Sorry I’ve gotten a little busy… but here’s what’s going on with me now!

1. Anticipating the opening of our local farmer’s market this week! Yippee!! I realized that I’ve really been slacking on eating my fruits and veggies because they have so little flavor from the grocery store in the winter. I’m excited to have those delicious items available locally again soon!

2. Cleaning out my freezer- I’m doing pretty good! Almost all of my frozen fruit is gone- mostly due to smoothie recipes. I even started helping my husband out with his many blueberries because I ran out of strawberries and raspberries. (My current smoothie recipe is below- I change them all the time!). I’m also figuring out what did and didn’t freeze well- my broccoli was awful, squash was great- and so I’m planning for this summer’s modifications. I’m also filling the freezer up with empty gallons of water- a trick to make it run more efficiently b/c an empty freezer has to run more!

3. Finishing up my canned goods and getting ready to dive in again this summer, trying even more things and modifying some. I’ve got more empty mason jars floating around my house than I’d like (I’m guessing 40+), but my goal is to fill them up this summer! My peaches and chili sauce were out of this world, but I didn’t come close to using up all my tomatoes.

4. Switching my baby to cloth diapers!!! She’s approaching four months and aside from the environmental impact of disposables, I’ve learned that MANY dangerous toxins are in them and can have an effect on babies later in life. Not acceptable! This week is the big switch for me! I will hopefully have an separate post up on this soon.

5. Asking for help! I’m trying to scope out yard work as well as housecleaning help so that I have more time to spend enjoying my baby and husband, as well as other things I enjoy doing- like home improvements and blogging :) So hopefully soon I will be able to update more.

Okay, last but not least, here is my current basic smoothie recipe- 1 banana- fresh or cut into slices and frozen for a couple hours in the fridge (boy, does that make for a creamy smoothie!). Then I add a good 1/2 – 3/4 cup plain organic yogurt (will be making it homemade again soon I hope). Then I toss in about 1/2 cup of whatever fruit I have in the freezer.

My favorite is all frozen raspberry or a combo of frozen strawberries and raspberries. BUT I am out. So now it is frozen blueberries and cherries- which are still really good! I also add in a tsp of local raw honey for a touch of sweetness. Yum!

I am honored to be included in this year’s Simplify Your Family Life ebook sale put on by Mandi at Life… Your Way and Corey from Simple Marriage. My ebook Clean Start, a guide to natural home cleaning, is included in this set along with 37 other ebooks in a variety of topics regarding family life!

The topics include entrepreneurship & blogging, food & cooking, homemaking, marriage & relationships, minimalism for families, and parenting & kids. It’s a huge resource for tools and information so if you have any goals of perhaps organizing this spring (I know I do!! :) ) or just working to make your home life more simple, check out the specific books below!

Normally, these ebooks are available for purchase at a total price of $375, but until 8 a.m. ET on Friday, April 20th, they are available for only $29! That is over 90% off!

Click Here to purchase your collection today!

When you purchase the Simplify Family Life collection, you get instant access to each of the 38 ebooks listed below:

Entrepreneurship & Blogging

Blogger Behave by Laura @ 10 Million Miles ($4.99)

How to Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too by Mandi @ Life Your Way ($12.00)

Make Money Blogging by Tara @ Feels Like Home ($4.99)

Tap Into Your Unique Creativity and Self Expression Webinar by Lisa @ WellGrounded Life($39.00)

Tell Your Time by Amy @ Blogging with Amy ($4.99)

Your Blogging Business: Tax Talk & Tips from a Bookkeeper Turned Blogger by Nikki @Christian Mommy Blogger ($4.99)

Food & Cooking

Get Lean Recipe for Success by Nisha @ Healthy Mom’s Kitchen ($37.00)

Got Dinner? by Susan @ The Confident Mom ($4.00)

How To Cook For Yourself: A Complete Beginner’s Guide by Rachael @ Kitchen Courses($35.00)

Plan It, Don’t Panic by Stephanie @ Keeper of the Home ($4.99)

Real Food Basics by Kate @ Modern Alternative Mama ($6.95)

Real Food, Real Easy by Erin @ The Humbled Homemaker ($9.95)

Smart Sweets by Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship ($9.95)

The Everything Beans Book by Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship ($9.95)

Homemaking

2012 Confident Mom Weekly Household Planner by Susan @ The Confident Mom ($9.00)

Clean Start: Your Guide to Natural Home Cleaning by Michelle @ Open Eye Health ($4.95)

Complete Printables Download Pack by Mandi @ Life Your Way ($7.00)

