Save money and live wisely! Organic food and farm-raised, quality meat and produce definitely cost more up front. Trust that you’ll reap the benefits on the other end because you’re seeking good health, but also learn the least expensive ways to source real food, plus where to save on natural living practices. No need to go broke!
Will I be called a hypocrite for teaching you how to make disposable baby wipes using bleached paper towel? Last week a reader used the term because I freely admitted to using disposable diapers in the same post as I said, “It’s important to know what’s going on baby’s skin.” The mission of Kitchen Stewardship® […]
I hate when stores start Christmas preparations as soon as back-to-school stuff is put away. But if you want to make the easiest homemade vanilla extract as a lovely foodie Christmas gift or to use to make your homemade Irish Cream truly from scratch, you’re going to have to start in August! Luckily I have
The Least Expensive Method to Make Homemade Vanilla Extract (& It’s Faster Too!) Read More »
I’ve covered plant based lunch ideas, but maybe you need ideas for gluten free lunches? Here’s a huge list, plus some considerations for classmates with peanut allergies. It doesn’t take extra time or energy. Just a few simple swaps and some creativity! It takes me half an hour to pack food any time we have
Back to School on a Gluten Free Diet: How to Pack Gluten Free Lunches Read More »
Can you afford another child? People are really thinking about finances when they make decisions about conception, and many struggle with being a working mother vs. staying at home. I hear this more often that you’d think: “I wish I could make more homemade foods, but I just don’t have time with working all day.”
Does a Child Really Cost a Quarter Million Dollars? Read More »
The gift of food is often the greatest gift to receive. It doesn’t cause clutter. It saves the recipient time and money, and lends itself to a nice, peaceful evening. It covers many of the 5 Love Languages: is a gift of service, affords the person more quality time to spend with their loved ones,
Camping starts out pretty doggone frugal. No maid service. No rules about towels on the floor vs. hanging them up. No concierge or valet parking. And no tipping the server or choosing to drink water so you don’t have to buy a drink at a restaurant. A camping meal plan is all about bringing your
Finding healthy party food to please a crowd is hard! Not to worry! I have some easy ideas for healthy food for parties and potlucks. Eating with others – the normal people – is always difficult when you’re committed to staying away from the “Standard American Diet” and consuming traditional foods. There’s often a lot
Can You Take Your Weird Real Food to a Party with Normal People? Read More »
I live in Michigan, where we have all four seasons, sometimes three in one day. If you’re in the Midwest as well, I hope there are some tips here to inspire you to find healthy, organic food sources; if not, do take away some ideas for poking around your own community to find the secret deals
Healthy Food Resources in Michigan and the Midwest Read More »
It can be difficult to stay within a food budget, especially for a one-income family, when you’re trying to eat “real food,” not only whole unprocessed foods but also well-raised meats, traditionally prepared whole grains, and unrefined sweeteners, etc. A little planning can go a long way to help you save money. Your mission, if
I used to love checking the receipt to see if I could save more than I spent, and I was pretty masterful at getting the great deals and then buying dozens of them. My mom would even share her coupons with me since she couldn’t use them all and I was too cheap to buy
Eat Well, Spend Less: When to Splurge, Settle, and Skip Read More »
My homemade canned salsa recipe has been a huge hit in our house. I figured out how to make my homemade salsa taste like the restaurant. I hope your family also enjoys my recipe for canned salsa. Is it conceited if I say we’re kind of salsa connoisseurs around here? I suppose it’s not even
In-Season Recipe Connection: Katie’s Canned Salsa Read More »
It’s a nasty disease that got all the organic tomato growers in our area last summer. It gets every last plant. The topic of tomato blight came up in the comments of this post about natural pest control. Rene, the author of that post, had this to say: If it is only one plant that has blight I would pull it
Organic Gardening: How to Get Rid of Tomato Blight Read More »
There are many ways to naturally control weeds in a garden. If you have a raised bed garden, you really should have very few weeds, and if you do have any, you should be able to easily pull them up by hand. However, if you have a large garden, you are going to need efficient
They’re coming. They can knock over a whole pepper plant in a single night. They can make Swiss cheese look complete next to the leaves of your green beans. They can put holes in your fruit that will just tick you off as you struggle to cut around them. If you have a garden, you
One summer day I was watching my neighbor meticulously patch his lawn after spending a half-hour edging the sidewalk and all I could think was, “If he spent that much time and care on a vegetable garden, he could feed his family all summer long.” There are so many ways we could use more of
Ideas for a Front Yard Garden: Get Rid of the Lawn and Grow Food Instead! Read More »
The final Spring Cleaning Carnival is hosted by Claire at Saving Money Plan (Link no longer available), who shares a pretty awesome story with you today. If you’ve missed them, you can find all the carnival topics and hostesses here. My Debt Story I promise you: This isn’t the debt story you’re expecting to read.
Every year, as spring inches closer, folks begin getting into their gardening groove. I totally understand. When it comes to getting the most bang for your nutritional buck, certainly not much beats growing, harvesting, and preserving your own food. But what are those of us with a brown thumb to do? We love our Farmer’s
Kitchen Hack for Getting Free Nutrition in Only 2 Minutes a Day! Read More »
While others are meticulously organizing their cupboards and pantries or posting beautiful pictures of their type A storage systems, I’m taking the alternative route and showing you some ways I use what I have and watch for strange and unusual storage solutions. Your mission, if you choose to accept, is to throw away and recycle
Monday Mission: Repurpose Kitchen Containers as Unusual (Frugal) Storage Methods Read More »
Whey is used for soaking grains, homemade ferments, and as a protein source (although it’s not a good one). I prefer homemade whey as the acidic medium for soaking my oats because I have found it least likely to impart a sour flavor to the finished oatmeal. PLUS you get gorgeous yogurt cheese, which is an
How to Make Yogurt Cheese (and Where Do I Find Whey?) Read More »
I believe in the simplicity and thoughtfulness of homemade gifts, especially for young ones. In fact, I truly believe we need to pray for a return to a greater appreciation of simple times and simple toys. (See my food gift ideas and useful stocking stuffers too.) I’ve had a lot of fun creating homemade gift
Simple, Frugal Homemade Gifts for Kids: Books on CD, Playdough Kits, Bathtime Fun Read More »
