Rediscover Modern Homesteading

This blog is to honour the humble celery – all of it, from top to tail.

I am so into this at the moment!

If you’ve already enjoyed it mashed and roasted – check out ten of my favourite other ways to enjoy pumpkin this season.

A spare cup of cooked pumpkin can go a long long way, perfect in fact for a homemade Pumpkin Pasta recipe.

In old villas especially, original knob knobs can be hiding under multiple layers of paint applied over decades.

Not a refrigerator pickle nor a fermentation, this Zingy Cabbage Pickle is a preserve recipe that is shelf stable.

It’s tomato season, enjoy!

If you need ANY more inspiration to plant untold tomato seedlings next season, this is one of them: my yet-to-be famous Smokey Tomato Sauce is simply divine!

This Blueberry Muffin recipe is my ‘go to’ home baking for my bed & breakfast guests.

Free-flow freezing is a must when you have fresh vegetables in excess.

Almond Crescent Cookies remind me of Christmas – short-bready, nutty, a hint of spice and very moreish!

Save those fresh veggie leftovers and make a delicious refrigerator pickle.

I’ve scoured charity shops for interesting homewares to use as non-traditional planters.

A favourite side of mine now turned into a soup, Cauliflower Cheese Soup is simply hearty and delicious.

If you’re a peanut butter fan like me you’ll love these Peanut Butter Cookies!

If you collect soft plastics (from chip packets to bread bags) rather than sending them to landfill, here’s a fun craft to transform them into a handy tote bag.

Wanting a break from your baking marathon this lockdown?

Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas are so very delicious and full of goodness too!

Level 4 lockdown: I’ve been immersed in the pages of my late grandmother’s handwritten memoirs and came across her recall of the 1918 Flu epidemic in New Zealand.

If you are looking for a summer vegetarian/vegan main or side dish to feed plenty, be sure to add this Green Bean & Potato Salad to the menu.

Here are step-by-step instructions to make your own washable face mask, complete with pattern.

Yum!

With an abundance of late croppers, it’s time to make Feijoa & Ginger Jam.

Mosquitoes can be very annoying, any season!

Spaghetti squash is such a delicious crop – now you can enjoy it year round in the form of a tasty homemade relish.

What a delicious veggie to have growing in the garden, and baking in the oven – Spaghetti Squash.

I’ll be honest, I am more of a relish-maker than a jam-maker, but I’ve finally found the knack.

Cauliflower, yum!

I’m a keen preserver and look forward to enjoying as much homegrown fruit as possible off season.

How is your beetroot growing?

Bird deterrents act as a visual and physical barrier to deter small birds from perching on window ledges.

Removing labels from glass jars and bottles can be tricky, so here are a few tips and tricks to make it easier for you.

Love love love homemade yoghurt…and oh those delicious supermarket bought sachets, creamy and perfect every time.

Can you freeze egg whites and yolks?

Love your leftovers!

While enjoying your refreshingly delicious jam cocktail, you may be doing your fridge a great favour!

Are your potatoes well chitted and ready to be planted?

Packed full of almonds, dates, oats and bound with peanut butter and maple syrup, these PBJ Oat Balls have a sweet secret in the centre – jam.

A baking treat adopted by many for Easter, Belgium Biscuits are warmly spiced and jam packed (sandwiched between two biscuits).

Save on heating bills and get nice and cosy this season with a homemade Draught Stopper for doors and windows.

Looking for a new spin on serving up leeks, Asian veggies and preserved lemons?

I decided, in Level 4 Lockdown, to create an Outdoor Herb Chair to add some colour to my veggie patch.

Good old stout beer.

I know I’m not the only one: flour is in short supply at the moment.

Why are we planting Flax and Grasses?

I’m a give-it-a-go DIYer and recently got stuck into puttying – a first for me.

I’ve started a series of recipes dedicated to forgotten backyard fruit.

I LOVE feijoa – the smell, the taste and the convenience of having a tree absolutely laden and ready at my disposal….for the month-long harvest that is.

While in lock-down and familiarising myself with the back of the pantry, I was inspired to make Cranberry Chilli Chicken Casserole.

Staring at a pack of sausages and looking for another way to cook ’em?