Real Food

Things are heating up in the kitchen. A big part of homesteading is mindfulness about what foods you put in your body. Discover simple tips and tricks for preparing real food. Learn easy recipes that will thrill your family. Food has never tasted so good.

The 104 Homestead covers everything from real food cooking, food preservation techniques, cooking tips and tricks, and even hot-button food issues like GMOs and processed foods.

Narrow by Topic

Beverages | Desserts | Preservation | Recipes | Kitchen Tips & Tricks

A cooked spaghetti squash on a cutting board with a fork making noodles.

Real Food

How to Freeze Spaghetti Squash and Keep It Fresh

Simply Sourdough: The Ultimate Recipe Roundup

Real Food

Simply Sourdough: The Ultimate Recipe Roundup

Decadent Triple Chocolate Brownie Recipe

Real Food

Decadent Triple Chocolate Brownie Recipe

Some tips for using slow cookers and an Instapot, plus plenty of recipes to keep your dinners covered whenever the need arises.

Real Food

Instant Pot and Slow Cooker Meals for Dinner

Delicious Chocolate Pudding Pie with Chocolate Crust & Whipped Cream

Real Food

Delicious Chocolate Pudding Pie with Chocolate Crust & Whipped Cream

Homemade fudge is a holiday staple. A good fudge melts in your mouth. The best fudge melts in your mouth and can be whipped up in five minutes or less.

Real Food

5-Minute Homemade Fudge (with lots of variation suggestions)

A white bowl of homemade cinnamon sugar sourdough donuts with cinnamon sticks and a small dish of cinnamon sugar.

Real Food

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cinnamon Sugar Sourdough Donut Holes

Anne of Green Gables enjoying a refreshing glass of raspberry cordial.

Real Food

An Anne of Green Gables Inspired Raspberry Cordial Recipe

Mixed Berry Jam with Raspberries, Strawberries, and Blueberries

Real Food

Mixed Berry Jam with Raspberries, Strawberries, and Blueberries

A cast iron pan of apple crumble laying on a wooden table with apples and cinnamon sticks.

Real Food

Quick and Easy Gluten-Free Apple Crumble

A close up of curry made with homemade masala and a small bowl of white rice.

Real Food

Traditional Fijian Indian Curry from Scratch + Masala Recipe

1 to 1. That's the average ratio of fruit to sugar in most jam recipes. Can you make a delicious jam without sugar or sweetener? Why yes you can!

Real Food

How to Can Jam Without Sugar or Honey

A cozy overhead view of multiple hands reaching for bowls of various soups, including bean stew, creamy mushroom soup, green broccoli soup, and squash soup, arranged on a table with bread and cloth napkins.

Real Food

10 Best Winter Soups to Warm You Up on Chilly Days

Roast beef sitting in green beans in the slow-cooker.

Real Food

2-for-1 Slow Cooker Beef Roast plus Bonus Bean Soup!

How to Dry Your Homegrown Herbs Quickly & Easily with a Dehydrator

Real Food

How to Dry Your Homegrown Herbs Quickly & Easily with a Dehydrator

Flax seed crackers arranged on a wooden plate with a wooden spoon full of flax seeds.

Real Food

A Recipe for Healthy Flax Seed Crackers in the Dehydrator

A bottle of hard apple cider on a wooden table with apples around it.

Real Food

A Beginner’s Guide to Brewing Hard Apple Cider at Home

A teapot pouring hot water into three minimalist white teacups with steam rising, set on a wooden table.

Real Food

Detox Teas and Hot Drinks for a Healthier, Refreshed You

Many people see polenta in the health food store and just keep on walking, but you don't want to miss out on this awesome side dish substitute.

Real Food

Polenta: A Gluten-Free Alternative to Grains

Solar cooking is an energy-efficient, set-and-forget method of cooking. Learn how to get started and what to expect from your solar oven.

Real Food

Cooking With Help From the Sun {Solar Cooking}

I eat applesauce not only as a snack, but I also enjoy recipes using applesauce. Homemade applesauce is delicious, but I like to give it some pizzazz with add-ons.

