Million Dollar Pickles: canning recipe (bonus salad dressing recipe!)

Let me start by saying I don’t do a traditional recipe at the bottom of this post (as you can find recipes like that online everywhere). This is more about the process and how I do it with my recipe. Let’s start with the shopping list: 1/2 cup of sea salt (no iodine) 1 quart … Continue reading Million Dollar Pickles: canning recipe (bonus salad dressing recipe!)

Canning Cherries, YUM!

So we spent this week doing some canning as cherries are in season. We’ve also been picking wild blackberries and getting those canned. We went to a blueberry farm and picked lots of blueberries but we ended up eating all of those fresh lol Cherry pie filling is our family favorite! We started with about … Continue reading Canning Cherries, YUM!

What’s new at Conestoga Chuck’s house?

We have been super busy crafting and getting ready for a Christmas craft show to sell some items as a fundraiser for the Gilmer County WV Historical Society. We finished the last of our planned projects today (although I'm sure I will come up with a few more things to make between now and then … Continue reading What’s new at Conestoga Chuck’s house?

Pioneer style grinding mill experiment (and a bonus kitchen tool) made from garden rocks!

I've looked at grinding mills for some time now but they are super expensive! I want one to use as a teaching aid for kids at a pioneer museum we volunteer at during the summer. So after a bit of online research, I decided if the American Indians of old and Latino population of old … Continue reading Pioneer style grinding mill experiment (and a bonus kitchen tool) made from garden rocks!

Winter picnic! It’s 5 degrees out and I’m dreaming of sunshine!

I'm so tired of all this cold and snow! So I decided to make an indoor picnic for dinner lol which if you are like Conestoga Chuck and like your meats then this won't be a recipe for you. If you are craving fresh veggies and warm sunshine, then you are in the right spot! … Continue reading Winter picnic! It’s 5 degrees out and I’m dreaming of sunshine!

Toaster Oven, Homemade, Individual, Sauerkraut Casserole

It's awesome to have friends! I just have to state that right up front because tonight's dinner is brought to you by several of my friends! Read on to find out more 🙂 So first off a shout out to my friend "the grizz" who is not only a fabulous artist but master sauerkraut maker! … Continue reading Toaster Oven, Homemade, Individual, Sauerkraut Casserole

Some winter crafts and handy items: lotions bars, laundry detergent, hand made wooden shuttles

So the high today was forecast for negative 1 degrees but we actually reached 10 degrees! Woot woot! But needless to say Conestoga Chuck and his little sister both agree it's an indoor day! This polar vortex has created some cabin fever for critters and humans alike! So it's time to make some much needed … Continue reading Some winter crafts and handy items: lotions bars, laundry detergent, hand made wooden shuttles

Mushroom gravy and steak instant pot rewrite of an old family favorite!

I've made this recipe for many years in a crock pot... but once I got my instant pot the old crock pot was quickly donated to goodwill along with the rice cooker and several other kitchen gadgets that my lovely instant pot replaced! The family loves this particular dinner and it's really best if you … Continue reading Mushroom gravy and steak instant pot rewrite of an old family favorite!

Beef tongue taco’s (its yummier than it sounds!)

So we got the beef tongue for making dog food in our meat grinder (along with some other meats: see previous post for more info). The goal is to get the large packs of meat, take a few pieces for hubby and myself to eat, and then grind the rest into dog food ... because … Continue reading Beef tongue taco’s (its yummier than it sounds!)

Homemade dog food update and a new kitchen gadget for the humans!

If you are a regular reader of Conestoga Chuck you know that we Home cook all the pup's meals 🙂 and that even tho we leave out a bowl of commercial dry kibble in case they get the munchies... they rarely ever touch it. Now with this new method I can say they have refused … Continue reading Homemade dog food update and a new kitchen gadget for the humans!