I am working on a recipe for crockpot spaghetti sauce, but for now I wanted to share with you our homemade spice mix. I was in the habit of buying spaghetti sauce until I discovered how easy it was to make your own, not to mention cheaper! I love putting this mix together because of the aromatic spices, the smell is wonderful. Also, once you do this you'll never go back to buying expensive Italian Herb mixes!
Mix together in a jar:
2 tbsp Basil
1 tbsp Majoram
1 tbsp Oregano
1 tbsp Parsley
1 tsp Thyme
1 tsp Rosemary
1 tsp Coriander
The great part about this mix is you decide which spices you like more of or which ones you don't like. Coriander is definitely optional - we like it in our sauce, but I also just happened to have it in my cupboard. Don't feel like you need all of the spices to make this mix, go ahead and make it anyway and see how you like it!
“You know well enough that Our Lord does not look so much at
the greatness of our actions, nor even at their difficulty, but at the love with which we do them.” ~
St. Thérèse
Growing up my mother made a delicious German potato salad. All eleven of us children loved it and gobbled it up happily for dinner. This recipe is similar in taste, just the real food version. My mother's recipe was delicious, but was made with canola oil, white sugar and vinegar. Just as simple and tasty, the recipe will make you feel better about feeding your family a nourishing potato salad.
This makes a great side dish for chicken and an easy side salad for parties or meals for families in need. If you like vinegar potato salads with a little kick, you will love this recipe! It has been adapted from this recipe.
Here you go!
German Potato Salad
Serves 6-8 side servings Ingredients:
12-16 medium red potatoes
1/2 c. raw apple cider vinegar
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. dry mustard
Freshly ground pepper
4 cloves of garlic, mashed
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped
Directions:
Wash and boil the potatoes until a knife jabbed in the middle meets little resistance. (you don't want the potatoes to be too mushy.) Drain the potatoes and allow them to cool.
Meanwhile, make the dressing by adding the remaining ingredients in a bowl, mix thoroughly. When the potatoes are cooled, cube or slice into a bowl. Add the dressing and toss all together. Taste test and add more vinegar, olive oil or salt to taste.
The salad can be served warm or cold, depending on your taste. Serve and enjoy!
“Would that mortal men might know how wonderful is divine grace, how
beautiful, how precious; what riches are hidden therein, what treasures,
what joys, what delights. If they but knew, surely they would direct
their energy with all care and diligence to procuring sufferings and
afflictions for themselves. Instead of good fortune all men everywhere
would seek out troubles, illness and suffering that they might obtain
the inestimable treasure of grace. This is the final profit to be gained
from patient endurance. No one would complain about the cross or about
hardships coming seemingly by chance upon him, if he realized in what
balance they are weighed before being distributed to men.”
Linking up with Hallie and her 5 Favorites today, make sure to pop on over and check out the other favorites. I will be discussing my favorite body products.
Simple and Frugal Body Care Products
This little shelf in my 70's bathroom carries just about everything I need for day-to-day body care. I think I have finally found a routine with body care products that really work, are frugal and simple to make and/or use!
I used to buy the latest and greatest products, wasting so much money as they would end up collecting dust after awhile. I was also addicted to lotion for YEARS, I seriously couldn't live without it. After I made the switch to natural products, my skin and hair improved dramatically, it's also saved me a lot of money.
As I share these, I would also love to know what works for you? Have you tried a few a these items?
1. Hair Care
Now I wouldn't say I have luscious hair, or even cooperative hair, but lately I have been starting to actually like my hair. I've always had a problem with frizz, especially as my hair grew longer. My solution was to cut it short and keep it simple, and that worked, except now I am growing it out and I love how it's looking. These are the only two products that I use and I will tell you why I love them: Shampoo Bar: I have used J.R Liggett's Shampoo bar and have also made a batch of my own. I also occasionally use apple cider vinegar to rinse my hair with and make it soft, but we don't need conditioner anymore. The whole family uses the bar and it will last more than a month. The cheapest place to get it is Vitacost, it typically runs $4 a bar.
Homemade Dry Shampoo: My sister introduced this to me a few months ago and I love it. On the days I don't wash my hair I use this to absorb the excess oil. My hair is not frizzy and WAY more cooperative when it's dirty, and with dry shampoo it doesn't have to look dirty! This is why I am excited to grow my hair out - dry shampoo has changed everything for me. It's also handy when you have to get out the door and don't have time for a shower. Wellness Mama has a great recipe that we use.
