The Apartment Homestead

Cottagecore Apartment Style

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Want to add cozy, old-fashioned charm to your rented living space, but not sure how to do it? Use the following tips to create the cottagecore apartment of your dreams.

Cottagecore Apartment Style: How to Add Cozy, Old-Fashioned Charm to your living space.

More than ever before, the year has left us longing for a simpler time. Modern life brings so much anxiety and uncertainty into our lives. Moreover, bustling cities can feel downright scary in the middle of a global pandemic.

As a result, gen z and millennials are longing for a cozy life in the countryside. Now, this has been my dream for more than a decade now, but, like many of you, I’m still living in an apartment, unable to afford the land and cottage I dream of.

But the best part of simple living is that it’s available to everyone. While you may not be able to live just where and how you want, today’s the day to start your cottagecore life. If you’d like to learn more about homestyle cooking, apartment gardening, and old-fashioned living, please join me in the apartment homesteading project.

For today, though, let’s talk about cottagecore style. Though apartments and dorms can feel pretty cookie cutter, yours doesn’t have to! Incoporate the following tips to create the cozy, cottagecore apartment you’ve been dreaming of.

Cottagecore Aesthetic Essentials

Antiques and vintage items

Antiques add old-fashioned charm to your cottagecore apartment style.

Cottagecore has alternately been dubbed “grandmacore” for good reason. Visit estate sales, antique stores, and thrift stores for unique, homey, and gorgeous finds. Not only will you find items that add the perfect ambience to your space, but you’ll be embracing sustainability, a key cottagecore tenant.

Plants

Plants are a cottagecore aesthetic essential in apartments and homes.

You may not have a full orchard and gardens yet, but that doesn’t mean you can’t start developing your green thumb now. Grow a few herbs in a sunny windowsill, love on those houseplants, arrange a bouquet of flowers, and hang some drying flowers or herbs from a curtain rod or wall hooks, using a bit of twine or string.

If your cottagecore style leans farmhouse, you might like this herb planter. If you prefer a boho look, hanging planters are a great option. And if you like something a little more traditional, this trio of ceramic planters might be for you.

Mood lighting

Lamps, fairy lights, and candles all create pockets of coziness throughout your apartment, an essential for cottagecore apartment style.

If you were living in a cottage in the nineteenth century, you would have relied on candles or kerosene lamps to light your way in the darkness. Admittedly, you wouldn’t have had electricity either, but you don’t need that level of commitment to recreate a cozy, old-fashioned lighting effect in your modern home. 

Though, if you’re like me, you might find beeswax candles on an old-fashioned candlestick holder appealing

Lamps, fairy lights, and candles can all create pockets of coziness throughout your apartment. So consider where you like spending time, and see if you can add a little visual warmth with accent lighting. Then turn off those bright overhead lights and enjoy the calming, sleepiness-inducing effect of reading by a single light in a dark room.

Visible kitchenware

If you're going for a cottagecore apartmnet look, bring some cooking equipment and ingredients out into the open on shelves or the countertop. Pretty jars and a cohesive color things keep things looking tidy.

Built in, wall-to-wall cabinets weren’t a standard home feature until well into the 20th century. Kitchens were designed for utility, and, while an uncluttered space might look nice, it’s pretty tedious to have to dig through overstuffed cupboards every time you need a spatula or flour.

As a result, I’d encourage you to bring your most-used kitchen supplies out into the open. Keep a jar or crock near the stove top full of the large utensils you need with most recipes – things like spatulas, mixing spoons, ladles, and tongs. Buy pretty jars for pantry staples like flour, sugar, oatmeal, and brown sugar, and then keep those jars on your countertop. It looks beautiful. Even better, I promise the ease of access will make you more likely to cook.

I’ve already started buying the anchor hocking jars linked in the last paragraph, and I love them, but if I were starting over, I’d consider these gorgeous, airtight containers instead:

Soft, cozy textures

Focus on comfort, not just cottagecore aesthetics. A variety of cozy textures, including blankets, furniture, towels, and bedding, will make your apartment more welcoming.

While cottagecore is heavily visual aesthetics driven, it’s also known as “cozycore” for a reason. Make your apartment comfortable, not just cute.

While you may not have a lot of control over the furniture in your apartment as a renter, a few added details can make all the difference. Cozy things up with a downy comforter, soft pillows, plush throws, and fluffy towels.

Cottagecore Apartment Design

Farm and woodland animal motifs

Bring the woodlands indoors with forest and farm animal motifs in your cottagecore apartment.

Along with plants, animal motifs can add a little woodland charm to any cottagecore apartment. The cottagecore aesthetic is heavily influenced by French Country and especially English Country style. As a result the animals most seen in cottagecore decor include western European forest and farm animals like foxes, owls, rabbits, sheep, horses, and honeybees (my personal favorite). Feel free to experiment with animals that feel familiar to you, though!

Here are a few favorites:

I have these adorable honeybee magnets on my fridge, and they make me smile every time I grab a snack.

Natural, muted colors

Now, if you love bold colors, go for it, but many cottagecore apartments and houses feature softer hues – chambray blues, sage greens, dusty rose pinks, and faded yellows. These colors are both commonly found in nature and easily created from natural dyes. As a result, people of all income levels have decorated their homes in these shades throughout history, so they’re a natural fit for a timeless interior.

Timeless patterns

Use timeless patterns like strips, gingham, eyelet, toile, and florals in your cottagecore apartment.

Since you’re going for a timeless, cozy style in your cottagecore apartment, consider the types of patterns and prints you’d see in a wide variety of time periods. Stripes, gingham (though I think we’re all a little over the black and white buffalo check variant), eyelet, toile, and especially calico prints all come to mind. Incorporate them in bedding, decorative pillows and throws, curtains, and knickknacks throughout your apartment.

Cottagecore Apartment Accessories

Vintage (or vintage style) books

Vintage books add a friendly lived-in appeal to your cottagecore apartment style

For me, books are one of the very best decorative items. They add warmth and a lived in charm to any apartment or home. I’m a sucker for leatherbound books, like those from Easton press or even Barnes and Noble.

But you don’t need to spend a fortune here. I have an ever-growing collection of leatherbound classics, but I’ve never paid more than $15 for any of them. As is the case for so many items on this list, thrift stores are a cottagecore lover’s best friend.

And be sure to hit up any used book stores in your area too.

