One of the most exciting aspects of raising pigs, in my opinion, would be their ability to turn "trash" into a treasure of bacon! Once I started collecting kitchen scraps for the pigs and goats on our farm I realized how much food goes to waste. Onion skins, egg shells, and potato peels were once sent to the trash, never to reach their full potential. Yes, I realize these items are gold for the compost pile, but I have an ugly confession to make here. 

I am a terrible compost keeper! 

There, I said it! I am determined to master composting but today let's talk about another way to create a (nearly) zero waste kitchen. 

Easter is right around the corner! This happens to be one of my favorite times of year. The Easter bunny will be here soon and watching the kids find eggs always comes with lots of laughs. One thing we don't do on Easter is lots of candy and when the kids already had enough play-doh and matchbox cars I was searching for goodies to put in there!

Last year I tried making egg shaped bath bombs and they were a huge hit with the kids! These bath bombs are infused with essential oils so they come with great calming and immune supporting benefits. The epsom salt helps the body detox and the fizzy citric acid is fun to play with. You can color them with natural dyes by using activated charcoal, pumpkin seed oil or beet powder. They are very easy to customize with what you have on hand. 

I hate to give the coronavirus anymore attention that what it already has. Every news outlet is reporting, my social newsfeeds are packed with it and anyone you speak to is speaking about it. Not to downplay the seriousness of this issue, but the hysteria has really gotten out of hand! 

One of the more surprising outcomes has been the the amount of toilet paper that was snatched up in a matter of days from every store within fifty miles of my house. Now being a homesteader I am normally more prepared for these situations but this time around I was down to a measily six rolls of TP! This amount wouldn't cause me any concern accept the toilet paper isn't getting restocked or if it does people are racing eachother to get to it. Now that's a situation I happily opt out of. 

I don't buy into the scarcity mentality. I also don't like to depend on outside sources for my needs. So I decided the best way to avoid the chaos and regain some control and independence was to make my own toilet paper! I know some of you are going to think "Ew! Gross!" and I completely understand your reaction. I would have felt the same way before I had kids. Those little germballs sure do alter your way of thinking. 

When I first started baking with my sourdough starter, I never realized how versatile it could be! You can transform such simple ingredients such as flour, salt and water into an array of wonderful home baked goods. By adding butter and milk to our dough, its very easy to turn sourdough into a rich bread dough. 

There are many reasons to start using sourdough in your vintage kitchen. The fermentation process that takes place unlocks the nutritional value making iron, folic acid, zinc, magnesium, B vitamins, and calcium bioavailable to us. Phytic acid prevents us from absorbing these vitamins and minerals, which is present in the bran layers of cereal. With even just a few hours of fermentation, phytic acid can be neutralized. Longer fermentation helps to break down gluten. I aim to use a 24 hour fermentation in order to break down as much gluten as possible. By using an age-old method of preparing bread, we not only eat like our ancestors but we also enjoy the benefits of their ancient wisdom. 

But back to the delicious, no sugar added cinnamon rolls! I have taken the basic sourdough and transformed it into a sweet treat that I don't feel guilty about! 

Regenerative agriculture seems to be popping up more and more. So, what's all the buzz about? Simply put, regenerative agriculture focuses on soil health in order to reduce carbon emissions. Healthy soils that do not feel the harsh blades of tillage are able to sequester carbon in our enviroment. The United Nations believes adopting these practices could offset total global emissions by 10 percent, which is significant! 

You might be wondering how this is possible. Soil that has been undisturbed already contains carbon and microbes. Once the soil has been worked such as using tillage the carbon is released into the air. I often tell people I am a soil farmer. My goal is to rebuild the soil by increasing the organic matter that will effectivly store more water and draw carbon out of the atmosphere. But regenerative agriculture is more than just that...

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