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Best Summer Cupcakes with GF and DF Recipes, too

Jun 1, 2023 · Leave a Comment

Looking for some fun summer cupcakes? Here are some of the best flavors, recipes, and decorating ideas that include gluten free and dairy free options!

Summer is the perfect time to indulge in sweet treats, and what better way to do so than with these perfect summer cupcakes? Whether you’re hosting a pool party, attending a picnic, or just looking for a sweet snack, cupcakes are a great way to make an easy summer dessert. Let’s explore the best summer cupcake recipes including gluten-free and dairy free options, sourdough cupcakes, decorating ideas, and some summer cupcake toppers.

Summer Cupcake Flavors

If you are in the mood for different flavors, here are some fun summer cupcake flavors along with their recipes.

Gluten Free Cupcake Recipes

If you are sensitive to gluten, then this section is for you. Many of these recipes are dairy free, too!

Dairy Free Cupcake Recipes

Check out these dairy free cupcake recipes! I couldn’t find all of the options in dairy free, but there were still a good many.

Holiday Summer Cupcake Ideas

Celebrate the warm holiday parties with some cupcakes!

Memorial Day and Fourth of July

Labor Day

Sourdough Cupcake Recipes

If you are sensitive to gluten, you may be able to tolerate sourdough cupcakes. Not only do they taste unlike gluten free cupcakes, they are also a lot healthier for you.

Struggling with food sensitivities? I get you! I was there, too!

What if I told you that you could have food freedom? You might be able to ditch your gluten free or dairy free life and enjoy all those foods that you miss. Are you interested?

Summer Cupcake Decorating Ideas

Try these fun summer cupcake ideas!

Beach-themed cupcakes with blue frosting and graham cracker “sand”
Lemonade cupcakes with a lemon frosting (or pink frosting with red food coloring for pink lemonade cupcakes) and a paper straw on top or even some lemon zest
Simple summer cupcakes with fruit, such as strawberries, pineapple or fresh berries, for a refreshing summer treat
S’mores cupcakes with chocolate cake, marshmallow frosting, and a graham cracker crumble on top
Watermelon cupcakes with green frosting and chocolate chips for the seeds
Festive cupcakes with colorful sprinkles and edible glitter for a festive summer look
Sunflower cupcakes with yellow frosting and chocolate wafer cookies for the petals
Ice cream cone cupcakes with a vanilla cake base and frosting that looks like ice cream scoops
Popsicle cupcakes with brightly colored frosting and a popsicle stick as decoration

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases and can make a small commission at no cost to you. Clicking on the link and making any purchase is a great way to support this blog and would be greatly appreciated! Read here for the privacy policy and full disclosure.

Summer Cupcake Toppers

Final Thoughts!

If you need further inspiration, you can find more ideas in theis article about summer cakes. It has a ton of delicious recipes that you could easily convert to cupcakes and covers some more decorating ideas for your pool parties, summer bbq, and any other summer parties, too.

Again, if you are interested in food freedom where you can start eating all those foods and deserts that you miss so much, CLICK HERE to find out more! You won’t regret finding out more about how you can ditch food sensitivities and the restrictive diets.

I was gluten free, but now I eat gluten everyday. There are others that have reversed their dairy intolerance, too. Find out more!

Pro Metabolic Grocery List for Pro-Metabolic Foods

May 24, 2023 · 1 Comment

Ready to ditch the diet culture and eat more old fashioned nutrient-dense food? Here is my pro metabolic grocery list and list of pantry staples to help you get started first thing. I try to have all of these on hand every week so if you are starting out on this journey towards food freedom, this will give you an idea what to buy next time you go to the store.

Although there is much more to pro-metabolic eating than just the foods, prioritizing quality and nutrient-dense foods is just as important as the principles of “pro-metabolic diet”.

What I share as far as the food I buy, is in no way suggesting that this is the perfect solution for you. If you have been in the pro metabolic world for any bit of time, you know that eating pro metabolically is unique to each individual.

What works for me may not work for you and your health goals that you were trying to achieve. What works for my budget may not work for you. You might even have a higher food budget and be able to afford things that I cannot.

What is listed here is what I currently know works for my family as far as our budget and the pro metabolic principles that we are trying to adapt, too.

What is a pro metabolic approach?

A pro metabolic approach to grocery shopping and stocking your pantry is to buy organic whole foods that you enjoy, that are bioavailable (easy to digest and absorb the nutrients from), and nutrient dense. Food freedom is the name of the game so I buy all types of foods.

You want to buy foods that are in their natural state because organic whole foods are unrefined and free of additives, preservatives, and chemicals.

If you are wondering why you should buy organic produce, here are 3 simple answers.

Provide Better Nutritional Value

Organic whole foods are packed with nutrients that are essential for good health. These foods are rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber, which are necessary for optimal body function. By consuming organic whole foods, you are providing your body with the nutrients it needs to function at its best.

Reduced Exposure to Chemicals

Conventional foods are often treated with pesticides, herbicides, and other chemicals during production. These chemicals can be harmful to human health, especially if consumed over a long period. Organic whole foods, on the other hand, are grown without the use of synthetic chemicals, making them a safer and healthier option. By choosing organic whole foods, you are reducing your exposure to harmful chemicals and promoting a healthy lifestyle (and immune system).

Supports Healthy Farming

Organic farming practices are more sustainable and have a lower impact on the crops and soil compared to conventional farming. Organic farmers use natural methods to control pests and maintain crop health, which reduces the need for synthetic chemicals. Additionally, organic farming practices promote soil health and biodiversity, which is essential for maintaining a healthy soil and much more. By choosing organic whole foods, you are not only benefiting your health but also supporting a more sustainable food system.

Buying Organic Foods on a Budget

Although buying organic foods whether it is labeled organic or from uncertified farms that practice organic methods through regenerative farming, it can be very expensive.

Here are some ways to cut the spending without compromising quality.

Don’t or limit what you buy from health food stores. Many grocery stores still have good quality food for a cheaper price. You just have to know where to look and what to look for. My favorite place to shop is Aldi because they have cheaper food that is still really good quality. I still buy a few things from Sprouts or other stores like Walmart if Aldi does not carry what I want.
Go inside the store. Using order pickups or purchasing food online has its benefits, but it can cost extra.
Buy seasonal produce. Not only will seasonal produce be more ripe and more nutrient dense, but because there will be an abundance of it, it is usually cheaper or goes on sale frequently.
Trade. If you buy from local farms, many times they are open to trading goods instead of selling.
Follow the EWG guidelines for their “Clean 15, Dirty Dozen” list. This is a list that is updated every year with a scale of a lot of produce. At one end of the scale, the first fifteen item on the list are the clean. This means that you do not have to buy these organic because the part that you eat does not come into contact with pesticides. On the other end are twelve items that you should prioritize buying organic because the editable part comes into contact with pesticides. In between these two is the middle ground that is up to your discretion. The closer you get to the dirty side, you might want to consider buying organic if you can afford it and vice versa. If you cannot buy organic, try to avoid buying the dirty dozen and only buy the things that you know will be safe from pesticides. The rule of thumb here is that if you would eat the skin of the produce then you want to buy it organic.

Pro Metabolic Grocery List and Pantry Staples

At any given time, I have these things on hand. I may not have to buy each of these things every week, but I try to stay stocked up on them because I use them every week.

Organic Eggs

There are so many labels for eggs. I stick with organic eggs or pasture raised eggs. If I could, I would buy farm fresh eggs. The main thing to look for in eggs is the color of the yolk when you crack it. Egg yolks that are more nutrient dense will be more orange and the less nutritious egg yolks will be more yellow.

Onions

Because onions grow underground, I buy regular onions and do not worry about buying organic ones.

Garlic

The same thing applies to garlic that applies to onions.

Sweet Potatoes

This is a root so I don’t buy these organic.

Potatoes

This is another one of those root vegetables that is safe to buy non organic. Currently, I buy russet potatoes because that is what fits into my budget. Maybe someday, I will look into other types, but for now this is the cheapest option and I have had no problem with them.

Raw Milk

If you are interested in finding raw milk, there is a raw milk finder online that you can search to see if anyone near you sells some. You might be surprised to find that some health food stores will sell raw milk.

Consider raw goat’s milk as well as cow’s milk. This is what I get and it doesn’t taste too different from cow’s milk. Sometimes it is cheaper.

The next best thing if you cannot get raw milk or if it is illegal in your state is a pasteurized, but not homogenized whole milk. Pasteurized milk has been heated but it has not gone through the homogenizing process which separated the cream from the milk. Homogenized milk can be harder to digest. It will say on the back in the ingredient section if it is only pasturized.

Kolona Supernatural is a brand that sells this kind of milk and other dairy products in stores as well as online. I like this brand for their whipped cream when I want to make some ice cream.

If this is still too expensive, find some A2 milk. This is easier to digest than milk that has A1 proteins in it. If you happen to be in on of the few states that has Braum’s, then this is the best place to find A2 milk at a good price. They have a rotation of sales where you can get it even cheaper that lasts a month or so every couple of months.

Nut milks are not very nutritious and have a lot of additives in them.

PIN IT FOR LATER!

Pro Metabolic Groceries including oranges, raw milk, farm fresh eggs, and raw carrots

Aged Cheddar

This is the just the cheapest higher quality cheese I can get. For awhile, I could get cheese made from raw milk for a decent price, but it hasn’t been in stock for awhile.

If you can afford raw dairy cheese, that is the best. The next best option is to find a higher quality cheese (usually in a block) that has minimal ingredients and that does not look like it has dyes in it.

I buy block cheese because shredded cheese usually has some sort of anti-caking agent in it.

You don’t have to get cheddar. This just happens to be what I get. As long as it is good quality, go for it.

Honey

Any of the natural simple sugars work well. I have used maple syrup on occasion, but honey is cheaper. Someday I might find a local bee keeper that I can buy raw honey from or find a less expensive one in the store, but for now we buy honey in bulk at Walmart and haven’t had an issue with it.

Butter

We buy A2 butter. I buy grass fed butter occasionally, but it can be expensive. This is why we get A2 butter from Braums.

Some people find that olive oil and coconut oil works well for them. This makes my rosacea break out so I’m currently not using them.

Most importantly, you want to make sure that you are avoiding vegetable oil, margarine, and all the seed oils. They are harder to digest. Saturated fatty acids that are from animals is the best way to go!

Orange Juice

You can get Organic OJ, but I go for non organic Oj that has no added sugars and is not from concentrate.

Apple Juice

I should probably buy organic apple juice, but I just get unfiltered non organic, no added sugars, and not from concentrate while it is in stock. i love to have a variety of fruit juices since we drink a lot of it.

Collagen

Grass fed collagen is your best option and we use it like protein powder. Here is the one from Amazon that we get.

ACV

Try to find organic apple cider vinegar that has the mother in it. We use this for bone broth, cooking rice, and a bunch of other things.

Carrots

Because this is also a root, I get regular whole carrots and try not not to get baby carrots that have been peeled and are in some kind of water solution.

Flour

Organic unbleached unenriched wheat flour is what you want. Buying quality wheat flour is what has allowed me to eat gluten again after being gluten free for 6 years. This is the brand I buy to make sourdough recipes with. Someday, I will buy the whole grains and grind my own, but for now, this is what we can afford.

Oats

I buy regular quick oats and make oat sourdough recipes with it.

Organic Chicken

If you listen to podcasts and watch pro metabolic youtube channels, you may not hear them say much about chicken, They mostly talk about beef. Although I would love to afford to get mostly beef, it is too expensive. I do prioritize getting organic whole chickens because they are cheaper and I use all the bones for bone broth.

Get your printable grocery List!

Fill out the form to get the password for my free resource library! You will find the grocery list there as well as many other great freebies!

Organic Grass Fed Ground Beef

I buy several pounds of organic grass fed ground beef. Ground beef is the cheapest option. Maybe someday I will look into buying half a cow, but I will have to get a second freezer first.

Seasonal Fruit

I found a list from a local universities agricultural program that says what is in season for my state. I use this and the EWG list to determine what I get.

Sea Salt

Himalayan salt works well, too. The point is to get non iodized salt.

Final Thoughts!

Let me know in the comments below if you have any questions.

If you are interested in meal plans, Fallon has some for sale on her blog. I’m not the meal planner type and have always done a simpler eating plan, but here are a few of my recipes that I make with these foods. You can also find more recipes in my article about Pro Metabolic Breakfast Ideas.

(Fallon and Kori Meloy also have a podcast if you want to nerd out on all the different things about Pro metablolic.)

This list is what I have found works well for my family. It is a constant journey of experimenting as our lifestyle changes and the seasons change as well as far as what will be available.

I know it works for me because I have balanced my stress hormones, reduced my rosacea, started eating gluten every day after being gluten free for almost 6 years, have avoided weight gain and actually had some weight loss even thought I am eating more than I have in a long time, slept better, and all of these while being nursing momma! This is why I prioritize pro-metabolic foods!

Want to learn more about the Pro Metabolic “Diet”? Read this article.

DON’T MISS A PRO METABOLIC POST!

13 Pro Metabolic Breakfast Ideas for Easy Breakfasts

May 21, 2023 · Leave a Comment

pro metabolic breakfast ideas that are easy and nutrient dense

Pro-metabolic breakfast ideas do you not have to be complicated or boring. There are so many good foods to eat in the morning to support your metabolism and get a good start to the day and so many delicious ways to prepare them. Just because you are trying to be healthy does not mean you have to compromise and eat food isn’t great.

You will probably be pleasantly surprised to find that many of your childhood comfort foods I totally acceptable in the Pro metabolic way of eating.

If you are new to pro-metabolic eating, and here’s a quick definition for you. This way of eating is a whole foods nutrient dense old-fashioned way of preparing and enjoying food that supports all the bodies functions and your overall health. It supports your blood sugar levels, immune system, thyroid function, adrenal glands, energy levels, hormone balance, and so much more. When consistently followed, the pro metabolic way of eating also helps with weight loss, too.

A lot of what you will find about pro-metabolic eating is nothing new. In fact, we only have to look back a few generations to find what supports our metabolism.

The truth that this lifestyle holds has simply been lost over the last several generations due to diet culture and a lack of understanding of what good food is.

(Let me be straightforward with you. This is not medical advice. I am not a licensed health coach. This is merely been searching for these truths for a long time to answer many of my questions concerning wellness. This based on my research and personal experience. Apply any of these principles at your own risk.)

What do you eat on a pro metabolic diet?

First off, the pro-metabolic diet is better referred to as pro metabolic eating because it is a way of eating with principles that is adapted by each individual to their own circumstances rather than a restrictive set of rules that dictate what you can and cannot eat.

Secondly, what is eaten in pro metabolic eating depends on whether or not you are healing your metabolism or simply maintaining it. There may be a period of limiting or avoiding different things if your body does not handle them well, however, good news, the goal is FOOD FREEDOM! If you are coming from a restrictive diet where you have not eaten gluten or dairy in years, then there will also need to be a time of healing for your body to adapt back to eating these foods.

Primarily, pro metabolic eating consists of categories of good quality foods that are easy for your body to digest (bioavailable)such as….

Proteins

Proteins to prioritize are good quality meats such as buying meat from local farms that practice healthy regenerative farming practices or if that is not an option, organic grass fed beef and organic chicken and other meats from the grocery stores. Raw dairy products is also a great source of protein like raw cheese or milk from cows, goats, or sheep.

Egg yolks and egg whites can also be consumed for protein.

Carbs

Bioavailable carbohydrates that are good quality look like

seasonal organic fruits
raw dairy
simple natural sugars (honey, maple syrup, high quality sugar)

Whole grains can be consumed by freshly grinding them into flour for recipes, fermenting, and sprouting them.

Root Vegetables

Why root vegetables are always a good option is because they are easy to digest and because they are grown underground they do not come into as much contact with chemicals like pesticides.

Some examples are…

Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes
Carrots

Fats

Fat is not the bad guy. Actually, you need high quality fat in order to process carbs well.

Good quality fats look like…

Butter
Ghee
Coconut oil
Olive Oil

Some delicious pro-metabolic foods and drinks that support a healthy metabolism are bone broth, adrenal cocktails, mineralized water, gelatin gummies, liver supplements, and raw carrot salads.

If you are into meal plans, you can find some pro metabolic meal plans over on Fallon’s Table. She has many options for sale including a dairy reintroduction meal plan for those who are interested in consuming dairy again.

How much should I eat for breakfast?

There is no short answer to this question because we are all different with different health journeys with things we need to heal and recover from.

The best way to know how much you should eat for breakfast is to take this calorie quiz over on Fallon’s website. It will suggest to you your daily amount of calories based on a few questions about your lifestyle (how much you exercise, whether or not you are nursing, etc.). Then track your calories in a free calorie tracker app. It does not have to be super strict. A rough estimate will be fine.

After you have figured out how much you should be eating in a day and how much you actually are, if there is a big gap between the two numbers, try to slowly work your calorie intake up over a few weeks or more. Once you have an idea of how to maintain a good amount of calories, you can stop tracking every day and switch to every couple of months just to stay on track.

Feel free to tweak how much you eat in the morning verses at lunch or dinner or even for snacks based on how you feel. For a while when I first starting eating pro metabolically, my body could only handle a small breakfast or else I felt sluggish and terrible.

(To give you an idea, as a nursing mom, my goal is to eat anywhere from 2400-2600 calories a day. This may seem like a lot, but I have actually lost weight eating this way.)

Tweak things here and there and keep experimenting and you will find what works best for you and how much you should eat for breakfast.

Remember that we are all different with different lifestyles and responsibilities. Don’t try eat like someone else! Enjoy eating in a way that supports you and your energy output.

Is oatmeal pro metabolic?

