Trailersteading: Voluntary Simplicity In A Mobile Home (Modern Simplicity)

Trailersteading: Voluntary Simplicity In A Mobile Home (Modern Simplicity) was free when I wrote this blogpost.

All the advantages of a tiny house at a fraction of the cost!

Imagine what you could do with your time if you didn't have to spend $16,000 a year on rent or a mortgage. Old single-wide mobile homes can often be found for free (and installed for a couple of thousand dollars) in rural areas, so trailersteading is akin to dumpster-diving. A trailer allows you to live without debt, to keep your ecological footprint to a minimum with energy bills at or below the national average, and even to blend right in with traditional-house dwellers after a few years.

Trailersteading profiles nine mobile-home dwellers who have used trailers as a stepping stone toward achieving their dreams. Some have spent the cash they saved by renovating their trailer on extra insulation, pitched roofs, classy interiors, and even basements, while the found money has allowed others to go off the grid. Many also took advantage of a low-cost housing option to pursue their passions, becoming full-time homemakers or homesteaders.

In addition to the case studies, the book presents easy methods of minimizing the negative sides of trailer life and accentuating the positive. For example, did you know a single-wide is easy to retrofit for passive solar heating? That a simple plant-covered trellis can break up the blockiness of the trailer's external appearance? Learn which parts of installing and upgrading your trailer are easy for a DIYer and which parts should be left to the experts, along with how to cheaply heat and cool a mobile home.

124 photos and diagrams.

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Plan Your Garden Now!

It is finally getting to be that time of year again. Time to be able to start our gardens! My favorite thing to do when it gets warm. I have been thinking about it all winter. I have my seeds laid out and already have it planned on what is going where.

You should start small if this is your first garden. It is easy to get overwhelmed. Gardens do take a bit of work. I started out with just a small patch of tomatoes in my front yard. Now I am going to have a few different patches in my yard. Plant what your family and friends will eat. You don't want to waste your time and money planting a bunch of stuff that no one will even use and then it goes to waste.

Choose your location! Pick a nice and sunny patch in your yard that is away from trees and shrubs. They can steal any nutrients out of the soil that you want your veggies to be getting. If your patch gets at least 6 hours of sunlight a day than your garden should do great.

Food Storage Recipe - Fried Mashed Potato Balls

Fried Mashed Potato Balls

• 2 cups cold mashed potatoes
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1/4 cup real bacon bits
• 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
• Oil for frying

• Place mashed potatoes in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Stir in the egg, cheese, onions and bacon bits. Shape into 1-in. balls; roll in bread crumbs. Let stand for 15 minutes.
• In an electric skillet, heat 1 in. of oil to 375°. Fry potato balls, a few at a time, for 2-1/2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Serve warm. 
•  
• My kids love these. Munch on them as a snack sometimes and I always have potatoes in the house. I have used instant mashed potatoes with this recipe also and it turned out great. I used a packet of the Idaho instant ones that are flavored like fully loaded baked potatoes. Yummy. can't get enough of them. 

Food Storage Recipe - Macaroni & Cheese Soup

Easy recipe to cook up quick. Kids love it.

Macaroni & Cheese Soup

1 1/2 cup of water

1 package of shells and cheese dinner

2 cups of milk

1 cup of frozen sweet peas

4 hot dogs thinly sliced - last time I made this soup I used the little sausage wieners.

Boil the water and cook up the macaroni shells as directed. Drain.

Stir in the cheese mix, milk, peas, and hot dogs.

Cook it until it is heated thoroughly!

Food Storage Recipe - Chicken and Bean Burritos

I broke out the freeze-dried chicken last night and made this awesome meal. You can also make this with canned chicken and it is even better! But , when all you have on hand is the freeze-dried than you have to use it. That is what we are all preparing for, isn't it? This is a quick meal that is super easy and everyone loves it.

Chicken and Bean Burritos

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can Condensed bean with bacon soup
3/4 cup Chunky Salsa
3/4 cup of Freeze-Dried White Chicken to 1 1/2 cup of warm water, Let sit 5 minutes and drain off excess liquid. Or Use 2 cans White Chunk Chicken Breast in Water, drained 

8 flour tortillas , warmed   

  Put the onion and garlic in pan with heated oil and cook up until it is tender. 

Add the soup, salsa, and chicken to this same pan and cook until it is bubbly.

 Serve on tortillas.