POSER HOMESTEAD
PAY OFF YOUR MORTGAGE YEARS EARLIER
If you have a mortgage, you might have PMI. PMI, or "private mortgage insurance" protects the bank if something hfappens and you can't pay. Certain types of loans require this and set different sets of rules. My FHA mortgage, for example, said I had to have it for at...
ALL ABOUT WECK JARS (AND WHY YOU’LL LOVE THEM)
"My grandma used Weck jars."Â Actually, my grandma didn't--she was one of the rare working moms in her day. She was an award-winning telephone operator with certificates for saving lives. It was everyone else's grandmother who canned. My mom canned when I was growing...
CANNING 101: SAFE, DELICIOUS WAYS YOUR GRANDMA PRESERVED THE HARVEST
Canning 101: Preserve the Harvest and Eat Well All Year Canning's not just for grandmothers anymore. Canning fed Napoleon’s armies and kept homesteaders alive. Now, it's back in fashion! Canning lets you eat like you hired Oprah's chef while saving the world from...
EVICT THAT MOUSE!
The mouse was my friend. He was a cute little critter that showed up at 4AM. At first, I didn't notice him. I thought I had a speck of dust on my glasses. I cleaned it off and drank more coffee. Then, I thought, "I think it's a mouse." We argued for a few weeks, my...
HOW TO SAVE $5K ON PMI WITH ONE PHONE CALL
Every month I overpay my mortgage. Only a fraction goes to reduce the debt--most goes to taxes, escrow, and PMI. An extra payment here, ten dollars there. It all adds up in the end. I'm not close to paying it off yet but I'm hoping to be close to the time when I...
HOW TO HAVE FRESH LETTUCE IN WINTER
I wanted to grow lettuce, but I didn't have any light... So I went to the indoor gardening store looking for lettuce lights. This was a while ago before the Poser Homestead became a thing. I had an entire basement room to dedicate to winter crops. If I set out some...
Beans, Beans, the Magical Fruit
Beans, beans the magical fruit… Actually, they’re not a fruit, they’re a legume, but who cares? They taste good. You could buy beans for a buck or two a can, but they’d taste like the aluminum they’re canned in. You can do better. Make these fresh! Quick soak method:...
THE BEST WAFFLES
Waffles are an easy-prep, easy-freeze rock star breakfasts. Whether you’re working two jobs and need food or just don’t want cereal, waffles are for you.
WHAT TO DO WITH ALL THAT ZUCCHINI
Who says there’s no such thing as a free lunch? There is–if you’re in zucchini season. Zucchini is one of the world’s least appreciated foods, which is unfortunate. It's nearly impossible to kill zucchini, and if the world ended, there'd be only one food left on the...