Blog – Countryside Daydreamer

05.20.2021

Handy Dandelions

If you are like most people, you are in one of two camps when it comes to dandelions. There are the folks who absolutely love and treasure them, and there are the folks who see them as a nuisance “weed” and want nothing to do with them. As the title clearly implies, I belong to the “love them” camp. Out […]

Jessica Steele Alternative Health 0 6 min read

04.29.2021

The legacy we choose

I don’t know about you, but from what I can tell, everyone seems to be struggling. The energy is heavy in every direction. It’s hard to find reprieve. How are you holding up? Are you hanging in there? My beloved readers, we are going through something that will redefine us as a nation and on a global scale. History books […]

Jessica Steele Mental Health 0 7 min read

04.15.2021

And what about grief?

Sometimes self care is messy and uncomfortable. If I am being honest, I am struggling with this one. I am a firm believer that life is what we make of it. It is our choice to find the best, or focus on the worst, and most of the time, I choose to find the best. I really am a pretty […]

Jessica Steele Healing 0 9 min read

03.25.2021

To pass the time

Humans are gregarious creatures. We need contact with other humans. Even if only in small doses. This last year has had a profound impact on our ability to follow through on that instinct, and it’s causing a whole host of mental health struggles for people from every walk of life. We need to address that. Everyone keeps talking about how […]

Jessica Steele Choosing Joy 0 9 min read

03.18.2021

Boundaries

Should we talk about boundaries? It feels like we should talk about boundaries this week. I think so many people misunderstand what healthy boundaries look like and have an overwhelming amount of guilt trying to enforce them. It’s very awkward learning how to stand with your boundaries at first, and can be a huge challenge in gracefulness when you decide […]

Jessica Steele Co-dependency 0 7 min read

03.11.2021

Winter Produce Blues

Is it produce season yet? No seriously. I can’t be the only one. Do you feel like you look at the same five veggies every time you go to the store? I get so burnt out on the produce available during the non growing seasons. I find myself growing tired of the same old sides by this time of year. […]

Jessica Steele Food 0 3 min read

03.03.2021

Thick and Creamy Yogurt

I don’t recall exactly how I got started making yogurt at home. I think at first it was because we had a ton of milk that a friend sent home from his farm with us. I have never been a huge yogurt eater, but occasionally I will eat a little. My husband on the other hand, absolutely loves yogurt, and […]

Jessica Steele Fermentation 0 5 min read

02.25.2021

Garden Lingo 101

It’s that time of year! Let’s talk Garden Lingo. This last couple years has been somewhat eye opening for so many people. Lots of people are deciding it’s time to relearn the lost art of the family garden. An idea that seems so simple, get some seeds and toss them in the dirt, quickly becomes overwhelming as one starts to […]

Jessica Steele Food 0 6 min read

02.15.2021

Restoring Our Selves

Such a strange time we live in. Feels like dis-ease is off the charts in every area of life. I am not talking about a pandemic, though the consequences of it have certainly had an effect on people’s overall well being. That’s not what I am here to focus on today. I actually want to talk about self-care. Not the […]

Jessica Steele Alternative Health 2 15 min read

02.10.2021

Dehydrating Food

Oh the joys of dehydration. Easily my favorite food preservation technique. The options are countless in what one can do with a dehydrator. My passion for dehydrating started many years ago, because I was new to the idea of game meat, and simply could not stand the gaminess of deer meat. My husband being a hunter, something had to give, […]

Jessica Steele Alternative Health 0 4 min read