The Virtuous Home logo

Posts

Winter Stovetop Potpourri

· 8 Comments

Winter stovetop potpourri is another great natural way to scent your home this winter without having to worry about chemicals and other toxic things. It’s simple, cheap, and effective! You may even have everything you need already on hand.

Does stovetop potpourri really work?

Yes, stovetop potpourri does work. I will say, though that you shouldn’t expect it to have a heavy scent as wood scented candles that you buy at the store. It is a subtle clean scent.

What do you put in stovetop potpourri?

There are so many things you can put in a stovetop potpourri. In winter for example, some great things to add to your potpourri are…

  • Citrus – whole citrus fruits, like oranges, or even just the peel
  • Cinnamon Sticks – If you are trying to avoid unnecessary chemicals, make sure you buy cinnamon sticks from the spice section instead of in the decor section. Decorative cinnamon sticks are usually coated.
  • NutMeg 
  • Cloves
  • Ginger
  • Cranberries

Powdered spices work well, so you don’t have to have whole spices to make this work. That would be fun though!

My favorite combination is orange peels, ginger, and cinnamon sticks. It’s so simple and easy and almost always have these ingredients on hand during winter. Using the peels instead of the whole orange is an economical way to make use of something you would normally just throw away.

How to make stovetop potpourri?

The only tool you’ll need is a small pot with a lid. 

Ingredients:

  • Peel of 1 Orange
  • 1 Cinnamon Stick
  • 1 teaspoon of Ginger Powder

Instructions:

  1. Fill your pot halfway up with water.
  2. Add the ingredients and put on the lid. 
  3. Turn on the burner to medium until the water begins to boil.
  4. Once the water begins to boil, turn the burner down to low heat so that the potpurri can slowly simmer.
  5. Enjoy the delicious simple and subtle scent, but don’t forget to check on your pot periodically to make sure it hasn’t run out of water or it might burn. It should last for at least 2 hours.

If you were inspired in any way, please, PIN IT! That way someone else can be inspired, too!

MORE ON HOMEMAKING!

Winter Checklist: Homemaking Goals for the Winter Months

9 Old Fashioned Winter Hobbies

13 Natural Ways to Scent your Home

The Final Touch to a Cozy Home

DIY Advent Wreath: How to Celebrate Advent

· Leave a Comment

Winter is upon us and is indicative of celebration. After Thanksgiving and leading up to Christmas falls the season called Advent. This is a time to reflect and recall the events preceding the coming of Christ and an advent wreath is very helpful in doing this.

What is advent?

Advent is the anticipation of the coming of Christ. It is celebrated during most of December. This season starts on the Saturday evening before the fourth Sunday before Christmas and goes till Christmas eve. It is then followed by Chrismtas Day and the twelve days of Christmas.

Traditionally, this is a religious idea and not simply a way to count the days till Christmas. The key moments are the four Sundays leading up to Christmas. Celebrating advent is a wonderful way to walk through the stories and themes leading up to the birth of Christ as well as his second coming through the whole month of December.

What is an Advent wreath?

An advent wreath is a wreath used during the advent season to symbolize different parts of the story preceding Christ’s birth. The themes highlighted by different candles are the prophecy of Christ’s birth, the place of his birth which is Bethlehem, the shepherds coming to worship, and the angels and their message of “Peace on earth”.

There are many several ways to celebrate advent with an advent wreath. Traditionally, I believe, one candle is lit on each sunday (starting the night before each Sunday since traditionally days actually start the evening before each day) adding another candle each Sunday until all are lit on Christmas eve. They are also enjoyed on Christmas day as the celebration of Christ draws all the pieces of the story together.

Different scripture is read everyday for the whole advent season not just on Sundays; however, this can be a lot especially if this is your first time really celebrating Advent. You can also just highlight each Sunday.

How many candles should go on an Advent wreath?

There are five candles on the advent wreath: three purple, one pink, and one white. 

What do the candles and their colors mean?

The first candle is a purple one and is called the prophecy candle. This reminds us that Christ’s coming was revealed by God through the prophets hundreds of years before he was born.

The second is also a purple one but is called the Bethlehem candle signifying the place of Christ’s birth.

The third is the shepherd’s candle. This one helps remind us to come to Christ to worship him, believe in him, and share with others that he has come for them as well. 

It is also called the Gaudete candle which means rejoice. While the three purple call us to ponder more sober thoughts, this candle calls us to rejoice because of the good news of Christ’s birth. This is why it is a different color.

The fourth is the last purple candle and is the angel’s candle which helps us recall the message of peace and Christ’s second coming when he will bring lasting peace.

The white candle is the Christ candle and is lit in celebration of the coming of Christ. Usually this is the largest candle of the advent wreath since all the other ones symbolize themes that prepare our hearts and minds for him.

PIN IT!

What do the colors of the candles mean?

During advent, purple or violet represents a time of prayer, reflection, repentance, and sacrifice. Pink or rose is the color symbolizing joy. White signifies purity, innocence, light, and birth.

What scripture is read during Advent?

Here are scripture references to be read each evening. We also like to light the appropriate candle while singing a hymn before reading the passage.  We slowly work through this list of verses reading one each day.

During the week of the 4th Sunday before Christmas, light the first purple candle (Prophecy Candle) and read…

  • Malachi  3:1-4, Isaiah 9:6-7
  • Isaiah 55
  • Isaiah 40:1-11
  • Mark 1:1-8
  • Isaiah 35
  • John 1:1-18
  • Isaiah 53:1-5

During the week of the 3rd Sunday before Christmas, light the first and second purple candle (Bethlehem Candle) and read…

  • Micah 5:2
  • Matthew 1:18-25
  • Isaiah 9:2-7
  • Matthew 2:1-12
  • Psalms 89:1-29
  • Isaiah 42:1-9
  • Luke 1:5-25

During the week of the 2nd Sunday before Christmas, light the first two purple candles and light the pink candle (Shepherd’s or Gaudete Candle) and read…

  • Luke 2:8-20
  • Jeremish 33:7-16
  • Luke 1:39-56
  • Isaiah 61
  • Luke 1:57-80
  • Revelation 1:10-18
  • Revelation 21:1-7

During the week of the last Sunday before Christmas, light the first three candles and the last purple candle (Angels Candle) and read…

  • Luke 1:26:-38

On Christmas Eve, light all the candles and read..

  • Luke 2:1-20

Find the ADVENT READING PRINTABLE in the Free Resource Library!

What materials do you need to make an Advent wreath?

  • Advent Wreath Ring – This optional but it does keep everything all together. 4 candle holders will work well, too.
  • Advent Candles Set – I found one at Hobby Lobby.
  • 1 White Pillar Candle
  • 1 Pillar Candle Holder
  • Green Tinsel or garland, pinecones, and/ or other decorations such as decorative picks and extra greenery

DIY Advent Wreath

  • Gather all the materials.
  • Wrap the tinsel or garland around the ring concealing everything except the candle holders. Leave some extra to fill in the center of the ring.
  • Add the pillar candle holder to the center wrapping the extra tinsel around it to fill in the gap.
  • Add the five candles. It doesn’t matter what order you place the tapered candles.
  • Add the decorations.

MORE ON HOMEMAKING!

How to Have an Old Fashioned Christmas

Old Fashioned Winter Hobbies

Winter Checklist: Homemaking Goals for the Winter Months

5 Old Fashioned Christmas Ideas

A Practical Christmas Gift Guide for Homemakers

Winter Checklist: Homemaking Goals for the Winter Months

· 13 Comments

Have any ambitious goals on your winter checklist? While I love the idea of setting attainable  goals, I appreciate having a little bit of challenge in my attainable goals.

As I seek to pursue a more old fashioned life, the wisdom of becoming a skilled homemaker and an accomplished woman becomes more attractive and irresistible. There is so much to learn, so much intrigue, so much to create. With each passing month the richness of an old fashioned lifestyle draws me in and proves itself worth pursuing.

The following is my practical plan of how I am going to pursue old fashioned homemaking this winter. It may seem ambitious and nearly impossible, but I find that much of what I think is impossible loses its impossibility when I simply try for it. Here’s to my ambitious winter checklist and homemaking goals for the next few months.

Sewing

I have three goals in this area. The first is dressmaking, which literally means making all that you wear. While it would be fantastic to be at that point someday, I am going to take it literally and start with making my own dresses.

This past summer, I had the desire to start wearing dresses every day because it makes me feel feminine and pretty even when I’m just doing house work. Since clothing can get expensive, I started working on sewing my own dresses. 

It was nearly impossible to find a pattern to fit all my criteria of being attractive, nursing friendly, and maternity friendly. I needed something that would fit and last through all the different seasons of motherhood so I started working on my own pattern.

Now that I have crafted a simple pattern, my goal this winter is to make a total of six dresses for myself and six for my baby girl. I’ve made two so far for myself and one for my baby so that leaves nine dresses total.

My second sewing goal is to learn how to make linens for my home. I’ve been needing some new curtains and tea towels. I would love to get into using table cloths at every meal as well as cloth napkins. I can make all these things myself at a fraction of the cost instead of buying them already made. Besides, it’s so much fun picking out fabric.

I’ve made the curtains already, so that leaves…

  • 6 tea towels
  • 3 tablecloths
  • 18 napkins

Crochet

My washcloths that I currently use are the same ones I got as a wedding gift. They have been around for far too long and it’s time to get some new ones. 

I thought I would try my hand at crocheting some washcloths and little scrubbing pads. The little round scrubbies are the perfect size that fit right into your hand which makes hand washing dishes much more enjoyable.

Shopping

Having a bulk pantry is something I truly deserve to desire in my home! I believe it will help me save money, and be more conscious of how much we do spend on groceries. Where to begin though is the challenge so I have come up with a simple plan to try out this winter.

I am going to challenge myself to only buy groceries once a month. That means fresh, frozen, and dry goods. 

Since I already can easily go a week without heading to the store, the plan is to slowly prolong the period into two weeks without grocery shopping. If I can go two weeks without shopping, then I can easily add on another week and go three weeks, and eventually stretch it out to four weeks which makes about a month.

The challenge will be preserving fresh produce I buy in order to make it last without going bad. I don’t know how to can yet, but I do know how to ferment and freeze things so that’s a start.

I’m actually very excited about this goal/challenge and can’t wait to pursue it! I may even dabble in water bath canning.

PLEASE, PIN IT!

Reading

Reading used to be a big part of my life, but since I became a mother, it’s a lot harder to get reading in so I have created a simple goal of reading at least one book a season. 

This comes out to a meager four books a year, but at this point, it’ll be a lot more than I have been reading and it is a very attainable goal.

The first book that I am going to read is called Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis. I have already started it several times. Hopefully, I can finish it this time. It’s so good and a perfect one to start with because it has short chapters. 

Gardening 

Sometimes I think I will never learn to grow my own food. Every spring, I aspire to be a gardener, but make very little progress. This last year, hardly anything edible survived the pests and heat, but I think much of my failure in this area is actually due to poor planning.

Once again, this year, it’s going to be different! I truly do hope that I can make some progress in gardening and I’m going to start by planning my garden this winter. 

Nothing too extravagant, just what I want to grow where and also buying the seeds ahead of time. I’m notorious for waiting till the last minute to do any gardening planning, but I’m promising myself to do it differently this year. 

Specific Skills to Learn

There are also some specific skills I want to start learning, and they are…

  • Preserving fruit – other than freezing
  • Making yogurt
  • Learning a few stitches of limerick lace
  • Mastering Mediterranean knotted lace

Final Thoughts!

Perhaps I am too ambitious, especially with the dressmaking, but it’s time to get new clothes. Besides I am already setting aside 4-5 hours to sew every week so it seems doable.

I think these goals are doable and as my dad told me growing up “You can always do more than you think you can.”

What about you, my old fashioned friend? Have any goals of learning and living out old fashioned homemaking? Any audacious dreams that you are going to take steps towards?

Any lost arts or forgotten skills that you want to pursue?

MORE ON HOMEMAKING!

Old Fashioned Winter Hobbies

9 Pro Metabolic Sides

· Leave a Comment

When pursuing Pro Metabolic eating it can be hard to figure good Pro Metabolic sides to serve with your meals. Especially when you are starting out on a Pro Metabolic journey, things can be a little overwhelming and hard to wrap your brain around.

It was a pleasant surprise to me to find out that since I already make most of my food from scratch, there wasn’t as much that I needed to switch to. I mostly needed some brain rewiring around how I viewed gluten since I was coming from a gluten free diet. I was so happy to find that most of what I already ate was Pro Metabolic.

These Pro Metabolic sides have been my go to as I make meals from scratch for my family. Here are my top 9 Pro Metabolic sides to compliment nourishing meals.

Potatoes 

Potatoes are root vegetables that are starchy and easy to digest. Although it would be best to buy organic potatoes, they do not fall in the EWG dirty dozen list, so I save a few dollars and buy non-organic potatoes.

The best way to consume potatoes, and other starchy foods, including grains, is with lots of butter or fat. The extra fat helps your digestion. 

