Homemaker Gone Natural

…live life naturally!


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Pancake and Sausage Muffins

Hey, I like pancakes and sausage, why not make them together in an easy and convenient muffin??? You can eat this just as they are, or like I did with real maple syrup.  I found this recipe here.

    Pancake and Sausage Muffins

  • 2 c whole wheat flour (I used soft white wheat)
  • 1 t baking powder
  • 1/2 t sea salt
  • 1 1/2 c milk or buttermilk (I use raw dairy or almond milk)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/3 c melted butter
  • 1/2 lb cooked sausage

Mix dry ingredients first, then add milk, eggs and butter, stir in the sausage last.  Pour into buttered muffin tins.  Makes about 18 muffins.  Bake at 350º for 15-20 min.


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Why I Mill My Wheat

A lot of people have asked why I mill my own wheat.  Here is my best answer:  Wheat begins an oxidation process once the berry has been broken.  Oxidation breaks down and destroys the nutrients in the wheat, so you lose it’s nutritional value after a certain period of time. To receive full benefit of the flour, you have to bake with it fairly quickly, within the first day or two is highly recommended.  Fresh Milled flour still has all the parts to it that the traditional processing of store bought flours strip from it. For instance, the oils and wheat germ make the flour go rancid after a while, so to boost shelf life they remove these things in the processing of the wheat but in doing so, we are loosing most of the nutrients, not to mention the fact that having the whole part of the wheat berry present during digestion can decrease adverse reactions to wheat because it works together as a whole.

Now if you notice some flour companies will ‘enrich’ their bread to make it seem more nutritious,  but it’s just a  feeble attempt to synthetically add back some of what they have taken, not really adding back any benefit really. So for me, milling is just the better choice.  I know it’s not for everyone, but it IS for me 🙂

 

**edited to add this link, it’s just another neat breakdown of why she mills her wheat and I thought it was interesting, you might too.


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Honey Sugar Scrub

Honey Sugar Scrub

  • 2 c sugar (I use raw cane)
  • 20-30 drops essential oil (don’t use photosensitive oil if going in the sun after using)
  • 1.5-2 T vanilla extract (optional)
  • 1 t  Vitamin E Oil
  • 1/2 c honey
  • 1/2 c extra virgin olive oil (I use organic)

Combine all ingredients, store in a lidded container in bathroom, or better yet right in the shower where you can reach lol.

 

Purchase pre-made HERE


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Lavender Vanilla Body Scrub

Sometimes you just want that scrubbed clean, soothing feeling of a good ‘ole body scrub.  Well have no fear, I will tell you how to make your own.

     Lavender Vanilla Body Scrub

  • 1 c sugar (I used Raw Cane Sugar)
  • 1/2 c coconut oil
  • 1/2 t pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 t Vitamin E oil
  • 15 drops Lavender essential oil

Mix all ingredients in a bowl.  Stores for 2+ months right on your countertop.  Mmmm Mmmm smelling it now is making me want to go jump in the tub!

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After using my mixture, I decided I really wanted to change the consistency.  I added 3T of baking soda, and am liking it much better :


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Calzones (Whole Wheat)

Homemade calzones?  of course! why not?  Laura’s looked good.

    Calzones

Crust:

Filling:

  • Spaghetti Sauce (Organic Pasta Sauce)
  • Cheddar cheese (raw naturally)
  • whatever filling you like (we used pepperoni, Parmesan, banana and bell peppers)

Put all ingredients for crust in bread machine on the dough setting in this order: water, salt, flour, yeast.  (or mix by hand) After dough cycle is complete (or all ingredients are mixed), take it out, knead and let rest for 10 min.

Then divide into 16 balls and roll each one out.

 

Put in your spaghetti sauce, cheese and favorite calzone filling, fold over, press shut and bake at 375º for 25 min or until crust is golden brown.

 

 


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Broccoli Slaw

     Broccoli Slaw

  • 4-5 c shredded broccoli, red cabbage and carrots (or bag of organic already shredded)
  • 3/4 c mayonnaise (add more or less for desired liquid ratio)
  • 1/4 c honey (I use raw local honey)
  • 2 T sugar (I use Turbinado raw cane sugar, but you can use honey granules, succanat, etc)
  • 2 T white vinegar
  • salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and stir, to reduce graininess of sugar, allow to sit in fridge for 30 min prior to serving.


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Sirloin Steak w/ BBQ

I told you I was a huge BBQ junky, I meant it really.  Yes, I did serve my sirloin steak with BBQ sauce (hubby being a meat love ate his without the BBQ, so feel free to do the same).

Sirloin Steak w/ BBQ sauce

Preheat oven to 375º.  Place steak on cookie sheet.  Pour Worcestershire and garlic powder over steak and bake in oven for about 50 min or until desired done-ness flipping about every 10 min after the first 20.  Remove from oven, cut into serving sized pieces for your family, pour bbq sauce over top of steak.

 

I served mine with broccoli slaw and mashed potatoes.


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Homemade BBQ Sauce

Homemade BBQ Sauce

  • 1 1/2 c ketchup (I now make my own)
  • 1/2  c honey
  • 1 T minced onion
  • 2 t garlic powder
  • 1 1/2 t liquid smoke
  • 1/2 t chili powder
  • 1/2 t black pepper
  • 1/4 t turmeric

Mix ingredients together in a sauce pan and simmer on low heat for a few minutes to incorporate flavors.  Enjoy.

 

Purchase pre-made HERE


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Homemade All Natural Ketchup

This is so easy, why in the world have I been buying the expensive organic ketchups when I could just make it?  yeah, I don’t know either.

 

     Ketchup

  • 24 oz Tomato Paste (I used Kirkland, organic)
  • 1 c Honey (I used raw, filtered)
  • 2 c White Vinegar
  • 1 c Water
  • 1 T + 1 t Evaporated Cane Juice (organic, sugar)
  • 1 T sea salt
  • 1 t onion powder
  • 1/2 t garlic powder

Combine all ingredients in a kettle on the stove, heat on low and whisk until it starts to bubble.

Reduce heat and simmer for 20 min.  Remove from heat and let cool.  Chill before serving, store in sealed container in the refrigerator.

Purchase Pre-made HERE


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Beef BBQ

Okay, I’ll admit it, I am a bbq junky! I love bbq anything! I have recently taken to making up my own bbq sauces when I’m cooking because we don’t care for the store bought organic varieties much.  Hope you enjoy this one, I know I did.

Beef BBQ

  • 2 lbs stewing beef (I use grass fed pastured beef)
  • 3-4 c chicken broth (I use organic free-range)
  • seasonings for cooking beef: garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, cumin, turmeric, dry mustard, chili powder
  • seasonings for bbq sauce: garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, turmeric, chili powder
  • ketchup
  • honey
  • liquid smoke

Slow cook beef in chicken broth and seasonings for cooking beef on low for 4-6 hours or until fully cooked but tender and juicy.  Drain meat and pull apart into shreds.  For the sauce, I mixed ketchup honey and seasonings for bbq sauce with a few drops of liquid  smoke, I am sorry I don’t have more accurate measurements, I have a bad habit of dash it, mix it, taste kind of cooking.