Not only is the house beginning to look like Christmas, but it’s smelling like that too- I’ve just finished stringing up cinnamon ornaments and dried oranges.
Over Thanksgiving vacation, the children and I made the old fashioned cinnamon applesauce ornaments/cutouts as well as some salt dough ones. I had never made either one, although the salt dough ones are much like play dough except you then bake the shapes. Thanks to my friend Grace for recently sharing a recipe….
We don’t put up Christmas trees so we didn’t make either of these ornaments for that. But I think they’re very cute strung up with dried oranges!
For the salt dough:
Combine 2 cup flour and 1 cup salt, then slowly pour in 1 cup water. Knead 5 minutes. Let the dough rest in the fridge for 20 minutes. Roll out and use any sort of cookie cutters you like. While the dough is still soft, you can also make cute imprints by pressing on leaves, twigs or evergreen sprigs. Use a straw to punch holes in the top of each one. Place on parchment lined baking sheets and bake at 275 for 2 hours. You could also let these air dry but I preferred the baking so they’re done quicker.
Looks like sugar cookies, but the taste will quickly tell you otherwise! This was a perfect project for the children the next afternoon. They’re always wanting something to paint.
These would look cute strung up with a garland of greenery. Or you can also use these as gift tags. Tie it on with a sprig of greens and gingham ribbon or jute cord for a cute, earthy look!
For the cinnamon applesauce ornaments:
Combine 2 cups cinnamon, 1 ¹/² cups applesauce, 2 T. ground cloves and 4 T. Elmers glue. Knead a few minutes. Sprinkle cinnamon or cloves on your surface to roll out the dough. We had some trouble with the dough cracking apart. We mostly used gingerbread men, stars and bells for the cut outs. Remember to use a straw to punch a hole for stringing. Let air dry for several days. I think these can baked at a low temperature, but we did the air dry method. We were waiting for the dried oranges to arrive anyway.
The cinnamon applesauce ornaments definitely won out in my opinion. Yes they were messier to work with than the salt dough, but the aroma!! It smells exactly like Christmas with no synthetics! And the dark color makes it pop more with the oranges.
I ended up stringing most of these since the jute cord can unravel as you thread the items on and the children quickly tired of it. It’s best to tie the string and then evenly space them out. I love the simple festive look! This combo along with greenery also makes a cute centerpiece.
You can always use real greenery and add pinecones or whatever else you wish. I don’t like the mess of fresh greens, so I used some fake glittery greens.
The children also made paper snowflakes to hang by a couple windows. All of these extras hanging around makes things look full and a mite cluttered, but I’m OK with it because it’s temporary. And its cheap, simple fun for children and their mom.
You can dry your own oranges in the oven but I could guess how mine would turn out. (They wouldn’t! 🙂 So I opted to skip that and ordered these off Amazon. I don’t know if Hobby Lobby would have them this time of year or not?? I’m guessing Michael’s crafts would.
Would you just look at this sweet little girl?! Christmas of 2020, Josie and I strung cranberries and popcorn 🥰
This month was one of those when multiple activities and responsibilities involving church and school, happened to land on us. If you’re familiar with the Mennonite culture, we take our turns cleaning the church house, being Sunday lunch host, etc. I was on for cleaning, for school hot lunch and Jerald was on for school devotions. We also visited the classrooms that morning. Then it was our turn to host this past Sunday. There’s a family prepared each Sunday, in case there are visitors who may need a place for lunch.
For school hot lunch there’s always two people helping each other. For something fun, we took Nachos. We spread aluminum foil down the center of the tables, then spread out piles of chips, and in between, taco meat topped with cheese sauce. They fixed their plates with rice, beans, and veggies, but then they could dig in and dip nachos to their hearts’ content! We also served root beer floats and pumpkin muffins.
I’ll include the taco meat recipe I made, although it’s more guesstimates. I had done nachos two years ago for school, so mostly followed what I’d written down for that. I keep a tablet by my cookbooks where I write down my menu and amounts I make for hosting or other events. I love this for later reference! I also write down who we hosted or what the occasion was.
I fried 5 pounds of hamburger and added approximately 3-4 Tablespoons homemade taco seasoning, 2 pints salsa and 4 pints of pinto beans, pureed in the blender. This helps stretch the meat, plus I like the added bulk. And you’d never know there’s beans in it! The salsa adds in peppers and onions. 5 pounds was plenty of meat for our school, but I wanted leftovers for my family later. We served 16 people. It takes quite a bit more meat when you spread it out like this, so keep that in mind if you want to serve this. And here’s a tip- whenever I have large amounts of hamburger to fry, I’ll put it in a big roasting pan, add water and bake at 350 for a couple hours. It’s super simple. None of this standing at my stovetop stirring burger and splattering the top with grease!
When we visited school, I took caramel popcorn for a treat. This recipe uses coconut sugar and zero corn syrup!
Reece’s classJosie’s class
For Sunday lunch hosting, I branched out and served pulled pork stacks, a newish menu for us. I like to think outside the box when I’m cooking for others, if it’s something doable and not overly time consuming. In my current stage, I need no fuss menus! Since we bought the meat from a local food trailer who smokes their pork, it was super duper simple! All I needed to do was heat it.
Pulled pork stacks consist of: pulled pork, barbecue sauce, baked beans, coleslaw, shredded cheese and top with Frito corn chips. It’s scrumptious!! Our guests loved it! This recipe idea comes out of Simple Cooking.
I also bought the baked beans. But I have a tasty recipe to make your own here.
I also served dinner rolls, apple crisp, and ice cream. Much as I love to bake fresh milled breads, my husband gave me orders to buy dinner rolls to save time. And indeed, I was grateful I did. My baby keeps me hopping; it seems I simply forget I don’t have as much time as I used to.
We had plenty of apples on hand that needed used up, so that made an easy choice for dessert. I baked it on Saturday and reheated it Sunday after we got home from church.
