The Feast Nearby: How I lost my job, buried a marriage, and found my way by keeping chickens, foraging, preserving, bartering, and eating locally (all on $40 a week)


Robin Mather - 2011
    Forced into a radical life change, she returned to her native rural Michigan.  There she learned to live on a limited budget while remaining true to her culinary principles of eating well and as locally as possible. In The Feast Nearby, Mather chronicles her year-long project: preparing and consuming three home-cooked, totally seasonal, and local meals a day--all on forty dollars a week.  With insight and humor, Mather explores the confusion and needful compromises in eating locally. She examines why local often trumps organic, and wonders why the USDA recommends white bread, powdered milk, and instant orange drinks as part of its “low-cost” food budget program.  Through local eating, Mather forges connections with the farmers, vendors, and growers who provide her with sustenance. She becomes more closely attuned to the nuances of each season, inhabiting her little corner of the world more fully, and building a life richer than she imagined it could be.  The Feast Nearby celebrates small pleasures: home-roasted coffee, a pantry stocked with home-canned green beans and homemade preserves, and the contented clucking of laying hens in the backyard. Mather also draws on her rich culinary knowledge to present nearly one hundred seasonal recipes that are inspiring, enticing, and economical--cooking goals that don’t always overlap--such as Pickled Asparagus with Lemon, Tarragon, and Garlic; Cider-Braised Pork Loin with Apples and Onions; and Cardamom-Coffee Toffee Bars.  Mather’s poignant, reflective narrative shares encouraging advice for aspiring locavores everywhere, and combines the virtues of kitchen thrift with the pleasures of cooking--and eating--well.

Herbology At Home: Making Herbal Remedies: Natural health for the whole family - Simple formulas for making remedies at home


Anke Bialas - 2010
    The information is clear, concise and to the point and easy : ) I've been searching high and low for a relatively simple way to make cream and ointment and in 1 minute found exactly what I needed." Sonya Lowe - PHSeven Organic Herbs .."very helpful reference when you are making your own remedies at home What I consider very useful is the fact I finally have a book in my home library that is so easy, and fast to use. .... A ready reference with sound advice right at my fingertips I am in love Thank you so much for all you do and share Anke." Leslie Postin - Comfrey Cottages So you know that rosemary and sage are good for dark hair and that fair hair benefits from chamomile, mullein and marigold and you want to make an infusion to add to your shampoo base or to use as a hair rinse. How much herb do you use? How much water? How long do you let it infuse for? Your favourite women's magazine told you that a comfrey ointment is great for back pain and sprains, but they didn't give the recipe of how to make an ointment? When you already know what herbs you want to use and what herbal product you want to make you need a resource that covers the base formulas. Something that provides you with the ratios and the method of how to make your desired remedy. That's where Herbology At Home: Making Herbal remedies comes in. All your base formulas in one place, easy to read and small enough to keep on hand in the kitchen. Learn the age old methods of making herbal tea, tinctures, ointments, oils and much more. Assemble a herbal first aid kit and prepare natural, chemical free products for health and home. Herbology at Home: Making Herbal Remedies is a convenient, easy-to-follow guide to preparing natural, chemical free herbal remedies. With a common sense approach to safety and working herbal health into a busy, modern lifestyle this small, value packed Herbology manual is a BIG investment in your family's natural health.

The Healing Intelligence of Essential Oils: The Science of Advanced Aromatherapy


Kurt Schnaubelt - 2011
    He explains how essential oils preserve a plant’s complex natural life-supporting and immune-building qualities, developed through millions of years of interaction with animals and humans. Reviewing recent research in molecular, cellular, and evolutionary biology, he shows how the multilayered activity of plant essences helps maintain the integrity of our genetic code--the reason why pathogens cannot develop resistance toward essential oils as they do with antibiotics and antivirals--making essential oils a more effective and sustainable form of treatment for a variety of health problems. Laying to rest old arguments over essential oils’ alleged toxicity and whether they can be ingested or used undiluted, Schnaubelt presents simple recipes and protocols for treating and preventing common ailments, such as colds, flu, herpes, and candida, as well as for pain management. Offering new essential oil treatment opportunities for hepatitis, osteoporosis, liver detoxification, and the prevention of UV damage and melanoma, he shows how essential oils can also ameliorate the debilitating side effects of chemotherapy and other cancer treatments as well as how even home use of essential oils for relaxation or skin care can help build one’s immunity and overall well-being.

