Here you’ll find all the latest posts from Real Self-Sufficiency.
Plantain, the broad flat-leaved weed already growing in your lawn, is the plant I reach for instead of anti-itch cream, and pressing a chewed leaf against a fresh bite brings the itching and stinging down within a few minutes. It’s one of the longest-used remedies in Western folk herbalism. For the ordinary itch of a […]
The Weed You Can Rub On A Bug Bite Instead Of Buying Anti-Itch Cream Read More »
There’s a huge amount of advice about how to improve your compost performance, performance, and speed. But one of the best “tricks” to get beautifully finished compost quickly comes from Ancient Rome. Build one big compost pile in fall instead of adding to your bin bit by bit through the year, and you’ll get a
The 2,000-Year-Old Roman Trick Your Compost Bin Is Missing Read More »
An olla is an unglazed clay pot that you bury in your soil and fill with water, and it can cut your garden watering time dramatically while using up to 70% less water than a hose or can. These are brilliant for conserving water, making watering low-maintenance, and keeping your garden sufficiently moist. They are
The 4,000-Year-Old Watering Trick That Still Beats Your Hose Read More »
Lunar planting is timing garden tasks like sowing, transplanting, and harvesting to the moon’s phases, based on the old belief that the moon’s gravity pulls water in soil and plants the same way it pulls ocean tides. Gravity theory falls apart under real scientific scrutiny, but there’s a smaller, genuinely interesting effect from moonlight itself that doesn’t,
What Is Lunar Planting, and Should You Try It? Read More »
Dandelion, purslane, stinging nettle, and lots of other weeds most gardeners spend hours pulling out of their beds every year are not just harmless. They’re free food, and several of them are more nutritious than the vegetables planted around them. I forage every one of these. But I admit, it took a while to convince
16 “Problem” Weeds That Are Actually Edible Read More »
You don’t need a bunker or a four-figure bug-out bag to be meaningfully more prepared than you are right now. These 20 items all cost under $20 each, and every single one of them solves a real problem that shows up in real emergencies: no power, no clean water, no cell signal, no way to
20 items under $20 that make a real difference in an emergency Read More »
Stinging nettle is one of the best free fertilizers you can make for tomatoes, and I’ve been brewing it every spring for years. It stings on the way into the bucket and works like a charm on the way out. Nettle is loaded with nitrogen, calcium, potassium, and magnesium, the nutrients tomatoes need for strong
The Plentiful Weed You Can Use to Fertilize Your Tomatoes for Free Read More »
Most emergency food stockpiles get abandoned by day three, not because they run out, but because nobody in the family will eat what’s in them. The chalky protein bars, the unfamiliar canned goods bought in bulk because someone said they were practical, the dried meals that looked fine online but taste like cardboard in real
18 Emergency Foods Your Family Will Actually Eat (Not Just Tolerate) Read More »
Learn all about companion planting using the three sisters method and planting corn, beans, and squashes.
The Three Sisters Garden: Companion Planting Corn, Beans, and Squash Read More »
The year I first bothered to chit my seed potatoes, I thought it was going to be one of those fussy Old Gardener rituals that didn’t actually change much. I was wrong. The un-chitted spuds in one bed sat there for ages. Weeks went by with nothing showing while the soil warmed up and slugs
Everything you need to know about chitting potatoes, even if you’re brand new to growing Read More »
Poinsettias are like holiday background music. They’re everywhere, they’re fine… but after the hundredth one, you kind of want to change the station. If you’re craving something festive that isn’t another red-and-green poinsettia, you’ve got options. Lots of options. Think bold blooms, tiny “Christmas trees,” winter berries, and plants that actually look good in January
Tired of Poinsettias? Try These 12 Gorgeous Festive Holiday Plants Instead Read More »
When you’re racing the clock but still want real food, the air fryer earns its space on the counter. It gives you that hard-to-beat combo of crisp edges and juicy centres, whether you’re cooking a pack of chicken thighs, a bag of frozen egg rolls, or a proper piece of steak. You get the texture
Air fryer dinners for when you want fast and crispy Read More »
First cold snap hits, you’re feeling pretty smug. Wood stacked. Pantry full. Boots by the door.Then a pipe freezes. Or the basement leaks. Or the furnace quits at 2 a.m. and suddenly you’re standing in the hallway in your socks questioning your life choices. Most of the time, it isn’t “bad luck.”It’s a tiny winter
20 Small Winter Jobs People Forget… Until Something Breaks Read More »
Every year I swear I won’t buy any more junky holiday decor. And then I’m standing in the living room at 10 p.m. in December, holding a dead string of lights and a crumpled plastic wreath, wondering why I did this to myself again. Here’s the secret: most of the cheap stuff isn’t actually cheap.