Recipe Ideas:

  • Fried Potatoes
  • Baked Potatoes
  • Mashed Potatoes
  • Fries – homemade and fried in a saturated fat

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are higher up on my list of easier to digest foods because they are softer and at least for this year, they are one of the EWG clean 15 meaning they come into less contact with pesticides.

For better digestion, don’t eat the skin.

Recipe Ideas:

  • Baked Sweet Potatoes
  • Boiled Sweet Potatoes – serve with butter and salt, or a pinch of sugar
  • Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes
  • Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Rice

A small portion of organic rice that has been soaked and rinsed before cooking is Pro Metabolic. Since it is a starchy grain which are harder to digest, it shouldn’t be prevalent in your diet, but it can still be enjoyed as a small portion served with plenty of fat.

I like to cook my rice with several tablespoons of butter and apple cider vinegar. It gives it a nice texture and helps it warm up better when we have leftovers.

Recipe Ideas:

  • Seasoned Rice
  • Mexican Rice
  • Plain Rice – served with butter and salt
  • Garlic Rice

Carrot Salad

It wouldn’t do to skip the famous Pro Metabolic carrot salad. I find this simple recipe, delicious and versatile. We eat it almost every evening at suppertime no matter what we are serving, including pizza.

Recipe: 

  • One medium carrot, peeled and shredded
  • 1 T Coconut oil, organic and unrefined
  • 1 t Apple cider vinegar, organic with the mother included
  • A pinch of sea salt, without iodine
  • Mix together and enjoy! 

Sourdough Crackers

Great for soups, dips, or a side for a snack plate, sourdough crackers are a great addition to many meals and snacks. For the best quality, consider making them at home with organic unbleached and unenriched flour like the Arrowhead brand.

Sourdough Bread

A slice or two of sourdough bread is a good side as toast for breakfast, sandwich bread for lunch, or a side for soup at supper. The fermenting of the flour is what makes sourdough the best option for bread.

For even better digestion, sourdough bread and other bread products, such as tortillas, biscuits, and pizza dough, should be homemade, and if possible with freshly ground organic flour. 

Making your own sourdough bread doesn’t have to be complicated as it might at first seem. Here is my simple sourdough sandwich loaf that ferments overnight, and is ready to be baked within 24 hours. It’s so easy, I make it all the time!

RELATED POST: A Simple Sourdough Guide for Beginners

Fresh or Frozen Fruit

Since you eat the skin of most fruit, it is best to shop the organic section for fresh fruits. This will also give you an idea of what is in season since most organic fruits do not grow well out of season.

Organic frozen fruit that you warm up in the microwave or stew(Think apple pie filling, but with just a little bit of sweetener if any) is also an affordable option. Most organic frozen fruit is picked and frozen when the fruit is at its prime ripeness which is why this is another great option for a Pro Metabolic side. 

Milk

Since milk has protein, fat, and carbs, this makes it a great side for snacks as well as meals. It’s no wonder that children used to drink milk at all three males if not in between as well.

Orange Juice

Drinks like this are a great source of easy to digest carbs. I like to drink a small glass of organic orange juice or other fruit juice when I serve breakfast in the morning or breakfast for dinner.

Cooked Vegetables

You probably hear more about avoiding vegetables on the Pro Metabolic “diet“ but in reality, if you have good digestion you should be able to tolerate some thoroughly cooked vegetables.

It’s the raw vegetables that you should steer away from for the most part. Every once in a while is ok, but since raw veggies (except carrots because it is a root and doesn’t come into contact with as much pesticides) are hard to digest, it might be best not to consume them on a consistent basis.

Final Thoughts!

I ‘m so thankful that Pro Metabolic eating isn’t as complicated as it first seems. Most things we already eat as sides to our meals are probably Pro Metabolic especially if you cook from scratch. You might just need to eat a better quality version of it so that you aren’t trying to digest unwanted chemicals and unnecessary additives.

Now that you have made it all the down here, were you inspired in any way? Maybe you found this information helpful. If so, would you consider saving it to Pinterest so that others who are seeking Pro Metabolic eating can find it too?

PLEASE, PIN IT!

A Practical Christmas Gift Guide for Homemakers

· Leave a Comment

If you struggle picking out Christmas gifts for friends and family that are homemakers, here is a Christmas gift guide to help you simplify the process. Sometimes Christmas shopping can be overwhelming when you are trying to find the perfect gift for everyone. If you get easily overwhelmed by all this, stop and ask these questions.

  • Do they love being in the kitchen?
  • Are they crafty?
  • Is there something they want to learn?
  • What are they saving up for?

Better yet, ask the intended receiver these questions and see what they say. They may have something already in mind so you can also ask if they have a wish list. 

Maybe you don’t know what to ask for yourself… Either way, I hope this Christmas gift guide helps you find the perfect gift!

Do they love being in the kitchen?

Here are some old fashioned things they might appreciate.

  • Cast Iron Cookware
  • Wooden Utensils
  • Porcelain or Stone Crocks
  • Butter Crock
  • Salt Dish
  • Sugar Bowl
  • Decorative Hand Towels
  • Wooden Scrub Brushes for Dishwashing
  • Amish Cookbooks
  • Nice Coffee

Are they crafty?

What things are they into? What are things are they currently trying to master? Is there a new hobby that they want to start?

For the crafty DIY or decor people, you could always give them a gift card to Amazon, Hobby Lobby, or some local craft shop.

Maybe the perfect gift might just be a kit of things for a skill that they want to learn. 

Here are some ideas…

  • Sewing Kit 
  • Candle Making Kit
  • Card Making Kit
  • Soap Making Kit
  • Embroidery Kit

If they like sewing or needlework, some…

  • Nice Sewing Scissors
  • Linen or Cotton Thread
  • Embroidery Scissors
  • Crochet Needles
  • Cotton Yarn
  • Knitting Needles
  • Money for some expensive fabric

Is there something they want to learn?

If they want to get into DIY cleaning products, castile soap is very useful and always appreciated. 

Maybe they could use a book on natural living or how to make their own beauty products…Sometimes they just need inspiration so “how to” books would do the trick.

You could always offer to share your knowledge of a skill and commit to teaching them how to do something that you already know and that they want to learn. 

Is there anything more old fashioned than passing along the wisdom that has been entrusted to you?

What are they saving up for?

Ask them if there is something they are saving up for and give them some cash or a gift card to go towards something more expensive. Maybe there is something that they would love to upgrade, but wouldn’t necessarily ask for as a gift….

Homemakers tend to have a never ending list of things they need especially if they have children. Rearing children can be quite expensive and I know that giving towards needs is always appreciated.

Final Thoughts!

Maybe it’s just me, but you can’t go wrong with practical gifts. Young homemakers are in the season of life where they need all the help they can get so anything that you can give that is useful or that they can set aside towards something practical is always appreciated. 

It is so easy to overthink gift giving or to run out of ideas. Did you get any ideas to make or give as a gift? If you did and found this Christmas guide inspiring or helpful in any way, please PIN IT! That way other homemakers can be inspired by it, too.

MORE ON HOMEMAKING!

5 Old Fashioned Christmas Ideas to Make the Most of this Season

Old Fashioned Winter Hobbies

How to Have an Old Fashioned Christmas

5 Old Fashioned Christmas Ideas to Make the Most of this Season

· Leave a Comment

Christmas is near if not upon us and I am ready to make the most of this season with a few old fashioned Christmas ideas. When I think of having an old-fashioned Christmas, I think of…

  • Tradition
  • Decorations
  • Baked Goods
  • Carols

One more thing that we probably don’t think of when it comes to creating a festive home is the skill that it takes to make it happen. All the things we do are made up of little skills that we have learned over the years. There are a lot of skills that go into giving your family an old fashioned Christmas, and this is also a great time to work on mastering the skills that we already know.

So let’s get into these old fashioned Christmas ideas so that you can enjoy truly enjoy this holiday season! 

Create a Tradition

It doesn’t have to be something new. Maybe there is a tradition from your childhood that your Family would love. It might be something you would still enjoy since we are all big kids anyways.

Sometimes it’s hard to find new traditions. All the lists online or similar if not the same and I tend to get board reading the same thing over and over again in search of something new….

This year, I want to try a new approach. Instead of boring myself with the same old same old, I’m going to try something new and choose something ordinary, and make it extraordinary. 

A few ideas that are floating around in my head are…

  • Choose a random Saturday (i.e. The third Saturday in December) and treating my family to a feast for breakfast
  • Make a pie completely from scratch
  • Let my little ones playing with bells while we sing carols
  • Make ice cream with snow

If you’re wanting to introduce tradition into your home this Christmas season, but none of the typical Christmas traditions seem very festive or perhaps you already do them, then think outside of the box and start a new tradition in your home. 

Make an old-fashioned Decoration

Something I always see in Christmas scenes in old movies is a popcorn garland. They are fun and so whimsical! I have never made one before so I can’t wait to make one this season!

Most likely half the popcorn will get eaten in the process, but it still sounds like fun.

Another idea I have seen is to add cranberries to a popcorn, garland, or make a garland with just cranberries. I love the idea of adding this deep red! It will be a beautiful contrast to the creamy white of the popcorn.

Sing Carols

Christmas is when I listen to music the most. It helps get me into the christmas spirit, but I also find it to be dramatically beautiful. Songs like…

  • O Holy Night
  • What Child is This
  • We Three Kings of Orient Are

make me want to take voice lessons. They inspire me to pursue beauty in a way that I don’t really think about the rest of the year.

Right now my two year old loves songs so I am excited to sing carols with him for the first time (where he can actually sing with me). There is nothing like showing a child something for the first time and watching them fall in love with it.

Bake from Scratch

Baking is so cozy in the winter. While having the oven on warms the house, having some baked goods on hand warms the soul.

Since winter is a slower season, this is a great time to learn how to bake things completely from scratch. Yes, it is a lot more work, but the experience and the wonderful feeling of knowing that you made this from raw ingredients is so satisfying! It taste so much better and it is a lot more enjoyable because it is healthier for you.

If you already baked from scratch, you can go a step further and learn about the quality of the ingredients that you were using. Old-fashioned homemakers connected health with food and unfortunately we have to wade through a lot of stuff nowadays to figure out what good food is.

I’m so thankful God brought Pro Metabolic eating across my path. It may sound like a modern diet, but at the heart of it is the simplicity of quality food.

It is not a diet in the sense of a quick fix for all your health problems, but it’s like a gateway, especially for those of us who have been in the diet world for years to come out of the diet world, and into a more balanced life where we can enjoy food again.

If you would like to know more, click here!

Master a Skill

Since winter time is naturally a slower season, there is a lot of extra time for us to master a skill that we have already started cultivating. In my post, where I talk about how to have an old-fashioned Christmas, I mentioned learning new skills. Although this is a great time to learn something new, it is also the perfect time to go deeper into something that you already have started.

We are really good at dabbling in things here and there, especially if you’re an experimenter like I am, but there’s something good about learning how to do something well. 

Is there something that you enjoy doing that you could learn more about? Are you curious about a certain aspect or how to do something related to skill you already have?

When I say skill, I’m not just talking about big things that we do. Honestly, as homemakers, our job description is made up of a lot of different little skills, like doing laundry, dishes, cooking food, etc. I don’t just mean gardening, canning, or dressmaking. 

Perhaps there’s an area of your life that doesn’t run smoothly or there is something small that just annoys you about it. Winter is a great time to give a little extra time and effort to polishing or becoming more skilled in a specific area of homemaking.

For example, doing dishes was taking a lot of my time so I decided to give some extra time into working through and thinking through the nitty-gritty of just washing dishes. I asked myself questions like is there a better way to do this? Is there a better time to do this? Are there things that I could get that would improve my skill of washing dishes? 

You could definitely master a more interesting skill, but it might improve the quality of our lives, if we choose to master a more nitty-gritty skill that we have to use every day.

Besides, getting really good at washing dishes comes in handy during the holidays.

One of the things about old fashion homemakers that stands out to me is that they were more skilled than we are and winter is a great time to learn, and catch up on the things we don’t know and need to know in order to create a place for our family to flourish. 

What better way to spend the extra time during the holidays than learning how to be a more productive homemaker so that we can help our families have a quality life?!

Final Thoughts!

OK, friends! I hope y’all learned something or were inspired here today. What better way to spend the holidays than giving your family the gift of an old fashioned Christmas?! 

If you were, please pin this post on Pinterest, so that other homemakers can find this information and be inspired in their homemaking journey, too!

Please, PIN IT!

MORE ON HOMEMAKING!

How to Have an Old Fashioned Christmas

Old Fashioned Winter Hobbies

13 Natural Ways to Scent your Home

9 Old Fashioned Winter Hobbies

· Leave a Comment

Is winter a slow time of the year for you? You might find yourself with extra time on your hands and in need of something to do. The winter season is naturally a slower time which is perfect after the busy summer and fall seasons, but there are still many life-giving winter hobbies you can take up that are wholesome and rewarding.

