Taco soup is one of my favorite meals. It is very easy on the cook and tastes so good. This recipe was given to my mother by one of her homemaking students. Taco Soup 1 lb. ground beef 1 onion, chopped 2 cans ranch style beans 1 can yellow hominy, undrained 1 can tomatoes with green chiles 1 package ta…
A rustic blanket chest made from rough-sawn boards serves as my coffee table. This chest has a lot of sentimental value to me. The boards were first used in my great-grandfather's barn. When the barn was torn down l ater, the lumber was reused as wall planking in an addition to the back of my grandmother&#…
There is a very large, presumably very old, Camellia sasanqua planted on the northeast corner of my carport. I do not know the name of the variety but it is unusual in that it has fragrance. It blooms around this time every year but this year it has been exceptionally pretty. The shrub is trimmed into a…
Dressing is my favorite holiday dish. In fact, my family often makes dressing throughout the year, not just at the holidays. It is a convenient way to use bits and pieces, such as leftover cornbread, broth, or that lonely stalk of celery in the vegetable bin. According to my grandmother, there are two keys to maki…
One evening the sun setting in the sky was so lovely I simply had to take pictures! Look! The first star of the night in the top right corner. The modern wiring cannot detract from the beauty to behold. I love these colors: soft, gently diffusing into one another. It is hard to tell when blue stops …
To a southerner, cornbread is essential. In my parents' and grandparents' time, it was cooked and served almost daily, far more often than regular bread made from wheat flour. This recipe is my favorite. It is naturally gluten-free and is as easy to make as opening a package of cornbread mix from the st…
Here is another UFO (unfinished object) that is finally complete! I knitted this garment using the free Cable Panel Vest (#L0634) pattern available online from Lion Brand Yarn. The yarn is Lion Brand Wool-Ease worsted in the Blush Heather colorway. This sweater vest was my first attempt at cables and I am very ple…
Painting parties have become popular lately. I have now attended three and the painting above is my latest accomplishment. It is very fitting for Halloween, don't you think? I have always been very artistic and creative but painting has eluded me. My art teachers in school focused more on drawing and other…
Source According to folklore, the seeds within the fruit of the humble American Persimmon tree ( Diospyros virginiana ) are supposed to predict the coming winter. My grandparents gathered persimmons from trees growing in the wild around their home each fall. After enjoying the delicious flesh of the fruit, th…
This past weekend, I mixed up my homemade laundry detergent. I once had someone ask me why I would take the trouble to do that when I could just grab a bottle or box off the shelf. This individual had a valid point. However, I originally started it because it made me feel close to my ancestors and the ways of old. …
It feels really good to finally finish this project! Earlier this year, a coworker had a baby and this stuffed rabbit is my gift to her. I think it will make a nice stuffed toy or pillow. I used Bernat Baby Jacquards yarn in the Easter Basket colorway. The pattern came on the yarn label but is also available f…
There's nothing like warm, cheesy potatoes to satisfy a comfort food craving. This recipe is super easy and a guaranteed crowd pleaser. It can be doubled or tripled as needed to serve the crowd at hand. The amounts below serve one to two. Easy Au Gratin Potatoes 1 large potato, scrubbed 1 c. milk 1 T. co…
Today I am sharing the first project of 2013, a peplum jacket in printed cotton canvas. I used New Look 6947 as the pattern. Changes I made to the pattern include adding a lining and making a bound buttonhole. I chose a fancy button from my stash to add a little sparkle and style. The p…
Spring is in the air and the garden is blooming. There is a very large, very old camellia japonica planted at the back of the carport. I do not know the variety but it has been blooming for several months, as camellias are wont to do. Another early bloomer, hellebore, can be found by the front porch. The …
Lyneisa
Hi and welcome to Grasshopper Homestead. I live in East Texas in the rural countryside with my beloved husband and a menagerie of pets and farm animals. A lifelong fascination with learning about the way things used to be is the inspiration behind my efforts to step back in time in little ways each day. A lover of the simple country life, I am creative, industrious, introspective, and a sucker for a flea market. Join me as I aspire to create a vintage country life.
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I am sorry I have been so quiet on the blog lately. I will be posting some updates on the kitchen remodel and garden soon, and I do have a couple of new sewing projects to share as well. For the last month, though…
