In this video, I’m showing you why homemade wins — every time. Using my own passata and homemade tomato paste, we’ll turn these pantry staples into two beloved Italian sauces: **Amatriciana** and **Vodka Sauce**. These two recipes show exactly why I go to the effort of making my own tomato paste and passata each season — the depth of flavor simply can’t be matched by anything in a jar. ✨ WATCH NEXT: • Homemade Passata | https://youtu.be/https://youtu.be/Oo8YSTDqKY4?si=ZyIjNxzOfnZiG124 • Homemade Tomato Paste https://youtu.be/https://youtu.be/HiR2GwRl7ZE?si=Acsog3zlaYzGOEP_ HWL Amatriciana Sauce “A Little Italian Vacation in the Freezer” Yield: ~1 quart (about 4 cups) — serves 3–4 Guanciale (or pancetta) 31⁄2 oz / 100 g Diced; renders rich, flavorful fat Olive oil (if needed) 1 Tbsp / 15 ml Add if pork is lean Frozen tomato paste balls 3 Each ball = 2 Tbsp; melts into the sauce Tomato passata or purée 2 cups / 500 g Adds body and brightness Yellow onion (optional) 1⁄4 cup / 40 g Balances acidity Dry white wine (optional) 1⁄4 cup / 60 ml Deglaze and lift fond Red pepper flakes 1⁄2 tsp / 1–2 g Adjust to taste Salt 1⁄2 tsp or to taste / 3 g Add after simmering Black pepper To taste Freshly cracked Pecorino Romano As desired Stir in after reheating HWL Vodka Sauce INGREDIENTS • Olive oil — 2 Tbsp (30 ml) • Butter — 2 Tbsp (30 g) • Shallots or onion — ½ cup (80 g), finely chopped • Garlic — 3 cloves (6 g), minced • Red pepper flakes — ½–1 tsp (1–3 g), to taste • Frozen tomato paste balls — 3 (2tbls Each) • Tomato passata or purée — 2 cups (500 g) • Vodka — ¼ cup (60 ml) • Heavy cream — ¾ cup (180 ml) • Salt — ½ tsp (3 g) or to taste • Black pepper — freshly cracked, to taste • Grated Parmigiano Reggiano — as desired 🎬 NEW VIDEOS: Every Sunday at 9:15AM — practical skills, beautiful food, and the heart of home. #homemadewins #tomatopaste #passata #pastasauce #vodkasauce #amatriciana #fromscratch #homesteadwifelife

Old World Flavor Bombs! | Fermented Pastes Part 1 — Deep, Savory Flavor the Homemade Way Discover how to create rich, fermented flavor bases that transform everyday cooking. These “Flavor Bomb Pastes” are the secret to adding depth, umami, and homemade magic to soups, sauces, and roasts — straight from your homestead kitchen. In this first part of the Flavor Bomb series, I’ll show you how to prep, salt, and ferment vegetables and aromatics to create a pastes that are bursting with flavor. This isn’t about shortcuts — it’s about building flavor the old world way: with time, care, and natural fermentation. Perfect for homesteaders, home cooks, and anyone who wants to elevate their pantry staples. What you’ll see in this video: 🌿 Step-by-step fermenting process 🥄 How to balance salt and vegetables for safe, successful fermentation 👉🏽Stay tuned for Part 2! We’ll turn these ferments into the finished Flavor Bomb Pastes — and I will give you ideas of how to use them!! 👉🏽Tool and Equipment Used: These are Affiliate Links that Come at Zero Cost To you. Thank you so much for your support! Pickle Pipes - https://amzn.to/4olOltN Fermenting Lids - https://amzn.to/3KPITBb Pickle Packer - https://amzn.to/4nSsfzn Fermentation Kit - https://amzn.to/42KHtOy Fermentation Weights - https://amzn.to/4h9fk9A Redmonds Salt - https://amzn.to/47b2L9u 👉🏽PRINTABLE LINK: https://www.homesteadwifelife.com/post/old-world-fermented-flavor-bomb-pastes 0:00 Intro — why “Flavor Bomb Pastes” 0:48 Today’s four ferments (pepper, lemon, ginger-turmeric, garlic) 1:16 Lemon prep — thin slices, remove seeds 4:11 Garlic prep — crack & trim (no fine chopping) 7:58 Pepper prep — 80/20 sweet-to-hot, de-seed & de-rib 13:21 Weigh & salt formula — 2–2.5% by weight 14:28 Pack garlic jar & press (no added water) 15:06 Fermentation weights & pickle pipe explained 15:45 Ginger–turmeric jar — weigh, 2.5% salt 17:36 Pack & weight the ginger–turmeric jar 19:02 Preserved lemons jar — stack, salt, press 20:40 Keep everything under liquid (why it matters) 21:01 Pepper–onion–garlic mix jar (Mediterranean base) 22:46 Weigh example — 613 g → 15 g salt 24:06 Pack firmly with the tamper (“pickle packer”) 25:16 Fermentation lids + hand pump demo 26:01 Next-day check — top up with 2.5% brine if needed 27:02 Stage 1 done — timeline & ways to use 27:56 What’s next (Part 2) & wrap-up Hashtags: #HomesteadWifeLife #Fermentation #FlavorBombs #HomesteadCooking #OldWorldSkills #FermentedPastes

