CREATING A SIMPLER LIFE OFF-GRID
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    • BACKYARD CHICKENS >
      • The Coop
      • The Chickens
      • Feeding the Chickens
      • Fresh Eggs
    • HOME GARDENING >
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      • What We Grow
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    • WHY AN EARTH SHELTERED HOUSE?
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    • BUILDING our HOMESTEAD from Scratch >
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      • BUILDING THE CONCRETE DOME
      • FROM DOME to HOME
      • SURVIVING OUR FIRST WINTER
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      • KUBOTA TRACTOR
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        • SOLAR POWER
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Blog

A little bit of anything and everything that's part of
​creating, enjoying, and living a simpler life!
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Using Fresh Peppermint

6/29/2016

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Do you have fresh peppermint growing in your yard?  If you do then you might be frustrated with how quickly it grows and spreads.  How about finding a positive in all that spreading peppermint?  It is edible after all and there are MANY ways you can use it to your advantage!  Don't have peppermint in your yard? You can also buy it fresh or dried in the store but you would be best served to just get one small plant at the store or from a friend and plant it in a sunny location in your yard.  Pretty soon you will have a lot more growing and you can take advantage of the benefits every day too! 
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Picking & Storing the Leaves:
  • Pick an entire sprig of the top portion of the plant or just pick individual leaves as needed. Choose leaves that are a nice vibrant green. They will be the freshest.
  • You can store the fresh mint in your refrigerator. Simply place the sprigs in a glass of water covered with a baggie and place on a shelf where it will not be knocked over.  You will need to change the water when it is no longer clear, but the mint will last quite a while this way. This is especially good if you  don't have the luxury of just walking out your door and picking it fresh off the plant as needed.  
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Ice water
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Fresh Steeped Tea
A few ways (my favorites) to use Peppermint:
  • ​Add a leaf or two to a glass of water
  • Add  leaf or two to a glass of iced tea
  • Chop up some fresh peppermint leaves and add them to your salad
  • Make a cup of fresh peppermint tea (see how here!)
  • Make mint jelly to accompany pork dishes
Thanks for visiting!

Sincerely,
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Fresh Peppermint Tea - So Simple!

6/27/2016

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You won't believe how simple it really is! Watch the video and find out :-)
  • Collect a handful of fresh peppermint leaves. Choose leaves with a nice dark rich color.  
  • Chop them up while you boil a pot of water.  
  • Add about a tablespoon of chopped peppermint to your favorite tea cup.
  • Cover with boiling water and wait 5 - 10 minutes.
  • You can choose to strain out the leaves or drink them right up with the tea!
  • Simply Delicious :-)

Check out our other videos on our You Tube Channel!

If you like what you see consider following us on social media :-)

Thanks for visiting!

​​
Sincerely,
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Recipes: Deviled Eggs & Parmesan Roasted Garlic Scapes

6/23/2016

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Waste not want not.....that is the bottom line for this recipe post! Why? One, because we have 5 chickens and an abundance of fresh eggs that needed to be used to make room in our refrigerator, and two, because it was time to harvest our garlic scapes and why waste them when we can eat them!

​Simply copy them down or click on the button below the recipes to download the pdf file  and print one sheet of  8 1/2 x 11 cardstock paper.  Then cut out each of the 4 x 6 inch recipe cards.  They always come two recipes per sheet in an effort to not waste paper! 

Visit my Recipes Page to view or print out previous recipes (pdf files) or to download a FREE 4 x 6 Recipe Card Template (.dox file) for your own recipes! You can also check out my past Recipe Blog Posts here!

Enjoy!
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Download PDF file of both recipes here!
FYI: there are always two recipes because I do not want to waste paper!
​

Thank you for visiting!

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so you never miss out on a blog post!

Also check out our Pinterest Recipes Board for more great recipes!