I often use coconut sugar for a brown sugar replacement, but it tends to make the food darker plus has a stronger flavor. Recently, I’ve started making my own brown sugar. I wanted to use that for the apple crisp, since it was for company. I use the Morena (zulka) cane sugar from Walmart and drizzle in molasses according to color. I don’t measure, but probably had around 8 cups sugar and 1/3 cup molasses. Mix thoroughly with your hands to completely combine. Don’t hold me to these amounts but it gives you an idea.
Here you can see the difference side by side.
When you think of fall festivities, you also think of plaids, burnt orange, or mustard colored sweaters, warm hats and cozy boots. Or that’s how my brain does it. But every outing this fall, except one, I was hot. How disappointing!
We’ve had a mild fall with downright hottish weather. I’ve been pining for cooler temperatures, especially since I’ve been on the excessive side of warm-blooded since Macie was born. (Either hormones or the mom flab that likes to hang on- uhhm) I mean, I like sweaters! But its ridiculous to wear them when it increases the heat.
Our church had an outdoor hymn singing one Sunday night hosted by Jonas and Miriam. The weather was almost perfect- just a little too warm in my opinion. There was a hottish sort of breeze, but as the sun set, it died down and became more pleasant. I wore boots and hoped for a sweater, but it was in vain. I was so warm I wanted to pull those boots off! We all brought snacks to nibble on afterwards, alongside a table of hot drinks. Although I, in my overheated state, had not the slightest desire to partake of anything hot.
Our church also got together to make apple cider again this fall at Norman and Kathryn’s farm. We ourselves don’t actually drink much cider, but it’s a fun activity to do with friends. It was a perfect evening with pleasant temperatures. Really, it was. I wore flops, no sweater, and was comfortable, if that tells you anything.
In the past, we would fill jugs with a funnel and measuring pitcher. This year we finally got efficient and filled jugs with a siphon.Jerald enjoys cooking up this stew over the fire for our supper.Another family made these ham and cheese bars.There’s also plenty of yummy finger foods
One evening, our family had a fun little outing at a pumpkin farm near Avoca, Nebraska.
This was a smaller farm, but still had a lot of things for the children to enjoy. We were glad there were no Halloween decorations either.
And so it was, on this particular evening we were heading out to Bloom Farms, I was stewing about all the jackets and stuff we were dragging along. Earlier in the day it had been sunny. Backstory- twice, in just a couple weeks, we piled in all the things for outdoor evenings and, as I figured, it was useless. The children even ran barefoot the one night! It makes so much extra unloading when we get home.
So, on this night, I only grabbed a light sweater for me. Wearing flip flops raced through my mind as I sailed out the door, but it seemed a little off for a fall outing, so I slipped in shoes. And what a shame it was- I could’ve put my new boots to use! Late afternoon it clouded over and the north wind blew strong! It was COLD! For the first time in probably months, I was actually chilled. I was grateful the children had jackets and the thick blanket we had for Macie. Whenever I shivered or mentioned the cold wind, Jerald kept ribbing me that it was exactly what I wished for! He thought it was a good joke on me. I kept fearing for Macie in that cold wind. Lest you fear my mothering skills, I promise I had her bundled up. In typical dad fashion, Jerald kept saying, “she’s fine- the fresh air is good for her.” And so she was. She has not been sick yet, for which I am grateful!
All summer long, I kept wanting to post a couple seasonal recipes. But time has seemingly picked up a rapid pace. Is it because I have a baby this summer? Or is it because I turned 40 in July, and now I’m picking up speed going downhill? Whatever it is, I find it hard to keep up with the hampster wheel speed that it feels like. It seems I spin circles just getting the basics done.
But I also enjoy a few hobbies like sewing or blogging. It feels rewarding to occasionally accomplish things of that nature, even in this busy stage.
So real quick here, before summer ambles off and completely forsakes us, I’ve got 3 recipes you need to try.
The lemon blueberry muffins and pesto definitely have got summer vibes! And I’ve been frequently making the chia seed pudding this summer and wanted to share that too. But on second thought, grapes are more of a fall thing. Well, in that case, at least I’m ahead of the game. Now you have it for September!
The basil pesto can be easily tweaked to your preference. Most recipes call for pine nuts which I never have. I substituted pecans and I’m sure walnuts could be used as well. Here you go.
2 cups fresh basil leaves, scant 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup pecans, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese (the shaker kind) 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste, 1-2 teaspoons garlic, (I use minced canned garlic. Why waste time pressing garlic when I can buy it ready to throw into recipes?!)
If you put the nuts in first, and than the leaves, it blends better. As you can see I didn’t follow my instructions here, but I learned that the next time I made it! Drizzle in the olive oil as you pulse the blender. Blend until smooth.
This is delicious eaten with crackers or spread on a sandwich or on pizza instead of sauce. Add toppings such as fresh tomato and olives. Obviously, it has a distinctive basil flavor, which tastes so fresh!
I’m sorry if you don’t like lemons. Just because lemons are sour doesn’t mean it will make you sour by eating them. Lemons are always fresh looking, smelling and tasting- who can beat that?! Especially in something like cake or muffins. I revised this recipe using fresh ground flour, less sugar, more lemon juice and also added lemon essential oil for that extra punch of lemon. I used fresh squeezed juice, but I’m sure the bottled kind would work too. They were mouth-watering!
I revised this chia seed pudding to use grape juice concentrate instead of strawberries, like the original recipe called for.
Chia seeds have protein, fiber and Omega 3s. They’re best absorbed by soaking before eating or then grinding first. If you eat them whole in foods, good chance they’ll go right through you without any benefits.
We get our grape juice concentrate through our local bulk food store. It’s ordered in bulk from New York. It is a thick, rich, concentrate. If grapes had feelings, it would put canned grape juice to shame. You can totally use your own canned juice to make this or store bought concentrate. It just won’t be as rich, but I’m sure it will still be tasty. Thinking of school starting up, this makes a great lunch box food. A healthy alternative to sugary tapioca pudding!
