living off the grid

Long before the compass was created by humans, people used nature to find their way around the lands and across the waters. Sailors still use a special instrument called a sextant to navigate the seas. The sextant is designed to measure the angle of the stars above the horizon to find accurate direction and position in terms of the latitude and longitude. Before the sextant was used, Vikings used Sun Stones similar to a sundial that helped them maintain a proper course.

Summer can be one of the most amazing times of year to go foraging, especially if you’ve never been before. There is so much food available for the picking in the summer months that it is hard to be disappointed; it’s almost a guarantee that you will find something tasty wherever you are.

The arrival of the Spring Equinox is very exciting for foragers. We watch as the snow begins to melt away, looking for any signs of plant life. Our eyes scan looking for bright baby green shoots and any sign of blooming color.

Spring’s bounty can be incredible if you know what to look for and where to find it. As we walk through spring’s edibles, I will show you some of the more basic plants to locate, identify, and harvest. It is difficult to choose just a few to fit within these pages, because there are books’ worth of information on the food in different areas.

Foraging For Beginners Pt. 1 went over just a few of the many wild foods available throughout the United States. Part 2 will cover some of the winter edibles available.

Food can be found everywhere in nature, you just have to know what exactly it is you’re looking for.

This short series will break down foraging by the seasons. Every season brings about something new to look for. Although Spring, Summer, and Autumn bring about the biggest bounties, Winter has some to offer as well. Depending on the climate region you live in, there may be a bounty of food for you all year ‘round.

One may not realize how many festivals there are that have to do with sustainable and eco-friendly living. I can almost guarantee that there is some sort of event or festival that takes place in your area (or close to it).

These festivals span all across the United States, as well as in other countries. You name it and there’s likely a festival that exists in its honor. Today I’m going to share 5 different festivals worth looking into.

With the sugar-filled holiday, Halloween now in the past it can be a struggle to get the little ones to want to eat ANYTHING but candy.

Fruit leathers are a healthier, sweet, candy-like snack that are actually kind of good for the kids. It’s always fun to have the kids help with this recipe, and then they will know one of the ways of making Real Candy. When I was a little girl my Abuelita (Grandmother) would always give me candied fruits and fruit leathers instead of sugar filled candy.

Tips

When I moved off-grid, learning how to bake in a wood cook stove was a little tricky for me in the beginning. I learned that there is a whole process to baking you don’t get to experience with modern day stoves.

There are a few different ways you can bake using fire. You can even bake without an oven as long as you have a good bed of hot coals. Today I am going to share with you 4 different ways to bake using fire that I have had personal experience with.

It is always funny to me how old new age technology is. Hand-cranked gadgets go back a long time -- in fact, they predate electricity. However, there have been several new technologies made available that provide more modern hand-cranked, solar, and wind-powered products.

Off-grid living can take some getting used to, but there are all sorts of products, tools, and equipment to make the transition smoother.

Here are some of my favorite hand-cranked products.

As winter approaches there is a lot of work that has to be done in order to prepare. I usually start with the garden.