Homesteader's Heart

Gluten Free Banana Nut Muffins

2013-06-18T11:42:00.001-04:00

These are so yummy, you’ll buy extra bananas just to make them.

Gluten Free Banana Nut Muffins

1 cup of coconut sugar or sugar of choice

1/2 cup of coconut oil

2 large eggs

3-4 bananas, mashed

1/2 cup almond or coconut milk

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups brown rice flour

1/2 cup arrowroot powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease your muffin pans and set aside.

Mix sugar and oil together in a large bowl. Stir in eggs until well blended. Add bananas, milk and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Stir in flours, baking soda and salt just until moistened. Stir in the nuts. Scoop into muffin pans.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes. Cool in pans for 5 minutes. Remove and let them finish cooling on a wire rack.

Enjoy them warm with a little bit of real butter on top. YUMMO!!

Makes 12 muffins.

5+5+5 Day 4 and 5 Living Room and Office.

2013-06-14T17:15:00.001-04:00

I didn’t get on here much yesterday due to a birthday in the family so I’ll combine both days today. I’m sure it’s more for my benefit than yours that I’m doing it but I thank you for putting up with me. *smile* I’ve got some Summer Fun stuff coming up in the near future.

Let’s get right to it shall we? My family is waiting on me to make dinner. LOL!

Here’s the purge from the office that I did a couple of months ago. I didn’t get rid of it all but I cleaned it out and put it in the attic until further notice so I could concentrate more on the homeschool aspect of my life. It was a lot of stuff.

In the living room I got rid of some extra things that really didn’t have a place.

Well that concludes this years purgefest.

So how about you? Did you get rid of anything this week. I know a few of you were going to get rid of some stuff. How did you do?

Have a lovely weekend!

OXOX,

Kim

5+5+5 Day 3: The Kids Room

2013-06-12T12:32:00.001-04:00

Half way through the week already and the purgefest is going full speed.

For this purge I decided to give my boys the option of letting Mom go in and purge alone or letting them have complete control over what gets purged by doing it themselves. They chose to do it themselves (wise choice) and I have to say that they did a pretty good job.

That box is FULL of stuff and my oldest son even helped his little brother go through his dresser and sort out all the clothes that were too small.

So very proud of them.

If you just can’t get enough of my junk you can go back to The Kitchen Purge and the Closet Purge to see more. It’s mind blowing stuff I tell ya.

And you can still join in if you’d like. Here’s the post with all the days on it. It’s only 5 days. Come on, you can do it.

On another note. We are gearing up for Summer Fun. I’ll have a good time showing you what’s going on and maybe give you some good ideas for your own Summer O’ Fun!

Have a lovely day my friends.

OXOX,

Kim

5+5+5 Day 2: The Closet!

2013-06-11T10:36:00.001-04:00

I finally came to grips that there are just some shoes that aren’t worth wearing. I can’t stand to be uncomfortable and some of these shoes are just that, uncomfortable. Some are to big and one pair is just down right ugly. So saying good by was not difficult at all.

As far as the clothes, I really don’t have a whole lot to start with (I hate clothes shopping). In fact I think I actually keep clothes that I know I won’t wear just to make it look like I have more to choose from. Yeah, I’m all about rational thinking here.

So here’s my purge for today. Definitely over 5 items and it felt good to rid myself of more things.

Feel free to jump in whenever you like. You can always come back and leave your link in the comment section if you blog about your purge or you could simply tell me what you’ve chucked thus far.

Here’s the link to yesterday’s post for the Kitchen Purge.

Tomorrow is the Kids Room. Boy have they been busy. I’m so proud of them.

Have a lovely day my friends and thanks for stopping by each day.

OXOX,

Kim

5+5+5 Day1: The Kitchen

2013-06-10T11:45:00.001-04:00

Purging has been so freeing. I love getting rid of stuff I no longer need or use. It frees up so much space and I’m able to better organize what I do need and use.

I mainly purged out of my hutch but I was also able to FINALLY part with some of my Christmas mugs. *GASP* I’ve been collecting Christmas mugs for a very long time and my original intent was to use them at our Christmas parties, which I did, twice, out of almost 17 years of Christmas parties. *sigh* I did keep a few to hang on my cup holder at Christmas time, because you still have to have pretty mugs to have your coffee in.

