Little House Living: The Make-Your-Own Guide to a Frugal, Simple, and Self-Sufficient Life

This book is dedicated to my family, without whom I wouldn’t have had the drive and passion to create these recipes in the first place. I thought of you while writing each and every page of this book. Thank you for encouraging me over the years to continue writing and for putting up with all of my kitchen experiments.

The real things haven’t changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with the simple pleasures and to be cheerful and have courage when things go wrong.

—Laura Ingalls Wilder

Contents

Introduction

Getting Started: Ingredients, Budgeting, and Storage

Body and Beauty

Dry Shampoo

Non-Drying Hand Sanitizer

Non-Petroleum Jelly

Basic Soothing Lip Balm

Smooth and Shiny Lip Gloss

Shampoo and Conditioner

Hair Detangling Spray

Moisturizing Body Wash

Bath Salts

Hair Spray

Whipped Coconut Oil Lotion

Chest Rub

Shaving Cream

Gardener’s Healing Hand Scrub

Foaming Hand Soap

Aftershave Lotion

Simple Sunblock Lotion

Sunburn Relief Cream

Zit Zapper Sticks

Lotion Bars

Eczema Cream

Face Masks

Healing Salve

Burn Salve

Deodorant

Body Scrubs

Body Butters

Refreshing Peppermint Foot Lotion

Cracked Heel Relief Cream

Shoe and Foot Spray

Household

Cooking Spray

Dish Soap

Produce Wash Spray

Oven Cleaner

Dishwasher Detergent

Dusting Spray

Furniture Polish

Floor Cleaner

Cleaning Wipes

All-Purpose and Window Cleaner

Carpet Cleaner and Shampoo

Laundry Detergent

Fabric Softener

Wrinkle Release and Fabric Freshener Spray

Stain Stick

Ant Spray

Garden Pest Spray

Weed Spray

Gel Air Fresheners

Deodorizer Disks

Candles and Wax Melts

Jewelry Cleaner

Children and Pets

Children’s (Mud Puddle) Wash

Bubble Bath

Baby Lotion

Diaper Rash Cream

Baby Wipe Solution

Baby Powder

Rainbow Sidewalk Chalk

Outdoor Bubbles

Play Dough

Air-Drying Clay

Watercolor Paints

Finger Paints

Pet Shampoo

Pet Flea Wash

Pet Treat Mix

Make-Ahead Mixes

Hamburger Help Mix

Beef Stroganoff Mix

Chicken Help Mix

All-Purpose Baking Mix

Biscuits

Chicken Pot Pie

Dumpling Soup

Rice Side Mix

Rice Side Dish

Herbed Garlic Rice Side Dish Mix

Spanish Rice Side Dish Mix

Faux Bouillon

Chicken Noodle Soup Mix

Chili Mix

Onion Soup Mix

Cream of Soup Mix

Brownie Mix

Brownies

Brownie Bites

Fudge Cookies

Brownie Whoopie Pies

Layered Cheesecake Brownies

Brownie Batter Fudge

Cake Mix

Yellow Cake

Chocolate Cake

Dump Cake

Soft and Creamy Cookies

Dessert Waffles

Cinnamon Rolls

Honey Bun Cake

Pancake and Waffle Mix

Basic Pancakes/Waffles

Fried Chicken

Coffee Cake with Crumble Topping

Oven Apple Pancake

Muffin Mix

Baked Oatmeal Mix

Instant Oatmeal Packets

Pudding Mix

Chocolate Pudding

Vanilla Pudding

Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix

Sugar Cookie Mix

Sugar Cookies

Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies

Two-Tone Banana Bars

Fruity Sugar Cookie Bars

Fruit Pizza

Hot Chocolate Mix

Chai Tea Mix

Powdered Coffee Creamer

Vanilla Sugar

Coffee Creamer

Homemade Basic Breads

Bread Machine Bread

Handmade Bread

Corn Bread Mix

Corn Bread

Cherry Cobbler

Corndog Bites

Cheesy Corn Bread Flatbread

Quick Bread Mix

Cobbler Mix

Instant Refried Beans

Quick Bean Bowls

Bean Dip

Homemade Dip Mixes

Dill Dip and Spread Mix

Fiesta Dip Mix

Herb Dip and Spread Mix

Homemade Seasoning Mixes

Roast Topping

Seasoning Salt

Taco Seasoning

Fajita Seasoning

Herb Seasoning

Ranch Dressing Mix

Italian Seasoning

Italian Dressing Mix

Meal Planning with Mixes

Afterword

Appendices

Simple Substitutions

10 Uses for Mason Jars

13 Uses for Baking Soda

9 Uses for Honey

5 Uses for Plastic Bags

5 Uses for Milk Jugs

7 Uses for Peppermint Essential Oil

11 Uses for Apple Cider Vinegar

5 Uses for Coffee Grounds

6 Uses for Beeswax

5 Uses for Shea Butter

12 Uses for Coconut Oil

5 Uses for Witch Hazel

5 Uses for Epsom Salts

5 Uses for Sugar

8 Uses for Tea Tree Essential Oil

5 Uses for Lavender Essential Oil

5 Uses for Plaster of Paris

9 Uses for Olive Oil

7 Uses for Dish Soap

3 Uses for Vegetable Glycerin

5 Uses for Bathroom Tissue Rolls

5 Uses for Newspaper

5 Uses for Cornstarch

