Homesteader's Heart

Happy Flowers!

2013-05-16T09:34:00.001-04:00

I just realized that my poor blog has been neglected the last few days. It’s no other reason but that I’ve had a VERY busy week. But not so busy that I didn’t have time to pick myself some flowers today.

As I looked out the front window this morning the Cosmos seem to be reaching towards the sun. This prompted me to take a few pictures and then pick myself a bouquet.

How about a Cosmo’s eye view?

If you have a brown thumb and want an easy flower to grow, cosmos are for you. If you let them go to seed, they will drop the seed and replant themselves automatically and you’ll have almost a constant supply of flowers year round. (in the warmer states of course) You do still have to pull out the old flowers though. I’m sure in the Summer these would do great up North though too. They grow so fast that even the weeds don’t stand a chance, so that’s a bonus right there.

Here’s this mornings bouquet.

Doesn’t it just make you happy?

Have a lovely day my friends.

OXOX,

Kim

Gooseberry Patch Giveaway!!! Featuring GARFIELD!

2013-05-10T11:42:00.001-04:00

*This giveaway is now closed.*

Are you ready to have some fun? Cause I am!

I am SO very excited to be having this giveaway. Why? Because this giveaway contains 3 of my favorite things. Gooseberry Patch, Cooking and GARFIELD!!!

Hi my name is Kim and I’ve loved Garfield since high school. (Which is a very long time!) Phew, confession is good.

When I heard that Gooseberry Patch was pairing up with Garfield to create a new cookbook I was virtually first in line, waving my hand frantically from my computer, asking to review the new cookbook. As you can see they obliged the slightly obsessed woman that sits here today. But enough about me, let’s talk about the cookbook.

I’ve got little green tabs sticking out all over this cookbook for recipes that I want to try. I’ve already tried 3 of them and they were a hit with the whole family.

Here’s the first one.

Crust-less Breakfast Pie

I believe Garfield was trying to get a taste before it went in the oven.

YUM! (Click on either picture for recipe)

Before I reveal the next recipe let me show you a few pages from the inside of the cookbook.

Isn’t it fun? Garfield makes his appearance on almost every page.

I LOVE THAT!

Turning each page made me smile….and hungry!

Bachelor-Style Skillet Lasagna

This recipe was quick, easy and delicious. Quite the perfect combination don’t you think? Not to mention it is one of Garfield’s favorite foods.

(Click picture for recipe.)

I also made this one.

Banana-Berry Smoothie, but you’ll have to get the Gooseberry Patch Garfield Recipes with Cattitude cookbook to see that recipe. *wink* It’s on page 99. And yes, those are my vintage Garfield mugs.

If you’re not convinced enough to want this cookbook, then how about a looksie at the table of contents?

BREAKFAST IS SERVED…TIME TO GET UP

FIRST LUNCH, THEN A CATNAP

SNACK ATTACK!

LOTSA LASAGNA PASTA & PIZZA

IT’S DINNER TIME……NOW!!!

DINNER IS OVER….WHAT’S FOR DESSERT?

So is your mouth watering yet? Are ya hankerin’ to get your hands on it? Well if you are then this is what you have to do. I’m using the rafflecopter because I think it makes things easier on you to do it all in one area. I’m all about saving you time. *smile*

If you don’t happen to win or you can’t wait that long, you can always buy it below.

P.S.If you “liked” my FB page I’ll be sharing other giveaways for this cookbook as they become available.

GOOD LUCK!

Kim

*this post does contain affiliate links*

Bachelor-Style Skillet Lasagna

2013-05-08T14:50:00.001-04:00

This recipe comes out of one of my now favorite cookbooks of the Gooseberry Patch collection. (Review of the book coming soon.)

I chose this recipe because I was in a pinch for time and it became a supreme hit with my family. Total thumbs up from everyone. So not only was it quick and easy, it was tasty too.

As always if I change something to make it a wee bit healthier or gluten free, it will be in italics.

Bachelor-Style Skillet Lasagna

1 lb. ground turkey or beef

2 14oz. cans of beef broth (I used chicken broth)

14-1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes (I used 1 jar of organic salsa)

1/4 t. Italian seasoning

1/4 t. garlic powder

2 c. rotini pasta, uncooked ( I used 1 16oz. bag of brown rice pasta shells)

1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Garnish: grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Brown meat in a skillet over medium heat; drain. Stir in broth, undrained tomatoes and seasonings; bring to a boil. Stir in uncooked pasta. Cover and simmer for 12 to 14 minutes, until pasta is tender. Stir in mozzarella cheese. Top with Parmesan cheese. Serves 4.