Handcrafted items

Developing your cottagecore apartment style means its time to get crafting! Or at least purchasing handmade items from local artisans. Look online or to local craft fairs to find beautiful, one-of-a-kind old-fashioned items.

Framed embroidery, hand-knitted blankets, homemade quilts, and original paintings or prints all have a place in the cottagecore apartment. To find these items, check facebook for local art and craft fairs in your area. In Utah County, where I live, I make sure to visit the Beehive Bazaar each time it happens, and I always come home with a much-loved item or two. My most recent finds include a birdfeeder made from a mason jar and vintage china, and a gorgeous painting from Lovetta Reyes Cairo. Doesn’t it remind you of Renaissance art, especially something DaVinci would create?

If you don’t have frequent art fairs in your area, Etsy is a great alternative. Though handmade items tend to cost a little more than the mass-produced alternatives you’d find in a big box store, you’ll love the handmade items more. And it feels great to know that your money goes directly to an artist’s livelihood, rather than to a faceless and potentially exploitative corporation.

Quality over quantity should be our goal.

Artwork and photograph gallery walls

As a young adult living in an apartment, art, especially original art, can prove WAY too expensive. And the same goes for custom frames. One way I’ve found around this is in creating gallery walls. Instead of shelling out hundreds of dollars for a big piece of art and a frame to go with it, invest in a variety of smaller items that you really love. In particular, look for these items at thrift stores, and you’ll find it’s easy to build up a collection inexpensively.

Better yet, you’ll come away with something far more unique and personal than those mass-produced Hobby Lobby items (though I’ve got a few of those items in my home too – no judgement here!).

Vintage prints and original artwork add class and interest to your cottagecore apartment style. A collage-style gallery wall adds vintage flair.

Currently, I have an art and photo gallery wall in the works in my bedroom, and I’m excited to share the results. Ultimately, It will feature paintings and prints, a few antiques, and photographs of my ancestors. The items and their frames don’t necessarily match perfectly, but that’s the fun of a gallery wall! As long as you incorporate a few repeating colors and materials, a wide variety of items can go together

In the end, cottagecore is country style for a new generation, and inclusiveness is a major part of its appeal. If any of these tips don’t speak to you, throw them out! Making a space you love is the number one rule of cottagecore design.

Remember, vintage style, not vintage values!

Enjoy that cozy, cottagecore life!

Cottagecore Apartment Style: How to add cozy, old-fashioned charm to your rental or condo.

Garden Fresh Minestrone

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The ideal recipe for using up late summer and early fall garden harvests, this minestrone is loaded with perfectly in-season vegetables and herbs.

Garden fresh minestrone with zucchini and green beans.

After making variations on Kathryne Taylor’s fantastic recipe over at Cookie and Kate about a dozen times since February, I’ve finally discovered my dream minestrone. I’ve tweaked it quite a bit since then, but full credit to Kate for the aspects of this recipe that are similar. Be sure to check out her recipe blog (it’s one of the best out there!) and her cookbook, Love Real Food.

But I’ve ended up adapting a few ingredients and techniques in this recipe to my specific tastes and wanted to share this garden fresh version. Most importantly, I wanted this recipe to use fresh vegetables and herbs, straight from the summer and early fall garden.

Since many gardeners end up swimming in green beans and zucchini from July through September, minestrone is designed to use those up in the most delicious way possible. Unfortunately, I’m not lucky enough to have an overload of zucchini right now, since squash bugs have decimated my zucchini and winter squash plants this summer (though I’ve learned to tips to get rid of squash bugs organically next summer!). But I do have plenty of green beans straight from the garden).

I’ve also adjusted cooking times to preserve more of the original texture and color of the garden vegetables. In addition, I’ve amped up the flavor in a few spots, increased the quantity of vegetables (I like a hearty soup!), and included a special ingredient to add richness and depth to the minestrone. The result is absolutely luscious.

Storing Minestrone

Savory, bright, filling, and full of flavor, this minestrone is a meatless meal that even carnivores will love. Even better, it’s one of those magical dishes that tastes amazing as leftovers. In fact, I rarely eat it fresh! Instead I’ll make a big batch, divide it into individual servings in mason jars, let the flavors meld in the fridge overnight, and then eat it for lunch throughout the week.

Fortunately, minestrone also freezes well with a couple of tweaks. The pasta and potatoes will get mushy after freezing and reheating, so I recommend leaving them out, at least initially. You can either replace them with more beans and freezer friendly veggies, or you can make the soup without them and add in boiled potatoes and pasta after you’ve thawed the soup. 

Essential Supplies

Minestrone soup with zucchini and green beans summer vegetables from the garden

Helpful supplies

  • An herb stripper
  • Kitchen shears
  • A garlic peeler

Minestrone Prep

Before starting the recipe, do the following:

  1. Gather all ingredients and supplies.
  2. Dice the following:
    • Onion
    • Carrots
    • Celery
    • Potatoes
  3. Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise. Then slice it into bite-sized pieces.
  4. Snap the green beans into 1/2 inch pieces.
  5. Mince the garlic
  6. Open the tomato paste and diced tomatoes, but don’t drain them.
  7. Remove the stems from the rosemary, thyme, and basil.
    • An herb stripper can make that easier.
    • Chiffonade the basil by bedding the leaves on top of each other, rolling them up, and then chopping them into thin strips with kitchen shears.
  8. Open, drain, and rinse the beans.
  9. Cut the rind off the parmesan.
  10. Juice the lemon half.

