About Me

If you love a back-to-your-roots lifestyle, using old-fashioned skills, and time-tested homesteading practices, you have come to the right place!

My German Roots

I grew up in Germany, where my grandparents, without knowing it, were quietly shaping the path I walk today.

They lived simply and beautifully. With a huge garden, they were largely self-sustaining, eating real, seasonal food and living a deeply sustainable lifestyle long before “organic” or “zero waste” became buzzwords. I watched them forage and juice elderberries to sip warm in the winter, and helped gather herbs, fruits, and vegetables from their garden. When staying with them, I’d walk to the local dairy farm to fetch raw milk, still warm from the cow. My grandmother would skim off the cream and ferment some of the milk.

She passed down a generations-old sourdough recipe to my mother, who taught it to me. We baked whole wheat bread together long before it was trendy – even in Germany, it was considered a bit “granola.”

My grandparents truly lived an organic lifestyle—before that was even a word.

Back to My Roots

In 1996, I moved to Northern California, where I have been living ever since with my family. I have been weaving together the old and the new – bringing my German heritage and homesteading values into my modern life.

Most days, you’ll find me in the kitchen making food – or dreaming up new recipes to recreate a taste of home. I especially love reviving traditional German dishes I can’t easily find in the U.S., and sharing my family’s low-maintenance, no-fuss sourdough method.

My creative side also comes out in the form of sewing, knitting, and all things DIY. Whether it’s making a Dirndl dress or a slipcover, I always look for the simple, beautiful solution. I don’t like things to be complicated – and that’s something I carry into everything I share.

Why I Blog

This space is my modern homestead- a place to share what I’ve learned and inherited: a love for slow, seasonal living, sustainable habits, and wholesome food made from scratch. From sourdough to German recipes, to handmade crafts and thoughtful homemaking tips, I hope you’ll find something here that inspires you to reconnect with your roots, too.

I am proud to be a published author and grateful to carry forward the spirit of my grandparents – not just through their heirloom furniture in our home, but through the values and lifestyle they embodied.

Welcome to Our Gabled Home!

More About Anja & This Blog