Showing posts with label giveaway. Show all posts
Showing posts with label giveaway. Show all posts

October 24, 2022

Cookbook Review & Giveaway: Omnivore's Guide to Home Cooking

I often find myself looking for recipes for unusual foods. Things like small game (groundhog being the latest), or foraged foods such as day lily, poke, and hosta. Not too many cookbooks address these, so when I recently had the opportunity to review Judson Carroll's new book, I was pleased to find a cookbook that included those unusual foods and more.

The Omnivore's Guide to Home Cooking: For Preppers, Homesteaders, Permaculture People, and Everyone Else

I really like it. 

I like his philosophy. Here it is in his own words: "to eat as seasonally as possible and to include the widest diversity of foods possible. I believe that fresh and well-handled food has more than just vitamins, protein and carbs, fat and calories. I believe that real food has a life force to it that is lost when it is shipped long distances from where it is grown to where it is sold. My goal is, through careful cultivation and harvesting and the cooking and preserving techniques I use, to preserve and even enhance that illusive quality."

I like his cooking style. Tools and techniques are basic and practical, i.e. classic rather than trendy. The foods are those that are commonly grown, found, or caught in one's own neighborhood.

I like the way he writes. This book reads more like an interesting conversation about cooking than a recipe book. 

The book is indeed what the title says; a guide rather than a book of formulas. The recipes are described rather presented as lists of ingredients and steps; very similar to historic cookbooks. I realize not everyone will like this approach. But for a cook like me, who rarely (if ever) follows a recipe exactly as written, it's perfect. I always find myself adapting recipes to ingredients I have and how I cook, and this book actually encourages that. 

The book is available as a print or eBook at Amazon. eBook copies are also available at the author's blog. Also, it's also being highlighted for a giveaway at Permies.com this week! The rules to enter are simple, and you'll have a chance to get to know the author, ask questions, and learn more. 

Click here for how to enter the giveaway.

© October 2022 by Leigh at http://www.5acresandadream.com

February 4, 2022

Last Day to Enter the Giveaway!

One more day to enter the giveaway for one of four paperback copies of How To Bake Without Baking Powder over at Permies.com. Winners will be announced tomorrow.

It's been fun discussing this subject with folks, and a lot of people have been surprised to find out that the book isn't just about homemade baking powder, nor focused only on things like sourdough. To get a better idea of the subject matter, I've started three threads at Permies that delve deeper into baking powder alternatives:

Permies is open to the public, so you don't have to have an account to read these. You only need an account if you wish to comment or want to enter the giveaway.

So, don't miss your chance! Come on over to Permies! If you'd rather skip the giveaway and simply purchase a copy, you'll find all the options here.

Last Day to Enter the Giveaway! © February 2022 

January 31, 2022

Book Giveaway!

This week, I'm teaming up with Permies.com to giveaway four paperback copies of my How To Bake Without Baking Powder.

Between now and Friday, you can enter to win your very own copy. The "rules" are simple:

  1. Sign-in or sign-up for Permies.com
  2. Sign up for their Daily-ish email.
  3. Head on over to Permies cooking forum with your questions, answers, and ideas on the concept of baking without baking powder. All new posts in the forum count as one entry. More posts means more entries! (And a secret: quality counts. An interesting question or informative post counts more towards winning than a "me too" or "I agree" post.)
Permies will announce the winners sometime on Saturday. Watch the Daily-ish for the announcement.

So, come on over to Permies! I'd love to chat with you about the many alternatives for baking without baking powder.

Book Giveaway! © January 2022 

December 10, 2021

Giveaway Winner

 The winner of the Prepper's Livestock Handbook is . . . . . . .

Kristina! 

Thank you to everyone who helped! You can find all of my homesteading books at Kikobian.com.

I'd also like to encourage everyone to support your favorite authors and artisans by giving the gift of someone's labor and love. Yes, we do it because we love doing it, but also, we need to pay bills and buy food too. So consider giving unique, quality gifts that you can't find in the mass produced world. 

Giveaway Winner © December 2021

December 1, 2021

Don't Forget the Gift of Books (& A Giveaway)

Here it is. My annual self-promotion post, hopefully in time for folks looking for economical ways to check family and friends off their gift-giving list. Given the way things are these days, the book I'd like to feature this year is one that's relevant in days of potential economic uncertainty. That book is 


Why do I think it's relevant? Here's an excerpt from the introduction.

"This book is for those who are looking for long-term preparedness that goes beyond simply stocking up on canned foods, dry goods, and other necessities. Gardening adds fresh vegetables and fruits to the diet, but keeping farm animals will enable you to have fresh eggs, milk, butter, cheese, and meat."