As always you can or you can use the printer friendly button below the post to print it out in pdf. format.

You can find this recipe on page 106 of Garfield...Recipes with Cattitude!

OXOX,

Kim

*this post contains affiliate links*

Crustless Breakfast Pie!

2013-05-08T14:48:00.001-04:00

I received another Gooseberry Patch cookbook to review and to say that I’m excited about this one is an understatement. I’m posting my recipes for the cookbook separate so the actual review (coming soon) won’t be so long.

This breakfast recipe was a big hit with the fam. It was hearty and filling. Any changes I make to the recipe are in italics everything else is original.

Crustless Breakfast Pie

Ingredients:

2 c. cooked potatoes, diced

1 to 2 T. butter

1/2 c. onion, chopped

1/2 c. red or green pepper, chopped

2/3 c. cooked ham or crisply cooked bacon, diced (I used bacon)

4 eggs, beaten

2 T. milk

Directions:

In a skillet over medium heat, cook potatoes in butter until golden, 5 to 6 minutes. Add onion and red or green pepper; cook until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat; stir in ham or bacon, salt and pepper. Spoon potato mixture into a lightly greased 9” pie plate. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Pour egg mixture over potato mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes ( I cooked for 25 minutes) , until eggs are set and center tests clean with a knife tip. Cut into wedges, Makes 4 to 6 servings.

You can find this recipe on page 8 of the Garfield...Recipes with Cattitude!cookbook.

But be on the lookout for my upcoming giveaway.

As always feel free to or you can print it by using the print friendly button below the post.

OXOX,

Kim

*this post contains affiliate links*

The Early Risers!

2013-05-06T08:01:00.001-04:00

Usually my hubby and I get a little irritated when our kids listen in on our conversations, but one particular conversation our kids listened in on turned out to be more beneficial than I ever imagined.

We were talking about how we have the most energy in the morning and how trying to go to bed at a decent hour allows us to get up and get started doing things. Fast forward to today. My boys 10 and 8 have been getting up early for the past week and they have had their school work done by 8:30 on most days. Woo! Hoo! This frees the rest of my day and their day up for more exploration.

My oldest son loves space and recently received a free telescope to mess around with. He’s having a blast with it and learning so much.

My youngest loves art and puzzles. He loves to go outside and explore.

They both are very involved with the caring of our chickens and maintaining our garden. They are learning important life skills by being able to hang out with Dad more. They are learning how to cook by hanging out with me more.

So to say I’m proud of my kiddos is an understatement. This was a decision they made all on their own and it was a conversation I’m glad they overheard and took to heart. We’ll see how long it lasts but for now this Momma is loving it.

(Still in their pajamas. Homeschooling at it’s finest!)

Have a lovely day.

OXOX,

Kim

Oatmeal-Cherry Cookies! Gluten Free Conversion

2013-05-02T14:41:00.001-04:00

This oatmeal cookie recipe is SO good. Well at least my conversion recipe is. LOL! I’m kidding I’m sure the original is good as well. You make which ever one you want and I’m sure you’ll be a happy camper.

Just remember that my conversions to the original recipe are in parenthesis and in italics.

OATMEAL-CHERRY COOKIES

Ingredients:

1 c. butter, softened (I used 1/2 c. coconut oil, melted and 1/2 cup softened butter)

1 c. brown sugar, packed (I used 1 c. Coconut Sugar )

1/2 c. sugar ( I omitted and it tasted just fine)

2 eggs, beaten

1 t. vanilla extract

1-1/2 c. all-purpose flour (I used a cup and a half of oat flour. Just grind your oats up either in a food processor or a coffee grinder. Make sure to use GF oats if you have serious reactions to gluten.)

1 t. baking soda

1 t. cinnamon

Optional: 1/2t. salt

3 c. long-cooking oats, uncooked

1 c. sweetened dried cherries (I used Eden Organic Dried Cranberries .)

Directions:

In a large bowl, blend together butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine flour (oat flour), baking soda, cinnamon and salt, if using. Mix well and add to butter mixture. Stir in oats and cherries. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, until golden. Cool for one minute on baking sheets; remove to a wire rack and cool completely. Makes 4 dozen (I didn’t quite get that many.)

You can find this yummy recipe and so many more in the Gooseberry Patch Cookbook, The Harvest Table.

And as always, feel free to use the handy “printer friendly button” below the post or you can to save for later.

Also, if you have some of their books already and have a recipe you would like to see converted please don’t hesitate to ask. Here is a link with the books that I have on hand.

