Four Ways We’re Changing Our Diet to Get Healthy This Summer

swimming

This past January, I found out that I was pregnant with our fourth child. My emotions were mixed: I love having babies, but I always suffer from extreme “all-day” sickness, rendering me pretty much unable to eat anything but bland food or drink straight water for several months. About this same time, everyone in our [...]





Four Ingredient Crock Pot Cola Chicken (Plus 10 More Delicious Crock Pot Recipes!)

crock pot recipes

What can you do with a can of pop and a bottle of ketchup? Make supper of course! (Wait, that wasn’t the answer you were looking for?)   Although it involves a seemingly strange combination of ingredients, my recipe for four ingredient Crock Pot Cola Chicken is absolutely delicious! I had my first taste of this [...]





Colorful Winter Tossed Salad – Easy and Healthy!

colorful winter tossed salad

We often make New Year’s resolutions, and for a lot of people (including myself) one of those is getting healthy. The concept of healthy eating, to me, means including as many whole and colorful foods as possible and getting my kids to enjoy eating this way as well! Last winter,  my mom served a really [...]





How to Make Easy, Delicious and Healthy Freezer Applesauce

applesauce puree

During the fall, apples are in abundance and are typically very affordable, being a seasonal fruit. There are a lot of useful benefits to  seasonal fruits and vegetables, and there are a few ways of preserving them that will allow you to enjoy their fresh taste all winter and spring! For me, the easiest thing to do with [...]





The Benefits of a Paleo Diet – An Interview with Jennifer from The Unrefined Kitchen

Almond-Butter-Dark-Chocolate-Chip-Cookies-13-1600x1200

Lately, I’ve been hearing so many good things about a certain way of eating called the Paleo Diet. I really didn’t know much about it, but thankfully I know someone who does! I chatted with my friend Jennifer from The Unrefined Kitchen, who shared with me her family’s journey to eating the Paleo way and [...]





Cowboy Cookies in a Jar {a Great Gift for a Teacher, Shower or Holiday!}

cowboy cookies

A couple of years ago, I was given my grandma’s canning jars. When I told her I wanted them, I never envisioned how many there were. She showed me eight rows of pint and quart jars four deep! I do some canning as well as use them to store dry goods like pasta, rice and snacks, but [...]





How to Grill Zucchini (and Other Ideas for Using Zucchini)

grilling zucchini

Zucchini is in abundance at this time of year, especially in my parents’ garden. We don’t grow any since we have a small backyard garden, but we get plenty from them. My kids aren’t horribly crazy about eating it (unless it’s shredded and hidden in bread) but they do enjoy it grilled. And something about [...]





Rhubarb Crumble Pie – A Recipe You Can Make With Your Kids!

rhubarb crumble pie

The rhubarb patch is ready to be picked, and one of my favorite recipes using this tart red fruit is Rhubarb Crumble Pie!  This is a really good recipe to make with your children. It’s fun to involve kids in the kitchen, and for beginning cooks it’s great to start out with a simple recipe [...]





What to Do With the Kids in Your Kitchen

Mixing Bowls

My children are always eager to help in the kitchen but at times its easy for them to get underfoot and just make a mess. I’ve come to realize that sometimes I need to embrace the mess and allow them to learn alongside me. Here are some ideas I’ve found helpful while having kids in [...]





Review of Vintage Handmade Soaps

Lavender-and-Oats-1

  Looking for a place to buy handmade soaps that smell great and won’t dry out your skin? I had the pleasure of reviewing a Sweet Orange Vanilla bar of soap courtesy of Vintage Handmade Soaps and I highly recommend this soap! Natural oils and silk milk (for extra moisture) are some of the lovely ingredients that go [...]