Here’s a few of pictures of my purge.

The infamous Christmas mugs. Goodbye old friends. *sniff* Just kidding, I’ll be fine in a year or two.

All of this came out of my hutch. I had WAY to many candles that I haven’t burned for one reason or another and a sign that no longer matches my decor, a hugs vase that only looks good when when it’s got a couple of dozen roses in it (which it hasn’t had in many a moons) and then just some random tea light holders. Now I have lots more room in my hutch to spread out the stuff I do use. Yay, me!

I love aprons but I never use these because one is WAY to hot and the other I made WAY to big. The rest is just stuff that was shoved in the back of a cupboard.

As you can see, I definitely purged more than 5 items. I knew I would but I didn’t want to put that kind of pressure on myself, cause I’d cave and not do anything, because I’m good like that.

So I know a few of you wanted to join in so I thought it would be easy for you just to leave your link in a comment. I’ll be sure to check out your progress as well.

Up Tomorrow: The Closet! Dun dun dun!!

Click Here to see the whole line up this week.

OXOX,

Kim

Old Fashioned Blogging!

2013-06-07T12:18:00.001-04:00

Or you could even call it Old School Blogging. I miss it. I don’t think I’ve ever strayed to far from it but I miss it from other people.

I’ve been blogging for over 6 years now and believe me you can look back at my archives and see that not only my writing, but my photos have come a long way. But I believe that to be a positive thing. It’s when I found myself writing just to get comments or clicks or likes that I found the joy of blogging diminishing. I even went as far as taking a little break last year.

So many of my friends that I met through blogging have quit. Gave up for one reason or another. I miss them. My reader that was once full of stories about family life and homestead happenings are now full of organizing tips, Pinterest links and giveaways. I still follow those other blogs but nothing is being said. They remain silent.

When I blog I want it to be because I believe in something, something I’m passionate about. When I have a giveaway it’s because I want to share the love. When I give a hint or tip, it’s because it’s helped me personally and I’ve got to share it with my peeps. When I share a funny story, it’s because I want you to laugh right along side me.

This blog is a reflection of me and who I am. That can’t change. I’ll never have just one niche. I’m too complicated for that. *smile*

Money Saving Mom wrote a great article about Breaking the Blogging Rules.

And you can find another great article here about going back to old fashioned blogging.

So you may never find high quality photos or front pages news here but you will find a gal who’s passionate about living her life out (Lord willing) to the best of her ability and who feels the need to share it with you because she knows you sit on the edge of your seats waiting for the next big post. *cough* She also knows her way around a run-on sentence.

So there you have it. My post, without a cool picture in it or anything. I’m a rebel and don’t you forget it. *smile*

Have a lovely day

OXOX,

Kim

The 5+5+5 Challenge!

2013-06-05T08:28:00.001-04:00

Yes, I realize there are about 5 million and 2 challenges going on in blog world right now but none of them seemed to suit my needs right here, right now. So what does one do? She creates her own challenge in hopes that there is at least one person out there that hasn’t already done all the other 5 million and 2. Either way, I’m doing it and I’m going to blog about it to hold myself accountable.

Okay, here are the deets (that’s cool talk for details).

5 Days (because any more than that and I’m not gonna do it. I’ve already proven that).

5 Rooms (because most of us have at least 5 rooms right?)

5 Things (and by things I mean anything you don’t need or want anymore.)

Every year I go through a phase where I feel the urge to purge. I’m feeling the urge right now and I wanted to go for it before it passes. (That sentence just gets weirder and weirder the more you say it.) Anyhoo, if you’ve been wanting to go through your home and get rid of a “few” things (that’s why I picked 5 and not 10), then feel free to join in.

Next week, Monday-Friday I’m going to pick 5 rooms. (You pick whatever rooms you want)

These Rooms:

Monday: Kitchen

Tuesday: Closet

Wednesday: Kids room

Thursday: Office

Friday: Living Room

Then I’m going to gather my 5 (or more if I feel so led) things, take a picture (for justification) and then blog about my surreal experience of my purgefest.

If I have enough takers I’ll produce a linky at the bottom of my post for you to link up. If I don’t that’s okay too. I’m still gonna do it.

So what do you say? You in? If you don’t have a blog you can always just tell me in the comment section what you got rid of each day. That way you have some accountability.

