I am a beginner homesteader— a result of ditching civilization during the pandemic craziness in 2020 to live more simply and, as such, I continue to learn so many lessons about basic survival skills and living comfortably with less that I thought I could help others who are just starting out on the same journey. always save your eggs crates for starting vegetable babies (seedlings)! As we try to do more with less and live self-sufficiently, we have found that investing in certain tools and equipment makes living in, dare I say surviving in, a forest much easier. While we focus on making what ..read more

Hopefully Winter has moved on and taken its freak blizzards with it. When we moved here to the forest 5 months ago, we were told it never snows in this part of Oklahoma (deep right corner) so imagine my surprise to wake up to 4-inches of blinding, pristine snow (before the woodland creatures had ventured out for brekky). Even more surprised were Lily and Jax who were heading out their doggy door for their morning wee—until there was a sudden dog jam as Jax stopped half-in/half-out of the door while Lily barked angrily behind him with her legs crossed. It was just another of our usual serene mo ..read more

Hopefully Winter has moved on and taken its freak blizzards with it. When we moved here to the forest 5 months ago, we were told it never snows in this part of Oklahoma (deep right corner) so imagine my surprise to wake up to 4-inches of blinding, pristine snow (before the woodland creatures had ventured out for brekky). Even more surprised were Lily and Jax who were heading out their doggy door for their morning wee—until there was a sudden dog jam as Jax stopped half-in/half-out of the door while Lily barked angrily behind him with her legs crossed. It was just another of our usual serene mo ..read more

Hello and welcome to episode #4 of The Campfire Chronicles! You have landed on my (soon to be award winning) blog series where I detail the behind-the-scenes of my “simple” (<<haha) life in a cabin in a hollow of the foothills of the Kiamichi Mountains in SE Oklahoma. Welcome to my hollow where we prepare for anything we think could happen only to find our we’re never prepared for anything that happens. Vogue Is No Longer in Vogue My lifestyle change from modern consumerist to cabin-dwelling recluse in a pine forest punched be square in the face one day after walking to the mailbox (whic ..read more

Welcome to my cabin kitchen! Today I’m bringing you a cheesy, beefy cast iron dish to help warm you up while we experience an “Arctic Blast” across most of the U.S.. (Feb 2021). I am enjoying a balmy 20°F here in my cabin at the bottom tip of Oklahoma while trying to ignore the forecasts calling for a week’s worth of snow and a high of 3°F. WTF with THREE degrees ??. I’ve pulled out the sweaters, blankets and hot chocolate mix, chopped wood for the fireplace, saved a line-up on Netflix and prepped a few high-calorie , homemade snacks to see us through. I hope to be able to zip my pants after t ..read more

One of the first things I noticed about downsizing to our cabin is the lack of “modern” space this type of living offers. Cabins are for relaxing and getting away from daily distractions not for storing all the stuff we so mindlessly accumulate in our everyday modern lives. My previous kitchen had top and bottom cabinets galore which was great for storing every-little-thing without having to worry about how it looked, how easily I could locate it or whether I really needed it. Enter the cabin kitchen with no shelving, a few under the counter cabinets and minimal counter space. How in the worl ..read more

Welcome to my cabin kitchen! Today we’re making a savory breakfast bread with a few ingredients that might surprise you! This is an unusual bread for breakfast, I get that— it’s one I grew up eating as a youngster in the country, especially when the garden overflowed with broccoli. I remember thinking when I grew up and cooked for myself, I would never eat broccoli again. I also said that about Summer squash, zucchini, pole beans, strawberries and asparagus. It seems my Dad over-planted on occasion but I’ve recovered from most of his endeavors to keep his small family fed - with the exception ..read more

Welcome to my cabin! I have a lovely ruffle scarf pattern for you that will add a touch of flair to your Winter wardrobe. It’s intended as more of an accessory that it is for warmth but you can wrap it around your neck several times and wear it under a bulky cardigan or coat to cover your neck. This crochet ruffle scarf works up really quickly using only the double crochet stitch—it’s a perfect pattern for beginners to learn to double crochet. CROCHET RUFFLE SCARF PATTERN Please note this pattern contains affiliate links to the products I used to create this scarf. If you make a purchase I cou ..read more

Hello there! Welcome to my cabin in the forest! You’re likely here because you are intrigued by the concept of self-sufficiency. Whether it’s due to the current state of the world, you want to leave the rat-race (and your boss) behind, or because you want to learn to be responsible for your own well-being (and possibly also to earn a living doing what you love), you are in the right place. Making the change to a self-sufficient life is completely doable with the right mind-set. I know first-hand because I did it in October, 2020. I’m not an expert, a guru or a life coach, I’m a 50-something, s ..read more

Welcome to my cabin kitchen! Today we are making a creamy, Tex-Mex flavored breakfast casserole with a homemade cheese sauce that is super easy to make and so good, it almost didn’t make it onto the enchiladas (someone should have hidden the tortilla chips from me). I have provided the original size of the recipe (8 servings) but because there are only 2 of us, I cut the recipe in half as reflected in the photos. This can be made ahead and stored in the ‘fridge overnight so you have less to bother with the next morning. This breakfast dish is a riff on the popular breakfast taco but elevated ..read more