Thank you to Trill Fitness for your sponsorship of Passionate Homemaking for March!
Trillia at Trill Fitness is a professional fitness trainer offering exercise, health and diet training and education in one place. She loves the Lord and has compiled a wonderful CD titled, In His Strength, which is a remix of ten worship songs from the music of Sovereign Grace Ministries. Remixed by deejay essence, In His Strength is great to accompany you in your workout in the gym, at home, or to listen to at work. It’s formatted perfectly for step, conditioning, and strength classes. All profits from the CD are donated to the Sovereign Grace Mission Fund.
Trill Fitness is offering 10 copies of this CD to give to our readers this week! That means we will have 10 winners!
To Enter:
1. Leave a comment and share your favorite tip about exercising.
2. For a second entry, head over to Trill Fitness’ facebook fan page and add a comment. Come back and let us know you did in a second comment.
Thanks to The Cozy Bunny for your sponsorship of Passionate Homemaking for the month of March!
The Cozy Bunny sells high quality natural wool mommy and baby products including wool blankets, diapers, changing pads, crib bumpers, and so much more.
They are offering a small wool puddle pad (size 18” x 27”, $14.99 value) to one lucky winner this week! What’s a puddle pad? Here’s their description:
“Our wool puddle pads are very functional & versatile. No need for the plastic puddle pad to lay under your baby, just use a wool one instead.
But won’t it get dirty? Well, yes, but if it gets wet, simply let air dry & if it gets soiled, just spray off, use soap if needed. Very easy & best of all, wool is very absorbent & antimicrobial, so it won’t get smelly. They have many uses; cover your lap, floor, shoulder, wherever your baby’s little booty happens to be.”
Sounds like an excellent alternative to those plastic diaper bag changing pads!
To Enter:
1. Simply leave a comment below and share a creative idea of how you might use this puddle pad, if you like.
Plastic is all around us. It forms much of the packaging for our food and drink. For many, it can be found in every room of our homes, from clothing, toys, computers, phones, appliances, and so forth. It is a useful, versatile, lightweight, durable invention. But there remain several harmful consequences to the unleashing of every form of plastic. Most plastics are made from petroleum, a non-renewable resource extracted and processed using energy-intensive techniques. Plastic packaging – especially the ubiquitous plastic bag and plastic water bottle– is an enormous source of landfill waste.
But it really hits home when plastic can impact the health of our family. Chemicals leach from plastics used in cooking and food/drink storage are harmful for human health. Bisphenol A (BPA) is known to be a hormone (endocrine) disruptor, and exposure at a young age can cause genetic damage. This is found in strong plastics (#7) that make up baby bottles, water bottles, pacifiers, children’s plates, bowls, etc. Studies showing these harmful effects have been around for a few years now, and yet the FDA is only now finally saying there could be a problem. The health risks of plastic are significantly amplified in children, whose immune and organ systems are developing and are more vulnerable.
As one who wants to keep a proper balance in my pursuit of natural living, I did not throw out all my plastic products at the first hearing of this news. I want to be wise and not wasteful in the process or subject myself to fear. I had a set of plastic children’s tableware that has served us well, but when it started to chip, get extensively scratched (all within two years of use), and ready for a replacement, I determined it would be an appropriate time to replace with a more sustainable and safe alternative. It has been a slow weeding process. I have been on the lookout for some good solid stainless steel or wooden alternatives for quite some time now, but did not want to spend an insane amount. There are many BPA free plastic tableware sets on the market, but plastic still tends to break down rather quickly with such use. I am excited to announce my findings!
Silverware
NUK Gerber BPA Free Graduates Kiddy Cutlery Forks or Spoons or Kiddy Cutlery Spoons – For just $3.95, you can get this three pack set of spoons or forks. They are excellent quality, comfortable in hand, and the kiddos love them! They are supposedly “graduate” size for the child that is learning to feed themselves, but we use them for both our little ones (ages 1 & almost 3) without any problems. They also do not give you the option of color choices, but we purchased two sets and got yellow both time, so I was perfectly happy. They are perfect!
Bambu Kids Utensil Set – An organically grown bamboo kids utensil set. Each kid’s utensil set contains a solid bamboo fork and spoon designed specifically for small hands and small mouths.
Bowls/Plates
There are a few new stainless steel sets on the market lately. The Untangle set (pictured at top of post -5 piece set, $40) is certainly cute but rather small; more suitable, according to reviews, for young infants. The Think Baby set (6 piece set, $40) is another option if you like “think baby” plastered all over it.
I have recently stumbled upon Life Without Plastic, a company dedicated to providing plastic alternatives. I love these new sets of children’s stainless steel tableware that they offer for a reasonable price.