Sincerely,
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0 Comments

Harvesting Garlic Scapes

6/22/2016

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In the fall we posted about planting our garlic.  It currently continues to grow however it has recently grown curling flower buds called garlic scapes and it's time to harvest and eat them!
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A garlic scape is the flower bud and attached curling stem of the hard-necked garlic plant. The entire curl and bud are removed around late June before it flowers and while it is still curled to promote larger bulb growth.  When you see it curled, remove the entire stem and bud as far down (close to the leaves) as possible without breaking the leaves.
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Harvested Curling Garlic Scapes
The garlic scape smells like garlic, tastes like garlic, seems like a scallion, has a texture similar to asparagus, and can be eaten in any way that garlic itself is eaten!  In my opinion, it would be a shame to waste the garlic scapes, especially since they are considered a delicacy in other countries!  Bonus for my family :-)
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One Curling Garlic Scape
Some recipes for cooking garlic scapes:
  • Parmesan Roasted Garlic Scapes
  • Garlic Scape Pesto
  • Grilled Garlic Scapes
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Parmesan Oven Roasted Garlic Scapes

Too much to eat all in one day?  No worries, you can store the garlic scapes in a paper or produce bag in the refrigerator for several weeks to a month!  If you have a lot that you know you won't eat within the month (like me) then you can freeze them as well!  You can choose to blanch them or not, however I just put them in quart size freezer bags, suck out as much air as possible, and put them in the freezer.  So simple!!!
Stay tuned for our next post "Harvesting Garlic."  Follow us on social media or e-mail us so you don't miss it!

Thank you for visiting :-)

Sincerely,
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Space Saving Tips for the Kitchen

6/18/2016

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Have a small kitchen? Are you limited on space for storage?  Our kitchen is 9 x 7 and yes, that is pretty small for us (it is actually smaller because its really 5 x 3 attached to a 7 x 6 for a total square footage of 57 square feet)!  It's because it is so small that we had to come up with some simple ways to make the limited space work the best for us!

Every one of the pictures below was taken in our little kitchen.  Under the pictures is a list of all the ways we use to make the most of our minimal kitchen space! Maybe some will work for you :-)
Kitchen space saving ideas:
  • Pot Rack for pots and pans.
  • Cup hooks under the upper cabinets for mugs.
  • Cup hooks for utensils near the stove.
  • Cup hooks for measuring cups and spoons.
  • Consider smaller appliances (refrigerator, stove, dishwasher, etc.).
  • Store pots and pan lids in the oven drawer.
  • Get rid of what you don't need - for example, we don't have a microwave in our kitchen! 
  • Keep minimally used small appliances in a different location.  For example, our crockpot is in the basement and only retrieved when it is needed.
  • We don't store a lot of food in the kitchen either.  We turned our hall closet into a pantry so that most of our food is stored there.  This frees up our minimal cabinet space for things like dishes.
  • Have a bread drawer.  You can buy an insert to create a bread drawer.
  • Add drawer organizers for utensils and other things you use in the kitchen.
  • Add metal shelving to cabinets to create more upward space.
  • Install a lid holder inside a cabinet door.
  • Cut out the sheetrock between two wall studs to create an in the wall storage for spices and canned goods.  We have this on an outside wall. You can buy thin foam insulation to put along the back if it is an outside wall.  Then put luan over it to act as the back of the shelf (wall).  Add a few simple shelves, put wood trim around it and you have a great little pantry!
  • Keep cooking oil, and other spices etc. close to the stove for cooking convenience.
  • Keep the counters clear so they are always ready for cooking!
  • Hang hooks on the back of the door for outdoor grilling supplies within easy reach after cleaning!
  • Hang a hook for the garden vegetable collecting basket. Easy to grab on the way out, and easy to put away after bringing in the fresh veggies :-)
  • ​Install an under the sink garbage/recyclable slide out.
  • Add slide out drawers under the sink for cleaners, dish soaps, reusable dish sponges, etc.
See more ideas on our Pinterest Home Organization Board!

Thanks for visiting!

Sincerely,
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Then please consider following us for more interesting ideas that help in creating and living a simpler life for you and your loved ones!
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REPURPOSE DRAWERS FOR A RAISED BED GARDEN!

6/15/2016

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What a quick and simple way to create a small raised bed garden anywhere!  I have to be honest, this is not my idea.  It is actually my daughters and I couldn't be more proud of her!  She rents to live on Fire Island each summer so she has never been able to have her own garden.  However, this year she came up with an ingenious idea: repurposing old dresser drawers into small raised garden beds!  

So simple! 

What did she do?
  • ​Found drawers in the garbage and rescued them.
  • Removed the bottom of the drawers with a hammer so beds could drain better.
  • Bought soil to fill the drawers with.
  • Decided which plants to plant in which drawers - for example herbs are all together.