Oatmeal is pro metabolic if it is prepared well. It is recommended that you sprout or soak your grains at least overnight if not for 24 before using them and cook them well! The soaking process helps break down the grains and gives your digestion a head start.

Another way to help oatmeal be pro metabolic or for your metabolism is to ferment it by making an oat sourdough starter. The fermentation and wild yeast will also help break down the grains making it easier to digest which inturn makes it easier for your body to process and absorb the nutrients from the oats.

Can you eat cheese on a metabolic diet?

Absolutely! Raw or even high quality cheese that is not raw is definitely great for your metabolism. Raw cheese has not been homogenized or pasteurized (not processed) which means if you source your raw cheese from a healthy clean source, you do not need to worry about bacteria and you get the nutrients that are not broken down or altered by being processed.

Even if you are only able to get high quality cheese that has been processed, it will still be better for you because it won’t have additives like anti-caking agents and dyes added to them.

The goal is to get the best quality nutrient dense food in its natural state.

Is sourdough pro metabolic?

Absolutely! Sourdough supports your metabolism well especially if you are gluten intolerant. Because the fermentation breaks down the gluten, it is easier to digest even with a sensitivity to gluten.

Make sure the sourdough you are eating is made from good flour. If you are unable to make the sourdough bread and other delicious sourdough recipes, see if you have any friends or neighbors who make sourdough and would be willing to sell you some.

Although you can buy sourdough bread in the store, there are still additives and other things that do not support your metabolism. Because they most likely have preservatives in them, you also don’t know how old the bread really is which means that it might not have as much nutrients as fresh bread would.

It is best to make your own or buy freshly made bread from someone else then to eat store bought sourdough bread.

Pro Metabolic Breakfast Ideas

Breakfast is so important to those of us who want to eat in a way that supports our overall well being. It is recommended to eat within an hour of waking up to help bring down those stress hormones that woke you up this morning and support your energy for your morning tasks.

Breakfast should not be complicated or take too long to throw together or else you will be tempted to just skip breakfast altogether.

Here are some simple nourishing breakfast ideas to help sustain you through your morning!

Egg and Oatmeal

Farm fresh eggs or organic pasture raised eggs provide a good protein and when paired with overnight sprouted oats cooked, make a simple breakfast that any one can make. Don’t forget to cook both with some high quality fat like grass fed butter.

You can also top your oatmeal with fruit or any natural simple sugars listed above. To add even more nutrients and to make the oatmeal delightfully creamy, try cooking it with milk instead of water.

Egg Sandwich

Another breakfast idea that uses eggs is this egg sandwich recipe made with sourdough bread. The cheese not only adds deliciousness, but also gives some extra nutrients and healthy fats. You want fat when you are eating any kind of carb becuase it helps you body digest the carb easier so don’t skimp on the butter when cooking your egg either.

Bulls eye

This is another variation of a breakfast egg sandwich. You simply cut out the middle of the sourdough bread and replace it with the egg frying them both together.

Pancakes

If you are up to a little more preparation, there is no good reason why you can’t enjoy some pancakes even on a diet. As long as the pancakes are fermented and made with good ingredients like this sourdough pancake recipe, you can still enjoy this breakfast favorite while pursuing metabolic health.

Collagen Smoothie

Add some grass fed collagen peptides to your favorite breakfast smoothie and you are good to go! It is a tasteless source of additional protein and can be used as protein powder. Try a handful of frozen fruit, a cup or two of raw milk, and a scoop of collagen. So simple and yet so nutrient dense!!

Collagen Oatmeal

Instead of having an egg with your oatmeal, try adding some collagen (which is basically natural nutrient dense protein powder) to your oatmeal after it is cooked.

Egg and fried potatoes

Since potatoes are really good for your gut health, having some fried potatoes alongside an egg makes for a good breakfast that will sustain you.

Breakfast Pizza

No need to pass up some breakfast pizza. This sourdough pizza is a great option on the pro metabolic “diet”!

Breakfast Burritos

Scrambled eggs, cheese, and sourdough tortillas! Yes, you can still enjoy breakfast burritos.

Omlet and Toast

Top with raw dairy cheese and enjoy it with some sourdough toast, fried potatoes or even better French Toast!

Egg and Fruit

Eggs are the perfect breakfast protein and if you are looking for something else to pair it with, try some ripe seasonal fruit for optimal nutrient absorption.

Cheese and Fruit

A decent chunk of cheese provides good protein for breakfast as long as it is paired with a good carb like fruit, sourdough toast, or potatoes.

Baked Oatmeal

The simple baked oatmeal dish doesn’t have to be pushed aside in this pursuit for welness. Just remember to make it with good ingredients including a healthy fat and pair it with a good source of protein.

Final Thoughts!

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day because it sets the stage for your morning and beyond. It is the breaking of your overnight fast and should not be neglected. You don’t necessarily have to eat first thing as long as you eat 30 minutes to an hour of waking up.

These pro metabolic breakfast ideas are some simple ways to help you eat well and feel better than you ever have.

If you would like to know more about pro-metabolic eating, head on over to this article, The Pro Metabolic Diet: Healthy Eating for You!

Although I am not in the health sphere professionally, I have seen great results applying pro metabolic principles. Not only have I gone from being gluten free to eating gluten every day, I have also seen vast improvement in my skin condition called rosacea, improved my sleep quality, and have lowered my stress significantly. As a nursing mom and full time stay at home mom, reducing stress has been a huge win!

I can confidently say that this lifestyle will have long term benefits for me and my household. I can’t help but share this truth you because I have personally applied these principles and seen great results.

What about you? Are you content with your wellness journey? Have you found what you are looking for? If not, try pro metabolic eating. It is worth it all the way!

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment down below and I will get back, too! You can also jump on my email list to never miss a post about Pro Metabolic Living!

Best Pan for Baking Chicken in the Oven to Perfection

May 16, 2023 · Leave a Comment

The ultimate guide to roast chicken, including the best pan for baking chicken, FAQs, and recipe.

Look no further for the best pan for baking chicken! I have found it for you.

Roasting chicken, whether it is a whole one or just a piece of chicken, used to be intimidate me. It was hard to get the meat done all the way, and the clean-up was ridiculously hard. I used to despise cooking chicken in the oven until I learned that all I needed was a right pan and a little bit more information on how to do it right.

Though there are so many different types of pans, the best option is not a non-stick pan. It is not a glass pan. The best roasting pan that I have found for baking a whole chicken or chicken pieces is a cast-iron skillet.

I love using my cast-iron skillet because it is one of those things that you can use for so many different things. It’s the perfect minimalist pan because you can cook, bake, fry, or even make a stew/soup in it.

I also find this to be the best pan because it:

is a non-toxic non-stick pan.
distributes the heat evenly, which cooks your meat evenly
is super easy to clean if it is well taken care of.

Here is the cast iron skillet I use. There are also options for cast iron casserole dishes.

Non-Toxic Non-Stick Surface

One of the key features of cast iron is its nonstick surface. This means that your chicken won’t stick to the pan, making it easy to remove and reducing the chance of overcooking or burning.

Cast iron is also one of the few, if not the only, non-toxic non-stick options that are out there, making it the best option for cooking healthy without compromising texture or taste.

Even Cooking

Another advantage of a cast-iron pan is its ability to cook chicken evenly. Cast iron is made of heavy-duty materials that distributes heat evenly throughout the pan. This means that your chicken will cook evenly, with no hot spots or cold spots. The result is perfectly cooked chicken with crispy skin and juicy meat.

Easy to Clean

Cleaning up after cooking can be a hassle, but well-seasoned cast iron makes for easy cleanup. It is non-stick for the most part if you know how to care for it, but the best part about it is that if food does stick, you can scrub it with some steel wool and hot water without fearing that you will ruin it. It gets clean in no time!

FAQ

Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions to help you learn how to make the perfected roasted chicken!

Should I Bake Chicken in a Glass or Metal Pan?

Either one will work well for cooking your chicken. There doesn’t seem to be a problem with using one over the other.

Can You Bake Chicken in a Non-Stick Pan?

Yes, you can, but should you? Well, that is another thing.

I recently stopped using non-stick pans, and I will tell you why. When I read the warning section on the label of a new non-stick pan, it advised you not to keep your pet birds in the kitchen when you are cooking with them because the fumes could kill them.

So…you tell me. Should you use a non-stick pan?

It is your personal preference and you can if you want to.

Is It Better to Bake Chicken at 350 or 400?

There are a lot of opinions on this. It also depends on what portion of chicken you are baking or if you are baking a whole chicken.

For chicken breast, Half-Scratched says that they will cook faster at a high temperature, but if you are not a seasoned home chef, you could easily cook them at the lower temperature so that you can keep an eye on them.

For chicken wings, What Molly Madesuggests 400 for a more crispy result.

For chicken thighs, Kitchn claims that 400 again is better, with 425 being the ideal temperature.

Now for a whole chicken, NY Times is of the opinion that 350 is best for tender meat that falls off the bone.

I was using a different chicken recipe, but after hearing several people suggest doing a low and slow method, I gave it a try. It turned out so much better than the other way I was doing it, and it was less stressful starting the chicken several hours before mealtime. This cooking process is now my favorite way!

Scroll down to get my recipe!

Can you bake chicken breasts on a baking sheet?

Because chicken breasts are lean and don’t have as much moisture or broth that will leak out, a baking sheet with a low rim is fine for making baked chicken breast.

A casserole dish works great, too. I have even used a cake pan when I’m in a pinch and still got juicy chicken breasts.

What Can I Put on My Pan So Chicken Doesn’t Stick?

Any oil or fat that can stand high heat will help your chicken from sticking to the pan. I personally use butter because of its delicious flavor and bioavailability. It is easily digested and processed by your body.

If you use cast iron, most likely your pan is seasoned with some sort of fat or oil. This should be sufficient to keep the meat from sticking, but if you are concerned, it wouldn’t hurt to add a little bit more in the bottom of the pan just in case. If you are using a rub that uses butter, you definitely don’t have to worry about it.

Some good options are:

butter
olive oil
ghee
lard

Do You Put Foil on Pan When Baking Chicken?

No, it is not necessary to put foil on or cover a whole chicken when baking it. Leaving the skin on is enough protection and acts as its own covering.

How Do You Bake Chicken in a Pan Without It Getting Rubbery?

Soaking chicken in a brine is a solution to avoid rubbery chicken; however, if you are baking a whole chicken intact instead of individual pieces like chicken breasts or thighs, opt for rubbing the raw whole chicken skin with salt and refrigerate it, letting the chicken rest overnight uncovered before baking.

Whether you are soaking or using a rub, salt is a key to perfecting a roasted chicken.

Another factor that will affect the texture of your chicken is the temperature that you bake it at. You can refer back to the section on baking times for chicken to get the ideal bake time to make the perfect chicken, but the rule of thumb is to cook it low and slow until a meat thermometer shows the internal temperature is 165 degrees.

Roasted Chicken Recipe

Tools:

Cast Iron Skillet
Knife
Cutting Board

Ingredients:

A whole chicken
Sea salt (or any other non-iodized salt)
1/2 onion
3 garlic cloves

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350.
Remove chicken from packaging. Don’t forget to remove the giblets inside of the bird as well as the absorbent pad inside the packaging.
Rinse chicken under cold water.
Lay the whole bird in the well-seasoned cast-iron skillet with the chicken breast up.
Chop some onions and garlic and drop them beside and inside the chicken.
Sprinkle sea salt all over the chicken.
Once the oven is preheated, stick the chicken in the oven.
Set the timer for 1 hour.
Check the temperature of the chicken breast since it is the largest portion of meat until it reaches 165.
If the chicken is not done after an hour, continue baking the chicken while monitoring the temperature. (For a 5lb bird, it takes at least an hour and a half.)
Serve from the skillet or any dish with a ridge or lip to catch the juices.

Yield: 6

Cast Iron Roasted Chicken

Chicken roasted in a cast iron skillet is the way to go for juicy meat with crsipy skin! Not only is it delcious, but the clean up is super easy.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Additional Time 10 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes

Ingredients

A whole chicken
Sea salt (or any other non-iodized salt)
1/2 onion
3 garlic cloves

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350.
Remove chicken from packaging. Don't forget to remove the giblets inside of the bird as well as the absorbent pad inside the packaging.
Rinse chicken under cold water.
Lay the whole bird in the well-seasoned cast-iron skillet with the chicken breast up.
Chop some onions and garlic and drop them beside and inside the chicken.
Sprinkle sea salt all over the chicken.
Once the oven is preheated, stick the chicken in the oven.
Set the timer for 1 hour.
Check the temperature of the chicken breast since it is the largest portion of meat until it reaches 165.
If the chicken is not done after an hour, continue baking the chicken while monitoring the temperature. (For a 5lb bird, it takes at least an hour and a half.)

2 Ingredient Chaffle Recipe for easy GF Substitute

May 13, 2023 · 6 Comments

A delicious two ingredient chaffle recipe and the answers to frequently asked questions

Have you tried the simple 2 ingredient chaffle yet? This is a delicious “cheese waffle” that is gluten friendly and very healthy because this easy recipe only calls for two simple ingredients: eggs and cheese. They help curb those bread cravings when you have food restrictions.

Although primarily used a substitute to regular waffles, chaffles are a great alternative to pancakes or even sandwich bread. They are simple, healthy, and make a delicious breakfast!

What is a chaffle made of?

A basic chaffle recipe is made with two main ingredients eggs and cheese typically one egg per cup of cheese, but you can add flour other spices to add variety.

What do you use to cook the chaffle?

Charles are frequently made in waffle makers, but you can easily make them in a cast iron skillet as well. This is the way I like to make this original chaffle recipe. I have heard of people using a belgian waffle maker, too.

You can easily reheat leftover chaffles in a toaster oven or on a baking sheet in a regular oven.

How healthy are chaffles?

Chaffles are as healthy as the quality of the ingredients that you make them with. The higher quality the ingredients are the more healthy and better they are for you.

You can make a chaffle out of decent ingredients like eggs and cheese that you find at any grocery store, but if you want the best chaffle, then choose high quality ingredients like organic pasture raised or farm fresh eggs and cheese with basic ingredients and no dyes or caking agents.

I prefer to buy a block of cheese instead of shredded cheese and grate it myself for these very reasons.

You can find more on finding the healthy eggs and cheese in the Pro-Metabolic Diet. If you have been struggling on the keto diet and are ready for food freedom, find out more about Pro-Metabolic Eating. You won’t regret it!

a block of cheddar cheese and an organic egg

Why are my chaffles falling apart?

Chaffles may fall apart if the proportion of ingredients is off or if they are not flipped carefully if you use a cast iron skillet.

Because chaffles are made out of mostly cheese, they are very flimsy and floppy. To get the perfect chaffle, be careful when you’re flipping them since they are very floppy or else they might fall apart.

If it is too difficult to flip them when they are a light golden brown, try waiting a little bit longer and they might be a little stiffer and easier to flip.

Cheese on mandolin and grated cheese next to an organic egg

Chaffle Variations

While chaffles are traditionally made with cheese and eggs, there are countless variations that you can try. Some popular chaffle recipes include adding flour to the batter to make it more like a traditional waffle.

For a sweet twist, add

cinnamon
vanilla extract
cocoa powder
pumpkin spice

For a fun option, top them with whipped cream, berries, or cinnamon sugar.

When making savory chaffles, use a harder types of cheese like cheddar cheese or parmesan. Softer cheeses like mozzarella cheese are better for sweet chaffles. Pepper jack is a good type of cheese to try, too if you like hot stuff.

Try seasonings like..

garlic powder
bagel seasoning
italian seasoning

The sky is the limit to what you can add to a chaffle batter. There is even recipes out there for a pizza chaffle! If you try a new something new in your chaffle batter, let me know down in the comments below. I love to try different variations, too!

If you are trying to cut the sugar or are simply interested in substitutes, try some of these alternatives to maple syrup like cream cheese on your chaffle. There are so many, that I know you will find something you haven’t tried yet. This also a great resource in case you run out of syrup and need something else to replace it.

Tips for Making the Perfect Chaffle

If you’re ready to jump on the chaffle bandwagon, there are a few tips to keep in mind to ensure your chaffles turn out perfectly. If you are gong to use a waffle maker instead of a skillet to make this recipe, make sure you use a mini waffle iron because a regular waffle maker will cause your chaffle to be too thick. Also, don’t forget to oil it well so that the chaffles don’t stick. Finally, experiment with different ingredients and toppings to find your perfect chaffle recipe.

PIN IT FOR LATER!

2 ingredient chaffle with some orange slices

2 Ingredient Chaffle Recipe

Tools:

Fork

Mandolin or Cheese Grater (Unnecessary if you are using shredded cheese)

Small or Medium Bowl

Spatula

Cast Iron Skillet

Ingredients:

1 Egg
1 Cup Cheese
1 Tablespoon of Butter

Instructions:

Preheat the skillet on medium heat.
Melt the butter in the skillet.
Grate the cheese and put it into a small bowl.
Crack the egg into the bowl with the cheese and whisk it with a fork.
Once the butter is melted, scrap the chaffle “batter” into the skillet.
Let it cook for about a minute and a half or until the underside is nice and browned.
Flip the chaffle carefully. It will be floppy because it is mostly melted cheese.
Let it cook for another minute until it is nice and browned.
Remove the chaffle from the skillet.
Enjoy!

Yield: 1

2 Ingredient Chaffle

Enjoy a gluten free waffle substitute that is nothing like you have tasted before! Made up of only two ingredients, this simple recipe is easy and fast to whip up in no time.

Prep Time 7 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

1 Egg
1 Cup of Cheese
1 Tablespoon of Butter

Instructions

Preheat the skillet on medium heat.
Melt the butter in the skillet.
Grate the cheese and put it into a small bowl.
Crack the egg into the bowl with the cheese and whisk it with a fork.
Once the butter is melted, scrap the chaffle “batter” into the skillet.
Let it cook for about a minute and a half or until the underside is nice and browned.
Flip the chaffle carefully. It will be floppy because it is mostly melted cheese.
Let it cook for another minute until it is nice and browned.
Remove the chaffle from the skillet.
Enjoy!