Children’s Stainless Steel 3 piece set – For $23.95, you get this classic 3 piece set, including a 7.5” diameter plate, 8 oz mug, and 14 oz bowl, all made from quality food grade steel. You can also buy each piece separately. Dishwasher safe.
Cereal Bowl Set – These bowls have stainless steel interiors with a exterior made of stable anddurable polypropylene plastic (#5). These are simply adorable! They also sell matching mugs. These are priced slightly cheaper than the plain stainless steel set, but also include a note that they are not dishwasher safe (not sure why?).
Munchkin Wood Bowl & Spoon Set – If you prefer wood, check out this wood bowl & spoon set for $16 made from all natural renewable wood.
Enamel Cup, Plate & Spoon Set – another good alternative is enameled tableware. Check out the cute sets offered through Nova Naturals. Enamel is an combination of steel and food safe paint that is a favorite especially among campers.
Bambu 4-1/2-Inch Mini Me Bowls – these adorable mini bowls are made out of sustainable organic bamboo in a variety of cute colors. Priced between $12-14 a piece. Bambu also offers a set of Bambu 7-Inch All Occasion Veneerware Plates in bamboo which can be used as a compostable disposable or reusable option.
Lunchboxes
For those with children in school or who send a husband with lunch to work, there are many stainless steel lunchboxes on the market now.
Oval Stainless Steel Lunch Box System – we purchased this stainless steel lunch box for my hubby. It is rather small but does the job for us. It is a snug fit for one sandwich. The companion container is good for a few veggies, dressing, or dip. We use this in a small insulated cooler that has room for fruit or other snacks.
We also use the Foogo Food thermos, which is excellent for transporting hot soups, or baby food on the go. Another cute waste free lunch set for kids is the Kids Konserve Lunch Set.
Wow…I was astounded by the significant response that we received from our Celestial Seasonings Giveaway! Thank you every one for sharing your wealth of tips and ideas for encouraging natural healing and wellness. Please check out all the wonderful ideas that were shared in the comments.
Need some helpful purposeful tools for celebrating Easter this year?
Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross: Experiencing the Passion and Power of Easter by Nancy Guthrie. It’s a collection of twenty-five short readings with contributors such as Martin Lloyd-Jones, J.C. Ryle, R.C. Sproul and more. A great tool for family devotions or reading together in the evening in preparation for Easter.
The Very First Easter by Paul Maier. Have you been looking for a resource to help teach your children the importance of this holiday? Check out this wonderful story retold in simple and yet powerful language.
Family Bible Readings for Holy Week by Carri Garvey (a long time friend of our family) is a helpful devotional guide for the week prior to Easter Sunday. She shares: The media makes so much more of other holidays, yet to us as Christians, Easter should be THE MOST IMPORTANT. Here is a Holy Week Devotional for your family to help you make the week special and build up the anticipation of celebration on Resurrection Sunday. Please feel free to print and use it however you like.We invite you to use this resource together with us this next week.
Hot Cross Buns recipe – Traditional bread for Good Friday, with the cross as a symbol of Christ and the resurrection, in a healthy fashion! Fun baking project with kids.
Here are four standard bathroom products that you can eliminate rather easily. Yes, the market tries to persuade you that you need this and that for the best look or feel. But are they truly all necessary? Here is your opportunity to fight back!
1. Shaving Cream
What is the purpose of shaving cream? Supposedly, it is to protect you from cutting yourself while shaving, correct? So I thought, until I really evaluated whether or not it served its purpose. Maybe 50% of the time. The other 50% of the time I would get cut, scratched, or hurt in some way. Both my husband and I shared this experience. Then I decided there had to be some way I could just live without it.
Alternative #1: Hair Conditioner. Conditioner is a perfectly useful alternative to shaving cream, and yet it clogs the razor and dulls the blade quicker. And as you will see in #2, we’ve eliminated this product, so its no longer an option at our home.
Alternative #2: Bar of Soap. Yes, the simplicity of a bar of soap does the trick! Scrub yourself down and shave in the process and you just eliminated another purchase for your bathroom. Guess what? My husband prefers this method too. We both agree that we cut ourselves far less, our skin remains soft and moistened, and we get a perfectly clean shave. My technique in order to avoid extra waste is to lather up one leg with soap, and before washing it off, I shave immediately, and then wash down. This works to help use the least amount of soap possible for both jobs of washing and shaving. We recommend a good natural bar of soap such as Dr Bronners.
Alternative #3: Nothing. Some would argue that you can use a little water and go for it (but I personally prefer the soap).
