Pine Cone Wonders: Easy Fire Starters

It's summertime, and all those pine cones are dropping. It's time to collect them. Why? Read on . . .
Are you tired of saving all those newspapers for fire starters? Tired of scrounging up bundles and bundles of cedar kindling to get that early morning winter fire going? Well, here is a sure-fire way to get a roaring fire going in no time at all. It really is a wonder because it works every time!

Pine Cone Fire Starters!

First you need some nice, large pine cones (we use Ponderosa pine cones). We collect them when they are nice and dry. (Make SURE they are completely dry or this will not work.)


Then you need some parraffin and a large (large enough to dip the pine cone in) coffee can. Break up the paraffin and put it in the can.


You also need a heat source, something to melt the wax. (Caution: Do not heat the coffee can full of wax directly on top of the wood stove). Melt the wax in a coffee can set in a hot-water bath or another heat source out in the garage.


When the wax has melted, use a pair of tongs to dip the pine cones in the melted wax, lightly coating them. Then lay them aside to dry. Once dry, we keep them piled in a box next to the wood stove.

How to start a fire with pine cones:
1) Place a couple of pine cones on the bottom of the wood stove
2) Pile 2 or 3 logs on top of the pine cones.
3) Light the pine cones.
4) You’re done. Truly, in less than a minute, you’ve got yourself a fire! No newspaper, no kindling, no blowing your lungs out on a dying fire. This really works!

Note: Pine-cone starters work well to start outside, brush-burning fires also.

Making Tub Butter

Do you, like me, despise tub margarine that seems to be about 80% water and lasts less than a week, since you have to spread so much of it on your bread to get any taste? Do you, like me, wonder what it’s actually made of? What a waste of money! And it’s not very healthy, either.

But butter alone is too hard to use if left in the fridge, and too soft (especially in the summer) if left out. (Besides, the cat might jump up and start licking any butter that is left out on the counter.)

Ta-Da! There is hope. Years ago, I learned how to make butter that keeps in the fridge yet stays SOFT, just like tub margarine. The perfect homestead compromise between natural butter and healthy canola or olive oil. Since learning about this, I have not looked back. And I have not bought tub margarine since.

To make this simple concoction, you need:

1) A blender2) 2 cubes (1 cup) soft butter
3) 1 cup Canola or Olive oil
4) A 2-cup Tupperware or Ziplock plastic container with tight lid.

Blend the oil and soft butter together until smooth and creamy. Pour into the storage container, snap on the lid, and put in the refrigerator. It hardens up to the consistency of tub margarine. It lasts a lot longer than tub margarine because you don’t need very much to taste it. And it cuts your butter costs in half.

Enjoy!