Welcome to Seasonal Simple Life
Join me in creating a self-sufficient, sustainable life through gardening, preserving, and simple living.
Every season offers fresh opportunities to grow your skills and reconnect with nature’s rhythms. 
Latest Posts
Bavarian Sauerkraut Strudel Recipe (Easy & Authentic)
Crispy strudel dough meets tangy sauerkraut in this authentic Bavarian recipe. A hearty winter comfort food that transforms simple preserved cabbage into something truly special.
January Seed Starting Guide: 11 Vegetables to Sow Now for a Successful Harvest
I don’t know about you but once the festive season is over and life starts again in January, my...
How to Build a Greenhouse from Scratch: Complete DIY Guide (2026)
Ever dreamed of a greenhouse but couldn’t afford the €5,000+ price tag? I built my own 27-square-metre wooden greenhouse from scratch for just €1,310—with no carpentry experience and no permanent foundation (perfect for rented gardens!). This complete guide walks you through every step: from creating a string frame and setting ground sleeves to installing windows and covering with weather-resistant tarp. Four years later, it’s still standing strong through Bavarian storms. If I could build this as a complete beginner, you can too. All you need is patience, basic tools, and a few weekends.
From the Garden
January Seed Starting Guide: 11 Vegetables to Sow Now for a Successful Harvest
I don’t know about you but once the festive season is over and life starts again in January, my...
How to Build a Greenhouse from Scratch: Complete DIY Guide (2026)
Ever dreamed of a greenhouse but couldn’t afford the €5,000+ price tag? I built my own 27-square-metre wooden greenhouse from scratch for just €1,310—with no carpentry experience and no permanent foundation (perfect for rented gardens!). This complete guide walks you through every step: from creating a string frame and setting ground sleeves to installing windows and covering with weather-resistant tarp. Four years later, it’s still standing strong through Bavarian storms. If I could build this as a complete beginner, you can too. All you need is patience, basic tools, and a few weekends.
January Reflections: The Beauty of Rest and New Beginnings
When I look outside my bedroom window on a typical January morning, I can see the nearby woods, sometimes covered in tiny snow hats. January in Bavaria is a month of deep rest—for the garden and for us. While the world rushes with New Year resolutions, nature shows us a different way: the necessity of dormancy, the beauty of bareness, the wisdom of slowing down.
In this reflection, I share how I embrace January’s dark, quiet energy through cozy rituals, winter self-care, and following my garden’s example. From gratitude journals and candlelight to homemade preserves and Gemütlichkeit, discover how to honor this season of rest. Spring will come soon enough—for now, let’s hibernate.
From the Pantry
How to Do a Pantry Audit: Step-by-Step Organisation and Rotation System
When my son brought me a six-year-old jar of brown, sluggish pumpkin from our pantry, I knew something had to change. A proper pantry audit and rotation system isn’t just about organisation—it saves money, reduces food waste, and ensures you’re always eating fresh ingredients. Learn how to transform your pantry chaos into an efficient system that actually works in real life.
13 Ways to Use Orange Peels at Home — From Food to Cleaning
Discover 13 creative zero-waste uses for organic orange peels! From candied treats and flavored oils to natural cleaners and body scrubs, learn how to transform orange peels into useful products that save money and reduce waste. Never throw away an orange peel again!
Non-Bitter Orange Marmalade (Just 3 Ingredients!)
Traditional marmalade too bitter for you? This easy orange marmalade recipe changes everything. With just fresh orange juice, zest, and sugar—no pith, no bitterness—you’ll have sweet, glossy marmalade in about 30 minutes. Perfect on toast, in yoghurt, or as homemade gifts!
From the Kitchen
Bavarian Sauerkraut Strudel Recipe (Easy & Authentic)
Crispy strudel dough meets tangy sauerkraut in this authentic Bavarian recipe. A hearty winter comfort food that transforms simple preserved cabbage into something truly special.
The Best Orange Christmas Cookies Recipe (Soft, Citrusy & Festive!)
These orange Christmas cookies are soft, citrusy, and absolutely irresistible! Made with homemade candied orange peel and non-bitter orange marmalade, they’re elegant enough for any holiday cookie plate. The secret to their incredible flavor? A double dose of orange in both the dough and the filling!
Traditional Christmas Pudding Recipe (Better Than Store-Bought!)
This traditional Christmas pudding recipe is rich, chewy, and bursting with the flavors of warming spices, brandy, and tangy citrus. After years of testing, I’ve perfected this recipe—and it’s so much better than anything store-bought! Packed with an array of dried fruits and steeped in your favourite spirit, this impressive showstopper will awe your family and guests. The only catch? Christmas pudding needs at least 4 weeks to mature, so don’t wait—let’s get started on creating this delicious British tradition that’ll become your new Christmas favourite!
Home and Hearth
13 Ways to Use Orange Peels at Home — From Food to Cleaning
Discover 13 creative zero-waste uses for organic orange peels! From candied treats and flavored oils to natural cleaners and body scrubs, learn how to transform orange peels into useful products that save money and reduce waste. Never throw away an orange peel again!
Homemade Chestnut Laundry Detergent: Simple, Sustainable and Free
Those gorgeous chestnuts falling in autumn aren’t just for decoration – they make amazing free laundry detergent! Learn how to forage and prepare horse chestnuts, extract their natural cleaning power, and use them for sustainable laundry. This beginner-friendly guide includes two simple methods, practical tips, and everything you need to know about washing with nature’s gift.
How to Make Chestnut Soap: Easy Homemade Recipe & Instructions
Learn how to make natural chestnut soap from foraged horse chestnuts! This sustainable soap recipe uses the natural saponins in chestnuts to create a gentle cleanser. Includes step-by-step instructions, safety guidelines, and an optional chestnut powder for exfoliation.
About Me
Imagine growing your own herbs on a windowsill, turning summer tomatoes into winter comfort, or creating your own gentle soaps with ingredients you can pronounce.
These aren’t impossible dreams—they’re your next small steps toward a more self-sufficient life.
Whether you’re planting your first seeds or you’ve been gardening for years, every season offers fresh opportunities to grow your skills, reduce your footprint, and reconnect with the natural rhythms that sustain us all.
Hi, I’m Angela, the “face” behind Seasonal Simple Life. Welcome to this blog!
Do you dream of creating a colourful and lively vegetable garden where you’ll cultivate all the vegetables you want?
Without chemistry but diversity and many tried and tested varieties that will fill your harvest basket with healthy and tasty fruit and vegetables?
In the evenings, the flavour of freshly cooked tomato sauce flows through the house; winter will come, eventually, and your pantry won’t fill on its own…
Do you want to live a seasonal simple life, decorate your house, craft things that make you happy and add beauty to your home?
Let’s do this together!
If you want to learn more about me, click here.