Natural Homemade Living

I never realized that creamed honey was something you could make yourself, until recently. I bought some delicious creamed honey and was almost out when I searched and found lots of people explaining how to make it yourself.  Who knew?!? All you need is regular honey and a little bit of creamed honey. (which is all I had left).  I'm not technical or scientific so I won't explain it. Here's a more scientific explanation. You might want to look it up if you want to know the science behind it..I just know it works and it tastes delicious. You need to add about 10% of creamed honey to regular honey. I added a couple tablespoons to my pint jar of honey. If your honey has crystallized then warm it a bit by putting the jar in hot water or pop it in the microwave for just a little bit and stir. Then add the creamed honey to the mixture. I used my hand mixer with the whisk attachment and did it right in the jar. You want to make sure it mixes all the way to the bottom. When it lo

Spring has arrived, FINALLY! It is the first day since September that it's been in the 70's, seven long months of cold! If you read our blog often, you know this means we have been cleaning, sorting and organizing!  I bought some Peter Walsh fridge bins at Costco. I found similar ones at other stores and online also. They come in lots of different sizes. It's handy to put things in groups like you use them. My condiments like mustard, ketchup, hot sauce, etc. are in one bin. The peanut butter, jellies and syrup are in another one. So when you are serving something you can take out the whole bin instead of a bunch of separate containers. You also avoid the "sticky shelves" in your fridge! I put things that I use most like rice, pasta, and dry beans in jars and store them in an old wooden box. I keep that on my counter next to my stove. It's also helpful for family members or visitors, so they don't have to look through all the cupboards to find thing

I made some great little dessert pastries this weekend and the taste testers loved them! They are simple to make and they even look a little fancy! I think I will make my own pastry next time rather than the box, but the taste testers thought they were good. So much for homemade...sometimes!!! Ingredients : 1 box of frozen puff pastry (2 sheets in a box), thaw just until cool enough to unroll 1/2 c ricotta cheese (or you can use 8 oz of cream cheese rather than ricotta and mascarpone cheese) 1/2 c mascarpone cheese 1/3 c sugar 1 T flour 1 egg yolk 1/2 tsp vanilla * 1 T lemon zest (1 lemon) this is optional 1 egg, whisk until smooth for the glaze Directions : Mix cheese and and sugar together.  Add flour, egg yolk and vanilla. Mix until creamy and add lemon zest. I used a hand mixer and kept it on low. Don't over-mix. Unfold the pastry sheets unto lightly floured parchment paper, roll a couple of times with a rolling pin so that the dough is smooth then cut each

I am officially ready for spring! I'm ready for the snow to melt, the temperatures to warm and I want to play in the dirt! I decided to bring some spring into our menu today by making a simple fruit salad. You can use your favorite fruit, I'm using what's available for now. In the summer, I add watermelon, honey dew melon and fresh papaya. Many thanks to Angie for taking the picture, I ended up getting distracted and forgot until my salad was gone! Ingredients : 1 cup fresh pineapple, cut into bite-size cubes 1 banana, sliced 1 cup strawberries, sliced 1 cup blueberries 1 cup peaches, sliced Dressing: 1/4 cup coconut milk (I use organic coconut milk in the can) 1 T lime juice (freshly squeezed is the best) 2 T brown sugar Directions: Mix the dressing first so that the sugar dissolves. Cut the fresh fruit and place in a medium bowl. Pour the dressing over the fruit and mix well. Enjoy - think spring! Love and peace, ~ Simply Tammi

   With our blast of cold and snowy weather again here in the Midwest, even though it's supposed to be Spring, I think my body must think I need to keep eating to hibernate! I've been so hungry for things I don't usually make..like rice pudding for instance.  I'm normally not a big fan of rice in pudding but this recipe was pretty creamy and yummy...and I just kept going back for more! This recipe was adapted from several different rice pudding recipes. It makes about 5, 1/2 cup servings. Here's what you need: 2 c. coconut milk or 14 oz can coconut milk 2 c milk 2 vanilla beans scraped and the pods, or vanilla extract 2 cinnamon sticks, or 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon 1 c. uncooked rice, I used Basmati because I like the texture, Tammi made hers with brown rice 1/4 c. brown or white sugar, or your sweetener of choice raisins, or whatever mix-ins you like, optional Pour coconut milk, milk, scrape vanilla beans and add both the seeds and pods, cinnamon