Soaking the seeds
Thanks to my sister in law Becky, for sharing the strawberry chia seed pudding with me years ago. That is delicious as well! Eliminate the water and soak 1 cup chia seeds with 1 quart crushed strawberries. Everything else is the same.
Over the winter, when I wasn’t feeling well, our church family blessed us with lots of yummy food. Not just suppers but also breakfast items, which were super helpful. Especially since Jerald would be up with the children, helping them with breakfast, so I could get extra sleep.
I have found how lovely it feels to simply pull out breakfast items from the freezer for less stressed mornings! And I’m going to share ideas and some recipes with you.
I’m sure breakfast looks different with large families or depending what stage of life you’re in. But for us moms with young families, keeping your freezer filled with ready made (homemade) foods is extremely helpful and freeing. You feel prepared instead of scared!
When my Mom and sister Geneva were here after Macie was born, I had them stock the freezer with food and one of those was sausage gravy and biscuits. They filled pint size freezer boxes and bagged up 4 biscuits per package. Now I simply pull out a pint of gravy and bag of biscuits the evening before. It’s ready to reheat in the morning for a nourishing breakfast my children delight in.
Biscuits and gravy in my fridge freezer. The other container has fried bacon.
Sausage Gravy
1 pound ground sausage, 3/4 cup flour, 1 ¹/² teaspoons salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 4 ¹/² cup milk.
Fry sausage, add flour and seasonings. Stir in milk and cook until thickened.
Used with permission from Stutzmans Culinary Secrets
This is a very delicious and super easy gravy recipe!
The biscuits are the buttermilk biscuits out of Prairie Flour cookbook, which I don’t have permission to share. But I’m guessing many of you have your favorite recipes anyway.
This cookbook is filled with recipes using fresh milled wheat flour, besides much information on a variety of grains, using sourdough and such like. A very worthwhile investment! You can find it online at Amazon or some book stores. You can also purchase it directly from the authors by emailing them at prairieflourcookbook@gmail.com
Another helpful tip is to keep fried and crumbled bacon and sausage in the freezer. Geneva filled a container of each when she was here. It’s perfect for pulling out a handful and adding in with eggs. Scrambled or soft. Make a few pieces whole wheat toast for a no fuss healthy breakfast. Josie is good at making this simple breakfast.
Avocado on toast is another delightful breakfast in case you didn’t know! I have a whole post dedicated to that. Avocodos are still dear to my heart. But I don’t eat them on toast anymore, since I’m breastfeeding, and am currently trying to avoid wheat for my baby’s sake. (tummy ache) Although I’ll still eat plain avocodos sprinkled with salt and nutritional yeast. A squeeze of lemon juice over it is tasty as well.
Another easy breakfast is Dutch Babies, although these take about 25 minutes to bake. I have another post dedicated to these as well! Anymore, Josie is often the one to make it for a weekend breakfast.
One of the church ladies gave us these breakfast bites the children loved. They’re very simple and I’ve made a batch myself to have on hand for easy breakfasts. These freeze well!
You can use 2 tubes biscuits or crescent rolls. For the biscuits, you press into greased muffin tin, then fill with the following mixture, and bake at 375 for 13-17 minutes
For crescent rolls, roll out in rectangular shape and spread with filling. Slice like a cinnamon roll and bake.
Filling mixture:
1 pound fried sausage, 1 8 oz soft cream cheese, 6 eggs scrambled, 2 cup shredded cheese. Stir together.
I don’t endorse using processed dough like this, but I’ve had to simplify and hope we don’t die in the process. Nonetheless, my goal is to make them again, but using my own homemade crescent roll dough using freshly milled wheat flour.
Another one of my church ladies gave us quiche. It’s something I rarely make, but hers was delicious! Since then, I made the same quiche but used fresh milled flour in the crust. Not only is it tasty, it’s also chuck full of protein with sausage, eggs, milk and cheese.
The recipe I used is out of Flour & Grace cookbook, so unfortunately I can’t share it here. But I’m sure you can find good recipes elsewhere too.
After baking the quiche, let it cool completely, then cut into pieces and freeze. Pull out a piece the evening before and set in the fridge. It’ll be ready to reheat and eat! (I say piece, because I ate it more than my children. The spinach scared them away, unfortunately!)
Now for a breakfast I’ve been eating lately. Eggs and oats both bother my baby, so I need to avoid those, which is hard when it comes to breakfast time! But a good replacement is quinoa.
Quinoa is a complete protein and is rich in fiber. It’s also low on the glycemic index, which means it doesn’t spike your blood sugar levels. If you want a savory dish of quinoa to replace rice, I suggest cooking it with broth. Not only does it taste better, it’s even more nutritious with the broth! After it’s cooled, quinoa is also a great addition to or a base for salads.
But for breakfast, I cook a big batch using water, and then keep it in the fridge and reheat a bowl as I need it. It’s delicious sweetened with stevia and a drizzle of maple syrup. Then I add fruit, pecans or almonds, and a splash of milk. Sometimes I’ll sprinkle on ‘no sugar added’ chocolate chips yet too. A hearty filling breakfast!
And just a side note. It’s been a number of years since I’d written about the Bolivia stevia. I’ve heard concerning things about that, so have discontinued using it for a few years now. I’ve experimented with different brands. The one I’m currently using is this microingredients brand organic stevia. It sweetens nicely with very little bad after taste. I hardly think of the taste, but I better not say there’s no after taste because some might pick up on it. But it does seem to be a reputable brand and I’m pleased with it. I’ve ordered it off Amazon.
For drinks, I still like the liquid stevia glycerite shown below. Also available on Amazon or health food stores.
I hope I’ve inspired you with ideas you can make to feel prepared for those busy school mornings! There are still days my children eat cereal or granola, but I prefer to have them filled with more nutrition and protein than that. So much of healthy eating takes intentional planning and preparing!