10 Uses for Oats

5 Uses for Clothespins

5 Uses for Lemons

5 Uses for Aloe Vera

5 Uses for Ziplock Bags

5 Uses for Eggshells

5 Uses for Tea Bags

About Merissa A. Alink

Index

Introduction

My name is Merissa and this is my story. Not long ago I was struggling to make ends meet and barely had a dollar to spare. Living the simple life had always been my dream, but somewhere along the way in my journey the waters were muddied and it was hard to see any light at the end of the tunnel.

I married my best friend at the young age of nineteen, when I still believed that love was all you needed to survive. I’d been a country girl almost my entire life, having the run of eighty acres in rural South Dakota. When I was little I would run through the prairie grasses in my dress-up clothes making little prairie houses and pretending I was living out the life from my favorite childhood book series, Little House on the Prairie. Although my family was blessed in other areas, we weren’t always blessed with the newest and best toys, so we made do with what we could find. I had a set of play dishes that my grandpa made me out of wood and pretend hamburgers that he made out of pressed rubber mats. From a young age, what would become my life’s motto was instilled in me—I was all about making the most with what I had. Pieces of scrap wood became houses that we built for dolls we made out of sticks; old fence posts made the perfect foundation for a playhouse built out on the prairie. I was happy with my simple childhood. I learned to be creative and my mind was always trying to come up with new ways to play and new things I could create.

Fast-forward to that nineteen-year-old bride. I knew how to be creative; I knew how to cook, clean, keep house, and take care of babies. But what I didn’t know was that the next few years would test all of my skills and come close to breaking my resolve.

Right after we married, my husband moved us across the country to Albuquerque for a good job he had lined up. I was ready to make the most of this adventure that I faced, and for a while I spent my first few months of being a wife by teaching myself new recipes that my husband would like and learning how to run and take care of a household on my own. It took me a few weeks to venture out and learn where the grocery stores were and where I could find the best deals on what we needed. I tried to make the best of the situation, but it didn’t take long for both of us to realize this wasn’t the life for us. The stress of the city had already worn on our nerves and we decided to move back to the small town where we’d met. We packed up the few things we’d already acquired in our married life and we headed north. We soon found a new place to rent and make a fresh start, but instead, things started to go downhill quickly.

We had no money left from the move and in the middle of winter it was difficult to find a job. My husband finally started working part-time in construction, but work was slow since the weather was frigid, and the only thing I’d been able to find was a job delivering newspapers in our neighborhood. Maybe not our dream jobs, but it was something and for that we were grateful. We weren’t able to afford luxuries like heating our whole house, so we took blankets and covered doorways to heat only the room we used the most often. Then I got sick . . . really sick. After fighting a fever for a week we decided to scrape together enough money to go to the doctor, who diagnosed me with a severe version of the flu. Over the next few weeks I started to get better, but I never seemed to get back to feeling quite like I had before. During the time I was sick, without the work we’d been doing, any money we had left had run dangerously low. We were able to pay the bills and that was it. There wasn’t money left for food or household things. One night I scraped together dinner for us with what was left in the cupboard. I had bread crumbs, orange preserves, and pasta . . . and it was disgusting. I could barely choke it down and my husband, trying not to hurt my feelings, ate a full serving and told me how good it was. But I knew something had to change. This couldn’t be what my life had become.