AND just so you know, Gooseberry Patch has given me permission to do this conversion thing for you, because they rock. *smile*

OXOX,

Kim

*This post does contain affiliate links. It helps pay for this ol’ blog. *smile*

I’m Puzzled!

2013-04-30T13:47:00.001-04:00

Recently I had the idea of getting one of our small tables out so we could put puzzles together. It was one of those desperate Momma moments. The kids were bored and following me around the house. I knew I had to do something quick. That’s when I spied a puzzle in their room. I then ran swiftly into my room and grabbed the table under the bed and set it up.

“Puzzle! Go get a puzzle, any puzzle. Sit down and do a puzzle.” I said ever so softly and gently. *cough*

You know what? I found that I had missed doing puzzles myself. From that point on any time one of us had a few minutes, we’d sit down, put in a few pieces and walk away. It was a great boredom buster for all of us. For me it was more of a mental break.

Here is the puzzle we did a few weeks ago. My middle man picked this one out. I must not have gotten a finished picture. But let’s just say there was A LOT of blue in this puzzle making it quite difficult, but fun.

And then little man picked this one out and did 95% of it himself. Not bad for a 7 year old. Oh and it’s 3-D too, which added a little twist on it. This one had a lot of GREEN in it.

Here is the most recently finished puzzle. It’s the one I got at a garage sale for 50 cents. The fact that it was a Gooseberry Patch puzzle just made it all the more enjoyable to do. I admit that I wanted to do most of this myself and told the kids to ~~back off~~ let mommy do it. I did however let my hubby help because it was fun to sit and chat while we worked on it.

Well there you have it, one of my favorite boredom busters. Do you do puzzles? When was the last one you put together? If it’s been awhile I encourage you to find one at a garage sale and do it. It’s very therapeutic.

Have a lovely day my friends.

OXOX,

Kim

Whole-Wheat Soda Bread- Gluten Free Conversion

2013-04-26T13:02:00.001-04:00

This recipe comes out of the Gooseberry Patch cookbook Fresh from the Farmstand .

One of the biggest requests when it comes to gluten free, is bread. So when I found this Whole-Wheat Soda Bread recipe, I thought I’d give it a shot. I’ve never made this the regular way before so I have nothing to compare it to but my whole family liked the conversion recipe. I also try to make the conversions easy. I don’t like using unnecessary ingredients if I don’t have to.

Please see my notes at the bottom of the recipe for additional instructions and as always my adjustments will be along side the original recipe in parenthesis and italics.

Whole-Wheat Soda Bread

Serves:4 (I say more like 6-8)

Ingredients:

1 c. all-purpose flour (1 cup of oat flour using GF oatmeal if you want it guaranteed GF, I just ground it up in my coffee grinder)

1 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

2 T. sugar (I used Coconut Sugar )

2 c. whole-wheat flour (I used brown rice flour )

1-1/2 c. buttermilk

1 T. butter, melted

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. Add whole-wheat flour; mix well. Add buttermilk; stir only until moistened. Turn dough onto a floured surface. Knead gently for about 2 minutes, until ingredients are well mixed and dough is smooth. Form dough into a ball; place on a lightly greased baking sheet. pat into an 8-inch circle. With a floured knife, mark dough into 4 wedges by cutting halfway through to the bottom. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes, or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Brush with butter; cool on a wire rack.

*My notes: As with anything gluten free, the dough is going to be sticky VERY sticky so make sure you have plenty of flour on your surface before dumping it onto the counter. Then have plenty of brown rice flour to handle it and make it so it can be formed into an 8 inch circle. I probably used another 1/2 cup to a cup of brown rice flour to accomplish this. Here is a picture of how it looked before going into the oven.*

At this point I was able to shape it and place it on a baking stone that I oiled a smidge.

Here is what it looked like coming out of the oven and brushed with butter.

This went very well with the soup I had made and it has a scone kind of feel to it. Because it has no yeast or eggs it is kind of dense but still very tasty. My husband said it was “hearty”.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to ask. You can find the book that this recipe is in below.

And as always, feel free to use the handy “printer friendly button” below the post or you can button to save for later.

Also, if you have some of their books already and have a recipe you would like to see converted please don’t hesitate to ask. Here is a link with the books that I have on hand.

AND just so you know, Gooseberry Patch has given me permission to do this conversion thing for you, because they rock. *smile*

OXOX,

Kim

*This post does include affiliate links that help support my blog. Thank you*

Homesteader’s Having Fun- Our Maiden Voyage!

