*This book was received as an Advanced Reviewer's Copy from NetGalley.

I've been trying to decide who the audience for this book is. I don't think it was me - but that doesn't mean it won't hold some value for other folks. I'd definitely say that it's more for newbies to cooking, gardening, etc. And for those that like your typical "American" foods.

It's interesting, because it's half cookbook - soooo many recipes for your basic things that most people enjoy, it would be a benefit to someone in that way. But purportedly healthier because you're making the stuff yourself from whole ingredients. Which may be partially true but I don't quite think all the way there as opposed to some diets you can do from your own gardened produce.

There were also sections on keeping chickens, gardening, etc. which had some helpful tidbits, but again for newer people to the "hobby". Which I keep saying newer - there's some stuff in here that people feel very strongly about - in both directions (raw milk, etc.) and if you feel some sort of way about it, you might not like this book. Or if you're newer to the life, I would just make sure to read everything from all sides and form your own opinion. There was also a lot on disaster prepping, despite the author proclaiming they were not one of the hardcore type of preppers. Which - given why most people go into homesteading makes sense in a way, but I'm not sure as much for new homesteaders who may still be learning the cook the simple recipes the author has included.

Again, some gems in here for newbies, I just think that maybe I wasn't the goal audience for this one.

Review by M. Reynard 2025

I don't really like giving reviews of non-fiction books, especially cookbooks like this. But I thought it was well done and well thought out. The recipes were good and some of the stories that were woven through the book were compelling to read.

This is a great resource for anyone interested in being a bit more self-sufficient. Pruett provides a ton of helpful information about topics such as gardening, preserving food, and raising chickens, as well as a bunch of recipes for everyday staples. I found the section on putting together a deep pantry to be particularly helpful!

This book found me right as I started seriously eyeing raw land listings and whispering “I could totally raise goats” to myself at 2am. Creating a Modern Homestead is part guide, part vibe check for anyone suddenly consumed by the urge to grow things, build things, and possibly barter eggs for butter.

Victoria Pruett lays out a surprisingly practical roadmap for anyone craving a slower, more self-sufficient life—whether you're dreaming of total off-grid freedom or just want to grow your own tomatoes and not panic during a power outage. It covers a wide range of traditional skills: gardening, preserving food, raising animals, using solar, harvesting water. All written in a calm, grounded voice that says “you’ve got this,” not “buy 800 acres and a bunker or die.”

It’s not a deep-dive manual (you’ll want follow-up books or YouTube rabbit holes if you’re getting serious about any one topic), but it’s a damn solid foundation. Especially if you’re just getting started and need the encouragement to believe this kind of life is actually possible (even if you’ve never touched a chicken in your life).

Read this if you’re in your “feral Little House on the Prairie but make it climate anxiety and sourdough” era. It’s the kind of book that makes you feel like you can build something real.

" While picking up and moving to the country may not be an option for everyone, it is possible to embrace simple living and more traditional skills no matter where you live."

I know I've been happier with my meals since I've been cooking from scratch, and this cookbook has plenty of recipes, tips, and shortcuts for the modern home chef looking to try and make more things from fewer ingredients. Biscuits, tortillas, breads, and snacks are a great start to changing how we eat at home. There's a lot of information about growing food, storing dry goods, preserving, and freezing cooked food. Lots of information on freeze drying and dehydrating ingredients and meals too. There's even a chapter on keeping livestock, like chickens, if your location allows it.

There's often an element of "doomsday prepping" or "tradwife" to many homesteading books, but this one seems to avoid that trap for the most part. Lots of useful info for people wanting to try some different things!

I received a free ebook copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

The book is fantastic at setting you up for success no matter how big or small your space is. I loved the receipes and the tips. This is essential to learning how to be more sustainable and thinking forward during our current economic crisis. I cannot wait to put some of these ideas into practice.

This is a very misleading title, as 2/3 of the book is on cooking. There are some very practical tips on homesteads, but not enough for the title.

Creating a Modern Homestead” Traditional Skills for Real, Everyday Life
Victoria Pruett
Modern life causes stress, anxiety and illness. We have decided it is time to look for a simpler way of life. You do not have to live in a rural area to use traditional skills. We embraced this culture over 40 years ago, however there is always room to learn more. There are many traditional skills discussed in this book including cooking from scratch, how to keep your pantry stocked, how to raise chickens, how to raise your own vegetables and how to preserve your vegetables.
Author Victoria Pruett demonstrates how to integrate traditional skills into your life. That’s right you can deal with employment, family, and social lives. With preparation and training you will begin to think of ways and methods that will help you become self-reliant and become comfortable putting them in practice.
This book has numerous recipes for cooking, preserving food by the water bath canning, pressure canning, freezing, dehydrating and freezing drying. The readers will learn about raising chickens in the back yard. In gardening the reader will discover information about raising a garden, growing zones, growing seasons, companion planting and pest control without harsh chemicals.
It is time to slow our lives down, live a simpler but healthier lifestyle. Not only will we be healthier but it also is a cheaper way to live. I highly recommend this book.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Hostessing and food prepping have been gaining popularity speed with this uncertain times so this book is really hitting this popularity trend. It's full of information about all that requires diving into homesteading and offers many helpful tips providing useful information for their readers proving this book is a powerful and essential tool. I liked that it was easy to read and understand, and that it even provides great visuals and guidelines.

