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
This is another great meal to bring to a family in need or to freeze for later. I often make a double batch so that I have the luxury of a freezer meal. If you like Mexican food, you will love this. It's packed full of protein - so perfect for a mama who just had a baby.
This recipe is also very flexible. Substitute any ingredients you like or add more spices, if you don't care for spinach go ahead and add brocolli!
Happy cooking!
Mexican Style Brown Rice Casserole
Ingredients:
4 cups cooked brown rice
16 oz. fresh salsa
1 pound ground beef, cooked
1 tsp ground cumin
15 oz of refried beans (the kind without hydrogenated lard in it)
10 oz frozen corn kernels, thawed
4 oz can mild diced green chilis
1 Tbsp chilli powder (homemade chilli powder recipe)
10 oz of chopped frozen spinach or collard greens, thawed and drained
Shredded cheese
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 2 quart dish with coconut oil or butter.
In a bowl, combine rice, salsa, cumin and cooked ground beef. Spoon half the mixture into a 9x13 baking dish and spread evenly. In another bowl, combine refried beans, corn, diced green chilis, and chili powder. Scrape bean mixture on top of rice layer and then add the drained spinach on top of bean layer. Sprinkle with cheese. Top with remaining rice mixture and sprinkle with more cheese. Bake until heated through and cheese is bubbling, about 30 minutes.
"In times of aridity when I am incapable of praying, of practicing
virtue, I seek little opportunities, mere trifles, to give pleasure to
Jesus; for instance a smile, a pleasant word when inclined to be silent
and to show weariness. If I find no opportunities, I at least tell Him
again and again that I love Him; that is not difficult and it keeps
alive the fire in my heart. Even though this fire of love might seem
extinct I would still throw little straws upon the embers and I am
certain it would rekindle."- St. Therese of the Child Jesus
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.”
Growing up my mom would make us take an Echinacea tincture for our colds. She would give it to us strait from the dropper undiluted. It was SO gross, but I think it really helped!
Now that I am a mother I still use Echinacea for colds and immune boosting benefits, but it's not the most frugal option out there. It's not easy to get the kids to take it unless it's a children's formula, but one small bottle will run you about $15.
Echinacea is also more of an aid to boosting your immune system rather than a kicker for colds. What we have experimented with in our household are different frugal cold remedies that really kick the cold before it gets bad.
So here are our favorites:
Raw Garlic. As soon as I start to feel a cold coming on I chop up a few cloves of raw garlic and swallow it. This works best if you do it several times until you feel the cold going away. Garlic has very strong anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties. It also boost your immune system among many other things. Not to mention this remedy cost cents and really works. It's a little spicy going down, but worth it!
Raw Ginger - this is another really potent food remedy for colds. Even spicier than garlic so it may be hard to swallow. A great way to ingest it is through making your own ginger tea. Finely chop a few tablespoon of ginger and add to your hot water to make ginger tea. After steeping for a bit, strain the tea and add raw honey to balance out the spicy ginger. It will feel great on your throat and help fight that cold. You can also buy quality ginger tea if you don't want to mess with it raw.
Raw Honey - honey is very soothing to the sore throat and has natural antibiotic properties. It also contains vitamins and minerals to help you heal faster. This mom uses honey mixed with cinnamon for her children's colds. If there is one remedy my children will readily take its raw honey, they love it!
Bone Broth - being sick depletes your system of much needed vitamins and minerals for healing. Homemade bone broth made into soups or sipped in a mug help the healing process move faster. This is a little more time consuming if you don't have some on hand, but I try to make a big batch and freeze the extra. There's nothing tastier than a chicken soup made with homemade bone broth, food for the soul! Here's a great tutorial on how to make it.
Apple Cider Vinegar and Raw Honey
Raw Apple Cider Vinegar - last but certainly not least, this is my favorite remedy! Apple Cider Vinegar is considered the cure all remedy. It's the best I tell you! You can read all about the uses here. For our coughs and colds this remedy has been the best. I can mix it with raw honey and water and my children will drink it happily. I cannot praise it enough. In the winter we are going to take it daily to keep the colds away before they even come around.
