A couple weeks ago, someone on a message board that I hang out on asked for people to share homesteading resources if they were willing. I shared the ones that I've come across, but I realized the resources specific to today's version of "homesteading" are somewhat few and far between. If you google "homesteading", "urban homesteading" or the like, there are several resources that pop up, but more often than not they focus on vegetable gardening, chickens and other micro-livestock or living off the grid. Those are definitely some important parts of homesteading, but there are many things that people who live on very small city lots, in apartments or other living situations can do too. Anyone can do some version of homesteading today to be more self-sufficient or more eco-conscious, to have a simpler life or whatever your motivation is. To truly understand how homesteading can be something that literally anyone can do, let's explore what homesteading is exactly.

The actual definition of homesteading is kind of ambiguous at best, focusing on the act of owning and settling land rather than on the activities that a homesteader must do. So, let's think of it in terms of Little House in the Big Woods, the book that many homesteaders today harken back to. Certainly, the Ingalls family were homesteaders by the Merriam-Webster definition of the word. They acquired land and occupied it as a homestead.

However, I believe that the term homesteading refers not just to the literal fact of occupying land, but to the actual activities that settlers or *homesteaders* engaged in to live whilst on their homestead. And certainly vegetable gardening or farming and raising livestock- micro and otherwise were some of the activities that the settlers did, but they also hunted, rendered lard, made cheese, cooked from scratch, baked bread, sewed their own clothes, made maple syrup, gathered honey, cured and smoked meat, made their own soap, used herbs for medicinal purposes, schooled their children and many many more activities.

What I see from people who are homesteading today is that it is much more an attitude of wanting to have the simplicity and self-sufficiency that the first settlers had to have. It can include reclaiming used building materials or discarded objects and giving them new life or "upcycling" or reusing them as something else. It can include gardening in small spaces or once a month cooking from scratch to ensure healthy meals for the family. Homesteading can include food swaps or community building. All of these things can be done in practically any living situation. Therefore, the key to finding information and education on homesteading on the internet today is to search out terms specific to what you want to do. Your journey probably begins by making one small baby step. As you search for information on that one thing, other activities will be pointed out to you by your information sources. And thus another step is taken as your interests allow. So even people who live in one bedroom apartments can grow veggies or cure soap.

Simply search for information on the baby step that you are attempting right now and take things one step at a time.

Granola is one of my very favorite foods. Mmm mmm mmm! It's great for breakfast, it's great for lunch, it's a great snack. You can eat it with milk or by itself or my very favorite way, mixed into yogurt. This recipe is really adaptable. You can add pretty much whatever are your favorite combinations!! Here's the steps to make it. The recipe is at the end. Preheat your oven to 250°. In a small saucepan on medium heat, mix together 1/2 cup of your favorite oil, 1/2 cup of your favorite sweetener, 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract. Cook and stir just until it's melted together. While your other ingredients are melting, mix in a large mixing bowl, 3 cups oatmeal and 4 cups of your "other stuff". My favorites are sunflower seeds, shredded coconut, chopped filberts and flax seed. Other good stuff are pumpkin seeds, wheat germ, walnuts, almonds or pecans. There are a lot of other awesome ideas too that I can't even think of. I basically do 1 cup of each of the other 4 things I'm using. If you use wheat germ, I highly recommend only using 3 cups of "other stuff". Don't put in any dried fruit or chocolate at this point. Pour the melted mixture into the dry stuff and stir until it's all combined. Spread onto a rimmed cookie sheet that's lined with parchment paper. Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. It's done when the granola is nice and golden. But not too golden, because it does harden up as it cools. It took me a while to be able to tell exactly when it was done, but my tester batches weren't terrible to eat and now I think I've got it figured out.

If you want to add dried fruit or chocolate, wait until the granola is mostly cool and then mix in 1-2 cups of dried fruit or chocolate chips or m&ms. (Personally, I just like the granola with no add-ins). Let the granola cool completely and then break it up and store in an airtight container. It should last a couple weeks, IF you don't eat it up as soon as it's cool. In winter, I eat granola mixed into yogurt with raisins or dates. In other seasons, I love sliced strawberries or my favorite... blueberries! Yum!!

I have to know though- what do you love in your granola? What are your favorite add-ins?

Here's the Official Recipe:

The Very Best Ever Granola

½ c. honey or maple syrup
½ c. brown sugar, packed
½ c. oil (safflower, coconut, sunflower)
1 tbsp. vanilla
3 c. rolled oats
4 c. other stuff: sunflower seeds, filberts, flax seed, wheat germ, pumpkin seeds?, coconut, pecans, etc... 1-2 c. dried fruit or chocolate- chop up apples, apricot and other large fruit pieces. Use chocolate chips or m&ms.

In a small sauce pan, heat slowly brown sugar, honey or maple syrup, vanilla and coconut oil. Mix well as it heats.

In a large bowl, mix together 3 cups rolled oats and 4 cups of other stuff

Once the liquids have melted thoroughly and have been mixed thoroughly, pour into the bowl of dry ingredients. Mix together until its all coated.

over a large cookie sheet with sides with parchment paper. Spread the granola mixture on the baking sheet. Bake at 250 for one hour - stir every 15 minutes.

Allow to cool mostly and add in 1-2 cups of dried fruit, or chocolate if desired.

Let cool completely and then pour into an airtight container. Break up as necessary.

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