15 Healthy Breastfeeding Snacks and Quick Tips

May 9, 2023 · 6 Comments

Healthy breastfeeding snacks and simple tips from my own experience as a nursing mother

Every nursing mother is concerned about maintaining a healthy and nutritious diet to ensure the well-being of herself and the baby. Eating healthy snacks that are rich in vitamins and minerals can help achieve this goal.

It is important to avoid highly processed and low quality sugary snacks, as they can negatively impact both the mother’s and the baby’s health.

Another good thing to keep in mind when picking out snacks is to balance protein with a carb and healthy fat. The carbs give you energy, the protein keeps the carbs from spiking your blood sugar which helps keep you from crashing, and the healthy fats help you digest the carbs better. Balancing these three things will help you feel great as a nursing mom.

Here are some of my favorite snacks that I enjoy guilt free as a gluten free nursing mama.

Healthy Breastfeeding Snacks

Dark Chocolate

If you are wanting a sweet treat, a good dark chocolate is delicious if you are okay with a little bit of caffeine.

The bit of sugar helps lower your stress, too. This a good thing to keep in your purse to hold you over when you are out and about and need something small, but quick.

Nut Butters and Bread

Nut butters like almond butter and peanut butter paired with some toast or fruit are a great option for new moms who need quick snacks.

Avocado Toast

Slice some fresh avocados on some Texas style sourdough toast for a great snack.

String Cheese

Not only is cheese is a great source of protein, but also has healthy fats and good carbs in it, too. Cheese goes well a lot of things like fruit, carrots, or bread to make a well-balanced snack.

Fresh Fruit

This my absolute favorite snack right now. I have been shopping for fruit that is in season because it’s usually cheaper and better quality and pairing it with some cheese.

Dried Fruit

Try these organic dried mangoes! There aren’t any additives or added sugars. Dried fruit like this would make a great homemade trail mix.

Here’s a great recipe for new mom’s who need extra calories but don’t have time to think about making food. Dump one pound of dry roasted peanuts and your favorite dried fruit into a bowl and stir it up. Portion it out into little zip locks so you can grab and go or keep in the diaper bag.

You could also throw in some sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds for more variety.

Dried Nuts

Almonds, peanuts, walnuts, pecans….Pick your favorite and pair them some cheese or fruit. You could add these to your trail mix, too.

Chia Seed Pudding

Soak some chia seeds overnight and get a simple pudding that you can make at home. This website has a some recipes you can try.

Baby Carrots

Baby carrots are a great choice because they are delicious and take no prep except opening the bag. It is also one of those nutrient-dense snacks since it is a vegetable. Pair it with your favorite cheese for the perfect snack that is easy to make and take anywhere.

This was one of my favorite go-to snacks while I was expecting, too. It’s also good with peanut butter.

Egg Sandwich

Eggs are a great snack that is filled with protein that will satisfy you. Try this egg sandwich recipe! It’s super simple and only takes about five minutes to make.

Crackers

I could binge on crackers and eat an entire box if I’m not careful. This was one of my favorite snacks from childhood.

If you are sourdough fan, try this simple sourdough discard cracker recipe. It’s a great way to use your starter as a new mom without much hassle and make an easy snack, too.

I’m not a fan of store bought whole grain crackers. They aren’t healthy snacks to me because whole grains can be hard to digest, but if you grind the whole grains, ferment them, then bake some crackers with them, then I’m all for it. Sourdough crackers a perfect for those with gluten intolerance, too since the gluten is partially broken down.

Cottage Cheese

Pair it with some fresh fruit for a satisfying snack. This is a good snack for breastfeeding mothers because dairy is rich in protein, fats, and carbs which is the perfect combination to be satisfied and fueled while you are feeding a little one.

Cheesy Potatoes

You do have to plan ahead a little for this snack, but it is well worth it. Try this easy fried potatoes recipe and sprinkle on some cheese for extra goodness and protein.

Cream Cheese Toast

Slather some cream cheese on some sourdough toast for a satisfying quick snack not to mention the extra health benefits from the fermented sourdough.

Yogurt with Fresh Berries

Add fresh or frozen berries and fruit to some plain greek yogurt. You want plain greek yogurt because it won’t have any added sugar in it so you can control the quality and amount of sugar especially if you like less sugar in your snacks.

You could also try it with some chocolate chips. If you get good quality chocolate and can resist eating the whole bag of them, this can be a healthy delicious snack.

Greek yogurt also tends to be higher in protein (like 13 grams of protein) and is a good source of healthy fat and carbs, too. Eat it with natural sugars and reap the benefits of the probiotics as well.

Smoothies

Keep your freezer stocked with frozen fruit and your fridge with some good milk and you’ll always have a wholesome easy snack on hand. You could add some collagen for extra nutrients, too.

Leftovers

Don’t throw away that little bit of food from supper. Stick it in the fridge and enjoy it tomorrow!

What foods to avoid while breastfeeding?

There aren’t necessarily any foods that you should avoid while breastfeeding. I do avoid caffeine, but that is because it keeps me up at night, and I don’t need that in this season of life.

As long as you get foods with good quality ingredients then you shouldn’t have to avoid any foods. Sometimes there is the concern that dairy is being passed through your milk and upsetting your babies stomach. I had this problem, but when I switched to higher quality dairy that is either fresh from the farm, minimally processed, or without extra ingredients like dies and anti-caking agents, we had no problem.

Find out more about food freedom through Pro Metabolic Eating if you have some concerns over foods affecting your little one. I started this when I was nursing a two month old baby and had no problems. In fact, it gave me a lot of answers to things like baby acne and diaper rashes. If you would like to now more, you can reach me through the comment section down below. (Don’t worry! It won’t be public unless I approve it.)

Breastfeeding Snacks at Night

Through Pro-Metabolic Eating, I found the perfect solution that cures that starvation in the middle of the night without actually eating anything. Since my baby was two months old, I take a cup of salted orange juice to my night stand every night.

I came across this in How to Heal your Metabolism. Babies are notorious for waking up in the night and needing you for one reason or another and when you have a hard time to going back to sleep because you are starving, it’s no fun.

This little trick of adding a pinch of salt to some orange juice cured that for me and here is why. Cortisol is the stress hormone that wakes you up and the sugar lowers the cortisol while the salt keeps your blood sugar from going up from the sugars in the orange juice. It works like a charm and I have never looked back to snacking during the night.

Final Thoughts

As a mom, it is helps to eat several snacks throughout the day to avoid burn out and to feed your baby. I found Pro-Metabolic Eating as a nursing mama and it changed how I viewed food and has helped me find more energy, be less stressed, and not starving all the time.

If you want to know more about what I have changed about the way I eat as a nursing mama, read The Pro-Metabolic Diet: What is Healthy Eating for You?

Easy Sourdough French Toast Recipe for Every Day

May 9, 2023 · Leave a Comment

Sourdough French toast add-ins, substitutions, and recipe

Sourdough French toast is a great option for weekend breakfasts. With it’s simple ingredients like cinnamon, milk, and egg, it doesn’t take much time to pull together.

It’s as easy as dipping the bread and frying it and its a great way to enjoy a well balanced protein and carb breakfast.

Why is sourdough bread healthier?

Sourdough bread is healthier for you because it is fermented and the gluten is broken down by the sourdough starter. It’s is especially healthier if it is homemade sourdough bread because store-bought sourdough bread and regular bread have additives in it that is hard for your body to digest.

People with gluten intolerances usually can tolerate homemade sourdough bread because the gluten is already partially broken down making it easier to digest and absorb the nutrients.

You can learn more about sourdough and its health benefits over here.

Should I use oil or butter for French toast?

Real butter is best for cooking your french toast with. Not only does it taste absolutely amazing, but it is also healthier for you.

There are a few oils like high quality coconut oil and olive oil that are easy for your body to digest, but I always reach for real butter over these. It has a better a flavor, and for me personally, I find that the bread toasts much better and gets more crispy in butter than in coconut oil or olive oil.

It tend to be oily if I don’t use butter.

Do you cook French toast on high or low?

Neither. You want to use medium heat. High heat will cook the outside too fast and low heat will take forever and be hot enough to get a good crispy outside.

Should I toast my bread before making sourdough French toast?

No, it is not necessary to toast your bread before making french toast with it. If you use a good cast iron skillet then it will get nice and crispy while you are cooking it.

What frying pan should I use to make sourdough french toast?

Cast iron skillets are the best pan to make french toast in because they heat up evenly and give the toast a nice crispy edges. A stainless steel frying pan will work, but you will get the best results using a cast iron skillet.

Do not use non-stick! Not only is it toxic, but it won’t get the french toast crispy at all.

When should I flip my French toast?

You should flip your sourdough french toast when the underside is toasted to your liking.

It’s a good idea to keep an eye on it since it will cook fast, and check it every once in while with a spatula by lifting up one corner to see how toasted it is. When it is nice and golden brown, then it is time to flip.

What to eat with French toast without syrup?

Although maple syrup is a favorite, sometimes you are on a diet and trying to cur back on the sugar or you run out. It’s nice to know what other options you have even if you just want to experiment and try something new.

I have a whole article on alternatives to syrup on pancakes that would easily work just as well for your sourdough French toast. It includes delicious toppings like…

fresh berries
homemade syrup
honey
whipped cream
peanut butter

How do most people eat French toast?

A lot of people eat French toast with a fork and knife or just a fork because it can get messy if you have syrup on it.

Some people also prefer to use thick slices of leftover sourdough bread or regular stale bread. They say it makes a difference, but Idon’t know that it does make a difference to use stale sourdough bread over fresh bread.

French Toast Recipe

Tools:

Cast-Iron Skillet
Metal Spatula
Fork
Shallow bowl or a mixing bowl
Whisk

Ingredients:

One Egg
Two Bread Slices
A Pinch of Cinnamon
3 Tablespoons of Milk

Instructions:

Heat the skillet on medium heat.
Crack the egg into the bowl.
Add the milk and cinnamon
Whisk the custardy egg mixture until the egg is incorporated into the milk.
Drop a slice of bread into the mixture and flip it once so that it is coated.
Use the fork to stab and transfer the piece of coated sourdough bread on to the hot skillet.
Repeat step 5 for the other slice of bread. If you skillet is big enough, you can cook it with other one or you can let it set in the mixture.
Check the underside using a spatula by lifting up one corner to see how toasted it is.
Flip it when it is nicely browned.
Remove from skillet once both sides are are nice and toasted and cook the other slice for 2-3 minutes.
Enjoy your delicious french toast! (Don’t forget to store the leftover french toast in an airtight container in the fridge.)

Optional Add-ins:

Brown sugar
Vanilla Extract

Substitutions:

Oat milk
almond milk
skim milk
dairy-free milk
heavy cream

Yield: 2

Sourdough French Toast

Simple sourdough French toast is an easy breakfast that is quick and delcious.

Prep Time 3 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 13 minutes

Ingredients

One Egg
Two Bread Slices
A Pinch of Cinnamon
3 Tablespoons of Milk

Instructions

Heat the skillet on medium heat.
Crack the egg into the bowl.
Add the milk and cinnamon.
Whisk the custardy egg mixture until the egg is incorporated into the milk.
Drop a slice of bread into the mixture and flip it once so that it is coated.
Use the fork to stab and transfer the piece of coated sourdough bread on to the hot skillet.
Repeat step 5 for the other slice of bread. If you skillet is big enough, you can cook it with other one or you can let it set in the mixture.
Check the underside using a spatula by lifting up one corner to see how toasted it is.
Flip it when it is nicely browned.
Remove from skillet once both sides are are nice and toasted and cook the other slice for 2-3 minutes.
Enjoy your delicious french toast! (Don't forget to store the leftover french toast in an airtight container in the fridge.)

Perfect Sourdough Toast Recipe with Healthy Toppings

May 2, 2023 · Leave a Comment

Sourdough toast ideas, breakfast toppings, and recipe

Sourdough toast is a delicious and healthy alternative to regular bread. Made with a natural fermentation process using a sourdough starter, this bread is packed with flavor and nutrition.

In addition to its delicious taste, sourdough toast has several health benefits. The natural fermentation process makes it easier for your body to digest, and it contains more nutrients than regular bread. Sourdough toast is also lower in gluten, which makes it a good option for people with gluten sensitivities.
Sourdough toast is a simple and delicious side dish to any breakfast meal! Not only is the sourdough easy to digest and gut healthy, it is also very delicious. It’s a win-win!

I grew up eating toast every day for breakfast and I still never get tired of it. Most of the time we just had it with some butter slathered on it, but every once in a while we would switch it up with some other toppings, too.

Our favorite was cinnamon sugar. My mom always had a bottle of it mixed up already so we could just grab it and sprinkle it on.

I now eat sourdough toast because I am gluten intolerant. The fermenting breaks down the gluten enough in order for me to still enjoy my favorite breakfast food without compromising the flavor.

But before we get into sourdough toast, let’s talk about what sourdough is.

What is Sourdough?

Sourdough is a type of bread made from a mixture of flour and water that has been fermented using wild yeasts and bacteria. It is a traditional way of making bread that dates back thousands of years.

The fermentation process gives sourdough bread a unique flavor and texture that sets it apart from other types of bread. It also has several health benefits, including easier digestion and a lower glycemic index than other types of bread.

To make sourdough bread, a starter is first created by mixing flour and water and allowing it to ferment for several days. The starter is then used to make the dough. You then let the dough rest in a large bowl and it will rise for several hours. After the dough rises, it is often baked in a dutch oven. Then the delicious sourdough bread is ready to be devoured.

Although primarily made with wheat flour, sourdough bread can be made with a variety of different flours, and can be shaped into different forms, such as a loaf of bread or rolls. It is a versatile bread that can be enjoyed on its own or used as a base for sandwiches, toast, and other dishes.

Overall, sourdough bread is a delicious and healthy option for those who enjoy bread and want to try something new and different.

A Simple Sourdough Toast Recipe

To make sourdough toast, you’ll need a few key ingredients: flour, water, and a sourdough starter. Mix these ingredients together and let the dough ferment for several hours or overnight. Then, shape the dough into a loaf and bake it in the oven.

The result is a tangy and chewy bread that’s perfect for toasting. Sourdough toast is a great way to start your day, and it pairs well with a variety of toppings. Try it with butter and jam, avocado and eggs, or cream cheese.

From the health benefits to its delicious flavor, you can’t go wrong with sourdough toast.

You can find a starter for sourdough recipe over here.

Sourdough Toast Ideas

You can make so much with toast from sandwiches to a simple side for soup. Toast can be enjoyed in so many different ways.

Here are some simple sourdough toast ideas.

Texas toast
Bull’s-eye
Scrambled eggs with toast
French toast
Open faced grilled cheese sandwich
Egg sandwich
Chicken salad sandwich
Cheese and cherry tomatoes sandwich
Cheesy scrambled egg sandwich

Sourdough Toast Breakfast Toppings

Although toast is not just a breakfast food, it is primarily eaten during this meal. Here are some popular delicious toppings for your sourdough toast.

Eggs
Cheese
Cinnamon Sugar
Brown sugar
Honey butter spread
Honey
Maple syrup
Jellies, jams, fruit butters, and marmalades
Avocado
Gravy
Peanut butter

Is sourdough bread good for toast?

Yes, I have no problems toasting sourdough in a toaster. It holds up well when toasting in other ways as well.

Is sourdough bread better for you than bread?

Yes, sourdough bread is better for you than bread especially if is homemade sourdough bread. When you make your own, you get to control the quality of ingredients that you use and how long it’ll ferment.

However, it’s hard to tell whether or not store-bought sourdough is better than regular bread or not because it still has additives in it. It’s always safe to make your own.

Is sourdough toast a healthy breakfast?

By itself sourdough toast is not a healthy breakfast, but when it is paired with a protein and some healthy oils, then it is not only a delicious but also healthy breakfast that will sustain you.

Toast by itself is primarily a carb, and carbs when eaten by themselves tend to spike your blood sugar. That’s why you should pair your sourdough toast with a protein like eggs or cheese. The protein helps level out your blood sugar.

You also want some kind of oil like butter because healthy fats will help your body digest the carbs better.

Is sourdough toast easy to digest?

Sourdough toast is easier to digest because the sourdough has been fermented. This means that the dough sat out in room temperature or in another warm place and the gluten was broken down by wild yeast.

You can learn more about sourdough and it’s health benefits of sourdough bread over here.

What do you eat with sourdough toast?

Sourdough toast is pretty versatile and you can eat anything with it that you would eat with regular bread.

Some simple delicious options are…

Honey
Sweet cream butter
Any salted butter(as long as it’s A2 or grass fed)
Cheese
Avocado
Eggs
Jellies, jams, fruit butters,and marmalades
Maple syrup
Cinnamon sugar
Oatmeal

What cheese is best for sourdough toast?

This all depends on what else you’ll be eating with the toast. Some flavors may not mix well.

The best cheese that I found that goes with sourdough toast is feta cheese or goat cheese. Since goat cheese has a bit of a twang to it and sourdough has its own twang, they go super well together.

If you wanted to toast the bread with the goat cheese, try boiling it in the oven or toasting it in a skillet like an open faced cheese sandwich.

My second favorite cheese to eat with sourdough toast is an 12 month – aged cheddar. This is not your average cheddar that you see in the cheese section of any grocery store. This is a healthier option.

Most cheddar cheese is that you see I have dyes in them and if there are graded, then they usually have some kind of anti-caking agent in them. I try to avoid these and get this aged cheddar because it’s healthier for my gut.