Save yourself a few dollars each month and take it off the list. It works.
2. Hair Conditioner
Hair conditioner is a nice product to have. It does help produce that silky smooth appearance. But is it necessary? We’ve lived without it for quite some time.
Alternative #1: Apple cider vinegar (Approximately 1-2 Tbls. cider to 1 cup water). If you don’t mind the fragrance, try a squirt of apple cider vinegar in your hair for its natural de-tangling ability. Or add a bit of essential oils to balance out the scent.
Alternative #2: Coconut oil. Applying coconut oil after showering as a leave in conditioner is very effective. It can be used as a curling gel for my hair, or a smooth gel for my husbands hair. Just remember…a little dab will do you. Too much and you can have a greasy look. It is wonderfully nourishing for the hair.
Save yourself a few dollars and use something you already have or skip it altogether.
3. Make-up Remover
Alternative #1: Soap and water. Yes, it works quite nicely.
Alternative #2: Coconut oil. Apply a little coconut oil to a cotton ball and apply to eyelashes to remove mascara and all other products on your face. Moisten your skin while removing make-up at the same time.
As the height of cold and flu “season” continues, many of us are may be getting very weary of trying this or that different method. We have certainly had our share of cold, fevers and sour throats this year but have been blessed by the warm and healing powers of herbal teas as one of our natural remedies. I have found warm herbal teas to be so comforting to a stressed and tired immune system. When our bodies are relaxed and refreshed in this way, they are given the ability to heal properly.
In the spirit of getting well naturally, Celestial Seasonings has created a “natural wellness kit” which they sent me for my review and would like to offer another kit for one lucky reader to put to the “sniffle” test! I was delighted with the contents of this kit. Six different delicious herbal teas are included in this kit for the basic sicknesses that may pervade your home. These wellness teas are blended to address specific ailments including a sore throat and upset stomach.
The Celestial Seasonings Natural Wellness Kit (worth $60) includes: • Four wellness teas to ease symptoms associated with the cold and flu including Sleepytime Extra, Echinacea Complete Care and Tummy Mint
• Two green teas to support a healthy immune system year round – Authentic Green Tea and Honey Lemon Ginseng Green Tea
• Mug, soothing lip balm, honey sticks and Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Bear (which Karis absolutely loves!) and the book “Herbs for Health and Happiness” by Celestial Seasonings founder Mo Siegel and Nancy Burke, which includes a thorough de-briefing of many powerful herbs.
We have been thoroughly enjoying the flavors and healing powers of these herbal combinations and can highly recommend them to you all.
For additional wellness information, check out Celestial Seasoning for unique resources and videos to educate you about how to ease cold and flu symptoms naturally, with teas, herbs and other foods.
To Enter:
1. Simply leave a comment below and share your favorite natural healing tip with us!
2. For a second entry, share about this giveaway on your blog, facebook page and come back and let us know about it with the link in a second comment.
Today, I welcome Amber Eisler to share a with us about the benefits and how-to’s of sourdough.
Sourdough is often thought of as a mysterious, temperamental, or outdated ingredient. However with a little information and experience anyone can bake using this traditional method of incorporating a live culture.
Sourdough is wild yeast and desirable bacteria living in a mixture of flour and water. It likely originated in ancient Egypt around 1500 BC. Sourdough will cause dough to leaven or rise, and can be used in place of commercial yeast. Sourdough is acidic, and contains various strains of lactobacilli that contribute to the development of flavor.
Baking with sourdough is a relatively slow process, as it does not leaven as fast as commercial yeast. During this slow rise the lactobacilli goes to work fermenting the dough. Through fermentation, the simple elements of flour, water, and salt are transformed into dough with wonderful, complex flavor. The slow fermentation also allows more time for the flour to hydrate, or soak up water. A higher hydration produces a moister, lighter crumb texture. The acidic nature of sourdough also improves the keeping quality of the bread.
Using a sourdough can improve the nutritional value when baking with whole grains. Whole wheat flour is more nutrient rich than white flour; however, bran (present in whole wheat flour) also contains phytic acid which binds minerals such as calcium, zinc, iron, and magnesium, making them difficult or impossible to assimilate by the body. Fermenting the flour with a sourdough culture neutralizes the effect of phytic acid, so the body is able to absorb the nutrients that the whole grain contains. Many people find sourdough breads more digestible whether or not they contain whole grains, a phenomenon usually attributed to the lactobacilli aiding the digestive process.