2013-04-25T11:07:00.001-04:00

Yesterday we finally got to take our boat out for the first time as a family. We’ve had a “little” bit of stress lately so it was nice to leave it behind for even just a few hours.

It was such a fun day. Our besties joined us in their boat and we went to the sandbar to play around.

Here are some pics of our trip.

Heading out.

Chillin’ out and eating some lunch.

I think I’m looking for our missing crew member here. LOL! Not sure what everyone else is doing. HA!

Me and my bestest!

The kids and I. And no we didn’t make the kids wear their life jackets the whole time. We forgot to tell them that they could take them off. LOL!

Playful pup Stormie.

Tired pup.

Our Besties!

My hubby took video of a hermit crab underwater. It’s really neat. I found myself wanting to hold my breath while I was watching it, cause I’m weird like that.

OXOX,

Kim

My Newest Project!

2013-04-22T12:39:00.001-04:00

You know, because my life isn’t complete without a project. A project that I’ve never attempted before. One that requires knowing what you’re doing and stuff.

But hey, it’ll be fun right? Yeah, the fun is in the process and the learning and the not knowing what you’re doing and the hoping you don’t totally mess it up. Yes, FUN is what I’m going to have. I’m going to have Fun Fun Fun till my Daddy takes the T-bird away. Yuuup!

Our good friends gave us these two pieces. At first I wasn’t sure if I wanted the project, but the more I looked at the pieces the more I saw the potential of what could be.

My first question to them was “You won’t be sad if I totally redo these right?” And they said, “Once it’s yours it’s yours and you can do whatever you want to them.” I said okay, and here they are.

As you can see they are antique. In their prime they were expensive pieces of furniture.

They need some love. Lots of love. I hope I haven’t lost that lovin’ feeling.

I have an idea of what I want to do but I’d love to hear some suggestions and ideas from you all.

If they were yours what would you do?

OXOX,

Kim

Almond Chicken! GF Gooseberry Patch Conversion Recipe!

2013-04-19T12:28:00.001-04:00

Here is the next installment of my series of converting Gooseberry Patch recipes to gluten free.

Although this one didn’t have a lot of things to change I still wanted to share it with you as it received thumbs up from the whole family.

As always my conversion notes will be in italics.

Almond Chicken

1/3 c. soy sauce (I used GF Organic Tamari Soy Sauce )

1 t. garlic powder

3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

1/2 c. whole wheat flour (I used brown rice flour)

1/2 c. almonds, finely chopped (I put these through the processor to make it easier)

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. pepper

2 T. corn oil ( I used coconut oil)

cooked rice or lo mein noodles (I used Organic Brown Basmati Rice)

Combine soy sauce and garlic powder in a large bowl; add chicken. Let stand for about 20 minutes; drain. In a separate bowl, combine flour, almonds, salt and pepper. Add chicken to flour mixture; toss to coat lightly. Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add chicken mixture and reduce heat to medium. Cover and cook, stirring often, for about 20 minutes, until chicken juices run clear. Serve over cooked rice or noodles.

Makes 8 servings.

You can find this recipe and many more in Gooseberry Patch’s Mom's Very Best Recipes .

And as always, feel free to use the handy “printer friendly button” below the post or you can for later.

Also, if you have some of their books already and have a recipe you would like to see converted please don’t hesitate to ask. Here is a link with the books that I have on hand.

AND just so you know, Gooseberry Patch has given me permission to do this conversion thing for you, because they rock. *smile*

OXOX,

KIM

*this post does include affiliate links*

There’s A New Bird in Town!

2013-04-18T14:19:00.001-04:00

Actually I should say birds because just recently we’ve had two new bird species in our little neck of the woods.

We captured this guy “a painted bunting” on our feeder and bird bath numerous times in the past week.

The picture isn’t great. It was really hard to capture him because he goes from one place to the other so quickly. Plus this was taken inside the house. But I think you can still see the vibrant colors of this beautiful bird. You can learn more about him and see better photos of him here.

Then we have the great crested flycatcher.

They are making their home in this bird house that my hubby put on the side of a pine tree.

They have been so busy putting all sorts of different nesting materials in there. This particular species will hunt down a snakes skin to hang outside the house in order to ward off potential predators. Smart eh?

This is the best picture we could get so far. He or she was just coming out of the hole and flying off to get more nesting material.

You can read more about these cute little birds here if you so choose.

I love that every day has the potential to learn something new. My kids don’t even realize they are learning because we are having so much fun looking up each species we see and finding out more about them. Fun stuff.

Do you have any new birds in your neck of the woods?

