Natural Homemade Living

These delicious little treats are a perfect addition for your Easter tray of goodies! You only need a few ingredients and a little time to put these together. Recipe makes 20-25 treats. Ingredients : 2 cups flaked coconut 1 bag (11 oz) white chocolate chips (Ghirardelli is my favorite) 2 drops green food coloring Pastel color M&M candies or jelly beans to use for the eggs in the nest Melt the white chocolate chips for 2 minutes on 50% power in the microwave.  Stir the chips after they have melted and add 2 drops of green food coloring.  Add the coconut and stir until it's covered with chocolate.  Use a small cookie dough scoop to form a ball and place them on parchment paper. Use your thumb to flatten the middle of the nest.  Place your candies in the middle of each nest.  Store in a tightly sealed container or freeze them.  Love and peace, Simply Angie and Tammi

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...

Creamy Macaroni Salad A childhood favorite summer salad for me is creamy macaroni salad. I add my favorite veggies (or what I have available) and even add canned tuna or chicken. It doesn't take long to put it together but the flavors come together when you refrigerate it at least a couple of hours before you serve it. Ingredients: One box elbow macaroni, 16 oz size 1 c Miracle Whip salad dressing  1 T yellow mustard 2 T dill pickle juice 2 T milk 1-2 T white sugar 1 T ketchup 1 c finely chopped celery 1/2 c diced dill pickles 1 medium cucumber, diced 1-2 medium tomatoes, diced Cook macaroni according to directions on package. Cool and drain by running cold water over it. In a large bowl, whisk together the salad dressing, pickle juice, milk, sugar, ketchup and mustard. Add the rest of the ingredients together and stir to combine. Salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Prior to serving add a little milk if the salad has soaked up the liquid ingre...

Marshmallow Pops I've been making these marshmallow pops for parties for years and I have figured out a couple of helpful hints to make it an easier process. I'm not a marshmallow fan but I think they look pretty in an arrangement. They are super cute for Valentine's Day and the kiddos say they are awesome! 💕 Ingredients : 1 bag Wilton Candy Melts (12 oz bag) 30 lollipop sticks 30 large marshmallows (I did not use the jumbo size) Sprinkles, coconut, chopped nuts, small candies Food coloring optional Directions: Melt the candy chips using a double boiler on the stove. Fill a medium size pan halfway with water and place a glass bowl on top. Heat over medium heat and make sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl or it'll get too hot. You can also melt the chips in the microwave in 30 second increments. Once the chips are melted, dip an end of the lollipop stick into the chip mixture about 1/2 inch then push it into the end of a marshmallow, al...

  This recipe is everywhere and I finally gave in and made some! It was so simple to make and already popular in our family! Everyone likes the sweet with a little salty taste from the dry roasted peanuts. Check it out! 😊 Ingredients: 24 oz. white chocolate almond bark 12 oz. chocolate almond bark 12 oz. milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips 5 cups dry roasted peanuts Directions: I started layering the ingredients in the crockpot. Here's the order starting with the peanuts on the bottom, the almond bark (both flavors) and the chocolate chips. Cover and cook on low for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes.  Cover 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper and scoop candy out of crockpot and place on the baking sheets. Add some of your favorite sprinkles.  Once the candies have set, mine took about an hour, store them in an airtight container. I also made a batch without peanuts and used gluten-free mini pretzels. They turned out great! Enjoy! Love and peace, Tammi

My holiday baking marathon has begun! I decided to use a few recipes this year that I haven't made for years and this was the first one I found. I had forgotten about these yummy bars but back in the day, they were a favorite from our family friend Delores. She was our neighbor, an excellent baker and had a heart of gold. During the holiday season maybe take a little time to reminisce about those who are no longer with us. The happy memories are so heart warming and the kiddos love hearing the stories from the past. I smiled when I found this recipe that our Grandma had received from Delores dated 11/15/1978. 😇 The great thing is that you can make them with gluten-free cereal, which means everyone in our family can eat them! And we all like the part that they are easy to put together, no baking! Marshmallow Bars Ingredients: 1 bag milk chocolate chips (11.5 oz.) 1/2 bag butterscotch chips 1 stick butter (1/2 cup) 1 cup creamy peanut butter Melt these ingredients togethe...