If you would like to know learn more about your options with cheese, I talk a little more about it in my article on the Pro Metabolic eating.

What is the best way to toast sourdough bread?

The best way to toast sourdough bread is in a cast iron skillet. A cast iron skillet will get each side nicely browned and crispy. This is very similar to Texas toast. The only difference is how thick your slices are.

Here is how to make it!

Tools:

Cast Iron Skillet
Butter Knife
Spatula

Instructions:

Heat and cast-iron skillet on medium heat.
Butter both sides of sourdough bread.
Check to see if the skillet is ready by sprinkling a few drops of water into it. If it sizzles, then it is hot enough. You can also how are your hand over the skillet, and if you feel the heat, then you know it’s hot enough.
Place the slice of bread into the hot skillet checking it every once in a while by lifting a corner up with a spatula to see if it’s toasted.
Flip the bread when it is toasted to your liking.
Keep an eye on that side by lifting a corner with a spatula again.
Remove it from the pan once it is nicely browned and crispy.
Don’t forget to turn off the burner!

Yield: 2 Slices of Toast

Sourdough Toast Recipe

Sourdough toast is a delicious and healthy alternative to regular bread. Made with a natural fermentation process using a sourdough starter, this toast is packed with flavor and nutrition.

Prep Time 1 minute

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 11 minutes

Ingredients

2 slices of bread
2 tablespoons of butter

Instructions

Heat and cast-iron skillet on medium heat.
Butter both sides of sourdough bread.
Check to see if the skillet is ready by sprinkling a few drops of water into it. If it sizzles, then it is hot enough. You can also how are your hand over the skillet, and if you feel the heat, then you know it’s hot enough.
Place the slice of bread into the hot skillet checking it every once in a while by lifting a corner up with a spatula to see if it’s toasted.
Flip the bread when it is toasted to your liking.
Keep an eye on that side by lifting a corner with a spatula again.
Remove it from the pan once it is nicely browned and crispy.
Don’t forget to turn off the burner!

13 Beautiful Spring Cakes to Make for any Occasion

Apr 29, 2023 · Leave a Comment

The best recipes for spring cakes to welcome in the warmer weather

Spring is the season of renewal, blooming flowers, and longer days. It’s the time of year when everything comes back to life, and what better way to celebrate than with a delicious cake? Spring cakes are the perfect treat to welcome the new season, and in this blog post, we’ll share some of the best spring cake recipes and tips for making the perfect spring cake.

Spring Cakes

Build Your Own Layered Ice Cream “Cake”

Maybe you are like us and still eat ice cream in the winter, but for most people as the weather starts to get warmer and slowly turn hot, it’s the season to break out the ice cream. If you are an ice cream lover, than you are sure to love ice cream cakes.

Here is a simple recipe so you can build your own layered ice cream cake.

Sourdough Lemon Cake

Lemon cake is a classic springtime dessert. The bright, tangy flavor of lemon perfectly complements the freshness of the season. Lemon cakes are typically light and airy, making them the perfect dessert to enjoy on a warm spring day. They are often topped with a sweet glaze or frosting, which adds an extra touch of sweetness to the cake.

Sourdough is a type of bread made from a mixture of flour and water that is allowed to ferment naturally over a period of time. One of the benefits of sourdough is that it is easier to digest than other types of bread because the fermentation process breaks down the gluten and other complex carbohydrates. Sourdough also has a lower glycemic index than other breads, which means it causes a slower and more gradual rise in blood sugar levels. The use of sourdough starter in baked goods like the sourdough lemon cake not only adds an interesting flavor, but can also provide these digestive benefits.

This is one the healthiest summer cakes!

Strawberry Cake

Unlike other cakes that rely on artificial flavorings or extracts, strawberry cake gets its delicious taste and aroma from real fresh strawberries. This means that the cake is not only more flavorful, but also healthier, as strawberries are packed with vitamins, antioxidants, and other beneficial nutrients.

When it comes to making strawberry summer cakes at home, there are a few different approaches you can take. Some recipes call for using fresh strawberries in the batter, while others suggest pureeing the fruit and adding it to the frosting. Either way, the end result is a scrumptious dessert that’s sure to delight your taste buds.

Hummingbird Cake

For some of us, spring time is marked with the return of cute little feathered creatures who hum around the feeders on your front porch. Why not mark the coming of spring with a hummingbird cake, too?

In case you haven’t heard about this cake, the recipe originated in Jamaica and is named after the national bird. It is a delicious simple cake with cream cheese frosting and is made with bananas and pineapple.

The World’s Best Chocolate Cake

A chocolate cake is a classic dessert that is loved by many. There are countless variations of chocolate cake, but most include cocoa powder or melted chocolate in the batter, giving the cake its signature chocolate flavor. Some recipes call for additional ingredients like coffee or sour cream to enhance the chocolate flavor even more. Chocolate cake can be enjoyed on its own or with frosting, whipped cream, or ice cream. It’s a versatile dessert that can be dressed up or down, depending on the occasion. Whether you’re a chocolate lover or just looking for a sweet treat, try this chocolate cake! It is always a crowd-pleaser.

Vanilla Sheet Cake with Whipped Buttercream Frosting

A sheet cake is a type of cake that is baked in a large, flat rectangular pan or sheet. It is often used for large gatherings and celebrations, such as birthdays, weddings, or office parties. Sheet cakes can come in a variety of flavors, including vanilla, chocolate, lemon, and red velvet, and can be decorated with frosting, sprinkles, or other toppings. Due to their size and simplicity, sheet cakes are often an easy and convenient option for feeding a crowd.

This simple vanilla sheet cake recipe is perfect for this reason. It’s spring time and time to share countless hours outside on picnics and barbeques with all your friends and families. If you are bringing the dessert, make it easy with a sheet cake.

Pistachio Cake

Anybody else love pistachios? Why not make a cake with them and indulge in a mouthwatering pistachio cake!

It’s so easy too! This recipe uses a box cake mix and you can’t go wrong with that! Try this country cook’s recipe with pistachios!

Lemon Curd Cake

There is nothing lemon to reminds us of spring with its fresh zesty scent and flavor. One way to use up lemons is with this homemade lemon curd cake.

Lemon curd cake is a dessert made with lemon curd, a sweet and tangy spread made from lemon juice, sugar, eggs, and butter. The cake itself is typically a moist and fluffy cake, which is filled with a layer of lemon curd and often topped with whipped cream or icing. Celebrate the coming of the warmer weather and clear out the winter doldrums with some tang! The combination of lemon curd and sponge cake is so delicious that you won’t be able to resist another slice of cake!

Pear Upside Down Cake

The caramelized pears on top of the cake add a sweet and fruity flavor that complements the soft and moist cake underneath not to mention the brown sugar, too. Serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the ultimate dessert experience.

You can also try experimenting with different types of pears to give the cake a unique flavor. Some varieties of pears that work well in an upside-down cake include Anjou, Bartlett, and Bosc. Additionally, you can add a touch of lemon juice to the batter to give the cake a slightly tangy taste.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Are you looking for a mouth-watering dessert that will leave your taste buds wanting more? Look no further than a delicious pineapple cake! With crushed or even sliced pineapple, this a simple tasty way to use up left over pineapple or that can that has been sitting your pantry forever.

Spring Lemon Bundt Cake

If you want something simple to make, try this lemon bundt cake recipe! Bundt cakes are always fun and so easy to decorate because the cake is half the decoration itself. The best way to decorate a bundt cake is to warm up your icing and than drizzle it over the top of the cake. It cools as it runs down making a simple but attractive cake.

Mini Bundt Cakes

You could take the last recipe a step further and make these cute mini bundt cakes. This is only one recipe, but it has options for six different flavors. I can’t wait to try it!

Rhubarb Cake

Rhubarb cake has a sweet and tangy flavor that is unique to rhubarb. It gives the cake a slightly tart taste, which is balanced out by the sweetness of the sugar.

This makes a great spring cake for you gardeners that have plenty of rhubarb that you need to use up or for those of you who like to shop seasonally since it is a spring and summer crop.

Carrot Cake Recipe

Another classic cake for the spring season is carrot cake. No spring cake roundup would be complete without a classic carrot cake.

Carrot cake is incredibly moist and flavorful, thanks to the addition of grated carrots. It is often spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, which adds warmth and depth to the flavor. Carrot cake is typically topped with a creamy cream cheese frosting, which perfectly balances the sweetness of the cake.

Lemon Blueberry Cake

Lemon and blueberry are two flavors that scream spring, and when combined, they create a cake that is both tart and sweet.

For the best blueberries (and for a great spring/summer experience), support your local you-pick farms that grows berries. Not only will the berries be fresh, but you will also get the experience and enjoyment of picking them yourself!

Tips for Decorating Spring Cakes

Once your cake is baked and cooled, it’s time to decorate! Here are some tips for making your spring cake look as beautiful as it tastes:

Use fresh flowers: Nothing says spring like fresh flowers!
Add a pop of color: Spring is all about bright colors, so why not add some to your cake? Use colorful frosting, sprinkles, or fruit to make your cake look as vibrant as the season.
Use seasonal fruits: Spring is the season for fresh berries, so why not add them to your cake? Top your cake with strawberries, raspberries, or blackberries for a burst of flavor and color.
Use fun cake toppers: Cake toppers are a fun and easy way to add some personality to your cake. Use a spring-themed topper like a bunny, chick, or flower to make your cake stand out.
Make icing flowers. There are many easy to follow articles on how to decorate cakes. The first one is for cupcakes, but it’s great inspiration to learn how to make flowers with icing. Check out How to make buttercream flowers on cupcakes or Cake Decorating for Beginners | How to Frost a Cake

Conclusion

Start out your spring celebration of the warmer months with a delicious homemade cake! There are so many spring occasions, like a picnic or backyard barbecue, afternoon tea, Easter, Mother’s Day, a big day like graduation. The best way to celebrate is with some cake!

If you didn’t find what you were looking for, look through this list of summer cakes!

You could also take any of these recipes and turn them into cupcake recipes to have something new. Follow the recipes and then just bake them in a muffin tin with liners and bake for 15 minutes or so or stir things up a bit with some white chocolate thrown into the batter and see what happens.

Spring is the perfect time to bake a cake and celebrate the new season. Whether you prefer a fruity cake like lemon blueberry cake, a carrot cake (which happens to be the best cake), or something else entirely, there’s no shortage of delicious spring cake recipes to try. So, grab your apron and get baking! Your taste buds (and your friends and family) will thank you.

I would love to know! What is your favorite cake? Is it the carrot cake or perhaps a the sourdough cake recipe that your grandmother used to make? Let me know in the comments below.

Happy Baking!

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15 Simple Summer Cakes: Baking Recipes for Picnics

Apr 28, 2023 · 4 Comments

Easy and fun cake recipes for any summer occasion

Summer is the season of light and refreshing desserts, and what better way to enjoy it than with a slice of delicious cake? Summer cakes are the perfect treat for any occasion, be it a picnic, a barbecue, or a family gathering. They are light, fluffy, and bursting with fruity flavors that will leave you feeling refreshed and satisfied. From classic strawberry shortcake to exotic tropical flavors, there is a summer cake for everyone. In this collection of summer cake recipes, we will explore the world of summer cakes and discover some delicious recipes that are sure to impress your family and friends on a hot summer day!

These recipes use fresh summer fruits like fresh berries. Many are citrus cakes which are perfect if you are a lemon lover.

Summer Cakes

Sourdough Lemon Cake | Our Gabled Home

Sourdough lemon cake is a tangy and moist cake that is perfect for any occasion. The sourdough starter used in the cake provides a unique and delicious flavor that sets it apart from regular lemon cake.

This is one the healthiest summer cakes!

The World’s Best Chocolate Cake

Best Strawberry Banana Cake With Whipped Cream Icing –

If you love the strawberry banana combo, you will love this cake! Not only is it a great way to use up extra fruit, but it is so delicious and simple with its whipped icing. This specific recipe is a layered cake with whipped cream frosting and some more fresh strawberries in between.

The Best Homemade Chocolate Brownie Cake Recipe – Our Crow’s Nest

A chocolate fudge cake is a decadent dessert that is perfect for chocolate lovers. The cake is typically made with rich cocoa powder and melted chocolate, which give it a dense and fudgy texture. The cake is often topped with a thick layer of chocolate ganache or frosting, which adds to its rich and indulgent flavor. A slice of chocolate fudge cake is a treat that is sure to satisfy any sweet tooth.

Homemade Strawberry Cake – A Quaint Life

Unlike other cakes that rely on artificial flavorings or extracts, strawberry cake gets its delicious taste and aroma from real strawberries. This means that the cake is not only more flavorful, but also healthier, as strawberries are packed with vitamins, antioxidants, and other beneficial nutrients.

Lemon Zucchini Cake With Sweet Lemon Glaze (Vegan Recipe)

This is a delicious dessert that combines the tanginess of lemon with the mild flavor of zucchini. The zucchini helps to add moisture and texture to the cake, making it incredibly moist and tender. The lemon flavor is refreshing and bright, making it the perfect dessert for warm weather or any time you want a sweet treat. This cake can be served as is, or with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It’s a great way to use up any excess zucchini from your garden and is sure to be a hit with anyone who tries it.

Plus, there are no egg whites or egg yolks in here!

Pear Upside Down Cake – A Quaint Life

Coffee Ice Cream Cake – The Little Epicurean

An ice cream cake is a dessert that combines layers of ice cream with layers of cake. The cake layers can be baked or made from cookie crumbs, while the ice cream layers can be any flavor. The cake is typically assembled in a springform pan, with each layer being added and frozen before the next layer is added. Once all the layers are added, the cake is frozen until it is solid. Ice cream cakes are often decorated with whipped cream, candy, or frosting.

This one is so tempting because it has coffee in it, too!

Raspberry Layer Cake

A layer cake is a type of cake that consists of multiple layers of cake separated by a layer of frosting, icing or whipped cream. The cake layers can be of the same or different flavors.

Layer cakes are often decorated with additional frosting or icing, and toppings such as fruit, nuts, or chocolate shavings can be added for extra flavor and texture. This is one adds raspberries.

Some popular flavors of layer cake include chocolate, vanilla, red velvet, and carrot cake.

Overall, layer cakes are a delicious and impressive dessert that can be customized to include any fruit or other sweet ingredients you have on hand.

Easy Raspberry Cake Made From Scratch – Also The Crumbs Please

If you are looking for a delightful dessert to serve at your summer parties, a raspberry cake is a perfect choice. This cake is light, fluffy, and bursting with the sweet and tangy flavor of fresh raspberries. It’s perfect for summer parties, picnics or even as a sweet treat on a hot day.

The Best Pound Cake Recipe – Sugar Spun Run

Pound cake is a versatile dessert that can be enjoyed in many ways. You can serve it plain or with a variety of toppings such as fresh fruit, caramel sauce, or chocolate ganache. Some people even like to toast a slice of pound cake and spread it with butter for a delicious breakfast treat.

Another tip for making a delicious pound cake is to use a bundt pan. The shape of the pan helps the cake to bake evenly and to have a beautiful presentation.

If you’re looking to make your pound cake extra special, you can experiment with different flavors and add-ins. For example, you could add chopped nuts, or dried fruit.

Raspberry Cake with Lemon Buttercream

This cake is a perfect combination of sweet and tangy flavors that will tantalize your taste buds. The moist and fluffy cake is made with fresh raspberries and a hint of lemon zest, giving it a refreshing taste.

The cake is perfect for any occasion, whether it’s a special celebration or a simple afternoon tea. It’s also easy to make, so you don’t have to be a baking expert to enjoy this delicious treat. If you’re looking for a dessert that’s both tasty and refreshing, this raspberry lemon cake is definitely worth a try.

Angel Food Cake – Joyofbaking.com Video Recipe

Summer is the perfect time to indulge in sweet treats, and one dessert that never goes out of style is the classic Angel Food Cake. This airy and light cake is the perfect dessert for warm summer days, and it’s easy to make as well!

You can top it with your favorite fruits and some whipped cream to make it even more delightful!

Old-Fashioned Icebox Cake – The Seasoned Mom

An ice box cake is one of the best summer cakes that is made by layering cookies or crackers with whipped cream, pudding, or custard. The dessert is then refrigerated for several hours or overnight, allowing the cookies or crackers to soften and absorb the moisture from the cream, pudding, or custard. The end result is a cake-like dessert that requires no baking.

Chocolate Raspberry Cake

This cake recipe combines the rich flavor of chocolate with the tartness of fresh raspberries and sweet raspberry jam, making it the perfect dessert. The combination of chocolate and raspberry is a classic one, and this cake offers a unique twist with the addition of raspberry jam.

The Chocolate Raspberry Cake with Raspberry Jam is a must-try recipe for anyone who loves the combination of chocolate and raspberries. It’s easy to make, delicious, and sure to be a hit with your friends and family. Try it out today and enjoy the rich, decadent flavors of this classic dessert.

Conclusion

A great way to celebrate summer with friends and family is over a delectable homemade cake. With these recipes, you will be set for making cakes all summer long.

This is also the best way to use up an extra cake mix with some seasonal fruit.

Did you try any of these? I would love to know down in the comments below which one is your favorite!

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Best Substitute for Bacon Grease Plus 13 Simple Solutions

Apr 28, 2023 · Leave a Comment

Simple substitutes for bacon grease

Looking for a substitute for bacon grease? Maybe you want a healthier option to cook with. Either way, here are 13 substitutes for bacon grease.

There are several healthy options and there is also an option if you are wanting the delicious bacon flavor without the grease.

No matter why your are looking for a substitute for bacon grease, you will find what you are looking for here in this list.