OXOX,

Simple Doesn’t Always Mean Easy

2013-04-16T08:44:00.001-04:00

Lying in bed this morning I got to thinking about some of my goals and pursuits. One of them being to live a more “simple” life. (Because I’ve already lived the hectic, fast paced life.) But when I thought about the things we do that I consider “simple”, I realize that simple doesn’t mean easy.

For example, hanging clothes out on a line isn’t as easy as throwing them in the dryer and walking away. (P.S. I don’t hang them out in the Summer because of mosquitoes, humidity and heat and the fact that I’m a baby; and I don’t feel guilty about it. *smile*)

Growing your own food instead of just going to the market is not that easy either. (Yes, I still need to go to the market but I don’t spend as much.)

Raising chickens takes work and dedication.

Putting up food and cooking from scratch takes way more time and effort than just buying something premade or canned. (It’s better for you too.)

Here is the definition of the word simple.

sim·ple

1.easy to understand, deal with, use.

2. not elaborate or artificial.

3. not ornate or luxurious; unadorned.

4. unaffected; unassuming; modest.

5. not complicated.

Nowhere does it say easy and that’s okay. There is still joy in this journey and our pursuits.

The fact of the matter is, it’s worth it, it really is. We get so much back from our efforts of simplicity. Things like fresh air and hearing birds sing while hanging clothes, free entertainment given by our silly chickens, the amazement each and every time we get to go out and pick our own vegetables, the joy of my family telling me how much they love what I made for dinner.

I love it, easy or not.

This is simplicity to me. Simplicity may look different to you and that’s okay. Just make sure you find your joy in your journey.

OXOX,

Today’s Harvest!

2013-04-15T15:07:00.001-04:00

I love picking produce from our own garden. It’s so inspiring, so fun, so wicked cool.

Today we harvested our first round of green beans and lettuce. We (hubby) planted 4 types of beans. We have bush, wax, purple and dragon tongue. I LOVE the diversity of them all.

We are still getting tons of brussels sprouts and jalapeno’s are in abundance. I may have to make jalapeno poppers before the season is over. Tomatoes are on their way out but our zucchini and cucumbers are doing great. We should be harvesting them next month.

I tell ya, with my husband being laid off I appreciate our bounty now more than ever.

Have a lovely day and thanks for stopping by.

OXOX,

Top 10 Ways I Save Money!

2013-04-12T11:44:00.001-04:00

I believe that in being the keeper of our homes, saving money is one way we can bless our husbands. And with my hubbalicious’s job coming to an impending end I thought I’d review some of the ways I like to save a little moolah.

It’s easy to forget these things when all is well and you are living in the land of plenty but when times get a little tougher they’re what keeps us afloat. (That and trusting in the Lord of course.)

Here they are in no particular order.

I line dry our clothes. (Weather permitting) I’ve said it quite a few times how much money this has saved us.
Planning and making meals at home. Eating out with the whole family is expensive so we usually save it for special occasions.
Working out at home. Gyms can be expensive in membership, time and gas.
I use Vitacost to buy most of my dry goods, shampoos, soaps etc. I save tons of money. I explain it more in this post.
When we have to run the air I keep it turned up to between 80-81. Any lower and it will run forever to try to keep up with this Florida heat.
We grow a lot of our own veggies. Even if you don’t have a big yard, you can do a small plot and plant a few of your favorites or you can put them in pots. Tomatoes do great in pots as do peppers.
Staying home. I’m a homebody and actually enjoy being home all day. Yup, even with the kids. If I’m not in the stores I can’t spend money or waste gas.
Make a list. If you do need to go to the store of some necessity, make and take a list and stick to it.
Budget. We have used the Envelope Method since the beginning of our marriage and it helped get us through a job loss 6 years ago. I HIGHLY recommend system.
And last but not least, buy second hand if you can. That goes for clothes, furniture, books etc. Some of my favorite places are Craigslist, Amazon (free kindle books) thrift stores etc.

What do you do to save money?

Feel free to .

OXOX,

In the Yard - April - New Growth

2013-04-10T16:38:00.001-04:00

I decided to do a little walk about the yard today. It was so nice outside it was hard to stay inside. I brought my camera with me because you never know what you might see.

I started to realize there is a lot of new things springing up or getting ready to.

Like this gardenia bud.

I can’t wait till it blooms. It makes the back yard smell heavenly. Especially when I’m out hanging clothes.

Then I went over to check on our blueberries and grape vine. We had thought that they had kicked the bucket but look at all that new growth.

And looky here. Another pineapple peeking through. I LOVE fresh pineapple.