As a homemaker, winter is a great time to learn something new. Life is slowing down for a bit and if you live in an area that gets winter weather, you will probably spend a lot of time indoors. Learning something new is a great way to keep yourself (which in turn keeps the family)from going stir crazy.

There is so much to do and learn in life, why not take this slower season and make it a productive time by adding some winter hobbies!

Reading 

Is there a book you have been wanting to read? Perhaps there is a specific genre of literature that you would love to explore this winter.

I have slowly been trying to read all the classics. Books like…

  • Pride and Prejudice
  • Persuasion
  • North and South
  • The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
  • War and Peace
  • Ivanhoe
  • Robin Hood
  • Lord of the Rings
  • The Count of Monte Cristo

Once I find an author that I like, I tend to explore all the books they have written before moving on to something else. Some of my favorite authors are….

  • C.S. Lewis
  • J. R. R. Tolkien
  • Jane Austen
  • Elizabeth Gaskell
  • Leo Tolstoy
  • G. A. Henty

Winter is a great time to make a book list and enjoy some extra reading. You’ll have lots of time during the winter and well-chosen books make for great companions.

Sewing

Not only is this a great skill to have, but it is also a hobby, that is worth investing the time and energy to learn. You can save money by handmaking things instead of buying them pre-made. It’s, also, so much fun to go to stores like hobby lobby, and Joanns to browse their fabric selections.

I recently came across this vintage, looking blue floral on a faded background and I can’t wait to do a project with it!

One of my goals for the winter months is to recreate a hope chest. Traditionally, a hope chest is a box or a chest that young woman would fill with homemade linens like tablecloth and napkins in anticipation of becoming a homemaker. Although I am already married, I want to re-create this hope chest idea as a married woman, and learn to make linens for my own home. 

Once I make some linens, I also want to get into the next hobby listed here which is needlework.

Needlework

There are so many types of needlework.  

  • Embroidery
  • Lacemaking
  • Cross stitching
  • Crocheting
  • Knitting

I’ve recently been looking a lot into this activity and it is fresh on my mind. Old-fashioned homemakers believed that the needle was the best way to keep your hands from being idle so they used the little bits of time that was left over from house work to make things and embellish them with all sorts of needlework.

Specifically, the two types I have been looking into are Irish lace making and white work embroidery. Out of all the different types of laces to learn, Irish lace making seems to be the simplest, so I thought I would start there. 

White work embroidery is needlework that is done with only white thread. Although embroidery with all the colors is beautiful, the simple elegance of white work is really hard for me to pass up. It’s perfect for the white linens I want to make in case I will need to bleach them to get stains out and make them look nice for longer.

Candle making

Candlemaking is a simple hobby that is not too expensive to get into. All you really need is the type of wax you want to use, some wicks, and some thing to melt the wax in. 

It’s also very satisfying to make your own candles to light up your home. Winter is the perfect time for this hobby because it’s so cozy!

Baking

When I think of winter and especially the holidays, I think of delicious desserts and specifically cookies. 

I am not a great baker so it’s one of my goals this winter to master baking cookies. Someday I’m going to be that Gramma that always has a cookie jar full just waiting for little hands to dip into. Who knows? I might just be that kind of mom, too!

Homemaking and especially parenting definitely has stressful seasons, so it doesn’t hurt to have a nice little treat on hand for everyone.

Book binding

Something that intrigues me, but I haven’t looked much into is book binding. Not only do I love reading, but I also love decorating with books. 

When we go to buy books, we like to see if we can find a decorative printed edition because they are beautiful and it’s much more fun to read a beautiful book then a plain paper back one. 

It can be hard to find the perfect decorative book however, so I have been really intrigued by the idea of taking books that I love and rebinding them with fabric that matches or coordinates with the rest of my decor.

Card making

If you’re a little bit artistic, you’ll love the hobby of making your own cards.  You can easily buy blank cards to sketch a simple design before writing out a sweet note to friends and family this holiday season.

I’m still new at this hobby myself, but I’m learning to enjoy creating my own cards instead of buying premade ones. 

Cooking

Cooking from scratch has become a hobby for me. I’m learning how to make new things and feed my family in a life-giving way because so much of our home’s culture and life revolves around food. 

It is a consistent source that we draw from to carry out every other area of our lives. Learning to master cooking is a worthwhile hobby because you have to do it anyways, so why not learn how to do it well?! 

There is so much to explore and to learn! It’s been fun taking meals that my family really appreciates and learning, or at least looking into how to make each part of the meal from scratch with the best ingredients that we can afford. 

Food really is better when it’s homemade!

Writing

Whether you want to journal or you like storytelling, writing is a life-giving hobby that helps us express our thoughts for our own personal reflection, or even to share with others. So much goodness is shared through words and writing is just one tool that can help us share the goodness that we have received with others. 

This is one of the reasons why I have started this blog. Even though I am a young homemaker, there is so much that I know now that I wish I could share with my former self even in my teenage years before marriage. 

Although I can’t go back and tell myself all the things I wish I could, writing has enabled me to share the truth, beauty, and goodness that I have learned with other homemakers just like you. 

If you love being creative, and want to share your ideas with other people, consider taking up some form of writing in this winter season. You won’t regret it!

 Final Thoughts!

Did you find an old fashioned winter hobby to add to your life? There are so many good ones out there and winter is the perfect time to learn something new.

Instead of going stir crazy or getting bored I hope you start something new this winter season and maybe get your family involved in one, too.

If you were inspired by anything in this post, please, PIN IT! on Pinterest so that others can be inspired by it, too!

MORE ON HOMEMAKING!

How to Have an Old Fashioned Christmas

Old Fashioned Homemaking for Modern Women

How can I be a Happy Homemaker?

The Final Touch to a Cozy Home

Double Batch Sourdough Loaf Bread

· Leave a Comment

Want to make sourdough but don’t know where to start? This simple sourdough loaf bread recipe is great first recipe for beginners in the sourdough world. It’s simple and you will have it memorized in no time.

Sometime it takes a little bit to get used to making sourdough as with a lot of new skills. If you need some tips to troubleshoot a few things, you can find them over here in my simple sourdough guide. Don’t give up if it doesn’t turn out perfectly the first time. Treat sourdough like a skill that requires mastering instead of another recipe that you can find on the internet.

If you accidentally mis-measure or something else happens like you forgot to set a timer so you won’t forget to do the stretch and folds, no biggy! Just switch gears and use the dough to make a pizza crust instead. This pizza crust is the perfect back up plan in case something goes wrong.

Although I have made this recipe many times, sometimes I still forget to set the timer or things come up like my toddler taring the scale while I’m trying to measure out the flour.

If you do forget to set the timer, you can still continue with the stretch and fold process that I talk about in my sourdough guide. The loaf might just be a little gooey in the middle when it comes out of the oven because it won’t rise all the way without enough stretch and folds. That’s why I like to have my simple pizza recipe in my back pocket just in case.

Sourdough Loaf Bread

This recipe makes two loafs of bread. If you would like to only make one, you can easily half the ingredients. I have not halved them using measuring cups, but I have done it successfully using weighing out the ingredients. Just something to keep in mind if you don’t prefer the scale.

I happen to love baking a scale for most ingredients especially the sourdough starter. It is a lot less hassle to measure it out straight into the mixing bowl instead of trying to clean it out of a measuring cup later when I go to wash dishes.

You will need…

  • Scale
  • Large Bowl
  • Towel
  • Wooden Spoon (optional – I sometimes mix the dough with a wooden spoon instead of mixing it with my hands if I don’t feel like getting my hands dirty.)

Ingredients

  • 200g (3/4c) Sourdough Starter
  • 900g (7 1/4c)Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
  • 600g (2 1/2c) Filtered Water
  • 80g (6 Tablespoons) Oil or Butter
  • 12g (2t) Sea Salt

Instructions

  1. Place the bowl on the scale and tare it to zero.
  2. Measure out your ingredients taring the scale (zeroing it out) as you go.
  3. Mix the the dough until everything comes together to make a shaggy dough and there is no flour left.
  4. Let is rest for 30 minutes.
  5. Do one or two sets of stretch and fold.
  6. Let is rest for 30 minutes.
  7. Do one or two sets of stretch and fold.
  8. Let is rest for 30 minutes.
  9. Do one or two sets of stretch and fold.
  10. Cover and allow to ferment overnight or for 12-24 hours.
  11. Separate into two greased bread pans.
  12. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.
  13. Let it cool for 30 minutes to 1 hour before slicing into it.

PIN IT!

Simple Sourdough Pizza Crust

· Leave a Comment

Want to enjoy a simple sourdough pizza crust that isn’t gooey? Most recipes I have tried make a gooey pizza dough which isn’t ideal. I have made this recipe over and over again without it ever being gooey.

Do you know what else makes this sourdough pizza crust recipe special? It is the same recipe as my sourdough sandwich loaf. Everything is the same up until it’s time to bake.

I love having recipes that can be used in multiple ways. It simplifies my life and makes baking a lot easier especially in this season of being a busy mom. So if you if you already know how to make my sourdough sandwich loaf recipe, then you know how to make a sourdough pizza crust, but if not, I have listed everything below.

Can I use sourdough discard?

Absolutely!

Since pizza crust doesn’t have to rise, you can totally use discard to make this recipe.

Sourdough Pizza Crust

This recipe is a spin off of my sourdough sandwich loaf which is perfect for beginners in the sourdough world. Sometimes when you are learning how to work with sourdough, something gets messed up and the dough for the sandwich loaf doesn’t turn out right. It won’t rise or you accidentally mis-measured. I have even had my toddler tare my scale I was trying to measure out the flour.

My simple solution is to make pizza crust with it. It makes the perfect crust with the stretch and fold which is not normally a technique found in pizza crusts. But this helps it rise a little and not be gooey.

If you don’t how to stretch and fold, you can learn how in my simple sourdough guide.

You will need…

  • Scale
  • Large Bowl
  • Towel
  • Wooden Spoon (optional – I sometimes mix the dough with a wooden spoon instead of mixing it with my hands if I don’t feel like getting my hands dirty.)
  • Parchment Paper – Use parchment paper instead on tinfoil to line your pans. Tinfoil used to be my go to for keeping the pizza pan clean. Sourdough, however, likes to stick to tinfoil but comes right off parchment paper.

Ingredients

  • 200g (3/4c) Sourdough Starter
  • 900g (7 1/4c) Organic All-Purpose Flour
  • 600g (2 1/2c) Filtered Water
  • Sea Salt

Instructions

  1. Place the bowl on the scale and tare it to zero. Then dump out enough starter to get 200g.
  2. Tare and weigh out 900g of flour.
  3. Tare and weigh out 600g of water.
  4. Add a big pinch of salt.
  5. Mix the the dough until everything comes together to make a shaggy dough and there is no flour left.
  6. Let is rest for 30 minutes.
  7. Do one or two sets of stretch and fold.
  8. Let is rest for 30 minutes.
  9. Do one or two sets of stretch and fold.
  10. Let is rest for 30 minutes.
  11. Do one or two sets of stretch and fold.
  12. Cover and allow to ferment overnight or for 12-24 hours.
  13. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  14. Separate the dough to fit the two sheets.
  15. Spread it out so the dough reaches all four corners.
  16. Top with your favorite sauce and toppings.
  17. Bake at 475 for 13 minutes until the cheese is lightly browned.
  18. Feed your sourdough starter to keep it happy.

PIN IT!

How to Have an Old Fashioned Christmas

· Leave a Comment

Snow….Hot cocoa…Gingersnaps….Gift Giving…Christmas really is the most wonderful time of the year!

What better way to celebrate it than to have an old fashioned Christmas overflowing with all the wonderful traditions like….

  • Singing Carols
  • Exchanging Gifts
  • Preparing a Christmas Feast
  • Filling Stockings

Christmas is full of goodness already, but sometimes, Christmas can get a little complicated with trying to find the perfect gift or even decor that you can afford and hustling here and there trying to get everything finished in time for the big day. 

Why not slow down this year and enjoy a good old fashioned Christmas with your family?! Why not make it more about the people instead of all the things? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a simple, old fashioned Christmas?

Here are some ideas on how you can create an old fashioned Christmas in your home this year!

Hand make Christmas gifts 

There is something sweet and simple about handmade Christmas gifts. They can be super practical, affordable, and made with lots of love.

Some handmade Christmas gift ideas are…

  • Beeswax candles
  • Beeswax melts
  • An Apron
  • Hand towels
  • Throw Blankets
  • Cloth napkins
  • Natural beauty products

Hand making Christmas gifts is a great way to put whatever skills you have to use. It’s also the perfect time to learn to do something new. It doesn’t have to be super crazy. Something simple and practical is always sweet and appreciated.

Bake Christmas desserts from scratch

Store-bought cookies, cakes, and Christmas candy are good, but nothing beats homemade desserts from scratch. What a good time to invite your little ones into the kitchen with you to make messes and memorable moments! You are going to make anyways so why not let them help you make one?!