Best Substitutes for Bacon Grease

Butter

This versatile ingredient that can be used in many recipes, including as a substitute for bacon grease. It has a rich, creamy flavor that compliments many dishes. Butter can be used in equal parts to replace bacon grease in recipes such as sautéing vegetables or frying eggs which makes it a great alternative.

Tallow

This is animal fat from a cow or sheep that is melted so that you can remover the impurities from it. This is a great substitute for bacon grease because it is very similar to it in texture and can be used with high heat.

Coconut Oil

Not only does unrefined coconut oil have a delicious flavor to it, it also has many health benefits because it is very easy for your body to break it down and absorb. If you don’t want the coconut taste, you can get refined coconut oil, but you will loose some of the health benefits from it.

The one down side is that it has a low smoke point so it cannot take the place of bacon grease when it comes to frying.

Ghee

Ghee is a type of clarified butter that originated in India. It is made by simmering butter and then removing the milk solids. The resulting product has a high smoke point and a nutty, rich flavor. Ghee is commonly used in Indian cuisine and is also gaining popularity in other parts of the world because of its unique flavor and health benefits. This makes is an excellent substitute!

Olive Oil

One of the most common substitutes for bacon grease is olive oil. Olive oil is a healthy and flavorful alternative to bacon grease that can be used in a variety of dishes. It is made from pressing whole olives and is a staple in Mediterranean cuisine.

Canola Oil

This a type of vegetable oil that is derived from the rapeseed plant. It is a popular choice for cooking due to its high smoke point and neutral taste. Canola oil is made up of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. It can be used in a variety of cooking methods, including frying, baking, and roasting, making it a versatile ingredient in the kitchen.

Margarine

Margarine is a spreadable, butter-like product made from vegetable oils and is very similar to vegetable shortening. It was originally created as a cheaper alternative to butter and has become popular due to its lower cost. Margarine can be used in cooking, baking, and as a spread on bread and toast. It is commonly found in grocery stores and comes in a variety of forms, including sticks, tubs, and spray cans. This oil is often made with a variety of oils, including soybean, canola, and palm oil.

Peanut oil

Peanut oil, also known as groundnut oil, is a vegetable oil derived from peanuts, and is commonly used in cooking due to its mild flavor and high smoke point. It is often used in Asian cuisine, particularly in Chinese, Thai, and Vietnamese dishes. The best way to use it is for frying, sautéing, and as a base for a salad dressing and marinades.

Sesame Seed Oil

Sesame oil is derived from sesame seeds. It is commonly used in cooking, primarily in Asian cuisine. Sesame oil has a distinct nutty flavor and is known for its high smoke point, which makes it suitable for high temperature cooking methods such as deep frying and roasting.

Lard

This is a semi-solid white fat product obtained by rendering the fatty tissue of pigs. It is commonly used in cooking and baking to add flavor, texture, and moisture to dishes. Lard has been used for centuries as a cooking fat due to its high smoke point, which makes it suitable for high-temperature cooking methods such as frying and roasting. People still prefer lard over other fats due to its unique flavor and texture. It is the most similar to bacon grease in texture, but without the flavor of bacon.

Schmaltz

Schmaltz is a type of rendered goose or chicken skin grease that is commonly used in Jewish cuisine, and is often associated with traditional Jewish comfort foods. It is typically made by slowly cooking chicken or goose skin and fat until it melts and becomes liquid. Schmaltz also has a higher smoke point than some of the other options which means it can easily take the place of bacon fat.

Duck fat

Duck fat is a highly prized culinary ingredient that has been used for centuries in French cuisine. It is rendered from the fat of ducks and is known for its rich, savory flavor and versatility in cooking.

One of the key benefits of using duck fat in cooking is its high smoke point. Additionally, duck fat has a unique flavor profile that can add depth and richness to a wide variety of dishes, from roasted vegetables to pan-seared meats.

Bacon Salt

This is a seasoning blend that is made to taste like bacon. It is typically used as a substitute for real bacon in recipes or as a flavoring agent for various dishes. The seasoning blend is made from a combination of salt, garlic, onion, and natural bacon flavor.

No wonder bacon salt has become a popular ingredient in many households and restaurants! You get the subtle aroma of bacon without the grease, and it comes in several different flavors, including original, hickory, peppered, and applewood. It can be used to season meats, vegetables, soups, and even popcorn. Because of its versatility and unique flavor, bacon salt has gained a loyal following among bacon lovers and foodies alike.

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What is the best substitute for bacon grease?

Butter is the perfect substitute. Not only does it have an amazing flavor and stay in a solid form at room temperature, it’s not that expensive. Butter adds extra flavor to any dish especially when cooked in a cast iron skillet.

This is the best fat substitute if you are switching out the bacon grease for health reasons, too because it is a great way to get in the healthy oils.

Why do I think butter is the healthiest substitute?

I have some health issues (mainly gluten intolerance and rosacea) and have decided to give it my all to get rid of them even though I am told that their is no cure for them. In search of the truth about health and good food, I have stumbled across the Pro-Metabolic Diet or rather Pro-Metabolic eating.

They recommend that butter and saturated fats from animals are the best oils for our bodies because it is bio-available or easily digested and used. Yes, many other oils have good nutrients in them, too, but if our bodies can’t process them, then we can’t get those nutrients no matter how good they are.

There is a lot more to it then that, and if you are interested in learning more, read this article on The Pro-Metabolic Diet. Join my newsletter so that you don’t miss any posts that I publish on this fascinating topic!

Bacon grease is a popular ingredient in many recipes due to its unique smoky flavor. However, it’s not always readily available in every kitchen. Whether you’re a vegetarian, kosher, or simply out of bacon grease, there are several bacon grease substitutes you can use in your cooking.

Pretty much any oil is a great substitute.

If you are wanting the flavor without the grease, try bacon salt.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, bacon grease is a delicious ingredient that adds a unique flavor to many dishes. However, if you don’t have any on hand or are looking for a healthier alternative, there are several substitutes you can use. Coconut oil, butter, and olive oil are all excellent options that can be used in many recipes. Experiment with these substitutes to find the one that works best for you and your cooking needs.

How to Wash China: Cleaning Tips for Fine Dishes

Apr 25, 2023 · 3 Comments

Tips on how to easily and safely wash china and other fine dishes

China is so beautiful! These delicate looking dishes are sometimes hand painted and have been giving many hours of gentle loving care. It would be a shame for them to get ruined them when washing, but thankfully, they are not as delicate as they look.

Taking care of your china can be a daunting task, but with a few simple steps, you can keep your dishes looking like new for years to come.

Can you hand wash china?

Yes, hand washing is the safest way to wash china especially if it is fine-bone china. You have more control over the water temperature, type of dish washing detergent, etc.

Can china go in boiling water?

Preferably not. Water that is too hot may crack your china or cause other damage. Warm water is sufficient unless the dishes are really greasy. Then I would use hot tap water.

How do you clean china from a thrift store?

When you buy china from a thrift store, you don’t know where it has been. Washing it well with warm to hot water with some dish soap will sterilize it and kill any germs. You shouldn’t have to worry about it after you have cleaned it well.

Most things (even cleaning up after raw chicken) are taken care of by a little warm soapy water.

How often should you wash your china?

Wash your china dishes as often as you use them.

If they are just for show and never get used, it is a good idea to wash them once a year to keep them looking pristine.

How do you whiten yellowed china?

The best way to whiten yellowed china is to mix a little baking soda and white vinegar into a paste and letting it set on the stain for a few minutes before washing it off.

Here is how to do with it hydrogen peroxide.

While china is made out of delicate materials, it is okay to wash vintage china or even china that is only 15-20 years old. The most important thing is to be wise and everything will turn out fine.

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Do people still use fine china?

Yes, people still use fine china. Although it is usually reserved for special occasions, as more people are pursuing an old fashioned way of life, it is becoming more common to hear of people bringing out their antique china or everyday use instead of letting it sit in storage or their china cabinet.

China does not require much more special attention than regular dishes do. Simply pay attention as you are washing them and they should be fine.

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to wash your china. This is also how you clean porcelain and fine bone china as well.

How to Wash China

Gather Supplies

Before you begin, make sure you have all the necessary supplies. You will need dish soap, a soft sponge or brush, hot water, rubber gloves, and a soft towel or dish rack.

Using hot water from the tap (not boiling water) instead of warm water will help gut the grease and make the dishes dry faster without water stains. Rubber gloves will protect you hands so that you can use hotter water. They will protect your hands from getting dried out or scalded from the hot water.

Pre-Wash

Start by checking each piece of china for any cracks or damage. Rinse each piece under warm water to remove any food debris. Add a small amount of dish soap to the bottom of the sink and fill the sink with hot water.

Avoid using abrasive materials or harsh chemicals on your china as this can cause damage. Natural chemicals like baking soda, vinegar, and hydrogen peroxide are okay.

Washing

Wash one piece of china at a time. Use a soft sponge or soft wash cloth to gently scrub the dish. A dish rag works well, too.

Rinse each dish with hot water and place them in a dish drainer.

Drying

Use a soft cloth or dish towel to dry any remaining water or let them air dry. A paper towel is another option.

Final Thoughts

Using china is an easy way to enhance a dinner experience. You don’t have to reserve your china for special occasions. Using them in the day to day makes meals a little more special and by following these simple steps, you can ensure that your china is kept in good condition and is ready to be used for any occasion.

These simple steps can also be applied to any ceramic or porcelain piece.

With these easy steps, you can feel comfortable using your beautiful dishes for any occasion.

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How to Live on One Income: Simple Living Strategies

Apr 25, 2023 · Leave a Comment

How to sustainably live on one income, tips for wanna be SAHM’s

To live on one income does not mean you have to give up every luxury, but it may mean scaling back and prioritizing other things. There is so much to be gained from living on one income like learning to save more, to be frugal, to make things yourself, and to be content no matter your financial situation.

Living on one income can be difficult, but it can also be so good for you. It’s hard, but doing hard things builds character and we need more of VIRTUE in this world.

Is it possible to live on one income?

Absolutely! It is possible to live on one income.

However, this looks different for everyone. How you do so depends on your income and what you are comfortable doing. It can’t look the same for everyone especially since we all have our preferences and things that we won’t do without.

Living on one income is possible. Just make sure you are doing right by your family and don’t worry about what other people think you should or should not be doing in order to live on one income.

How to afford to live on one income?

Living on one income can be a daunting task, especially if you have always been used to living on two incomes. Whether you are a single parent, a couple expecting their first child, or you are wanting to become a stay-at-home parent; it is possible to live comfortably on one income. Here are the tips to help you successfully live on one income.

Create a Budget
Plan for Emergencies
Use Credit Cards
Be Frugal
Grow your own Food
Use it up, Wear it out, Make it Do, or Do Without
Stick to a Shopping List
DIY Projects
Make your own Products
Cook from Scratch
Eat at Home
Save on monthly bills
Invest in good quality items
Have financial goals
Prioritizing Expenses
Find Ways to Increase Your Income

Create a Budget

The first and most important step to becoming a one-income family is creating a budget. You should list all of your expenses, including rent/mortgage, utilities, groceries, car payments, health insurance, and any other expenses you have. Don’t forget to list what goes into your retirement accounts and what you already have in your savings account and any other bank account. Once you know how much money you need to cover your expenses, you can start to look for areas where you can cut back. This might mean downsizing your home, reducing your grocery bill, or cutting back on entertainment expenses.

This is a great resource on budgeting that can help you get started. It breaks down Dave’s Ramsey’s budgeting principles so that’s easy to apply.

Making a budget will also show you what your spending habits are.

Plan for Emergencies

When you are living on one income, it is important to plan for emergencies. You should have an emergency fund that can cover at least one month if not three to six months of living expenses. This will provide you with a safety net in case you lose your job or have unexpected expenses. Start building your emergency fund by setting aside a portion of your income each month. You can also look for ways to save money on your regular expenses, such as switching to a cheaper car insurance provider.

Use Credit Cards

If you can trust yourself to not overspend and to keep up with the bill, using a credit card that gives you a percentage back on groceries, gas, and other household items can help you make a decent amount of money on things you would normally purchase anyways.

A credit card is a helpful tool if managed well and is the easiest way to bring in extra money. You have to stay on top of paying it off and not accumulate credit card debt. The best way to remember to do this is to set a reminder at the end of each month to make the monthly payment.

Be Frugal

Being frugal is an essential part of living on one income. It means being mindful of your spending and making conscious choices about where you allocate your resources. One way to be frugal is to avoid unnecessary expenses, such as buying expensive clothes. Instead, look for deals on clothing and other essentials. By being frugal, you can stretch your income further and create a more stable financial future for yourself and your family.

Grow your own food

If you don’t know how to garden, now is a good time to learn. Start small and just do something. Overtime, you’ll gain a lot of experience and get really good at growing things.

Growing your own food can save a lot on the grocery bill. It’s a good experience and great way to get out of the house.

Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without

Look for ways to repurpose and reuse items you already have, such as using old clothing as rags or turning old jars into storage containers.

Old food containers like sour cream containers make good planters to start seeds in.

Cardboard boxes work great for organizing things.

Get creative and don’t throw anything away or get rid of anything unless it has no use any more or can be turned into something useful.

Stick to a shopping list

Make a list before you go grocery shopping and purpose to stick to it. This can help you save a lot of money by not buying unnecessary things.

I’m old fashioned so I like to use a good old piece of paper to make my lists on. There are, however, plenty of apps if would rather go digital. Find what works for you and stick with it.

DIY Projects

If something needs to be done around the house, look into how you can do it yourself. This can help cut down on costs and expenses of hiring someone else to do it for you.

There’s also plenty of resources online to learn how to do things so it’s a good idea to see if you can do it on your own before paying extra expense and hiring someone.

Ask around, too. You probably know people who could take care of the project who would give you a discount on it or offer to do it for free. People are always willing to help.

Make your own Products

There are so many recipes and ideas out there on how to make your own products and household items at home. Whether it’s make up or even dish soap or laundry detergent, not only will you save some money but you will have the satisfaction of creating something.

Easy things to start making are…

hand soap
dish soap
laundry detergent
make up
baby wash and shampoo
spices mixes
lotions
candles

Cook from Scratch

Making your own meals can help you stay healthy and live better on less. This doesn’t mean you have to slave away over a hot stove. There are plenty of easy recipes that are both delicious, healthy, and cheap that your family will love.

Not only will you save money, but you will learn a valuable skill as well. Besides, homemade food always tastes better!

Eat at Home

Eating out easily costs double or even triple then making a meal at home.

There are some times when it is better just to eat out or order in. Just make sure to budget for it.

Save on Monthly Bills

There are summer AC programs or you can save a good bit of money by only using the AC during certain times of the day.

Another way to save on bills is to adjust the temperature a few degrees or more lower than what you normally have it in the winter and bundle up. Bumping the AC up a few degrees in the summer can also help save on monthly expenses.

This is a good time to evaluate your subscription services. If there is anything unnecessary that you are paying for, end it and put that money where it really matters.

Invest in good quality items

Invest in high-quality items that will last a long time. While it may be tempting to buy the cheapest option available, this can often end up costing you more money in the long run.

By investing in durable, high-quality items, such as furniture or appliances, you can save money on replacements and repairs.

Buying better quality clothes though it might be more expensive up front can be better than buying something cheap that you will have to replace in six months. Make sure you do your research though. This is not always the case.

Unfortunately, just because it is more expensive, does not guarantee that it is better quality.

By adopting a frugal mindset, you can become more resourceful and creative with your spending, which can help you live more comfortably on one income.

Have Financial Goals

Just because you don’t have a second income doesn’t mean that you can’t save up for things or make plans. You may have less money, but you can still have financial security and with careful planning, can still afford nice things.

To make this happen you have to understand your financial situation and your household budget and make it work for you.

Don’t forget to keep dreaming even though you may not have as much money coming in as before. Remember to think ahead and make plans for where you want your family to be. Dreaming of the future helps you stay excited when things start getting a little tight.

Prioritizing Expenses

Prioritizing expenses is an essential part of living on one income. You will need to make choices about what is essential and what is not. For example, you may need to cut back on eating out or entertainment expenses to make room for necessary expenses such as rent, utilities, and groceries.

Find Ways to Increase Your Income

While living a single salary can be challenging, it doesn’t mean that you can’t find ways to increase your incomes so that you can have enough money. You could consider taking on side hustles, a part-time job or start your own business to supplement your income(something that you could do from home). There are many online opportunities that you can explore, such as freelance writing, graphic design, or tutoring. You could also look for ways to save money on your regular expenses, such as switching to a cheaper phone bill.

Any extra income helps when you are on a tight budget.

Final Thoughts

Living on one income is not easy, but it is possible. You can do it successfully. Remember to be patient and persistent, and don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it.

With a little bit of planning and creativity, you can thrive on one income and achieve financial stability for you and your family. Your family life does not have to suffer just because you want to be a stay-at-home mom. You can flourish without a second salary as you long as you plan accordingly and budget your household income.

It’s important to remember that living on one income requires discipline and sacrifice. The only way you will succeed is if you plan. You may have to forego some luxuries or adjust your lifestyle to make ends meet. However, by following the tips outlined in this post, you can create a sustainable financial plan that works well for you and your family.

I hope that you are excited to be home with your family and have all the time in the world to love on them and make a wonderful home for them!

Starting this journey can be less than exciting especially if you feel like you are the only doing it. There are so many women who have chosen to to stay at home over having extra income. You are not alone even there is no one you know that is doing this.

The great thing about social media is that you can find people all over the world that are doing the same thing as you. I have put together a list of my favorite resources as far as people to connect with on social media as well as podcasts to keep you company while you do chores.

You can find this list in my free resource library.

You can also….

Join the community of like-minded women!

We would love to connect with you!

17 Best Homemaking Tips for Busy Homemakers Today!

Apr 21, 2023 · Leave a Comment

Learn how to improve your homemaking with these simple tips!

