April 15th, 2013 | By Holly |  
I’ve gotta tell ya, I’ve been so excited to share this recipe! But first, I’ll share a little background.
Last year, I started pan frying with coconut oil. I’ve pan-fried chicken legs (and made gravy), chicken legs and liver (and made gravy), pork chops (and made gravy) – can you tell we like gravy  – tortillas (for soft-shelled tacos, but no gravy), and, just recently, onion rings.
I’ve been so pleased with the taste of everything made with coconut oil.
I had been using olive oil for these sort of meals (except the onion rings, which is a new thing for me). After hearing about coconut oil, I decided to give it a try. Coconut oil is also better suited for medium-high heat cooking.
I use good oils in my home cooking, but I’m more relaxed about it when eating out. (You almost have to be.)
I’ve purchased onion rings at a cafeteria I frequent, but during a recent visit, I asked what oils they use. Most restaurants and cafeterias use hydrogenated oil, and this place, I learned, was no exception.
I walked away. No onion rings for Holly.  The only solution was to figure out how to make home-fried onion rings.
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April 8th, 2013 | By Holly | 
original image credit
© Pakhnyushchyy | Dreamstime.com
Some want to start a garden, but are hesitant … reluctant … fearful of what they don’t know that might cause them to FAIL.
If you identify with that statement, my hope is that after reading this post, you’ll be encouraged, motivated, confident, and EXCITED about starting your first garden!!!
Experienced, green-thumb gardeners, try to recall your first garden. Is there any advice, a nugget of wisdom, you can share with these reluctant gardeners?
Reluctant gardeners, let’s get started! 
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March 25th, 2013 | By Holly |  the view from our front porch Deciding WHERE in your yard the bubbling boulder should be placed is an important decision.
Once the site has been constructed (an upcoming how-to post), and the boulder set in-place, it’s pretty much a done deal. It’s not like flowers where you can whimsically decide to move them elsewhere – just pluck ‘em out of the ground, and plop ‘em into the other end of the garden bed. After all, the boulder will weigh hundreds, maybe even thousands, of pounds. (I don’t know about you, but we don’t have a bobcat or forklift just sitting around the property. )
In choosing the location, there are five things you’ll want to think through:
1. Proximity to Electricity
Know where your power lines, cable/satellite lines, and any other lines are BEFORE you settle on a location. Some may be above ground, while others are buried. You don’t want to start digging without knowing their location.
On the flip side, you will need SAFE access to electricity.
In an upcoming post, I’ll explain how to run power to the boulder area to operate the water pump. Fortunately, that post will be heavily guided by my husband’s knowledge and experience. If you relied on my [lack of] knowledge and experience, you’d end up in the emergency room or … six feet in the ground.
It’s possible to simply use a GFI extension cord, but I’ll walk you through a more aesthetically pleasing installation where you’ll tap into the electrical power from your house, garage, barn, or whatever the case may be.
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March 18th, 2013 | By Holly | 
With outdoor gardening just around the corner, a compost worm giveaway seems fitting. Like backyard chickens, worm composting is becoming a popular hobby.
If you’ve been following along in the Compost Worm 101 Series, you’ve probably learned that “raising” compost worms is VERY EASY. Worms may not be your thing – it’s definitely not for everyone – but you might be surprised. If you’re not sure about it, read 14 Reasons to Have Compost Worms.
I’ve listed the links to all the previous posts in this series.
14 Reasons to Have Compost Worms
DIY Compost Worm Bin
How to Acquire Compost Worms
Feeding Compost Worms (What, How, and When)
How to Take Care of Compost Worms
Cool Facts About Compost Worms
I have three or four more worm posts before I wrap up the current series. I’ll probably start another compost worm series later in the year.
The Giveaway:
Hop on over to The Prairie Homestead for a chance to win a bundle of my squirmy compost worms. You’ll find all the details over there.
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March 4th, 2013 | By Holly | 
© Kucher Serhii | Dreamstime.com
Ideally, I would have had this post ready for February (the month of Valentine’s Day). But, that’s okay. It’s definitely not too late to be thinking about rose pruning. It might actually be too early to prune. It depends on where you live.
There are at least seven types of roses:
- Hybrid Teas
- Floribunda
- Grandiflora
- Shrub
- Old-Fashioned
- Climbing
- Miniature
Each type has some unique pruning needs. However, the pruning for hybrid teas, floribundas, and grandifloras are almost identical.
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February 25th, 2013 | By Holly | 
After thinking back on my boulder shopping experience (from 2010), I came up with six helpful tips. If anyone is considering doing a project like this, or already has, I’d love to hear from you.
1. Figure out if you want a natural or formal look.
If you like a natural look – something you’d see in a stream at the bottom of a mountain – look for an irregular shaped boulder. Pitted surfaces, and nooks and crannies are also great natural looking features.
Our bubbling boulder has all kinds of nooks and crannies that allow the water to pool, creating a natural bird bath. I love to watch the birds bathe in it. They also drink from it.
If you like a fancy or formal look in your yard – something out of a magazine – look for a boulder with a strong geometric shape (e.g., square or rectangular) and smooth surfaces. A very round, ball shaped boulder would also provide a nice formal look.
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