Here's what you need: 1 16 oz. box of pasta, sometimes I use egg noodles, for this recipe I used Ziti 16 oz jar of your favorite Pizza Sauce, (I use Trader Joe's) 1-2 c. of Mozzarella cheese, shredded 1/2 c. (or as much as you like)of Pepperoni slices, I used Turkey Pepperoni OPTIONAL: you can add other ingredients you like such as black olives, peppers, onions, etc. Boil water and cook noodles for about half of the cook time on the package(you will finish baking in the oven). Drain pasta but save a little pasta water to add to your hot dish, this helps the sauce stick to the noodles. Stir in sauce, cheese and pepperoni. Bake, covered in 350 degree oven about 30 minutes, or until noodles are tender and cheese is melted. I always add a little more cheese on top and bake uncovered the last 10 minutes or so. I made mine in my Food Network 7-Qt. Enamel Cast-Iron Dutch Oven (Google Affiliate Ad)   I use my enamel cast-iron pot for just about everything. I boiled the nood

I got this recipe from Sandra's Money Saving Meals on Food Network. I just had to share, it was super yummy,  quick, and of course, cheap to make. So here it is in case you missed it on her show. Here's what you need: 1/4 cup milk 1/2 cup chocolate chips One 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter 1 cup powdered sugar 1 cup heavy cream 1 teaspoon vanilla extract One 9-inch graham cracker crust 1/4 cup salted peanuts, roughly chopped (I didn't have nuts so I crushed up a little graham cracker for the topping) Heat the milk in a small pot over low heat until warm. Don't overheat the milk or you will have chocolate syrup instead of ganache! Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate chips until melted and smooth.  Cool slightly, it should be thick but have a pourable consistency. In a large bowl using an electric mixer on high, beat together the cream cheese, peanut butter and powdered sugar.

  I have been trying to figure out a good way to keep my pan lids from falling out of the cupboard but still have them easily accessible. I found this dish rack for $3 at the thrift store. It could also be used to hold storage container lids. I can just slide it out when I need a lid, they aren't falling out or getting shoved way in the back of the cupboard anymore. Another organizing idea to store pan lids (from my sister) is to use a file rack. You can find them at the thrift store or at a department or office supply store for under $5.00.  More Kitchen Organizing tips I use a plastic shoe box for my storage container lids. You could use a regular shoebox too, I like using clear containers so I can see what's in them. ~Simply Angie

  A simple and budget friendly meal idea is chicken (or turkey), gravy and mashed potatoes. This is also a great way to use your leftover chicken or turkey. I make mine gluten free but you can substitute all purpose flour if you don't require gluten free. My family loves this! Ingredients : 2 cups boneless, skinless chicken or turkey (I usually use thighs and breasts) 2 cups chicken stock (or water) 1 T oil (I use olive oil but any will work) 1 garlic clove, minced (optional) 1/2 shallot, chopped or 1/4 onion , chopped  (optional) salt and pepper to taste Boil chicken in dutch oven or large pan on stove for about 45 minutes or until chicken is tender. Remove chicken from stock or water and set aside. When it cools, break it up into chunks. Now get ready to make your gravy. Heat your liquid stock so it boils then start to make your gravy.   Gravy : 1/3 c white rice flour (gluten free) or all purpose flour 2/3-3/4 c milk (depending how thick you want your gravy) Whisk

I wanted to do something to fill a awkward wall space. The ceiling is high and at an angle so I needed something fairly large. In my decluttering I found some picture frames I wasn't using so I decided to make an arrangement on my wall with empty picture frames. I also got a couple from a family member who had some old frames she wanted to get rid of. You can find them in thrift stores pretty cheap too. Ask people you know first...you might be surprised to find out what people have in basements and attics that they want to get rid of! I cleaned and painted them, then arranged them on my wall. You might want to lay them out on the floor or use painters tape on your wall with the sizes of the frames to be sure you like the arrangement...I'm not saying that I just randomly hung them or anything...but there might be a few more nail holes in the wall then there needed to be! ~Simply Angie

Welcome to our gallery of simple storage ideas!  We use glass containers for sugar, flour, oatmeal, pancake mix, granola or anything we use on a regular basis. Baskets are handy for dishtowels, recipe books, or magazines. Pitchers can be used for kitchen utensils. Ball jars are perfect for cupcake liners, straw holders and buttons. Vintage jars such as old sugar or syrup jars are great by the oven to keep toothpicks to check your baked goods. Pringles containers wrapped in contact paper make great pasta storage containers. Hope you get some tips and remember to share your simple storage ideas with us! ~ Simply Angie and Tammi