Every homemaker wants to know how they can be better at what they do. Homemaking is a great responsibility with so many little things to manage, especially if you work full time outside of the home. No matter how good you get at homemaking, there is always more that you can learn and improve on.

Every season of life is different, too. Just when you think you have got it all down, something changes and throws everything off.

If you are a stay-at-home mom, this is especially true. There is no way for you to know how each season will go with each individual child in your home. Their personalities and your personality add so many factors into it as well.

As you get better at one thing, it is time to shift gears and focus on something else. I have compiled my best list of homemaking tips for you so that you can be refreshed in your homemaking journey and continue to create a place for you and your family to flourish.

Here is an outline of the main tips that are covered here.

Wake up early.
Cultivate virtue.
Stay energized.
Plan ahead.
Be consistent.
Have hobbies.
Be efficient.
Simplify larger tasks.
Treat it like a job.
Have set times to do chores.
Have break times.
Have a set time to end your chores.
Reward yourself.
Prioritize being at home.
Learn new skills.
Make it unique.
Make food from scratch.

Now let’s dig a little deeper into these tried and true homemaking tips!

Wake up early

Waking up earlier will make homemaking easier. With children this is hard, but necessary. You can’t count on them not waking up earlier than expected.

Mine are notorious for interrupting my morning time, but I still find that if I plan to at least shower and make breakfast before they get up, then we are off to a good start.

This only takes about 30 minutes or so depending on what I make for breakfast, but my tried and true routine is to wake up an hour before they do so that I can get some personal time in as well.

If I wake up before the children do, then I am more prepared for them and the morning is a lot easier.

Stay Energized

Moms work hard all day long, especially if they have a large family. No matter what stage or season of life you are in, there are always more things to do.

If you don’t take care of your home without taking care of yourself, eventually, you will burn out.

Simple ways to stay energized are…

Caffeine – A little coffee, tea, and even chocolate is a great way to get a little boost of energy. Just make sure you eat some protein with it to keep yourself from crashing later.
Snacks – If you are running out of energy, maybe you need more fuel.
Adrenal Cocktail – This is also known as a mocktail which means it does not contain alcohol. It is a simple concoction with orange juice and salt among other things that can help balance out your stress hormones and help you feel better throughout the day. This is an easy way to get those necessary electrolytes that you lose as you are working out or doing daily chores.

Plan ahead

If you know what is coming up in your day, you will be more prepared and won’t be running around last minute like a chicken with its head cut off.

It’s really hard to flourish if there is no plan in place so that daily tasks and monthly chores can run smoothly. Taking time to plan ahead can really improve how your home is kept, how it’s run, and even how you feel as a person.

Finding what works for you can be hard. It takes a good bit of experimenting and tweaking until you get the hang of the flow of things like cleaning the bathroom or meal planning, not to mention laundry and dishes.

Planning can save you a lot of time and a lot of stress. What mom needs more stress?

Make a cleaning schedule or a list of tasks for your household chores. Make some chore charts. Have a morning routine.

Take the time. PLAN! Even if this is one of the only homemaking tips you take away, this one thing will still make a big difference in your life.

Be consistent

When you have found your groove, try to be as consistent at sticking to the routine you have in place. Being consistent helps keep unnecessary random factors from breaking your routine.

Don’t stress over it though. If something needs to slide to the side in order for something more important to happen, let it slide. This is the beauty of being a homemaker! You are in charge of the time.

Have hobbies

Don’t neglect your passions!

Letting your hobbies and passions be pushed aside permanently for the sake of housework is not healthy. As with everything, there needs to be a balance of getting work done and doing something you enjoy.

The best way to balance this is to carve out specific times every day or several times a week for you to do something that brings you joy.

If you don’t have a hobby, you need to get one. This doesn’t mean that it has to be totally unrelated to homemaking. It just means that you find something that brings you joy.

There are plenty of things that are connected to homemaking that you could incorporate into your schedule as a hobby. Some people really enjoy cooking and baking. Others enjoy gardening and sewing.

I actually really enjoy organizing things. It makes me so happy to have everything neat and in its place.

These are easy things that you already do and if you find them enjoyable, maybe plan to give them some extra time and really get into it.

Having hobby time can help you get through the mundane or difficult things about homemaking. When there is something to look forward to that brings you immense joy, things will be easier.

Cultivate virtue

The most important thing and best homemaking tip I can give you to be a successful homemaker is to cultivate virtue.

Ultimately, what makes a good homemaker is what is inside her. The virtue of a homemaker goes beyond the virtues of Aristotle which are prudence, temperance, justice, and courage; and also embraces the three Christian virtues of Faith, hope, and love. There is an inner beauty to someone who is kind, loving, compassionate, but also hard working and wise.

There is goodness and a beauty to be seen that is very attractive to other people. A virtuous woman draws other people to something greater than herself with an irresistible goodness in the way she carries herself, talks, addresses issues, and even does housekeeping.

I like to think of virtue as the good that propels good. When you are virtuous now, it sets you up to be virtuous in the future because you are creating the habit of choosing virtue in the moment.

This is easily seen in the emotions of a homemaker. It is really hard to be joyful all the time, to be in the spirit of thanking God and praising him for all that he has blessed you with. The virtue of patience comes hard especially when you have little children running around getting under your feet when you are trying to make dinner or simply fold the clothes.

Choosing to be virtuous in those moments even when you don’t feel like it, makes it easier to choose virtue the next time and the next time until it becomes an engrained habit into your character.

It’s hard, very hard, but so worth it. It takes a lot of intentional decisions right in the middle of things happening to be virtuous.

To set yourself up for success, choose ahead of time that you are going to be virtuous like the woman in Proverbs 31.

Be efficient

Efficiency does not mean doing something fast. We have somehow associated these two words together until efficiency has become the bad guy to running a household in a healthy and sustainable way.

The word efficient means to be effective or productive. These can look like doing things super fast, but in the long run, always doing things as fast as possible is not the most sustainable way to live.

Doing things at a slow pace where you enjoy what you are doing and can take pride in your work instead of just doing things to check them off the to-do list, is still efficient. Besides, it’s better to do this then run around like a chicken with its head cut off.

Simplify larger tasks

If you get stressed out easily, then you need this homemaking tip!

If there is a bigger or less agreeable task that needs to be done, take some time to stop and evaluate the task. A good thing to do is to break it down into the individual different steps and see if you can’t simplify it.

As a new homemaker, I did a lot of things the hard way.

For example, something I struggled with was doing the laundry. It was hard for me to not get stressed if I did it all in one day.

A load of laundry can be an easy task! It should be an easy task!

I have learned to take the whole process of doing laundry apart, break it down into simple steps, and figure out what is unnecessary that I can do away with so that I get it more done in less time. You can read more about my process over here in Laundry Tips for Beginners.

Treat homemaking like a job.

Treating your responsibilities as your job can be very helpful in your homemaking journey. This allows you to set boundaries and be done at a certain time. Here are some ways to do that.

Have set times to do chores

What I like to do is to have a set time every morning that I start my housekeeping. It usually isn’t an actual time, but more of a rhythm or routine. When breakfast is over, it is time to start working.

Have break times

Don’t run yourself ragged by being a go-getter that doesn’t know how to slow down and sit for a while. A really helpful strategy is to have a time blocking routine. Have a set time or choose a stopping spot in the middle of a bigger task to stop and take a breather. Eat a snack or get some coffee. Enjoy a little time of relaxing before getting up to do some more.

Have a set time to be done for the day

This is a great homemaking tip because once you reach that designated time, you are done for the day and it feels great!

It has been very helpful for me to be done once the children go to bed. After they have been tucked in for the night, I don’t do any more work. It can wait till tomorrow.

Reward yourself

Someone who works a regular job gets paid. It can be helpful for you as a homemaker to reward yourself while you are doing certain tasks that you don’t especially enjoy. This can look like eating some chocolate or fixing your favorite lunch.

It’s okay to pamper yourself a little bit. You work overtime as it is.

Prioritize being at home

Social media can make homemakers feel like they have to be as social as if they were single. This is not the case. In fact, you will most likely flourish if you are not. It’s okay to prioritize your home and stay home so that you can get things done, spend time with your children, or even just be less stressed.

There is nothing wrong with this and it actually is a very wise approach to homemaking especially in the season when you have little children.

This does not in any mean that you are a terrible homemaker if you do choose to go out and do things. To each their own.

The point I am trying to make is that you don’t need to feel bad if you don’t want to.

Learn new skills

Homemakers several generations ago knew how to do so many things that sadly have not been handed down. Convenience has robbed us of a lot of knowledge that our grandmothers mastered. Because of this, homes are not as sustainable or as healthy as they could be.

Searching for a more quality life, many of us young women have turned back to learn from previous generations how to create a home that is self-sustainable.

Some homemaking skills are…

Make it unique

There will be no home like yours because you are the homemaker. Each home takes on the personality of those that live inside it. Let it be unique.

Let the decor, the scent, the way it runs be your own. It does not have to be nor will it look like other people’s homes.

It’s yours. Let it come to life with your unique tastes and passions.

Make food from scratch

Cooking from scratch is not as common as it used to be. So much is pre-packaged and preserved with additives that are not very healthy for you.

Learning to make healthy and delicious food in your own kitchen is not as hard it seems and it doesn’t take much time to actually make full meals. It just takes time and practice to cultivate this skill and get efficient at it.

Just because it is from scratch does not necessarily mean that it will be delicious and healthy. Take the time to learn what healthy food is and how to make it in a way that is appealing and tasty to your family.

This is why I write about Pro metabolic eating and new recipes. Being gluten-free, I have been on my own journey seeking true health and have some answers in this “new” yet old-fashioned way of living.

The good news is that you can find almost everything you need at your local grocery store and it this way of living is great for every family member including babies learning to eat food for the first time. Find out for yourself!

Related: Pro metabolic Diet

Related: Recipes

Final thoughts!

Did you find these simple things to be helpful homemaking tips? Let me know which one was the most relevant to you in the comments below.

Our days are filled with basic chores and often times mundane tasks. No matter the amount of time we think we have, a woman’s work is never done.

Take these simple tips and and improve your homemaking!

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Good Proverbs 31 Woman Quotes from Bible Verses and More

Apr 13, 2023 · Leave a Comment

Proverbs 31 woman Bible quotes and more that are relevant today to inspire women in their everyday lives towards virtue

The Proverbs 31 Woman is a well- known wise woman in the bible, often referred to as the virtuous woman. She is found in Proverbs 31:10-31 and comes from the sayings of King Lemuel whose mother gave him faithful instruction of how to find the ideal woman who will make a noble wife.

This virtuous woman is a role model to christian women of what a truly beautiful woman looks like. Some of the qualities this diligent woman portrays include her…

ability to provide for her family
heart of reverence for her husband
entrepreneurial spirit
wisdom

In verse 17, this book of wisdom says, “She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.” This verse paints a picture of a woman with willing hands eager to put in the effort to achieve her goals.

Additionally, this great woman shows that she is not only concerned with her own well-being and the affairs of her household, but also cares for those around her.

Overall, the Proverbs 31 Woman serves as an inspiration for women of all ages and backgrounds as an excellent wife and homemaker. Her commitment to hard work, wisdom, and kindness remind us all to strive for these qualities in our own lives.

Here are the words of wisdom from King Lemuel’s mother and other women.

Proverbs 31 Woman Quotes

Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies. – Proverbs 31:10

A virtuous woman is trustworthy. – Anonymous

The heart of her husband doth safely trusteth in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.

– Proverbs 31:11

Every day of your life, you are faced with opportunities. Unfortunately, the choices that face you are not heroic choices. They are bamboo tree choices. They are small, but progressive choices that steer you in a positive direction and over time you’re bound to meet success. For most of us, we spend all our lives waiting for that life changing moment that will change the course of our lives and make us successful. Unfortunately, the clock is ticking. Every day, we choose not to tend to our bamboo tree, a choice is made for us and by the time we realize it, the seasons have passed and we have nothing to show for it.

– Mary Maina, The Proverbs 31 Lady: Unveiling Her Secrets Before Saying I Do

She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life. – Proverbs 31:12

Hard working women are virtuous. – Anonymous

She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands. She is like the merchants’ ships; she bringeth her food from afar. She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens. – Proverbs 31:13-15

It is virtuous for a woman to be wise. – Anonymous

She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard. She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms. – Proverbs 31:16-17

A Porverbs 31 woman is humble. – Anonymous

She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night. – Proverbs 31:18

Since the woman described in Proverbs 31 was not a living, breathing woman, it is easy to see her way of life as unattainable or exhausting, but there is more to it than that. We can view this as a list of goals for ourselves, something to be constantly working on. – Christina Fleming

She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff. She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. – Proverbs 31:19-20

The Proverbs 31 woman is loving to the poor and needy. – Anonymous

She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet. – Proverbs 31:21

A virtuous woman can be trusted. – Anonymous

She make it herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple. Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land. – Proverbs 31:22-23

Cultivating a quiet spirit is virtuous. – Anonymous

She maketh a fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant. – Proverbs 31:24

It is virtuous for a homemaker to be efficient. – Anonymous

Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. – Proverbs 31:25

Gentleness adorns a virtuous woman. – Anonymous

She opened her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. – Proverbs 31:26-27

There is virtue to be found in good works. – Anonymous

Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. – Proverbs 31:28-29

Our simple daily decisions can become our best friend or our worst enemy. They can draw us towards our goals or send us orbiting into a galaxy far, far away. These are the days of our lives.

– Mary Maina, The Proverbs 31 Lady: Unveiling Her Secrets Before Saying I Do

A virtuous woman cares for the poor. – Anonymous

Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates. – Proverbs 31:30-31

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Final Thoughts

Don’t these thoughts motivate you to cultivate imperishable beauty, to work with our own hands, to share God’s love to the poor and needy, and to show the grace of God through your speech in your own life? They really address all the areas of your life and can be applied to many of your daily tasks on your to-do list.

This godly woman is the model of a committed woman. I don’t know about you, but I deeply desire to be this type of woman, a wife of noble character and a faithful woman who has great courage and eager hands to do any good work.

I hope you are inspired to pursue virtue!

For PRACTICAL TIPS on cultivating virtue, sign up for the WEEKLY NEWSLETTER. You will also get access to my FREE RESOURCE LIBRARY!

If you would like more quotes, check these out!

Top 23 Inner Beauty Quotes that Homemakers will Love

27 Famous Shakespeare Quotes on Beauty and More

19 Homemaking Quotes: Encouragement for Homemakers

To learn more about VIRTUE, read these!

What is Virtue?

12 Qualities of a Virtuous Woman from Proverbs

Who Can Find a Virtuous Woman? Proverbs 31:10-31 KJV

12 Qualities of a Virtuous Woman from Proverbs

Apr 12, 2023 · 12 Comments

12 Virtues of the Proverbs 31 woman

Looking at the 12 qualities of a virtuous woman is a fascinating little peek at what virtue can look like in the life of a woman. The role model here is created by the mother of a king in the book of Proverbs to show him what the characteristics of a virtuous woman are so that he will find a good wife.

What are the Qualities of a Virtuous Woman?

She is..

Trustworthy
Hard Working
Wise
Strong
Humble
Loving
Confident
Respectful
Skilled
Beautiful within
Gentle
Efficient
Reverant

Let’s see what God’s Word says about these qualities in this woman of virtue.

Proverbs 31:10-31

Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.

The heart of her husband doth safely trusteth in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.

She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.

She is like the merchants’ ships; she bringeth her food from afar.

She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.

She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.

She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.

She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.

She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.

She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.

She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.

She make it herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.

Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.

She maketh a fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.

Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.

She opened her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.

She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.

Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.

Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.

Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.

Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

The 12 qualities that we cover here are in no way the extensive list. There is so much about the characteristics of a godly woman and her good works in this passage. This barely scratches the surface, but I hope you enjoy this little Bible study on what a virtuous wife, woman, and homemaker can be.

The 12 Qualities of a Virtuous Woman

Trustworthy

The heart of her husband doth safely trusteth in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.

She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

A virtuous woman is trustworthy. She can be safely trusted in relationships because she won’t go behind people’s backs and wrong them. People will feel safe and not feel like they have to keep their guard up with her.

She has the wisdom and discernment to know what to share with other people. Her husband could safely be trusted with an official position (he sat with the elders of the land) because he had a wife that could be trusted.

Hard Working

She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.

She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.

This woman did things from scratch willingly probably because that was the only way her family could afford things.

She did not settle for less. She wanted the best for her household (which was not just her family but also included servants). She did right by them and served them all well.

She got up early while it is still dark. To wake up before she probably wanted to to tend to her household was a necessity.

Wise

She considereth a field, and buyeth it.

There is virtue in knowing how to weigh things out. This woman of wisdom stopped to consider the field. I wonder if this was the only field that she saw that day or if she had to wait sometime till the right one came along for her project. There was no rash decision by this virtuous woman.

Strong

She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.

Did you know it was virtuous to work out? I’m not entirely sure this is the point, but what does need to be addressed is that this woman actively made herself strong. A lot of it probably came naturally in the rhythm of working hard for her household.

Humble

She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.

Unafraid of hard work and even though she had maidens, humility is displayed here because she again worked willingly with her own hands. She was not above doing the tedious hard work.

Loving

She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.

Compassion is not lacking in this example of virtue. We see here how the needs of other people outside of her household were met by her own hand. She took care of her family, but also loved on the poor and needy.

Confident

She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.

The change of seasons was expected and the household was prepared well for it with quality items.

Respectful

She make it herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.

Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.

You wouldn’t see this woman hanging out in her pj’s as is common in today’s world. First of all, because that would be scandalous back then. Secondly, because this would be disrespectful to her husband who was well-known and must have had some kind of position in the community.

Skilled

She maketh a fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.