Keeping a sourdough culture lively and active is simple and easy once you establish a routine. There are many resources available to learn how to keep a sourdough culture, which requires a minimal amount of time and effort. For in-depth information on how to start and keep a sourdough culture check out informational videos on www.breadtopia.com, or refer to the sourdough primer on www.kingarthurflour.com (or check out the variety of sourdough starters available through Cultures for Health). Basically, the culture will need to be “fed” an equal portion (by weight) of flour and water. Stir it up and let it rest at room temperature until it is bubbly and fragrant. Use the amount needed for your recipe making sure to save some “seed” for your next batch. If the culture is left at room temperature it should be fed about twice a day. Otherwise, store it in refrigerator if you won’t be baking for a few days. If the culture is kept properly, the flavor in the final dough is mild, pleasant, and not bracingly acidic.
One of the easiest ways to get your feet wet using sourdough is to make sourdough waffles. Following is a simple, delicious, and nutritious recipe for whole wheat sourdough waffles:
Sourdough Waffles
2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
1 cup Sourdough culture (bubbly and active)
2 cups Milk or Buttermilk
1 tablespoon Maple Syrup
2 Eggs
¼ cup Butter, melted
½ teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
Combine the flour, sourdough, and milk. Allow to rest at room temperature for 8-12 hours. Whisk together the eggs and butter. Add all remaining ingredients to the flour mixture. Whisk until just combined.
Cook in a waffle iron. Serve with maple syrup, yogurt, and fresh fruit.
Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread
Here is a recipe for basic 100% Whole Wheat Sourdough bread (pictured at the top of this post). This recipe yields one large, hearty, versatile loaf. We use it for toast, sandwiches, or just slathered with butter:
1 cup Sourdough, bubbly & active (about 8 hours after feeding)
1 ¼ – 1 ½ cups water
3 ½ cups Whole Wheat Flour
1 ½ teaspoons Salt
Mix all of the ingredients with a wooden spoon, dough whisk, or by hand until the dough comes together. Add water as necessary to achieve a wet dough. Turn out of the bowl and knead by hand for about 5 minutes, or until the dough becomes elastic. It should be somewhat wet and tacky. Resist the urge to add more flour!
Place the dough back in the bowl and cover loosely with a towel. Let it rest for 3-4 hours, gently deflating and folding the dough every hour. If your kitchen is cool (as mine always is in Vermont!) you may extend this resting period up to 6 hours.
Shape the dough into a tight round ball and place seam side up in a bowl lined with a floured linen or cotton tea towel. Alternately you can shape it into a rectangle and place it in a greased loaf pan.
Let it rise in a warm place for about an hour. Or place in the refrigerator for a very slow (overnight) final rise.
Pre-heat the oven with a pizza stone on the middle rack to 450. When the oven is hot, place a square of parchment paper on a bakers peel or an inverted cookie sheet. Turn the dough out onto the paper so the seam is now down. Slash the top of the loaf with a serrated knife (to allow steam to escape and for further expansion in the oven). Slide the dough onto the pizza stone. Bake for 20 minutes at 450 then turn the oven down to 400 and bake an additional 30 minutes. If baking in a loaf pan the pizza stone is optional.
A few tips when making whole- grain sourdough bread:
The wetter the better! Remember that the flour will continue to absorb water during the fermentation (rising) process. When the initial mix is complete, the dough should be slack. Excess flour will yield a dry, crumbly, dense loaf.
Add steam. Steam in the oven allows the bread to get maximum volume and good texture. Place a small pan with a half cup of hot water in the bottom of the oven just after you load the bread in.
Practice often and have fun!
Amber Eisler is a Christian wife, mother, and part-time bread baker. She lives in Vermont with her husband Doug and daughter Abigail (2).
Maintaining a home is a full time job. There is no denying it. It takes time and energy to keep a home running peacefully and harmoniously. Whether you can be home full time or not, there is a need for organization to maintain this restful environment through which our husbands, children, and friends can find solace. Until recently, you could find many small to-do lists, schedules, menu plans, scattered random receipts, financial notes, papers, and the like spread out over my home. Some might be in the office, some in the kitchen, some in my purse. I had a haphazard cleaning schedule in the back of my mind. I had a homemaking notebook but it only had some random articles that I wanted to save and not much more. Do you experience this scattered feeling?
I suddenly got inspiration after viewing some of Stephanie’s planning pages to get organized in this area. I am so glad that I did. I collected everything into one home planning notebook. Ahh…so much more peaceful. I wanted to share with you what my homemaking planner looks like…but be sure that your notebook can take any shape or form. I pray this might provide you with some inspiration to get started. Organization is an important habit to cultivate, and I need it just as much as the next homemaker.
What Your Need?
