. . whoever they are?Meet Steve and Annette Ecomomides. They've been called cheapskates, thriftaholics, and tightwads, but in these tough times, Steve and Annette have managed to feed their family of seven on just $350 per month, pay off their first house in nine years and purchase a second, larger home, buy cars with cash, take wonderful vacations, and put money in savings. Without degrees in finance or six-figure salaries, Steve and Annette have created a comfortable, debt-free life for themselves and their children. In America's Cheapest Family Gets You Right on the Money, they show you how they did it - and how you can do it too.√ hundreds of ways to save money on everyday household expenses, including groceries, clothing, and health care√ how to save in advance for major purchases such as homes, cars, and vacations√ how to stop living paycheck to paycheck√ how to eliminate debt...forever!America's Cheapest Family Gets You Right on the Money puts meeting your financial goals - and living well at the same time - in reach for every family.

    She wants nothing less than to reconnect us all with the food we eat and the heritage of farming that belongs to all of us, and nothing more than to empower and encourage rural women everywhere ... she is cultivating not just a farm but a philosophy of living. " -- Body & Soul "Carpenter, waitress, janitor, upholsterer, secretary, milkmaid, wilderness ranger, environmental activist, entrepreneur-the founder of "MaryJanesFarm" has worn many hats in her day, but none more proudly than that of modern-day farmgirl. Speaking to the farmgirl in all of us, MaryJane Butters offers a captivating introduction to the organic lifestyle, resurrects forgotten domestic arts, and shares lessons gleaned from her diverse background and two decades of life as an Idaho farmer. Whether you simply need encouragement to embrace a more authentic, wholesome lifestyle or you're looking for guidance on building a greenhouse, chopping firewood, hosting a town event, caring for a flock of chickens, making your own butter, growing a winter salad, or choosing a water filter, "MaryJane's Ideabook, Cookbook, Lifebook" is both an inspiration and a practical road map for farmgirls of all stripes." "Dreams are MaryJane Butters' business, and she has always pursued them without pausing to consult conventional wisdom. "-- House & Garden "MaryJane Butters, a natural teacher, has a gift for simplification, and makes it seem that everything she does is easy and attainable. "-- The New Yorker"

    Thanks to the 100 ideas in this volume, the craft is now available to everyone. In as little as an afternoon, beginners will be on their way to folding, gluing, and sewing handmade books in a variety of shapes and styles, from rolled scrolls to Jacobs ladders, folded flexagons to case bindings. Complete with photographs of the authors own master books and statements by more than 40 established book artists, this collection is sure to inspire. Culled from the authors best-selling books Creating Handmade Books, Unique Handmade Books, and Expressive Handmade Books, these projects will fuel bookbinding adventures for years to come.

    Presented in 31 daily thoughts, this compassionate guide will help you begin to get free of the shame and anxiety you feel over home care.Inside you will learn:· How to shift your perspective of care tasks from moral to functional· How to stop negative self-talk and shame around care tasks· How to give yourself permission to rest, even when things aren’t finished· How to motivate yourself to care for your space

    Here are 85 recipes for cheeses and other dairy products that require basic cheese making techniques and the freshest of ingredients, offering the satisfaction of turning out a coveted delicacy. Among the step-by-step tested recipes for cheese varieties are farmhouse cheddar, gouda, fromage blanc, queso blanco, marscarpone, ricotta, and 30-minute mozzarella. Recipes for dairy products include crFme frafche, sour cream, yogurt, keifer, buttermilk, and clotted cream. There are also 60 recipes for cooking with cheese, including such treats as Ricotta Pancakes with Banana Pecan Syrup, Cream Cheese Muffins, Broiled Pears and Vermont Shepherd Cheese, Prosciutto and Cheese Calzones, and Grilled Vegetable Stacks with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce. Profiles of home cheese makers and artisan cheese makers scattered throughout the text share the stories of people who love to make and eat good cheese. Plus information on how to enjoy homemade cheeses, how to serve a cheese course at home, cheese tips, lore, quotes, cheese making glossary, and more.

    Here are ATK's greatest hits, the most inventive and rewarding project recipes, classics reimagined, must-have basics, international favorites, and all-star baking recipes.The recipes selected for this commemorative edition celebrate the best and most remarkable accomplishments from 500 episodes of the longest-running cooking show on TV. The collection also shines a spotlight on the cast with fascinating commentary on the recipes from the team that brought them to life on TV. The book captures the personality of the show and provides a first-ever behind-the-scenes look at its beloved cast members along with special features that relay the collected expertise, wit, and wisdom of the team behind America's most-trusted test kitchen.