To this you might say, "but I live in an apartment, or in town, where the city or homeowners' association forbids keeping farm animals". But consider this - folks keep rabbits and quail in garages, basements, and spare rooms, and miniature breeds in backyards.  

That still might not convince you, but if you—or someone you know—is concerned about inflation, supply chains, and being able to feed their families, then please consider giving this book a read. Here's a little more from the introduction.

"Those of us who didn’t grow up farming are often puzzled about how to begin. We lack the skills and knowledge needed to make a start. Dan and I had to rely on research plus trial and error, but always with the question “what if?” on our minds. What if we could no longer buy layer pellets at the feed store? What if we could no longer buy filters for straining milk, or cultures and rennet for making cheese? What if the grid goes down—how will we store our eggs, milk, and meat? Some of what we tried worked, but some of it didn’t. This book is a compilation of everything we have learned about preparedness with livestock and how we put it into practice. Its aim is to give you the advantage of our research and experience, so that hopefully you can avoid some of the problems we have had."

"Prepper’s Livestock Handbook will give you the information you need to make workable choices for your own homestead. My goal is to give you a foundation upon which to build that you can adjust according to your personal goals and circumstances.

Maybe rather than me telling you why you should get the book, I'll just share some excerpts, along with a sampling of some of the charts in the book. It contains ten chapters, an extensive resource list, and is about 230 pages long.

Chapter 1, "First Things First"

"People keep livestock for many reasons: eggs, dairy, meat, vegetation control, manure for compost, to sell, as pets, for showing, for breed conservation, because they like a particular animal, or any combination of these. Your reasons for keeping farm animals will determine your livestock philosophy and methods, as will your location and terrain."

"Probably the most common questions are “How much land do I need?” and “How many animals can I keep on my property?” Called “stocking rates,” the answers to those questions are often unsatisfying, because they depend not only on the amount of land but on the quality of forage, as well as the kinds of animals you want to keep. I will give you a better idea on that in the next chapter, Best Breeds for Self-Reliance."

Chapter 2, "Best Breeds for Self-Reliance" 

"Most of the livestock breeds that people are familiar with are commercial breeds. These are the animals we see on farms in the movies and in children’s picture books. They are the most common breeds because industrialized agriculture is the most extensive form of farming practiced in the modern world. Commercial producers are looking for cost effectiveness: maximum output (profit) on the most economical inputs (expenses) possible. The breeds they use have been developed to increase production and weight gain on scientifically formulated feeds with the ability to tolerate overcrowding in confined spaces. Breeding and mothering instincts are considered nonessential and often bred out. Some commercial breeds of chickens and turkeys, for example, don’t know how to mate and don’t know how to hatch their eggs. Artificial insemination is used instead. For the homesteader, there are other options."

Sample of one of the charts in chapter 2. Click to biggify.

Chapter 3, "Barns, Shelters, and Fencing" 

"When Dan and I started preparing for livestock, we wondered if one of our two small outbuildings would be adequate shelter for chickens and goats. We made several modifications on what became our first “barn.” We learned a lot from that setup and from the animals too. We made a number of changes over the years, and when we finally built a chicken coop and a goat barn, we were able to build structures that met both their needs and ours."

"In the following pages, I’ll discuss basic livestock housing along with a few ideas to help you design shelter to meet your goals and needs. I’ll share fencing options with you, including the things we wish we’d known before we started on ours."

Chapter 4, "Forage and Feed" 

"Livestock feeding has become extremely modernized over the years. On the one hand, this is convenient. We can simply load our pickup trucks with 50-pound bags of nutritionally complete packaged feed (called concentrates) and an occasional sack of minerals—what could be easier? From a preparedness perspective, however, this approach means I must purchase and store as much hay and feed as my preparedness plan prescribes. Or I can learn how to grow my own. But how do I take the feed bag ingredient list of roughage products, plant protein products, and grain by-products, and use that to formulate my own feeds? In this chapter, we’ll take a look at feeding livestock from a self-reliance perspective."

Sample chart and tidbit from Chapter 4. Click to enlarge.

And another one.

Chapter 5, "Breeding and Pregnancy"

"Maintaining on ongoing supply of eggs, milk, and meat requires decision-making and planning. Chickens will lay eggs without a rooster, but milk and a yearly meat supply will require a male of your chosen species. This chapter will discuss the pros and cons of keeping males, how to know the best times for breeding, how to tell when your ladies are in season, how to detect pregnancy, and basic care during pregnancy."

Another sample chart. Click to enlarge

Chapter 6, "Blessed Events: Birthing and Hatching"

"The big day is approaching! How do you need to prepare? What can you expect? This chapter will help you get ready for birthing and hatching, know what to expect, plus help you identify some common
problems."