The Nesting Place: It Doesn't Have to Be Perfect to Be Beautiful


Myquillyn Smith - 2014
    It has everything to do with embracing the natural imperfection and chaos of daily living.Drawing on her years of experience creating beauty in her 13 different homes, Myquillyn will show you how to think differently about the true purpose of your home and simply and creatively tailor it to reflect you and your unique style—without breaking the bank or stressing over comparisons. Full of easy tips, simple steps, and practical advice, The Nesting Place will give you the courage to take risks with your home and transform it into a place that’s inviting and warm for family and friends.There is beauty in the lived-in and loved-on and just-about-used-up, Myquillyn says, and welcoming that imperfection wholeheartedly just might be the most freeing thing you’ll ever do.

What to Eat


Marion Nestle - 2006
    Praised as "radiant with maxims to live by" in The New York Times Book Review and "accessible, reliable and comprehensive" in The Washington Post, What to Eat is an indispensable resource, packed with important information and useful advice from the acclaimed nutritionist who "has become to the food industry what . . . Ralph Nader [was] to the automobile industry" (St. Louis Post-Dispatch).How we choose which foods to eat is growing more complicated by the day, and the straightforward, practical approach of What to Eat has been praised as welcome relief. As Nestle takes us through each supermarket section—produce, dairy, meat, fish—she explains the issues, cutting through foodie jargon and complicated nutrition labels, and debunking the misleading health claims made by big food companies. With Nestle as our guide, we are shown how to make wise food choices—and are inspired to eat sensibly and nutritiously.Now in paperback, What to Eat is already a classic—"the perfect guidebook to help navigate through the confusion of which foods are good for us" (USA Today).

Bushcraft 101: A Field Guide to the Art of Wilderness Survival


Dave Canterbury - 2014
    Based on the 5Cs of Survivability--cutting tools, covering, combustion devices, containers, and cordages--this valuable guide offers only the most important survival skills to help you craft resources from your surroundings and truly experience the beauty and thrill of the wilderness. Inside, you'll also discover detailed information on: Choosing the right items for your kit. Manufacturing needed tools and supplies. Collecting and cooking food. Protecting yourself from the elements. With Canterbury's guidance, you'll not only prepare yourself for any climate and situation, you'll also learn how to use the art of bushcraft to reconnect with nature in ways you've never imagined.

Rainbow Green Live-Food Cuisine


Gabriel Cousens - 2003
    Here holistic physician Gabriel Cousens addresses the dangers of foods that have been genetically modified, treated with pesticides, microwaved, and irradiated—and presents an alternative diet of whole, natural, organic, and raw foods that can reverse chronic disease and restore vitality.Both a guide to natural health and a cookbook, Rainbow Green Live-Food Cuisine features over 250 revolutionary vegan recipes from chefs at the Tree of Life Cafe, from Buttery Butternut Porridge to Raw-violis to Carob Coconut Cream Eclairs. Combining modern research on metabolism, ecological consciousness, and a rainbow of live foods, Dr. Cousens dishes up comprehensive, practical, and delectable solutions to the woes of the Western diet.

It Starts with Food: Discover the Whole30 and Change Your Life in Unexpected Ways


Dallas Hartwig - 2012
    Your success story begins with "The Whole30," Dallas and Melissa Hartwig's powerful 30-day nutritional reset.Over the last three years, their underground Whole30 program has quietly led tens of thousands of people to weight loss, improved quality of life and a healthier relationship with food—accompanied by stunning improvements in sleep, energy levels, mood and self-esteem. More significantly, devotees of their program have reported the "magical" elimination of hundreds of lifestyle-related diseases and conditions.Now, Dallas and Melissa detail the theories behind the Whole30, summarizing the science in a simple, accessible manner. It Starts With Food will show you how certain foods may be having negative effects on how you look, feel and live—in ways that you'd never associate with your diet. More importantly, they outline their life-long strategy for Eating Good Food in one clear and detailed action plan designed to help you create a healthy metabolism, heal your digestive tract, calm systemic inflammation and put an end to unhealthy cravings, habits, and relationships with food.Infused with their signature wit, tough love and common sense approach, It Starts With Food is based on the latest scientific research and real-life experience, and includes success stories, a shopping guide, a meal planning template, a 30-day meal plan with creative, delicious recipes, and much more.

