side dishes Archives

A picture of different foods using a simple chili dog sauce recipe are displayed on wooden cutting boards.

Simple Chili Dog Sauce Recipe for Batch Cooking

This Simple Chili Dog Sauce recipe is one that I keep in my freezer year round. The versatility of it allows me to not only…

Posted in Cooking From Scratch

Uses For Jam and Jelly

Can I confess something? I have two drawers in my kitchen filled with jam! I call it my ‘sweet drawer’. It’s a source of pride and I love showing it off. Without fail, I open the drawers and the person I am showing it to is always taken aback. They always exclaim, “What do you…

Posted in Caring For the Homestead

Homemade Wood Butter Recipe

Have you noticed that butcherblock countertops are all the hype right now? Wooden spoons and wooden cooking utensils are making a solid comeback, too. Wooden cutting boards are used as kitchen décor, undoubtedly because of their natural beauty. It takes a lot of restraint to not buy every wooden cutting board and wooden spoon I…

Posted in Caring For the Homestead

How To Organize Spices In A Drawer

Are you tired of pulling every spice jar out of your cabinet just to find the jar you actually need? If you’re looking for inspiration on how to organize your spices, then today’s post is just for you! Not only am I going to show you how to organize a spice cabinet, but I am…

Posted in Growing Food

Raised Garden Beds: Pros and Cons

Raised bed gardening. The envy of some gardeners, the misery of others. When I first started a vegetable garden, I had a traditional garden in the ground. Secretly though, I coveted raised beds for the delineation, the defined pathways. The paths that wouldn’t need weeding. The raised garden beds that would require less effort and…

Posted in Caring For the Homestead, Cooking From Scratch

Cleaning Vinegar

In our town, once a year, a man comes from Florida and sells boxes of oranges and grapefruit from his truck. He drives to local businesses and neighborhoods, selling his boxes of fresh picked fruit. It is an honest, old fashioned way to make a living, if you ask me. The nostalgia of this practice…

Posted in Farming the Homestead

5 Uses for Raw Wool Fleece On Your Homestead

Raw wool fleece is a topic that isn’t often covered. Consequently, most articles refer to sheep wool uses only after it has been cleaned. Today I am going to talk about raw wool and give you 5 Uses for Raw Wool Fleece On Your Homestead. What Is Raw Wool? So what exactly is raw wool?…

Posted in Cooking From Scratch

Canning Fruit and Jam With Honey

Are you looking for ways to reduce the amount of refined sugar your family consumes? Maybe you keep your own beehives, like me, and are looking for ways to use the gallons of honey you extract each fall by using honey as a sweetener. Today I am going to talk about the benefits of canning…

Posted in Caring For the Homestead, Growing Food

Chamomile: How to Grow and Use

Are you a tea drinker? A gardener? A make-it-yourselfer? Do you like to dabble in home apothecary? Then welcome, friend! Today I am going to teach you how to grow chamomile. Then I will talk about when to harvest it and methods for preserving chamomile. Last, I am going to share how my family uses this…

Posted in Caring For the Homestead, Growing Food

Simple DIY Herb Drying Rack (for fresh herbs and flowers)

If you’re looking for a simple DIY herb drying rack for fresh herbs and flowers, you are in the right place! Not only is this DIY herb and flower drying rack decorative, but it’s also a functional way to dry herbs this growing season. This project uses inexpensive materials and takes 30 minutes to put…

Posted in Cooking From Scratch

How to Make Apple Scrap Vinegar

Learn how to make apple scrap vinegar using scraps from your apples. Today we are going to talk about the difference between apple cider vinegar and apple scrap vinegar. After that, I’m going to share my easy recipe for apple scrap vinegar. You will be shocked at how effortless the process is. It will have…

Meet Tonya From Old Clay Farm!

Welcome to Old Clay Farm, the place where I inspire you to cook from scratch recipes, grow organic food, care for your homestead in a natural way and simplify farming.

I deeply believe that homesteading is not defined by where a person lives, but by the lifestyle choices they make. Modern homesteading means taking charge of your circumstances by creating a better life right where you are.

I am passionate about cooking from scratch recipes, using simple, healthy ingredients. Whether you buy your produce from the store, or grow your own, I'll show you how to cook with it, preserve it and store it. And if you're looking for guidance with cooking and using cuts of meat or butchering practices, I've got you covered.

I share tips, failures and successes on my journey of growing my own food in Northern Michigan. I hope to inspire you to grow something edible- no matter where you live.

Caring for my homestead (and the people on it) in a natural way is very important to me. I share DIY home cleaning recipes, things like how to make lard candles and home décor projects, all in an effort to cultivate a healthy and welcoming home.