Sample chart from chapter 6. Click to enlarge.

Chapter 7, "Eggs, Milk, and Meat"

"If you ask folks why they keep livestock, I’m guessing that near the top of almost every list is for food. More and more people want to eat healthy, naturally raised, minimally processed eggs, milk, and meat from humanely treated animals fed healthy, natural diets. Having a self-sustaining food supply is also important to many folks, including most preppers.

As with fruits and vegetables, the production of eggs, milk, and meat is seasonal. There is an ebb and flow to our homegrown food supply, but we must eat every day. Vegetables, fruits, eggs, milk, dairy products, and meat are perishable, so we must learn how to either extend their production or preserve them. This chapter will cover the basics of producing animal foods, how to aim for year-round production, and ways to preserve them."

One of the many how-tos. Click to biggify.

Chapter 8, "Keeping Them Healthy"

"Healthy animals are happy animals. They are alert, bright-eyed, and interested in their surroundings. They have shiny coats or feathers, good appetites, and are in good condition (neither too thin nor overweight). Animals that are properly fed and cared for have the best chance of living long, productive lives."

"Much of what we’ve discussed in this book is the foundation for good livestock health:

  • Start with healthy, disease-free stock (Chapter 2).
  • Provide good shelter with adequate space (Chapter 3).
  • Feed the right diet with proper nutrition (Chapter 4).
  • Provide proper care during breeding and pregnancy (Chapter 5).
  • Provide good care during labor and delivery (Chapter 6).
  • Take good care of newborns (Chapter 6).
  • Keep them safe (coming in Chapter 9).

In this chapter, I will discuss routine care, prevention of problems, how to identify when something is wrong, and when you might need a veterinarian’s help."


Chapter 9, "Keeping Them Safe"

"One of the hard realities of keeping livestock is loss from predation. Sometimes you will find remains, or sometimes animals will completely disappear. Predation may be a recurring problem or it may be seasonal.

When you have missing animals or find remains, you want to know what caused it. This chapter will give you an idea of what predators are common, what they prey on, and how to identify them by what they leave behind. I’ll give you information on predator control and deterrents, plus other ways to protect your livestock."

A snippet from the 4+ page chart in the chapter. Click to enlarge

Chapter 10, "Keeping Things Manageable"

"Homestead burnout: It’s not something you think about when you first get started, but it does happen. Things start well but soon become overwhelming: too many projects, too little time, too many things going wrong. The workload gets heavier, the to-do list gets longer, and there are never-ending demands on your time and energy. Things aren’t working out the way you expected and the dream has become a nightmare. Changing lifestyles is a huge undertaking. In this chapter I’ll share the lessons Dan and I have learned about how to keep things manageable."

~

You can see the complete list of charts at the book's website, here. You will also see a partial list of where to buy it. It's available in both paperback (list price $15.95) and eBook (list price $11.99. Better prices for both are currently at Amazon.)

The Giveaway

So what about the giveaway? I'm hoping for some help to promote this book and am offering a chance to win a paperback copy of Prepper's Livestock Handbook for that help. Just grab this blog post's URL and use it to post a shout-out on your own blog or favorite social media. To enter the giveaway, leave a comment here with a link to your post. You can get additional entries by helping me on different venues. 

If you've already read it, you can earn entries by leaving a review at your favorite book site (think gift copy). Then come back and leave a link in the comments to that review. I'll announce the winner next Friday, Dec. 10.

Even though this is a shameless plug for myself, I'm confident that all the time and energy I put into researching and writing this book will make it a worthwhile resource for you or a friend.

May 25, 2021

Book Review: A Year in an Off-Grid Kitchen

Last December, I told you about a Kickstarter I was participating in, for Kate Downham's then upcoming cookbook, A Year in an Off-Grid Kitchen. The Kickstarter was a success, and Kate's book is available starting today! I received a copy for my support and want to tell you about it, and about a giveaway. 

A Year in an Off-Grid Kitchen: Homestead Kitchen
Skills and Real Food Recipes for Resilient Health

What I really like about this particular cookbook, is that it is more than a recipe book. It's a manual of how to harmonize a healthy, seasonal diet with a healthy, natural lifestyle. The introduction is filled with valuable tips and information. It discusses the traditional foods approach to eating, tools for the off-grid kitchen, an excellent section on cooking on a wood cookstove, ways to keep food fresh without a fridge, and cooking with small-scale solar. All very practical!

The sections that follow are organized according to season. Each section includes recipes, how-tos, and preservation techniques. It should be noted that the author is Australian, and so follows Australian protocols for canning. She encourages those who follow USDA recommendations to do so. All recipes are easily adaptable to USDA guidelines.

