Fruit-Sweetened Chocolate Coconut Ice Cream

Fruit-Sweetened Chocolate Coconut Ice CreamIt’s summertime, and this week it’s very hot.  In our house, this means it’s time to make ice cream.

 

We haven’t made a lot of ice cream so far this summer.  I’ve still been mostly sugar free (see HERE) and we just returned from our second big road trip of the summer (read more details about our adventure HERE), so we’ve been gone quite a bit. … Continue reading

Flavored Water: A Healthy Alternative to Sweetened Beverages

All of us need to drink a lot of water every day.  The human body works best when it gets at least 1 ounce of water for every two pounds of body weight.  That’s a lot of water, and most people I know don’t drink nearly that amount.

 

If you have trouble drinking that much plain water, you might try flavored water. … Continue reading

Going Completely Sugar Free

One of the things I’ve been doing to support my body in its recovery from my head injury (see HERE) is to eliminate all sugars from my diet.  (You can read about other ways I’ve helped my concussion recovery HERE).

 

When I say cut all sugars, what probably comes to mind is setting aside cakes and cookies and other sorts of treats. … Continue reading

The Value of Grazing Trays for Tots

I am fortunate to have several wonderful women in my life with whom I have shared friendship and guidance over the years. My parenting and my heart have been blessed by their wisdom, love, honesty, and good humor. Last week my friend Lainie wrote about using Lines to teach kids how to clean up (see HERE). This week, Donna, true heart-friend of 18 years and mother of 3 lovely girls (ages range from 1 to 16), writes about Grazing Trays. … Continue reading

Simplify Saturday: Engage in Freezer Cooking

Simplify Saturday, Engage in Freezer CookingWhat is freezer cooking? you might ask. Freezer cooking, also sometimes called batch cooking, is making meals in advance and then freezing them so they can be defrosted and cooked at a later time.

 

For instance, if you’re making a batch of Bean-Free Beef and Vegetable Chili (recipe HERE), why not make a large batch and freeze half of it for later.… Continue reading

Go Green: Make Zero Waste Drinks at Home

Each week I take my boys to story time at our local library. And every week at story time, I see lots of caregivers drinking their beverage of choice in a disposable cup from a local coffee shop.

 

Not only is this very expensive, but it’s also tough on the environment. I don’t know the exact price of a to-go coffee at a coffee shop as I haven’t been in one for years, but I’m certain it’s more than I spend at home for my organic, fair-trade beverage of choice.… Continue reading

Super Simple Grain-Free Banana Pancakes

Super Simple Grain-Free Banana PancakesWhile we were at my brother’s house in December, he and my sister-in-law made us some wonderful pancakes. The pancakes were simple, delicious, and we all loved them. In fact, my boys were completely head-over-heals about having a breakfast that involved maple syrup. (In our house, maple syrup generally signifies an occasional treat, not breakfast.)

 

After we returned home, my boys wanted us make pancakes.… Continue reading

Eggnog for the Holidays

Egg Nog for the HolidaysThe other day a friend commented to me, “You should make a healthier eggnog recipe. The stuff available in the market is so full of toxic junk.” I pointed her to the healthier, Homemade Fruit-Sweetened Eggnog (recipe HERE) I posted during the summer earlier this year.

 

Just in case you also forgot the recipe was there, I figured I’d mention it again.… Continue reading

Grain-Free, Dairy-Free St. Lucia Buns

Grain-Free, Dairy-Free St. Lucia BunsMy 6-year-old planned an entire St. Lucia Day Celebration for us (see HERE). The only thing I had to do was to come up with and help bake a recipe for St. Lucia buns. Coming up with a recipe we could actually eat ended up being more difficult than I thought it would be, as none of the recipes I found online were quite right for one reason or another – they either had grains or dairy or guar gum or other things we try to avoid.… Continue reading

Simple Hot Spiced Herbal Chai

Simple Hot Spiced Herbal ChaiWhen it’s cold and snowy outside, as it is today, I find myself desiring hot drinks. While I typically drink plain hot herbal tea, I sometimes mix it up with other things. Today, I wanted a Hot Spiced Chai.

 

The warming spices were perfect on a cold, blustery day, heating me up from the inside out.  The richness of the cream made the drink feel like a special treat. … Continue reading