This year my family is quitting sugar, but there would be mutiny if I just cleared out the shelves and said we’re never having cookies again. That’s why I’m making desserts like cookie dough hummus. They’re full of protein (to make you crave less sugar) and use natural sweeteners like maple syrup or honey. Thankfully, we can enjoy cookies guilt free because I’ve created an amazingly delicious recipe for ... Continue Reading
Death by Chocolate Zucchini Mug Cake
Zucchini. You either love it or you hate it. If it’s early July, I’m loving it. The first of the harvest is ready and I’m excited to make everything zucchini, including our favorite zucchini bread muffins with apples and carrots for breakfast and buttery zoodles for dinner. But by mid-August, I’m hating it. The kids are tired of muffins. I’m ready for a stir-fry that DOESN’T have squash of any kind in it. ... Continue Reading
Kitchen Appliances You Don’t Need
By default, eating real food means spending a lot of time in the kitchen. There’s making a meal plan, prepping the food, cooking the food and then cleaning up the mess(es) you’ve made. All of those can take up a big portion of time. Thankfully there are several kitchen gadgets that make our lives much easier these days! And many kitchen appliances you DON'T need! ... Continue Reading
How to Heal Acne with Bentonite Clay
We’ve been using bentonite clay in our home for a couple of years now, with homemade toothpaste being the recipe I make most often. We use it to help us detox too – internally through a detox smoothie and externally via a detox bath. Most recently though, I’ve been healing acne with bentonite clay. ... Continue Reading
Living on a Food Budget: June 2016
Starting over in a new city with new stores is not easy. There's lots of testing, lots of research and a good chance of going over budget. But if there's anything I've learned from living on a food budget, it's that you can count on tried and true methods of saving money and eventually you'll come out ahead. ... Continue Reading
How We Save Money on Dairy by Buying Raw Milk
Choosing to drink raw milk because of the health benefits is a priority for my family, but the cost can ruin my budget if I’m not careful. I've written on the health benefits of raw milk and the downsides to pasteurization, which is why we prioritize raw milk products in our diet. That’s why we buy six gallons of raw milk every week. In case you’re wondering how my family can drink six gallons of milk in a ... Continue Reading
Bend Soap Company Natural Deodorant Review
I've had my eye on making natural deodorant every since we stopped using shampoo. But for one reason or another, it didn’t make it to the top of the to-do list. Plus for a long time I didn't wear any deodorant at all... and if I wasn't wearing it, then why bother make it? ... Continue Reading
DIY Homemade Citronella Candle
Between this homemade citronella candle and homemade bug spray, we're arming ourselves as best we can against mosquitoes and other annoying flying summer insects. Call me foolish, but we didn't have these things where we lived in California! The timing of these tutorials is perfect though - with school ending next week and playing outside in the afternoon stretching into the evening hours, those bugs ... Continue Reading
Slow Cooker Meatless Lasagna
I love meat. It tastes good, has easy to digest proteins, B vitamins, and iron. But it can be a killer to my grocery budget - even when I use all my tips to save on meat. To offset this, I serve a meatless main dish to help stretch our budget, like this slow cooker meatless lasagna. That doesn't mean we don't get protein though! ... Continue Reading
Which is Cheaper Costco or ALDI?
Costco is known for their great deals on real food because you're buying in bulk. ALDI is known for being for having incredibly low prices thanks to their private label and lack of variety. So which is cheaper Costco or Aldi? Readers have left comments saying they cancelled their Costco membership because they found better prices at ALDI. I've also heard other readers say the opposite, that Costco ... Continue Reading