Some simple Christmas desserts to try this year are…

  • Christmas Cookies
  • Nut Balls 
  • Cheesecake

Carry on a childhood tradition

What’s more old-fashioned then carrying on a tradition? Perhaps you have a Christmas tradition from your childhood, that you really enjoyed and have forgotten about. What a great time to bring it back and pass it on to the next generation!

Some of my favorite childhood traditions were…

  • Having cheesecake for Christmas
  • Opening a present on Christmas Eve
  • Helping my mom in the kitchen and learning how to make all the Christmas foods

Do an advent wreath

You may have heard of an advent calendar, but have you heard of an advent wreath? Not only does it make for a pretty centerpiece or Christmas decoration, it has a life-giving tradition associated with it that you can do throughout the whole Christmas season. 

Hand make Christmas Decorations

Making your own Christmas decorations is a good way to save some money but also to be more intentional with your decor and enjoy a little bit of slow living this Christmas. 

Some beginner, friendly DIY Christmas decorations are…

  • Ornaments
  • Christmas Wreath
  • Advent Wreath
  • Advent Calendar
  • Candles
  • Cranberry Garland
  • Dried Orange Slices

Live by candlelight

Living by candlelight, is cozy and perfect for the Christmas season since the sun goes down earlier this time of year. The dimmer lighting that candles cast is very calming and sets a delightful mood in your home.

If you’re worried about lighting. Candles around small children, lamps work really well too.

PIN IT!

Do some needlework

Since the opportunities to go outside are limited, and because this season naturally calls for more sedentary tasks because of the cold weather, Christmas in the winter season is great for doing needlework. 

This is also a great time to learn a skill in this area. Some easy types of needlework to get into are…

  • Sewing
  • Embroidery
  • Lace Making
  • Crocheting
  • Knitting

Write Christmas Letters 

For the family and friends that you won’t see this Christmas season, write and mail a real letter. They probably haven’t seen you in a while, so there will be plenty of stuff to write about.

Listen to Classic Christmas Music

Perhaps more than any other time of the year, the Christmas season cannot go by without us listening to classic Christmas songs and albums.

Here are a few good ones to add to your playlist if you don’t listen to them already…

  • Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas”
  • Handel’s “Messiah”
  • The Mormon Tabernacle Choir’s “Carol to the King”

Final Thoughts!

Christmas is such a delightful time of the year and pursuing an old fashioned approach to it this year can really simplify things and help get rid of the extra stress that it brings. It also gives great opportunities to make some wonderful memories and simply have an enjoyable time with family.

So what do you think? Are you going to be more old fashioned this christmas season and maybe try out a few of these ideas? You won’t regret it, if you do because living old fashioned is very wholesome and rewarding.

Homemade Beeswax Melts

· Leave a Comment

Want to make your own natural wax melts? Maybe you would like to, but don’t have the time.

In this post, I share two methods of making beeswax melts. The first is the standard one that you are expecting, but the second,…I honestly can’t believe I haven’t thought of it sooner.

If you are looking to scent your home through natural ways, then you will love making these wax melts as they are scented with essential oils.

Some of my favorite scents are…

  • Cinnamon
  • Pumpkin Spice Blend
  • Lavender
  • Eucalyptus – Any of the mint varieties, really. They are great for clearing the sinuses.

What is the best thing to melt beeswax in? 

The best thing to not beeswax in, is a double boiler. You can buy an inexpensive double boiler; however, using a microwavable, safe dish in the microwave is very effective, as well.

A double boiler, for those who are new to the concept, is a dish of some sort placed over or in a pan of boiling water. The water ask as a buffer between the stove burner and the wax, helping the wax to melt without getting too hot and ruining the wax.

You can buy actual double boilers that Cinda cross the pan, but another pan, glass dish like a Pyrex, measuring cup, or mixing bowl, or even a tin can can be used as a double boiler. It doesn’t matter so much what you use as long as you’re dedicated to the purpose of melting wax because it is very hard to remove melted wax from a dish.

Where can I buy beeswax?

The best option is to buy beeswax from local beekeepers. This is a really good idea because burning local beeswax is it to help with allergies just like local honey does.

Beeswax can also be bought online. I’ve recently found a fantastic deal for organic beeswax through Amazon.

How to make beeswax melts

There are two methods to making beeswax melts. The first is to use a double boiler and the second is a secret of mine that is super practical.

To Use the first method….

  • Melt the wax in a double boiler
  • Add a teaspoon of essential oils and stir
  • Pour into molds to cool and solidify

Once the wax is cool and fully solidified, pop your homemade wax melts out of the mold. They are ready to use or to store for later. They make a great DIY gifts, too.

The second method which is my little secret, is to skip the whole melting and cooling in molds and to do this instead. 

  • Add 1-2 tablespoons of beeswax directly to your wax warmer.
  • Add 2-3 drops of essential oils.

This way you can save time and enjoy a clean natural sent sooner! If you think about it, the wax is going to get melted either way so you might as well let the wax warmer do the work for you.

Also, beeswax melts tend to not be as strong as the ones you buy from the store so it is more efficient to do this method since you will most likely be adding more essential oils anyways. The scent does not linger for hours, but is great for a quick sent before guests, when your hubby walks in from work. Well, this made her some from using natural beeswax melts, I really appreciate the added benefits of the beeswax, and also enjoy being able to switch out the scents. 

PIN IT!

MORE ON HOMEMAKING!

13 Natural Ways to Scent your Home

DIY Candles with Beeswax

The Final Touch to a Cozy Home

Old Fashioned Fall Homemaking Guide

13 Natural Ways to Scent your Home

· Leave a Comment

Easy and natural ways to scent your home making it refreshing and relaxing

Whether it’s fall, winter, or any other time of the year, who doesn’t love the cozy touch that a sweet and refreshing scent gives to a home! Perhaps you are like me and do not like the strong chemical scent of store bought scented candles, wax melts, and air fresheners. Maybe you are looking into making your own scented items and want to use natural ingredients.

Either way, I’ve got you covered with these natural ways to scent your home. They are super simple and you won’t need a lot of experience to do any of them. 

Are you ready to make your home smell wonderful?

Beeswax Candles

It’s as easy as melting beeswax in the microwave or in a double boiler, adding some essential oils, and pouring it into a jar with a wick to cool. 

I have a super simple DIY beeswax candle recipe. You will love the beautiful color of the beeswax and enjoy having natural candles that you made yourself in no time!

Beeswax Melts

Want to make your own wax melts, but don’t know where to start? Similar to the beeswax candle recipe, you can melt the beeswax and add your essential oils and then transfer it to some cute molds to cool. 

Or…if you are a busy mom who doesn’t have time for extra steps, skip the whole process and follow this idea here!

Essential Oils in Diffuser

This is probably a given, but it is worth mentioning from a different angle. 

Some people really like using a diffuser together with lighting rolled beeswax candles. With this combination, you get the cozy aesthetic of natural candles and can switch out your scents without having to make new candles or wait for them to burn out.

PIN IT!

Essential Oils in Hand Soap

I have fallen in love with having bursts of scents instead of having a consistent scent around my home. I get accustomed to it and then don’t smell it, but if I scent things like my homemade hand soap, then I get whiffs every once in a while and don’t get accustomed to the scent.

I find it more refreshing this way, and as a mom of babies in diapers, I wash my hands a lot so this works really well for me.

Essential Oils on Cotton Balls

Another way to scent your home naturally is to put a few drops of essential oils on cotton balls and hide them around your house where you can’t see them. It’s easy to switch out scents and also have a nice scent lingering without having to think about turning something on.

Essential Oils on Cloth/Wooden Decor

I recently walked into Sprouts, which is a health food store, and they had scented pine cones for sale. What a wonderful idea! This is perfect for fall, but for year round, you could also scent a decor item that is made out of cloth or wood, really anything that will absorb the oils.

Essential Oils in Dishwater

If you hand wash your dishes, then spruce up the task by dropping some lemon essential oil drops into your wash or rinse water. It is quite delightful!

Essential Oils in Bath Soap

If you are curious about making your own bath soap, an easy way to do this is with melt and pour soap bases. All the hard work of mixing the lye and curing has already taken place. All you need to do is melt the base and add whatever scents you want. Let it cool for three or four hours and it is ready to use.

So simple and another easy way to scent your home.

Potpourri

I love making cinnamon potpourri! All you need is some citrus, cinnamon sticks, spices, and some water in a pot. Put it over a small flame and enjoy some spice for a couple of hours.

Here’s one of my favorite potpourri recipes: Winter Stovetop Potpourri! It’s super easy and smells amazing. Potpourri is one of the most effective natural ways to scent your home.

Bake

Have you ever walked into the kitchen while someone was baking cookies? It permeates the house and there is nothing like the sweet smell of something baking in the oven! 

This is a great way to scent your home especially during baking season. 

Cook

Like baking, cooking especially from scratch with aromatice like onions and garlic, you can easily scent your home while making dinner.

Sometimes I walk into our bedroom which is far away from the kitchen and even though it has been hours since I finished cooking, I can still smell the delicious scent of sauteed onions and garlic. It is so delightful!

DIY Mop Solution

If you have hard flooring, a DIY mop solution is a great way to naturally scent your home! I like to add lavender oil to mine because it helps repel bugs keeping them outside where they belong.

If you have carpet, you could also make your own carpet powder very easily, too.

DIY All Purpose Cleaner

Making your own all purpose spray is an easy way to scent your home with whatever scents you like. You can easily make small batches, too, if you get bored of scents easily and want to switch them out often.

To use it, just spritz your dusting rag with a little bit or use it to wipe down counter tops in the kitchen. This helps make mundane tasks a little more delightful.

Final Thoughts!

It is fairly easy to scent your home naturally with these thirteen ways. The nice thing is that you don’t have to have a lot of experience or need a lot of equipment to do it, either.

If you have any other ways that you like to scent your home naturally, leave them in the comments below! I am always game for trying something new!

MORE ON HOMEMAKING!

The Final Touch to a Cozy Home

Homemaking Mindsets for Intentional Homemakers

Old Fashioned Homemaking Essentials

How Can I Make my Homemaking Easier?

A Simple Sourdough Guide for Beginners

· 1 Comment

Want to make a sourdough starter, but intimidated by how complicated it is? I hear you! This is why I am here to share with you this simple guide to sourdough.

As simple as this method of doing sourdough is, bread making is a skill so it will take time, effort, patience, and a few fails a long the way. Don’t be discouraged though! I know you have the pioneer spirit in you to stick with it all the way. Soon you won’t need to buy store bought bread products because you will be making things like…

Are you ready to get started? Here is what you need to know!

Does it Matter What Type of Water I Use?

Yes, filtered water will give you the best results because tap water has chemicals added to clean the water that can hamper the growth of the yeast or good bacteria. I tried using regular tap water and my sourdough starter got really sluggish.

Does it Matter What Kind of Flour I Use?

Organic flour is the best, but as long as you use unbleached and unenriched flour you will have a thriving bubbly starter. Again, I have unfortunately used cheap and low quality flour to feed my starter and make bread with, but it got sluggish and not very active.

If you are branching out from a gluten free diet or other food intolerances into the world of sourdough, organic flour is the way for you. Because the flour is organic, that means the berries were not sprayed with pesticides and therefore will be easier for you to digest.

Arrowhead is the best organic brand with King Arthur as the best non organic but unbleached and unenriched brand. They are usually both available at your local Walmart.

What tools do I need?

  • Wooden spoon
  • Glass, plastic, or wooden bowl (anything but metal)
  • cloth or something to cover the starter or dough to keep out dust and bugs
  • Scale – This is my preferred method of baking because it cuts down on the dishes and I very much dislike cleaning sourdough starter out of measuring cups.

You may have heard the controversy of whether or not metal kills sourdough yeast. From my experience, when sourdough (a starter or dough) comes in contact with metal either with a spoon or bread pan, it makes the yeast lethargic and it will not rise. It will not kill the yeast so if you accidentally stir your starter with a metal spoon, just feed it and watch it. It should survive.

I have seen other people use their stainless steel stand mixer bowl without it hampering the sourdough. They also had a very mature starter though, like 10 years old. Perhaps, the more mature it is the less it reacts with metal, but from my experience with my “young” starter, metal makes it lethargic.

If your dough does not rise from reacting with metal, don’t throw it out. It may not make a good loaf of bread, but it will make a good pizza dough.

How to Make a Sourdough Starter

  1. Place 100g (1/2 Cup) of whole milk in a glass jar. Cover it with a towel and place it in a warm place for 24 hours.
  2. Add 100g (1/2 Cup) of flour and stir with a wooden spoon.
  3. Cover and place it in a warm place for a week.
  4. Stir the starter once or twice a day during the week, making sure the starter stays covered and is in a warm place.
  5. After at least a week or so, it should be nice and bubbly. This means the yeast has matured and is ready to use.

Bubbles sometimes form after a day or so, but you want a good strong starter that is mature. Wait at least a week before using for best results even if it bubbles early on.

How do I keep my starter warm?