2. Face Wash
I have a problem with dry skin and occasionally acne. It seems like I have tried everything. I never liked how my face felt until I started the Oil Cleansing Method of washing my face. All you need is oil and water! It seems crazy but I dare you to try it, you will love it. It takes a little more time that simply washing your face, but I find it helps me relax before bed. And who doesn't have oil in their house? No need for expensive cleansers anymore. Here is the video tutorial:
Besides the shampoo bar and apple cider vinegar, Anna's soap is the only other thing I have in the shower. I LOVE to keep things simple and this soap does the job. My husband loves it, it's gentle enough for the kids and it's great for shaving. It's also the most natural you can get. It lathers really well and doesn't dry out my skin. Not to mention, she's an awesome mama and I am very proud to support her business.
This is the only soap we use for washing hands as well, the bar last forever and always smells so good.
4. Oils/Lotions
As I mentioned, I was addicted to lotion. It took me forever to switch to using oil for my skin instead of lotion - and now? You won't find a single bottle of lotion in my house. You might ask, why would you not use lotion? Or why is it so addicting? Here's a good answer.
My skin feels SO much better and I don't use nearly the amount of oil as I did lotion. After the NOW's sweet almond oil. One bottle will last me a few months, at least. My skin does not itch from being dry anymore.
shower I apply almond oil or jojoba oil all over my body. I let it absorb for a few minutes so I don't get any oil on my skin and I usually only reapply the oil every 3-5 days. The cheapest option I have found is
For my face and hands I either use The Good Green Stuff or my homemade tallow lotion. This is the tutorial I used and I made it from the tallow that came with our quarter beef last year. THIS STUFF ROCKS!
Beef fat seems like a really gross thing to put on your skin - but it is the closest thing to the oil on our own skin, which causes it to absorb so well. I only have to use a little bit and my hands/feet and face feel awesome. If there is anything you take away from this post, let it be to try tallow on your skin!! You can purchase some if you don't have tallow, but if you can get your hands on grassfed tallow - I say go for it. This lotion cost pennies for me compared to the lotion you buy in the store.
For a few years now I have been solely using homemade deodorant. I used to buy the extra strength
antiperspirant, and it still didn't do the trick! I now love my deodorant and it makes me pretty happy that I can make this on my own. It only requires a few ingredient and you aren't putting all those chemicals in your armpit. Of all homemade products this one is easy to make and you can test it right away, I highly recommend it!
Thanks for letting me share my natural body care routine with you, Currently, Im on the lookout for a good, tasty toothpaste recipe that my kids will use. If you have any suggestions, please send them my way!
"Life is beauty, admire it. Life is a dream, realize it. Life is a
challenge, meet it. Life is a duty, complete it. Life is a game, play
it. Life is a promise, fulfill it. Life is sorrow, overcome it. Life is a
song, sing it. Life is a struggle, accept it. Life is a tragedy,
confront it. Life is an adventure, dare it. Life is luck, make it. Life
is too precious, do not destroy it. Life is life, fight for it."
This post was originally written for Melissa over at Dyno-Mom. Make sure to check her out, she has a lot of useful information on real food.
I have been making Kombucha for awhile now but it was very intimidating from the start. My goal for this post is to remove the intimidation factor and make Kombucha making easy for you! It's very simple once you get the hang of it - so why not give it a try. :)This post is for those who do not have access to a SCOBY or do not want to pay $10 for one, join me in growing your own SCOBY . . .
Do live in a place that you can't just ask your neighber, "Hey, you got that SCOBY for me?"
Most likely not, in fact they probably already think you are crazy for knowing what Kombucha is! - so let's talk about how you can grow your own.
How to grow your own SCOBY: (The Easy Way)
Four Simple Ingredients:
Filtered Water
2 Organic Black Tea bags
1/3 cup white sugar
A glass of Kombucha. (1/4 cup is plenty)
Boil water and fill your quart jar 3/4 full. Add 1/3 cup of white sugar, mix around and let dissolve. Add two tea bags and let it sit till cool.
Add your glass of Kombucha. NOTE: this works best with homemade kombucha or a brand that is NOT GT's. I just tried it with GT's original and it did not grow. I have grown a SCOBY with homemade kombucha and it worked great.
Cover your jar with a cloth and rubber band to keep bugs away and place it in your pantry or somehwere. Unless you love talking about this stuff, then show it off and put it on your bookshelf!