Our strawberry plants have been spitting out strawberries here and there. And our front flower area has a bunch of new wild flowers popping up.

We (hubby) put a lot of starter plants in the ground a few weeks ago and they are doing really well. We have some brussels sprouts in the back there that are still producing from this Winter. YUM!

That’s the update to what’s new in the yard.

What’s popping up around your yard?
OXOX,

A Lot Can Happen In A Week

2013-04-09T08:29:00.001-04:00

A wise pastor once preached a sermon on the very topic of how our lives can change in just a week. This pastor was the husband of my good friend Cheryl that went to be with the Lord unexpectedly last October. My pastor friend lived those words he spoke to the fullest that week.

The week before last I lost a friend to cancer. He was only 35 years old and leaves behind a beautiful young wife and a precious 2 year old boy. That week changed the course of their lives forever.

This past week out of the blue the government decided to shut down my husbands whole department and lay everyone off. So in less then 2 weeks, my husband won’t have a job.

So those are the bad things. Now let’s look at the good.

We are in a very humbling position which causes us to rely FULLY on the Lord. We’ve been here before and we’ve seen Him work miraculously through it all.

Since hearing of the lay off our friends have been so wonderful as to inquire about our needs. They are offering whatever they can to help us. That alone warms my heart and gives me such peace.

It’s an unseen adventure waiting to start. We are definitely praying about what road to pursue. We’ve always wanted to be self sufficient so we are brain storming about what we could do there. We have some ideas but aren’t 100% sure yet. My hubby is looking to see what jobs are available as well. We figure we need to walk in faith towards each door and see which one swings open and which ones remain closed. But the key is to start walking. I am hoping that this adventure doesn’t involve extremely high mountains to climb. *wink*

We’ll be clinging to this verse while we travel this road.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

So as the road of uncertainty lies ahead of us, we walk in confidence that the Lord shall supply all our needs according to His riches in glory.

How can I pray for you today?

OXOX,

Slow Cooker Hot Fudge Sundae Cake (GF Conversion)

2013-04-08T09:07:00.001-04:00

I’ve got another Gooseberry Patch recipe conversion for you. You’re going to LOVE this recipe.

When I asked the question on my FB page about what people missed the most when going gluten free, most of the answers involved dessert. I know with us, that seemed to be the biggest issue.

With that said I decided to convert another dessert recipe for you. I made this two nights in a row and the second night it was eaten by someone who admitted to not liking gluten free desserts in the past and he ended up really liking it.

(As always my conversions and comments are in italic and surrounded by parentheses.)

Hot Fudge Sundae Cake

Serves: 6-8

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

1 c. all-purpose flour (I used 3/4 c. sorghum flour and 1/4 c. arrowroot powder)

1/2 c. sugar ( I used coconut sugar)

6 T. baking cocoa, divided

2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1/2 c. milk (I used Almond Milk)

2 T. oil (I used coconut oil)

1 t. vanilla extract

1/2 c. chopped nuts (I put walnuts in the first time and omitted them the second time and I liked it better without the nuts. Just my opinion, either way was good.)

3/4 c. brown sugar, packed (I only used a 1/2 cup of coconut sugar and it was plenty sweet)

1-1/2 c. hot water

(Try adding a tablespoon or two of instant coffee to the hot water. It turns this into a mocha chocolate sundae, I’m just sayin’.)

Directions:

Spray a 2 to 3 quart slow cooker with non-stick vegetable spray. In a bowl, stir together flour, sugar, 2 tablespoons baking cocoa, baking powder and salt. Stir in milk, oil and vanilla. Fold in nuts. (Mixture will be thick) Spread batter evenly in slow cooker. In a separate bowl, combine brown sugar and remaining baking cocoa; stir in hot water until smooth. Pour evenly over batter in slow cooker. Do not stir. Cover and cook on high setting for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Turn off slow cooker. Let cake stand, uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes before serving. Spoon warm cake into dessert dishes; spoon sauce from slow cooker over top.

(This makes a yummy fudge sauce that sits on the bottom, make sure you scoop that up with the cake when serving.)

Feel free to it and use the handy dandy print button below the post.

You can find this recipe on page 158 of this wonderful Gooseberry Patch book.

Click the logo at the top of this post for more GF conversion recipes.

OXOX,

*This post does include affiliate links.*

It’s Party Time! {2013 Ultimate Blog Party}

2013-04-05T08:28:00.001-04:00

Hi and Welcome to my little corner of the blogosphere. My name is Kim and I’ve been blogging for over 5 years now.

As with most bloggers I’ve had to take breaks and regroup from time to time but I’m excited about moving forward and what the future holds.