Minestrone making tips

Minestrone with zucchini and green beans
  • Slice the carrots and celery and dice the potato into small piece to ensure that they cook thoroughly.
  • Leave the zucchini and green beans in large, but still bite-sized pieces. You’ll want these to be larger pieces than the other vegetables so that they don’t get too soft.
  • You can substitute other vegetables as desired in this recipe, depending on the season, but you’ll want to add different types of vegetables at different times in the cooking process.
    • Most veggies can be added when the instructions say to add the zucchini and green beans.
    • Hard root vegetables, like parsnips or rutabagas, should be added along with the carrot and celery.
    • Greens should only be added in the final few minutes of cooking
  • Pay attention to the color and texture of the vegetables and pasta as you near the recipe’s end. Take the soup off the heat if the veggies start to turn dull or overly mushy or the pasta gets too soft.
  • If you’d like to substitute dried herbs, use 1 teaspoon of each herb instead.
  • You can substitute vegetable or turkey broth for the chicken broth, but I don’t recommend beef broth unless you like a very meaty flavor.
  • Don’t be afraid to experiment! Minestrone’s one of the most flexible dishes out there.
Pinterest minestrone
Print Recipe
 Garden Fresh Minestrone
The ideal recipe for using up late summer and early fall garden harvests, this minestrone is loaded with perfectly in-season vegetables and herbs.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Heat oil over medium heat in a large pot or dutch oven. Add in the onion, carrots, celery, and tomato paste and stir until the onion is translucent and the vegetables have begun to soften, about ten minutes.
  2. Add the zucchini, potatoes, green beans, garlic, oregano, and thyme. Stir the ingredients together for about three minutes.
  3. Add the broth, parmesan rind, salt, bay leaves, red pepper, and black pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover and reduce heat to medium low. If the lid doesn’t have a vent for steam, leave a small portion of the pan uncovered. Simmer for over medium low heat for 20 minutes.
  4. Add the pasta and beans, and simmer for 10 more minutes until the vegetables are fork tender and the pasta is al dente.
  5. Remove from heat. Stir in the basil, lemon juice, and as much fresh ground black pepper as you'd like.
  6. Remove the parmesan rind and bay leaves and serve.

How to Choose a Blog Name in 2021

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It can feel daunting to choose a blog name, especially in the crowded digital landscape of 2021, but this brainstorming guide will help you find a title that’s just right for you and your audience.

How to choose a blog name in 2021

So you want to start a blog. Chances are you’re eager to jump into purchasing a domain, setting up a site, and publishing posts. But before you do, you’ll need to think carefully about the title of your website. You’ll want to be sure your blog title accurately represents you as a blogger, appeals to your intended audience, and encapsulates the purpose and goals of your site. That’s a tall order!

Next week we’ll be talking about choosing and setting up a domain name, but for now I hope you’ll answer the following questions, which are sure to help you choose a blog name that’s right for you.

Grab some three sheets of paper and a pencil or pen, because it’s time to brainstorm! Turn a sheet of paper sideways, and divide it into five columns. Your second sheet will be used for question six.

Now, let’s begin!

Five questions to ask yourself as you choose a blog name

1. What topics will your blog cover?

Hopefully you’ve already narrowed this down using last week’s post on choosing a primary topic for your blog, and now you’re going to play with words a bit. What words, phrases, images, and concepts do you associate with your blog topic? Pull up a thesaurus to find related words (but make sure you understand what the synonyms really mean).

In the first column of your paper, create a list of as many relevant words as you can. Don’t edit yourself as these words come to you. Write down anything that pops into your head.

2. Who is your ideal reader?

Though it might sound repetitive, since this is something we covered in last’s weeks post, this question bears repeating. You can expect me to ask it in some form in almost every blogging advice post.

So, who are you writing for? Given their age, income level, family status, stage of living, and interests, what titles would and would not appeal to them?

What words relate to who your target reader is? Add these words in a second column of your list.

3. What problem are you solving for your ideal reader?

This is another repeat question from my post about choosing a blog topic, but it’s just as important as the last one. Readers will invest their time and eventually their money into your blog, products, and services only if you can convince them you’re solving a problem in their life.

With that in mind, what’s the primary obstacle your reader faces that you’re trying to solve with your blog? Is there a way to state that in the title of the blog itself?

Are there words that express what problems they’re facing? Even more important, what words relate to the solutions you’re offering? Add these to the third column in your word bank.

This question factored directly into my chosen blog title. The Apartment Homestead makes it clear who I’m writing for (apartment dwellers) and what I’m helping them do (homestead even though they live in apartments).

4.What end result do you want for your ideal reader?

Picture your ideal reader having overcome their obstacles with the help of your blog. How would their life look different than it does currently? How would they ultimately be able describe themselves in ways they can’t yet?

List out some words of what that looks like in a fourth column.

5. What is your writing tone like?

What kind of writer are you? Are you business-like? Heartfelt? Informative? Warm? Snarky? Goofy? You’ll want your blog title to reflect (or at least not be at odds with) your overall tone.

Now expand to include what you want the general feel of your blog to be. What aesthetic or ambience do you want the blog to have? Does is match with your natural writing tone?

Cross off any words in your word bank that don’t fit well with your writing tone. Circle any that seem like a particularly good fit.

How to choose a blog name: Narrowing it down

Consider your ultimate blog and brand goals

Now it’s time for a second sheet of paper. On that sheet, make a bullet point list of every product, service, or content you dream of developing as a result of your blog. It’s okay to reach for the moon here.

An example list

My list would include the following practical and pie in the sky items:

  • Weekly blog posts on apartment homesteading topics (homestyle recipes, container gardening, and old-fashioned living).
  • Weekly blog posts on starting and maintaining a successful blog.
  • A at-a-glance chart on caring for herbs in containers.
  • An ebook on container herb gardening.
  • A digital course on growing food in containers.
  • An ebook or course on how to save up for and purchase a homesteading property.
  • One-on-one blogging mentorships.
  • Group blogging mentorships.
  • Selling fresh-cut flowers, produce, or homemade goods from my own homestead.
  • Offering paid photography time in my flower fields
  • Renting out an Airbnb cottage on my homestead property.
  • Holding weddings and events in a rental barn on my property.

That’s a lot, isn’t it! Fortunately, most of it all relates back to my target audience of apartment homesteaders, even if it doesn’t seem like it at first glance. If I achieve my goals someday and buy a homesteading property, which would allow me to accomplish the final four bullet points, it doesn’t invalidate the blog title. In fact, it could act as inspiration for apartment homesteaders with the same dream!

Now, my guides to blogging might seem even less obviously related to homesteading, but I’m okay with that. Given how expensive land is, I know a lot of apartment homesteaders in my target demographic are interested in developing websites, side hustles, and multiple income streams. I want to help them achieve that side of their homesteading ambitions too.

What to do with your list of dreams

Once you’ve made your list, consider each bullet point in relation to your word bank on the first page. Are there words that are especially good umbrellas for all you dream of your blog and brand becoming? Cross out any words that feel like a bad fit with these goals.

Next, you’ll want to take the words you like best and write them out on your third sheet of paper. Set the first two pages aside.

Finally, use the fourth page to play around with the words, placing them in various configurations with each other. Are potential titles coming forward? Circle any that you like.

Practical considerations when you choose a blog name

At this point, you should have at least a handful of potential blog titles you like pretty well. They should appeal to your reader, offer them solutions, express your style and writing tone, and give readers an idea of what your content and brand are all about.

