Natural Homemade Living

This is a bran muffin recipe that we have been making for years. It's from a favorite restaurant we used to eat at as a family when we were younger, like way younger, in the 1980's! It has closed since then but luckily our Dad asked them for the recipe while they were still open! It makes about 6 1/2 dozen but you can keep the mixture in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks..if you have it around that long! Here's what you need : One large bowl (big enough to hold all the ingredients but can fit in your refrigerator). If you don't have room in your refrigerator you can split up the batter once you have mixed it up. In a medium bowl, pour the boiling water over the All-Bran cereal and let it sit. 2 c. All-Bran cereal 2 c. boiling water Cream the following ingredients together in the large bowl:   2 1/3 c sugar 4 eggs 1 cup oil (I usually use canola) 1 quart cultured low-fat buttermilk Add the water/bran mixture (from above). Mix by hand once the ...

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...

                                                              These amazing gooey little bars have been a family favorite for years. I usually have these ingredients on hand and they don't take long to put together.  Ingredients List for the Crispy Rice Layers (divide in half for each layer): 10 cups Crispy Rice cereal  (I use Malt O Meal Crispy Rice cereal because it's gluten free)  8 cups mini marshmallows 12 Tbsp butter Ingredients List for the Caramel Filling: 1 bag Kraft caramel bits (11 oz bag) or Kraft caramels, unwrapped 6 Tbsp butter 1 can sweetened condensed milk Instructions: Line the bottom of a 9x13 pan with parchment paper or grease with butter. Start by making the caramel filling in the microwave.  Combine the caramel filling ingredients together in a large microwave safe bowl. (I use a 4-cup Pyrex m...

I mentioned a couple days ago about how I was going to try making my own marshmallows. I finally got around to it yesterday, and was so surprised that it didn't take long to do and they turned out great the first time-which is kind of a shocker. Usually my new recipes end up with me in tears and my kitchen looking like a natural disaster has taken place! The original recipe is from mybakingaddiction.com but after experimenting, I changed a few things when I made them. I originally made them for hot chocolate but we all like them so much we have been just eating them without the hot chocolate! Homemade Marshmallows Ingredients: 3/4 cup water, divided 3 (.25 ounce) packages unflavored gelatin 2/3 cup light corn syrup 2 cups white sugar 1 T vanilla extract 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar   Directions: 1. Line an 8x8 inch baking dish with plastic wrap. This will make it easier to take them out and cut them. You will need to spray your wrap with some type...

If you are looking for an inexpensive gift to give this season, this is a recipe we have had around for years, it's another one from our Aunt Joanne. It's always a great gift for those on your list that you don't know what to buy. I have tried several recipes for hot chocolate mixes but this one is a favorite. It makes a cute gift in a jar or even a single serving given in a cute bag. I found these little glass spice jars at our Bed Bath and Beyond Store, they came in a pack of 4 for under $5. Give it with a bag of our Simply Homemade Marshmallows to make it even more special! What you need: This will make about 2 quart jars of powder, enough for several servings (or gifts!) 10 cups of powdered milk 6 oz container of powdered coffee creamer, I used the store brand french vanilla 1 lb. container of Nestle or Hershey Cocoa Powder 1-2 cups powdered sugar Pour all ingredients into a large bowl and mix together. Then put into separate containers or jars for gifts. ...

On our recent vacation to my sister's home, I discovered her awesome spice drawer! I loved seeing all of the spices at once instead of digging through different container sizes in my kitchen cabinet. My first project after vacation was to purchase small canning jars that would fit into my drawer. I used chalkboard vinyl paper and wrote each spice name with a chalkboard marker. I had a few jars left so I stored the spices I use less frequently in my cabinet. She also stores her measuring spoons in the spice drawer...I copied that idea too! 😀 Happy organizing! Love and peace, Tammi

I'm always amazed at kids toys and how expensive they can be, then you buy them and they end up playing with the box it came in-or it ends up in the bottom of a toy box soon after.  I have been making toys out of everyday items for quite a while now and these are a couple that seem to keep getting pulled out of the box and played with over and over. They were easy and cheap to make.  You can use plastic water bottles, soda bottles or something like it.  Then find all the little shiny, fluffy and interesting things you have in the junk drawer and put them in the bottle.  You will want to put some type of strong glue or hot glue around the inside of the cap to make sure it stays on and check it often to make sure it hasn't loosened.  These are good for infants, toddlers and even preschoolers. The little ones like to look at it, roll it and shake it, and for preschoolers it makes a fun "I Spy" game. I filled that bottle with rice, a rubberband, some little...