I wasn’t feeling good, we had no food, and we could barely pay the bills. I’d been signing up for free samples just so we had shampoo to wash our hair. It wasn’t where I wanted to be and I knew it was time to do whatever we had to do to get out of it and put ourselves in a better place.

I was part of a local free-sharing group online and I put out a cry for food or anything that another could spare to help us out. My cry was answered by a kind soul whom I will never forget. She immediately brought us a huge box full of food and other household goods like shampoo, facial tissue, and some other odds and ends. Although I never knew her name, I will be forever grateful to this person who gave us something to help us get on a better path and live a better life, who helped pick us up off the ground and get us back on our feet again. After she left our house, I promised myself that when we were in a better place, I wanted to be that person to help others get back on their feet and try to live the life they really want.

For us, that life we really wanted was the simple life like the one I’d grown up with, and now we were more determined than ever to make it happen. We went from our rental to a camper, to a small acreage, and back to a camper again. All to try to pay off debt and search for the simple lifestyle that we were dreaming of. We didn’t have much extra, we paid the bills, and we always seemed to have more month than money.

Plus something still wasn’t right. I wasn’t feeling well. We ate an average American diet, but I was having issue after issue, from severe stomach pain to a very scary anaphylactic reaction. I tried various types of diets but nothing really seemed to be effective. We finally decided to go to the doctor, who, after hours of testing, diagnosed me with more allergies and intolerances than I can even remember. I was allergic to everything from the food I was eating to the cats living in our house. I remember going home that night and feeling utterly defeated and depressed. My husband and I decided to make a trip to the grocery store to see what I could find to eat and use. I walked around the store and went through all the aisles I was used to shopping in and I just cried. I couldn’t live this life anymore, I couldn’t eat these things anymore, and if I ever wanted to feel better, many things were going to have to change.

We started making big changes in our lives. The cats moved outside and I started getting pretty crazy about making things from scratch. I’d been making some things before but nothing like what I would have to try now. I started experimenting with everything from making my own hand soap to making my own seasonings. Some of the recipes worked, others failed (some quite miserably!). Everything was a learning experience, and I was bound and determined to still live the best life possible on what we could afford and what I could have.

During this time we suffered losses that we didn’t talk about. We’d felt ready for a while to start a little family. But instead of being able to share an exciting announcement with our family and friends, we suffered miscarriage after miscarriage. We saw many doctors and specialists who finally diagnosed me with some further medical conditions. They told us that biological children were very possible for us, but personally, my husband and I had decided the risk was too high for both me and any potential children, and it just didn’t feel like the right path for us. We’d already been feeling the urge for several years to become foster parents, and since it didn’t seem meant for us to have biological children to care for, maybe we were meant to care for and love foster children instead.

Fast-forward through the next two years . . . we fostered a few children and had been blessed with one little boy we’d welcomed into our home straight from the hospital. We bonded with him in a way that I didn’t know was possible . . . to love another human being that much. It was like God took out a piece of my heart and put it in this little boy. He had needs that we never expected or were prepared to deal with, but I spent a great deal of time researching ways to help him. One of his main diagnoses was multiple food and chemical allergies, and for the first time, I felt blessed that I had similar issues and had already been working toward solutions for myself that I could now use for him as well.

After the adoption of our first son, we felt like it was time to move on with life but we weren’t quite sure where to go. We listed our house for sale and moved back into a camper once again. When fall came we started to get a bit desperate for a plan. We’d been living in a campground, but most campgrounds in South Dakota close during the winter, so our days were numbered. Unsure of where to turn, we started searching for land to purchase. During these searches we found a little house on a small acreage on the other side of the state. My husband was in love with the little house just from the pictures. I honestly thought it looked like a money pit. But to make him happy I agreed to go take a look at it the next day. We woke up early and drove four hours with our young son to the little farmhouse. As the Realtor showed us around the property, I could barely believe my eyes. It was even worse than the pictures showed, the buildings were crumbling, the house was . . . well, there really weren’t words to describe it. The carpet in the living room was three different colors, the kitchen cupboards smelled so terrible that I didn’t even want to be in the kitchen, the plaster was falling off the walls, and the ceiling tiles were bowing down with water damage. It was a pretty sad sight. But after we’d finished our tour and I sat in the car getting ready to head back to our camper, I felt this sense of peace come over me. It was as if someone were telling me, This is it, this is where you are meant to be. This house is going to bring you back to that lifestyle of simplicity you are still dreaming about. We pulled out onto the interstate and my husband asked me what I thought, and to his shock I told him I felt like this was where we were meant to be, as crazy as it seemed. We called the Realtor back on our way home and made an offer that was accepted later that evening. It was real now, and we’d clearly either both lost our minds or we were following the path that we were meant to be on . . . whether or not anyone else understood that.