In the winter months, it can be difficult for the wild yeast to thrive. Set your starter in warm places like the…

  • Stovetop while baking or cooking
  • A window with full sun
  • The dryer while it is running
  • In the oven with the light on
  • Under a heating vent
  • Next to a heater

This will help the yeast flourish!

How often Should I Feed my Sourdough Starter?

When making a sourdough starter from scratch, you do not need to feed your starter. Simply stir it once a day or so to aerate it. The yeast will grow and mature even without feedings.

When you are ready to bake, feed you starter about 4-12 hours before you want to mix your dough up. Although the starter doesn’t need feedings to mature, it does need to be fed when you are ready to make something in order to have enough to make your recipe.

How do I Feed my Sourdough Starter?

  • Add about 1/4 – 1/2 cup of flour to your starter and mix it in.
  • Add water a little bit at a time while stirring until your starter is the consistency of pancake batter.

Don’t worry if there are clumps. You can let it rest and come back to stir it later. The yeast will start breaking down the clumps so you don’t have to.

If you are not sure if the starter is the consistency of pancake batter, just make sure to err on the side of a thicker consistency rather a thinner one. If you need to, add a little more flour. If there is too much water, the starter tends to separate and get lethargic, but it seems to do fine if it is thicker.

If you need a lot of starter, you can always add more flour and water.

If you happen to use all the starter in a recipe, don’t worry that you’ll have to start over. As long as there is a little bit left in the jar, even a tablespoon or some such to the side, just feed it. It doesn’t take a lot to survive.

What is Sourdough Discard?

From the best of my knowledge and experience, sourdough discard is when your starter has peaked, is starting to wane and be less bubbly. It usually is less active and therefore will not make bread rise as well. It is still nutritious and can be used in recipes that do not need a rising agent like tortillas.

It’s hard to give an answer saying at what point in the feeding process this happens. There are so many variables like temperature, altitude, and probably humidity, too that will affect how fast your starter grows, peaks, and then starts getting a little sluggish.

I personally never have any discard because I simply stir my starter to aerate it, or feed it again before using it if it is too sluggish. This is one aspect of sourdough that comes with experience.

How to Stretch and Fold

This is an alternative to kneading the dough by hand or with a mixer and can be used for any recipe including a sandwich loaf or pizza dough, not just the actual sourdough loaf recipe.

  • After your dough comes together and no loose flour is visible, let the dough rest covered up for 30 minutes. Make sure you set a timer so you won’t forget about it.
  • After 30 minutes, hold the bowl with your left hand while grabbing the edge of the dough at the top of the bowl with your right hand. Stretch it up and fold or drop it over into the middle of the dough.
  • Turn the bowl 90 degrees and stretch and fold.
  • Continue turning the bowl and doing a stretch and a fold until you have made a complete circle. This will add up to four stretches and folds. This is one set of stretch and folds.
  • Do two more complete sets of stretch and folds with a resting period of 30 minutes in between. This adds up to three sets.
  • Leave the dough to ferment at least 8-12 hours. You can go longer.

Final Thoughts!

There are so many voices out there on how you should do sourdough and make a starter. They all probably work because there are many ways to do something. Some are very complicated, but just know that no matter which method you choose, sourdough is a skill and will take time and experience to master.

I hope that you found this guide valuable and are encouraged that sourdough does not have to be complicated. It has been so good for me to find a simpler and more practical way of making bread for my family.

If you learned something here, please PIN IT! so that others can learn from this article, too.

Pro Metabolic Eating on a Budget

· Leave a Comment

This post contains affiliate links.

Pro Metabolic eating can get expensive real quick, but as I look around and do some digging, I find that I can get the same quality food items as Fallon and others in the Pro metabolic sphere suggest for a much better price.

I have put together a list of where I find good deals for such things as…

  • Liver Supplements
  • Collagen
  • Gelatin 
  • Cassava Flour
  • And more!

My hope is to consistently update this page as I find better deals to share with you. These products are ones that I recommend because I personally use them and are satisfied with them. 

I also buy most of my groceries at Aldi. They have great prices and a great selection of organic items and other things that align with Pro Metabolic principles. 

Unfortunately, Aldi is not a nationwide store so not everyone has access to them. If you have one, you should definitely check them out!

The products listed here are mostly if not all from Amazon. While some have personal objections to buying from Amazon, I have found that they are the best source to save money on a lot of things especially if you have a prime membership. Not only can you save on shipping, but if you are responsible and can trust yourself with a credit card, the Amazon Prime visa credit card gives a great percentage of cash back. 

In the last twelve months, we have made $460 dollars with this credit card! That is from using it on amazon, for groceries, gas, and almost every other purchase. Definitely worth it when you are on a budget!

Here are more ways that I save while pursuing Pro Metabolic eating on a budget.

Liver Supplements

Collagen

Gelatin

Water Filter

While most recommend the Berky water filter, it is expensive. An inexpensive filtering system does a decent job and is much better than having nothing at all.

Cassava Flour

I am currently trying the 2 lb bag out before buying it in bulk at an even better price.

Organic Mustard

  • 365 Organic Yellow Mustard – Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, Water, Organic Mustard Seed, Sea Salt, Organic Turmeric, Organic Paprika, Organic Spices.

Clearly by Best Choice is the brand I buy at a local Crest (also available at some Homelands), but I can’t find a link for it anywhere except from Homeland on Instacart.

Avoid additives like citric acid. Usually if it lists some kind of added acid, I don’t get it.

Organic Ketchup

  • 365 Organic Ketchup – Organic Tomato Puree (Water, Organic Tomato Paste), Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Distilled White Vinegar, Salt, Organic Onion Powder, Organic Spices (Organic Allspice, Organic Clove, Organic Red Pepper, Organic Paprika).

Heinz has a decent organic ketchup and can be found at your local Walmart, but it is definitely more expensive.

Final Thoughts!

It’s hard when you are convinced that something can help you in your health journey, but can’t afford it. I truly hope that this list helps you save and be able to afford more Pro Metabolic foods! If you find a better deal than what’s listed here, please, drop a link in the comments below so that we can help each other pursue good food without breaking the bank.

If you found this post to be helpful, please, PIN IT so that others can be encouraged that they can afford good food, too!

MORE ON PRO METABOLIC EATING!

Pro Metabolic Eating: What is Healthy Eating for You!

Pro Metabolic Foods

Pro Metabolic Grocery List

13 Pro Metabolic Breakfast Ideas

The Final Touch to a Cozy Home

· 2 Comments

Part of being a homemaker is making a cozy home, one that is warm and inviting. We tend to do this through our decoration arrangements and choices, but if this is all we do, then we miss the final touch to make our home a cozy one.

What makes a cozy home? Yes, it is how we decorate our home, but the final touch is something more. It is something more life giving, more intentional, and much harder to maintain than decor and wonderful scents.

The final touch to a cozy home is you. The homemaker is the final touch. I’m not meaning your wardrobe or how you do your hair. It goes deeper than that.

It is the heart within you. You can have everything in place, but unless you cultivate virtue within your heart, your home will be missing the final touch.

What is Virtue?

This has been the question of the ages. We tend to automatically think that virtue means moral character, and while it does mean that, it also means much more.

You may find it helpful to think of virtue as a diamond or precious stone that is multifaceted. It once was a rough stone, but under the guidance of a master craftsman, it is crafted into a multi-faceted beauty. 

Virtue is like this diamond, like the one many of you wear on your finger. It has many sides to it, one of which is good character, but there is so much more to virtue than just this. 

There is a goodness to it that cannot be summed up with just “good character”. One dictionary defined it as “excellence of soul”. 

Virtue is good character, a good disposition, a good conversation. It is the goodness that envelops a disciplined mind. It is the beauty within.

How can we as homemakers cultivate virtue? How can we add this goodness to our home to give it a rich coziness?

Here are 8 virtues that you as a homemaker can cultivate to add that final touch to a cozy home.

Thankfulness

Having a grateful heart affects your disposition and how you go about making it home. It helps us smile and be courageous. It praises the Lord, blesses other people, even just our family. It is easy to be thankful here and there, but to truly be virtuous, thankfulness should be a habit that we create and keep in our life.

Cheerfulness

There’s something warming and cozy about walking into a happy home. It’s life-giving, and while the wall decorations and delightful scents can make people happy, a happy homemaker is the icing on the cake.

Related Post: How can I be a happy homemaker?

Contentment

We may not have much. We may have to do without, but a great homemaker is at peace with her lot in life. She expects the hardships in the process of motherhood, with perhaps a tear in her eye, but a “not my will but thine, O Lord” on her lips.

She is satisfied to serve her family, willing to sacrifice, and give of herself. She’s content with life, although it is a constant struggle between chaos and order. She may not love every moment, but she’s content to accept whatever moment brings as an opportunity to be more virtuous.

Peace

As homemakers, we know that not every moment is peaceful, but with the virtue of God inside of us, we can bring peace to every moment. In many ways, we are the peacemakers of our homes. We can bring peace to those chaotic moments if we first come from a place of peace.

Love

It is easy to love and give of yourself when you are in a good mood and everything is going well. Sacrificing is easy when you feel like doing it, but in the moments when it’s hard to sacrifice, even when you don’t feel like it, is there anything more virtuous than this?

Wisdom

Making the right decisions at the right time is something that does not come naturally to us. We naturally want to choose what feels good and seems easier in the moment, but it can cause disorder in our lives, our house, and our relationships.

It calls us to maturity and discipline, even though it’s hard and we would would rather not clean up and do our housekeeping for the week.

Can we create a warm and inviting place that helps other people flourish without wisdom?

Diligence

The virtuous woman of Proverbs 31 was known for her diligence, hard work, efficiency, and skill. We can only imagine how delightful her home must have been with quality items that she either made with her own hands or worked hard to procure. Think of the food she brought from afar, the fine clothing she made. Her home was a wonderful place to be because of her diligence.

Related Post: 15 Old Fashioned Homemaking Skills that We still Need

PIN IT!

Reverence

Respect. Respect towards God, and how we worship him, how we treat other people, how we bear His image in our words and actions. It is virtuous to be reverent. We can have our home decorated perfectly, but if we are rude in our attitude or dress sloppy all day, what good is it?

Final Thoughts!

Creating a cozy place where we can flourish is ,I think, a goal of most if not every homemaker. We desire to make a life-giving place that blesses ourselves and all those who enter it. Without the final touch of virtue, can our homes minister to hearts as we so deeply desire it to?

Though it might feel discouraging to contemplate all that we need to improve and work on, remember that we have our lifetime to cultivate virtue. It is not something we have to accomplish today or tomorrow. This refinement of our souls is a journey, and one that is well worth it.

MORE ON HOMEMAKING!

Old Fashioned Homemaking for the Modern Woman

12 Qualities of a Virtuous Woman

What is Virtue?

9 Pro Metabolic Recipes for the Fall

· Leave a Comment

Does Pro Metabolic eating keep you from enjoying food in the fall? It shouldn’t, because at the core of this lifestyle is the idea of food freedom. We shouldn’t have to skip desserts or other dishes we love even if we are trying really hard to heal our metabolism. 

The key is to know what to look for in a recipe and what you can substitute to make a recipe Pro Metabolic. It’s as simple as knowing a few Pro Metabolic principles and foods.

Let’s flourish this fall season and enjoy all the delicious fall favorites!

A Few Pro Metabolic Principles.

If you know the pro metabolic principles concerning different pro metabolic foods than it is easy to take a recipe that is not pro metabolic and make it into one. Things to keep in mind and prioritize while baking are …

  • Fats – You can easily substitute whatever fat or oil the recipe calls for coconut oil, ghee, or grass-fed butter
  • Sweeteners – Use organic cane sugar, maple syrup, or honey instead
  • Produce – Using organic fruit or those that fall within the Clean 15 EWG List will help minimize your intake of pesticides which are harder to digest. 
  • Rising Agents – Avoiding recipes with baking powder because it has cornstarch in it. Baking soda is better.
  • Flour – Find sourdough or cassava flour recipes or at least swap the flour for organic flour
  • Eggs – Use pasture rasied or range free eggs when you can
  • Salt: If it calls for salt, use non-iodized salt like sea salt. 
  • Dairy: Choose Raw dairy or at least non-homogenized like Kolona Supernatural products. Organic yogurt is okay, too. 

Fall Pro Metabolic Recipes

I have put together a Pinterest Board with some fall recipes for some Pro Metbaolic baking inspiration. The ones listed below are fall recipes with ingredients that have easy Pro Metabolic swaps or ones that don’t need any.

Apple Recipes

  • Maple Apple Pies – This is made with a sourdough crust, but remember to use grass-fed butter, organic apples, and organic cane sugar.
  • Apple Cassava Crumble – The only thing to me mindful of in the recipe is that it calls for pecans. Is this a big deal? Maybe, maybe not. If you are really trying to heal your metabolism, it might be best to forget the pecans, but if you are only having this once or at least sporadically, a few nuts won’t hurt you. 
  • Apple Cinnamon Swirl Sourdough Bread 

Pumpkin Recipes

Sweet Potato Recipes

Final Thoughts!