I knew it was the perfect time to try this old family favorite recipe when the temperatures dropped to 15º last night and snowflakes covered the patio. Comfort foods are my favorite when the weather is changing. Stay warm!! ❄❄ Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef 1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped 1/2 cup onion, chopped 1 can chili beans in sauce, 15 1/2 ounces 3/4 cup barbecue sauce 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp black pepper 1 package corn muffin mix, 15 ounce Directions: Preheat oven to 400ºF.  Cook beef, peppers and onion over medium heat in a frying pan, about 15 minutes. Drain the grease from the ground beef.  Add the chili beans, barbecue sauce, salt and pepper. Heat until the mixture starts to boil. Spoon it into a 9 inch square baking pan or dutch oven. Prepare the corn muffin mix using the instructions on the box.  Pour it over the meat layer. Bake 30 minutes. Makes about 6 servings. Enjoy! Love and peace. Tammi

Pumpkin pudding with a ginger cookie on the side 😊 Homemade pudding is still one of my favorite childhood desserts. I love to make my own pudding and experiment with different flavors. A perfect fall flavor is pumpkin. This pudding is creamy and has all of the pumpkin pie spices. Try this awesome recipe if you love pumpkin and pudding! Ingredients: 2 T cornstarch 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 egg 1-3/4 cup milk (I used 2%) 2/3 cup canned pumpkin 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg 1/8 tsp allspice 1/8 tsp ground ginger 1 pinch ground cloves 1 pinch salt 1 tsp vanilla extract Directions: Whisk brown sugar and cornstarch in a medium pan. Cook over medium heat. Whisk milk and egg then gradually add to the above mixture. Continue whisking the mixture until it boils, it'll take a few minutes. Boil for 1 minute and keep whisking. Remove from heat and whisk in the pumpkin, spices and vanilla. Place pan on burner over low heat. Whisk for another 2 minutes. ...

This morning seemed like a great time to make a favorite bread from the past. This recipe makes 2 loaves. Enjoy! Ingredients: 1 cup softened butter 2 cups white sugar 2 eggs 2 cups buttermilk 4 cups flour 2 tsp baking soda Cinnamon Topping: 1/2 cup white sugar 2 tsp cinnamon Cream butter then add sugar and eggs. Beat until blended then add milk. Mix in flour and baking soda. Pour batter into 2 greased loaf pans (9x5 inch) until they are 1/4 full. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon topping over the batter in each pan. Spoon the rest of the batter over the top of cinnamon mixture. Sprinkle the rest of the cinnamon mixture over the top. Use a knife to gently swirl the cinnamon mixture throughout each loaf. Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each loaf comes out clean. Place on a cooling rack for 15-20 minutes then remove from pans. Slice and enjoy! Love and peace, Tammi and Angie

For me, homemade applesauce is another one of those items that once you've had homemade, the stuff in the jars just doesn't cut it! Both of my grandmas made applesauce without a recipe. I had some notes from them that helped me remember the process. I used organic ingredients, but you don't have to. I would recommend using sweeter apples so you don't need as much sugar. This is super delicious! Ingredients : 6 pounds apples (about 12-16 medium apples) peeled, cored and sliced 1/2 c water 1/2 c white sugar  1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp allspice 1/4 tsp ground cloves Directions : I used organic apples, honeycrisp and gala. Peel, core and slice the apples and put them in a large pot. Add the water and sugar. Cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the spices and simmer over low heat until the liquid has cooked into the apples. Remove from the heat and cool for about an hour. I like to use jars to store the applesauce in the refrigerato...