Ever wondered how to make a pound cake that stays buttery, tender, and moist for days? In this video, I’ll show you my Homestead Wife Life method — a classic, old-fashioned pound cake infused with care and finished with a warm butter soak and a glossy fruit syrup drizzle. 🧈 What makes this one special: • The butter soak seeps into the crumb — no dry edges here. • The homemade fruit syrup adds a burst of flavor and beautiful sheen. • Simple, pantry ingredients — elevated by timeless technique. This recipe works year-round: use strawberry, blueberry, or pear syrup depending on what’s in your larder. It’s the kind of dessert that feels like it came straight from your grandmother’s kitchen… just polished the HWL way. ✨ Watch next: Homemade Fruit Syrups the HWL Way → 📄 Printable recipe: Cranberry-Orange Butter-Soaked Pound Cake → 🛒 Shopping Links (affiliate — no extra cost to you, thank you for your support 💚) • Flip-Top Bottles → https://amzn.to/3IihuqM • Fine Strainer → https://amzn.to/3Kr2irS • Canning Funnel → https://amzn.to/42MSyhN • Nordicware Pan Used → https://amzn.to/47kFRO2 • Small Rubber Spatula → https://amzn.to/4o5wyYt #PoundCake #HomesteadBaking #HomesteadWifeLife #OldFashionedRecipes #FruitSyrup

It’s that time of year again — time to put the garden to bed for winter! 🍂 In this video, I’ll show you exactly how I close out the season here on our homestead — from prepping the soil for spring to protecting what’s left from frost. Of course, my geese had a lot to say about it. 😅 SERIOUSLY, A LOT! 🪴 What you’ll see in this video: We've already emptied the garden beds for the year, and now it’s time to plant our cover crop seeds. 👉 Be sure to buy self-terminating seeds! • How I prep my GreenStalk towers for frost • Simple garden tasks that save huge time in spring • Cameos from our very opinionated geese 🦢 👩‍🌾 Whether you’re managing a large garden or just a few raised beds, this is a peaceful (and slightly chaotic) look at how I wrap up the growing season on our homestead. What We Use: These links are affiliate links that come at ZERO cost to you. Thank you for your support. Cover Crop Seeds:https://amzn.to/4o6bNet Drop Cloths: https://amzn.to/3WgC7XL Raised Beds: https://amzn.to/48UTDrP 💚 Watch next: → Roasted Tomato Paste – https://youtu.be/HiR2GwRl7ZE → Homemade Vinegar Series – https://youtu.be/1XBpm51cI80 #homestead #gardening #wintergarden #homesteadwifelife #raisedbeds #geese

Ever wonder how chefs get that deep, rich tomato flavor without simmering all day? The secret is in the prep — and it starts in the freezer. In this video, I’ll show you my chef-tested method for turning frozen garden tomatoes into roasted tomato paste with five times the flavor. Freezing makes peeling effortless, and oven-roasting concentrates every bit of sweetness into a thick, velvety paste you’ll use all winter long. 🍅 What you’ll learn: • How freezing makes tomatoes easy to peel — no boiling water required • The oven-roasting technique chefs use for bold, concentrated flavor • How to store, freeze, and use homemade tomato paste year-round • Why this method beats canned paste for freshness and control 🌿 More from Homestead Wife Life 📖 Printable recipe + full post: https://www.homesteadwifelife.com/post/roasted-tomato-paste-chef-method-from-frozen-tomatoes 🥣 Watch next: Roasted Tomato Passata video - https://youtu.be/Oo8YSTDqKY4 🍞 Bread Baking Series - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTHgvX5toubJbJuqB7F2PeR9gq0xOhk5y 👉🏽 Equipment Used (These are affiliate links — at no extra cost to you. Using them helps support my channel, and I’m truly grateful.) • Food Mill - https://amzn.to/4nESb1t • Pyrex Baking Dish - https://amzn.to/476oPDb • Mechanical Scoop Set - https://amzn.to/4gSvlR8 • Reusable Zip Top Bags - https://amzn.to/3WooEgk • Heat-Resistant Rubber Spatula - https://amzn.to/3WnZcrf 🎥 Subscribe for weekly homestead kitchen videos: https://youtube.com/@HomesteadWifeLife?si=qOaq0N5U7lz5ja2u