If you have any questions about a recipe, please let me know in the comments below. I would love to help you as much as I can to have a wonderful fall season with all the good foods. 

Let’s fully enjoy fall by feasting without comprising good health! 

MORE ON HEALTHY LIVING!

The Pro Metabolic Diet

9 Pro Metabolic Foods

Pro Metabolic Snack Ideas

13 Pro Metabolic Breakfast Ideas

DIY Candles with Beeswax

· Leave a Comment

If you’re a fan of coziness, there’s nothing quite like the warm and inviting atmosphere of a candle. It’s a pretty easy and delightful old fashioned skill to make homemade candles, too. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the simple steps to create your very own candles using natural beeswax. Get ready to fill your space with the comforting cozy ambiance that these candles will bring to any room!

Which is healthier, beeswax or soy candles?

Beeswax is a healthier choice of candle wax because it is all-natural. Soy candles often contain artificial ingredients and other chemicals.

Beeswax candles also naturally purify the air, remove bad odors, and can help with allergies when burned. It needs to be local beeswax if you want to use it to help with allergies. It’s very similar to using local honey for your allergies.

Can you add spices to beeswax candles?

Yes, you can add spices to beeswax candles. However, they will not scent the candle as well as essential oils will.

How do you add essential oils to beeswax?

If you would like to make scented candles, essential oils are a good way to do it. The best time to add them is after you have melted the wax and removed it from the burner/microwave. It does take a lot to get a good enough scent throw so be prepared to add about a teaspoon or so of your favorite scent.

Another option is to make unscented candles and burn them while you run a diffuser. This is my preferred method because you can conserve your oils and make them last longer and you can easily switch up the scent to fit the season you are enjoying.

Is it cheaper to make your own candles?

Yes, if you enjoy having candles lit all the time, it is much cheaper to make your own in the long run. If you aren’t quite as faithful to lighting candles year round, it may not be that much cheaper, but you also cannot put a price on the enjoyment of something you have crafted yourself.

PIN IT!

What are the ingredients?

For this simple recipe, I am only using beeswax because I want the beautiful golden color for my fall decor. 

There are, however, a few drawbacks to this method. While the beeswax is cooling, it tends to tunnel so you will need to top it off with some more wax. To avoid this, you can melt a little coconut oil(several tablespoons) with the wax. It will lighten the color, though. 

What are the essential tools?

  • Double boiler or microwave-safe dish
  • Wick
  • Jar
  • Scissors
  • Clothespin

How to make pumpkin spice candles

Melt the wax.

Choose your method of melting the wax with either a double boiler or a microwave-safe dish.

Double Boiler

Pour water into a pan. (You’ll want to use a pan dedicated to this craft in case the beeswax spills over into it.)

Put it on a burner over medium to high heat.

Place the double boiler on top.

Measure the beeswax using the intended candle jar, leaving about a quarter of an inch at the top.

Dump the beeswax into the double boiler and let it melt completely, stirring occasionally.

Microwave

You can also melt the wax in the microwave in a glass or microwave-safe dish for 30 seconds at a time until the wax is melted. Stir it occasionally to help it melt evenly.

Prepare the jar.

While the wax is melting, prepare the jar. Place a wick in the center of the bottom of the jar using a clothespin to keep it centered. You can also tie the wick around a pencil.

Pour the wax into the jar.

Once the wax is melted, remove from heat, add 1 teaspoon of essential oil if desired, stir it, and pour it into the jar to cool and solidify.

Let it cool.

Place the candle where it won’t be disturbed while it cools for two hours or until it is solid.

Top it off.

If your candle tunnels while cooling, top it off with some more wax. (You can also melt coconut oil with the wax to prevent this from happening if you do not mind losing the golden color.)

Trim the wick.

Trim the wick with a pair of scissors to about a quarter of an inch.

Light and enjoy!

Final Thoughts!

I hope you enjoy adding this old fashioned skill to your household! It is very simple and inexpensive to make your own candles which makes it a great frugal touch to your home. 

For more old fashioned inspiration, check out the links below and follow my on Pinterest!

MORE ON Fall HOMEMAKING!

11 Frugal Fall Decor Ideas

Seasonal Living: Old Fashioned Homemaking in the Fall

Cozy Autumn Homemaking Guide

A Fall Checklist for Homemakers

7 Old Fashioned Apple Recipes from the 1800’s

· Leave a Comment

Would it be fall without apple recipes like apple pie, but have you ever wondered what apple recipes people used to eat?

As most of you know, I love old fashioned homemaking! I was born and raised in a Third World country, where we made things from scratch out of necessity. If we wanted an apple pie, there was no going to the store for a premade crust. Many times, I couldn’t even find apples so we would substitute with a native fruit that had a similar texture.

Now, no matter if you’re used to eating apple pies with premade crust or ones that didn’t quite taste like apple pie(because they weren’t really apples), nothing beats a real apple pie with a fresh pie crust all made from scratch!

There was a time in history when that was all you could get. If you wanted apple pie, you put in the work and made it right. Well, that may seem tedious, and perhaps a waste of time, think of how delicious “ The fruit of that labor“ was? Not to mention, it was naturally healthier.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we didn’t have to stop and think about whether or not this or that was a healthy choice, but it just was because that is all you could get?

Back in the 1800s, this is how it was for apple pies and many other apple recipes, however, the recipes did look a little different from ours today.

Since it is fall and the season for all the apple things, I thought it would be fun to find some old apple recipes from 1800 cookbooks to share with you. So grab your favorite warm beverage and a cozy blanket, and enjoy a peek into the past of old-fashioned apple recipes!

Old Apple Recipes

Apple-Sauce (1899)

  • A: 6 sour apples, peel, core and quarter, add ⅛ tsp. salt, ½ c water;
  • B: 3 tbsps. sugar, ⅛ tsp. cinnamon, grating nutmeg.

Cover A and simmer without stirring until apples are soft, add B, mix and press through a colander. Serve hot or cold. 

The Hostess of Today (p. 99)

Apple Custard Pie or Pudding (1894)

  • 1 quart of dry stewed apples
  • 12 ounces of sugar
  • 3 ounces of butter
  • 8 yolks of eggs

Juice and rind on 1 lemon and nutmeg

The apples should be stewed with as little water as possible with the steam shut in. Mash them through a strainer. Cook the pulp over the fire with the sugar and butter in and then add the beaten yolks and flavor. Bake in crusts. 

The American Pastry Cook (p. 16)

Apple Ice (1894)

To be served in combination with a frozen custard such as the proceeding three (Lemon Ice, Saratoga Ice Cups).

  • 20 ounces of cored and sliced apples.
  • 12 ounces of sugar.
  • 1 quart of water.
  • 1 lemon.

Use for this purpose only ripe and sweet apples. Make a boiling syrup of the sugar and a cupful of water and throw in the apple quarters or slices and the lemon – cover with a lid and simmer slowly till done without stirring or breaking. Strain out the apples and set them on ice. Add the balance of the water to the syrup and freeze it without much beating, then throw in the apples and finish the freezing. This makes a whitish ice. The apples should not be frozen hard.

The American Pastry Cook (p. 31).

Apple Float (1894)

  • 1 pound of fine, mealy cooking apples pared and quartered. 
  • Half cup of water.
  • 1 lemon.
  • 8 ounces of sugar.
  • 1 ounce of butter.
  • 2 whole eggs and 6 whites.
  • Clove or cinnamon extract.

Stew the apples with the water, sugar, lemon juice, and shaved or grated rind and the butter, in a saucepan with a lid, till they are tender. Rub the pulp through a sieve. Add the 2 eggs and cook the mixture 5 or 10 minutes till thick. Then cool, flavor, beat light and add the 6 whites of eggs whipped firm and beat 5 minutes more. Keep cold. Serve in saucers of custard.

The American Pastry Cook (p. 44) 

Apple Pudding Boiled (1821)

Chop four ounces of Beef Suet very fie, or two ounces of Butter, Lard, or Dripping – but the suet makes the best lightest crust; put it on the paste board, with eight ounces of flour, and a saltspoonful of salt, mix it well together with your handsome and then put it all of a heap, and make a hole in the middle;; break one egg in it, stir it well together with you finger, and by degrees infuse as much water as will make it of a stiff paste: – roll it out two or three times with the rolling-pin, and then roll it large enough to receive thirteen ounces of Apples. It will look neater if boiled in a basin, well buttered, than when boiled in a pudding cloth well floured: boil it an hour and three quarters, – but the surest way is to stew the apples first in a stewpan, with a wineglassful of water, and then one hour will boil it. Some people like it flavoured with Cloves and Lemon Peel, and sweeten it with two ounces of Sugar.

GOOSEBERRIES, CURRANTS and RASPBERRIES, CHERRIES, DAMSONS, and VARIOUS PLUMS and FRUITS, are made into Puddings with the same Crust directed for APPLE PUDDINGS.

The Cooks Oracle (p. 518)

Apple Dumplings (1821)

Make paste the same as for apple pudding, divide it into as many pieces as you want Dumplings, peel the apples and core them, then roll out your paste large enough, and put in the apples; close it all round, and tie them in pudding cloths very tight, – one hour will boil them- and when you take them up, just dip them in cold water, and put them in a cup the size of the dumpling while you untie them, and they will turn out without breaking. 

The Cooks Oracle (p. 518)

Common Apple Pie (1847)

Pare your apples, and cut them from the core. Line your dishes with pastes, and put it in the apple; cover and bake until the fruit is tender. Then take them from the oven, remove the upper crust, and put in sugar and nutmeg, cinnamon or rose water to your taste; a bit of sweet butter improves them. Also, to put in a little orange peel before they are baked, makes a pleasant variety. Common apple pies are very good to stew, sweeten, and flavor flavor the apple before they are put into the oven. Many prefer the seasoning baked in. All apple pies are much nicer if the apple is grated then seasoned.

Miss Beecher’s Domestic Receipt Book: Designed as a Supplement to her Treatise on Domestic Economy (p. 107)

Final Thoughts!

Wasn’t that delightful?! I think, it would be really neat to make some of them. Especially the Apple pie.

Wouldn’t it be fantastic to add some of these recipes that are nearly 200 years old to your own homemaking? What could be more old fashion than that!

MORE ON OLD FASHIONED LIVING!

Old Fashioned Homemaking for the Modern Woman

Old Fashioned Pumpkin Recipe from the 1850’s

Cozy Autumn Homemaking Guide

Seasonal Living: Old Fashioned Homemaking in the Fall

Seasonal Living: Old Fashioned Homemaking in the Fall

· Leave a Comment

Do you love the vintage life? Here is how to start old fashioned homemaking in the fall!

I love old fashioned homemaking. One reason is because I am a hopeless romantic. I love to dream of days gone by, what they wore in those times, how they cooked, how they made a home even in scarce times.

The second reason is because convenience and modern life has left me grasping for meaning and understanding of life, how to live life, how to make a home. Old fashioned homemaking has been a looking glass for me to peer into the past and find answers from experienced women in how they used to do things. It has been a gift from God to guide and direct me in creating a place where my family and I can flourish.

One thing people used to do a lot more was seasonal living. They lived with the seasons. They did certain things at certain times of the year. It didn’t make sense to do it any other way.

So what did homemakers from years gone by do in the fall? They…

  • Preserved Food
  • Baked
  • Cleaned
  • Celebrated Thanksgiving

Here are some simple ways you can start doing these things this fall!

Preserve Food

Since fall meant harvest time, homemakers learned to preserve food to enjoy (and survive) for the rest of the year. Although our survival is not dependent on us preserving the harvest during the autumn months, this is a great old fashioned skill to know. 

Certain foods are also cheaper during this time of the year. Just think of what you could save if you preserved some of those foods to enjoy later on?

This doesn’t mean you have to grow the produce you preserve. You can buy some pumpkins or apples and learn how to preserve small batches of pie filling, apple sauce, or apple butter.

It doesn’t have to be this huge ordeal either. It’s as simple as using your instant pot and a few jars.

This is one area of seasonal living that I am looking forward to learning this fall!

PIN IT!

Bake

Homemakers in the past and even today make use of the cooler weather and the abundance of food to bake all kinds of delicious things. Pies, cakes, muffins, cobblers. Would it be fall without these things?

Recently, I found some old cookbooks and have been enjoying looking through them. Wouldn’t it be so fun to bake some real old fashioned recipes from the 1800’s and early 1900’s? The first one I want to try is this pumpkin bread recipe from 1859 which would be right around the time of Little House on the Prairie. It isn’t sweet like what we think of pumpkin bread being, but I am intrigued to learn this recipe that Ma Ingalls would have made! 

RELATED POST: Old Fashioned Pumpkin Bread Recipe from the 1800’s

Clean

Fall is the perfect to time to do a seasonal cleaning. The weather gets cooler which makes it an ideal time to clear out the dust and deep clean your house so you can enjoy being inside for the winter more.

For homemakers of yesteryears, I can only imagine how crazy harvest was. Perhaps housekeeping got set aside in order to focus on making the most of the harvest. When it was all over, there would be a lot of cleaning to do.

