Homemade Queso Fresco

As I'm still trying to learn the ins and outs of finding affordable organic products, I've found that sometimes it's just easier to do it yourself. Organic and/or raw cheeses can cost an arm and a leg yo'!!


This is by far my favorite cheese recipe and I make it often - it couldn't be simpler and the mild, crumbly cheese it produces is so versatile. Put it on salads, crumble it into soups, casseroles, tacos, pizza, the list goes on and on.  If you're new to or nervous about trying to make your own cheese- this is the perfect beginner recipe. And all ya need are three ingredients:

• 3-4 Tbsp Distilled white vinegar
• 1 Tbsp Kosher salt
• 1/2 gal of organic milk (You can do skim, 1%, 2% or whole - they all work!)

Pour the half gallon of milk into a large non-reactive pot and add 1 Tbsp Kosher salt. 

Bring slowly to a full, rolling boil over medium. Once it's good and boiling, add 3-4 Tbsp vinegar. (I find with the ultra pasteurized or pasteurized, you have to be a little violent with the boiling and the vinegar - alot of recipes say to turn the heat off when you add the vinegar but mine wouldn't curdle that way... I had to keep on boiling! Don't worry, you won't hurt it- it's not a sensitive cheese.) 

Here you can begin to see the curd separating from the whey....

Prepare your strainer: You can't see it very well but I actually have a bowl under the colander to catch the whey - you don't want to throw that away! You can make ricotta or other cheeses out of it or use it to boil pasta or rice in. It's full of vitamins! 

Here you can DEFINITELY see the whey and curd have separated, time to pour into the strainer...

Gather up the cheesecloth to let it hang and pour off the excess whey. 

I actually like to tie the cheesecloth to one of my cabinet handles and let it drain/cool while I'm busy doing other things... make sure to place a bowl under the cheese as it continues to drip. 

I love how it compacts into a little cheese ball, but crumbles easily if you need it to! 

And there you go! Homemade cheese! 

Now what to do with the whey.... 

Heirloom Seeds

This might just be me, but whenever I see those heart-wrenching ASPCA commercials, I immediately call Razor to me and snuggle him and give him treats. Does anyone else do that? Oh well, he's making out on the deal!

Look at that face....

Even though inch after inch of snow continues to whiten the world outside, covering every branch, every rooftop, and all the land in a thick blanket of bitter cold - I'm huddled inside anxiously planning for spring. 

I'm going to do it this year, I'm going to have a garden, I'm going to grow vegetables. Well, let's not set the bar to high, I will grow -a- vegetable! What homesteader doesn't grow some of their own vegetables? I can do this... I am Bob's granddaughter, I am Candy's daughter... I have gardening in my veins. Okay, pep talk over.. let's talk seeds. 

I saw an advertisement in my new favorite magazine, Mother Earth News for these heirloom seeds available at Baker's Creek . These seeds are so interesting, not your typical array of veggies here. I love that each seed is reviewed by users and they add good tips or things to consider before buying. This girl can use all the help she can get! 

I may have gotten a wee bit overzealous in what I purchased, but here's what I got:

• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Pickling Cucumbers
• Collard Greens 
• Ground Cherries
• Lettuce
• Red Onions
• Yellow Onions
• Bell Peppers
• Spinach
• Zucchini 
• Swiss Chard 
• Tomatoes
• Basil
• Chives
• Cilantro
• Dill 

In my internet searching, it sounds like the herbs, the swiss chard, spinach, onions, cabbage, lettuce, collard greens, and carrots will do alright in partial shade (3-6 hrs sunlight) Which is good since that's what my back yard consists of. The cucumbers, ground cherries, peppers, and tomatoes are going to need at least 8-12hrs of sunlight so I'll be putting these along the side and front of the house (and will be crossing my fingers). I'm even considering making some window planters- but we'll see. Another good tip I picked up was to use self watering containers for the tomatoes and peppers that need hydration consistently. 

I also will have to ensure I have plenty of mulch and/or plastic tarp to protect the latter items from drying out as they'll have to be in containers. (Hey man, I'm in the city, this is urban homesteading at it's finest.) 

My goal is to plant a little bit of everything and use trial and error to see what thrives and what fails in this climate and with the amount of sun I get here. Pittsburgh ain't known for their sunshine- that's for sure! Oh well, wish my luck- I'll need it. 

Mason Jar Soap Dispensers

I was perusing my favorite online shopping website (Amazon, I'm truly addicted) for some country-esque, homesteady items and I saw these incredibly cute mason jar soap dispensers! Well, they were cute until I saw the price... These things range 12-25 dollars for ONE depending on what one you're looking at. What the heck? It's a soap pump and a mason jar...