21 days later… my jars have completely transformed! 🍯🍋🌿 From bubbling fruit vinegars to sweet herbal oxymels and long-steeping extracts, it’s time for a larder update. Come with me as I strain the fruit, check the oxymels, and show the extracts after 3 weeks — this is the fun part of building a homestead pantry the HWL way. 🌿 What you’ll see in this video: How to know when fruit vinegars are ready to strain Oxymel progress after 21 days Herbal extracts at the 3-week mark A peek at my growing Homestead Wife Life larder 💌 More from Homestead Wife Life: 🎥 Homemade Fruit Vinegars Watch Part 1: https://youtu.be/1XBpm51cI80?si=GEI86eadh4y6CsPE 🎥 How To Make Oxymels: https://youtu.be/5hvaDawCTdQ?si=JzsaWxNViymK65cv 🎥 How To Make Extracts: https://youtu.be/xwhPcp6v2Zc?si=fcWefvkpCN_h6-Pq LINKS TO ITEMS I USE: (These are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting Homestead Wife Life!) Cardamom pods – https://amzn.to/3Iy0f4D Cocoa nibs – https://amzn.to/3W0LUAO Vanilla beans (50-count deal I mentioned) – https://amzn.to/4mtvBaD Raw Almonds: https://amzn.to/3KwKCuQ Jillmo 2L Fermentation Jar Kit → https://amzn.to/4mmfAmE 2.5L Pickle Jar with Water Seal Airlock Lid → https://amzn.to/4pKfXKZ YINMIK Digital pH Meter for Food → https://amzn.to/3IvhJi2 Cheesecloth (2 options): https://amzn.to/42Athr2 | https://amzn.to/46xH5Fi Plastic Mason Jar Lids (for vinegar) → https://amzn.to/42V4rlS Fermentation Weights → https://amzn.to/4mLJxwK #homesteadwifelife #homemadevinegar #oxymel #herbalremedies #larderupdate

Learn how to make 4 gourmet fruit syrups at home — fresher, more flavorful, and better than anything store-bought! These easy recipes are perfect for cocktails, homemade sodas, desserts, cake soaks, and more. In this video, I’ll show you the simple method I use here on Homestead Wife Life to create syrups you’ll always want stocked in your kitchen. ✨ What You’ll Learn • The easy formula for making homemade fruit syrups • 4 unique fruit variations with gourmet flavor • How to store syrups so they stay fresh longer • Creative ways to use them in drinks, desserts, and everyday cooking 🌿 More from Homestead Wife Life 📖 Printable recipes (includes standard & lower-sugar versions): https://www.homesteadwifelife.com/post/4-gourmet-fruit-syrups-you-can-make-at-home Homemade Extracts: https://youtu.be/xwhPcp6v2Zc?si=bnpKDb34IZKe3SuZ 🍯 Homemade Vinegars: https://youtu.be/1XBpm51cI80?si=qHwdbR-nHQ65wlbn Shopping Links (affiliate — no extra cost to you, thank you for your support 💚): • Flip Top Bottles → https://amzn.to/3IihuqM • Fine Strainer → https://amzn.to/3Kr2irS • Canning Funnel → https://amzn.to/42MSyhN Chapters 00:00 Intro – Why homemade syrups are a game changer 00:35 Cranberry Orange Rosemary Syrup 04:15 Peach Thyme Syrup 08:30 Raspberry Mint Syrup 12:40 Pineapple Ginger Syrup 17:10 Straining & Bottling Tips 19:40 Bonus Tip – What to do with leftover fruit 21:30 Wrap Up – Stocking your larder with gourmet syrups #FruitSyrup #HomemadeRecipes #HomesteadWifeLife #Recipes

Bake bakery-style scones at home. In this video I make two easy scone recipes—a buttery cranberry-orange (sweet) and a cheddar-chive (savory)—plus a holiday prep tip that keeps brunch stress-free. Tender, flaky, golden… perfect for breakfast, brunch, or entertaining. ✨ What you’ll learn 👉🏽 How to bake sweet and savory scones with bakery-level texture 👉🏽 The one holiday must-know tip that reduces stress (and keeps things delicious) 👉🏽 A step-by-step method for tender, flaky results every time 🌿 More from Homestead Wife Life 📖 Printable recipe + full post: https://www.homesteadwifelife.com/post/bakery-secrets-at-home-sweet-savory-scones 🎥 Holiday Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTHgvX5toubIa3NGHBp-B7P0Hg8L1-uxL 🍞 Bread Baking Series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTHgvX5toubJbJuqB7F2PeR9gq0xOhk5y If you love homestyle baking with a practical, budget-friendly twist, subscribe and join me every Wednesday at 4 PM and Sunday at 9 AM for new videos! #Scones #BakerySecrets #HolidayEntertaining #HomesteadWifeLife #HolidayBaking