My Books

The 5 Acres & A Dream homesteading series reveals the nitty-gritty, down-and-dirty realities of working toward a simpler, sustainable, more self-reliant lifestyle on a self-sufficient homestead. Leigh and Dan Tate had a dream but very little money. This series shares how they made their dream a reality: facing the challenges, solving the problems, and sometimes changing their minds along the way.

5 Acres & A Dream The Book: The Challenges of Establishing a Self-Sufficient Homestead

This first book in my homesteading series is the story of my husband Dan's and my beginning journey toward our dream of simpler, sustainable, more self-reliant living. It shares how we defined our dream, developed property hunting criteria, and finally found the right place. It describes how we set their goals and priorities, the difficulties and obstacles we faced, and what we've learned about energy, water, and food self-sufficiency for both ourselves and our livestock. Available formats, chapter titles, pricing, and where to buy can be found at Kikobian.com.

5 Acres & A Dream The Sequel:

Lessons Learned in the Quest 

for a Self-Sufficient Homestead

This second book in the series continues Dan’s and my homesteading journey toward self-sufficiency. It takes a hard look at what has happened to our dream. Is it still alive? Are our goals and priorities the same? I update our progress toward food, energy, and water self-sufficiency, and share how our goals have expanded and changed in spite of distractions and discouraging times. I discuss how our relationship with our land and animals has changed how we see ourselves and our homestead. Chapter titles, pricing, and where to buy can be found at Kikobian.com.

Both volumes include copies of our homestead master plan plus revisions, useful resources, informative appendices, and a sampling of my homestead recipes.

Prepper's Livestock Handbook: Lifesaving Strategies and Sustainable Methods for Keeping Chickens, Rabbits, Goats, Cows and Other Farm Animals

Livestock care from a preparedness point of view. This prepper's resource focuses on sustainable and self-reliant methods for managing your land and your livestock. Covers livestock choices for homesteading, options for shelter and fencing, homegrown feeds and hay, breeding, birthing, veterinary care, and dairying. Learn pitfalls to avoid and how to keep things manageable. Learn simple, low-tech, off-grid ways to preserve eggs, milk, cheese, and meat. Prepper's Livestock Handbook will help you make the best livestock choices for your personal homestead needs and goals. Where to buy at Kikobian.com.

Critter Tales: What my homestead critters have about themselves, their world, and how to be a part of it

Where the 5 Acres & A Dream series discusses our journey of discovery into self-reliant homesteading, Critter Tales focuses on our learning about sustainable animal keeping. It presents an entertaining but honest exploration of the challenges of sustainable critter keeping on a self-reliant homestead: suitable breeds, numbers of animals, housing, fencing, growing one's own feed, health issues, mysterious disappearances and deaths, dealing with predators, critters that won't stay put, and how the animals themselves don't always agree with "the experts." Visit Kikobian.com for more information and where to buy.

How To Bake Without Baking Powder: modern and historical alternatives for light and tasty baked goods

Baking powder is a common kitchen staple, but did you know you can create your own leavening power with common food items you already have on hand? How To Bake Without Baking Powder will teach you basic kitchen chemistry, so that you will never have to throw out expired baking powder again. Discusses the science behind baking powder, plus substitutes for both cream of tartar and baking soda. Includes how to make sour milk, buttermilk, and sourdough starter, plus my hardwood ash baking experiments. 20 baking powder alternatives, 12 easy reference charts. and 54 modern and historical recipes. Formats, prices, and where to buy at Kikobian.com. 

The Little Series of Homestead How-Tos 

is an eBook series focusing on the homesteading skills folks are asking about today. Concise and to the point, each book includes photos, a glossary, and links to more resources. They are available in all eReader formats. New How-Tos are introduced regularly, so please visit Kikobian.com for the complete list of current titles, prices, and where to purchase.