Grow Food for Free: The easy, sustainable, zero-cost way to a plentiful harvest


Huw Richards - 2020
    He succeeded, and now wants to help you do the same.Grow your own food in your home garden, allotment or container and look forward to a bountiful harvest year-round. You can plant fruit and veg at home without spending a penny and Huw Richard's shows you how.Packed with tried-and-tested advice, this gardening book covers:- Finding a space to grow - in the garden or on a terrace or balcony - and sourcing the materials you need- Deciding what to grow your crops in (the ground, a raised bed, or containers)- Clear growing instructions on more than 30 species of popular annual and perennial crops- Huw Richards' 52-week journal of how he grew his own food for free for a year without spending a penny- Advice on how to go about selling your produce to raise money to expand your growing areaAuthor Huw Richards is a man on a mission. He is passionate about teaching you how to garden and grow your own food. Years of experience and trying different things has taught Huw how to garden with little money (or without a garden) and he shows you how to do the same! Grow Food for Free teaches you how to produce no-cost, low-maintenance fruit and veg - and finding low-cost ways to overcome common gardening worries. Learn about the space you need and how to prepare it, make your own compost, tackle weeds, pests, and diseases, and how to get hold of your first set of seeds! Discover strategies to expand your garden. Can't afford a raised bed? Try repurposing an old wooden pallet. Don't have money to buy lots of different seeds? Look in your kitchen cupboards for food that you can plant. This home gardening book shows you everything you need to barter, borrow, repurpose, and propagate your way to a bountiful harvest without burdening your bank balance!

Healing With Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition


Paul Pitchford - 1993
    It's also a primer on nutrition--including facts about green foods, such as spirulina and blue-green algae, and the regeneration diets used by cancer patients and arthritics--along with an inspiring cookbook with more than 300 mostly vegetarian, nutrient-packed recipes.The information on Chinese medicine is useful for helping to diagnose health imbalances, especially nascent illnesses. It's smartly paired with the whole-foods program because the Chinese have attributed various health-balancing properties to foods, so you can tailor your diet to help alleviate symptoms of illness. For example, Chinese medicine dictates that someone with low energy and a pale complexion (a yin deficiency) would benefit from avoiding bitter foods and increasing sweet foods such as soy, black sesame seeds, parsnips, rice, and oats. (Note that the Chinese definition of sweet foods is much different from the American one!)Pitchford says in his dedication that he hopes the reader finds healing, awareness, and peace from following his program. The diet is certainly acetic by American standards (no alcohol, caffeine, white flour, fried foods, or sugar, and a minimum of eggs and dairy) but the reasons he gives for avoiding these negative energy foods are compelling. From the adrenal damage imparted by coffee to immune dysfunction brought on by excess refined sugar, Pitchford spurs you to rethink every dietary choice and its ultimate influence on your health. Without being alarmist, he adds dietary tips for protecting yourself against the dangers of modern life, including neutralizing damage from water fluoridation (thyroid and immune-system problems may result; fluoride is a carcinogen). There's further reading on food combining, female health, heart disease, pregnancy, fasting, and weight loss. Overall, this is a wonderful book for anyone who's serious about strengthening his or her body from the inside out.

Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management


Isabella Beeton - 1861
    Beeton's Book of Household Management is a volume of insight and common sense. Written by what one might now describe as a Victorian Martha Stewart, the book offers advice on fashion, child-care, animal husbandry, poisons, and the management of servants. To the modern reader expecting stuffy verbosity or heavy moralizing, Beeton's book is a revelation: it explores the foods of Europe and beyond, suggesting new food stuffs and techniques, mixing domestic advice with discussions of science, religion, class, industrialism and gender roles. Alternately frugal and fashionable, anxious and self confident, the book highlights the concerns of the growing Victorian middle-class at a key moment in its history. This abridged edition serves as a cookery book, while documenting a significant aspect of Victorian social and cultural history.