Recipes are keyed so you can find gluten-free, paleo-friendly, grain-free, dairy free, vegetarian, and other options. Recipe notes and useful tips are scattered through-out the book. The recipes include both Celsius and Fahrenheit temperatures, and metric and imperial measurements. 

Winter begins and ends the book with a seasonal focus on root cellar vegetables. Recipes include bone broth, soups, and stews. Interesting, informative sections include developing your own soup and stew recipes, cooking a perfect roast on a wood cookstove, and getting started with home butchery. 

Early spring begins with eggs and greens (both garden grown and foraged); late spring adds dairy. Recipes include rice bowls, soups, casseroles. basic cheese making, plus other dairy goodies. Informational sections discuss nettles as a storable superfood, edible weeds and wild plants, and how to keep diary products fresh without a fridge. 

Summer moves into fresh vegetables with a variety of recipes for vegetable dishes, dips, and hummus. Late summer includes fruits and preserving the harvest. You’ll learn how to preserve fruit without cane sugar, how to make apple core cider, making jam the old way, and how to make herbal medicines. Summer preservation techniques include dehydrating, pickling, and water bath canning. 

Autumn introduces lacto-fermenting with techniques and recipes to try. The seasonal focus is on potatoes, fruits of the season, preserving tomatoes, and how to utilize all parts of the yearly pig. How-tos include butchering without a saw, stuffing sausages, rendering lard, and how to make your own ham, bacon, and sausages.

The last section, “Grains, Sourdough, and Year-Round Recipes,” is also excellent. It includes discussions on grain intolerance versus glyphosate intolerance, soaking and cooking grains, and whole grain baking. There are loads of tips, tricks, and recipes for sourdough, including gluten-free sourdough. I especially appreciated the off-grid approach for baking bread in both winter (when it’s too cold!) and summer (when it’s too hot!) Recipes include crispy Dutch oven bread, tortillas, pizza and foccacia crusts, pie crust, crackers, and sweet baked goods. Kombucha and condiments round out the year-round recipes.

As both a cookbook and reference manual, this one is comprehensive, well written, and interesting reading. Hardcover and paperback copies are available at Amazon, and the epub edition is available at Permies. Plus, Permies.com is hosting a giveaway. Between now and Friday, participants can enter to win one of four copies. Details here.

September 19, 2020

Giveaway Winners Announced

Firstly, I want to thank Permies.com for hosting a giveaway this week for four copies of 5 Acres & A Dream The Sequel. There were excellent questions and discussions in the homesteading forum. Also, I loved that I got to meet some of you who have read my blog for years but have never left a comment. It was a pleasure!

Winners are announced here. Congratulations to each one!

If you missed the giveaway, you can read my unveiling announcement here.

If you're interested in buying a copy, so far, you'll only see it listed for sale on Amazon (US, CA, UK, DE, FR, IT, ES, JP), but also, it can now be requested from your favorite online book seller. They will gradually be getting it listed on their websites. Or ask your local library to buy a copy!

Thank you, every one, for your encouragements and kind compliments. You all are the reason I love to write.

May 8, 2020

Giveaway Winner & Bonus Prize!

Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway! Lots of great ideas and enthusiasm in the comments. The special bonus prize is for you! Firstly, the winner. To choose from the 27 entries, I used a random number generator.


Congratulations to Nina!

If you didn't win, keep reading! The bonus prize is for you!

BONUS: Shawn has a series of free podcasts that explore positive ways to build a better world in your backyard. In them, he discusses many of the ideas in this book. You are invited to listen to them at his Building a Better World website. You'll find the podcasts at the link below.


Lots of interesting titles and lots of excellent ideas. Here is a sampling:
  • The Most Effective Way to Make Your Voice Heard
  • A Millionaire Life Without a Million Dollars
  • Replacing Petroleum with People
  • Pampering Animals for Increased Plant Growth
  • Strategies for Early Retirement

You can also listen to the podcasts at your favorite podcast venue.

If you'd like to buy a copy of the book for your own home library, click here. 

Thank you to everyone who entered and shared their ideas!

May 1, 2020

Book GIVEAWAY! Building a Better World in Your Backyard

I'm pleased to announce a book giveaway!


I've been in contact with Shawn Klaussen-Koop, co-author of


and he has graciously offered to give away a free paperback copy of his and Paul Wheaton's book.

If you missed my review on the book, you can read it here → Book Review: Building a Better World in Your Backyard. You'll understand why I'm enthusiastic about this book, especially now. It's difficult to read how so many people are uncertain and afraid because of the pandemic. Not only about getting sick, but about their jobs, their homes, and where their lives are headed. This book will help you take back some control in a positive, productive way. For example: you might be interested in cutting your electric bill without sacrificing comfort. You might be interested in cutting your water bill by learning how to water your lawn less, or simple, safe uses for graywater. You might be interested in free ways to increase your garden's productivity. These are the kinds of ideas you'll find in this book.

