This dessert has got to be one of my favorite ways to enjoy summer fruit! Supposedly the recipe makes 6 servings, but our family finds it's never quite enough! Double the recipe for a 9X13.
Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups sliced peaches, fresh or canned 1 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen 1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen 1/2 cup blackberries, fresh or frozen 1/4 cup organic butter 1/2 cup oats (I use gluten-free) 1/4 tsp sea salt 3/4 cup raw cane sugar Directions: Gently stir fruit together. Pour into the bottom of a square baking dish (8x8 or 9x9). In a separate bowl, mix remaining ingredients together until crumbly. Sprinkle on top of fruit. Bake at 375F until top is golden brown, about 40 minutes. Serve warm with shipped cream. Makes 6 servings.
Alternatively, replace the peaches and berries with 4 cups of pears or sliced Granny Smith apples.
If you're on a mission to clean up your diet, getting your kids on board with the idea can seem impossible. If they're used to snacking on cookies, party-mix, Smarties, or packaged granola bars it can be frustrating for both of you to adopt healthier eating habits. Thankfully, there are many scrumptious, nutritious recipes available that'll appeal to the pallet the same way junk food does. But instead of artery-clogging fats, refined sugars and flours, MSG, and simple carbohydrates, you'll be serving your child snacks that are loaded with nutrition and energy to help build a growing body. Here are 10 snacks our kids love (and have no idea they're good for them!):
1. Gluten-Free Cinnamon Raisin Flax Muffins
2. "Just Like Wheat Thins" Crackers with Cheese from Trim Healthy Mama
3. Snicker Snackers
4. Apples or Bananas with Peanut or Almond Butter
5.Raw vegetables with natural, homemade salad dressing.
Like many of you, we are a single-income, larger-than-average, (1.8 or more children), homeschooling family.
And both my husband and I come from a rich, Dutch heritage.
In other words, whether or not we need to be, we enjoy frugal living. I'm also a lover of nutritious, from-scratch, whole-food cooking. Overtime, we've found that you can have one and the other! Here's how we can enjoy a mainlywhole-food diet on a budget (we still eat take-out more often than I'd like to admit!).
Cheap foods that are good for you
1. Whole grains. Oatmeal, brown rice, and quinoa are cheap! For ultimate nutritional value, choose any of these grains and soak them for a hearty breakfast that'll keep you energized all morning.
For a fabulously healthy, gluten-free, blueberry-muffin smelling breakfast, pour 1 cup of steel-cut oats, brown rice, OR quinoa in a crock-pot. Add 1 1/2 cups of almond milk, 1 1/2 cups water, 1-2 Tbsp of ground flax seed, 2-3 Tbsp butter or coconut oil, 1 cup fresh blueberries, cinnamon, sea salt, and sweetener (honey, maple syrup, stevia, or brown sugar) to taste. Stir. Cook on low overnight. Alternately, try using diced apple and a handful of walnut in place of blueberries. 2. Beans and legumes. Beans are one of the cheapest proteins available and can be used to replace meat in a meal. Given a good, over-night soak in purified water, they are a highly digestible form of fiber, complex carbohydrates, iron, and folate - ideal if you're pregnant or breast-feeding.
Our favorite way to enjoy beans are in chili, taco salad, and brownies (there's a Special Agent Brownie recipe in Trim Healthy Mama that's absolutely fabulous!).
3. Eggs. Eggs are one of the very few complete proteins available to us (they contain all 9 essential amino acids), contain only 70 calories, and are chock full of nutrition. Besides being excellent sources of protein and good cholesterol, they also contain iron, vitamins A, D, E, and B12, folate, selenium, and lutein.
Eggs can be cooked quickly in a variety of ways (hard or soft-boiled, fried, poached, scrambled) and provide great structure and texture when added to baked goods.
We enjoy them on their own and in omelettes, crepes, breakfasts bakes, and pizza crust.
Foods worth paying more for
No matter how tight our budget, there are certain foods I don't cheap out on as we feel the extra dollars are insignificant compared to the health benefits. We'd rather "pay the farmer than the pharmacy," as the saying goes.