When the weather turns damp and the week is already full, lentils really earn their keep. They’re cheap, shelf-stable, and happy to sit in the cupboard until you need a pot of something hot and filling. They soak up flavour from stock, spices, and veg, so you can build a proper dinner out of odds
14 easy lentil recipes for cold, busy weeks Read More »
If you live with a cat, you already know this: you think you’re in charge. I do. I have two feline maniacs as well as my two dogs. And the cats are … interesting, for sure. Sneaky, super weird, moody… you know, your typical pain-in-the-butt cats. I love them, of course. But yeah. They have
14 surprisingly smart ways cats train their humans Read More »
Brisket has a reputation for being the kind of dinner that takes over your whole day: long marinades, 14-hour smokes, and a nervous eye glued to the thermometer. It doesn’t have to be that dramatic. With the right recipes, you can lean on the slow cooker, Dutch oven, smoker, or Instant Pot to do the
Brisket Recipes for When You Want Big Flavor Without Drama Read More »
Honey is one of those quiet workhorse ingredients that can do a lot more than sweeten your tea. A single jar can become a sticky glaze for chicken, a glossy sauce for salmon, or the syrup that holds together crunchy granola bars. In this collection, honey shows up in marinades, baking, and even deep-fried treats,
Honey Recipes That Go Way Beyond Tea and Toast Read More »
If you live with a dog, you already know they have a lot to say. I have a feisty little terrier mix in his (very) senior years and he L.O.V.E.S the sound of his own voice. I also have a youngish whippet, and boy-howdy does that girl like to sing her whippety song! But they
12 adorable ways dogs “talk” without barking Read More »
You know that moment when you’re halfway through wrapping a gift, you run out of paper, and the only place open is a random store where the wrapping paper costs more than the actual present? Yeah. I’m not into that either. You probably have a whole stash of wrapping options in your house already. They’re
Cranberries don’t have to be stuck in a bowl of sauce or buried in a sugary dessert. That bright, tart flavor is brilliant for cutting through rich mains, waking up leftovers, and adding a bit of color and snap to snacks and appetizers. Whether you’re staring at an extra bag of fresh berries or half
Cranberry recipes that aren’t just sauce or dessert Read More »
You know that feeling when people are about to come over and suddenly you see your house with “guest eyes”? The couch feels a little tired. The lighting looks weirdly harsh. The dining table is… there, but not exactly welcoming. But you don’t need a full makeover or a designer budget to make your home
16 Subtle Hosting Tricks That Make Your Home Feel Like a Boutique Hotel Read More »
The first winter I got brave with pruning, I “tidied up” a lilac on a sunny January afternoon. Come spring, the shrub was covered in lush, healthy leaves… and not a single flower. I’d cut off every blooming bud it had been quietly making the previous summer. So, yes, winter pruning can be brilliant. It
12 plants you should prune in winter (and 6 you shouldn’t) Read More »
I’m a day late, but I’m putting out my roundup of this week’s best ALDI Finds food deals, and they are peak Christmas season deliciousness! Panettone, brioche Christmas trees, party bites, hot cocoa everything. I went through the current “This Week’s ALDI Finds” and pulled out 30 food deals that are actually worth tossing in
30 Bargain ALDI Food Deals for Dec 3 to Dec 12 Read More »
Chicken drumsticks are usually the cheapest pack in the meat aisle, but there’s no reason they have to taste “budget.” Drumsticks and stay juicy, handle bold marinades, and don’t punish you if the timing isn’t perfect. This lineup leans into that: simple prep, familiar ingredients, and sauces that turn a low-cost cut into something that
19 Easy Budget Friendly Chicken Drumstick Recipes Bursting With Flavor Read More »
You know that moment when someone texts, “We’ll be there in an hour!” and suddenly your house looks like a crime scene? The floors are vacuumed. The counters are wiped. You’re technically “clean.”But your brain’s whispering, What about the weird stuff? The things people actually touch? The places I never remember until my mother-in-law is standing
By the time December rolls around, most gardens look sleepy and done. But under all that quiet, you’ve still got a lot of power to shape how next year goes. I’m a master gardener who specializes in organic growing and permaculture. It’s how I keep my garden and the environemnt around me healhy and safe,
12 Winter Garden Tasks You Should Finish Before January Read More »
Christmas doesn’t sneak up.The prices do. Once the holiday rush starts, demand spikes and so do a lot of prices, especially on food, toys, shipping, and anything “gift-y.” Retailers lean on dynamic pricing and seasonal markups, while carriers add peak surcharges on parcels and raise base rates. Food-at-home prices are still creeping up year over
50 things to stock up on now, before the Christmas price hikes Read More »