First, write out the titles as a single word

ie. theapartmenthomestead. Eliminate any title from your list that:

  • Could be misread as something else
  • Is hard to pronounce
  • Is hard to spell
  • Might be hard to remember

Second, check which titles are available for purchase as domain names.

Don’t despair if it doesn’t immediately seem available. Try different forms of the words you’ve chosen. Turn nouns into verbs or vice versa. Use abbreviations. Try adding an article like “the.” I don’t recommend, however, using anything other than a .com domain.

Third, check if the title is already owned by another brand.

Fortunately, the government has a handy (if clunky) website where you can search if a brand name has been trademarked. This step can save you serious heartache and money down the line. The last thing you want would be ending up in a legal battle over your blog name and brand.

Fourth, see if social media handles that match the titles are available on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest, TikTok, and Twitter.

Try to avoid using underscores, dots, or other symbols in your social media handles if possible. @yourblogname looks most professional, authoritative, and trustworthy.

How to choose a blog name in 2021 - 5 questions to ask before you start.

After all that, I hope you’ve chosen a blog name that feels good to you. I’d love to hear what you’ve come up with, so please share a bit about your blog in the comments below.

And be sure to check out next week’s post too, where we’ll be talking through all the logistics of buying a domain.

How to Get Rid of Squash Bugs Organically

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Few pests can take out a healthy plant faster than a squash bug. But how do you get rid of squash bugs, especially if you’re trying to garden organically? With the following 10 tips, you’ll be armed for battle against these ruthless garden invaders.

How to get rid of squash bugs organically

One day, your squash plants are lush and thriving. The next, several leaves are yellowing and crisping up around the edges. Within a week or two, the plant has died completely, with nothing but dry, withered, brown vines and leaves and a wrinkled, immature squash or two to show for your hard work and care.

So what happened?

More often than not, squash bugs are the culprit.

Squash bugs are my sworn enemies, and I wish suffering upon them all. For the past two summers, I’ve been gardening in a small plot in my community garden, as well as in containers on my front porch.

Community gardening presents some unique challenges, but squash bug infestations have proved the most frustrating. In the past two years, I’ve lost watermelon, honeydew, and all manner of summer and winter squash plants to those pesky insects. My cucumbers have remained unscathed, but only because I grow them in containers at home.

In the process, though, I’ve learned a lot about how to prevent and get rid of squash bugs to keep my plants healthy.

Why are squash bugs a problem?

Squash bugs are fairly large, beetle-like insects who live their entire lives on or near squash plants. Where I live (Utah), they usually emerge in May and then wreak havoc through the remainder of the gardening season.

These pesky bugs pierce the vines and fruits of cucurbit plants, sucking out their juices and ultimately weakening or even killing the plant. The holes interfere with water and nutrient absorption and provide a way for infections to enter the plant. In addition, their saliva can carry bacteria that further harms your squash plants.

The leaves of cucurbit plants affected by squash bugs will quickly wilt and turn brown. Gradually, entire sections of the plant, and ultimately the entire plant may die.

How to identify squash bugs

Adult squash bugs
An adult squash bug

It’s better to find squash bugs before they start damaging your plants, so keep an eye out for them. Adult squash bugs are between 1/2 inch and 3/4 inch long. They have brownish gray bodies that can be striped around the edges. They are roughly teardrop shaped, with a triangular area leading to their heads. When you squish them, you’ll discover that their innards are bright turquoise and unpleasantly smelly.

Immature squash bugs have white to pale green bodies that are oval shaped. They have black heads, black, spindly legs and are about a 1/4 of an inch long.

Newborn squash bugs have small green bodies with black heads and are most identifiable by their spidery black legs. You’ll generally find them on the underside of leaves, newly emerged from their eggs.

No matter their age, squash bugs are absolute jerks, and you should kill them if you value your squash, cucumber, and melon plants.

So how do you get rid of them? Unfortunately, a full-blown squash bug infestation can prove difficult to contain. As a result, prevention and vigilance are your best tools in keeping the squash bug population in your garden under control.

10 Ways to Get Rid of Squash Bugs Organically

1. Rotate planting locations

Squash bug eggs and nymphs won’t survive a hard freeze, but adult squash bugs overwinter in brush, wood piles, and any mulch, woody compost, or plant debris leftover in the garden after autumn.

Spaghetti squash growing on vine

Since you can’t expect the cold to kill them, instead rotate your plantings each year so that the previous year’s squash, melon, or cucumber beds house something from a different plant family. Move those cucurbits to an entirely different part of the garden. Then cross your fingers that the squash bugs don’t find them.

2. Grow vine varieties up a trellis.

Squash bugs love to hide in the soil and plant debris right around the root of cucurbit plants. Getting your squash leaves away from the ground can make the area less appealing for these destructive insects. Vine varieties grown up trellises are a great option for making your garden less appealing to squash bugs.

3. Plant decoys and repellants

Like many insects, squash bugs dislike the scents of particular flowers and herbs. Interplanting marigolds, nasturtiums, mint, and beebalm with your squash, pumpkin, cucumber, and melon plants can make those cucurbits less appealing to squash bugs.

Another trick is planting a decoy squash plant – blue hubbard squash works especially well because squash bugs love it – on the perimeter of your squash bed early in the season. This plant acts as a trap and egg-laying sight for the squash bugs in the garden.

Once the plant is established and squash bugs have laid eggs on it (but before the eggs have a chance to hatch) remove the trap plant and dispose of it. Then treat the ground with one of the natural insect repellents listed in steps 8 and 9. You can then follow this up with a new planting of your main cucurbit crops.

4. Clean up garden debris

Clear out garden dead leaves and other garden debris to help prevent a squash bug infestation.

As mentioned above, squash bugs love to hide under mulch, dead leaves, and other garden debris. So keep those garden beds tidy! Clear out garden debris any time you spot it, and throw it straight into your compost pile.

5. Check for eggs daily

Tedious though it may be, this is one of the single most effective methods of preventing a full-fledged squash bug invasion. A single female squash bug can lay 250 eggs, and each of those eggs quickly mature into adulthood, so just imagine how fast things get out of control.

To keep that from happening, head out to your squash plants every day and, with garden gloves on, turn over each individual leaf. If you find a patch of small yellowish-brown eggs sticking in the crevasses of the leaves, cut off the leaf altogether and throw it away.

Dumpling Squash on a trellis

Alternatively, you can press duct tape to the eggs and then peel the eggs away from the leaf. Be careful not to damage the leaves in the process, but even if you do, you’ll still do less harm than a clan of squash bugs.