Food on Your Face for Acne & Oily Skin by Leslie @ Crunchy Betty ($7.99)

From Debtor to Better by Barry @ Debtor to Better ($15.00)

My Buttered Life {Summer + Gift Giving Editions} by Renee @ MadeOn Hard Lotion ($10.00)

Not a DIY Diva by Melissa @ The Inspired Room ($3.99)

One Bite at a Time by Tsh @ Simple Mom ($5.00)

That Works for Me by Kristen @ We Are THAT Family ($8.00)

Marriage & Relationships

A Simple Marriage by Corey @ Simple Marriage ($4.99)

Buck Naked Marriage by Corey @ Simple Marriage ($2.99)

Entangled by Amy @ Permission to Peruse ($4.99)

The A to Z Guide: 26 Ways in 26 Days to a Happier, Healthier Marriage by The Dating Divas($9.97)

Minimalism for Families

101 Ways to Simplify Your Life by Laura @ Journey to a Simple Life ($9.95)

321-Stop by Lori @ Loving Simple Living ($9.97)

Inside Out Simplicity by Joshua @ Becoming Minimalist ($11.99)

Simple Ways to Be More with Less by Courtney @ Be More with Less ($9.97)

The Minimalist Mom’s Guide to Baby’s First Year by Rachel @ The Minimalist Mom ($9.95)

Parenting & Kids

4 Moms of 35+ Kids Answer Your Parenting Questions by the Moms @ 4 Moms, 35+ Kids($7.99)

Flourishing Spring by Michele @ Frugal Granola ($5.95)

Mindset for Moms by Jamie @ Steady Mom ($4.99)

Nurturing Creativity by Renee @ FIMBY ($3.00)

Parenting with Positive Guidance by Amanda @ Not Just Cute ($9.00)

Truth in the Tinsel by Amanda @ Impress Your Kids ($6.99)

The Simplify Your Family Life Sale is brought to you in part by Plan to Eat, an online meal planning app that makes eating at home simple. Receive an exclusive coupon code on a one-year membership with your purchase!

Click here to purchase your collection today!

The sale ends at 8 a.m. ET on April 20th, and there will be no late sales offered, so don’t wait.

For information on reading these on an e-reader or tablet, and other frequently asked questions, click here.

So in case you were wondering… yes, I am alive!!! I’ve taken quite a break from blogging due to moving to a new house and more recently enjoying spending every day with my new baby girl, Ellia. She is only 10 weeks old, but has managed to change my life so much for the better (while also making me busier than I’ve ever been before!). I’m still going to try to keep up posting at least once a week from now on and might feel the need to throw up a few extra baby topics now and then, too. :)

I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t missed blogging and the community, and of course, I’m still drawn to all sorts of health topics. I can’t wait for the farmer’s market to open this year, but at the same time I’m working through much of the food I’ve preserved by canning and freezing. I’m all for the peaches, chicken, and chili sauce lately, but I’m not sure why my pile of frozen broccoli is looking so much less enticing than it did before? *Recipe Suggestions Welcome!*

I also want to thank all of you who have supported my blog by checking out my natural cleaning eBook, Clean Start, and I truly hope that you have enjoyed it and found it helpful. I personally can’t wait to tackle some spring cleaning around our new “old” 1919  house- there’s just nothing like that fresh, clean feel with all the windows open and warm spring air circulating.

Spring is also a great time for cleansing and detoxing the body, too, but since I’m nursing my focus has to be on simply eating healthy and exercising. I’ll try to pop up with some simple recipes now and then that I’m enjoying.

So I’m off to an aerobics class soon here and will be back sometime next week with either a recipe or my first dive back into a health topic!

Photo by Betty155

When it comes right down to it, most of us like to have dessert once in a while (or more often than that!). The biggest problem I have is finding recipes that taste delicious, are simple to follow, and even if they don’t have huge nutritional value, they are at least not downright terrible for me (high fructose corn syrup, anyone?).

So coming across Katie over at Kitchen Stewardship’s new eBook, I wanted to share it with you as there are 30 dessert recipes (89 pages total) including recipes for chocolate syrup, brownies, cakes, and fudge bars- all made healthier! She also takes the time to explain about different sweeteners, alternatives to sugar, and where to find them. Some of the goals she incorporates (as a “real foodie”) into the book are:

• Less sugar
• Healthier sweeteners
• Whole grains, soaked/sprouted grains, or no grains
• Probiotics
• Some vegetables

Yes, some of the recipes still contain some sugar, but I have to agree with a good point that Katie makes in her post about it: while the health benefits of using other sweeteners than white sugar are undeniable, realistically, sometimes it is just too expensive to use sweeteners other than sugar (for bake sales, etc.). The price of pure maple syrup, local raw honey, sucanat, and even stevia can be just too costly to serve much outside the family.