NEXT: Let it sit. and sit. and sit. There you have it, a SCOBY! Mine sat for a month I think. Depending on how warm your house is, it may take more or less time. I would mark when you make it and check on it every week to see how your little science experiment is doing.
You can see how it grows. I took these pictures a few weeks apart. We had so much fun watching it grow!
When you are finished you are then ready to brew a big batch of Kombucha. Make sure to check out this recipe for your first batch of Kombucha.
“Each accepted pain, no matter how obscure, every silent
suffering of evil, each act of inwardly overcoming oneself, every outreach of
love, each renunciation, and every turning in silence toward God – all of that
now becomes effective as a whole: Nothing that is good goes for nothing.”
If there is one fermented food we love it's Kimchi. Well, at least this version of Kimchi. It's not too spicy with just the right amount of ginger and garlic. We put it on every type of soup or salad and eat it as a side dish with meat. The recipe is fairly easy and you can get the ingredients at your every day grocery store. Organic produce is always better for fermenting, but not completely necessary. Enjoy fermenting in your kitchen!
Fermented Kimchi (makes two quarts)
1 head of cabbage, cored and shredded
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
1 cup carrots, grated
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 tsp dried chili flakes
2 tablespoons of sea salt
Place all ingredients into a bowl or container and wait ten minutes for the salt to draw out the water from the veggies. Then pound the mixture until juicy (this may take 10 minutes and some elbow grease!) Next put the mixture into two quart sized jars and press firmly down until all of the juice comes to the top covering the vegetables. At this point I put a plastic yogurt lid (any lid will do if it fits inside your jar) on top of the veggies to keep them down, this helps to keep the kimchi from molding while it ferments. I then add a weight of a smaller jar filled with water to keep the veggies submerged in the brine.
Then let the kimchi sit for up to two weeks. Depending on how warm your kitchen is the kimchi may be ready anywhere from three days to two weeks. Taste it every other day until you get the desired taste (tangy and sour) and then put it in your fridge. It will last a few months or more!
Enjoy!
If you want a more detailed (and certainly more professional) version of another recipe go here. She did a WAY better job explaining everything. :)
"Indeed I am the gardener, for all that exists come from me. With power and strength beyond imagining I govern the whole world: Not a thing is made or kept in order without me. I am the gardener, then who planted the vine of my only-begotten Son in the earth of your humanity so that you, the branches, could be joined to the vine and bear fruit."
- God the Father to St. Catherine of Sienna (The Dialogue)
One of the first things we changed about our diet was making our own salad dressings. It takes minutes to prepare and homemade dressings are so delicious. My children will eat every bite of their veggies if they are covered in homemade dressing. Nutrition wise, homemade dressing is far superior to store-bought. The Olive Oil and vinegar will supply you with a dose of vitamin E, antioxidants and enzymes - compared to the rancid soy bean oils, MSG, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, and a many other ingredients listed in commercial salad dressings.
The best part - it's simple and anyone can do it! So ditch those bottles of dressing and nourish your body with a wonderful salad topped with homemade dressing! If you click here and here you will find some great salad dressing recipes. At first I had to have a recipe until I got the hang of it. Now I throw in all the ingredients until it taste right. Being so busy these days with two toddlers, it's about all I can manage!
Our Simple Salad Dressing Routine:
Grab an old jar and throw in these ingredients:
2 parts Extra Virgin Olive oil
1 part vinegar. You can use ANY vinegar or combination you like. Here is what we use: balsamic, raw apple cider vinegar, red wine or white wine.
A squeeze of mustard. You can use whatever you have: dijon, spicy, regular.
A dash or two of salt.
Honey or maple syrup to sweeten.
That's it!Make sure to taste it and add more oil, vinegar or whatever you want. Dressings can be made really fancy or really simple. We keep it simple. Occasionally I will follow a recipe for a nice salad, but this is what we do most of the time. Another great thing, you can't mess it up! If you accidentally add too much vinegar or salt, it's easy to add more oil to balance the flavor. It also works the other way around. Have fun and play with the flavors a bit. You will enjoy it!
"If you are discouraged it is a sign of pride because it shows you
trust in your own power. Your self-sufficiency, your selfishness and
your intellectual pride will inhibit His coming to live in your heart
because God cannot fill what is already full. It is as simple as that." – Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta
There were forty five kids at my daughters birthday party yesterday. Forty five! It was fun and wild at the same time! I threw a Teddy Bear's Picnic for my beary special 3 year old. I feel incredibly blessed to know so many families with children, and the fact that they will celebrate with us! Parties can be very expensive, especially if you try to provide healthy food and drinks.