This party reminds me of that old girl scout song. “Make new friends but keep the old, some are silver but the others gold.” I love all of the friends that have been with me from the beginning but I’m always up to meeting new ones too. Either way, friendships are a treasure you get to have while here on earth.

So let me tell you about some of the hats I wear.

I am the wife of an amazing man and mom to 3 pretty spectacular children.

I’m a homeschool mom and still homeschool my 2 boys and have one official graduate.

I love to cook and have recently decided upon a new Gluten Free cooking endeavor having to do with my Gooseberry Patch books.

I love to craft, draw and sew and you can find some of my past projects up above in the Craft section.

I love homemaking and embracing the simple life once again. I try my best to show you ways to save money and make your house a home.

Did I mention we have chickens and a garden? Well we do and there are definite adventures that go along with those things as well.

Most importantly I am a child of God and without Him I am nothing.

So if you’re looking for an average Mom who blogs about all the things mentioned above, then I hope you take the time to say hello. I’ll be sure to return the favor.

You can also find me here.

My Homesteader’s Heart FB Page

Twitter (Though I admit, I really don’t know what I’m doing yet.)

Now it’s your turn. Come be a part of this years UBP2013 – where you can find more partying blogs, or link up your own at 5 Minutes For Mom!

OXOX,

Easy Shredded Chicken!

2013-04-04T08:20:00.001-04:00

Some of you may or may not have already seen this little time saver, so this is for the have nots.

If you’re like me, in the past you shredded your chicken using to forks and and pulling it apart slowly and dreadfully. Well hold onto your hats girls because shredded chicken just got easy. That is if you have a stand mixer.

First of all you want to cook your chicken thoroughly. Then while it’s still hot, cut it in half and put it in your stand mixer. Probably no more than 4 pieces (8 halves) at a time. You don’t want your chicken flying out of your bowl. Trust me on this one. Start out on slow and work your way up to medium high speed.

Watch the video to see just how quick and easy this is. It took all of 34 seconds.

Have you seen or tried this tip before?

Have a lovely day.

OXOX,

Kim

The Painted House: Before and After!

2013-04-03T10:27:00.001-04:00

Okay, I’m not going to go into a big back story here. Let’s just say that the house was in dire need of a new paint job. Our old house was yellow, this house was yellow and most people would probably just paint it yellow again. We ain’t most people.

My hubby and I both agreed we wanted a drastic change. My dream home would be something very cottagey looking but sometimes you gotta take what you can get and even though this house is lovely, it’s very modern on the outside. So we felt the need to throw our neighbors for a serious loop and paint it……YELLOW! Just kidding.

Here are the before pictures of when we moved in 2 years ago, and the after pictures that I took like, yesterday. I’m a little nervous. Not that you have to like it, because we like it, but my very nature wants everyone to like it. So do me a favor and just like it, even if you don’t. *wink*

When we first started painting it, we had some people that weren’t so sure, but now they love it. I think they just had to see it done. It does grow on you. Not that it had to grow on me, I already liked it. Okay, I’m shutting up. Maybe.

The front area is still a work in progress but it has come a long way since the beginning.

Well there you have it.

What color is your house?

OXOX,

Kim

Blog Post Challenge

2013-04-02T07:27:00.001-04:00

My dear friend Lisa from Stop and Smell the Chocolates has posed a challenge on her blog. It will probably be a nice kick in the butt for me as I too have been getting a bit lazy when it comes to blogging. That and I convince myself that you’ve heard it all before, and maybe you have if you’ve been with me as long as Lisa has. *smile*

But no matter. I’m going to give it a shot (minus the fact that I didn’t post yesterday). You’ve been warned. Who knows what I’ll pull out of this ol’ noggin’ o’ mine. I just wanted to use a lot of ‘ ‘ ‘ in that sentence. Yup.

Like I said, you’ve been warned.

If you feel up to the challenge click on the picture to get all the details and let her know that you’re participating.

XOXO,

Kim

Cinnamon Apples

2013-03-28T08:38:00.001-04:00

I recently wrote a post about my new cooking endeavor with Gooseberry Patch Cookbooks. You can read about that here.

While I was flipping through one of my Gooseberry Patch cookbooks for my first converted recipe, I stumbled across this one. It looked really quick and easy. A combination I love.

Although this recipe was already gluten free I did modify it to make it a bit healthier. My adaptations will be in parenthesis.

Imagine eating the inside of an apple pie. That what this taste like.

