Homemaker Gone Natural

…live life naturally!


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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.


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Pasta Noodles

Yes, pasta noodles.  With this recipe that I found here, I make my lasagna noodles, multi-purpose broad noodles and really thin noodles I use as spaghetti.  It was way easier than I thought making my own pasta would be.

     Pasta Noodles

  • 2 1/3 c whole wheat flour (I milled a combo of hard red, hard white and soft white for this)
  • 1/2 sea salt
  • 2 eggs (beaten)
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1 t olive oil

Mix flour and salt together in a large mixing bowl.  Make a large pit in the mixture.  Pour your beaten eggs into the pit then add the water and oil.  Stir until the ingredients are all combined.  Put on well floured surface and knead.  Begin rolling out dough with a floured rolling pin.  If the dough begins to stick to your surface, just lift it up and sprinkle more flour under.  Once dough is about 1/8″ in thickness or less, cut with knife or pizza cutter into desired shape.  Photo below was from my lasagna noodles. 1 recipe of this dough made enough for exactly one 3 layered lasagna in a 9×13 dish.

 


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Salmon Patties

I am not a huge fish fan, BUT I will eat tuna and sometimes salmon.  This salmon patty recipe is one of my favorite ones so far.

      Salmon Patties

  • 14 oz salmon (wild caught)
  • 1 egg (free range)
  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs (I save from my fresh milled bread)
  • 1 t worcestershire sauce (use a good quality one with natural ingredients)
  • olive oil for frying

In a bowl mix together all ingredients.  Heat small amount of oil in a skillet on med-low.  Grab golf ball sized amount  of salmon and pat it into a flat patty and place into skillet cook 5-7 min turning once, you just want a nice brown crusting to form on each side.

 


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Homemade Natural Dish Liquid

This is what I use when I hand wash my dishes:

  • 1/2 c liquid castile soap ( I use Dr Bronners Castile Soap )
  • 1/8 c water
  • 4 drops essential oil scent of choice (I often use Peppermint, if you aren’t using the vodka, I would choose an oil that is disinfecting)
  • 1 t Vodka (you can omit this if you choose not to have this in your home)*
I shook it up a little to show you just how sudsy this could be 🙂

*Changed Vinegar to Vodka because Dr. Bronners brand suggests never mixing vinegar and castile soap… I figure they probably know what they are talking about 😉