On a shivery sort of day, my children love hot chocolate. When I was growing up, we made our own mix each fall. Many winter mornings we enjoyed a hot cup of chocolate. And often for an after-school snack too. Mom and Dad put restrictions on how many cups we could have in a day. As for mini marshmallows, those were restricted as well. If I recall correctly, 7 was the alloted number allowed per cup.
I still have that recipe for hot chocolate mix in my kitchen, but I just can’t bring myself to make it! It’s full of things like Nesquick, powdered sugar, and powdered milk. Eww… I’ve learned a few things since those days.
But neither does this mother approve of Swiss Miss packets. Occasionally Josie reminds me she had hot chocolate at school that day. And I cringe to think of all the sugar, (28 grams to be exact. Yes, I checked. This was off the milk chocolate packets ingredient list) corn syrup and other non-pronouncable ingredients that entered her body. She quickly assures me she only uses half a pack. “But then I eat the rest,“ she said. Oh shivers!😫 What can I do?! It’s a real world out there.
This is what I can do. I can make my own hot chocolate mix and marshmallows at home!! Then, when they want a hot cup of chocolate, I can rest assured I did my best in creating a much healthier alternative.
Yes, this still has sugar but a kind of sugar that’s much easier for our body to process. If you use coconut sugar like I did, it is even lower on the glycemic index than sucunat. Plus, the mix has an added benefit of collagen, which is great for a little extra protein! I used Great Lakes collagen which is a clean brand. Some will have sneaky additives or MSG in them, so be careful what kind you buy.
As for the marshmallows, they too have protein in the form of gelatin! Although let me hasten to inform you to make sure you use a good grass-fed beef gelatin. This has wonderful gut healing properties. I use this same gelatin to make a protein packed jello. You can find the recipe in this post.
This is the kind I use. I ordered it off Amazon. Most health food stores will carry a healthier form of gelatin.
You can try cutting back on the sugar or even using Simple Sweet. I tried using less sugar but didn’t think it was sweet enough.
This hot chocolate recipe is one I found out of Keeper’s At Home magazine Fall 2024. Although the lady that shared it said she liked adding water and vanilla yet and cooking it into a syrup. I prefer the dry mix, so that’s how I chose to make it.
This marshmallow recipe is also not original with me, but I changed it up a bit as to how I make it. And honestly, I was out of vanilla so mine didn’t even get that. I’m sure it’s a good addition though. I used a 9×13 pan but it made thinner marshmallows. So I’d recommend a smaller pan if you want a thick version.
I have tried these using 1/2 cup honey and 1/3 cup xylitol. But there was not enough bulk, and didn’t whip up to a large amount like the full cup of honey does.
Arrowroot powder comes from the arrowroot plant’s tuber. It’s a gluten free white substance that is used as a thickner for an alternative to cornstarch or flour. To use it as thickner, be sure to dissolve it in cool water first before adding to hot mixtures. It’s also often used in gluten free baking mixes. It’s tasteless, so it works perfectly for dusting these marshmallows without adding extra sugar! You can find it online or health food stores.
Please believe me when I tell you these marshmallows are waayyy more creamy than their inferior boughten version! Delicious too. I love that I can throw 1 or 2 marshmallows into my cup and it dissolves into a luscious creamy goodness- without that guilty feeling!
I have not tried roasting these, although I don’t know why they wouldn’t work for that.
All set for a cup above the average processed, sugar laden, food coloring smitten packaged mixes. Did you know marshmallows have food coloring in them? Food coloring to make them look sparkly white! 😢 Oh, and have we mentioned corn syrup?!
I thought my marshmallows might not be very white due to the honey, but they really do have a nice white color without fake coloring involved!!
An update on myself since my last post. I’m still dealing with lightheadedness, but am much better than the first 2 weeks, for which I’m grateful! I’m up more than I was, but still not back to my normal duties.
I’ve been getting massages and trying things to help open my eustachian tubes. I’m chomping gum. I hate gum! And sucking Sour Patch Kids. Both make salivary glands run, which can help open the tubes. Imagine me and hideous food coloring, sugar covered candy!! I stand at the bathroom sink and spit out the saliva it produces, then thoroughly rinse my mouth. I would hate to ingest the amount of candy I go through some days!
Most people could take an allergy med or something like Mucinex to help dry up the remaining fluid in the ear, but it’s not safe with pregnancy, because it could affect the amniotic fluid. Today I went for an IV infusion for an added boost to my overall health. I hope it will especially help with the heart palpitations.
Church ladies have been so graciously bringing us meals!! Some have given breakfast foods, which have been such a help for those hurried school mornings! Flowers, cards and messages remind me I’m being prayed and cared for…. I feel so blessed! ♥️ For truly, many people in today’s isolated world do not have this privilege.
It’s been over a month since I last wrote. I have no deadline to meet as to when I write, which is lovely. But it bugs me when I want to write and I lack inspiration. (Writing when you have no inspiration is like yacking when you have nothing to say) And some people certainly yack without saying much, and others don’t talk much but say a lot when they do.
I don’t know what all is going to come out in this post, so beware. Don’t tell me I have nothing to write about because I am, after all, writing about my lack of inspiration.
I couldn’t tell you how many times in the last weeks it weighed on my mind to post another blog, but what?! Oh sure, I have ideas, but my ideas tend to be loftier than the realities. Some of my ideas take research, which equals time and my time kinda spins out on me with trying to keep myself, baby and family alive and nurtured. And there’s always the fun things like organizing spaces or rearranging furniture and such things I’m fond of. Of which we did both this last week. (I said ‘we’ because hubby helped with the furniture.) But I did the pantry myself, of course. I had to show him though, because he would hardly notice. And because it means so much to me to have a good-looking space again!