So if you are interested in giving healthier desserts a try with simple, tested recipes, click here to purchase the book for only $9.95!

Also, one last important note, many of the recipes in Smart Sweets can be adjusted to specific dietary needs. 17 recipes are gluten-free (15 of these are also grain free), 16 are dairy free, 15 have been tested egg-free, and for most recipes any nuts called for are optional!

Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Kitchen Stewardship’s eBooks, which means I’ll earn a small commission from any sales made through these links. However, I won’t promote anything I don’t personally believe in (plus the brownies are totally delicious!) 

Thanks to one of my wonderful readers, I was reminded that I never did a re-cap on my first attempt at organic gardening! Also, despite the loads of fruit and veggies that I brought home with me over the summer (my garden was in a family member’s backyard), I also never took a good picture of some of the produce!

The not-so-lovely photo above just “happened” to get taken while testing out a new camera I received as a birthday present. Nevertheless, those are some of my cucumbers and zucchini (no, the camera didn’t add ten pounds to that big zucchini- it was huge!) that I was able to enjoy.

I’ll re-cap starting at the beginning. I planted lettuce, spinach, beans, dill, zucchini, carrots, broccoli, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, marigolds, and cucumbers. By far, my most successful vegetable was the cucumbers. I have never seen so many in my life- there were days when I picked at least 20 and had no idea what to do with them all (after making pickles and cucumber salads, of course!).

I gave as many away to friends and family as possible, and learned a valuable lesson to limit the number of cucumber plants (when I only had 5!) so as not to have any go to waste! Obviously, I used nothing besides seeds, water, dirt, and sunshine and these babies came out pretty much flawless. Only towards the end of summer (when this picture was taken) did they grow a bit mis-shapen as the plants were winding down.

My favorite item by far that I grew was leaf lettuce- I picked these delicate leaves all summer and felt SO lucky enjoying many tasty salads and BLTs. I found that the leaves do wilt quick (I always tried to get them in a crisper in my fridge ASAP), especially with my commute home, but I noticed that they would fare better if I picked them in the morning or evening- anytime but when they were warm from the sun.

Unfortunately, I never saw carrots or spinach come up in the garden and I’m not sure if I accidentally “weeded” them when they started growing or if the seeds just didn’t take. I planted seeds for everything except tomatoes and cucumbers (free leftover plants from my mom!) and these are the only ones that just didn’t show. I may try them in a different spot next year to see if that also may have been a factor.

The marigolds (good for natural pest control in the garden), grew amazingly well from the seeds. I had NEVER seen such a healthy, bushy row of them. I was really, really impressed. I also planted zinnias just to have for picking (which did unfortunately upset a few bees) and they were beautiful, too. I had heard and confirmed with experience that they are very sturdy flowers, you can almost completely ignore them and they will still grow. :)

Zucchini, beans, dill, and broccoli were another success in the garden. A good amount of broccoli made it into the freezer, but that was before some deer figured out where it was growing (despite my small fence). The zucchini grew great and that big one pictured was definitely an accident. It spent a good amount of time growing in some weeds before I realized it existed and was HUGE! The beans were also good, but next year I need to be a bit more prepared with what I’ll use them all for!

Last, but not least, I had some tasty tomatoes from my garden, but most of them weren’t too pretty. I don’t mind cutting off the bad parts and still using them, but I think next year I’ll have to try to prop them up better to not be growing so much on the ground. The cherry tomatoes looked better than the big ones and that is really the only produce that really didn’t look perfect considering the whole garden was organic.

Overall, it was a bit of work for my first try at organic gardening, but I think it was very worth it and proved a good learning experience. If you had advice or experiences to share, I’d love to hear them and will save any tips for next year!

Last night I decided to make my first baby food for the freezer with some wonderful butternut squash from my mom’s garden. It was so bright orange and flavorful, I couldn’t help but eat a few scoops myself after it was cooked! I’m a little over 31 weeks now with our first baby (a girl!), due on January 7. As fast as fall is going so far, it will be nothing short of a miracle if I am able to get anything else in the freezer (including regular meals for my husband and I) before she is born!