Then I realized I indeed had many a soap pump AND many a mason jar, so I immediately traveled to the Mecca of art and craft ideas: Pinterest. After searching and reading a few how-to sites, I knew this would be a doable feat for me.

With only a few snafoos that were easily fixible, I ended up making three soap jars that I'm proud to call my own! I think there's something incredibly satisfying about creating your own household items out of things you already have lying around- cheers for upcycling!

The black hand pumps look more classy and aesthetically pleasing, but I found that the Cetaphil pump works wonderfully as well and I like to utilize all of my 'trash'. 

This is what you'll need for this project:

• A mason jar with two piece lid
• An old plastic soap dispenser (Think those hand soap containers from Mrs. Meyers or Purell- I even used an old Cetaphil pump container) 
• A permanent marker
• Scissors (Preferably a hardcore set like kitchen shears) 
• A Phillips screwdriver
• Crazy glue (I also had acetone nail polish remover on standby)
• GLOVES, GLOVES, USE GLOVES -FOR THE LOVE - USE GLOVES (I used a latex set like you see in hospitals and what not) 
• Paper towels - protect your counters! Crazy glue is evil and merciless
• Optional: A hammer, needle nose pliers 

Assemble your tools and don your gloves my fellow homesteaders! Here we go!

As you can see, I have a knife here. It's old knife from college and I use and abuse it for projects like this. I used it to cut off the top of a soap dispenser but you could also use your scissors. Please notice I left about an inch around the top of the dispenser. Also, sorry for lack of picture of me sawing the top off of the empty soap dispenser. Also- use common sense when working with sharp knives and scissors, let's not lose a digit here!

Invert the top of the soap dispenser onto the bottom of the mason jar lid, trace around the opening so that you know how large to cut the hole. (You could also do this before you cut the bottle apart, it doesn't really matter) 

There we go! Not a perfectly drawn circle, but who's going to see it once it's together? NOBODY - that's who! 

Then grab your screwdriver and hammer, and go find a soft, cushy place to pound the screwdriver through the lid. I used my carpeted stair. I promise, it doesn't damage the carpet, it just raises the lid up enough that it's not flush on the ground and it makes it easier to puncture the lid. The metal is really thin also, so if you don't have a hammer handy, just pound on the end of the screwdriver with your fist. One or two holes should do. 

Et voila!

Now carefully, oh so carefully, use your kitchen shears to cut through the puncture hole and around the circle you made with the permanent marker. The metal is sharp, any jagged edges WILL cut you, I know from experience. 

Save yourself some grief and trial putting the neck of the soap dispenser through the mason jar lid to ensure that it fits. Cut the hole a little wider if necessary. 

Now, WEARING YOUR GLOVES, put a line of crazy glue around the inside of the mason jar lid, then immediately put the two pieces of the lid together and hold in place for 10-30 seconds. If you DO NOT wear gloves and get crazy glue on your skin like I did the first time- proceed in a panic to the nearest bathroom where you'll douse your hands in the acetone nail polish you gathered and scrub off the glue with a nail file. So, WEAR GLOVES.

All set! We're almost there!! 

Now from here, if you have a super tight fit you can probably avoid that evil super glue, or if you're really wanting to avoid ANY leakage, you can give it a go. I did not have good success with being able to adequately super glue these two pieces together. I also don't give a care about the leakage (it seems that was the top complaint on the Amazon reviews of purchasable ones as well- so I'm not alone!)

Screw the top part of the pump onto the neck as tightly as you can and there you go! 

Sure, it might not be perfectly painted and I bet if I turned it upside down and shook it, it'd leak, but I think there's something incredibly appealing about home-style, imperfect creations. Makes it unique eh?

Baking Bad

I think one of the first things people should start doing to cut out processed foods is bake bread- and it's no wonder why!

There is nothing more pleasing to your soul than whipping up a batch of fluffy, warm, delicious baked bread. It's so self empowering to know that, with a little time and care, you can produce for your family something so basic and nourishing. Also, I'm not sure if you're aware, but check out the ingredients list on your store bought bread- what an eye opener that was for me. So many unnecessary items that take bread from wheat, water, sugar, salt, and yeast to... high fructose corn syrup, ethoxylated mono and diglycerides, and azodicarbonamide...


When you bake bread, you're in control of your own ingredients, you know how fresh it is, you can modify it to your own preferences- you're the boss! There's also just something very rustic and relaxing about standing in the quiet warmth of your kitchen, kneading bread just like our forefathers (foremothers?) used to. Definitely give it a try...