Maybe they cleaned in fall also because winter was coming and the cooler weather was a better time to clean while you could open the windows and wash things without having to defrost water.

Work Hard

For farmer’s wives, this was a season of hard work. They brought in the harvest, spent countless hours preserving it among all the other duties of a homemaker. Although many of us may not live in these same circumstances, I think, we can all learn from their example and learn to be more diligent and willingly work hard for our house and home.

Celebrate Thanksgiving

Old fashioned homemakers took this season of abundance to celebrate. Yes, I am talking about Thanksgiving, but I’m sure it was much more than that one meal and family getting together that they celebrated. God blessed them with a bounty and I have no doubt they celebrated the end of another growing season.

Growing food is hard and when any hard thing concludes, it’s time to celebrate!

It probably sounds ridiculous to talk about celebrating Thanksgiving because doesn’t everyone do that? Yes, but do we really take this opportunity to truly learn and understand what it means to be thankful. It’s much more than saying three things you are thankful for on Thanksgiving Day.

How good is God to give us a whole season to teach us to be grateful! It comes back year after year. Why not make this season extra special and grow in the virtue of a thankful heart.

RELATED POST: 30 Day Thankful Challenge for Homemakers

Final Thoughts!

What ways are you going to start old fashioned homemaking this fall? Maybe you could learn how to can a small batch of apple butter or bake a pumpkin pie from scratch. If life is too busy to do any extra things, perhaps you can take a few minutes throughout the day and establish the habit of being thankful in a more meaningful way. 

One way we can all enjoy old fashioned homemaking this season is to fully celebrate Thanksgiving and make the most of it this year.

If you love the vintage life, here are some more posts you might enjoy! 

MORE ON HOMEMAKING!

A Fall Checklist for Homemakers

11 Frugal Fall Decor Ideas

Cozy Autumn Homemaking Guide

Old Fashioned Pumpkin Bread Recipe from the 1850’s

· Leave a Comment

Fall is here and what better way to celebrate than by baking some delicious pumpkin bread? 

Besides, is there anything more cozy than a slice of pumpkin bread hot from the oven and slathered with butter? There is nothing I like more than some warm pumpkin bread…and maybe a cup of tea to go with it.

One of my earliest memories is actually of my nanny making pumpkin bread. I remember the warm sweet smell as it baked and the taste of the melted butter that she slathered on it. So delicious!!

PIN IT!

You cannot truly embrace old fashioned homemaking in the fall without a good pumpkin bread recipe. You can easily find one to make if you don’t have a favorite one already, but I thought it would be fun to find an actual old pumpkin bread recipe.

So I went to over to my new found friend the Internet Archive and spent way too much time looking through old recipes before I came across this one. I guess pumpkin bread was not a big deal in the 1800’s because this was literally the only recipe I found from that time period.

There were plenty of recipes for pumpkin pie, but this was the only one for pumpkin bread and interestingly enough, it isn’t located in the dessert section. Now I know that some people consider pumpkin bread and banana bread more of an actual bread, but I suppose what I grew up calling pumpkin bread is more of a pumpkin cake baked in a loaf pan.

This recipe comes from the book called the American Practical Cookery Book and it was published in 1859. To give you a historical time frame, this was only a couple of years before the civil war broke out and right around the time that Little House on the Prairie depicts.

Pumpkin Bread Recipe

Ingredients

  • Pumpkin
  • Indian Meal
  • Salt 
  • Yeast

Instructions

“Stew and strain some pumpkin, stiffen with Indian meal, salt and yeast, and it makes a most excellent bread.”

What is Indian meal?

Indian Meal is the same thing as cornmeal, corn flour, maize, or polenta. So to make this recipe you would add cornmeal to the stewed pumpkin in order to bring it together.

What kind of yeast did they use in the 1800’s?

There were many types of yeast used to leaven recipes in the 1800’s such as…

  • Pearlash – This is also called potash and is made from wood ashes. It is made by the similar process used for making lye.
  • Baking Soda
  • Sourdough
  • Baking Powder

Final Thoughts!

Thanks for going on this adventure with me and exploring an old fashioned pumpkin bread recipe! I hope you found it as intriguing as I did.

Although it this isn’t a sweet pumpkin bread recipe, I am tempted to adapt it into one by adding some sugar. I’m sure it would also be good as it is with some butter and brown sugar while it is still hot.

Either way, I’m excited to try this recipe out and share with you all if this old fashioned recipe is worth adding to our fall favorites baking list!

MORE ON HOMEMAKING!

Old Fashioned Homemaking for the Modern Woman

Cozy Autumn Homemaking Guide

11 Frugal Fall Decor Ideas

A Fall Checklist for Homemakers 

30 Day Thankful Challenge for Homemakers

· Leave a Comment

There’s no denying that life can get overwhelming and stressful at times. It’s easy to get caught up in the negativity and forget the good things in our lives. That’s why practicing gratitude is so important. It shifts our perspective and helps us to focus on God and others instead of ourselves.

One simple way to start a gratitude practice is by taking on the 30 Day Thankful Challenge. The premise is simple: every day for 30 days, write down something you’re thankful for. It can be as small as a delicious cup of coffee or a beautiful little flower.

Here are some tips to get started:

1. Set a reminder

It can be easy to forget to practice gratitude in our busy lives. Set a reminder on your phone or put a note on your fridge to remind you to take a moment to reflect on what you’re thankful for each day.

2. Mix it up

Challenge yourself to come up with something new each day. It’s easy to fall into a routine and write down the same things over and over again. Try to find something different to be thankful for each day.

3. Get creative

There are many ways to practice gratitude beyond just writing it down. Try taking a photo each day of something you’re thankful for or create a gratitude jar to fill with notes of appreciation.

4. Share with others

Practicing gratitude can be contagious. Share what you’re thankful for with friends and family or on social media to inspire others to start their own gratitude practice.

Taking on the 30 Day Thankful Challenge is a simple yet powerful way to cultivate gratitude in your life. By focusing on the good, you’ll start to see more of it. So why not give it a try? What are you thankful for today?

The 30 Day Thankful Challenge is a great way to start incorporating gratitude into your daily routine. It’s a simple yet powerful practice that can help you shift your focus from what’s going wrong to what’s going right in your life. By acknowledging the good things in your life, it is much easier to be cheerful.

One of the benefits of the 30 Day Thankful Challenge is that it can help you develop a habit of gratitude. After 30 days of practicing gratitude, you may find that you naturally start to look for things to be thankful for throughout your day. Developing this virtue is not something that we do naturally, but it is important if we are striving to be more like Christ and to glorify him in our homemaking.

Another benefit of the 30 Day Thankful Challenge is that it can help you cultivate deeper relationships with others. When you share what you’re thankful for with friends and family, you open up a conversation that can lead to greater connection and understanding. By expressing gratitude for the people in your life, you’ll strengthen your relationships and encourage others to be more virtuous in their own lives.

So why not give the 30 Day Thankful Challenge a try? Set a reminder on your phone, grab a notebook, and start writing down what you’re thankful for each day. You never know, it might just change your life.

Remember, there is always something to be thankful for, no matter how small. Whether it’s a warm cup of tea or a kind gesture from a stranger, take the time to appreciate the goodness of God in your life!

Why do I not feel thankful?

Many times, we do not feel thankful because most times thanksgiving is a sacrifice and not an emotion. Although there are times where we naturally want to give thanks, we should not wait until we feel thankful in order to do it. 

In the Old Testament, the children of Israelites were required to offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving. It was an actual sacrifice. Although we are not bound to this law, Hebrews 13:15 says “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.”

It is a sacrifice to give thanks when you do not feel like it, but this is how we develop the virtue of a thankful heart. Also, when we do choose to make the sacrifice, the emotion often follows and we then feel thankful because we have been thankful.

WANT TO KNOW MORE???

If you would like to know more, here is a free eBook called The Sacrifice of Thanksgiving. Fill out the form So I can send it you way!

Is it OK to not feel grateful?

Yes, it is quite normal to not feel grateful, but we should not let the lack of emotion keep us from practicing the virtue of being thankful.

How do you fix a lack of gratitude?

As a stay at home mom, it is very easy to find yourself being ungrateful. The best way to fix this is to offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving. Choose to be grateful even if you don’t feel like it.

How do you train yourself to be grateful?

One way to train yourself to have a thankful heart is to commit to intentionally choosing to be thankful. This 30 day thankful challenge is a great way to do this.

Final Thoughts!

Would you like to join me in this journey of learning to cultivate the virtue of a thankful heart so that we can flourish and be more like Christ?

Thankfulness is something we all struggle with, but it is something that we must develop in our lives. This virtue does require sacrifice. It is not easy, and yet it is not extremely difficult. 

This has been something I have been working on in my own life. I want my life to be characterized with thankfulness. In order to do this, I have actually created this 30 day thankful challenge for myself and am sharing it with you. In this pdf, you will find 30 days of prompts to help you with this challenge. If you would like it, fill out the form and I will send it your way!

MORE ON HOMEMAKING AND VIRTUE!

Old Fashioned Homemaking for the Modern Woman

Homemaking Mindsets (Part 1)

12 Qualities of a Virtuous Woman

What is Virtue?

11 Frugal Fall Decorating Ideas

· Leave a Comment

Want to decorate but can’t spend a fortune? Here are eleven frugal fall decorating ideas to help you make a cozy home without overspending.

When we think of fall decorations, we think of an abundance of harvest themed coziness. As the stores begin to put out their selection for decor, it is easy to be tempted to buy this or that and pretty soon you have spent a lot of money without realizing it. 

Maybe you want to create a cozy home, but the decorations you want cost too much. Thankfully, there are a lot of ways you can be frugal and still have a cozy home this fall.

Consider these frugal fall decorating ideas, and you might be surprised how much you can save!

Make Decorations

Making your own decorations can be fun and save you a pretty penny at the same time. Somethings that are easy to make are…

  • Wreaths
  • Candles
  • Signs
  • Fall floral arrangements
  • Throw blankets

If you see a decoration that you like, but it’s too pricey, see if you can’t make you something like it. It just might be cheaper to make it yourself.

Use Fake or Dried Floral

Small fake Floral is easy to come by and is a great way to spruce up empty spaces or decorations that just need something more. Many stores like Walmart and Hobby lobby have sections where you can get floral pieces for under a dollar.

Drying real autumn colored flowers is a great frugal decorating idea. It’s cheap and easy. To save even more you could get some flowers in the clearance section to dry.

A simple way to dry flowers is to hang them upside down for several days to a week.

Shop at Dollar Tree

Although it’s not the most glamorous spot to shop, Dollar tree does have some perks. Yes, probably will be cheaply made, but this is not necessarily a bad thing for decorations. 

Most people like to put new things out every year so they don’t need them to last more than a season or two. Somethings you might find at dollar tree for a good price are…

  • Wreaths
  • Door Mats
  • Pumpkins
  • Candle Holders
  • Pillows
  • Small hay bales
  • Craft Supplies

They sometimes even have fall themed household items like linens and soap dispensers, etc.

Shop at Thrift Stores

If you go to a thrift store in the right area of town, and you can Snag some good deals. It might be worth going out of your way too thrift stores that areNear richer neighborhoods to find better stuff. You never know what you will find!

Shop at Antique Stores

A great place to find old fashioned items to use as decor is at antique stores. Occasionally you can get really good deals on vintage things. It’s definitely a good place to find old books to use as decor.

Shop at the End of Season

Don’t stop looking for decor as the season ends. Once you see that stores have switched and are selling Christmas decor now, head over to the clearance section and see what you can find.

Even stores like hobby lobby have a clearance section!

Hey Friend!

Does housework overwhelm you to the point of discouragement? Do you wish you could finally get on top of it all? Do you have the homemaking dream of keeping your home in order, but struggle to actually do so on a day-to-day basis?

Are you struggling to manage your time at home?

Check out my new eBook Systems & Routines: Simple Time Management for Homemakers! It includes all that I have learned about systems and routines and how they have helped me manage my time and home well!

Shop in the Off Season

Keep your eyes open during the year even if it isn’t fall because you can sometimes find some great things at thrift stores and other secondhand shops in the offseason.

Paint Thrifted items

An easy frugal decoration idea is to buy glassware and other items that you like the shape of and paint them in fall colors. You can also repaint pumpkins, apples, and metal floral to Match your existing decor. Sometimes you find something you like but the color is a little off and a little paint is all that’s needed to make it perfect.

Use Things from Nature

Go out in your backyard or take a walk in a park specifically to find fall decorations. Look for beautiful leaves that have changed color, acorns, and other nuts, for example. 

They look great in small dishes on table tops or in mason jars on your shelves.

Make Use of Books

If you are a lover of books, peek through your collection and pull out all the ones with earthy or fall colored spines and covers. Stacks of books tied with ribbons make a great filler for spots that need something more to make it perfect it.

Make Do or Do Without

This is the best frugal decorating idea. If your decorating is all done, don’t buy more and if you’re wanting to not spend extra money this fall season, see if you can’t make do with what you already have from last year. 

