Natural Homemade Living

Moist Greek Yogurt Bundt Cake  We are always looking for a yummy new cake recipe and this cake is awesome! It is moist and tasty and a hit with the taste testers! Ingredients 1/2 c softened butter 3 c sugar 4 eggs 1/2 tsp almond extract 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1 1/2 c non-fat Greek yogurt, plain 3 c flour 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp baking soda Directions  In a large bowl, mix sugar, butter and yogurt together. Add eggs one at a time. Stir in extracts. Add dry ingredients and stir until everything is mixed together but don't over-mix. Pour the batter into a greased bundt pan, smooth the top if needed with a spatula.  Bake in a preheated oven at 325F for 50-60 minutes. I use a toothpick to check the cake, if it comes out clean, your cake is done. Remove the cake from the oven and place the pan on a cooling rack for about 10 minutes, then tip the pan over and place your cake on the cooling rack. Ser...

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'...

It's hard to believe August is almost halfway over and the kids are getting ready to go back to school. Where did the summer go? We've been busy camping, working on projects, organizing and redecorating so we'll have some cool stuff to share once things settle down. Today I wanted to share my favorite pantry organizing tip, the DIY chip holder. I don't usually buy chips in small bags but for camping these little bags are perfect. I used to store them in a large basket but it seemed like it was a mess when everyone was digging through a basket to find their favorite chips. I decided to make a holder for them and hung it inside the pantry door. It was a quick little project and the kids love it! Most of the items I already had in my craft baskets so the project only cost $3.00. What You Need: Rulers - I bought the craft rulers at Michael's (4 in a package) Small wood clothespins - you can get these at the craft store Craft...

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Overnight Steel Cut Oats I have been experimenting with overnight oats for a couple of months and I have found my favorite, chocolate peanut butter banana! I think part of the problem is that I really don't like to eat breakfast so after trying other options such as protein drinks, yogurt, cereal and breakfast bars, I decided to try this. I don't like the texture of rolled oats but the steel cut oats are chewy and I like that! You can also make this gluten-free, just choose gluten-free oats. Ingredients and Directions: 1/4 c steel cut oats (not cooked) 2 T peanut butter powder (Costco has Honeyville Organic for a reasonable price) 1/4 c chocolate cashew milk 1/4 c Greek Yogurt (plain) 2 T sliced almonds (optional) 1/2 banana (add this prior to eating) Stir all ingredients together. I use glass jars. Refrigerate overnight. Add the banana prior to serving. If they are too thick, add a little more milk. It works best for me when I make 5...

This is the perfect chicken recipe for the grill or to roast in the oven! I roasted these in the oven because we haven't quite arrived at grilling season in the Midwest. They are quick to pull together and they have great flavor! Ingredients and Directions : 6-8 chicken drumsticks 3 T melted butter 1/2 c hot sauce (I use Frank's) 1 clove minced garlic 1 tsp lemon juice 1 tsp cayenne pepper Salt and pepper to taste Remove the skin from the drumsticks, rinse and dry with a paper towel. Melt butter and mix together with hot sauce, lemon juice, garlic, cayenne pepper and salt and pepper in a small bowl. Line a baking sheet with foil and preheat your oven to 425F. I take a small amount of the liquid out and use it for basting during the baking process. I do this before I dip the drumsticks so I don't contaminate the liquid mixture. (I'm weird like that). Dip each drumstick into the melted ingredients and place on the baking sheet. Bake for 40-45 min...

It's grilling season in the Midwest so I wanted to share my twice baked potato shortcut with you. This method is faster than baking the potatoes first and is perfect for entertaining or serving at family grill night! Ingredients and Directions: 4 potatoes, I use russets 1 c Greek yogurt 1/3 c ranch dressing or your favorite dressing 1/3 c milk 1 c grated cheese, Colby-Jack or your favorite, and a little extra for topping at the end Optional: bacon pieces, onions, finely diced peppers Wash and dry your potatoes. Poke small holes in each potato using a fork. Wrap in wax paper or a paper towel and microwave on high for about 10 minutes. You will need to adjust this time based on the number of potatoes you are making.  Let the potatoes cool just until you can handle them and cut each potato in half lengthwise. Carefully scrape out the middle and place in a medium size bowl. Using an electric beater, beat on low until the potato insides are mashed....

If you have a toddler in your house you know it can sometimes be a challenge to find a craft project for them to do. This is a fun Easter or Spring project for kids of any age, but especially the little ones.  All you need are some cotton balls, glue and construction paper. You could also use something heavier like card stock, if you have it. I drew and cutout the bunny shape-you can use any shape, it turns out...toddlers don't really care! If they are older, they can cut out the shape themselves. Put a little white glue on a paper plate, plastic lid or whatever you have, and let them dip the cotton in the glue (you will go through quite a lot of glue, I just kept adding to it, instead of having one big puddle). You can also tear the cotton balls to make them go farther, or better yet, have them tear the cotton. This is a good project for building necessary preschool skills, like hand eye coordination and dexterity. Which helps them later on with reading and writing. Remember, it...