Since this is my first “go” at baby food, I am no expert and would appreciate any advice, tips, or tricks that you experienced moms may have! I just did the very basics and am hoping for the best. Making baby food seems like a very easy process (although it was a bit harder with my feet hurting so much last night!), but just requires a little bit of time. In my mind, it’s worth it for the health benefits of improved nutrition (the freshest foods available locally)- plus you know exactly what goes in it and how it was processed. The basic steps I followed were: cook the food plain, puree it (I used my trusty food processor), and then freeze it.

I know they have those wonderfully fancy little freezer containers at baby stores (and I even added a few to my registry!), but I had an extra ice cube tray free and figured that I would give that method a try first. Each “ice cube” is approximately one ounce so it should still be easy to track how much to thaw/feed the baby.

To start, I cut the butternut squash in half, removed the seeds, and baked it on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees for about an hour and 15 minutes. I knew it was done when I could slide a fork easily into the thickest part. I let the squash cool for quite a while on the counter and then scooped out all the insides into my food processor.

I ran it in the processor until the squash was nice and creamy with no chunks. I then carefully scooped the squash into the ice cube tray (trying not to make too big of a mess) and placed it in the freezer overnight. Today, I will pop the frozen squash cubes out of the trays and put them in freezer bags (hoping I’ll be able to reuse them again later) so they will be easy to grab and thaw when I need them.

I’m pretty excited to at least have made my first attempt with baby food, although I’m sure I still have lots of practice and learning to do!

I wanted to let you know that my all-time favorite natural makeup, by Erzulie Cosmetics, is currently running a great deal where you can get an extra 10% off at the Etsy store! I have tried a number of Erzulie products which quickly became staples in my make-up bag: foundation, bronzer, concealer, lipstick that also doubles as blush (pictured above!), lip gloss, highlighting pencil, and more. No icky chemical smells or tastes with these products- just all natural beauty!

The best part about these products (other than the fact that they work fantastic) is that they are truly all-natural. The ingredient lists are clear, with prounounce-able, natural products and have nothing to hide. No cringing for me at any of them! The owner has women’s health in mind with every item, and does not add any compromising or dangerous ingredients that you would find in almost any commercial brand.

So if you are interested in taking advantage of this special, the coupon code to type in on Etsy is “integrity”. I hope you love these products as much as I do if you give them a try!

I am excited to share that my Clean Start e-book is available for purchase as of today! It walks through every room of the home and offers natural solutions to cleaning a variety of surfaces.

Whether you are already using some natural cleaning methods in the home or are just starting out, Clean Start offers many simple and easy-to-follow cleaning options and can also show you how to save money and help the earth all at the same time!

Even if you decide to start small and eliminate the top 3 most toxic, mainstream cleaning products in your home, that could make a huge difference! Those three are oven cleaner, toilet bowl cleaner, and drain cleaner. Natural alternatives are offered for all of those and more (wood cleaner, sink scrubs, countertop cleaners, bathroom cleaners, glass cleaners, air freshening methods, and more!).

To celebrate the release, Clean Start will be available for a limited time for just $4.95! With the purchase you will also receive two free downloads- a home cleaning planner with additional tips and tricks, as well as a “your recipe” page to include any notes, modifications, or recipes that you come up with while naturally cleaning.

Clean Start is available for purchase here; please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions at all. Happy natural cleaning! :)

Here in Michigan, fall has moved in and my garden has been done for a couple weeks. While I miss having so much free, ripe produce available for the picking I’m at least thankful that I don’t have to really shop at the grocery store- yet. Our local farmers market is open until Christmas, and even I was shocked at how much fantastic food was still available over this weekend.

Not just the usual root vegetables you might expect (carrots, yams, potatoes) and apples, cider, pumpkins and squash of course. But also celery, cranberries, onions, garlic, herbs, and lettuce. There were also still herbs available and wonderful fruits such as concord grapes (my favorite!) and watermelon.

Not to mention I was also able to stock up on my usual bread, cheese, and butter, and there were plenty of eggs, honey, syrup, and frozen meats available. So even though your garden might be done for the year, check with your local market to see if it’s still open. You may not have to settle for regular grocery store items and produce just yet!!

Guest Blogger: Sarah Lenssen from #Ask5for5

Family photos by Mike Fiechtner Photography

Thank you Openeyehealth and nearly 150 other bloggers from around the world for allowing me to share a story with you today, during Social Media Week.

A hungry child in East Africa can’t wait. Her hunger consumes her while we decide if we’ll respond and save her life. In Somalia, children are stumbling along for days, even weeks, on dangerous roads and with empty stomachs in search of food and water. Their crops failed for the third year in a row. All their animals died. They lost everything. Thousands are dying along the road before they find help in refugee camps.