What makes this idea so awesome:
  • The landscape around the rented house remains undisturbed.
  • This is a great alternative if the landscape is sandy, rocky, or has too many roots.
  • The raised beds can be moved if necessary.
  • Each drawer can hold a different type of plant to make growing and harvesting easier.
  • Dresser drawers that would otherwise have been thrown out are being used!

And of course the absolute best part of all this?  My daughter will be eating organic home-grown vegetables and herbs all summer long :-)
Please follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and/or Google Plus!

Thanks for visiting :-)

Sincerely,
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REPURPOSING ETHERNET CABLE

6/4/2016

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Don't just throw it out...repurpose it!  Repurposing is way better than needlessly adding to landfills. Why not find another way to use something? Today's something for me is ethernet cable. You know, that wire that is used to transfer internet into your home and then between the router and various computers, printers, and such? What do you do with it when it's replaced with better stuff? Here's what I did...
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Old ethernet cable. Any old cable or wire will do though....
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Cut off ends if there are any.
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Crochet a sturdy bottom. I used two strands of 4 ply cotton yarn for the bottom. I also chose a color that would compliment the color of the wire.
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End one of the strands and keep the other one to start crocheting in the cable.
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Simply single crochet around the cable.
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Single crochet continuously around and around until there is no cable left or you want to finish (at which point you would cut the remaining cable off).
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Add a decorative border. I again chose a color in 100% 4 ply cotton that would compliment the color of the cable.
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Completed product! So cute and useful too! And I love the color combination....
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Holds my white beach stones perfectly :-)
Check out more repurposing ideas on our
​Pinterest Repurposing Board!

Also check out our Repurposing Blog Post from 9/30/15!

Thanks for visiting!

Like what you see?

Then please consider following us for more interesting ideas that help in creating and living a simpler life for you and your loved ones!

Sincerely,
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    Hi there! I'm Kathie, the author behind Creating A Simpler Life blog. I'm excited to share our longterm projects (and planning) toward building our future retirement homestead in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. In the meantime I will be sharing all the other little things we do that are part of creating our simpler life!
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  • Home/About
    • What does OFF-GRID mean?
    • MINIMIZING >
      • Home Size
      • Room by Room
      • Get Organized
      • Household Waste
    • MINIMIZE DEBT, MAXIMIZE SAVINGS >
      • Bills & Other Debt
      • Saving Money
      • Shopping Tips
      • Affordable Fun
    • BACKYARD CHICKENS >
      • The Coop
      • The Chickens
      • Feeding the Chickens
      • Fresh Eggs
    • HOME GARDENING >
      • Building the Garden
      • What We Grow
      • Seeds, Weeds, & More
      • Preservation & Storage
    • DO-IT-YOURSELF >
      • Health & Wellness
      • Simple Cleaning & Tips
      • Crafts & More!
      • Printables
    • CROCHET >
      • IDEAS & MORE
      • VIDEO TUTORIALS
  • HOMESTEAD
    • The 5 Year Plan PLUS! >
      • 2017
      • 2018
      • 2019
      • 2020
      • 2021
      • 2022
    • WHY AN EARTH SHELTERED HOUSE?
    • OFF GRID TINY TRAILER
    • BUILDING our HOMESTEAD from Scratch >
      • BUYING LAND & GETTING STARTED
      • BUILDING THE CONCRETE DOME
      • FROM DOME to HOME
      • SURVIVING OUR FIRST WINTER
    • HOMESTEAD MACHINERY >
      • GENERATORS
      • KUBOTA TRACTOR
      • ATV'S & UTV'S
      • WOOD CHIPPER
      • CHAINSAWS
      • LOG SPLITTER
      • POWER TOOLS
      • SNOWMOBILES
      • AUTOMOBILES
    • BUDGETING THE BUILD
    • SUSTAINABILITY >
      • WATER
      • FOOD
      • SHELTER
      • ENERGY >
        • SOLAR POWER
    • The Adirondacks >
      • Wildlife & Nature
      • Insects & Bugs
      • Things to Do
      • Water Fun
    • ADIRONDACK CRAFTS
  • VLOG
    • 2023
    • 2022
    • 2021