    But few of us really have the time to do that anymore, with school, sports, work, and appointments keeping us running and pulling us left and right. What busy home cooks REALLY need are FAST, EASY, and DOABLE solutions to solve the challenge of feeding their families quick, easy, wholesome food that tastes great day after day, week after week—without falling into a rut and relying on the same handful of meals.Ree Drummond transforms taking it easy in the kitchen into an art, giving readers her very best make-it-happen strategies, pulled from her own non-stop life as a devoted wife, mother of four, food lover, and businesswoman. Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes for a Crazy Busy Life includes more than 125 of Ree’s best food solutions for making filling, nutritious meals with minimal fuss, for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.With a mix of flavors and dishes that will please everyone, Ree makes it easy to whip up delicious, simple, down-home recipes that go from stove to table in no time!

    This is the original book compilation of Foxfire material which introduces Aunt Arie and her contemporaries and includes log cabin building, hog dressing, snake lore, mountain crafts and food, and "other affairs of plain living."

    And to help with organising the perfect party comes a very timely, and quintessentially British book "The Vintage Tea Party Book" by Angel Adoree. Angel set up the Vintage Patisserie in 2007, turning tea party dreams into reality and offering customers the complete experience, including dance, music and make up and of course a delectable menu. Her new book "The Vintage Tea Party Book" embraces the style and class of the Vintage Patisserie and illustrates how to beautifully recreate the tasty treats and classic styles of a magical golden era in your very own home with elegance and glamour and make your party go with a swing! It tells you the importance of 'occasion' and how you should make your guests feel really special. Nothing is left out, starting at the very beginning with the personalized invitation and beautiful ready made invitations to send to your friends. You can decorate your home to make it look the perfect venue for your tea party. You can collect vintage china and silver cutlery to decorate your table, and there is a tea party checklist to make sure you have all the essentials! And for that really personal touch, Angel shows how to make your own decorations, including Queen Elizabeth Union Jack flags and beautiful bird mobiles. This is not a 'cupcake' book, the menu consists of stylish, simple classics with a visual twist. Angel puts together a delicious and bespoke selection of dishes to spoil and delight your guests - whatever time of the day. With brunch dishes such as Coddled Eggs and Asparagus Egg Custards with Parmesan Wafers, to afternoon teas of Onion and Potato Flowers, Bunting Butties, Cream Cheese and Cucumber Hearts, and Lollipop and Jam Sandwiches followed by scrumptious deserts including personalised Engraved Earl Grey Truffle Hearts, Rose Pannacotta and Lemon Scones with Lavender Cream - all washed down with Green Jasmine Tea Bubbles, Saffron G&Tea Shots or a Tea Tini Flower Martini and many other delightful drinks - your guests will be spoilt for choice! Now you have the menu sorted out, it's time to decorate yourself and revel in the decadence of vintage glamour. Make your own hat and hair decorations with fabric and a multitude of decorations which can all be found at your local haberdashery, there are accessible tips on fabulous hairstyles, like how to put your hair in a victory roll, poodle or a basic set. There are makeup methods to make yourself look like a vintage beauty - like how to achieve the perfect rouged lips and put on false eye lashes. Why not play a parlour game to bring your guests together? - there are a host of games such as 'Guess the Musical Era', unconventional poker, charades and 'Are You There Moriarty?' - all of which will have your guests laughing and the conversation really flowing! Quite simply, "The Vintage Tea Party Book" has everything you need to host the perfect tea party, you will be the talk of the town and everyone will want to be invited to your special bespoke party - as well as want to host their very own!(less)

    Their life had hit rock bottom, and it was only after a touching act of charity that they were able to get on their feet again.Inspired by this gesture of kindness as well as the beloved Little House on the Prairie books, Merissa found that a life of self-sufficiency and simplicity could be charming and blissful. She set out to live an entirely made-from-scratch life, the “Little House” way, and as a result, she slashed her household budget by nearly half—saving thousands of dollars a year. She started to write about homesteading, homemaking, and cooking from scratch, and over the next few years developed the recipes and DIY projects that would one day become part of her now beloved website, LittleHouseLiving.com.As whole foods became staples of the family diet, Merissa realized the dangers of putting overly processed ingredients not only into our bodies, but on or near them as well. In addition to countless delicious, home-cooked meals, she developed natural, easy-to-make recipes for everything from sunscreen to taco seasoning mix, lemon poppy hand scrub to furniture polish. With their simple ingredients, these recipes are allergen friendly and many are gluten-free.With over 130 practical, simple DIY recipes, gorgeous full-color photographs, and Merissa's trademark charm in personal stories and tips, Little House Living is the epitome of heartland warmth and prairie inspiration.

