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Food Prood - Laura Lawrence

Hi, I’m a homesteader in Northern Michigan with nearly 30 years of hands-on experience in self-sufficiency, natural living, and traditional skills. Over the years, I’ve built a life rooted in growing, making, and doing — and I love sharing what we do and how we do it to help others create their own empowered path.

Featured Post

The purple beans are producing… and preserving season is officially HERE

Laura Lawrence Hi Reader Well… The preserving season I warned you about? It arrived. 😅 My famous purple podded pole beans are starting to come in, gardens are producing, and before long we’ll be doing what feels like endless preserving. And honestly… This is one of my favorite times of year. The messy counters. The steam. The jars lined up. The satisfaction of seeing shelves slowly fill. Soon I’ll be doing large batches of tomato sauce cooked outdoors over the fire (because keeping that heat...

Laura Lawrence Hi Reader Look not all gardening is pretty and front news worthy. I like to teach both sides of the coin, there's the good, the bad and the ugly. Today is some ugly, because gardening is not perfection. It's learning to see the ugly, perhaps try to help it. Some you win, and trust me some you do not. It's about getting out there, sweating, swearing and learning. Constantly learning. God made us to be outside, growing our food and working the land. Period. The ugly and all. Hit...

Laura Lawrence Hi Friend! The wink wink canadian wildfire smoke has been pretty intense here today, so I thought I’d share what I’m doing to support my body during all of this and honestly trying not to freak out! 🍵 Today I’m brewing a tea with: • Dandelion root • Burdock root • Mint • Lemon balm • A few other herbs for flavor Once it’s cooled a bit, I’ll stir in some of my honey. My favorite way to brew herbal tea: Bring water to a boil, turn the heat off, add your herbs, cover, and let...

Laura Lawrence Hi Friend!You know those neighbors who show up every summer all excited handing you an oversized baseball bat zucchini full of seeds and you have to smile politely like: "Oh wow… thanks so much…" Meanwhile you’re thinking: "What exactly am I supposed to do with this thing?" 😅 Here’s my unsolicited zucchini opinion: Pick them younger. Around a foot long (depending on variety of course), before they turn into giant seeded monsters. Not only do young zucchini taste better, they’re...

Laura Lawrence Hi Reader You know those neighbors who show up every summer all excited, handing you an oversized baseball bat zucchini full of seeds? "Oh wow... thanks so much..." Meanwhile, you're wondering what exactly you're supposed to do with this thing. Here's my unsolicited zucchini opinion: pick them younger. Not only do younger zucchini taste better, they're more tender, easier to cook with, and harvesting regularly often encourages your plants to keep producing. ...which sounds...

Laura Lawrence Hi Reader There are nights when inspiration is nowhere to be found and everyone is hungry. This homemade Hillbilly Hamburger Helper is one of my go-to meals for those evenings. It's simple, budget friendly, made from scratch, and uses ingredients I usually already have on hand. If you're looking for a practical dinner that the whole family will eat, give this one a try. https://foodprood.com/recipes/hillbilly-hamburger-helper-from-scratch-recipe/ Hungry, – LauraHomesteader |...

Laura Lawrence From Starter to Artisan Hi Reader Another sourdough opinion… Your grandma probably made bread without calculating hydration percentages and stressing over crumb structure 😅 Bread existed long before social media. Long before complicated formulas. Long before people were afraid to start. I think sometimes we forget: The goal isn’t perfection. The goal is: 🍞 feeding people🍞 learning skills🍞 creating something with your own hands That’s why my sourdough style is more: "Start where...

Laura Lawrence Hi Reader There are plenty of recipes that come and go, but this potato soup has stayed in our rotation for years. It's simple, filling, and perfect for feeding a crowd or stocking the freezer for busy days. Grab the recipe here: https://foodprood.com/recipes/potato-soup-for-a-crowd/ If you love practical, family-style meals, you'll find many more inside Seed to Plate. Save & Print this recipe now for when all those wonderful spuds start showing up in the stores or straight...

Laura Lawrence Hi Reader I’ve noticed something over the years… A LOT of people want to preserve food. But then they start thinking about: 😬 pressure canners😬 safety😬 water bath vs pressure canning😬 "What if I mess this up?" …and suddenly those extra beans or tomatoes don’t seem so exciting anymore. I get it. Preserving can feel overwhelming at first. That’s exactly why I put together: 🫙 Preserving the Harvest: Water Bath & Pressure Canning A practical guide meant to help you understand...

Laura Lawrence Hi Reader If you've been hanging out with me much at all you'll know how much I love planting garlic and encouraging others to plant as well. If you want to learn how I have a free training lesson that teaches you literally every single step on how to grow, harvest & cure garlic. Learn how HERE. I'm currently awaiting anxiously the sight of my scapes (I grow hardneck) - once they start appearing I'll cut them off and use them in several recipes like my "Poor Man's Pesto" or my...