Here’s the really sad button I made for it. Can you tell I was rushed or have no idea what I’m doing? Either way, here it is.

Hopefully I’ll see you next week.

Have a wonderful day my friends.

OXOX,

Kim

Bridal Show!

2013-06-03T14:57:00.001-04:00

No, I’M not going to be in a bridal show. No one wants a 40+ something year old woman modeling their wedding gowns. I can’t understand why. I mean people my age get married and stuff. But that’s okay, I’m still excited because my daughter gets to participate one.

One of the local places here put out a model search for a specific height and size and my daughter fit into it their category perfectly. So she got to go for some fittings and stuff the other day and of course me and her Aunt Kathy had to tag along, because who doesn’t want to see their daughter in beautiful super expensive wedding gowns that you could never afford?

I wish I would have been able to get better pictures but it was all happening pretty fast and I didn’t want to be in the way or be a pest so what I got is what I got. But it was still fun and I can’t wait to see her on the runway later this month.

Here are a few of the gowns she’ll be modeling.

This first one is my favorite.

This was my favorite bridesmaid dress she tried on. I love red.

I think she is going to have a blast. It’s like nothing she’s every done before so it’ll be interesting to see how it all works out. As for me, I’ll be in panic mode hoping she doesn’t eat it on the run way. *smile*

Have a lovely day my friends.

OXOX,

Kim

Teddy Bear Turned Chickie Momma!

2013-05-29T08:04:00.001-04:00

A couple of days ago we brought home 5 more chicks to add to our chicken family. Two Buff Orpingtons and 3 Road Island Reds.

They are just so cute to watch. Only a little over a week old and they are already scratching and pecking, not to mention pooping all over the place.

But last night, as we were getting ready for bed my hubby noticed that they seemed a little distressed. They were chirping very loudly and not settling down like they should be. Then it dawned on him (not me because I’m clueless about that stuff) that they were probably missing their Momma.

This was confirmed by watching them for a little while. They would try to get underneath each other for comfort but none of them of course were big enough to handle that responsibility. That’s when my hubbalicious had an ingenious idea.

He suggested we put a stuffed animal in there to act as a stand in Momma. My daughter was happy to oblige with one of her old teddy bears and the rest is history. As soon as we put the teddy bear in there they snuggled up underneath it and went right to sleep.

Can I get a big Awwwww…..! Yeah, it was pretty darn cute.

I didn’t get a picture of them last night but here they are this morning huddled around it.

I took it out for now so they would have more room to run around in but you can be sure that Momma Bear will be back in there tonight.

Have a fabulous day my friends.

XOXO,

Kim

Little Man’s Birthday! Inexpensive Birthday Fun

2013-05-24T11:30:00.001-04:00

Earlier this month our youngest celebrated his 8th birthday. The thing he wanted to do the most was go bowling. So we gathered up our coupons and headed to the bowling alley. If you like to bowl make sure you sign up for their coupons through email. Six of us bowled for 2 hours and it included shoe rental for only $29.99. It also included a pitcher of soda but we skipped that part cause we don’t drink soda. Our besties had another coupon and got the lane right next to us.

We are all about family parties. That includes chosen family, since we don’t have any “real” family nearby except my MIL, who was more than happy to be there.

Here is the birthday boy with the cake that my BFF Kathy made for him. It helps having a best friend that makes cakes, I’m just sayin’.

Here’s our family photo of the night. Yup, it was important to get a picture of our matching bowling shoes. Because we’re cool like that.

I’ll just leave you with some random picture of the night. But I won’t show you the really unflattering picture of my BFF and I because that one is to be burned (or deleted) before it falls into the wrong hands and used against us somehow. Yeah, it was that bad.

Picking out the perfect ball.

Never be to busy to pose with your ball. I think Confucius said that. *cough*

Such form on this kid. I’m pretty sure he could go pro. *smile*

Here’s my BFF and I, over 40, trying to look cute in a bowling alley and then realizing it ain’t gonna happen. Yeah, we need a life.

There were a lot of random butt shots of all of us bowling but that’s not so flattering to anyone so I’m going to spare you those pictures. You’re welcome.

In the end we had a fabulous time and didn’t have to spend an arm and a leg for it.

Do you do family parties or do you go all out and invite a bunch of kids over?

Have a lovely day!

XOXO,

Kim

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,