When I first started baking bread however, I was doing it with a bread machine (which there's nothing wrong with that! If you haven't got the time- this is a great option, no judging here!). But I swear I never could figure out what I was doing wrong, it would rise beautifully and then the top would sink just a few minutes before the bake cycle was over. I tried everything, modifying the liquid, yeast, salt, etc. No dice. So I decided to just do it myself! Take THAT bread machine!


Even though the bread machine bread was ugly, it was so, so delicious and I wanted to use the same recipe so I modified it from bread machine directions into hand made and it turns out perfectly. Hopefully you have good results as well! Happy Baking.

Homemade White Bread 

Makes around 2 1-lb loaves

1 c + 6 Tbsp water (between 80-100 degrees) 

2 Tbsp sugar

2 and 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

2 Tbsp butter (softened)

1 3/4 tsp salt

4 c bread flour 

2 Tbsp dry milk

Combine the water, sugar, and yeast and let it set for 5-10 minutes until it's foamy - like this: 

Pour yeast mixture into a large mixing bowl and add the remaining ingredients. I have to be honest, I just get in there with my hands to make sure that everything is really incorporated and then I transfer it to the counter to start kneading. This girl ain't afraid to get messy! Please excuse my lack of photos of kneading as my hands were covered in dough and I didn't want to mess with it. 

Knead for 8-10 minutes to activate the gluten and make sure the yeast is distributed. Enjoy this, let it be therapy, vent your frustrations on the bread! It's a good  arm workout too! 

Set dough in mixing bowl and coat in a thin layer of olive oil to prevent sticking. Cover with a warm, damp cloth and put it somewhere warm to rest for about 1- 1 1/2 hours until it doubles in size.

This is the fun part: punch down the dough! Knead it a few times (4-6 is plenty) and then divide into two balls. Form them into loaves and put them into two greased bread loaf pans. 

Again, cover them with a warm damp towel and let them rise for about an hour. 

Bake at 350 degrees for around 30-40 minutes, take out when golden brown on top and has a nice hollow sound when you tap on them. My oven runs hot so 30 works perfectly for me!  

Feel free to add a little butter to the tops to make them prettier and what not. I didn't want to mess with it for these guys though. If you don't think you'll go through two loaves of bread in a week, toss one in a baggie and put it in the freezer for the next week! Then you'll only have to bake twice a month- can't beat that!

Aren't they beautiful? A slice of this with some butter and homemade jam and mmm mmm you're good to go! Good luck keeping your husband and kids (if you got 'em!) out of the bread while it cools. 

The Story of the Rag Rug

So during my homesteading blog perusing, I came across something that I haven't seen in a long, long time. Rag rugs! I've always wanted to try this! Since I didn't want to go out and purchase linens from a thrift shop and there wasn't any WAY I was buying NEW sheets to tear up, I grabbed a garbage bag full of old clothes I had been planning to turn into cleaning rags..

And then proceeded to tear them into strips. The method to my madness was: 

1. Cut off collar (salvage buttons for later!)
2. Cut off arm sleeves.

3. Cut up side hem of shirt from top to bottom

4. Lay it open and rip the strips from the shirt horizontally (because unfortunately, I'm wider than I am tall and there were longer strips this way) 

5. Shoot for strips that are 3-4'' wide but, as you'll learn quickly with clothing they don't rip as neatly or evenly as linens do..

Again I apologize for my poor photography skills. And this pile of rags. 

Next grab three rags and pin them together, and START.. BRAIDING... 

Word to the wise: make your braids LOOSE, do NOT make them tight or your life will suck when you get to the sewing part. 

For more detailed instructions, go here (especially since I didn't take a photo of how to link your strips together when you get to the end of one)

See? It's starting to take form... looks like a rug to me! Uhh ignore my toes... 

And then, my least favorite part... sew the braids together...

I ain't gonna sugar coat it - this part sucked. It took me hours and I had to take breaks because it's tedious lining up the braids. I also broke two sewing machine needs :( Boo. 

But after all that blood, sweat, and tears.. I think it was worth it! 

Hmm... Now where to put it... 

This was fun, but not so sure I'll be making another one! 

Pittsburgh Public Market

Well my friends..... after an incredibly long and draining week at work, I think my husband knew I needed a pick-me-up because he suggested that we take a trip to quite possibly my most favorite place on earth....

The Pittsburgh Public Market!!! 