This ties in the qualities of humility and hard working, but also brings up the idea that she knew what she was doing. She was knowledgeable in the skill of making good quality and highly sought after linen enough to be able to sell it.

Inner beauty

Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.

The character and virtues that reside in the heart of this woman is overwhelming. She is so beautiful being clothed with strength and honor beyond the physical beauty of her outward appearance and this brings happiness and rejoicing later on in her life. I have no doubt that she took the time to cultivate virtue and make it a reality in her life.

Gentle

She opened her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.

This sweet and quiet spirit of gentleness and wisdom in her words beautifully compliments all the other characteristics of this woman. I find it interesting that her tongue had the LAW of kindness. It wasn’t a principle to be kind with her words. It was a law.

Efficient

She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.

Efficient has to do with the idea of being effective and productive. It is in a sense the opposite of idleness. The virtuous woman is the perfect woman, an excellent wife, and she is also the ideal home maker. She is excellent at tending to her household.

Reverant

A woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised

The ideal woman reverences or has the fear of the LORD and she is praised for it.

Final Thoughts

This is the kind of woman with strength of character that we all aspire to be in our own lives. As christian women, we deeply desire to be known as virtuous women, to be known for our wisdom, our love, our kindness, our virtue.

No one wants to be known as the foolish woman, but rather a wise woman and a wise homemaker who looks after her home with skill and efficiency.

Sometimes when we look at this example set before us, it can be daunting to think of how we can get from where we are to were we need to be in this journey of becoming a virtuous woman.

It can seem hard and impossible; though, from what little I have studied on virtue, it is a good thing that it is hard because that hardness is what will refine us and create virtue in us.

It also does not happen in a day. Virtue takes an entire life. Hardly anything in life is a quick fix and even these specific qualities of the virtuous woman of Proverbs takes the time and the effort of implementing them in our everyday life.

I want to be this kind of woman, to learn to be a virtuous and excellent woman in all my homemaking, one that is worthy of her husband, a loving mother that spends quality time with her little children, and one that has the fear of God in her.

Do you long for this too? If not…

Will you join me in the challenge of becoming a woman of noble character? Will you join me in building virtuous homes for our families? It’s hard, but it’s worth it.

Related: What is Virtue?

Related: Efficient Homemaking

Related: Virtue Quotes

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Who Can Find a Virtuous Woman? Proverbs 31:10-31 KJV

Apr 11, 2023 · Leave a Comment

The virtuous woman as it is in the book of Proverbs 31:10-31 KJV

Who can find a virtuous woman? Can you find her in yourself?

Virtue is much more than moral values that we live out. It is more valuable than that because it takes a lifetime to cultivate virtue.

Have you recently stopped to evaluate what virtues you need to work on?

Here are the well known verses form the book of Proverbs that give us a role model of what virtue looks like in real life.

I hope you thoughtfully read these verses and learn how you can become a more virtuous woman starting today!

Proverbs 31:10-31 KJV

Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.

The heart of her husband doth safely trusteth in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.

She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.

She is like the merchants’ ships; she bringeth her food from afar.

She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.

She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.

She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.

She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.

She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.

She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.

She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.

She make it herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.

Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.

She maketh a fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.

Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.

She opened her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.

She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.

Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.

Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.

Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.

Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

What is a Virtuous Woman?

A woman of virtue and a virtuous wife is what we aspire to be. It is not who we are now, but it is who we can flourish into. It is us at our full potential.

This beautiful picture of a good woman are the words of King Lemuel that his mother gave him. These were the things that he should look for in the ideal wife.

She should be a godly woman that her husband could have full confidence in, a woman of valor, and excellent wife in every way.

She should have eager hands for hard work in any of the affairs of her household whether it concerns winter clothes or good and delicious food.

She should be a Christian woman who is ready to serve the poor.

A woman like this is a wife of noble character and a beautiful woman. She is a woman of worth.

I want to be her! Don’t you?

Who can be a Virtuous Woman?

It is a good thing for married women who already have a husband, children, and homes to cultivate virtue, but virtue is also for the single woman who maybe doesn’t get married, too.

The unmarried whether they are young women or a few years older can all profit from following the example of the Proverbs 31 woman. Yes, it is written with marriage in mind for the woman to run a household, but single women can have many of the virtues mentioned here. Some of them relate to basic needs of life that any woman can learn and apply to her own life.

Even unmarried women are homemakers, too. Their roles simply look different without the responsibilities of a husband and children.

They still have to make a home for themselves and in many ways, single women may have less distractions than what we typically think of as homemakers to keep them from pursuing virtue.

Although it is mentioned that for wives their own husbands will praise her and their children will call them blessed, virtue is valued in an unmarried woman and there are many who will praise them for it, too.

Virtue in all its splendor and glory and refining is for any woman.

Final Thoughts on the Virtuous Woman

If I stop and think about becoming this worthy woman, it seems like an impossible dream to wish for. There is no way I could be her. There is so much distraction and so much that challenges me in the day to day to be virtuous.

It’s hard to think of trying to be the kind of woman who excels at homemaking because is there is so much that I find hard to keep up with already. It seems impossible to make a virtuous home sometimes.

Though if there is anything that I have learned in this year so far, it is that we need to dream the impossible dream. Impossibility inspires and challenges us to our full potential. We need impossibility.

So I know it seems impossible for me to be fully virtuous in my homemaking or as a wife and a mom, but I’m going to strive for it anyways, to reach for it anyways, to dream the impossible dream no matter what it takes.

Will you join me in this journey of becoming a virtuous homemaker? Would you care to learn how to truly be christian women with all the virtues alongside me? Will you seek the noble things of virtue to make a virtuous home with me?

Let it be a life long goal of ours to take the key words of this chapter from this book of wisdom and apply it to our hearts and homes!

Come! Let us strive to flourish into virtuous women together!

DIY Baby Wash and Shampoo: Homemade Natural Recipe

Apr 7, 2023 · 2 Comments

This DIY baby wash is a healthy alternative to wash your baby’s skin with and is a simple solution that only contains natural ingredients and no harsh chemicals.

Many times artificial fragrances can irritate the sensitive skin of your little one. Not long after my baby girl was born, I realized that her her skin was reacting to the synthetic fragrance in our store-bought baby wash and needed extra care. Thankfully, I had just started making our own hand soaps and personal care products so I had a bottle of castile soap on hand to make my own natural baby wash.

I find that DIY recipes are so much fun and leave you with a sense of accomplishment. If you have never made your own skin care products or soaps, don’t worry! This is a great place to start because it is so simple and forgiving. It’s not hard work and you can’t mess it up.

What items are necessary to make your own natural baby wash?

All you will need for this very simple diy recipe is…

a self-foaming pump (Mason Jar Foaming Soap Dispenser)(Plastic Foaming Soap Dispenser)
a spoon.

Any hand soap dispenser will do, but the foaming one is the best because this is a castile-based soap. Some castile soaps come with a foaming agent ingredient added and some don’t.

If your are like me and don’t want the worry of synthetic foaming agents, this foaming pump creates foam without needing that extra ingredient.

If you are planning to keep it in the shower, you might want this plastic one instead of the glass mason jar just to be safe.

What are the ingredients of a simple baby wash?

Ingredient list:

1/4 cup Castile Soap – Dr. Bronner Castile Soap is the best brand of natural castile soap and the essential ingredient of this soap. I have tried a cheaper off brand to try and save a few pennies, but it wasn’t worth it. It smelled a little weird so I stick with Dr. Bronners. The recommended her is an unscented one, but you can also get ones that have essential oils added in already like lavender, rose, or even peppermint.

1 cup warm Water – Warm water helps the Castile Soap dissolve better.

So that you know exactly what you are dealing with, here are the ingredients of castile soap…

Water
Organic Coconut Oil
Potassium Hydroxide
Organic Palm Kernel Oil
Organic Olive Oil
Organic Hemp Seed Oil
Organic Jojoba Oil
Citric Acid
Tocopherol

Popular add-ins:

Essential Oils – Add a few drops of your favorite scent or omit this step if you prefer it to be scent free.
Vegetable Glycerin – This helps moisturize your skin to avoid dry skin.

How do you make natural body wash for babies?

Here are the instructions to make your own baby wash.

Remove the lid to the foaming soap dispenser and rinse it out.
Add 1/4 cup castile soap to the pump.
Add about 1/4 cup warm water to the soap.
Stir until the soap has dissolved.
Add the remaining amount of warm water.
Stir a few times to make sure everything is properly mixed together.
Screw the lid back on and pump a few times to get some soap out.

Notes:

This works well if you want to make your own baby shampoo. It gets your baby’s hair just as clean as other baby products.
Maybe you ran out of time or are too busy to get everything together to put everything together. I have a little secret for you. You can also add the a teaspoon or so of the castile soap straight into the bath water.
Don’t use straight castile soap on your baby! Castile soap is a gentle liquid soap, but it still needs to be diluted.
This recipe is perfect for older children as well as babies. In fact, have you ever considered switching your household from using commercial products to more natural options?

This is a simple baby wash recipe. Feel free to add your favorite essential oil and enjoy your own natural homemade baby wash!

Let me know in the comments below if you try this recipe or if you have made any other baby products like homemade baby wipes. I would love your recommendations so I can try new experiments!

DIY Baby Wash

A natural baby wash recipe that is simple and free from toxic chemicals

Ingredients

1/4 Cup Castile Soap
1 Cup Warm Water

Instructions

Remove the lid to the foaming soap dispenser and rinse it out.

Add 1/4 cup castile soap to the pump.

Add about 1/4 cup warm water to the soap.

Stir until the soap has dissolved.

Add the remaining amount of warm water.

Stir a few times to make sure everything is properly mixed together.

Screw the lid back on and pump a few times to get some soap out.

Notes

This works well if you want to make your own baby shampoo. It gets your baby's hair just as clean as other baby products.

You can also add the a teaspoon or so of the castile soap straight into the bath water.

Don't use straight castile soap on your baby! Castile soap is a gentle liquid soap, but it still needs to be diluted.

This recipe is perfect for older children as well as babies.

PIN IT FOR LATER!

19 Homemaking Quotes: Encouragement for Homemakers

Apr 5, 2023 · Leave a Comment

Homemaking quotes for your own home

Homemaking is the most important work that any wife or mom can do. It’s hard work, but very rewarding as you create a haven with your unique tastes and personality.

There are household duties and daily tasks, not to mention cultivating human relationships. There is so much that goes into the work of a woman that it takes some measure of skill to manage it all especially if you have a family of small children.

This is why I have gathered some homemaker quotes for you, hoping that you will find some inspiration to motivate you in your far from ordinary work.

Enjoy!

Homemaking Quotes

A home should be a treasure chest for living. – Le Corbusier

Home is where the heart is. – Pliny the Elder

A house is made of walls and beams; a home is built with love and dreams. – Unknown

The housewife works hard, of course–but likes it. Most people who amount to anything do work hard, at whatever their job happens to be. The housewife’s job is home-making, and she is, in fact, ‘making the best of it’; making the best of it by bringing patience and loving care to her work; sympathy and understanding to her family; making the best of it by seeing all the fun in the day’s incidents and human relationships.

Cleaning your house can also be a workout. – Jessica Biel

The housewife realizes that home-making is an investment in happiness. It pays everyone enormous dividends. There are huge compensations for the actual labor involved…

There are unhappy housewives, of course. But there are unhappy stenographers and editresses and concert singers. The housewife whose songs I sing as I go about my work, is the one who likes her job.

– Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Songs of a Housewife: Poems by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings

A house is not a home unless it contains food and fire for the mind as well as the body. – Benjamin Franklin

A home is a kingdom of its own in the midst of the world, a stronghold amid life’s storms and stresses, a refuge, even a sanctuary. – Dietrich Bonhoeffer

A clean home is a happy home. – Unknown

There is no spectacle on earth more appealing than that of a beautiful woman in the act of cooking dinner for someone she loves. – Thomas Wolfe

I believe that a godly home is a foretaste of heaven. Our homes, imperfect as they are, must be a haven from the chaos outside. They should be a reflection of our eternal home, where troubled souls find peace, weary hearts find rest, hungry bodies find refreshment, lonely pilgrims find communion, and wounded spirits find compassion. – Jani Ortlund

There is no occasion when meals should become totally unimportant. Meals can be very small indeed, very inexpensive, short times taken in the midst of a big push of work, but they should be always more than just food. – Edith Schaeffer, Hidden Art

Homemaking is a passion you can pass on from generation to generation. – Elizabeth George

The kitchen is your natural setting as a woman and you should look beautiful, not bedraggled, in it. Whether you go to work or work at home- or both- take advantage of the opportunity the kitchen offers for expressing your wifely qualities in what you wear. Pinafores, organdies, and aprons look wonderful, as do gay cotton wrap-arounds that slip on over your dress while you make breakfast. Too much attention is paid to kitchen equipment and decor; too little to what is worn in this setting. Why look like Cinderella’s crotchety stepmother when you can be a lyrical embodiment of all that a home and hearth means!

– Anne Fogarty, Wife Dressing: The Fine Art of Being a Well-Dressed Wife

Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing up is like shoveling the sidewalk before it stops snowing. – Phyllis Diller

There is romance in housework. – Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings

I’m only a housewife, I’m afraid.” How often do we hear this shocking admission. I’m afraid when I hear it I feel very angry indeed. Only a housewife: only a practitioner of one of the two most noble professions (the other one is that of a farmer); only the mistress of a huge battery of high and varied skills and custodian of civilization itself. Only a typist, perhaps! Only a company director, or a nuclear physicist; only a barrister; only the President! When a woman says she is a housewife she should say it with the utmost pride, for there is nothing higher on this planet to which she could aspire. – John Seymour, Forgotten Household Crafts

Few things are more important than finding a home and working at it constantly to make it resonate with deep memories and fulfill deep longings. – Thomas Moore

To entertain at home is both a relief and a rediscovery – of rooms and settings, of your favorite things, and particularly of your own tastes and ideas. – Martha Stewart

Home is the nicest word there is. – Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little Women

Final Thoughts

Words inspire like nothing else, and though women’s work is never done, I hope you found new strength to be the best homemaker you can be.

Home really is the best place to be and no matter if your little ones wake you up at any given hour of the night and feel like spending time with you constantly every hour of the day; hopefully, you find that this ultimate career of homemaking really is the most exciting thing you could ever do with your life!

15 Bedtime Poems for Kids: Say Goodnight with Poetry

Apr 4, 2023 · 4 Comments

Bedtime poems for kids, inspire young minds to dream of goodness

Bedtime poems for kids is a great way to share the last few moments of the day with your children before you say good night. It can be hard to get children to wind down after a busy day.

That is why poetry and bedtime stories are one of the best things to soothe hyper older kids or distracted younger children. They can be funny poems, nursery rhymes, charming poems, or simply your favorite bedtime poem. It can even be a whimsical poem or a silly poem like the one below by Lewis Carroll.

The selection here may be new poetry to you. They may not be the popular ones by William Blake or Lord Tennyson, but they are classic poems that will be a great addition to your bedtime routine. They are some of my favorite poems and prayers that hold many great truths for children and what better time than a minute till bedtime to share meaningful words of wisdom and powerful tools for later in life.

Make sure you read on till the end to get the free eBook of poems! It also includes a few of my own poems.

Enjoy!

A Psalm of Life

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream!
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.

Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each to-morrow
Find us farther than to-day.

Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.

In the world’s broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
Be a hero in the strife!

Trust no Future, howe’er pleasant!
Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act,— act in the living Present!
Heart within, and God o’erhead!

Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;

Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o’er life’s solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.

Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.

Afton Water

by Robert Burns

Flow gently, sweet Afton, among thy green braes,
Flow gently, I’ll sing thee a song in thy praise;
My Mary’s asleep by thy murmuring stream,
Flow gently, sweet Afton, disturb not her dream.

Thou stock-dove, whose echo resounds thro’ the glen,
Ye wild whistling blackbirds in yon thorny den,
Thou green-crested lapwing, thy screaming forbear,
I charge you disturb not my slumbering fair.

How lofty, sweet Afton, thy neighbouring hills,
Far mark’d with the courses of clear winding rills;
There daily I wander as noon rises high,
My flocks and my Mary’s sweet cot in my eye.

How pleasant thy banks and green valleys below,
Where wild in the woodlands the primroses blow;
There oft, as mild Ev’ning sweeps over the lea,
The sweet-scented birk shades my Mary and me.

Thy crystal stream, Afton, how lovely it glides,
And winds by the cot where my Mary resides,
How wanton thy waters her snowy feet lave,
As gathering sweet flowrets she stems thy clear wave.

Flow gently, sweet Afton, among thy green braes,
Flow gently, sweet river, the theme of my lays;
My Mary’s asleep by thy murmuring stream,
Flow gently, sweet Afton, disturb not her dream.

Jabberwocky

by Lewis Carroll

’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!”

He took his vorpal sword in hand;
Long time the manxome foe he sought—
So rested he by the Tumtum tree
And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

“And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day!
Callooh! Callay!”
He chortled in his joy.

’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

Be Not Discouraged

By Daniel C. Colesworthy

Be never discouraged
Look up and look on;
When the prospect is darkest
The cloud is withdrawn:
The shadows that blacken
The earth and the sky,
Speak to the strong-hearted,
Salvation is nigh.

Be never discouraged
Mock, mock at the tears
That fall in your pathway,
And laugh at the fears
That sometimes will darken
The sunniest face;
Push on and be foremost
In the van of the race.

Be never discouraged
The heart that will quail
And sink at a spectre,
How can it prevail?
From morning till sunset
‘Tis cheerless and still,
As the shadows that slumber
On the bleak, icy hill.

Be never discouraged
The true and the wise,
While others are waiting,
Secure the rich prize:
No object of terror,
No word of alarm,
Shall hinder their progress,
Or stay the strong arm.