At my house, when my three children are hungry, they wait minutes for food, maybe an hour if dinner is approaching. Children affected by the food crisis in in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia aren’t so lucky. Did you know that the worst drought in 60 years is ravaging whole countries right now, as you read this? Famine, a term not used lightly, has been declared in Somalia. This is the world’s first famine in 20 years.12.4 million people are in need of emergency assistance and over 29,000 children have died in the last three months alone. A child is dying every 5 minutes. It it estimated that 750,000 people could die before this famine is over. Take a moment and let that settle in.

The media plays a major role in disasters. They have the power to draw the attention of society to respond–or not. Unfortunately, this horrific disaster has become merely a footnote in most national media outlets. News of the U.S. national debt squabble and the latest celebrity’s baby bump dominate headlines. That is why I am thrilled that nearly 150 bloggers from all over the world are joining together today to use the power of social media to make their own headlines; to share the urgent need of the almost forgotten with their blog readers. Humans have the capacity to care deeply for those who are suffering, but in a situation like this when the numbers are too huge to grasp and the people so far away, we often feel like the little we can do will be a drop in the ocean, and don’t do anything at all.

When news of the famine first hit the news in late July, I selfishly avoided it. I didn’t want to read about it or hear about it because I knew I would feel overwhelmed and uncomfortable. I wanted to protect myself. I knew I would need to do something if I knew what was really happening. You see, this food crisis is personal. I have a 4-year-old son and a 1 yr-old daughter who were adopted from Ethiopia and born in regions now affected by the drought. If my children still lived in their home villages, they would be two of the 12.4 million. My children: extremely hungry and malnourished? Gulp. I think any one of us would do anything we could for our hungry child. But would you do something for another mother’s hungry child?

My friend and World Vision staffer, Jon Warren, was recently in Dadaab Refugee Camp in Kenya–the largest refugee camp in the world with over 400,000 people. He told me the story of Isnino Siyat, 22, a mother who walked for 10 days and nights with her husband, 1 yr-old-baby, Suleiman, and 4 yr.-old son Adan Hussein, fleeing the drought in Somalia. When she arrived at Dadaab, she built the family a shelter with borrowed materials while carrying her baby on her back. Even her dress is borrowed. As she sat in the shelter on her second night in camp she told Jon, “I left because of hunger. It is a very horrible drought which finished both our livestock and our farm.” The family lost their 5 cows and 10 goats one by one over 3 months, as grazing lands dried up. “We don’t have enough food now…our food is finished. I am really worried about the future of my children and myself if the situation continues.”

Will you help a child like Baby Suleiman? Ask5for5 is a dream built upon the belief that you will.

That something I knew I would need to do became a campaign called #Ask5for5 to raise awareness and funds for famine and drought victims. The concept is simple, give $5 and ask five of your friends to give $5, and then they each ask five of their friends to give $5 and so on–in nine generations of 5x5x5…we could raise $2.4 Million! In one month, over 750 people have donated over $25,000! I set up a fundraiser at See Your Impact and 100% of the funds will go to World Vision, an organization that has been fighting hunger in the Horn of Africa for decades and will continue long after this famine has ended. Donations can multiply up to 5 times in impact by government grants to help provide emergency food, clean water, agricultural support, healthcare, and other vital assistance to children and families suffering in the Horn.

I need you to help me save lives. It’s so so simple; here’s what you need to do:

1. Donate $5 or more on this page (http://seeyourimpact.org/members/ask5for5)
2. Send an email to your friends and ask them to join us.
3. Share #Ask5for5 on Facebook and Twitter!

I’m looking for another 100 bloggers to share this post on their blogs throughout Social Media Week. Email me at ask5for5@gmail.com if you’re interested in participating this week.

A hungry child doesn’t wait. She doesn’t wait for us to finish the other things on our to-do list, or get to it next month when we might have a little more money to give. She doesn’t wait for us to decide if she’s important enough to deserve a response. She will only wait as long as her weakened little body will hold on…please respond now and help save her life. Ask 5 for 5.

Thank you on behalf of all of those who will be helped–you are saving lives and changing history.
p.s. Please don’t move on to the next website before you donate and email your friends right now. It only takes 5 minutes and just $5, and if you’re life is busy like mine, you probably won’t get back to it later. Let’s not be a generation that ignores hundreds of thousands of starving people, instead let’s leave a legacy of compassion. You have the opportunity to save a life today!