Real Food

Homemade Applesauce & Recipes Using Applesauce

How to Make Homemade Fire Cider for Cold & Flu Season

Homestead Living · Real Food

How to Make Homemade Fire Cider for Cold & Flu Season

This pumpkin dip turns ginger snaps into tiny little bites of pumpkin pie. It is beyond delicious and incredibly easy to make.

Real Food

Ginger Snaps & Harvest Pumpkin Dip

Jars of homemade jelly flipped upside down on a red cloth as part of the inversion canning method.

Real Food

Inversion Canning: Why “Old-Fashioned” Methods Aren’t Safe

Discover how to make "Little Devil" deviled quail eggs as well as other recipes made just for these tiny eggs. The rich flavors will have you begging for more.

Real Food

Little Devils & Other Quail Egg Delicacies

I've discovered there are loads of foods that can be cooked on the grill. Think beyond the dogs and burgers. Here's some grilling recipes to get you started.

Real Food

Sizzlin’ Summer Grilling Recipes

The word Ebelskiver is Danish for apple slices, but the meaning is a dessert or snack similar to a pancake, but with a flakier texture and round shape.

Real Food

Ebelskiver {Pancake Puff} Recipe Roundup

An herb crusted chèvre with a slice cut from it.

Real Food

Homemade Chèvre: A Homesteader’s Guide to Crafting Cheese

Breakfast cookies are, of course, always a big hit with kids. With applesauce and flax seed, the kiddos have no clue that what they're chowing down on is H-E-A-L-T-H-Y.

Real Food

Oatmeal Raisin Breakfast Cookies

Oven crepes are super easy to make and hard to mess up. You'll love them even more if you fill them with this delicious maple cream cheese filling. It's our family favorite.

Real Food

Oven Crepes Recipes & Maple Cream Cheese Filling

This lovely honey-rosemary brine gives a wonderful flavor to not only wild onions, but to garlic cloves, sliced shallots, green onions and other vegetables, as well.

Real Food

Pickled Wild Onions in Honey-Rosemary Brine

This is a one skillet dish, so clean up is easy. Since this fried rice recipe makes use of a lot of leftovers, your refrigerator will have more room as well.

Real Food

Something From Nothing: Fried Rice

Roast chicken is an easy meal that comes out of the oven sitting on top of its very own side dish. All I have to do is pour a couple glasses of milk (or wine) and dinner is ready.

Real Food

Roast Chicken with Sweet Potato, Apple & Cranberry Stuffing

Simple Cut Out Sugar Cookies with Natural, Yet Vibrant, Rainbow Icing

Real Food

Simple Cut Out Sugar Cookies with Natural, Yet Vibrant, Rainbow Icing

Fried chicken on a wooden cutting board with fresh veggies in the background.

Real Food

Make KFC-Style Fried Chicken at Home with Healthier Ingredients

These old-fashioned rolled oat cookies are excellent for gift giving. You can gift them as drop cookies or use cookie cutters and make sandwiches out of them.

Real Food

Rolled Oat Sandwich Cookies with Caramel Apple Frosting

A plate of chewy pumpkin cookies drizzled with a glossy maple icing, with one cookie broken in half to show the soft interior.

Real Food

Chewy Pumpkin Cookies with Maple Glaze: Perfect for Fall Baking

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies [Regular or Gluten-Free with Bob’s 1-to-1]

Real Food

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies [Regular or Gluten-Free with Bob’s 1-to-1]

Shortbread Pinwheel Cookies: Perfect for Every Holiday

Real Food

Shortbread Pinwheel Cookies: Perfect for Every Holiday

A jar of homemade pumpkin puree on a table with small pumpkins.

Real Food

Fresh Flavors, Simple Steps: A Guide to Making Pumpkin Puree

8 Tricks for Extraordinary Cookies from Scratch You Need to Know

Real Food

8 Tricks for Extraordinary Cookies from Scratch You Need to Know

Butterbeer is a Harry Potter inspired warm milk drink with a caramel and brown sugar kick. A huge hit with kids that enjoy the books and movies.

Real Food

Yummy Butterbeer {alcohol free}