1. Oil. It's a safe bet that anything you can get in a big plastic jug for $4 is not good for you. Vegetable oils and margarine derived from cheaply grown or genetically modified plants like sunflower, corn, soybean, canola, safflower have little nutrition to begin with and are chemically altered and deodorized in order to make them palatable. Our bodies were not meant to consume them.
Opt instead for healthy saturated fats that are rich in Omega 3 fatty acids. These include butter (preferably organic), coconut, olive, and red palm oil. 2. Fresh, local, organic produce. We can't afford to purchase all of our produce this way, but we try our best to grow or purchase the infamous "Dirty Dozen" organically as these fruits and vegetables contain the highest pesticide residue otherwise:
Peaches
Apples
Celery
Peppers
Nectarines
Strawberries
Pears
Cherries
Spinach
Lettuce
Potatoes
Grapes
12 fruits and vegetables that contain the contain the least contamination we don't worry about paying the organic price-tag for:
onions
avocado
sweet corn
pineapples
mango
asparagus
bananas
cabbage
broccoli
papaya
kiwi
3. Dairy products and alternative beverages. Although we use several cultured forms of dairy, we don't drink animal milk products as they are difficult for the body digest. If it was legal to purchase raw cow's milk, we would certainly give it a try!
Instead, we use coconut or almond milk. They contain high levels of vitamins A & D and are lactose free. They cost slightly more than pasteurized, hormone enhanced cow's milk, but since we rarely use it for more than our morning smoothie, we don't notice a difference in our grocery bill.
As our budget allows, we try to purchase higher quality dairy products like kefir, greek yogurt, cream and cottage cheese. 4. Meat. Cheaper cuts of meat are usually that way because they come from animals that are pumped full of genetically modified grain products, growth hormones, and antibiotics - the sole purpose of which is to fatten an animal up as quickly as possible for slaughter. Food Inc. is a fascinating documentary that explains how the food industry is making us sicker, fatter, and poorer through this process.
Although more expensive, grass-fed, locally raised, organic beef and chicken is a far more nutritious alternative and of much less consequence to your health. 5. Sweeteners. Sugar is cheap, appeals to our pallet, and is easy to come by. Consequently, diabetes, obesity, cancer, heart failure, and a host of other health concerns are also the norm. We stay away from refined sugar as much as possible and use raw honey, pure maple syrup, and stevia instead.
While they should still be used in small quantities, these sweeteners contain healthy enzymes and minerals which are difficult to get from other foods. They also have a healthier Glycemic Index which means they don't mess with your blood sugar levels in the same way refined sugar does.
Where to get healthy food for less
1. Garden. Anyone can grow their own produce, even a little bit. Be it a pot on the balcony of your apartment or a 3 acre market garden, all you need is some seed, soil, water, and sun and you're in business.
We put in a large raise bed last year for free - my husband made a tarp in exchange for a truckload of triple-mix and I used the gift cards I got for my birthday to purchase our seeds and plants. 2. Farmer's Market. Farmer's markets are great places to find local, seasonal produce, cure meats, eggs, honey and maple syrup at a fraction of the price you find in the store. Plus, farmers generally care about individual relationships with their customers and often offer a faithful buyer further discounts and "throw in a little extra." 3. Local Farmer. In the fall, we often purchase 1/4-1/2 a cow from a Christian farmer who grows his beef organically. We get to choose how we'd like it butchered and our freezer is well stocked for several months. We estimate purchasing our meat this way saves us 30% of the store price.
If we had the space for it, we'd love to keep our own chickens. We go through plenty of eggs around here! Thankfully, they are cheap to come by! We buy them from Brad's co-worker whose family keeps organically raised laying hens as a sideline business.
In the summer, we pick our own berries, freeze most of them, and turn some into sauce or jam. A relative of ours keeps a bountiful raspberry patch where we can come and go as we please.
It didn't work out last year because of pregnancy complications, but this summer, my mom, sisters, and I plan on putting up other produce from local farms that we don't grow ourselves: peaches, pears, carrots, pickles, etc.