6. Get rid of squash bugs daily

This is the other finicky step that’s necessary to prevent a squash bug infestation, but you really do need to go on a squash bug hunt and kill mission every day, or at least several times each week. My preferred method involves wearing gloves, catching squash bugs by hand, and dropping them in a combination of water, neem oil, and dawn dish soap. Squishing is also an option.

Not seeing any squash bugs? They hide in the heat of the day, so I’ve found more of them early in the morning or near sunset. Watering deeply also drives them out of their hiding places.

An infestation of squash bugs

7. Set a squash bug trap

Want to make the process of finding squash bugs easier? Set a trap for them.

Lay out an old board, large rock, or piece of heavy cardboard near the base of your squash plants and leave it there for a day or two. Leave it overnight for squash bugs to congregate underneath. The next morning, turn the trap over and quickly squish or drown all of the squash bugs you find underneath.

8. Sprinkle diatomaceous earth

Though not an insect poison in the traditional sense, diatomaceous earth’s rough surface slices up the bodies of squash bugs. You can sprinkle a small amount right around the base of your pumpkin, squash, cucumber and melon plants to kill or deter any squash bugs in the area.

However, I recommend avoiding wide-spread diatomaceous earth use, because it can harm beneficial insects too.

9. Create an organic spray

Yellow crookneck squash

Neem oil is a food safe, organic product that you can use on a wide variety of insects (don’t let the smell put you off!). Mix it up with hot water and a bit of mild dish soap (I like to use peppermint castile soap), and then spray it on any squash bugs that are too quick to catch or squish.

Unfortunately, a neem oil spray will only work if you get it directly on squash bugs bodies. As a result, I try to spray it in the soil near the root of the plant, where I know squash bugs tend to hide. Avoid using it early in the day or in full sunlight, though, since it can scorch your plants. Using it late in the evening works best.

10. If you can’t seem to get rid of squash bugs, take a break from planting squash

If all else fails, it’s may be best to avoid planting cucurbits for one year so that the squash bugs that overwintered in your garden don’t have anything to survive on. Sometimes a break is essential for long-term success.

To be honest, this is where I’m at. I’m throwing in the squash towel for the year, at least in my community garden! I’ll still grow cucumbers and maybe a summer squash or zucchini in containers at home. Hopefully in another year, the worst of my community garden’s invasion will be under control.

Armed with these tips for getting rid of squash bugs, I’ll be ready for squash and pumpkins and melons galore!

10 Ways to Get Rid of Squash Bugs Organically

How to Choose a Blog Topic in 2021

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How to choose a blog topic in 2021: 15 questions to answer before you start.

Not sure how to choose a topic for your blog in 2021? Ask yourself these 15 questions to know what blogging niche is right for you and right for this year‘s consumers.

So, you want to start a blog. Maybe you’ve always enjoyed writing, and blogging seems like a great way to bring in a side income. You’re not wrong! Blogging can be a fun and relatively easy way to express yourself, share your story, and make some extra cash along the way.

But in 2021, it’s not enough to choose a cutesy title and share your random musings with the world. We all remember 2009, when suddenly your sister-in-law, your mom, and all of your friends had blogspot pages, spruced up with scrapbook-style templates from The Cutest Blog on the Block. And some major early bloggers did make it big with general slice of life content! But as the internet grows more crowded and more sophisticated, you’ll need to want to put more thought and planning into your blog topic and title before you get started.

Why? Because the right niche will help connect your blog with readers and will help those readers become customers!

So how do you choose a blog topic?

And that’s why I’m here to help. Spend a little time reading through and carefully answering the following questions, and you’ll go a long way toward understanding how to choose a blog topic that’s right for you.

Choose a blog topic you’re passionate about

How to choose a blog topic: choose a topic you're passionate about

If you had a whole day to yourself with all of your responsibilities fulfilled, what would you do with your time?

The laundry is done, meals for the week are prepped, the house is clean, the dog is walked, you’re all caught up at work, and you’ve already exercised and showered. What would you do with the rest of that mythical day?

One of the ways that I knew homesteading was the right blogging niche for me was that I was always searching for free time to garden and experiment with old-fashioned cooking techniques.

What subjects do you speak enthusiastically and at least somewhat knowledgeably about?

Before you get too intimidated here, know that I’m NOT asking what you’re an expert in. One of the most effective blogging techniques is to present yourself as an enthusiast who is sharing what they learn along the way.

If there’s a topic you can’t help but bring up in conversations, you’ll probably enjoy blogging about it too.

What subjects do your friends come to you with questions about?

Again, you don’t need to be an expert! But if your friends always ask you for money advice, maybe you could blog on personal finance. If they’re always using your recipes, maybe food blogging is for you. Are you the one who always knows about the best local hikes or festivals or restaurants, maybe you’ve found your niche!

Even if you don’t feel especially confident, friends perceiving you as a source of information on a specific topic is a pretty good sign that you’re knowledgeable enough to blog about it.

What topics do you research often?

Look at your recent google search history and Pinterest search history to get an idea of what you often have questions about. What books have you purchased or checked out from the library in the past year? Which podcasts do you listen to? What websites and blogs do you frequent?

Pay attention to themes in what you’re always learning more about.

What types of products do you buy more often than the average person?

Now this is where your Amazon purchase and search histories can come in handy. Take a look at types of items you buy that the average person might not. If you can define your buying niche, chances are that a focused blog will bring in buyers in that same niche.

Since I’m always buying organic pest control products, kitchen appliances and utensils, and do-it-yourself gear, homesteading’s a good blogging fit for me!

Once you find a niche, make sure you mean it

Commit to your blogging niche

Is this a topic or activity I’m consistently interested in and committed to?

Be brutally honest with yourself here. Choose a blog topic that has consistently held your interest for a long time. And if it’s hobby, activity, or lifestyle related, make sure it’s already well-integrated in your life.

Why? Because it’s hard to upend your life AND start a blog at the same time. Some bloggers can do it, but I’m not one of them.

When I first started blogging, I planned to write about clean eating and overhauling my health. Now, those are topics I care about, but I struggled to keep momentum with blogging and overhauling my diet and lifestyle at the same time. I also struggled with creating recipes, because it was a whole new way of cooking for me.

When I switched my focus to homesteading broadly, it was an enormous relief, because old-fashioned skills, homestyle cooking, and gardening were already a major part of my life.