Back to the stalled inspiration. I wish I could inform you all on deep health subjects that sent everyone on massive clean-out-the-toxins sort of syndrome. You would throw out all the processed foods in your pantries. You would ditch all the plastics, polyesters and synthetic fragrances in your home. By the way, I’m trying to do this as much as I can, or that is reasonable. For example. I’m switching to more glass jars for food storage. (Honestly, I’ve got way too many modular mates in my cabinets than I care to admit and I don’t forsee me excommunicating those anytime soon, sad to say.) But I also have a growing collection of jars hosting dry items in my pantry, so it’s not like I’m not trying!
I am also getting rid of those plush, fuzzy wuzzy throws everyone loves. I’m replacing them with 100% cotton throws. Because there’s plastic in those things! Ya’ll! Plastic is an endocrine disruptor! Don’t sleep with plastic, you could suffocate! Possibly even die.
Instead of eating Hamburger helper and instant pudding, you would cook red beets and eat homemade saurkraut. You would burn beeswax candles and sew all your clothes out of hand spun wool or linen. There would be no plastic wrap or baggies in your kitchen drawers. Only cloth coverings or beeswax wraps. You would wake early, while it is yet dark, (Proverbs 31) and milk the cow, churn the butter and butcher a chicken for the day’s guests. You would fry up liver and onions on a regular basis for a nourishing meal. Or, you would swallow beef liver capsules in abundance. (which I do, and I’m sure some of you do too- hurray for a strand of homesteadyness in us!)
There’s moments we may dream of the slow paced days of yore. Where the homesteading Mama is doing all those virtuous chores plus more. She even made her own lye soap to scrub her family’s clothes. The wooden bowls and cutting boards were necessities, not aesthetics from the department store. But really. Would we want to trot to the outhouse 3 times in the dead of night? I bet the panthers and coyotes were real fears. What about taking only one bath a week? And draw our own water besides? Or how bout sharing the bath water?!
These sort of thoughts whip me right back into the 21st century with a high dose of contentment. I’d take the less toxic life, for sure, but some things I’ll pass, thank you.
To tell the truth, I have plans to write a long post or two on a subject of health that typically affects everyone with a beating heart. Actually, it affects the dead too. I mean, you could die from it and even dead people are afflicted with this malady. It sounds kinda deep, right? Maybe I’ll hit the clean-out-the-toxin syndrome next round?!
I’ve got accountability now, and perhaps that will inspire me to gird up my loins and write about this deep and gory topic I have long avoided!
P.s I think this Mama had too much caffeine today by the looks of this post. Starbucks is rare for me, but today hubby said ”treat yourself,” and I sure did. I ordered a grande, then couldn’t even finish it.
Oh actually, I was going to let you in on a sweet, crispy, healthy dessert for the season! I resurrected this recipe just yesterday or the day before, so I better type while the urge hits or I might lose it again.
Baked Apples
Take 4-6 apples and carve out the insides as much as you can without hitting bottom or ruining too much good flesh. I used a knife and grapefruit spoon. Then fill the cavity with this mixture:
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, 1/3 cup sucunat or coconut sugar, 1/4 cup melted butter, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ginger
Bake at 375* for 35- 40 minutes. They will be piping hot so proceed with caution!
These are the filled apples before baking. They won’t look as pretty afterwards. They turn dark and the juice will cook out into the pan but they certainly are scrumptious!
We are pleased to announce we have recently launched a website for our tahor soap business! http://www.tahor.shop
With the rate summer is speeding by, I better get these recipes published before I miss the season entirely! They’ve been on the radar for some time now, but getting them ready and into a post, is taking me longer than intended. Oh well, I can always say, “it’s summertime, I’ve just been so busy!” That’s the usual thing to say these days, right? Ever hear anyone say, “I’ve beensobored this summer?!” Me neither. Excuses aside, let’s get on with the post. Come along for some of our summer favorites!
This coleslaw recipe is a fantastic way to spice up an outdoor picnic. It’s not your typical coleslaw and we love the diversion of the usual. I prefer not adding the tomatoes.
This next recipe we only started using recently. It is super delicious on grilled chicken, but can be used on other grilled meats as well. It’s also great to add on extra sauce when you’re serving the meat. I would highly recommend making your own mayonnaise to avoid consumption of those corrupt seed oils. You can find the recipe I use in this post.
I feel a teeny bit partial to this sauce simply because of it’s name. It reminds me of those good old days that were, when I used to live in Sweet Home Alabama. Some things I don’t miss though, are the chiggers and the 7 month stifling humidity.
Regrettfully, I don’t have a good picture of this sauce.
My family loves baked beans, but I decided with my own stock of home canned beans, there’s no reason I can’t make my own. No carmel color, preservatives or atrocious amounts sugar in these either! You can definitely tweak this recipe to your liking. Swap out the black beans for navy if you prefer, as well as seasonings/onions. I’m a little hit & miss in the seasonings and sauce/ketchup. I often just guess and dump. Most times my Guesser turns out to be pretty accurate!
I devised this recipe many years ago, then revised it this summer. You might freak out at the idea of adding in bacon grease along with the bacon. But we’re blessed to raise our own organic hogs. Because of that, I don’t mind adding in the fat. We love bacon! Typically when I fry bacon, I pour the fat into a glass jar I keep in my fridge for this purpose. Frying green beans? Use some of this fat instead of another oil. Popping popcorn? Bacon grease adds a delicious flavor and we much prefer that over any other oils.
This hummus is an excellent way to sneak in protein for healthy snacking! My family backslides into wanting chips to eat it with instead of veggies. But when I prep it bright and colorful like this, they’re not as apt to ask for chips. Another way to do it is to make sure there’s no chips on hand in the pantry, and then you can honestly say, “we are out of chips. This time we’re eating veggies with hummus.”
Fresh strawberries are a rare fruit this part of Nebraska. Sure, we can find them in the grocery stores, but I mean sun ripened, fresh picked, juicy berries.