                                                                          It's officially fall and suddenly I am hungry for pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting! SO you know what I have to do...make some pumpkin bars and post my pumpkin bars recipe.  😉 Ingredients : 1 c vegetable oil 1 c brown sugar 1/2 c white sugar 4 eggs 1 15 oz can of pumpkin puree Mix the above ingredients together until combined. 2 c flour 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1 T pumpkin pie spice or 2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1/2 tsp cloves Add dry ingredients and mix well. Pour into a parchment paper lined 11x15 baking sheet with sides. Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on a cooling rack. Cream Chees...

Delicious! When you're short on time and ingredients you can make a delicious, rich chocolate cake from a boxed mix. This has become a favorite at our house and it's so easy to make.   Ingredients: 1 box chocolate cake mix 1 package instant chocolate pudding (small) 4 eggs 1 cup sour cream 1/2 cup vegetable oil or 1/2 cup melted butter (cooled slightly) 1/2 cup water or milk Preheat oven to 350°. Mix all ingredients together and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour batter into a 9x13 greased or parchment paper lined pan. Bake 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes our clean. Let cake cool before frosting it.  Chocolate canned frosting is perfect if you don't have time to make frosting. Add 1 tsp vanilla to the frosting and mix it for 30 seconds with your mixer. It tastes better that way 😋 Enjoy! Love and peace, Tammi 

My favorite fall scents and flavors are cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves. One of the reasons I love making apple bread is that your home will be filled with the best fall smells! This bread reminds me of coffee cake that my grandma used to make. It was the perfect choice this morning since our weather is cooler and fall is on the way! 😊 Ingredients for Bread : 1/2 c butter, room temperature 2 eggs 2/3 c white sugar  2 tsp vanilla extract 1 2/3 c flour 2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp ground cloves 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1 tsp cinnamon 2/3 c buttermilk or add 2 tsp lemon juice or white vinegar to 2/3 c white milk, let it sit for at least 5 minutes, then add it instead of buttermilk.  2 medium apples, I used honey crisp apples, peeled and chopped into small pieces. Ingredients for Topping: 3 T brown sugar 1/8 tsp cloves  1 tsp cinnamon  Mix it together with your fingers or a fork and sprinkle over the top of the bread batter. Directions: On low speed beat butter ...

              Simply Homemade Scalloped Potatoes and Ham                                   Last week at the grocery store they were having a special on ham so I made scalloped potatoes and ham with some of it and froze the rest for soup. I used the cream soup mix instead of the cream soup from a can. It was delicious and just as easy. Here's the link to our recipe for cream soup replacement .    Here's the recipe for the scalloped potatoes and ham: 5-6 potatoes, peeled 2 cups ham cut in chunks, use as much or as little as you like 1 can of cream of celery or mushroom soup, or click on the recipe above, it is equal to one can 2 T butter 2 T flour  1 c milk Salt and pepper to taste Slice potatoes thin, I used my Mandoline Slicer to make them all the same. Cut the ham into small chunks and add to the potatoes in a greased or buttered 9...

Maybe you've seen the TikTok trend for frozen yogurts treats. They looked so good I had to make them! There are several variations but I used a couple of my favorite flavors for mine. They are a little messy to make but they are SO good and totally worth chocolate covered fingers! 😋 Ingredients 1 cup vanilla Greek Yogurt 2 cups strawberries, cut into small pieces 2 cups milk chocolate chips, melted 1 T coconut oil Directions Stir the yogurt and strawberries together in a medium bowl. I used a cookie scoop to place them on a parchment paper covered cookie sheet. Freeze them for 1-2 hours. Before you take them out of the freezer, melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil in the microwave using 30 second increments until they chips are melted and smooth. Remove the clusters from the freezer and dip each cluster in the melted chocolate. Place each cluster back on the cookie sheet and freeze again for about an hour. Once mine were frozen, I put them in freezer bags until and returned th...