1 3-ringed binder
Dividers
Sheet protectors, if desired
Planning sheets (check out the resources below)
Ideas for Your Home Planner/Organizer/Journal/Notebook
There is an endless supply of ideas that you could compile for your planner, but here are a few tabs that I have:
Goals - this section I put right at the front of my journal so I would be daily reminded to review my goals for the year including: personal goals, nutritional goals, handcraft goals, family/ministry goals, family mission statement and book reading list.
Weekly Plan – Monthly calendar and to do list for the week. I take time every Sunday for my weekly planning outing to plan for the upcoming week using these pages.
Menu Plan – monthly winter & spring menu plans, monthly errand list, shopping lists (visit Developing a Monthly Menu Plan for more details on developing a monthly menu plan)
Homeschooling – ideas for learning activities, planning pages
Hospitality – our family vision for hospitality, ongoing invite list, meal ideas for guests, emergency meal, meaningful questions for dialog
Holidays – family traditions, holiday recipes, holiday planner, gift ideas for family/friends, Christmas card list with addresses
Household Inventory – freezer inventory, pantry inventory, master household supplies list (including personal care, house maintenance, office, kitchen, cleaning, and health supplies – to review monthly before errand run to see if anything needs to be restocked), clothing inventory (keeping track of the kids clothes to stay ahead of the seasons)
Finances – Budget, bill schedule, cash envelope funds and purchases, receipts
Family Journal – includes by weekly evaluation notes, monthly journal on what God has done in our family over the previous month, birthday letters to our children
Household Maintenance – spring cleaning list, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual chores list, honey to do list (basic repairs that need to be done around the house)
Blog Ideas – this is where I keep track of blog post ideas, advertiser and affiliate information
Resources - this is for keeping articles, book titles, and misc resources that I might want to look back on in the future
Contacts – a central place to keep phone numbers, addresses, websites, etc.
Other ideas: coupon organizer, chore chart for kids, emergency preparedness info, etc.
Here’s a peak into my planning notebook:
My encouragement for you is to take one section at a time. One section per week if necessary to avoid getting overwhelmed in any way. Build your homemaking planner over time and see more peace establish in your home. Bless your efforts! Developing my home planning notebook has taken several weeks and it is always getting improvements made to it.
Pages from my Planner:
Here are pages I personally use and/or have assembled for my notebook planner:
It may be on the end of soup season, but this creation was too good to not share with you all. If you like rich, creamy, warm, and comforting soups, this is definitely one you should try. It is similar in style and contents to my Zuppa Tuscana, but has it’s own unique flavor and speciality! It is one of our top favorites!
5 medium russet potatoes
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 medium leeks (white and green parts), or 1 large onion, sliced and rinsed well
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
4 cups homemade or canned chicken broth
1/2 lb sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled (save bacon grease for sauteing, if desired)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
4-5 kale leaves, chopped, more or less as desired
Directions:
Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Scrub the potatoes, pat dry, and pierce several times with a fork. Set them directly on the oven rack and bake until tender, about 1 hours. Let cool completely on a cooling rack.
Combine butter or reserved bacon grease, leeks/onion, garlic, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened.
Add the chicken stock/broth to the leek/onion mixture.
Cut the cooled potatoes in small 1/2 inch cubes. Remove peel on one or two of that potatoes. Set aside one cup of diced potatoes. Throw the remaining potatoes into the pot with the leeks/onions.
Puree the contents of the pot in batches in a blender until very smooth. Return the soup to the pot and reheat over medium low.
Whisk together the milk and sour cream and then whisk this into the soup, along with the reserved 1 cup potatoes, and cheese. Add chopped kale and allow to simmer for 10 minutes or so. Season more with salt and pepper as desired.
Serve garnished with cheese, bacon bits, or green onions, as desired.
Trillia at Trill Fitness is a professional fitness trainer offering exercise, health and diet training and education in one place. She loves the Lord and has compiled a wonderful CD titled, In His Strength, which is a remix of ten worship songs from the music of Sovereign Grace Ministries. Remixed by deejay essence, In His Strength is great to accompany you in your workout in the gym, at home, or to listen to at work. It’s formatted perfectly for step, conditioning, and strength classes. All profits from the CD are donated to the Sovereign Grace Mission Fund.
by Nancy Guthrie. It’s a collection of twenty-five short readings with contributors such as Martin Lloyd-Jones, J.C. Ryle, R.C. Sproul and more. A great tool for family devotions or reading together in the evening in preparation for Easter.
by Paul Maier. Have you been looking for a resource to help teach your children the importance of this holiday? Check out this wonderful story retold in simple and yet powerful language.
