwKOx0U

In today's video I share how to make pizza from start to finish, including homemade pizza dough and sauce! Recipes for the dough and sauce are in the description box of the YouTube video.  https://youtu.be/3HeUVSGVIHg

For over 35 years beans have been a staple in my home. I have found them to be a wonderful frugal resource to stretch the grocery budget and in years past feed my large family good quality, nutritious meals at the same time. Beans are a very high quality, nutritious, budget friendly food for your family. They are a good source of soluble fiber, the kind that helps lower cholesterol. Beans in general, are good sources of folate, potassium, iron, manganese, copper and zinc. They are also low in fat. Beans are not a complete protein by themselves and need to be coupled with brown rice, whole wheat, cornmeal (as in cornbread or tortillas or tortillas chips, etc), cheese, or meat to get the most benefit from them. One of the main drawbacks that people complain about is that beans cause gas. If you are not use to beans in your diet, your body has more trouble digesting them. So the good news is that the more you eat beans, the easier it will be for your body to digest ...

In today's video I'm sharing an easy and delicious potato salad recipe.  I use hash browns to make this and cook them in my Instant Pot.   If you don't have an Instant Pot you can cook them in any way you would like.   https://youtu.be/dse4IHnGmE0