Chicken thighs are one of those ingredients that quietly do it all: they stay juicy, can handle bold flavors, and are forgiving if dinner runs a bit late. This roundup leans into that reliability with recipes that work for busy weeknights, low-key weekends, and everything in between. You’ll see plenty of familiar flavors — lemon,
23 Juicy Chicken Thigh Recipes for Stress-Free Suppers Read More »
If you’ve ever “just popped in” to Aldi for milk and come out with a cart full of candles, plants, and random wrap… yeah. Same. The trick is making that middle-aisle chaos work for you instead of blowing the budget. Winter is when I stock up on home stuff I’ll use all year: gift wrap,
21 Fab Aldi Home Bargains On Sale This Week (All Under $10) Read More »
You know that weird, fidgety feeling you get at the end of winter? The beds are bare, the soil’s still cold, and the garden looks like it’s given up on life. Meanwhile, the hummingbirds are already on the move north, zipping across the Gulf and hitting the southern U.S. from late February into March, then
12 Flowers You Can Start in Winter To Attract Hummingbirds in Spring Read More »
If you love a bit of heat, this lineup keeps things interesting from snacks to mains to sweets. It’s not all blow-your-head-off spice either — some recipes bring a gentle warmth, others lean into full-on fire, so you can pick your heat level depending on who’s around the table. Think quick weeknight dinners, easy party
Sweet Heat & Big Spice: Recipes for People Who Like a Kick Read More »
Whether you’re craving something hearty or something sweet, plants have you covered — and often with less fuss than you’d think. This roundup brings together a mix of vegan mains and desserts, from warming soups to cozy casseroles to indulgent treats. Everything here is about simple ingredients working together over time, offering flavors that feel
Vegan Mains and Desserts That Don’t Feel Like a Compromise Read More »
Grass is greedy. It’s also, in my opinion, one of the greatest marketing con jobs in history. At some point in the past, some marketing genius convinced everyone to dig up their useful, colorful, productive growing spaces and replace them with bland, barren “weeds” aka grass. And a couple hundred years later, many of us
12 Beautiful, Hardy Ground Covers That Replace Grass and Can Withstand Foot Traffic Read More »
Old Walkman. Chunky VCR. Weird calculator with way too many buttons. Blocky old game console that’s seen better days. You don’t any of it, but your brain is whispering, “Someone out there definitely wants this.” And you’d be right. Vintage electronics are my main source of reselling/flipping income. The demand only seems to increase. Old
21 Retro Electronics That Sell Fast Online Read More »
I hate that time of the year when the heat kicks on, you watch the thermostat climb, and all you can see is your utility bill doing the same thing. But I can’t let everyone freeze, can I? There are days when you have to turn the heat up. But there’s a whole lot you
18 Cozy Ways to Make Your Home Feel Warmer Without Touching the Thermostat Read More »
If you’ve got a busy schedule but still want a hot, comforting meal waiting when you walk through the door, slow cooker cooking is your kitchen’s best friend. These recipes let ingredients simmer and meld for hours, with minimal hands-on time, so you get rich flavors and cozy dinners with barely any fuss. From hearty
14 Slow Cooker Dinners That Practically Make Themselves Read More »
I don’t normally write posts like this, but today is different. Building multiple revenue streams is super-important to me, because I firmly believe that a huge part of preparedness and self-reliance is resiliency. And that includes financial resilience. I want to know that if I lose one income stream tomorrow, my family will be okay
You’re plating up holiday food, your dog is giving you the eyes, and your brain is doing that dance: “It’s just a little bit… what’s the harm?” Sometimes the harm is a very expensive emergency vet visit. Holiday food is a perfect storm for dogs: rich, salty, boozy, sugary, studded with nuts and dried fruit,
21 Holiday Foods That Are Dangerous for Dogs Read More »
Goat cheese is the zesty, tangy main character your fall cravings deserve. From swoon-worthy apps to cozy mains (and even dessert!), this roundup brings creamy chèvre energy to every bite, playful, elegant, and seriously snackable. Skim for game-day nibbles, weekday wins, and sweet surprises. Each pick is quick to love and easy to plate, because
14 Dreamy Goat Cheese Dishes for Serious Cheese Lovers Read More »
One-pot meals are the kind of easy comfort that make busy, real life a bit more doable. You brown, simmer, and serve from the same pan, which means less washing up and more time to actually sit down and eat. These one-pot recipes lean on pantry staples, simple veg, and affordable proteins, but still feel
14 Wholesome One-Pot Dishes for When the Day Runs Long Read More »
The cold snap rolled in fast. One minute I was splitting kindling on the porch, the next the sky went that odd gray-green that always makes me uneasy. Then—click—the house went silent. No furnace hum.No well pump.No lights. Just the kind of quiet that makes you suddenly aware of every draft in your old farmhouse.