4. Bulk Stores. I buy most of our grain from The Bulk Barn. We often receive coupons for $3.00 off a purchase of $10.00 or more (which I can easily spend in one visit!). I blend whole kernels with my Wondermill and the stuff I purchase pre-ground (flax), I purchase in small quantities as it goes rancid quickly. I purchase my organice herbs, teas, sea salt, and spices from The Bulk Herb Store.
I also purchase soap and other dried goods here like coconut, almonds, walnuts, and cranberries. 5. Grocery Store. You can save money at the grocery store by using coupons, ad-matching, checking the clearance shelf, and purchasing store-brand non-perishables like brown rice and tomato paste.
The clearance shelf where everything is ripe and ready, is a wonderful place to get greatly discounted produce. If you have a juicer, freeze your juice into Popsicles for a healthy summer treat or into ice cubes for slushies. Peppers and onions can be cut up and bagged for pizza toppings, apples turned into sauce, and mushrooms sauteed in butter for a fine steak topping. 6. Online. I must admit to rarely purchasing groceries online. I prefer to see the product myself. The exception to this is the extra virgin coconut oil I get from Tropical Traditions. The quality is truly remarkable. We use it a lot, especially in desserts like Chunky Cream Pops, Skinny Chocolate, and Peppermint Patties. I'm thankful it regularly goes on sale for 40-50% off.
In the interest of full disclosure, some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I receive an affiliate commission. I only recommend products I use personally. Your purchases through these links help support Growing Home. I humbly thank you for your support! Linking to: Mind Body Sole, Raising Homemakers, Deep Roots At Home, Frugally Sustainable, Natural Living Raising Arrows, Time Warp Wife, Far Above Rubies, Homestead Barn Hop, The Better Mom,
Le Macaron bakery and cafe is making progress in Regina's east end. The store will be on Quance Street, behind Applebee's. Owner Gilles Gobin expects a mid-summer open, which will make weekend trips to Costco oh-so-much-more enjoyable.
You treasure the privilege of being able to raise your own children and manage your home, but sometimes you wonder if there's something you could do to contribute to the family income. Something that has the potential to earn a full-time wage without a huge start-up cost or sacrificing hours away from the first responsibilities God gave you.
You love to write and crave an outlet to express yourself while making a positive impact in someone else's life. You're passionate about a particular subject and desire to explore it deeper so you can minister to others, learn, and interact with a community of like-minded women.
If any of these sentiments resonate with you, you need to start a blog , and my brand new eBook, Growing Your Blog While Managing Your Home | The Ultimate Guide For Christian Mommy Bloggers will show you how to do just that.
Growing Your Blog While Managing Your HomeThe Ultimate Guide For Christian Mommy Bloggers by Jacinda Vandenberg PDF version
KINDLE version
Since the first edition of this eBook in 2012, Growing Home has grown ten times in size and now generates a five figure income annually. I’ve encountered many new challenges and opportunities not included in the original version and decided it was time to re-write it all.
I started Growing Home with the purpose of encouraging Christian wives, mothers, and homemakers in their noble calling. More recently, homeschooling has been added to the queue since we officially started home educating our oldest child last year.
Writing has always been a favorite pastime of mine and I loved the idea of interacting with like-minded women all across the globe. I began as every blogger does: with one reader, one Facebook fan, one Pinterest follower who pinned my posts.
A few years later, with God’s extraordinary blessing in spite of myself and an exceptionally supportive, tight-knit blogging network, at the time of this writing, Growing Home is a community of 30,000 readers and is a significant contributor to our family income.
LAUNCH WEEK: $7.99 $3.99 !Growing Your Blog While Managing Your HomeThe Ultimate Guide For Christian Mommy Bloggers by Jacinda Vandenberg PDF version
KINDLE version
I have nothing to boast about. I couldn’t have imagined it this way, not in my wildest dreams! This is solely the result of the Lord’s blessing on the tools He has given me. He’s responsible for it all and He gets the glory! The goal of this eBook is to share with you the same principles and techniques that God has used to grow Growing Home, both as a ministry tool and a means of income for our family without taking me away from my first responsibilities as a wife and mother. What Other People Are Saying:"Jacinda Vandenberg's book is fantastic. Everyone is going to want to read it, even if you already know how to blog and manage your home. Coming soon to a theater near you. Very soon, in fact. January 13th. Don't get popcorn grease on your Kindle." ~ Melinda Martin, Professional Blogger and Virtual Assistant. I hope you find in these pages:
a vision for purposeful blogging,
helpful tips to manage both your home and your online presence,
valuable information that will help supplement your family's income.