When I was growing up, it was a common thing to visit a local strawberry patch open for picking. And oh, I miss that! There’s just no strawberry farms locally. The few that are within an hour or two away have prices that scare me away.
Many years ago, our family picked strawberries to fill orders for Mausts Strawberry Farm in Accident, Maryland. We’d leave early and pick before it got too hot. Mom would pack cereal boxes and milk in a cooler. Breakfast was completed with a side of fresh berries. I’m the little girl in blue and suspicious I wasn’t much help🤭 This is a picture of an old scrapbooked photo, hence the caption.
L-R Faith, Jonathan, Emanuel, Nathan, Me, Millard
The first few years we lived in Nebraska, I’d get a stock pile of strawberries from Aldi, when the price dropped as low as 99 cents a box. Yet it still repulsed me to put store bought berries in my freezer! The past couple years now, they’ve never dropped that low (thanks inflation) so I’ve not put any strawberries in the freezer.
Some weeks ago I began dreaming and praying about fresh strawberries. Fresh strawberry desserts and strawberry jam…. my mouth nearly watered with anticipation! I knew of a farm many hours away that sold them for $2. a pound. My dreams were just that. Dreams. All my lofty plans to travel and see relatives while in the process of acquiring red berries, crashed down (as feared) when my logical hubby started figuring travel expenses combined with the cost of berries. He checked into other farms within a few hours drive, but like I mentioned, the price was enough to drive any budget conscious person away!
But God still answered my prayer! I was able to aquire 14 quarts of fresh strawberries without traveling anywhere! Last week, my in laws, Luke and Arlene Rhodes came out to attend the local funeral of Glenn Bender. No, it wasn’t the kind of circumstances you would ask for, but since it’s strawberry season in southern Indiana, I asked her if she could bring me some. I didn’t even have to pay for postage! Although the berries weren’t cheap at all, and were actually over ripe and on the small side, they were wonderful for strawberry shortcake, delight and jam making!
Now next week, my Mom (from KY) is coming to visit us. Due to my Dad’s unstable health the past years, she hasn’t been able to leave him. But he’s been in good professional care for quite some time now, which makes it possible for her to leave a couple days. It’s been almost 5 years since she was last here. We are quite pleased she has a ride out here, and can you guess?! She plans to (hopefully!) be bringing me 2 or 3 gallons of fresh strawberries!!
And to be on the safe side for berries next Summer? My ever ingenious gardener of a husband went and ordered 50 strawberry plants!! And no, this is not for a ”you pick” patch. It’s for Rhodes family picking! I presented him my fears of weeds and all the work it takes to keep them alive. He calmly assures me, he’ll see after them. Check back with me next year and see if I’ve had my fill of strawberries or strawberry plants!
Here’s a few snapshots of our delightful strawberry desserts we’ve enjoyed the last couple days. They can’t be eaten in silence. There’s always some noisy groans of “mmmmmms” erupting somewhere!
This strawberry shortcake was out of Hope’s Table but substituted with gluten-free flour mix.Strawberry delight. Everyone already has a recipe right? I kinda thought so, so I won’t bother sharing this one.
Strawberry Lemonade
Doesn’t the very name suggest a sort of summertime tea party kissed with dappling sunshine? An old quilt thrown on lush grass beneath the stately maple. Little girls in pig tails scamper outside clutching plastic cups and the bag of pretzels Mama gave them to enjoy. Inside, the remains of the lemonade making are still strewn on the counter. Their patient mother kindly ignores it and wipes up the sticky spills. Now, if she can have ten minutes of silence and an iced coffee to collect herself, she will be most grateful! Doesn’t that sound refreshing?!
I don’t really have a cut and dried recipe. (How would it be possible to have a cut and dried recipe for liquids anyway?!) Don’t ask me!
Basically, make a gallon of Country Time Lemonade mix according to directions on canister, but go scant on the water.
Thaw frozen strawberries (or use fresh) and blend until a nice puree texture. Add 1 to 2 cups puree per gallon of lemonade. Recently, when I made it for a bridal shower, I did 2 cups puree. It was really good but was more red than pink in color. Using less puree allows the yellow of the lemonade to shine through better.
Unless your strawberries already have sugar, then I suggest adding in a bit more to the lemonade to help combat the sourness of the berries. I don’t know how much I added…. maybe 3/4 cup? Or you can totally use stevia to round out the sweetness.
This lemonade is delicious and so fun and easy to dress up!
When I made this for the bridal shower, I threw in whole, frozen strawberries to help keep it chilled. And you gotta add in a couple lemon slices!
For a healthier version of this, make your usual fresh lemonade with juiced lemons, then stir in the pureed strawberries. I’ve made it both ways.
Strawberry Jam
This is another one of those nostalgic recipes. I mean, if you grew up Mennonite, did you even eat bread without homemade strawberry jam?! What’s better than a piece of toast from homemade bread, slathered in butter and a well rounded spoonful of Mom’s strawberry jam?
Because Jerald and I don’t handle gluten, we haven’t been eating bread for years (to speak of- here and there a bite or two). Thus, we also eat very little jam. I do make sourdough bread for the children. But very recently I began dabbling with organic, fresh milled wheat for bread making. The flour being fresh milled is key to the vast expanse of vital nutrients found in it. Flours on the shelf are bleached and stripped of nutrients, then synthetic vitamins added back in. A far cry from any health benefits.
All this to say, I’m holding my breath to see if we can handle this kind of bread! And if we can, bring on the strawberry jam!
There’s massive amounts of ‘gluten intolerance’ around these days. I don’t say that lightly because I know for a fact how it affects me if I eat regular flour. But stay with me here- I’ve heard it explained that there are other things in store bought flours that can irritate the gut more than the actual gluten content. So, for many people, organic, fresh milled flour may just be tolerated by them! 🤞
What a long bunny trail to go down to get to the strawberry jam! Today’s jam recipe is quite healthy compared to the normal versions. I just couldn’t stand to make jam for my family using atrocious amounts of sugar, or the boxed Surejell or Certo. Some years ago I saw a recipe using Granny Smith apples for pectin, but since I never made jam anymore, I finally deleted the email. That’s all it took to need it. Gratefully, Gina Martin sent me the recipe link when I asked her for it. Here it is.