What makes my take on this topic unique?

As I mentioned before, it’s harder to get eyes on your blog in 2021 than it was in 2009. No matter your niche, you’ll be competing with other blogs and websites for attention, so it’s important to find a way to set yourself apart.

And sometimes the thing that sets you apart can be a specific obstacle that you’re overcoming in relation to that niche.

For years, I thought that homesteading was a distant dream because I lived in an apartment. It was a real aha moment when I realized that other people had the same problem and wanted to overcome it (see more on this below). There are a lot of homesteading blogs out there, and there are quite a few urban homesteading blogs. I’m unique in writing specifically to apartment homesteaders, though, and that focus provides clarity in how I structure my blog.

Can I come up with 52 blog posts within this specific niche?

Now, grab a piece of paper, and brainstorm! Write down as many blog post ideas as you can think of.

If you struggle to come up with posts, ask yourself what you’d like to learn about your topic. Make a bullet point list of the answers you come up with, and consider each point a potential post.

If you can come up with 52 posts, you’ve got an entire year’s worth of content – 2021 planned out in one step!

Consider your target audience

Focus on your target blogging audience. Who is your ideal blog reader and customer?

Who is your ideal reader and customer?

This might seem like an odd or limiting question – after all, why would you want to limit your audience? But the truth is that your blog can’t be for everyone, and it inevitably won’t be. You’ll have a much easier time writing posts and developing products if you know precisely who you’re writing for.

So, as you choose a blog topic, get specific about who you’re writing to. What is your ideal readers’ age, gender, family status, income level, and housing situation?

Don’t be surprised if your target reader looks a lot like you.

My ideal reader is a 20-30 something single woman with no children. She’s probably college educated and makes $25000-$50000/year, but she can’t afford a house with a yard right now. She either rents an apartment or owns a condo, but she dreams of owning land big enough for chickens, bees, an orchard, and a huge vegetable garden. She might have roommates. My ideal reader is basically myself.

What are your ideal readers’ problems?

Want to make money as a blogger? Solve a problem for your reader.

Spend some extra time on this question, because it’s the crux of what you’ll be writing about. People spend money when they think spending will solve their problems. So what obstacles are your readers facing in relation to your niche topic? How can your blog posts, products and services solve their problems? Figuring this out should be your number one priority.

Want to make money as a blogger? Solve a problem for your reader.

For me, the fundamental problem that my ideal reader faces is feeling like she can’t homestead because she’s not being able to afford land. She might think she doesn’t have the kitchen space, equipment, or garden required for old-fashioned living. I solve that problem through blog posts, ebooks, and online courses that teach homesteading skills that work in an apartment setting.

Decide how you can earn money within that niche

Choosing a blog topic in 2021: Consider potential income streams

Before we jump into talking about making that $$$, here’s an essential reminder: you’ll never gain your readers’ trust if you’re only in it for the money.

And if you never gain your readers’ trust, they’re unlikely to actually give you their money anyway.

So prioritize the previous section over this one. Ask yourself again and again – who is your target audience? What problems are you solving for them? Sometimes you can help them solve their problems by selling things to them, but make sure the solutions you offer are real ones. Give them quality content and services.

What kinds of affiliate products fit in with this niche?

Affiliate programs pay you a percentage of sales whenever a person purchases an item you’ve linked to.

Once you’ve signed up for an affiliate program, you can link to a product within your posts and receive a percentage of the sales any time a reader follows the link and makes a purchase.

Above all, focus on linking to products that solve your ideal reader’s problems. If your focus is on meeting your reader’s needs, your blog content will remain natural.

What kinds of brands do I associate with this topic?

Are there brands that you love and would like to work with someday? Would their products help solve your ideal reader’s problems?

If so, carefully consider the types of posts and other content you can create that would naturally involve promoting those brands

Alternatively, many bloggers, myself included, prefer to use a more general advertising program, like Google Adsense. This program shows ads to readers based on their recent search history. Since the ads are already tailored to their interests, they’re more likely to generate a profit. Programs like Google Adsense offer you payment based on your blog’s general traffic.

Do I have an ethical multi-level marketing brand I’d like to partner with?

Some highly profitable lifestyle bloggers bring in money through multilevel marketing programs like Doterra or Beauty Counter. As you gain the trust of your readers, they’ll be more likely to buy through you. They’ll also be more likely to work under you if they decide to sell the product themselves. Keep in mind, though, that MLMs leave a bad taste in some readers’ mouths, and that many MLMs are predatory. Only participate in a multi-level program if you believe whole-heartedly in the product and feel completely comfortable with the profit structure.

If you already participate in this sort of program or are interested in joining one, consider carefully how your blog topic could relate to it. Are there ways you could incorporate the products into your posts in natural ways that don’t feel spammy?

Do I have a physical product of my own I could sell?

If you answer no to this question, no problem! Not everyone needs to sell a physical product. But if you have a physical product you love to create, your blog can be a great way to promote it.

Brainstorm some ways to naturally discuss your merchandise in blog posts. Are there blog post topics that lend themselves to product promotion? What problems does your merchandise solve for your reader?

Could I sell my expertise on this topic directly, through ebooks, courses, or mentorships?

Again, don’t be scared off by the idea of yourself as an expert! If there’s a topic you love enough to blog about it, then I guarantee you’re capable of writing short ebooks or teaching others directly through courses and one-on-one memberships.

Courses and mentorships in particular are one of the biggest money-makers in the blogging world. They involve a large amount of work up front, but can then provide a constant source of easy income going forward.

As you commit to a blogging niche, I recommend also choosing a subtopic you’d like to create an ebook, course, or mentorship within a year. That might seem premature, but you can then tailor your blogging work throughout that time to make creating your first big seller more easily. The research, photography, outlining, and writing you do for your posts can be adapted and expanded upon into a more in-depth digital product for sale.

Recap: How to choose a blog topic in 2021

Now that you know how to choose

Jam Making Tips for Beginners

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Does the idea of home canning intimidate you? Fruit preserves are a great place to start, and with these jam making tips for beginners, you can feel confident that your creations will be safe, delicious, and just the right consistency.

Jam Making Tips for Beginners

How to can with confidence

If you’re new to jam-making and canning in general, I’m going to guess that you have two big concerns:

  1. That the jam won’t be safe and shelf-stable.
  2. That the jam won’t set correctly and you’ll end up with runny, crystalized, or overly thick jam.