After we packed up and moved, we spent five long months renovating the entire little farmhouse from top to bottom, and we couldn’t be happier with the results. It’s old, it’s crooked, but it’s going to be around for a long time now and it’s our little slice of paradise.

Just a few weeks after we moved into the house we got a surprising phone call on Easter Day. We’d been chosen to be the parents of a brand-new baby boy and he was ready for us to bring him home. We went to him as quickly as we could and just a few days later we became a little family of four.

Since we have moved into the little farmhouse we’ve gone back even more to a time of simplicity. I was able to keep up with our from-scratch lifestyle in the camper even though we had very little space, and now in the farmhouse we really don’t have much more space than we had in the camper! I live my life for my family, providing for them in the best way that I know how on the income that we have. We stay creative and inventive because we want to and sometimes we have to. If we feel like playing with bubbles outside one afternoon, it doesn’t make much sense for us to drive all the way into town for a bottle of bubbles; instead I always keep my ingredients on hand to make up the things we have a need or a desire for. It doesn’t always save time but I know it’s better for my children to watch their mama be inventive and rely on what we have, and I hope that one day they will pick up those skills as well.

During our last move, I remember going through boxes and boxes of things from the old house. Many of those boxes were filled with notebooks with plans, ideas, recipes, and so much more. As I looked through them while I was unpacking, I felt a mixture of sadness and determination. All my plans for living simply never came to be in our old house for many reasons, but mainly because we just didn’t allow ourselves the freedom to have the life we really wanted. We were too connected, too attached, and too busy to let go and live our dream, even though we were so close to being there! I took every single one of those notebooks and threw them in the trash, only keeping the new, clean notebooks. A fresh start. The simple life. We were going to have it at the little farmhouse from now on.

On my walks (which we try to have daily when the weather is above zero!), I pass by old abandoned houses. While I’m walking I sometimes think about the families that lived in them long ago and I think about the family matriarch. Was she resourceful? Was she determined to give her family the best of what she could? When we look at her tools, her daily life resources at the antique store, we might think, How did she get by using those things and not what we have today?

She was creative. She was inventive. And she made the most with what she had, no matter what her circumstances were. Instead of spending her hard-earned money on the latest and greatest, she was content with what she had. Modern conveniences were nice but not necessary for her lifestyle.

This is the lifestyle that we live and that we’ve worked toward for so long. We have more time to spend with our family and more time to create and invent and do the things we love together. We live the life of simplicity that so many dream about but aren’t sure how to achieve, and having that dream now has taught us that it can be your lifestyle no matter where you live (whether that be in a city apartment, in a house, or on an acreage), because it’s an attitude, not a location.

I’m not in any way a supermom. There simply aren’t enough hours in the day and I prefer not to waste my time trying to be perfect, since I know that it will never happen. I do what I can when my time, budget, and family allow it. Does that mean that I always have homemade laundry detergent on my shelf? Nope! In fact, during the time that we lived in the camper, I simply didn’t have the space or place to store homemade laundry detergent or the ingredients for it so I substituted an inexpensive allergen-free version that I purchased from my co-op. That doesn’t make me a bad person, it just makes me human. Even if you can only find time and money to make one recipe in this book for now, it’s still going to save you money in the long run, and you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you were able to provide a better product for your family because you know exactly what went into that product you made.

I’ve always had a drive in my life to help others—it was somewhat dimmed during my years of distress, but it’s always been there. Once we turned our life around and began to understand that happiness is something you choose and not something that just happens to you, my spark was renewed and I’ve been reminded of my mission to show everyone who will listen that no matter where you