Be never discouraged,
If you would secure
The earth’s richest blessings
And make heaven sure,
Yield not in the battle,
Nor quail in the blast;
The brave and unyielding
Win nobly at last.

Be never discouraged
By day and by night
Have glory in prospect
And wisdom in sight;
Undaunted and faithful,
You never will fail,
Though kingdoms oppose you
And devils assail.

Final Thoughts

Whether you like 60-minute poems or longer ones like these, bedtime poetry is a wonderful way to instill the love of reading to young children not to mention that they have the sweetest words and will calm any young kids that are having a hard time drifting off to sleep.

If you enjoyed these poems and would like some more, here is the eBook that includes these and other poems from poets like Emily Dickinson, a prayer by an unknown author, and other famous poets of our time. Add these to your nighttime routine.

Another great addition to your daily routine for naps and bedtime is the wonderful book called The Children’s Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Younger kids may enjoy the I Spy children’s books series. They aren’t exactly poetry books, but they do have rhyming phrases in them. My toddler loves to read these little books right before bed. The rhyming helps him go to sleep.

Whether you are looking for the perfect poem to substitute for a bedtime story or something soothing to calm your little one on a stormy night, try some of these poems. You can download the eBook here. It will keep them sleeping till morning bright!

27 Famous Shakespeare Quotes on Beauty and More

Apr 4, 2023 · Leave a Comment

William Shakespeare quotes on Beauty, life lessons, and friendship

Shakespeare quotes on beauty, life lessons, and friendship are beautiful quotes to inspire and motivate you on your homemaking journey. Not only are they perfect for your own self to read and appreciate, but they are also a good thing to share with your family and friends.

William Shakespeare was an English playwright, poet, and actor, perhaps the greatest writer in the English language. He is often called England’s national poet and the “Bard of Avon”. Shakespeare’s works are widely read, studied, and performed throughout the world. He wrote about 38 plays and 154 sonnets, as well as a variety of other poems. Shakespeare’s plays include

Henry VIII
Midsummer Night’s Dream
King Lear
Julius Caesar
The Merchant of Venice
The Gentlemen of Verona
King John
Twelfth Night
Merry Wives of Windsor
Comedy of Errors
Taming of the Shrew
Much Ado About Nothing

Some of the following are the most famous quotes taken from Shakespeare’s sonnets and these plays.

Enjoy this little adventure of looking at beauty, life, and friendship through Shakespeare’s words!

Shakespeare Quotes on Beauty

Is she kind as she is fair?

For beauty lives with kindness.

Beauty itself doth of itself persuade the eyes of men without an orator.

Virtue is beauty, but the beauteous evil.

Are empty trunks o’erflourished by the devil.

To me, fair friend, you never can be old, For as you were when first your eye I ey’d, Such seems your beauty still.”

One beautiful heart is better than thousand beautiful faces. So choose people having beautiful hearts rather than faces.”

Could beauty, my lord, have better commerce than with honesty?

Shakespeare Quotes on Life Lessons

With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come.

The golden age is before us, not behind us.

The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.

Go wisely and slowly. Those who rush stumble and fall.

Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.

Listen to many. Speak to a few.

For sweetest things turn sourest by their deeds. Lilies that fester smell far worse than weeds.

Be great in act as you have been in thought.

Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.

Come what come may, time and the hour run through the roughest day.

We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep.

All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players;

Shakespeare Quotes about Friendship

Never play with the feelings of others because you may win the game, but the risk is that you will surely lose the person for a lifetime.

Love comforteth like sunshine after rain.

Absence from those we love is self from self-a deadly banishment.

The course of true love never did run smooth

How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a weary world.

Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds, or bends with the remover to remove.

Parting is such sweet sorrow that I shall say good night till it be morrow

Final Thoughts

Did you enjoy these quotes from Shakespeare plays and sonnets? I hope they inspired you as a homemaker to create a place of beauty, goodness, and deep friendship for your family and those who enter. They need a place to rest and flourish in life. Let love and kindness be known to them through you as you grow in virtue!

Top 23 Inner Beauty Quotes that Homemakers Will Love

Mar 28, 2023 · 1 Comment

Inner beauty quotes to inspire women to seek true beauty

True inner beauty is one of the most beautiful things in life. In many ways it is more beautiful than physical beauty, but what does real beauty look like?

What is the definition of beauty?

Some say it is in the eye of the beholder, that we each define beauty for ourselves. It is hard to clearly define beauty, but I do know this.

Beauty is good character.

There is a kind of beauty that is focused on outward appearance, but there is also a kind of beauty that resides within a woman of virtue. A virtuous woman is a beautiful person.

Someone with deep character has a kind of radiance about them. This is a beautiful heart, a beautiful soul.

The best way for me to share with you what beauty can be is to take you on a beautiful journey through the words of others.

Come with me and let’s see what beauty is!

Inner Beauty Quotes

The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of those depths. – Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mode but the true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives the passion that she shows. The beauty of a woman grows with the passing years. – Audrey Hepburn

People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.– Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

A women’s greatest asset is her beauty. – Alex Comfort

A woman whose smile is open and whose expression is glad has a kind of beauty no matter what she wears. – Anne Roiphe

Beauty lies not in a flawless complexion but in the stories that are told by each transitioning line on a woman’s face. – Alyscia Cunningham

Beauty is not something you buy; instead, beauty is what lies within. – Byron Pulsifer

There is no cosmetic for beauty like happiness. – Maria Mitchell

Inner beauty should be the most important part of improving one’s self. – Priscilla Presley

Beauty has a lot to do with character. – Kevyn Aucoin

Outer beauty attracts, but inner beauty captivates. – Kate Angell

Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart. – Kahlil Gibran

Beauty is not who you are on the outside, it is the wisdom and time you gave away to save another struggling soul like you. – Shannon L. Alder

Create a beautiful inside and you will look more beautiful on the outside. – Charles F Glassman

Her inner beauty is what makes her outer beauty exquisitely beautiful. – Stephanie Lahart

Like the moon, I have learned to be beautiful in darkness. – Collette O’Mahony,

How beautiful a woman can be if kindness is her true beauty. – Debasish Mridha

Elegance is the only beauty that never fades. – Audrey Hepburn

Beauty is defined not by our physical appearance but who we choose to be. – Andrew Davenport

For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone. – Audrey Hepburn

Since love grows within you, so beauty grows. For love is the beauty of the soul. – Saint Augustine

No matter how plain a woman may be, if truth and honesty are written across her face, she will be beautiful. – Eleanor Roosevelt

The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides. True beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It’s the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows & the beauty of a woman only grows with passing years. – Audrey Hepburn

Final Thoughts

Don’t these inner beauty quotes inspire you to cultivate inner beauty?!

This is what homemaking is all about. It’s about creating a place of beauty and peace so that our family can flourish. A big part of making a home is being an example of this virtue ourselves. If we want our girls to be virtuous and have the truest form of inner beauty, then we need to be women of strong character first.

It’s okay to wear your gold jewelry and the prettiest things, but they need to see that beauty is more than an outer appearance. There is more to their whole life than outward beauty. This is the whole point.

I hope you were encouraged by these quotes to continue cultivating inner beauty for you and your home! Related: Best 26 Virtue quotes: The Homemakers Top Quotations

Fried Potatoes and Onions Recipe: Quick and Crispy

Mar 25, 2023 · Leave a Comment

Make fried potatoes and onions for the perfect side dish

Fried potatoes and onions are the perfect side dish and a very easy recipe to make. It pairs well with grilled chicken, pork chops, or even a nice steak. Spruce it up with your favorite toppings like hot sauce and cheese and also pairs well with vegetables like bell peppers or even mushrooms.

You can’t go wrong with this versatile side dish!

Should you boil potatoes before frying?

Yes, cook the potatoes before frying them. They will take too long to cook if you try to fry them without boiling them first. You can easily do this in a pan on the stovetop or plan ahead and use your instant pot. If you are really in a pinch, they can be cooked in the microwave as well.

Do you season before or after frying potatoes?

The potatoes will have more flavor if they are seasoned while you are frying them. This gives the seating time to cook or soak into the potatoes giving them a more even flavor. It won’t ruin the dish if you choose to season them after they are done. They simply taste better if you season them while you are cooking them instead of after you have removed them from the pan.

What type of potato can you use?

Any potatoes (like red potatoes, Yukon gold potatoes, russet potatoes, etc.) are perfect. Even sweet potatoes are delicious.

Seasoning Substitutes:

Fresh herbs like oregano or fresh garlic add deliciousness to this easy side dish.
Garlic powder and/or onion powder can be used as well if you do not have fresh herbs on hand.
Green onions are a great garnish to top these skillet potatoes with.
Red onions, yellow onions, or even a sweet onion is perfect.
Black pepper can be added, too.

Butter substitutes:

Vegetable oil
Canola oil
Olive oil can be used carefully. It tends to burn very easily.
Coconut oil

How to make this simple dish

Ingredients:

potatoes

1/4 large onion

Salt

2 tablespoons Butter

Things You need:

Large skillet (preferably a cast iron skillet like this one.)
Spatula
Knife
Cutting Board

Instructions:

Peel and rinse the potatoes with cold water.
Diced potatoes into bite-size pieces.
Place them in a pan and cover with water.
Add a pinch of salt and a tablespoon of butter to keep the water from boiling over.
Put the lid on and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Once it boils, turn the burner down to medium.
Let it boil until the potatoes are done. An easy way to tell that the potatoes are done is to pierce one with a fork. If it is easy to pierce or breaks in half, then it is done. You can always default to the taste test as well.
Drain the potatoes and set aside.
Melt the rest of the butter in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat.
Chop and sauté the onions, stirring occasionally.
Once the onions are translucent, dump the potatoes in.
Spread the potatoes out, salt to taste, and leave them be. You don’t want to stir them too much or they won’t get nice and crispy. The rule of thumb here is to only turn them over once so that they get crispy on both sides. It’s about 5 to 7 minutes on each side. If you want crispy potatoes, you can cook them for longer. Just keep your eye on them so that they don’t burn.
Serve immediately or save leftovers in a sealed airtight container for later.

Notes:

They will not turn golden brown because they are not deep fried in hot oil.
Only use a cast iron skillet or stainless steel frying pan to fry the potatoes. The potatoes will not get crispy in a non-stick skillet.
Dice the potatoes. You do not want potato slices because they will not get crispy evenly. This is the fastest way.
You do not have to start with raw potatoes. This is a great way to use up leftover potatoes.
To make a larger batch, use one medium to large sized potato per person. For the best results, only cook enough potatoes to cover the pan in one layer. If they are bunched up, they won’t get very crispy.

Fried Potatoes and Onions Recipe Card

Fried Potatoes and Onions Recipe

These fried potatoes and onions are a quick and easy delicious side dish that anyone can make.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 potato
1/4 onion
salt
butter

Instructions

Peel and rinse the potatoes with cold water.
Diced potatoes into bite-size pieces.
Place them in a pan and cover with water.
Add a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of water to keep the water from boiling over.
Put the lid on and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Once it boils, turn the burner down to medium.
Let it boil until the potatoes are done. An easy way to tell that the potatoes are done is to pierce one with a fork. If it is easy to pierce or breaks in half, then it is done. You can always default to the taste test as well.
Drain the potatoes and set aside.
Melt the rest of the butter in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat.
Chop and sauté the onions, stirring occasionally.
Once the onions are translucent, dump the potatoes in.
Spread the potatoes out, salt to taste, and leave them be. You don’t want to stir them too much or they won’t get nice and crispy. The rule of thumb here is to only turn them over once so that they get crispy on both sides. It’s about 5 to 7 minutes on each side. If you want crispy potatoes, you can cook them for longer. Just keep your eye on them so that they don’t burn.
Serve immediately or save leftovers in a sealed airtight container for later.

PIN IT FOR LATER!

Best Egg Sandwich Recipe: a Classic Breakfast Food

Mar 12, 2023 · 5 Comments

Delicious and simple comfort food, egg sandwich recipe with all the add-ons

Easy breakfast sandwiches are perfect for any meal.

Everyone loves comfort food like this even if it isn’t breakfast time. If you are looking for a quick and simple sandwich that is both delectable and easy to make, I’ve got you covered.

Here is an egg sandwich recipe that can serve as a base for your favorite sauces, dips, and toppings, but before we begin, let’s decide on the ingredients to make the best egg sandwich ever!

Bread

The first thing you need to decide when making a sandwich is what type of bread are you going to use. There are a lot of great options here.

Sourdough Sandwich Bread

If you want a little tangy flavor, sourdough is the best choice. Not only does it have a great flavor, but it also has some excellent health benefits. Sourdough is a fermented dough which makes it fantastic for gut health.

Bagel

Enjoy a fancy-looking sandwich on your favorite bagel. Whether you prefer a plain, asiago, or everything bagel; you can’t go wrong with choosing a bagel for your sandwich.

French Toast

Step up the sandwich with some French toast. It is interesting to note that French toast is made with eggs. Basically, it’s bread slices soaked in egg, milk, and spices/seasonings. Why not slip an extra fried egg in between?

White Bread

This is a classic choice. Kids and adults love it. White bread is always a safe option for egg sandwiches.

Italian Bread

Pre-seasoned options like this one add a lot of extra flavors.

English Muffin

Homemade McMuffin, here we come!

Eggs

Now that you have chosen the best bread, it’s time to consider what kind of eggs to use. Any small or large eggs will do, but if you are looking for the healthiest option, consider the pro-metabolic approach and go for organic pasture-raised fresh eggs, like this or this for example. This ensures that the eggs are high quality.

How to cook your eggs?

Here are the four different ways to cook eggs.

Fried – If you want some crunch to your eggs, frying them in a large skillet over medium heat will make them crispy.

Scrambled – Scrambling eggs is the best way for beginners to cook eggs. It’s forgiving and very hard to mess up. The other nice thing about scrambling fluffy eggs is that you can cut the eggs into the shape of your bread. Now you won’t have to deal with any ends hanging out of your sandwich.

Poached – Poaching is in a sense boiling your eggs without the shell. See this great recipe if you want to learn how to do this.

Boiled – Egg salad sandwiches are delicious and very easy to make. Start by boiling your eggs like this egg salad recipe says to, and then have fun mixing your favorite sauces and spices to create a unique creamy egg salad twist on this classic sandwich.

What goes well on an egg sandwich?

You’ve got your bread and eggs picked out and you have decided how you are going to cook your eggs. All that is left is to choose what toppings to put on your sandwich.

Meats

Take your sandwich to the next level with any of these meats.

Sausage – If you are going for more of a breakfast sandwich, nice spicy sausage patties will make you feel spoiled.

Bacon – Add some extra crispy salty goodness to that sandwich with some fried bacon.

Burger – The question is are you adding the burger to the egg sandwich or the egg to the burger? Either way, eggs and burgers are a fantastic combination.

Sauces

Here is a classic list of sauces for your sandwich. Feel free to grab your favorite sauce or dip and experiment.

Mayonnaise
Ketchup
Ranch salad dressing
Hot sauce
Chick-fil-A sauce
Barbecue sauce
Sour cream
Dijon Mustard

Toppings

These are definitely the best parts of a sandwich! You can’t go astray with these tried and true add-ons.

Cheese – Cheddar cheese, Mozz, Pepper Jack….Take your pick. Shredded cheese will work, too.
Onions – Regular onion, green onion, red onion…
Tomatoes
Jalapeños
Ginger
Dill Pickles

Egg Sandwich Recipe

Here is an easy recipe with simple steps for a delicious egg sandwich.

Ingredients:

Bread
2 Eggs
Cheese
Butter
Salt (Black pepper is good, too)

Cooking Ware:

Cast Iron skillet – Any frying pan or skillet works, but cooking your eggs in the cast iron provides the best flavor. If you don’t have one, check this one out. It might still be on sale.
Spatula – Something like a metal or rubber spatula to flip your eggs.
Microwave – This is for melting the cheese.
Microwaveable plate

Instructions:

Gather all the ingredients.
Heat the skillet over medium heat.
Drop a teaspoon of butter in the pan. (You can use cooking spray instead.)
Melt butter.
Once the butter sizzles, crack the eggs and drop them into the pan.
Salt the eggs.
Check on your eggs frequently while you get the bread ready.
While the eggs are frying, prepare your bread by laying two slices side by side on the microwaveable plate.
Slice some cheese and arrange a slice of cheese or two on the bread.
Microwave the bread for 30-45 seconds until the cheese is melted.
Flip the eggs once they start to get a little crispy around the edges.
Press down on the yolks with the spatula to break the yolk.
Tap the eggs with the spatula to see if they are done. Fried eggs should not squish under the spatula unless you like the yolks runny.
Remove the eggs once they are done and place them between the two pieces of bread.
Enjoy that first bite!

Egg Sandwich

A delicious comfort food for any occasion. Fast and easy to make, this is a great sandwich for beginners to master.

Ingredients

Bread
2 Eggs
Cheese
Butter
Salt

Instructions

Gather all the ingredients.
Heat the skillet over medium heat.
Drop a teaspoon of butter in the pan. (You can use cooking spray instead.)
Melt butter.
Once the butter sizzles, crack the eggs and drop them into the pan.
Salt the eggs.
Check on your eggs frequently while you get the bread ready.
While the eggs are frying, prepare your bread by laying two slices side by side on the microwaveable plate.
Slice some cheese and arrange a slice of cheese or two on the bread.
Microwave the bread for 30-45 seconds until the cheese is melted.
Flip the eggs once they start to get a little crispy around the edges.
Press down on the yolks with the spatula to break the yolk.
Tap the eggs with the spatula to see if they are done. Fried eggs should not squish under the spatula unless you like the yolks runny.
Remove the eggs once they are done and place them between the two pieces of bread.
Enjoy!