Interested? Here are the particulars for the giveaway:
  • It runs from today, May 1st through Thursday, May 7th
  • It's open to anyone (whole world) with the caveat that some places have delayed mail service because of lockdowns.
  • You can enter to win a copy for yourself, a friend or family member, or to donate to your public library.
  • The winner will be announced on Friday, May 8th.
  • The winner will have two days to respond to claim their prize. I'll need an email address to pass on to Shawn, and he'll need a mailing address for you to receive the book (no strings attached).
To enter:
  • Leave a comment and tell us one way you'd like to build a better world in your backyard. 
  • You can score extra entries by sharing this giveaway on your favorite social media, then comment here to let me know.
UPDATE: Congratulations to the winner!

February 17, 2020

5 Acres & A Dream The Book GIVEAWAY!

It's been ages since I've done a giveaway! Are you game? For this one, I'm partnering with Permies.com, and I'll be giving away not one, but four copies of 5 Acres & A Dream The Book!

The giveaway will run from today (Feb. 17) through Friday, Feb. 21st. It is open to members of Permies Forums, who will be hosting the event. But it's free to join, and I promise your membership will be well worth it. If you haven't visited before, click here to go and check it out.

Here's how you enter for a chance to win one of those four copies:
  • First register to join, here. All that's required is your email address, a real sounding name, and a password. That's it.
  • To enter the giveaway, you need to do two things.
    • Sign up for the Daily-ish Email. In "My Profile" go to "Email Preferences" and tic the Daily-ish Email box. Hit "Submit" at the bottom of the page.
    Clicking image should biggify.
    • Head on over to the Permies Homesteading Forum and join in! You can do that by commenting on any of the existing homesteading threads or by starting your own. You get an entry for every comment, so the more you join in, the better your chances!

Caveat: You can comment on any of the Permies forums, but only those in the Homesteading forum will count as entries for the giveaway.

BIG HINT: How to increase your chances of winning! Permies likes and rewards good quality comments and posts. That means that positive, informative comments have the best chance of winning. Photos and videos that contribute to the topic are encouraged and welcome! Comments like "Enter me" or "I'd like to win this book" don't carry much weight in the algorithms. To increase your chances of winning, join in any of the homesteading topics and share your experiences to encourage others. Or start new threads with your own homesteading questions. I'll be surprised if you don't get good answers. This is a very knowledgeable bunch of dedicated folks.

You can read the Permies reviews of 5 Acres & A Dream The Book here. The drawing takes place this Friday evening or Saturday morning. A link to the winners will be announced through the Daily-ish Email. If you win, you have 24 hours to respond with a mailing address to receive your prize.

Optional: One last thing. Please come say "Hi" to me on this thread, which officially kicks off the giveaway. It doesn't count as an entry, but I'd love to know you've joined in and wish you good luck.

I hope to see you there!

UPDATE: Congratulations to the winners!

June 25, 2018

Prepper's Livestock Handbook Giveaway Winner!

And the winner is ....


outwithmybookson

Please contact me at 5acresandadream @ mail dot com and tell me where to send it!

Thank you to everyone who entered via my blog or Facebook. And thank you to everyone who already has or plans to purchase a copy. If it isn't in your budget to order one at present, ask your local library to do it! Your purchases support my blog and help Dan and I continue to build our homestead.

Lastly thank you for the good reviews! If you read the book, please consider leaving the book a review! Honest reader reviews really help, and I'd appreciate your helping me.

Next time - back to homestead blogging as usual. :)

June 15, 2018

New Book Non-review and Giveaway!

I don't know if anyone else has been looking forward to this announcement, but I certainly have been. My Prepper's Livestock Handbook is now available! It's part of Ulysses Press's Prepper series, which includes a lot of truly excellent books. I'm proud to be part of that group.

Why a non-review? Well, because I can't exactly review my own book, and I don't want to give you a sales pitch. I do want to give you an idea of what you can expect to find in it, and to host a giveaway!

Here's the official blurb from my Kikobian.com website.

Livestock care from a preparedness point of view. 

You will learn: which livestock is best suited to preparedness, options for shelter and fencing, how to establish and maintain good pasture, how to grow and store hay, strategies for feeding your farm animals without going to the feed store, options for breeding, birthing, veterinary care, and sustainable dairying. Also pitfalls to avoid and how to keep things manageable. And if the grid ever fails, you will know how to preserve and store eggs, dairy foods, and meat without electricity. The Preppers Livestock Handbook focuses on simple, low-tech, off-grid methods for managing your land and your livestock. It is an excellent addition to any prepper, homestead, or self-reliance library.