I did not expect this to be so comprehensive and rich.
Think of basic cooking, conserving, baking skills and couple them with some more nuanced advice and techniques on more about being a self-dependent household.
If you can ignore some health advice or double-check them before you take them as accurate, this is a wonderful book that has great recipes for sauces, information about produce, and how to run a house and how to make it home.

This is a good cookbook, gardening guide and preservation guide if you are brand new to the topics. There are basic recipes for things like tortillas, bagels, pancakes, roast chicken and mashed potatoes, along with basic instructions for making homemade versions of things like yogurt and hot cocoa mix and a fair amount of standard canning recipes. Keep in mind that these tend to be very high in sugar, often more sugar than fruit since she doesn’t use pectin. There is also information about keeping chickens for eggs, stocking a survival pantry and a few other homestead topics.

The recipes tend to be for SAD (standard American diet) cooking –– lots of breads, cake, meat and potatoes kind of stuff, especially for bread products.

She recommends einkorn flour and erroneously says that it is safe for people with celiac disease, which is absolutely untrue and dangerous advice. While this kind of flour is more easily digested it still contains gluten and I double checked on the celiac association website and they say it is definitely not safe. She writes:

“As a result, it’s been my experience that even those with Celiac disease can easily tolerate and process einkorn flour! Over the last twelve years, we have been blessed to help more than sixteen million people with Celiac disease or gluten sensitivity learn how to bake with einkorn flour, including three diagnosed Celiacs in our own family. While I have only ever heard from people with Celiac disease that they were able to enjoy einkorn without consequences, it is possible that some with the disease may not be able to tolerate it fully. However, I have watched customers hold an EpiPen, due to their past severe reactions to wheat, while taking a bite of an einkorn pastry and they had no reaction to einkorn!”

I don’t even know where to start with this. How has this woman interacted with 16 million people with celiac and gluten sensitivity???? Verywellhealth says about 2 million people in the USA have celiac and while we know that more people have sensitivity, I’ve never even heard of this woman who claims she’s seen 16 million allergic people eat einkorn wheat. And people with celiac disease are not even helped by EpiPens, since it is an autoimmune disease and not an anaphylactic reaction.

All that aside, this is a great starter guide for those new to urban homesteading, baking, canning, etc and there were sections I really enjoyed. Recommended specifically for newbies who enjoy a traditional American diet and would like to start living a more self sufficient lifestyle.

I read an advance copy of this book via netgalley.

Creating a Modern Homestead is a great read for anyone who is considering growing their own food or wanting to limit preservatives in their families diet. Full of the basics including; from scratch cooking, how to can/preserve food, and making sourdough. Everything is broken down into manageable steps.

There are so many useful recipes in this book!! Things that I had never thought about like homemade condiments.

I really enjoyed the questions listed before getting started and the mentioning of trial and error! Not everything will work out the first time perfectly for everyone.

Thank you to NetGalley & Globe Pequot for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

For anyone who has ever dreamed of slowing down, growing their own food, or just ditching processed stuff for a more intentional way of living, without having to move to a 40 acre farm in the middle of nowhere, this book is for you.

Victoria Pruett does such a great job of breaking down homesteading into manageable, real life steps that feel accessible no matter where you live (yes, even in a small backyard or an apartment). Her tone is friendly and encouraging, never judgmental, and she’s honest about the fact that most of us don’t have eight hours a day to bake bread or grow tomatoes.

From sourdough tips and scratch recipes to gardening basics, canning, and raising backyard chickens, she covers a lot of ground without making it overwhelming. I especially loved the deep pantry tips and the reminder that food security doesn't have to mean prepping for the end of the world, but it can just mean peace of mind for your family.

If you're even a little curious about how to bring more simple, self-sufficient habits into your life, whether it’s growing herbs on a windowsill or trying out your first loaf of homemade bread, then this book is a great place to start. It’s both practical and inspiring, and I’m definitely bookmarking a bunch of sections to return to.

Highly recommend for anyone craving a slower, more grounded lifestyle without having to go totally off grid.

Thank you to NetGalley, Victoria Pruett, and Lyons Press for the eARC of this book.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Victoria Pruett and Lyons Press.

Creating a Modern Homestead shows us that we can go back to a slower way of life, a more self-sufficient way of life, a healthier way of life, even if we can’t live in the country. This book is a must have for anyone wanting to learn the basics of from scratch cooking, preserving food, stocking a pantry, making your own sourdough, or even raising your own chickens.