Those are totally valid worries! But jam-making doesn’t need to be scary or overly complicated. Getting the set just right can take a little practice, but as long as you follow instructions and don’t burn the jam, you’re sure to get a tasty treat.

As far as canning safety goes – it is an issue to take seriously, since botulism is incredibly dangerous and impossible to detect with your senses alone. But if you adhere to the following jam making tips for beginners and follow your chosen, tested jam recipe carefully, you don’t need to be afraid. It’s easier than you think to can safely!

And just imagine the results! Homemade jam is far more delicious than the store-bought stuff – with complex flavors that melt on your tongue. Whether you eat it on toast or biscuits, in a PB&J sandwiches, as an ice cream topping, as the fruit on the bottom in homemade Greek yogurt (my personal favorite), or even as the glaze for pork chops, ham, or other meat, it’s a delectable treat and the perfect homemade gift any time of the year.

So let’s preserve the harvest, in the sweetest way possible!

Jam making tips for beginners

1. Use only safe, tested recipes

If you take only one thing away from this post, make sure it’s this one. If you want to store jam on the shelf, only use ph-tested recipes from reputable sources.

And don’t rely on your senses to tell you whether your canned goods are safe. Botulism can’t be seen, smelled, or tasted, but it can be deadly or debilitating nonetheless.

So I’ll repeat myself in caps: USE ONLY SAFE, TESTED RECIPES! My go-to is the Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving. Don’t let the magazine format and dated cover mislead you – it has a wide variety of classic and creative recipes, clear instructions, and a guide to canning safety that I refer to often.

Still want to use Grandma’s famous jam recipe? Either contact your local extension office about having it tested, or just use it as a freezer jam, rather than storing it on the shelf.

2. Dress smart

So, this might seem like the silliest of my jam making tips for beginners, but if I know I’ll be making jam, I’ll dress accordingly. Jam is cooked at high, boiling temperatures, and sometimes that hot jam splatters. An old, long sleeved t-shirt that you don’t mind getting sticky, and an oven mitt go a long way (I especially like grill mitts that are designed for better dexterity than traditional oven mitts). Your hands and forearms will thank you.

Jam Making Tips for Beginners

3. Gather and sanitize all your supplies

4. Use new inner lids every time

This might seem like a pain, but if you’ve used your canning jars before, you’ll want to purchase new inner lids before making jam to ensure a proper seal. There’s a shortage on them this year, but normally they’re inexpensive and relatively easy to find. I stock up whenever I find them for a good price.

5. Choose good quality fruit

Use good quality, fresh, ripe, and in season fruit for your jam.

Jam and other canned goods will always turn out best if you use fresh, ripe, in-season produce. The better the fruit, the better the jam will be. Underripe or overripe fruit will throw off the texture, set, sweetness, and potentially even the shelf-stability of the finished product.

6. Make sure you’re using the right kind of pectin

A quality recipe will tell you exactly which kind of pectin to use. Classic pectin and liquid pectin can often be substituted for each other with some recipe instruction changes.

Low sugar or natural sweetener (fruit juice, honey, maple syrup, etc.) recipes will generally call for Pomona’s Universal Pectin or Ball Low or No Sugar Needed Pectin and I definitely wouldn’t recommend trying to substitute regular pectin – your jam won’t set properly.

7. Use a large pot

This is a personal preference thing for me that goes along with tip number 2. I hate having my arms burned by splatters of hot jam, and I’ve found that happens less when I use a larger pot.

8. Stir, stir, stir!

When the recipe tells you to stir, it means it! Stir continuously while heating the jam to avoid inconsistent texture and set or burned jam.

9. After letting the jam set, skim any foam off the surface

The white-ish foam that forms on top of your jam isn’t a problem; it’s just a result of the boiling process. If you stir thoroughly right after turning off the heat, you can often incorporate it into the rest of the jam.

But if you still end up with foam after the jam has set, just skim it off before pouring the jam into jars (and then immediately eat the foamy jam on toast, if you’re anything like me). It won’t hurt anything if you pour it into the jars, but it can ruin the pretty visual effect of rows of jewel-like jam. It’s mostly a preference thing.

10. Follow headspace instructions

Now, this is another instruction that can be tempting to ignore, but don’t do it! Different recipes have different headspace requirements, and the appropriate headspace is essential for creating a proper vacuum seal of the lid and jar.

The grids of the jar rim are in quarter inch increments, but if you’d like to be extra sure, you can use a headspace measuring tool.

11. Clean off the jar rim before placing the lids

Adjust water bath canning times according to altitude.

After pouring in the hot jam, but before placing the lids, use a clean, damp rag to wipe off any jam on the jar rim or in the headspace area. This too will help ensure a proper seal.

12. Adjust water bath times according to your altitude

This is an easy, but dangerous, step to skip if you jump straight into a recipe without understanding safe canning practices. Always double check this before making jam!

Canning recipes are written for sea-level altitudes, but water boils at different temperatures depending on the altitude. Given that I live in the Mountain West, those recipes won’t work for me as written.

Every time I make jam, I double check my altitude (generally by googling or asking Siri), and then consult a canning altitude chart. Since I’m at about 4500 feet, I adjust my water bath boiling times by 10 minutes.

13. Keep the jars upright after water processing

You might be tempted to tilt the jars as you take them out of the water bath to get water off of the lids, but resist that impulse. Doing so can break the seal you’ve just worked so hard to make. And the water will evaporate off the hot lids on its own anyway.

Jam first time tips

You also may have been taught inversion canning – where you turn the jars upside down right after putting the lids on – at some point in the past. This is no longer considered a safe practice, and it creates a faulty seal. It also skips the crucial water bath step needed to prevent botulism. Don’t risk it!

14. Seeing a white powder on the outside of the jars? Don’t be alarmed

This happens every time I water-bath can anything, and at first I worried it meant I had done something wrong. It turns out it’s just mineral deposits from hard water – nothing to worry about!

So how do you get rid of it? Just wipe the jars down with a bit of water and white vinegar. And you can even add white vinegar to your canning water before boiling to prevent the powder from forming in the first place, a handy hint I learned from Food In Jars.

15. After the jars have cooled for several hours, test the lids

Let the jars sit and cool for 12-24 hours, then gently unscrew the band and see if you can lift the inner lid off. Hopefully it will hold tight, and you can put the jam away.

But if it’s loose or pulls off, all is not lost! Just repeat the waterbath process.

15 jam making tips for beginners

And that’s all there is to it! That doesn’t seem too hard, does it?