If you're any type of foodie, if you love homemade, natural, organic, fresh, DELICIOUS, creative, inspiring, unique and just plain amazing food, if you would love to have personalized service with some of the friendliest people you'll ever meet, if you'd like to purchase everything you'd need in one spot....

Alright you get it, just go there. It's amazing.. It really, really is. If I could shop there all the time, I absolutely would- if only it were closer to my house! 

Since the turn into 2014, I've been headstrong and adamant about switching our food over to more sustainable, wholesome, and natural options. Thus, when going to the public market, I was on a mission. 

While there, we purchased: 

• 1 lb of 80/20 ground beef, ~2 lbs chuck delmonico steaks, and ~2 lbs flat iron steaks from Clarion Farms 
• A 5-6# roasting chicken from Clarion River Organics 
• I also got a half gallon of unhomogenized, pasteurized whole milk from Clarion River Organics, it was from Pasture Maid Creamery
• 2 bundles of lemon pepper fettuccine, 2 bundles of chipotle linguine, and some shredded parmesean-esque cheese from Ohio City Pasta  
• 2 growlers of a-mah-zing beer from East End Brewing Company 

The man who was selling the beef at Clarion Farms was so incredibly helpful and nice! He helped me pick out some nice cuts of delmonico and flat iron steaks. 

I have big plaaaaans for this clucker! Roasted chicken and saving the bones for homemade broth mmmmm...

The top is the lemon pepper, bottom is chipotle. Lord this pasta is good, good, good...

Two growlers of delicious, locally brewed beer. To the left is a brew called Monkey Boy, and the right is Snow Melt which is one of their seasonal winter ales. And of course, beside the brews is the bottle of my delicious whole milk.

After we got back from the public market, we were pretty famished, so I decided to make some of the fresh pasta that we'd gotten that day. I also had some broccoli and mushrooms that I needed to use up so that's exactly what I did. That's what I love about pasta, you can throw just about anything with it and it will still taste fantastic- have a high quality pasta and it's even better..

So I steamed the broccoli.. 

Sauteed the mushrooms in olive oil with some onions and garlic... 

And I boiled up the two bundles of lemon pepper pasta..

Added some lemon juice and tossed it all together, topped with some of that shredded cheese I got. 

And I have to say, it was quite delicious if I do say so myself.... 

Peace, Love, and Doggie Boots

I always think that when I start blogging again, I'll have something incredibly enthralling or poignant to talk about, as if I've returned from some inspiring sabbatical. The truth is, that's what I feel that I'm truly lacking in life however, inspiration.


I spend so much of my time just simply going through the motions; wake up, go to work, come home, play on the computer, sleep. Rinse and repeat. I don't mind my job on most days, but I definitely would say that I work to live, not live to work.. at least not that kind of work. If I you asked me what I did in 2013, I unfortunately would have to say that I didn't do a whole lot. I remember going on vacation but other than that, I think I just worked alot- pretty pathetic huh?


I want to revert to a life of simplicity, detoxify my world and my surroundings, and take pride in creating things with my own hands instead of just lazily buying it. Who needs all those toxic, chemical-laden products when you can make it from scratch with natural ingredients? I've recently taken an interest in homesteading and have dabbled in some easier projects- and I have to say, I'm in love. I find it incredibly rewarding and I rejoice in the fruits of my labor, even better, it's helped me reconnect.


There's something incredibly soothing and peaceful about standing in a warm, quiet kitchen, up to your elbows in flour as you knead a loaf of bread dough. There's also something therapeutic and spiritual in walking around your back yard, watering thriving plants that you lovingly planted with your own two hands. It gives you a moment of quiet in an otherwise crazy and hectic world, a moment to be alone in your thoughts, meditate, or just "be". I'm hoping to have many, many more of those moments. I have to be realistic though, my yard is NOT conducive for having a gigantic garden and we get alot of shade. I also have zero room for something as grandiose as raising my own chickens or having a dairy cow, but maybe someday.. In the mean time, I can at least clean up my diet and choose the most natural, healthy options for meat, dairy, and eggs (plus LOTS of veggies!!).


My goals for 2014 include the following:

1) Successfully plant and raise all of my own herbs this summer
2) Join a CSA and buy our produce locally
3) Switch to pasture-raised, humanely raised, organic meats from local farms
4) Switch all household products from store-bought to homemade (ex. laundry detergent, face soap, shampoo)
5) Make all of our baked goods from scratch
6) Make most of our dairy products from scratch
7) Make a quilt

That sounds like a good place to start!


Oh.. and I almost forgot....

DOGGIE BOOTS!!!!!