Natural Homemade Living

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...

              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...

Our family potato salad recipe is a delicious addition for a summer picnic or serve it with your favorite grilled or smoked foods. Ingredients 6 - 8 russet medium/large potatoes, peeled and cut in bite-size pieces  5 hard boiled eggs 1 cup mayonnaise 1 T yellow mustard 1 T dill pickle juice 2 T white sugar Salt and pepper to taste Directions Place cut-up potatoes and place in cold water in a medium size pan.                                                     Heat over medium heat on stove until they boil, then simmer about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Drain the potatoes and soak in cold water for about 10 minutes. Drain in a food strainer. Mix the dressing ingredients in a large bowl.  Slice the hard-boiled eggs and add to the dressing. Fold in the potatoes and make sure the dressing is mixed in well. Salt and pepper to tas...

My day looked like this, a long to-do list and not much motivation so I put the list away and decided to spend my time in the kitchen. I made an amazingly easy, affordable and delicious meal. Here is my super simple roast and veggies recipe that you can make in a slow cooker or in the oven. 3 - 4 pound beef roast (chuck roast is usually the most affordable, but any roast will work) 2 shallots, chopped in large pieces 3 - 5 cloves garlic, chopped 1 bag baby or petite carrots 2 cups beef broth 7 - 8 baby red or gold potatoes, cut in half 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks Coarse salt (to taste) Coarse pepper (to taste) 1 T oregano 2 T parsley 1 T rosemary 1 tsp thyme Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for 9 hours or 5 hours on high.  If you choose to use the oven instead of a slow cooker, place all ingredients in a covered pan and bake at 400° for 1 hour. Reduce the heat to 325° and bake for 3 hours. You will know it's perfect when y...

It is a perfect day to make soup in the Midwest! It’s April and tomorrow is supposed to be snowing, windy and cold. This yummy recipe is adapted from our Aunt Joanne. We adjusted a few things to shorten the prep time. 😀 Ingredients : 8 c chicken stock 2 c rotisserie chicken, diced or shredded 2 cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed 1 c salsa 1 1/2 c corn 2 c shredded Colby-Jack cheese Mix all ingredients except the cheese in a crock pot. Cook on high for two hours. Or you can cook it on the stove in a large pan over medium heat for about 30 minutes. Add the cheese during the last 10-15 minutes. I serve this with crushed tortilla chips, a dollop of plain yogurt (or our Simply Homemade Creme Fraiche ) and an extra pinch of shredded cheese. It’s delicious! Love and peace, ~ Tammi and Angie

Fall is here and the yummy spicy flavors are everywhere! Making one of my favorite pumpkin muffin recipes was at the top of my list today. It's easy to make and you probably have most or all of the ingredients on hand. I like this recipe because I replaced the oil with Greek yogurt so it's healthier than my old recipe but still makes great pumpkin muffins! Ingredients: 1 c canned pumpkin 2/3 c Greek yogurt 2/3 c sugar 2/3 c milk 2 eggs 1/2 tsp vanilla 2 c flour 1 Tbsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp nutmeg 1/2 tsp cloves 1/4 tsp ground ginger Directions: Don't use a mixer for this recipe, I would recommend a wooden spoon or spatula. Mix the first 6 ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Next whisk together the dry ingredients (starting with the flour) in another bowl. Add the first mixture to the dry ingredients and mix together until combined. Don'...