I will share with you my attempt at throwing a fun, frugal and somewhat healthy birthday party. :)
{fun}
There is only so much you can do with forty five kids running around, so we tried our best! I wanted to keep it as simple and frugal as possible while still being fun for all of the kids.
The first thing I did was watch this in order to go on a bear hunt with all the kids:
It was a big hit, they loved it! I had them repeat the song phrases after me and they all participated!
Then we read a few bear books, talked about our bear's names and what bears like to do for fun. Of course we had to read the well known, Teddy Bear's Picnic.
All I had to bring for this part was: a few picnic blankets, three books about bears and a few extra teddies in case someone forgot theirs. We got the books from the library so we didn't spend a dime on this part of the picnic!
{frugal}
My goal was to make this a frugal party - while still being fun. There are many ways to do this but let me show you how what we did.
I took a large cardboard box and cut the top to look like waves and spray painted it blue. I then made fishing poles out of sticks, string and clothespins. This was by far the kid's favorite. I enlisted help from my nephews to sit behind the box and help the children fish! As long as they threw their fish back in, they could fish as many times as the wanted!
{somewhat healthy}
Food can be the most expensive thing about a large birthday party. To keep it simple and frugal I had everyone bring an item to share for a "trail mix bar." That way, depending on a child's allergy restrictions or sugar limitations, everyone's needs were met! My sister in-law was so gracious and brought coconut water for everyone, what a treat! I also made and brought sweetened black tea.
The whole day before my daughter and I baked and baked cupcakes. It was really fun! We made a few batches of gluten free, honey sweetened chocolate cupcakes, and even more wheat flour cupcakes. A few mom's attending were either paleo, on the GAPS diet or had allergies. It was nice to have something for everyone. (well, almost everyone! I still can't figure out how to make cupcakes without eggs!)
I made cream cheese frosting and honey sweetened buttercream frosting, both of them to die for. At least that is how I feel about icing! (recipes to follow).
I did not ice the cupcakes beforehand, I brought it in bowls and let the children ice their own. It was really fun for the kids to get to do the icing on their own!
The party favors were the little fish they caught. We cut the fish out of felt and I attached a honey stick to each one. I haven't met a kid who doesn't love honey sticks! After filling our bellies with chocolate we went down to the river front to have a swim. All in all, I would say it was great fun! Happy Birthday, my dear sweet Gianna!
"Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the
living expression of God’s kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in
your eyes, kindness in your smile."
Have you ever made a condiment? It's so fun! Ketchup is a great place to start, it only takes minutes to put together and taste so good. My kids couldn't keep their little fingers out of the bowl!
Homemade Ketchup
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
2 tbl apple cider vinegar
1 tsp garlic powder (or 2 crushed cloves)
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp molasses
2 tbl honey
1 cup water
Mix together all ingredients in your food processor or mixer. Adjust salt and honey to taste. There you have it, homemade ketchup! Makes about 1 1/2 cups and will keep in the refrigerator for about 3-4 weeks.
Note: This recipe does not taste quite like the store ketchup, but I like it better! It may take some getting used to at first. Think of it as gourmet ketchup! Show off to all your friends and family that you can make your own condiments!
My first post on healing herbs! Stay tuned for many more.
Last night my only Grandmother got in a car accident. It was a scare for sure! She is just fine but landed herself a broken hand and stitches on her elbow. Thank the Lord the is ok!
So what can we do about a broken hand?
...
Hello, Comfrey!
isn't she beautiful? :)
My mother happens to be visiting her this week and called me to look up this healing herb. God is so incredibly thoughtful when he provided these herbs for us. Not only are they beautiful, they will help our bodies heal themselves. Perfect and VERY intelligently designed. Thank you Lord.
Comfrey can be used topically for inflammation, pain and wound healing. It has been considered to help the knitting
together of bones in cases of fractures.
If you have the flower in your yard, awesome. If you don't - you can purchase it in a tincture and apply it to your broken bone. Call your local health food store. Most likely they will carry it.
It can also be taken internally for gastrointestinal,
respiratory and gynaecological concerns.
Does this make you wonder at the glory of God? It sure makes me stand in awe. Because of Comfrey, my Grandmother Ruth will heal faster and be comforted by God's divine providence.
"Know that the LORD does wonders for his faithful one;
the LORD will hear me when I call upon him.
Tremble, and sin not;
reflect, upon your beds, in silence."