The Winter Blackout Kit Every Household Needs (And How to Test It in 10 Minutes) Read More »
Keeping it cozy, seasonal, and doable, these Thanksgiving treats lean on pumpkin, apples, cranberries, sweet potato, and plenty of warm spice. Perfect for a real-life, make-it-work kitchen (aka yours), whether you’re baking ahead or bringing “just dessert.” 1. Apple Spice Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting Soft, spiced, and topped with creamy buttercream, these apple cupcakes taste
15 Cozy Thanksgiving Desserts to Sweeten the Season Read More »
Clean water is something most of us take completely for granted—until the taps don’t work or you’re miles from civilization with nothing but a questionable creek for hydration. I’ve been in both situations more times than I care to count, and trust me, having a reliable portable water filter isn’t just convenient—it can literally save
Best Portable Water Filters for Your Preparedness Supplies in 2025 Read More »
Cooking from scratch isn’t just a wholesome choice—it’s a practical skill every homesteader and prepper should master. Whether you’re working with homegrown vegetables, dry goods from your pantry, or meat from your freezer, knowing how to build meals from the ground up helps you stay ready for anything. This collection of tried-and-true recipes brings
18 Hearty From-Scratch Recipes for Home Cooking Read More »
When Hurricane Helene tore through the Southeast in 2024, I watched the news coverage with a familiar mix of concern and curiosity. Not just about the immediate damage, but about what happened next—the massive logistical operation that swung into action to keep survivors alive. FEMA delivered over 12.7 million liters of water and 11.5 million
FEMA’s Top Disaster Relief Supplies – Should You Stock Them Too? Read More »
I’ll never forget the phone call from my neighbor the morning after a severe thunderstorm tore through our area. She was crying—not from fear, but from pain. A tree had come down on her roof, and while trying to clear debris in the dark, she’d stepped on a nail that went straight through her work
Common Injuries in Natural Disasters and How to Prepare Read More »
When winter winds blow and temperatures drop, nothing provides comfort quite like a steaming cup of homegrown herbal tea. Over the years, I’ve experimented with countless combinations of herbs from my garden, discovering which blends best support winter wellness. Each season has taught me something new about growing, harvesting, and combining these natural ingredients. What
From Garden to Teacup: My Top 5 Homegrown Herbal Tea Blends for Winter Wellness Read More »
There’s nothing quite like the call of the open trail. The peace, freedom, and beauty soothe my soul and help me escape, if just for a little while, from the pressure of regular life. Just me and my doggos, enjoying the Great Outdoors. Because I’ve always been outdoorsy and spend a lot of time hiking,
Tick Talk: How to Avoid Ticks While Hiking Read More »
When it comes to survival, water is the most crucial resource. While storing clean drinking water is essential, it’s also important to know how to find natural sources of water in case of emergencies. Here are 15 surprising places you can find water in the wild that could save your life. 1. Tree Trunks and
Stay Hydrated, Stay Alive: 15 Natural Water Sources That Could Save Your Life Read More »
Note: I originally wrote this post for syndication to news outlets. But I know lots of you guys will be interested in this, too, so I thought it worth sharing here on the blog. You might think of pumpkin as just a festive pie selection – or as a spicy seasonal additive to almost everything,
The nutrient film technique, or NFT, is an effective but relatively simple hydroponic growing setup designed to give your plants all the essential nutrients they need using a recirculating system. NFT systems are popular because they’re modular, easy to build and expand, let you increase crop yield without too much extra effort, and require minimal
Hydroponics for Beginners: What Is The Nutrient Film Technique? Read More »
The life cycle of a cucumber (Cucumis sativus) consists of seven distinct stages, starting with a little seed and ending with harvesting the lovely fruits, before the plants die back and you start the cycle all over again next year. The stages of cucumber plant growth are: The cucumber life cycle happens within a single year. They’re
Lifecycle of Cucumber Plants: From Seed to Salad Read More »