Do you have a favorite cold remedy that's not listed here? Let me know in the comments!
"I have no taste for corruptible food nor for the pleasures of this
life. I desire the bread of God, which is the flesh of Jesus Christ, who
was of the seed of David; and for drink I desire his blood, which is
love incorruptible"
-St. Ignatius of Antioch
This recipe has been adapted from Sally Fallon's Nourishing Traditions cookbook. It has become one of our family staples because its nourishing, frugal, and so good! If I am making this recipe for a family who just had a baby I will double the portions so I can make dinner for both of us. OR, I just double it anyways and freeze the extras. It takes a bit of time to prepare but once you do the work in the morning, you're just about good to go.
If you don't care for the taste of coconut milk I would still give this a try as the coconut taste is very mild, and you get all the benefits of having coconut in your diet!
Crockpot Jamaican Beans and Rice
Serves 8 - 10 Ingredients:
2 cups of dried red kidney or black beans
2 cups of dried brown rice
1 package of sausage (optional but we love it!)
2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
2 cans of coconut milk. (We like this brand)
2 bunches of green onions
6 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
6 cloves of garlic, mashed
4 teaspoons of dried thyme
4 teaspoons of sea salt
Pepper to taste
Directions:
Place your beans and rice into separate containers, add water and 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to each and soak overnight. In the morning drain and rinse the brown rice. Cook rice separately on the stove (How to cook brown rice).
Next, drain and rinse the beans. Add beans to crockpot with enough water to cover the beans. Next, add coconut milk, green onions, jalapeno peppers, mashed garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook on high for 6-7 hours. Cook sausage separately on the stove. When the beans are finished, add the rice and sausage to the crockpot. Serve and enjoy! Linking up with Pennywise Platter and Real Food Wednesday.
"Our Lord and Savior lifted up His voice and said with incomparable majesty:
"Let all men know that grace comes after tribulation. Let them know that
without the burden of afflictions it is impossible to reach the heights of
grace. Let them know that the gifts of grace increase as the struggles
increase. Let them take care not to stray and be deceived. This is the only
true stairway to Paradise, and without the cross they find no road to climb to
Heaven." -St. Rose of Lima
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."
I don't know about you, but I love black bean soup. I wouldn't mind eating it twice a week - now only to get my husband and children to agree! This is a very simple recipe, yet taste delicious and cooks up nice in the crockpot. I love having dinner made by mid-morning - freeing up my afternoons for enjoying the sun or getting out of the house, and then coming home to a delicious bowl of soup!
It's also an excellent meal to bring to a family in need. This recipe fits in my 6-quart crockpot - so it makes a LOT of soup. You can split it with a family in need or put it in the freezer for later.
Crockpot Black Bean and Sausage Soup
Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups dried black beans
9 cups of chicken or beef broth
1 package of sausage (we love Trader Joe's pork sausage)
1 lb. of carrots, chopped
6-8 celery stocks, chopped
1 1/2 medium onions, chopped
6-8 garlic cloves, depending on taste!
1 tablespoon of cumin
1 tablespoon of oregano
1 tablespoon of thyme
Salt and Pepper to taste
This makes a BIG pot of soup, so if you don't want a ton, simply halve the recipe. I use my 6-quart crockpot for this soup and it is filled to the top.
First, soak your beans overnight in water. (why soak your beans?) In the morning drain and rinse your beans. Add the beans, chopped veggies, garlic, broth and spices to the crockpot. Let it cook for 5-6 hours on HIGH. Saute your sausage separately, chop and add shortly before serving. Make sure to add enough salt and pepper to taste.
“I am not saying to you solve all my problems for me, give
me everything you have, even though I am poor for love of you. I only ask for
some bread and clothes, some relief from my hunger. I am in prison. I do not
ask you to free me. I only with, that for your own good, you pay me a visit.
That will be enough for me, and in return I will make you a gift of heaven. I
have freed you from a prison a thousand times more harsh. But I am happy if you
come and visit me from time to time.” – St John Chrysostem
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.”
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