The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide: How to Declutter, Organize, and Simplify Your Life


Francine Jay - 2010
     Do you ever feel overwhelmed, instead of overjoyed, by all your possessions? Do you secretly wish a gale force wind would blow the clutter from your home? If so, it's time to simplify your life! The Joy of Less is a fun, lighthearted guide to minimalist living. Part One provides an inspirational pep talk on the joys and rewards of paring down. Part Two presents the STREAMLINE method: ten easy steps to rid your house of clutter. Part Three goes room by room, outlining specific ways to tackle each one. Part Four helps you trim your to-do list and free up your time, and explains how saving space in your closets can save the planet. Ready to sweep away the clutter? Just open this book, and you'll be on your way to a simpler, more streamlined, and more serene life.

Joyful Momma's Guide to Shopping & Cooking Frugally


Kimberly Eddy - 2011
    That’s where Joyful Momma’s Guide to Shopping & Cooking Frugally comes in.If you’re like me, you’ve been frustrated by the rising prices of groceries, while the family income either remains the same or goes down. It seems like everyone is looking for ways to cut back on their grocery bill.Let me help you learn how to save big money at the grocery store with some simple and easy-to-implement tips!☑ Do you wonder how some people seem to save big money with coupons while coupons only seem to make you spend more? (See page 26)☑ Do you always seem to go over budget when grocery shopping? (See page 40)☑ Are menu planning and making a shopping list overwhelming you? (See page 18)☑ Does your menu plan go out the window after husband and children snack on vital ingredients? (See page 23)☑ Are you struggling with managing or losing weight while keeping with a super tight budget? (See page 80)☑ Is the challenge of breaking free from using pre-packaged foods overwhelming you? (See page 57)☑ Do you find yourself frustrated with the challenge of making your frugal meals flavorful and healthy? (See page 53)☑ Is the time crunch keeping you from cooking from scratch, couponing, and planning? (See page 66)☑ Do you struggle with feeling overwhelmed and depressed over the challenges the economy is bringing to your family? (See page 5)All of these questions (and more) are answered in Joyful Momma’s Guide to Shopping & Cooking Frugally. I wrote most of this book based on real life questions I’ve gotten on Twitter, Facebook, and email about saving money at the grocery store, so it is geared towards answering real world questions.

Wildly Affordable Organic: Eat Fabulous Food, Get Healthy, and Save the Planet -- All on $5 a Day or Less


Linda Watson - 2011
    Eat Green. Save Green.   If you've wanted to eat like it matters but felt you couldn't afford it, Wildly Affordable Organic is for you. It's easy to think that "organic" is a code word for "expensive," but it doesn't have to be. With these ingenious cooking plans and healthy, satisfying recipes, Linda Watson reveals the incredible secret of how you can eat well every day--from blueberry pancakes for breakfast to peach pie for dessert--averaging less than two dollars a meal.   Get ready for wild savings! You'll discover how to: •    Ease your family into a greener lifestyle with the 20-minute starter plan •    Go organic on just $5 a day--or go thrifty and spend even less •    Take advantage of your freezer and freeze your costs •    Find the best deals at your local farmers' market or grocery store •    Cook easy, scrumptious, seasonal dishes from scratch   Packed with tips for streamlining meals, from shopping and cooking to washing dishes, this book shows how sustainable living is within everyone's reach. Slow global warming with delicious dinners? Lose weight, save money, and save the polar bears at the same time? When you live the Wildly Affordable Organic way, it is possible! Join the movement to change the way you eat--and keep the change.

201 Organic Baby Purees: The Freshest, Most Wholesome Food Your Baby Can Eat!


Tamika L. Gardner - 2011
    As easy-to-prepare as they are nutritious, these recipes include: Basic fruit and veggie blends from apricots to zucchini Classic combinations such as turkey, sweet potato, and corn Superfoods like avocado, blueberries, and spinach Puree-based transition recipes including soups, biscuits, frozen deserts, and more Free of pesticides, hormones, GMOs, and additives, these delicious purees promote strong immune systems and healthy growth--designed to protect tiny tummies