Natural Homemade Living

It's that time of year again when I'm reviewing my Christmas goodie list. I like to have a variety of cookies and candies each year and one of my favorites are white chocolate pretzel turtles. These are simple and quick to make. I have some tips regarding this recipe, use soft caramels and high quality chocolate. We really don't need to discuss the details of my "fail" but using higher quality ingredients fixed everything! 😉  You can also make them gluten free if you use gluten free pretzels. Sometimes I switch the white chocolate with milk chocolate, use what you like. These are delicious and kinda cute on a plate! 😋 Ingredients: 36 pecan halves 36 mini pretzel twists 36 soft caramels, Werther's soft caramels are my favorite, 2 packages, unwrapped 1 bag chocolate chips, Ghirardelli white chocolate chips, melted Directions: Toast the pecans in a 325ºF oven for 5 minutes then set them aside to cool. Place...

                                                                                                   White Chicken Chili Cheese Soup It is a perfect day to make soup in the Midwest! Fall is in the air and our warm weather seems to be leaving us. This yummy soup recipe is another family favorite. 😀 Serves 10. Ingredients : 8 c chicken stock 2 c rotisserie chicken, diced or shredded or 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts 2 cans (15 oz size) Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed 2 tsp chili powder Salt and pepper to taste 1 c salsa 1 1/2 c corn 12 oz Velveeta cheese  If you're using fresh chicken, boil it in the chicken stock over medium heat on the stove for 40-45 minutes. Add the rest of ...

This is our favorite summer jello cake recipe from the vintage archives. 😀 It's easy to make and refreshing during the hot summer months. The kiddos love it too! Use your favorite flavors of cake mix and jello to change it up a little. Ingredients for cake: 1 box white cake mix 1 small box strawberry jello Ingredients for topping: 1 small box instant vanilla pudding 1 1/2 cups milk 1 cup whipped cream or Cool Whip Directions: Make cake according to the instructions on the box using a 9 x 13 pan. Let cake cool for 30 minutes. While cake is cooling, dissolve jello in 3/4 cup boiling water. Once the jello has dissolved, add 1/2 cup cold water. Let it sit for 30 minutes. Poke holes in the top of the cake with a fork about an inch apart. Using a large spoon, spoon jello over the top of the cake. The holes will soak up the jello. When all of the jello is gone, refrigerate the cake until you have the topping made. Whisk the dry pudding mix with the milk then fold in the Cool Whip with a ...

A fun little project you can complete in about an hour is a colorful Easter wreath! They also make great gifts!  What you need: 1 straw wreath (leave the plastic wrap on) or Styrofoam circle, mine is 12"  24-30 plastic eggs  Ribbon for bow or pre-made bow Small stuffed animal   Hot glue gun/glue Decorations of your choice  Floral moss or natural straw  Craft wire Directions: I start with making a wreath hanger. Cut a piece of craft wire about 12 inches long. Wrap it around the top of the wreath and twist it several times on the back of the wreath, form a small circle and twist at the bottom of the circle.  Turn the wreath over keeping the hanger on the top while you're working. Leave a space at the bottom for a bow and a small stuffed animal. Heat your hot glue and start by placing a generous amount of hot glue on an egg. Hold the egg onto the wreath for a few seconds until it sticks. I start by placing my eggs on the top and worked ...

The Best Biscotti A couple of my favorite things are a perfect cup of coffee and homemade biscotti! I'm all about simple and delicious treats. This is my best biscotti recipe! 😁 If you are no longer enjoying the hard and tasteless biscotti in a plastic wrapper that you find at the store, you should make your own! This recipe might sound complicated but once you make it you will find it is quite simple. Brew yourself a perfect cup of coffee and enjoy it with your homemade biscotti!  Ingredients : 1/2 cup butter  (room temperature) 1 cup white sugar  2 tsp pure vanilla extract or 2 tsp almond extract 3 eggs 2 cups flour 2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt Mix butter and sugar until blended. Add extract and eggs and beat until creamy and smooth (about a minute). You can use a hand mixer for this recipe. Add flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat until combined. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. You need to use parchment paper because you will need to lift...

Simply Homemade: The Best Mini Cheesecake If you are looking for an easy and decadent dessert recipe, this is it! These mini cheesecakes are a family favorite at our house. I make them for our special occasions. I make them gluten free but you can use regular vanilla wafers if you don't need gluten free. These little bites are always the first thing to disappear from the table. They have a slight hint of almond flavor in each bite and let's face it, they look pretty! Ingredients : 1 box vanilla wafers (I used gluten-free) 1/4 c butter, melted 1/4 c sugar 1 package cream cheese, 8 ounces, softened 1/3 c sugar 1 egg 1 tsp almond extract Toppings - cherry pie filling, fresh fruit, lemon curd, blueberries or raspberries are a great choice or even caramel or chocolate syrup. Directions: Place vanilla wafers into a food processor (or crush them in a large baggie). Melt the butter and add to the wafer crumbs. Add 1/4 c sugar and pulse in the food processor until th...