Natural Homemade Living

I got this recipe a couple years ago from the Kelsey's Essentials on the cooking channel. I have made it for gifts, it also makes a yummy sweet and crunchy treat to have around. They are easy to make and it makes 4 cups, so it makes quite a bit. Especially if you divide it up and put it in those cute little cello bags with a ribbon. Here's what you need: 4 cups almonds, I usually buy them either at Costco or in the bulk food section at the grocery store where they are cheaper. You can get roasted, salted or unsalted. I get half of each unless one of them is on sale, then I buy the cheap ones. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, store bought or make your own homemade vanilla extract 1 egg white beaten 3/4 cup sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Beat the egg white with the vanilla extract, add the almonds and stir to coat. Combine the sugar, salt, and cinnamon with mixture. Place in a single layer on a greased baking sheet. ...

Searching, searching, searching...for a good way to clean wood floors. After 4 years of carpet in our home, my husband took out the carpet and  installed wood floors due to my not so subtle hints about my carpet "phobia" issues. The wood floor was not a problem because my husband and son-in-law are both carpenters, however this also means that my options for cleaning the wood floors are limited. No machines, no excess water, no fancy equipment, nothing with pads and liquids squirting out the ends, I did try a chemically infused mop type device a few times (icky!!), so the search went on and on. And being true to what I already knew was the best way to clean my floors, just as in the "old days" and keeping it simple, we ended up with a hands and knees approach (thankfully most of the time my husband or daughter do this for me). In the beginning we used vinegar and water, it works pretty well but it is now my second choice. I found the ultimate product! You may ...

Our grandmas were great bakers! Breads, cookies, cakes and pies were my favorite baked goods from the grandmas! I have pictures of me even as a toddler in the kitchen "helping". There were other things I remember like canning, making jam and jellies and who could forget lefse at holiday time? This is still one of my favorite cookie recipes and my family loves them. Grandma would sometimes use salted peanuts instead of sunflower seeds, so feel free to substitute, either way....always yummy! Ingredients: 1 cup butter, softened 1 cup brown sugar 1 tsp vanilla 1 egg 1/2 cup crushed corn flakes 3/4 cup sunflower seeds or salted peanuts 1 1/4 cups oatmeal (I use old fashioned rolled oats) 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda Directions : Cream together the butter, sugar, egg and vanilla. Don't over mix. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix together. I used a medium cookie scoop for the dough and placed on a parchment paper lin...

Here is another one of my "go to" recipes when I am running short on time and everybody is hungry and waiting to eat! I usually make it for supper but it also good for breakfast. Sometimes I make a double batch for leftovers. Here's what you need: 1 pound ground Jimmy Dean Pork Sausage (you can use 1 pound of meat of your choice) minced onion (optional) 1/2 c baking mix, (like Bisquick) or you can make your own pancake mix 1 cup milk 2 eggs 1 cup shredded cheddar Heat oven to 375, grease a 9 inch pie plate or 8x8 square pan. If you double the recipe you can use 9x13 pan. A single batch makes about 6 pieces. I don't always double the meat, I just spread it out more in the baking dish. Brown meat and onion, drain, spread in baking dish and sprinkle with 1/2 cheese. In a bowl combine the following: baking mix, eggs and milk Pour mixture onto the meat/cheese add the rest of the cheese on top Bake, uncovered about 25-30 minutes, until a knife inserted com...

  My daughter and I were looking for an easy, cheap project for some dorm decor, when we saw these cool vinyl words and quotes in the craft store. We found some white canvas frames on clearance, grabbed a couple other things, came home and got busy crafting!  Of course, I had to make one for the house too! Here's what you need: canvas, any size you want (ours were between $3-$5) vinyl letters or phrases acrylic paint Mod Podge, or white glue with a little water added foam brushes If you want your canvas a color, paint it first, let it dry between coats. When you have the background the color you want, then paint a layer of Mod Podge. This will help the letters stick better. We are both impatient, so we waited a few hours while they were propped up in the window sill drying. Once they are dry, follow the directions on your vinyl letters, ours said to use a credit card or Popsicle stick and rub over the letters to make sure they stick to the right side of the...

Do you ever have those days that you just don't feel your usual great self? Yep, me too! I notice it when my diet changes or if I try to add something that my body doesn't like. I have always had a touchy tummy and it seems to react with different types of unpleasantness, including nausea. For a few days last week I was feeling kind of yucky and remembered I had read that ginger helps relieve nausea. I got busy and researched several web sites and articles that said ginger has many health benefits, but also precautions with usage (if you're pregnant, diabetic or have heart problems). As always, do your research and check with your doctor if you have questions. With no obvious health issues, this is how I made my ginger tea.   Directions : Ginger root - I washed mine rather than peeling it, then broke off a couple of the roots. Slice into 12-15 pieces, place it into a pan with 3 cups of water. Boi...