To 3 lbs strawberries, I used 1 ¹/² cup raw sugar and 3 teaspoons Sweet leaf stevia. I wanted it to be sweet enough that you don’t think of it being a healthier version. Plus, I think Sweet leaf brand stevia isn’t super sweet, so it took extra. Pardon the lighting in these pictures. I made the jam in my basement kitchen which is significantly darker. Use an extra large kettle to cook the jam because it bubbles up a lot. Here you can see how far it’s come up. I scrubbed labels off these old jam jars because it was more thrilling to fill clean looking jars. Make a paste of baking soda and oil, rub over sticky labels, let set a few minutes, then scrub off. I also used essential oil and a scrubby. It was hard work, but it made my brain a lot happier. Clean jars of healthy strawberry jam bring so much satisfaction. Try it!
And to clarify, since the jam is in jars, this is still freezer jam, not canned. I happen to have an affinity with glass for most food related storage.
We have probably all heard of the importance of rehydrating our body with electrolytes after sweating and strenuous activities in the heat. But instead of reaching for Gatorade or your canister of fancy electroltye powder, let’s take a look at a simple method for mineral and electrolyte intake!
Have you heard of the benefits of Sole?(pronounced so-lay). Sole is simply a concentrated water/salt solution. It is water that has absorbed unrefined sea salt to its full capacity. By making a strong infusion of salt and water, it packs a punch of minerals like potassium, iodine, zinc, copper, magnesium and more.
For years, we’ve been told that salt can be harmful, so drinking concentrated salt water may sound questionable at first. The key is using the correct kind of salt!
So just to be clear- we’re not talking of iodized table salt. That salt is a villain! Stripped of its minerals except for sodium chloride. This kind of salt can cause many problems, including high blood pressure.
The salt I’m talking about here is unrefined sea salt- Himalayan, Celtic, and Redmond Real salt are all great choices.
Sole has been used for centuries in some countries. Here are some of the scientific benefits of sole water:
* Supports Hydration– our body needs electrolytes to absorb water; sea salt used in sole water has electrolytes. When you add sea salt to your water, it helps your body absorb the water and minerals, which helps to keep you hydrated longer.
* Helps The Body Detox- the minerals in sole aid the body in its natural detoxification. Sole is also naturally antibacterial.
Do you feel parched in the morning? Here may be partly why: Our body uses water even as we sleep because then is when it naturally detoxifies and repairs itself. It is important to rehydrate our “working engine” in the morning!
* Boosts Energy- because of the many minerals and stored energy in the salt crystals, it can boost your energy levels.
* Improves Digestion– Sole helps stimulate digestion, helping with food absorption, weight loss and regularity. It is even used as a colon cleanse.
* Improving Blood Sugar- some people have noticed improvement in their levels after using sole.
* Blood Pressure– people have noticed a reduction in blood pressure from using sole.
* Relieves Muscle Cramps– We’ve probably all heard how magnesium relieves cramps. And magnesium is one of the key electrolytes in sea salt. No wonder it’s great for cramps! Magnesium itself has loads of health benefits.
* Helps with the alkaline/aciditybalance in the body
* Sole’s high mineral content also makes it great for hair, skin and nail health.
* It can also help dissolve and eliminate sediments that lead to gallbladder and kidney stones.
This list is of sole’s benefits is not conclusive, but hopefully enough to make you want to try it out!
Let’s get on with how to make it; It really couldn’t be more simple!
Basically it’s 1 part sea salt to 3 parts filtered or distilled water.
So for a quart jar, I put in 1 cup salt and 3 cups water.
For a pint jar: a half cup salt and 1 ¹/² cup water.
Stir well and let set on your counter overnight. By the next morning, the salt should be mostly dissolved. It should still have a fine layer of salt on the bottom. This means the water has absorbed the salt to its full capacity. The sole is now ready to use!
I use Redmond Real salt. We’ve been using this salt for many years. Use a non-metal spoon to stir it and a plastic or non- metal lid to screw on the jar. This is my current sole, showing you the salt layer at the bottom.
If there is no salt left on the bottom by the next morning, add in a bit more salt each day until you get that layer on the bottom of the jar.
To Use Sole- Stir or shake the jar and mix 1 teaspoon sole into a glass of water and drink on an empty stomach first thing in the morning. After a month or two, you can take 2 teaspoons every morning if you’d like. Just be careful not to incorporate too much too quickly. It can cause loose stools or detox headaches.
And once your body is accustomed to sole, you could totally add in another teaspoon later in the day. Especially if you sweat a lot or feel you need the extra electrolytes. You won’t hardly overdose; if you do, your bowels (or a headache) will notify you.
While sole is super beneficial for anyone, it is wonderful for those who struggle with headaches! This may sound counterintuitive to what I just said about it causing a headache; let me explain.
There can be a hundred reasons for headaches and I’m definitely not diving into that. But dehydration is a leading cause of headaches! You may be constantly chugging the water, but if you’re not replenishing yourself with minerals and electrolytes, your kidneys will simply flush out the excess water and not truly hydrate.
Our family has been drinking distilled water for years and absolutely love it. (And highly recommend!) But I didn’t realize the importance of adding in electrolytes and minerals on a regular basis. It was only in the last year or two that I became aware of this. And in case you’re thinking you will simply drink spring water or something where it still retains its minerals, that is not the answer. You could drink a bathtub full of water and still not get your needed electrolytes/minerals.
So I would highly recommend giving sole a try and see if it erradicates your headaches. It’s inexpensive and oh, so simple! You’ve got nothing to lose because there are many benefits, even if you don’t notice anything at first.
