; Written by Mindy, Contributing Writer I have always loved making, giving, and receiving handmade gifts. There is just something very special about a gift that somebody takes the time to make themselves! As much as I’ve always loved making gifts to give others, I do…ahem…have a history of not completing all of my handmade…
As the year comes to an end, we’re sharing helpful lists to help you save money, stay healthy, get organized, creatively repurpose, frugally gift-give, intentionally celebrate and more in our seasonal updates throughout these holiday months. We are excited to share our favorite herbs and spices for the holidays. Written by Stacy K, Contributing Writer…
Our Favorite Japanese Recipe is called Okonomiyaki (As-You-Like-It Savory Pancakes). Although I promised more grocery budget tips, I found that I had so much to say on the topic (yes, that’s why I wrote the book– which is still 50% off with code MEALPLAN50!), that it really deserved to be a post of its own….
Welcome to the 2nd week of the Plan It- Don’t Panic Meal Planning Challenge! I was so excited to see so many of you participating actively in the challenge, whether by sharing a link to your own meal plan or simply posting your meal plan up on the Facebook page. I personally love the accountability…
Welcome to the “official” (see last week) start of the Plan It- Don’t Panic Meal Planning Challenge! This challenge will be running for the next 6 weeks (Sept.26- Nov.7). Every Monday I will be posting both my own menu plan for the week, some tips on aspects of meal planning OR some recipes I want…
With the Plan It- Don’t Panic meal planning challenge beginning this Monday morning, now seemed like the perfect time to share some really helpful resources to help you succeed with your menus. Learn more about how to make meal planning work (and some different methods for doing it), find tons of my favorite online recipes…
Written by Kate Tietje, Contributing Writer One major area that women attempt to be frugal is in the kitchen. I know I do; it’s probably “my” main area! (In others my husband and I work together.) But when you have food sensitivities or have to be on a special diet, sometimes being frugal in the…
Many of us know the health benefits of eating cultured and fermented foods, but buying pre-made yogurt, kefir, sourdough breads, kombucha and the like can cost a pretty penny. Did you know that these health-boosting cultured foods can be easily and cheaply prepared at home using starter cultures? I cringe when I go to buy…
Sourdough is a champion traditional food (don’t miss Stacey’s post on sourdough next Friday). By slowly fermenting the grain during the souring process, it becomes easily digestible (sometimes even for those with allergies or particular grain sensitivities), it reduces phytates (for better mineral availability and absorption), it even lower the insulin response to consuming the carbohydrates….
I love eating out, getting away on vacation and staying in beautiful hotels or Bed & Breakfast inns. It’s always such a treat. One thing that I don’t love, though, is knowing that I am eating foods I wouldn’t normally choose to eat at home, and contributing to more wasteful and less sustainable ways of doing things….
Just today I was over at a friend’s house and as I said “no thank you” to the offer of coffee, I casually mentioned we had just started a special diet. She asked which one, and (as a mom of children with special needs) when I said the GAPS diet, she responded with a knowing…
If there’s one running joke at any Christmas celebration, it’s fruitcake. I personally happen to love fruitcake, complete with the shiny oddly colored faux-fruits. But once you know what kind of strange alterations those fruits have been through, it tends to take all the joy out of it. Here’s one of my favorite recipes for a delicious…
I thought of this recipe roundup again as I was pondering all of the amazingly delicious and nourishing recipes that are available throughout the blogosphere for the holidays this year. It can be tough to find “real food” recipes. I know, because I’ve gone to local stores and looked around online and found little. Yes,…
Written by Kate Tietje, Contributing Writer Back when I used to eat SAD (Standard American Diet, for those not familiar), I tried to make the “healthiest” choices wherever I went. So, if we happened to be getting fast food (not a rarity growing up), I would choose grilled chicken and salads over burgers and fries….
I’ve been menu planning for many, many years now and I’ve always been a paper and pen kind of gal. However, when Clint from Plan to Eat asked me to review the site and offer a giveaway to my readers, I was excited to give something new and different a try. My first impression of…
This giveaway has now ended. One area that is really tough for a lot of mamas is figuring out what kind of simple, fast and nourishing snacks they can feed their kids. Committed to whole foods myself, there are the odd days when I long to be able to just grab a few packaged fruit…
It’s time to share a few favorite recipes and recent finds with you once again! Here are some that we are either really enjoying these days, or that I’m dying to have again once we’re finished with our grain/sugar/starch free diet (the Maker’s Diet): Addictive Sweet Potato Burritos With the odd combination of sweet potato…
Oops, I skipped December! So now it is definitely high time that I let you know about some of the fantastic conversations that have been taking place and questions that are being asked and answered in the Keeper of the Home community forum! For those unfamiliar with the forum or who aren’t members yet, you…
It’s time to share all of our favorite, tried-and-true recipes! You know, the ones that you can’t really imagine not having at your holiday table and that just taste like Christmas to you. Traditions are such an important part of how we celebrate holidays, and traditions involve all of the senses- including our smell and…
There were so many great questions asked in the comments in my recent post How My Grocery Budget Works, that I felt the need to address them in a separate post. Here goes… What is your dill pickle recipe? I’ll post both this recipe, and our favorite Bread and Butter pickles recipes up within the…
This week’s baby step is: To choose one new grain to introduce to your family! Why this step is important: If you’ve been in a grocery store bakery lately, you will notice that there is quite the abundance of options: wheat, wheat and wheat. 🙂 Sadly, despite the fact that there are many incredibly nutritious…
I am so sad to say, for those who were eager to know, that we didn't actually get to eat the raw meat last week! My menu plan went through several changes, with guests coming (who wouldn't have liked what I had planned for that night), and then being invited out a couple of times….
This recipe was passed on to me a few months ago by one of my dear friends, who also loves reading and loves learning about better health and nutrition (we get along well!). It was in my Meal Plan this week, and we enjoyed it yesterday, so I thought I would pass it on! Piled-high…
Today I read a wonderful post by Kimi at Womanly Pursuits, about how we can serve others through meeting their special dietary needs. Being a member of a family full of different dietary needs (allergies to wheat, milk, sugar, certain vegetables and fruits and legumes, one person who is vegan, and sometimes short-term diets such…