Preserving
Pickled Zucchini: From Garden Surplus to Flavour-Packed Treasure
If you grow your own vegetables, you can certainly relate: we carry the first zucchini of the season into the house like a trophy and celebrate cooking it with obsessive care. Zucchini No. 5 is watched with growing unease, and by the tenth, the family becomes...
Channel Your Inner Oma: Simple Homemade Sauerkraut That Actually Tastes Amazing
Every autumn, there comes a time when my kitchen fills with the sharp, tangy scent of fermenting cabbage. Even though it may still be warm and sunny outside, for me, the season for winter comfort food has officially begun. Call it genetic programming if you like. I...
From Orchard to Jar: 4 Heavenly Pear Jam Variations
When my colleague brought over two buckets of freshly harvested pears, I knew I wanted to create something special beyond classic pear jam. These four heavenly pear jam variations capture everything from warm autumn spices to bright summer flavours, each bringing its own unique character to your breakfast table. Try the velvety Pear Jam with Spices featuring vanilla, ginger, and cardamom for cosy autumn mornings. The Pear Jam with Rosemary offers a fresh, herbaceous twist that’s perfect for cheese boards. For something sophisticated, the Pear Jam with Riesling adds subtle fruitiness and depth. And the kid-friendly Pear-Blueberry Jam with Cinnamon combines three seasons in one jar. Each recipe follows the same simple process and uses just a handful of ingredients. Whether you’re working with freshly picked pears or windfall fruit that needs quick processing, these creative variations will help you preserve the harvest in delicious new ways.
Recipes
Saint Martin’s Geese (Martinsgänse): A Traditional Sweet Treat For St. Martin’s Day
Every November 11, we bake Saint Martin’s Geese to celebrate St. Martin’s Day—sweet, fluffy pastries shaped like geese that recall childhood memories of lantern processions and community gatherings. Learn the legend behind this German tradition and follow my step-by-step recipe to create these delightful treats in your own kitchen.
Authentic Spaetzle Recipe: German Egg Noodles in 20 Minutes
If you’ve ever visited Southern Germany, you’ve likely encountered Spaetzle—and if you have, you know how delicious they are! These traditional egg noodles, whose name translates to “little sparrows,” are a beloved staple in Southern German cuisine. The best part? They’re surprisingly easy to make at home with just four simple ingredients: flour, eggs, salt, and milk (or water). Unlike store-bought versions, homemade Spaetzle have an unbeatable tender texture and fresh flavor. The dough is pressed through a special tool (or even a colander) into boiling water, where the noodles cook in just 2-3 minutes. Serve them as a side dish with beef and gravy, or turn them into a main course like cheesy Kässpätzle. With this traditional recipe and helpful pro tips, you’ll master this classic German dish on your first try.
Savory Rouladen: Germany’s Timeless Beef Rolls That Tell a Story
Hearty German beef rolls, the so-called "Rouladen" are a popular dish for Sunday lunch or holiday feasts here in Southern Germany. Traditional restaurants have this delicious comfort food on their menus, and although they may seem "vintage" they are a still a big hit....
Gardening
June Vegetable Gardening: What to Seed-Start, Sow, and Plant
June is a time for harvesting in the vegetable garden. But if you think the time of sowing and planting is over: think again! June offers us gardeners the perfect opportunity to maximize our growing season with strategic plantings. If you want to harvest fresh produce...
The June Garden Hustle: 10 Tasks Your Plants Are Counting On
The promises of May are kept in June! Forgotten is the doom of night frosts; now, everything is growing wild, and we can already harvest lots of veggies, herbs, and fruits. Summer solstice is around the corner, and the days are long, hot and busy. Let’s see what...
How to get rid of aphids naturally with household remedies
Aphids are a common pest and make life hard for gardeners. Within a very short time, these yellow, green, red or black insects can grow into gigantic hordes and damage the leaves and young shoots of many plants with their piercing-sucking mouth parts. Additionally,...
Home and Body
Calendula soap (Beginner’s recipe)
Calendula is known for its skin-soothing and wound-healing effects. This easy recipe for calendula soap makes for a very mild soap that's even suitable for babies. The recipe is beginner-friendly which means that the process is not too complex. If this is your first...
Five uses for calendula
The first year I cultivated my garden, I decided to sow a few calendula between rows of red cabbage. The patch looked beautiful with its combination of thick violet cabbage heads and the bright orange calendula flowers floating above them like tiny suns. Not knowing...
Orange peeling soap
Earlier this year, I got my hands on some organic orange peel... well, ok: a lot of organic orange peel and apart from all the other things I made out of it, I tried my hand at making my first ever hydrolate. It turned out pretty well and I immediately thought about...
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.