Chapters:
  • Ch. 1   First Things First
  • Ch. 2   Best Breeds fpr Self-Reliance
  • Ch. 3   Barns, Shelters, and Fencing
  • Ch. 4   Forage and Feed
  • Ch. 5   Breeding and Pregnancy
  • Ch. 6   Blessed Events: Birthing and Hatching
  • Ch. 7   Eggs, Milk, and Meat
  • Ch. 8   Keeping Them Healthy
  • Ch. 9    Keeping Them Safe
  • Ch. 10  Keeping Things Manageable
  • Conclusion: If SHTF

Includes at-a-glance charts and lists for:
  • Livestock overviews (sizes, ex[ected production, acreage needed, natural and productive lifespans, example breeds)
  • Grasses, legumes, and forbs (annuals, perennials, warm and cool season examples)
  • Hay Feeding Needs
  • Homegrown and foraged feeds
  • Natural vitamin and mineral sources
  • Gestation times for livestock
  • Labor times and number of offspring
  • Incubation times for various poultry
  • Homemade feeds for hatchlings
  • Supply lists (birthing, hatching, milking, routine and emergency care)
  • Alternative de-wormers and medications
  • How to know when you need a vet
  • Normal range of vital signs
  • Common livestock predators (includes signs of attack)
  • and more

Resources are listed by chapter, so you can know where to find the things I talk about.

It's available in paperback or several eBook formats. The paperback is 192 pages and lists for $15.95. You can find it at the following websites and bookstores:

Giveaway is over. Congratulations to the winner!

January 28, 2017

Book Giveaway!

Do you remember when I was asking for volunteers to host giveaways for my Critter Tales Series? Well, here's one more over at New Life on the Farm. Click here to join in. And if you haven't visited Goatldi's blog yet, please do. She's a homesteader, weaver, spinner, knitter, soapmaker, and goat herder with some lovely livestock guardian dogs. Definitely worth a visit.

October 26, 2016

Looking for Folks Willing to Sponsor a Giveaway on Their Blogs

Earlier this month I finished an eBook version of Critter Tales. It worked out as a series, really, with each set of tales becoming it's own volume in the collection. Now comes the ongoing job of promoting, and I was wondering if any of you faithful readers would be willing to help.

Here's how it would work. If you are willing to sponsor an eBook giveaway on your blog or website, you would receive a free review copy of the Tales of your choice (in the eBook format of your choice). After you run your giveaway, you would contact me with the email address of your winner and I would send them a free copy of the same book.

Ground rules:
  • If you agree to participate, then I expect you to follow through and hold the giveaway.
  • You set up the giveaway as is convenient for you: dates, length of time for readers to enter, deadline, and how you draw your winner are up to you. You can open up your giveaway to the entire world, because these are eBooks so there is no postage involved.
  • You don't actually have to write a review for the book you give away, but if you do, you must state that you received a free copy in exchange for your honest opinion. 

All the copies (review and winners) will come from Smashwords, because they allow me to set my own discounts up to 100%. The books are available at Amazon and other online vendors too, but only Smashwords lets me give away copies for free.

Speaking of free, the introduction to the series, volume I, Concerning Critters, is permanently free at Smashwords. You'll find that here. It sets the stage for the tales that follow.

If you think you might be interested, you can take a look at all the volumes here. It would be nice to have a couple of giveaways for each volume, so I'll work that out with volunteers on a first-come-first-served basis. To find my email address, click on "View my complete profile" here, or at the top right-hand side of my blog. A link to my e-addy is listed in the left-hand column.

People love giveaways and they are a great way to build followers and readership. I think your sponsoring a giveaway would be beneficial to both of us. Let me hear from you if you're interested!


August 14, 2016

Giveaway Winners & How To Print Your Prepper Copies of My eBooks

First, the winners!

Of the paperback copy of How To Bake Without Baking Powder


Matty

Of an eBook of their choice from The Little Series of Homestead How-Tos


Jean
Kev Alviti
Tricky Wolf
Lynda D
Trashmaster46
Loura

Congratulations! Click on the link above to see what your choices are.

Winners, if you've given me a way to contact you I'll be in touch. If not, then it's up to you to contact me by the end of the week, or I'll select another winner for your prize.

Now, what do I mean by "How To Print Your Prepper Copies of My eBooks"? The copyright for each of my The Little Series of Homestead How-Tos eBooks includes this statement - "Purchaser is granted permission to make one print copy for their personal preparedness files." This post is going to tell you how to do that.

If your copy came from Smashwords, then you have the easiest go of it. Once you've purchased a copy (with either cash or coupon) you're entitled to download updates plus other formats of the book. Simply select the PDF version to download and make your copy from that. 