I’ve included everything I can possibly think of!
LAUNCH WEEK: $7.99 $3.99 !Growing Your Blog While Managing Your HomeThe Ultimate Guide For Christian Mommy Bloggers by Jacinda Vandenberg PDF version
KINDLE version
Table of Contents Introduction Part 1 | Creating a Vision and Maintaining A Schedule To Blog Or Not To Blog? That Is The Question Setting Priorities Time-Saving Home Management Tips This Is My Schedule, And I’m Sticking To It Efficiently Managing Your Time Online Part 2 | Content and Design Content Is King
Originality
Brevity
Titles
Engagement
Readability
Hyperlinks
Photos
Character
Professionalism
Inspiration
Understanding
Design Is Queen
Platform
Simplicity
Branding
Color
Fancy Fonts
Whitespace
Centered Gadgets
Placement
Comments
Image Use
Navigation
Call to action
Browsers
Recommended Blog Designers
Part 3 | Growth and Monetization
How to Grow Your Blog
Link Parties
Commenting
Following
Guest Posting
Facebook
Pinterest
Google+
Twitter
Email Subscriptions
Community
Giveaways
Posting Frequency
Advertising
Making Money With Affiliate Programs
Make Money as a Seller
Make Money as an Affiliate
Making Money with eBooks Make Money with Advertisers
Deciding Your Options and Setting Your Rates
Do’s
Don’ts
Part 4 | Logistics and Legalities
Dealing With The Nay-Sayers
What To Do When Someone Steals Your Content
Legal Stuff
Affiliate Links
Comment Policies
Copyrights
Disclosures
Disclaimers
Taxes
Closing Words Blogging Resources About Jacinda Vandenberg
LAUNCH WEEK: $7.99 $3.99 !Growing Your Blog While Managing Your HomeThe Ultimate Guide For Christian Mommy Bloggers by Jacinda Vandenberg PDF version
KINDLE version
***A special thank-you to my dear husband for proofreading the manuscript, Lindsey and Richele from Crisp Apple for their tremendous job on the design, and Melinda from Helply Helper VA Services for the many late nights and early mornings she spent editing and formatting my mess into something that looks professional!
If you enjoyed this post, you may wish to follow Growing Home for updates via Google Friend Connect, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google +, or have them emailed directly to your inbox.
This is the easiest, yummiest, no-fail fudge recipe you will ever find! Use this base to create all sorts of mouth-watering flavors by replacing the vanilla extract with maple, peppermint, orange, or cherry. Or use white chocolate, butterscotch, or peanut butter chips in place of semi-sweet. Ingredients:
3 cups high-quality, semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions: In a saucepan, melt the chocolate chips and milk on low. Stir in vanilla. Pour into a foil-lined pan and allow to cool and harden slightly before slicing.
For a loaf of fudge, use a 9-inch loaf pan. If you prefer fudge squares, pour into an 8-inch square pan or double the recipe and use a 9"x13" pan. Enjoy!
This fudge makes a great Christmas gift for all the chocolate-lovers on your list, from hostesses to your husband, and everyone in between! Wrap it up in parchment paper, tie with pretty string, and you've got a quick, pretty, practical, inexpensive, delicious gift to bless a friend with.
