Blog
How to Plan a Themed Freeze-Drying Project (A Hawaiian Luau Example)
Buying seasonal produce in bulk while it's cheap, then freeze-drying it around a fun theme, turns a routine batch into a project worth doing again. Stephen and Debra M. from Rexburg, Idaho, did exactly that with a "Hawaiian Days" theme...
How to Organize a Prepper's Pantry on a Budget Whether you're working with a single shelf or converting a whole closet, the right shelving setup makes it easy to see what you have stored and what needs restocking. Here are...
Seasonal Eating With a CSA Box: A Beginner's Guide
A CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) box delivers whatever's actually in season near you — which means some weeks you'll get vegetables you've never cooked before. Here's what to expect, how to cook the unfamiliar stuff, and how to keep it...
How Freeze-Drying Cuts Food Waste (And Saves Money)
Food waste isn't just a grocery-budget problem — it's an environmental one too, and it's a lot bigger than most people realize. Freeze-drying what you're not going to eat in time is one of the simplest fixes, and it works...
10 Drought-Tolerant Vegetables for a Water-Wise Garden
Drought can hit any region, any year, which makes knowing which vegetables actually hold up with less water worth planning around before it happens — not just when restrictions are already in place. Here are ten that perform well under...
Going Mostly Meatless: One Neighbor's Real Story
Our neighbor Mike gave up meat for Lent this year, coached along by another set of neighbors who are vegetarian and vegan. Forty days in, he'd lost weight, looked healthier, and — even though he was counting down to his...
One Freeze-Dried Soup Base, Two Meals (Winter + Summer)
The trick is simple once you see it: the same base you'd freeze-dry for a winter soup works just as well as a summer grain salad — just cut back the broth and add small pasta or quinoa. Freeze-dry a...
From Garden to Pantry: How One Family Preserves a 4,500-Square-Foot Garden
Every gardener eventually faces the same challenge. After months of planning, planting, watering, and weeding, the harvest arrives all at once. Tomatoes ripen faster than they can be eaten, herbs need to be picked before they flower, berries don't wait,...
Average U.S. Grocery Budgets: Where Do You Land?
Average U.S. Grocery Budgets: Where Do You Land? Every month, USDA publishes what it estimates a household actually spends on groceries, broken into four tiers: Thrifty, Low-cost, Moderate, and Liberal. Before you look at the numbers, take a guess at...