    It just feels that way.Certified nutritionist Leanne Ely loves delicious food and is dedicated to enticing today’s busy families back to the dinner table with home cooking that cannot be beat. In Saving Dinner the Low-Carb Way, she integrates low-carb requirements into her mélange of dining pleasures for every season–providing easy-to-follow menus and highlighting per-serving measurements of calories, fat, protein, carbohydrates, cholesterol, and sodium for each dish.Itemizing ingredients by product in convenient lists, Ely makes your grocery shopping quick and effortless. She also gives you a helping hand in the kitchen with shortcuts that take the stress out of cooking, and suggests menu variations for children and family members who choose not to go the low-carb route.The result? These dinners are not only balanced and healthy but truly varied and delectably good to eat. Main dishes like Low-Carb Beef Stroganoff, Crustless Quiche Lorraine, Crock-Pot Pork Jambalaya, Skillet Salmon with Horseradish Cream, and nearly 150 other entrees (plus recommendations for great side dishes) make dinnertime special in more ways than one.

    She features 100 memorable, edible gifts for any occasion with simple, delicious recipes, detailed wrapping instructions, and stunning photography. There are countless ways to share the pleasures of food with people you care about—from simple homemade infused salts and sugars to instant-gratification gifts like fresh ricotta and flavored butters; from jams, pickles, and vinaigrettes to irresistible cookies, desserts, savories, and spirits that will impress fellow food fans. There’s helpful information for creating your own Food Gift Love pantry at home as well as creative guidance on how to wrap food gifts with style. This book will inspire cooks, food-lovers, and DIY fans to be year-round food gifters.

    With more than half a million copies of their books in print, Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois have proven that people want to bake their own bread, so long as they can do it easily and quickly.Crusty baguettes, mouth-watering pizzas, hearty sandwich loaves, and even buttery pastries can easily become part of your own personal menu, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day will teach you everything you need to know, opening the eyes of any potential baker."

    With the turn of each page, Liz Fourez leads you on a tour through her family’s house, restored to its 1940s rustic farm style, and teaches you how to make each handmade decoration yourself. The projects require minimal effort, yet add instant charm to any room. With your blue jeans on and a few of the most basic supplies in hand, you’ll be on your way to your dream home in no time.You’ll learn how to make a custom wood Family Name Sign for your living room, a Wooden Boot Tray on Casters for the entryway, a Ruffled Stool Slipcover for the kitchen and a Rustic Wooden Frame for the bedroom, plus decorations for the office, bathroom, kids’ bedroom and playroom. Farmhouse style is about cultivating a connection among family, home and nature; A Touch of Farmhouse Charm helps you bring the warmth and beauty of simpler times to your modern life naturally.

    Sikes is a celebration of American style today, showcasing chic and accessible ideas for every home. Modern and unfussy, Mark D. Sikes's interiors are classic takes on California indoor/outdoor living, with natural fibers and crisp coloration, informed and influenced by the fashion world where he began his career. In eight chapters, he explores approachable, stylish looks, from Blue and White Forever, which features indigos, stripes, batiks, and wicker in casual rooms such as porches and pool houses; to Timeless Neutrals, presenting semiformal rooms filled with chinoiserie, gilt, glass, mirrors, banquettes, and French chairs; to Garden Greens, featuring happy, casual family rooms and kitchens inspired by the garden with treillage woodwork, rattan, and cotton. There are also Beautiful Brights, colorful rooms that are eclectic, layered, and fun, with chintz, florals, and Middle Eastern influences; and Sun Faded Hues, rustic coastal rooms with weathered fabrics and furniture. Each chapter presents light-filled images of the designer's looks and offers the reader inspiration and advice. As famed film director Nancy Meyers writes in the book's foreword, this is a book that shows design lovers how classic can look fresh, how style and comfort go hand-in-hand.