Wholesome Mixes and Holiday Mixes & Gifts in a Jar$3.95 $2.00 ea. 'til January 17. Speaking of quick, pretty, practical, inexpensive, delicious gifts, now would be a great time to grab yourself a copy of Kristy Howard's eBooks Wholesome Mixes and Holiday Mixes & Gifts in a Jar! I've been using Kristy's recipes for years and have several of them memorized. You can whip up these mixes in no time at all, package them in a cute jar, add a ribbon and you're a golden gift-giver. The recipes in Wholesome Mixes and Holiday Mixes & Gifts in a Jar include:
Wholesome Mixes
Cinnamon Oatmeal Pancakes
Cinnamon-Banana Muffin Mix
Spiced Pumpkin Mix
Fudge Brownie Mix
Snicker Doodle Cookie Mix
Easy Fruit Cobbler Crust Mix
Southern Biscuit Mix
Homemade Pizza Dough Mix
Holiday Mixes & Gifts in a Jar
Chicken Noodle Soup
Calico Chili
Homemade Breakfast Cereal
Winter Morning Mocha
Candy Cane Cocoa Mix
Apple Pie in a Jar
Homemade Peanut Brittle (without Corn Syrup)
Can’t-Believe-it’s-Healthy-Fudge
Popcorn Balls (without Corn Syrup)
Spiced Pecans
Candied Peanuts
The only difference between her recipes and my fudge recipe, is that her's are actually quick, pretty, practical, inexpensive, delicious AND healthy. That's quite a feat, if you ask me. I'm working on the latter. ;-)
From now until January 17, you can get all of Kristy's eBooks for $2.00 a piece.
This post contains affiliate links for products we love! Linking to: Raising Homemakers, Deep Roots At Home, Raising Arrows, A Wise Woman.,Walking Redeemed,, The Modest Mom, A Mama's Story, We ARE That Family, Raising Mighty Arrows, Hearts For Home, Frugal Homeschool Family Time Warp Wife
Howdy y'all! Sorry I missed a week... Blond that I am I didn't realize my posting day would land on Thanksgiving so I skipped one and had myself a mini blog vaca *winks* I hope you all had a wonderful holiday... And doesn't it feel like Christmas is only 10 minutes from now? Did any of you hit the black friday sales? Anyhoo my blog post today is about my postage stamp sized powder room. I'd love to hear opinions from all of you (my fabulous bloggy friends) on what you think I can do to improve it? *winks* As mentioned it's very small, has no window, so no natural light... hence my less then stellar pictures (sorry!) This room is right off the garage and across from my laundry room so it's very utilitarian. Awhile back I found this large over mantel mirror at a local antique store for $100 and wasn't quite sure what to do with it? I got a a sudden brainstorm and ended up putting it in here to replace a very blah maple framed oval mirror, and I'm wondering, do you think I should paint it white? I'm also thinking about adding some wainscoting? The room already has moulding rail, so should it be kept to that height? Or maybe a little higher? So many questions for such a tiny room *winks*
This is what the mirror looked like before.
My new (old) mirror nearly goes from one wall to the other in this small space.
The old wood medicine cabinet below was a $10 find at a garage sale. The vintage game table is one of a set of two purchased on craigslist for $25. Here you can really see its size.
This lovely clock case was a $12.99 find at a thrift store. The clock parts are almost all gone but I don't care *winks* The floral prints are also from a garage sale.
Isn't it sweet?
I LOVE the romantic maidens! I think the attached antique tassels must've come off an old sofa? I paid $5 for the two of them
This sweet statue of a girl was a $10 craigslist find.
I found this frame at our town garage sale for $3. And the plaque of lovers was a find on my shopping trip with my friend Joyce for $41.
Close up.
This Moreau spelter couple picking apples was a find at a local antique mall for $100.
And this set of cherub candleholders were a Christmas gift from a friend.
I think this small chandelier was one of my best finds from awhile back. It was $28...
but it came to me originally looking like this *winks*
So what do you think? What should I change? Too busy? Please give me your opinions. I'd LOVE to hear from you! And please come back for next week when I have some special flea market finds to share with you! Vanna I'm joining Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for:
My sweet friends Patti and Paula of Ivy and Elephants for:
I thought I'd take a little break this week from the flea market finds to share another room in my house, my family room (On a tight budget *winks*) And I'm hoping that you my ever so wonderful friends will help me make a decision about something... But first follow me this way and I'll show you around *winks* This room is loaded almost entirely with bargain, thrift and craigslist finds. The armoire in the corner holds the TV and was a $250 score on craigslist (And the seller even delivered it!) It was being used in a garage to hold fishing tackle! I think it's much better off at my house don't you? *winks*
This gold french wing chair was $125 at a local antique mall.