If it causes headaches, just back off on your dose a bit. Jerald and I started in with 1 teaspoon for a couple months. Then I increased it to 2 teaspoons for a couple weeks. Last week I was feeling quite industrious in the health department. A couple times I stirred in a good 2 ¹/² teaspoons sole to my morning water. Headaches troubled me. Honest confession here: as I was writing this blog and reading over my information about sole, I learned there is something like detox headaches from taking too much.🤦♀️ Lesson learned!
Sole will last in your cabinet/pantry indefinitely. It won’t spoil because of the salt’s antibacterial properties.
I have been super pleased in the reduction of headaches that Jerald experiences since incorporating sole into our morning regimen! We know gluten causes him headaches. And his headaches have definitely lessened since he (mostly) cut that out of his diet. But adding sole into his diet has lessened the headaches even more!!
Sole is a wonderful, simple, and inexpensive way to enhance your health. There is no need for those expensive, flavored electrolyte drinks. But of course, if you prefer those, here’s a couple things to look for:
* Make sure they’re not full of sugar or other additives.
* No artificial flavorings or food colorings.
* The potassium level should be higher than the sodium.
Here are three good, clean electrolyte powders if you still prefer that:
Dr. Bergs
Pickleball
Just Ingredients
Summer and hot weather is just around the corner- make sure you’re hydrating well! Remember, electrolytes help your body absorb that water better. So drink up, Chuck!
Gratefully, our family has been spared severe sickness this winter. When I hear of the flus and fevers ravaging other communities while we were hardly touched with illness, I feel blessed indeed!
We are, however, coming down with fever. Spring fever that is. Dappling sunshine and 70ish temperatures beg us to be outdoors. This weather has teased us with pleasantries of summer. With this sort of malady comesthe mood for outdoor parties…. fire up the grill and bring on the sweet tea! But common sense tells us to “hold our horses“; I dare say we will have a cold snap or two yet.
And so it is, I’ve been dreaming of a tea party. This one would be served in our grainbin gazebo. In that respect, it will be some time before I accomplish it, since the weather and wind must comply, along with my schedule. I certainly don’t get half the dreams accomplished that enter my head, but if I can put into action one-fourth of them, I’ll call it good.
It’s always a great idea to connect with friends. But it takes intentionality on both parties to connect on heart levels. Hosting a tea party is one way to interact and learn to know people better outside of the “after church small talk.”
Tea parties are not something I do often, but always find it to be a blessing! It is work, for sure, but the benefits of giving and good conversations are worth it. I also love seeing friends enjoy the benefits of my labors. It is like therapy for me to decorate. And yet another big percentage of the enjoyment is searching for recipes and decor. Musing on what delicacies to put on the menu and how to improve the aesthetics of my table without breaking the grocery or time budget. Now don’t get me wrong here- I’m not advocating wild, exotic menus! It’s fun to dream, of course, but I’m well aquainted with reality, which tends to keep me on ground level. Making doable foods look delectable is more like it. Something like crepes with fruit glaze, avocado toast, or yogurt parfaits. Even serving soup is fine! It is better to keep the food simple and enjoy your friends than to have such high ideals you never get around to hosting.
Here’s a few tea party pictures to get you inspired.
I hosted this for my prayer partners group a little over a year ago. This was extremely simple, yet fresh and spring-like. The flowers weren’t exactly what I wanted, but it was what I found and made do. The candles and runner were things I had on hand.
It was a chilly evening, so I served Zuppa Toscana soup, artisan sourdough, individual toss salads, and punch. It was nothing fancy and time-consuming like cheesecake or scones, but that is always fun if you’re up to the challenge!
Zuppa Toscana
I used the recipe in Hope’sTable. It’s a simple chicken broth/ground sausage base with diced potatoes, seasonings, cream and kale. Hearty and filling and definitely one of our favorites!
The punch was simply one cup Countrytime pink lemonade mix, one 48 ounce pineapple juice and one 2 liter Sprite or 7-Up. Stir together for a beautiful and refreshing drink!
The following tea party I hosted one year in September or October. I served fresh grapes, avocodo toast with bacon & cheese, crepes with a raspberry sauce and pumpkin scones. I’ve not made scones much at all, so did a practice run the night before. They were drool worthy! So I made another batch, formed and cut them, then refrigerated overnight. The next morning, I could pop them in the oven for quick, yummy goodness!
This next party was not one I hosted or helped with. Last October, I was invited to this backyard party, ate delicious food and completely enjoyed the evening!
Renita Plank hosted this in her backyard underneath their lovely pergola. Credits to her and Jolene Miller for this rustic and gorgeous party. And yes, they told us to wear white or ivory dresses!
Photo credits Jolene Miller
They had put down a tarp of sorts and then set up the pallet table on that, with pillows for seating. Dried flowers/weeds and random lanterns scattered down the center, turned this into a delightful scene!
They made these huge bread bowls for serving the broccoli cheese soup in. We also ate veggies and dip and skewers with basil, tomato and fresh mozzarella cheese. Then scones and coffee for dessert. The drink was a mixture of apple juice and Sprite/7-Up. I’ve also made this drink a few times. If I recall correctly, I mixed 1 can apple juice concentrate to one 2 liter Ginger Ale. Sprite or 7-Up works too. This is such a simple, but over the top delicious drink! Not that I’m a soda drinker, but you can always get the sugar free soda versions to cut back on sugar! 🤫
How are you feeling by now? Are you too plagued with spring fever? Get yourself a big bouquet of daffodils or tulips. While you’re savoring their beauty on your table, share them with friends! Throw on a cheerful tablecloth, get out your pretty dishes, bake some muffins, brew the coffee and have somebody over. It doesn’t require perfection at all! A willing spirit will do. And you just might find it therapeutic to arrange those flowers and candles. To garnish the muffins and serve tea in China cups. I definitely hope you find the therapeutic benefits of heart to heart chatting with friends! 🤍
of windowsills and breezy hills 