Breakfast time is usually a big deal at our house. I try to make sure the little guy gets a healthy nutritious meal to start the day. I also try to stay away from cereals due to their high sugar content but occassionally a bowl of cereal makes it’s way onto the table.
Since having a child I’ve made breakfast important. I mostly make meals from scratch and make the best attempt to stay away from anything packaged. The chickens have been such a blessing. We’re able to cook eggs most days any which way you can think of and have them for breakfast or “breakie” (what we call it here).
Pancakes are the biggest hit for breakie…just ask my son, he’ll tell you he wants *pancakes*! Before I knew about this recipe I’m going to share; I’d always thought I was making pancakes from scratch.
Indian food is my favorite, so I may be a little biased on this one. Nonetheless, the following is a delicious meal that I think most people can enjoy.
I am calling this “Homemade Indian Yum Yum” because it is full of spices often used in India, but it isn’t actually based on any specific Indian dish.
Got local pizza delivery on speed dial? No guilty confession needed. Takeout pizza makes a quick, hot meal that pleases just about anyone in your family. But the price of convenience starts to add up – especially in today’s economy. And as fat counts seep into the cardboard and our arteries – not to mentioned unmentioned preservatives – our guilt starts kicking in. Add in the fossil fuel for those delivery cars, and we know we should be cooking up some alternatives.
Take your pizza quality up a notch while keeping money in your wallet by starting to make pizza at home. While pizza may seem complicated, with a little planning and thought, you can whip up gourmet-quality creations faster than that delivery car can pull into your driveway.
Raw nuts are a healthy addition to any diet, and in my house we go through them almost faster than we can buy them. They’re a great snack on their own, added to recipes, or turned into milk.
Every week after I’ve make homemade nut milk (our favorites are almond or Brazil nut) I’m left with nut pulp I’ve strained out of the milk mixture.
This pulp (which by the way can be frozen for later use) is great when dried and ground into nut flour, or used in recipes like the raw truffles my family enjoys so much.
This recipe is quick, easy, healthy, and delicious!
You can make your own cheese, and it’ll be tasty, local, and organic. Yes, right in the comfort of your own kitchen, probably with cooking equipment you already have. If you have an hour of time and an adventurous spirit, you can easily make your own mozzarella cheese. After one failed attempt I made mozzarella cheese in about an hour, though with some practice, it could probably be done in half that time. Mozzarella cheese is one of the easiest cheeses to make and since it can be used in a variety of dishes, sandwiches, pizzas, pasta, etc. it will disappear quickly.
When I found out I was pregnant with my first child, there was really no question in my mind that I’d be making baby food. Ensuring a healthy diet and knowing that my son would be getting the necessary nutrients were my determining factors. I also wanted to be in charge of what was going into my son’s system and wanted to be able to offer him a wide palate of foods.
I knew this couldn’t be done if I bought food from a jar at the grocery store. How often do you see eggplant, collard greens, and zucchini purees at the grocery store? Unless it’s an organic gourmet baby food line such as Yummy Spoonfuls it’s highly unlikely you’ll find less common veggies and even fruit.
To be in control of my son’s first start with solids I knew I’d have to make his baby food from scratch. If making his own food meant being aware of the ingredients, then I was willing to take that plunge and go for it. I’d much rather know what was going into my son’s food then always worry and have to read each and every label. With all the preservatives, chemical, added sugar, salt and starch it made absolute sense to avoid those factors and just make it.
I used to have a yoga bag that I was pretty proud of. It was shaped like a hot dog, with a drawstring opening and a comfy shoulder strap and it made me look like a hunter with a bouquet of arrows on my back. The problem was, I couldn’t find a darn thing in it. Everything sunk to
Using nontoxic organic beauty products should be a no-brainer by now, as we all know that what you put on is as important as what you put in. Today you can effectively swap out any conventionally produced, toxin-laden product for a safer version that looks and acts just like its synthetic loaded counter-part.
Yet, many still opt for simpler skincare and go homemade. While this is an easy and cost-effective route, there are certain products that need to be created, manufactured and packaged by professionals to provide the results and safety we all want and need. Whipping up an exfoliant or cleanser is do-able and even fun. Hair products and makeup are a completely different ballgame.
The holidays have the aroma of pine trees, spiced cider, candles, and woodsmoke to me. The smells bring back memories of Christmas traditions from my childhood, mostly food-related: we baked a lot of cookies and made a lot of fudge, popcorn balls and caramels for parties and friends.
Easily the most exciting tradition for us was making gingerbread houses. It seemed like a long process back then, but really, it’s just two days. Perfect for a weekend family project.
When our kids get all dressed up as ladybugs and fairies, we give them a goodie bag full of homemade treats and all natural candy, such as mini organic chocolates or sesame candies. We might make pumpkin spice cookies or vegan brownies. They may even get a honey stick or two.
The favorite Halloween treat, though, is maple candy, a treat so simple and pure, so heavenly sweet, that it puts all other candy to shame.
If you can operate a stove and a spoon and a thermometer, you can make maple candy at home. The recipe is simple, and there’s only one ingredient. Pure maple syrup. You also need a candy thermometer, but they’re pretty cheap, and many grocery stores sell them.
For a unique keepsake of your pregnancy, try a homemade pregnant belly cast.
A homemade belly cast is best done around 8 months along, although a progression of casts done each month of the pregnancy would also be really neat. This video gives you an idea of the process, with full instructions after the jump:
Breakfast time is usually a big deal at our house. I try to make sure the little guy gets a healthy nutritious meal to start the day. I also try to stay away from cereals due to their high sugar content but occassionally a bowl of cereal makes it’s way onto the table. 
Halloween is almost here.