I love this little victorian fairy frame with a painting of a vase of flowers.
And this coffee table was a $135 also at a local antique store. Do you see the art nouveau planter of the lady with her daughter?
It's one of my favorite things... Yes I do say that a lot! *winks* Aren't they lovely together?!
Moving clockwise we come to the gas fireplace that my hubby added for me. I'm getting lots and lots of use from it this year!
Here's a close up on one of the lithographs that surround the fireplace.They represent the 12 months of the year and were a whopping $10 for the lot. This one is September.
A favorite slag glass lamp with one of my beloved spelter figures. The leather wing chair was $75 at the Goodwill.
The sofa was a $300 find at a local consignment store. I love that it has a curved back and it's really comfy!.
This 1840's flame mahogany secretary is another one of my favorite things. Found at an auction for a song.
And another favorite (yes again) *winks* this wooden carved portrait. There's a silly story to go with this one. One day My sister and I were discussing which piece of art in each of our homes was our favorite? I told her this carved portrait of a young girl was probably mine. And she replied "Oh honey I hate to break this to you but... that's a boy! He has an adams apple" And danged if she wasn't right! (OK so I'm not the most observant person on the planet lol!... But WHATEVER!! I still love it!... Miss know it all!
This is the view from the back side of the sofa featuring another of my beloved spelter statues. This one is titled " Fleurs de Printemps" (Flowers of Spring) and a bouillotte style lamp from the local Goodwill ($7.99 sans shade) My hubby said "the last thing you need is another lamp!" Silly man! As if I could ever get too many charming lamps! *winks* And While I really do appreciate my DH's opinion I've found that if I love it? Or even like something strongly?... Well better safe than sorry right?! I'm really glad I took it home. *winks*
On the other side of the sofa is this french Louis Philippe armoire that I use to store lots of little favorite bits. Usually gifts from friends and family.
Lots of stories in this armoire.
This lovely spelter bust is L'Automne"
And this handsome spelter gent is "Virgile"
I've been trying for years to figure out what this bronze box was used for? Cigars? Mens pretties? *winks* It has a hunting theme. Maybe you could help me? If any of you have any idea would you please share it with me? I'm always amazed by all the collective wisdom out there in the land of blog!
On the opposite side of the room is my hubbys billard table (He HAD to have it!) And two of my 4 furbabies. Shelby (large) and Jewel (pom)
I like these silk striped drapes for their pop of color but they're going away because they just aren't "lush" enough. So stay tuned for some new draperies... I got 8 of them for $40! The chairs are 19th century french.
In the far corner sits a working telephone booth that I gave to my hubby for our anniversary.
A little settee and an eastlake victorian table are on this side. The throw is antique paisley.
And on the opposite side sits this behemoth of a bookcase. A turn of the century find from craigslist. It's really too large for the room and we scraped the ceiling just trying to get it in, but it was LOVE at first sight! And it's another one of my absolute favorites! *winks* Hopefully in my next house (when I win the lottery lol!) I'll have enough room for it.
Looking back across the room.
I hope you enjoyed this not so little tour of my family room? *winks* And what I really want to ask you my oh so intelligent and design savy friends is: What color hardwood should I use on the floors? It's time for the carpet to go after wayyy too many years of this ugly. And I'm absolutely stuck in indecision! I'd like to go with the dark hand scraped hardwood floors but my hubby made the point that it's dark here in the Pacific Northwest most of the year, and do we really want it to be darker? My answer was a quick "you bettcha!" But now in retrospect he might have a good point? So what do you think I should do? I'm counting on your expertise so I hope you'll leave me a comment and I'll do the same. You've seen all the different woods in this room so please help! I LOVE to hear from you! And please join me next week for more Flea Market Finds. I think I've found a few good things to share with ya *winks* Vanna I'm joining Sherry at No Minimalist Here for:
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