Made from Scratch: Discovering the Pleasures of a Handmade Life

I have read this book twice and my teenage girls both read and enjoyed it as well. Very witty and creative and down to earth.

I expected a book more about crafts instead of practical homesteading for those without a farm due to the title. Maybe I didn't read the description correctly, but I was not disappointed one bit. The writing was so witty, engaging, and inspiring that I couldn't put the book down. The author discusses making instead of buying and the satisfaction she gets from providing for herself - its a concept that is really inspiring.

This book came into my life at the perfect time. I am a midwestern transplant living in NYC and was starting to feel depressed and disconected by city life. I picked this book up one day and read it while commuting to work. My usual boring hour ride on the subway flew by as I read about Jenna's garden, chickens, and bees. I finished the whole thing that night and then went online to read her blog, and it sparked something inside of me,and I realized that even if my dreams of country living are probably not going to happen for a few years there are plenty of things i can be doing now. As of this moment I have some rapidly growing vegetable plants in the window, a pair of socks on the kntting needles, a quilt in progress, and can play about ten songs on the fiddle. So if you are just looking for a great read, or some inspiration for your country dreams pick up this book, you will be glad you did.

Great advice for all of us who want to simplify and learn to be more self sufficient. The author shows that living simply is not just for dreamers anymore. It can be done if you are on 20 acres or a rented home with 20 feet of yard space. I highly recommend this book if you are looking for the inspiration to get started on your adventure of homesteading or just greater self reliance. From chickens to gardening...Jenna shows that anything is possible. Get started today!

I picked this up in the bookstore and found it delightful. At first, since I live out in the country on 30 acres, I thought, "big deal, she has a couple of chickens in the city". Reading further, though, I was really impressed by her wonderful attitude to creating a self-sufficient lifestyle no matter what your circumstances might be. If every city-dweller would put in some raised beds and fruit trees and raise a few animals, we might be able to get through these economic hard times, and even sing while we do it. I've read a few self-sufficiency books before and we've learned a lot in the last few years on our homestead through trial and error, and yet I learned things from this intelligent young woman myself...not least to do with attitude. We're even looking forward to finding our own Angoras.