If your book came from Amazon, then it's a bit tougher to print a copy of a book, because you'll have to covert the book to PDF yourself. Most of my Kindle books are not DRM enabled, which means they can be converted from the Kindle format to another, such as epub or PDF. Here are some links to help you with that:

Once the book is in PDF format, it can be printed out, although I admit this is not the most economical way of obtaining a hard copy of a book. For How To Bake Without Baking Powder, for example, it is probably cheaper to simply buy the paperback depending on your cost per page. Mine is 15¢ per page, so for 105 pages that's $15.75. I'd rather pay the $5.99, but your cost may be better than mine. Just do the math. (QualityLogic has an article, here, on ink cost analysis that may be helpful. It's a couple of years old, but I doubt the cost has gone down.)

I'm sure I don't need to ask you not to make multiple copies for your friends and family; the copyright permission is for Purchaser to make one copy for themselves. Writing and selling books is the way I help support the financial needs of our homestead. Regular readers of my blog know we struggle financially. I could put a "tip jar" widget on my sidebar, but I'd rather trade useful information for money than to ask for it for free. Self-earning (as opposed to working for someone else) is part of my self-sufficiency formula. Research, writing, and experience are what I have to offer.

Questions? Ask and I'll answer if I can. Winners! If you don't hear from me please contact me by the end of the week so I can get your prize to you. And everyone, please stay tuned. I have more eBooks for this series in the works, which likely means more giveaways. Also I have plans to "bundle" like topics for both electronic versions and paperbacks.

Want to know when new books in the series become available? As excited as I get about publishing them, I don't want my blog to turn into one big ad. So to know when new titles become available you can bookmark my The Little Series of Homestead How-Tos webpage, here, like the series' occasionally updated Facebook page, here, or just keep an eye on my sidebar.




August 7, 2016

Book Giveaway!

I'm pleased to announce that How To Bake Without Baking Powder is now available in paperback! I'm calling it my prepper edition, because if SHTF or TEOTWAWKI, then Kindles and other eReaders won't be as useful as they are in a world filled with electricity. Call it a personal preference, but when it comes to information I want to hang on to, I much prefer owning a hard copy than having to rely on an electronic device. And this book contains the kind of information you need in a hard times, emergency, or survival situation.

I have expanded it to include my hardwood ash baking experiments plus a discussion about the different kinds of lye, lye water, and how they differ from ash water. It has been formatted for twelve charts and an extensive index (two things eBooks cannot do). You can see the chapter and chart titles here.

All the information in the charts is included in the electronic version, but they are visually easier to find and read in the paperback. One of the charts for example:

Paper copy books allow for the use of tables to make charts.
Electronic books cannot, and so charts must be line items.

The paperback edition is 6 inches by 9 inches, 105 pages, and retails for $5.99 (which is close to the lowest price Amazon will allow me to set it.) 

Both versions still include 54 modern and historical recipes for 20 different leaveners. In the print book I've added several pages for you to write in your own recipes. For the eBook, I've reformatted the recipes to display one recipe per screen. I think that will make them easier to follow.

If you already have the eBook you can get the updated version for free. If you bought it from Amazon, you should automatically get the update via its Whispernet. For Smashwords, once you've paid for it, you can download any new versions for free. BUT, I'm giving away one free copy of the new paperback version of How To Bake Without Baking Powder, plus 6 free eBooks from The Little Series of Homestead How-Tos. Each winner of an eBook will receive a coupon code to download the eBook of their choice for free at Smashwords. That includes the three new eBooks I've written since my last giveaway.

NEW:

How To Grow Ginger: how to grow, harvest, use, and perpetuate this tropical spice in a non-tropical climate

Chapters: Why Grow Ginger?, How To Select Rhizomes, How To Plant, How To Keep Your Ginger Happy, How To Harvest, How To Store, To Peel or Not To Peel?, How To Keep a Continual Supply, Pests and Diseases, How To Make Crystallized Ginger, How To Dehydrate, How To Make Powder, How To Lacto-ferment, How To Make a Ginger Bug, and Medicinal Uses.

How To Get Cream from Goats' Milk: make your own butter, whipped cream, ice cream, & more

Includes: Natural homogenization, how to check goat milk for cream, how to collect (hand skimming, cream separators), how to make butter (making, washing, salting, preserving, salting, clarifying, making ghee, French butter keepers), how to make whipped cream, sour cream, crème fraîche, and ice cream. Includes 8 recipes.