Cinnamon Apples

Serves 4-6

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 10-15 minutes

Ingredients:

2 T. Butter (Use the butter, embrace the butter)

4 apples, peeled, cored and sliced (I used 5, mine were small)

1/3 c. brown sugar (I used Coconut Sugar, it’s way better for you)

2 T. lemon juice (I use bottled Organic Lemon Juice , it’s just quicker and easier)

3/4 t. cinnamon

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add remaining ingredients; cook and stir until apples are golden and soft. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

(I chose to add whipped cream to this using REAL cream and it just sent this over the edge.)

This recipe can be found on page 143 in this Gooseberry Patch cookbook.

Remember you can use the handy print it button below the post to convert this recipe into a pdf. And please feel free to if you so choose.

Click the logo at the top of the post for more GF conversion recipes.

OXOX,

Kim

*This post does include Affiliate links *

A New Cooking Endeavor

2013-03-26T16:56:00.001-04:00

Earlier this week I ran an idea past one of the many fabulous people that work for Gooseberry Patch.

I asked her if it would be okay if I started a new series on my blog focusing on converting those already yummy Gooseberry Patch book recipes into a healthier, gluten free version. And you know what she told me? She told me to go for it. Yay!! I love those people.

What does this mean to you? This means I will show you just how easy it is to convert any ol’ down home, Momma’s cookin’, full of fat and calories recipe into a bit of a healthier version. Also, if you happen to own any of the cookbooks that I’m going to list below, you can send me a request for a certain recipe that you’d like to see converted and I will put that at the top of my list to make.

Here’s what I won’t be using in the recipes:

cream of “chicken/mushroom/celery” canned soups
margarine
processed cheese
processed sugar
White/Wheat Flour
etc.

Here’s what I will be using

real butter
coconut oil
real cheese
gluten free flours
coconut sugar
etc.

I am not a dietician and I won’t be going into detail of why I’m using certain ingredients because you can do the research yourself if you’re interested.

But here’s my advice to you if you are just getting started with the whole gluten free thing. READ LABELS! They add gluten to a lot of things. I did my label reading and know what to buy instinctively but I may not list my brand of baking soda etc every time I mention it. I’m leaving that up to you to research.

One note about oatmeal. We don’t use the GF oatmeal because we tolerate the regular just fine. Some people can’t and I advise you to use the gluten free brand if you have severe allergic reactions.

I’m bringing back the term “from scratch”.

And who knows I may do a couple of videos, just for fun!

I hope you’re as excited about this as I am.

Now here’s a list of the cookbooks that I currently have and will be converting recipes from.

Slow Cooking All Year Round

The Christmas Table

Rush-Hour Recipes

Farmhouse Kitchen

Simple Short Cut Recipes

Mom’s Very Best Recipes

Best Ever Cookies

Fresh From the Farmstand

The Harvest Table

101 Hearty Recipes

101 Cozy Casseroles

101 Farmhouse Favorites

101 Easy Everyday Recipes

More to come…..

Make sure you stay in touch to see what fun things are going on.

Feel free to follow me on my Homesteader’s Heart FB page

Twitter or Pinterest.

OXOX,

Kim

Spring Cleaning Made Easy!

2013-03-18T10:31:00.001-04:00

I’m really hoping that the title is true. (Of course easy to me would mean someone else actually doing the work for me.)

I don’t look forward to Spring Cleaning (I’m not sure who does) but I know it’s a necessary evil. With that said I’ve decided to join in with Home Your Way and their Spring Cleaning Made Easy series. It starts today. Please join me so I know I’m not alone. *smile*

Have a lovely day!

OXOX,

Kim

Homesteader's Heart

Happy Flowers!

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Crustless Breakfast Pie!

The Early Risers!

Oatmeal-Cherry Cookies! Gluten Free Conversion

I’m Puzzled!

Whole-Wheat Soda Bread- Gluten Free Conversion

Homesteader’s Having Fun- Our Maiden Voyage!

My Newest Project!

Almond Chicken! GF Gooseberry Patch Conversion Recipe!

There’s A New Bird in Town!

Simple Doesn’t Always Mean Easy

sim·ple

1.easy to understand, deal with, use.

Today’s Harvest!

Top 10 Ways I Save Money!

In the Yard - April - New Growth

A Lot Can Happen In A Week

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Slow Cooker Hot Fudge Sundae Cake (GF Conversion)

It’s Party Time! {2013 Ultimate Blog Party}

Easy Shredded Chicken!

The Painted House: Before and After!

Blog Post Challenge

Cinnamon Apples

A New Cooking Endeavor

Spring Cleaning Made Easy!

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.