I haven't ever had an "Oh Henry" candy bar so I'm not sure if this tastes like the real thing or not, but it is still a yummy treat, it's easy to make, and I usually have the ingredients on hand.  I got this recipe years ago from a friend of mine.  Here's what you need: 1/2 c butter 1 cup brown sugar 3/4 c Karo syrup, I have always used the light corn syrup, but I'm guessing you could use either 1 tsp vanilla 4 c. oatmeal, I use "old fashioned oats" but the recipe says "quick cook"  For the topping: 1/2 c peanut butter 1 c. chocolate chips  Heat butter on low heat, add Karo syrup and brown sugar. Heat and stir on med-high until it boils. Boil and stir for 1 minute, remove from heat and add vanilla and stir in oatmeal. Depending how thick you want the bars, you can put in an 8x8 or 9x13 pan. For the "frosting" melt 1/2 c peanut butter and 1 c. chocolate chips in the microwave, in 30 second i...

Since my family has moved from MN to Washington state, we are in a temporary apartment until we find a house, we left most of our things (including my homemade and canned food). I have had to do a little more grocery shopping to re-stock my pantry. I realize again how much the cost of groceries add up. It didn't seem like much, but the homemade laundry soap, seasonings, jellies, yogurt, etc. really seem to make a difference in the budget. Even if you only make a few small changes, it adds up to big changes in the checkout lane! This recipe is one of our favorites, I actually got it from Tammi but since I left my homemade seasoning..and my cookbooks in MN, I have adapted it a little to the ingredients I had on hand. Here's what you need: one tube of crescent roll (Pillsbury or store brand) 1 lb. of ground beef or turkey 1 packet taco seasoning 1 14oz can tomato sauce I substituted both the seasoning and sauce with about 2 cups of salsa 2 c...

Before I'm very excited to tell you about my new DIY project! My daughter's old computer desk was on it's way out of her house, so she asked me if I needed a new computer desk. So once again, here's how it works...mom needed a smaller computer desk/table, which is what I had but I wanted something different. I was looking for a vintage item to re-purpose. But as soon as I saw the pictures of my daughter's desk, I knew something very cool was about to happen here! As you might guess, mom took my original desk and my daughter's computer desk landed at my house! This is how you trade furniture - haha!! My original plan was to buy some Annie Sloan chalk paint but it seemed that it was not to be found in our city (on my first attempts anyway) so I decided to make my own chalk paint. I went to a local hardware store and bought a quart of incorrectly tinted paint (these are really cheap and most paint stores have them, it's the paint that was mixed for s...

Peach Cobbler fresh from the oven! One of our favorite desserts is Dad's peach cobbler. This is a recipe that I use when I need a quick dessert. I always have the ingredients and it only takes a few minutes to mix it up. I modified it for gluten-free by making a change to the flour type, just in case you're looking for gluten-free. You can use fresh or frozen peaches, or even canned peaches work. I usually freeze enough Colorado peaches to take me through the seasons so I use those. This recipe makes about 6 servings. Ingredients : 1/3 c butter, melted 1-2 cups peaches, peeled and sliced 1 c sugar (white or organic cane) 1 c all-purpose flour ( or white rice flour for gluten-free ) 1 tsp cinnamon (this is optional, my family loves cinnamon!) 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp sea salt 1 c milk (I use organic 2%) Directions : Melt butter and pour it into a baking pan, a 9x9 square glass pan works great.  In a medium mixing bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder and sa...

Remember in a previous post how I mentioned that we pass furniture around in our family? Well, we're doing it again! This old buggy belonged to our Mom, who thinks it belonged to our Grandma. Several years ago she had it restored and had it sitting in her home for a few years, then she gave it to me to use. I used it for a few years then I passed it on to my sister to use, recently my sister sister gave it back to me! As I'm writing this, it all sounds so confusing and funny to me! I put the buggy in my craft room, where the children also have their toys. The handmade bear is my sister's bear, a gift from our Dad, so I left it in the buggy. I bought a small wooden door and painted it, glued a tiny door handle to it, then applied a coat of sparkly glaze, and I placed the "fairy door" by the buggy. The children love it! Remember, use what you have...or what your family is passing around! Love and peace, ~ Simply Tammi