If you haven’t heard already, there’s an old-fashioned saying, “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.“ This is the best for word advice for any area of your life including decorations.

It is our tendency to always want new things, and while we can give into that urge within reason, it isn’t always the best idea for our bank account to buy new decorations every year. There is no shame in reusing last years and choosing to be grateful for the abundance that you do have.

Final thoughts!

Decorating for fall can be a lot of fun, but it can also be expensive. Consider these eleven frugal fall decorating ideas as you prepare to make a cozy place where you and your family can flourish. 

There’s nothing more old-fashioned then a frugal homemaker set on doing what she can with what she has to work with. Although you may not be able to have the exact decor that you want, you can easily still create a pleasant place within your means. 

I hope you were encouraged to embrace a more old-fashioned outlook in your fall homemaking this year with these frugal fall decorating ideas. 

Follow me on Pinterest for more Old Fashioned Homemaking Inspiration!

MORE ON FALL HOMEMAKING!

Cozy Autumn Homemaking Guide

Simple Fall Checklist for Homemakers

A Fall Checklist for Homemakers

· 1 Comment

Fall is coming! Are you and your home ready for it? Here’s a fall checklist to help you get ready for a fantastic fall season!

Summer was fun, but now that we’re nearing the end of it, I am really looking forward to this fall season! Even though fall is not quite here yet, there are a few things we can do as homemakers to start preparing our home to make the most of this autumn season.

Here is a fun fall checklist to help you as a homemaker begin preparing for this next season.

Stock up on Spices and Baking Supplies

Fall is all about baking! We are finally past the summer heat here in Oklahoma, and I’m ready to have my oven on more often.

There’s nothing more frustrating than wanting to bake and realizing that you’re out of the supplies you need. Don’t wait for that to happen to you! Go ahead and make sure you have a little bit of everything that you will need.

Some spices and baking supplies to stock up on are:

  • Cloves
  • Nutmeg
  • Pumpkin Spice
  • Real Vanilla
  • Ground Cinnamon
  • Cinnamon Sticks
  • Baking Soda
  • Organic Cane Sugar

Before you go out and buy some of these things though, quickly peek into your pantry to make sure you don’t already have some.

If you’re wanting to start eating a little healthier, now is a great time to start making some healthy swaps. Since we tend to eat a lot of desserts and treats during this cooling season, it’s a good idea to make sure that your homemade treats are made with quality ingredients so that you and your family can digest them easily and so that you all can feel your best this fall.

RELATED POST: Pro Metabolic Diet: What is Healthy Eating for You?

Restock Ingredients for Hot Beverages

As the weather gets cooler and we get closer to winter, it’s the perfect time for hot beverages. Some things I need to get for these delicious treats are:

I love my chai, especially in the cooler months because it’s so full of spice and fits perfectly with this time of year. Since I might want to have some without caffeine for the evenings, I’m getting some Chai Rooibos Tea, as well.

These are links for loose leaf tea. Perhaps I am a tea snob, but I do prefer the taste of higher quality tea and this usually comes in loose leaf form and not prepackaged tea bags. You can get your own tea bags to fill or use a tea pot as well. Besides, its old fashioned to drink loose leaf tea. That’s the way it used to be.

RELATED POST: Old Fashioned Homemaking for the Modern Woman

This post contains affiliate links.

Make a list of meals/desserts to make

I am ready for all the fun fall experiments! Some things I am going to try to make are:

  • Imitations of Olive Garden Soups
  • Sweet Potato Casserole
  • Sourdough Stuffing
  • Apple/Pear Butter
  • Pumpkin Pie
  • Apple Pie
  • Upside Down Pear Cake (This a recipe from my round-up article on Summer Cakes and I can’t wait to try it this fall when pears come back into season.)
  • Homemade Marshmallows
  • Cinnamon Ice Cream

We just got an ice cream machine, and it will be put to good use this fall to make ice cream for the pies and definitely for a chai tea latte or Affogato.

Switch out decorations

This is the first fall that I’m really decorating for, but I am super excited to put away all the summer decor and get started!

Something I’m planning to do before I get too much decor is to go through what I have in storage, see what is fallish and put it out.

That way, I can see what I have and get an idea of what I need to complement it. If you’d like to know more about what I am doing as far as decorations go, here’s my Cozy Autumn Homemaking Guide that has a few more details.

Prepare Wardrobes

If you have been following along in my weekly newsletter, you know that one of my goals this year is to completely switch out all my jeans and T-shirts for dresses. It has been difficult to find dresses that fit all my requirements, but I think I have finally found some.

With the help of my sewing machine and a bit of hand stitching to make a few more dresses, I’m so excited to finally say that my closet will only have dresses in it this fall!

After getting those few dresses made or refashioned, all that’s left for my wardrobe to be complete for cooler weather is to get some leggings and boots.

The children will need new clothes for this fall and winter, too, as they have grown so much this year. A trip to Once Upon A Child and a few thrift stores should be all that’s needed, but I might make my little girl a few dresses, too.

For my husband’s wardrobe, all he needs is his winter stuff pulled out and washed.

Bring out fall scents

Cinnamon and pumpkin spice bring fall into my home like nothing else! I can’t wait to pull out the diffuser and drop some pumpkin spice essential oil into it! Such a delightful scent!

There are a few things I still need to get to help scent my home like fall. Things like:

A few more essential oil blends would be lovely, too, for when I am not baking. I just haven’t decided yet which ones I want. Have any suggestions? Leave them in the comments below! I would really love to know!

Final Thoughts!

Since fall is almost upon us, now is a good time to start gathering all the things you will need to make your home warm and cozy. Things like candle making supplies and cinnamon sticks probably won’t be on sale, but you might be able to find some good deals on spices and decor if you start looking now.

I hope you found this checklist helpful in getting your wheels spinning so that you can prepare to create a place where you and your family can fully enjoy the season and truly flourish.

If you were inspired in any way by this post, please pin it so that other homemakers can be inspired, too!

More on Fall Homemaking!

Cozy Autumn Homemaking Guide

11 Fall Sewing Projects

Cozy Autumn Homemaking Guide

· Leave a Comment

Homemaking in Autumn is still something new to me. Having grown up in the tropics without this season, there are many parts of it that seemed so foreign. What was the big deal about pumpkins, flannel, and baking? Now that I have been in the states and married for a few years, I am finally beginning to see the beauty of this season. 

My baby girl was born last fall and although I was determined to decorate and do all of the fall things, it wasn’t reasonable. I am super excited this fall season to truly experience autumn as much as possible in my home!!

Here is an autumn homemaking guide that I have put together of all the fall things so that I can make my home super cozy and autumnal. It includes things like decor, baking, and how to make your home smell like fall.

Come join me in this adventure as I learn to include fall in my old fashioned homemaking journey!

Cozy Autumn Decor 

I have a few fake pumpkins and copper painted things to pull out of storage, but I need to get a few more things to add an old fashioned fall touch. Perhaps, I will make a few things, but the plan is to go for natural decor that just needs a little rearranging or help.

Cinnamon Sticks

Cinnamon sticks in a mason jar is a nice simple touch. I just need to remember to get real ones and not ones that are for decor. The difference is that the ones labeled for decoration might be sprayed with chemicals to keep the bugs away, but the real ones found in the baking section of most stores won’t be. 

This way you can have some for decor, and also for cooking or baking, too. You also won’t have to worry about it if your little ones get a hold of them and try to eat them. You know they will!

Acorns

I might have to settle for store bought acorns since we don’t have any oak trees around here. I’m going to watch the squirrels though. Sometimes, they bring some into our yard.

Wheat

I love the light neutral tan of wheat! My home has a lot of dark wood so a few pieces of wheat will really stand out. I may just settle for dried flowers though and make do.

Throw Blankets

There is nothing more cozy than snuggling under a throw blanket and sipping some hot chocolate. I’m making it a point to add more throws this year on rockers, beds, and anywhere else that would benefit from a cozy touch. 

Pumpkins

Although I have fake pumpkins, I’m going for real ones this year, too. Perhaps I will decorate the front porch and back patio area with a few. Maybe even bring a few inside. This way I can have fresh pumpkin to bake with.

Candles

If you haven’t yet, you should try making your own candles this season. It’s so fulfilling to make your own and very easy, too. 

I love making beeswax candles simply for the look of them and they have a slightly yellowish tint which is perfect for fall! They also naturally purify the air.

Sunflowers

I have an abundance of sunflowers growing in my teeny garden. I planted both yellow and the colorful ones so they will add some pretty yellows and reds to my home.

Hey Friend!

Does housework overwhelm you to the point of discouragement? Do you wish you could finally get on top of it all? Do you have the homemaking dream of keeping your home in order, but struggle to actually do so on a day-to-day basis?

Are you struggling to manage your time at home?

Check out my new eBook Systems & Routines: Simple Time Management for Homemakers! It includes all that I have learned about systems and routines and how they have helped me manage my time and home well!

Fall Wreath

Last year, I wasn’t sure what wreath I wanted, but it wasn’t the season to try to make one. In the end, I simply bought a cheap one. Perhaps, I will make one this year.

Autumnal Colors

After I have put all these things in their places, there might be some spots that simply need something more. The colors Im learning that are perfect for fall are… 

  • Yellows
  • Reds
  • Browns
  • Copper

Something I have done in the past is take a few thrifted glasses or glass items that I like the shape of and paint them with copper paint. This is a great inexpensive way to add a little more to spots that are just not right.

Fall Tablecloth

I’m thinking I will make a simple tablecloth with a cute ruffled edge. Sure, I could probably buy the exact thing I want, but making it myself is more fun. It’s a good chance to practice my sewing skills, too.

Festive Autumn Treats

The next category that my home needs this fall is some festive autumnal treats. With the cooler weather coming in after a hot Oklahoma summer, my oven is begging to be turned on. 

The best part is that my home will smell delicious with all these desserts and treats! I’m thinking of doing…

  • All the pumpkin desserts I can think of!!
  • Apple/Pear Butter
  • Homemade Marshmallows
  • Pumpkin Spice Baked Oatmeal
  • Apple Pie
  • Pear Cake

This fall season is going to be the best!! I have been gluten free for so long. Sure, there were gluten free substitutes, but they are expensive and not that great for you. I messed around with different gluten free flours, but nothing tasted the real deal.

Recently, I have been working on healing my gut through Pro Metabolic Eating and I am at the point that I can tolerate gluten if it is fermented. 

This means that I can make or bake pretty much anything with gluten this fall season without it making me sick! I am so excited to bake all the things!! 

Satisfying Autumn Meal

There is nothing like a hot meal on a cool day! It’s simple and very cozy.

A few cooking skills I am planning to continue learning this fall are making… 

  • Soups
  • Chilies
  • Casseroles
  • Meat Pies

You name it! I will probably make it. 

You are probably wondering why I am going a little crazy with the cooking and baking, but the truth is that I have been dieting for several years. This has really affected the way I make food for my family.

Although there were some health benefits from all the different diets, it has not been healthy to be on a restricted diet. It’s hard to even simply enjoy food, but this fall is going to be different.

I’m learning to let go of the restrictions in a healthy sustainable way. Already the changes have been amazing! I’m looking forward to enjoying all the fall foods that we were intended to eat and to flourish while doing so!!

Thanksgiving Dinner

If you have been on a diet or had dietary restrictions, you know that festive times are stressful. You want to eat that roll or that cake, but you know that it has gluten in it that could make you sick. It’s sad, discouraging, and not fun at all.

This was my story, but this year, it’s different. I know that I can now go into our annual thanksgiving get together and enjoy the food. Sure, I might have to make the rolls myself, but they will actually be rolls and not some unhealthy substitute. 

I don’t think I can talk enough about the goodness of real food and I am thrilled to enjoy the full Thanksgiving dinner this year! Who knows, my gut may be healed enough to even enjoy some cake even if it is not sourdough!!

Simple Autumn Scents

Fall is also all about scents like pumpkin spice, apples, and cinnamon, etc. To incorporate these wonderful smells into my home, I am planning to bake a lot, but also to do things like…

  • Homemade Cinnamon Candles
  • Potpourri 
  • Apple/Pear Butter

The pear butter is my husband’s request. I have never made it before, but that is one of the things that makes fall for him. 

Final Thoughts!

I know fall isn’t here yet. Maybe it is by the time you are reading this, but I am so excited for this autumnal season! This year, my home is going to fully experience fall. 

It was a struggle to figure out how to do that in the previous years, but the pieces are falling together. The concept of fall was foreign to me, but the idea of it all is finally taking form in my head. 

Our home is going to feel like fall, smell like fall, and we are going to enjoy eating all the fall things. Follow along as I explore what it really means to flourish this fall. 

You’ll want to pin this for later so that you can come back and check out some new things I will be adding like recipes and more ideas that I am discovering.

PIN IT!!!

MORE ON HOMEMAKING!

Practical Homemaking Guide

Old Fashioned Homemaking for the Modern Woman