How To Make Amish Whitewash: Make your own whitewash, paint, and wood stain 

Chapters: What's Up with Whitewash?, All About Lime, Safety Precautions, Basic Whitewash Recipe, How To Make Your Whitewash More Durable, How To Make Your Whitewash More Waterproof, How To Color Your Whitewash, Care And Maintenance Of Whitewash. Includes a collection of homemade whitewash, paint, and stain recipes.

You can see all 11 volumes at Kikobian.com (and who knows, I may have the next one out by then too.)

To enter, simply leave a comment. If you help me promote my giveaway (or the new paperback version of How To Bake Without Baking Powder), I'll give you two extra entries per shout out. If you do a blog write-up, I'll give you three extra entries

The other stuff:
  • This giveaway is open to anyone in the world.
  • Each winner will receive one book, so there will be a total of 7 winners.
  • Coupon codes will be sent to you by email, after you've contacted or replied to me.

I'll be back on Sunday, August 14 to announce the winners. In the meantime, I'm going to spend the week doing some much needed computer updates.

Book Giveaway!  © Aug. 2016 by Leigh

March 7, 2016

"How To Bake Without Baking Powder" Winners & Another In the How-To Series

Winners of my "How To Bake Without Baking Powder" eBook giveaway are:

Peg Cherre
Dawn Clo
Deborah Harvey
Jackie P. Neal
Ashley A.
Carmen N.

Congratulations! If your blogger profile has an email address, I'll be contacting you today. If it doesn't, you will need to contact me at 5acresandadream at mail dot com. The free code will be good at Smashwords, where you can download a copy in the format of your choice. Regular price is $2.99 at Smashwords or Amazon.

Also I'd like to announce my newest addition to The Little Series of Homestead How-Tos


It's one of a couple others I've had in the works, and is now available at Smashwords and Amazon for 99 cents.

For a list of all volumes in the series, click here. And stay tuned for announcements for more additions to the series plus another giveaway in the future. 


February 28, 2016

Trailersteading Giveaway Winner


The winner is

Lisa Cox

Congratulations, Lisa!

A lot of folks were interested in this so if you didn't win, please click on over to Amazon to get a copy. Trailersteading is reasonably priced in both Kindle and print and well worth it. Or, if your budget is too tight to do even that, request that your local public library buy a copy! That way, you can read it and others in your community can too.

Also, be sure to swing by my blog on March 1st for another giveaway. :)

February 19, 2016

Trailersteading: Book Review & Giveaway!

I'm a huge Anna Hess fan. Not only of her blog (The Walden Effect) but her books too. They are good additions to my homesteading library shelves. I like her writing style, information, and voice of experience. Her books are invaluable to both beginning and experienced homesteaders, and with every one I read, I learn a lot. Her newest book is a winner on all counts.

Trailersteading: How to Find, Buy, Retrofit, and Live Large in a Mobile Home. This book is exciting to me because it falls into the much needed category that I call "homesteading for the rest of us." I say that because I've read a number of how-to books on homesteading that left me more discouraged than encouraged. I would put the book down and think, "There's no way we can ever afford to do all that." This book is for those who yearn to homestead but don't think they have the savings or income to make it happen.

The book is divided into sections and chapters:

  • Introduction: Why live in a trailer?, What is a mobile home?
  • Mobile homes as tiny houses: The tiny house movement, How small is too small?, Realities of life in a tiny house, etc.
  • Disadvantages of trailer homesteading: Why we don't all live in trailers, No basement, Depreciation and permanence, Aesthetics, Zoning, etc. 
  • Finding and moving to the land: The ugly-duckling property, Moving and installing a trailer, etc.
  • Remodeling a trailer: Trailer overhauls, DIY insulated skirting, Adding a pitched roof to a mobile home, etc.
  • Heating and cooling a mobile home: Is energy use a trailer's Achilles heel?, Low- and no-cost heating and cooling options, Scarlet runner beans and permaculture tacos, etc.
  • Around the trailerstead: Rain barrels, Greywater wetland, Experiments with humanure, etc.
  • Lessons learned on the trailerstead

Case studies throughout the book share real-life experiences of those who are fulfilling their dreams to homestead comfortably and affordably by living in trailers and mobile homes.

At 216 pages, Trailersteading is book 2 in Anna's Modern Simplicity series. It is available in both paperback (list price $14.99) or Kindle edition ($5.99), BUT! I have a paperback copy that I'm going to give away for free! All you have to do is leave a comment and you're entered! Simple as that.

Honestly? This is an option that Dan and I seriously considered. If we hadn't gotten such a great deal on our current home and property, we would likely be one of the testimonials to trailersteading. And sometimes we wish we'd gone that route, because we often think that the time, energy, and money it takes to DIY an old fixer-upper like ours could be better spent on other areas of the homestead and fulfilling our dream of self-sufficiency.

I'll announce the giveaway winner on Sunday, February 28th.