My adventure with cooking on a wood stove started years ago when the children were still very young.  We had just bought a wood stove at an auction to save money on our heating bills (that was before we were totally off the grid like we are now) and that little stove put off great amounts of heat.  I remember being so proud about being able to start my own fires!  Well, that stove top was so hot that we put kettles of water on to humidify the air and use for tea water. Then I thought that maybe I could heat up some beans on the stove top, too! Now that was a big hit - heat my house and heat my beans at the same time! Talk about two birds with one stone. Wow, what a stove! So heating beans led to cooking beans, soups, stews and more all on that little wood heater bought at an auction for little or nothing. I loved it and I was hooked on cooking on a wood stove. 

A few years passed and we were able to get a real wood cookstove-a Kitchen Queen.  It is huge, takes about 6 or 8 men to move it, but it is the homesteaders dream of cooking and heating efficiently and frugally.  We love it!  I have been cooking on it for 15 years now and not a season goes by that we haven't used it to its full extent. That stove has been the heart of our home and has done more than heat our house. It has provided warm meals on the stove top, hot bread from the oven, boiled our water for washing dishes and taking our baths, dried our herbs, simmered the tea, raised the bread, heated irons for wrinkled clothes, baked our beans, baked our pies, melted bees wax for our candle making, dried our clothes, warmed new born puppies, chicks and more! Most of our recipes have been tested and tried on our cookstove, but they have been written in a format easily used for any type of stove you may have, although, if you have never tasted food cooked with wood the old fashioned way - boy, are y’all missing out.   There is definitely a delicious difference in the taste.

Find this, and other stories, in our Homestead Blessings Cookbook!
Also watch Homestead Holiday Pies to see us using our wood heat oven.

Y'all stay warm!
 Vicki for Homestead Blessings

This is a very good mayonnaise and is thicker than store bought mayo.

1 large egg (fresh is always best!)
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp honey 
1 cup good vegetable oil (you can use part olive oil)

Break the egg into a blender. Cover and blend on high for 30 seconds. Add the dry mustard, salt, lemon juice, and honey and blend again on high speed for 15-20 seconds. While the blender is still running, add the oil in a very slow, steady stream. As the mayonnaise thickens you may have to stop the blender and stir some of the oil in then turn the blender back on an continue blending on high. With a spatula or spoon, scrape the mayo toward the blades. Continue to blend until well mixed and thick. I usually let this sit in the fridge over night until using/eating it so the lemon will "cook" the egg. This makes about 1 1/2 cups of good thick mayonnaise.

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup water


Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or dust with all-purpose flour. Put all the ingredients except the water into a food processor and pulse until combined. If you don't own a food processor, mix the ingredients by hand in a bowl until little balls form. Add the water and keep running the machine (or mixing in a bowl) until the mixture forms a ball (add a teaspoon of water at a time until you have a dough ball). Dust your counter with flour and roll out the dough until it is 1/4 inch thick. Transfer to the baking sheet, add any additional spices, and cut into 24 pieces. ( I sprinkled sea salt on top of my crackers before baking today.)  A pizza cutter works great for cutting the dough. Bake until lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Store in a container at room temperature for a few days.