Do you have any other jam making tips for beginners? Please share them in the comments!

Homemade Instant Pot Yogurt

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All the tips and tricks you need to know to make smooth and creamy homemade Instant Pot yogurt.

Making your own yogurt might seem like a daunting task, but with an Instant Pot, it’s incredibly easy! It’s taken me a little research and a few rounds of practice, but I’ve finally found a method for making yogurt at home that matches the flavor and texture of my favorite Greek yogurt brands at the store.

And with eight servings coming from a single half-gallon of milk, it costs pennies in comparison with the store-bought stuff!

Looking to learn more about homestyle cooking, growing your own food, or old-fashioned skills? Join me in becoming a homesteader, no matter where you live, with The Apartment Homesteading Project!

Essential Instant Pot Yogurt supplies

An Instant Pot with a yogurt setting

A digital food thermometer

A whisk

A large spoon

Helpful Supplies

Glass Instant Pot lid

A tea towel

Something to strain the yogurt into (a tall bowl or Tupperware works well)

Individual storage containers (I like these glass anchor containers, regular half pint mason jars, and especially these wide mouth half pint jars)

Homemade Instant Pot Greek Yogurt

Prep

Clean the bowl of your instant pot and then rinse thoroughly with hot water, even if it looks clean. Since yogurt is made at a medium temperature to encourage probiotic growth, that also means it’s an ideal growing environment for less-desirable bacteria. Any food residue or left from previous recipes can result in off-tasting yogurt. For great tips on cleaning your Instant Pot, check out these instructions from the company.

If you don’t have a glass lid for your Instant Pot, you can use the regular lid, but be sure to remove the rubber inner seal first. It can collect odors and flavors from things you’ve previously cooked. You don’t want your homemade Instant Pot yogurt tasting like pork tenderloin!

Tips

  • Use whole fat milk, especially if you prefer Greek yogurt! Skim milk will result in runny yogurt.
  • Don’t be tempted to add more yogurt as a starter than is called for in the recipe. Too much will throw off the consistency of the final product and make it too tangy. I learned this the hard way by initially throwing a whole serving of chobani into my Instant Pot, thinking I didn’t want to waste the extra. Trust me, it tastes much better with just a couple of spoonfuls.
  • For your starter, choose a yogurt brand you really like. Your homemade yogurt will taste like whatever you use as a starter.
  • NEVER USE FLAVORED YOGURT AS A STARTER! It will not work.
  • Check the expiration date on the yogurt you’re using as a starter. Older yogurt may result in lumpy yogurt that is too tart.
  • Start with eight hour yogurt. If after trying it you think you’d like something more tangy, you can leave it on the yogurt setting for a longer period of time.
  • I recommend dividing the yogurt into individual servings in small pyrex containers right away. You’ll be more likely to eat it if you have grab and go servings ready in the refrigerator.
  • Want a simple way to flavor your yogurt? Mix in a tablespoon or two of jam or other preserves to add a little sweetness. You can also add fresh fruit (below, I combined lemon curd and fresh raspberries – yum!). If you’re prepping all your individual servings, add the jam before the yogurt, and you’ll get a “fruit on the bottom” look.
Homemade raspberry lemon greek yogurt.

Homemade Instant Pot Yogurt Recipe

Print Recipe
 Homemade Instant Pot Yogurt
For the cost of a 1/2 gallon of milk, enjoy a week's worth of smooth and creamy yogurt, straight from your Instant Pot!
Homemade Instant Pot Greek Yogurt
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Homemade Instant Pot Greek Yogurt
Instructions
  1. Pour the milk into the bowl of your Instant Pot. Put the lid back on and twist it to lock. Press the yogurt button until the screen reads BOIL. It does not matter if the vent is sealed or unsealed.
  2. While the Instant Pot is heating, fill the sink with a few inches of cold water.
  3. The Instant Pot will beep when it reaches 180 degrees. Let it sit at this temperature for five minutes or so.
  4. Move the Instant Pot bowl to the water, making sure not to let the water spill into the bowl. Allow the milk to cool to between 108 and 112 degrees, stirring continuously.
  5. As soon as the milk has cooled to under 112 degrees, remove the Instant Pot bowl from the sink, dry the outside, and place it back in the Instant Pot. Skim the milk with a spoon to remove the "skin" that forms on the surface. Add the starter yogurt, and whisk it in thoroughly.
  6. Secure the lid on the instant pot, and hit the Yogurt button until it gives a time reading. Adjust the time to 8 hours (or longer, if desired), if it isn't already set to that.
  7. Once the 8 hours or desired incubation time has been reached, turn off the Instant Pot. If the yogurt is lumpy, whisk it until all lumps disappear. For thicker, Greek style yogurt, strain some or all of the yogurt through a tea-towel into another container, but remember that the yogurt will thicken more in the fridge. (I strain about half and then mix it back into the rest of the yogurt.)
  8. Finally, move the strained yogurt into sealed storage containers. Store in the fridge overnight, and then enjoy!

Starting The Apartment Homestead

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Homestead dreaming here at The Apartment Homestead.

Goodbye, Real Food for One. And hello to The Apartment Homestead!

If you’ve ever visited my site before, you’ll remember that it was originally called Real Food for One. While I love talking about food and developing real food recipes, homesteading has always been my true passion and dream. More and more, I’ve found myself wanting to write about gardening, food preservation, self-sufficiency, and old-fashioned forms of cooking that fall outside the “real food” umbrella.

And I want to share recipes that include sugar or white flour once in a while. Haha.

The Apartment Homestead Project

So here I am at the start of a brand new project: To become a homesteader. To learn the information and skills I need to grow, prepare, and preserve my own food. To pay off debts, develop side income streams, and save up for property of my own.

Do I live in the country? No. Do I have chickens, a dairy cow, or beehives? No. Do I have an orchard full of fruit trees? No. Do I have a kitchen with plenty of food storage space? No. Do I even have a yard? No.

I live in a condo that I share with two roommates, and an HOA maintains all the landscaping around our place. I’m a long ways away from affording land. But that’s not going to stop me, and similar circumstances shouldn’t stop you either.

Because being a homesteader is about what you do and what you learn. It’s about who you are and what you’re becoming, not about what you have or where you live.

So I hope you’ll join me in The Apartment Homestead Project, where each week for the next two years, I’ll work toward mastering a homesteading skill. As we go, I’ll share what I learn, along with my usual recipes and personal updates.